1969_British_League_season
1969 British League season
British speedway season
The 1969 British League season was the 35th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the fifth season known as the British League.[1]
Quick Facts League, No. of competitors ...
| League | British League |
|---|---|
| No. of competitors | 19 |
| Champions | Poole Pirates |
| Knockout Cup | Wimbledon Dons |
| Individual | Barry Briggs |
| London Cup | Wimbledon Dons |
| Midland Cup | Coventry Bees |
| Highest average | Ivan Mauger |
| Division/s below | British League (Div 2) |
Close
The 19 competitors were the same as the previous season.[2]
Poole Pirates won their first title.[3] The Pirates were extremely consistent and despite their riders not coming in the top 18 league averages they won the league by a clear 6 points. Pete Smith was their top rider with an average of 9.34 but aided by four other riders (Geoff Mudge (9.05), Odd Fossengen (7.73), Bruce Cribb (7.31) and Gordon Guasco (7.26)) they were able to claim the title.[4] Wimbledon Dons had a much better season than the last, finishing third and managed to retain their British League Knockout Cup crown. Belle Vue Aces finished runner-up, mainly due to the performances of their outstanding World champion rider Ivan Mauger; the New Zealander finished with an average of 11.67 and would also seal his second world title before the end of the season.
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Poole Pirates | 36 | 26 | 1 | 9 | 53 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 36 | 23 | 1 | 12 | 47 |
| 3 | Wimbledon Dons | 36 | 22 | 2 | 12 | 46 |
| 4 | Halifax Dukes | 36 | 22 | 2 | 12 | 46 |
| 5 | Leicester Lions | 36 | 21 | 2 | 13 | 44 |
| 6 | Sheffield Tigers | 36 | 19 | 1 | 16 | 39 |
| 7 | Cradley Heath Heathens | 36 | 18 | 2 | 16 | 38 |
| 8 | Glasgow Tigers | 36 | 17 | 3 | 16 | 37 |
| 9 | King's Lynn Stars | 36 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 36 |
| 10 | Swindon Robins | 36 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 36 |
| 11 | Coatbridge Monarchs | 36 | 17 | 1 | 18 | 35 |
| 12 | Exeter Falcons | 36 | 16 | 0 | 20 | 32 |
| 13 | Newcastle Diamonds | 36 | 15 | 2 | 19 | 32 |
| 14 | Coventry Bees | 36 | 14 | 3 | 19 | 31 |
| 15 | Oxford Cheetahs | 36 | 15 | 1 | 20 | 31 |
| 16 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 36 | 13 | 1 | 22 | 27 |
| 17 | Newport Wasps | 36 | 13 | 1 | 22 | 27 |
| 18 | West Ham Hammers | 36 | 11 | 3 | 22 | 25 |
| 19 | Hackney Hawks | 36 | 10 | 2 | 24 | 22 |
M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. | |
| 1 | Ivan Mauger |  |
Belle Vue | 11.45 |
| 2 | Barry Briggs | |
Swindon | 11.09 |
| 3 | Eric Boocock |  |
Halifax | 10.88 |
| 4 | Nigel Boocock | |
Coventry | 10.77 |
| 5 | Ray Wilson | |
Leicester | 10.48 |
| 6 | Norman Hunter | |
Wolverhampton | 10.44 |
| 7 | Trevor Hedge | |
Wimbledon | 10.17 |
| 8 | Ole Olsen |  |
Newcastle | 10.08 |
| 9 | Jim McMillan |  |
Glasgow | 9.97 |
| 10 | Martin Ashby | |
Exeter | 9.96 |
The 1969 British League Knockout Cup was the 31st edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Wimbledon were the winners.[5]
First round
More information Date, Team one ...
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/05 | Coatbridge | 53-25 | Hackney |
| 06/05 | Leicester | 54-24 | Newport |
| 06/05 | West Ham | 39-39 | Kings Lynn |
| 31/05 | Kings Lynn | 39-39 | West Ham |
| 17/06 | West Ham | 36-42 | Kings Lynn |
Close
Second round
More information Date, Team one ...
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/07 | Sheffield | 52-26 | Kings Lynn |
| 17/06 | West Ham | 36-42 | Oxford |
| 14/06 | Canterbury | 51-26 | Crayford |
| 14/06 | Coventry | 46-32 | Oxford |
| 14/06 | Cradley Heath | 41-37 | Glasgow |
| 11/06 | Poole | 43-35 | Coatbridge |
| 09/06 | Exeter | 36-42 | Wimbledon |
| 09/06 | Newcastle | 36-42 | Belle Vue |
| 07/06 | Halifax | 43-35 | Wolverhampton |
Close
Quarter-finals
More information Date, Team one ...
