| League | SGB Premiership |
|---|---|
| Champions | Swindon Robins |
| Knockout Cup | Belle Vue Aces |
| Elite Shield | Poole Pirates |
| Individual | Fredrik Lindgren |
| Pairs | King's Lynn Stars |
| Highest average | Jason Doyle |
| Division/s below | SGB Championship National League |
The2017 SGB Premiership was the 83rd season of the top division ofBritish Speedway. It was the first time that it was known as theSGB Premiership after changing its name from the Elite League.[1]
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 2016Elite League. TheLakeside Hammers andCoventry Bees dropped out of the league and were replaced by theRye House Rockets and theSomerset Rebels.[2][3][4]
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, theElite 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 (theSGB Championship) in order to decide who will compete in the Premiership in 2018.[5]
TheSwindon Robins were the champions defeating theWolverhampton Wolves in the Grand Final.[6][7] 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.[8]
British TV broadcasting rights changed hands before the start of the 2017 SGB Premiership season, whenSky withdrew from their negotiated contract with the BSPA. BT then obtained the broadcasting rights for the 2017 season to be shown on theirBT Sport channels.[1]
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.
Final League Table
| Pos. | Club | M | Home | Away | F | A | Pts | +/− | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | D | L | 4W | 3W | D | 1L | L | |||||||
| 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 |
A Fixtures
| Home \ Away | BV | KL | LEI | PP | RYE | SOM | SWI | WOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Vue | 48–43 | 48–42 | 46–46 | 52–38 | 44–46 | 48–42 | 54–38 | |
| Kings Lynn | 40–50 | 48–42 | 40–52 | 49–41 | 53–37 | 52–41 | 34–58 | |
| Leicester | 41–49 | 54–38 | 34–56 | 44–46 | 48–42 | 48–42 | 36–57 | |
| Poole | 43–47 | 44–49 | 52–40 | 50–33 | 54–36 | 45–47 | 46–44 | |
| Rye House | 44–46 | 50–42 | 54–36 | 49–44 | 52–38 | 37–53 | 51–41 | |
| Somerset | 50–40 | 44–46 | 61–30 | 47–43 | 54–38 | 44–46 | 44–49 | |
| Swindon | 44–46 | 45–48 | 52–40 | 45–45 | 50–42 | 57–35 | 46–45 | |
| Wolverhampton | 48–42 | 59–30 | 45–44 | 44–48 | 55–37 | 62–28 | 49–43 |
B Fixtures
| Home \ Away | BV | KL | LEI | PP | RYE | SOM | SWI | WOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Vue | 54–39 | 42–48 | 59–31 | 58–33 | 49–41 | 35–49 | 53–40 | |
| Kings Lynn | 45–48 | 50–40 | 43–50 | 44–46 | 43–47 | 40–50 | 21–41 | |
| Leicester | 40–50 | 62–28 | 45–45 | 46–44 | 57–33 | 45–46 | 41–49 | |
| Poole | 53–40 | 59–33 | 56–34 | 30–60 | 44–45 | 36–56 | 48–45 | |
| Rye House | 48–44 | 65–26 | 55–38 | 56–35 | 60–30 | 46–29 | 48–42 | |
| Somerset | 55–35 | 41–49 | 42–42 | 45–48 | 48–42 | 37–53 | 45–44 | |
| Swindon | 48–42 | 48–41 | 50–41 | 56–34 | 57–33 | 54–35 | 52–40 | |
| Wolverhampton | 49–41 | 48–24 | 54–39 | 50–43 | 50–41 | 56–34 | 52–38 |
Draw
| Semi Finals | Grand Final | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Poole Pirates | 44 | 38 | 82 | |||||||||
| 4 | Swindon Robins | 46 | 51 | 97 | |||||||||
| Swindon Robins | 43 | 47 | 90 | ||||||||||
| Wolverhampton Wolves | 47 | 42 | 89 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 51 | 39 | 90 | |||||||||
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 38 | 51 | 89 | |||||||||
Home team scores are inDark Black
Semi-Finals
| 11 September | [11] | Poole Pirates | 44–46 | Swindon Robins | Poole Stadium Referee(s): Mick Bates |
| 25 September | [12] | Swindon Robins | 51–38 | Poole Pirates | Abbey Stadium, Blunsdon Referee(s): Graham Flint |
| 25 September | [13] | Wolverhampton Wolves | 51–38 | Belle Vue Aces | Monmore Green Referee(s): Willie Dishington |
