# 2018 National League speedway season

The National League speedway 2018 was the 2018 season of the third tier/division of British speedway.
Eastbourne Eagles won the playoffs and were declared champions. They completed the double by winning the Knockout Cup.

## Results
### Fixtures

| Home \ Away | BVC | BRM | BUX | COV | EAS | IOW | KK | MIL | PLY | STK |
| Belle Vue Colts | | 40–50 | 57–32 | 50–40 | 46–44 | 58–32 | 57–33 | 43–47 | 55–35 | 61–29 |
| Birmingham Brummies | 53–36 | | 55–34 | 43–47 | 54–36 | 57–37 | 45–45 | 44–46 | 40–50 | 63–27 |
| Buxton Hitmen | 43–46 | 44–46 | | | 38–52 | 41–49 | 40–49 | 32–58 | 51–39 | 38–52 |
| Coventry Bees | 59–31 | 53–36 | 51–39 | | 51–39 | 51–39 | 52–38 | 40–50 | 59–31 | 48–42 |
| Eastbourne Eagles | 61–29 | 49–41 | 60–30 | 52–32 | | 51–39 | 56–31 | | 54–36 | 67–23 |
| Isle of Wight Warriors | 48–42 | 39–51 | 58–32 | 50–40 | 38–52 | | 42–48 | 37–53 | 46–44 | 60–30 |
| Kent Kings | 53–36 | 46–43 | 58–31 | 46–44 | 32–27 | 57–33 | | 40–50 | 53–37 | 64–26 |
| Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 50–28 | 53–37 | 55–35 | 51–39 | 57–33 | 42–18 | 52–38 | | 58–32 | 60–29 |
| Plymouth Devils | 46–44 | 39–50 | 57–32 | 46–44 | 35–55 | 54–35 | 47–43 | 36–54 | | 48–42 |
| Stoke Potters | 37–50 | 47–42 | 50–39 | 29–29 | 41–49 | 32–27 | 36–53 | 36–53 | 48–41 | |
Teams face each other two times: once home and once away.
The following National League matches were not staged during the 2018 league season Buxton Hitmen Vs Coventry Bees Eastbourne Eagles Vs Mildenhall Fen Tigers

### Table

Final National League Table Up To And Including Sunday 28 October
| Pos. | Club | M | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | F | A | Pts | +/− |
| Pos. | Club | M | W | D | L | 4W | 3W | D | 1L | L | F | A | Pts | +/− |
| 1 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 889 | 597 | 57 | +292 |
| 2 | Eastbourne Eagles | 17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 843 | 647 | 42 | +196 |
| 3 | Kent Kings | 18 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 827 | 754 | 38 | +73 |
| 4 | Birmingham Brummies | 18 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 846 | 768 | 33 | +78 |
| 5 | Coventry Bees | 17 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 787 | 704 | 31 | +83 |
| 6 | Belle Vue Colts | 18 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 809 | 792 | 30 | +17 |
| 7 | Plymouth Devils | 18 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 753 | 863 | 23 | -110 |
| 8 | Isle of Wight Warriors | 18 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 713 | 845 | 20 | -132 |
| 9 | Stoke Potters | 18 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 656 | 892 | 19 | -236 |
| 10 | Buxton Hitmen | 17 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 631 | 892 | 3 | -261 |
Coventry Bees were in fourth place and higher in the league table then Birmingham Brummies at the cut-off date to decide the National League play-off places.

