1947 Speedway National League

British speedway season September 2023 September 2023 National League Division One 7 Champions Wembley Lions National Trophy Belle Vue Aces British Speedway Cup Wembley Lions Riders' champion Jack Parker London Cup New Cross Rangers Vic Duggan National League (Div 2)National League (Div 3) 1946 1948 The 1947 National League Division One was the 13th season of speedway in the United Kingdom and the second post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/p/compet.html Historic league tables Speedway Archive Summary Harringay Racers rejoined the league.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004848/19470101/272/0006 New speed tracks to open Daily Express 1 January 1947 British Newspaper Archive subscription 24 November 2024 Wembley Lions retained the title. Belle Vue retained the National Trophy.https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1947.html Year by Year Speedway Researcher 11 August 2021Rogers Martin The Illustrated History of Speedway 1978 129 Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd 0-904584-45-3https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/history/leaguetables1946-1964 BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964) Official British Speedway website 11 August 2021 Final Table Division One Pos Team PL W D L Pts1 Wembley Lions 24 19 0 5 382 Belle Vue Aces 24 15 1 8 313 Wimbledon Dons 24 13 1 10 274 Odsal Boomerangs 24 10 1 13 215 New Cross Rangers 24 10 0 14 206 West Ham Hammers 24 8 0 16 167 Harringay Racers 24 7 1 16 15 Fixtures & results A fixtures main FBR grey BV BRA HAR NC WEM WH WIM Belle Vue 45–39 54–30 47–37 35–49 57–27 38–46 Bradford 42–42 41–43 46–38 50–33 52–32 40–44 Harringay 47–33 38–45 44–40 34–46 42–41 42–42 New Cross 36–46 38–45 42–41 33–51 59–25 47–37 Wembley 54–30 52–31 52–32 50–34 60–24 41–42 West Ham 41–43 38–45 44–40 47–37 42–41 39–45 Wimbledon 51–33 50–33 40–44 50–33 43–39 54–30 complete https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1947.html Speedway Researcher 1947 fixtures & results 4 December 2024 B fixtures main FBR grey BV BRA HAR NC WEM WH WIM Belle Vue 51–33 46–38 50–34 49–35 52–29 41–40 Bradford 37–47 53–30 44–37 38–46 51–33 50–34 Harringay 38–46 55–28 39–44 38–46 50–34 34–49 New Cross 49–35 58–26 52–31 39–45 59–25 50–34 Wembley 49–35 60–24 57–26 57–27 55–27 47–35 West Ham 48–36 52–32 43–40 45–39 40–42 44–40 Wimbledon 36–47 42–41 50–34 39–45 38–46 43–39 complete https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1947.html Speedway Researcher 1947 fixtures & results 4 December 2024 British Speedway Cup On account of the small number of teams in the league the British Speedway Cup was run in a league format. Wembley Lions won all their matches, home and away, to complete a double. Pos Team PL W D L Pts1 Wembley Lions 12 12 0 0 242 New Cross Rangers 12 8 0 4 163 Wimbledon Dons 12 5 1 6 114 Belle Vue Aces 12 5 0 7 105 Harringay Racers 12 5 0 7 106 West Ham Hammers 12 4 0 8 87 Odsal Boomerangs 12 2 1 9 5 main FBR grey BV BRA HAR NC WEM WH WIM Belle Vue 61–35 45–50 56–40 47–49 49–46 60–36 Bradford 48–47 63–33 34–62 44–52 46–50 48–48 Harringay 36–60 61–35 43–53 32–64 55–41 53–42 New Cross 57.5–37.5 64–31 63–33 45–47 66–29 49–46 Wembley 62–31 53–43 65–31 60–36 76–20 54–41 West Ham 53.5–42.5 50–44 47–48 33–60 40–52 50–46 Wimbledon 54–42 53–43 54–42 52–43 42–54 57–39 complete https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1947.html Speedway Researcher 1947 fixtures & results 9 June 2025 Top ten riders (league only) Rider Nat Team C.M.A. 1 Vic Duggan AUS