# SGB Premiership 2017

The 2017 SGB Premiership was the 83rd season of the top division of British Speedway. It was the first time that it was known as the SGB Premiership after changing its name from the Elite League.

## Summary

The season ran between March and October 2017 and 8 teams participated (Coventry withdrew from the league before the season started, after they had originally entered the league). The lineup of teams for 2017 was different from the lineup of the 2016 Elite League. The Lakeside Hammers and Coventry Bees dropped out of the league and were replaced by the Rye House Rockets and the Somerset Rebels.
At the annual Speedway AGM, which was held early in November 2016, it was agreed that speedway in Great Britain would be given what was described as "the biggest revamp of the sport in modern history". This involved numerous alterations to both the regulations and the branding of the sport. The former top level of British speedway, the Elite League, was replaced by the Speedway Great Britain Premiership. Among the most notable changes to the regulations is the reintroduction of promotion and relegation between the top two leagues: the team that finishes in last place in the Premiership will race against the winners of the new second tier of British speedway (the SGB Championship) in order to decide who will compete in the Premiership in 2018.
The Swindon Robins were the champions defeating the Wolverhampton Wolves in the Grand Final. Swindon won in extraordinary circumstances, having lost the first leg against Wolves at home 47–43, they won the away leg 47–42, with Wolves promoter Peter Adams gracious in defeat, stating that speedway was the winner.
British TV broadcasting rights changed hands before the start of the 2017 SGB Premiership season, when Sky withdrew from their negotiated contract with the BSPA. BT then obtained the broadcasting rights for the 2017 season to be shown on their BT Sport channels.

## League

Teams face each other four times: twice home and twice away. The first of the home and away meetings are called the 'A' fixtures, and the second are the 'B' fixtures.

### Regular season

Final League 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 | Swindon Robins | 28 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1339 | 1181 | +158 | 66 |
| 2 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 28 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1354 | 1151 | +197 | 63 |
| 3 | Belle Vue Aces | 28 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1310 | 1224 | +86 | 58 |
| 4 | Poole Pirates | 28 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1286 | 1268 | +18 | 50 |
| 5 | Rye House Rockets | 28 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1289 | 1237 | +52 | 48 |
| 6 | Somerset Rebels | 28 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1184 | 1338 | -154 | 32 |
| 7 | King's Lynn Stars | 28 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1138 | 1364 | -226 | 29 |
| 8 | Leicester Lions | 28 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 1197 | 1334 | -137 | 27 |
A Fixtures
| Home \ Away | BV | KL | LEI | PP | RYE | SOM | SWI | WOL |
| Belle Vue | | 48–43 | 48–42 | 46–46 | 52–38 | 44–46 | 48–42 | 54–38 |
| Kings Lynn | 40–50 | | 48–42 | 40–52 | 49–41 | 53–37 | 52–41 | 34–58 |
| Leicester | 41–49 | 54–38 | | 34–56 | 44–46 | 48–42 | 48–42 | 36–57 |
| Poole | 43–47 | 44–49 | 52–40 | | 50–33 | 54–36 | 45–47 | 46–44 |
| Rye House | 44–46 | 50–42 | 54–36 | 49–44 | | 52–38 | 37–53 | 51–41 |
| Somerset | 50–40 | 44–46 | 61–30 | 47–43 | 54–38 | | 44–46 | 44–49 |
| Swindon | 44–46 | 45–48 | 52–40 | 45–45 | 50–42 | 57–35 | | 46–45 |
| Wolverhampton | 48–42 | 59–30 | 45–44 | 44–48 | 55–37 | 62–28 | 49–43 | |
B Fixtures
| Home \ Away | BV | KL | LEI | PP | RYE | SOM | SWI | WOL |
| Belle Vue | | 54–39 | 42–48 | 59–31 | 58–33 | 49–41 | 35–49 | 53–40 |
| Kings Lynn | 45–48 | | 50–40 | 43–50 | 44–46 | 43–47 | 40–50 | 21–41 |
| Leicester | 40–50 | 62–28 | | 45–45 | 46–44 | 57–33 | 45–46 | 41–49 |
| Poole | 53–40 | 59–33 | 56–34 | | 30–60 | 44–45 | 36–56 | 48–45 |
| Rye House | 48–44 | 65–26 | 55–38 | 56–35 | | 60–30 | 46–29 | 48–42 |
| Somerset | 55–35 | 41–49 | 42–42 | 45–48 | 48–42 | | 37–53 | 45–44 |
| Swindon | 48–42 | 48–41 | 50–41 | 56–34 | 57–33 | 54–35 | | 52–40 |
| Wolverhampton | 49–41 | 48–24 | 54–39 | 50–43 | 50–41 | 56–34 | 52–38 | |

