1976 National League season

1976 National League season

League	National League [1]
Season	1976
Champions	Newcastle Diamonds
No. of competitors	18

The 1976 National League was contested in 1976 as the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom having been renamed from the previous season's moniker of New National League.

The league was reduced from 20 teams down to 18. Birmingham Brummies had moved up to the British League. Oxford Rebels of the British League lost their riders and nickname to White City but moved down to the National League as the Oxford Cheetahs. Bradford Barons and Crewe Kings had both closed down.

Newcastle Diamonds comfortably won their first National League title, completing a cup double, and dropping only seven points.

Final table

Team	PL	W	D	L	Pts
Newcastle Diamonds	34	30	1	3	61
Ellesmere Port Gunners	34	24	1	9	49
Workington Comets	34	20	1	13	41
Canterbury Crusaders	34	20	0	14	40
Rye House Rockets	34	17	2	15	36
Crayford Kestrels	34	17	1	16	35
Coatbridge Tigers	34	17	1	16	35
Eastbourne Eagles	34	17	0	17	34
Peterborough Panthers	34	16	2	16	34
Berwick Bandits	34	17	0	17	34
Stoke Potters	34	15	1	18	31
Boston Barracudas	34	15	1	18	31
Mildenhall Fen Tigers	34	15	1	18	31
Oxford Cheetahs	34	14	1	19	29
Weymouth Wizards	34	11	2	21	24
Paisley Lions	34	12	0	22	24
Scunthorpe Saints	34	11	1	22	23
Teesside Tigers	34	10	0	24	20

Top Five Riders

	Rider	Nat	Team	C.M.A.
1	Joe Owen		Newcastle Diamonds	11.55
2	Tom Owen		Newcastle Diamonds	10.28
3	Steve Weatherley		Eastbourne Eagles	10.27
4	John Jackson		Ellesmere Port Gunners	10.20
5	Laurie Etheridge		Crayford Kestrels	9.96

References

1. Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0