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1974 British League season
British speedway season
British speedway season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| competition | British League |
| competitors | 17 |
| domesticcup1 | Champions |
| domesticcup1 winners | Exeter Falcons |
| domesticcup2 | Knockout Cup |
| domesticcup2 winners | Sheffield Tigers |
| domesticcup3 | Individual |
| domesticcup3 winners | Peter Collins |
| domesticcup4 | Spring Gold Cup |
| domesticcup4 winners | Newport |
| domesticcup5 | Midland Cup |
| domesticcup5 winners | Leicester Lions |
| domesticcup6 | London Cup |
| domesticcup6 winners | Wimbledon Dons |
| domesticcup7 | Northern Trophy |
| domesticcup7 winners | Sheffield Tigers |
| highest average | Ole Olsen |
| leagues below | British League (Div 2) |
| prevseason | 1973 |
| nextseason | 1975 |
The 1974 British League season was the 40th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the tenth season known as the British League.
Summary
The 1973 Champions Reading didn't compete as they no longer had a stadium, following the closure of Reading Stadium and Hull Vikings replaced them. The league was reduced to seventeen teams when the Coatbridge Tigers dropped down to Division Two. Overseas riders that rode in other leagues abroad were banned which meant that top Swedish riders such as Anders Michanek, Bernt Persson, Tommy Jansson and Christer Löfqvist didn't compete.
The Exeter Falcons won their first title. They were headed by the legendary four time world champion Ivan Mauger and backed up well by Scott Autrey (8.32), Tony Lomas (7.29) and Kevin Holden (7.26).
At the end of the season Oxford Rebels finished four points above the Hull Vikings courtesy of a protest over Hull's victory against the Rebels. Hull were later re-awarded the points after a close season hearing and moved above the Rebels.
Final table
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exeter Falcons | 32 | 25 | 1 | 6 | 51 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 32 | 23 | 0 | 9 | 46 |
| 3 | Ipswich Witches | 32 | 22 | 1 | 9 | 45 |
| 4 | Sheffield Tigers | 32 | 21 | 0 | 11 | 42 |
| 5 | King's Lynn Stars | 32 | 20 | 1 | 11 | 41 |
| 6 | Newport | 32 | 17 | 3 | 12 | 37 |
| 7 | Halifax Dukes | 32 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 31 |
| 8 | Wimbledon Dons | 32 | 14 | 1 | 17 | 29 |
| 9 | Hackney Hawks | 32 | 13 | 2 | 17 | 28 |
| 10 | Leicester Lions | 32 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 27 |
| 11 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 32 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 27 |
| 12 | Swindon Robins | 32 | 12 | 2 | 18 | 26 |
| 13 | Cradley United | 32 | 12 | 1 | 19 | 25 |
| 14 | Poole Pirates | 32 | 12 | 1 | 19 | 25 |
| 15 | Coventry Bees | 32 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 24 |
| 16 | Hull Vikings | 32 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 20 |
| 17 | Oxford Rebels | 32 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 20 |
Fixtures and results
Top ten riders (league averages)
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ole Olsen | DEN | Wolverhampton |
| 2 | Ivan Mauger | NZL | Exeter |
| 3 | Phil Crump | AUS | Newport |
| 4 | Peter Collins | ENG | Belle Vue |
| 5 | John Louis | ENG | Ipswich |
| 6 | Terry Betts | ENG | King's Lynn |
| 7 | Dag Lövaas | NOR | Hackney |
| 8 | Martin Ashby | ENG | Swindon |
| 9 | John Boulger | AUS | Cradley |
| 10 | Eric Boocock | ENG | Halifax |
British League Knockout Cup
The 1974 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 36th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Sheffield were the winners.
