The British Speedway Promoters Association (BSPA) actually organises the domestic competitions, in addition to the various FIM meetings staged in Britain. The day- to-day running of these competitions is undertaken by the Management Committee, but all the promoters meet periodically as the General Council to discuss matters of importance.

More information can be obtained from the ACU and BSPA Web Sites.

What are the British Elite and Premier Leagues?

British Elite League

At the end of the season, the team accumulating the most number of league points is declared the winner. Where two or more teams are tied on league points, the team with the greater excess of race points scored over race points conceded is placed higher.

Knockout Cup

1st Round: Belle Vue v King's Lynn, Ipswich v Eastbourne
2nd Round: Belle Vue or King's Lynn v Poole, Coventry v Oxford, Hull v Wolverhampton, Ipswich or Eastbourne v Peterborough

Craven Shield

Each team races every other team once at home, and once away, making a total of eighteen matches. Teams are awarded two points for a win, and one point for a draw. As with the League Championship, a team is also awarded a bonus point for an aggregate win over home and away matches against another team. Total accumulated points are then used to determine the final placings, with the top four teams qualifying for the Semi-Finals.

The Semi-Finals are arranged as follows: highest placed team meets 4th placed team, 2nd placed team meets 3rd placed team. The winners of the Semi-Finals progress to the Final. All ties are held over home and away matches with the aggregate score deciding the result.

Premiership

Riders' Championship

See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how this meeting is run.

Premier Golden Helmet

The holder of the Golden Helmet must defend their title at each League and Craven Shield fixture against a challenger from the opposing team. The only exception is when the holder gains the title away from home. In this case, the first defence is made at the next home fixture of their team.

The title is decided by a single match race held after the conclusion of the team event. The challenger is the rider scoring the highest number of points, including bonus points, from their programmed and nominated rides only. In order to gain the title, the challenger must defeat the holder outright.

If the holder is unable to defend their title due to injury sustained during the meeting, or is absent from three consecutive meetings for any reason, the title is forfeited to the challenger. If the qualified challenger is unable to ride, the second highest scorer from the opposing team becomes the challenger instead. The holder does not defend their title when riding as guest rider and guest riders are ignored when selecting a challenger.

The initial holder of the Golden Helmet in 1999 is Greg Hancock.

British Premier League

At the end of the season, the team accumulating the most number of league points is declared the winner. Where two or more teams are tied on league points, the team with the greater excess of race points scored over race points conceded is placed higher.

Knockout Cup

1st Round: Edinburgh v Newcastle, Isle of Wight v Sheffield, Reading v Glasgow, Stoke v Newport, Workington v Exeter, Arena-Essex (bye), Berwick (bye), Swindon (bye)

National Trophy

A draw is held to decide the ties for the Semi-Finals. The winners of these progress to the Final. All ties are held over home and away matches with the aggregate score deciding the result. In the event of the aggregate score being level, the teams again race home and away against each other.

Northern Group: Berwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle
Central Group: Sheffield, Stoke, Swindon, Workington
Southern Group: Arena-Essex, Exeter, Isle of Wight, Newport, Reading

Young Shield

The Quarter-Finals are arranged as follows: highest placed team meets 8th placed team, 2nd placed team meets 7th placed team, 3rd highest team meets 6th placed team, 4th placed team meets 5th place team. The winners of the Quarter-Finals progress to the Semi-Finals, with the winners of these progressing to Final. All ties are held over home and away matches with the aggregate score deciding the result.

Four Team Tournament

The Semi-Finals and the Final are held as one event at Peterborough. The eight qualifiers are divided into two semi-final groups which are each run over eight heats. The two highest scoring teams from each Semi-Final then progress to the Final which is run over twelve heats. At the conclusion of these twelve heats, the team scoring the greater number of race points is declared the winner.

Where two or more teams have scored an equal number of race points in the Qualifying Groups, the team winning the greater number of heats is placed higher. If the teams are still tied, the team with the greater number of second places is placed higher. Where two or more teams are tied for first place in the Semi-Finals or Final, each team nominates a rider for a runoff to determine the winner.

