2018 National League speedway season

2018 National League speedway season

League	National League
Champions	Eastbourne Eagles [1]
Knockout Cup	Eastbourne Eagles [2]
National Trophy	Mildenhall Fen Tigers [3]
Individual	Ben Morley
Highest average	Tom Bacon [4]
Division/s above	SGB Premiership 2018 SGB Championship 2018
← 2017 2019 →

The National League speedway 2018 was the 2018 season of the third tier/division of British speedway. ^[5]

Eastbourne Eagles won the playoffs and were declared champions. ^{[6] [1]} They completed the double by winning the Knockout Cup. ^[7]

Results

Fixtures

Home \ Away	BVC	BRM	BUX	COV	EAS	IOW	KK	MIL	PLY	STK
Belle Vue Colts		40–50	57–32	50–40	46–44	58–32	57–33	43–47	55–35	61–29
Birmingham Brummies	53–36		55–34	43–47	54–36	57–37	45–45	44–46	40–50	63–27
Buxton Hitmen	43–46	44–46			38–52	41–49	40–49	32–58	51–39	38–52
Coventry Bees	59–31	53–36	51–39		51–39	51–39	52–38	40–50	59–31	48–42
Eastbourne Eagles	61–29	49–41	60–30	52–32		51–39	56–31		54–36	67–23
Isle of Wight Warriors	48–42	39–51	58–32	50–40	38–52		42–48	37–53	46–44	60–30
Kent Kings	53–36	46–43	58–31	46–44	32–27	57–33		40–50	53–37	64–26
Mildenhall Fen Tigers	50–28	53–37	55–35	51–39	57–33	42–18	52–38		58–32	60–29
Plymouth Devils	46–44	39–50	57–32	46–44	35–55	54–35	47–43	36–54		48–42
Stoke Potters	37–50	47–42	50–39	29–29	41–49	32–27	36–53	36–53	48–41

Source: ^[8]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Teams face each other two times: once home and once away.

The following National League matches were not staged during the 2018 league season
Buxton Hitmen Vs Coventry Bees
Eastbourne Eagles Vs Mildenhall Fen Tigers

Table

Final National League Table Up To And Including Sunday 28 October

Pos.	Club	M	Home			Away					F	A	Pts	+/−
			W	D	L	4W	3W	D	1L	L
1	Mildenhall Fen Tigers	17	9	0	0	6	2	0	0	0	889	597	57	+292
2	Eastbourne Eagles	17	8	0	0	2	0	0	2	3	843	647	42	+196
3	Kent Kings	18	8	0	1	2	1	1	1	4	827	754	38	+73
4	Birmingham Brummies	18	5	1	3	3	1	0	2	3	846	768	33	+78
5	Coventry Bees	17	8	0	1	0	1	1	2	4	787	704	31	+83
6	Belle Vue Colts	18	7	0	2	1	1	0	2	5	809	792	30	+17
7	Plymouth Devils	18	6	0	3	1	0	0	1	7	753	863	23	-110
8	Isle of Wight Warriors	18	5	0	4	1	0	0	1	7	713	845	20	-132
9	Stoke Potters	18	4	1	4	1	0	0	2	6	656	892	19	-236
10	Buxton Hitmen	17	1	0	7	0	0	0	0	9	631	892	3	-261

^[9]

Coventry Bees were in fourth place and higher in the league table then Birmingham Brummies at the cut-off date to decide the National League play-off places.

Play-Offs

	Semi-finals							Grand Final
	Mildenhall Fen Tigers		61	46	107
	Kent Kings		29	44	73
								Mildenhall Fen Tigers		35	46	81
								Eastbourne Eagles		54	44	98
	Eastbourne Eagles		60	50	110
	Coventry Bees		30	40	70

Home team scores are in bold
Overall aggregate scores are in red

Semi-finals

28 September	[10]	Mildenhall Fen Tigers	61–29	Kent Kings	West Row Arena Referee(s): Darren Hartley

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1 October	[11]	Kent Kings	44–46	Mildenhall Fen Tigers	Central Park Stadium Referee(s): Paul Carrington

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17 October	[12]	Eastbourne Eagles	60–30	Coventry Bees	Arlington Stadium Referee(s): Christina Turnball

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20 October	[13]	Coventry Bees	40–50	Eastbourne Eagles	Beaumont Park Stadium Referee(s): Tony Steele