First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20/04 | Cradley United | 40–38 | Wolverhampton |
| 19/04 | Ipswich | 50–28 | Oxford |
| 12/04 | Wolverhampton | 48–30 | Cradley United |
| 21/03 | Oxford | 40–37 | Ipswich |
Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07/06 | Wolverhampton | 36–42 | Kings Lynn |
| 04/06 | Wimbledon | 38–40 | Ipswich |
| 30/05 | Ipswich | 52–26 | Wimbledon |
| 29/05 | Hull | 38–40 | Sheffield |
| 25/05 | Coventry | 42–36 | Leicester |
| 22/05 | Belle Vue | 53–25 | Halifax |
| 18/05 | Kings Lynn | 45–33 | Wolverhampton |
| 17/05 | Hackney | 40–38 | Poole |
| 15/05 | Poole | 42–36 | Hackney |
| 13/05 | Halifax | 35–43 | Belle Vue |
| 09/05 | Sheffield | 52–26 | Hull |
| 07/05 | Leicester | 43–35 | Coventry |
| 27/04 | Swindon | 40–38 | Newport |
| 26/04 | Newport | 42–36 | Swindon |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31/07 | Poole | 38–40 | Kings Lynn |
| 20/07 | King's Lynn | 38–40 | Poole |
| 16/07 | Leicester | 38–40 | Ipswich |
| 08/07 | Sheffield | 46–32 | Newport |
| 06/07 | Belle Vue | 44–32 | Exeter |
| 05/07 | Newport | 35–43 | Sheffield |
| 20/06 | Ipswich | 42–36 | Leicester |
| 10/06 | Exeter | 46–32 | Belle Vue |
| 24/08 | Kings Lynn | 42–36 | Poole |
| 21/08 | Poole | 45–32 | Kings Lynn |
Semi-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/09 | Sheffield | 46–32 | Poole |
| 04/09 | Poole | 37–40 | Sheffield |
| 29/08 | Ipswich | 50–28 | Exeter |
| 19/08 | Exeter | 42–36 | Ipswich |
Final
First leg John Louis 11 Billy Sanders 10 Tony Davey 6 Mick Hines 5 Ted Howgego 3 Alan Sage 2 Trevor Jones 0 Arnie Haley 13 Bob Valentine 11 Doug Wyer 8 Reg Wilson 6 Craig Pendlebury 2 Bob Paulson 1 Carl Glover 0
Second leg Bob Valentine 11 Arnie Haley 8 Doug Wyer 8 Craig Pendlebury 8 Reg Wilson 7 Carl Glover 6 Bob Paulson 1 John Louis 13 Tony Davey 9 Billy Sanders 3 Mick Hines 2 Ted Howgego 1 Mike Lanham 1 Alan Sage 0
Sheffield Tigers were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 90-65.
Riders' Championship
Peter Collins won the British League Riders' Championship held at Hyde Road on 19 October.
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- ef=engine failure, f=fell, x=excluded
Final leading averages
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ole Olsen | DEN | Wolverhampton |
| 2 | Peter Collins | ENG | Belle Vue |
| 3 | Ivan Mauger | NZL | Exeter |
| 4 | Phil Crump | AUS | Newport |
| 5 | John Louis | ENG | Ipswich |
| 6 | Terry Betts | ENG | King's Lynn |
| 7 | Dag Lövaas | NOR | Hackney |
| 8 | Martin Ashby | ENG | Swindon |
| 9 | John Boulger | AUS | Cradley |
| 10 | Bob Valentine | AUS | Sheffield |
| 11 | Malcolm Simmons | ENG | King's Lynn |
| 13 | Sören Sjösten | SWE | Belle Vue |
| 14 | Jim McMillan | SCO | Hull |
| 15 | Dave Jessup | ENG | Leicester |
| 15 | Eric Boocock | ENG | Halifax |
| 17 | Reidar Eide | NOR | Newport |
| 18 | Billy Sanders | AUS | Ipswich |
| 19 | Ray Wilson | ENG | Leicester |
| 20 | Barry Briggs | NZL | Wimbledon |
Spring Gold Cup
East Group
| Team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| King's Lynn | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Hackney | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Wimbledon | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
West Group
| Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Exeter | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Oxford | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Poole | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
East Group
West Group
Final
| Team one | Team two | Scores |
|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | Newport | 44–34, 30–48 |
Midland Cup
Leicester won the Midland Cup. The competition consisted of six teams.