### Play-Offs

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| Mildenhall Fen Tigers | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 61 | 46 | 107 | | | | | |
| Kent Kings | Kent Kings | 29 | 44 | 73 | | | | | |
| Kent Kings | Kent Kings | 29 | 44 | 73 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 35 | 46 | 81 |
| | | | | | Eastbourne Eagles | Eastbourne Eagles | 54 | 44 | 98 |
| Eastbourne Eagles | Eastbourne Eagles | 60 | 50 | 110 | Eastbourne Eagles | Eastbourne Eagles | 54 | 44 | 98 |
| Coventry Bees | Coventry Bees | 30 | 40 | 70 | | | | | |
Home team scores are in bold Overall aggregate scores are in red

### Semi-finals

| 28 September | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 61–29 | Kent Kings | West Row Arena Referee(s): Darren Hartley |
| 1 October | Kent Kings | 44–46 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | Central Park Stadium Referee(s): Paul Carrington |
| 17 October | Eastbourne Eagles | 60–30 | Coventry Bees | Arlington Stadium Referee(s): Christina Turnball |
| 20 October | Coventry Bees | 40–50 | Eastbourne Eagles | Beaumont Park Stadium Referee(s): Tony Steele |

### Grand Final

| 21 October | Eastbourne Eagles Georgie Wood 13 Mark Baseby 12 Tom Brennan 10 Jason Edwards 6 Ethan Spiller 6 Charlie Brooks 5 Charley Powell 2 | 54–35 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers Drew Kemp 11 Josh Bailey 9 Ryan Kinsley 9 Matt Mason 6 Sam Bebee 0 Kelsey Dugard 0 Jordan Jenkins R/R | Arlington Stadium Referee(s): Ronnie Allan |
| 25 October | Mildenhall Fen Tigers Drew Kemp 13 Josh Bailey 10 Ryan Kinsley 10 Nathan Stoneman (guest) 6 Matt Mason 5 Sam Bebee 2 Jordan Jenkins R/R | 46–44 | Eastbourne Eagles Georgie Wood 11 Mark Baseby 10 Tom Brennan 7 Charlie Brooks 7 Jason Edwards 5 Ethan Spiller 3 Charley Powell 1 | West Row Arena Referee(s): Paul Carrington |