Qualifying Groups are the same as those for the National Trophy competition.

Best Pairs Championship

See 'What are the rules for Pairs Meetings?' for further details on how this meeting is run.

Riders' Championship

See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how this meeting is run.

Premier Silver Helmet

The title is decided by a single match race held after the conclusion of the team event. The challenger is the rider scoring the highest number of points, including bonus points, from their programmed and nominated rides only. In order to gain the title, the challenger must defeat the holder outright.

If the holder is unable to defend their title due to injury sustained during the meeting, or is absent from three consecutive meetings for any reason, the title is forfeited to the challenger. If the qualified challenger is unable to ride, the second highest scorer from the opposing team becomes the challenger instead. The holder does not defend their title when riding as guest rider and guest riders are ignored when selecting a challenger.

The initial holder of the Silver Helmet in 1999 is Leigh Lanham.

What is the history of the BEL and BPL?

In 1965, a competition known as the British League (BL) was formed by an amalgamation of the National League and the previously non-SCB affiliated Provincial League. This proved very popular with spectators and in the early-seventies, the BL was able to add a second division. Unfortunately, the promoters of the Division Two tracks very soon became dissatisfied with the way they were being run by the BSPA, and in 1975 decided to form their own league known as the New National League (NNL). This became the National League (NL) a year later.

The membership of both leagues reached a peak in the late-seventies and early-eighties but in 1985, falling attendances and spiralling costs forced five tracks to withdraw from the BL. An eleven-team BL was run for the 1985 and 1986 seasons until Hackney moved up from the NL in 1987. This proved to be a disasterous move and they withdrew after only one season. The BL was once again run with eleven teams in 1988 but during the winter of 1988, Sheffield were forced to close and Ipswich decided to drop down into the NL.

For the 1989 and 1990 seasons, the BL operated with only nine teams. The quality of teams during this period was very high due to the surplus of riders that such a small league created, but costs increased even further as teams often found themselves tracking former heat-leaders at reserve. The league also became very monotonous as teams had to ride against each other several times in order to create enough fixtures. This effectively discouraged any NL teams who might have wished to join the BL.

In 1991 therefore, Mervyn Stewkesbury (Promoter of the Poole team who had won the NL two years in succession) proposed the BL and NL should be amalgamated. Four NL teams joined the nine BL teams to form Division One, whilst the remaining NL teams formed Division Two. A system of promotion and relegation was also introduced between the two divisions for the first time.

This amalgamation was not as successful as initially hoped. Promotion and relegation proved unworkable with the restrictions on team building and was eventually abandoned in 1993. Division Two tracks also found themselves living beyond their means as they started to employ former-Division One and overseas riders whose use had previously been restricted in the NL. This resulted in five Division Two tracks closing between 1991 and 1994, with two Division One tracks also voluntarily dropping into Division Two during the same period.

By the winter of 1994 the majority of tracks were running at a loss. Faced with the possibility that a further five teams would withdraw from Division One, it was clear that the two division format of the BL was no longer viable. A decision was therefore taken to merge the two divisions into one large league for the 1995 season and renamed as the British Premier League.

This format lasted for two years and was moderately successful although two more tracks closed at the end of 1995 season. Unfortunately, a few promoters were unhappy with the restrictions on team building that were supposed to ensure competitive matches. It was certainly the case that many tracks still had uncompetitive teams and this was not helped by a lack of new riders coming through the ranks.

The newly-establised Academy/Conference League was attracting new riders, but many found the step-up to the BPL was too great. In addition, some tracks in the Academy/Conference League wished to operate at a higher level, but were deterred by the expenditure necessary in the BPL. In early-1996, several promoters considered reviving the National League as an intermediate competition although this proposal did not eventually succeed.

At the end of the 1996 season, the prospect of television coverage arose that also coincided with an influx of new tracks. This encouraged the BSPA to form a new top division of eleven teams known as the British Elite League (BEL), with the BPL operating as a second division of fourteen teams. Sadly Cradley Heath withdrew from the BEL before the start of the 1997 season due to stadium problems.

