1998 Premier League speedway season explained

Competition:Premier League
Domesticcup1:Champions
Domesticcup1 Winners:Peterborough Panthers
Domesticcup2:Knockout Cup
Domesticcup2 Winners:Reading Racers
Domesticcup3:Young Shield
Domesticcup4:Individual
Domesticcup4 Winners:Glenn Cunningham
Domesticcup5:Pairs
Domesticcup5 Winners:Peterborough Panthers
Domesticcup6:Fours
Domesticcup6 Winners:Peterborough Panthers
Highest Average:Nicki Pedersen
League Above:1998 Elite League
Leagues Below:1998 Conference League
Prevseason:1997
Nextseason:1999

The 1998 Premier League speedway season was the second division of speedway in the United Kingdom and governed by the Speedway Control Board (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA).

Season summary

The League consisted of 13 teams for the 1998 season with the following the closure of the Long Eaton Invaders and the decision of the Oxford Cheetahs to compete in the Elite League. The addition of the Peterborough Panthers who dropped down from the Elite League limited the reduction in numbers.

The League was run on a standard format with no play-offs and was won by Peterborough.[1]

Final table

PosMWDLFAPtsBonTot
1Peterborough Panthers2416261206945341246
2Reading Racers2416081130989321042
3Exeter Falcons2414191134102331738
4Hull Vikings2415091098103730636
5Sheffield Tigers24130111088106426733
6Isle of Wight Islanders24112111095105524832
7Glasgow Tigers24130111085106526632
8Newport Wasps24113101067108125732
9Edinburgh Monarchs24110131078107722729
10Newcastle Diamonds24103111041110923326
11Arena Essex Hammers248214995113918220
12Berwick Bandits247117982117315217
13Stoke Potters2430219561198617

Premier League Knockout Cup

The 1998 Premier League Knockout Cup was the 31st edition of the Knockout Cup for tier two teams. Reading Racers were the winners of the competition.[2] [3] [4]

Northern Group

width=20Poswidth=300Teamwidth=20Playedwidth=20Wwidth=20Dwidth=20Lwidth=20Pts
1 11 7 1 3 15
2 12 7 1 4 15
3 12 7 1 4 15
4 11 5 1 5 11
5 9 3 2 4 8
6 12 4 0 8 8
7 8 3 0 6 6

Southern Group

width=20Poswidth=300Teamwidth=20Playedwidth=20Wwidth=20Dwidth=20Lwidth=20Pts
1 10 7 0 3 14
2 10 5 1 4 11
3 10 5 0 5 10
4 10 4 2 4 10
5 10 3 3 4 9
6 10 2 0 8 4

Semi-finals

width=80Datewidth=250Team onewidth=80Scorewidth=250Team two
20/07Reading56-34Sheffield
16/07Sheffield45-45 Reading
14/08Peterborough56-34 Berwick
22/08Berwick 42-48 Peterborough

Final

First legSecond legReading were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 103–77.

Riders' Championship

Glenn Cunningham won the Riders' Championship. The final was held on 13 September at Owlerton Stadium.[5]

width=25pxPos. width=180pxRider width=100pxPts width=50pxTotal width=50pxSF width=50pxFinal
1 2 2 3 3 3 13-3
2 3 3 2 1 3 1222
3 3 3 2 3 3 14-1
4 2 2 3 2 2 12 30
5 1 3 2 2 2 111
6 0 3 0 3 3 100
7 1 0 3 2 2 9
8 1 1 2 3 0 8
92 1 1 1 2 7
10 0 2 3 0 1 7
11 3 2 1 0 r 6
12 0 0 1 2 1 6
13 3 r 3
14 2 0 1 0 3
15 1 1 0 t 1 3
16 0 0 1 1 1 3
17 0 1 1

Pairs

The Premier League Pairs Championship was held at Hayley Stadium on 26 July. The event was won by Peterborough Panthers.[6] [7]

Group A
width=20Poswidth=80Teamwidth=20Ptswidth=200Riders
1Exeter18 Coles 11, Smart 7
2Reading 17 Mullett 9, Kokko 8
3Arena Essex 12 Pedersen 10, Lanham 2
4Edinburgh 7 Carr P 4, McKinna 3
Group B
width=20Poswidth=80Teamwidth=20Ptswidth=200Riders
1Peterborough 21 Cunningham 12, Woodifield 9
2Newcastle 16 Pedersen 12, Olsen 4
3Newport 12 Watson 9, Fry 3
4Hull 7Bentley 7, Lobb 0

Semi finals

Final

Fours

Peterborough Panthers won the Premier League Four-Team Championship, which was held on 30 August 1998, at the East of England Arena.[8]

Group A
width=20Poswidth=90Teamwidth=20Ptswidth=350Riders
1 Peterborough 17 Berge 6, Cunningham 4, Woodifield 4 Sadler 5
2 Hull 14 Grahame 5, Bentley 3, Dicken 3, Thorp 3
3 Newport 11Fry 3, Henriksson 3, Watson 3, Pegler 2
4 Newcastle 6 Werner 4, Birkenshaw 1, Olsen 1, Swales 0
Group B
width=20Poswidth=90Teamwidth=20Ptswidth=350Riders
1 Reading 16Richardson 6, Kokko 5, Clews 4, Mullett 1
2 Edinburgh 12McKinna K 6
3 Arena Essex 11Lanham 5
4 Exeter 9Coles 4 Smart 2
Final
width=20Poswidth=90Teamwidth=20Ptswidth=350Riders
1 Peterborough24Cunningham 8, Berge 6 Woodifield 5 Sadler 5
2 Hull 19Thorp 7, Grahame 5, Bentley 4, Dicken 3,
3 Edinburgh 19Carr P 8, McKinna 6, Little 4, Andersson 1
4 Reading 10Richardson 4, Kokko 4, Clews 2, Elkins 0, Mullett 0

Leading averages

width=200Riderwidth=200Teamwidth=40Average
Nicki PedersenNewcastle9.97
Carl StonehewerSheffield9.93
Lee RichardsonReading9.60
Paul ThorpHull9.56
Glenn CunninghamPeterborough9.55
Dave MullettReading9.48
Petri KokkoReading9.36
Mick PowellGlasgow9.32
Jan AndersenPeterborough9.29
Peter CarrEdinburgh9.26

Riders & final averages

Arena Essex

Berwick

Edinburgh

Exeter

Glasgow

Hull

Isle of Wight

Newcastle

Newport

Peterborough

Reading

Sheffield

Stoke

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - MODERN ERA (1991-PRESENT). Official British Speedway website. 11 September 2021.
  2. Web site: 1998 Premier League Knockout Cup. Speedway archive.
  3. News: Racers on verge of cup triumph . Reading Evening Post . 21 September 1998 . 1 October 2021 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
  4. News: Super Racers are the KO Cup Winners . Reading Evening Post . 22 September 1998 . 1 October 2021 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
  5. News: Stonehewer second best . Nottingham Evening Post . 14 September 1998 . 24 June 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
  6. Web site: 1998 fixtures . Speedway Researcher . 27 May 2023.
  7. News: Speedway . Birmingham Daily Post . 27 July 1998 . 27 May 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
  8. News: Last heat fury . Hull Daily Mail . 31 August 1998 . 24 June 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .

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