British Speedway AGM: 2023 structure confirmed

The structure for the 2023 British Speedway Championship has been confirmed following this week’s AGM in Coventry.

Eight clubs will race in the UK’s second tier with Leicester Lions confirmed as moving up to the Premiership as expected.

Key changes include the return of the aggregate bonus point following a strong response in favour from a poll held on social media in mid-season.

Promoters have also agreed to extend the Super Heat concept to both leagues to cover scenarios of meeting draws and tied scores on aggregate.  

There is a new play-off format for the Championship designed to eliminate the issue of the top two clubs being inactive during early autumn, and the league will have a cut-off date of August 31 to allow for a timely start to the play-offs.

Teams will continue to race each other once at home and once away with an early season regionalised group competition formed too.

And a significant development has been reached between the BSPL and MYLAPS which will see transponders rolled out to all Premiership and Championship clubs during the 2023 season.

This technology will provide accurate information for live timing, and assist in resolving close finishes, and will also be made available to Eurosport and the British Speedway Network for use during their broadcasts.

CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

CLUBS: Berwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Oxford, Redcar, Plymouth, Poole, Scunthorpe.
POINTS LIMIT: 40.00 for seven riders.
LEAGUE FORMAT: 1 home, 1 away.
PLAY-OFF FORMAT: Top six qualify for play-offs and are split into two mini-leagues of three. League leaders to select their two mini-league opponents. Winners of each mini-league qualify for the Grand Final.
KO CUP: 1st round – Berwick v Redcar. Quarter-finals: Berwick/Redcar v Glasgow, Scunthorpe v Birmingham, Poole v Plymouth, Edinburgh v Oxford.
GROUP COMPETITION: Mini-league groups: Berwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow ; Birmingham, Redcar, Scunthorpe ; Oxford, Plymouth, Poole. Group winners and highest-scoring runners-up progress to the semi-finals.

LEAGUE POINTS SCORING
WIN – 2 points
DRAW – Super Heat
LOSE – 0 points
AGGREGATE BONUS: 1 point for the aggregate winners following home/away matches.

SUPER HEAT
A Super Heat will be held following every match which ends in a draw after Heat 15. The team scoring the most points in the Super Heat will receive 2 league points; the team defeated in the Super Heat will receive 1 league point.
A Super Heat will also be held in the event of an aggregate tie following home/away matches, with the team scoring the most points in the Super Heat being awarded the aggregate bonus point.
Should both meetings between two clubs result in draws, and therefore the aggregate scores are also tied, one Super Heat will be held which will resolve both the meeting victory in the second match, and the aggregate bonus point.

MAJOR EVENTS
Dates and venues to be confirmed in early 2023.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE
The AGM for the National Development League will be held on Tuesday November 29. However, the BSPL are delighted to confirm that initial acceptance has been given for Workington/Northside to join the league in 2023.