SGB Premiership 2019 explained

Competition:SGB Premiership
Domesticcup1:Champions
Domesticcup1 Winners:Swindon Robins[1]
Domesticcup2:Knockout Cup
Domesticcup2 Winners:Swindon Robins[2]
Domesticcup3:Premiership Shield
Domesticcup3 Winners:Poole Pirates[3]
Domesticcup4:Riders' Championship
Domesticcup4 Winners:not held
Highest Average:Jason Doyle
Leagues Below:SGB Championship
National Development League
Prevseason:2018
Nextseason:2021

The SGB Premiership 2019 was the 85th season of the top division, called the SGB Premiership, of the British speedway championship in 2019. From the 2018 league season two teams, Leicester Lions and Somerset Rebels, dropped down to the next league down, the SGB Championship, and were replaced in the league by Ipswich Witches and Peterborough Panthers. Although no promotion or relegation exist in British speedway these changes were taken purely due to financial concerns of the teams that dropped out of the SGB Premiership. Rye House Rockets who had taken part in the previous SGB Premiership season closed down.

Background

The league ran between March and October 2019 and had seven teams participating. The line-up of teams changed from the previous 2018 league season with both Leicester Lions and Somerset Rebels dropping down into the SGB Championship and being replaced by two 2018 SGB Championship teams Ipswich Witches and Peterborough Panthers. Rye House Rockets who withdrew from the 2018 did not reenter the league. Poole Pirates were the defending champions after winning the title in 2018. BT Sport continued its TV coverage of the SGB Premiership in 2019.

At the Speedway AGM in November 2018, a number of changes were made to the rules and regulations for 2019. The biggest change was the introduction of fixed race nights: from now on, all Premiership meetings would be held on either a Monday or Thursday. Riders in teams must have achieved a minimum average of 3.00 to be able to race in the league. Although the team points limit remained at 42.50.

League results

Teams face each other four times: twice home and away. The first of the home and away meetings are called the 'A' fixtures, and the second are the 'B' fixtures.

A Fixtures

B Fixtures

League table

Final Table Up To And Including Wednesday 18 September

ClubHomeAway
width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28
1Poole Pirates241002142231101104152+60
2Swindon Robins241110200641156100350+153
3Wolverhampton Wolves24912210451096105143+45
4Ipswich Witches24903202351055109242-37
5Belle Vue Aces24912210271076106641+10
6249120011101073108531-12
724516010110970118920-219

Play-offs

Home team scores are in bold
Overall aggregate scores are in

red

Semi-finals----

Grand final----

Premiership Supporters Cup

The 2019 Knockout Cup (branded as the Premiership Supporters Cup) was the 77th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams.

Northern Group

The Wolverhampton Wolves Vs Peterborough Panthers fixture was not restaged after one postponement, and one abandonment.

Northern Group Table
Final Table Up To And Including Monday 22 April

ClubHomeAway
width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28
1Belle Vue Aces4200010011901709+20
2Wolverhampton Wolves3100000111321384-6
3Peterborough Panthers3101000011281423-14

Southern Group

The Poole Pirates Vs King's Lynn Stars fixture was not restaged after it was postponed twice

Southern Group Table
Final Table Up To And Including Thursday 27 June

ClubHomeAway
width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28width=28
1Swindon Robins62101002029224813+44
2Ipswich Witches63000001228026010+20
3Poole Pirates5101101012152359-20
4King's Lynn Stars5201000022032476-44

Grand final

----

Leading averages

Final SGB Premiership Averages Up To And Including Wednesday 30 October

width=200Riderwidth=200Teamwidth=40Average
Swindon9.89
Swindon9.36
Belle Vue9.23
Belle Vue8.47
King's Lynn8.32
Swindon8.32
King's Lynn8.28
Ipswich8.25
Poole8.25
Wolverhampton8.19
Poole8.14
Poole8.11
Poole8.04

Official Speedway GB Green Sheets Averages[4]

Riders and final averages

Belle Vue Aces

27 June Aarnio replaced Ricky Wells in the Belle Vue Aces team[5]
30 July Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen 5.65 replaced the injured Tero Aarnio in the Belle Vue Aces team[6]
23 August Jye Etheridge replaced the injured Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen in the Belle Vue Aces team[7]

Ipswich Witches

7 June Edward Kennett replaced David Bellego in the Ipswich Witches team[8]
27 August Niels-Kristian Iversen and James Sarjeant replaced Edward Kennett and Krystian Pieszczek in the Ipswich Witches team[9]

King's Lynn Stars

28 May Craig Cook and Simon Lambert replaced Kasper Andersen and the injured Erik Riss in the King's Lynn Stars team [10]
27 June Broc Nicol and Erik Riss replaced Simon Lambert and Ty Proctor in the King's Lynn Stars team [11]
17 July Nicklas Porsing replaced the planned signed rider Broc Nicol due to his injuries in the King's Lynn Stars team [12]

