Redcar Bears

For the former Middlesbrough speedway team, see Middlesbrough Bears.

Redcar Bears
Club information
Track address	Ecco Arena Dormor Way Southbank Road Middlesbrough TS6 6XH
Country	England
Founded	2006
Promoter	Jade Mudgway & Jamie Swales
Team manager	Gavin Parr
League	SGB Championship National Development League
Website	www.redcar-speedway.com
Club facts
Colours	Red, White, Black and Grey
Track size	271 [1] metres (296 yd)
Track record time	52.2 seconds
Track record date	28 October 2022, Teesside Silver Pan
Track record holder	Lewis Kerr
Current senior team
Rider CMA Charles Wright (capt) Jason Edwards Erik Riss Ace Pijper Danny King Jake Mulford Tom Spencer
Current junior team
Rider CMA Jamie Halder Danny Phillips Ace Pijper Stene Pijper Ben Rathbone Tom Spencer Kai Ward
Major team honours
SGB Championship KO Cup 2019 Young Shield Winners 2007 Pairs 2022

The Redcar Bears are a British motorcycle speedway team who compete in the SGB Championship (second tier of the British speedway leagues). The club was founded in 2006 and 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 (which is not to be confused with the former Middlesbrough club).

History

Origins and 2000s

Speedway in Middlesbrough began at the Cleveland Park Stadium and with a Middlesbrough team (later the Bears) that first competed in the 1929 Speedway English Dirt Track League. The racing took place from 1929 until 1996, when the Cleveland Park Stadium was demolished. ^[2]

It was not until 2006 that speedway returned to Middlesbrough, with a new team name by the name of Redcar Bears, racing at the purpose built South Tees Motorsports Park (a former quad bike practice area). The team were promoted by Chris Van Straaten and Gareth Rogers, managed by Brian Havelock and captained by his son Gary Havelock (the 1992 world champion) ^[3] and entered the 2006 Premier League speedway season, the Premier League was division 2 at the time. ^[4] The Bears raced their first home fixture on 13 april 2006 against Sheffield Tigers and finished the season in a solid sixth place. ^[5]

In 2007, the Bears won the Premier League consolation tournament known as the Young Shield, ^[6] beating the Birmingham Brummies.

2010s

From 2010 to 2016, the team continued to compete in the Premier League but experienced season of mediocrity. 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. ^[7]

In 2019, Jitendra Duffill became co-promoter replacing Kevin Keay, with Jade Mudgway continuing as the team manager and co-promoter. ^{[8] [9] [10]} Gary Havelock also re-joined the club as the rider's coach. ^[11] 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. ^{[12] [13]} During the 2019 season, the Bears long-awaited search for major silverware ended when they beat Newcastle Diamonds in the Championship Knockout Cup final. ^[14] Additionally Bears' rider Charles Wright became the 2019 British Speedway Champion after winning the final at the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester ^[15] and Erik Riss won his first Championship Riders title at Sheffield. ^{[16] [17]}

2020s

For the 2020 season the Bears retained five of the previous years team but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19. ^{[18] [19]}

The 2021 season saw the Bears lose their reign as Knockout 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, the South Tees Motorsports Park became the ECCO Arena, after long-time sponsor ECCO Finishing Supplies took up the opportunity to take over the stadium naming rights. ^[20]

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. ^[21] Also in August, Katie Gordon who rode for the Redcar Cubs, won the inaugural NORA Women's British Championship. ^[22] The following year in 2023, Charles Wright won the Riders' Championship at the Ecco Arena. ^[23]

In 2024, Charles Wright and Danny King won the Pairs Championship. ^[24]

