# 2016 National League speedway season

The 2016 National League speedway season was the third tier/division of British speedway.

## Summary

The title was won by Birmingham Brummies.

## Final league table

| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | 4w | 3w | D | 1L | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Birmingham Brummies | 22 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1181 | 779 | 71 |
| 2 | Kent Kings | 22 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1098 | 858 | 58 |
| 3 | Eastbourne Eagles | 21 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1028 | 856 | 54 |
| 4 | Cradley Heathens | 22 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1008 | 947 | 45 |
| 5 | Belle Vue Colts | 22 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1004 | 968 | 41 |
| 6 | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 21 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 939 | 914 | 34 |
| 7 | King's Lynn Young Stars | 20 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 896 | 877 | 30 |
| 8 | Isle of Wight Islanders | 22 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 942 | 1030 | 29 |
| 9 | Rye House Raiders | 21 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 864 | 1016 | 21 |
| 10 | Coventry Storm | 20 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 768 | 966 | 16 |
| 11 | Stoke Potters | 19 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 746 | 925 | 13 |
| 12 | Buxton Hitmen | 22 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 817 | 1155 | 12 |

## Fixtures & results

| Home \ Away | BV | BIR | BUX | COV | CH | EAS | IOW | KK | KL | MIL | RYE | STO |
| Belle Vue Colts | | 34–56 | 52–38 | 52–37 | 50–40 | 53–37 | 50–40 | 40–50 | 48–42 | 51–39 | 56–34 | 53–37 |
| Birmingham Brummies | 45–39 | | 58–32 | 53–35 | 55–35 | 47–43 | 58–31 | 45–45 | 64–26 | 59–31 | 60–30 | 56–34 |
| Buxton Hitmen | 37–53 | 29–61 | | 42–46 | 39–50 | 52–38 | 33–57 | 32–57 | 51–39 | 37–53 | 52–38 | 33–57 |
| Coventry Storm | 51–39 | 29–61 | 44–45 | | 51–39 | 41–49 | 43–47 | 30–60 | 42–48 | 28–32 | – | – |
| Cradley Heathens | 51–39 | 41–48 | 58–32 | 52–38 | | 50–38 | 48–42 | 53–37 | 45–27 | 52–38 | 53–36 | 60–30 |
| Eastbourne Eagles | 51–39 | 46–43 | 57–32 | 54–36 | 55–35 | | 51–38 | 47–43 | 57–33 | 52–38 | 48–42 | 57–33 |
| Isle of Wight Islanders | 46–44 | 37–53 | 59–31 | 52–38 | 44–45 | 43–47 | | 40–50 | 53–37 | 45–44 | 61–29 | 53–36 |
| Kent Kings | 46–43 | 41–43 | 58–32 | 66–24 | 58–32 | 47–42 | 59–31 | | 44–39 | 46–44 | 45–39 | 56–34 |
| King's Lynn Young Stars | 55–35 | 31–59 | 62–27 | 43–47 | 51–39 | – | 64–26 | 46–44 | | 54–35 | 55–35 | 65–25 |
| Mildenhall Fen Tigers | 48–42 | 37–52 | 51–38 | 61–29 | 60–29 | 34–56 | 62–28 | 45–44 | 47–43 | | 47–43 | 51–39 |
| Rye House Raiders | 44–46 | 36–54 | 56–34 | 49–41 | 38–52 | 37–53 | 54–36 | 34–56 | 54–36 | 47–42 | | 48–41 |
| Stoke Potters | 44–46 | 37–51 | 51–39 | 22–38 | 41–49 | 40–50 | 54–33 | 43–46 | – | – | 48–41 | |

