The 2017 SGB Premiership was the 83rd season of the top division of British Speedway. It was the first time that it was known as the SGB Premiership after changing its name from the Elite League.
Summary The season ran between March and October 2017 and 8 teams participated (Coventry withdrew from the league before the season started, after they had originally entered the league). The lineup of teams for 2017 was different from the lineup of the 2016 Elite League. The Lakeside Hammers and Coventry Bees dropped out of the league and were replaced by the Rye House Rockets and the Somerset Rebels.
At the annual Speedway AGM, which was held early in November 2016, it was agreed that speedway in Great Britain would be given what was described as "the biggest revamp of the sport in modern history". This involved numerous alterations to both the regulations and the branding of the sport. The former top level of British speedway, the Elite League, was replaced by the Speedway Great Britain Premiership. Among the most notable changes to the regulations is the reintroduction of promotion and relegation between the top two leagues: the team that finishes in last place in the Premiership will race against the winners of the new second tier of British speedway (the SGB Championship) in order to decide who will compete in the Premiership in 2018.
The Swindon Robins were the champions defeating the Wolverhampton Wolves in the Grand Final. Swindon won in extraordinary circumstances, having lost the first leg against Wolves at home 47–43, they won the away leg 47–42, with Wolves promoter Peter Adams gracious in defeat, stating that speedway was the winner.
British TV broadcasting rights changed hands before the start of the 2017 SGB Premiership season, when Sky withdrew from their negotiated contract with the BSPA. BT then obtained the broadcasting rights for the 2017 season to be shown on their BT Sport channels.
League Teams face each other four times: twice home and twice away. The first of the home and away meetings are called the 'A' fixtures, and the second are the 'B' fixtures.
Regular season
Final League Table Club Home Away 1 Swindon Robins 28 11 1 2 5 3 0 3 3 1339 1181 +158 66 2 Wolverhampton Wolves 28 13 0 1 4 1 0 5 4 1354 1151 +197 63 3 Belle Vue Aces 28 10 1 3 3 4 0 3 4 1310 1224 +86 58 4 Poole Pirates 28 8 0 6 3 2 3 2 4 1286 1268 +18 50 5 Rye House Rockets 28 12 0 2 1 2 0 1 9 1289 1237 +52 48 6 Somerset Rebels 28 7 1 6 0 3 0 1 10 1184 1338 -154 32 7 King's Lynn Stars 28 5 0 9 1 3 0 1 9 1138 1364 -226 29 8 Leicester Lions 28 6 1 7 0 1 1 3 9 1197 1334 -137 27
2017 SGB Premiership League Table Retrieved From Official Speedway GB Website
A Fixtures
B Fixtures
Play-offs Draw
Home team scores are in Dark Black
Semi-Finals
Grand Final
Promotion and relegation play-off
Knockout Cup The 2017 Knockout Cup was the 75th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. The competition returned after a four-year absence under a new name, it had previously been known as the Elite League Knockout Cup. Belle Vue Aces were the winners of the competition for a 14th time and extended their all-time record.
Draw
Home team scores are in bold
Final
Elite Shield
Riders' Championship Freddie Lindgren won the Riders' Championship for the third time. The final was held at National Speedway Stadium on 16 September.
Pos. Rider Pts Total SF Final1 Freddie Lindgren 2,1,3,3,2 11x32 Max Fricke 3,3,exc,1,2 9223 Craig Cook 3,2,2,3,3 13x14 Jacob Thorssell 3,0,3,0,2 8305 Hans Andersen 3,3,2,2,0 1016 Josh Grajczonek 1,2,3,2,1 907 Scott Nicholls 2,3,1,1,188 Nick Morris 1,2,2,0,3 89 Chris Harris 0,1,1,3,3810 Josh Auty ret,2,3,2,1 811 Brady Kurtz 2,3,0,2,ret 712 Jason Doyle 1,0,ret,3,3 713 Richard Lawson 1,0,2,1,1 514 Kim Nilsson ret,1,1,1,2 515 Danny King 0,1,1,0,0 216 Thomas Jørgensen 2,0,0,0,exc217 Rob Shuttleworth (res) 00 f=fell, exc=excluded, ret=retired ef=engine failure t-touched tapes
Pairs Championship A pairs championship was held for the top tier of speedway the first time since the Elite League Pairs Championship. last held in 2011. Despite its comeback for 2017 it was not held again afterwards.
Result
Group APosClubRidersPts 1st Wolverhampton Fredrik Lingdren & Jacob Thorsell172nd Swindon Jason Doyle & Nick Morris143rd Somerset Patrick Hougaard & Rohan Tungate124th Belle Vue Craig Cook & Max Fricke11
Group BPosClubRidersPts 1stKing's Lynn Chris Holder & Robert Lambert212nd Rye House Scott Nicholls & Chris Harris153rd LeicesterDanny King & Kim Nilsson114thPoole Brady Kurtz & Jack Holder 7
Semi Finals Team One Team Two Score ResultWolverhampton Rye House 7-2 Thorsell, Lindgren, Harris, NichollsKing's LynnSwindon5-4 Doyle, Lambert, Holder, Morris Final Team One Team Two Score ResultKing's LynnWolverhampton 7-2 Lambert, Holder, Thorsell, Lindgren
Final leading averages Rider Team Average Jason Doyle Swindon 10.26 Fredrik Lindgren Wolverhampton 9.95 Nick Morris Swindon 9.42 Jacob Thorssell Wolverhampton9.33 Kenneth Bjerre Belle Vue 8.98 Craig Cook Belle Vue 8.68 Krzysztof Kasprzak Rye House8.64 Rory Schlein Wolverhampton 8.61 Chris Harris Rye House 8.47 Brady Kurtz Poole 8.47
Riders and final averages Belle Vue Aces (8.98) (8.68) (8.10) (7.63) (7.31) (6.48) (5.52) (2.24)
King's Lynn Stars (8.00) (8.00) (7.87) (6.73) (6.38) (6.19) (5.73) (5.45) (5.33) (4.91) (4.29) (2.74) (1.33)
Leicester Lions (7.60) (7.19) (6.53) (6.52) (6.27) (6.00) (1 match only) (5.78) (5.54) (5.00) (5.00) (2 matches only) (4.40)
Poole Pirates (8.47) (8.42) (7.80) (7.07) (6.92) (6.85) (6.60) (6.48) (6.43) (5.83) (5.23) (3 matches only) (4.71) (3.96)
Rye House Rockets (8.64) (8.47) (7.94) (7.31) (7.09) (6.93) (6.83) (5.23) (3.92) (3.29) (2.86) (2 matches only)
Somerset Rebels (7.53) (7.21) (6.79) (6.67) (6.16) (5.93) (5.61) (5.33) (4.59) (4.27)
Swindon Robins (10.26) (9.42) (8.32) (7.90) (6.27) (5.05) (5.86) (4.40) (2 matches only) (3.62)
Wolverhampton Wolves (9.95) (9.33) (8.61) (8.12) (7.78) (6.00) (3.75) (3.04) (2.25) (1.45)
See also The second division of British speedway SGB Championship 2017 List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions Knockout Cup (speedway)
References