### Play-offs

Draw
| Semi Finals | Semi Finals | Semi Finals | Semi Finals | Semi Finals | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| 1 | Poole Pirates | 44 | 38 | 82 | | | | | |
| 4 | Swindon Robins | 46 | 51 | 97 | | | | | |
| 4 | Swindon Robins | 46 | 51 | 97 | Swindon Robins | Swindon Robins | 43 | 47 | 90 |
| | | | | | Wolverhampton Wolves | Wolverhampton Wolves | 47 | 42 | 89 |
| 3 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 51 | 39 | 90 | Wolverhampton Wolves | Wolverhampton Wolves | 47 | 42 | 89 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 38 | 51 | 89 | | | | | |
Home team scores are in Dark Black
Semi-Finals
| 11 September | Poole Pirates | 44–46 | Swindon Robins | Poole Stadium Referee(s): Mick Bates |
| 25 September | Swindon Robins | 51–38 | Poole Pirates | Abbey Stadium, Blunsdon Referee(s): Graham Flint |
| 25 September | Wolverhampton Wolves | 51–38 | Belle Vue Aces | Monmore Green Referee(s): Willie Dishington |
| 29 September | Belle Vue Aces | 51–39 | Wolverhampton Wolves | National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Phil Griffin |
Grand Final
| 2 October | Swindon Robins Jason Doyle 11 Nick Morris 9 David Bellego 7 Tobiasz Musielak 6 Bradley Wilson-Dean 4 Liam Carr 4 Adam Ellis 2 | 43–47 | Wolverhampton Wolves Sam Masters 12 Rory Schlein 11 Chris Harris 9 Kyle Howarth 7 Mark Riss 5 Nathan Greaves 3 Jacob Thorssell R/R | Abbey Stadium, Blunsdon Referee(s): Christina Turnbull |
| 4 October | Wolverhampton Wolves Sam Masters 12 Rory Schlein 10 Kyle Howarth 8 Nathan Greaves 7 Chris Harris 4 Mark Riss 1 Jacob Thorssell R/R | 42–47 | Swindon Robins Jason Doyle 13 Nick Morris 11 Tobiasz Musielak 8 Adam Ellis 6 Bradley Wilson-Dean 5 David Bellego 4 Liam Carr 0 | Monmore Green Referee(s): Chris Durno |

## Promotion and relegation play-off

| 9 October | Sheffield Tigers | 32–58 | Leicester Lions | Owlerton Stadium Referee(s): Craig Ackroyd |
| 16 October | Leicester Lions | 49–41 | Sheffield Tigers | Beaumont Park Stadium Referee(s): Mick Bates |

## Knockout Cup

The 2017 Knockout Cup was the 75th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier one teams. The competition returned after a four-year absence under a new name, it had previously been known as the Elite League Knockout Cup. Belle Vue Aces were the winners of the competition for a 14th time and extended their all-time record.
Draw
| 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 |
| 1 | Somerset Rebels | 49 | 42 | 91 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Leicester Lions | 41 | 48 | 89 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Leicester Lions | 41 | 48 | 89 | Wolverhampton Wolves | Wolverhampton Wolves | 59 | 37 | 96 | | | | | |
| | | | | | Somerset Rebels | Somerset Rebels | 31 | 53 | 84 | | | | | |
| 5 | King's Lynn Stars | 36 | 42 | 78 | Somerset Rebels | Somerset Rebels | 31 | 53 | 84 | | | | | |
| 4 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 54 | 48 | 102 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Wolverhampton Wolves | 54 | 48 | 102 | | | | | | Wolverhampton Wolves | Wolverhampton Wolves | 50 | 38 | 88 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Belle Vue Aces | Belle Vue Aces | 40 | 52 | 92 |
| 3 | Rye House Rockets | 41 | 39 | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | Belle Vue Aces | Belle Vue Aces | 40 | 52 | 92 |
| 6 | Swindon Robins | 49 | 51 | 100 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Swindon Robins | 49 | 51 | 100 | Swindon Robins | Swindon Robins | 50 | 38 | 88 | | | | | |
| | | | | | Belle Vue Aces | Belle Vue Aces | 39 | 52 | 91 | | | | | |
| 7 | Poole Pirates | 46 | 33 | 79 | Belle Vue Aces | Belle Vue Aces | 39 | 52 | 91 | | | | | |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 44 | 57 | 111 | | | | | | | | | | |
Home team scores are in bold

