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1948 Speedway National League

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1948 Speedway National League
LeagueNational League Division One
No. of competitors7
ChampionsNew Cross Rangers
National TrophyWembley Lions
Anniversary CupHarringay Racers
Riders' championVic Duggan
London CupWembley Lions
Highest averageVic Duggan
Division/s belowNational League (Div 2)
National League (Div 3)

The 1948 National League Division One was the 14th season of speedway in the United Kingdom and the third post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.[1][2]

Summary

[edit]

The entrant list was the same as the previous season. New Cross Rangers won the National League for the second time.[3][4]

Fatalities

[edit]

1948 proved to be the worst season so far in regard to fatalities. During the 1947 season two riders had died on the same day but 1948 saw three riders killed during the season. It started with 37-year-old Reg Craven, on his debut for Yarmouth Bloaters. Craven crashed with two Poole Pirates riders at Poole (on 26 April) during a National Trophy match and died eight days later (4 May) from a fractured skull in hospital.[5] Billy Wilson of Norwich Stars and Eric Dunn of Hastings Saxons from the lower divisions were also killed.

Final League table

[edit]
Pos Team PL W D L Pts
1 New Cross Rangers 24 17 0 7 34
2 Harringay Racers 24 16 0 8 32
3 West Ham Hammers 24 14 1 9 29
4 Wembley Lions 24 12 1 11 25
5 Belle Vue Aces 24 12 1 11 25
6 Wimbledon Dons 24 5 2 17 12
7 Odsal Boomerangs 24 5 1 18 11

National League results

[edit]

Matches 1–12

Teams play each other twice, once at home and once away.

Home \ Away BEL HAR NEW ODS WEM WES WIM
Belle Vue Aces — 48–36 53–31 43–41 42–42 43–41 59–25
Harringay Racers 47–37 — 37–47 54–29 39–45 44–40 49–35
New Cross Rangers 61–23 41–43 — 55–28 56–27 58–26 49–35
Odsal Boomerangs 46–35 41–43 40–42 — 38–46 43–40 41–41
Wembley Lions 52–31 31–50 40.5–43.5 51–33 — 40–44 44–39
West Ham Hammers 61–23 58–26 49–35 60–22 54–30 — 47–37
Wimbledon Dons 50–33 45–38 40–44 56–27 27–57 40–43 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 13–24

Teams play each other twice, once at home and once away.

Home \ Away BEL HAR NEW ODS WEM WES WIM
Belle Vue Aces — 50–34 33–51 47–37 48–36 52–31 52–32
Harringay Racers 45–37 — 44–40 58–26 53–28 59–24 54–30
New Cross Rangers 38–45 40–44 — 53–29 37–47 51–32 54–30
Odsal Boomerangs 38–45 40–44 53–29 — 37–47 51–32 54–30
Wembley Lions 59–25 35–49 41–43 57–27 — 39–45 60–24
West Ham Hammers 49–35 48–36 49–35 48–36 38–46 — 64–20
Wimbledon Dons 35–47 35–49 46–38 58–26 35–49 41–41 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Anniversary Cup

[edit]

On account of the small number of teams in the league the Anniversary Cup was run in a league format. Harringay Racers finished on top.

Pos Team PL W D L Pts
1 Harringay Racers 12 9 0 3 18
2 Belle Vue Aces 12 7 0 5 14
3 Odsal Boomerangs 12 7 0 5 14
4 New Cross Rangers 12 6 0 6 12
5 West Ham Hammers 12 6 0 6 12
6 Wembley Lions 12 5 0 7 10
7 Wimbledon Dons 12 2 0 10 4

Teams play each other twice, once at home and once away.

