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1976 British League season
British speedway season
British speedway season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| competition | British League |
| competitors | 19 |
| domesticcup1 | Champions |
| domesticcup1 winners | Ipswich Witches |
| domesticcup2 | Knockout Cup |
| domesticcup2 winners | Ipswich Witches |
| domesticcup3 | Individual |
| domesticcup3 winners | Ole Olsen |
| domesticcup4 | Pairs |
| domesticcup4 winners | Ipswich Witches |
| domesticcup5 | Spring Gold Cup |
| domesticcup5 winners | Wimbledon Dons |
| domesticcup6 | Midland Cup |
| domesticcup6 winners | Coventry Bees |
| domesticcup7 | Northern Trophy |
| domesticcup7 winners | Belle Vue Aces |
| highest average | John Louis |
| leagues below | 1976 National League |
| prevseason | 1975 |
| nextseason | 1977 |
The 1976 Gulf British League season was the 42nd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 12th season known as the British League.
Summary
The White City Rebels made their debut as did 1975 National League champions Birmingham Brummies. Oxford Cheetahs dropped down a division with White City inheriting both their riders and their nickname. The league was sponsored by Gulf Oil for a second season.
Ipswich Witches won their second consecutive title. The Witches team was once again headed by John Louis and Billy Sanders but this time Tony Davey also scored well with an average of 8.37, resulting in a comfortable league title success for the Suffolk team. The team then went on to claim the double on 28 October by winning the Knockout Cup.
Wimbledon Dons had the worst possible start to a season when their leading rider and the man touted to be a world champion Tommy Jansson died during a 1976 Individual Speedway World Championship meeting in Stockholm, on 20 May.
Final table
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ipswich Witches | 36 | 27 | 1 | 8 | 55 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 36 | 23 | 2 | 11 | 48 |
| 3 | Exeter Falcons | 36 | 23 | 2 | 11 | 48 |
| 4 | Coventry Bees | 36 | 21 | 2 | 13 | 44 |
| 5 | Swindon Robins | 36 | 19 | 4 | 13 | 42 |
| 6 | Reading Racers | 36 | 19 | 3 | 14 | 41 |
| 7 | Hackney Hawks | 36 | 20 | 0 | 16 | 40 |
| 8 | Newport | 36 | 19 | 1 | 16 | 39 |
| 9 | Cradley United | 36 | 19 | 1 | 16 | 39 |
| 10 | Poole Pirates | 36 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 37 |
| 11 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 36 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 37 |
| 12 | Hull Vikings | 36 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 36 |
| 13 | White City Rebels | 36 | 16 | 3 | 17 | 35 |
| 14 | King's Lynn Stars | 36 | 16 | 3 | 17 | 35 |
| 15 | Halifax Dukes | 36 | 14 | 1 | 21 | 29 |
| 16 | Wimbledon Dons | 36 | 12 | 3 | 21 | 27 |
| 17 | Sheffield Tigers | 36 | 13 | 1 | 22 | 27 |
| 18 | Birmingham Brummies | 36 | 7 | 0 | 29 | 14 |
| 19 | Leicester Lions | 36 | 5 | 1 | 30 | 11 |
Fixtures and results
Top ten riders (league averages)
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Louis | ENG | Ipswich |
| 2= | Ivan Mauger | NZL | Exeter |
| 2= | Ole Olsen | DEN | Coventry |
| 4 | Peter Collins | ENG | Belle Vue |
| 5 | Phil Crump | AUS | Newport |
| 6 | Dave Jessup | ENG | Reading |
| 7 | Malcolm Simmons | ENG | Poole |
| 8 | Dave Morton | ENG | Hackney |
| 9 | John Boulger | AUS | Cradley |
| 10 | Martin Ashby | ENG | Swindon |
British League Knockout Cup
The 1976 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 38th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Ipswich Witches were the winners.
