British Athletics League

The British Athletics League is a track and field male team's competition, the most important in the United Kingdom for history and number of teams.

Launched in 1969,[1] the British Athletics League had in 2013 five different divisions, which gather a total of 38 track and field teams from all over the United Kingdom, although most of them come from England.

Competition

Since 2009, there are five different divisions (Premiership, National 1, National 2, National 3 and National 4). Each of them has eight teams in competition, except the Division 4, with only six teams. Every summer season, two teams are relegated and two teams promoted for every division. The last change in the number of divisions took place in 2009, with the creation of the National 4 division.[2]

In every division there is a total of four matches per season. Teams receive points according to their athletic performances, and those points are transformed in a range of 1 to 8 points for every match, according with the matches' final table. These points are added after the four matches to determine relegations, promotions and champions.

Winning teams

This table lists the top placed clubs from the top division: [3] [4]

Year First Second Third
1969 Birchfield Harriers CardiffThames Valley Harriers
1970 Thames Valley HarriersBirchfield Harriers Cardiff
1971 Thames Valley HarriersBirchfield Harriers Cardiff
1972 Cardiff Thames Valley HarriersWolverhampton & Bilston
1973 Cardiff Thames Valley HarriersWolverhampton & Bilston
1974 Cardiff Wolverhampton & Bilston Thames Valley Harriers
1975 Wolverhampton & Bilston Thames Valley HarriersEdinburgh Southern Harriers
1976 Wolverhampton & Bilston Edinburgh Southern Harriers Thames Valley Harriers
1977 Wolverhampton & Bilston Stretford Cardiff
1978 Wolverhampton & Bilston Cardiff Stretford
1979 Wolverhampton & Bilston Essex Beagles Thames Valley Harriers
1980 Wolverhampton & Bilston Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Essex Beagles
1981 Wolverhampton & Bilston Haringey Essex Beagles
1982 Wolverhampton & Bilston Haringey Birchfield Harriers
1983 Birchfield Harriers Haringey Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers
1984 Haringey Wolverhampton & Bilston Birchfield Harriers
1985 Birchfield Harriers Wolverhampton & Bilston Haringey
1986 Haringey Birchfield Harriers Wolverhampton & Bilston
1987 Birchfield Harriers Haringey Wolverhampton & Bilston
1988 Haringey Birchfield Harriers Belgrave Harriers
1989 Birchfield Harriers Haringey Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers
1990 Haringey Birchfield Harriers Belgrave Harriers
1991 Haringey Belgrave Harriers Thames Valley Harriers
1992 Belgrave Harriers Haringey Birchfield Harriers
1993 Haringey Belgrave Harriers Birchfield Harriers
1994 Thames Valley HarriersBelgrave Harriers Birchfield Harriers
1995 Belgrave Harriers Thames Valley HarriersHaringey
1996 Sale Harriers Manchester Belgrave Harriers Thames Valley Harriers
1997 Belgrave Harriers Puma Thames Valley Harriers Sale Harriers Manchester
1998 Belgrave Harriers Newham & Essex Beagles Sale Harriers Manchester
1999 Belgrave Harriers Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Sale Harriers Manchester
2000 Belgrave Harriers Newham & Essex Beagles Sale Harriers Manchester
2001 Belgrave Harriers Birchfield Harriers Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
2002 Belgrave Harriers Woodford Green with Essex Ladies Birchfield Harriers
2003 Belgrave Harriers Newham & Essex Beagles Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
2004 Belgrave Harriers Woodford Green with Essex Ladies Birchfield Harriers
2005 Woodford Green with Essex Ladies Belgrave Harriers Birchfield Harriers
2006 Belgrave Harriers Woodford Green with Essex Ladies City of Manchester
2007 City of Manchester Birchfield Harriers Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
2008 Newham and Essex Beagles Woodford Green with Essex Ladies City of Manchester
2009 Newham and Essex Beagles Woodford Green with Essex Ladies Birchfield Harriers
2010 Newham and Essex Beagles Birchfield Harriers Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
2011 City of Manchester Woodford Green with Essex Ladies Birchfield Harriers
2012 Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Newham and Essex Beagles Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
2013 Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers City of Manchester City of Sheffield AC
2014 City of Manchester Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers City of Sheffield AC
2015 Birchfield Harriers City of Sheffield AC Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers

Teams in 2016[5]

Premiership

Country Club First Appearance in BAL
England Birchfield Harriers 1969
England City of Liverpool 1970
England City of Sheffield AC 1977
England Newham and Essex Beagles 1975
England Sale Harriers Manchester 1969
England Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers 1976
England Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow AC 1979
England Woodford Green with Essex Ladies 1969

National Division One

Country Club First Appearance in BAL
England Basingstoke and Mid Hants 2006
England Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club 1969
England Enfield & Haringey Athletic Club 1972
Scotland Glasgow City 2009
England Harrow Athletic Club 1986
England Herne Hill Harriers 1983
England Southampton Athletic Club 1969
England Thames Valley Harriers 1969

National Division Two

Country Club First Appearance in BAL
England Bedford & County AC 1979
England Bristol & West Athletic Club 1969
Wales Cardiff AAC 1969
England Crawley Athletic Club 1985
England Kent AC 2002
England Kingston Athletic Club and Polytechnic Harriers 1969
England Notts Athletic Club 1969
Wales Swansea Harriers AC 1971

National Division Three

Country Club First Appearance in BAL
England Bournemouth Athletic Club 1992
England Chelmsford AC 2015
England Havering Mayesbrook AC 1991
England Nene Valley Harriers 2010
England Newquay and Par AC 2014
England Southend Athletic Club 2005
England Trafford Athletic Club 1974
England Yeovil Olympiads Athletics Club 2009

National Division Four

Country Club First Appearance in BAL
England Brighton and Hove AC 2016
England City of Portsmouth 2015
England Derby & Mansfield Combine 2004 (Derby)/2010 (Mansfield)
England Doncaster AC Unknown
England Reading Athletic Club 1971
England Rugby & Northampton AC Unknown

References

  1. 2011 League Information, BAL events' program, British Athletics League, p. 15.
  2. BAL Website.
  3. "AMAZING STATS FROM THE 40 YEARS OF THE BRITISH ATHLETICS LEAGUE". British Athletic League. British Athletic League. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  4. "British leagues and club competitions". GBR Athletics. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  5. "British Athletics League". www.bal.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-04-05.

External links

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