The administrative structure of British speedway is quite complicated due to the multi-disciple nature of motor sport and for historical reasons. The Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) has overall responsibility for two- and three-wheeled motor sport in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. This includes speedway and grasstrack racing. It actually governs motorcycle racing throughout the Commonwealth, with the exception of those countries that have their own governing bodies (e.g. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Northern Ireland).
Speedway is governed on behalf of the ACU by the Speedway Control Board (SCB), whose directors are appointed by the ACU and BSPA. It has the sole authority to initiate and enforce regulations, but in practice does so on the recommendation of the BSPA.
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.
The British Elite League (or BEL) is the higher of the two professional speedway leagues in Britain. It currently consists of nine teams who race against each other in various competitions between mid-March and the end of October. Each team has a designated race day on which they stage their home fixtures (as determined by tradition and/or track availability) and they commonly have home and away fixtures scheduled in the same week.
The membership is as follows:
| Team | Nickname | Race Day |
|---|---|---|
| Belle Vue (Manchester) | Aces | Monday |
| Coventry | Bees | Saturday |
| Eastbourne | Eagles | Saturday |
| Ipswich | Witches | Thursday |
| King's Lynn | Knights | Wednesday |
| Oxford | Cheetahs | Friday |
| Peterborough | Panthers | Friday |
| Poole | Pirates | Wednesday |
| Wolverhampton | Wolves | Monday |
Changes from 2000: None
Total accumulated points are used to determine the final placings. 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.
Preliminary Round: Poole v Ipswich
Quarter-Finals: Belle Vue v King's Lynn, Oxford v Eastbourne, Peterborough v Coventry, Wolverhampton v Ipswich or Poole
The BEL teams are divided into three regionalised groups. Each team races every other team in their group once at home and once away, making a total of four 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 used to determine the final group placings, with the winner of each group qualifying for the Final.
The Final is held as a three-team tournament with each team staging a leg on their own track. Aggregate race points scored over the three legs are used to determine the winner.
Anglian Group: Ipswich, King's Lynn, Peterborough
Midlands Group: Belle Vue, Coventry, Wolverhampton
Southern Group: Eastbourne, Oxford, Poole
Eastbourne (League Champions) v King's Lynn (Knockout Cup Winners)
See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how this meeting is run.
The membership is as follows:
| Team | Nickname | Race Day |
|---|---|---|
| Arena-Essex (Purfleet) | Hammers | Friday |
| Berwick | Bandits | Saturday |
| Edinburgh (Armadale) | Monarchs | Friday |
| Exeter | Falcons | Monday |
| Glasgow | Tigers | Sunday |
| Hull | Vikings | Wednesday |
| Isle of Wight (Ryde) | Islanders | Tuesday |
| Newcastle | Diamonds | Monday |
| Newport | Wasps | Sunday |
| Reading | Racers | Monday |
| Sheffield | Tigers | Thursday |
| Stoke | Potters | Saturday |
| Swindon | Robins | Thursday |
| Trelawny (St. Austell) | Tigers | Tuesday |
| Workington | Comets | Saturday |
Changes from 2000: Trelawny is a new team.
Total accumulated points are used to determine the final placings. 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.
1st Round: Arena-Essex v Reading, Edinburgh v Newcastle, Exeter v Newport, Hull v Trelawney, Sheffield v Berwick, Stoke v Isle of Wight, Swindon v Glasgow
2nd Round: Arena-Essex or Reading v Newport or Exeter, Sheffield or Berwick v Edinburgh or Newcastle, Stoke or Isle of Wight v Hull or Trelawney, Workington v Swindon or Glasgow
The Semi-Finals are arranged as follows: N1 v S2, S1 v N2. The winners 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, Hull, Newcastle, Sheffield, Stoke, Workington
Southern Group: Arena-Essex, Exeter, Reading, Isle of Wight, Newport, Swindon, Trelawney
The Quarter-Finals are determined as follows: the highest placed team chooses which team it wishes to meet from those placed 5th to 8th, the 2nd placed team has second choice, the 3rd placed team has third choice, whilst the 4th placed team meets the remaining 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.
