1950 Speedway National League Division Two

1950 Speedway National League Division Two
LeagueNational League Division Two
No. of competitors15
ChampionsNorwich Stars
National Trophy
(Div 2 final)		Halifax Dukes
Northern ShieldHalifax Dukes
Southern ShieldCradley Heath
Highest averageJack Young
Division/s aboveNational League (Div 1)
Division/s belowNational League (Div 3)

The 1950 National League Division Two was the fifth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.[1]

Summary

The League was extended again to 15 teams with the promotion from Division Three of Halifax Dukes, Plymouth, Yarmouth and Hanley. Bristol Bulldogs, champions for the previous two seasons, moved up to Division One.[2]

Norwich Stars claimed the league title by a single point, while Halifax and Cradley Heath claimed the early season Northern and Southern Shields respectively, the latter on points difference.[3][4]

On 1 July 1950, two riders were killed on the same night. Jock Shead riding for Halifax Dukes was killed at The Firs Stadium, (the third rider in four years to be killed at the track) during the semi-final of the National Trophy. Shead's bike collided with another bike and he somersaulted before landing, he was take to hospital but died shortly afterwards. A second rider was killed on the same night in a division 1 fixture.[5]

Final table

Pos Team PL W D L Pts
1 Norwich Stars 28 18 1 9 37
2 Glasgow Tigers 28 18 0 10 36
3 Cradley Heath Heathens 28 18 0 10 36
4 Coventry Bees 28 16 0 12 32
5 Walthamstow Wolves 28 16 0 12 32
6 Halifax Dukes 28 16 0 12 32
7 Southampton Saints 28 14 1 13 29
8 Edinburgh Monarchs 28 14 1 13 29
9 Plymouth Devils 28 13 0 15 26
10 Sheffield Tars 28 13 0 15 26
11 Ashfield Giants 28 12 0 16 24
12 Yarmouth Bloaters 28 12 0 16 24
13 Newcastle Diamonds 28 10 0 18 20
14 Hanley Potters 28 9 2 17 20
15 Fleetwood Flyers 28 8 1 19 17

Fixtures & results

Home \ Away ASH COV CH ED FLE GLA HAL HAN NEW NOR PLY SHE SOT WAL YAR
Ashfield 44–40 35–49 45–39 35–49 37–47 33–51 46–38 51–33 38–45 52–32 55–29 58–26 56–28 47–36
Coventry 48–36 52–31 47–37 59–25 47–37 63–21 54–30 57–27 33–51 54–29 48–36 41–43 53–30 53–31
Cradley 52–32 41–43 56–28 58–26 52–32 49–35 51–33 46–37 58–26 28–56 57–27 50.5–33.5 56–28 64–20
Edinburgh 46–36 31–53 46–38 50–33 49–35 34–50 53–30 63–21 43–41 51–32 56–28 52–31 48–36 61–23
Fleetwood 37–46 34–50 37–47 42–42 40–44 39–45 50–34 54–30 47–37 46–38 54–30 39–45 40–44 57–27
Glasgow 49–35 47–36 50–34 60–24 56–28 56–28 60–23 56–28 61–23 61–23 45–39 51–33 43–41 68–16
Halifax 36–48 45–39 47–37 51–31 51–33 51–33 63–21 59–25 45–39 49–35 40–44 55–29 55–29 62–21
Hanley 44–40 43–40 34–50 48–35 38–46 38–43 43–41 55–29 42–42 60–24 54–30 42–42 49–35 53–30
Newcastle 59–25 41–42 50–34 41–43 60–23 41–43 52–32 61–22 33–51 42–41 46–38 46–38 51–33 47–37
Norwich 49–35 52–32 53–31 43–41 69–15 54–29 54–30 63–21 53.5–30.5 54–30 53–31 46–38 66–17 55–29
Plymouth 37–47 45–39 40–44 40–43 57–27 54–30 47–37 60–24 58–26 49–35 60–24 47–37 44–40 56–28
Sheffield 51–33 49–35 40–44 55–29 68–16 48–36 61–23 51–33 52–32 43–41 55–29 55–29 34–49 62–22
Southampton 51–33 44–40 52–31 46–38 56–28 56–28 40–44 62–22 53–31 41–43 50–34 63–21 46–38 61–23
Walthamstow 54–29 46–37 59–25 52–32 54–30 53–31 47–34 49–34 61–23 52–32 40–43 51–33 49–34 46–38
Yarmouth 50–34 46–38 39–45 53–31 59–25 43–31 52–32 45–38 54–30 44–40 54–30 60–24 48–36 31–51
Source: [6]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top Five Riders (League only)

Rider Nat Team C.M.A.
1 Jack Young Australia Edinburgh 11.24
2 Arthur Forrest England Halifax 11.00
3 Alan Hunt England Cradley Heath 10.44
4 Bob Oakley England Southampton 10.43
5 Phil Clarke England Norwich 9.91

National Trophy Stage Two

The 1950 National Trophy was the 13th edition of the Knockout Cup. The Trophy consisted of three stages; stage one was for the third division clubs, stage two was for the second division 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. Halifax won stage two and therefore qualified for stage three.[7]

