1986 British League season
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The 1986 British League season was the 52nd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 22nd known as the British League.[1]
Summary
Oxford Cheetahs won the league for the second consecutive year and the treble by sharing both the Speedway Star Knockout Cup and League Cup with Cradley Heath Heathens. Despite the easy manner of their 1985 league success Oxford made critical changes which ensured domination for a second consecutive season. They were forced to make changes due to the averages points limit that applied to all teams. Hans Nielsen and Simon Wigg were retained, as were Andy Grahame and Marvyn Cox but Jens Ramussen was replaced with Per Sorensen and Nigel De'ath was brought in as full time reserve. Both Sorensen and De'ath maintained good form throughout the season and combined with the heavy scores of the heat leaders the team were able to win the league again.[2][3] Cradley returned to form and provided Oxford with their main challenge, the rivalry between the Nielsen of Oxford and Erik Gundersen of Cradley was memorable. Nielsen also replaced Gundersen as the world champion by the end of the season and the pair were World Pairs and World Cup winners.
After being unable to afford the rent for The Shay stadium, Halifax relocated to Odsal Stadium and rebranded as the Bradford Dukes. They were to be led by Yorkshireman and England's leading rider Kenny Carter, but tragedy unfolded on 21 May when Carter shot dead his wife and then took his own life.[4] It would take several years for the club to find stability.
Final table
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oxford Cheetahs | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 44 |
| 2 | Cradley Heath Heathens | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 38 |
| 3 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 19 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 32 |
| 4 | Sheffield Tigers | 19 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 28 |
| 5 | Coventry Bees | 20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 27 |
| 6 | Bradford Dukes | 20 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 21 |
| 7 | Reading Racers | 20 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 21 |
| 8 | Swindon Robins | 19 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 21 |
| 9 | Ipswich Witches | 20 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 18 |
| 10 | Belle Vue Aces | 19 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 12 |
| 11 | King's Lynn Stars | 20 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 4 |
M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points
Fixtures and results
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British League Knockout Cup
The 1986 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 48th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Oxford Cheetahs and Cradley Heath Heathens were declared joint winners because the second leg of the final was not held and the first leg had ended 39-39.[5]
First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21/07 | Reading | 53-25 | Kings Lynn |
| 19/07 | Swindon | 47-31 | Ipswich |
| 17/07 | Ipswich | 38-40 | Swindon |
| 05/07 | Kings Lynn | 43-35 | Reading |
| 21/05 | Cradley Heath | 46-32 | Belle Vue |
| 03/05 | Belle Vue | 45-33 | Cradley Heath |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29/09 | Reading | 45-33 | Cradley Heath |
| 24/09 | Cradley Heath | 50-28 | Reading |
| 17/09 | Coventry | 43-34 | Sheffield |
| 17/09 | Oxford | 48-30 | Swindon |
| 07/09 | Swindon | 37-41 | Oxford |
| 26/06 | Sheffield | 44-34 | Coventry |
| 24/06 | Bradford | 45-33 | Wolverhampton |
| 02/06 | Wolverhampton | 38-40 | Bradford |
Semi-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/10 | Oxford | 45-33 | Sheffield |
| 15/10 | Cradley Heath | 50-28 | Bradford |
| 16/10 | Sheffield | 33-45 | Oxford |
| 27/10 | Bradford | + | Cradley Heath |
+2nd leg not held and Bradford conceded tie
Final
The title was shared after two failed attempts to hold the second leg due to rain.[6][3]
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League Cup
The League Cup was contested as a league format. The cup was shared following two failed attempts to stage the second leg of the final at Oxford due to rain. Oxford had won the first leg at Cradley Heath 40–38.[3]
Qualifying table
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry Bees | 20 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 37 |
| 2 | Oxford Cheetahs | 20 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 36 |
| 3 | Ipswich Witches | 20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 30 |
| 4 | Cradley Heathens | 20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 29 |
| 5 | Swindon Robins | 20 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 27 |
| 6 | Sheffield Tigers | 20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 27 |
| 7 | Bradford Dukes | 20 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 26 |
| 8 | Reading Racers | 20 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| 9 | Belle Vue Aces | 20 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 20 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 16 |
| 11 | King's Lynn Stars | 20 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 6 |
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Semi-finals
| Team one | Team two | Scores |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | Cradley Heath | 39–39, 37–41 |
