1952 Speedway National League Division Two

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LeagueNational League Division Two
No. of competitors12
ChampionsPoole Pirates
National Trophy
(Div 2 final)Poole Pirates
1952 Speedway National League Division Two
LeagueNational League Division Two
No. of competitors12
ChampionsPoole Pirates
National Trophy
(Div 2 final)		Poole Pirates
Midland CupCoventry Bees
Highest averageTommy Miller
Division/s aboveNational League (Div 1)
Division/s belowSouthern League

The 1952 National League Division Two was the seventh post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.[1]

The post-war boom was now fading and the League was shortened to 12 teams with Division Three now defunct and continued only on a regional basis. Previous champions Norwich Stars had been promoted to Division One. Newcastle, Walthamstow and Halifax had closed whilst Fleetwood Flyers changed to Fleetwood Knights and ran only open meetings. Poole Pirates were the only new entrant, promoted from the former lower tier.[2]

Poole Pirates won the title, having won Division Three in the previous season.

Final table

Pos Team PL W D L Pts
1 Poole Pirates 44 31 1 12 63
2 Coventry Bees 44 25 5 14 55
3 Leicester Hunters 44 25 2 17 52
4 Cradley Heath Heathens 44 24 0 20 48
5 Glasgow White City Tigers 44 23 1 20 47
6 Edinburgh Monarchs 44 21 4 19 46
7 Ashfield Giants 44 19 3 22 41
8 Motherwell Eagles 44 19 2 23 40
9 Yarmouth Bloaters 44 20 0 24 40
10 Stoke Potters 44 18 1 25 37
11 Liverpool Chads 44 16 3 25 35
12 Oxford Cheetahs 44 11 2 31 24

Fixtures & results

A fixtures

Home \ Away ASH COV CH ED GLA LEI LIV MOT OX PP STO YAR
Ashfield 42–42 51–33 53–31 36–48 50–34 47–37 32–51 47–37 48–36 50–34 52–32
Coventry 41–43 43–41 42–41 48–36 32–52 54–30 45–39 45–39 44–40 50–34 56–28
Cradley Heath 49–35 53–31 51–33 56–28 40–44 50–34 47–37 46–38 36–48 56–28 57–27
Edinburgh 43–41 53–31 55–29 53–31 42–42 42–42 46–38 54–30 37–47 56–28 54–30
Glasgow 42–42 47–37 49–35 56–28 49–35 56–28 43–41 56–28 49–35 53–31 58–26
Leicester 52–32 38–46 40–44 48–35 48–36 37–47 52–32 50–34 49–35 45–39 54–30
Liverpool 48–36 40–44 44–40 45–39 41–43 50–34 43–41 58–26 25–58 42–42 62–21
Motherwell 39–45 50–34 48–36 41–40 40–44 48–36 50–33 51–33 44–40 49–35 62–22
Oxford 52–32 44–40 51–30 52–32 53–29 38–45 38–46 41–43 33–51 44–40 51–33
Poole 58–26 59–25 69–15 48–36 61–23 50–34 60–24 62–22 42–42 64–20 62–22
Stoke 57–27 51–33 32–51 45–39 53–31 53–31 64–20 47–34 51–33 53–31 49–35
Yarmouth 54–30 55–29 50–34 35–49 56–28 38–46 61–23 49–35 52–32 44–40 45–39
Source: [3]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

B fixtures

Home \ Away ASH COV CH ED GLA LEI LIV MOT OX PP STO YAR
Ashfield 43–41 41–42 43–41 45–38 35–49 44–40 43–41 60–24 35–49 56–28 51–33
Coventry 56–28 48–36 42–42 54–30 42–42 59–25 48–36 62–21 55–29 59–25 50–34
Cradley Heath 45–39 48–36 44–40 55–29 52–32 52–32 51–33 54–30 38–46 58–26 46–38
Edinburgh 61–23 39–45 44–40 46–38 53–29 50–34 45–39 59–25 46–38 59–25 47–37
Glasgow 47–37 38–46 40–44 46–38 38–45 61–23 45–39 59–24 45–38 52–32 56–28
Leicester 47–37 38–46 46–38 45–39 58–26 54–30 48–36 53–31 32–52 51–32 50–34
Liverpool 47–37 42–42 56–28 34–50 47–37 40–44 59–25 50–34 40–44 60–24 59–25
Motherwell 39–44 42–42 49–35 42–42 41–43 49–35 51–33 54–30 43–41 54–30 55–29
Oxford 42–42 32–52 35–49 43–41 35–49 37–47 44–40 41–43 24–60 51–33 46–38
Poole 55–29 52–32 57–27 54–30 56–28 59–25 60–24 60–24 66–18 67–17 68–16
Stoke 60–24 32–52 54–30 38–46 54–30 46–38 52–32 50–33 53–31 40–44 58–26
Yarmouth 65–19 47–37 55–29 54–30 57–27 56–28 67–17 62–22 64–20 58–26 44–40
Source: [4]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top Five Riders (League only)