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Grand Final

21 October	[14]	Eastbourne Eagles Georgie Wood 13 Mark Baseby 12 Tom Brennan 10 Jason Edwards 6 Ethan Spiller 6 Charlie Brooks 5 Charley Powell 2	54–35	Mildenhall Fen Tigers Drew Kemp 11 Josh Bailey 9 Ryan Kinsley 9 Matt Mason 6 Sam Bebee 0 Kelsey Dugard 0 Jordan Jenkins R/R	Arlington Stadium Referee(s): Ronnie Allan

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25 October	[15]	Mildenhall Fen Tigers Drew Kemp 13 Josh Bailey 10 Ryan Kinsley 10 Nathan Stoneman (guest) 6 Matt Mason 5 Sam Bebee 2 Jordan Jenkins R/R	46–44	Eastbourne Eagles Georgie Wood 11 Mark Baseby 10 Tom Brennan 7 Charlie Brooks 7 Jason Edwards 5 Ethan Spiller 3 Charley Powell 1	West Row Arena Referee(s): Paul Carrington

National League Knockout Cup

The 2018 National League Knockout Cup was the 21st edition of the Knockout Cup for tier three teams. ^[16]

	Preliminary rounds							Quarter-finals							Semi-finals							Final
								Belle Vue Colts		58	54	112
								Buxton Hitmen		32	36	68
															Belle Vue Colts		25	43	68
															Mildenhall Fen Tigers		65	47	112
								Birmingham Brummies		37	41	78
								Mildenhall Fen Tigers		34	49	83
																						Mildenhall Fen Tigers		52	32	84
																						Eastbourne Eagles		38	58	96
								Coventry Bees		46	36	82
								Eastbourne Eagles		44	54	98
	Eastbourne Eagles		60	48	108
	Isle of Wight Warriors		30	42	72
															Eastbourne Eagles		45	52	97
															Kent Kings		45	38	83
								Plymouth Devils		34	39	73
								Kent Kings		38	51	89
	Kent Kings		56	57	113
	Stoke Potters		34	31	65

Home team scores are in bold
Overall aggregate scores are in red

First round

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20 April	[17]	Belle Vue Colts	58–32	Buxton Hitmen	National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Darren Hartley

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22 April	[18]	Buxton Hitmen	36–54	Belle Vue Colts	Hi-Edge Raceway Referee(s): Phil Griffin

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4 June	[19]	Kent Kings	56–34	Stoke Potters	Central Park Stadium Referee(s): Graham Reeve

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14 July	[20]	Stoke Potters	37–51	Kent Kings	Loomer Road Stadium Referee(s): Craig Ackroyd

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Quarter-finals

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20 April	[21]	Belle Vue Colts	58–32	Buxton Hitmen	National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Darren Hartley

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22 April	[22]	Buxton Hitmen	36–54	Belle Vue Colts	Hi-Edge Raceway Referee(s): Phil Griffin

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9 May	[23]	Birmingham Brummies	37–34	Mildenhall Fen Tigers	Perry Barr Stadium Referee(s): Ronnie Allan

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17 June	[24]	Mildenhall Fen Tigers	49–41	Birmingham Brummies	West Row Arena Referee(s): Craig Ackroyd

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26 April	[25]	Isle of Wight Warriors	42–48	Eastbourne Eagles	Smallbrook Stadium Referee(s): Craig Ackroyd

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13 May	[26]	Coventry Bees	46–44	Eastbourne Eagles	Beaumont Park Stadium Referee(s): Peter Clarke

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20 July	[27]	Plymouth Devils	34–38	Kent Kings	St. Boniface Arena Referee(s): Margaret Vardy

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6 August	[28]	Kent Kings	51–39	Plymouth Devils	Central Park Stadium Referee(s): Paul Carrington

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Semi-finals

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19 August	[29]	Mildenhall Fen Tigers	64–25	Belle Vue Colts	West Row Arena Referee(s): Darren Hartley

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14 September	[30]	Belle Vue Colts	43–47	Mildenhall Fen Tigers	National Speedway Stadium Referee(s): Graham Flint

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24 September	[31]	Kent Kings	45–45	Eastbourne Eagles	Central Park Stadium Referee(s): Graham Reeve

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29 September	[32]	Eastbourne Eagles	52–38	Kent Kings	Arlington Stadium Referee(s): Paul Carrington

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Grand Final

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12 October	[33]	Mildenhall Fen Tigers Drew Kemp 15 Josh Bailey 12 Ryan Kinsley 9 Jordan Jenkins 7 Sam Bebee 6 Matt Marson 3 Danny Ayres R/R	52–38	Eastbourne Eagles Tom Brennan 11 Georgie Wood 9 Mark Baseby 9 Charlie Brooks 4 Jason Edwards 3 Ethan Spiller 2 Charley Powell 0	West Row Arena Referee(s): Chris Gay