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02/08 | Belle Vue | 38-40 | Sheffield |
| 31/07 | Wimbledon | 49-29 | Poole |
| 21/07 | Cradley Heath | 41-37 | Swindon |
| 05/07 | Halifax | 47-31 | Coventry |
Close
Semi-finals
More information Date, Team one ...
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27/09 | Cradley Heath | 36-42 | Wimbledon |
| 21/08 | Sheffield | 43.5-34.5 | Halifax |
Close
Final
First leg
More information Sheffield TigersArnie Haley 11Jim Airey 9Billy Bales 9John Dews 5Dave Baugh 3Bengt Larsson 2Reg Wilson 1, 40 - 38 ...
| Sheffield Tigers Arnie Haley 11 Jim Airey 9 Billy Bales 9 John Dews 5 Dave Baugh 3 Bengt Larsson 2 Reg Wilson 1 | 40 - 38 | Wimbledon Dons Trevor Hedge 12 Cyril Maidment 10 Reg Luckhurst 8 Ronnie Moore 4 Jim Tebby 3 Bob Dugard 1 Gary Everett 0 |
|---|---|---|
| [6] |
Close
Second leg
More information Wimbledon DonsTrevor Hedge 12Ronnie Moore 12Reg Luckhurst 9Jim Tebby 7Cyril Maidment 6Bob Dugard 6Gary Everett 4, 56 - 22 ...
| Wimbledon Dons Trevor Hedge 12 Ronnie Moore 12 Reg Luckhurst 9 Jim Tebby 7 Cyril Maidment 6 Bob Dugard 6 Gary Everett 4 | 56 - 22 | Sheffield Tigers Arnie Haley 9 Jim Airey 9 Bengt Larsson 3 Billy Bales 1 John Dews 0 Dave Baugh 0 Reg Wilson 0 |
|---|---|---|
| [6] |
Close
Wimbledon Dons were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 94-62.
Barry Briggs won the British League Riders' Championship for the fifth consecutive year, held at Hyde Road on 18 October.[7]
More information Pos., Rider ...
| Pos. | Rider | Heat Scores | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry Briggs | 3 3 3 3 2 | 14 |
| 2 | Ivan Mauger | 3 3 3 ef 3 | 12 |
| 3 | Jim Airey | 1 2 3 3 3 | 12 |
| 4 | Martin Ashby | 1 3 2 3 2 | 11 |
| 5 | Eric Boocock | 3 2 1 2 2 | 10 |
| 6 | Roy Trigg | 2 2 2 2 1 | 9 |
| 7 | Ray Wilson | 0 3 3 2 f | 8 |
| 8 | Trevor Hedge | 2 1 2 2 1 | 8 |
| 9 |  Sándor Lévai | 3 0 1 1 2 | 7 |
| 10 | Tony Clarke | 2 2 0 1 1 | 6 |
| 11 | Ole Olsen | ex ef ef 3 3 | 6 |
| 12 | Terry Betts | 0 0 1 1 3 | 5 |
| 13 |  Reidar Eide | 1 1 2 1 0 | 5 |
| 14 | Jim McMillan | 2 1 0 0 0 | 3 |
| 15 | Colin Gooddy | 1 0 1 0 r | 2 |
| 16 | Pete Smith | 0 1 0 0 1 | 2 |
| 17 | James Bond | 0 | 0 |
Close
- ef=engine failure, f=fell, exc=excluded
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. | |
| 1 | Ivan Mauger | |
Belle Vue | 11.67 |
| 2 | Barry Briggs | |
Swindon | 11.12 |
| 3 | Eric Boocock | |
Halifax | 11.08 |
| 4 | Nigel Boocock | |
Coventry | 10.78 |
| 5 | Ray Wilson | |
Leicester | 10.56 |
| 6 | Ole Olsen | |
Newcastle | 10.39 |
| 7 | Norman Hunter | |
Wolverhampton | 10.35 |
| 8 | Trevor Hedge | |
Wimbledon | 10.33 |
| 9 | Sören Sjösten |  |
Belle Vue | 10.09 |
| 10 | Reidar Eide | |
Wolverhampton | 10.01 |
| 11 | Jim McMillan | |
Glasgow | 10.01 |
| 12 | Martin Ashby | |
Exeter | 9.97 |
| 13 | Jim Airey | |
Sheffield | 9.90 |
| 14 | Ronnie Moore | |
Wimbledon | 9.74 |
| 15 | Charlie Monk |  |
Glasgow | 9.56 |
| 16 | Reg Luckhurst | |
Wimbledon | 9.39 |
| 17 | Dave Younghusband | |
Halifax | 9.38 |
| 18 | Terry Betts | |
King's Lynn | 9.35 |
| 19 | Pete Smith | |
Poole | 9.34 |
| 20 | Roy Trigg | |
Cradley Heath | 9.27 |
Wimbledon retained the London Cup.[8]
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wimbledon Dons | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 190 | 121 | 8 |
| 2 | West Ham Hammers | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 154 | 157 | 2 |
| 3 | Hackney Hawks | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 122 | 188 | 2 |
Close
Results
More information Team, Score ...
