BRITISH Speedway’s National League will have nine clubs doing battle when the tapes rise on the new season.

BRITISH Speedway’s National League will have nine clubs doing battle when the tapes rise on the new season.

And Mildenhall Fen Tigers WON’T be one of them, as expected.

New entrants Belle Vue, Stoke and the reborn Hackney Hawks will join Buxton, Dudley, Isle of Wight, King’s Lynn, Newport and Scunthorpe in the third tier of the sport.

Belle Vue will be entering their Colts team in addition to their Elite League operation, Stoke have dropped down from the Premier League and Hackney will share home meetings between Rye House and Lakeside.

On the negative side an application was submitted by a potential promotion at Mildenhall but this was turned down.

Bournemouth didn’t apply and with no agreement in place to see the sport continuing at Weymouth, the Wildcats have also missed out.

The National Trophy has been scrapped because not enough clubs can enter the competition, but the Knockout Cup is retained.

The National League Shield has been introduced and champions Buxton will face last season’s table-toppers Dudley over two legs.

And whoever finishes top of the league in 2011 will be handed silverware to recognise their achievement.

The points limit has been set at 40 and clubs have already started putting their teams together for the new campaign.

The National League Pairs have been allocated to Newport, the Fours to Stoke and the National League Riders’ Championship returns to Rye House in September.