Conference League
SportSpeedway
Founded1996
Ceased2008
replaced by 2009 National League
Replaced byNational League (speedway)
CountryUnited Kingdom
Last
champion(s)		Weymouth Wildcats
Official websitebritish-speedway.co.uk

The Conference League was the third and lowest division of motorcycle speedway racing in the United Kingdom governed by the Speedway Control Board (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA). The other leagues being the Elite League and Premier League. The League consisted of eight teams for the 2008 season. In 2009 it was replaced with the National League.[1][2]

History

The British League Division Three had been created in 1994 as a replacement for the second-half junior leagues that were scrapped when British League matches were extended to eighteen heats. The league was renamed the British Academy League in 1995, but many of the teams that took part experienced severe financial problems. In order to reduce costs, the league was re-launched as the Conference league in 1996 and was an entirely amateur competition. The revamped competition proved to be successful, with several new teams joining and some tracks attracting crowds on par with the Premier League.[3][1]

The league expanded to thirteen teams in 1997 and was renamed again to the British Amateur League. However, the 1997 season exposed a number of problems; some teams wished to include more established riders but others felt the focus should be on youth development. It was therefore decided by the BSPA that Elite League and Premier League teams could operate second teams in a separate youth competition known as the British Development League. The remaining teams formed a third division that had less restrictions on the use of riders and reverted the competition name to the Conference League.[3]

Champions

Season Champions
1996 Linlithgow Lightning
1997 Peterborough Pumas
1998 St Austell Gulls
1999 Newport Mavericks
2000 Sheffield Prowlers
2001 Sheffield Prowlers
2002 Peterborough Pumas
2003 Mildenhall Fen Tigers
2004 Mildenhall Fen Tigers
2005 Oxford Lions
2006 Scunthorpe Scorpions
2007 Scunthorpe Scorpions
2008 Weymouth Wildcats

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "History Archive". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Conference and National League". Speedway Archive. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 "What is the British Conference League?". Speedway FAQ. 2004. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
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