These teams are divided into two semi-final groups which are each run over eight heats. The two highest scoring teams in 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 points is declared the winner. Where two or more teams are tied for a qualifying place in the Semi-Finals or first place in the Final, each team nominates a rider for a runoff.
See 'What are the rules for the BPL Four Team Tournament?' for further details on how this meeting is run.
These teams are divided into two groups, with each team racing every other team in their group. The two highest scoring teams in each group then progress to the Semi-Finals, with the winners of these progressing to the Final. Heats are scored 4-3-2-0 to encourage team riding.
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-1970s, 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-1970s and early-1980s, 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 disastrous 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 three seasons of operation, it appears the return to a two-tier league structure has been successful. Many tracks have started to report improved attendances, even though there have been a few adjustments in the league compositions. The decision to give away the television rights for two seasons also paid-off as speedway returned the third-highest viewing figures on Sky Sports. This culminated in Sky Sports signing a five-year television and sponsorship deal at the beginning of 2001 that is reportedly worth UKP 5 million.
The BPL has certainly proved to be cost-effective and has reduced the annual uncertainty over whether some teams will run. It has also attracted a number of new teams that have more than replaced those teams moving-up to the BEL, or those folding as a result of their stadiums being closed. In fact, there are now more tracks than at any time since 1991
It is hoped these encouraging signs will continue...
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 (actually 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), with the remaining teams forming a third division (reverting to the name British Conference League) that had less restrictions on the use of riders.
In the event, the British Development League (or BDL) was never really supported by its member tracks, even though it operated in 1998 and 1999. Matches were run as support events at BEL, BPL and BCL meetings (usually after the main match), but teams were frequently short-handed and league tables were rarely published. Nevertheless, the decision to discontinue the competition has resulted in an expansion of the BCL.
The BCL has the following regulations:
| Team | Nickname | Race Day |
|---|---|---|
| Boston (King's Lynn) | Barracuda Braves | Saturday |
| Buxton | Hitmen | Sunday |
| Mildenhall | Fen Tigers | Sunday |
| Newport | Mavericks | Friday |
| Peterborough | Pumas | Sunday |
| Rye House | Rockets | Saturday |
| Sheffield | Prowlers | Monday |
| Somerset (Highbridge) | Rebels | Friday |
Changes from 2000: Ashfield (Glasgow) and St. Austell have withdrawn from the league.
Club Cradley Heath (no home track), Romney Falcons (Lydd), Sittingbourne Crusaders and Southampton Saints (Poole) are not members of the league, but will race challenge matches against BCL opposition and each other.
Total accumulated points are used to determine the final placings. 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.
1st Round: Boston v Rye House, Buxton v Sheffield, Newport v Somerset, Peterborough v Mildenhall
Participants: Boston, Buxton, Mildenhall, Rye House, Somerset
For 2001, the Semi-Final is held as single meeting. The top four riders qualify for the Final, with the next two riders becoming the reserves.
The Final is also held as a single meeting with the winner being declared British Champion. In addition, the top six non-GP finishers qualify for the Overseas Final.
See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how each round is run.
For 2001, this competition is staged as a single meeting for which sixteen riders are nominated. The winner is declared British Junior Champion and the top eight finishers all qualify (provided they are at least sixteen years of age) for the World Junior Speedway Championship.
See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how each round is run.
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, and so on..).
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.
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.
| Meeting | Track |
|---|---|
| Blue Riband | Poole |
| Brandonapolis | Coventry |
| Chris Prime Memorial Trophy | Newcastle |
| Cornish Open | St. Austell |
| Denny Pyeatt Memorial Trophy | Reading |
| Evening Advertiser Trophy | Swindon |
| Karl Friar Memorial Trophy | Berwick |
| 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 |
Teams comprise seven riders who are numbered 1 to 7. The two riders with the lowest averages are the reserves and must be programmed at Nos. 6 and 7 (in any order). In addition, the three riders with the highest averages must be programmed at Nos. 1, 3 and 5 (in any order). The latter restriction does not apply to Knockout Cup matches.