After one season of operation, it still remains to be seen whether the return to a two-tier league structure will be successful. The BEL teams committed to increased costs hoping the improved quality of the teams would attract television and the public, whilst the BPL teams hoped that operating at a more cost-effective level would remain attractive to existing fans.

Certainly there are encouraging signs. A number of BPL tracks actually showed improved attendances, an agreement to televise BEL matches on Sky Sports has been negotiated, and some of the top riders that were not riding in Britain have joined BEL teams for 1998. The downside however, was the disappointing attendances at BEL tracks with most reportedly losing money. The future of the current structure is very likely to depend on the success of 1998 season.

What is the British Conference League?

The British Conference League (or BCL) is intended to be a low-cost training league to develop British talent and encourage the provision of new tracks. It provides a third tier of competition under the BEL and BPL.

The British League Division Three had been formed in 1994 as a replacement for the second-half junior leagues that were scrapped when BL matches were extended to eighteen heats. It was re-named the British Academy League in 1995, but many teams experienced severe financial problems and there was some doubt as to whether the league could continue to operate.

In order to reduce costs, the league was re-launched in 1996 as an entirely amateur competition under a new name (the current name). The revamped competition proved to be very successful, with several new teams joining the league and some tracks attracting crowds on par with the BPL. In addition, the number of new riders taking up the sport increased dramatically.

The league expanded to thirteen teams in 1997 and was renamed again (to the British Amateur League). Unfortunately, the 1997 season exposed a number of problems. A few teams wished to include more established riders, whilst the others felt the focus should be on youth development. The standalone tracks also wanted a full home and away league programme, but the BEL/BPL tracks had problems combining this with their senior fixtures.

It was therefore decided the BEL/BPL second teams should compete in a separate youth competition (known as the British Development League) in 1998, with the remaining teams forming a third division (reverting to the name British Conference League) that had less restrictions on the use of riders. Linlithgow and Sittingbourne however, did not join the league as they felt their running costs would increase too much.

The BCL has the following special regulations:

• Only travel expenses are paid to riders.
• Old tyres must be used in all matches.
• Matches are officiated by a Club Steward instead of a neutral Referee.
• Riders aged fifteen may compete (as opposed to sixteen in the BEL and BPL).
• Teams may only include one rider from the old hands list issued by the BSPA.
• Riders declared in BPL teams are permitted if they are under the age of twenty-five (as of 1st January that year), and their BPL average was not higher than 4.00 at the start of the season.

Team	Nickname	Race day
Buxton	Hitmen	Sunday
King's Lynn	Braves	Wednesday
Linlithgow	Lightning	Sunday
Mildenhall	Fen Tigers	Sunday
Newport	Mavericks	Sunday
Rye House	Rockets
St. Austell	Gulls	Tuesday

Rye House will stage their home fixtures at Eastbourne and Mildenhall. Cradley Heath are not members of the league, but will race challenge matches against BCL opposition.

League Championship

Knockout Cup

Riders' Championship

See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how these meetings are run.

Premier Bronze Helmet

The title is decided by a single match race held after the conclusion of the team event. The challenger is the rider scoring the highest number of points, including bonus points, from their programmed and nominated rides only. In order to gain the title, the challenger must defeat the holder outright.

If the holder is unable to defend their title due to injury sustained during the meeting, or is absent from three consecutive meetings for any reason, the title is forfeited to the challenger. If the qualified challenger is unable to ride, the second highest scorer from the opposing team becomes the challenger instead.

What is the British Development League?

The British Development League (or BDL) is a youth competition that was introduced in 1998. Matches are run as support events at BEL, BPL and BCL meetings (often after the main match).

The BDL has the following special regulations:

• Only travel expenses are paid to riders.
• Old tyres must be used in all matches.
• Riders aged fifteen may compete (as opposed to sixteen in the BEL and BPL).
• Riders must be under the age of twenty-five (as of 1st January that year), unless they have ridden for fewer than three seasons.
• Riders declared in BPL teams are permitted if their BPL average was not higher than 4.00 at the start of the season.