| Team | Score | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Hackney | 40–37 | West Ham |
| Hackney | 30–47 | Wimbledon |
| West Ham | 48–30 | Hackney |
| West Ham | 35–43 | Wimbledon |
| Wimbledon | 44–34 | West Ham |
| Wimbledon | 56–22 | Hackney |
Close
Coventry won the Midland Cup, which consisted of six teams.[9]
First round
More information Team one, Team two ...
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Leicester | Wolverhampton | 43–35, 38–40 |
| Oxford | Cradley | 39–39, 32–45 |
Close
Semi final round
More information Team one, Team two ...
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cradley | Coventry | 37–41, 31–47 |
| Leicester | Swindon | 44.5–33.5, 40–38 |
Close
Final
First leg
More information Leicester John Boulger 10 Ray Wilson 7 Graham Plant 7 John Hart 5 Norman Storer 5Malcolm Brown 5 Dene Davies 1, 40–38 ...
| Leicester John Boulger 10 Ray Wilson 7 Graham Plant 7 John Hart 5 Norman Storer 5 Malcolm Brown 5 Dene Davies 1 | 40–38 | Coventry Nigel Boocock 15 Rick France 12 Col Cottrell 6 Roger Hill 5 Les Owen 0 Tony Lomas 0 Antonin Kasper r/r |
|---|---|---|
Close
Second leg
More information CoventryRick France 12 Ken McKinlay (guest) 10Col Cottrell 9Tony Lomas 9Les Owen 3 Roger Hill 1 Antonin Kasper r/r, 44–34 ...
| Coventry Rick France 12 Ken McKinlay (guest) 10 Col Cottrell 9 Tony Lomas 9 Les Owen 3 Roger Hill 1 Antonin Kasper r/r | 44–34 | Leicester Ray Wilson 10 Malcolm Brown 10 John Boulger 6 Graham Plant 3 John Hart 3 Dene Davies 2 Norman Storer 0 |
|---|---|---|
Close
Attendance: 14,000
Coventry won on aggregate 82–74
Belle Vue
-
Ivan Mauger 11.67 -
Sören Sjösten 10.09 -
Tommy Roper 8.58 - Chris Pusey 6.41
- Steve Waplington 5.92
- Dave Hemus 4.60
- Norman Nevitt 4.33
- Bill Powell 4.30
- Ken Eyre 4.14
- Eric Broadbelt 3.84
- Ken Moss 3.56
- Bill Moulin 3.24
Coatbridge
-
Reidar Eide 10.01 -
Bert Harkins 7.94 - George Hunter 7.14
- Wayne Briggs 6.39
- Brian Collins 5.93
- Doug Templeton 5.17
- Alec Hughson 4.24
- Alistair Brady 3.82
Coventry
- Nigel Boocock 10.78
-
Antonín Kasper Sr. 7.55 - Col Cottrell 7.36
- Roger Hill 6.81
- Rick France 6.67
- Tom Ridley 5.54
- Les Owen 5.41
- John Harrhy 4.83
- Tony Lomas 4.74
- Dave Callington 3.28
Cradley Heath
- Roy Trigg 9.27
- Bernt Persson 9.11
- Bob Andrews 7.93
- Chris Bass 5.29
- Graham Coombes 4.90
- Mike Gardner 4.31
- Ken Wakefield 4.15
- Chris Hawkins 1.29
Exeter
- Martin Ashby 9.97
- Jan Holub I 8.12
- Jimmy Squibb 7.31
- Alan Cowland 5.22
- Mike Cake 5.15
-
Chris Blewett 4.95 - Tim Bungay 4.75
- Ross Gilbertson 4.55
- Phil Woodcock 4.27
Glasgow
- Jimmy McMillan 10.01
-
Charlie Monk 9.56 - Oyvind Berg 8.09
- Russ Dent 5.61
- Willie Templeton 5.01
- Alf Wells 4.25
- Mike Hiftle 3.41
- Bobby Beaton 2.91
Hackney
- Colin Pratt 7.35
- Garry Middleton 7.05
- Jack Biggs 6.33
- Jimmy Gooch 6.17
- Les McGillivray 5.45
- Laurie Etheridge 5.10
- Brian Leonard 5.03
- Des Lukehurst 4.88
- Tommy Sweetman 4.50
- Graeme Smith 3.10
Halifax
