Coventry had the honour of staging the first ever British League meeting at Brandon in late March when the Bees convincing beat Cradley 47-31 ib=n front of a huge crowd with their heat leaders going unchallenged, and only a heat 13 engine failure stoppied skipper Jim Lightfoot joining Nigel Boocock (full) and Rick France (paid) in the maximum stakes. The Heathens didn’t manage to provide a heat winner and had to be content to take points off Bees Howie Booton and Fred Hodder.

While most teams opted to start the season with challenge meetings, probably as team strengths hadn’t been definitively established, the Scottish teams went ahead with league meetings with contrasting fortunes. Glasgow murdered Hackney 59-19 who were missing Colin Pratt while Edinburgh, themselves missing Wayne Briggs, practising on the Continent with elder brother Barry, lost to Long Eaton despite big scores from Doug Templeton and George Hunter and a promising debut from new signing Henry Harrfeldt.

The following week saw Hackney now with Pratt back in their colours do a number on Sheffield, while Glasgow had the dubious honour of the first BL rain off as their meeting with Halifax fell to the weather, with the Newport v Exeter meeting also that night  being the first abandonment after six heats The first all ex NL clash saw West Ham draw 39-39 at Coventry with the Bees tailenders Achilles Heel still evident as Ken McKinlay returned to his old stomping ground with a maximum. Hammers junior Ted Ede’s 5+2 being noteworthy in the visitors score chart.

Poole become the first former PL team to take an away point from an ex NL side when they drew at Bunsdon against a Swindon team missing Barry Briggs, though Newport gave Wimbledon a fright by scoring 38 at Plough Lane.

Good Friday brought a plethora of meetings with Glasgow taking the headlines by shattering Coventry 56-22 north of the border, proving that former Pl sides could match their supposedly superior ex NL opponents. For good measure the Tigers went and won at Edinburgh the following night. Away wins for West Ham at Long Eaton and Cradley at Swindon raised eyebrows but they are overshadowed by Ivan Mauger sustaining leg and ankle injuries at Wolverhampton that will keep him out for some time.

Rayleigh stage dthe first open licence meeting while Halifax opened with a 38-40 home defeat to Long Eaton who have now won twice on the road but have also  lost at home.

Newcastle signed the retired Brian Brett to cover for the injured Mauger, while Charlie Monk took  on the PL torch by winning the Easter Trophy at a very wet West Ham. Poole win at Oxford as the Cheetahs, missing Jimmy Gooch, still en route from Australia, toil to put seven riders together, eventually enlisting tractor driver John Hook. Gooch returned a few days later as Cheetahs lost 47-31 in Edinburgh and still need help in their tailend.

Glasgow top the first ever BL table but then lost at home to Wimbledon after Maury Mattingley missed his flight north. Undeterred the Tigers went to Belle Vue and beat the Aces for whom a less than fully fit Dick Fisher pulled out after two rides. With Peter Moore out for the season following a recurrence of a back problem, Long Eaton again losf at home and now have a better record away from home.