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13 October	[34]	Eastbourne Eagles Tom Brennan 13 Georgie Wood 12 Ethan Spiller 9 Mark Baseby 7 Charlie Brooks 7 Jason Edwards 6 Charley Powell 4	58–32	Mildenhall Fen Tigers Drew Kemp 13 Josh Bailey 6 Ryan Kinsley 6 Matt Marson 6 Jordan Jenkins 1 Sam Bebee 0 Danny Ayres R/R	Arlington Stadium Referee(s): Dave Robinson

National Trophy

Northern Section

Fixtures

Home \ Away	BRM	BUX	COV	CRA	STK
Birmingham Brummies		60–30	53–37	45–45	57–33
Buxton Hitmen	29–61		31–59	32–57	41–48
Coventry Bees	42–48	00–00		40–49	52–38
Cradley Heathens	52–37	68–22	40–49		59–29
Stoke Potters	33–57	56–34	00–00	22–37

Source: ^[8]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Teams face each other two times: once home and once away.

Table

National Trophy Northern Section Table Up to And Including Wednesday 1 August

Pos.	Club	M	Home			Away					F	A	Pts	+/−
			W	D	L	4W	3W	D	1L	L
1	Cradley Heathens	8	3	0	1	3	0	1	0	0	407	276	23	+131
2	Birmingham Brummies	8	3	1	0	2	1	0	0	1	418	301	21	+117
3	Coventry Bees	6	1	0	2	2	0	0	0	1	279	259	11	+20
4	Stoke Potters	7	1	0	2	1	0	0	0	3	259	337	7	-78
5	Buxton Hitmen	7	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	3	219	409	0	+190

^[35]

Southern Section

Fixtures

Home \ Away	EAS	IOW	KK	MIL	PLY
Eastbourne Eagles		56–34	68–21	50–39	49–41
Isle of Wight Warriors	37–53		32–56	31–59	43–47
Kent Kings	00–00	00–00		00–00	46–43
Mildenhall Fen Tigers	46–44	57–33	44–45		00–00
Plymouth Devils	44–46	54–36	46–43	29–61

Source: ^[8]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Teams face each other two times: once home and once away.

Table

Final National Trophy Southern Section Table

Pos.	Club	M	Home			Away					F	A	Pts	+/−
			W	D	L	4W	3W	D	1L	L
1	Mildenhall Fen Tigers	8	4	0	0	2	1	0	0	1	450	267	23	+133
2	Eastbourne Eagles	8	4	0	0	1	1	0	1	1	397	321	20	+76
3	Kent Kings	8	3	0	1	1	0	0	1	2	346	368	14	-22
4	Plymouth Devils	8	2	0	2	0	1	0	1	2	329	388	10	-59
5	Isle of Wight Warriors	8	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	4	270	448	0	-178

^[35]

Grand Final

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11 September	[36]	Cradley Heathens Richard Andrews 13 Jason Edwards 7 Kyle Bickley 6 Alfie Bowtell 5 Jack Smith (guest) 5 Ellis Perks 2 James Chattin 1	39–51	Mildenhall Fen Tigers Max Clegg (guest) 15 Drew Kemp 15 Ryan Kinsley 8 Jordan Jenkins 6 Matt Marson 4 Sam Bebee 3 Josh Bailey R/R	Monmore Green Referee(s): David Watters

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16 September	[37]	Mildenhall Fen Tigers Ben Morley (guest) 9 Drew Kemp 9 Jordan Jenkins 9 Ryan Kinsley 7 Matt Marson 7 Sam Bebee 6 Josh Bailey 2	49–41	Cradley Heathens Nathan Stoneman (guest) 14 Alfie Bowtell 10 Jason Edwards 7 Tom Brennan (guest) 6 Richard Andrews 3 James Chattin 1 Ellis Perks R/R	West Row Arena Referee(s): David Watters

Final leading averages

Rider	Team	Average
Tom Bacon	Birmingham	10.54
James Shanes	Birmingham	10.38
Connor Mountain	Coventry	10.18
Luke Bowen	Kent	10.10
Drew Kemp	Mildenhall	9.59

Riders' Championship

Ben Morley won the Riders' Championship for the second time. The final was held on 30 September at Beaumont Park Stadium. ^[38]

