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2008 Elite League Speedway Season
The 2008 Elite League speedway season (also known as the Sky Sports Elite League for sponsorship reasons) was the 74th season of the top division of UK speedway and the 12th since its establishment as the Elite League. The first fixtures of the season took place on 29 March and the season ended on 27 October. The Coventry Bees were the defending champions from 2007. Summary New rules introduced for 2008 included three points for an away win compared to two points in 2007, and the removal of the bonus point, in which a team was awarded an extra point for an aggregate win over home and away matches against another team. Also new in 2008 was a relegation and promotion playoff between an Elite League team and a Premier League team. The two teams that finish bottom of the Elite League will face in each other in a two legged playoff with the loser facing the Premier League playoff winner over two legs. The Poole Pirates finished top of the league table, with the Lakeside Hammers, Swin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elite League (speedway)
The Elite League was the top division of speedway league competition in the United Kingdom, governed by the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). It was sponsored by Sky Sports until the end of the 2013 season. In 2016, the Elite League featured 8 teams, unlike 10 in 2014, during a season which ran between March and October. Each team had a designated race day on which they normally staged their home fixtures, and they regularly had home and away fixtures scheduled in the same week. The Elite League operated for 20 years until British speedway was restructured with the formation of the SGB Premiership and SGB Championship. Brief history The British League was formed in 1965 as the sole professional speedway league in Britain, expanding in 1968 to incorporate two divisions. In 1995 & 1996 there was a single professional tier known as the Premier League (an amalgamation of the British League Division One and the Bri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Playoff Format
There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly known as ''on aggregate'', and the ''round-robin tournament''. Single elimination A single-elimination ("knockout") playoff pits the participants in one-game matches, with the loser being dropped from the competition. Single-elimination tournaments are often used in individual sports like tennis. In most tennis tournaments, the players are seeded against each other, and the winner of each match continues to the next round, all the way to the final. When a playoff of this type involves the top four teams, it is sometimes known as the Shaughnessy playoff system, after Frank Shaughnessy, who first developed it for the International League of minor league baseball. Variations of the Shaughnessy system also exist, such as in the promotion pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adam Skórnicki
Adam Skórnicki (born 22 October 1976 in Wolsztyn, Poland) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Poland. Career Skórnicki started racing in Poland for Unia Leszno in the 1994 Polish Speedway First League; he would spend six seasons with the club until the end of 1999. Skórnicki's first British club was Wolverhampton Wolves, whom he signed for in 2000. He had six successful years there, scoring over 1000 points for the club and winning the Elite League Championship in 2002. His averaged improved from 5.79 in 2000 to 8.14 in 2005. He was loaned out to Lakeside, Oxford and Belle Vue for the next three seasons, all of whom struggled at the bottom of the Elite League table. In 2002 Skórnicki made a guest appearance for the Poole Pirates in two legs of the Craven Shield Final. Skórnicki signed for Poole on loan in 2008 and went on to win the 2008 Elite League championship with the club. In August 2008, Skórnicki became the Individual Polish Champion for the first t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Davey Watt
David John Watt (born 6 January 1978 in Townsville, Queensland) is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from Australia. He won the Queensland state championship in 2005 and was a member of the Australian team that finished second to Poland in the 2011 World Cup Final. Career summary Watt started his British speedway career in 2001 when he signed for the Isle of Wight Islanders in the Premier League. He rode as a substitute reserve rider for the Oxford Cheetahs in 2001 and 2002 and was therefore a member of the Elite League title winning team in 2001. The following year he signed for Premier League team Newcastle Diamonds. In 2002 he gained a team berth at King's Lynn Stars while also doubling up for his parent club the Poole Pirates, where he was part of the Pirates Elite League (speedway), Elite League league winning team in 2003 Speedway Elite League, 2003. Watt rode for Rye House Rockets in the Premier League in 2004 and also doubled-up with Poole, but after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Holder
Christopher Robert Holder (born 24 September 1987 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian speedway rider currently riding for Lejonen in the Swedish Elitserien and for Apator Toruń in the Polish Speedway Ekstraliga. He became the Australian Individual Speedway Champion in 2008 and followed up with wins in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 (he was runner up in 2009) as well as winning the Australian Under-21 Championship in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. He finished as runner-up in the Under-21 World Championship in 2007 and 2008. He is 2012 World Speedway Champion. His brother, James, also rode in the UK with the Plymouth Devils in the Premier League and younger brother Jack Holder also rides for the Somerset Rebels in the SGB Premiership. Career Chris Holder started racing in the UK with the Isle of Wight Islanders in 2006. In 2007 he rode for Atlas Wrocław in the Polish Speedway Ekstraliga. Holder won the Swedish Allsvenskan in 2007 and the Elitserien in 2008 and 2009 with Le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daniel Davidsson