Season summary

Extended content

Year and league Position Notes 2006 Premier League speedway season 6th 2007 Premier League speedway season 9th Young Shield 2008 Premier League speedway season 7th 2008 Speedway Conference League 3rd Redcar Cubs 2009 Premier League speedway season 5th 2010 Premier League speedway season 14th 2011 Premier League speedway season 10th 2012 Premier League speedway season 9th 2013 Premier League speedway season 6th 2014 Premier League speedway season 10th 2015 Premier League speedway season 13th 2016 Premier League speedway season 13th SGB Championship 2017 5th SGB Championship 2018 10th SGB Championship 2019 3rd Play offs SGB Championship 2021 4th [25] SGB Championship 2022 6th Play offs, pairs winners SGB Championship 2023 5th Play offs SGB Championship 2024 6th Pairs winners

Season summary (junior team)

Extended content
Year and league Position Notes 2024 National Development League speedway season 6th Middlesbrough Tigers

Notable riders

• Dimitri Bergé
• Gary Havelock
• Lewis Kerr
• Danny King
• Erik Riss
• Mathieu Trésarrieu
• Charles Wright

Previous seasons

Extended content

2006 Team Gary Havelock Kevin Little Mathieu Trésarrieu Chris Kerr Daniel Giffard Jack Hargreaves Richard Juul Tomáš Suchánek 2007 Team Gary Havelock James Grieves Mathieu Trésarrieu Chris Kerr Daniel Giffard Jamie Courtney Rusty Hodgson Josh Auty Also Rode: Robbie Kessler Jack Hargreaves 2008 Team Gary Havelock James Grieves Ty Proctor Chris Kerr Daniel Giffard Arlo Bugeja Josh Auty Also Rode: Joni Keskinen 2009 Team Gary Havelock Ty Proctor Carl Stonehewer Ben Wilson Robbie Kessler Benji Compton Arlo Bugeja 2010 Team= Gary Havelock Joe Haines James Grieves Emiliano Sanchez Charles Wright Peter Juul Larsen Tomas Suchanek 2011 Team Jason Lyons Peter Juul Matěj Kůs Gary Havelock Aaron Summers Adam Roynon Robert Branford 2012 Team Ulrich Ostergaard Matěj Kůs Carl Wilkinson - No.3 was previously Gary Havelock but Wilkinson signed due to Havelock's injury. Justin Sedgmen Aaron Summers Max Dilger Mark Jones - Replaced Robert Branford 2013 Team Ulrich Ostergaard Matěj Kůs Carl Wilkinson Hugh Skidmore Aaron Summers Max Dilger Mickey Dyer 2014 Team Richard Lawson Mark Lemon Carl Wilkinson Hugh Skidmore Aaron Summers Jan Graversen Rafal Konopka Also Rode: Luke Crang Richard Hall 2015 Team Lasse Bjerre Matěj Kůs Hugh Skidmore Stuart Robson Jonas B Andersen Dimitri Bergé Jan Graversen Also Rode: Adam Roynon Rafal Konopka Ben Morley 2016 Team Lasse Bjerre Tobias Busch Hugh Skidmore David Bellego Jonas B Andersen Lee Payne Jye Etheridge Also Rode: Jacob Bukhave Simon Nielsen 2017 Team Jason Garrity Ben Barker Charles Wright Jonas B Andersen Tobias Busch Danny Ayres Ellis Perks Also Rode: Coty Garcia Replaced Tobias Busch on a 28-day loan period. Richard Hall Replaced by Danny Ayres 17 May 2017. 2017 Competitions & Results 2018 Team Ben Barker Thomas Jørgensen Dimitri Bergé Jonas B Andersen Mikkel B Andersen Jordan Stewart Nike Lunna Also rode: Theo Pijper [26] - Replaced 31 May 2018 by Thomas Jørgensen [27] Matěj Kůs [28] - Replaced 3 June 2018 by Dimitri Bergé [29] Nathan Greaves - On a 28-day contract replacing Tobias Busch 3 June 2018 – 5 July 2018 [29] Tobias Busch - Replaced 9 August 2018 by Nike Lunna [30] Jade Mudgway deputised for Team Manager Jitendra Duffill. [31] 2018 Competitions & Results 2019 Team Erik Riss (2019 Championship Riders Champion) Kasper Andersen Jordan Stewart Charles Wright (2019 British Speedway Champion) Michael Palm Toft Nathan Greaves Tom Woolley Also Rode: Ben Barker [32] replaced 4/6/19 by Ulrich Ostergaard [33] Ulrich Ostergaard replaced by Erik Riss 3/7/19 Tom Bacon replaced by Kasper Andersen 3/7/19 Jack Smith replaced by Tom Woolley 3/7/19 3 July 2019 changes [34] 2019 Competitions & Results 2020 Team Charles Wright Erik Riss Michael Palm Toft Jordan Stewart Kasper Andersen Joe Lawlor Jordan Jenkins 2021 Team Charles Wright Michael Palm Toft Jake Allen Jordan Stewart Anders Rowe James Sarjeant Jordan Jenkins 2022 Team Charles Wright Erik Riss Lewis Kerr Kasper Andersen Jordan Jenkins Jason Edwards Kyle Newman Also Rode: Adam Roynon Replaced by Kyle Bickley 4/7/22. [35] Kyle Bickley Replaced by Kyle Newman 11/8/22. [36]

