Sheffield Tigers
| Sheffield Tigers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Track address | Owlerton Stadium Penistone Road Sheffield South Yorkshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1929 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Promoter | Damien Bates, Julie Reading & Peter Mole | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team manager | Simon Stead | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team captain | Kyle Howarth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | SGB Premiership National Development League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Colours | Yellow and Blue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track size | 361 metres (395 yd) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track record time | 58.92 seconds (57.86 mph / 84 ft per second) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track record date | 30 May 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track record holder | Jack Holder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheSheffield Tigers(sponsored by Tru Plant) are amotorcycle speedwayteam based inSheffield,England. They currently race in the BritishSGB Premiership,and their home meetings take place atOwlerton Stadium.They were founded in 1929[1]and were champions of Britain, in2023.
The Tigers traditionally hold their race nights on Thursdays between March and October.[2]
History
[edit]Origins & 1930s
[edit]
In 1929 construction began on a 20-acre freehold site to build a new stadium in Owlerton. The Provincial Dirt Tracks (Sheffield) Co. Ltd under the chaimanship of Edgar W. Hart[3]opened the purpose-builtOwlerton Stadiumon 30 March 1929.[4]The team known simply as Sheffield at the time were inaugural members of the English Dirt Track League andNorthern Leaguethe following season. In 1930, they rode as the Sheffield Blades but soon adopted the name Tigers.[5]The early stars of the team includedDusty Haigh,Clem Beckett,Broncho DixonandSquib Burton.
1940s
[edit]The team re-opened for a short spell in 1945, following the disruption caused byWorld War IIbefore returning to league action in 1946. The team operated in the Northern League of 1946 and in theNational League Division Twobetween 1947 and 1950. The team spearheaded byStan WilliamsandTommy Batemanwon their first trophy in 1947, after winning theBritish Speedway Cup (Div 2).[6]
1950s
[edit]The 1950s started with the unpopular decision to name the team the Tars[7]and matters got worse despite the team reverting to the name Tigers at the end of the 1950 season because the team withdrew from the league part way through 1951.
1960s
[edit]The track re-opened in 1960, with the Tigers participating in theProvincial League.[8]The team continued to ride in the Provincial League until 1964, when they moved up to the highest tier, known as the National League at the time before it was renamed theBritish Leaguein 1965.[9]The sixties brought little success with the best performances being a fourth place finish in 1960, 1963 and 1968. Notable riders during the decade wereClive Featherby,Jack Kitchen,John Dews,Billy Bales,Arnold HaleyandBob Paulson.
1970s
[edit]-
Reg Wilson made a club record 470 appearances from 1970 to 1986 -
Doug Wyer, Sheffield's leading rider in the 1970s.
Sheffield had signedJim AireytheAustralian championin 1969[10]and he led Sheffield into the seventies. In 1970, he finished third in the league averages and then steered Sheffield to a fourth place finish in 1971, when well supported by Haley andBengt Larsson.
Despite the loss of Airey for 1972, the team rode well finishing fourth again before taking runner-up spot in 1973. Silverware finally arrived in 1974 when the Tigers won theKnockout Cup,easily defeatingIpswich Witchesin the final.Bob Valentinerecorded 22 points over the two legs and with heavy scoring from Haley andDoug Wyer,the Tigers won by a 25 point margin.[11]
By the mid-seventiesReg Wilsonwas becoming an important rider for the club, topping the team's averages in 1975 and 1979 and establishing himself as one of two main riders alongside Doug Wyer.[12]
1980s
[edit]The eighties started badly with a last place finish in 1980 but in 1981 the club signed American starShawn Moran,who soon became a fan's favourite.[13]
In 1984, the Collins brothersNeilandLesarrived and in 1985,Peter Carrwas signed, with the team only being denied the league title by the big spendingOxford Cheetahs.The following season,Reg Wilsonretired after making a club record 470 appearances and Shawn Moran's older brotherKelly Moranwas signed. Sheffield enjoyed large attendances throughout the 1980s but after the 1988 season, the landlords increased the rent and managerEric Boocockwas forced to disband the team and sell the riders.[14]
1990s
[edit]
Division 2 speedway returned to Owlerton in 1991 under the promotion of Cliff Carr and following the signing of a lease with the city council.[15]Neil Evittswas number 1 before being replaced byRoman Matoušek,although it was not until 1999 that Sheffield experienced the taste of success again.
Inspired bySean Wilson,Sheffield won the Premier League (speedway's second division) during the1999 Premier League speedway season.[16]
2000s
[edit]The club's junior side the Sheffield Prowlers won more silverware, winning theConference Leaguein 2000 and 2001 and the Tigers won the league andKnockout Cupin 2002 to complete the double, during the2002 Premier League speedway season.Sean Wilson andSimon Steadboth had great seasons and when Sean Wilson would retire in 2005, he was the Tigers all-time leading point scorer, with 4246 points.[17]
The Tigers later recorded a second place finish in 2006 and a play off final appearance in 2007.
2010s
[edit]
The Tigers reached another play off final during the2010 Premier League speedway season,the same season thatRicky AshworthandJosh Autywon thepairs championship.[18]
TheSGB Championship 2017season was the 21st consecutive season that the Sheffield Tigers competed in division 2. The Tigers finished in 1st place having beatenIpswich Witchesin the two leg play off final 99–81.Josh Grajczonekheaded the team averages, supported byKyle HowarthandLasse Bjerre,the latter two also winning the championship pairs.