## Play-offs

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| Kent | Kent | 43 | 38 | 81 | | | | | |
| Eastbourne | Eastbourne | 47 | 52 | 99 | | | | | |
| Eastbourne | Eastbourne | 47 | 52 | 99 | Eastbourne | Eastbourne | 50 | 33 | 83 |
| | | | | | Birmingham | Birmingham | 47 | 57 | 94 |
| Birmingham | Birmingham | 53 | 47 | 100 | Birmingham | Birmingham | 47 | 57 | 94 |
| Cradley Heath | Cradley Heath | 37 | 43 | 80 | | | | | |
Play Off Final
| 23 October | Eastbourne Eagles Adam Ellis 12 Georgie Wood 12 Jake Knight 9 Ellis Perks 8 Tom Brennan 7 Charley Powell 2 Gary Cotham R/R | 50–47 | Birmingham Brummies Jack Parkinson-Blackburn 9 James Shanes (guest) 8 Tom Bacon 8 Jack Smith 6 Tom Perry 4 Darryl Ritchings 2 Danyon Hume R/R | Arlington Stadium |
| 26 October | Birmingham Brummies Jack Parkinson-Blackburn 16 Tom Bacon 12 Jack Smith 11 Tom Perry 8 Mitchell Davey (guest) 6 Darryl Ritchings 4 Danyon Hume R/R | 57–33 | Eastbourne Eagles Adam Ellis 14 Jake Knight 7 Ellis Perks 5 Tom Brennan 5 Charley Powell 2 Lee Geary 0 Nathan Stoneman (guest) 0 Gary Cotham R/R | Perry Barr Stadium |

## National League Knockout Cup

The 2016 National League Knockout Cup was the 19th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier three teams. Eastbourne Eagles were the winners for the second successive year.
First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 24/04 | Mildenhall | 48-42 | Eastbourne |
| 23/04 | Eastbourne | 50-38 | Mildenhall |
| 24/04 | Rye House | 37-52 | Birmingham |
| 06/04 | Birmingham | 56-34 | Rye House |
| 25/05 | Belle Vue | 31-35 | Stoke |
| 14/05 | Stoke | 38-52 | Belle Vue |
| 02/05 | Kent | 57-33 | Isle of Wight |
| 07/06 | Isle of Wight | 40-50 | Kent |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 06/08 | Belle Vue | 41-48 | Birmingham |
| 06/07 | Birmingham | 54-36 | Belle Vue |
| 20/06 | Kent | 56-34 | Coventry |
| 10/06 | Coventry | 34-56 | Kent |
| 29/05 | Buxton | 44-44 | Cradley |
| 14/05 | Stoke | 38-52 | Belle Vue |
| 13/06 | Cradley | 46-42 | Buxton |
| 26/06 | Eastbourne | 61-28 | King's Lynn |
| 22/07 | King's Lynn | postponed | Eastbourne |
Semi-finals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 15/10 | Eastbourne | 62-27 | Cradley |
| 27/09 | Cradley | 44-46 | Eastbourne |
| 12/09 | Kent | 36-54 | Birmingham |
| 07/09 | Birmingham | 49-41 | Kent |

### Final

| 19 October | Birmingham Brummies Jack Smith 14 Jack Parkinson-Blackburn 13 Tom Perry 8 Darryl Ritchings 5 Mitchell Davey (guest) 5 Tom Bacon 3 Danyon Hume R/R | 48–42 | Eastbourne Eagles Adam Ellis 15 Ellis Perks 13 Jake Knight 7 Connor Coles (guest) 5 Tom Brennan 1 Luke Harris 1 Gary Cotham R/R | Perry Barr Stadium |
| 30 October | Eastbourne Eagles Jake Knight 14 Adam Ellis 12 Georgie Wood 9 Tom Brennan 9 Ellis Perks 6 Charley Powell 2 Gary Cotham R/R | 52–38 | Birmingham Brummies Jack Parkinson-Blackburn 19 Tom Perry 7 Darryl Ritchings 4 Tom Bacon 4 Jack Smith 4 Zach Wajtknecht 0 Danyon Hume R/R | Arlington Stadium |

