# British League Division Two Riders Championship

The British League Division Two Riders Championship was a motorcycle speedway contest between the top riders from each club (with the highest average points) competing in the second tier of British speedway.

## History

The championship was inaugurated in 1968 when it was known as the British League Division Two Riders Championship. The competition was known as the British League Division Two Riders' Championship between 1968 and 1974 and again between 1991 and 1994. From 1975 until 1990 it was known as the National League Riders' Championship.
The competition was held at Hackney between 1968 and 1971, then it was moved to Wimbledon and held there between 1972 and 1984. The last year of the tournament was 1994, after which speedway was restructured with the top two leagues combining to form the Premier League. After two seasons the Premier League became the second tier/division of British speedway in 1997, this resulted in the Premier League Riders Championship effectively being a continuation of the British League Division Two Riders Championship from 1997.

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Team | 2nd | Team | 3rd | Team |
| British League Division Two Riders' Championship ||||||
| 1968 | Graham Plant | Middlesbrough Teessiders | Ken Eyre | Belle Vue Colts | Graeme Smith | Rayleigh Rockets |
| 1969 | Geoff Ambrose | Crayford Highwaymen | Mick Bell | Reading Racers | Ross Gilbertson | Romford Bombers |
| 1970 | Dave Jessup | Eastbourne Eagles | Barry Crowson | Canterbury Crusaders | Gary Peterson | Bradford Northern |
| 1971 | John Louis | Ipswich Witches | Malcolm Shakespeare | Long Eaton Archers | Hugh Saunders | Rayleigh Rockets |
| 1972 | Phil Crump | Crewe Kings | Arthur Price | Boston Barracudas | Bob Coles | Barrow Happy Faces |
| 1973 | Arthur Price | Boston Barracudas | Bobby McNeil | Eastbourne Eagles | Lou Sansom | Workington Comets |
| 1974 | Carl Glover | Boston Barracudas | Ted Hubbard | Canterbury Crusaders | Phil Herne | Birmingham Brummies |
| National League Riders' Championship ||||||
| 1975 | Laurie Etheridge | Crayford Kestrels | Brian Collins | Coatbridge Tigers | Arthur Browning | Birmingham Brummies |
| 1976 | Joe Owen | Newcastle Diamonds | John Jackson | Ellesmere Port Gunners | Ted Hubbard | Rye House Rockets |
| 1977 | Colin Richardson | Eastbourne Eagles | Martin Yeates | Oxford Cheetahs | Tom Owen | Newcastle Diamonds |
| 1978 | Steve Koppe | Canterbury Crusaders | John Jackson | Ellesmere Port Gunners | Ted Hubbard | Rye House Rockets |
| 1979 | Ian Gledhill | Stoke Potters | Steve Wilcock | Middlesbrough Tigers | Andy Grahame | Milton Keynes Knights |
| 1980 | Wayne Brown | Berwick Bandits | Martin Yeates | Weymouth Wildcats | Steve Finch | Ellesmere Port Gunners |
| 1981 | Mike Ferreira | Canterbury Crusaders | Simon Wigg | Weymouth Wildcats | Bruce Cribb | Wolverhampton Wolves |
| 1982 | Joe Owen | Newcastle Diamonds | Steve Lomas | Boston Barracudas | Bob Garrad | Rye House Rockets |
| 1983 | Steve McDermott | Berwick Bandits | Richard Knight | Mildenhall Fen Tigers | Martin Yeates | Weymouth Wildcats |
| 1984 | Ian Barney | Peterborough Panthers | Dave Perks | Long Eaton Invaders | Martin Yeates | Weymouth Wildcats |
| 1985 | Neil Middleditch | Arena Essex Hammers | Kevin Hawkins | Peterborough Panthers | Trevor Banks | Hackney Hawks |
| 1986 | Paul Thorp | Stoke Potters | Steve Schofield | Poole Pirates | Les Collins | Edinburgh Monarchs |
| 1987 | Andrew Silver | Arena Essex Hammers | Nigel Crabtree | Stoke Potters | David Blackburn | Newcastle Diamonds |
| 1988 | Troy Butler | Milton Keynes Knights | Mark Loram | Hackney Hawks | Kenny McKinna | Glasgow Tigers |
| 1989 | Mark Loram | Ipswich Witches | Kenny McKinna | Glasgow Tigers | David Blackburn | Berwick Bandits |
| 1990 | Andy Grahame | Wimbledon Dons | Chris Louis | Ipswich Witches | Craig Boyce | Poole Pirates |
| British League Division Two Riders' Championship ||||||
| 1991 | Jan Stæchmann | Long Eaton Invaders | David Bargh | Newcastle Diamonds | Troy Butler | Milton Keynes Knights |
| 1992 | Róbert Nagy | Glasgow Tigers | Mick Poole | Peterborough Panthers | Richard Green | Exeter Falcons |
| 1993 | Gary Allan | Swindon Robins | Mick Poole | Peterborough Panthers | Tony Langdon | Oxford Cheetahs |
| 1994 | Paul Bentley | Middlesbrough Bears | Tony Olsson | Swindon Robins | Tony Langdon | Swindon Robins |

## Sponsors

* Gauloises (1976–1977, 1979)
* Toshiba (1980)
* Daily Mirror (1982)
* Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (1983)
* Jawa Moto & Barum (1987–1994)