SGB Championship Pairs Championship explained

SGB Championship Pairs formerly Premier League Pairs
Sport:	motorcycle speedway
Founded:	1997
Country:	United Kingdom
Footnotes:	replaced the British League Division Two Pairs

The SGB Championship Pairs formerly the Premier League Pairs Championship (from 1997 to 2016) is a motorcycle speedway contest for the second tier teams in the SGB Championship in the United Kingdom.^[1] The teams consist of the top two riders from each club competing. The meetings comprise ten teams of two riders drawn into two qualifying groups.

Rules

Gate positions

In the Qualification Heats, riders are allocated starting gates. For the Semi-Finals, the group winners have first choice of gate positions (A&C or B&D). Gate A is on the inside of the track, whilst Gate D is on the outside. For the Final, the gate positions (A&C and B&D) are decided by the toss of a coin.

Points scoring

All heats are scored as follows:

1st = 4pts
2nd = 3pts
3rd = 2pts
4th = 0pts

This system is used to encourage team riding. A pair finishing first and second will score seven points, whereas a pair finishing first and last will score only four. Race points scored over all Qualification Heats are used to determine the final group placings.

Ties

Where two are tied for a place, the team who scored most points scored in the heat where they met go through. Where more than two teams are tied for a place, the tie is resolved as follows:

Most wins
Most second places
A ballot

Winners

width=50px	Year	width=250px	Winners	width=250px	Runners-up
Premier League Pairs
1997^[2]	Long Eaton Invaders (Carl Stonehewer & Martin Dixon)	Reading Racers (Dave Mullett & Lee Richardson)
1998^[3]	Peterborough Panthers (Glenn Cunningham & Brett Woodifield)	Exeter Falcons (Frank Smart & Michael Coles)
1999^[4]	Workington Comets (Carl Stonehewer & Brent Werner)	Arena Essex Hammers (Colin White & Leigh Lanham)
2000	Workington Comets (Carl Stonehewer & Mick Powell)	Isle of Wight Islanders (Ray Morton & Danny Bird)
2001	Workington Comets (Carl Stonehewer & Peter Ingvar Karlsson)	Newcastle Diamonds (Jesper Olsen & Bjarne Pedersen)
2002^[5]	Isle of Wight Islanders (Adam Shields & Danny Bird)	Newport Wasps (Frank Smart & Craig Watson)
2003	Workington Comets (Carl Stonehewer & Simon Stead)	Newport Wasps (Frank Smart & Niels Kristian Iversen)
2004^[6]	Reading Racers (Phil Morris & Danny Bird)	Stoke Potters (Paul Pickering & Alan Mogridge)
2005^[7]	Glasgow Tigers (Shane Parker & George Štancl)	Somerset Rebels (Magnus Zetterström & Glenn Cunningham)
2006^[8]	Glasgow Tigers (Shane Parker & Danny Bird)	Sheffield Tigers (Ben Wilson & Ricky Ashworth)
2007^[9]	Isle of Wight Islanders (Chris Holder & Jason Bunyan)	Glasgow Tigers (Shane Parker & Craig Watson)
2008^[10]	Workington Comets (Daniel Nermark & Kauko Nieminen)	Somerset Rebels (Jason Doyle & Emil Kramer)
2009^[11]	Birmingham Brummies (Jason Lyons & Tomasz Piszcz)	Somerset Rebels (Steve Johnston & Emil Kramer)
2010^[12]	Sheffield Tigers (Ricky Ashworth & Josh Auty)	Birmingham Brummies (Jason Lyons & Steve Johnston)
2011^[13]	Glasgow Tigers (Joe Screen & James Grieves)	Workington Comets (James Wright & Rusty Harrison)
2012^[14]	Workington Comets (Adam Roynon & Rene Bach)	Scunthorpe Scorpions (Thomas Jørgensen & Josh Auty)
2013^[15]	Somerset Rebels (Jason Doyle & Josh Grajczonek)	Scunthorpe Scorpions (David Howe & Josh Auty)
2014^[16]	Edinburgh Monarchs (Max Fricke & Sam Masters)	Somerset Rebels (Nick Morris & Oliver Allen)
2015^[17]	Ipswich Witches (Danny King & Rohan Tungate)	Somerset Rebels (Brady Kurtz & Josh Grajczonek)
2016^[18]	Somerset Rebels (Josh Grajczonek & Rohan Tungate)	Edinburgh Monarchs (Sam Masters & Ryan Fisher)
SGB Championship Pairs
2017^[19]	Sheffield Tigers (Lasse Bjerre & Kyle Howarth)	Redcar Bears (Charles Wright & Ben Barker)
2018^[20]	Sheffield Tigers (Charles Wright & Kyle Howarth)	Workington Comets (Ty Proctor & Nicolai Klindt)
2019^[21]	Glasgow Tigers (Craig Cook & Rasmus Jensen)	Leicester Lions (Ryan Douglas & Scott Nicholls)
	2020 & 2021 cancelled due to COVID-19
2022	Redcar Bears (Charles Wright & Lewis Kerr)	Poole Pirates (Steve Worrall & Danny King)
2023	Glasgow Tigers (Chris Harris & Benjamin Basso)	Redcar Bears (Charles Wright & Danny King)

Notes and References

Book: Oakes, Peter . 2013 British Speedway Yearbook . 2013 . 158 . Frontpage Books . 978-0948882036.
Web site: 1997 season results . Speedway Researcher . 27 May 2023.
News: Speedway . Birmingham Daily Post . 27 July 1998 . 27 May 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
News: Speedway . Reading Evening Post . 26 July 1999 . 27 May 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
Web site: 2002 Premier League Pairs at Workington . YouTube . 27 May 2023.
Web site: Reading race to Pairs title . Crash.net . 29 May 2023.
Web site: SPEEDWAY: PARKER EYES A PAIR OF GONGS . Daily Record . 29 May 2023.
Book: Bamford, Robert . Tempus Speedway Yearbook . 2007 . 215-217 . Tempus Publishing Ltd . 978-07524-4250-1.
Web site: ISLANDERS TAKE PAIRS TITLE . Sheffield Speedway . 29 May 2023.
Web site: PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS RESULT . Birmingham Speedway . 29 May 2023.
Web site: Lyons and Piszcz lead Birmingham win . Daily Express . 29 May 2023.
Web site: BRUMMIES DUO LOSE OUT IN FINAL . Birmingham Speedway . 29 May 2023.
Web site: Grieves is enjoying life to the max . Daily Record . 30 May 2023.
Web site: Adam Roynon profile . Cradley Speedway . 30 May 2023.
Web site: Pairs Championship for Somerset . Speedway 365 . 27 May 2023.
Web site: IT'S SAM AND MAX FOR THE PAIRS . Edinburgh Speedway . 30 May 2023.
Web site: PAIR-FECTION FOR WITCHES . British Speedway . 30 May 2023.
Web site: Somerset Rebels speedway duo are Premier League Pairs Champions! . Burnham on Sea . 30 May 2023.
Web site: Sheffield Tigers win Pairs title ahead of first leg of promotion showdown . The Star . 30 May 2023.
Web site: SHEFFIELD'S HOWARTH AND WRIGHT RETAIN THE TITLE . Edinburgh Speedway . 30 May 2023.
Web site: Glasgow win the Pairs . Redcar Speedway . 30 May 2023.