1939 Speedway National League Division Two

Summary

As with the previous season, there were several team changes. Southampton Saints had moved up to the National League and Bristol Bulldogs had moved down to take their place. Other new entrants were Crystal Palace Glaziers, Stoke and Middlesbrough. Absentees from the end of the previous season were Lea Bridge, West Ham Hawks (West Ham's reserve team), Birmingham (Hall Green) and Leeds Lions.

Newcastle were leading the league at the point of abandonment. Crystal Palace Glaziers resigned after 10 matches and Stoke after 14 matches. Belle Vue Aces provided a team to complete Stoke's fixtures.

Middlesbrough withdrew after 8 matches despite the club's general manager Vic Wieland signing star rider George Greenwood.

Uncompleted table Division Two

The season was incomplete due to the outbreak of World War II. Uncompleted table on September 1.

• Belle Vue Reserves replaced Stoke Potters mid-season. Stoke scored 4 points from 8 matches, Belle Vue reserves scored 4 points from 6 matches.

Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace Glaziers withdrew mid-season and their records were expunged.

Fixtures & results

A fixtures

B fixtures

|match_SHE_STBV–

Leading averages (league only)

National Trophy

The 1939 National Trophy was the ninth edition of the Knockout Cup. Wembley and Belle Vue were declared joint winners following the abandonment of the final fixture due to the outbreak of the war. Sheffield Tigers won the Division 2 Final round and therefore qualified for the quarter finals proper (the round when the tier one sides entered the competition).

Qualifying quarterfinals

Qualifying semifinals

Final

First leg Frank Hodgson 15 Tiger Hart 13 Jim Baylais 11 George Saunders 9 Stan Dell 7 Nobby Stock 6 Arch Windmill 5 Doug Wells 1 Jack Dixon 12 Stan Williams 9 Ernie Evans 8 Ossie Powell 4 Harry Whitfield 4 Paddy Mills 2 Doug McLachlan 0 Geoff Godwin 0

Second leg Ernie Evans 18 Stan Williams 15 Jack Dixon 11 Ossie Powell 10 Paddy Mills 8 Doug McLachlan 6 Harry Whitfield 5 Geoff Godwin 2 Frank Hodgson 7 Jim Baylais 7 Tiger Hart 6 George Saunders 5 Stan Dell 3 Arch Windmill 3 Nobby Stock 2 Sheffield were declared National League (Div 2) Champions, winning on aggregate 114–100.

English Speedway Trophy

South

North

Final

Riders and final averages

Bristol

• 7.70
• 7.38
• 7.14
• 6.87
• 6.43
• 6.00
• 5.48
• 5.07

Crystal Palace (withdrew)

• 6.86
• 6.14
• 6.06
• 6.00
• RSA Keith Harvey 5.79
• 5.57
• 5.00
• 5.00
• CAN Charlie Appleby 4.67
• 4.13
• 3.43
• 3.20
• 2.40
• 1.50

Hackney

• 11.29
• 9.62
• 8.71
• 7.29
• 6.93
• 6.13
• 5.96
• 5.14
• 4.50

Middlesbrough (withdrew)

• 11.13
• 9.33
• 9.11
• 8.25
• CAN Fred Belliveau 6.50
• 5.91
• 5.86
• 5.85
• 4.64

Newcastle

• CAN George Pepper 11.13
• 9.29
• 7.54
• 7.60
• 6.07
• 5.40
• 5.40
• 4.00
• 3.40

Norwich

• 9.67
• 8.63
• 8.33
• 8.00
• 8.00
• 7.83
• 6.17
• RSA Keith Harvey 6.09
• 5.83
• 4.67
• 3.00

Sheffield

• 11.25
• 10.25
• 9.48
• (Horace Burke) 5.88
• 5.78
• 4.80
• 3.74
• 3.25
• 3.20
• 2.29

Stoke/Belle Vue

• 8.25
• 6.74
• 6.67
• 5.47
• 5.25
• 5.22
• 4.76
• 4.00

References

References

1. "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
2. "Year by Year".
3. (3 March 1939). "Middlesbro' Speedway Hopes".
4. (11 June 1939). "Speedway loss".
5. "1939 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
6. "1939 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
7. "1939 National Trophy". Speedway archive.
8. "1939 Cup". Speedway GB.
9. "1939 National Trophy Provincial Final".
10. "1939 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
11. "1939 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.