1961 Provincial Speedway League
The 1961 Provincial Speedway League was the second season of the Provincial League.[1]
League | Provincial League |
---|---|
Champions | Poole Pirates |
No. of competitors | 11 |
Provincial League KO Cup | Cradley Heathens |
Individual | Reg Reeves |
Highest average | Reg Reeves |
Division/s above | 1961 National League |
Summary
Eleven speedway teams took part. Liverpool, Yarmouth and Bristol had all folded at the end of the previous season and Bradford were unable to take their place in the league after the construction of their new track was delayed. Exeter, Plymouth, Wolverhampton, Middlesbrough and Newcastle all re-opened their tracks and joined the league for the start of the season. Plymouth took on Bristol's riders and Bulldog nickname. Poole were champions, finishing seven points ahead of runners up Plymouth.[2][3][4]
Final table
Pos | Team | M | W | D | L | Pts |
1 | Poole Pirates | 20 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 31 |
2 | Plymouth Bulldogs | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
3 | Stoke Potters | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
4 | Cradley Heath Heathens | 20 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 23 |
5 | Rayleigh Rockets | 20 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 22 |
6 | Edinburgh Monarchs | 20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 21 |
7 | Sheffield Tigers | 20 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
8 | Exeter Falcons | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 18 |
9 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 20 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 14 |
10 | Middlesbrough Bears | 20 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 13 |
11 | Newcastle Diamonds | 20 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 10 |
M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points
Top Five Riders (League only)
Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. | |
1 | Reg Reeves | ![]() |
Rayleigh Rockets | 11.43 |
2 | Bluey Scott | ![]() |
Plymouth Bulldogs | 11.08 |
3 | Ken Middleditch | ![]() |
Poole Pirates | 10.55 |
4 | Ross Gilbertson | ![]() |
Poole Pirates | 10.51 |
5 | Tony Lewis | ![]() |
Poole Pirates | 10.32 |
Provincial League Knockout Cup
The 1961 Provincial League Knockout Cup was the second edition of the Knockout Cup for the Provincial League teams. Cradley Heathens were the winners.[5]
First Round
Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
---|---|---|---|
13/05 | Stoke | 53–41 | Middlesbrough |
19/05 | Rayleigh | 50–46 | Exeter |
Second Round
Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
---|---|---|---|
18/05 | Sheffield | 43–53 | Plymouth |
21/06 | Poole | 71–25 | Wolverhampton |
24/06 | Stoke | 46–50 | Cradley Heath |
17/07 | Edinburgh | 49–47 | Rayleigh |
Semi Finals
Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
---|---|---|---|
29/07 | Cradley Heath | 55–41 | Poole |
12/08 | Edinburgh | 55–40 | Plymouth |
Final
Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
---|---|---|---|
09/09 | Cradley Heath | 68–28 | Edinburgh |
23/09 | Edinburgh | 59–34 | Cradley Heath |
References
- "Championship History". Poole Speedway. 2008. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
- "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
- "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- "1961 Provincial League Knockout Cup". Speedway archive. Retrieved 13 August 2021.