1971 British League season
The 1971 British League season was the 37th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the seventh season known as the British League.[1][2]
League | British League |
---|---|
Champions | Belle Vue Aces |
No. of competitors | 19 |
Knockout Cup | Hackney Hawks |
Individual | Ivan Mauger |
Highest average | Ivan Mauger |
Division/s below | British League (Div 2) |
Summary
Reading Racers moved up from Division 2 and Newcastle Diamonds dropped out.[3] Belle Vue Aces retained their title to become the first team to win the title for the second time. The team included three time world champion Ivan Mauger, Swedish international Sören Sjösten, Tommy Roper, Eric Broadbelt, Chris Pusey and a 17 year old Peter Collins in his debut season.[4]
Final table
Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
1 | Belle Vue Aces | 36 | 25 | 1 | 10 | 51 |
2 | Leicester Lions | 36 | 22 | 3 | 11 | 47 |
3 | Coventry Bees | 36 | 23 | 0 | 13 | 46 |
4 | Sheffield Tigers | 36 | 21 | 1 | 14 | 43 |
5 | Swindon Robins | 36 | 19 | 3 | 14 | 40 |
6 | Reading Racers | 36 | 18 | 4 | 14 | 41 |
7 | Hackney Hawks | 36 | 17 | 4 | 15 | 38 |
8 | Newport Wasps | 36 | 19 | 0 | 17 | 37 |
9 | Wembley Lions | 36 | 17 | 3 | 16 | 37 |
10 | Wimbledon Dons | 36 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 36 |
11 | Poole Pirates | 36 | 17 | 2 | 17 | 35 |
12 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 36 | 17 | 1 | 18 | 34 |
13 | King's Lynn Stars | 36 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 34 |
14 | Halifax Dukes | 36 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 32 |
15 | Exeter Falcons | 36 | 16 | 0 | 20 | 31 |
16 | Glasgow Tigers | 36 | 15 | 1 | 20 | 25 |
17 | Oxford Cheetahs | 36 | 12 | 1 | 23 | 20 |
18 | Cradley Heath Heathens | 36 | 8 | 4 | 24 | 20 |
19 | West Ham Hammers | 36 | 9 | 1 | 26 | 19 |
M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points
Leading riders
Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. | |
1 | Ivan Mauger | ![]() |
Belle Vue Aces | 11.33 |
2 | Ole Olsen | ![]() |
Wolverhampton Wolves | 10.99 |
3 | Ray Wilson | ![]() |
Leicester Lions | 10.94 |
4 | Jim Airey | ![]() |
Sheffield Tigers | 10.74 |
5 | Barry Briggs | ![]() |
Swindon Robins | 10.67 |
6 | Bengt Jansson | ![]() |
Hackney Hawks | 10.26 |
7 | Eric Boocock | ![]() |
Halifax Dukes | 10.19 |
8 | Anders Michanek | ![]() |
Reading Racers | 10.05 |
9 | Nigel Boocock | ![]() |
Coventry Bees | 9.95 |
10 | Ronnie Moore | ![]() |
Wimbledon Dons | 9.89 |
11 | Martin Ashby | ![]() |
Swindon Robins | 9.76 |
12 | Bernt Persson | ![]() |
Cradley Heathens | 9.68 |
13 | Terry Betts | ![]() |
King's Lynn Stars | 9.62 |
14 | Malcolm Simmons | ![]() |
King's Lynn Stars | 9.22 |
15 | Trevor Hedge | ![]() |
Wimbledon Dons | 9.18 |
16 | Jim McMillan | ![]() |
Glasgow Tigers | 9.18 |
17 | Sören Sjösten | ![]() |
Belle Vue Aces | 9.11 |
18 | Reidar Eide | ![]() |
Poole Pirates | 9.10 |
19 | Göte Nordin | ![]() |
Wembley Lions | 9.04 |
20 | John Boulger | ![]() |
Leicester Lions | 8.99 |
British League Knockout Cup
The 1971 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 33rd edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Hackney were the winners.[5]
First Round
Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
