Redcar Bears
Redcar Bears
Club information
Track addressEcco Arena
Dormor Way
Southbank Road
Middlesbrough
TS6 6XH
CountryEngland
Founded1994
PromoterJade Mudgway & Jamie Swales
Team managerGavin Parr
LeagueSGB Championship
National Development League
Websitewww.redcar-speedway.com
Club facts
ColoursRed, White, Black and Grey
Track size271[1] metres (296 yd)
Track record time52.2 seconds
Track record date28 October 2022, Teesside Silver Pan
Track record holderLewis Kerr
Current senior team
Rider CMA
England Charles Wright (capt)
England Danny King
Denmark Thomas Jørgensen
Australia Connor Bailey
England Jason Edwards
England Jake Mulford
England Ben Trigger
Current junior team
Rider CMA
England Ben Trigger
England Danny Phillips
England Jamie Halder
England Ben Rathbone
England Archie Freeman
England Elliot Kelly
Major team honours
SGB Championship KO Cup2019
Young Shield Winners2007

The Redcar Bears are a British motorcycle speedway team who currently compete in the SGB Championship (second tier of the British speedway leagues). Their major team honour to date is the SGB Championship Knockout Cup win in 2019. The team have also run a junior side called the Middlesbrough Tigers, formerly the Redcar Cubs and the Teesside Tigers.

History

The Bears started life as the Cleveland Bays during the 1994 British League Division Three season, they finished as runner-up before entering the 1995 but failed to complete the season and withdrew from the league.[2]

It was not until 2006 that speedway returned to Middlesbrough, with a new team name of Redcar Bear racing at the purpose built South Tees Motorsports Park. The team entered the 2006 Premier League speedway season, the Premier League was division 2 at the time.[3] In 2007, the Bears won the Premier League consolation tournament the Young Shield,[4] beating the Birmingham Brummies.

From 2008 to 2016 the team continued to compete in the Premier League with a best placed finish of 5th in 2009. In 2017, the team joined the SGB Championship (the new name for division 2) and finished in 5th place. The Bears were awarded the 2017 Championship Track of the Year by the Speedway Control Board, an award voted for throughout the season based on referee's match reports.[5]

In 2019, Jitendra Duffill became co-promoter replacing Kevin Keay, with Jade Mudgway continuing as the team manager and co-promoter.[6][7][8] Former World Speedway Champion and Redcar rider Gary Havelock also re-joined the club as rider coach.[9] Race nights switched to Friday from Thursday and the club were branded as the Redcar Agilia Bears after London based company Agilia Infrastructure Partners Limited became the club's main sponsor.[10][11] During the 2019 season, the Bears beat Newcastle Diamonds in the Championship Knockout Cup final.[12] Additionally Bears' rider Charles Wright became the 2019 British Speedway Champion after winning the final at the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester and Erik Riss won his first Championship Riders title at Sheffield.[13][14]

For the 2020 season the Bears retained five of the previous years team but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19.[15][16]

2021 saw the Bears lose their reign as K.O. Cup holders in preliminary round defeat to the Birmingham Brummies and despite qualifying for the end of season Play-Offs, were beaten in the Quarter Finals by the Edinburgh Monarchs.

In 2022, a new name was announced for the South Tees Motorsports Park as The ECCO Arena, after long-time sponsor ECCO Finishing Supplies took up the opportunity to take over the stadium naming rights.[17] The first silverware of the SGB Championship 2022 went to the Redcar pairing of Charles Wright and Lewis Kerr, who lifted the SGB Championship 2022 Pairs Championship held at Oxford on 12 August.[18] Also in August, Katie Gordon who rode for the Redcar Cubs, won the inaugural NORA Women's British Championship.[19]

