Premier League (speedway)
| Formerly | British League |
|---|---|
| Sport | Speedway |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Ceased | 2016 |
| No. of teams | 13 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Last champion(s) |
Somerset Rebels(2) |
| Most titles | Edinburgh Monarchs (4) |
| Official website | www |
The Premier League was the second tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and governed by The Speedway Control Bureau (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). The Premier League was founded in 1995 when the two divisions of the British League were amalgamated. In 1997, the Elite League was created as a new top tier with the Premier League becoming the second tier. The league operated until 2016 when British speedway was restructured with the formation of the SGB Premiership and SGB Championship.
As of 2016, there were 13 teams competing in this tier of British Speedway, contesting 6 competitions for silverware. These competitions were Premier League, Premier League Cup, Premier League Knockout Cup, Premier League Pairs, Premier League Fours and the Premier League Riders' Championship.
The Premier League was founded in 1995 by the amalgamation of the two divisions of the British League, becoming the single professional tier of speedway in the UK. In 1997, the Elite League was formed as a new top tier, with the Premier League becoming the second tier. In 2015, Edinburgh Monarchs became the first team to win back-to-back titles since it became the second tier in the sport. The league took a standard League format from its creation in 1995 until 2005. In 2006 & 2007, the Play-Offs were devised which the top 4 (8 in 2006) finishing teams in the League contested in a knock-out competition, with the winner of the play-offs crowned the Premier League Champions. From 2008 onwards, the play-offs remained, however the prize was changed. Instead, the team that finished top in the league would be crowned champions, and then the top 4 finishing teams would qualify for the play-offs. The winner of the competition would then go on to race against the bottom Elite League team in the Promotion/Relegation Battle. Since its inception, no Premier League team has been successful in gaining Promotion this way. There is no longer promotion to the Elite league.
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