British speedway season
The 1974 British League season was the 40th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the tenth season known as the British League.[ 1] [ 2]
Summary
The 1973 Champions Reading didn't compete as they no longer had a stadium, following the closure of Reading Stadium and Hull Vikings replaced them. The league was reduced to seventeen teams when the Coatbridge Tigers dropped down to Division Two . Overseas riders that rode in other leagues abroad were banned which meant that top Swedish riders such as Anders Michanek , Bernt Persson , Tommy Jansson and Christer Löfqvist didn't compete.[ 3]
The Exeter Falcons won their first title. They were headed by the legendary four time world champion Ivan Mauger and backed up well by Scott Autrey (8.32), Tony Lomas (7.29) and Kevin Holden (7.26).
At the end of the season Oxford Rebels finished four points above the Hull Vikings courtesy of a protest over Hull's victory against the Rebels.[ 4] Hull were later re-awarded the points after a close season hearing and moved above the Rebels.
Final table
M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points
Top Ten Riders (League Averages)
British League Knockout Cup
The 1974 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 36th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Sheffield were the winners.[ 5]
First round
Date
Team one
Score
Team two
20/04
Cradley United
40-38
Wolverhampton
19/04
Ipswich
50-28
Oxford
12/04
Wolverhampton
48-30
Cradley United
21/03
Oxford
40-37
Ipswich
Second round
Date
Team one
Score
Team two
07/06
Wolverhampton
36-42
Kings Lynn
04/06
Wimbledon
38-40
Ipswich
30/05
Ipswich
52-26
Wimbledon
29/05
Hull
38-40
Sheffield
25/05
Coventry
42-36
Leicester
22/05
Belle Vue
53-25
Halifax
18/05
Kings Lynn
45-33
Wolverhampton
17/05
Hackney
40-38
Poole
15/05
Poole
42-36
Hackney
13/05
Halifax
35-43
Belle Vue
09/05
Sheffield
52-26
Hull
07/05
Leicester
43-35
Coventry
27/04
Swindon
40-38
Newport
26/04
Newport
42-36
Swindon
Quarter-finals
Date
Team one
Score
Team two
31/07
Poole
38-40
Kings Lynn
20/07
King's Lynn
38-40
Poole
16/07
Leicester
38-40
Ipswich
08/07
Sheffield
46-32
Newport
06/07
Belle Vue
44-32
Exeter
05/07
Newport
35-43
Sheffield
20/06
Ipswich
42-36
Leicester
10/06
Exeter
46-32
Belle Vue
24/08
Kings Lynn
42-36
Poole
21/08
Poole
45-32
Kings Lynn
Semi-finals
Date
Team one
Score
Team two
09/09
Sheffield
46-32
Poole
04/09
Poole
37-40
Sheffield
29/08
Ipswich
50-28
Exeter
19/08
Exeter
42-36
Ipswich
Final
First leg
Second leg
Sheffield Tigers were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 90-65 .
Riders' Championship
Peter Collins won the British League Riders' Championship held at Hyde Road on 19 October.[ 8]
ef=engine failure, f=fell, x=excluded
Final leading averages
Midland Cup
Leicester won the Midland Cup . The competition consisted of six teams.[ 9]
First round
Team one
Team two
Score
Oxford
Swindon
41–37, 34–44
Coventry
Cradley
39–39, 28–50
Semi final round
Team one
Team two
Score
Leicester
Swindon
41–37, 41–37
Cradley
Wolverhampton
32–46, 38–40
Final
First leg
Second leg
Leicester won on aggregate 85–71
London Cup
Wimbledon won the London Cup but there were now only two teams remaining in London.[ 10]
Results
Team
Score
Team
Wimbledon
46–32
Hackney
Hackney
39–39
Wimbledon
Riders & final averages
Belle Vue
Coventry
Cradley Heath
Exeter
Hackney
Halifax
Hull
Ipswich
King's Lynn
Leicester
Newport
Oxford
Poole
Sheffield
Swindon
Wimbledon
Wolverhampton
See also
References
Current leagues Former leagues Current team competitions Former team competitions Current individual competitions Former individual competitions See also
United Kingdom Speedway Seasons
Tier One League Top division Tier Two League Second division Tier Three League Third division Champions
Speedway Elite League