League | Sky Sports Elite League |
---|---|
Season | 2008 |
Champions | Poole Pirates |
Knockout Cup | Eastbourne Eagles |
Pairs Championship | Coventry Bees |
Craven Shield | Coventry Bees |
Elite League Riders Championship | Jason Crump |
Highest average |
Jason Crump (10.80) |
The 2008 Elite League (also known as the Sky Sports Elite League for sponsorship reasons) is the 12th since its establishment in 1997. The first fixtures of the season took place on 29 March and the season ended on 27 October. The Coventry Bees were the defending champions from 2007.
New rules introduced for 2008 included three points for an away win compared to two points in 2007, and the removal of the bonus point, in which a team was awarded an extra point for an aggregate win over home and away matches against another team. Also new in 2008 was a relegation and promotion play-off between an Elite League team and a Premier League team. The two teams that finish bottom of the Elite League will face in each other in a two legged play-off with the loser facing the Premier League play-off winner over two legs.
The Poole Pirates finished top of the league table, with the Lakeside Hammers, Swindon Robins and Ipswich Witches occupying the other championship play-off places. Poole and Lakeside progressed to the grand final of the play-offs, with Poole winning the first leg at Lakeside 42–48, and the second leg at Poole 60–33, giving them a 108–75 victory. The Poole Pirates were crowned with their third Elite League title, and fifth championship overall. Wolverhampton faced Premier League team the Edinburgh Monarchs in the relegation/promotion play-off final, with Wolverhampton winning comfortably over the two legs with a 106–76 aggregate victory, and thus avoided relegation.
Home: 3W = Home win by 7 points or more; 2W = Home win by between 1 and 6 points
Away: 4W = Away win by 7 points or more; 3W = Away win by between 1 and 6 points; 1L = Away loss by 6 points or less
M = Meetings; D = Draws; L = Losses; F = Race points for; A = Race points against; +/- = Race points difference; Pts = Total Points
Teams face each other four times: twice home and away. The first of the home and away meetings are called the 'A' fixtures, and the second are the 'B' fixtures.