Promotion and relegation introduced, as new era begins

BRITISH Speedway has had its biggest revamp in two decades – with Scunthorpe Scorpions one of ten starters in the new-look SGB Championship, which replaces the 20-year-old Premier League.

The top two leagues have been rebranded the Speedway Great Britain (SGB) Premiership and SGB Championship.

In an exciting development, there’s also a chance for Scorpions to win their place in the top flight in 2018, with the introduction of promotion and relegation. The winners of the Championship play-offs will race the Premiership’s bottom club to decide who rides in the 2018 SGB Premiership.

Club bosses, including Scunthorpe’s Rob and Gail Godfrey, have spent three days voting through plans to restructure league racing in the UK which sees both Rye House and second tier champions Somerset taking the plunge with promotion to the top flight.

With the ten Championship teams meeting each other home and away twice in league competition, it means more fixtures for Scorpions.

Rob Godfrey, in his role as vice-chairman of the British Speedway Promoters’ Association (BSPA), said: “I believe we have achieved a total restructuring of British Speedway.

“We have created leagues which are sustainable and have a structure with promotion and relegation and the same rules in the two leagues.

“Now we have rebranded the sport, it’s time to deliver.”

The BSPA also intend to work with the new Gerhard engine after a visit to the Switzerland base of the GTR.

This will reduce costs for riders, with engines typically needing a fraction of the servicing of other engines.

SGB PREMIERSHIP 2017: Belle Vue, Coventry, King’s Lynn, Leicester, Poole, Rye House, Somerset, Swindon, Wolverhampton.
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP 2017: Berwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ipswich, Newcastle, Peterborough, Redcar, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Workington* (*subject to confirmation).
Two home, two away, top four into play-offs.

KNOCKOUT CUP DRAW:
PREMIERSHIP: Preliminary: Somerset v Leicester. 1st Round: Rye House v Swindon, King’s Lynn v Leicester or Somerset, Wolverhampton v Coventry, Belle Vue v Poole.