1982 British League season
The 1982 British League season was the 48th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 18th known as the British League.[1][2]
| League | British League |
|---|---|
| No. of competitors | 15 |
| Champions | Belle Vue Aces |
| Knockout Cup | Cradley Heath Heathens |
| League Cup | Cradley Heath Heathens |
| Individual | Kenny Carter |
| Midland Cup | Coventry Bees |
| Highest average | Kenny Carter |
| Division/s below | 1982 National League |
Summary edit
After a ten-year drought Belle Vue Aces won the league pushing defending champions Cradley Heath into second place. A special performance was going to be needed to finish ahead of the star-studded Cradley Heath team and it was the consistency of the support riders which helped Belle Vue achieve this. England international Chris Morton was the heat leader but he was supported by a group of consistent scorers throughout the season that included Larry Ross (a former 5 times New Zealand champion), the former world champion Peter Collins, the Carr brothers Louis and Peter, Dane Peter Ravn and Scot Jim McMillan.[3][4] Cradley Heath went on to win their third Knockout Cup in four years and the League Cup.
Hackney Wick Stadium was subject to a second fatal accident within two years when American Denny Pyeatt lost his life in a league match on 16 July. Pyeatt riding for Reading Racers crashed into a lamp standard.[5][6] Swindon rider Martin Hewlett suffered a stroke after the Swindon v Birmingham fixture in September and died four days later.
Final table edit
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Belle Vue Aces | 28 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 46 |
| 2 | Cradley Heath Heathens | 28 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 40 |
| 3 | Ipswich Witches | 28 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 34 |
| 4 | Coventry Bees | 28 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 34 |
| 5 | Sheffield Tigers | 28 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 31 |
| 6 | Birmingham Brummies | 28 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 27 |
| 7 | Hackney Hawks | 28 | 12 | 3 | 13 | 27 |
| 8 | Swindon Robins | 28 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 27 |
| 9 | Reading Racers | 28 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 26 |
| 10 | Leicester Lions | 28 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 26 |
| 11 | Wimbledon Dons | 28 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 26 |
| 12 | Eastbourne Eagles | 28 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 25 |
| 13 | Halifax Dukes | 28 | 10 | 1 | 17 | 21 |
| 14 | King's Lynn Stars | 28 | 9 | 3 | 16 | 21 |
| 15 | Poole Pirates | 28 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 9 |
M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points
Top Ten Riders (League Averages) edit
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. | |
| 1 | Kenny Carter | Halifax Dukes | 11.05 | |
| 2 | Erik Gundersen | Cradley Heathens | 10.75 | |
| 3 | Hans Nielsen | Birmingham Brummies | 10.49 | |
| 4 | Bruce Penhall | Cradley Heathens | 10.39 | |
| 5 | Dennis Sigalos | Ipswich Witches | 10.26 | |
| 6 | Bobby Schwartz | Reading Racers | 10.11 | |
| 7 | Chris Morton | Belle Vue | 9.98 | |
| 8 | Shawn Moran | Sheffield Tigers | 9.98 | |
