1st Ever British Final

[Phil The Ace]

Does anyone know what year the first British final was held

[JC!]

Barry Briggs won it in 1961.

Edited June 1, 2014 by JC!

[Phil The Ace]

Cheers mate

[oldace]

The British Final in 1961 (won by Briggo as posted by JC) was only invented as a consolation big Wembley night because, for the first time, the world final wasn't there (it was in Malmo, Sweden)

 

For 1962 and 1963 the meeting didn't exist, the format reverting to the series of British semi finals to find the qualifiers for the Wembley staged world finals. Both these years saw Peter Craven top the qualifiers but only recently has he been credited as British Champion for those years, previously there was a two year gap in the competition.

 

From 1964 onwards it became the annual one off event we know today being staged at Wembley, West Ham 3 times and Wimbledon 3 times before settling into a long run at Coventry

[xmas]

When did Speedway stop in malmo Sweden

[iris123]

Speedway hasn't stopped in Malmo.They still have a team and ride in a lower league.Gnistorna is their name i think.I went to Malmo a few years back.It isn't though the same track that held the world final

[britmet]

Does anyone know what year the first British final was held

Not withstanding Oldace's info above, there were also British Championships in earlier years when the World Final wasn't held.

The post war Wembley Finals of 1946,'47 & '48 were British Championships, - the World Final wasn't resurrected until 1949 - , and prior to those Chmpshps, during the War it was Belle Vue that staged the "British Individual Championship".

 

As per the programmes, the 1946 mtg was titled "British Riders Speedway Championship";

1961 & '64 were titled "UK Final (of the World Chmpshp)", then from '65 on the mtg was the British Final of the World Chmpshp.

 

You can see winners (and venues) of all these on the 'Speedway Champions' website, HERE.

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[norbold]

The "stand-in" World Final in 1946 was called The British Speedway Riders' Speedway Championship, but in 1947 and 1948 it was simply called "The Speedway Riders' Championship", so technically not British Championships.

 

Going right back to 1929, there was, of course, the British Section of the Star Riders' Championship, won by Roger Frogley, so I suppose that he could be called the first British Champion.

[britmet]

The "stand-in" World Final in 1946 was called The British Speedway Riders' Speedway Championship, but in 1947 and 1948 it was simply called "The Speedway Riders' Championship", so technically not British Championships.

 

Going right back to 1929, there was, of course, the British Section of the Star Riders' Championship, won by Roger Frogley, so I suppose that he could be called the first British Champion.

Norm, Technically, then the '61 & '64 Finals weren't either, nor was the title retro credited to Peter Craven.

 

If you read the Col. Vernon C. Brook piece in the 1947 programme, in both the 1st & 3rd para he calls it the British Speedway Championship.

As the Chairman of the SCB, he will have been the one person to know its status.

He writes of that '47 championship, "To become British Speedway Champion is probably one of the highest honours ..."

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Edited June 4, 2014 by britmet

[norbold]

Well yes, it's definitely a moot point what to call the 1947 & 48 finals. Certainly the 1948 final included one non-British rider, even if you include Australians and Canadians as British, and that was the American, Wilbur Lamoreaux. If he'd won, would he still be counted as a British champion?

 

In some ways, I always feel that to lump them in with the British Finals undervalues them a bit as they were really the equivalent of the World Final at the time.

 

However, I wouldn't die in a ditch over it!

[stratton]

Briggs record from1961. - 1972. was 6 wins, 4 second places, and a third place pretty awesome in mega tough fields.I was never a fan of the meeting really, never liked Coventry much i went to my first one in 75 and was gutted when Ashby got beat in a run off. I also went in 77,78 both Lee, 1980 Jessup 82.An Grahame. 84, 85 both Carter and my last one in 86 Evitts.Did anyone else go? to any of the Finals when they were ridden at West Ham and Sheffield (ect).

[Wessex Wanderer]

Briggs record from1961. - 1972. was 6 wins, 4 second places, and a third place pretty awesome in mega tough fields.I was never a fan of the meeting really, never liked Coventry much i went to my first one in 75 and was gutted when Ashby got beat in a run off. I also went in 77,78 both Lee, 1980 Jessup 82.An Grahame. 84, 85 both Carter and my last one in 86 Evitts.Did anyone else go? to any of the Finals when they were ridden at West Ham and Sheffield (ect).

Yeh. I went to the 1965 one at West Ham. Bloody rain off. A days leave wasted (we had only 10 days total then!) plus lost travel costs. A real jinx track for me - 3 visits and 3 rain offs. Grrrrrr.

