1954 Speedway National League Division Two

1954 Speedway National League Division Two
LeagueNational League Division Two
No. of competitors11
ChampionsBristol Bulldogs
Southern ShieldBristol Bulldogs
Northern ShieldLanarkshire Eagles
Riders' ChampionshipKen Middleditch
Highest averageKen McKinlay
Division/s aboveNational League (Div 1)
Division/s belowSouthern League

The 1954 National League Division Two was the ninth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.[1]

Summary

The Southern League was replaced by the Southern Area League which resulted in Division Two taking in teams from the defunct Southern League. Only St Austell Gulls declined to step up to the national level, whilst from the previous season Yarmouth Bloaters were not issued a racing licence and Stoke Potters withdrew. Bristol Bulldogs moved down from Division One to make 15 teams starting the season.[2] However, Glasgow White City Tigers[3] and Wolverhampton Wasps both suffered a series of poor results in the Northern Shield and both withdrew before the league campaign started.[4]

Bristol Bulldogs won the league title.[5] Bristol also won the early season Southern Shield,[6] while Lanarkshire Eagles won the disrupted Northern Shield following the withdrawal of Glasgow and Wolverhampton.[7]

Plymouth Devils withdrew after one league fixture and Edinburgh Monarchs withdrew mid-way through the 1954 season citing financial losses and their Managing Director Frank Varey also resigned.[8]

League

Final table

Pos Team M W D L Pts
1 Bristol Bulldogs 20 14 0 6 28
2 Poole Pirates 20 12 0 8 24
3 Swindon Robins 20 11 0 9 22
4 Leicester Hunters 20 11 0 9 22
5 Ipswich Witches 20 10 0 10 20
6 Exeter Falcons 20 10 0 10 20
7 Oxford Cheetahs 20 10 0 10 20
8 Coventry Bees 20 10 0 10 20
9 Southampton Saints 20 9 0 11 18
10 Lanarkshire Eagles 20 9 0 11 18
11 Rayleigh Rockets 20 4 0 16 8

Fixtures and results

Home \ Away BRI COV EX IPS LAN LEI OX PP RAY SOT SWI
Bristol 53–31 59–24 47–37 59–25 51–33 47–37 44.5–39.5 56–28 52–32 49–35
Coventry 43–41 45–38 48–36 57–27 37–46 38–46 43–41 52–31 53–31 35–48
Exeter 53–31 58–26 59–25 57–27 59–25 53–31 58–26 49–35 64–20 49–35
Ipswich 58–26 41–43 56–28 55–29 60–24 46–38 46–38 47–37 58–26 58–25
Lanarkshire 50–34 44–40 58–26 45–39 23–25 58–26 44–40 62–22 63–21 49–35
Leicester 39–45 37–47 62–22 45–39 54–30 56–28 54–30 62–22 54–30 39–45
Oxford 46–38 46–38 52–32 43–41 51–33 49–34 36–48 56–28 44–39 47–36
Poole 45–38 53–31 61–23 53–31 51–33 49–35 57–26 52–32 53–31 45–39
Rayleigh 39–45 40–44 54–30 37–47 49–35 37–47 56–28 33–51 46–38 41–43
Southampton 36–48 55–29 50–34 53–31 54–30 47–37 45–38 50–34 60–24 46–38
Swindon 39–45 57–27 49–35 62–22 49–17 38–46 45–39 54–30 50–34 48–36
Source: [9]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top five riders (league only)

Rider Nat Team C.M.A.
1 Ken McKinlay Leicester Hunters 10.88
2 Dick Bradley Bristol Bulldogs 10.58
3 Ken Middleditch Poole Pirates 10.03
5 Tommy Miller Coventry Bees 9.90
4 Bob Roger Swindon Robins 9.58

Shields

Riders' Championship

Ken Middleditch won the National League Division Two Rider's Championship. The final was held at Hyde Road on 16 October.[12][13]

Pos. Rider Pts
1 Ken Middleditch 14
2 Ian Williams 13
=3 Bob Roger 11
=3 Terry Small 11
=3 Peter Robinson 11

National Trophy

For the National Trophy see the 1954 Speedway National League.

Midland Cup

For the Midland Cup see the 1954 Speedway National League.

Riders and final averages

Bristol

Coventry

  • Tommy Miller 9.90
  • Charlie New 9.45
  • Peter Reason 6.86
  • Jim Lightfoot 6.61
  • Johnny Reason 6.56
  • Vic Emms 5.58
  • Reg Duval 5.60
  • Jack Hughes 5.38
  • Les Tolley 5.20
  • Derrick Tailby 4.30
  • Bob Mark 4.92
  • Peter Brough 3.00
  • Jack Wright 2.33

Edinburgh (withdrew)

  • Dick Campbell 9.87
  • Don Cuppleditch 8.53
  • Roy Bester 8.00
  • Bert Clark 5.43
  • Alf McIntosh 4.80
  • Jimmy Cox 4.50
  • Bob Mark 4.00
  • Eddie Lack 4.00
  • Bob Fletcher 3.73

Exeter

Ipswich

Lanarkshire

Leicester

Oxford

  • Peter Robinson 8.85
  • Ronnie Genz 8.10
  • Bob Baker 6.34
  • Bill Thatcher 6.30
  • Kid Curtis 5.73
  • Bill Osborne 5.71
  • Bob Wells 5.45
  • Frank Johnson 5.24
  • Jim Gregory 4.87
  • Bob McFarlane 4.86
  • Dennis Newton 4.44

Plymouth (withdrew)

  • Pete Lansdale 9.00
  • Alan Smith 8.50
  • Vic Gent 7.33
  • Bill Thatcher 7.00
  • Ken Holmes 7.00
  • George Wall 5.14
  • Harold Bull 4.79
  • Kevin Hayden 4.26
  • Jack Gates 4.00
  • Hec Mayhead 4.00
  • Kevin Bock 3.80

Poole

Rayleigh

Southampton

  • Charlie May 7.33
  • Brian Hanham 6.92
  • Brian McKeown 6.82
  • Johnny Fitzparick 6.62
  • Ken Adams 6.46
  • Ernie Rawlins 6.22
  • Maury Mattingley 5.59
  • Ernie Brecknell (Ernest Blight) 5.41
  • Gerald Pugh 1.33

Swindon

See also

List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions

References

  1. ^ "1954 fixtures" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Historic league tables". Speedway Archive.
  3. ^ "Speedway promoters receive another blow". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 24 April 1954. Retrieved 25 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Speedway Club out of League". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 24 May 1954. Retrieved 25 October 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Bulldogs win Div. II Title by Four Points". Bristol Evening Post. 2 October 1954. Retrieved 5 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Ipswich out to stop Bulldogs Double at Knowle tonight". Bristol Evening Post. 6 August 1954. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Eagles beat Monarchs To Win Speedway Shield". Edinburgh Evening News. 5 June 1954. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Meadowbank closing down". Edinburgh Evening News. 5 July 1954. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "1954 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  10. ^ "1954 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  11. ^ "1954 fixtures & results". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  12. ^ "Last Night's Speedway". The People. 17 October 1954. Retrieved 13 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "CLUB HISTORY: 1950S". Swindon Speedway. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
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