The heat format is determined as follows:
| Heat | HOME TEAM | AWAY TEAM | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Blue | White | Y/B | |
| 1: | 1 (A-B) | 2 (C-D) | 1 (B-A) | 2 (D-C) |
| 2: | 6 (B-A) | 7 (D-C) | 6 (A-B) | 7 (C-D) |
| 3: | 3 (C-D) | 4 (A-B) | 3 (B-A) | 4 (D-C) |
| 4: | 5 (C-D) | 7 (A-B) | 5 (D-C) | 7 (B-A) |
| 5: | 3 (B-A) | 4 (D-C) | 1 (C-D) | 2 (A-B) |
| 6: | 1 (C-D) | 2 (A-B) | 5 (B-A) | 6 (D-C) |
| 7: | 5 (B-A) | 6 (D-C) | 3 (A-B) | 4 (C-D) |
| 8: | 2 (D-C) | 7 (B-A) | 2 (C-D) | 7 (A-B) |
| 9: | 3 (D-C) | 4 (B-A) | 5 (A-B) | 6 (C-D) |
| 10: | 1 (D-C) | 2 (B-A) | 3 (C-D) | 4 (A-B) |
| 11: | 5 (A-B) | 6 (C-D) | 1 (D-C) | 2 (B-A) |
| 12: | 3 (A-B) | 7 (C-D) | 3 (D-C) | 6 (B-A) |
| 13: | 1 (B-A) | 5 (D-C) | 1 (A-B) | 5 (C-D) |
| 14: | 4 (C-D) | 6 (A-B) | 4 (B-A) | 7 (D-C) |
| 15: Top | * | * | * | * |
Riders take the starting gate positions indicated in parenthesis. The actual gate sequence used during the match is determined by the team captain winning the toss of a coin prior to the start, with the gate positions for Heat 15 being decided by another toss of a coin. Gate A is on the inside of the track, whilst Gate D is on the outside.
Each reserve may have a maximum of seven rides that can be taken at any time. All exclusions count as rides, and a reserve that has been replaced in a heat is not eligible to replace a rider subsequently excluded from the same heat.
A rider committing a starting infringement may be replaced by a reserve, or they may take a fifteen metre penalty if neither team is using a Golden Tactical Substitute. 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 (first B, then A). 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 made per match instead of a normal tactical substitution, provided that a team is behind by eight or more points at the time. 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. Golden Tactical Substitutions may not be made in Knockout Cup matches.
Each team must nominate two riders for Heat 15 who must either be heat-leaders or amongst the three highest scorers; the home team declaring first. 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.
Teams in this competition comprise five riders including a reserve. Team A wears the red helmet colour and is numbered 1 to 4 and 17, Team B wears the blue helmet colour and is numbered 5 to 8 and 18, Team C wears the white helmet colour and is numbered 9 to 12 and 19, whilst Team D wears the yellow-black helmet colour and is numbered 13 to 16 and 20.
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.
The heat format is determined as follows:
| Heat | Gate A | Gate B | Gate C | Gate D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1: | 1 | 6 | 11 | 16 |
| 2: | 12 | 13 | 2 | 7 |
| 3: | 8 | 3 | 14 | 9 |
| 4: | 15 | 10 | 5 | 4 |
| 5: | 5 | 9 | 1 | 13 |
| 6: | 14 | 4 | 12 | 6 |
| 7: | 11 | 7 | 15 | 3 |
| 8: | 2 | 16 | 8 | 10 |
| The following heats are added for the Final: | ||||
| 9: 4th HS | Red | White | Y/B | Blue |
| 10: 3rd HS | Blue | Red | White | Y/B |
| 11: 2nd HS | White | Y/B | Blue | Red |
| 12: HS | Y/B | Blue | Red | White |
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 three rides in a Semi-Final, and four rides in the Final that can be taken at any time. All exclusions count as rides.
There is no minimum ride requirement in either 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.
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 the heat-leaders, whilst the two riders with the lowest averages are the reserves. The team status of any given rider can also be determined for other purposes.
At the start of a season, a rider retains their last recorded CMA until they have competed in three home and three away 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 May onwards, and come into effect on the 1st of the next month.
The CMA of a rider is calculated as follows:
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 (subject to a minimum value of 3.00). If a rider has established a CMA in both leagues during the previous two seasons, the higher CMA after conversion applies.
A rider missing at least one season through injury has their CMA reduced by 8% for each complete season they were absent. A rider missing at least three seasons for other reasons may have their CMA re-assessed by the BSPA.