First round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford | Swindon | 41–37, 34–44 |
| Coventry | Cradley | 39–39, 28–50 |
Semi final round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Leicester | Swindon | 41–37, 41–37 |
| Cradley | Wolverhampton | 32–46, 38–40 |
Final first leg Ray Wilson 11 Dave Jessup 9 Frank Auffret 9 Bob Coles (guest) 4 Malcolm Brown 4 Mick Bell 3 Norman Storer 2 John Boulger (guest) 14 George Hunter 10 Malcolm Shakespeare 8 Bengt Andersson 3 Colin Meredith 1 Tom Leadbitter 0 Tony Featherstone 0
Final second leg Eric Broadbelt (guest) 12 George Hunter 9 Malcolm Shakespeare 6 Tom Leadbitter 4 Bengt Andersson 2 Colin Meredith 2 Finn Thomsen 0 Dave Jessup 10 Ray Wilson 9 Arthur Price (guest) 8 Frank Auffret 6 Norman Storer 5 Mick Bell 5 Malcolm Brown 0
Leicester won on aggregate 85–71
London Cup
Wimbledon won the London Cup but there were now only two teams remaining in London.
Results
| Team | Score | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Wimbledon | 46–32 | Hackney |
| Hackney | 39–39 | Wimbledon |
Northern Trophy
| M | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | Belle Vue | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Halifax | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Hull | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Riders and final averages
Belle Vue
- 10.98
- 9.72
- 8.68
- 7.47
- 7.24
- 6.49
- 4.15
- 3.24
- 2.73
Coventry
- 8.50
- 6.70
- 5.96
- 5.78
- 4.97
- 4.50
- 4.34
- 2.13
- 1.75
Cradley Heath
- 10.06
- (Kid Brodie) 7.70
- 6.19
- 5.79
- 5.56
- 4.70
- 4.14
- 4.00
- 3.33
- 2.09
Exeter
- 10.88
- 8.32
- 7.79
- 7.29
- 7.26
- 5.57
- 5.52
- 4.76
- 4.23
Hackney
- 10.17
- 7.78
- 6.34
- 5.76
- 5.37
- 5.33
- 5.29
- 4.48
Halifax
- 9.61
- 7.50
- 7.20
- 7.01
- 5.43
- 4.81
- 4.75
- 2.77
- 2.61
Hull
- 9.71
- 7.77
- 5.73
- 5.52
- 5.14
- 5.11
- 5.09
- 4.14
Ipswich
- 10.79
- 9.34
- 8.29
- 6.19
- 5.53
- 5.18
- 4.80
- 4.50
- 4.29
King's Lynn
- 10.32
- 9.78
- 6.36
- 5.81
- 5.25
- 4.87
- 4.77
Leicester
- 9.66
- 9.34
- 6.46
- 5.77
- 5.41
- 3.45
- 3.29
- 2.62
Newport
- 10.79
- 9.42
- 7.70
- 5.26
- 5.08
- 4.76
- 4.36
- 4.15
Oxford
- 8.32
- 7.32
- 6.89
- 6.86
- 6.76
- 5.18
- 4.15
- 4.00
- 3.72
- 1.60
Poole
- 8.58
- 7.28
- 6.31
- 6.29
- 5.27
- 2.54
- 2.29
Sheffield
- 9.92
- 9.23
- 9.13
- 7.24
- 6.98
- 6.40
- 5.91
- 4.70
Swindon
- 10.09
- 7.97
- 6.37
- 5.10
- 4.55
- 4.51
- 4.06
- 3.58
- 2.50
Wimbledon
- 9.30
- 7.09
- 6.64
- 5.84
- 5.45
- 5.17
- 5.02
- 3.03
Wolverhampton
- 11.39
- 8.04
- 6.53
- 5.38
- 4.28
- 4.04
- 3.20
- 2.59
- 2.33
References
References
- "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
- "HISTORY ARCHIVE".
- Rogers, Martin. (1978). "The Illustrated History of Speedway". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
- Oakes, Peter. (1981). "1981 Speedway Yearbook". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
- "1974 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- "1974 British League Knockout Cup". Speedway archive.
- (7 October 1974). "Hero Haley puts Ipswich on the rack". Daily Mirror.
- "Season 1974".
- (21 October 1974). "Speedway". Coventry Evening Telegraph.
- "1974 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- "1974 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- (12 October 1974). "Wolves beaten in cup final". Birmingham Daily Post.
- "1974 fixtures and results".
- "1974 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
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