Baseball in the United Kingdom

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Part of the History of baseball series.

Contents 1 Introduction in the 19th Century 2 Resurgence prior to WWII 3 At present 4 Champions 5 External links

[edit] Introduction in the 19th Century

Forms of Baseball have been played in the United Kingdom since at least the 18th century, and the traditional game of British Baseball continues in Wales and Merseyside. The international version of the game was introduced to the United Kingdom in 1890 by Francis Ley, a Derby man who had discovered the game on a trip to the United States, and Albert Goodwill Spalding an American sporting goods businessman who saw opportunities to expand his business across the Atlantic.

[edit] Resurgence prior to WWII

Baseball's peak popularity in Britain was in the years immediately preceding World War II. Baseball teams shared grounds with football clubs (hence Derby County’s home ground was named the Baseball Ground), and the game was run at a professional standard with up to 10,000 spectators per game.

One milestone of baseball in the United Kingdom was the 1938 victory of Great Britain over the United States to win the inaugural World Cup of Baseball.

[edit] At present

Today, there are more than 40 baseball teams and 875 adult players, ranging geographically from Cambridge to Liverpool, Southampton to Edinburgh.

There have been numerous league formats and governing bodies since 1890. Beginning in 1987, the British Baseball Federation (BBF) has governed the baseball leagues. Baseball clubs pay annual affiliation fees to be a member of the BBF and play in the BBF Leagues and Junior Leagues. There is also a full Great Britain Baseball Programme which comprises the Great Britain Baseball Academy, junior national teams and Great Britain 'Seniors' Baseball Team.

Since 2000, BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK), the development agency for baseball and softball in the United Kingdom has provided services to the British Baseball Federation (BBF) with the aim of developing and increasing the levels of participation, skill and achievement in UK baseball and softball. This occurs at both junior and adult levels, from school and grassroots through domestic adult clubs up to the Great Britain national teams.

There are currently three tiers in the national game.

The season runs from April until August.

[edit] Champions

1890 Preston North End F.C. 1892 Middlesbrough F.C. 1893 Thespian London 1894 Thespian London 1895 Derby County Baseball Club 1896 Wallsend - On - Tyne 1897 Derby County Baseball Club 1898 Derby County Baseball Club 1899 Nottingham Forest F.C. 1906 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 1907 Clapton Orient 1908 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 1909 Clapton Orient 1910 Brentford 1911 Leyton 1934 Hatfield Liverpool 1935 New London 1936 White City London 1937 Hull 1938 Rochdale Greys 1939 Halifax 1948 Liverpool Robins 1949 Hornsey Red Sox 1950 Burtonwood Bees 1951 Burtonwood Bees

1959 Thames Board Mills 1960 Thames Board Mills 1961 Liverpool Tigers 1962 Liverpool Tigers 1963 East Hull Aces 1964 Hull Aces 1965 Hull Aces 1966 Stetford Saints 1967 Liverpool Yankees 1968 Hull Aces 1969 Watford - Sun Rockets 1970 Hull Royals 1971 Liverpool Tigers 1972 Hull Aces 1973 Burtonwood Yanks 1974 Nottingham Lions 1975 Liverpool Tigers 1976 Liverpool Trojans beat Spirit Of '76, 5-4 1977 Golders Green Sox beat Liverpool Trojans 1978 Liverpool Trojans beat Crawley Giants, 14-12 1979 Golders Green Sox beat Hull Aces 1980 Liverpool Trojans beat Hull Aces, 12-1 1981 London Warriors beat Hull Aces, 23-1 1982 London Warriors beat Liverpool Trojans, 16-7 1983 Cobham Yankees beat Hull Mets, 10-3

1984 Croydon Blue Jays beat Hull Mets, 9-8 1985 Hull Mets beat London Warriors, 10-8 1986 Cobham Yankees beat Hull Mets, 12-5 1987 Cobham Yankees beat Southglade Hornets, 6-0 1988 Cobham Yankees beat Burtonwood Braves, 16-1 1989 Enfield Spartans beat Sutton Braves, 15-9 1990 Enfield Spartans beat Hull Mets, 22-3 1991 Enfield Spartans London Athletics, two games to one 1992 BBF, Leeds City Royals beat Hull Mets 1992 NL, London Warriors beat Enfield Spartans, two games to nil 1993 BBF,Humberside Mets/Chicksands Indians, one game each+ 1993 NL, London Warriors beat Enfield Spartans 1994 BBF,Humberside Mets beat Waltham Abbey Arrows, two games to one 1994 NL, Enfield Spartans beat Waltham Forest Angels 1995 Menwith Hill Pirates beat London Warriors, two games to nil 1996 Menwith Hill Pirates beat London Warriors, two games to one 1997 London Warriors beat Kingston-upon-Hull Cobras, two games to nil 1998 Menwith Hill Patriots beat London Warriors, two games to nil 1999 Brighton Buccaneers beat Windsor Bears, 16-4 2000 London Warriors beat Brighton Buccaneers, 11-7 2001 Brighton Buccaneers beat Windsor Bears, 8-5 2002 Brighton Buccaneers beat Windsor Bears, 5-1 2003 Windsor Bears Brighton Buccaneers, 9-4 2004 Croydon Pirates beat Windsor Bears, 12-10 2005 Croydon Pirates beat Brighton Buccaneers, two games to nil 2006 Richmond Flames beat Croydon Pirates, two games to one

+ Game three of the 1993 final between Hull & Chicksands was cancelled because of the weather and never played, so both teams shared the Championship. +

[edit] External links

• History of Baseball in the United Kingdom
• Baseball Softball UK and information about BBF
• Glasgow Baseball Association
• Croydon Pirates Baseball Club
• Welsh Baseball Union