SGB Championship

The Speedway Great Britain (SGB) Championship is the second division of speedway league competition in the United Kingdom, governed by the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). It was introduced for 2017 following a restructuring of British speedway.[1]

SGB Championship
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event SGB Championship 2023
SportSpeedway
Founded2017
No. of teams9 (2023)
Most recent
champion(s)		Poole Pirates
Most titlesPoole Pirates (2)
TV partner(s)British Speedway Network
Domestic cup(s)SGB Championship Knockout Cup
Official websitewww.speedwaygb.co.uk
Notes
League Above
SGB Premiership
League Below
National Development League

Teams

Current teams

Former teams

Champions
Season Champions Second Third
2017 Sheffield Tigers Ipswich Witches Edinburgh Monarchs / Glasgow Tigers
2018 Workington Comets Lakeside Hammers Peterborough Panthers / Glasgow Tigers
2019 Leicester Lions Glasgow Tigers Redcar Bears / Somerset Rebels
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Poole Pirates Glasgow Tigers Leicester Lions / Edinburgh Monarchs
2022 Poole Pirates Leicester Lions Edinburgh Monarchs / Glasgow Tigers

History

2017

The league contained ten teams who meet each other twice home and away. The top four teams at the end of the regular season go into playoffs to decide the champions. Ten of the teams from the previous Premier League were in the Championship for 2017.[2] In 2017, there was a relegation and promotion race-off between the Championship and the new top tier, the SGB Premiership, with the bottom team from the Premiership going into a playoff with the Championship winners.[1][3]

2018

The Lakeside Hammers opted to join the Championship after having competed in the National League in 2017.[4] Each team met each other home and away only once. The top four teams at the end of the regular season went into playoffs to decide the champions.

2019

11 teams made up the 2019 league structure. Birmingham Brummies,[5] Eastbourne Eagles, Leicester Lions and Somerset Rebels joined the Championship whilst Ipswich Witches and Peterborough Panthers moved up a level to the SGB Premiership. Workington Comets initially declared to run but then withdrew their intention.[6]

2021

12 teams make up the 2021 league structure. The Plymouth Gladiators, Poole Pirates and Kent Kings joining the Championship. Whilst the Sheffield Tigers moved up to the SGB Premiership. Somerset Rebels announced that they won’t be taking part for the 2021 season, later announcing the closure of the club.

Teams

At the start of the season, teams are built up to maximum points limit. The combined Calculated Match Average (CMA) of the riders declared in the team must not be higher than an agreed figure set at the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA) Annual General Meeting.

2017 teams

2018 teams

2019 teams

2021 teams

The Eastbourne Eagles withdrew mid-season.

2022 teams

The Newcastle Diamonds withdrew mid-season.

See also

SGB Premiership List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions

References
  1. "British Speedway Gets Major Revamp", speedwaygb.co, 3 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016
  2. "Speedway: Promotion and relegation introduced to revamped competition", BBC, 3 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016
  3. "British Speedway set for big revamp with promotion and relegation", Sky Sports, 3 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016
  4. "MAJOR MOVES ANNOUNCED - British Speedway Official Website".
  5. "BIRMINGHAM SPEEDWAY STATEMENT - British Speedway Official Website".
  6. "WORKINGTON WITHDRAW - British Speedway Official Website".
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