PREVIEW: British Club Championships
The Hull Cycle Speedway Club are busy making preparations for the Cycle Speedway British Club Championships that are taking place at The Hessle Raceway over the weekend of June 29th & 30th. This will be the most prestigious meeting to be staged in the shadow of the Humber Bridge since the British Individual Finals were hosted back in 2018.
There has been a good entry for the competition which comprises eight separate categories, with the best five scores from each club counting to their points total in the overall championship. Kesgrave (pictured below) were last year’s Champions taking four categories with two runner up slots to clinch the title for the third consecutive year. Their wins came at under 12, under 14, under 16 boys and under 18 level and they will start this year’s competition as strong favourites to the retain the title. Poole, who won last year’s under 16 girls title also have a strong claim along with Newport and Wednesfield.
The Open title was won last year by Birmingham who again look very strong having recently won the European Club Championships at Newport. Last year’s Veterans competition was won by Great Blakenham after a close tussle with Poole and Leicester while the Women’s competition will have a new name on the trophy as Exeter are not competing. This is always a closely contested final and Sheffield, Poole and Leicester will all have designs on the title. The home side will be looking to their under 12 and under 14 ranks to bolster the traditionally raucous support after good displays last year as well as having high hopes at under 16 and open levels.
There will be a barbeque, refreshments, raffle, bottle draw, printed programmes, public address system and seating available over the weekend and entry is free. The Hessle Raceway is at Livingstone Road. Hessle. East Yorkshire. HU13 0EF (sat nav).
Accommodation is available in the local area including these venues:
Village Hotel Hull. Henry Boot Way. HU4 7DY
Premier Inn Hull West. Ferriby Road. Hessle. HU13 0JA
Premier Inn Hull City Centre. Tower Street. HU9 1TQ
Travelodge Hull Central. Pryme Street. HU2 8HR
Travelodge Hull South Cave. A63 Eastbound. Beacon service area. HU15 1SA
For the categories where there is one match only, the teams are simply numbered in the order drawn. For categories where there are two semi-finals, e.g. Open, numbers 1-7 race at 1-7 in Semi-Final 1 and numbers 8-14 race at 1-7 in Semi-Final 2. The Full Draw and schedule is listed below:
Saturday 29-June
10:00 U-14 SF1
1 Kesgrave B
2 Southampton
3 Newport
4 Wednesfield
5 Kesgrave A
10:00 U-14 SF2
1 Poole
2 Hull
3 Astley & Tyldesley
4 Sheffield
5 Hethersett
11:30 U-12
1 Hethersett B
2 Kesgrave B
3 Hull
4 Poole
5 Astley & Tyldesley
6 Kesgrave A
7 Hethersett A
8 Wednesfield
13:30 U-14 Final
To be contested by the top 3 teams from each of the semi-finals
14:45 U-16 Girls
1 Newport
2 Poole
3 Kesgrave
15:30 U-16 Open
1 Kesgrave
2 Coventry
3 Poole
4 Ipswich
5 Newport
6 Hull
7 Southampton
17:00 Women
1 Kesgrave
2 Sheffield
3 Poole
4 Leicester
5 Coventry
Sunday 30-June
10:00 Open SF1
1 Wednesfield A
2 Newport
3 East Newport
4 Poole
5 Sheffield
6 Hull
7 Birmingham
12:00 Open SF2
1 Ipswich
2 Gt. Blakenham
3 Birmingham
4 Southampton
5 Kesgrave
6 Wednesfield B
7 Coventry
14:00 Veterans
1 Kesgrave
2 Birmingham
3 Newport
4 Leicester
5 Poole
6 Gt. Blakenham
7 Wednesfield
15:45 Junior
1 Poole
2 Wednesfield
3 Kesgrave
4 Ipswich
5 Newport
6 Southampton
17:30 Open Final
(to be contested by the top 3 teams from each of the semi-finals)
Competition Regulations
The competition will following the rules and regulations outlined in the 2024 British Cycling Handbook. Clubs will not need to specify the riders in each team they enter until sign-on on the day of the Championships. Riders and Team Managers will not be permitted to switch between their club’s teams after sign-on. Clubs are reminded that teams are racing individually for the Championship. Team riding to favour another team is deemed corruption of the competition:
- S7.2.4. A rider or their Team member may receive a Match ban if the Chief Commissaire considers they have committed any of the following or similar behaviours (not an exhaustive list):
- S7.2.4.5. Perverting the course of a Match
- S7.2.4.5.1. Any rider who purposely favours one team to the detriment of another, by adopting tactics that are not commensurate with reasonable competitive requirements in a multi -Team match.
Repeat “team riding” and other cooperation may be a breach of Appendix G1 – Sanctions and penalties guidance, item 18: Behaviour that damages the image of cycling e.g. seeking an unfair advantage by any other means outside the rules or not in the spirit of the sport… – £200 fine, DQ & disciplinary referral.
Points Allocation
Points will be allocated as per Technical Regulation 9.26.4. The various outdoor British National Club Championship Events shall be combined to produce an overall annual British National Club Champion. Points shall be awarded in each Event on the basis of 25 points to the winner, 20 points for second place, 18 points for third place, 16 points for fourth place, 14 points for fifth place, then reducing by one point per place to one point for 16th place. Clubs failing to reach the Final shall receive equal points according to their finishing position in the qualifying rounds, e.g. first non-qualifiers in two Semi-finals shall be joint fifth, second non-qualifiers shall be joint seventh etc.
For the Overall Club Championship standing, only the top placed team from each club will score
points, however they will count in that category ranking, for example:
1st Club A Team A – 25pts
2nd Club B Team A – 20pts
3rd Club A Team B – 0pts
4th Club C Team A – 16pts