First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/05 | Leicester | 39–39 | Halifax |
| 29/04 | Wimbledon | 48–30 | Birmingham |
| 26/04 | Birmingham | 38–40 | Wimbledon |
| 10/04 | Coventry | 48–30 | Wolverhampton |
| 09/04 | Wolverhampton | 38–39 | Coventry |
| 27/03 | Halifax | 41–37 | Leicester |
Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31/07 | Belle Vue | 49–29 | Wimbledon |
| 01/07 | Coventry | 46–32 | White City |
| 27/06 | Halifax | 46–32 | Hull |
| 24/06 | Wimbledon | 35–43 | Belle Vue |
| 21/06 | Exeter | 46–32 | Newport |
| 12/06 | Cradley Heath | 34–44 | Ipswich |
| 10/06 | Ipswich | 39–38 | Cradley Heath |
| 09/06 | Hull | 44.5-33.5 | Halifax |
| 04/06 | Hackney | 40–38 | Reading |
| 04/06 | Newport | 47–31 | Exeter |
| 03/06 | Sheffield | 36–42 | Kings Lynn |
| 02/06 | Poole | 42–36 | Swindon |
| 31/05 | Reading | 37–41 | Hackney |
| 29/05 | Swindon | 54–24 | Poole |
| 26/05 | White City | 49–29 | Coventry |
| 22/05 | Kings Lynn | 42–36 | Sheffield |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18/09 | Halifax | 47–31 | Hackney |
| 03/09 | Hackney | 41–37 | Halifax |
| 26/08 | Ipswich | 45–33 | Swindon |
| 23/08 | Belle Vue | 45–33 | Newport |
| 18/08 | White City | 38–40 | Kings Lynn |
| 14/08 | Kings Lynn | 44–34 | White City |
| 13/08 | Newport | 40–38 | Belle Vue |
| 24/07 | Swindon | 44–34 | Ipswich |
Semi-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/10 | Halifax | 42–35 | Kings Lynn |
| 02/10 | Belle Vue | 41–37 | Ipswich |
| 30/09 | Ipswich | 43–35 | Belle Vue |
| 29/09 | Kings Lynn | 46–32 | Halifax |
Final
First leg Michael Lee12 Ian Turner 11 Terry Betts 7 David Gagen 3 Ray Bales 3 Richard Hellsen 1 Adi Funk 0 John Louis 11 Dave Gooderham 8 Tony Davey 7 Billy Sanders 6 Mike Lanham 4 Ted Howgego 3 Kevin Jolly 2
Second leg John Louis 12 Billy Sanders 10 Tony Davey 8 Dave Gooderham 7 Mike Lanham 7 Ted Howgego 3 Kevin Jolly 3 Terry Betts 10 Michael Lee 9 Ian Turner 5 Richard Hellsen 2 Billy Spiers 1 Pete Smith 0 David Gagen 0
Ipswich Witches were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 91-63.
Riders' Championship
Ole Olsen won the British League Riders' Championship for the second time, it was held at Hyde Road on 16 October and sponsored by Leyland Cars.
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- ef=engine failure, f=fell, x=excluded
Pairs
The British League Pairs Championship was held at Foxhall Stadium on 19 October and was won by Ipswich Witches.
| Pos | width=150px | Team | width=50px | Pts | width=300px | Riders | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 7 |
Final leading averages
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Louis | ENG | Ipswich |
| 2 | Peter Collins | ENG | Belle Vue |
| 3 | Ole Olsen | DEN | Coventry |
| 4 | Ivan Mauger | NZL | Exeter |
| 5 | Phil Crump | AUS | Newport |
| 6 | Dave Jessup | ENG | Reading |
| 7 | Dave Morton | ENG | Hackney |
| 8 | Malcolm Simmons | ENG | Poole |
| 9 | Martin Ashby | ENG | Swindon |
| 10 | John Boulger | AUS | Cradley |
Spring Gold Cup
East Group
| Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| Reading | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| White City | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| Hackney | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| King's Lynn | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
West Group
| Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wimbledon | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Poole | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Newport | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Exeter | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
East Group
West Group
Final
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wimbledon | Ipswich | 40–38, 62–42 |
Midland Cup
Coventry won the Midland Cup. The competition consisted of six teams.