Daniel Jan Johan Davidsson (born 17 March 1983 in Motala, Sweden) is a speedway rider. His brother, Jonas Davidsson (born 1984), was also a speedway rider for the Lakeside Hammers. Career details World Championships * Individual U-21 World Championship ** 2002 - Slaný - 16th place (1 point) ** 2004 - Wrocław - 16th place (1 point) European Championships * Individual European Championship ** '' 2007 - 14th place in Semi-Final B * Individual U-19 European Championship ** 2001 - Pardubice - Bronze medal (13 points) ** 2002 - Daugavpils Daugavpils (; russian: Двинск; ltg, Daugpiļs ; german: Dünaburg, ; pl, Dyneburg; see other names) is a state city in south-eastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. The parts of the c ... - 10th place (6 points) References 1983 births Living people Swedish speedway riders Poole Pirates riders People from Motala Municipality Sportspeople from Östergötland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bjarne Pedersen
Bjarne Aagaard Pedersen (born 12 July 1978 in Holstebro, Denmark)Oakes, P.(2006). ''Speedway Star Almanac''. is an international motorcycle speedway rider who has represented Denmark in the Speedway World Cup, winning it on two occasions: in 2006 and 2008. Career summary Pedersen began his speedway career in 1990. He won his first title in 1994 winning a Danish junior pairs championship with Charlie Gjedde. However, he did not ride as a full-time professional until 2000. Pedersen began his UK racing career with the Newcastle Diamonds in the Premier League. He took part in his first two Speedway Grand Prix events in 2002, both as a wild card. His first full Speedway Grand Prix season came in 2003, but it was not until 2004 when Pedersen won his only Grand Prix to date at the European GP in Wrocław. In 2004 he also won the Elite League Riders' Championship. Pedersen admitted at the end of the 2007 season that he had lost enthusiasm for riding in Speedway Grand Prix ser ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magnus Zetterström
Hans Magnus Zetterström (born 9 December 1971 in Eskilstuna, Sweden) is an international motorcycle speedway rider who rides for the Belle Vue Aces in the British Elite League, having previous been with Poole Pirates. Zetterström became European Champion in 2002 and won the Premier League Riders Championship The Premier League Riders Championship was a contest between the top riders (or two riders) with the highest average points total from each club competing in the Premier League (speedway), Premier League in the United Kingdom. The championship was ... in 2006. In 2008 he became the Swedish Champion. Individual European Championship appearances * 2002 - European Champion (12 points +3) * 2003 - 3rd place (11 points) References {{DEFAULTSORT:Zetterstrom, Magnus 1971 births Living people Swedish speedway riders Individual Speedway European Champions Poole Pirates riders Peterborough Panthers riders Somerset Rebels riders Belle Vue Aces riders People from Esk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edinburgh Monarchs
The Edinburgh Monarchs are a Scottish Speedway team, currently based in Armadale. They compete in the SGB Championship, racing on Friday nights during the Speedway season. The club is run by a board of directors, chaired by Alex Harkess. The club also runs a National Development League team called the Armadale Devils. History The club was founded in 1928 and operated at Marine Gardens, Portobello in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1938 and 1939. A few team matches were staged in 1929 and an Edinburgh team competed in the Northern League in 1930. The Edinburgh team of 1938 and 1939 was known as The Thistles and they staged a number of challenge matches. 1948 to 1969: Meadowbank and Coatbridge After the Second World War, Marine Gardens was not available and the potential of Old Meadowbank, then the home of Leith Athletic F.C., was said to have been spotted by Ian Hoskins. The Monarchs (Meadowbank Monarchs) were re-established in 1948 by a consortium including Frank Varey, ex-rider and Sheffi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wolverhampton Wolves
Wolverhampton Wolves are a British speedway team based in Wolverhampton, England. They are sponsored by Parry's International Travel, and signed a deal with owner Dave Parry (previous speedway rider for the Wolverhampton Wolves) for the 2008 season onwards. The team is managed by Peter Adams and the promoter of the club is Chris Van Straaten. History 1928–1960 The club was founded in 1928 racing at Monmore Green Stadium, and after a brief flirtation with speedway, saw its last pre-war meeting in 1930. It was 20 years later that the sport returned to the town. During 1948 and the post-war optimism, record crowds were attending speedway events up and down the country. With towns keen to cash in on the boom, Wolverhampton's stadium owners applied to the local council for a track to be re-built at the original site. Australian Arthur Simcock set the ball rolling and was granted permission to promote speedway in Wolverhampton and finally his dream came true on 14 October 1950. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flagship analysis programmes such as ''Match of the Day'', ''Test Match Special'', ''Ski Sunday'', ''Today at Wimbledon'' and previously '' Grandstand''. Results, analysis and coverage is also added to the BBC Sport website and through the BBC Red Button interactive television service. History The BBC has broadcast sport for several decades under individual programme names and coverage titles. '' Grandstand'' was one of the more notable sport programmes, broadcasting sport for almost 50 years. The BBC first began to brand sport coverage as 'BBC Sport' in 1988 for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, by introducing the programme with a short animation of a globe circumnavigated by four coloured rings. This practice continued throughout the n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ipswich Witches
The Ipswich Witches are a British speedway club based at Foxhall Stadium near Ipswich, Suffolk. They compete in the British SGB Premiership. Meetings are staged on most Thursdays from March until October, normally commencing at 7.30pm (first race 7.45pm). The Witches are currently promoted by former Ipswich riders Chris Louis and Ritchie Hawkins. Chris Louis is the son of former rider and promoter John Louis History Early history Foxhall Stadium was purpose-built for speedway in 1950, and meetings were held there from 1951 to 1965 when the track was resurfaced for stock car racing. Attendances approached 20,000 and made stars of riders such as Syd Clarke, Junior Bainbridge, Tich Read and Peter Moore. The inaugural league season was the 1952 Speedway Southern League, where the team finished 8th. After 10 seasons of league speedway the team withdrew from the 1962 Speedway National League mid-season. Their best placing to that date had been a third place finish in 1953. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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