- Summary
- Final table
- Leading averages
- British League Knockout Cup First Round Second Round Quarter Finals Semi Finals Final
- See also
- References
{{Infobox speedway league season | competition = British League | season = 1981 | competitors = 16 | champion = Cradley Heath Heathens | domesticcup1 = Knockout Cup | domesticcup1 winners = Ipswich Witches | leagues below = 1981 National League | prevseason = 1980 | nextseason = 1982 }}The 1981 British League season was the 17th season of the British League, the top tier of speedway in the UK since 1965.[1] SummaryCradley Heathens won the league.[2]Final table Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts | Cradley Heath Heathens | 30 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 53 | Ipswich Witches | 30 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 46 | Swindon Robins | 30 | 19 | 3 | 8 | 41 | Belle Vue Aces | 30 | 19 | 1 | 10 | 39 | Coventry Bees | 30 | 18 | 0 | 12 | 36 | Birmingham Brummies | 30 | 13 | 1 | 16 | 27 | Halifax Dukes | 30 | 13 | 1 | 16 | 27 | Hackney Hawks | 30 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 26 | Poole Pirates | 30 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 26 | Sheffield Tigers | 30 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 26 | Reading Racers | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 25 | Hull Vikings | 30 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 24 | Eastbourne Eagles | 30 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 23 | King's Lynn Stars | 30 | 10 | 2 | 18 | 22 | Leicester Lions | 30 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 22 | Wimbledon Dons | 30 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 17 | M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total PointsLeading averagesRider | Team | Average |
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{{flagicon|USA}} Bruce Penhall | Cradley Heath | 11.01 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Phil Crump | Swindon | 10.30 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Michael Lee | Kings Lynn | 10.30 | {{flagicon|SWE}} Jan Andersson | Reading | 10.26 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Kenny Carter | Halifax | 10.17 | {{flagicon|DEN}} Hans Nielsen | Birmingham | 9.80 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Chris Morton | Belle Vue | 9.75 | {{flagicon|DEN}} Erik Gundersen | Cradley Heath | 9.72 | {{flagicon|ENG}} John Davis | Poole | 9.70 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Gordon Kennett | Eastbourne | 9.67 |
British League Knockout CupThe 1981 British League Knockout Cup was the 43rd edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Ipswich Witches were the winners.[3] First RoundDate | Team One | Score | Team Two |
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04/06 | Middlesbrough | 43-53 | Eastbourne | 23/05 | Berwick | 39-57 | Wimbledon | 08/05 | Peterborough | 50-46 | Halifax | 04/05 | Newcastle | 40-56 | Leicester | 08/05 | Edinburgh | 49-47 | Sheffield | 12/04 | Mildenhall | 38-58 | Poole | 31/05 | Rye House | 34-62 | Birmingham | 03/05 | Boston | 47-48 | Hull |
Second RoundDate | Team One | Score | Team Two |
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08/07 | Poole | 49-47 | Leicester | 24/06 | Hull | 54-42 | Belle Vue | 23/06 | Leicester | 51-45 | Poole | 20/06 | Cradley Heath | 60-36 | Eastbourne | 14/06 | Peterborough | 38-58 | Birmingham | 13/06 | Belle Vue | 53-43 | Hull | 11/06 | Wimbledon | 40-56 | Reading | 08/06 | Birmingham | 63-33 | Peterborough | 08/06 | Reading | 55-41 | Wimbledon | 07/06 | Eastbourne | 49-47 | Cradley Heath | 30/05 | Coventry | 63-33 | Hackney | 30/05 | Swindon | 69-27 | Edinburgh | 29/05 | Hackney | 37-59 | Coventry | 01/05 | Kings Lynn | 47-49 | Ipswich | 21/05 | Ipswich | 53-43 | Kings Lynn | 12/06 | Edinburgh | 47-49 | Swindon |
Quarter FinalsDate | Team One | Score | Team Two |
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03/09 | Swindon | 74-22 | Leicester | 25/08 | Leicester | 45-51 | Swindon | 20/08 | Ipswich | 54-42 | Cradley Heath | 12/08 | Cradley Heath | 48-48 | Ipswich | 03/08 | Reading | 51-45 | Coventry | 24/07 | Birmingham | 52-44 | Hull | 22/07 | Hull | 49-47 | Birmingham | 11/07 | Coventry | 49-45 | Reading |
Semi FinalsDate | Team One | Score | Team Two |
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28/09 | Reading | 49-47 | Birmingham | 18/09 | Birmingham | 54-42 | Reading | 18/09 | Swindon | 46-50 | Ipswich | 10/09 | Ipswich | 57-39 | Swindon |
FinalDate | Team One | Score | Team Two |
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25/10 | Ipswich | 51-45 | Birmingham | 16/10 | Birmingham | 47-49 | Ipswich |
See alsoList of United Kingdom Speedway League ChampionsReferences1. ^{{cite web|url=http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/p/compet.html|title=Historic league tables|publisher=Speedway Archive}} 2. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.speedwaygb.co/history/leaguetables1981.php|title=1981 league tables|publisher=Speedway GB}} 3. ^{{cite web|url=http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/2014/04/british-league-ko-cup-1981.html|title=1981 British League Knockout Cup|publisher=Speedway archive}}
{{Speedway in the United Kingdom}}{{United Kingdom Speedway Seasons}}{{British Speedway League seasons}} 3 : British League|1981 in British motorsport|1981 in speedway |