Team	Nickname
Arena-Essex (Purfleet)	Junior Hammers
Armadale (Edinburgh)	Devils
Belle Vue	Colts
Berwick	Border Raiders
Buxton	Hitmen
Coventry	Young Bees
Devon (Exeter)	Demons
Eastbourne	Eaglets
Glasgow	Tiger Cubs
King's Lynn	Jousters
Mildenhall	Fen Tigers
Oxford	Cubs
Peterborough	Thundercats
St. Austell	Gulls
Sheffield	Prowlers
Swindon	Sprockets
Wolverhampton	Wolf Cubs

League Championship

Riders' Championship

See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how this meeting is run.

What other competitions are held in Britain?

British Championship

The Semi-Final is staged over two meetings at different tracks with aggregate race points determining the final positions. The top six riders qualify for the British Final, with the 7th and 8th placed riders becoming the reserves. A runoff is held if two or more riders are tied on race points for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place. In addition, a runoff is held if there is a tie for the final qualifying or reserve position.

The Final is held as a single meeting with the winner being declared British Champion. In addition, the top seven non-GP finishers qualify for the current season's Overseas Final.

See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how each round is run.

British Junior Championship

The structure of the competition is shown below, along with the number of qualifiers from each round:

Semi-Final (5Q+1R) \
                    -> Final
Semi-Final (5Q+1R) /

The winner of the Final is declared British Junior Champion and the top four finishers all qualify (provided they are at least sixteen years of age) for the current season's World Junior Speedway Championship.

See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how each round is run.

Sixteen Lapper

Points are awarded in the Final as follows: 1st-14, 2nd-12, 3rd-10, 4th-8, 5th-6, 6th-4, 7th-2, 8th-0. If a rider fails to finish the race, they are awarded points according to when they dropped out (i.e. the first rider to drop out is deemed to have finished last, the second rider to drop out is placed seventh etc..).

The points scored in the Final are added to those scored in the qualifying heats to determine the overall placings. Where two or more riders are tied on points, a rider starting from the back grid is placed higher. If the riders started from the same grid, the finishing order of the Final determines their placings.

Olympique

All competitors start from scratch (the start line) in their first heat, but their finishing positions determine the distance they are handicapped at the start their next heat. A rider winning a race starts their next heat with a thirty metre handicap, a rider finishing second is handicapped twenty metres, a rider finishing third is handicapped ten metres, whilst a rider finishing last starts off scratch. This principle continues throughout the meeting, with final positions being determined by race points.

Open Meetings

Meeting	Track
Blue Riband	Poole
Brandonapolis	Coventry
Chris Prime Memorial Trophy	Newcastle
Cornish Grand Prix	St.Austell
Denny Pyeatt Memorial Trophy	Reading
Evening Advertiser Trophy	Swindon
Northern Riders' Championship	Sheffield
OSSC Trophy	Oxford
Peter Craven Memorial Trophy	Belle Vue
Pride of the East	King's Lynn
Pride of the Potteries	Stoke
Scottish Open	Edinburgh
Star of Anglia	Ipswich
Supernational	Arena-Essex
Sussex Open	Eastbourne
Welsh Open	Newport
Westernapolis	Exeter

In BEL competitions, a rider committing a starting infringement may be replaced by a reserve, or they may take a fifteen metre penalty. If they choose the latter, the starting positions are amended so the handicapped rider starts from an outside gate (first D, then C), with their partner starting from an inside gate. Any further starting infringement results in exclusion without replacement. Should the partner of a handicapped rider also commit a starting infringement, they may only be replaced by a reserve.

All riders must take at least three rides prior to Heat 15 unless declared injured by the track medical officer. If a rider is unable to take the minimum number of rides, their place in a heat may not be taken by any other rider until this requirement is met (i.e. a team may not track a rider). For the purposes of this regulation, an exclusion for a starting infringement or exceeding the two minute time allowance only counts as a ride if the excluded rider is not replaced.

