1967 British League season

1967 British League season
LeagueBritish League
Season1967
No. of competitors19
ChampionsSwindon Robins
Knockout CupCoventry Bees
IndividualBarry Briggs
London CupWest Ham Hammers
Midland CupSwindon Robins
Highest averageBarry Briggs

The 1967 British League season was the 33rd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the third season known as the British League.[1][2]

Summary

The league was made up of the same 19 teams that competed in the previous year.[3] Swindon Robins led by the world champion Barry Briggs won their first top-tier league title but were pushed all the way by Coventry Bees and West Ham Hammers. Swindon finished with four riders with averages over eight, Briggs topped the entire league with 11.05 but the contributions from Martin Ashby (8.83), Bob Kilby (8.61) and Mike Broadbank (8.55) were pivotal in the Swindon's success.[4] Coventry Bees gained some consolation for finishing runner-up two seasons running by winning the Knockout Cup.

Fixtures & results

Home \ Away BV COV CH ED EX GLA HAC HAL KL LE ND NW OX PP SHE SWI WH WIM WOL
Belle Vue Aces 43–35 48–30 35–43 43–35 47–31 46–31 45–33 46–32 34–44 47–31 44–32 39–38 40–38 37–41 43–35 34–43 40–38 45–33
Coventry Bees 44–31 56–22 48–30 46–32 56–22 51–27 56–22 57–21 44–34 54–24 41–36 57–21 46–32 54–24 37–41 47–31 44–34 44–33
Cradley Heathens 54–24 36–41 34–44 47–30 37–41 44–34 36–42 39–39 45–33 37–41 35–43 38–39 40–37 42–36 46–31 42–35 46–32 41–37
Edinburgh Monarchs 56–22 49–29 59–19 55–23 38–40 45–33 45–33 49–28 46–32 47–31 50–28 47–31 45–32 50–28 50–28 39–39 46–31 45–33
Exeter Falcons 41–36 36–42 54–24 51–27 50–28 49–29 43–35 50–28 46–32 51–27 38–40 50–28 47–31 61–17 48–30 42–36 42–36 44–34
Glasgow Tigers 36–41 42–35 46–32 41–37 42–34 48–30 43–35 48–30 50–28 36–42 43–34 44–34 39–39 49–29 35–43 32–46 40–38 57–21
Hackney Hawks 45–33 42–36 48–30 42–35 50–28 39–39 43–35 54–24 42–36 46–31 44–34 40–38 44–34 49–29 45–33 41–37 57–21 53–25
Halifax Dukes 47–31 39–39 38–39 42–36 49–29 45–33 43–35 61–17 43–35 54–24 60–18 52–26 52–26 46–32 42–36 48–29 52–26 44–34
King's Lynn Stars 53–24 47–31 47–31 36–42 48–29 42–35 35–43 45–33 55–23 43–35 35–42 44–34 44–34 36–42 46–32 34–44 43–35 38–40
Long Eaton Archers 42–36 32–46 50–28 40–38 52–26 38–40 44–34 40–38 40–38 40–38 41–36 45–33 40–38 47–31 41–37 39–39 39–39 39–39
Newcastle Diamonds 43–35 51–27 40–38 45–32 45–33 56–22 58–20 34–44 43–35 40–38 47–31 44–33 40–38 49–29 32–46 54–24 46–32 40–38
Newport Wasps 42–36 39–39 55–22 38–40 43–35 44–34 56–22 41–37 49–29 50–28 45–33 50–28 37–41 53–25 38–40 41–37 46–32 52–26
Oxford Cheetahs 44–34 38–39 51–27 45–33 47.5–30.5 41–36 55–23 55–23 47–31 46–32 49–29 56–22 39–39 44–34 46–32 43–34 36–42 40–38
Poole Pirates 38–40 48–30 45–33 39–39 42–36 48–30 43–34 47–31 57–21 57–21 45–33 45–33 52–25 48–30 48–30 46–31 40–38 41–37
Sheffield Tigers 43.5–34.5 41–37 48–27 59–19 53–25 44–34 46–32 43–35 45–33 47–31 41–37 47–31 42–36 41–37 43–35 33–45 39–39 40–37
Swindon Robins 51–27 47–31 44–33 46–32 56–22 52–26 55–23 52–26 44–34 47–31 53–24 52–26 53–25 42–35 51–27 50–28 47–31 45–33
West Ham Hammers 53–25 48–30 52–26 51–27 48–30 51–27 37–40 46–32 42–36 45–33 49–28 60–18 52–26 44–34 54–24 44–34 43–35 43–35
Wimbledon Dons 41–37 35–42 43–35 46–32 45–33 43–34 42–36 44–33 42–36 42–35 43–35 48–29 43–35 42–36 47–31 38–39 39–39 52–26
Wolverhampton Wolves 47–31 45–33 51–27 40–38 47–31 58–20 38–39 46–32 51–27 48–27 42–36 43–35 49–28 45–32 49–29 42–35 43–35 40–38
Source: [5]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Final table

