What is the history of the BEL and BPL?
From: Kevin Meynell In 1965, a competition known as the British League (BL) was formed by an amalgamation of the National League and the previously non-SCB affiliated Provincial League. This proved very popular with spectators and in the early-1970s, the BL was able to add a second division. Unfortunately, the promoters of the Division Two tracks very soon became dissatisfied with the way they were being run by the BSPA, and in 1975 decided to form their own league known as the New National League (NNL). This became the National League (NL) a year later. The membership of both leagues reached a peak in the late-1970s and early-1980s, but in 1985, falling attendances and spiralling costs forced five tracks to withdraw from the BL. An eleven-team BL was run for the 1985 and 1986 seasons until Hackney moved up from the NL in 1987. This proved to be a disastrous move and they withdrew after only one season. The BL was once again run with eleven teams in 1988 but during the winter of 1988,
