The Sheffield Tigers (sponsored by Tru Plant) are a motorcycle speedway team based in Sheffield, England. They currently race in the British SGB Premiership, and their home meetings take place at Owlerton Stadium. They were founded in 1929[1] and were champions of Britain, in 2023.
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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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The Tigers traditionally hold their race nights on Thursdays between March and October.[2]
History
editOrigins & 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-built Owlerton Stadium on 30 March 1929.[4] The team known simply as Sheffield at the time were inaugural members of the English Dirt Track League and Northern League the following season. In 1930, they rode as the Sheffield Blades but soon adopted the name Tigers.[5] The early stars of the team included Dusty Haigh, Clem Beckett, Broncho Dixon and Squib Burton.
1940s
editThe team re-opened for a short spell in 1945, following the disruption caused by World War II before returning to league action in 1946. The team operated in the Northern League of 1946 and in the National League Division Two between 1947 and 1950. The team spearheaded by Stan Williams and Tommy Bateman won their first trophy in 1947, after winning the British Speedway Cup (Div 2).[6]
1950s
editThe 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
editThe track re-opened in 1960, with the Tigers participating in the Provincial 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 the British League in 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 were Clive Featherby, Jack Kitchen, John Dews, Billy Bales, Arnold Haley and Bob 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 signed Jim Airey the Australian champion in 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 and Bengt 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 the Knockout Cup, easily defeating Ipswich Witches in the final. Bob Valentine recorded 22 points over the two legs and with heavy scoring from Haley and Doug Wyer, the Tigers won by a 25 point margin.[11]
By the mid-seventies Reg Wilson was 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
editThe eighties started badly with a last place finish in 1980, but in 1981 the club signed American rising star Shawn Moran. He would spend eight seasons at Owlerton, developing into a world class rider and a fan's favourite.[13]
In 1984, the Collins brothers Neil and Les arrived and in 1985, Peter Carr was signed, with the team only being denied the league title by the big spending Oxford Cheetahs. The following season, Reg Wilson retired after making a club record 470 appearances and Shawn Moran's older brother Kelly Moran was signed. Sheffield enjoyed large attendances throughout the 1980s but after the 1988 season, the landlords increased the rent and manager Eric Boocock was 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 Evitts was number 1 before being replaced by Roman Matoušek, although it was not until 1999 that Sheffield experienced the taste of success again.
Inspired by Sean Wilson, Sheffield won the Premier League (speedway's second division) during the 1999 Premier League speedway season.[16]
2000s
editThe club's junior side the Sheffield Prowlers won more silverware, winning the Conference League in 2000 and 2001 and the Tigers won the league and Knockout Cup in 2002 to complete the double, during the 2002 Premier League speedway season. Sean Wilson and Simon Stead both 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 the 2010 Premier League speedway season, the same season that Ricky Ashworth and Josh Auty won the pairs championship.[18]
The SGB Championship 2017 season was the 21st consecutive season that the Sheffield Tigers competed in division 2. The Tigers finished in 1st place having beaten Ipswich Witches in the two leg play off final 99–81. Josh Grajczonek headed the team averages, supported by Kyle Howarth and Lasse Bjerre, the latter two also winning the championship pairs.
2020s
editFollowing a season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic the team stepped up to the highest division for the first time since the 1995/1996 merged division. Jack Holder and Adam Ellis were signed, with the team finishing 4th but following the signing of Tobiasz Musielak the club topped the SGB Premiership 2022 table but controversially lost in the play off final to Belle 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 in Tai Woffinden and Chris Holder and after finishing third in the SGB Premiership 2023 league standings, they went on to defeat Wolverhampton Wolves in 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 by Jack Holder, with a time of 58.92 seconds.[21] Sheffield's success continued in 2024 with the club winning the Knockout Cup.
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Jack Holder -
Tai Woffinden
Club honours
edit- SGB Premiership winners 2023
- SGB Premiership Knockout Cup winners 2024
- British Championship League SGB Championship winners 2017
- British Championship Pairs SGB Championship winners 2017, 2018
- British Speedway Cup (Division 2) – 1947
- British League Knockout Cup winners – 1974
- Premier League Four-Team Championship winners – 1999, 2000
- Premier League Play off winners – 1999, 2002[22]
- Premier League winners - 1999, 2002
- Conference League Champions - 2000, 2001
- Premier Trophy winners - 2001
- Premier League Riders Championship winners -1996, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2016
- Premier League Pairs winners – 2010
Full seasons summary
editSeason summary (juniors)
editExtended content
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Notable 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
editReferences
edit- ^ Bamford, Robert (1 March 2007). Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007. NPI Media Group. ISBN 978-0-7524-4250-1.
- ^ "Potters Will Get Respect". Sheffield Tigers. 18 April 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
- ^ "Sheffield track to open at Easter". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. 19 January 1929. Retrieved 18 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "1947 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES – PRE-WAR ERA (1929–1939)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ "Speedway Gossip". Star Green 'un. 9 September 1950. Retrieved 18 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES – POST-WAR ERA (1946–1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
- ^ "Airey debut will cause big interest". Star Green 'un. 5 April 1969. Retrieved 18 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Season 1974" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Shawn Moran". Speedway Bikes. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Cash blow closes Sheffield Speedway". The Scotsman. 16 February 1989. Retrieved 18 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Tigers roar again". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 13 March 1991. Retrieved 18 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Roll of Honour". Sheffield Tigers. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Hungry Tigers edge first leg of Play-Offs". Sheffield Star. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ "BRUMMIES DUO LOSE OUT IN FINAL". Birmingham Speedway. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
- ^ "Tigers win League Cup". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "Tigers champions in Grand Final drama". British Speedway. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ Kessen, David (30 May 2024). "Speedway: Owlerton track record broken by Jack Holder as Sheffield beat Birmingham to go second". The Star. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ Oakes, P. (2006). Speedway Star Almanac. Pinegen Ltd. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0.