Premier League Riders Championship Explained

Premier League Riders' Championship
Formerly:	British League Riders' Championship (tier one - 1965–1994) British League Division Two Riders Championship (tier two - 1968–1994)
Sport:	Speedway
Founded:	1995
Country:	United Kingdom
Footnotes:	replaced by Elite League Riders' Championship (tier one - 1997) SGB Championship Riders' Individual Championship (tier two - 2017)

The Premier League Riders Championship was a contest between the top riders with the highest average points total from each club competing in the Premier League in the United Kingdom.

History

The championship was inaugurated in 1995, the same year that the Premier League was formed.

For its first two years, the Premier League was the top league in Britain. However, from 1997 it was the competition for the second tier, because the new Elite League had been formed.^{[1] [2]}

In 2017, the Premier League became the SGB Championship and was duly renamed the SGB Championship Riders' Individual Championship.

Winners

width=70px	Year	width=300px	Winner	width=300px	Team
In 1995 and 1996 the Premier League was the top tier of British speedway
1995^[3]		Gary Havelock	Bradford Dukes
1996^[4]		Sam Ermolenko	Sheffield Tigers
From 1997 the Premier League was the second tier of British speedway
1997^[5]		Peter Carr	Edinburgh Monarchs
1998^[6]		Glenn Cunningham	Peterborough Panthers
1999^[7]		Sean Wilson	Sheffield Tigers
2000^[8]		Carl Stonehewer	Workington Comets
2001^[9]		Carl Stonehewer	Workington Comets
2002		Adam Shields	Isle of Wight Islanders
2003^[10]		Sean Wilson	Sheffield Tigers
2004^[11]		Andre Compton	Sheffield Tigers
2005^[12]		Sean Wilson	Sheffield Tigers
2006^[13]		Magnus Zetterström	Somerset Rebels
2007^[14]		James Wright	Workington Comets
2008^[15]		Tai Woffinden	Rye House Rockets
2009^[16]		Ricky Ashworth	Sheffield Tigers
2010^[17]		Kenni Larsen	Newcastle Diamonds
2011^[18]		Sam Masters	Somerset Rebels
2012^[19]		Craig Cook	Edinburgh Monarchs
2013^[20]		Oliver Allen	Rye House Rockets
2014^[21]		Simon Stead	Sheffield Tigers
2015^[22]		Ulrich Østergaard	Peterborough Panthers
2016^[23]		Simon Stead	Sheffield Tigers

See also

• List of United Kingdom Speedway League Riders' champions
• Speedway in the United Kingdom

Notes and References

1. Web site: British League Riders Championship. Speedway.org. 23 July 2021.
2. Web site: British League Riders Championship 1965-1996. Edinburgh Speedway. 23 July 2021.
3. News: Mullett misery . Reading Evening Post . 16 October 1995 . 7 June 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
4. News: American ace survives late drama . Huddersfield Daily Examiner . 21 October 1996 . 7 June 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
5. News: Champions . Reading Evening Post . 15 September 1997 . 24 June 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
6. News: Stonehewer second best . Nottingham Evening Post . 14 September 1998 . 24 June 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
7. News: Wilson on top . Huddersfield Daily Examiner . 13 September 1999 . 25 June 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
8. Web site: HISTORYCZNE ZESTAWIENIE WYNIKÓW 1960-2010 . Speedway History . 25 June 2023.
9. Web site: PLRC: Stoney does the double! . Crash.net . 25 June 2023.
10. Web site: Wilson walks off with PLRC . Crash.net . 26 June 2023.
11. Web site: Controversial Compton claims PLRC . Crash.net . 26 June 2023.
12. Web site: A Year in Summary : 2005 . Speedway Plus . 26 June 2023.
13. Web site: Zorro makes his mark . The Northern Echo . 26 June 2023.
14. Web site: Wright hits top form to become Riders' No 1 . Manchester Evening News . 26 June 2023.
15. Web site: Tai Woffinden: Wolves hope to re-sign World speedway champion . BBC Sport . 27 June 2023.
16. Web site: ASHWORTH DELIGHTED WITH RIDERS VICTORY . BritishSpeedway . 27 June 2023.
17. Web site: Kenni Larsen clinches League riders' top spot . Chronicle Live . 27 June 2023.
18. Web site: Australian Sam Masters is new title-holder . Chronicle Live . 27 June 2023.
19. Web site: Speedway: Edinburgh ace Craig is Rider Champ . The Scotsman . 27 June 2023.
20. Web site: ALLEN WINS PLRC . Sheffield Speedway . 27 June 2023.
21. Web site: SIMON STEAD WINS PLRC . Edinburgh Speedway . 27 June 2023.
22. Web site: OSTERGAARD WINS PLRC . Sheffield Speedway . 27 June 2023.
23. Web site: Simon Stead interview: Sheffield Tigers supremo on his life as a speedway rider, Great Britain success and the sport's future . Yorkshire Post . 27 June 2023.