Midland Development League

The MDL was inaugurated in 2012 with seven sides entering this chance for young riders to get competitive rides in a team riding in a league. This gave them the chance to put themselves on the shop window for National League chances.

Lining up in the league were Belle Vue, Stoke, Sheffield, Long Eaton, Scunthorpe, Milton Keynes and Coventry. The Colts from Belle Vue took the title.

2013 saw Sheffield and Scunthorpe drop out, replaced by Kings Lynn and Castleford. Belle Vue retained the title ahead of Milton Keynes.

2014 saw Buxton track a side for the first time, as did Rye House. King’s Lynn took the honours in the play-off final at Mildenhall.

2015 saw Peterborough come In replacing Castleford early on, with Wolverhampton tracking a side for the first time in a 10 club league. King’s Lynn again topped the table one point ahead of Belle Vue.

2016 saw a new format for the MDL with two groups of four. Group A had Buxton top the table ahead of Scunthorpe, Belle Vue and Long Eaton. Group B saw Coventry take top spot ahead of Mildenhall, King’s Lynn and Milton Keynes. The play-off final was won by Coventry, defeating Buxton.

2017 with more southern-based clubs electing to race in two separate divisions, they were formed. The Southern League had Reading (at Swindon), Kent, Plymouth, Exeter (at Plymouth) and Weymouth (at Poole). Reading topped the table.

The Midland League was contested by winners Peterborough, Belle Vue, Scunthorpe, Milton Keynes (at Peterborough) and Carmarthen (at Stoke).

2018, the two-league setup was retained in 2018. The SDL comprised of champions Kent, Reading (at Swindon), Exeter (At Plymouth), Isle of Wight and Weymouth (at Poole).

The NDL won by Peterborough again, ahead of Belle Vue, Birmingham, Carmarthen (at Stoke) and Milton Keynes (at Birmingham).

2019 saw the two leagues amalgamated as the MSDL. Birmingham took the title defeating Reading (at Swindon), IOW, Exeter (at Plymouth), Weymouth (at Poole), Milton Keynes (at Birmingham) and Carmarthen (at Stoke).

2020, Naturally, 2020 was a blank year with COVID.

2021, unfortunately, the powers that be decided that tracks couldn’t run out of other bases and nomadic clubs were sidelined from 2021, losing young rider opportunities to race in a team under a league basis. The reduced league consisted of only Birmingham.

The decline in interest from clubs to run junior teams reached an all-time low after the loss of nomadic teams.

2022 saw four teams enter, with two Birmingham teams, the Bulls and the newly formed Buffaloes, come up against Kent and Wolverhampton, riding twice home and away.

2023 saw just 3 come to the tapes, with the two Birmingham sides joined by Redcar, with the title shared by the two Birmingham teams; a play-off was not possible.

2024 it was another 3 team contest with Leicester joining the two Birmingham sides, with the Bulls and Buffaloes sharing top spot again.

2025 saw Birmingham as the only base to stage junior league racing, with three clubs racing out of Perry Barr, with two Birmingham sides plus a Wolves side, who went on to secure the title.

2026 sees a new format in operation with Buxton being the hub of activity. It will have four sides racing out of the track using nicknames of four clubs no longer with stadiums.

This sees the Potters (Stoke), Kings (Crewe), Wolves (Wolverhampton) and Invaders (Long Eaton) contest the MDL.

There will also be challenges run to include the Gunners (Ellesmere Port), the Dukes (Bradford), the Buffaloes (Birmingham), the Heathens (Cradley), plus other possibles!