1983 British League season
British speedway season
The 1983 British League season was the 49th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 19th known as the British League.
Summary
Cradley Heathens won the league and cup double. Despite losing their double world champion Bruce Penhall to retirement the Cradley side performed just as well. Erik Gundersen, Simon Wigg and Lance King were now some of the world's leading riders and backed up by Phil Collins, Alan Grahame and Peter Ravn they were a formidable team. Even Penhall's replacement, a new signing from Denmark Jan O. Pedersen was already showing signs of a bright future.
This would also be the final season of speedway for three-time world champion Ole Olsen, who announced his retirement.
Final table
M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points
Fixtures and results
Top ten riders (league averages)
British League Knockout Cup
The 1983 Speedway Star British League Knockout Cup was the 45th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. Cradley Heath Heathens were the winners.
First round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
First leg=
Second leg
Cradley Heath were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 86-70.
League Cup
The League Cup was split into North and South sections.
“1983 British League season” enters the record as british speedway season. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what British, League and season can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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