LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Elite League Riders Championship
Premier Lge Riders Championship
National Lge Riders Championship
also embracing: Provincial Lge Riders Chmpshp,
Conference Lge Riders Chmpshp,
Southern Area Lge Riders Chmpshp,
Nat'l Lge Div.2 & Div.3 Riders Chmpshps.
British Lge Div.1 & Div.2 Riders Chmpshps
1,2,3 of the first Prv.LRC,
Cradley Heath, 1960:
Eric Hockaday, Rayleigh, (3rd),
Ken Middleditch, Poole, (2nd),
Trevor Redmond, Bristol, (1st).
Today's present three League Riders Championship competitions have their genesis in the Provincial League Riders Championship (PrvLRC) of the early 1960s which in turn became the British League Riders Championship (BLRC) after the amalgamation in 1965 of the UK's two speedway leagues, the Provincial League and the National League, and which has run continuously every year without exception.
There were however 'LRCs even earlier, including a pre-war Provincial Lge Riders Championship won by ex-Wembley rider George Greenwood, and in the 'fifties National Lge and SAL Riders Championships, as shown below:
ELRC
This senior competition was briefly designated the Premier League Riders Championship in '95 & '96 following another amalgamation, before the emergence of a more senior 'Elite League', whence the PLRC became the second tier event, i.e. their two Riders Championships became corresponding League Riders Championships, - the ELRC and the PLRC.
Concurrent with the senior BLRC competion, the UK's second divisions during the '70s and '80s, (BL Div.2 > National League,) ran their own similar League Riders Championship, today designated the Premier League Riders Championship, PLRC, whilst from 1994 the junior UK league, - i.e. third tier league - , also operated a Riders Championship, initially known as the Conference League Riders Championship, (CLRC), - today's National League Riders Championship, NLRC.
The premise of the Championships is that each team in the league is represented by its top scorer, as identified by his league points average, this number being made up to meeting complement, usually 16+2, by the riders with next highest averages, i.e. the second from their team, until the complement is filled. (To accommodate large leagues of the past, complement has at times been 24 plus reserves.)
Held traditionally at Belle Vue for 30 years, Barry Briggs dominated the competition in its British League period from the onset, with a record 6 consecutive wins. Mauger and Olsen each total 4 wins (broken,) though the former's included 2 at the lower Provincial Lge. level. The Danes have totalled 13 wins through 6 riders thus far: the Kiwis 11, but achieved by just 3 men, - Briggs, Mauger and Redmond.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLRC & NLRC
All Premier and Conference/National Lge. champions were first time winners, - understandably, as most could be expected to progress to a senior league level - , except for Carl Stonehewer's second win of 2001.
Wimbledon 1972:
BL2RC winner
Phil Crump of Crewe.
Rye House 2010:
NLRC winner
Lee Smart,
Dudley Heathens.
Rye House 2011:
NLRC winner, Jason Garrity
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Go to next page