| Elite League | ||
| Current season or competition: 2011 Speedway Elite League |
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|---|---|---|
| League Information | ||
| Sport | Speedway | |
| Formerly | British League | |
| Country | United Kingdom | |
| Founded | 1997 | |
| Relegated To | Premier League | |
| Governing Body | Speedway Control Board (SCB) | |
| Website | SpeedwayGB | |
| League Facts | ||
| Current Champions | Poole Pirates | |
| Most Championships | Poole Pirates (4) | |
| No. of Teams | 10 | |
| Current Competitions | ||
| Elite League | ||
| Elite League Play-Offs | ||
| Elite League KOC | ||
| Elite League Pairs | ||
| Elite Open Riders' Championship | ||
| Current Teams | ||
| Belle Vue Aces Birmingham Brummies Coventry Bees Eastbourne Eagles Kings Lynn Stars |
Lakeside Hammers Peterborough Panthers Poole Pirates Swindon Robins Wolverhampton Wolves |
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The Elite League is the top division of Speedway league competition in the United Kingdom and is governed by the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). It is sponsored by Sky Sports.[1] The league consists of ten teams, racing against each other home and away plus ten "B" fixtures during a season which runs between March and October. Each team has a designated race day on which they normally stage their home fixtures, and they regularly have home and away fixtures scheduled in the same week.
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The British League was formed in 1965 as the top division of speedway and matches are held over a series of races, with 2 riders from each team taking part in each race. In 1995 & 1996 the top tier was known as the Speedway Premier League (an amalgamation of the British League and the British League Division Two), before the Elite League became the top tier in 1997. The Championship was decided on a straight league table basis until 2001. A Play-off system was introduced in 2002, with the top four in the table taking part in a knockout competition to decide the champions.
Teams are awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and from 2008 three points for an away win. Each team races every other team in the league home and away, and then races five teams again home and twice away, giving a total of 38 meetings. The first of these home and away fixtures are called the 'A' fixtures, the second are the 'B' fixtures. Placings are determined by points accumulated over all matches. Where two or more teams are tied on league points, the team with the greater difference of race points scored over race points conceded is placed higher. The top four teams qualify for the Championship play-offs. The semi-finals are single matches with the top two league positions having home advantage (1st vs 3rd and 2nd vs 4th). Winners from the semi-finals then meet in a two-legged Grand Final to decide the Elite League Championship winner.
From 2008, promotion and relegation between the Elite League (EL) and Premier League (PL) was introduced for the first time since 1991.[2]. The team finishing last faces the Premier League play-off winner over two legs (one match at each track), with the aggregate winner taking the EL spot in the following season, and the losing team racing in the PL.
At the start of each season, teams are built up to maximum points limit. The combined Calculated Match Average (CMA) of the seven riders declared in the team must not be higher than an agreed figure set at the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA) Annual General Meeting.
| Team | Years Active | Team | Years Active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Vue Aces | 1997- | Lakeside Hammers | 2004- |
| Birmingham Brummies | 2011- | Peterborough Panthers | 1997, 1999- |
| Coventry Bees | 1997- | Poole Pirates | 1997- |
| Eastbourne Eagles | 1997- | Swindon Robins | 1997-1998, 2004- |
| Kings Lynn Stars | 1997-2002, 2011- | Wolverhampton Wolves | 1997- |
| Team | Years Active | Other Information |
|---|---|---|
| Ipswich Witches | 1997-2010 | Moved to Premier League. |
| Reading Bulldogs | 2006-2007 | Moved to Premier League. |
| Oxford Cheetahs | 1998-2007* | Closure. *(Resigned halfway through 2007 season, results were then erased from season) |
| Hull Vikings | 1999 | Moved to Premier League. |
| Bradford Dukes | 1997 | Closure. |
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