| 9 | Kelly Moran | Eastbourne Eagles | 9.97 | |
| 10 | Billy Sanders | King's Lynn Stars | 9.93 |
British League Knockout Cup edit
The 1982 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 44th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Cradley Heath Heathens were the winners.[7]
First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/06 | Leicester | 45-33 | Kings Lynn |
| 06/06 | Eastbourne | 46-32 | Swindon |
| 05/06 | Kings Lynn | 48-30 | Leicester |
| 29/05 | Halifax | 45-33 | Hackney |
| 28/05 | Hackney | 38-40 | Halifax |
| 28/05 | Ipswich | 46-31 | Coventry |
| 27/05 | Sheffield | 42-36 | Cradley Heath |
| 22/05 | Coventry | 40-38 | Ipswich |
| 22/05 | Cradley Heath | 43-35 | Sheffield |
| 22/05 | Swindon | 38-40 | Eastbourne |
| 17/05 | Reading | 38-40 | Belle Vue |
| 15/05 | Belle Vue | 57-18 | Reading |
| 12/05 | Poole | 44-34 | Birmingham |
| 30/04 | Birmingham | 48-30 | Poole |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19/08 | Wimbledon | 40-38 | Eastbourne |
| 09/08 | Cradley Heath | 41-37 | Ipswich |
| 01/08 | Eastbourne | 43-35 | Wimbledon |
| 29/07 | Ipswich | 38.5-39.5 | Cradley Heath |
| 19/07 | Birmingham | 43-35 | Kings Lynn |
| 17/07 | Kings Lynn | 43-35 | Birmingham |
| 11/07 | Halifax | 41-37 | Belle Vue |
| 10/07 | Belle Vue | 44-34 | Halifax |
| 25/09 | Kings Lynn | 42-36 | Birmingham |
| 13/09 | Birmingham | 40-38 | Kings Lynn |
Semi-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/10 | Kings Lynn | 36-42 | Belle Vue |
| 02/10 | Belle Vue | 49-29 | Kings Lynn |
| 19/09 | Eastbourne | 41-36 | Cradley Heath |
| 18/09 | Cradley Heath | 48-30 | Eastbourne |
Final edit
First leg
| Cradley Heath Erik Gundersen 15 Lance King 13 Phil Collins 7 Simon Wigg 5 Andy Reid 3 Alan Grahame 3 Wayne Jackson 0 | 46 - 32 | Belle Vue Aces Chris Morton 12 Peter Collins 6 Peter Ravn 6 Larry Ross 4 Louis Carr 2 Peter Carr 1 Jim McMillan 1 |
|---|---|---|
| [8] |
Second leg
| Belle Vue Aces Chris Morton 10 Peter Collins 7 Peter Ravn 7 Larry Ross 6 Rod Hunter 6 Louis Carr 5 Andy Smith 2 | 43 - 35 | Cradley Heath Erik Gundersen 15 Lance King 8 Alan Grahame 8 Simon Wigg 2 Phil Collins 1 Andy Reid 1 |
|---|---|---|
| [8] |
Cradley were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 81-75.
League Cup edit
The League Cup was split into North and South sections. The two-legged final was won by Cradley Heath Heathens beating Ipswich Witches in the final 83–73 on aggregate.
South Group
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Ipswich Witches | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| 2 | Eastbourne Eagles | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 18 |
| 3 | Wimbledon Dons | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 17 |
| 4 | Poole Pirates | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 12 |
| 5 | Hackney Hawks | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 12 |
| 6 | Reading Racers | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 12 |
| 7 | King's Lynn Stars | 14 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 10 |
| 8 | Swindon Robins | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 |
North Group
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Cradley Heathens | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 18 |
| 2 | Coventry Bees | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 18 |