In Heats 5 to 14, a team behind by six or more points may substitute a programmed rider with any other rider in the team, provided each rider is only used as a tactical substitute once. A substitute rider takes the helmet colour and starting gate position of the replaced rider. Both riders in a heat may be substituted in this manner, provided the Referee is clearly notified which substitute replaces which rider.

One Golden Tactical Substitution may be used per match instead of a normal tactical substitution. The Golden Tactical Substitute starts fifteen metres behind the starting line, but any points scored by that rider are doubled (i.e. winning the heat would yield six points). The starting positions are also amended so the substitute rider starts from Gate D, with their partner starting from Gate B. Any starting infringements result in a further handicap of ten metres. A rider may not become a Golden Tactical Substitute in a heat they are already programmed to ride in.

Any two of the three highest scoring riders in each team must be nominated for Heat 15 (home team declaring first), which is held over six laps in the BEL. The scores from all rides are counted and bonus points are included. A rider in this heat may only be replaced by a reserve except when declared injured by the track medical officer. In this event, the next highest scoring rider becomes eligible instead.

The team scoring the greater number of points over all heats is declared the winner. When teams score an equal number of points, the match is declared a draw.

In the event of weather forcing a match to be abandoned, the result will stand if at least twelve heats have been completed.

What are the rules for the BPL Four Team Tournament?

Each team must nominate their top four riders, as determined by the currently applicable Green Sheet Averages, but any other rider may be nominated as the reserve. In this competition, replacement facilities are not available.

Qualifying Rounds are held over sixteen heats using the standard four team tournament format, whilst the heat format for the Semi-Finals and Final is determined as follows:

Riders take the starting gate positions indicated. Gate A is on the inside of the track, whilst Gate D is on the outside.

A reserve may have a maximum of five rides in a Qualifying Round, three rides in a Semi-Final, and four rides in the Final that can be taken at any time. All exclusions count as rides.

All riders other than the reserves must take at least two rides in a Qualifying Round unless declared injured by the track medical officer. If a rider is unable to take the minimum number of rides, their place in a heat may not be taken by any other rider until this requirement is met (i.e. a team may not track a rider). For the purposes of this regulation, an exclusion for a starting infringement or exceeding the two minute time allowance only counts as a ride if the excluded rider is not replaced.

There is no minimum ride requirement in the Semi-Finals or Final.

In Heats 9 to 12 of the Final, each team is represented by their 4th highest, 3rd highest, 2nd highest and highest scorers respectively (reserve excepted). Team members scoring an equal number of points may be nominated for any heat where they are eligible.

In the event of weather forcing a Qualifying Round to be abandoned, the result will stand if at least twelve heats have been completed.

What are the rules for BDL matches?

A Reserve may have a maximum of five rides that can be taken at any time. A Supplementary Reserve may also have a maximum of five rides, but may only be used as a replacement in heats where the Reserve is also riding, or when the Reserve no longer has any spare rides available after taking into account their remaining programmed rides. In addition, a Supplementary Reserve may not replace a Reserve excluded for a starting infringement or exceeding the two minute time allowance. All exclusions count as rides.

No rider is required to take a minimum number of rides.

The team scoring the greater number of points over all heats is declared the winner. When teams score an equal number of points, the match is declared a draw.

What are the Green Sheet Averages?

The Green Sheet Averages are issued periodically by the BSPA and are used to govern team selection in the BEL and BPL. They are known as the Green Sheets because they are traditionally printed on green paper.

A Calculated Match Average (CMA) is given to each rider, and these are listed team-by-team in ranking order. The three riders with the highest averages are known as heat-leaders, whilst the two riders with the lowest averages are the reserves. The team status of any particular rider can also be determined for other purposes.

At the start of a season, a rider retains their CMA from the previous season until they have competed in six matches. A new CMA is then issued that comes into effect seven days later. These averages are subsequently updated on the 15th of every month from June onwards, and come into effect on the 1st of the next month.