For the 2001 season, all British riders will have their CMA reduced by 2.5%. The legality of this is questionable as riders from other EU countries should have equal employment rights under EU law.
Riders that have never established a CMA, or work permit riders returning after an absence of one or more seasons, are given an assessed average as follows:
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 approved by the BSPA and their combined averages must not exceed 45 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 BEL averages higher than 6.00, including those assessed at 8.00, are not permitted to compete in the BPL. Riders with BEL averages between 5.01 and 6.00 may only compete in the BPL if they have not been offered a place with a BEL team.
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. Riders may not be transferred between teams after 31 August.
The riders of a declared team must all be under contract to the promoter of that team. There are no restrictions on the number of foreign riders, although any necessary work permits must still 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 an average of 3.00 or less, and who does not appear on the list of non-eligible riders. 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 during a season, that rider may not be re-introduced to the team for the remainder of the season without the permission of the BSPA.
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:
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.
A guest rider is a member of another team who takes the place of an absent rider for one meeting. Despite the obvious implications, the guest system works because riders are essentially self-employed and ride for whoever contracts them. Indeed, guest bookings are often a valuable source of additional income.
The use of a guest rider is subject to the following conditions:
The programmed rides of the absent rider may be taken by others in the team as follows:
All exclusions count as rides, with the exception of those for a starting infringement or exceeding the two minute time allowance where a reserve replacement is allowed. These only count as rides as follows:
Copies of the (rather overpriced) SCB Regulations may be obtained from:
British Speedway Promoters Association
ACU House
Wood Street
RUGBY
CV21 2YX
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1788-560648
Fax: +44 (0)1788-546785
Price: GBP 10.00 plus GBP 1.50 P&P
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 a national club within 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.
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 & 4A series of scratch races known as the second-half also took place after each match where novices could compete against regular team members, usually taking the form of an individual competition. By the early 1980s however, promoters found that these second-halves were becoming too expensive and began to look for alternatives.
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 & 4The BL on the other hand, introduced seven-heat junior league matches in 1985 instead. It soon clear that the public did not regard this as an adequate replacement and the decision was taken to extend matches to fifteen heats by adding an extra reserves heat and a nominated riders heat. This format was trialled in the Speedway Star Knockout Cup in 1987, and extended to league matches in 1988. In order to accommodate the extra heats, the corresponding junior league matches were reduced to five heats although this was re-extended to six in 1989.
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 which 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 & 6This was used in both Division 1 and 2 until an innovative new format was introduced by the BSPA in 1993. In an attempt to make meetings better value for money, the junior leagues were scrapped and the main match was extended to eighteen heats. In order to compensate for the loss of the junior matches, teams were extended to eight riders and had to include two riders with junior status. The heat format was also arranged to give these riders much easier races than the other team members.
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 scorersUnfortunately, this format did not prove popular with fans or promoters alike. Matches dragged on too long and there were problems with heats 16 to 18 when using rider replacement. Furthermore, because the reserves had much easier races, a conversion factor was applied to their averages that had the effect of making it nearly impossible for riders to move up into the team proper. More importantly, teams started to have difficulties signing eight riders and after only one season, this match format was abandoned and another new format was introduced in place of it.
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 ScorersThis format was used in both divisions of the BL in 1994, and in the BPL between 1995 and 1996. It was reasonably popular with both fans and promoters alike, although it did tend to favour top heavy teams and did not provide much opportunity to stage a second-half programme.
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 ScorersThis format was used in both the BEL and BPL during the 1997 season, but proved to have serious flaws. The second-string rider with the lowest average had to double-up as a reserve, but did not have enough spare rides to cover injuries. Another second-string rider was therefore nominated as a supplementary reserve, but the regulations relating to their use were over-complicated. In addition, heat-leaders were programmed in each of the first twelve heats that meant lower-order riders never got any easier races.
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 ScorersNeedless to say, this format was not a success. The heat-leaders ended up taking a lot of rides which proved expensive, there were often delays when riders had to ride in consecutive heats, and it was generally confusing. It has therefore been decided that the BEL will use the same match format as the BPL for the 1999 season (see 'What are the rules for BEL, BPL and BCL matches?').