### Final

| 10 October | Wolverhampton Wolves Nick Morris (10) Ricky Wells (13) Scott Nicholls (8) Rider Replacement Sam Masters (7) Mark Riss (7) Nathan Greaves (5) | 50–40 | Belle Vue Aces Kenneth Bjerre (11) Steve Worrall (6) Rider Replacement Rohan Tungate (5) Craig Cook (10) Dan Bewley (6) Jack Smith (2) | Monmore Green Referee(s): Ronnie Allan |
| 16 October | Belle Vue Aces Kenneth Bjerre (15) Steve Worrall (7) Rider Replacement Rohan Tungate (14) Craig Harris (6) Dan Bewley (8) Jack Smith (2) | 52–38 | Wolverhampton Wolves Scott Nicholls (4) Richard Lawson (10) Richie Worrall (5) Rider Replacement Sam Masters (10) Mark Riss (6) Nathan Greaves (3) | National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Graham Flint |

## Elite Shield

| 27 March | Wolverhampton Wolves | 50–40 | Poole Pirates | Monmore Green Referee(s): Margaret Vardy |
| 29 March | Poole Pirates | 58–32 | Wolverhampton Wolves | Poole Stadium Referee(s): Ronnie Allan |

## Riders' Championship

Freddie Lindgren won the Riders' Championship for the third time. The final was held at National Speedway Stadium on 16 September.
| Pos. | Rider | Pts | Total | SF | Final |
| 1 | Freddie Lindgren | 2,1,3,3,2 | 11 | x | 3 |
| 2 | Max Fricke | 3,3,exc,1,2 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Craig Cook | 3,2,2,3,3 | 13 | x | 1 |
| 4 | Jacob Thorssell | 3,0,3,0,2 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| 5 | Hans Andersen | 3,3,2,2,0 | 10 | 1 |
| 6 | Josh Grajczonek | 1,2,3,2,1 | 9 | 0 |
| 7 | Scott Nicholls | 2,3,1,1,1 | 8 |
| 8 | Nick Morris | 1,2,2,0,3 | 8 |
| 9 | Chris Harris | 0,1,1,3,3 | 8 |
| 10 | Josh Auty | ret,2,3,2,1 | 8 |
| 11 | Brady Kurtz | 2,3,0,2,ret | 7 |
| 12 | Jason Doyle | 1,0,ret,3,3 | 7 |
| 13 | Richard Lawson | 1,0,2,1,1 | 5 |
| 14 | Kim Nilsson | ret,1,1,1,2 | 5 |
| 15 | Danny King | 0,1,1,0,0 | 2 |
| 16 | Thomas Jørgensen | 2,0,0,0,exc | 2 |
| 17 | Rob Shuttleworth (res) | 0 | 0 |
* f=fell, exc=excluded, ret=retired ef=engine failure t-touched tapes

## Pairs Championship

A pairs championship was held for the top tier of speedway the first time since the Elite League Pairs Championship. last held in 2011. Despite its comeback for 2017 it was not held again afterwards.
Result
Group A :
| Pos | Club | Riders | Pts |
| 1st | Wolverhampton | Fredrik Lingdren & Jacob Thorsell | 17 |
| 2nd | Swindon | Jason Doyle & Nick Morris | 14 |
| 3rd | Somerset | Patrick Hougaard & Rohan Tungate | 12 |
| 4th | Belle Vue | Craig Cook & Max Fricke | 11 |
Group B :
| Pos | Club | Riders | Pts |
| 1st | King's Lynn | Chris Holder & Robert Lambert | 21 |
| 2nd | Rye House | Scott Nicholls & Chris Harris | 15 |
| 3rd | Leicester | Danny King & Kim Nilsson | 11 |
| 4th | Poole | Brady Kurtz & Jack Holder | 7 |
Semi Finals
| Team One | Team Two | Score | Result |
| Wolverhampton | Rye House | 7-2 | Thorsell, Lindgren, Harris, Nicholls |
| King's Lynn | Swindon | 5-4 | Doyle, Lambert, Holder, Morris |
Final
| Team One | Team Two | Score | Result |
| King's Lynn | Wolverhampton | 7-2 | Lambert, Holder, Thorsell, Lindgren |

