1974 British League season

The 1974 British League season was the tenth season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.[1]

1974 British League season
LeagueBritish League
Season1974
ChampionsExeter Falcons
No. of competitors17
Knockout CupSheffield Tigers
Division/s belowBritish League (Div 2)

Summary

1973 Champions Reading didn't compete as they no longer had a stadium. 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 Lofqvist didn't compete.

The Exeter Falcons won their first title. 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. Hull were later re-awarded the points after a close season hearing and moved above the Rebels.

Final table
Team PL W D L Pts
Exeter Falcons 32 25 1 6 51
Belle Vue Aces 32 23 0 9 46
Ipswich Witches 32 22 1 9 45
Sheffield Tigers 32 21 0 11 42
King's Lynn Stars 32 20 1 11 41
Newport 32 17 3 12 37
Halifax Dukes 32 14 3 15 31
Wimbledon Dons 32 14 1 17 29
Hackney Hawks 32 13 2 17 28
Leicester Lions 32 13 1 18 27
Wolverhampton Wolves 32 13 1 18 27
Swindon Robins 32 12 2 18 26
Cradley United 32 12 1 19 25
Poole Pirates 32 12 1 19 25
Coventry Bees 32 12 0 20 24
Hull Vikings 32 10 0 22 20
Oxford Rebels 32 10 0 22 20

M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points

Top Ten Riders
Rider Nat Team C.M.A.
1 Ole Olsen Wolverhampton Wolves 11.21
2 Ivan Mauger Exeter Falcons 11.15
3 Phil Crump Newport 10.77
4 Peter Collins Belle Vue Aces 10.73
5 John Louis Ipswich Witches 10.73
6 Terry Betts King's Lynn Stars 10.26
7 Dag Lövaas Hackney Hawks 10.15
8 Martin Ashby Swindon Robins 10.10
9 John Boulger Cradley United 9.94
10 Eric Boocock Halifax Dukes 9.92

British League Knockout Cup

The 1974 British League Knockout Cup was the 36th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Sheffield were the winners.[2]

First Round
Date Team One Score Team Two
20/04Cradley United40-38Wolverhampton
19/04Ipswich50-28Oxford
12/04Wolverhampton48-30Cradley United
21/03Oxford40-37Ipswich

Second Round
Date Team One Score Team Two
07/06Wolverhampton36-42Kings Lynn
04/06Wimbledon38-40Ipswich
30/05Ipswich52-26Wimbledon
29/05Hull38-40Sheffield
25/05Coventry42-36Leicester
22/05Belle Vue53-25Halifax
18/05Kings Lynn45-33Wolverhampton
17/05Hackney40-38Poole
15/05Poole42-36Hackney
13/05Halifax35-43Belle Vue
09/05Sheffield52-26Hull
07/05Leicester43-35Coventry
27/04Swindon40-38Newport
26/04Newport42-36Swindon

Quarter Finals
Date Team One Score Team Two
31/07Poole38-40Kings Lynn
20/07King's Lynn38-40Poole
16/07Leicester38-40Ipswich
08/07Sheffield46-32Newport
06/07Belle Vue44-32Exeter
05/07Newport35-43Sheffield
20/06Ipswich42-36Leicester
10/06Exeter46-32Belle Vue
24/08Kings Lynn42-36Poole
21/08Poole45-32Kings Lynn

Semi Finals
Date Team One Score Team Two
09/09Sheffield46-32Poole
04/09Poole37-40Sheffield
29/08Ipswich50-28Exeter
19/08Exeter42-36Ipswich

Final
Date Team One Score Team Two
07/10Sheffield49-29Ipswich
06/10Ipswich37-41Sheffield

See also

List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions

References
  1. "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
  2. "1974 British League Knockout Cup". Speedway archive.
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