## National League Knockout Cup

The 2018 National League Knockout Cup was the 21st edition of the Knockout Cup for tier three teams.
| Preliminary rounds | Preliminary rounds | Preliminary rounds | Preliminary rounds | Preliminary rounds | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | | | | | Belle Vue Colts | Belle Vue Colts | 58 | 54 | 112 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Buxton Hitmen | Buxton Hitmen | 32 | 36 | 68 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Belle Vue Colts | Belle Vue Colts | 25 | 43 | 68 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 65 | 47 | 112 | | | | | |
| | | | | | Birmingham Brummies | Birmingham Brummies | 37 | 41 | 78 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 34 | 49 | 83 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 52 | 32 | 84 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Eastbourne Eagles | Eastbourne Eagles | 38 | 58 | 96 |
| | | | | | Coventry Bees | Coventry Bees | 46 | 36 | 82 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Eastbourne Eagles | Eastbourne Eagles | 44 | 54 | 98 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Eastbourne Eagles | Eastbourne Eagles | 60 | 48 | 108 | Eastbourne Eagles | Eastbourne Eagles | 44 | 54 | 98 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Isle of Wight Warriors | Isle of Wight Warriors | 30 | 42 | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Isle of Wight Warriors | Isle of Wight Warriors | 30 | 42 | 72 | | | | | | Eastbourne Eagles | Eastbourne Eagles | 45 | 52 | 97 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Kent Kings | Kent Kings | 45 | 38 | 83 | | | | | |
| | | | | | Plymouth Devils | Plymouth Devils | 34 | 39 | 73 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Kent Kings | Kent Kings | 38 | 51 | 89 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kent Kings | Kent Kings | 56 | 57 | 113 | Kent Kings | Kent Kings | 38 | 51 | 89 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Stoke Potters | Stoke Potters | 34 | 31 | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Home team scores are in bold Overall aggregate scores are in red
First round
| 20 April | Belle Vue Colts | 58–32 | Buxton Hitmen | National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Darren Hartley |
| 22 April | Buxton Hitmen | 36–54 | Belle Vue Colts | Hi-Edge Raceway Referee(s): Phil Griffin |
| 4 June | Kent Kings | 56–34 | Stoke Potters | Central Park Stadium Referee(s): Graham Reeve |
| 14 July | Stoke Potters | 37–51 | Kent Kings | Loomer Road Stadium Referee(s): Craig Ackroyd |
Quarter-finals
| 20 April | Belle Vue Colts | 58–32 | Buxton Hitmen | National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Darren Hartley |
| 22 April | Buxton Hitmen | 36–54 | Belle Vue Colts | Hi-Edge Raceway Referee(s): Phil Griffin |
| 9 May | Birmingham Brummies | 37–34 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | Perry Barr Stadium Referee(s): Ronnie Allan |
| 17 June | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 49–41 | Birmingham Brummies | West Row Arena Referee(s): Craig Ackroyd |
| 26 April | Isle of Wight Warriors | 42–48 | Eastbourne Eagles | Smallbrook Stadium Referee(s): Craig Ackroyd |
| 13 May | Coventry Bees | 46–44 | Eastbourne Eagles | Beaumont Park Stadium Referee(s): Peter Clarke |
| 20 July | Plymouth Devils | 34–38 | Kent Kings | St. Boniface Arena Referee(s): Margaret Vardy |
| 6 August | Kent Kings | 51–39 | Plymouth Devils | Central Park Stadium Referee(s): Paul Carrington |
Semi-finals
| 19 August | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 64–25 | Belle Vue Colts | West Row Arena Referee(s): Darren Hartley |
| 14 September | Belle Vue Colts | 43–47 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Graham Flint |
| 24 September | Kent Kings | 45–45 | Eastbourne Eagles | Central Park Stadium Referee(s): Graham Reeve |
| 29 September | Eastbourne Eagles | 52–38 | Kent Kings | Arlington Stadium Referee(s): Paul Carrington |
Grand Final
| 12 October | Mildenhall Fen Tigers Drew Kemp 15 Josh Bailey 12 Ryan Kinsley 9 Jordan Jenkins 7 Sam Bebee 6 Matt Marson 3 Danny Ayres R/R | 52–38 | Eastbourne Eagles Tom Brennan 11 Georgie Wood 9 Mark Baseby 9 Charlie Brooks 4 Jason Edwards 3 Ethan Spiller 2 Charley Powell 0 | West Row Arena Referee(s): Chris Gay |
| 13 October | Eastbourne Eagles Tom Brennan 13 Georgie Wood 12 Ethan Spiller 9 Mark Baseby 7 Charlie Brooks 7 Jason Edwards 6 Charley Powell 4 | 58–32 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers Drew Kemp 13 Josh Bailey 6 Ryan Kinsley 6 Matt Marson 6 Jordan Jenkins 1 Sam Bebee 0 Danny Ayres R/R | Arlington Stadium Referee(s): Dave Robinson |

