British Athletics League

Men-only track and field team competition in the United Kingdom

British Athletics LeagueSport| Athletics

|

Founded| 1969
Ceased| 2019
Country| United Kingdom
Most titles| Belgrave Harriers (11)

The British Athletics League was a men-only track and field team competition in the United Kingdom. The women's competition was known as the UK Women's Athletic League. The events were the pinnacle of the British athletic clubs league system. The competition ended after the 2019 edition, with it being replaced by the National Athletics League for the 2020 season, which was a merger of the mens and womens leagues.[1]

## History

[edit]

Launched in 1969,[2][3] the British Athletics League was split into different divisions, which gathered a total of 38 track and field teams from all over the United Kingdom.

Since 2009, there were 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 were relegated and two teams were promoted for every division. The last change in the number of divisions took place in 2009, with the creation of the National 4 division.[4]

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

## Past winners

[edit]

This table lists the top placed clubs from the top division: [5] [6]

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 AC | Cardiff
1978 | Wolverhampton & Bilston | Cardiff | Stretford AC
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 AC
2007 | City of Manchester AC | Birchfield Harriers | Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
2008 | Newham and Essex Beagles | Woodford Green with Essex Ladies | City of Manchester AC
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 AC | 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 AC | City of Sheffield AC
2014 | City of Manchester AC | 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 2019

[edit]

[7]

### Premiership

[edit]

Country  | Club  | First Appearance in BAL

|
|

| Birchfield Harriers | 1969
| Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club | 1969
| Cardiff AAC | 1969
| City of Sheffield and Dearne Athletic Club | 1977
| Harrow AC | 1986
| Newham and Essex Beagles | 1975
| Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers | 1976
| Woodford Green with Essex Ladies | 1969

### National Division One

[edit]

Country  | Club  | First Appearance in BAL

|
|

| Bournemouth Athletic Club | 1992
| City of Liverpool AC | 1970
| Sale Harriers Manchester | 1969
| Southampton Athletic Club | 1969
| Swansea Harriers AC | 1971
| Thames Valley Harriers | 1969
| Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow AC | 1979

### National Division Two

[edit]

Country  | Club  | First Appearance in BAL

|
|

| Bristol & West Athletic Club | 1969
| Chelmsford AC | 2015
| Crawley Athletic Club | 1985
| Glasgow City | 2009
| Havering Mayesbrook AC | 1991
| Herne Hill Harriers | 1983
| Kingston Athletic Club and Polytechnic Harriers | 1969
| Notts Athletic Club | 1969

### National Division Three

[edit]

Country  | Club  | First Appearance in BAL

|
|

| Basingstoke and Mid Hants | 2006
| Bedford & County AC | 1979
| City of Portsmouth AC | 2015
| Nene Valley Harriers | 2010
| Rugby & Northampton AC | unknown
| Tonbridge AC | unknown
| Trafford Athletic Club | 1974
| Yeovil Olympiads Athletics Club | 2009

### National Division Four

[edit]

Country  | Club  | First Appearance in BAL

|
|

| Croydon Harriers | unknown
| Enfield & Haringey AC | 1972
| Herts Phoenix AC | unknown
| Doncaster AC | Unknown
| Reading AC | 1971
| Newquay and Par AC | 2014
| Southend Athletic Club | 2005

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Males and Females together – some of the trends in mixed sport". Sport Wales. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
2. ^ "E.S.H. first Scots club in league". The Scotsman. 12 December 1968. Retrieved 4 April 2025 - via British Newspaper Archive.
3. ^ 2011 League Information, BAL events' program, British Athletics League, p. 15.
4. ^ BAL Website.
5. ^ "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.
6. ^ "British leagues and club competitions". GBR Athletics. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
7. ^ "British Athletics League 2019" (PDF). Power of 10. Retrieved 4 April 2025.

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British national championships in athletics

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WAAA Championships|

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UK Championships|

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AAA Indoor Championships|

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Leagues|

* National Athletics League (current)
* British Athletics League (defunct)
* UK Women's Athletic League (defunct)

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English and British National Champions

English National Championships

Men's competitions

* Association football
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* Women's competitions

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British National Championships

Men's competitions

* Athletics
* individual
* team
* Basketball
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* Cricket
* CC
* T20
* Cycling
* road
* track)
* Diving
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* Figure Skating
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* Women's competitions

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Athletics in the United Kingdom

* UK Athletics
* British records in athletics

| Major meetings|

* London Grand Prix
* British Grand Prix
* Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix
* Glasgow International Match
* British Athletics Championships
* British Indoor Athletics Championships
* National Athletics League

|

Major road races|

* London Marathon
* Great City Race
* Great Run series
* Great Manchester Run
* Great North Run
* Great South Run
* The Big Half

Major cross country|

* Antrim International Cross Country
* Great Edinburgh International Cross Country
* UK Cross Challenge

Championships|

* 1983 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
* 1994 IAAF World Cup
* 1995 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
* 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships
* 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships
* 2013 European Team Championships
* 2017 World Championships in Athletics

Defunct Championships|

* AAC Championships
* AAA Championships
* WAAA Championships
* UK Athletics Championships
* British Athletics League
* UK Women's Athletic League

See also
Category:Athletics in the United Kingdom
Category:British athletes
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