First round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Swindon | Leicester | 49–29, 44–34 |
| Cradley | Coventry | 35–43, 28–50 |
Semi final round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wolverhampton | Swindon | 44–34, 36–42 |
| Birmingham | Coventry | 31–47, 28–50 |
Final
First leg Jiri Stancl 17 Mitch Shirra 11 Ole Olsen 9 Alan Molyneux 7 Frank Smith 4 John Haarhy 2 Nigel Boocock r/r Jim McMillan 10 Bruce Cribb (guest) 7 George Hunter 6 John Jackson 3 Bob Valentine (guest) 2 Leif Berlin 0 Tony Gillias (guest) 0
Second leg Rob Hollingworth 11 Bruce Cribb (guest) 7 Jim McMillan 6 George Hunter 6 John Jackson 5 Steve Bastable (guest) 2 Leif Berlin 2 Jiri Stancl 12 Ole Olsen 12 Mitch Shirra 7 Frank Smith 4 Alan Molyneux 2 John Haarhy 0 Nigel Boocock r/r
Coventry won on aggregate 87–67
Northern Trophy
| M | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belle Vue | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 2 | Sheffield | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | Halifax | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Hull | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Riders and final averages
Belle Vue
- 11.06
- 9.53
- 7.56
- 6.34
- 5.75
- 5.37
- 5.18
- 4.41
- 3.83
Birmingham
- 8.00
- 6.71
- 6.69
- 6.07
- 5.23
- 4.99
- 4.72
- 4.37
- 1.78
- 1.00
Coventry
- 11.05
- 8.26
- 6.81
- 6.67
- 6.53
- 4.64
- 4.60
- 2.10
Cradley Heath
- 9.79
- 9.16
- 7.72
- 5.71
- 5.21
- 5.20
- 3.16
Exeter
- 10.86
- 9.24
- 6.99
- 6.45
- 5.16
- 4.86
- 3.54
- 3.48
- 2.23
Hackney
- 10.18
- 7.92
- 6.67
- 6.33
- 5.51
- 5.37
- 4.95
- 4.80
- 4.18
Halifax
- 8.74
- 7.69
- 7.49
- 5.98
- 5.87
- 4.95
- 4.46
- 4.00
- 3.29
- 3.14
Hull
- 8.94
- 8.86
- 8.75
- 7.55
- 7.50
- 6.17
- 6.07
- 5.88
- 5.69
Ipswich
- 11.08
- 9.44
- 8.37
- 6.21
- 5.87
- 5.71
- 4.21
- 3.87
- 3.70
King's Lynn
- 9.71
- 9.43
- 7.83
- 5.68
- 5.40
- 4.56
- 3.85
- 3.50
- 2.80
Leicester
- 9.28
- 7.89
- 7.86
- 5.08
- 4.53
- 3.86
- 3.08
- 2.37
- 0.76
Newport
- 10.67
- 9.70
- 7.41
- 6.15
- 5.00
- 4.90
- 4.71
- 4.62
- 4.17
- 3.92
Poole
- 10.17
- 7.14
- 6.67
- 6.16
- 5.05
- 5.04
- 4.32
Reading
- 10.35
- 9.33
- 6.75
- 6.42
- 5.37
- 5.16
- 3.67
- 2.32
Sheffield
- 9.62
- 8.51
- 5.80
- 5.36
- 5.23
- 3.72
- 3.21
- 3.08
- 3.03
Swindon
- 9.88
- 9.22
- 7.62
- 6.46
- 6.38
- 6.02
- 5.52
- 3.89
- 2.00
White City
- 9.69
- 7.76
- 7.07
- 6.67
- 6.00
- 5.34
- 5.05
- 4.85
- 3.41
Wimbledon
- 10.25 (only 8 matches)
- 7.32
- 7.27
- 7.24
- 4.14
- 4.10
- 4.05
- 3.91
- 2.13
Wolverhampton
- 8.97
- 7.58
- 7.55
- 4.95
- 4.89
- 3.84
- 3.22
References
References
- Oakes, Peter. (1981). "1981 Speedway Yearbook". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
- "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
- "HISTORY ARCHIVE".
- Rogers, Martin. (1978). "The Illustrated History of Speedway". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
- "Legend Who Died Young".
- "1976 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- "1976 British League Knockout Cup". Speedway archive.
- "Season 1976".
- (17 October 1976). "Olsen races to title". Sunday Mirror.
- (20 October 1976). "Speedway". Daily Mirror.
- "1976 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- "1976 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
- (23 October 1976). "Muddy Marvel, Ole rubs it in". Coventry Evening Telegraph.
- "1976 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
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