British Athletics League

The British Athletics League is a men-only track and field team competition in the United Kingdom. For women there is the completely separate UK Women's Athletic League.

Launched in 1969,[1] the British Athletics League in 2013 had 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

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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

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

Year First Second Third
1969 Birchfield Harriers Cardiff Thames Valley Harriers
1970 Thames Valley Harriers Birchfield Harriers Cardiff
1971 Thames Valley Harriers Birchfield Harriers Cardiff
1972 Cardiff Thames Valley Harriers Wolverhampton & Bilston
1973 Cardiff Thames Valley Harriers Wolverhampton & Bilston
1974 Cardiff Wolverhampton & Bilston Thames Valley Harriers
1975 Wolverhampton & Bilston Thames Valley Harriers Edinburgh 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 Harriers Belgrave Harriers Birchfield Harriers
1995 Belgrave Harriers Thames Valley Harriers Haringey
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
2016 Birchfield Harriers Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
2017 Birchfield Harriers Newham and Essex Beagles Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
2018 Birchfield Harriers Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
2019 Birchfield Harriers Newham and Essex Beagles Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers

Teams in 2016

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[5]

Premiership

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

National Division One

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

National Division Two

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

National Division Three

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

National Division Four

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

References

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  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. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. 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. Archived from the original on 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
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