British League Division Two

{{Infobox sports league | logo = | pixels = | caption = | sport =[[motorcycle speedway|Speedway]] | founded =1968 | fame = | motto = | competitors =Varied | country =[[United Kingdom]] | champion = | folded =1994 | website = }}{{Short description|Second division British speedway racing league}} The '''British League Division Two''' was created in 1968 and was the second tier of [[motorcycle speedway|speedway]] racing in the [[United Kingdom]] until the restructuring of British speedway in 1995. It was renamed the '''New National League''' in 1975 and the '''National League''' between 1976 and 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/yearbyyear.html|title=Year by Year|website=Speedway Researcher|access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Rogers|first=Martin|title=The Illustrated History of Speedway|year=1978|page=129|publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-904584-45-3}}</ref>

==History== After the formation of the [[speedway British League|British League]] in 1965, riders wanting to break into teams found it more difficult to do so. The idea of forming a second division was suggested and in 1968 the idea became a reality when ten teams formed the league. The ten teams were: [[Belle Vue Colts]], [[Berwick Bandits]], [[Canterbury Crusaders (speedway)|Canterbury Crusaders]], [[Crayford Kestrels|Crayford Highwaymen]], [[Middlesbrough Bears|Middlesbrough Teessiders]], [[Nelson Admirals]], [[Plymouth Devils]], [[Rayleigh Rockets]], [[Reading Racers]] and the [[Weymouth Wildcats|Weymouth Eagles]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/history/leaguetables1946-1964|title=BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)|website=Official British Speedway website|access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref>

The league was renamed the New National League (to avoid confusion with the original [[National League (1932–1964)|National League]]) in 1975 after promoters of the Division Two tracks decided to form their own league after they became dissatisfied with the way the league was being run by the [[British Speedway Promoters' Association]] and the name was shortened to the National League in 1976. It was again named the British League Division Two in 1991 and a system of promotion and relegation was introduced between the British League and the British League Division Two. The league existed until 1994 when the top two league divisions of speedway in the UK were amalgamated for the 1995 and 1996 seasons. In 1997 the [[Premier League (speedway)|Premier League]] became the second tier when the [[Elite League (speedway)|Elite League]] was formed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/p/compet.html|title=Competitions|website=Speedway Archive|access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref>

==Champions== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%" ! Season ! Champions ! Second |- ! [[1968 British Speedway League Division Two|1968]] | [[Belle Vue Colts]] | [[Nelson Admirals]] |- ! [[1969 British Speedway League Division Two|1969]] | [[Belle Vue Colts]] | [[Reading Racers]] |- ! [[1970 British Speedway League Division Two|1970]] | [[Canterbury Crusaders (speedway)|Canterbury Crusaders]] | [[Eastbourne Eagles]] |- ! [[1971 British Speedway League Division Two|1971]] | [[Eastbourne Eagles]] | [[Bradford Northern (speedway)|Bradford Northern]] |- ! [[1972 British Speedway League Division Two|1972]] | [[Crewe Kings]] | [[Boston Barracudas]] |- ! [[1973 British Speedway League Division Two|1973]] | [[Boston Barracudas]] | [[Workington Comets]] |- ! [[1974 British Speedway League Division Two|1974]] | [[Birmingham Brummies]] | [[Eastbourne Eagles]] |- |colspan=3 align=center| ''in 1975, it was renamed the New National League'' |- ! [[1975 Speedway National League|1975]] | [[Birmingham Brummies]] | [[Newcastle Diamonds]] |- |colspan=3 align=center| ''from 1976-1990, it was named the National League'' |- ! [[1976 Speedway National League|1976]] | [[Newcastle Diamonds]] | [[Ellesmere Port Gunners]] |- ! [[1977 Speedway National League|1977]] | [[Eastbourne Eagles]] | [[Rye House Rockets]] |- ! [[1978 Speedway National League|1978]] | [[Canterbury Crusaders (speedway)|Canterbury Crusaders]] | [[Newcastle Diamonds]] |- ! [[1979 Speedway National League|1979]] | [[Mildenhall Fen Tigers]] | [[Rye House Rockets]] |- ! [[1980 Speedway National League|1980]] | [[Rye House Rockets]] | [[Newcastle Diamonds]] |- ! [[1981 Speedway National League|1981]] | [[Middlesbrough Bears|Middlesbrough Tigers]] | [[Weymouth Wildcats]] |- ! [[1982 Speedway National League|1982]] | [[Newcastle Diamonds]] | [[Mildenhall Fen Tigers]] |- ! [[1983 Speedway National League|1983]] | [[Newcastle Diamonds]] | [[Mildenhall Fen Tigers]] |- ! [[1984 Speedway National League|1984]] | [[Long Eaton Invaders]] | [[Mildenhall Fen Tigers]] |- ! [[1985 Speedway National League|1985]] | [[Ellesmere Port Gunners]] | [[Poole Pirates|Poole Wildcats]] |- ! [[1986 Speedway National League|1986]] | [[Eastbourne Eagles]] | [[Poole Pirates|Poole Wildcats]] |- ! [[1987 Speedway National League|1987]] | [[Eastbourne Eagles]] | [[Mildenhall Fen Tigers]] |- ! [[1988 Speedway National League|1988]] | [[Hackney Kestrels]] | [[Poole Pirates]] |- ! [[1989 Speedway National League|1989]] | [[Poole Pirates]] | [[Wimbledon Dons]] |- ! [[1990 Speedway National League|1990]] | [[Poole Pirates]] | [[Middlesbrough Bears]] |- |colspan=3 align=center| ''in 1991, the name reverted to British League Division Two'' |- ! [[1991 British Speedway League Division Two|1991]] | [[Arena Essex Hammers]] | [[Glasgow Tigers (speedway)|Glasgow Tigers]] |- ! [[1992 British Speedway League Division Two|1992]] | [[Peterborough Panthers]] | [[Berwick Bandits]] |- ! [[1993 British Speedway League Division Two|1993]] | [[Glasgow Tigers (speedway)|Glasgow Tigers]] | [[Long Eaton Invaders]] |- ! [[1994 British Speedway League Division Two|1994]] | [[Glasgow Tigers (speedway)|Glasgow Tigers]] | [[Long Eaton Invaders]] |}

==See also== * [[List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Speedway leagues]] [[Category:Speedway competitions in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Speedway British League Division Two / National League| ]]