M W D L F A Pts
1 Swindon Robins 36 24 0 12 1536 1266 48
2 Coventry Bees 36 22 2 12 1524 1275 46
3 West Ham Hammers 36 21 3 12 1514 1288 45
4 Edinburgh Monarchs 36 20 2 14 1485 1318 42
5 Hackney Hawks 36 20 1 15 1402 1400 41
6 Poole Pirates 36 17 3 16 1462 1339 37
7 Halifax Dukes 36 18 1 17 1456 1347 37
8 Wolverhampton Wolves 36 18 1 17 1423 1376 37
9 Sheffield Tigers 36 18 1 17 1333.5 1470.5 37
10 Newcastle Diamonds 36 18 0 18 1386 1417 36
11 Wimbledon Dons 36 16 3 17 1392 1409 35
12 Newport Wasps 36 17 1 18 1387 1413 35
13 Glasgow Tigers 36 16 2 18 1343 1457 34
14 Oxford Cheetahs 36 16 1 19 1368.5 1432.5 33
15 Exeter Falcons 36 16 0 20 1384.5 1418.5 32
16 Belle Vue Aces 36 16 0 20 1333.5 1463.5 32
17 Long Eaton Archers 36 14 3 19 1322 1481 31
18 Cradley Heath Heathens 36 12 0 24 1262 1533 24
19 King's Lynn Stars 36 11 0 25 1297 1505 22

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

Top Ten Riders (League averages)

Rider Nat Team C.M.A.
1 Barry Briggs New Zealand Swindon 11.05
2 Charlie Monk Australia Glasgow 10.72
3 Nigel Boocock England Coventry 10.43
4 Ray Wilson England Long Eaton 10.43
5 Eric Boocock England Halifax 10.38
6 Sverre Harrfeldt Norway West Ham 10.30
7 Torbjörn Harrysson Sweden Newport 10.05
8 Gote Nordin Sweden Poole 10.00
9 Bengt Jansson Sweden Hackney 9.86
10 Terry Betts England King's Lynn 9.70

Knockout Cup

The cup was won by Coventry Bees.[6]

Main article: British League Knockout Cup 1967

Riders' Championship

Barry Briggs won the British League Riders' Championship for the third consecutive year, held at Hyde Road on 21 October.[7]

Pos. Rider Heat Scores Total
1 New Zealand Barry Briggs 3 3 3 3 3 15
2 England Nigel Boocock 2 3 3 3 3 14
3 England Ray Wilson 3 3 3 2 1 12
4 Sweden Torbjörn Harrysson 2 0 3 3 2 10
5 England Eric Boocock 3 3 2 2 0 10
6 New Zealand Ivan Mauger 1 2 2 3 2 10
7 Sweden Olle Nygren 1 2 2 1 3 9
8 Sweden Bengt Jansson 3 1 0 1 3 8
9 Sweden Göte Nordin 1 1 2 2 0 6
10 Sweden Ove Fundin 2 0 0 2 2 6
11 Australia Charlie Monk 2 0 1 1 2 6
12 Australia Jim Airey ef 2 1 1 1 5
13 Scotland Ken McKinlay 0 2 1 0 1 4
14 England Terry Betts 1 1 1 0 1 4
15 New Zealand Wayne Briggs 0 1 0 r n 1
16 England Roy Trigg 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 England Brian Brett (res) 0 - - - - 0
  • ef=engine failure, f=fell, exc=excluded