References

1. "Club Info".
2. "Tee-d off" . Western Evening Herald. 19 September 1996. Retrieved 2 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Speedway fans flock to the region as new track opens". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
4. "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - MODERN ERA (1991-PRESENT)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
5. "2006 fixtures" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
6. Neal, Martin (29 October 2007). "Shield-winning Redcar Bears now go for double". Gazettelive.co.uk.
7. "Bears win an award!". Redcar-speedway.com. 4 August 2022.
8. "New Promoter for Bears". Redcar-speedway.com. 5 September 2018.
9. "Duffill steps up". Redcar-speedway.com. 20 June 2017.
10. "Mudgway and Terry the Track return". Redcar-speedway.com. 15 January 2020.
11. http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/966103820?-17473:2778:most_read_top#out ^{[ dead link ‍]}
12. "BEARS MOVE TO FRIDAYS - British Speedway Official Website". Speedwaygb.co.uk. 3 March 2017.
13. "Agilia Infrastructure Partners Ltd the Bears main backers in 2019!". Redcar-speedway.com. 26 April 2018.
14. "Bears through to KO Cup Final!". 14 September 2017.
15. "Wright crowned British champion - British Speedway Official Website". www.speedwaygb.co.uk.
16. "Erik Riss wins Championship Riders title!". 11 September 2019.
17. "Riss makes Redcar history - Speedway Star : Weekly Speedway Magazine and Xtra".
18. "Bears complete side!". 17 May 2018.
19. "OFFICIAL STATEMENT - British Speedway Official Website".
20. "Welcome to the ECCO Arena!". 4 June 2021.
21. "Bears Are Pairs Champions". 13 August 2022.
22. "The teenage champion on a mission to get more women into Speedway". 17 August 2022.
23. "Charles Wright's thrilling battle to be champion". Cumbria Crack. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
24. "Charles Wright helps Redcar Bears pull off incredible comeback". Cumbria Crack. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
25. "BRITISH SPEEDWAY UPDATE - British Speedway Official Website".
26. "Bears make team change". Redcar-speedway.com. 4 August 2019.
27. "Team news update". Redcar-speedway.com. 27 May 2017.
28. "Bears release Kus". Redcar-speedway.com. 22 October 2020.
29. "Bears bring in two". Redcar-speedway.com. 20 August 2023.
30. "Bears swoop for Lunna". Redcar-speedway.com. 17 August 2017.
31. "Duffill steps down as team boss for now". Redcar-speedway.com. 11 September 2019.
32. "Bears release Barker". Redcar-speedway.com. 29 June 2017.
33. McGhie, Keith (4 June 2019). "Redcar Bears bring in Danish star to replace former skipper". Gazettelive.
34. "Bears make three changes". 7 July 2023.
35. "Bickley's a Bear". 14 February 2019.
36. "Newman for the Bears". 15 February 2019.