BELLE VUE boss David Gordon had hoped the Aces would finish in the top four of the 2010 Elite league campaign.

Instead they ended up second bottom in the most disappointing season of his four-year tenure.

After finishing bottom in 2009 the signings of Danish Grand Prix man, Hans Andersen (pictured), and vastly experienced Swede, Peter Karlsson, gave the club high hopes which in the end came to nothing.

Gordon took over the Aces with Chris Morton and Gordon Pairman in the winter of 2006 and this was the season he felt the team was ready for take-off.

He said: “We zeroed off the first season as a complete write-off so we feel we have been on our third year, actually.

“I think with the team we put together, and careful consideration we gave to the balance of it, we expected to do much better.

“We took the opportunity to bring in what were effectively two No 1 riders in Hans Andersen and Peter Karlsson. We were quite excited about the prospect of 2010 being the season where we would achieve something but, unfortunately, both of them had injury problems.

Interest

“It was a season where it was essential we achieved something in view of the fact we are continuing talks about a new stadium. It would be nice to go into a new home with a winning team and would maintain the fan interest.

“Basically, we have not only failed but we have failed miserably. We are dismayed that we have ended up so disappointed after starting out with a team we were confident would be in top four or even the top two. But top four was always the target.

“The balance of the team was thrown out straight away when Charlie Gjedde was injured in pre-season practice. He never even started the season and that unbalanced the team.

“That was followed by dropping a few points early on when we didn’t take as many as we could and should from some matches.

“That happened on three or four occasions and we could have put ourselves in a better   situation in the league very early on.

“And how many times were we turned over in an away match by an opposing reserve getting a big score? It happened to us too often. We didn’t always have the power at reserve away from home.”

Gordon added: “Our disappointment was such because we thought we had put together an exciting team. Getting Andersen was the key, and signing Karlsson was fantastic.

“We thought the rest of the team had a good balance. We brought in William Lawson at reserve and he showed a great improvement but then decided to bale out which was very disappointing.

“We had a vulnerable period when Willie left us but then Ulrich Ostergaard came in and did a great job until he suffered a double leg fracture.

“We lost three times at home. That wasn’t good because our target was to remain unbeaten at Kirkmanshulme Lane.

Pathetic

“We lost to a very strong Poole team when we were crippled by injuries and also lost to Coventry when they were on the up and we were on a downer.

“I just don’t know what wrong in that match. We were pathetic because we had all to play for and delivered nothing.

“Then we lost to Swindon in our final match. It certainly wasn’t the way to finish but we were on our knees by then. All in all, what started with a huge amount of optimism ended in failure.”

So, in view of the disappointing results and the fade-out of the play-off bid, how did the attendances hold up over the season?

Gordon said: “All in all, the figures stood up pretty well. But the 2010 season is history now. We have put it behind us and we are busy looking forward to the future, both in the short and longer term.”