Home \ Away BEL HAR NEW ODS WEM WES WIM
Belle Vue Aces — 46.5–49.5 50–42 65–29 53–43 54–42 65–30
Harringay Racers 52–43 — 49–47 59–37 59–36 59–37 59–37
New Cross Rangers 57–39 49–47 — 51–44 49–46 58–38 42–54
Odsal Boomerangs 53–43 52–44 48–47 — 66–30 51–45 61–35
Wembley Lions 45–51 47–49 49–47 61–35 — 60–36 60–35
West Ham Hammers 58–38 50–45 62–34 48–47 49–47 — 60–34
Wimbledon Dons 47–48 46–50 42–53 46–49 40–56 53–42 —
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top Ten Riders (League only)

[edit]
Rider Nat Team C.M.A.
1 Vic Duggan Australia Harringay Racers 11.42
2 Ron Johnson Australia New Cross 10.33
3 Wilbur Lamoreaux United States Wembley Lions 9.71
4 George Wilks England Wembley Lions 9.65
5 Max Grosskreutz Australia Odsal 9.63
6 Aub Lawson Australia West Ham 9.59
7 Alec Statham England Wimbledon 9.48
8 Jack Parker England Belle Vue 9.35
9 Eric Chitty Canada West Ham 9.21
10 Norman Parker England Wimbledon 9.09

National Trophy

[edit]

The 1948 Trophy was the 11th edition of the Knockout Cup.[6]

Qualifying Competition Round 1

Date Team one Score Team two
23/04 Wombwell 31 77 Southampton
17/04 Cradley Heath 66 42 Plymouth
13/04 Southampton 89 19 Wombwell
12/04 Exeter 81 27 Tamworth
08/04 Plymouth 56 50 Cradley Heath
07/04 Tamworth 82 26 Exeter

Qualifying Competition Round 2

Date Team one Score Team two
29/04 Stoke Hanley 64 43 Coventry
27/04 Yarmouth 47 67 Poole
26/04 Poole 74 32 Yarmouth
07/05 Cradley Heath 78 29 Hull
05/05 Tamworth 46 62 Southampton
04/05 Southampton 77 31 Tamworth
01/05 Coventry 48 59 Stoke Hanley
01/05 Hull 42 66 Cradley Heath

Qualifying Competition semifinal

Date Team one Score Team two
21/05 Cradley Heath 54 50 Southampton
13/05 Stoke Hanley 64 44 Poole
11/05 Southampton 85 23 Cradley Heath
10/05 Poole 49 57 Stoke Hanley

Qualifying Competition final

Date Team one Score Team two
27/05 Stoke Hanley 43 64 Southampton
25/05 Southampton 74½ 33½ Stoke Hanley

Eliminating Competition First round

Date Team one Score Team two
19/06 Birmingham 79 29 Southampton
19/06 Edinburgh 62 46 Glasgow White City
16/06 Glasgow White City 70 38 Edinburgh
15/06 Southampton 41 66 Birmingham

Eliminating Competition Second round

Date Team one Score Team two
23/06 Glasgow White City 45½ 61½ Birmingham
22/06 Fleetwood 69 39 Bristol
19/06 Norwich 76 32 Sheffield
18/06 Bristol 65 43 Fleetwood
17/06 Middlesbrough 67 40 Newcastle
17/06 Sheffield 55 53 Norwich
14/06 Newcastle 41 65 Middlesbrough
03/07 Birmingham 80 28 Glasgow White City

Eliminating Competition semifinal

Date Team one Score Team two
26/07 Birmingham 75 33 Fleetwood
13/07 Fleetwood 49 59 Birmingham
03/07 Norwich 66 41 Middlesbrough
01/07 Middlesbrough 53 54 Norwich

Eliminating Competition final

Date Team one Score Team two
02/08 Birmingham 79 28 Norwich
31/07 Norwich 64 43 Birmingham

First round

Date Team one Score Team two
04/09 Belle Vue 64 44 Wembley
27/08 Harringay 67 40 Wimbledon
26/08 Wembley 64 42 Belle Vue
21/08 Birmingham 85 23 West Ham
21/08 Bradford 62 46 New Cross
19/08 New Cross 77 30 Bradford
17/08 West Ham 67 41 Birmingham
16/08 Wimbledon 53 55 Harringay
04/09 Belle Vue 64 44 Wembley

Quarterfinals

Date Team one Score Team two
27/08 Harringay 67-40 Wimbledon
26/08 Wembley 64-42 Belle Vue
21/08 Birmingham 85-23 West Ham
21/08 Bradford 62-46 New Cross
19/08 New Cross 77-30 Bradford
17/08 West Ham 67-41 Birmingham
16/08 Wimbledon 53-55 Harringay
04/09 Belle Vue 64-44 Wembley

