Plymouth Gladiators

The Plymouth Gladiators are a speedway team in the British SGB Championship. Under several names Plymouth have competed during various seasons from 1932. The club was reformed after a gap of thirty-six years in 2006 by former St Austell Gulls rider Mike Bowden[1] In 2021 the club successfully applied to join the British second division, the SGB Championship. The team names included Tigers, Panthers, Devils and Bulldogs[2]

Plymouth Gladiators
Club information
Track addressPlymouth Coliseum
Coypool Road
Plymouth
PL7 4NW
CountryEngland
Founded1932
Team managerGarry May
Team captainHans Andersen
LeagueSGB Championship
Websitehttps://plymouth-speedway.com
Club facts
ColoursBlue, Yellow and Black
Track size216 metres
Track record time49.40
Track record date27 July 2021 v Leicester
Track record holderZane Keleher
Current team
Rider CMA
Edward Kennett 8.32
Hans Andersen 8.00
Michael Palm Toft 7.32
Ben Barker 7.05
Alfie Bowtell 4.89
Daniel Gilkes 3.89
Henry Atkins 3.00
Total 42.47
Major team honours
Division 2 Fours Winners2016
Division 3 Knockout Cup Winners1952, 2008
Division 3 Pairs winners2010
Division 3 Trophy Winners2009

History

1932–1937

Plymouth's original home was Pennycross Stadium. As the Plymouth Tigers they competed in the first National League season in the 1932 Speedway National League.[3] The Tigers became the Panthers for the 1936 season and the stadium was used in 1937.

1947–1954

The stadium re-opened in 1947 when the Devils raced in the 1947 Speedway National League Division Three. Apart from short spells in the Second Division the team operated at this level until 1954. In 1952, the team achieved their first major success, winning the Division three section of the National Trophy. They defeated Rayleigh Rockets in the final. [4] After another season in the Southern League (1953) they withdrew from the 1954 Speedway National League Division Two.[5][6]

1961–1969

The track re-opened for a couple of years in the 1961 Provincial Speedway League (as the Plymouth Bulldogs) and 1962. It re-opened 1968 and had spells in the British League Division Two.

2006–present

Temporary planning permission was awarded for a new speedway track in 2006,[7] but in August 2007 the club was granted full planning permission.[8] During the 2006 Speedway Conference League the club finished first in the regular season table but lost in the play off final. Two years later in 2008 they repeated the feat of topping the table but once again lost in the play offs. They did however gain consolation when winning the Conference League Knockout Cup. One year later they reached the play off final during the 2009 National League speedway season.

In 2011, the club moved up to division 2 and in 2014 they ran a junior side called the Devon Demons, previously the Demons had been the junior side for the Exeter Falcons.[9] They stayed in division 2 until 2017 when they dropped back down to division 3.

In 2019, they changed their name from the Devils to the Gladiators and in 2021 competed in the second division again, called the SGB Championship. From 2022, the club will also run a development side called the Centurions.[10]

Current Squads

Plymouth Gladiators[11] (SGB Championship)

Plymouth Centurions[12] (SGB National Development League)

  • Richard Andrews
  • Henry Atkins
  • Adam Extance
  • Dan Gilkes
  • Connor King
  • Eli Meadows
  • Ben Trigger

Season summary

Extended content
Year and league Position Notes
1932 Speedway National League9thTigers
1933 Speedway National League9thTigers
1934 Speedway National League8thTigers
1936 Provincial Speedway League5thPanthers
1947 Speedway National League Division Three8thDevils
1948 Speedway National League Division Three7thDevils
1949 Speedway National League Division Three5thDevils
1950 Speedway National League Division Two9thDevils
1951 Speedway National League Division Three6thDevils
1952 Speedway Southern League3rdDevils, National Trophy (div 3) winners
1953 Speedway Southern League8thDevils
1954 Speedway National League Division TwoN/ADevils, withdrew
1961 Provincial Speedway League2ndBulldogs
1962 Provincial Speedway League6thDevils
1968 British League Division Two season4thDevils
1969 British League Division Two season15thDevils
2006 Speedway Conference League1stDevils, PO final
2007 Speedway Conference League3rdDevils
2008 Speedway Conference League1stDevils, PO semi final & Knockout Cup winners
2009 National League speedway season3rdDevils, PO final
2010 National League speedway season6thDevils
2011 Premier League speedway season13thDevils
2012 Premier League speedway season13thDevils
2013 Premier League speedway season11thDevils
2014 Premier League speedway season9thDevils
2014 National League speedway season7thDemons (juniors)
2015 Premier League speedway season6thDevils
2016 Premier League speedway season12thDevils
2017 National League speedway season8thDevils
2018 National League speedway season7thDevils
2019 National Development League speedway season8thGladiators
SGB Championship 202110thGladiators
SGB Championship 2022tbdGladiators
2022 National Development League speedway seasontbdCenturions (juniors)

Riders previous seasons

Extended content

2019 team

  • Ben Wilson
  • Nathan Stoneman
  • Richard Andrews
  • Adam Sheppard
  • Tom Young
  • Jamie Bursill
  • Kris Andrews

2018 team

  • Ellis Perks
  • Henry Atkins
  • Tim Webster
  • Richard Andrews
  • Ryan Terry-Daley
  • Kelsey Dugard
  • Macauley Leek

Also rode in 2018

  • Adam Sheppard
  • Adam Roynon
  • James Cockle
  • Bradley Andrews

2016 team

Also rode in 2016

2015 team

Also rode in 2015

2014 team

Also rode in 2014

2013 team

Previous riders in 2013

2010 team

Previous Riders In 2010

2009 team

2008 team

  • Seemond Stephens
  • Mark Simmonds
  • Ben Hopwood
  • Tom Brown
  • Kyle Hughes
  • Nicki Glanz
  • Paul Starke
  • Jaimie Pickard
  • Danny Stoneman
  • Jamie White-Williams

2007 team

  • Seemond Stephens
  • Robert Smith
  • Tom Brown
  • Jamie Westacott
  • Nicki Glanz
  • Tim Webster
  • Ben Hopwood
  • Billy Legg
  • Adam Roynon
  • Jaimie Pickard
  • Russell Barnet

References

  1. Bamford, Robert (1 March 2007). Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007. NPI Media Group. ISBN 978-0-7524-4250-1.
  2. "Plymouth Speedway". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  3. "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - PRE-WAR ERA (1929-1939)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  4. "1952 National Trophy". Speedway archive.
  5. Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
  6. "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  7. "Speedway back on track". BBC. 6 January 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2007.
  8. "Bowden Delighted with Green Light". Plymouth Herald. 3 August 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2007.
  9. "Devon". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  10. "CENTURIONS ARE LAUNCHED". Official British Speedway website. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  11. "The 2021 Gladiators".
  12. "The Centurions".
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