Competition: | British League |
Competitors: | 11 |
Domesticcup1: | Champions |
Domesticcup1 Winners: | Oxford Cheetahs |
Domesticcup2: | Knockout Cup |
Domesticcup2 Winners: | Oxford Cheetahs |
Domesticcup3: | League Cup |
Domesticcup3 Winners: | Coventry Bees |
Domesticcup4: | Individual |
Domesticcup4 Winners: | Erik Gundersen |
Domesticcup5: | Pairs |
Domesticcup5 Winners: | Oxford Cheetahs |
Domesticcup6: | Midland Cup |
Domesticcup6 Winners: | Oxford Cheetahs |
Highest Average: | Hans Nielsen |
Leagues Below: | 1985 National League |
Prevseason: | 1984 |
Nextseason: | 1986 |
The 1985 British League season was the 51st season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 21st known as the British League.[1] [2]
Wimbledon Dons dropped to the National league, this was the first time that Wimbledon would not compete in the top tier of speedway.
Oxford Cheetahs won the league and cup double.[3] The Oxford team, financed by the Oxford Stadium owners Northern Sports and headed by David Hawkins was the most expensive team assembled in the history of the league. The team included Danish international Hans Nielsen (signed for a record £30,000) in 1984. Nielsen had topped the previous season's averages on Oxford's return to the league and was imperious during 1985, finishing with an exceptional average, way ahead of any other rider. The team eased to the league title by a clear ten points, with Simon Wigg, Andy Grahame, Marvyn Cox, Jens Rasmussen and Melvyn Taylor all riding over 50 matches each during the season.[4] [5]
Defending champions Ipswich Witches finished mid-table which was not surprising taking into account that just three matches into the season their leading rider Billy Sanders committed suicide on 23 April. The news shocked the club and the wider speedway world at the time.[6]
Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | BP | Pts | |
1 | Oxford Cheetahs | 20 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 43 | |
2 | Sheffield Tigers | 20 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 33 | |
3 | Coventry Bees | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 31 | |
4 | Halifax Dukes | 20 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 24 | |
5 | Ipswich Witches | 20 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 24 | |
6 | Belle Vue Aces | 20 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 24 | |
7 | Cradley Heath Heathens | 19 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 24 | |
8 | Swindon Robins | 20 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 23 | |
9 | Reading Racers | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 22 | |
10 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 20 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 14 | |
11 | King's Lynn Stars | 20 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 10 |
The 1985 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 47th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Oxford Cheetahs were the winners.[7]
First round
width=80 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=80 | Score | width=250 | Team two |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
19/07 | Oxford | 43-35 | Coventry | ||||
29/06 | Swindon | 36-42 | Ipswich | ||||
24/06 | Wolverhampton | 49-29 | Halifax | ||||
15/06 | Coventry | 35-43 | Oxford | ||||
30/05 | Ipswich | 45-33 | Swindon | ||||
25/05 | Halifax | 48-30 | Wolverhampton |
Quarter-finals
width=80 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=80 | Score | width=250 | Team two |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
23/09 | Reading | 43-34 | Sheffield | ||||
22/08 | Sheffield | 39-39 | Reading | ||||
29/08 | Ipswich | 43-34 | Wolverhampton | ||||
19/08 | Wolverhampton | 39-39 | Ipswich | ||||
31/07 | Oxford | 47-31 | Belle Vue | ||||
20/07 | Belle Vue | 40-38 | Oxford | ||||
11/07 | Sheffield | 46-32 | Reading | ||||
08/07 | Reading | 46-32 | Sheffield | ||||
07/07 | Cradley Heath | 53-25 | Kings Lynn | ||||
06/07 | Kings Lynn | 39-39 | Cradley Heath |
Semi-finals
width=80 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=80 | Score | width=250 | Team two |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
22/10 | Reading | 38-40 | Oxford | ||||
16/10 | Oxford | 41-36 | Reading | ||||
11/09 | Cradley Heath | 36-42 | Ipswich | ||||
19/09 | Ipswich | 43-35 | Cradley Heath |
First leg
Second leg
Oxford Cheetahs were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 79-76.
