View source for Lejonen

{{Short description|Swedish motorcycle speedway team}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox motorcycle speedway team
|clubname =Lejonen
|image = [[File:Lejonen.png|centre|120px]]
|track = [[Gislaved Motorbana]]<br>(OnePartnerGroup Arena)<br>[[Gislaved, Sweden|Gislaved]]<br>[[Jönköping County]]<br>Sweden
|country = Sweden
|founded = 1936
|closed =
|manager  = Anders Fröjd and Mikael Holmstrand
|captain = Vacant
|league = [[Elitserien (speedway)|Elitserien]]
|website = [https://www.lejonen.se/ Official Website]
|colours = Black, gold and red
|nickname = 
|tracksize = 368 metres
|track record time= 62.2 seconds<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ta.svemo.se/Public/Pages/Competition/DrivingSchedule/CompetitionHeatSchema.aspx?Branch=Speedway&Season=2024&Serie=BAUHAUS%20Ligan&Resultfilter=APPROVED&Columns=FromDateShort,Name,HeatSchema,HeatResult&pagesize=20&Style=SvemoWebsite&CompetitionId=15549 | title=Matchresultat }}</ref>
|track record date= 11 June 2024
|track record holder= [[Robert Lambert (speedway rider)|Robert Lambert]]
|honour1 = [[Swedish Speedway Team Championship|Team champions]]  
|year1 = [[2008 Swedish speedway season|2008]], [[2009 Swedish speedway season|2009]], [[2024 Swedish speedway season|2024]]
|honour2 = [[Swedish Speedway Team Championship|silver medal]]  
|year2 = [[1971 Swedish speedway season|1971]], [[1972 Swedish speedway season|1972]], [[2022 Swedish speedway season|2022]]
}}

'''Lejonen''' ({{lit|the Lions}}) is a [[motorcycle speedway]] team from [[Gislaved, Sweden|Gislaved]] in Sweden, who compete in the [[Elitserien (speedway)|Elitserien]].<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Speedway Around The Globe - Sweden |url=|magazine=Speedway Star |pages=38–39 |location= |publisher= |date=23 July 2022 |access-date=}}</ref> Their home track is at the [[Gislaved Motorbana]] or the '''OnePartnerGroup Arena''' for sponsorship purposes, which is Sweden's oldest track still in use.<ref name="lej1">{{cite web | title = Lejonen Speedway site | publisher = Lejonen speedway | url = http://www.lejonen.se | language = sv | access-date = 2008-09-10 }}</ref> The club are three times [[Swedish Speedway Team Championship|champions of Sweden]].<ref name=SH>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/dmszwecji.php |title=HISTORICAL RESULTS 1948-2015 |website=Speedway History |access-date=2 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.visitisabergsregionen.se/en/experience/racing/speedway/  |title=Speed, excitement and drama |website=Visit Isabergs Regionen |access-date=6 September 2024 }}</ref>

== History ==
=== 1929 to 1968 ===
In December 1929 Gislaved Motorclub was formed and by 1931 the track was built. The track was originally {{convert|6|m|ft}} wide and {{convert|400|m|yd}} long but in 1936 it was widened to {{convert|10|m|ft}} and during the 1980s the inside edge of the track was moved and the length was reduced to {{convert|380|m|ft}}.

In [[1963 Swedish speedway season|1963]], '''Smålands Lejon''' began racing in Division Three, becoming Lejonen the following season in 1964.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/1964.htm |title=1964 |website=Speedway.org |access-date=16 February 2023}}</ref> During the [[1965 Swedish speedway season]], the club won their first honours by winning division three A.<ref name="lej1"/> They were promoted to division 2 and finished 2nd in [[1966 Swedish speedway season|1966]] and [[1967 Swedish speedway season|1967]] before winning division 2 in [[1968 Swedish speedway season|1968]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/1966.htm |title=1966 season |website=Speedway.org |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>

=== 1969 to 1982 ===
The club made their debut in the top flight in [[1969 Swedish speedway season|1969]], finishing 4th.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/1969.htm |title=1969 season |website=Speedway.org |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>

During the [[1971 Swedish speedway season]] and [[1972 Swedish speedway season]], the club, led by [[Jan Simensen]], Bo Josefsson and Therje Henriksson finished 2nd and won the silver medal. For the next decade the club found themselves bouncing between the first and second divisions.