Pos.	Rider	Points	Total
1	Ben Morley	3 2 3 3 3	14+3
2	Alfie Bowtell	3 3 2 3 3	14+2
3	Connor Mountain	3 3 3 3 1	13
4	Jack Thomas	1 1 3 3 2	10
5	Max Clegg	E 3 3 2 0	8
6	Tom Perry	0 1 2 2 3	8
7	Mark Baseby	XD 3 2 1 2	8
8	Georgie Wood	3 2 1 1 1	8
9	Ryan Kinsley	2 2 0 2 1	7
10	Nathan Stoneman	F 1 2 0 3	6
11	Jon Armstrong	2 0 1 2 1	6
12	Tom Woolley	2 1 0 0 2	5
13	Kyle Bickley	2 0 1 1 0	4
14	Henry Atkins	1 2 0 1 0	4
15	Dan Gilkes (res)	1 2	3
16	Sheldon Davies	1 0 0 0 0	1
17	Ben Woodhull (res)	0 0	0
18	Drew Kemp	R FD - - -	0

Teams and final averages

Belle Vue Colts

• Kyle Bickley 8.84
• Jack Smith 8.59
• Tom Perry 8.34
• Joe Lawlor 7.52
• Ben Woodhull 5.71
• Paul Bowen 3.92
• Kean Dicken 2.78

Birmingham Brummies

• Tom Bacon 10.54
• James Shanes 10.38
• Leon Flint 9.10
• Danyon Hume 8.86
• Dan Greenwood 5.33
• Callum Walker 4.68
• Josh Embleton 3.36
• Layne Cupitt 2.22
• Arran Butcher 2.00
• Sheldon Davies 1.80

Buxton Hitmen

• Ben Wilson 8.44
• Tom Woolley 7.33
• Connor Coles 7.18
• David Wallinger 6.18
• Corban Pavitt 3.27
• Lewis Whitmore 2.65
• Kieran Douglas 2.30

Coventry Bees

• Connor Mountain 10.18
• Jon Armstrong 8.21
• Danny Phillips 7.61
• Luke Ruddick 7.42
• Luke Harris 6.82
• Jamie Halder 5.73
• Ryan MacDonald 3.92

Cradley Heathens

• Richard Andrews
• Kyle Bickley
• Alfie Bowtell
• Jason Edwards
• Taylor Hampshire
• Drew Kemp
• Ellis Perks

The Cradley team only took part in the National Trophy competition

Eastbourne Eagles

• Georgie Wood 9.58
• Mark Baseby 9.16
• Tom Brennan 8.70
• Jason Edwards 8.25
• Ethan Spiller 6.80
• Charley Powell 6.45
• Charlie Brooks 6.11
• Kelsey Dugard 5.44

Isle of Wight Warriors

• Alfie Bowtell 9.51
• Ben Morley 9.47
• Ben Hopwood 7.37
• Scott Campos 6.62
• Danny Verge 5.35
• Chris Wildman 4.15
• Shaun Tedham 3.35
• Jamie Bursill 2.50

Kent Kings

• Luke Bowen 10.10
• Jack Thomas 8.55
• Anders Rowe 8.32
• Nathan Stoneman 8.17
• Paul Hurry 7.50
• Taylor Hampshire 5.94
• Alex Spooner 5.64
• William O'Keefe 3.20
• Jacob Clouting 1.14

Mildenhall Fen Tigers

• Drew Kemp 9.59
• Danny Ayres 9.37
• Josh Bailey 9.25
• Ryan Kinsley 8.56
• Danny Halsey 8.21
• Jordan Jenkins 8.17
• Sam Bebee 5.86
• Matt Marson 5.53

Plymouth Devils

• Adam Roynon 10.00
• Ellis Perks 9.38
• Ben Hopwood 8.42
• Richard Andres 6.75
• Henry Atkins 7.31
• Ryan Terry-Daley 6.21
• Kelsey Dugard 2.44
• Macauley Leek 3.67

Stoke Potters

• Max Clegg 8.72
• Tony Atkin 8.00
• David Wallinger 6.56
• Rob Shuttleworth 6.49
• Adam Extance 4.83
• Paul Burnett 4.36
• Joe Alcock 3.38
• Josh Embleton 3.00
• Arran Butcher 1.43

Development Leagues

Midland Development League

Pos	team	P	W	D	L	Pts
1	Peterborough	8	8	0	0	16
2	Belle Vue Colts	8	4	1	3	9
3	Birmingham	8	3	0	5	6
4	Carmarthen Dragons	8	2	1	5	5
5	Milton Keynes	8	2	0	6	4

