1952 Speedway National League Division Two Explained

Competition:National League Division Two
Competitors:12
Domesticcup1:Champions
Domesticcup1 Winners:Poole Pirates
Domesticcup2:National Trophy
(Div 2 final)
Domesticcup2 Winners:Poole Pirates
Domesticcup3:Midland Cup
Domesticcup3 Winners:Coventry Bees
Highestaverage:Tommy Miller
League Above:National League (Div 1)
Leagues Below:Southern League
Prevseason:1951
Nextseason:1953

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

Summary

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

PosTeamPLWDLPts
1Poole Pirates443111263
2Coventry Bees442551455
3Leicester Hunters442521752
4Cradley Heath Heathens442402048
5Glasgow White City Tigers442312047
6Edinburgh Monarchs442141946
7Ashfield Giants441932241
8Motherwell Eagles441922340
9Yarmouth Bloaters442002440
10Stoke Potters441812537
11Liverpool Chads441632535
12Oxford Cheetahs441123124

Top Five Riders (League only)

RiderNatTeamC.M.A.
1Tommy MillerGlasgow10.91
2Derick CloseMotherwell10.57
3Fred BrandYarmouth9.82
4Brian CrutcherPoole9.66
5Ken MiddleditchPoole9.63

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.[3]

Second Division qualifying first round

width=80Datewidth=250Team onewidth=80Scorewidth=250Team two
05/06Plymouth 57-51 Poole
02/06Poole 67-41 Plymouth
24/05Coventry 71-36 Motherwell
24/05Stoke 71-37 Cradley Heath
23/05Cradley Heath 67-41 Stoke
23/05Motherwell 61-47 Coventry
19/05Liverpool 71-37 Edinburgh
17/05Edinburgh 67-41 Liverpool
13/05Yarmouth 61-47 Leicester
09/05Leicester 71-37 Yarmouth

Second Division Qualifying Second round

width=80Datewidth=250Team onewidth=80Scorewidth=250Team two
19/06Oxford 53-55 Poole
09/06Poole 78-30 Oxford
07/06Coventry 52-55 Leicester
07/06Stoke 55-52 Liverpool
06/06Leicester 55-53 Coventry
02/06Liverpool 75.5-32.5 Stoke
24/05Glasgow Ashfield 52-56 Glasgow White City
21/05Glasgow White City 65-43 Glasgow Ashfield

Second Division Qualifying semifinals

width=80Datewidth=250Team onewidth=80Scorewidth=250Team two
20/06Leicester 46-62 Glasgow White City
18/06Glasgow White City 53-55 Leicester
25/06Poole 85-23 Liverpool

Second Division Qualifying final

First legSecond leg

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

width=150Team onewidth=150Team twowidth=120Score
WolverhamptonLong Eaton 69–26, 59–37

Second round

width=150Team onewidth=150Team twowidth=120Score
LeicesterStoke 54–42, 42–53
Oxford Wolverhampton 62–34, 45–51
CradleyCoventry50–46, 34–62

Semi final round

width=150Team onewidth=150Team twowidth=120Score
Oxford Coventry25–71, 26–70
Birmingham Leicester70–26, 63–33

Final

First leg

Second leg

Coventry won on aggregate 110–82

Riders & final averages

Ashfield

Coventry

Cradley Heath

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Leicester

Liverpool

Motherwell

Oxford

Poole

Stoke

Yarmouth

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Archived copy . www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk . 22 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181214070420/http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/leaguetables-6.pdf . 14 December 2018 . dead.
  2. Web site: Historic league tables. Speedway Archive.
  3. Web site: 1952 National Trophy. Speedway archive.