## Final leading averages

| Rider | Team | Average |
| Jason Doyle | Swindon | 10.26 |
| Fredrik Lindgren | Wolverhampton | 9.95 |
| Nick Morris | Swindon | 9.42 |
| Jacob Thorssell | Wolverhampton | 9.33 |
| Kenneth Bjerre | Belle Vue | 8.98 |
| Craig Cook | Belle Vue | 8.68 |
| Krzysztof Kasprzak | Rye House | 8.64 |
| Rory Schlein | Wolverhampton | 8.61 |
| Chris Harris | Rye House | 8.47 |
| Brady Kurtz | Poole | 8.47 |

## Riders and final averages

Belle Vue Aces
* Kenneth Bjerre (8.98)
* Craig Cook (8.68)
* Max Fricke (8.10)
* Steve Worrall (7.63)
* Rohan Tungate (7.31)
* Justin Sedgmen (6.48)
* Dan Bewley (5.52)
* Jack Smith (2.24)
King's Lynn Stars
* Robert Lambert (8.00)
* Chris Holder (8.00)
* Troy Batchelor (7.87)
* Thomas Jørgensen (6.73)
* Kai Huckenbeck (6.38)
* Lewis Rose (6.19)
* Michael Palm Toft (5.73)
* Nicklas Porsing (5.45)
* Josh Auty (5.33)
* Thomas H. Jonasson (4.91)
* Danny Ayres (4.29)
* Simon Lambert (2.74)
* Josh Bailey (1.33)
Leicester Lions
* Kim Nilsson (7.60)
* Danny King (7.19)
* Erik Riss (6.53)
* Lasse Bjerre (6.52)
* Josh Bates (6.27)
* Paweł Przedpełski (6.00) (1 match only)
* Kyle Newman (5.78)
* Jason Garrity (5.54)
* Kacper Gomolski (5.00)
* Josh Auty (5.00) (2 matches only)
* Danny Ayres (4.40)
Poole Pirates
* Brady Kurtz (8.47)
* Hans Andersen (8.42)
* Lewis Kerr (7.80)
* Richie Worrall (7.07)
* Jack Holder (6.92)
* Timo Lahti (6.85)
* Paul Starke (6.60)
* Nicolai Klindt (6.48)
* Edward Kennett (6.43)
* Krzysztof Kasprzak (5.83)
* Grzegorz Zengota (5.23) (3 matches only)
* Kyle Newman (4.71)
* James Shanes (3.96)
Rye House Rockets
* Krzysztof Kasprzak (8.64)
* Chris Harris (8.47)
* Scott Nicholls (7.94)
* Ricky Wells (7.31)
* Edward Kennett (7.09)
* Ben Barker (6.93)
* Stuart Robson (6.83)
* Ellis Perks (5.23)
* Robert Branford (3.92)
* Ben Morley (3.29)
* Davey Watt (2.86) (2 matches only)
Somerset Rebels
* Josh Grajczonek (7.53)
* Charles Wright (7.21)
* Richard Lawson (6.79)
* Patrick Hougaard (6.67)
* Cameron Heeps (6.16)
* Lewis Kerr (5.93)
* Jake Allen (5.61)
* Rohan Tungate (5.33)
* Paul Starke (4.59)
* Jan Graversen (4.27)
Swindon Robins
* Jason Doyle (10.26)
* Nick Morris (9.42)
* Tobiasz Musielak (8.32)
* David Bellego (7.90)
* Adam Ellis (6.27)
* Bradley Wilson-Dean (5.05)
* Zach Wajtknecht (5.86)
* Dany Gappmaier (4.40) (2 matches only)
* Emil Grøndal (3.62)
Wolverhampton Wolves
* Fredrik Lindgren (9.95)
* Jacob Thorssell (9.33)
* Rory Schlein (8.61)
* Sam Masters (8.12)
* Kyle Howarth (7.78)
* Mark Riss (6.00)
* Adam Skornicki (3.75)
* Nathan Greaves (3.04)
* Max Clegg (2.25)
* Ellis Perks (1.45)