In 1960 a National Basketball League was introduced with nine members – Borehamwood Bullets, Watford Royals, Nottingham Dodgers, Aspley Old Boys (Nottingham), Birmingham Athletic Institute, Birmingham Dolobran, Doncaster Panthers, Manchester YMCA Comets, and Billingham Tech. Watford Royals won the first National league in 1960-61. Two of the strongest teams in the country at the time were London Central YMCA and London Poly. Neither of these London based teams felt it necessary to join the National Basketball League when the local competition in London was so strong.