The CMA of a rider is calculated as follows:

total points (including bonus points) / total rides x 4

A rider moving from the BEL to BPL has their CMA multiplied by 2. Conversely, a rider moving from the BPL to the BEL has their CMA divided by 2. A CMA established prior to 1997 (when the current two-tier league structure was formed) is converted to an equivalent BEL average by dividing by 1.25. If a rider has established a CMA in more than one league, the BSPA must decide which is applicable.

Riders that have never established a CMA are given an assessed average as follows:

British Elite League

1. Riders that have competed in a Grand Prix or World Team Final = 7.50
   
2. Riders that have competed in a national league competition or national championship = 5.00
3. Other riders = 3.00

British Premier League

1. Riders that have competed in a national league competition or national championship = 8.00
2. Other riders = 3.00

Finally, a rider missing at least one season through injury may apply to have their last established CMA reduced by 8% for each complete season they were absent. A rider missing at least one season for other reasons may have their last established CMA reduced at the discretion of the BSPA.

What is the points limit and how does it work?

The object of the points limit is to prevent BEL and BPL teams becoming too powerful, and to create a situation where riders become available to teams that need to be strengthened. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of each promoter to maintain a team of adequate scoring ability.

Each BEL and BPL team must declare seven riders prior to the start of the season. These riders must be notified to, and receive approval from, the BSPA. The combined averages of the declared riders must not exceed 40 points in the BEL or 41 points in the BPL, and must not be less than 36 points. In addition, a BEL team may not include more than two riders with an average of 3.00, whilst a BPL team must include at least one rider with an average of 4.00 or less. Riders with a BEL average higher than 5.00 are not permitted to compete in the BPL, unless they are on the retained list of a team that has changed leagues, and their average is not higher than 6.00.

A team may change its declared line-up during the season, provided the combined averages of the new line-up do not exceed the maximum points limit, OR the average of any introduced rider is not higher than the average of the rider being replaced. A team may not change its declared line-up after the 31st of August, or when this would result in the combined averages falling below 36 points.

For 1999, the maximum points limit in both the BEL and BPL will increase to 45 points when a team has completed six official matches. After this point, any introduced rider who has not established an average in the current season will have their last average increased by 12.5%.

The riders of a declared team must all be under contract to the promoter of that team. The promoter is also required to have at least ten riders under contract. There are no restrictions on the number of foreign riders, although any necessary work permits must be obtained.

In the event of a declared rider being absent with no replacement facility available, they must be replaced by a rider not currently in any declared line-up in the same league, who has a average of 3.00 or less, and whose average is not higher than that of the rider being replaced. Non-contracted riders may be used for this purpose provided that they do not ride for the same team on more than six occasions. A replacement rider must line-up in the team in accordance with the average of the replaced rider.

It should be noted that when a work permit rider is replaced in a declared line-up, that rider may not be re-introduced to the team for the remainder of the season without the permission of the BSPA Management Committee.

How does the guest system and rider replacement work?

A BEL and BPL team is permitted a replacement facility if one or more of its declared riders are absent for any of the following reasons:

• Injured while speedway racing.
• Sickness or non-racing injury supported by a medical certificate, in which case the rider may not resume within seven days of the certificate date without permission of the BSPA Management Committee.
• Suspended by the SCB.
• In dispute with the team, provided that the circumstances have been accepted by the BSPA Management Committee.
• Riding in a World Speedway Championship (Individual, Team or Junior), or in a compulsory competition (e.g. test match, national championship).
• Riding in a Trophy Round of the World Longtrack and Grasstrack Championship (only for the day of the meeting and not for practice days or other rounds of the competition).

• One heat leader absent - Guest or Rider Replacement.
• Two heat leaders absent - Guest for the rider with the highest average, Rider Replacement for the other.
• Three heat leaders absent - Guests for the riders with the highest and lowest averages, Rider Replacement for the other.
• Fourth or fifth ranked rider absent - Rider Replacement.
• Fourth and fifth ranked riders absent - Guest for one rider, Rider Replacement for the other.
• Reserve absent - Guest from a lower league.