Harringay 11.54 2 Bill Kitchen ENG Wembley 10.74 3 Norman Parker ENG Wimbledon 10.35 4 Alec Statham ENG Odsal 10.25 5 Tommy Price ENG Wembley 10.00 6= Eric Chitty CAN 1921 West Ham 9.54 6= Malcolm Craven ENG New Cross 9.54 8 George Wilks ENG Wembley 9.46 9 Eric Langton ENG Belle Vue 9.44 10 Jack Parker ENG Belle Vue 9.32 National Trophy The 1947 National Trophy was the tenth edition of the Knockout Cup.Belle Vue Win Daily Mirror 13 October 1947 11 August 2021 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19471013/064/0007 British Newspaper Archive subscription During the National Trophy quarter final match between Wembley and Harringay (on 15 August) the 27-year-old Wembley rider Nelson 'Bronco' Wilson received fatal injuries in the fourth heat. He died in the Prince of Wales Hospital, Tottenham, the following day from a fractured skull.Cricket for a Kiddies' Fund Nottingham Evening Post 16 August 1947 11 August 2021 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19470816/066/0004 British Newspaper Archive subscription Remarkably another rider Cyril Anderson of the Norwich Stars was killed instantly on the same evening, during the Division Two Best Pairs.Another Speedway rider killed Weekly Dispatch (London) 17 August 1947 11 August 2021 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003359/19470817/008/0001 British Newspaper Archive subscription Qualifying Middlesbrough and Norwich qualified for the quarter finals by virtue of finishing 1st & 2nd in the Second Division Cup. Quarterfinals Date Team one Score Team two07/08 Wembley 61–45 Harringay07/08 Middlesbrough 40–68 Wimbledon09/08 Belle Vue 67–41 New Cross11/08 Wimbledon 77–31 Middlesbrough12/08 West Ham 54–54 Bradford Odsal13/08 New Cross 61–46 Belle Vue15/08 Harringay 47–58 Wembley16/08 Bradford Odsal 53–55 West Ham Semifinals Date Team one Score Team two25/08 Wimbledon 59–49 Belle Vue02/09 West Ham 55–51 Wembley04/09 Wembley 68–40 West Ham06/09 Belle Vue 82–25Wimbledon Final First leg 9 October 1947 Wembley LionsTommy Price 14Bill Kitchen 13George Wilks 10Split Waterman 6Bill Gilbert 6Bob Wells 5Charlie May 1Roy Craighead 0 55 – 53 https://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/2015/02/national-trophy-1947.html 1947 National Trophy Speedway Archive 11 August 2021 Belle Vue AcesEric Langton 13Jack Parker 13Louis Lawson 8Jim Boyd 7Wally Lloyd 6Wally Hull 3Dent Oliver 2Bill Pitcher 1 Wembley Stadium Second leg 11 October 1947 Belle Vue AcesJack Parker 16Louis Lawson 12Eric Langton 11Wally Lloyd 6Dent Oliver 7Jim Boyd 6Wally Hull 4Bill Pitcher 1 63 – 45 Wembley LionsBill Kitchen 14Tommy Price 13Split Waterman 9George Wilks 4Roy Craighead 3Bob Wells 2Charlie May 0Bill Gilbert 0 Hyde Road Stadium Belle Vue were National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 116–100. Riders' Championship Jack Parker won the British Riders' Championship final held at Empire Stadium on 11 September. Parker won the title after a run off and also broke the halfway (2 laps) track record (37.6 secs) in heat 2.https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1947fixtures.pdf 1947 fixtures Speedway Researcher 3 June 2023Speedway title for Jack Parker Bradford Observer 12 September 1947 3 June 2023 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003150/19470912/046/0003 British Newspaper Archive subscription There were three qualifying rounds, with 28 riders progressing to the Championship round, held over seven meetings. Pos. Rider Heat Scores Total1 ENG Jack Parker 3 3 3 2 3 14+32 ENG Bill Kitchen 3 3 2 3 3 14+23 AUS Bill Longley 