The League Cup was contested as a league format. Coventry Bees won the final over two legs defeating Oxford Cheetahs 86-70 on aggregrate.[8] [9] [10]
Qualifying table
Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts | |
1 | Cradley Heathens | 20 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 34 | |
2 | Oxford Cheetahs | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 32 | |
3 | Ipswich Witches | 20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 32 | |
4 | Coventry Bees | 20 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 30 | |
5 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 27 | |
6 | Swindon Robins | 20 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 26 | |
7 | Belle Vue Aces | 20 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 24 | |
8 | Reading Racers | 20 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 21 | |
9 | Halifax Dukes | 20 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 20 | |
10 | Sheffield Tigers | 20 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 19 | |
11 | King's Lynn Stars | 20 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 10 |
width=80 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=80 | Score | width=250 | Team two |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15/08 | Ipswich | 37–41 | Oxford | ||||
25/09 | Cradley Heath | 40–38 | Coventry | ||||
27/09 | Oxford | 39–39 | Ipswich | ||||
02/10 | Coventry | 46–32 | Cradley Heath | ||||
First leg
Second leg
Erik Gundersen won the British League Riders' Championship for the second time, the final was held at Hyde Road on 20 October.[11]
width=25px | Pos. | width=200px | Rider | width=70px | Heat Scores | width=50px | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 3 3 2 3 | 14 | |||||
2 | 3 3 1 2 3 | 12+3 | |||||
3 | Chris Morton | 2 2 3 3 2 | 12+2 | ||||
4 | 0 3 3 3 2 | 11 | |||||
5 | 3 3 2 1 2 | 11 | |||||
6 | 2 1 2 3 3 | 11 | |||||
7 | 1 2 3 2 3 | 11 | |||||
8 | 3 2 1 1 1 | 8 | |||||
9 | 1 1 2 1 1 | 6 | |||||
10 | 0 0 1 3 1 | 5 | |||||
11 | 1 2 0 2 0 | 5 | |||||
12 | 2 1 1 1 0 | 5 | |||||
13 | 0 1 2 0 0 | 3 | |||||
14 | 2 0 0 0 0 | 2 | |||||
15 | 0 0 0 0 2 | 2 | |||||
16 | 1 0 0 0 1 | 2 |
The British League Pairs Championship was held at Monmore Green Stadium on 30 June and was won by Oxford.[12]
width=25px | Pos | width=100px | Team | width=50px | Pts | width=200px | Riders |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oxford | 35 | Nielsen 23, Wigg 12 | ||||
2 | Reading | 34 | Davis 20, Shirra 14 | ||||
3 | Cradley | 33 | Gundersen 18, Collins P 15 | ||||
4 | Sheffield | 26 | Moran S 20, Collins N 6 | ||||
5 | Belle Vue | 23 | Morton 17, Collins P 6 | ||||
6 | Coventry | 17 | Tatum 11, Knudsen 6 | ||||
7 | Swindon | 15 | Petersen 15, Simmons 0 |
width=200 | Rider | width=200 | Team | width=40 | Average |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oxford | 11.35 | ||||
Sheffield | 10.39 | ||||
Cradley Heath | 10.38 | ||||
Halifax | 10.13 | ||||
Coventry | 10.13 | ||||
Wolverhampton | 9.80 | ||||
Belle Vue | 9.77 | ||||
Reading | 9.43 | ||||
Swindon | 9.35 | ||||
Ipswich | 9.33 |
Oxford won the Midland Cup. The competition consisted of six teams.[13]
First round
width=150 | Team one | width=150 | Team two | width=120 | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wolverhampton | Oxford | 32–46, 31–47 | |||
Coventry | Reading | 38–40, 34–44 |
Semi final round
width=150 | Team one | width=150 | Team two | width=120 | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cradley | Reading | 44–34, 37–41 | |||
Oxford | Swindon | 42–36, 39–39 |
First leg
Second leg
Oxford won on aggregate 85–71
Belle Vue
Coventry
Cradley Heath
Halifax
Ipswich
King's Lynn
Oxford
Reading
Sheffield
Swindon
Wolverhampton