The intention to use a replacement facility must be notified to the opposing promoter at the earliest opportunity. In the event of a dispute over eligibility or late notification, the team seeking to use the replacement facility must provide the Referee with evidence to support its use.

Guest Riders

1. The rider directly above the absent rider in the current Green Sheet Averages may take one ride.
2. All riders below the absent rider in the current Green Sheet Averages may take one ride each, with the exception of the reserves who may take any number of rides up to their permitted maximum.

Where can I obtain a copy of the SCB Regulations?

Why is there an England team, but not a Scotland team?

There is a lot of confusion about the status of the national team representing the ACU. It is sometimes called Great Britain, but it is more commonly referred to as England by supporters, media and the BSPA (who manage the team on behalf of the ACU).

The ACU is recognised by the FIM as the national federation of England, Scotland and Wales, and therefore any team or rider competing in a World Championship is officially representing Great Britain. Any reference to England in this context is quite incorrect, even though the BSPA are as guilty of this as anyone.

The situation is more complicated with international test matches. These are privately arranged between national federations who may presumably promote their representative teams as anything they wish (e.g. England). Unfortunately, the BSPA do not show much consistency as both Scottish and Welsh riders have been selected for English test sides in the past. There was even a test series in 1991 when the team was temporarily named Great Britain for a match held in Glasgow!

This ambiguity probably originates from 1973 when there was a change in the way ACU representative teams were selected. Up until then, riders from Australia and New Zealand could be selected for Great Britain as the ACU governed motorcycle sport throughout the Commonwealth. When these countries decided to enter their own teams in the World Team Cup, they originally competed in a qualifying round with England and Scotland in order to determine the ACU representative. The separate nations were eventually recognised in their own right, but in the meantime, Scotland had dropped out of international competition due to a lack of riders. England therefore became the ACU representative, even though Scottish riders were eligible for selection. For these reasons, most British records refer to the national team as Great Britain before 1973, and England thereafter.

Given the inconsistency and confusion surrounding the GB/England team, it is perhaps not surprising there are increasing calls for a separate Scottish team. At the present time, lack of FIM affiliation means Scotland is unable to enter teams or riders in the various World Championships directly, but there are reportedly moves by the Scottish ACU (currently represented by the ACU) to gain full international recognition. This however, does not preclude test matches from being staged, and indeed, an Under-21 series was held between England and Scotland during 1999.

Incidentally, the current ACU national team does not represent the United Kingdom because Northern Ireland is governed by the separate Motorcycle Union of Ireland.

What heat formats have been used in the British leagues?

The classic thirteen-heat format introduced in 1969 was used for many years by both the BL, and subsequently the NL. This format was also used by the BL Division 3 in 1994. The heats were made-up as follows:

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
 1:      1 & 2    v    1 & 2
 2:      6 & 7    v    6 & 7
 3:      5 & 4    v    5 & 4
 4:      3 & 6    v    3 & 7
 5:      5 & 4    v    1 & 2
 6:      1 & 2    v    3 & 6
 7:      3 & 6    v    5 & 4
 8:      2 & 7    v    2 & 7
 9:      5 & 4    v    3 & 6
10:      1 & 2    v    5 & 4
11:      3 & 7    v    1 & 2
12:      1 & 4    v    3 & 5
13:      3 & 5    v    1 & 4

The NL, always more innovative than the BL, decided to introduce a sixteen-heat format and scrap the traditional second-half, simply having a further four novice races instead. The thirteen-heat format was extended as follows:

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
14:      2 & 6    v    2 & 6
15:      3 & 5    v    3 & 5
16:      1 & 4    v    1 & 4

Prior to 1988, there were no fixed gate positions. The team captain winning the toss had choice of gate positions for the first heat (i.e. 1 & 3 or 2 & 4) and they alternated in subsequent heats (except that a team six points in arrears could choose their gate positions). Team members had to decide between themselves which gate they would take and inevitably, the heat leaders took the best positions. For 1988 however, fixed gate positions were introduced in both the BL and NL that forced riders to start from every gate over the course of the meeting. This proved so successful that it has been used ever since.

