1953 Speedway National League Division Two
League | National League Division Two |
---|---|
No. of competitors | 9 |
Champions | Coventry Bees |
Highest average | Tommy Miller |
Division/s above | National League (Div 1) |
Division/s below | Southern League |
The 1953 National League Division Two was the eighth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.[1]
Summary
The League was reduced at the start of the season again to 10 teams with Oxford Cheetahs dropping down to the Southern League whilst Ashfield Giants closed[2] and Liverpool Chads folded mid-season. Cradley Heath disbanded following the withdrawal of the promoter Eli Sumner due to financial issues,[3] with the team moving to join the Wolverhampton Wasps (formerly of the Southern League).[4][5] Coventry Bees clinched their first title by a single point.[6] Wolverhampton rider Mike Rogers died on 6 June 1953, the day after receiving critical injuries at Monmore Green Stadium racing against Liverpool. The 22-year-old lost control of his bike and fell heavily before being transported to the Royal Hospital in Wolverhampton.[7]
Final table
Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Coventry Bees | 32 | 19 | 1 | 12 | 39 |
2 | Poole Pirates | 32 | 18 | 2 | 12 | 38 |
3 | Yarmouth Bloaters | 32 | 18 | 0 | 14 | 36 |
4 | Glasgow White City Tigers | 32 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 34 |
5 | Edinburgh Monarchs | 32 | 15 | 1 | 16 | 31 |
6 | Motherwell Eagles | 32 | 15 | 0 | 17 | 30 |
7 | Wolverhampton Wasps | 32 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 27 |
8 | Leicester Hunters | 32 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 27 |
9 | Stoke Potters | 32 | 12 | 2 | 18 | 26 |
Liverpool Chads withdrew mid-season - record expunged.
Fixtures & results
A fixtures
B fixtures
Top Five Riders (League only)
Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tommy Miller | Glasgow | 10.81 | |
2 | Don Cuppleditch | Edinburgh | 10.36 | |
3 | Fred Brand | Yarmouth | 9.97 | |
4 | Derick Close | Motherwell | 9.92 | |
5 | Len Williams | Leicester | 9.78 |
National Trophy
For the National Trophy see the 1953 Speedway National League.
Midland Cup
For the Midland Cup see the 1953 Speedway National League.
Riders & final averages
Coventry
-
Charlie New 9.08
-
Peter Brough 8.00
-
Johnny Reason 7.72
-
Les Hewitt 7.71
-
Vic Emms 6.60
-
Stan Williams 6.11
-
Reg Duval 6.73
-
Derrick Tailby 6.04
-
Jack Wright 5.51
Edinburgh
-
Don Cuppleditch 10.36
-
Dick Campbell 8.32
-
Bob Mark 7.38
-
Harold Fairhurst 7.17
Roy Bester 7.05
-
Eddie Lack 5.89
-
Jeff Crawford 3.62
-
Wilf Jay 3.34
-
Harry Darling 3.20
-
Jimmy Cox 2.85
Glasgow
-
Tommy Miller 10.81
-
Junior Bainbridge 8.04
-
Ken McKinlay 8.94
-
Alf McIntosh 6.67
-
Peter Dykes 6.18
-
Larry Lazarus 6.11
-
Don Wilkinson 5.13
-
Bob Sharp 4.79
-
Harry Welch 4.77
-
Doug Templeton 2.67
Leicester
-
Len Williams 9.78
-
Reg Fearman 6.20
-
Dennis Parker 5.71
-
Charlie Barsby 5.69
-
Alf Parker 5.56
-
Fred Perkins 5.48
-
Jack Mountford 5.33
-
Roy Browning 5.22
-
Bill Griffiths 5.04
-
Lionel Watling (James Goldingay) 4.81
-
Harwood Pike 2.56
-
Ivor Brown 2.10
Liverpool (withdrew)
-
Peter Robinson 8.69
-
Bill Griffiths 7.19
-
Tommy Anderson 5.81
-
Harry Welch 5.64
Fred Wills 5.61
-
Gil Blake 5.57
-
Tommy Allott 4.84
-
Cyril Cooper 3.51
-
Stan Bradbury 2.84
-
Johnny Greenwood 0.31
Motherwell
-
Derick Close 9.92
-
Gordon McGregor 8.55
-
Cyril Cooper 8.50
-
Ron Phillips 7.32
-
Noel Watson 6.92
-
Johnny Green 6.60
-
Guy Allott 5.80
-
Scott Hall 4.77
-
Bluey Scott 4.07
-
Jimmy Tannock 3.20
Poole
-
Ken Middleditch 9.59
-
Terry Small 9.06
-
Brian Crutcher 8.80
-
Bill Holden 7.01
-
Tony Lewis 7.38
-
Jimmy Squibb 7.63
-
Buster Brown 5.95
-
Allan Kidd 5.51
-
Johnny Thomson 5.18
-
Norman Strachan 4.00
Stoke
-
Ken Adams 8.44
-
Reg Fearman 7.90
-
Don Potter 7.68
-
Jack Hughes 7.41
-
Les Jenkins 6.31
-
Ron Peace 6.17
-
Johnny Fitzparick 6.08
Fred Wills 5.60
-
Ray Harris 5.05
-
Bill Dalton 4.85
-
Alf Parker 4.00
-
Paddy Mills 3.71
-
Allan Hailstone 2.21
-
Joey Peck 1.26
Wolverhampton
-
Harry Bastable 8.04
-
Brian Shepherd 8.00
-
Jim Tolley 7.75
-
Derek Braithwaite 6.78
-
Ivor Davies 6.38
-
Eric Irons 5.77
-
Les Tolley 5.59
-
Benny King 4.54
-
Phil Malpass 3.17
-
Harry Saunders 2.86
-
Bill Jemison 2.22
-
Harry Wardropper 1.67
Yarmouth
-
Fred Brand 9.97
-
Johnny Chamberlain 8.67
-
Reg Reeves 8.60
-
Bob Baker 7.88
-
Danny Dunton 7.20
-
Roy Bowers 6.58
-
Ronnie Genz 5.73
-
Arthur Bush 5.41
-
Terry Courtnell 5.13
-
George White 4.40
-
Reg Morgan 3.90
-
Gundy Harris 3.18
-
Vic Ridgeon 4.00
See also
References
- ↑ "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
- ↑ "Scots speed captain in £1500 transfer". Daily Record. 12 November 1952. Retrieved 20 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Cradley Heath Speedway Closing". Evening Despatch. 10 February 1953. Retrieved 15 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
- ↑ "Speedway rider dies after fall". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 8 June 1953. Retrieved 13 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "1953 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
- ↑ "1953 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 20 January 2025.