National League Four-Team Championship

The National League Four-Team Championship was a contest between teams competing in the second tier of speedway in the United Kingdom. Teams were grouped into fours, with one rider from each team in each race. The winners and second place of each group compete for the Championship in the final. It was known as the National League Four-Team Championship from 1976 until 1990, and as the British League Division Two Four-Team Championship from 1991 until 1994, reflecting the different names used for the league.[1][2][3]

National League Four-Team Championship
SportSpeedway
Founded1976
Ceased1994
CountryUnited Kingdom
Notes
replaced by the
Premier League Four-Team Championship

In 1995, a new competition called the Premier League Four-Team Championship replaced this league. However because division 1 and 2 merged for the 1995 and 1996 seasons, the event was run as the only Fours championship. From 1997 it reverted back to an event for tier two teams only.[4]

Winners

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Year Winners 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place
1976[5] Newcastle Diamonds Eastbourne Eagles Ellesmere Port Gunners Workington Comets
1977[6] Peterborough Panthers Canterbury Crusaders Eastbourne Eagles Stoke Potters
1978[7] Peterborough Panthers Stoke Potters Canterbury Crusaders Ellesmere Port Gunners
1979[8] Ellesmere Port Gunners Mildenhall Fen Tigers Peterborough Panthers Berwick Bandits
1980[9] Crayford Kestrels Rye House Rockets Ellesmere Port Gunners Stoke Potters
1981[10] Edinburgh Monarchs Newcastle Diamonds Middlesbrough Tigers Wolverhampton Wolves
1982[11] Newcastle Diamonds Mildenhall Fen Tigers Middlesbrough Tigers Rye House Rockets
1983[12] Newcastle Diamonds Mildenhall Fen Tigers Milton Keynes Knights Long Eaton Invaders
1984[13] Mildenhall Fen Tigers Stoke Potters Milton Keynes Knights Boston Barracudas
1985[14] Middlesbrough Tigers Peterborough Panthers Hackney Kestrels Stoke Potters
1986[15] Middlesbrough Tigers Arena Essex Hammers Hackney Kestrels Mildenhall Fen Tigers
1987[16] Mildenhall Fen Tigers Arena Essex Hammers Eastbourne Eagles Wimbledon Dons
1988[17] Peterborough Panthers Mildenhall Fen Tigers Eastbourne Eagles Poole Pirates
1989[18] Peterborough Panthers Stoke Potters Exeter Falcons Eastbourne Eagles
1990[19] Stoke Potters Poole Pirates Hackney Kestrels Ipswich Witches
1991[20] Arena Essex Hammers Edinburgh Monarchs Long Eaton Invaders Milton Keynes Knights
1992[21] Peterborough Panthers Edinburgh Monarchs Rye House Rockets Glasgow Tigers
1993[22] Edinburgh Monarchs Swindon Robins Long Eaton Invaders Rye House Rockets
1994[23] Oxford Cheetahs Long Eaton Invaders Peterborough Panthers Edinburgh Monarchs

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "British Speedway Archive". Speedway GB. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Fours champions". Speedway Archive. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  3. ^ Bamford, R.(2007). Speedway Yearbook 2007. ISBN 978-0-7524-4250-1
  4. ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Brothers clinch win for Diamonds". Lynn Advertiser. 20 July 1976. Retrieved 9 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ Oakes, Peter (1978). 1978 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 39. ISBN 978-0904584509.
  7. ^ "Speedway". Daily Mirror. 31 July 1978. Retrieved 10 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Speedway". Daily Mirror. 30 July 1979. Retrieved 10 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 69. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
  10. ^ "Tigers miss the boat in four teams final". Cambridge Daily News. 27 July 1981. Retrieved 23 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Gunners fail to qualify". Liverpool Daily Post. 26 July 1982. Retrieved 10 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Tigers miss out again in dramatic finish". Cambridge Daily News. 25 July 1983. Retrieved 10 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "Red hot Tigers takes fours crown at last". Cambridge Daily News. 23 July 1984. Retrieved 8 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ "Speedway". Daily Mirror. 22 July 1985. Retrieved 11 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Speedway". Cambridge Daily News. 11 August 1986. Retrieved 11 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ "Fantastic Fours!". Cambridge Daily News. 31 October 1987. Retrieved 8 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ "Speedway". Cambridge Daily News. 8 August 1988. Retrieved 11 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ^ Oakes, Peter (1990). Speedway Yearbook 1990. Front Page Books. p. 46. ISBN 0-948882-15-8.
  19. ^ "Potters capture fours title for the first time". Staffordshire Sentinel. 6 August 1990. Retrieved 8 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. ^ "Speedway". Western Daily Press. 22 July 1991. Retrieved 13 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "Speedway". Birmingham Mail. 27 July 1992. Retrieved 13 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "Invaders can't take the heat". Derby Evening Telegraph. 26 July 1993. Retrieved 13 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ "Speedway". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 8 August 1994. Retrieved 11 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.