Sheffield Tigers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club facts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colours | Yellow and Blue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track size | 361 metres (395 yd) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track record time | 59.1 seconds (54.66mph) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track record date | 15 October 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track record holder | Ricky Ashworth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current senior team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current junior team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Major team honours | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Sheffield 'Tru Plant' Tigers 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] and are sponsored by Tru Plant.
Owlerton was a purpose-built speedway track built in 1929. The team were inaugural members of the English Dirt Track League and Northern league the following season. In 1930 they rode as the Sheffield Blades.[3]
It operated for most of the pre-war years and re-opened for a short spell in 1945. The team operated in the Northern League of 1946 and in the National League Division Two between 1947 and 1950. The team won their first trophy in 1947, after winning the British Speedway Cup (Div 2).[4]
It closed part way through 1951 and staged open meetings in 1952. The track re-opened in 1960 and has operated most seasons since then.[5][6] The team has been known as The Tigers apart from part of 1950 when they were known as The Tars and 1930 when they were the Blades.
From 1970 to 1986, Reg Wilson made a club record 470 appearances.
Sheffield won the Premier League (speedway's second division) twice during the 1999 Premier League speedway season and the 2002 Premier League speedway season. They also won the Knockout Cup in 2002 to complete the double. The club's junior side the Sheffield Prowlers also won silverware winning the Conference League in 2000 and 2001. When Sean Wilson retired in 2005, he was the Tigers all-time leading point scorer, with 4246 points.[7]
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.
In 2019, the club won their fourth historical league title winning the SGB Championship 2017 after finishing top of the regular season table and winning the playoffs. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) the 2020 season did not take place. The club topped the SGB Premiership 2022 table but 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.[8]
In 2023, 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.[9]
Extended content
| |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Main article: Sheffield Tigers seasons |