## National Trophy

Northern Section
Fixtures
| Home \ Away | BRM | BUX | COV | CRA | STK |
| Birmingham Brummies | | 60–30 | 53–37 | 45–45 | 57–33 |
| Buxton Hitmen | 29–61 | | 31–59 | 32–57 | 41–48 |
| Coventry Bees | 42–48 | 00–00 | | 40–49 | 52–38 |
| Cradley Heathens | 52–37 | 68–22 | 40–49 | | 59–29 |
| Stoke Potters | 33–57 | 56–34 | 00–00 | 22–37 | |
Teams face each other two times: once home and once away.
Table
National Trophy Northern Section Table Up to And Including Wednesday 1 August
| Pos. | Club | M | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | F | A | Pts | +/− |
| Pos. | Club | M | W | D | L | 4W | 3W | D | 1L | L | F | A | Pts | +/− |
| 1 | Cradley Heathens | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 407 | 276 | 23 | +131 |
| 2 | Birmingham Brummies | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 418 | 301 | 21 | +117 |
| 3 | Coventry Bees | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 279 | 259 | 11 | +20 |
| 4 | Stoke Potters | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 259 | 337 | 7 | -78 |
| 5 | Buxton Hitmen | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 219 | 409 | 0 | +190 |
Southern Section
Fixtures
| Home \ Away | EAS | IOW | KK | MIL | PLY |
| Eastbourne Eagles | | 56–34 | 68–21 | 50–39 | 49–41 |
| Isle of Wight Warriors | 37–53 | | 32–56 | 31–59 | 43–47 |
| Kent Kings | 00–00 | 00–00 | | 00–00 | 46–43 |
| Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 46–44 | 57–33 | 44–45 | | 00–00 |
| Plymouth Devils | 44–46 | 54–36 | 46–43 | 29–61 | |
Teams face each other two times: once home and once away.
Table
Final National Trophy Southern Section Table
| Pos. | Club | M | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | F | A | Pts | +/− |
| Pos. | Club | M | W | D | L | 4W | 3W | D | 1L | L | F | A | Pts | +/− |
| 1 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 450 | 267 | 23 | +133 |
| 2 | Eastbourne Eagles | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 397 | 321 | 20 | +76 |
| 3 | Kent Kings | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 346 | 368 | 14 | -22 |
| 4 | Plymouth Devils | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 329 | 388 | 10 | -59 |
| 5 | Isle of Wight Warriors | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 270 | 448 | 0 | -178 |
Grand Final
| 11 September | Cradley Heathens Richard Andrews 13 Jason Edwards 7 Kyle Bickley 6 Alfie Bowtell 5 Jack Smith (guest) 5 Ellis Perks 2 James Chattin 1 | 39–51 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers Max Clegg (guest) 15 Drew Kemp 15 Ryan Kinsley 8 Jordan Jenkins 6 Matt Marson 4 Sam Bebee 3 Josh Bailey R/R | Monmore Green Referee(s): David Watters |
| 16 September | Mildenhall Fen Tigers Ben Morley (guest) 9 Drew Kemp 9 Jordan Jenkins 9 Ryan Kinsley 7 Matt Marson 7 Sam Bebee 6 Josh Bailey 2 | 49–41 | Cradley Heathens Nathan Stoneman (guest) 14 Alfie Bowtell 10 Jason Edwards 7 Tom Brennan (guest) 6 Richard Andrews 3 James Chattin 1 Ellis Perks R/R | West Row Arena Referee(s): David Watters |

## Final leading averages

| Rider | Team | Average |
| Tom Bacon | Birmingham | 10.54 |
| James Shanes | Birmingham | 10.38 |
| Connor Mountain | Coventry | 10.18 |
| Luke Bowen | Kent | 10.10 |
| Drew Kemp | Mildenhall | 9.59 |

## Riders' Championship

Ben Morley won the Riders' Championship for the second time. The final was held on 30 September at Beaumont Park Stadium.
| Pos. | Rider | Points | Total |
| 1 | Ben Morley | 3 2 3 3 3 | 14+3 |
| 2 | Alfie Bowtell | 3 3 2 3 3 | 14+2 |
| 3 | Connor Mountain | 3 3 3 3 1 | 13 |
| 4 | Jack Thomas | 1 1 3 3 2 | 10 |
| 5 | Max Clegg | E 3 3 2 0 | 8 |
| 6 | Tom Perry | 0 1 2 2 3 | 8 |
| 7 | Mark Baseby | XD 3 2 1 2 | 8 |
| 8 | Georgie Wood | 3 2 1 1 1 | 8 |
| 9 | Ryan Kinsley | 2 2 0 2 1 | 7 |
| 10 | Nathan Stoneman | F 1 2 0 3 | 6 |
| 11 | Jon Armstrong | 2 0 1 2 1 | 6 |
| 12 | Tom Woolley | 2 1 0 0 2 | 5 |
| 13 | Kyle Bickley | 2 0 1 1 0 | 4 |
| 14 | Henry Atkins | 1 2 0 1 0 | 4 |
| 15 | Dan Gilkes (res) | 1 2 | 3 |
| 16 | Sheldon Davies | 1 0 0 0 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Ben Woodhull (res) | 0 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Drew Kemp | R FD - - - | 0 |

