1953 Speedway National League Division Two

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
← 1952 1954 →

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

Home \ Away	COV	ED	GLA	LEI	LIV	MOT	PP	STO	WOL	YAR
Coventry		43–41	51–33	49–35	53–31	43–1	59–25	45–39	55–29	46–38
Edinburgh	52–32		43–41	46–38	62–22	53–31	36–48	55–27	53–31	60–24
Glasgow	41–43	58–26		42–42	57–27	59–25	49–35	57–27	51–33	45–39
Leicester	32–52	43–41	44–40		48–36	43–41	42–41	51–33	48–36	53–31
Liverpool	37–46	30–54	49–35	44–40		51–33	n/a	n/a	52–32	44–40
Motherwell	53–31	39–45	41–43	50–33	n/a		49–35	56–28	42–40	54–30
Poole	46–38	50–34	58–26	58–26	55–29	63–21		63–21	62–22	56–28
Stoke	42–41	57–27	50–34	50–34	49–35	59–22	42–42		45–39	39–45
Wolverhampton	40–43	51–33	40–44	54–30	52–32	49–35	42–41	52–32		40–44
Yarmouth	53–31	41–43	57–27	62–21	58–26	61–23	54–29	51–33	56–28

Source: ^[8]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

B fixtures

Home \ Away	COV	ED	GLA	LEI	LIV	MOT	PP	STO	WOL	YAR
Coventry		45–39	51–33	54–30	n/a	38–46	54–30	61–23	32–52	49–35
Edinburgh	44–39		44–40	37–47	n/a	55–28	42–42	59–25	60–24	45–39
Glasgow	57–26	55–29		54–30	n/a	52.5–31.5	46–38	64–20	49–35	62–21
Leicester	30–54	47–37	48–36		n/a	46–38	45–39	38–46	41–43	43–41
Liverpool	n/a	n/a	37–47	n/a		n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Motherwell	57–27	48.5–34.5	43–41	53–30	n/a		43–41	67–17	50–34	62–22
Poole	50–34	55–29	47–37	56–27	n/a	58–26		68–16	46–38	59–25
Stoke	34–50	48–36	42–42	50–34	n/a	46–38	41–43		58–26	53–31
Wolverhampton	42–42	43–41	45–39	54–30	n/a	48–36	50–34	50–34		35–49
Yarmouth	48–36	54–30	58–26	58–26	n/a	61–23	50–34	51–33	46–37

Source: ^[9]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

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

• List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions
• Knockout Cup (speedway)

References

1. "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
2. "Scots speed captain in £1500 transfer" . Daily Record. 12 November 1952. Retrieved 20 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Cradley Heath Speedway Closing" . Evening Despatch. 10 February 1953. Retrieved 15 June 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
5. "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
6. Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN   0-904584-45-3.
7. "Speedway rider dies after fall" . Birmingham Daily Gazette. 8 June 1953. Retrieved 13 August 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
8. "1953 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
9. "1953 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 20 January 2025.