2020s
[edit]Following a season lost to theCOVID-19 pandemicthe team stepped up to the highest division for the first time since the 1995/1996 merged division.Jack HolderandAdam Elliswere signed, with the team finishing 4th but following the signing ofTobiasz Musielakthe club topped theSGB Premiership 2022table but controversially lost in the play off final toBelle Vue Aces,which foiled the chance for the club to win their first ever top-tier league title. However, they did gain compensation by winning the League Cup.[19]
In 2023, the Tigers signed two former world champions inTai WoffindenandChris Holderand after finishing third in theSGB Premiership 2023league standings, they went on to defeatWolverhampton Wolvesin the semi finals and then Ipswich Witches in the final. This was the first time in the club's history that were crowned champions of the United Kingdom. The success somewhat atoned for the final defeat the season before.[20]
A track record that had stood for 4976 days (from 15 October 2010) was beaten on 30 May 2024. Ricky Ashworth's time of 59.1 seconds was bettered byJack Holder,with a time of 58.92 seconds.[21]Sheffield's success continued in 2024 with the club winning the Knockout Cup.
-
Jack Holder -
Tai Woffinden
Club honours
[edit]- SGB Premiershipwinners 2023
- SGB Premiership Knockout Cupwinners 2024
- British Championship LeagueSGB Championshipwinners 2017
- British Championship PairsSGB Championshipwinners 2017, 2018
- British Speedway Cup (Division 2) – 1947
- British League Knockout Cup winners – 1974
- Premier League Four-Team Championshipwinners – 1999, 2000
- Premier League Play off winners – 1999, 2002[22]
- Premier League winners - 1999, 2002
- Conference League Champions - 2000, 2001
- Premier Trophywinners - 2001
- Premier League Riders Championship winners -1996, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2016
- Premier League Pairs winners – 2010
Full seasons summary
[edit]Season summary (juniors)
[edit]Extended content
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Notable former riders
[edit]
Jim Airey
Tommy Allott- Ricky Ashworth
- Josh Auty
- Billy Bales
- Tommy Bateman
- Clem Beckett
- Squib Burton
- Peter Carr
- Les Collins
- Neil Collins
- Andre Compton
- John Dews
- Broncho Dixon
- Neil Evitts
- Clive Featherby
- Dusty Haigh
- Arnold Haley
- Jack Holder
- Chris Holder
Robbie Kessler- Jack Kitchen
Bengt Larsson
Roman Matoušek
Kelly Moran- Shawn Moran
- Bob Paulson
- Bruce Semmens
- Simon Stead
- Bob Valentine
- Len Williams
- Stan Williams
- Reg Wilson
- Sean Wilson
- Tai Woffinden
- Doug Wyer
Previous seasons
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Bamford, Robert (1 March 2007).Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007.NPI Media Group.ISBN978-0-7524-4250-1.
- ^"Potters Will Get Respect".Sheffield Tigers. 18 April 2007.Retrieved10 November2010.
- ^"Sheffield track to open at Easter".Sheffield Daily Telegraph.19 January 1929.Retrieved18 April2024– viaBritish Newspaper Archive.
- ^"1947 season"(PDF).Speedway Researcher.Retrieved18 April2024.
- ^"BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES – PRE-WAR ERA (1929–1939)".Official British Speedway website.Retrieved16 August2021.
- ^"Year by Year".Speedway Researcher.Retrieved16 August2021.
- ^"Speedway Gossip".Star Green 'un.9 September 1950.Retrieved18 April2024– viaBritish Newspaper Archive.
- ^"BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES – POST-WAR ERA (1946–1964)".Official British Speedway website.Retrieved16 August2021.
- ^Rogers, Martin (1978).The Illustrated History of Speedway.Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129.ISBN0-904584-45-3.
- ^"Airey debut will cause big interest".Star Green 'un.5 April 1969.Retrieved18 April2024– viaBritish Newspaper Archive.
- ^"Season 1974"(PDF).British Speedway.Retrieved25 June2021.
- ^"Rider averages 1929 to 2009"(PDF).Speedway Researcher.Retrieved18 April2024.
- ^"Shawn Moran".Speedway Bikes.Retrieved18 April2024.
- ^"Cash blow closes Sheffield Speedway".The Scotsman.16 February 1989.Retrieved18 April2024– viaBritish Newspaper Archive.
- ^"Tigers roar again".Huddersfield Daily Examiner.13 March 1991.Retrieved18 April2024– viaBritish Newspaper Archive.
- ^"Roll of Honour".Sheffield Tigers.Retrieved18 April2024.
- ^"Hungry Tigers edge first leg of Play-Offs".Sheffield Star.15 October 2010.Retrieved11 November2010.
- ^"BRUMMIES DUO LOSE OUT IN FINAL".Birmingham Speedway.Retrieved29 May2023.
- ^"Tigers win League Cup".British Speedway.Retrieved5 November2022.
- ^"Tigers champions in Grand Final drama".British Speedway.Retrieved14 October2023.
- ^Kessen, David (30 May 2024)."Speedway: Owlerton track record broken by Jack Holder as Sheffield beat Birmingham to go second".The Star.Retrieved6 June2024.
- ^ Oakes, P. (2006).Speedway Star Almanac.Pinegen Ltd.ISBN0-9552376-1-0.
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