| Oxford | Ipswich | 40–38, 42–34 |
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Riders' Championship
Hans Nielsen won the British League Riders' Championship, held at Hyde Road on 12 October.[7]
| Pos. | Rider | Heat Scores | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon Hans Nielsen | 3 3 3 3 3 | 15 |
| 2 | Template:Flagicon Erik Gundersen | 2 3 3 2 1 | 11+3 |
| 3 | Template:Flagicon Shawn Moran | 3 3 1 2 2 | 11+2 |
| 4 | Template:Flagicon Chris Morton | 3 2 3 0 3 | 11+1 |
| 5 | Template:Flagicon Jan Andersson | 2 3 3 1 2 | 11 |
| 6 | Template:Flagicon Simon Wigg | 1 0 2 3 3 | 9 |
| 7 | Template:Flagicon Tommy Knudsen | 0 2 2 3 1 | 8 |
| 8 | Template:Flagicon Jan O. Pedersen | 2 2 0 1 3 | 8 |
| 9 | Template:Flagicon John Jørgensen | 3 2 2 1 0 | 8 |
| 10 | Template:Flagicon Jeremy Doncaster | 0 1 2 3 2 | 8 |
| 11 | Template:Flagicon Alan Grahame | 1 0 1 2 2 | 6 |
| 12 | Template:Flagicon John Davis | 2 1 1 0 1 | 5 |
| 13 | Template:Flagicon Preben Eriksen | 1 1 0 0 1 | 3 |
| 14 | Template:Flagicon Andy Campbell | 0 1 1 1 0 | 3 |
| 15 | Template:Flagicon Neil Evitts | 1 0 0 2 0 | 3 |
| 16 | Template:Flagicon Kai Niemi | 0 0 0 0 - | 0 |
| 17 | Template:Flagicon Lee Edwards (res) | 0 - - - - | 0 |
- ef=engine failure, f=fell, x=excluded r-retired
Pairs
The British League Pairs Championship was held at Owlerton Stadium on 24 August and was won by Oxford for the second consecutive year.[8]
| Pos | Team | Pts | Riders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oxford | 25 | Wigg 15, Nielsen 10 |
| 2 | Coventry | 22 | Tatum 13, Jorgensen 9 |
| 3 | Sheffield | 18 | Moran S 11, Collins N 7 |
| 4 | Belle Vue | 18 | Morton 17, Collins P 1 |
| 5 | Bradford | 16 | King 9, Evitts 7 |
| 6 | Cradley Heath | 16 | Gundersen 14, Pedersen 2 |
| 7 | Ipswich | 11 | Niemi 8, Doncaster 3 |
Leading final averages
| Rider | Team | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Hans Nielsen | Oxford | 11.57 |
| Template:Flagicon Erik Gundersen | Cradley Heath | 11.03 |
| Template:Flagicon Jeremy Doncaster | Ipswich | 10.38 |
| Template:Flagicon Simon Wigg | Oxford | 10.20 |
| Template:Flagicon Kenny Carter+ | Bradford | 10.05 |
| Template:Flagicon Sam Ermolenko | Wolverhampton | 9.72 |
| Template:Flagicon Tommy Knudsen | Coventry | 9.68 |
| Template:Flagicon Shawn Moran | Sheffield | 9.65 |
| Template:Flagicon Chris Morton | Belle Vue | 9.34 |
| Template:Flagicon Jan Andersson | Reading | 9.34 |
| Template:Flagicon Neil Evitts | Bradford | 9.32 |
| Template:Flagicon Bobby Schwartz | Kings Lynn | 9.06 |
+rode 10 matches before his death
Midland Cup
Oxford won the Midland Cup for the second consecutive year. The competition consisted of six teams.[9]
First round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Swindon | Wolverhampton | 39–39, 27–51 |
| Reading | Coventry | 40–38, 26–52 |
Semi final round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford | Wolverhampton | 42–36, 39–39 |
| Cradley | Coventry | 41–37, 35–43 |
Final
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Oxford won on aggregate 80–76
Riders & final averages
Belle Vue
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- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Chris Morton 9.34
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Carl Blackbird 7.37
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Peter Collins 6.93
- ScotlandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Kenny McKinna 6.48
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Andy Smith 6.10
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Mark Courtney 5.43
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Declan Eccles 4.28
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Mark Crang 2.67
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Barry Ayres 2.65
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Bernie Collier 1.60
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Lee Edwards 1.06
Bradford
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- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Kenny Carter 10.05
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Neil Evitts 9.32
- United StatesScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Lance King 8.20
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Gary Havelock 7.26
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Sean Willmott 6.30
- New ZealandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Larry Ross 6.01
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Gordon Whitaker 4.16
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Michael Graves 3.88
Coventry
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- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Tommy Knudsen 9.68
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". John Jørgensen 8.74
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Kelvin Tatum 8.69
- United StatesScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Rick Miller 6.41
- New ZealandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". David Bargh 5.68
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Alun Rossiter 5.60
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". David Clarke 3.50
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Mike Bacon 1.71
Cradley Heath
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- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Erik Gundersen 11.03
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Jan O. Pedersen 8.58
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Phil Collins 7.80
