1959 Southern Area League
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LeagueSouthern Area League
No. of competitors5
| League | Southern Area League |
|---|---|
| No. of competitors | 5 |
| Champions | Eastbourne Eagles |
| Riders' Championship | Dave Hankins |
| Highest average | Colin Gooddy |
| Division/s above | 1959 National League |
The 1959 Southern Area League was the final season of the Southern Area League as the regional second tier of speedway racing in the United Kingdom for Southern British teams. With no league in 1958, a set of 6 new teams competed in 1959.[1]
Eastbourne Eagles were the champions, Southern Rovers withdrew after just one league meeting and were replaced by Aldershot who inherited their result. [2]
Final table
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastbourne Eagles | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| 2 | Yarmouth Bloaters | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| 3 | Aldershot Shots | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| 4 | Rye House | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| 5 | Ipswich Witches | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
Southern Rovers withdrew after one meeting (at Eastbourne) - result incorporated with Aldershot.
Fixtures and results
Leading Averages
| Rider | Team | C.M.A. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colin Gooddy | Eastbourne | 10.76 |
| 2 | Gil Goldfinch | Eastbourne & Ipswich | 9.46 |
| 3 | Johnny Fitzpatrick | Yarmouth | 9.44 |
| 4 | Derek Timms | Aldershot | 9.38 |
| 5 | Ivor Brown | Yarmouth | 9.29 |
Riders' Championship
Dave Hankins won the Riders' Championship. The final was held at Foxhall Stadium on 26 September.[5] [6][7]
| Pos. | Rider | Club | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dave Hankins | Ipswich & Yarmouth | 15 |
| 2 | Derek Timms | Aldershot | 13 |
| 3 | Ivor Brown | Yarmouth | 12 |
| 4 | Shorty Schirmer | Ipswich | 10 |
| 5 | Colin Gooddy | Eastbourne | 10 |
| 6 | John Fitzpatrick | Yarmouth | 9 |
| 7 | Ronnie Rolfe | Rye House | 9 |
| 8 | Ross Gilbertson | Eastbourne | 8 |
| 9 | Eric Hockaday | Aldershot | 8 |
| 10 | Gil Goldfinch | Eastbourne & Ipswich | 7 |
| 11 | Ron Bagley (res) | Ipswich | 4 |
| 12 | Clive Hitch | Rye House | 3 |
| 13 | Ken Last | Ipswich & Yarmouth | 3 |
| 14 | Stan Stevens (res) | Rye House | 3 |
| 15 | Tommy Sweetman | Rye House | 2 |
| 16 | Ernie Baker | Rye House | 2 |
| 17 | Dave Still | Eastbourne | 1 |
| 18 | Bobby Croombs | Rye House | 0 |
| 19 | Ivor Toms (res) | Unattached | 0 |
