1953 Speedway National League Division Two Explained

Competition:	National League Division Two
Competitors:	9
Domesticcup1:	Champions
Domesticcup1 Winners:	Coventry Bees
Highestaverage:	Tommy Miller
League Above:	National League (Div 1)
Leagues Below:	Southern League
Prevseason:	1952
Nextseason:	1954

The 1953 National League Division Two was the eighth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.^[1]

Summary

The League was reduced at the start of the season again to 10 teams with Oxford Cheetahs dropping down to the Southern League whilst Ashfield Giants closed and Liverpool Chads folded mid-season.

Cradley Heath disbanded following the withdrawal of the promoter Eli Sumner due to financial issues,^[2] with the team moving to join the Wolverhampton Wasps (formerly of the Southern League).^{[3] [4]}

Coventry Bees clinched their first title by a single point.^[5]

Wolverhampton rider Mike Rogers died on 6 June 1953, the day after receiving critical injuries at Monmore Green Stadium racing against Liverpool. The 22-year-old lost control of his bike and fell heavily before being transported to the Royal Hospital in Wolverhampton.^[6]

Final table

Pos	Team	PL	W	D	L	Pts
1	Coventry Bees	32	19	1	12	39
2	Poole Pirates	32	18	2	12	38
3	Yarmouth Bloaters	32	18	0	14	36
4	Glasgow White City Tigers	32	16	2	14	34
5	Edinburgh Monarchs	32	15	1	16	31
6	Motherwell Eagles	32	15	0	17	30
7	Wolverhampton Wasps	32	13	1	18	27
8	Leicester Hunters	32	13	1	18	27
9	Stoke Potters	32	12	2	18	26

Liverpool Chads withdrew mid-season - record expunged.

Top Five Riders (League only)

	Rider	Nat	Team	C.M.A.
1	Tommy Miller		Glasgow	10.81
2	Don Cuppleditch		Edinburgh	10.36
3	Fred Brand		Yarmouth	9.97
4	Derick Close		Motherwell	9.92
5	Len Williams		Leicester	9.78

National Trophy

For the National Trophy see the 1953 Speedway National League.

Midland Cup

For the Midland Cup see the 1953 Speedway National League.

Riders & final averages

Coventry

• 9.08
• 8.00
• 7.72
• 7.71
• 6.60
• 6.11
• 6.73
• 6.04
• 5.51

Edinburgh

• 10.36
• 8.32
• 7.38
• 7.17
• Roy Bester 7.05
• 5.89
• 3.62
• 3.34
• 3.20
• 2.85

Glasgow

• 10.81
• 8.04
• 8.94
• 6.67
• 6.18
• 6.11
• 5.13
• 4.79
• 4.77
• 2.67

Leicester

• 9.78
• 6.20
• 5.71
• 5.69
• 5.56
• 5.48
• 5.33
• 5.22
• 5.04
• (James Goldingay) 4.81
• 2.56
• 2.10

Liverpool (withdrew)

• 8.69
• 7.19
• 5.81
• 5.64
• Fred Wills 5.61
• 5.57
• 4.84
• 3.51
• 2.84
• 0.31

Motherwell

• 9.92
• 8.55
• 8.50
• 7.32
• 6.92
• 6.60
• 5.80
• 4.77
• 4.07
• 3.20

Poole

• 9.59
• 9.06
• 8.80
• 7.01
• 7.38
• 7.63
• 5.95
• 5.51
• 5.18
• 4.00

Stoke

• 8.44
• 7.90
• 7.68
• 7.41
• 6.31
• 6.17
• 6.08
• Fred Wills 5.60
• 5.05
• 4.85
• 4.00
• 3.71
• 2.21
• 1.26

Wolverhampton

• 8.04
• 8.00
• 7.75
• 6.78
• 6.38
• 5.77
• 5.59
• 4.54
• 3.17
• 2.86
• 2.22
• 1.67

Yarmouth

• 9.97
• 8.67
• 8.60
• 7.88
• 7.20
• 6.58
• 5.73
• 5.41
• 5.13
• 4.40
• 3.90
• 3.18
• 4.00

See also

• List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions
• Knockout Cup (speedway)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Historic league tables. Speedway Archive.
2. News: Cradley Heath Speedway Closing . Evening Despatch . 10 February 1953 . 15 June 2024. British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
3. Web site: Year by Year. Speedway Researcher. 13 August 2021.
4. Web site: BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964). Official British Speedway website. 13 August 2021.
5. Book: Rogers, Martin. The Illustrated History of Speedway. 1978. 129. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. 0-904584-45-3.
6. News: Speedway rider dies after fall . Birmingham Daily Gazette . 8 June 1953 . 13 August 2021 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .