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1975 British League season
British speedway season
British speedway season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| competition | British League |
| competitors | 18 |
| domesticcup1 | Champions |
| domesticcup1 winners | Ipswich Witches |
| domesticcup2 | Knockout Cup |
| domesticcup2 winners | Belle Vue Aces |
| domesticcup3 | Individual |
| domesticcup3 winners | Peter Collins |
| domesticcup4 | Spring Gold Cup |
| domesticcup4 winners | Newport Wasps |
| domesticcup5 | Midland Cup |
| domesticcup5 winners | Oxford Rebels |
| domesticcup6 | Northern Trophy |
| domesticcup6 winners | Belle Vue Aces |
| domesticcup7 | London Cup |
| domesticcup7 winners | Wimbledon Dons |
| highest average | Ivan Mauger |
| leagues below | 1975 National League |
| prevseason | 1974 |
| nextseason | 1976 |
The 1975 Gulf Oil British League season was the 41st season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 11th season known as the British League.
Summary
The league was sponsored for the first time by Gulf Oil. Reading Racers returned after a one-season absence to increase the size of the league back to eighteen teams and the ban on overseas riders that rode in other leagues abroad was lifted.
The Ipswich Witches won their first title, defeating Belle Vue Aces by a solitary point. John Louis and Billy Sanders scored heavily throughout the season for Ipswich. Belle Vue found consolation by winning the Knockout Cup.
In their last season at the Cowley track, Oxford Rebels won the Midland Cup, beating Wolverhampton Wolves but the competition was overshadowed by the death of rider Gary Peterson.
Final table
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ipswich Witches | 34 | 26 | 1 | 7 | 53 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 34 | 25 | 2 | 7 | 52 |
| 3 | Newport | 34 | 24 | 1 | 9 | 49 |
| 4 | Exeter Falcons | 34 | 20 | 3 | 11 | 45 |
| 5 | Sheffield Tigers | 34 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 42 |
| 6 | Reading Racers | 34 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 42 |
| 7 | Oxford Rebels | 34 | 18 | 0 | 16 | 36 |
| 8 | Leicester Lions | 34 | 16 | 4 | 14 | 36 |
| 9 | Wimbledon Dons | 34 | 16 | 2 | 16 | 34 |
| 10 | Halifax Dukes | 34 | 15 | 3 | 16 | 33 |
| 11 | Cradley United | 34 | 15 | 2 | 17 | 32 |
| 12 | King's Lynn Stars | 34 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 31 |
| 13 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 34 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 27 |
| 14 | Hull Vikings | 34 | 10 | 4 | 20 | 24 |
| 15 | Poole Pirates | 34 | 10 | 3 | 21 | 23 |
| 16 | Coventry Bees | 34 | 9 | 2 | 23 | 20 |
| 17 | Hackney Hawks | 34 | 9 | 1 | 24 | 19 |
| 18 | Swindon Robins | 34 | 8 | 0 | 26 | 16 |
Fixtures and results
- Match awarded to Oxford
Top ten riders (league averages)
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivan Mauger | NZL | Exeter |
| 2 | Peter Collins | ENG | Belle Vue |
| 3 | Phil Crump | AUS | Newport |
| 4 | Anders Michanek | SWE | Reading |
| 5 | Ole Olsen | DEN | Wolverhampton |
| 6 | John Louis | ENG | Ipswich |
| 7 | Dave Jessup | ENG | Leicester |
| 8 | Malcolm Simmons | ENG | Poole |
| 9 | Dag Lövaas | NOR | Oxford |
| 10 | Reg Wilson | ENG | Sheffield |
British League Knockout Cup
The 1975 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 37th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Belle Vue Aces were the winners.
First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22/05 | Sheffield | 44–34 | Exeter |
| 19/04 | Belle Vue | 49–29 | Wolverhampton |
| 18/04 | Wolverhampton | 37–41 | Belle Vue |
| 14/04 | Exeter | 47–31 | Sheffield |
Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/07 | Leicester | 47–31 | Hackney |
| 27/06 | Hackney | 40–38 | Leicester |
| 23/06 | Cradley Heath | 46–32 | Kings Lynn |
| 21/06 | Kings Lynn | 42–36 | Cradley Heath |
| 19/06 | Oxford | 60–18 | Coventry |
| 19/06 | Ipswich | 42–36 | Belle Vue |
| 16/06 | Exeter | 43–35 | Poole |
| 16/06 | Reading | 38–40 | Newport |
| 14/06 | Swindon | 47–31 | Hull |
| 14/06 | Coventry | 33–45 | Oxford |
| 11/06 | Poole | 41–37 | Exeter |
| 11/06 | Hull | 46–32 | Swindon |
| 07/06 | Halifax | 58–20 | Wimbledon |
| 06/06 | Newport | 46–32 | Reading |
| 05/06 | Wimbledon | 49–29 | Halifax |
| 04/06 | Belle Vue | 49–28 | Ipswich |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/08 | Cradley Heath | 51–27 | Newport |
| 09/08 | Belle Vue | 45–33 | Oxford |
| 08/08 | Newport | 49–29 | Cradley Heath |
| 07/08 | Oxford | 36–42 | Belle Vue |
| 02/08 | Swindon | 32–46 | Leicester |
| 29/07 | Leicester | 42–36 | Swindon |
| 17/07 | Exeter | 43–35 | Halifax |
| 05/07 | Halifax | 47–31 | Exeter |
Semi-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/10 | Belle Vue | 44–34 | Cradley Heath |
| 27/09 | Halifax | 37–40 | Leicester |
| 26/09 | Leicester | 47–31 | Halifax |
| 22/09 | Cradley Heath | 32–45 | Belle Vue |
Final
First leg Dave Jessup 11 Ila Teromaa 10 Ray Wilson 9 Frank Auffret 6 Doug Underwood 2 Tony Lomas 0 Keith White 0 Peter Collins 12 Chris Morton 9 Sören Sjösten 7 Geoff Pusey 4 Alan Wilkinson 4 Russ Hodgson 3 Paul Tyrer 1
Second leg Peter Collins 12 Sören Sjösten 8 Paul Tyrer 8 Alan Wilkinson 8 Chris Morton 7 Russ Hodgson 2 Geoff Pusey 1 Dave Jessup 8 Ray Wilson 7 Frank Auffret 6 Doug Underwood 6 Tony Lomas 3 Ila Teromaa 1 Keith White 1
Belle Vue Aces were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 86-70.
Riders' Championship
Peter Collins won the British League Riders' Championship for the second time, it was held at Hyde Road on 18 October.
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- ef=engine failure, f=fell, x=excluded
Leading final averages
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivan Mauger | NZL | Exeter |
| 2 | Phil Crump | AUS | Newport |
| 3 | Peter Collins | ENG | Belle Vue |
| 4 | Anders Michanek | SWE | Reading |
| 5 | Ole Olsen | DEN | Wolverhampton |
| 6 | John Louis | ENG | Ipswich |
| 7 | Dave Jessup | ENG | Leicester |
| 8 | Malcolm Simmons | ENG | Poole |
| 9 | Martin Ashby | ENG | Swindon |
| 10 | Tommy Jansson | SWE | Wimbledon |
| 11 | Dag Lövaas | NOR | Oxford |
| 12 | Ray Wilson | ENG | Wolverhampton |
| 13 | Reg Wilson | ENG | Sheffield |
| 14 | Jim McMillan | SCO | Hull |
| 15 | Billy Sanders | AUS | Ipswich |
| 16 | Doug Wyer | ENG | Sheffield |
| 17 | Chris Morton | ENG | Belle Vue |
| 18 | Barry Briggs | NZL | Wimbledon |
| 19 | Scott Autrey | USA | Exeter |
| 20 | Reidar Eide | NOR | Newport |
Spring Gold Cup
East Group
| Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Ipswich | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Hackney | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| King's Lynn | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
West Group
| Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Poole | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Exeter | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Wimbledon | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
East Group
West Group
Final
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Newport | Reading | 53–25, 33–54 |
Midland Cup
Oxford won the Midland Cup. The competition consisted of six teams.
First round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford | Swindon | 39–39, 39–39 |
| Oxford | Swindon | 53–25, 33–44 |
| Coventry | Cradley | 40–37, 35–43 |
Semi final round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wolverhampton | Cradley | 42–35, 44–34 |
| Oxford | Leicester | 46–32, 35–43 |
Final
First leg Dag Lovaas 10 Gordon Kennett 9 John Dews 6 Richard Greer 6 Trevor Geer 5 Paul Gachet 2 Richard Hellsen 2 Martin Ashby (guest) 13 Finn Thomsen 10 George Hunter 10 Malcolm Shakespeare 4 Colin Meredith 1 Gary Peterson 0 Leif Berlin r/r
Second leg Ole Olsen 11 Malcolm Shakespeare 7 Finn Thomsen 6 Leif Berlin 6 Gary Peterson 4 Keith Anderson 3 Colin Meredith 1 Alan Grahame 12 Dag Lovaas 9 Gordon Kennett 7 Richard Greer 7 John Dews 3 Richard Hellsen 1 Brian Clark 0
Oxford won on aggregate 79–76
Northern Trophy
| M | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belle Vue | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | Sheffield | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Halifax | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Hull | 6 | 0 | 0 |
London Cup
Wimbledon retained the London Cup but there were now only two teams remaining in London.
Results
| Team | Score | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Wimbledon | 48–30 | Hackney |
| Hackney | 46–32 | Wimbledon |
Riders & final averages
Belle Vue
- 11.13
- 9.27
- 8.76
- 7.14
- 6.21
- 5.03
- 4.00
- 3.55
Coventry
- 8.66
- 8.02
- 5.37
- 5.14
- 4.82
- 4.43
- 4.36
- 3.84
- 2.23
- 1.71
Cradley Heath
- 8.73
- 8.58
- 7.68
- 7.53
- 4.87
- 4.84
- 4.56
- 3.08
Exeter
- 11.52
- 9.19
- 7.50
- 6.07
- 5.89
- 5.71
- 4.96
- 4.72
- 3.44
Hackney
- 8.54
- 7.81
- 7.61
- 5.84
- 4.68
- 4.60
- 4.46
- 3.86
Halifax
- 8.77
- 8.03
- 7.58
- 7.11
- 5.92
- 5.74
- 4.89
- 4.32
- 3.83
Hull
- 9.69
- 7.29
- 7.20
- 6.64
- 6.53
- 5.22
- 5.14
- 5.10
- 3.49
- 3.45
Ipswich
- 10.58
- 9.58
- 7.75
- 6.44
- 5.13
- 4.99
- 4.78
- 4.00
King's Lynn
- 8.87
- 7.48
- 7.43
- 6.20
- 5.77
- 5.76
- 4.75
- 4.56
- 4.07
- 4.00
- 4.00
Leicester
- 10.41
- 9.90
- 5.91
- 5.84
- 5.70
- 4.93
- 4.17
- 3.75
Newport
- 11.15
- 8.98
- 8.70
- 7.32
- 7.13
- 6.34
- 6.11
- 3.26
Oxford
- 10.04
- 8.41
- 7.48
- 6.57
- 5.73
- 4.75
- 4.15
- 2.46
Poole
- 10.41
- 7.50
- 6.23
- 5.39
- 5.29
- 4.48
- 3.77
- 2.53
Reading
- 10.90
- 7.37
- 7.06
- 5.59
- 5.56
- 5.21
- 4.99
Sheffield
- 9.79
- 9.37
- 7.91
- 6.41
- 6.09
- 5.88
- 3.17
Swindon
- 10.13
- 8.26
- 5.43
- 4.95
- 4.56
- 4.42
- 4.27
- 3.18
- 2.79
Wimbledon
- 10.12
- 9.23
- 7.24
- 6.11
- 4.97
- 4.85
- 4.76
- 4.40
- 2.19
Wolverhampton
- 10.79
- 6.99
- 6.29
- 5.85
- 4.55
- 3.19
- 3.16
- 2.96
References
References
- "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
- Oakes, Peter. (1981). "1981 Speedway Yearbook". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
- "HISTORY ARCHIVE".
- Rogers, Martin. (1978). "The Illustrated History of Speedway". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
- Lawson, K (2018) “Rebels 1975 – The Last Season”. {{ISBN. 978-0-244-99725-0
- Bamford, R & Shailes, G (2007). "The Story of Oxford Speedway". {{ISBN. 978-0-7524-4161-0
- (18 October 1975). "Speedway rider Gary Peterson killed". Reading Evening Post.
- "1975 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- "1975 British League Knockout Cup". Speedway archive.
- "Season 1975".
- (19 October 1975). "Collins keeps his title". Sunday Sun (Newcastle).
- "1975 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- "1975 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- "1975 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- "1975 fixtures and results".
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