CUP FINALS
IN part two of our look back to celebrate the glory of the 40 years of the British Athletics League, leading statistician PETER MATTHEWS reviews the Cup Finals.

The British Athletics League introduced a knock-out cup competition for men’s clubs in 1973 and for women’s in 1974.
After initial sponsorship by Pye, these competitions were for many years the Guardian Insurance Gold and Jubilee Cups respectively. There was a record entry in 1985 of 179 men’s and 137 women’s teams.

CUP WINNERS
Men
Wolverhampton & Bilston 1973, 1976-7, 1979-80; Cardiff AAC 1974; Edinburgh Southern Harriers 1975; Shaftesbury Harriers 1978, 1985; Haringey 1981-3, 1986-90, 1993; Birchfield Harriers 1984, 2000; Belgrave Harriers 1991-2, 1996-9, 2001; Thames Valley Harriers 1994, Newham & Essex Beagles 1995.

Women
Mitcham 1974, Edinburgh Southern Harriers 1975, Stretford 1976-81, 1988; Hounslow 1982-3; Essex Ladies 1984-7, 1990-1, 1993-4; Birchfield Harriers 1989, 1992, 1995-6; Shaftesbury Barnet 1997, 1999; Sale Harriers Manchester 1998, 2000-01.

Combined
Belgrave Harriers 2002-03, Birchfield H 2004-05, Woodford Green & Essex Ladies 2006, 2009

Most appearances in Cup finals
(separate men and women to 2001. In brackets, the combined 2002-06 and 2009)

Men
23 (6) Birchfield Harriers
23 (6) Shaftesbury Barnet
23 Thames Valley Harriers
19 Wolverhampton & Bilston
17 Haringey
16 (6) Sale Harriers Manchester
15 (1) Newham & Essex B
14 (4) Belgrave H
12 (5) Woodford Green (with EL)
11 Edinburgh Southern
11 (1) Blackheath H
9 Cardiff AAC

Women
26 Birchfield Harriers
24 (6) Stretford/Trafford (1992)
21 Sale Harriers Manchester
18 Edinburgh Southern/WM
17 Essex Ladies
14 (2) Borough of Hounslow
10 Shaftesbury Barnet
10 Wolverhampton & Bilston
8 Aldershot, Farnham & D.
8 Glasgow

’10 In 100”
A new concept was introduced in 2007 – with a short, 10-event programme and separate competitions once again for men and women. The top clubs did not compete in 2009.

Winners
Men
2007-08 Woodford Green
2009 Channel Islands

Women
2007-08 Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow
2009 Epsom & Ewell

In 2009 the Jo Smith Cup was introduced for the top eight combined men’s and women’s team – staged to the previous Cup format – one athlete for each of a full range of events.