2 1 2 3 3 114 CAN 1921 Eric Chitty 1 2 3 2 2 105 ENG George Wilks 2 2 2 1 2 9 6 ENG Vic Duggan 3 2 3 F - 8 7 ENG Eric Langton 0 1 3 2 28 8 ENG Frank Hodgson 1 3 2 1 1 8 9 ENG Ernie Price 2 2 2 1 1 8 10 ENG Norman Parker3 1 1 0 3 811 AUS Ron Johnson 2 F 1 3 F 6 12 AUS Lionel Van Praag 1 3 0 2 0 613 ENG Tommy Price 0 3 1 1 1 6 14 ENG Les Wotton 1 0 1 0 2 4 15 ENG Geoff Pymar 0 F F 3 1 4 16 ENG Bill Pitcher 1 0 0 1 F 216 AUS Aub Lawson (res) 0 0 - - - 017 ENG Dent Oliver (res) 0 0 - - - 018 AUS Frank Dolan 0 0 0 0 0 0 f=fell London Cup First round Team one Score Team two New Cross64–44, 55–52 Wimbledon Semi final round Team one Score Team twoWembley69–38, 51–57West HamNew Cross74–34, 72–36 Harringay Final First leg 17 September 1947 New CrossRon Johnson 11 Bill Longley 10Lionel Van Praag 7 Jeff Lloyd 8 Ray Moore 7 Frank Lawrence 2Eric French 2Geoff Pymar 2 49–58 WembleyBill Kitchen 17 George Wilks 12Split Waterman 11Tommy Price 7Bob Wells 5 Roy Craighead 3Bill Gilbert 3Charlie May 0 New Cross Stadium Second leg 18 September 1947 WembleyTommy Price 14 Bill Kitchen 12Bill Gilbert 6George Wilks 4Bob Wells 4 Charlie May 3Split Waterman 3 Roy Craighead 1 47–61 New Cross make a comeback Norwood News 26 September 1947 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002308/19470926/069/0004 British Newspaper Archive 24 September 2023 subscription New Cross Ron Johnson 15Jeff Lloyd 13 Bill Longley 10Geoff Pymar 8 Eric French 6Ray Moore 5Lionel Van Praag 4Frank Lawrence 0 Wembley Stadium New Cross won on aggregate 110–105 Riders & final averages Belle Vue 22em ENG Eric Langton 9.44 ENG Jack Parker 9.32 ENG Dent Oliver 8.50 ENG Wally Lloyd 7.87 ENG Bill Pitcher 7.29 ENG Jim Boyd 6.68 ENG Louis Lawson 5.39 ENG Ron Mason 4.47 NZL Dick Campbell 4.44 ENG Wally Hull 3.80 ENG Brian Wilson 3.36 Harringay 22em AUS Vic Duggan 11.54 AUS Frank Dolan 8.00 AUS Ray Duggan 7.32 ENG Joe Abbott 6.53 ENG Wal Morton 4.78 AUS Buck Whitby 4.16 AUS Jack Arnfield 3.49 ENG Nobby Stock 4.20 AUS Norman Lindsay 3.18 AUS Jack Biggs 3.00 ENG Danny Lee 2.11 ENG Joe Bowkis 1.48 New Cross 22em ENG Ron Johnson 8.88 ENG Jeff Lloyd 7.43 AUS Bill Longley 7.83 ENG Geoff Pymar 7.71 AUS Lionel Van Praag 7.68 ENG Ray Moore 5.04 IRE Eric French 5.96 ENG Frank Lawrence 3.86 RSA 1928 Keith Harvey 3.20 ENG Mick Mitchell 4.20 Odsal 22em ENG Alec Statham 10.25 ENG Ernie Price 8.64 ENG Ron Clarke 8.51 AUS Max Grosskreutz 7.07 ENG Oliver Hart 6.90 ENG Ron Mason 6.29 ENG Fred Tuck 4.90 ENG Eddie Rigg 4.00 ENG Bill Osborne 3.48 SCO Bill Baird 3.24 ENG Fred Rogers 3.00 ENG Jack White 2.40 ENG Stan Beardsall 2.29 NZL George Mudgway 1.18 ENG Al Allison 1.00 Wembley 22em ENG Bill Kitchen 10.74 ENG Tommy Price 10.00 ENG George Wilks 9.46 ENG Split Waterman 7.75 ENG Bronco Wilson 6.21 ENG Bill Gilbert 5.47 ENG Bob Wells 4.88 ENG Roy Craighead 6.10 ENG Charlie May 3.33 West Ham 22em CAN 1921 Eric Chitty 9.54 ENG Malcolm Craven 9.54 ENG Tommy Croombs 6.09 ENG Bob Harrison 5.78 ENG Howdy Byford 5.67 ENG Cliff Parkinson 5.60 AUS Aub Lawson 5.06 AUS Cliff Watson 4.46 ENG Benny King 3.83 AUS Buck Whitby 3.35 ENG Phil Bishop 2.58 CAN 1921 Bill Matthews 2.55 ENG Jack Cooley 0.92 Wimbledon 22em ENG Norman Parker 10.35 ENG Les Wotton 8.50 ENG Lloyd Goffe 7.70 ENG Cyril Brine 6.00 ENG Mike Erskine 5.98 ENG Arch Windmill 5.36 ENG George Saunders 4.51 ENG Dick Harris 5.61 ENG Ron Howes 1.33 See also List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions Knockout Cup (speedway) References Category:Speedway National League Category:1947 in speedway Category:1947 in British motorsport