SGB Championship 2023 explained

Competition:SGB Championship
Competitors:9
Domesticcup1:Champions
Domesticcup1 Winners:Glasgow Tigers
Domesticcup2:Knockout Cup
Domesticcup2 Winners:Scunthorpe Scorpions
Domesticcup3:BSN Series
Domesticcup3 Winners:Poole Pirates
Domesticcup4:Pairs
Domesticcup4 Winners:Glasgow Tigers
Domesticcup5:Riders' Championship
Domesticcup5 Winners:Charles Wright
Highest Average:Ryan Douglas
League Above:SGB Premiership
Leagues Below:SGB National League
Prevseason:2022
Nextseason:2024

The 2023 SGB Championship season (sponsored by Cab Direct[1]) was the 76th season of the second tier of British Speedway and the 6th known as the SGB Championship.[2] The British Speedway Network (BSN) streamed 35 matches live for the second year running.[3]

Summary

Nine clubs competed in the Championship in 2023,[2] with Edinburgh Monarchs remaining in the league despite problems surrounding their home venue.[4] The only change to the league was Leicester Lions, who left for the higher league of the SGB Premiership 2023.[5]

The league format was the same as in 2022, with each team racing against each other twice (home and away), meaning a total of 16 fixtures each during the season. The points system was revamped and simplified, with teams scoring two points for a win (home or away), with a bonus point scored for an aggregate win. A 'Super Heat' was also introduced in the event of a tied meeting, with the winners scoring two league points and the losers gaining one point.

The top six teams qualified for the playoffs, however they were split into two groups of three, with the winners of each qualifying for the Grand Final. Finally, the points limit for team construction was reduced from 42 to 40 points.[6]

Glasgow Tigers won the title for the first time 2011, while Scunthorpe Scorpions claimed the knockout cup.[7] Poole Pirates had been looking to secure an unprecedented third consecutive double of league and cup, however they lost in both finals. However, Poole did win the BSN Series, an early season competition.[8]

League

[9]

Regular season

League table

ClubHomeAway
width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28
116800602818622735+196
216800503791647834+144
3Glasgow Tigers (C)16800503772614531+148
416611206758657623+101
516611305719702423+17
616305305662758315-96
716206206629791210-162
81630500864179717-156
91620600862181304-192

Fixtures & results

Play Offs

Six of the nine teams qualified for the play offs, including sixth placed Edinburgh who lost 10 of their 16 matches.[10]

Group A

Fixtures

Table

ClubHomeAway
width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28
1Poole Pirates (Q)4200200204156210+48
2Scunthorpe Scorpions410111019816216+36
3Edinburgh Monarchs400200213822200-84

Group B

Fixtures

Table

ClubHomeAway
width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28
1Glasgow Tigers (Q)420010119816228+36
2Oxford Cheetahs420010118817217+16
3Redcar Bears400200215420600-52

Grand final

First legSecond leg

Knockout Cup

The 2023 SGB Championship Knockout Cup was the 55th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier two teams and the 6th edition under the SGB Championship Knockout Cup name.

Home team scores are in bold
Overall aggregate scores are in

red

Final

First LegSecond Leg

BSN Series

Scottish Group[11]

Fixtures

Table

ClubHomeAway
width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28
1Glasgow Tigers (Q)420010120215728+45
2410110117018915-19
3410100216719302-26

Northern Group

Fixtures

Table

ClubHomeAway
width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28
1Scunthorpe Scorpions (Q)420010119516528+30
2Redcar Bears (Q)420010119017017+20
3400200215520500-50

Southern Group

Fixtures

Table

ClubHomeAway
width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28
1Poole Pirates (Q)420010120615228+54
2410110118217715+5
3410100215020902-59

Knockout stages

Home team scores are in bold
Overall aggregate scores are in

red

Grand Final

First legSecond leg

Pairs Championship

The 2023 edition of the SGB Championship Pairs took place on Friday 1 September, at Oxford Stadium, Oxford. It was won by Glasgow Tigers, who beat defending champions Redcar Bears in the final.