Peterborough Panthers

18 January Chris Harris is released from his Peterborough Panthers contract[13]
27 March Craig Cook is released from his Peterborough Panthers contract[14]
30 March Aaron Summers signed for Peterborough Panthers[15]
21 May Josh Bates and Scott Nicholls replaced Ben Barker and Lasse Bjerre in the Peterborough Panthers team [16]
27 June Ty Proctor replaced the injured Bradley Wilson-Dean in the Peterborough Panthers team[17]
14 August Jason Garrity replaced the injured Josh Bates in the Peterborough Panthers team[18]
27 August Ulrich Østergaard replaced the injured Aaron Summers in the Peterborough Panthers team[19]

Poole Pirates

17 July Ricky Wells replaced Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen in the Poole Pirates team [20]
27 August Thomas H. Jonasson replaced the injured Richie Worrall in the Poole Pirates team [21]

Swindon Robins

23 May Ellis Perks replaced James Shanes in the Swindon Robins team [22]
2 May Rasmus Jensen replaced Dawid Lampart in the Swindon Robins team [23]
5 June Zach Wajtknecht stood down from the Swindon Robins team with Stefan Nielsen replacing him[24]
19 June David Bellego replaced the injured Tobiasz Musielak in the Swindon Robins team [25]
10 July Claus Vissing replaced the injured Stefan Nielsen in the Swindon Robins team [26]
16 July Tobiasz Musielak replaced David Bellego in the Swindon Robins team [27]

Wolverhampton Wolves

14 March Scott Nicholls replaced the injured Jacob Thorssell in the Wolverhampton Wolves team [28]
21 May Jacob Thorssell replaced Scott Nicholls in the Wolverhampton Wolves team [29]
29 June Ryan Douglas replaced Ashley Morris in the Wolverhampton Wolves team [30]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Robins Are Champions . 18 October 2019. Speedway GB.
  2. Web site: Robins Win Supporters' Cup . 20 September 2019. Speedway GB.
  3. Web site: Stars Win But Pirates Take Shield . 12 April 2019. Speedway GB.
  4. Web site: Final 2019 SGB Premiership Averages Issue 26. 30 October 2019. Speedway GB.
  5. Web site: Aces Bring I Aarnio . 27 June 2019. Speedway GB.
  6. Web site: NBJ Joins Belle Vue . 30 July 2019. Belle Vue Aces.
  7. Web site: Eager Etheridge . 23 August 2019. Belle Vue Aces.
  8. Web site: Kennett Replaces Bellego . 7 June 2019. Ipswich Witches.
  9. Web site: Witches Sign Iversen & Sargeant . 27 August 2019. Ipswich Witches.
  10. Web site: Lynn Swoop for GB Star . 28 May 2019. King's Lynn Stars.
  11. Web site: Double Change For Stars . 27 June 2019. King's Lynn Stars.
  12. Web site: Stars Swoop For Danish Ace. 17 July 2019. King's Lynn Stars.
  13. Web site: Panthers Sale Complete . 18 January 2019. Peterborough Panthers.
  14. Web site: Club Statement - Craig Cook . 27 March 2019. Peterborough Panthers.
  15. Web site: Summers Signs For Now.... . 29 March 2019. Peterborough Panthers.
  16. Web site: Double Change For Panthers . 21 May 2019. Peterborough Panthers.
  17. Web site: Panthers Move For Proctor . 27 June 2019. Peterborough Panthers.
  18. Web site: Panthers Back To Full Strength . 14 August 2019. Peterborough Panthers.
  19. Web site: Panthers Bring Back Favourite . 27 August 2019. Peterborough Panthers.
  20. Web site: Pirates Confirm Wells As a Replacement For Jacobsen. 17 July 2019. Poole Pirates.
  21. Web site: Club Confirms Thomas H Jonasson As Replacement For Worrall . 27 August 2019. Poole Pirates.
  22. Web site: New Signing For Robins . 23 May 2019. Swindon Robins.
  23. Web site: Jensen Move Confirmed . 28 May 2019. Swindon Robins.
  24. Web site: Robins v King's Lynn Stars Preview . 5 June 2019. Swindon Robins.
  25. Web site: Bellego Back For Robins . 19 June 2019. Swindon Robins.
  26. Web site: Robins Swoop To Plug gap . 10 July 2019. Swindon Robins.
  27. Web site: Musielak In Robins Return . 16 July 2019. Swindon Robins.
  28. Web site: Hot Shot Scott Joins Wolves . 14 March 2019. Wolverhampton Wolves.
  29. Web site: Wolves Back To Original Pack . 21 May 2019. Wolverhampton Wolves.
  30. Web site: Deal Done For Douglas . 29 June 2019. Wolverhampton Wolves.