[Leicester Hunter]

Briggs record from1961. - 1972. was 6 wins, 4 second places, and a third place pretty awesome in mega tough fields.I was never a fan of the meeting really, never liked Coventry much i went to my first one in 75 and was gutted when Ashby got beat in a run off. I also went in 77,78 both Lee, 1980 Jessup 82.An Grahame. 84, 85 both Carter and my last one in 86 Evitts.Did anyone else go? to any of the Finals when they were ridden at West Ham and Sheffield (ect).

Yeah, I can fully understand you feeling gutted after 'Crash's dramatic exit in '75, but you've got to admit, that was something special from Ray Wilson in the run-off...

 

I've got to admit, I wasn't really a fan of the Coventry track during the Olsen era, but Charles Ochiltree did seem to prepare a somewhat deeper track for the British Final, and it provided some memorable and also cut-throat racing.

 

Ironically, in 1982, a fair number of Birmingham fans didn't make it Brandon as a thunderstorm of monsoon proportions engulfed the north and east of the city around teatime, many coming to the conclusion that the meeting would be postponed. Just shows what things were like before the advent of mobile phones and social media etc. For me, I travelled down from Leicestershire and it was a relatively rain-free journey. For the few of us Brummies supporters there, 2nd June 1982 was a truly memorable meeting. We saw 'our boy' Andy Grahame win the Championship, it being all the sweeter, as no-one really saw that result coming!

[stratton]

Yeah, I can fully understand you feeling gutted after 'Crash's dramatic exit in '75, but you've got to admit, that was something special from Ray Wilson in the run-off...

 

I've got to admit, I wasn't really a fan of the Coventry track during the Olsen era, but Charles Ochiltree did seem to prepare a somewhat deeper track for the British Final, and it provided some memorable and also cut-throat racing.

 

Ironically, in 1982, a fair number of Birmingham fans didn't make it Brandon as a thunderstorm of monsoon proportions engulfed the north and east of the city around teatime, many coming to the conclusion that the meeting would be postponed. Just shows what things were like before the advent of mobile phones and social media etc. For me, I travelled down from Leicestershire and it was a relatively rain-free journey. For the few of us Brummies supporters there, 2nd June 1982 was a truly memorable meeting. We saw 'our boy' Andy Grahame win the Championship, it being all the sweeter, as no-one really saw that result coming!

I was gutted when Crash was eliminated but i was a big Ray Wilson fan and supported him at Wembley.Grahame that was a massive shock, this meeting certainly was my biggest low in speedway Malc Holloway qualified and had qualified through a mega tough british semi final at Birmingham.I felt he had a chance 7 pts was nearly good anough to qualify but Malc just did not perform i remember Wiggy as a NL guy mixing it well.

[Leicester Hunter]

I was gutted when Crash was eliminated but i was a big Ray Wilson fan and supported him at Wembley.Grahame that was a massive shock, this meeting certainly was my biggest low in speedway Malc Holloway qualified and had qualified through a mega tough british semi final at Birmingham.I felt he had a chance 7 pts was nearly good anough to qualify but Malc just did not perform i remember Wiggy as a NL guy mixing it well.

I first encountered Malc Holloway when he was a team mate of Andy's at Milton Keynes in 1978. A real character, greatly missed and the type of individual the sport is crying out for today.

 

Two major shocks from that particular final were the failure of both Michael Lee and John Davis to qualify for the next stage of the World Championship. They scored a combined total of 9 points between them, if my memory serves me correctly.

[stratton]

I first encountered Malc Holloway when he was a team mate of Andy's at Milton Keynes in 1978. A real character, greatly missed and the type of individual the sport is crying out for today.

 

Two major shocks from that particular final were the failure of both Michael Lee and John Davis to qualify for the next stage of the World Championship. They scored a combined total of 9 points between them, if my memory serves me correctly.

What a great post Hunter, 82 Lee had a nightmare year never looked comfortable all year regrouped and had a great recovery year at Poole. I can remember Malc at Milton Keynes in 79 i was there at Milton Keynes the last big final Humphreys, Grahame,Harrrison,Holloway.the finale late September typicall,Malc gated like a long dog and he was gone bob and Andy were classy riders hard to beat at the Gtoveway. Edited June 7, 2014 by sidney

[BluPanther]

1975 was my first, won by the brilliant Tiger Louis with a superb 15pt maximum. Have not been to one since they introduced the ridiculous semi final / final format..

[stevehone]

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