## Riders' Championship

Max Clegg won the Riders' Championship. The final was held on 17 September at Beaumont Park Stadium.
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Total |
| 1 | Max Clegg | Cradley | 14 |
| 2 | Ben Morley | Rye House | 11+3 |
| 3 | Tom Perry | Birmingham | 11+2 |
| 4 | Luke Bowen | Kent | 10 |
| 5 | Matt Williamson | Belle Vue | 9 |
| 6 | Nathan Greaves | King's Lynn | 8 |
| 7 | Ben Wilson | Stoke | 8 |
| 8 | Lee Payne | Belle Vue | 7 |
| 9 | Ashley Morris | Cradley | 7 |
| 10 | Jake Knight | Eastbourne | 7 |
| 11 | Mark Baseby | Isle of Wight | 6 |
| 12 | Danny Halsey | Mildenhall | 6 |
| 13 | James Shanes | Kent | 5 |
| 14 | Robert Branford | Rye House | 4 |
| 15 | Ryan Blacklock | Buxton | 4 |
| 16 | Chris Widman | Isle of Wight | 4 |
| 17 | Ryan Kinsley | King's Lynn | 1 |
| 18 | Liam Carr | Coventry | 0 |

## Fours

Rye House won the National League Fours, held on 14 August 2016 at Brandon Stadium.
Group A :
| Pos | Team | Pts | Riders |
| 1 | Rye House | 18 | Branford 6, Morley 6, Priest 4, Woods 2 |
| 2 | Cradley | 14 | Clegg 5, Andrews 3, Morris 3, Chessell 3 |
| 3 | Mildenhall | 13 | Halsey 5, Armstrong 4, Coles 3, Jenkins 1 |
| 4 | Buxton | 3 | Geary 2 Becket 1, Dicken 0, Wallinger 0 |
Group B :
| Pos | Team | Pts | Riders |
| 1 | Eastbourne | 17 | Perks 6, Ellis 6, Wood 3, Knight 2 |
| 2 | Belle Vue | 17 | Bewley 5, Payne 5, Williamson 4, Shuttleworth 3 |
| 3 | Birmingham | 12 | Smith 3, Perry 3, Blackburn 3, Bacon 3 |
| 4 | Coventry | 2 | Davey 2, Dwyer 0, Carr 0, Terry-Daley 0 |
Final :
| Pos | Team | Pts | Riders |
| 1 | Rye House | 14 | Morley 6, Branford 4, Woods 3, Priest 1 |
| 2 | Belle Vue | 12 | Bewley 5, Williamson 5, Payne 2, Shuttleworth 0 |
| 3 | Eastbourne | 11 | Knight 4, Ellis 3, Wood 3, Perks 1 |
| 4 | Cradley | 7 | Morris 4, Clegg 3, Chessell 0, Andrews 0 |