| 29 September | [14] | Belle Vue Aces | 51–39 | Wolverhampton Wolves | National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Phil Griffin |
Grand Final
| 2 October | [15] | Swindon Robins Jason Doyle11 Nick Morris9 David Bellego7 Tobiasz Musielak6 Bradley Wilson-Dean4 Liam Carr4 Adam Ellis2 | 43–47 | Wolverhampton Wolves Sam Masters12 Rory Schlein11 Chris Harris9 Kyle Howarth7 Mark Riss5 Nathan Greaves3 Jacob ThorssellR/R | Abbey Stadium, Blunsdon Referee(s): Christina Turnbull |
| 4 October | [16] | Wolverhampton Wolves Sam Masters12 Rory Schlein10 Kyle Howarth8 Nathan Greaves7 Chris Harris4 Mark Riss1 Jacob ThorssellR/R | 42–47 | Swindon Robins Jason Doyle13 Nick Morris11 Tobiasz Musielak8 Adam Ellis6 Bradley Wilson-Dean5 David Bellego4 Liam Carr0 | Monmore Green Referee(s): Chris Durno |
| 9 October | [17] | Sheffield Tigers | 32–58 | Leicester Lions | Owlerton Stadium Referee(s): Craig Ackroyd |
| 16 October | [18] | Leicester Lions | 49–41 | Sheffield Tigers | Beaumont Park Stadium Referee(s): Mick Bates |
The 2017 Knockout Cup was the 75th edition of theKnockout Cup for tier one teams. The competition returned after a four-year absence under a new name, it had previously been known as theElite League Knockout Cup. Belle Vue Aces were the winners of the competition for a 14th time and extended their all-time record.
Draw
| Quarter Finals | Semi Finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Somerset Rebels | 49 | 42 | 91 | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Leicester Lions | 41 | 48 | 89 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wolverhampton Wolves | 59 | 37 | 96 | |||||||||||||||||
| Somerset Rebels | 31 | 53 | 84 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | King's Lynn Stars | 36 | 42 | 78 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 54 | 48 | 102 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wolverhampton Wolves | 50 | 38 | 88 | |||||||||||||||||
| Belle Vue Aces | 40 | 52 | 92 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Rye House Rockets | 41 | 39 | 80 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Swindon Robins | 49 | 51 | 100 | ||||||||||||||||
| Swindon Robins | 50 | 38 | 88 | |||||||||||||||||
| Belle Vue Aces | 39 | 52 | 91 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Poole Pirates | 46 | 33 | 79 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 44 | 57 | 111 | ||||||||||||||||
Home team scores are inbold
| 10 October | [19] | Wolverhampton Wolves Nick Morris (10) Ricky Wells (13) Scott Nicholls (8) Rider Replacement Sam Masters (7) Mark Riss (7) Nathan Greaves (5) | 50–40 | Belle Vue Aces Kenneth Bjerre (11) Steve Worrall (6) Rider Replacement Rohan Tungate (5) Craig Cook (10) Dan Bewley (6) Jack Smith (2) | Monmore Green Referee(s): Ronnie Allan |
| 16 October | [20] | Belle Vue Aces Kenneth Bjerre (15) Steve Worrall (7) Rider Replacement Rohan Tungate (14) Craig Harris (6) Dan Bewley (8) Jack Smith (2) | 52–38 | Wolverhampton Wolves Scott Nicholls (4) Richard Lawson (10) Richie Worrall (5) Rider Replacement Sam Masters (10) Mark Riss (6) Nathan Greaves (3) | National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Graham Flint |
| 27 March | [21] | Wolverhampton Wolves | 50–40 | Poole Pirates | Monmore Green Referee(s): Margaret Vardy |
| 29 March | [22] | Poole Pirates | 58–32 | Wolverhampton Wolves | Poole Stadium Referee(s): Ronnie Allan |
Freddie Lindgren won theRiders' Championship for the third time. The final was held atNational Speedway Stadium on 16 September.[23][24]
| Pos. | Rider | Pts | Total | SF | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Freddie Lindgren | 2,1,3,3,2 | 11 | x | 3 |
| 2 |  Max Fricke | 3,3,exc,1,2 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 |  Craig Cook | 3,2,2,3,3 | 13 | x | 1 |
| 4 | Jacob Thorssell | 3,0,3,0,2 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| 5 |  Hans Andersen | 3,3,2,2,0 | 10 | 1 | |
| 6 | Josh Grajczonek | 1,2,3,2,1 | 9 | 0 | |
| 7 | Scott Nicholls | 2,3,1,1,1 | 8 | ||
| 8 | Nick Morris | 1,2,2,0,3 | 8 | ||
| 9 | Chris Harris | 0,1,1,3,3 | 8 | ||
| 10 | Josh Auty | ret,2,3,2,1 | 8 | ||
| 11 | Brady Kurtz | 2,3,0,2,ret | 7 | ||
| 12 | Jason Doyle | 1,0,ret,3,3 | 7 | ||
| 13 | Richard Lawson | 1,0,2,1,1 | 5 | ||
| 14 | Kim Nilsson | ret,1,1,1,2 | 5 | ||
| 15 | Danny King | 0,1,1,0,0 | 2 | ||
| 16 | Thomas Jørgensen | 2,0,0,0,exc | 2 | ||
| 17 | Rob Shuttleworth (res) | 0 | 0 |
A pairs championship was held for the top tier of speedway the first time since theElite League Pairs Championship. last held in 2011. Despite its comeback for 2017 it was not held again afterwards.[25]
Result
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Semi Finals
| Team One | Team Two | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolverhampton | Rye House | 7-2 | Thorsell, Lindgren, Harris, Nicholls |
| King's Lynn | Swindon | 5-4 | Doyle, Lambert, Holder, Morris |
Final
| Team One | Team Two | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| King's Lynn | Wolverhampton | 7-2 | Lambert, Holder, Thorsell, Lindgren |
| Rider | Team | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Doyle | Swindon | 10.26 |
| Fredrik Lindgren | Wolverhampton | 9.95 |
| Nick Morris | Swindon | 9.42 |
| Jacob Thorssell | Wolverhampton | 9.33 |
| Kenneth Bjerre | Belle Vue | 8.98 |
 Craig Cook | Belle Vue | 8.68 |
 Krzysztof Kasprzak | Rye House | 8.64 |
| Rory Schlein | Wolverhampton | 8.61 |
| Chris Harris | Rye House | 8.47 |
| Brady Kurtz | Poole | 8.47 |
Belle Vue Aces
Kenneth Bjerre (8.98)Craig Cook (8.68)Max Fricke (8.10)Steve Worrall (7.63)Rohan Tungate (7.31)Justin Sedgmen (6.48)Dan Bewley (5.52)Jack Smith (2.24)King's Lynn Stars
Robert Lambert (8.00)Chris Holder (8.00)Troy Batchelor (7.87)Thomas Jørgensen (6.73)
Kai Huckenbeck (6.38)Lewis Rose (6.19)Michael Palm Toft (5.73)Nicklas Porsing (5.45)Josh Auty (5.33)Thomas H. Jonasson (4.91)Danny Ayres (4.29)Simon Lambert (2.74)Josh Bailey (1.33)Leicester Lions
Kim Nilsson (7.60)Danny King (7.19)Erik Riss (6.53)Lasse Bjerre (6.52)Josh Bates (6.27)Paweł Przedpełski (6.00) (1 match only)Kyle Newman (5.78)Jason Garrity (5.54)Kacper Gomolski (5.00)Josh Auty (5.00) (2 matches only)Danny Ayres (4.40)Poole Pirates
Brady Kurtz (8.47)Hans Andersen (8.42)Lewis Kerr (7.80)Richie Worrall (7.07)Jack Holder (6.92)
Timo Lahti (6.85)Paul Starke (6.60)Nicolai Klindt (6.48)Edward Kennett (6.43)Krzysztof Kasprzak (5.83)Grzegorz Zengota (5.23) (3 matches only)Kyle Newman (4.71)James Shanes (3.96)Rye House Rockets
Krzysztof Kasprzak (8.64)Chris Harris (8.47)Scott Nicholls (7.94)
Ricky Wells (7.31)Edward Kennett (7.09)Ben Barker (6.93)Stuart Robson (6.83)Ellis Perks (5.23)Robert Branford (3.92)Ben Morley (3.29)Davey Watt (2.86) (2 matches only)Somerset Rebels
Josh Grajczonek (7.53)Charles Wright (7.21)Richard Lawson (6.79)Patrick Hougaard (6.67)Cameron Heeps (6.16)Lewis Kerr (5.93)Jake Allen (5.61)Rohan Tungate (5.33)Paul Starke (4.59)Jan Graversen (4.27)Swindon Robins
Jason Doyle (10.26)Nick Morris (9.42)Tobiasz Musielak (8.32)
David Bellego (7.90)Adam Ellis (6.27)
Bradley Wilson-Dean (5.05)Zach Wajtknecht (5.86)
Dany Gappmaier (4.40) (2 matches only)Emil Grøndal (3.62)Wolverhampton Wolves
Fredrik Lindgren (9.95)Jacob Thorssell (9.33)Rory Schlein (8.61)Sam Masters (8.12)Kyle Howarth (7.78)Mark Riss (6.00)Adam Skornicki (3.75)Nathan Greaves (3.04)Max Clegg (2.25)Ellis Perks (1.45)| 2025 Teams |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Former Teams | ||
| Seasons | ||
| Domestic cups | ||