Second Division Qualifying First round

Date Team one Score Team two
26/05Halifax71-37Oxford
25/05Oxford68-40Halifax
27/05Coventry64-44Newcastle
29/05Newcastle62-45Coventry
27/05Norwich63-44Fleetwood
31/05Fleetwood48-59Norwich
31/05Glasgow White City70-38Stoke Hanley
27/05Stoke Hanley65-43Glasgow White City
30/05Ashfield Giants61-47Cradley Heath
29/05Cradley Heath60-47Ashfield Giants
26/05Sheffield77-31Plymouth
25/05Plymouth56-51Sheffield
30/05Yarmouth57-50Walthamstow
29/05Walthamstow66-42Yarmouth
30/05Southampton62-46Edinburgh
27/05Edinburgh48-60Southampton

Second Division Qualifying Second round

Date Team one Score Team two
10/06Coventry53-53Halifax
09/06Halifax68-40Coventry
10/06Norwich78-30Glasgow White City
07/06Glasgow White City70-38Norwich
20/06Ashfield Giants63-44Sheffield
09/06Sheffield57-51Ashfield Giants
20/06Southampton59-49Walthamstow
19/06Walthamstow67-41Southampton

Second Division Qualifying semifinals

Date Team one Score Team two
01/07Norwich58-50Halifax
30/06Halifax69-39Norwich
04/07Ashfield Giants67-41Walthamstow
26/06Walthamstow66-41Ashfield Giants

Second Division Qualifying final

Date Team one Score Team two
11/07Ashfield Giants58-50Halifax
14/07Halifax64-43Ashfield Giants

First leg

Ashfield Giants
Ken Le Breton 16
Merv Harding 12
Bruce Semmens 9
Willie Wilson 7
Keith Gurtner 7
Ron Hart 4
Bill Baird 3
Bob Lovell 0		58 – 50Halifax Dukes
Arthur Forrest 12
Vic Emms 12
Al Allison 8
Dyson Harper 8
Jack Hughes 6
Ray Johnson 3
Jack Dawson 1
Bill Crosland 0
[8]

Second leg

Halifax Dukes
Arthur Forrest 15
Vic Emms 11
Al Allison 11
Jack Hughes 9
Dyson Harper 7
Bill Crosland 6
Jack Dawson 4
Ray Johnson 1		64 – 43Ashfield Giants
Ken Le Breton 17
Merv Harding 9
Bruce Semmens 7
Keith Gurtner 5
Willie Wilson 3
Ron Hart 2
Bill Baird 0
Bob Lovell 0
[9]

Shields

Team and averages

Ashfield

Coventry

  • England Stan Williams 8.94
  • Australia Les Hewitt 8.93
  • England Johnny Reason 7.78
  • England Cyril Cooper 7.70
  • England Bob Fletcher 7.59
  • England Derrick Tailby 7.15
  • Australia Lionel Levy 5.74
  • England Roy Moreton 4.41
  • England Peter Brough 3.92

Cradley Heath

Edinburgh

Fleetwood

  • England Don Potter 7.60
  • England Norman Hargreaves 7.05
  • England Wilf Plant 6.45
  • England Alf Parker 6.00
  • Australia Graham Williams 5.87
  • Australia Bill Reynolds 5.69
  • England Dick Geary 4.27
  • Scotland Angus McGuire 3.20
  • Australia Frank Malouf 2.80
  • England Geoff Culshaw 2.92

Glasgow

Halifax

  • England Arthur Forrest 11.00
  • England Vic Emms 9.61
  • England Jock Shead 8.40
  • England Jack Hughes 7.04
  • England Al Allison 6.76
  • England Bill Crosland 6.58
  • Wales Jack Dawson 5.03
  • England Dyson Harper 4.20
  • England Bunny Burrows 3.79
  • England Ray Johnson 3.57
  • England George Stringer 0.47

Hanley

  • Australia Lindsay Mitchell 7.11
  • England Brian Pritchett 7.01
  • England Ken Adams 6.44
  • Guernsey Johnny Fitzparick 6.34
  • England Gil Blake 6.22
  • Australia Bill Harris 5.41
  • England Les Jenkins 5.04
  • England Ray Harris 4.86
  • England Stan Bradbury 4.00

Newcastle

Norwich

Plymouth

Sheffield

Southampton

Walthamstow

Yarmouth

  • England Reg Morgan 7.11
  • England Fred Brand 7.00
  • England Tip Mills 6.75
  • England Bill Carruthers 6.41
  • Australia Bill Maddern 5.90
  • England Johnny White 5.66
  • Australia Wally Higgs 5.28
  • England Stan Page 4.74
  • England Bert Rawlinson 4.73
  • England George Flower 2.09

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
  2. ↑ "Speedway Researcher". Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "Halifax Win Speedway Shield". Edinburgh Evening News. 20 May 1950. Retrieved 23 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ "Cradley Beaten, Bu Made certain of Shield". Wolverhampton Express and Star. 7 June 1950. Retrieved 23 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Two Riders Killed". Weekly Dispatch (London). 2 July 1950. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "1950 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "1950 National Trophy". Speedway archive.
  8. ↑ "Thrills, spills and a record as Giants beat Dukes". Daily Record. 12 July 1950. Retrieved 30 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Halifax Win". Daily Record. 15 July 1950. Retrieved 30 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "1950 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  11. ↑ "1950 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.