{{Short description|British motorcycle speedway competition}} {{Use British English|date=October 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox sports league | image = File:Ole Olsen Intercontinental Final.jpg | pixels = 150px | caption = Ole Olsen five times champion | sport = [[motorcycle speedway]] | founded = 1952 | fame = | motto = | competitors = | country = United Kingdom | champion = | folded = 1987 | website = | formerly = | replaced = | divisions = }}
The '''Midland Riders' Championship''' was an individual [[Motorcycle speedway|speedway]] competition for top riders of teams from the [[Midlands]].<ref name=SY81>{{cite book |last=Oakes |first=Peter |title=1981 Speedway Yearbook |year=1981 |page=66 |publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd |isbn=0-86215-017-5}}</ref>
== History == The Midland Riders' Championship was introduced in 1952.<ref>{{cite news |title=Leicester back Midland rider's championship |work=Leicester Evening Mail |date=4 February 1952 |access-date=8 December 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003330/19520204/159/0012 | via = [[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription }}</ref> It was restricted to the riders who represented teams from the Midlands area. The competition was a significant competition at the time, due to the speedway teams from the Midlands being some of the leading teams in the United Kingdom (particularly in the 1980s) when Oxford, Coventry and Cradley Heath dominated UK speedway.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/yearbyyear.html |title=Year by Year |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>
== Past winners == {| class="wikitable" |- align=center |width=50px |'''Year''' |width=200px {{Speedway color|P1}}|'''Winner''' |width=200px |'''Team''' |width=200px |'''Venue''' |width=20px |'''Ref''' |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1952 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Len Williams (speedway rider)|Len Williams]] ({{flagicon|ENG}}) | [[Leicester Hunters]] | [[Leicester Stadium]] |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003330/19521001/117/0009 |title=Brilliant riding by Len Williams |website=Leicester Evening Mail |date=1 October 1952 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=11 October 2024 }}</ref> |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1953 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Graham Warren]] ({{flagicon|AUS}}) | [[Birmingham Brummies]] | [[Brandon Stadium]] | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1954 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Ron Mountford]] ({{flagicon|ENG}}) | [[Birmingham Brummies]] | [[Birchfield Ladbroke Stadium]] | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1955 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Ken McKinlay]] ({{flagicon|SCO}}) | [[Leicester Hunters]] | Leicester Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1956 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Ken McKinlay]] ({{flagicon|SCO}}) | [[Leicester Hunters]] | Brandon Stadium |<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003330/19560602/391/0009 |title=This was the old Len Williams |website=Leicester Evening Mail |date=2 June 1956 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=11 October 2024 }}</ref> |- | align=center colspan=4|'''1957 not staged due to consequences of the [[Suez Crisis]]''' |<ref name=SY81/> |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1958 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Jack Geran]] ({{flagicon|AUS}}) | [[Leicester Hunters]] | [[Oxford Stadium]] | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1959 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Ken McKinlay]] ({{flagicon|SCO}}) | [[Leicester Hunters]] | Leicester Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1960 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Henryk Żyto]] ({{flagicon|POL}}) | [[Coventry Bees]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1961 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Jack Geran]] ({{flagicon|AUS}}) | [[Leicester Hunters]] | [[Abbey Stadium (Swindon)|Abbey Stadium]] | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1962 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Nigel Boocock]] ({{flagicon|ENG}}) | [[Coventry Bees]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1963 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Arne Pander]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Oxford Cheetahs]] | Oxford Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1964 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Barry Briggs]] ({{flagicon|NZL}}) | [[Swindon Robins]] | Oxford Stadium | |- align=left | align=center colspan=4|'''1965 not included in the calendar''' |<ref name=SY81/> |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1966 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Barry Briggs]] ({{flagicon|NZL}}) | [[Swindon Robins]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1967 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Barry Briggs]] ({{flagicon|NZL}}) | [[Swindon Robins]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1968 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Nigel Boocock]] ({{flagicon|ENG}}) | [[Coventry Bees]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1969 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Norman Hunter (speedway rider)|Norman Hunter]] ({{flagicon|ENG}}) | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1970 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Barry Briggs]] ({{flagicon|NZL}}) | [[Swindon Robins]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1971 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1972 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1973 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[John Boulger]] ({{flagicon|AUS}}) | [[Leicester Lions]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1974 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Dave Jessup]] ({{flagicon|ENG}}) | [[Leicester Lions]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1975 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1976 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Coventry Bees]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center colspan=4|'''1977 final not staged due to bad weather''' |<ref>{{cite book |last=Oakes |first=Peter |title=1978 Speedway Yearbook |year=1978 |page=43 |publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd |isbn=978-0904584509}}</ref> |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1978 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Coventry Bees]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1979 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1980 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Scott Autrey]] ({{flagicon|USA}}) | [[Swindon Robins]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1981 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Erik Gundersen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Cradley Heathens]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1982 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Erik Gundersen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Cradley Heathens]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1983 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Erik Gundersen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Cradley Heathens]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1984 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Lance King (speedway rider)|Lance King]] ({{flagicon|USA}}) | [[Cradley Heathens]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1985 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Oxford Cheetahs]] | Brandon Stadium | |- align=left | align=center {{Speedway color|2}}|1986 | {{Speedway color|p1}}|[[Tommy Knudsen]] ({{flagicon|DEN}}) | [[Coventry Bees]] | Brandon Stadium | |}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Speedway in the United Kingdom}} {{United Kingdom Speedway Seasons}}
[[Category:Speedway competitions in the United Kingdom]]