1968 British League season

Summary

Edinburgh relocated to become the Coatbridge Monarchs. The Long Eaton team closed its doors, but a new team in Leicester returned to speedway to join the League. Long Eaton promoters Ron Wilson and Reg Fearman moved the speedway licence to Leicester Stadium because of concerns over increased stock car events damaging the Long Eaton Stadium speedway track.

Coventry Bees secured their first title on points difference and after they scored points in the last heat of their last match away at King's Lynn. The title win came after two consecutive years as being runner-up. Coventry's Nigel Boocock was again one of the league's leading riders with his average going well above ten for the fifth consecutive year. He was well supported by Ron Mountford and Czechoslovak star Antonín Kasper Sr. Wimbledon Dons who could only manage a mid table finish went on to win the British League Knockout Cup.

Final table

Fixtures & results

Top Ten Riders (League averages)

British League Knockout Cup

The 1968 British League Knockout Cup was the 30th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Wimbledon were the winners.

First round

Second round

Third round

Semi-finals

Final

First leg Hasse Holmqvist 15 Jim Airey 14 Peter Vandenberg 8 James Bond 6 Dave Hemus 6 Doug White 3 Mick Handley 1 Pete Jarman 0 Olle Nygren 14 Trevor Hedge 12 Reg Luckhurst 10 Bob Dugard 9 Alan Cowland 4 Jim Tebby 3 Peter Murray 3 Garry Middleton 0

Second leg Trevor Hedge 17 Olle Nygren 14 Reg Luckhurst 12 Garry Middleton 8 Alan Cowland 6 Bob Dugard 2 Jim Tebby 2 Peter Murray 2 Hasse Holmqvist 12 James Bond 10 Peter Vandenberg 8 Jim Airey 7 Mick Handley 5 Pete Jarman 3 Dave Hemus 0 Doug White 0

Wimbledon Dons were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 118-98.

Riders' Championship

Barry Briggs won the British League Riders' Championship for the fourth consecutive year, held at Hyde Road on 19 October. Briggs defeated Boocock in a run off for the title.

• ef=engine failure, f=fell, exc=excluded

Final leading averages

London Cup

Wimbledon won the London Cup.

Midland Cup

Swindon won the Midland Cup for the second consecutive season. The competition consisted of six teams.

First round

Semi final round

Final

First leg Barry Briggs 11 Bob Kilby 10 Clive Hitch 6 Pete Munday 5 Frank Shuter 5 Mike Keen 5 Mike Broadbank 0 Anders Michanek 10 John Boulger 9 Ray Wilson 9 John Hart 5 Graham Plant 2 George Major 0 Norman Storer 0

Second leg Ray Wilson 12 Anders Michanek 10 Norman Storer 6 John Boulger 6 John Hart 3 Graham Plant 3 George Major 2 Barry Briggs 9 Frank Shuter 7 Clive Hitch 6 Mike Broadbank 6 Mike Keen 3 Bob Kilby 3 Pete Munday 2

Swindon won on aggregate 78–77

Riders and final averages

Belle Vue

• 9.13
• 8.50
• 7.40
• 7.34
• 5.62
• 5.56
• 4.48
• 4.29
• 3.65
• 2.78

Coatbridge

• 9.28
• 9.02
• 6.48
• 6.36
• 6.05
• 4.39
• 3.62

Coventry

• 10.74
• 9.62
• 7.51
• 7.09
• 6.46
• 6.13
• 5.46
• 4.73
• 3.40
• 1.88

Cradley Heath

• 8.91
• 7.70
• 6.71
• 6.32
• 6.20
• 5.67
• 5.02
• 5.02
• 4.19
• 3.62
• 3.16

Exeter

• 10.72
• 7.70
• 7.51
• 7.46
• 7.31
• 6.37
• 5.71
• 4.64

Glasgow

• 8.31
• 7.91
• 7.43
• 6.79
• 5.78
• 5.68
• 4.92
• 4.79
• 4.17
• 2.37

Hackney

• 9.58
• 8.99
• 6.74
• 6.24
• 6.08
• 5.31
• 4.40
• 4.08
• 3.17

Halifax

• 10.17
• 8.83
• 7.95
• 6.27
• 5.94
• 5.43
• 3.88
• 3.75
• 3.69

King's Lynn

• 9.45
• 9.40
• 6.11
• (Kid Bodie) 5.94
• 5.24
• 5.10
• 4.34
• 4.29
• 4.00

Leicester

• 10.19
• 9.37
• 6.62
• 5.51
• 5.43
• 5.24
• 4.06
• 2.80
• 2.58

'''Newcastle''''

• 11.37
• 9.39
• 6.86
• 6.08
• 5.76
• 5.48
• 5.09
• 5.05
• 3.67
• 3.56
• 2.24

Newport

• 9.73
• 7.97
• 6.56
• 6.47
• 6.26
• 5.69
• 5.72
• 2.00

Oxford

• 8.53
• 7.32
• 6.87
• 6.58
• 5.52
• 4.38
• 2.77

Poole

• 8.32
• 7.67
• 7.46
• 6.94
• 5.71
• 5.25
• 5.14
• 4.53
• 4.36

Sheffield

• 10.07
• 7.97
• 7.54
• 6.79
• 6.39
• 6.13
• 4.76
• 1.49

Swindon

• 10.87
• 8.51
• 8.20
• 6.18
• 5.99
• 5.25
• 4.94
• 4.29

West Ham

• 9.78
• 9.71
• 9.11
• 5.36
• 4.95
• 4.46
• 3.33
• 2.57

Wimbledon

• 9.31
• 9.15
• 7.93
• 5.87
• 5.61
• 5.49
• 5.18
• 3.54

Wolverhampton

• 9.58
• 9.24
• 7.68
• 6.82
• 5.97
• 4.86
• 4.30
• 2.86
• 2.35
• 2.29

References

References

1. "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
2. Oakes, Peter. (1981). "1981 Speedway Yearbook". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
3. (21 February 1968). "Speedway at Long Eaton in danger".
4. Rogers, Martin. (1978). "The Illustrated History of Speedway". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
5. "HISTORY ARCHIVE".
6. "Season 1968".
7. "1968 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
8. "1968 British League Knockout Cup". Speedway archive.
9. "Season 1968".
10. (21 October 1968). "Briggs foils Boocock bid". Derby Daily Telegraph.
11. "Wimbledon 1968".
12. "1968 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
13. (16 October 1968). "Lions Lode By Point On Aggregate". Leicester Daily Mercury.