| 3 | Belle Vue Aces | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
| 4 | Halifax Dukes | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
| 5 | Birmingham Brummies | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 |
| 6 | Leicester Lions | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
| 7 | Sheffield Tigers | 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
Final edit
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19/06 | Cradley Heath | 42–36 | Ipswich |
| 24/06 | Ipswich | 37–41 | Cradley Heath |
Riders' Championship edit
Kenny Carter won the British League Riders' Championship for the second consecutive year, held at Hyde Road on 16 October.[9]
| Pos. | Rider | Heat Scores | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenny Carter | 33333 | 15 |
| 2 | Shawn Moran | 23333 | 14 |
| 3 | Hans Nielsen | 32323 | 13 |
| 4 | Erik Gundersen | 23203 | 10 |
| 5 | Bobby Schwartz | 31221 | 9 |
| 6 | Les Collins | 01332 | 9 |
| 7 | Jan Andersson | 30212 | 8 |
| 8 | Steve Bastable | 23110 | 7 |
| 9 | Billy Sanders | 02212 | 7 |
| 10 | Ole Olsen | 01131 | 6 |
| 11 | Chris Morton | 12120 | 6 |
| 12 | Finn Thomsen | 11021 | 5 |
| 13 | Dennis Sigalos | 20r- | 4 |
| 14 | Dave Jessup | 10101 | 3 |
| 15 | Gordon Kennett | 10002 | 3 |
| 16 | John Davis | 0---- | 0 |
| 17 | Andy Smith (res) | 0010- | 1 |
| 18 | Lee Edwards (res) | 00--- | 0 |
- ef=engine failure, f=fell, x=excluded r-retired
Final leading averages edit
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. | |
| 1 | Kenny Carter | Halifax | 11.03 | |
| 2 | Bruce Penhall | Cradley | 10.74 | |
| =3 | Erik Gundersen | Cradley | 10.18 | |
| =3 | Chris Morton | Belle Vue | 10.18 | |
| 5 | Dennis Sigalos | Ipswich | 10.10 | |
| 6 | Jan Andersson | Reading | 9.96 | |
| 7 | Hans Nielsen | Birmingham | 9.89 | |
| 8 | Bobby Schwartz | Reading | 9.83 | |
| 9 | Gordon Kennett | Eastbourne | 9.72 | |
| 10 | Michael Lee | King's Lynn | 9.65 |
Midland Cup edit
Coventry won the Midland Cup for the second consecutive year. The competition consisted of five teams.[10]
First round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Swindon | Birmingham | 44–34, 41–37 |
Semi final round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | Leicester | 37–41, 44–34 |
| Cradley | Swindon | 49–29, 54–24 |
Final edit
First leg
| Cradley Heath Erik Gundersen 15 Phil Collins 7 Lance King 6 Simon Wigg 6 Alan Grahame 5 Andy Reid 4 Bruce Penhall r/r | 43–35 | Coventry Tommy Knudsen 13 Gary Guglielmi 9 Ole Olsen 5 Mitch Shirra 3 Kevin Hawkins 2 Alf Busk 2 Charlie McKinna 1 |
|---|---|---|
Second leg
| Coventry Mitch Shirra 12 Tommy Knudsen 11 Ole Olsen 11 Gary Guglielmi 5 Alf Busk 3 Kevin Hawkins 2 Charlie McKinna 0 | 44–34 | Cradley Heath Erik Gundersen 9 Simon Wigg 7 Lance King 5 Alan Grahame 5 Andy Reid 5 Phil Collins 3 Bruce Penhall r/r |
|---|---|---|
Coventry won on aggregate 79–77
Riders & final averages edit
Belle Vue
- Chris Morton 10.18
- Larry Ross 9.37
- Peter Collins 8.78
- Louis Carr 6.01
- Peter Ravn 5.65
- Jimmy McMillan 5.44
- Peter Carr 4.98
- Andy Smith4.40
Birmingham
- Hans Nielsen 9.89
- Andy Grahame 9.03
- Ari Koponen 6.20
- Aleš Dryml Sr. 6.03
- John Eskildsen 6.03
- John Jorgensen 5.65
- Zdeněk Kudrna 5.23
- Neil Evitts 5.03
- Karl Maier 4.72
- Bruce Cribb 3.56
- Armando Dal Chiele 0.80
Coventry