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Simon Cross 7.17
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Steve Bastable 6.08
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nigel Leaver 3.74
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Paul Fry 3.23
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Paul Taylor 2.06
Ipswich
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- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Jeremy Doncaster 10.38
- FinlandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Kai Niemi 8.00
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Richard Knight 7.79
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Jens Rasmussen 5.69
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Louis Carr 4.90
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Paul Woods 4.71
- Czech RepublicScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Roman Matoušek 4.57
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Robbie Fuller 4.17
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Alan Farmer 3.79
King's Lynn
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- United StatesScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Bobby Schwartz 9.06
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Michael Lee 7.74
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Malcolm Simmons 6.73
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Andy Campbell 5.38
- NorwayScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Einar Kyllingstad 4.91
- AustraliaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Steve Regeling 4.70
- AustraliaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Stephen Davies 4.60
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Ray Morton 4.21
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Carl Baldwin 4.15
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Adrian Stevens 2.28
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". John Stokes 1.11
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Oxford
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- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Hans Nielsen 11.57
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Simon Wigg 10.20
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Marvyn Cox 8.11
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Andy Grahame 6.14
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Per Sorensen 6.05
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nigel De'ath 5.34
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Kevin Smart 4.33
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Jon Surman 2.43
Reading
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- SwedenScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Jan Andersson 9.34
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". John Davis 8.72
- New ZealandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Mitch Shirra 7.90
- SwedenScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Per Jonsson 7.36
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Peter Glanz 5.89
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Malcolm Holloway 5.47
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Dave Mullett 5.33
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Gary Tagg 1.35
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Billy Pinder 1.27
Sheffield
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- United StatesScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Shawn Moran 9.65
- United StatesScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Kelly Moran 8.76
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Neil Collins 7.89
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Peter Carr 7.53
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Les Collins 7.24
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Sean Wilson 5.83
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Martin Hagon 5.46
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". David Walsh 4.62
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Peter McNamara 3.27
Swindon
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- AustraliaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Phil Crump 8.77
- FinlandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Kai Niemi 8.45
- SwedenScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Jimmy Nilsen 7.82
- SwedenScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Richard Hellsen 6.79
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Alan Grahame 6.64
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Finn Thomsen 6.07
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Per Sorensen 5.16
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Brian Karger 4.58
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Rob Fortune 3.16
Wolverhampton
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- United StatesScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Sam Ermolenko 9.72
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Preben Eriksen 7.70
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". John Eskildsen 7.04
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Sam Nikolajsen 6.18
- DenmarkScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Jan Stæchmann 5.23
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Andy Phillips 2.97
- EnglandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Chris Cobby 1.07
See also
References
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