---|---|---|---|
08/05 | Halifax | 49-29 | West Ham |
08/05 | Swindon | 43-35 | Wimbledon |
06/05 | Oxford | 46-32 | Poole |
Second Round
Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
---|---|---|---|
25/06 | Wolverhampton | 43-35 | Belle Vue |
21/06 | Reading | 38-40 | Cradley Heath |
17/06 | Oxford | 39-38 | Exeter |
12/06 | King's Lynn | 46-32 | Newport |
11/06 | Glasgow | 43-34 | Leicester |
10/06 | Sheffield | 48-30 | Wembley |
05/06 | Halifax | 42-36 | Coventry |
05/06 | Swindon | 36-42 | Hackney |
Quarter Finals
Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
---|---|---|---|
14/08 | Halifax | 43-35 | Sheffield |
06/08 | Wolverhampton | 45-32 | Oxford |
31/07 | King's Lynn | 39-39 | Hackney |
31/07 | Cradley Heath | 40-38 | Glasgow |
03/09 | Hackney | 49-29 | King's Lynn |
Semi Finals
Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
---|---|---|---|
17/09 | Hackney | 50-27 | Halifax |
06/09 | Cradley Heath | 50-28 | Wolverhampton |
First leg
Cradley Heath Bernt Persson 11 Bob Andrews 9 Mick Handley 7 Pete Jarman 6 John Hart 5 Roy Trigg 3 Cyril Francis 0 | 41 - 37 | Hackney Hawks Bengt Jansson 10 Barry Thomas 8 Hugh Saunders 8 Garry Middleton 7 Laurie Etheridge 2 Geoff Maloney 1 Eddie Reeves 1 |
---|---|---|
[6] |
Second leg
Hackney Hawks Bengt Jansson 12 Garry Middleton 10 Barry Thomas 9 Dave Kennett 9 Hugh Saunders 6 Eddie Reeves 3 Laurie Etheridge 2 | 51 - 27 | Cradley Heath Howard Cole (guest) 13 Bob Andrews 5 Roy Trigg 3 John Hart 3 Pete Jarman 2 Mick Handley 1 Ralph Waller 0 |
---|---|---|
[6] |
Hackney Hawks were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 88-68.
Teams
Belle Vue Aces
-
Eric Broadbelt
-
Peter Collins
-
Ken Eyre
-
Dave Hemus
-
Mike Hiftle
-
George Major
-
Ivan Mauger
-
Chris Pusey
-
Tommy Roper
-
Sören Sjösten
-
Paul Tyrer
-
Alan Wilkinson
Coventry Bees
-
Pete Bailey
-
Nigel Boocock
-
Roy Carter
-
Col Cottrell
-
Rick France
-
John Harrhy
-
Roger Hill
-
Brian James
-
Tony Lomas
-
Ron Mountford
-
Les Owen
-
Jan Simensen
Cradley Heath
-
Bengt Andersson
-
Bob Andrews
-
Malcolm Ballard
-
Andy Bearne
-
Geoff Bouchard
-
Barry Duke
-
Richard Eslick
-
Cyril Francis
-
John Hart
-
Gordon Kennett
-
Mick Handley
-
Mike Holmes
-
John Jackson
-
Pete Jarman
-
Bernt Persson
-
Laurie Sims
-
Jimmy Squibb
-
Roy Trigg
-
Ralph Waller
-
Mac Woolford
Exeter Falcons
-
Tommy Bergqvist
-
Wayne Briggs
-
Tony Childs
-
Bob Coles
-
Bruce Cribb
-
Ross Gilbertson
-
Kjell Gimre
-
Kevin Holden
-
Peter Ingram
-
Chris Julian
-
Bob Kilby
-
Taffy Owen
-
Paul Palfrey
-
Stan Stevens
-
Colin Tucker
-
Bernie Webster
-
Phil Woodcock
Glasgow Tigers
-
Bobby Beaton
-
Jim Beaton
-
George Hunter
-
Alan Mackie
-
Bill McMillan
-
Jimmy McMillan
-
Charlie Monk
-
Brian Murray
-
Doug Templeton
-
Willie Templeton
-
Paul Walsh
Hackney Hawks
-
Malcolm Ballard
-
George Barclay
-
Phil Crump
-
Laurie Etheridge
-
Laurie Guilfoyle
-
Bengt Jansson
-
Dave Kennett
-
Gordon Kennett
-
Alan Knapkin
-
Geoff Maloney
-
Garry Middleton
-
Graham Miles
-
Taffy Owen
-
Preben Rosenkilde
-
Roger Mills
-
Eddie Reeves
-
Hugh Saunders
-
Barry Thomas
-
Bob Young
Halifax Dukes
-
Chris Bailey
-
Eric Boocock
-
Russ Dent
-
Dave Durham
-
Mike Hiftle
-
Alan Jay
-
Greg Kentwell
-
Alan Knapkin
-
Terry Lee
-
John Lynch
-
Malcolm MacKay
-
