The 1980 National League was contested as the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom.
The league was increased from 19 teams to 20 from the previous season. Exeter Falcons dropped down from the British League to join the 19 incumbent sides.
Rye House Rockets who had been pipped to the title in the previous season in the last meeting, won the title by just one point from Newcastle Diamonds to win their first National League title. Rye House had managed to retain all of their top riders from the previous season and the solid performances of Bob Garrad, Karl Fiala, Kelvin Mullarkey and Kevin Smith for the second year running made up for the disappointment of 1979. Newcastle's second-place finish was remarkable bearing in mind that they had lost the league's leading rider Tom Owen to Hull Vikings in the highest division. Despite signing 1979 Riders' champion Ian Gledhill, the defending champions Mildenhall suffered after losing Melvyn Taylor and Mick Hines to other teams.
nh = not held
The 1980 National League Knockout Cup was the 13th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier two teams. Berwick Bandits were the winners of the competition for the first time, having been runners-up three times in the previous four seasons.
First round
Second round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
First leg
Second leg
Berwick were declared Knockout Cup Champions, winning on aggregate 79âÂÂ76.
Wayne Brown won the Riders' Championship, sponsored by Toshiba and held at Wimbledon Stadium on 28 September 1980.
The National League Pairs was held at The Shay on 19 July and was won by Middlesbrough Tigers.
Semi finals
Final
Crayford Kestrels won the fours championship final, held at the East of England Arena on 27 July.
Semi finals
Final
Berwick
Boston
Canterbury
Crayford
Edinburgh
Ellesmere Port
Exeter
Glasgow
Middlesbrough
Mildenhall
Milton Keynes
Newcastle
Nottingham
Oxford
Peterborough
Rye House
Scunthorpe
Stoke
Weymouth
Workington