2011 Elite League speedway season

2011 Sky Sports Elite League
Season 2011
Champions Poole Pirates
Knockout Cup Poole Pirates
Pairs Championship Poole Pirates
Elite League Riders Championship Australia Rory Schlein
Highest average Denmark Nicki Pedersen
(10.46)
← Previous season
2010
Next season →
2012

The 2011 Elite League (also known as the Sky Sports Elite League for sponsorship reasons) took place between 26 March and 20 October 2011. The Coventry Bees were the defending champions after winning in 2010. It was a great season for the Poole Pirates, who won the Elite League, the Pairs Championship and the Knockout Cup. Claiming a clean sweep of honours.

Throughout the 2010 season, it was rumoured that the Ipswich Witches would prefer to compete in the Premier League from 2011 onwards. Although they survived the promotion/relegation battle with the Newcastle Diamonds, it was decided that they would swap divisions with the Birmingham Brummies.[1] On 27 November 2010, The BSPA announced that both Coventry Bees and Peterborough Panthers would not be riding in the top flight after they failed to declare their intent to compete in the 2011 competition.[2] This then led to the King's Lynn Stars being promoted from the Premier League due to the Elite League needing a minimum of 8 teams.[3] On 15 March 2011 it was announced that both the Coventry Bees and Peterborough Panthers would be part of the 2011 Elite League after all.[4]

Team Lineups

Belle Vue Aces

Birmingham Brummies

Coventry Bees

Eastbourne Eagles

  • Finland Timo Lahti

King's Lynn Stars

Lakeside Hammers

Peterborough Panthers

Poole Pirates

Swindon Robins

Wolverhampton Wolves

  • United States Tyson Burmeister

League Table

Pos Club M Home Away F A +/- Pts
3W 2W D L 4W 3W D 1L L
1 Poole Pirates 28 10 3 0 1 2 3 0 5 4 1343 1212 58
2 Eastbourne Eagles 28 12 1 0 1 0 4 0 2 8 1370 1202 52
3 King's Lynn Stars 28 8 4 0 2 0 3 1 6 4 1305 1266 49
4 Lakeside Hammers 28 8 5 0 1 1 2 0 2 9 1291 1255 46
5 Coventry Bees 28 9 2 1 2 0 2 1 3 8 1262 1267 43
6 Peterborough Panthers 28 10 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 10 1284 1271 42
7 Belle Vue Aces 28 5 3 2 4 2 2 0 4 6 1267 1266 41
8 Wolverhampton Wolves 28 5 8 0 1 0 0 1 5 8 1250 1326 38
9 Birmingham Brummies 28 6 4 0 4 1 0 0 5 8 1241 1326 35
10 Swindon Robins 28 2 5 0 7 0 1 0 3 10 1172 1394 22
Key:
Championship play-offs

Home: 3W = Home win by 7 points or more; 2W = Home win by between 1 and 6 points
Away: 4W = Away win by 7 points or more; 3W = Away win by between 1 and 6 points; 1L = Away loss by 6 points or less
M = Meetings; D = Draws; L = Losses; F = Race points for; A = Race points against; +/- = Race points difference; Pts = Total Points

Championship play-offs

Semi-finals

Leg 1

19 September 2011
King's Lynn Stars 48 – 45 Poole Pirates
Norfolk Arena

19 September 2011
Lakeside Hammers 47 – 46 Eastbourne Eagles
Arena Essex Raceway

Leg 2

26 September 2011
Eastbourne Eagles 53 - 39 Lakeside Hammers
Arlington Stadium

Grand final

First leg

3 October 2011
Eastbourne Eagles 49 - 41 Poole Pirates
Arlington Stadium

Second leg

Poole Pirates were declared Elite League Champions, on winning on aggregate 98-85.

References

  1. ↑ "British Speedway AGM - Key Points". BSPA. 2010-11-21. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  2. ↑ "British Speedway Statement". BSPA. 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  3. ↑ "Kings Lynn Join The Elite". BSPA. 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  4. ↑ "Peterborough and Coventry allowed back in Elite League". BBC Sport (BBC). 15 March 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.