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.
The Tigers traditionally hold their race nights on Thursdays between March and October.[2]
History
Origins & 1930s
Owlerton opened in 1929.
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.
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
The 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
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
The 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
Sean Wilson helped the Tigers win their first league title.
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.
The 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.
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
Following 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.
