The 1968 British League Division Two season was the inaugural season of a second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.[1][2]
Summary
The formation of a new division 2 was a success and attracted five new clubs to league speedway, the Nelson Admirals from Nelson in Lancashire,[3] the Crayford Highwaymen from east London,[4] the Canterbury Crusaders from Kent, the Berwick Bandits from Scotland and the Reading Racers. Additionally three other clubs, Middlesbrough, Plymouth and Rayleigh returned to league action having previously competed in the old defunct Provincial League and Weymouth returned after a 13 year absence.[5][6]
Belle Vue Aces, members of the first division, fielded a reserve side known as Belle Vue Colts and won the first league title.[7] Colt's riders Taffy Owen, Ken Eyre, Eric Broadbelt and John Woodcock all scored heavily and ended with impressive averages.[8] Canterbury in their first season of existence won the division 2 Knockout Cup beating another new team Reading in the final.[6]
The 1968 British League Division Two Knockout Cup was the first edition of the Knockout Cup for tier two teams and coincided with the newly formed league.[9]
Previously the tier two and tier three teams had competed in the National Trophy until 1964, and although they held their own finals during some years it only served as qualification for the main competition. Canterbury Crusaders were the winners of the competition.[10]
First round
Date
Team one
Score
Team two
26/08
Reading
52-44
Rayleigh
Quarter-finals
Date
Team one
Score
Team two
10/08
Canterbury
56-37
Crayford
22/08
Middlesbrough
53-41
Nelson
26/08
Reading
52-44
Plymouth
24/08
Berwick
45-51
Belle Vue
Semi-finals
Date
Team one
Score
Team two
30/09
Reading
56-40
Belle Vue
07/09
Canterbury
64-31
Middlesbrough
Final
First leg
Canterbury Crusaders Peter Murray 14 Barry Crowson 14 Martyn Piddock 13 John Hibben 10 Graham Miles 7 Ken Vale 2 Pat Flanagan 0
60 – 36
Reading Racers Vic White 11 John Poyser 8 Ian Champion 6 Stuart Wallace 4 Phil Pratt 3 Ted Spittles 2 Dene Davies 2
Canterbury were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 112–80.
Riders' Championship
Graham Plant aged just 19, won the Rider's Championship. The final was held at Hackney Wick Stadium on 27 September. Several riders were involved in a crash, which resulted in Chris Bailey (broken wrist) and Barry Crowson (suspeted fractured thigh bone) going to hospital.[12] However, Crowson after receving an all-clear rode for his parent club West Ham Hammers the following evening.[13]
