|
Elite League (speedway)
The Elite League was the top division of Motorcycle speedway, speedway league competition in the United Kingdom, governed by the The Speedway Control Bureau, Speedway Control Bureau (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). It was founded in 1997 and was sponsored by Sky Sports until the end of the 2013 season. In 2016 Elite League speedway season, 2016, the Elite League featured 8 teams, unlike 10 in 2014 Elite League speedway season, 2014, during a season which ran between March and October. Each team had a designated race day on which they normally staged their home fixtures, and they regularly had home and away fixtures scheduled in the same week. The Elite League operated for 20 years until British speedway was restructured with the formation of the SGB Premiership and SGB Championship. Brief history The British League was formed in 1965 as the sole professional speedway league in Britain, expanding in 1968 to incorporate two divisions. I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 British League Division Two, second division starting in 1968 (which was renamed the New National League in 1975 and subsequently the National League). The British League was formed in 1965 following the merger of the National League (1932–1964), National League and the Provincial League (speedway), Provincial League. Matches were held over a series of races, with two riders from each team taking part in each race. In 1995 it was replaced by the Premier League (speedway), Premier League for two years before the sport was restructured into three tiers with the formation of the Elite League (speedway), Elite League in 1997. The Championship was decided on a Division (sport), league table basis. Champions See also *List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions *List of United Kingdom Spee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BSPA
The British Speedway Promoters Limited (BSPL) organises the domestic motorcycle speedway competitions in the United Kingdom. They are also responsible for the promotion and running of the FIM meetings staged in Britain. Wimbledon controller Ronnie Green was the first chairman of the organization. Each club has a promoter in the association, although promotions under three years of membership do not have a vote. A ''Management Committee'' is elected at the Annual General Meeting, and this committee is responsible for the day-to-day running of British speedway. All the promoters meet periodically to discuss matters of importance, usually rule changes. See also *Motorcycle speedway * The Speedway Control Bureau * Elite League *Premier League * Conference League *British Speedway Championship *Speedway in the United Kingdom References External links * {{Speedway in the United Kingdom Speedway in the United Kingdom Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Dayton ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ipswich Witches
The Ipswich Witches are a British motorcycle speedway club based at Foxhall Stadium near Ipswich, Suffolk. They compete in the British SGB Premiership. Meetings are staged on most Thursdays from March until October, normally commencing at 7.30pm (first race 7.45pm). The Witches are currently promoted by former Ipswich riders Chris Louis (speedway rider), Chris Louis and Ritchie Hawkins. Chris Louis is the son of former rider and promoter John Louis (speedway rider), John Louis History 1950s Foxhall Stadium was purpose-built for speedway in 1950 and following the cancellation of a meeting on 24 March 1951, the venue first hosted speedway on 14 May 1951, when Ipswich competed against Yarmouth in a challenge match. The inaugural league season was the 1952 Speedway Southern League, where the team finished 8th. The team adopted the nickname the 'Witches' because of the town's history, for their inaugural season. The early stars of Ipswich speedway were Junior Bainbridge and Be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peterborough Panthers
The Peterborough Panthers were a British motorcycle speedway team based in Peterborough, England from 1970 to 2023. They were three times List of United Kingdom speedway league champions, champions of the United Kingdom, winning the highest level league in 1999, 2006 and 2021. History Origins and 1970s Speedway in Peterborough began in 1970, following a failed attempt to race at the Peterborough Greyhound Stadium and a subsequent successful application by Allied Presentations (headed by Maurice Littlechild) to race at the East of England Showground. Despite receiving a licence, the team were initially refused entry to the league by the Speedway Control Board but then replaced Plymouth Devils for their inaugural season in the 1970 British League Division Two season, 1970 British League Division Two. The Panthers finished in 10th place. The Panthers remained in division 2 (the National League from 1975) and recorded a best placing of third in 1972, headed by riders Richard ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastbourne Eagles
The Eastbourne Eagles were a British motorcycle speedway team, based at Arlington Stadium, near Eastbourne, England. They were founded in 1929 and are two times champions of Britain in 1995 and 2000. The team last raced on 31 July 2021. History Origins & 1930s During 1928 the Eastbourne Motorcycle Sports Club purchased a field in Arlington for the purposes of dirt track racing. Practice sessions took place before the official opening on 5 August 1929 by the Arlington Motor Sports Club. Over the following years the race meetings continued at regular intervals but there was still no team formed to compete in the British league system. However the Hailsham Cup was the main prize available and large attendances frequented the track. In 1937, George Newton broke the track record, which lasted until 1955. In 1938, a team was formed to compete in the Sunday Amateur Dirt Track League. The team included Tiger Hart, Bob Lovell, Danny Lee, Charlie Dugard, Stan Johns, Charlie Page ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National League (speedway)
The National Development League formerly called the National League was formed in 2009 as the third division of Motorcycle speedway, speedway in the United Kingdom, replacing the Conference League (speedway), Conference League. It follows the same rules and regulations as the SGB Premiership and SGB Championship, including the use of rider averages. It is however regarded as the league for junior riders or in some cases other riders returning to the sport. History There were two previous speedway leagues in Britain sharing the 'National League' name, the main National League (1932–1964), league that operated from 1932 to 1964, and Speedway British League Division Two, British League Division Two, which was renamed the National League between 1975 and 1990. The rebranded league started in 2009 and consisted of eleven teams. Over the following years the teams have changed significantly with only four of the original eleven teams still operating in 2023. In recent years, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birmingham Brummies
Birmingham Brummies are a British Motorcycle speedway, speedway team founded in 1928. They were inaugural members of the Southern League (1929–31), Southern League in 1929. The team have twice finished runner-up in the highest tier of British speedway, during the 1952 Speedway National League and 2013 Elite League speedway season. After four years in the National League, in 2019 they moved up to the second tier of British speedway in the SGB Championship. In 2024 the Brummies moved up again to the highest tier, the SGB Premiership. The club will close at the end of the 2025 due to redevelopment of their Perry Barr Stadium. History 1928–1930 The city of Birmingham had two teams in the Southern League of the inaugural season of British speedway in 1929 Speedway Southern League, 1929. One was based at the Birchfield Ladbroke Stadium, (old Perry Barr stadium) and the other was based at Hall Green Stadium. The Perry Barr based team withdrew from the 1930 league season and ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lakeside Hammers
The Lakeside Hammers (formerly the Arena-Essex Hammers) were a speedway team who raced in the British league system from 1984 to 2018, most recently racing in the SGB Championship in 2018. The team were nicknamed the Hammers after the West Ham Hammers, a speedway team that closed twelve years earlier. The team's home track, the Arena Essex Raceway, closed shortly before the end of the 2018 season. History Origins and 1980s The Arena Essex Raceway was built in 1978 to stage banger racing. Speedway returned to Essex in 1983 following the founding of the Arena-Essex Hammers by promoter Wally Mawdsley and stock car promoter Chick Woodroffe. Former West Ham promoter Mawdsley touted the new club as the successors to or the reincarnation of the old West Ham Speedway, which had closed in the early 1970s – the team took the Hammers nickname, the race colours of white crossed hammers on red and blue halves, and the racenight programmes also carried photos of past West Ham riders fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swindon Robins
The Swindon Robins are a motorcycle speedway team from England, established in 1949 that have competed primarily in the top division of speedway league competition in the United Kingdom. They are five times league champions of the United Kingdom. The club have raced at the Abbey Stadium since their inception but since 2020 have been unable to race at the stadium. History Origins and 1940s The formation of the club followed the sport's prehistory in the town at the now-demolished Gorse Hill Aerodrome, where dirt track racing had taken place since 1928. The birth of the Robins was a product of the partnership of Bristol speedway manager Reg Witcomb and businessman Bert Hearse. Under their direction, a cinder track was built. The first meeting, a non-league home challenge match, took place on 23 July 1949 against future rivals Oxford Cheetahs, and an official attendance figure of 8,000 was given, although employees of the club believe that 10,000 would be closer to the tru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kings Lynn Stars
King's Lynn Stars are a motorcycle speedway team who compete in the SGB Premiership. The nickname "Stars" was adopted from the defunct Norwich Stars team. The team was founded in 1965 and has been running continually since then, except for 1996 when King's Lynn failed to have a team competing in the British league system. History 1960s Plans for speedway in King's Lynn surfaced in 1965, when Maurice Littlechild promoted on an open licence at King's Lynn Stadium. Littlechild had plans to create a team called the South Lynn Stars named after the Norwich Stars, who had closed in 1964. The first meeting was on 23 May 1965 and the South Lynn Stars name was dropped in favour of the King's Lynn Stars. The team's inaugural league season was the 1966 British League season, where they finished 16th fom 19 teams. The team was led by new signing Terry Betts, who recorded a season average of 9.41. After finishing last in 1967 they signed Malcolm Simmons from West Ham Hammers but ex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coventry Bees
Coventry Bees are a motorcycle speedway team that existed from 1929 to 2018. They raced at Brandon Stadium, Brandon, Warwickshire, Brandon near Coventry, England. They are eight times champions of Britain. History Origins and 1920s The first speedway in Coventry arrived during the inaugural year of UK speedway on 21 July 1928, at the Lythalls Lane Stadium. The racing was organised by Midlands Speedways (a Manchester company) with a series of open and challenge events. In September 1928, rival venue Brandon Stadium began to host events. The first match to feature a Coventry team was an away fixture to Liverpool on 24 October 1928. The first league speedway saw Coventry (based at Brandon Stadium) compete in the 1929 Speedway Southern League, which was the inaugural season of the Southern League (1929–31), Southern League. The team featuring some of the most famous names the era, including Jack Parker (speedway rider), Jack Parker and Tom Farndon finished third behind Stamfor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leicester Lions
Leicester Lions are a speedway team which originally operated from 1968 until 1983Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). ''Homes of British Speedway''. and again from 2011. The team race at the Beaumont Park Stadium (or Hydroscand Arena for sponsorship purposes). Since 2019, the club have also ran a junior side known as the Lion Cubs. Previous Leicester teams Speedway started at Leicester in 1928 at Leicester Stadium with the Leicester Stadium team entering the English Dirt Track League in 1929 finishing 5th but by 1931 the track, beset with problems, closed. Speedway was also staged at a track known as Leicester Super off Melton Road. After World War II, speedway returned in 1948. The team were nicknamed the Leicester Hunters and ran under that name until closure in 1962. In 1949 the team started in the National League Division Three and moved up over the years operating in the top flight for some time until the end of 1961. The first Lions era 1960s Speedway returned to L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