Semifinals

Date Team one Score Team two
18/09 Birmingham 69-39 New Cross
10/09 Harringay 52-56 Wembley
09/09 Wembley 73-35 Harringay
09/09 New Cross 83-25 Birmingham

Final

[edit]

First leg

Wembley Lions
Tommy Price 13
Bill Gilbert 13
Bill Kitchen 11
Wilbur Lamoreaux 7
Split Waterman 7
Bob Wells 6
Freddie Williams 5
Roy Craighead 2		64 – 44New Cross Rangers
Ron Johnson 12
Jeff Lloyd 11
Eric French 6
Geoff Pymar 5
Ray Moore 4
Bill Longley 3
Frank Lawrence 3
Lindsay Mitchell 0
[7]

Second leg

New Cross Rangers
Ron Johnson 18
Jeff Lloyd 10
Frank Lawrence 7
Eric French 5
Ray Moore 5
Geoff Pymar 4
Bill Longley 2
Lindsay Mitchell 1		52 – 56Wembley Lions
Bill Gilbert 15
Wilbur Lamoreaux 9
Bill Kitchen 7
Split Waterman 7
Bob Wells 6
Tommy Price 5
Freddie Williams 4
Roy Craighead 3
[7]

Wembley were National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 120–96.

Riders' Championship

[edit]

Vic Duggan won the British Riders' Championship final held at Empire Stadium on 16 September, in front of nearly 90,000 spectators.[8][9]

Pos. Rider Heat Scores Total
1 Australia Vic Duggan 2 3 3 3 3 14
2 Australia Ron Johnson 3 2 3 2 3 13
3 England Alec Statham 3 3 3 3 1 13
4 England Split Waterman 3 2 2 1 2 10
5 England Bill Gilbert 2 1 3 3 1 10
6 England Jack Parker 2 E 3 1 3 9
7 England Oliver Hart 3 2 2 2 9
8 Australia Bill Longley 0 1 2 2 3 8
9 United States Wilbur Lamoreaux 2 2 0 0 2 6
10 England Malcolm Craven f 3 2 1 0 6
11 England Jeff Lloyd 1 3 0 0 1 5
12 Canada Eric Chitty 1 0 1 2 1 5
13 England Lloyd Goffe 0 1 1 1 2 5
14 England Tommy Price 1 2 0 1 F 4
15 England Norman Parker 0 1 0 1 0 2
16 England Dent Oliver 1 0 0 0 0 1
16 England Jack Hodgson (res) 0 - - - - 0
  • f=fell

London Cup

[edit]

First round

Team one Score Team two
New Cross 65–43, 43–64 Harringay

Semi final round

Team one Score Team two
Wimbledon 57–51, 27–80 New Cross
West Ham 61–46, 40–67 Wembley

Final

[edit]

First leg

Wembley
Wilbur Lamoreaux 15
Bill Gilbert 14
Bill Kitchen 10
Tommy Price 10
Split Waterman 7
Freddie Williams 4
George Saunders 3
Bob Wells 2		65–40New Cross
Ron Johnson 16
Frank Lawrence 5
Ray Moore 4
Bill Longley 4
Cyril Roger 3
Eric French 3
Jeff Lloyd 3
Geoff Pymar 2

Second leg

New Cross
Cyril Roger 15
Ron Johnson 14, Geoff Pymar 10
Jeff Lloyd 5
Ray Moore 5
Eric French 4
Frank Lawrence 4
Bill Longley 1		58–50Wembley
Bill Gilbert 14
Bill Kitchen 13
Freddie Williams 8
Tommy Price 5
Split Waterman 5
Wilbur Lamoreaux 3
Bob Wells 1
George Saunders 1
[10]

Wembley won on aggregate 115–98

Riders & final averages

[edit]

Belle Vue

Harringay

New Cross

Odsal

Wembley

West Ham

Wimbledon

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
  2. ^ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  4. ^ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
  5. ^ "Died from crash on speedway". Gloucestershire Echo. 4 May 1948. Retrieved 11 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "1948 National Trophy". Speedway archive.
  7. ^ a b "1947 National Trophy". Speedway Archive. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  8. ^ "1948 fixtures" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Speedway title for Jack Parker". Daily News (London). 17 September 1948. Retrieved 3 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Wembley Capture London Cup". Daily News (London). 25 September 1948. Retrieved 16 September 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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