## Riders & averages

Final Leading averages
| Rider | Team | Average |
| Adam Ellis | Eastbourne | 10.98 |
| Max Clegg | Cradley | 10.08 |
| Robert Branford | Rye House | 9.98 |
Belle Vue Colts
* Matt Williamson 9.49
* Dan Bewley 8.65
* Lee Payne 8.11
* Rob Shuttleworth 6.60
* Tom Woolley 4.90
* Andy Mellish 3.21
* David Holt 3.00
* Joe Lawlor 3.00
Birmingham Brummies
* Zach Wajtknecht 8.59
* Tom Perry
* Tom Bacon 7.95
* Danyon Hume 7.33
* Darryl Ritchings 7.04
* Jack Parkinson-Blackburn 6.97
* Jack Smith 6.32
Buxton Hitmen
* Oliver Greenwood 8.00
* Ben Hopwood 8.00
* Jade Mudgway 7.62
* Ryan Blacklock 5.93
* Lee Dicken 5.87
* Steven Jones 4.96
* Shelby Rutherford 4.45
* Ryan Burton 3.37
* David Wallinger 3.32
* David Speight 3.06
* Lee Geary 3.00
Coventry Storm
* Mitchell Davey 8.43
* Liam Carr 7.71
* Dan Greenwood 6.82
* Martin Knuckey 6.07
* Ryan Terry-Daley 4.55
* Connor Dwyer 4.05
* Jamie Halder 3.57
* Callum Walker 3.45
Cradley Heathens
* Max Clegg 10.08
* Ashley Morris 9.77
* Luke Chessell 8.09
* Jack Kingston 5.84
* Richard Andrews 4.26
* James Purchase 3.59
* Ben Basford 3.09
* Bradley Andrews 3.07
Eastbourne Eagles
* Adam Ellis 10.98
* Kyle Hughes 8.67
* Ellis Perks 8.25
* Jake Knight 8.53
* Ben Hopwood 8.00
* Georgie Wood 7.62
* Richard Andrews 5.18
* Gary Cottham 4.70
* Charley Powell 4.05
* Luke Harris 3.95
* Nick Phillips 3.00
Isle of Wight Islanders
* Benji Compton 8.95
* Joe Jacobs 8.63
* Mark Baseby 7.73
* James Cockle 7.35
* Nathan Stoneman 6.98
* Lee Smart 5.71
* Chris Widman 4.45
* Kelsey Dugard 4.28
* Layne Cupitt 3.00
* George Piper 3.00
* Brendan Johnson 6.21
* Matt Saul 3.00
* Nick Phillips 3.00
* Tyler Govier 3.30
Kent Kings
* Luke Bowen 9.42
* Danny Ayres 8.56
* James Shanes 8.53
* Dave Mason 6.54
* Jack Thomas 5.83
* Danno Verge 4.43
* Luke Clifton 4.22
King's Lynn Young Stars
* Josh Bailey 8.48
* Nathan Greaves 8.36
* Tom Stokes 7.61
* Scott Campos 6.35
* Shane Hazelden 5.42
* Ryan Kinsley 5.39
* Taylor Hampshire 3.00
* Lewis Whitmore 3.00
* Lewis Austin 3.00
* Layne Cupitt 3.00
Mildenhall Fen Tigers
* Connor Mountain 8.73
* Kyle Hughes 8.67
* Danny Halsey 8.64
* Jon Armstrong 7.82
* Connor Coles 7.11
* Alfie Bowtell 4.21
* Chris Widman 4.15
* Jordan Jenkins 3.00
* Luke Ruddick 3.10
* Robert Parker 3.00
Rye House Raiders
* Robert Branford 9.98
* Ben Morley 9.22
* Luke Priest 8.33
* Ben Hopwood 8.00
* George Hunter 4.00
* Matt Saul 3.00
* Connor Locke 3.00
* Macauley Leek 3.00
* Sam Woods 3.00
* Harvie Banks 3.00
* Kenny Bowdery 3.00
Stoke Potters
* Ben Wilson 8.50
* Tony Atkin 7.16
* Danny Phillips 6.25
* Ben Hopwood 5.83
* Shaun Tedham 3.93
* Chris Widman 3.47
* Paul Burnett 3.46
* Chris Hay 3.23
* Lewis Millar 3.00
* Ryan MacDonald 3.00
* David Morgan 3.00

## Development Leagues
### Midland Development League

Group A
| Pos | team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Buxton | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
| 2 | Scunthorpe | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| 3 | Belle Vue | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 9 |
| 4 | Long Eaton | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 8 |
Group B
| Pos | team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Coventry | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| 2 | Mildenhall | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| 3 | King's Lynn | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| 4 | Milton Keynes | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 |

### Northern Junior League

| Pos | team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Halifax | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 2 | Northside | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
| 3 | Berwick | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 13 |
| 4 | Workington | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 5 | Newcastle | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 |
| 6 | Redcar | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |