Speedway Premier League Pairs Championship

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The Premier League Pairs Championship is a contest between the top two riders from each club competing in the Speedway Premier League in the UK. The meetings comprise ten teams of two riders drawn into two qualifying groups.

Contents

[edit] Rules

[edit] Gate positions

In the Qualification Heats, riders are allocated starting gates. For the Semi-Finals, the group winners have first choice of gate positions (A&C or B&D). Gate A is on the inside of the track, whilst Gate D is on the outside. For the Final, the gate positions (A&C and B&D) are decided by the toss of a coin.

[edit] Points scoring

All heats are scored as follows:

  • 1st = 4pts
  • 2nd = 3pts
  • 3rd = 2pts
  • 4th = 0pts

This system is used to encourage team riding. A pair finishing first and second will score five points, whereas a pair finishing first and last will score only four. Race points scored over all Qualification Heats are used to determine the final group placings.

[edit] Ties

Where two are tied for a place, the team who scored most points scored in the heat where they met go through. Where more than two teams are tied for a place, the tie is resolved as follows:

  • Most wins
  • Most second places
  • A ballot

[edit] Winners

Year Winners 2nd place
1975 Newcastle Diamonds
Tom Owen & Brian Havelock
Ellesmere Port Gunners
John Jackson & Colin Goad
1976 Ellesmere Port Gunners
John Jackson & Chris Turner
Newcastle Diamonds
Tom Owen & Joe Owen
1977 Boston Barracudas
Rob Hollingsworth & Colin Cook
Newport Wasps
Jim Brett & Brian Woodward
1978 Ellesmere Port Gunners
John Jackson & Steve Finch
Newcastle Diamonds
Tom Owen & Robbie Blackadder
1979 Milton Keynes Knights
Andy Grahame & Bob Humphreys
Ellesmere Port Gunners
John Jackson & Steve Finch
1980 Middlesbrough Bears
Mark Courtney & Steve Wilcock
Boston Barracudas
Rob Hollingsworth & Gary Guglielmi
1981 Canterbury Crusaders
Mike Ferreira & Denzil Kent
Berwick Bandits
Wayne Brown & Steve McDermott
1982 Weymouth Wildcats
Martin Yeates & Simon Wigg
Long Eaton Invaders
Alan Molyneux & Dave Perks
1983 Weymouth Wildcats
Martin Yeates & Simon Cross
Glasgow Tigers
Jim McMillan & Steve Lawson
1984 Stoke Potters
Nigel Crabtree & Tom Owen
Berwick Bandits
Bruce Cribb & Steve McDermott
1985 Ellesmere Port Gunners
Joe Owen & Louis Carr
Poole Pirates
Martin Yeates & Stan Bear
1986 Edinburgh Monarchs
Les Collins & Doug Wyer
Hackney Kestrels
Barry Thomas & Andy Galvin
1987 Mildenhall Fen Tigers
Dave Jessup & Mel Taylor
Peterborough Panthers
Ian Barney & Kevin Hawkins
1988 Stoke Potters
Graham Jones & Steve Bastable
Poole Pirates
Steve Schofield & David Biles
1989 Stoke Potters
Nigel Crabtree & Eric Monaghan
Mildenhall Fen Tigers
Preben Eriksen & Peter Glanz
Year Winners 2nd place
1990 Hackney Kestrels
Steve Schofield & Andy Galvin
Exeter Falcons
Steve Regeling & Peter Jeffrey
Championship not staged 1991-1993
1994 Swindon Robins
Tony Olsson & Steve Langdon
Glasgow Tigers
Nigel Crabtree & David Walsh
Championship not staged 1995-1996
1997 Long Eaton Invaders
Carl Stonehewer & Martin Dixon
Reading Racers
David Mullet & Lee Richardson
1998 Peterborough Panthers
Glenn Cunningham & Brett Woodifield
Exeter Falcons
Frank Smart & Michael Coles
1999 Workington Comets
Carl Stonehewer & Brent Werner
Arena Essex Hammers
Colin White & Leigh Lanham
2000 Workington Comets
Carl Stonehewer & Mick Powell
Isle of Wight Islanders
Ray Morton & Danny Bird
2001 Workington Comets
Carl Stonehewer & Peter I Karlsson
Newcastle Diamonds
Jesper Olsen & Bjarne Pedersen
2002 Isle of Wight Islanders
Adam Shields & Danny Bird
Newport Wasps
Frank Smart & Craig Watson
2003 Workington Comets
Carl Stonehewer & Simon Stead
Newport Wasps
Frank Smart & Niels Kristian Iversen
2004 Reading Racers
Phil Morris & Danny Bird
Stoke Potters
Paul Pickering & Alan Mogridge
2005 Glasgow Tigers
Shane Parker & George Stancl
Somerset Rebels
Magnus Zetterström & Glenn Cunningham
2006 Glasgow Tigers
Shane Parker & Danny Bird
Sheffield Tigers
Ben Wilson & Ricky Ashworth
2007 Isle of Wight Islanders
Chris Holder & Jason Bunyan
Glasgow Tigers
Shane Parker & Craig Watson
Year Winners 2nd place

[edit] See also