Qualifying heats

PosTeamPtsRiders
1Redcar Bears25Charles Wright 14, Danny King 11
2Oxford Cheetahs25Lewis Kerr 15, Sam Masters 10
3Glasgow Tigers23Chris Harris 12, Benjamin Basso 11
4Poole Pirates17Ben Cook 11, Richard Lawson 6
5Scunthorpe Scorpions17Ryan Douglas 13, Simon Lambert 4
6Berwick Bandits15Jye Etheridge 8, Leon Flint 7
7Edinburgh Monarchs14Josh Pickering 12, Luke Killeen 2
8Birmingham Brummies14Justin Sedgmen 12, Troy Batchelor 2
9Plymouth Gladiators12Kyle Howarth 8, Max Perry 4

Semi-finals

width=100Team Onewidth=100Team Twowidth=80Scorewidth=250Result
Redcar Poole 7-2 Wright 4, King 3, Lawson 2, Cook 0
width=100Team Onewidth=100Team Twowidth=80Scorewidth=250Result
Glasgow Oxford 5-4 Masters 4, Harris 3, Basso 2, Kerr 0

Final

width=100Team Onewidth=100Team Twowidth=80Scorewidth=250Result
Glasgow Redcar 6-3 Basso 4, Wright 3, Harris 2, King 0

Riders' Championship

The 2023 edition of the SGB Championship Riders Championship was held on 27 August, at the Ecco Arena in Redcar. The event was won by Charles Wright on his home track.[12]

width=25pxPos. width=220pxRider width=100pxPts width=50pxTotal width=50pxSF width=50pxFinal
1 Charles Wright (Redcar) 1 2 2 3 3 1123
2 Chris Harris (Glasgow) 2 1 3 3 312x2
3 Ben Cook (Poole) 3 2 3 3 2 12x1
4 Danny King (Redcar) 3 3 2 2 2 1230
5 Lewis Kerr (Oxford) 3 1 3 2 1101
6 Richard Lawson (Poole)2 0 1 3 39 0
7 Ryan Douglas (Scunthorpe)2 2 2 fx 28
8 Richie Worrall (Plymouth)1 3 3 1 0 8
9 Rory Schlein (Berwick)2 3 1 1 0 7
10 Leon Flint (Berwick)0 3 2 2 0 7
11 Justin Sedgmen (Birmingham)3 0 0 1 26
12 Jake Allen (Scunthorpe)1 1 1 0 25
13 Paco Castagna (Edinburgh)0 1 0 2 14
14 Troy Batchelor (Birmingham)0 2 0 1 14
15 Kye Thomson (Edinburgh)1 0 1 0 13
16 Craig Cook (Edinburgh)r tm - - - 0
17 Luke Harrison (res)0 0 0
18 Sam McGurk (res)0 00

Leading averages

RiderTeamAverage
1Ryan DouglasScunthorpe10.09
2Sam MastersOxford9.80
3Charles WrightRedcar9.66
4Scott NichollsOxford9.54
5Chris HarrisGlasgow9.47
6Benjamin BassoGlasgow9.45
7Richard LawsonPoole9.37
8Craig CookEdinburgh9.08
9Danny KingRedcar8.58
10Josh PickeringEdinburgh8.55

Squads & final averages

[13]

Berwick Bandits

Birmingham Brummies

Edinburgh Monarchs

Glasgow Tigers

Oxford Cheetahs

Plymouth Gladiators

Poole Pirates

Redcar Bears

Scunthorpe Scorpions

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cab Direct Announced as New Sponsor of the British Speedway Championship . Cab Direct . 25 January 2023 . 19 November 2023.
  2. Web site: Championship plans for 23 . British Speedway . 5 November 2022 . 5 November 2022.
  3. Web site: Championship continues BSN Partnership & unveils the BSN Series . British Speedway . 28 November 2022 . 3 December 2022.
  4. Web site: MONARCHS REIGN SET TO CONTINUE WITH ARMADALE STADIUM REPRIEVE . Edinburgh Monarchs Speedway . 5 November 2022.
  5. Web site: Lions moving up in 2023 . Leicester Speedway . 5 November 2022.
  6. Web site: British Speedway AGM statement. 17 November 2022 . SCB.
  7. Web site: Scunthorpe Scorpions beat Poole Pirates to win 2023 Knockout Cup . Bournemouth Daily Echo . 25 October 2024.
  8. Web site: BSN Series Final . British Speedway . 21 July 2023 . 22 July 2023.
  9. Web site: 2023 Championship Table, Fixtures & Results - British Speedway Official Website . 9 December 2021 .
  10. Web site: Groups for Championship Play-Offs . 9 September 2023 .
  11. Web site: BSN Series . British Speedway . 13 January 2023.
  12. Web site: Charles Wright's thrilling battle to be champion . Cumbria Crack . 31 August 2023.
  13. Web site: 2023 Championship Declarations – British Speedway Official Website .
  14. Web site: SCB Statement: Nick Morris . 17 August 2023 .

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