# 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, 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.
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:
| 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
### Premiership

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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 |