# Isle of Wight Warriors

The Isle of Wight Warriors (formerly Isle of Wight Islanders) are a motorcycle speedway team from England. They last competed in the 2019 National Development League and ride their home meetings at the Smallbrook Stadium. Since leaving the British Speedway leagues, the team has competed in various challenge matches and the amateur NORA league.

## History
### Origins and 1990s

Isle of Wight speedway began in 1996, at the Smallbrook Stadium, when the team signed up as a founder member of the newly formed Conference League. The league was for teams outside of the Premier League at the time and during their inaugural season the Ryde Wight Wizards finished in fourth place in the 1996 Speedway Conference League table.
The following season in 1997, the team entered the Conference League again, which was now the third tier of British speedway because a new Elite League had been formed as the top tier, with the Premier League becoming the second tier. However, in July the Premier League team Skegness Braves folded due to financial difficulties and the Smallbrook Stadium promotion stepped in to host the remainder of the fixtures. The team would be known as the Isle of Wight Islanders.
The team won their first silverware in 1998 after winning the Young Shield, an end of season event for the leading eight clubs in the league table. They defeated the league champions Peterborough Panthers in the final.

### 2000s

After several mediocre seasons they won the Young Shield again during the 2001 Premier League speedway season. In 2002, Adam Shields and Danny Bird won the Premier League Pairs Championship, held at Derwent Park on 19 July and the following season in 2003, the club won their best honour to date, when winning the Premier League Knockout Cup.
During the 2007 Premier League speedway season, the team reached the play offs and won both the Pairs (Chris Holder and Jason Bunyan beat Glasgow in the final) and Fours Championships (Holder, Bunyan, Krzysztof Stojanowski, Glen Phillips and Cory Gathercole).
After the 2008 season the Islanders joined the third division (the National League) finishing 5th.

### 2010s

After three seasons without National league success, the team won the National Trophy (a supplementary tournament, during the 2013 National League speedway season).
After a break of two years (2014 and 2015), the club reformed in 2016 under the promotion of Barry Bishop and Martin Widman. For the 2018 and 2019 seasons the team raced as the Isle of Wight Warriors.

### 2020s

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 season before the club announced they would not be competing during the 2021 season. However, a team would race as the Wightlink Warriors Shale Track Racing Club, separate from the British speedway leagues.
In 2024, the team won the amateur NORA league.

## Notable riders

* Danny Bird
* Jason Bunyan
* Jason Doyle
* Adam Ellis
* Cory Gathercole
* Chris Holder
* Ray Morton
* Glen Phillips
* Adam Shields
* Nick Simmons
* Krzysztof Stojanowski

## Season summary

Extended content :
| Year and league | Position | Notes |
| 1996 Speedway Conference League | 4th | Ryde Wight Wizards |
| 1997 Premier League speedway season | 8th | As the Islanders |
| 1997 Speedway Conference League | 3rd | Ryde Wight Wizards |
| 1998 Premier League speedway season | 6th | Young Shield winners |
| 1999 Premier League speedway season | 8th | |
| 2000 Premier League speedway season | 11th | |
| 2001 Premier League speedway season | 4th | Young Shield winners |
| 2002 Premier League speedway season | 3rd | Pairs Championship |
| 2003 Premier League speedway season | 3rd | Knockout Cup winners |
| 2004 Premier League speedway season | 5th | |
| 2005 Premier League speedway season | 6th | |
| 2006 Premier League speedway season | 8th | |
| 2007 Premier League speedway season | 5th | |
| 2008 Premier League speedway season | 11th | |
| 2009 National League speedway season | 5th | |
| 2010 National League speedway season | 7th | |
| 2011 National League speedway season | 9th | |
| 2012 National League speedway season | 3rd | |
| 2013 National League speedway season | 4th | |
| 2016 National League speedway season | 8th | |
| 2017 National League speedway season | 11th | |
| 2018 National League speedway season | 8th | first season as Warriors |
| 2019 National Development League speedway season | 6th | |