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1948 Speedway National League Division Three

British motorcycle speedway season


British motorcycle speedway season

FieldValue
competitionNational League Division Three
season1948
competitors12
domesticcup1Champions
domesticcup1 winnersExeter Falcons
domesticcup2National Trophy (Div 3 final)
domesticcup2 winnersSouthampton Saints
highestaverageAlf Bottoms
league aboveDivision One
Division Two
prevseason1947
nextseason1949

Division Two

The 1948 National League Division Three was the second season of British speedway's National League Division Three

The league had expanded from 8 teams to 12. Reigning champions Eastbourne Eagles were forced to close due to a petrol ban at their stadium, so their team moved a few miles along the Sussex coast to Hastings. The new entrants Coventry Bees, Hull Angels, Poole Pirates and Yarmouth Bloaters all struggled to make an impact and finished in the bottom five positions.

The Hull Angels were a corporation backed team, managed by Fred Archer and the team wore the crest of the city's coat-of-arms (3 golden crowns on a blue shield and yellow background).

Exeter Falcons won their first title and Alf Bottoms of Southampton topped the averages.{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1948nl3averages.pdf|title=National League Division 3 1948

Eric Dunn of Hastings Saxons was a third speedway rider (with Reg Craven and Bill Wilson) to be killed during the season. 34-year-old Dunn was riding in a meeting (on 13 June) at the Arlington track when he fell and was hit by a rider behind. He died two days later in hospital (15 June).

Final League table

PosTeamPLWDLPts
1Exeter Falcons443211165
2Cradley Heath Cubs442921360
3Southampton Saints442901558
4Tamworth Hounds442341750
5Hanley Potters442411949
6Hastings Saxons442202244
7Plymouth Devils442122243
8Coventry Bees441912439
9Hull Angels441902538
10Poole Pirates441702734
11Yarmouth Bloaters441313027
12Wombwell Colliers441013321

Fixtures & results

A fixtures

B fixtures

Leading Averages

RiderTeamC.M.A.
1Alf BottomsSouthampton
2Wally GreenHastings
3Cyril RogerExeter
4Jock GriersonHastings
5Bert RogerExeter

National Trophy

The 1948 Trophy was the 11th edition of the Knockout Cup. The Qualifying event for Division 3 teams saw Southampton Saints win the final and qualify for the Elimination event. The Elimination event for Division 2 teams saw Birmingham Brummies win the final and qualify for the Quarter Finals proper.

Qualifying Event First Round

DateTeam OneScoreTeam Two
08/04Plymouth56-50Cradley Heath
17/04Cradley Heath66-42Plymouth
13/04Southampton89-19Wombwell
23/04Wombwell31-77Southampton
07/04Tamworth82-26Exeter
12/04Exeter81-27Tamworth

Qualifying Second Round

DateTeam OneScoreTeam Two
29/04Stoke Hanley64-43Coventry
01/05Coventry48-59Stoke Hanley
04/05Southampton77-31Tamworth
05/05Tamworth46-62Southampton
26/04Poole74-32Yarmouth
27/04Yarmouth47-67Poole
01/05Hull42-66Cradley Heath
07/05Cradley Heath78-29Hull

Qualifying Third Round

DateTeam OneScoreTeam Two
10/05Poole49-57Stoke Hanley
13/05Stoke Hanley64-44Poole
11/05Southampton85-23Cradley Heath
21/05Cradley Heath54-50Southampton

Qualifying Final Round

First leg Alf Bottoms 18 Bob Oakley 15 Jimmy Squibb 10 Alf Kaines 9 Bert Croucher 8.5 George Bason 8 Tom Oakley 2 Cecil Bailey 2 Gil Blake 11 Les Jenkins 6 Ray Harris 5 Dave Anderson 4 Vic Pitcher 3.5 Dick Howard 2 Ken Adams 2 Frank Evans 0 Second leg Gil Blake 14 Ray Harris 9 Les Jenkins 6 Dick Howard 5 Dave Anderson 4 Vic Pitcher 3 Frank Evans 3 Ken Adams 1 Alf Bottoms 17 Bob Oakley 14 Jimmy Squibb 9 Bert Croucher 8 Alf Kaines 7 Cecil Bailey 6 George Bason 3 Tom Oakley 0

Riders & final averages

Coventry

  • Vic Emms 7.92
  • Lionel Levy 7.43
  • Bob Fletcher 7.28
  • Bert Lacey 6.19
  • Ed Pye 6.18
  • George Smith 6.13
  • Ralph Horne 5.65
  • Bernard Tennant 5.36
  • John Yates 4.65
  • Fred Yates 4.62
  • Derrick Tailby 2.71

Cradley Heath

  • Gil Craven 9.52
  • Les Beaumont 8.82
  • Eric Irons 8.81
  • Alan Hunt 8.16
  • Jimmy Wright 7.78
  • Bill Kemp 7.52
  • Ken Sharples 6.98
  • Bill Clifton 5.64
  • Phil Malpass 5.49
  • Ray Beaumont 4.41
  • Ray Moreton 4.32
  • Jimmy Coy 4.22

Exeter

  • Cyril Roger 10.00
  • Bert Roger 9.98
  • Norman Clay 8.73
  • Arthur Pilgrim 8.26
  • Don Hardy 8.19
  • Stan Hodson 7.35
  • Bronco Slade 7.19
  • Hugh Geddes 6.49
  • Johnny Myson 5.24
  • Stan Lanfear 3.89

Hanley

  • Gil Blake 8.92
  • Les Jenkins 8.32
  • Dave Anderson 7.95
  • Ray Harris 7.17
  • Ken Adams 7.05
  • Dick Howard 5.61
  • Stan Bradbury 5.71
  • Vic Pitcher 5.62
  • Lindsay Mitchell 5.52
  • Frank Evans 5.14
  • Jack Dawson 5.00
  • Jock Gordon 4.00

Hastings

  • Wally Green 11.23
  • Jock Grierson 9.75
  • Bill Osborne 8.97
  • Frank Bettis 6.51
  • Ken Middleditch 6.00
  • Ken Tidbury 5.12
  • Ron Clark 5.01
  • Dan English 4.52
  • John Hayles 4.29
  • Peter Mold 4.13
  • Ken Smith 4.05
  • Eric Dunn 4.00
  • Bill Weston 2.29

Hull

  • Mick Mitchell 8.94
  • Dick Shepherd 7.35
  • George Craig 7.19
  • Al Allison 6.67
  • Johnny White 6.34
  • Bob Baker 6.08
  • Derek Glover 5.33
  • Norman Johnson 4.89
  • Alf Webster 3.25
  • Brian Gorman 3.17

Plymouth

  • Pete Lansdale 9.06
  • Len Read 8.77
  • Peter Robinson 8.59
  • Alex Gray 6.86
  • Ted Gibson 5.78
  • Bonny Waddell 5.27
  • Charlie Challis 5.14
  • Ivan Kessell 5.10
  • Billy Newell 4.63
  • Vic Gent 4.38
  • Wally Matthews 4.37

Poole

  • Joe Bowkiss 8.53
  • Allan Chambers 7.66
  • Alf Elliott 7.31
  • Sid Clarke 6.78
  • Fred Pawson 6.13
  • Charlie Hayden 5.90
  • Ginger Nicholls 5.20
  • George Butler 4.69
  • Frank Holcombe 4.18
  • Sid Hazzard 3.76

Southampton

  • Alf Bottoms 11.25
  • Jimmy Squibb 9.52
  • Cecil Bailey 8.58
  • Bob Oakley 8.05
  • Bert Croucher 7.01
  • Tom Oakley 6.41
  • Alf Kaines 5.87
  • George Bason 4.56
  • Bill Griffiths 4.00

Tamworth

  • Arthur Payne 8.67
  • Cyril Page 8.45
  • Harry Saunders 8.44
  • Basil Harris 8.08
  • Bill Dalton 7.53
  • Bill Harris 7.05
  • Steve Langton 6.79
  • Jack Baxter 6.67
  • Peter Orpwood 6.07
  • Charlie Oates 5.57
  • Cecil Hookham 5.00
  • Lionel Watling 3.87
  • Howard Chipman 2.67

Wombwell

  • Stan Hodson 8.15
  • Harry Welch 7.38
  • Jack Baxter 6.98
  • Harry Saunders 6.76
  • Harwood Pike 6.60
  • Stan Beardsall 6.46
  • Son Mitchell 5.26
  • Len Tupling 4.80
  • Red Hamley 4.69
  • Charlie Oates 4.45
  • Ken Allick 4.38
  • Jeff Bishop 4.07
  • Ernest Palmer 3.09
  • Gerry Williams 2.46
  • Bert Thomas 2.08
  • Harry Modral 1.52

Yarmouth

  • Reg Morgan 7.40
  • Billy Bales 6.99
  • Sid Hipperson 6.93
  • Paddy Hammond 6.60
  • Fred Rogers 5.64
  • Bert Rawlinson 5.14
  • Arthur Bush 5.10
  • Roy Duke 5.05
  • Bill Carruthers 4.81
  • Ted Rawlinson 4.50
  • Phil Day 2.67
  • Bill Codling 2.55

References

References

  1. "Home".
  2. "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)".
  3. (18 January 1948). "Eighteen applications".
  4. "Major League Competitions". Speedway Archive.
  5. (16 June 1948). "Speedway News". Eastbourne Gazette.
  6. "1948 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
  7. "1948 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher.
  8. "1948 National Trophy". Speedway archive.
  9. (26 May 1948). "Speedway Defeat". Staffordshire Sentinel.
  10. "Southampton 1948 results".
  11. (28 May 1948). "Cup final defeat". Staffordshire Sentinel.
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