1981 British League season explained

Competition:British League
Competitors:16
Domesticcup1:Champions
Domesticcup1 Winners:Cradley Heath Heathens
Domesticcup2:Knockout Cup
Domesticcup2 Winners:Ipswich Witches
Domesticcup3:League Cup
Domesticcup3 Winners:Coventry Bees
Domesticcup4:Individual
Domesticcup4 Winners:Kenny Carter
Domesticcup5:Midland Cup
Domesticcup5 Winners:Coventry Bees
Domesticcup6:London Cup
Domesticcup6 Winners:Hackney Hawks
Highest Average:Bruce Penhall
Leagues Below:1981 National League
Prevseason:1980
Nextseason:1982

The 1981 British League season was the 47th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 17th known as the British League.[1]

Summary

The league comprised 16 teams - one fewer than the previous season. Wolverhampton Wolves had dropped down to the National League.[2]

American Bruce Penhall (who would be crowned world champion by the end of the season) topped the averages and helped Cradley Heathens win their first title. The Cradley team included Penhall, rising Danish star Erik Gundersen and British internationals Alan Grahame and Phil Collins. The league runner-up Ipswich Witches gained some consolation by winning the Knockout Cup.[3]

Final League table

PosTeamPLWDLPts
1Cradley Heathens30261353
2Ipswich Witches30214546
3Swindon Robins30193841
4Belle Vue Aces301911039
5Coventry Bees301801236
6Birmingham Brummies301311627
7Halifax Dukes301311627
8Hackney Hawks301221626
9Poole Pirates301221626
10Sheffield Tigers301301726
11Reading Racers30971425
12Hull Vikings301041624
13Eastbourne Eagles301031723
14King's Lynn Stars301021822
15Leicester Lions301101922
16Wimbledon Dons30732017
M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points

Top Ten Riders (League Averages)

RiderNatTeamC.M.A.
1Bruce PenhallCradley Heathens11.08
2Kenny CarterHalifax Dukes10.50
3Phil CrumpSwindon Robins10.39
4Michael LeeKing's Lynn Stars10.34
5Erik GundersenCradley Heathens10.26
6Chris MortonBelle Vue Aces10.26
7Jan AnderssonReading Racers10.02
8Gordon KennettEastbourne Eagles9.95
9Kelly MoranEastbourne Eagles9.83
10Hans NielsenBirmingham Brummies9.83

British League Knockout Cup

The 1981 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 43rd edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Ipswich Witches were the winners.[4]

First round

width=80Datewidth=250Team onewidth=80Scorewidth=250Team two
04/06Middlesbrough 43-53 Eastbourne
23/05Berwick39-57 Wimbledon
08/05Peterborough 50-46 Halifax
04/05Newcastle 40-56 Leicester
08/05Edinburgh 49-47 Sheffield
12/04Mildenhall 38-58 Poole
31/05Rye House 34-62 Birmingham
03/05Boston 47-48 Hull
Second round
width=80Datewidth=250Team onewidth=80Scorewidth=250Team two
08/07Poole 49-47 Leicester
24/06Hull 54-42 Belle Vue
23/06Leicester 51-45 Poole
20/06Cradley Heath 60-36 Eastbourne
14/06Peterborough 38-58 Birmingham
13/06Belle Vue 53-43 Hull
11/06Wimbledon 40-56 Reading
08/06Birmingham 63-33 Peterborough
08/06Reading 55-41 Wimbledon
07/06Eastbourne 49-47 Cradley Heath
30/05Coventry 63-33 Hackney
30/05Swindon 69-27 Edinburgh
29/05Hackney 37-59 Coventry
01/05Kings Lynn 47-49 Ipswich
21/05Ipswich53-43 Kings Lynn
12/06Edinburgh 47-49 Swindon
Quarter-finals
width=80Datewidth=250Team onewidth=80Scorewidth=250Team two
03/09Swindon 74-22 Leicester
25/08Leicester 45-51 Swindon
20/08Ipswich 54-42 Cradley Heath
12/08Cradley Heath 48-48 Ipswich
03/08Reading 51-45 Coventry
24/07Birmingham 52-44 Hull
22/07Hull 49-47 Birmingham
11/07Coventry 49-45 Reading
Semi-finals
width=80Datewidth=250Team onewidth=80Scorewidth=250Team two
28/09Reading49-47 Birmingham
18/09Birmingham 54-42 Reading
18/09Swindon 46-50 Ipswich
10/09Ipswich 57-39 Swindon

Final

First legSecond leg

The Ipswich Witches were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 100-92.