Final leading averages

Rider Nat Team C.M.A.
1 Barry Briggs New Zealand Swindon 11.05
2 Nigel Boocock England Coventry 10.52
3 Charlie Monk Australia Glasgow 10.50
4 Ray Wilson England Long Eaton 10.43
5 Eric Boocock England Halifax 10.29
6 Sverre Harrfeldt Norway West Ham 10.25
7 Torbjörn Harrysson Sweden Newport 10.05
8 Göte Nordin Sweden Poole 9.99
9 Bengt Jansson Sweden Hackney 9.87
10 Terry Betts England King's Lynn 9.74
11 Ove Fundin Sweden Belle Vue 9.65
12 Arne Pander Denmark Oxford 9.57
13 Ken McKinlay Scotland West Ham 9.53
14 Olle Nygren Sweden Wimbledon 9.52
15 Roy Trigg England Oxford 9.37
16 Ivan Mauger New Zealand Newcastle 9.32
17 Hasse Holmqvist Sweden Wolverhampton 9.29
18 Bernt Persson Sweden Edinburgh 9.19
19 Dave Younghusband England Halifax 9.12
20 Jim Airey Australia Wolverhampton 9.08

London Cup

West Ham won the three team London Cup for the third consecutive year.[8]

Pos Team P W D L F A Pts
1 West Ham Hammers 4 4 0 0 230 154 8
2 Wimbledon Dons 4 1 0 3 181 202 24
3 Hackney Hawks 4 1 0 3 164 219 2

Results

Team Score Team
Wimbledon 62–33 Hackney
Hackney 42–54 West Ham
West Ham 60–36 Wimbledon
Wimbledon 37–59 West Ham
Hackney 50–46 Wimbledon
West Ham 57–39 Hackney

Midland Cup

Swindon won the Midland Cup, which consisted of six teams.[9]

First round

Team one Team two Score
Long Eaton Oxford 40–37, 35–43
Cradley Wolverhampton 40–38, 29–49

Semi final round

Team one Team two Score
Swindon Oxford 48–30, 40–38
Wolverhampton Coventry 38–40, 29–49

Final

First leg

Swindon
Barry Briggs 12
Mike Broadbank 12
Martin Ashby 11
Mike Keen 5
Bob Kilby 5
Frank Shuter 3
Pete Munday 3		51–27Coventry
Nigel Boocock 11
Rick France 5
Les Owen 5
Ron Mountford 4
Col Cottrell 1
Roger Hill 1
Clive Hitch 0

Second leg

Coventry
Nigel Boocock 11
Les Owen 9
Rick France 8
Col Cottrell 7
Roger Hill 6
Tom Ridley 0
Clive Hitch 0		41–37Swindon
Barry Briggs 14
Martin Ashby 8
Mike Broadbank 6
Bob Kilby 4
Pete Munday 2
Mike Keen 2
Frank Shuter 1

Swindon won on aggregate 88–68

Riders & final averages

Belle Vue

Coventry

Cradley

Edinburgh

Exeter

Glasgow

Hackney

Halifax

King's Lynn

Long Eaton

Newcastle

Newport

Oxford

Poole

Sheffield

Swindon

West Ham

Wimbledon

Wolverhampton

See also

References

  1. ^ "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
  2. ^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 100. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
  3. ^ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 129–133. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
  4. ^ "HISTORY ARCHIVE". British Speedway. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  5. ^ "1967 fixtures & results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Coventry Speedway 1967 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Briggs wins title for third time". Sunday Sun (Newcastle). 22 October 1967. Retrieved 1 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "West Ham Hammers 1967" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Speedway Trophy won by Swindon". Bristol Evening Post. 5 October 1967. Retrieved 19 October 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.