| Premier League | ||
| Current season or competition: 2011 Speedway Premier League |
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|---|---|---|
| League Information | ||
| Sport | Speedway | |
| Formerly | British League | |
| Country | United Kingdom | |
| Founded | 1995 | |
| Promoted To | Elite League | |
| Governing Body | Speedway Control Board (SCB) | |
| Website | SpeedwayGB | |
| League Facts | ||
| Current Champions | Glasgow Tigers | |
| Most Championships | Edinburgh Monarchs (3) Glasgow Tigers (3) | |
| No. of Teams | 14 | |
| Current Competitions | ||
| Premier League | ||
| Premier League Play-Offs | ||
| Premier League KOC | ||
| Premier League Fours | ||
| Premier League Pairs | ||
| Premier League Riders' Championship | ||
| Current Teams | ||
| Berwick Bandits Edinburgh Monarchs Glasgow Tigers Ipswich Witches Leicester Lions Newcastle Diamonds Newport Wasps |
Plymouth Devils Redcar Bears Rye House Rockets Scunthorpe Scorpions Sheffield Tigers Somerset Rebels Workington Comets |
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The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division. In 1997, the Elite League became the first division and the Premier League became the second division.
As of 2011 Season, there are currently 13 teams competing in this tier of British Speedway, contesting 6 competitions for silverware. These competitions are Premier League, Premier League Play-Offs, Premier League KOC, Premier League Pairs, Premier League Fours and the Premier League Riders' Championship.
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The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division. In 1997, the Elite League became the first division and the Premier League became the second division. Since it became the 2nd tier in the sport, no team has ever won back to back titles. The League took a standard League format from its creation in 1997 until 2005. In 2006 & 2007, the Play-Offs were devised which the top 4 (8 in 2006) finishing teams in the League contested in a Knock-Out competition, with the winner of the Play-Offs crowned the Premier League Champions. From 2008 onwards, the Play-Offs remained however the prize was changed. Instead, the team that finished top in the league would be crowned champions, and then the top 4 finishing teams would qualify for the Play-Offs. The winner of the competition would then go on to race against the bottom Elite League team in the Promotion/Relegation Battle. Since its inception, no Premier League team has been successful in gaining Promotion this way.
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. The Current Combined CMA stands at 42.50 and has been this figure since the 2009 season.
| Team | Years Active | Team | Years Active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berwick Bandits | 1997- | Plymouth Devils | 2011- |
| Edinburgh Monarchs | 1997- | Redcar Bears | 2006- |
| Glasgow Tigers | 1997- | Rye House Rockets | 2002- |
| Ipswich Witches | 2011- | Scunthorpe Scorpions | 2008- |
| Leicester Lions | 2011- | Sheffield Tigers | 1997- |
| Newcastle Diamonds | 1997- | Somerset Rebels | 2002- |
| Newport Wasps | 1997–2007, 2009- | Workington Comets | 1999- |
| Team | Years Active | Other Information |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Brummies | 2007–2010 | Moved up to Elite League. |
| Kings Lynn Stars | 2003–2010 | Moved up to Elite League. |
| Stoke Potters | 1997–2010 | Moved down to National League. |
| Isle of Wight Islanders | 1997–2008 | Moved down to National League. |
| Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 2006–2008 | Moved down to National League. |
| Reading Racers | 2008 | Loss of Stadium. |
| 1997–2005 | Moved up to Elite League. | |
| Exeter Falcons | 1997–2005 | Closure. |
| Hull Vikings | 2000–2005 | Closure. |
| 1997–1998 | Moved up to Elite League. | |
| Arena Essex Hammers | 1997–2003 | Moved up to Elite League. |
| Swindon Robins | 1999–2003 | Moved up to Elite League. |
| Trelawny Tigers | 2001–2003 | Closure. |
| Peterborough Panthers | 1998 | Moved up to Elite League. |
| Oxford Cheetahs | 1997 | Moved up to Elite League. |
| Long Eaton Invaders | 1997 | Closure. |
The Premier League was founded in 1995, and became the second tier of British Speedway in 1997. The League Season is currently run from March until September and the team that finishes first is declared Premier League Champions.
The current format has been revised for the 2011 Season. All teams will meet each other once home and once away, with the League then splitting into two groups using a pre-set formula based on their relative standings at the cut-off point of 10 home/ten away matches to determine the remaining 12 (6 home/6 away) fixtures for each side.[1] The League fixtures were expanded due to the Premier Trophy being defunct for the 2011 Season. However, with the Kings Lynn Stars moving up to the Elite League after this format was announced, it is once again unclear how the season format will be run.[2]
The Team that finishes 1st in the League will be crowned Premier League Champions, with the top 4 teams further competing in the Premier League Play-Offs.
* Although the Sheffield Tigers did not finish 2nd in the League, The Premier League Play-Offs in 2006 and 2007 decided the champions and runners up. In 2007, Sheffield Tigers finished 4th but got to the Final, eventually losing to the Rye House Rockets.
The Play-Offs were founded in 2006 and are run as a Knock Out Competition. The Play-Offs are usually the last competition of the run during the Premier League season and are contested in October.
The first format was the top 8 teams from the Premier league going through to the Play-Offs. The Eventual winner of the Play-Offs were then declared Premier League Champions with the other finalists being declared Runner-Up. In 2007, the format was changed to the top 4 contesting the play-offs to decide the League Champions.
Once again in 2008, the format was changed. This time the league winners were crownded Champions of the Premier League. Therefore the Play-Offs were now to decide which team from the Top 4 would go on to contest the Bottom Elite League team in the Promotion/Relegation Battle. As of yet, there has been no Premier League team successful in the Promotion/Relegation battle.
| Season | Winners | Runners-up | Promotion/relegation battle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Kings Lynn Stars | Sheffield Tigers | n/a |
| 2007 | Rye House Rockets | Sheffield Tigers | n/a |
| 2008 | Edinburgh Monarchs | Kings Lynn Stars | Lost to Wolverhampton Wolves |
| 2009 | Edinburgh Monarchs | Kings Lynn Stars | Lost to Belle Vue Aces |
| 2010 | Newcastle Diamonds | Sheffield Tigers | Lost to Ipswich Witches |
The Premier League KOC was founded in 1968 under the name British League Division Two KOC, however since the Premier League was formed as the 2nd tier of British Speedway in 1997, it has come to be known as the Premier League KOC. The Competition usually runs throughout the premier league season and the final usually takes place in October.
The Premier Trophy was first contested in 1999. The Competition is usually run before the Premier League starts in April and May. The finals are usually contested in June/July. The competition was dropped from the 2011 calendar due to the expansion of the Premier League fixtures.
The Premier League Pairs was first contested in 1975. It was first run as the Premier League Pairs when the 2nd tier was renamed the Premier League. The Competition is usually run the night before the British GP. The current location for the contest is at the Oak Tree Arena, the home of the Somerset Rebels.
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