League Cup

The League Cup was inaugurated in 1981 with the 16 teams split into North and South sections comprising 8 teams each that met each other home and away. The winners of each section qualified for the two-legged final with Coventry Bees beating King's Lynn Stars in the final 120-70 on aggregate.

North Group

PosTeamPLWDLPts
1Coventry Bees14120224
2Cradley Heathens14110322
3Belle Vue Aces1470714
4Sheffield Tigers1470714
5Birmingham Brummies1460812
6Hull Vikings1450910
7Leicester Lions1440108
8Halifax Dukes1440108

South Group

PosTeamPLWDLPts
1King's Lynn Stars14101321
2 Reading Racers14100420
3Ipswich Witches1490518
4Poole Pirates1470714
5Swindon Robins1470714
6Hackney Hawks1451811
7Eastbourne Eagles1450910
8Wimbledon Dons1420124

Final

width=80Datewidth=250Team onewidth=80Scorewidth=250Team two
10/10Coventry68–28 King's Lynn
11/10King's Lynn 42–54 Coventry

Riders' Championship

Kenny Carter won the British League Riders' Championship, held at Hyde Road on 17 October and sponsored by the Daily Mirror.[5]

width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=70pxHeat Scores width=50pxTotal
1 3 3 3 3 3 15
2 3 3 2 2 3 13+3
3 3 2 3 2 3 13+2
4 2 3 2 1 2 10
5 1 2 1 3 2 9
6 1 3 3 1 0 8
7 2 1 0 2 3 8
8 2 2 1 1 2 8
9 1 0 3 2 1 7
10 2 0 1 3 1 7
11 1 2 2 0 1 6
12 3 0 1 0 1 5
13 0 1 2 0 2 5
14 0 1 0 3 0 4
15 0 1 0 1 2
16 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 Gary O'Hare (res)0 - - - - 0

Final leading averages

RiderNatTeamC.M.A.
1Bruce PenhallCradley11.01
2Kenny CarterHalifax10.17
=3Phil CrumpSwindon10.30
=3Michael LeeKing's Lynn10.30
5Jan AnderssonReading10.26
6Hans NielsenBirmingham9.80
7Chris MortonBelle Vue9.75
8Erik GundersenCradley9.72
9John DavisPoole9.70
10Gordon KennettEastbourne9.67

Midland Cup

Coventry won the Midland Cup. The competition consisted of five teams and was sponsored by the Trustee Savings Bank.[6]

First round

width=150Team onewidth=150Team twowidth=120Score
Birmingham Swindon39–39, 37–41

Semi final round

width=150Team onewidth=150Team twowidth=120Score
Leicester Coventry33–44, 34–44
Swindon Cradley44–33, 32–46

Final

First leg

Second leg

Coventry won on aggregate 84–72

London Cup

Hackney won the London Cup but the competition consisted of just Wimbledon and Hackney.[7]

Results

width=100Teamwidth=70Scorewidth=100Team
Wimbledon 43–36Hackney
Hackney 46–32 Wimbledon

Riders & final averages

Belle Vue

Birmingham

Coventry

Cradley Heath

Eastbourne

Hackney

Halifax

Hull

Ipswich

King's Lynn

Leicester

Poole

Reading

Sheffield

Swindon

Wimbledon

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Historic league tables. Speedway Archive.
  2. Web site: HISTORY ARCHIVE. British Speedway. 3 July 2021.
  3. Web site: 1981. Cradley Speedway. 30 July 2021.
  4. Web site: 1981 British League Knockout Cup. Speedway archive.
  5. News: Speedwayn . Sunday Sun (Newcastle) . 18 October 1981 . 4 June 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
  6. News: Heathens Fury . Sandwell Evening Mail . 11 October 1981 . British Newspaper Archive. 21 October 2023 . subscription .
  7. Web site: 1981 fixtures and results . Speedway Researcher . 1 October 2023.

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