- Eric Boocock 11.08
- Dave Younghusband 9.38
- Greg Kentwell 7.67
- Alan Jay 7.16
- Dennis Gavros 6.23
- Les Sharpe 5.33
- Terry Lee 4.00
- Bob Jameson 3.76
King's Lynn
- Terry Betts 9.35
- Malcolm Simmons 8.14
-
Howard Cole (Kid Bodie) 7.72 - Clive Featherby 6.44
- Allan Brown 4.95
- Alan Bellham 4.89
- Peter Bradshaw 4.19
Leicester
- Ray Wilson 10.56
- John Boulger 8.76
- John Hart 6.47
- Norman Storer 6.44
- Graham Plant 6.21
- Malcolm Brown 5.16
-
DeWayne Keeter 4.88
Newcastle
-
Ole Olsen 10.39 - Dave Gifford 7.34
- Gary Peterson 4.80
- Mike Watkin 4.63
- Alan Knapkin 4.00
- Dave Schofield 3.47
- Murray Burt 3.23
Newport
-
Sandor Levai 8.34 - Norman Strachan 6.29
- Chris Julian 6.06
- Alby Golden 5.95
- Bob Hughes 5.92
- Jon Erskine 5.83
- Cyril Francis 4.67
- Terry Shearer 3.74
- Einar Egedius 2.73
Oxford
- Eddie Reeves 8.08
- Colin Gooddy 8.03
- Leo McAuliffe 7.24
- Pete Jarman 7.00
- Rick Timmo 6.65
- George Major 5.27
- Conny Samuelsson 4.17
- Mick Bell 4.00
- David Crane 4.00
- John Bishop 3.61
Poole
- Pete Smith 9.34
- Geoff Mudge 9.05
- Odd Fossengen 7.73
- Bruce Cribb 7.31
- Gordon Guasco 7.26
- Frank Shuter 5.55
-
Ted Laessing 4.50
Sheffield
- Jim Airey 9.90
- Arnold Haley 8.62
- Bengt Larsson 8.43
- Bob Paulson 6.00
- Brian Maxted 5.85
- John Dews 5.59
- Billy Bales 5.42
- Dave Baugh 3.80
- Reg Wilson 0.50
Swindon
- Barry Briggs 11.12
- Bob Kilby 7.78
- Mike Keen 6.71
- Mike Broadbank 6.13
- Clive Hitch 5.43
- Pete Munday 4.87
- Barry Duke 4.76
- Mac Woolford 2.04
West Ham
- Sverre Harrfeldt 9.78
- Tony Clarke 8.49
- Olle Nygren 7.91
- Ken McKinlay 7.69
- Stan Stevens 5.30
- John Langfield 5.03
- Barry Crowson 4.07
- Martyn Piddock 3.63
- Bent Nörregaard 3.62
- George Barclay 2.20
- Brian Leonard 1.87
Wimbledon
- Trevor Hedge 10.33
- Ronnie Moore 9.74
- Reg Luckhurst 9.39
- Cyril Maidment 6.56
- Bob Dugard 6.34
- Jim Tebby 6.10
- Gary Everett 5.57
- Peter Murray 3.30
Wolverhampton
- Norman Hunter 10.35
- James Bond 7.38
-
Peter Vandenberg 7.27 - Geoff Ambrose 6.11
- Mick Handley 5.98
- Tommy Sweetman 5.70
- Bengt Andersson 5.22
- Peter Jackson 3.76
- Cyril Francis 3.26
- "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
- Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 129–133. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
- Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 100. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
- "HISTORY ARCHIVE". British Speedway. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- "1969 British League Knockout Cup". Speedway archive.
- "Season 1969" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- "Speedway". Birmingham Daily Post. 20 October 1969. Retrieved 1 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Wimbledon 1969" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- "Big crowd at Speedway final". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 13 October 1969. Retrieved 21 October 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.