## Teams and final averages

Belle Vue Colts
* Kyle Bickley 8.84
* Jack Smith 8.59
* Tom Perry 8.34
* Joe Lawlor 7.52
* Ben Woodhull 5.71
* Paul Bowen 3.92
* Kean Dicken 2.78
Birmingham Brummies
* Tom Bacon 10.54
* James Shanes 10.38
* Leon Flint 9.10
* Danyon Hume 8.86
* Dan Greenwood 5.33
* Callum Walker 4.68
* Josh Embleton 3.36
* Layne Cupitt 2.22
* Arran Butcher 2.00
* Sheldon Davies 1.80
Buxton Hitmen
* Ben Wilson 8.44
* Tom Woolley 7.33
* Connor Coles 7.18
* David Wallinger 6.18
* Corban Pavitt 3.27
* Lewis Whitmore 2.65
* Kieran Douglas 2.30
Coventry Bees
* Connor Mountain 10.18
* Jon Armstrong 8.21
* Danny Phillips 7.61
* Luke Ruddick 7.42
* Luke Harris 6.82
* Jamie Halder 5.73
* Ryan MacDonald 3.92
Cradley Heathens
* Richard Andrews
* Kyle Bickley
* Alfie Bowtell
* Jason Edwards
* Taylor Hampshire
* Drew Kemp
* Ellis Perks
The Cradley team only took part in the National Trophy competition
Eastbourne Eagles
* Georgie Wood 9.58
* Mark Baseby 9.16
* Tom Brennan 8.70
* Jason Edwards 8.25
* Ethan Spiller 6.80
* Charley Powell 6.45
* Charlie Brooks 6.11
* Kelsey Dugard 5.44
Isle of Wight Warriors
* Alfie Bowtell 9.51
* Ben Morley 9.47
* Ben Hopwood 7.37
* Scott Campos 6.62
* Danny Verge 5.35
* Chris Wildman 4.15
* Shaun Tedham 3.35
* Jamie Bursill 2.50
Kent Kings
* Luke Bowen 10.10
* Jack Thomas 8.55
* Anders Rowe 8.32
* Nathan Stoneman 8.17
* Paul Hurry 7.50
* Taylor Hampshire 5.94
* Alex Spooner 5.64
* William O'Keefe 3.20
* Jacob Clouting 1.14
Mildenhall Fen Tigers
* Drew Kemp 9.59
* Danny Ayres 9.37
* Josh Bailey 9.25
* Ryan Kinsley 8.56
* Danny Halsey 8.21
* Jordan Jenkins 8.17
* Sam Bebee 5.86
* Matt Marson 5.53
Plymouth Devils
* Adam Roynon 10.00
* Ellis Perks 9.38
* Ben Hopwood 8.42
* Richard Andres 6.75
* Henry Atkins 7.31
* Ryan Terry-Daley 6.21
* Kelsey Dugard 2.44
* Macauley Leek 3.67
Stoke Potters
* Max Clegg 8.72
* Tony Atkin 8.00
* David Wallinger 6.56
* Rob Shuttleworth 6.49
* Adam Extance 4.83
* Paul Burnett 4.36
* Joe Alcock 3.38
* Josh Embleton 3.00
* Arran Butcher 1.43

## Development Leagues
### Midland Development League

| Pos | team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Peterborough | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Colts | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| 3 | Birmingham | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| 4 | Carmarthen Dragons | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | Milton Keynes | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 |

### Northern Junior League

| Pos | team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Berwick | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 2 | Peterborough | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| 3 | Ashfield | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 12 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 5 | Workington | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| 6 | Redcar | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 |
| 7 | Edinburgh | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 |

### Southern Development League

| Pos | team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Kent | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 2 | Reading | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| 3 | Exeter | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | Isle of Wight | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | Weymouth | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |