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

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
1969Birchfield HarriersCardiffThames Valley Harriers
1970Thames Valley HarriersBirchfield HarriersCardiff
1971Thames Valley HarriersBirchfield HarriersCardiff
1972CardiffThames Valley HarriersWolverhampton & Bilston
1973CardiffThames Valley HarriersWolverhampton & Bilston
1974CardiffWolverhampton & BilstonThames Valley Harriers
1975Wolverhampton & BilstonThames Valley HarriersEdinburgh Southern Harriers
1976Wolverhampton & BilstonEdinburgh Southern HarriersThames Valley Harriers
1977Wolverhampton & BilstonStretfordCardiff
1978Wolverhampton & BilstonCardiffStretford
1979Wolverhampton & BilstonEssex BeaglesThames Valley Harriers
1980Wolverhampton & BilstonShaftesbury Barnet HarriersEssex Beagles
1981Wolverhampton & BilstonHaringey Essex Beagles
1982Wolverhampton & BilstonHaringey Birchfield Harriers
1983Birchfield HarriersHaringey Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers
1984Haringey Wolverhampton & BilstonBirchfield Harriers
1985Birchfield Harriers Wolverhampton & BilstonHaringey
1986Haringey Birchfield Harriers Wolverhampton & Bilston
1987Birchfield Harriers Haringey Wolverhampton & Bilston
1988Haringey Birchfield Harriers Belgrave Harriers
1989Birchfield Harriers Haringey Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers
1990Haringey Birchfield Harriers Belgrave Harriers
1991Haringey Belgrave HarriersThames Valley Harriers
1992Belgrave HarriersHaringey Birchfield Harriers
1993Haringey Belgrave HarriersBirchfield Harriers
1994Thames Valley HarriersBelgrave HarriersBirchfield Harriers
1995Belgrave HarriersThames Valley HarriersHaringey
1996Sale Harriers ManchesterBelgrave HarriersThames Valley Harriers
1997Belgrave HarriersPuma Thames Valley HarriersSale Harriers Manchester
1998Belgrave HarriersNewham & Essex BeaglesSale Harriers Manchester
1999Belgrave HarriersShaftesbury Barnet HarriersSale Harriers Manchester
2000Belgrave HarriersNewham & Essex BeaglesSale Harriers Manchester
2001Belgrave HarriersBirchfield HarriersWoodford Green with Essex Ladies
2002Belgrave HarriersWoodford Green with Essex LadiesBirchfield Harriers
2003Belgrave HarriersNewham & Essex BeaglesWoodford Green with Essex Ladies
2004Belgrave HarriersWoodford Green with Essex LadiesBirchfield Harriers
2005Woodford Green with Essex LadiesBelgrave HarriersBirchfield Harriers
2006Belgrave HarriersWoodford Green with Essex LadiesCity of Manchester
2007City of ManchesterBirchfield HarriersWoodford Green with Essex Ladies
2008Newham and Essex BeaglesWoodford Green with Essex LadiesCity of Manchester
2009Newham and Essex BeaglesWoodford Green with Essex LadiesBirchfield Harriers
2010Newham and Essex BeaglesBirchfield HarriersWoodford Green with Essex Ladies
2011City of ManchesterWoodford Green with Essex LadiesBirchfield Harriers
2012Shaftesbury Barnet HarriersNewham and Essex BeaglesWoodford Green with Essex Ladies
2013Shaftesbury Barnet HarriersCity of ManchesterCity of Sheffield AC
2014City of ManchesterShaftesbury Barnet HarriersCity 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[5]

Premiership
Country Club First Appearance in BAL
Birchfield Harriers1969
City of Liverpool 1970
City of Sheffield and Dearne AC1977
Newham and Essex Beagles1975
Sale Harriers Manchester1969
Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers1976
Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow AC 1979
Woodford Green with Essex Ladies1969

National Division One
Country Club First Appearance in BAL
Basingstoke and Mid Hants2006
Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club1969
Enfield & Haringey Athletic Club 1972
Glasgow City 2009
Harrow Athletic Club 1986
Herne Hill Harriers1983
Southampton Athletic Club1969
Thames Valley Harriers1969

National Division Two
Country Club First Appearance in BAL
Bedford & County AC 1979
Bristol & West Athletic Club1969
Cardiff AAC1969
Crawley Athletic Club1985
Kent AC2002
Kingston Athletic Club and Polytechnic Harriers1969
Notts Athletic Club1969
Swansea Harriers AC1971

National Division Three
Country Club First Appearance in BAL
Bournemouth Athletic Club1992
Chelmsford AC2015
Havering Mayesbrook AC1991
Nene Valley Harriers 2010
Newquay and Par AC 2014
Southend Athletic Club2005
Trafford Athletic Club1974
Yeovil Olympiads Athletics Club2009

National Division Four
Country Club First Appearance in BAL
Brighton and Hove AC 2016
City of Portsmouth2015
Derby & Mansfield Combine2004 (Derby)/2010 (Mansfield)
Doncaster ACUnknown
Reading Athletic Club1971
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. 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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