League history

  • 1994 – British League (div 3) – 2nd; (as Cleveland Bays)
  • 1995 – Academy League – withdrew; (as Cleveland Bays)
  • 2006 – Premier League – 6th;
  • 2007 – Premier League – 9th;
  • 2008 – Premier League – 7th;
  • 2008 – Conference League – 3rd; (as Redcar Cubs)
  • 2009 – Premier League – 5th;
  • 2010 – Premier League – 14th;
  • 2011 – Premier League – 10th;
  • 2012 – Premier League – 9th;
  • 2013 – Premier League – 6th;
  • 2014 – Premier League – 10th;
  • 2015 – Premier League – 13th;
  • 2016 – Premier League – 13th;
  • 2017 – Championship – 5th;
  • 2018 – Championship – 10th;
  • 2019 – Championship – 3rd; play off semi finals
  • 2020 – Cancelled due to Coronavirus pandemic;
  • 2021 – Championship – 4th;[20]
  • 2022 – Championship - 6th, PO QF;
  • 2023 – Championship - 5th, PO;

Riders

Notable riders

Previous seasons

Extended content

2006 Team

Also Rode:

2008 Team

Also Rode:

  • Finland Joni Keskinen

2009 Team

2010 Team=

2011 Team

2012 Team

2013 Team

2014 Team

Also Rode:

2015 Team

Also Rode:

2016 Team

Also Rode:

2017 Team

Also Rode:

Replaced Tobias Busch on a 28-day loan period.

Replaced by Danny Ayres 17 May 2017.

2017 Competitions & Results

2018 Team

Also rode:

Jade Mudgway deputised for Team Manager Jitendra Duffill.[26]

2018 Competitions & Results

2019 Team

Also Rode:

3 July 2019 changes[29]

2019 Competitions & Results

2020 Team

2021 Team

2022 Team

Also Rode:

Replaced by Kyle Bickley 4/7/22.[30]

Replaced by Kyle Newman 11/8/22.[31]

References

  1. ↑ "Club Info".
  2. ↑ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - MODERN ERA (1991-PRESENT)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  4. ↑ Neal, Martin (29 October 2007). "Shield-winning Redcar Bears now go for double". Gazettelive.co.uk.
  5. ↑ "Bears win an award!". Redcar-speedway.com. 4 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "New Promoter for Bears". Redcar-speedway.com. 5 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "Duffill steps up". Redcar-speedway.com. 20 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Mudgway and Terry the Track return". Redcar-speedway.com. 15 January 2020.
  9. ↑ http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/966103820?-17473:2778:most_read_top#out
  10. ↑ "BEARS MOVE TO FRIDAYS - British Speedway Official Website". Speedwaygb.co.uk. 3 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "Agilia Infrastructure Partners Ltd the Bears main backers in 2019!". Redcar-speedway.com. 26 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Bears through to KO Cup Final!". 14 September 2017.
  13. ↑ "Erik Riss wins Championship Riders title!". 11 September 2019.
  14. ↑ "RISS MAKES REDCAR HISTORY - Speedway Star : Weekly Speedway Magazine and Xtra".
  15. ↑ "Bears complete side!". 17 May 2018.
  16. ↑ "OFFICIAL STATEMENT - British Speedway Official Website".
  17. ↑ "Welcome to the ECCO Arena!". 4 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "Bears Are Pairs Champions". 13 August 2022.
  19. ↑ "The teenage champion on a mission to get more women into Speedway". 17 August 2022.
  20. ↑ "BRITISH SPEEDWAY UPDATE - British Speedway Official Website".
  21. ↑ "Bears make team change". Redcar-speedway.com. 4 August 2019.
  22. ↑ "Team news update". Redcar-speedway.com. 27 May 2017.
  23. ↑ "Bears release Kus". Redcar-speedway.com. 22 October 2020.
  24. 1 2 "Bears bring in two". Redcar-speedway.com. 20 August 2023.
  25. ↑ "Bears swoop for Lunna". Redcar-speedway.com. 17 August 2017.
  26. ↑ "Duffill steps down as team boss for now". Redcar-speedway.com. 11 September 2019.
  27. ↑ "Bears release Barker". Redcar-speedway.com. 29 June 2017.
  28. ↑ McGhie, Keith (4 June 2019). "Redcar Bears bring in Danish star to replace former skipper". Gazettelive.
  29. ↑ "Bears make three changes". 7 July 2023.
  30. ↑ "Bickley's a Bear". 14 February 2019.
  31. ↑ "Newman for the Bears". 15 February 2019.
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