Rider Nat Team C.M.A.
1 Tommy Miller Scotland Glasgow 10.91
2 Derick Close England Motherwell 10.57
3 Fred Brand England Yarmouth 9.82
4 Brian Crutcher England Poole 9.66
5 Ken Middleditch England Poole 9.63

National Trophy Stage Two

The 1952 National Trophy was the 15th edition of the Knockout Cup. The Trophy consisted of three stages; stage one was for the third-tier clubs, stage two was for the second-tier clubs and stage three was for the top-tier clubs. The winner of stage one would qualify for stage two and the winner of stage two would qualify for the third and final stage. Poole won stage two and therefore qualified for stage three.[5]

Second Division qualifying first round

Date Team one Score Team two
05/06Plymouth57-51Poole
02/06Poole67-41Plymouth
24/05Coventry71-36Motherwell
24/05Stoke71-37Cradley Heath
23/05Cradley Heath67-41Stoke
23/05Motherwell61-47Coventry
19/05Liverpool71-37Edinburgh
17/05Edinburgh67-41Liverpool
13/05Yarmouth61-47Leicester
09/05Leicester71-37Yarmouth

Second Division Qualifying Second round

Date Team one Score Team two
19/06Oxford53-55Poole
09/06Poole78-30Oxford
07/06Coventry52-55Leicester
07/06Stoke55-52Liverpool
06/06Leicester55-53Coventry
02/06Liverpool75.5-32.5Stoke
24/05Glasgow Ashfield52-56Glasgow White City
21/05Glasgow White City65-43Glasgow Ashfield

Second Division Qualifying semifinals

Date Team one Score Team two
20/06Leicester46-62Glasgow White City
18/06Glasgow White City53-55Leicester
25/06Poole85-23Liverpool

Second Division Qualifying final

First leg

Poole Pirates
Ken Middleditch 13
Brian Crutcher 12
Tony Lewis 11
Jimmy Squibb 11
Alan Kidd 8
Bill Holden 4
Terry Small 2
Roy Craighead 0		61 – 47Glasgow White City Tigers
Junior Bainbridge 14
Tommy Miller 13
Don Wilkinson 8
Ken McKinlay 8
Len Nicholson 4
Alf McIntosh 1
Peter Dykes 1
Stuart Irvine 0
[6][7]

Second leg

Glasgow White City Tigers
Ken McKinlay 16
Tommy Miller 15
Junior Bainbridge 12
Alf McIntosh 6
Len Nicholson 4
Don Wilkinson 3
Peter Dykes 3
Stuart Irvine 0		58 – 50Poole Pirates
Brian Crutcher 13
Jimmy Squibb 13
Ken Middleditch 12
Bill Holden 4
Terry Small 4
Alan Kidd 2
Tony Lewis 1
Roy Craighead 1
[7]

Midland Cup

Coventry won the Midland Cup, which consisted of eight teams. There was one team from division 1, five teams from division 2 and two teams from division 3.

First round

Team one Team two Score
WolverhamptonLong Eaton69–26, 59–37

Second round

Team one Team two Score
LeicesterStoke54–42, 42–53
OxfordWolverhampton62–34, 45–51
CradleyCoventry50–46, 34–62

Semi final round

Team one Team two Score
OxfordCoventry25–71, 26–70
BirminghamLeicester70–26, 63–33

Final

First leg

Birmingham
Dan Forsberg 14
Arthur Payne 13
Ron Mountford 8
Lionel Watling 6
Eric Boothroyd 5
Cyril Page 4
Ivor Davies 2
Ron Mason 1		53–43Coventry
Johnnie Reason 13
Vic Emms 7
Peter Brough 5
Stan Williams 5
Les Hewitt 5
Derrick Tailby 5
Charlie New 2
Jack Wright 1
Attendance: 20,000

Second leg

Coventry
Peter Brough 14
Vic Emms 12
Johnnie Reason 11
Les Hewitt 9
Derrick Tailby 7
John Yates 6
Cyril Cooper 5
Stan Williams 3		67–29Birmingham
Alan Hunt 7
Ron Mountford 6
Ron Mason 4
Ivor Davies 4
Cyril Page 4
Bill Jemison 3
Lionel Watling 1
Eric Boothroyd 0
[8]
Attendance: 17,000

Coventry won on aggregate 110–82

Riders & final averages

See also

References

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