- Tommy Knudsen 9.22
- Ole Olsen 9.09
- Mitch Shirra 7.38
- Gary Guglielmi 6.69
- Kevin Hawkins 5.79
- Alf Busk 5.19
- Sam Nikolajsen 3.48
- Charlie McKinna 3.25
Cradley Heath
- Bruce Penhall 10.74
- Erik Gundersen 10.18
- Alan Grahame 9.22
- Phil Collins 7.29
- Simon Wigg 6.67
- Lance King 6.30
- Ian Gledhill 3.45
- Andy Reid 3.02
- Wayne Jackson 3.00
- Jan Verner 2.69
- Bill Barrett 1.78
Eastbourne
- Gordon Kennett 9.72
- Kelly Moran 9.62
- Ron Preston 9.18
- Paul Woods 6.62
- Lillebror Johansson 3.55
- Dave Kennett 3.55
- Lars Hammarberg 3.37
- Borge Ring 3.36
- Keith Pritchard 3.27
Hackney
- Bo Petersen 9.38
- Finn Thomsen 7.29
- John Titman 6.59
- Antonín Kasper Jr. 6.53
- Sean Willmott 5.96
- Jens Rasmussen 5.53
- Bob Garrad 4.00
- Martin Hagon 3.52
Halifax
- Kenny Carter 11.03
- John Louis 7.52
- Ian Cartwright 7.28
- Merv Janke 6.39
- Martin Dixon 5.51
- Doug Wyer 5.36
- Steve Baker 4.98
- Rob Ashton 4.71
- Rob Tate 0.80
Ipswich
- Dennis Sigalos 10.10
- Preben Eriksen 8.53
- John Cook 7.77
- Kevin Jolly 6.98
- Jeremy Doncaster 6.07
- Nigel Flatman 5.79
- Andy Hines 5.67
- Mike Lanham 5.16
- Carl Baldwin 4.40
King's Lynn
- Michael Lee 9.65
- Billy Sanders 9.09
- Richard Hellsen 7.00
- Melvyn Taylor 5.78
- Colin Richardson 4.90
- Rob Hollingworth 4.04
- Peo Gudmundsson 3.00
- Keven Dye 1.76
- Jiří Hnidak 1.58
- Peter Framingham 0.44
Leicester
- Les Collins 8.77
- Neil Collins 7.07
- Phil Herne 6.42
- Joe Owen 5.93
- Colin Cook 5.87
- Mark Courtney 5.57
- Finn Jensen 5.41
- Steve Regeling 5.09
Poole
- John Davis 8.68
- Scott Autrey 8.13
- Neil Middleditch 6.01
- Václav Verner 5.86
- Kevin Smith 5.83
- Danny Kennedy 5.30
- Peter Prinsloo 4.49
- Les Sawyer 4.20
- Pete Ellams 3.29
Reading
- Jan Andersson 9.96
- Bobby Schwartz 9.83
- Steve Gresham 5.57
- Denny Pyeatt 5.28
- Jiří Štancl 5.23
- Tim Hunt 5.08
- Dave Trownson 4.66
- Colin Ackroyd 4.00
- John Grahame 3.87
- Uno Johansson 2.78
Sheffield
- Shawn Moran 9.55
- David Bargh 6.84
- Dave Morton 6.50
- Reg Wilson 6.48
- Wayne Brown 6.46
- Phil White 5.57
- Zenon Plech 4.95
- Mark Fiora 3.82
- Robbie Foy 1.71
Swindon
- Phil Crump 9.47
- Steve Bastable 7.58
- Bjorn Andersson 6.46
- Malcolm Holloway 5.97
- Mike Ferreira 5.26
- Steen Mastrup 5.19
- Martin Yeates 4.18
- Martin Hewlett 4.13
- Jan Verner 3.26
Wimbledon
- Dave Jessup 8.77
- Malcolm Simmons 8.75
- Kai Niemi 8.04
- Edward Jancarz 5.82
- Anders Eriksson 5.37
- Roger Johns 5.37
- Brad Oxley 5.09
- Richard Knight 4.08
- Alan Mogridge 2.06
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
- ^ "HISTORY ARCHIVE". British Speedway. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "1982 league tables". Speedway GB.
- ^ "1982 FactFile" (PDF). Retro Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ "Denny Pyeatt". Speedway Bikes. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ "Speedway Star Cover Men". wwosbackup. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ "1982 British League Knockout Cup". Speedway archive.
- ^ a b "Coventry Bees 1982 season". Cradley Speedway. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "Carter's maximum". Sunday Sun (Newcastle). 17 October 1982. Retrieved 4 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Heathens Misery". Sandwell Evening Mail. 12 October 1982. Retrieved 21 October 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.