One of the problems with the fifteen-heat format was Heat 14. Reserves were often injured during a meeting that meant a team could only field one rider in this heat. When the BL and NL merged in 1991 therefore, the heat format was slightly modified as follows:

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
 9:      5 & 6    v    3 & 6
10:      1 & 2    v    4 & 7
14:      4 & 7    v    5 & 6

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
 1:      1 & 2    v    1 & 2
 2:      3 & 4    v    3 & 4
 3:      5 & 6    v    5 & 6
 4:      7 & 8    v    7 & 8
 5:      1 & 2    v    3 & 4
 6:      5 & 6    v    1 & 2
 7:      3 & 4    v    5 & 6
 8:      2 & 7    v    2 & 7
 9:      5 & 6    v    3 & 4
10:      1 & 2    v    5 & 6
11:      3 & 4    v    1 & 2
12:      6 & 8    v    6 & 8
13:      3 & 5    v    3 & 5
14:      1 & 4    v    1 & 4
15:      7 & 8    v    7 & 8
16:   5th & 6th highest scorers
17:   3rd & 4th highest scorers
18:   1st & 2nd highest scorers

The match format introduced for the 1994 season was once again based on seven-rider teams, but featured sixteen heats. In fact, it was very similar to the pre-1993 format, but it brought the top riders together more often and avoided having more than one reserve heat. The heats were arranged as follows:

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
 1:      1 & 2    v    1 & 2
 2:      6 & 7    v    6 & 7
 3:      3 & 4    v    3 & 4
 4:      5 & 7    v    5 & 7
 5:      3 & 4    v    1 & 2
 6:      1 & 2    v    5 & 6
 7:      5 & 6    v    3 & 4
 8:      2 & 7    v    2 & 7
 9:      3 & 4    v    5 & 6
10:      1 & 2    v    3 & 4
11:      5 & 6    v    1 & 2
12:      3 & 7    v    3 & 6
13:      1 & 5    v    1 & 5
14:      4 & 6    v    4 & 7
15:        Nominated Riders
16:          Top Scorers

The introduction of the BEL however, prompted another change of match format. A move to six-rider teams was deemed necessary to improve the quality of the line-ups, and to help alleviate a shortage of suitable riders. An entirely new fifteen heat format was devised that also numbered the home and away teams differently.

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
 1:      1 & 2    v    7 &  8
 2:      6 & 7    v    9 & 10
 3:      3 & 4    v   11 & 12
 4:      1 & 2    v    9 & 10
 5:      3 & 4    v   11 & 12
 6:      5 & 6    v    7 &  8
 7:      1 & 2    v   11 & 12
 8:      3 & 4    v    7 &  8
 9:      5 & 6    v    9 & 10
10:      1 & 4    v   11 &  8
11:      3 & 6    v    7 & 10
12:      5 & 2    v    9 & 12
13:        Nominated Riders
14:        Nominated Riders
15:          Top Scorers

In response to widespread criticism, the BPL reverted to seven-rider teams for the 1998 season (current match format). The BEL however, thought the introduction of yet another heat format was the answer. This used a form of rider replacement, with each team member taking a nominated ride in addition to their programmed rides.

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
 1:      1 & 2    v    1 & 2
 2:      5 & 6    v    5 & 6
 3:      3 & N    v    3 & N
 4:      4 & 6    v    4 & 6
 5:      3 & N    v    1 & 2
 6:      1 & 2    v    4 & 5
 7:      4 & 5    v    3 & N
 8:      2 & 6    v    2 & 6
 9:      3 & N    v    4 & 5
10:      1 & 2    v    3 & N
11:      4 & 5    v    1 & 2
12:      3 & 6    v    3 & 5
13:      1 & 4    v    1 & 4
14:      N & 5    v    N & 6
15:          Top Scorers