Northern Junior League

Pos	team	P	W	D	L	Pts
1	Berwick	12	12	0	0	24
2	Peterborough	12	8	0	4	16
3	Ashfield	12	5	1	6	11
4	Newcastle	12	5	0	7	10
5	Workington	11	4	0	7	8
6	Redcar	12	3	1	8	7
7	Edinburgh	11	3	0	8	6

Southern Development League

Pos	team	P	W	D	L	Pts
1	Kent	8	7	0	1	14
2	Reading	8	5	1	3	11
3	Exeter	8	5	0	3	10
4	Isle of Wight	8	2	1	5	5
5	Weymouth	8	0	0	8	0

See also

• List of United Kingdom speedway league champions

References

1. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35781%7Ctitle= Eagles Win NL Title 26 October 2018
2. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35725%7Ctitle= Eagles Win Cup Again 14 October 2018
3. http://speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35579%7Ctitle= Trophy Koy For Fen Tigers 17 September 2018
4. "Final National League Averages" (PDF). 30 November 2018.
5. "2018 Fixtures" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
6. "Depleted Fen Tigers lose final". Suffolk News. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
7. "October 2018 The Eagles". Eastbourne Speedway. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
8. http://www.speedwaygb.co/march18%7Ctitle= March Results
   http://www.speedwaygb.co/april18%7Ctitle- April Results
   http://www.speedwaygb.co/may18%7Ctitle- May Results
   http://speedwaygb.co/june18%7Ctitle- June Results
   http://speedwaygb.co/july18%7Ctitle- July Results
   http://speedwaygb.co/august18%7Ctitle- August Results
   http://speedwaygb.co/september18%7Ctitle- September Results
   http://speedwaygb.co/october18%7Ctitle- October Results
   All British Speedway Result Details Are Retrieved From Official Speedway GB Website http://www.speedwaygb.co
9. 2018 National League Table Retrieved Form Official Speedway GB Website http://speedwaygb.co.uk/nationalleaguetable18
10. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/_mobile/news.php?extend.35639%7Ctitle= Big Win For Fen Tigers 29 September 2018
11. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/_mobile/news.php?extend.35661%7Ctitle= Job Done For Fen Tigers 2 October 2018
12. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35743%7Ctitle= 30-Point Lead For Eagles 18 October 2018
13. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35758%7Ctitle= Eagles Into NL Grand Final 21 October 2018
14. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35764%7Ctitle= Eagles Build Their Advantage 22 October 2018
15. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35781%7Ctitle= Eagles Win NL Title 26 October 2018
16. "2018 National League Knockout Cup". Speedway GB.
17. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.34220%7Ctitle= Colts On Charge 21 April 2018
18. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.34240%7Ctitle= Colts Through In Cup 23 April 2018
19. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.34652%7Ctitle= Big Lead For Kngs 5 June 2018
20. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35017%7Ctitle= Kings Go Through 15 July 2018
21. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.34220%7Ctitle= Colts On Charge 21 April 2018
22. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.34240%7Ctitle= Colts Through In Cup 23 April 2018
23. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.34411%7Ctitle= Davey Hurt In Brum Win 10 May 2018
24. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.34780%7Ctitle= Fen Tigers Into Semis 18 June 2018
25. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.34274%7Ctitle= Eagles Make Progress 27 April 2018
26. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.34451%7Ctitle= Fen Tigers Off To A Win 14 May 2018
27. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35069%7Ctitle= Kings Win Abandoned Tie 21 July 2018
28. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35206%7Ctitle= Kings Through But Boxhall Out 7 August 2018
29. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35321%7Ctitle= Hughe Win For Fen Tigers 20 August 2018
30. http://speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35555%7Ctitle= Fen Tigers Reach Final 15 September 2018
31. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/_mobile/news.php?extend.35622%7Ctitle= All Square At Kent 25 September 2018
32. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/_mobile/news.php?extend.35647%7Ctitle= Saturday Night's Alright For Eagles 30 September 2018
33. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35722%7Ctitle= Fen Tigers Lead By 13 October 2018
34. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35725%7Ctitle= Eagles Win Cup Again 14 October 2018
35. 2018 National League Trophy Table Retrieved Form Official Speedway GB Website http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/nationaltrophytable18
36. http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35538%7Ctitle= Fen Tigers In Charge 12 September 2018
37. http://speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.35579%7Ctitle= Trophy Koy For Fen Tigers 17 September 2018
38. "2018 National League Riders' Championship" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 30 June 2023.