1947 Speedway National League

Summary

Harringay Racers rejoined the league. Wembley Lions retained the title. Belle Vue retained the National Trophy.

Final Table Division One

Fixtures & results

A fixtures

B fixtures

British Speedway Cup

On account of the small number of teams in the league the British Speedway Cup was run in a league format. Wembley Lions won all their matches, home and away, to complete a double.

Top ten riders (league only)

National Trophy

The 1947 National Trophy was the tenth edition of the Knockout Cup.

During the National Trophy quarter final match between Wembley and Harringay (on 15 August) the 27-year-old Wembley rider Nelson 'Bronco' Wilson received fatal injuries in the fourth heat. He died in the Prince of Wales Hospital, Tottenham, the following day from a fractured skull. Remarkably another rider Cyril Anderson of the Norwich Stars was killed instantly on the same evening, during the Division Two Best Pairs.

Qualifying Middlesbrough and Norwich qualified for the quarter finals by virtue of finishing 1st & 2nd in the Second Division Cup.

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Final

First leg Tommy Price 14 Bill Kitchen 13 George Wilks 10 Split Waterman 6 Bill Gilbert 6 Bob Wells 5 Charlie May 1 Roy Craighead 0 Eric Langton 13 Jack Parker 13 Louis Lawson 8 Jim Boyd 7 Wally Lloyd 6 Wally Hull 3 Dent Oliver 2 Bill Pitcher 1

Second leg Jack Parker 16 Louis Lawson 12 Eric Langton 11 Wally Lloyd 6 Dent Oliver 7 Jim Boyd 6 Wally Hull 4 Bill Pitcher 1 Bill Kitchen 14 Tommy Price 13 Split Waterman 9 George Wilks 4 Roy Craighead 3 Bob Wells 2 Charlie May 0 Bill Gilbert 0

Belle Vue were National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 116–100.

Riders' Championship

Jack Parker won the British Riders' Championship final held at Empire Stadium on 11 September. Parker won the title after a run off and also broke the halfway (2 laps) track record (37.6 secs) in heat 2. There were three qualifying rounds, with 28 riders progressing to the Championship round, held over seven meetings.

• f=fell

London Cup

First round

Semi final round

Final

First leg Ron Johnson 11 Bill Longley 10 Lionel Van Praag 7 Jeff Lloyd 8 Ray Moore 7 Frank Lawrence 2 Eric French 2 Geoff Pymar 2 Bill Kitchen 17 George Wilks 12 Split Waterman 11 Tommy Price 7 Bob Wells 5 Roy Craighead 3 Bill Gilbert 3 Charlie May 0

Second leg Tommy Price 14 Bill Kitchen 12 Bill Gilbert 6 George Wilks 4 Bob Wells 4 Charlie May 3 Split Waterman 3 Roy Craighead 1 Ron Johnson 15 Jeff Lloyd 13 Bill Longley 10 Geoff Pymar 8 Eric French 6 Ray Moore 5 Lionel Van Praag 4 Frank Lawrence 0

New Cross won on aggregate 110–105

Riders & final averages

Belle Vue

• 9.44
• 9.32
• 8.50
• 7.87
• 7.29
• 6.68
• 5.39
• 4.47
• 4.44
• 3.80
• 3.36

Harringay

• 11.54
• 8.00
• 7.32
• 6.53
• 4.78
• 4.16
• 3.49
• 4.20
• 3.18
• 3.00
• 2.11
• 1.48

New Cross

• 8.88
• 7.43
• 7.83
• 7.71
• 7.68
• 5.04
• 5.96
• 3.86
• RSA Keith Harvey 3.20
• 4.20

Odsal

• 10.25
• 8.64
• 8.51
• 7.07
• 6.90
• 6.29
• 4.90
• 4.00
• 3.48
• 3.24
• 3.00
• 2.40
• 2.29
• 1.18
• 1.00

Wembley

• 10.74
• 10.00
• 9.46
• 7.75
• 6.21
• 5.47
• 4.88
• 6.10
• 3.33

West Ham

• CAN Eric Chitty 9.54
• 9.54
• 6.09
• 5.78
• 5.67
• 5.60
• 5.06
• 4.46
• 3.83
• 3.35
• 2.58
• CAN Bill Matthews 2.55
• 0.92

Wimbledon

• 10.35
• 8.50
• 7.70
• 6.00
• 5.98
• 5.36
• 4.51
• 5.61
• 1.33

References

References

1. "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
2. (1 January 1947). "New speed tracks to open".
3. "Year by Year".
4. Rogers, Martin. (1978). "The Illustrated History of Speedway". Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd.
5. "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)".
6. "1947 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
7. "1947 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
8. "1947 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
9. (13 October 1947). "Belle Vue Win". Daily Mirror.
10. (16 August 1947). "Cricket for a Kiddies' Fund". Nottingham Evening Post.
11. (17 August 1947). "Another Speedway rider killed". Weekly Dispatch (London).
12. "1947 National Trophy".
13. "1947 fixtures".
14. (12 September 1947). "Speedway title for Jack Parker". Bradford Observer.
15. (26 September 1947). "New Cross make a comeback". Norwood News.