British Speedway promoters were taken aback when the FIM awarded the 1961 World Final to Sweden, the first time that it would be held at a venue other than Wembley. The event was a cash cow for the sport in the UK and some drastic measures were suggested including withdrawing from the FIM and going it alone before a compromise solution was worked out. Britain would stage a new FIM inscribed event, “The Internationale” which would comprise of 10 qualifying rounds, one for each NL track, with 40 riders each riding in four if these preliminary meetings and the top 16 going to the final at neutral Harringay. Initially it was envisaged that 28 would be riders from British tracks with the remaining twelve coming from abroad. It didn’t quite work out that way with just three riders not attached to British clubs actually contesting the rounds – Finland’s Timo Laine. Austrian Josef Bossner and Swede Per Tgae Svensson, the latter riding in only one meeting. The competition would be run in jig time with the qualifying rounds being completed in just over a week and the final staged just a week after the last of the preliminaries. It was quite a gruelling schedule, with some riders being required on three meetings on consecutive nights.

Qualifying Rounds

Leicester June 16; Norwich June 17; Swindon June 17; Wimbledon June 19; Southampton June 20; New Cross June 21; Ipswich June 22; Oxford June 22; Belle Vue June 24 and Coventry June 24.

Final at Harringay on July 1.

Qualifiers

Ove Fundin         – Leicester 14; Norwich 15; New Cross 14; Ipswich 15:         (56)

Bjorn Knutson – Swindon 12; Southampton 15; Coventry 15; Oxford 15:         (55) 

Peter Craven     – Wimbledon 11; Southampton 14; Oxford 14; Belle Vue 15:   (54)  

Ron How           – Leicester 15; Norwich 11; Wimbledon 13; Belle Vue 13:        (52)

Ronnie Moore    – Swindon 15; Wimbledon 15; New Cross 14; Coventry 8:     (52) 

John Chamberlain  – Leicester 8; Norwich14; Southampton12; Oxford 14:      (48)

Bob Andrews    – Swindon 13; Wimbledon 8; New Cross 12; Belle Vue 13:     (46) 

Barry Briggs     – Swindon 13; Southampton13; New Cross10; Oxford 10:      (46)

Cyril Maidment  – Norwich 9; Wimbledon 12; Southampton 11; Coventry 11:  (43) 

Jack Young       – Leicester 10; Ipswich12; Southampton 6; Coventry 13:        (41)

Arne Pander     – Swindon 11; Wimbledon 7; Oxford 14; Belle Vue 8:              (40) 

Doug Davies     – Swindon 8; Wimbledon 10; New Cross 10; Belle Vue 10:     (38)

Les Owen         – Leicester 10; Wimbledon 9; Southampton 4; Coventry 14:    (37)

Split Waterman   – Swindon 4; New Cross 12; Ipswich 13; Belle Vue 7:           (36)       Peter Moore       – Norwich 8; New Cross 6;  Ipswich11; Belle Vue 9:               (34)

Bob Duckworth    – Leicester 4; New Cross 8; Ipswich 9; Belle Vue 12:          (33)

The riders who just missed the cut were Gordon McGregor 32, Billie Bales 30, Ken McKinlay 28, Ray Cresp 27 Tad Teodorowicz 27

 

Final

Ove Fundin and Ronnie Moore tied on 14 with the Swede winning the run off to receive the top prize of a new speedway bike. Peter Craven joined them on the rostrum with 12 points while Bjorn Knutson and Barry Briggs were next on 10 points.

 

1962 and beyond           

This expansive format wasn’t used again. Possibly the event didn’t generate a huge profit and with the World Final coming “home” to Wembley, their cash cow had returned. However a one off event held on the Bank Holiday in May became the Internationale that we all knew and loved, with riders invited from the British league and beyond.