Paul O'Neal
-
Reg Wilson
-
Dave Younghusband
King's Lynn Stars
-
Terry Betts
-
Howard Cole+ (+ rode under the name of Kid Brodie)
-
Barry Crowson
-
Phil Crump
-
Dai Evans
-
Clive Featherby
-
Tony Featherstone
-
Bruce Forrester
-
Trevor Geer
-
Ross Gilbertson
-
Bob Humphreys
-
Gordon Kennett
-
George Major
-
Kelvin Mullarkey
-
Arthur Price
-
Jim Ryman
-
Mike Sampson
-
Malcolm Simmons
-
Ian Turner
Leicester Lions
Newport Wasps
-
Bill Andrew
-
Malcolm Ballard
-
Bengt Brannefors
-
Phil Crump
-
Ronnie Genz
-
Ian Gills
-
Bob Hughes
-
Tommy Johansson
-
Dave Kennett
-
Sándor Lévai
-
Ted Laessing
-
Dave O'Connor
-
Terry Shearer
-
Edgar Stangeland
Oxford Cheetahs
-
Jim Beaton
-
Oyvind Berg
-
Alistair Brady
-
Brian Clark
-
Col Cottrell
-
Phil Crump
-
John Davis
-
Ronnie Genz
-
Colin Gooddy
-
Richard Greer
-
John Jackson
-
John Louis
-
Ken McKinlay
-
Arthur Price
-
Peter Seaton
-
Norman Strachan
-
Pete Saunders
-
Laurie Sims
-
Tommy Roper
-
Rick Timmo
Poole Pirates
-
Mike Cake
-
Derek Cook
-
John Davis
-
Reidar Eide
-
Odd Fossengen
-
John Langfield
-
Colin Robertson
-
Pete Smith
-
Mike Vernam
-
Bosse Wirebrand
Reading Racers
-
Max Amor
-
Josef Angermüller
-
Mick Bell
-
Terry Chandler
-
Geoff Curtis
-
Bernie Leigh
-
Dag Lövaas
-
Richard May
-
Anders Michanek
-
Geoff Mudge
Sheffield Tigers
-
Jim Airey
-
Steve Collins
-
Arnold Haley
-
Bernie Hornby
-
Bengt Larsson
-
George Major
-
Brian Maxted
-
Taffy Owen
-
Bob Paulson
-
Bob Valentine
-
Reg Wilson
-
Doug Wyer
Swindon Robins
-
Martin Ashby
-
George Beaton
-
James Bond
-
Barry Briggs
-
Mike Broadbank
-
Bob Coles
-
Barry Duke
-
Clark Facey
-
Jimmy Gallacher
-
Clive Hitch
-
Mike Keen
-
Pete Munday
-
Brian Murray
-
Paul Tyrer
-
Ralph Waller
Wembley Lions
-
Tim Bungay
-
Trevor Geer
-
Bert Harkins
-
Sverre Harrfeldt
-
Tommy Jansson
-
Dave Jessup
-
Roger Johns
-
Brian Leonard
-
John Louis
-
Bobby McNeil
-
Göte Nordin
-
Peter Prinsloo
-
Christer Sjösten
-
Norman Strachan
-
Reg Trott
West Ham Hammers
-
Alan Bellham
-
John Davis
-
Barry Duke
-
Mike Gardner
-
Carl Glover
-
Mick Handley
-
Christer Löfqvist
-
Reg Luckhurst
-
Olle Nygren
-
Preben Rosenkilde
-
Alan Sage
-
Stan Stevens
-
Alan Wilkinson
Wimbledon Dons
-
Bob Abell
-
John Bishop
-
John Dews
-
Trevor Hedge
-
Cyril Maidment
-
Ronnie Moore
-
Peter Murray
-
Phil Pratt
-
Nigel Rackett
-
Graeme Stapleton
-
Jim Tebby
Wolverhampton Wolves
-
Robin Adlington
-
Geoff Ambrose
-
Dave Baugh
-
Geoff Bouchard
-
Bengt Brannefors
-
James Bond
-
Malcolm Corradine
-
Phil Crump
-
George Devonport
-
Jon Erskine
-
Dai Evans
-
Johannes Fransden
-
Ted Howgego
-
Norman Hunter
-
Roger Johns
-
Alan Knapkin
-
Roger Knight
-
Geoff Lyon
-
Jack Millen
-
Clive Noy
-
Ole Olsen
-
Gary Peterson
-
Bill Powell
-
Chris Roynon
-
Laurie Sims
-
Tim Swales
-
Niels Weiss
References
- "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
- Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 129–133. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
- Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 100. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
- "HISTORY ARCHIVE". British Speedway. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- "1971 British League Knockout Cup". Speedway archive.
- "Season 1971" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 25 June 2021.