British League

{{Short description|British motorcycle speedway league}} {{Infobox sports league | logo = | pixels = | caption = | formerly = replaced the [[National League (1932–64)|National League]] and [[Provincial League (speedway)|Provincial League]] | sport = [[motorcycle speedway|Speedway]] | founded = 1965 | fame = | motto = | competitors = Varied | country = [[United Kingdom]] | champion = | folded = 1994 <br>replaced by [[Elite League (speedway)|Elite League]] | website = }}

The '''British League''' was the main [[motorcycle speedway]] league in Britain from its formation in 1965 until 1995 when British speedway was restructured. It initially had a single division, with a [[British League Division Two|second division]] starting in 1968 (which was renamed the New National League in 1975 and subsequently the National League).<ref>{{cite book|last=Bott|first=Richard|title=The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4|year=1980|pages=99|publisher=Stanley Paul & Co Ltd|isbn=0-09-141751-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/historyarchive|title=History Archive|website=British Speedway|access-date=25 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=wwosbackup>{{cite web |url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/board/13/british-league-tables|title=Speedway riders, history and results|website=wwosbackup|access-date=25 July 2021}}</ref>

The British League was formed in 1965 following the merger of the [[National League (1932–1964)|National League]] and the [[Provincial League (speedway)|Provincial League]]. Matches were held over a series of races, with two riders from each team taking part in each race. In 1995 it was replaced by the [[Premier League (speedway)|Premier League]] for two years before the sport was restructured into three tiers with the formation of the [[Elite League (speedway)|Elite League]] in 1997. The Championship was decided on a [[Division (sport)|league]] table basis.<ref>{{cite book|last=Matthews/Morrison|first=Peter/Ian|title=The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records and Results|year=1987|page=291|publisher=Guinness Superlatives|isbn=0-85112-492-5}}</ref><ref name=wwosbackup/>

==Champions== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%" ! Season ! Champions ! Second ! Third |- ! [[1965 British League season|1965]] | [[West Ham Hammers]] | [[Wimbledon Dons]] | [[Coventry Bees]] |- ! [[1966 British League season|1966]] | [[Halifax Dukes]] | [[Coventry Bees]] | [[Swindon Robins]] |- ! [[1967 British League season|1967]] | [[Swindon Robins]] | [[Coventry Bees]] | [[West Ham Hammers]] |- ! [[1968 British League season|1968]] | [[Coventry Bees]] | [[Hackney Hawks]] | [[Exeter Falcons]] |- ! [[1969 British League season|1969]] | [[Poole Pirates]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Wimbledon Dons]] |- ! [[1970 British League season|1970]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Wimbledon Dons]] | [[Coventry Bees]] |- ! [[1971 British League season|1971]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Leicester Lions]] | [[Coventry Bees]] |- ! [[1972 British League season|1972]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Reading Racers]] | [[King's Lynn Stars]] |- ! [[1973 British League season|1973]] | [[Reading Racers]] | [[Sheffield Tigers]] | [[King's Lynn Stars]] |- ! [[1974 British League season|1974]] | [[Exeter Falcons]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Ipswich Witches]] |- ! [[1975 British League season|1975]] | [[Ipswich Witches]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Newport Wasps|Newport]] |- ! [[1976 British League season|1976]] | [[Ipswich Witches]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Exeter Falcons]] |- ! [[1977 British League season|1977]] | [[White City Rebels]] | [[Exeter Falcons]] | [[Reading Racers]] |- ! [[1978 British League season|1978]] | [[Coventry Bees]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Hull Vikings]] |- ! [[1979 British League season|1979]] | [[Coventry Bees]] | [[Hull Vikings]] | [[Cradley Heath Heathens]] |- ! [[1980 British League season|1980]] | [[Reading Racers]] | [[Hackney Hawks]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] |- ! [[1981 British League season|1981]] | [[Cradley Heathens]] | [[Ipswich Witches]] | [[Swindon Robins]] |- ! [[1982 British League season|1982]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Cradley Heathens]] | [[Ipswich Witches]] |- ! [[1983 British League season|1983]] | [[Cradley Heath Heathens]] | [[Ipswich Witches]] | [[Coventry Bees]] |- ! [[1984 British League season|1984]] | [[Ipswich Witches]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Cradley Heath Heathens]] |- ! [[1985 British League season|1985]] | [[Oxford Cheetahs]] | [[Sheffield Tigers]] | [[Coventry Bees]] |- ! [[1986 British League season|1986]] | [[Oxford Cheetahs]] | [[Cradley Heathens]] | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] |- ! [[1987 British League season|1987]] | [[Coventry Bees]] | [[Cradley Heathens]] | [[Swindon Robins]] |- ! [[1988 British League season|1988]] | [[Coventry Bees]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Cradley Heath Heathens]] |- ! [[1989 British League season|1989]] | [[Oxford Cheetahs]] | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] | [[Cradley Heath Heathens]] |- ! [[1990 British League season|1990]] | [[Reading Racers]] | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] |- ! [[1991 British League season|1991]] | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] | [[Bradford Dukes]] | [[Cradley Heath Heathens]] |- ! [[1992 British League season|1992]] | [[Reading Racers]] | [[Bradford Dukes]] | [[Poole Pirates]] |- ! [[1993 British League season|1993]] | [[Belle Vue Aces]] | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] | [[Eastbourne Eagles]] |- ! [[1994 British League season|1994]] | [[Poole Pirates]] | [[Eastbourne Eagles]] | [[Wolverhampton Wolves]] |}

==See also== *[[List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions]] *[[List of United Kingdom Speedway League Riders' champions]] *[[British League Riders' Championship]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.speedwaygb.co/ speedwaygb.co] - Official BSPA (British Speedway Promoters Association) Homepage

[[Category:British League| ]] [[Category:Speedway leagues]] [[Category:Speedway competitions in the United Kingdom]]