The 1991 British League season was the 57th season of the top tier of
speedway
Speedway may refer to:
Racing Race tracks
*Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta
*Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana
Types of races and race cours ...
in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and the 27th known as the
British League
The British League was the main motorcycle speedway league in Britain from its formation in 1965 until 1995 when British speedway was restructured. It initially had a single division, with a second division starting in 1968 (which was renamed the ...
.
Summary
Wolverhampton Wolves
Wolverhampton Wolves are a British speedway team based in Wolverhampton, England. They are sponsored by Parry's International Travel, and signed a deal with owner Dave Parry (previous speedway rider for the Wolverhampton Wolves) for the 20 ...
won the league for the first time in their history. The club which was first founded in 1928 had only ever won the Provincial Midland League in 1962 and the
Provincial League
Provincial League (formerly known as Professional League) also known as Pro League was the old regional Football league in Thailand in 1999–2008. It was founded in 1999 under the name "Provincial League" organized by Sports Authority of Thailan ...
in 1963. They were led by their American star
Sam Ermolenko
Guy Allen 'Sudden Sam' Ermolenko (born November 23, 1960 Maywood, California) is a former speedway rider. In 1993 he won the Speedway World Championship in Pocking, Germany.Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway ...
, who became the first rider to push
Hans Nielsen from the top of the averages after eight consecutive years at the top. The Wolves team relied on two more American riders,
Ronnie Correy and Sam's younger brother
Charles Ermolenko
Charles Ermolenko (born 9 November 1968) is a former international speedway rider from the United States.
Speedway career
Ermolenko rode in the top tier of British Speedway from 1991 to 1997, riding primarily for Wolverhampton Wolves. He was ...
, in addition to Englishman
Graham Jones to seal the title from Bradford. Bradford gained consolation by winning the
Knockout Cup, led by English international pair
Simon Wigg
Simon Antony Wigg (15 October 1960 – 15 November 2000) was an English speedway, grasstrack and longtrack rider who won five World Long Track Championships and finished runner-up in the Speedway World Championship in 1989.Rogers, G.(200 ...
and
Gary Havelock
Robert Gary Havelock (born 4 November 1968, in Eaglescliffe, County Durham, England) is a former speedway rider who was World Champion in 1992. For several years he captained the Redcar Bears in the Premier League. He is the son of former speed ...
.
Final table
M = Matches; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; Pts = Total Points
Leading averages
British League Knockout Cup
The 1991 British League Knockout Cup was the 53rd edition of the
Knockout Cup for tier one teams.
Bradford Dukes
The Bradford Dukes were a British motorcycle speedway team which operated from the Odsal Stadium in Bradford from 1986 until their closure in 1997.Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). ''Homes of British Speedway''.
History
Speedway has long been asso ...
were the winners.
[
]
First Round
Quarter Finals
Semi Finals
Final
First leg
Second leg
Bradford Dukes were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 97-83.
Teams
Belle Vue Aces
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Berwick Bandits
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Bradford Dukes
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Coventry Bees
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Cradley Heath
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Eastbourne Eagles
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Ipswich Witches
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
King's Lynn Stars
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Oxford Cheetahs
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Poole Pirates
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Reading Racers
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Swindon Robins
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Wimbledon Dons
(Eastbourne took over Wimbledon's fixtures mid-season)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Wolverhampton Wolves
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
See also
* List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions
*Knockout Cup (speedway)
Knockout Cup (sometimes referred to as the KO Cup) is a type of British motorcycle speedway competition, examples of which have run annually since 1929.
Each tier of British Speedway has its own respective Knockout Cup. The current Knockout Cup ...
References
{{British Speedway League seasons
British League
1991 in British motorsport