=== 1982 to 1989 ===
With the introduction of the [[Elitserien (speedway)|Elitserien]] in [[1982 Swedish speedway season|1982]], the club were relegated that season and dropped two divisions. Although they gained promotion back to the second tier they struggled to make any challenge in the division and at the end of 1989 the club stopped racing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gislavedsmotorklubb.nu/elitserien-i-speedway/ |title=The elite series in speedway |website=Gislaved MotorKlubb |date=15 December 2014 |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>

=== 1998 to 2010 ===
The team returned for the [[1998 Swedish speedway season]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lejonen.se/foreningen/klubbens-historik |title=History |website=Lejonen Speedway |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref> They won promotion in [[2000 Swedish speedway season|2000]] to the [[Allsvenskan (speedway)|Allsvenskan]] and then seven years later, in [[2007 Swedish speedway season|2007]] won the Allsvenskan defeating [[Valsarna]] in the [[play-off]] final to gain promotion to the [[Elitserien (speedway)|Elitserien]] for [[2008 Swedish speedway season|2008]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.speedwayworld.tv/en/swedishleague/a8652 | title = Swedish Leagues | publisher = Benfield Sports International | year = 2007 | access-date = 2008-09-11 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

During the winter of 2007-08 the track underwent major changes to accommodate Elitserien racing and the club announced the signing of [[Nicki Pedersen]], the 2007 [[Speedway World Championship|World Champion]].<ref name="lej1"/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.speedwayworld.tv/en/swedishleague/a8686 | title = Nicki makes the switch | publisher = Benfield Sports International | year = 2007 | access-date = 2008-09-11 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The club became champions of Sweden for two successive years in 2008 and [[2009 Swedish speedway season|2009]] after they won the [[Swedish Speedway Team Championship]].<ref name=SH/> Pedersen, [[Chris Holder]], [[David Ruud]], [[Mikael Max]] and were instrumental in bringing the success to the club.

=== 2011 to present ===
The club were relegated and declared bankrupt in 2011 and dropped to division 1 (the third tier). They slowly recovered to win the Allsvenskan in [[2014 Swedish speedway season|2014]] and in [[2022 Swedish speedway season|2022]] won the Elitserien silver medal.

In 2024, the club became champions of Sweden for the third time after winning the Elitserien during the [[2024 Swedish speedway season]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.svt.se/sport/speedway/lejonen-svenska-mastare-efter-15-ars-vantan |title=The Lions Swedish champions after 15 years of waiting: "So many failures"  |website=SVT Nyheter |access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref>

== Smålänningarna and Team Dalej ==
'''Smålänningarna''' compete in the Allsvenskan and '''Team Dalej''' compete in the third tier (division 1), they are a collaboration between Dackarna and Lejonen allowing less senior riders the opportunity to race. The collaboration started in 2020 and the Smålänningarna name came from and old team that had riders from [[Småland]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dackarna.nu/artikel/y7lwakik7-1kk61/smalandslag-i-allsvenskt-speedwaysammarbete |title=Smålands team in Allsvenskt Speedway collaboration |website=Dackarna Speedway |access-date=5 January 2023}}</ref>

== Season summary ==
{{main|Swedish Speedway Team Championship}}

== Notable riders ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*{{player||SWE|[[Oliver Berntzon]]}}
*{{player||POL|[[Mateusz Cierniak]]}}
*{{player||POL|[[Dominik Kubera]]}}
*{{player||SWE|[[Hans Danielsson]]}}
*{{player||SWE|[[Willy Friberg]]}}
*{{player||SWE|[[Therje Henriksson]]}}
*{{player||AUS|[[Chris Holder]]}}
*{{player||SWE|[[Bo Josefsson]]}}
*{{player||POL|[[Dominik Kubera]]}}
*{{player||SWE|[[Mikael Max]]}}
*{{player||DEN|[[Nicki Pedersen]]}}
*{{player||SWE|[[David Ruud]]}}
*{{player||SWE|[[Jan Simensen]]}}
*{{player||POL|[[Bartosz Zmarzlik]]}}
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Swedish speedway teams}}

[[Category:Speedway teams in Sweden]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Jönköping County]]
[[Category:Gislaved Municipality]]
[[Category:1936 establishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:20th-century establishments in Jönköping County]]