1931 Speedway Southern League

Summary

Both Birmingham teams based at Perry Barr and Hall Green had left the league but the latter did ride in the National Trophy.

Coventry returned mid-season to replace Leicester Stadium who were liquidated in late May.

Harringay Canaries resigned in June to be replaced by a Belle Vue team, who then rode both in the Northern and Southern Leagues, the latter as Manchester. Nottingham closed in July but they were not replaced and their results stood. The league season was the longest in the short history of the competition as teams met each other four times instead of twice.

The Wembley Lions won their second consecutive title finishing three points clear of 1929 champions Stamford Bridge. The league suffered a fatality during the match between Belle Vue and Wembley at Hyde Road. James Allen (known as Indian Allen) was thrown from his bike and hit his head on a fence, trying to avoid a rider who had fallen in front of him. He died three days later in hospital on 12 September 1931. Another rider Noel Johnson of Plymouth had been killed in a challenge match against Coventry reserves on 25 August.

Final table

• Harringay scored 12 points from 14 matches, Belle Vue scored 16 from 24
  • Leicester scored 1 point from 8 matches, Coventry scored 16 from 30

Fixtures & results

A fixtures

• Awarded to Coventry

B fixtures

Top Five Riders

National Trophy

The 1931 National Trophy was the first edition of the Knockout Cup. It was contested between teams from the Southern and Northern Leagues.

First round

Second round

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Final

First leg Lionel Van Praag 12 George Greenwood 11 Colin Watson 9 Wally Kilmister 9 Harry Whitfield 9 Jack Ormston 8 Norman Evans 7 Jack Jackson 6 Frank Arthur 10 Dick Smythe 5 Percy Dunn 3 Mick Murphy 3 Bill Stanley 2 Cliff Watson 1 Dick Wise 0 Frank Duckett 0 Hal Herbert 0

Second leg Frank Arthur 12 Arthur Warwick 11 Bill Stanley 8 Cliff Watson 3 Dick Smythe 2 Percy Dunn 2 Hal Herbert 2 Gus Kuhn 1 Mick Murphy 1 Wally Kilmister 9 Lionel Van Praag 8 Colin Watson 8 Jack Ormston 6 George Greenwood 5 Harry Whitfield 5 Norman Evans 4 Charlie Shelton 3 Jack Jackson 1 Col Stewart 0

Wembley were declared National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 120-69.

London Cup

First round

Semi final round

Final

First leg Ron Johnson 12 Tom Farndon 9 Joe Francis 9 Nobby Key 7 Roger Frogley 6 Triss Sharp 6 Harry Shepherd 5 Alf Sawford 5 Colin Watson 7 Jack Ormston 7 Norman Evans 7 Lionel Van Praag 5 Wally Kilmister 4 Jack Jackson 3 Charlie Shelton 2 Col Stewart 1 Cliff Parkinson 0

Second leg Norman Evans 8 Colin Watson 7 Jack Ormston 6 Jack Jackson 5 George Greenwood 5 Wally Kilmister 3 Lionel Van Praag 2 Buster Frogley 2 Charlie Shelton 2 Tom Farndon 12 Ron Johnson 12 Joe Francis 11 Nobby Key 9 Roger Frogley 6 Triss Sharp 3 Alf Sawford 2 Harry Shepherd 0

Crystal Palace won on aggregate 114–76

Riders & final averages

Crystal Palace

• 8.32
• 7.75
• 7.51
• 6.79
• 6.61
• 6.55
• 6.30
• 4.20
• 2.67

Harringay (withdrew)

• 10.56
• 6.95
• 5.94
• 5.65
• 5.41
• 5.33
• 5.33

High Beech

• 7.26
• 6.76
• 6.69
• 6.43
• 6.37
• 6.09
• 5.56
• 4.80
• 4.79
• 4.57
• 4.23
• 4.00
• 3.83

Lea Bridge

• 10.22
• 7.91
• 6.97
• 6.95
• 6.80
• 6.39
• 6.00
• 4.79
• 4.44
• 4.32
• 3.71

Leicester/Coventry

• 6.86/9.22
• 8.20/x
• 6.27/7.10
• x/6.50
• 5.36/6.67
• 2.40/5.16
• 5.00/4.27
• x/4.98
• x/4.89
• 4.55/x
• x/4.55
• x/4.31
• x/4.00
• 3.14/3.47

** Manchester (Belle Vue)**

• 8.14
• 6.39
• 6.20
• 6.06
• 6.00
• 5.33
• 5.33
• 3.64
• 3.56
• 3.28
• 3.20
• 3.20
• 2.57

Nottingham

• 8.93
• 8.26
• 7.58
• 7.29
• 5.07
• 5.03
• 4.57
• 4.00
• 4.00
• 3.72

Southampton

• 9.87
• 7.42
• 6.98
• 6.44
• 5.83
• 5.35
• 4.88
• 4.67
• 4.00
• 3.14

Stamford Bridge

• 10.09
• 10.06
• 8.65
• 8.31
• 6.85
• 6.40
• 5.60
• (John Glass) 5.33
• 5.20
• 4.32
• 4.43
• RSA Keith Harvey 4.29
• 4.25
• 3.60

Wembley

• 9.56
• 9.09
• 8.75
• 7.96
• 7.50
• 7.33
• 7.09
• 6.59
• 5.30
• 4.76
• 4.00
• 2.09

West Ham

• 10.55
• 9.32
• 9.00
• 8.79
• 6.90
• 4.13
• 4.10
• 4.36
• 3.79
• 3.25
• 3.09
• 1.71

Wimbledon

• 10.19
• 9.43
• 8.48
• 6.90
• 6.17
• 6.06
• 5.91
• 5.72
• 5.41
• 5.19
• 3.24

References

References

1. Rogers, Martin. (1978). "The Illustrated History of Speedway". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
2. "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
3. "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - PRE-WAR ERA (1929-1939)".
4. "Speedway Teams UK 1929-1934".
5. (26 May 1931). "Coventry Take Over League Fixtures". Leicester Evening Mail.
6. (25 May 1931). "Stadium team withdraws". Leicester Evening Mail.
7. (9 June 1931). "Harringway Out of Southern League".
8. (9 June 1931). "Speedway Club Closes".
9. "Year by Year".
10. [http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/ Speedway Researcher]
11. "Indian Allen".
12. (26 August 1931). "Speedway rider killed". Belfast Telegraph.
13. (8 August 1931). "Speedway test team change".
14. "1931 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
15. "1931 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
16. "1931 National Trophy". Speedway archive.
17. "1931 National Trophy".
18. (11 October 1931). "Cup for Wembley".