1946 Speedway National League

British speedway league season September 2023 September 2023 National League 6 Champions Wembley Lions National Trophy Belle Vue Aces A.C.U Cup Belle Vue Aces Riders' champion Tommy Price London Cup Wembley Lions Eric Langton Northern League 1939 1947 The 1946 National League was the 12th season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain and the first post-war season.http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/p/compet.html Historic league tables Speedway Archivehttps://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1946.html Year by Year Speedway Researcher 11 August 2021 The league had been abandoned seven years previously due to the outbreak of World War II. Record attendances were attracted with Wembley Lions attracting an average of 50,000 and the league as a whole a total of six and a half million.Dalling, P. (2011). The Golden Age Of Speedway. The History Press. 0-7524-5831-0 From the abandoned 1939 season, Southampton Saints and Harringay Tigers were no longer racing whilst Odsal Boomerangs brought National League speedway to Bradford for the first time.Rogers 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 Wembley Lions won their second National League title. On 6 July, a crowd of 34,0000 at Odsal Stadium witnessed Odsal Boomerangs lose to Belle Vue Aces. During the match Albert 'Aussie' Rosenfeld, son of Albert Rosenfeld hit the fence and was taken to St Luke's Hospital, Bradford, with a suspected fractured skull.Speedway's biggest 34,000 Bradford Observer 8 July 1946 11 August 2021 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003150/19460708/091/0004 British Newspaper Archive subscription He died 10 days later, on 16 July 1946.Injured speedway rider dies Hull Daily Mail 16 July 1946 11 August 2021 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19460716/058/0004 British Newspaper Archive subscription National League Final table Pos Team PL W D L Pts1 Wembley Lions 20 18 0 2 362 Belle Vue Aces 20 12 1 7 253 Odsal Boomerangs 20 9 1 10 194 Wimbledon Dons 20 8 1 11 175 New Cross Rangers 20 6 1 13 136 West Ham Hammers 20 4 2 14 10 Fixtures & results A fixtures main FBR grey BV BRA NC WEM WH WIM Belle Vue 49–33 29–55 34–49 46–37 49–35 Odsal 32–52 54–23 52–32 48–36 54–30 New Cross 46–37 41–43 36–48 46–36 42–41 Wembley 50–32 47–37 54–24 47–36 48–35 West Ham 35–49 44–40 41–43 33–49 42–41 Wimbledon 45–39 39–45 41–40 41–43 43–39 complete https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1946.html Speedway Researcher 1946 fixtures & results 4 December 2024 B fixtures main FBR grey BV BRA NC WEM WH WIM Belle Vue 54–30 56–28 51–33 53–31 47–37 Odsal 42–42 45–39 38–46 48–36 41–43 New Cross 30–53 45–39 37–46 38–46 39–45 Wembley 43–39 52–32 53–30 59–24 46–36 West Ham 36–47 44–39 42–42 36–48 42–42 Wimbledon 49–35 39–45 59–25 38–45 49–34 complete https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1946.html Speedway Researcher 1946 fixtures & results 4 December 2024 A.C.U. Cup On account of the small number of teams in the league the ACU Cup was run in a league format. Belle Vue Aces came out on top. Final table Pos Team PL W D L Pts1 Belle Vue Aces 10 8 0 2 162 Wembley Lions 10 6 1 3 133 New Cross Rangers 10 6 0 4 124 Odsal Boomerangs 10 4 1 5 95 Wimbledon Dons 10 4 0 6 86 West Ham Hammers 10 1 0 9 2 main FBR grey BV BRA NC WEM WH WIM Belle Vue 49–46 57–38 53–43 61–35 64–32 Odsal 44–51 50–46 48–48 50–46 55–41 New Cross 49–47 50–46 39–55 61–35 54–40 Wembley 46–50 68–27 57–37 53–42 58–38 West Ham 45–50 46–50 52–54 50–46 45–48 Wimbledon 50–46 48–47 45–50 47-48 51.5–44.5 complete https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1946.html Speedway Researcher 1946 fixtures & results 9 June 2025 Such was the dearth of new riders caused by the war that all of the top ten riders were established pre-war riders and none were below the age of 32. Top Ten Riders (League only) Rider Nat Team C.M.A. 1 Eric Langton ENG Belle Vue Aces 11.13 2 Jack Parker ENG Belle Vue Aces 11.00 3 Bill Kitchen ENG Wembley Lions 10.75 4 Ron Johnson AUS New Cross Rangers 10.69 5 Eric Chitty CAN 1921 West Ham Hammers 10.30 6 Norman Parker ENG Wimbledon Dons 10.12 7 Tommy Price ENG Wembley Lions 10.00 8 Alec Statham ENG Odsal Boomerangs 9.72 9 Ron Clarke ENG Odsal Boomerangs 9.50 10 Bill Longley AUS Odsal Boomerangs 9.20 National Trophy The 1946 National Trophy was the tenth edition (if including the 1939 abandoned competition) or ninth edition (if not including) of the Knockout Cup.http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/2013/05/national-trophy-1946.html 1946 National Trophy Speedway archive Teams from the lower 1946 Speedway Northern League competed in the event. First round Date Team one Score Team two04/05 Birmingham 56–48 Norwich27/04 Norwich 53–51 Birmingham Second round Date Team one Score Team two25/05 Birmingham 61–45 Middlesbrough16/05 Middlesbrough 58–50 Birmingham29/04 Newcastle 49–56 Middlesbrough25/04 Middlesbrough 55–51 Newcastle25/04 Sheffield 61–47 Glasgow White City24/04 Glasgow White City 61–47 Sheffield09/05replay Sheffield 63–44 Glasgow White City08/05replayGlasgow White City 62–45 Sheffield Quarterfinals Date Team one Score Team two22/06 Birmingham 31–77 Wembley13/06 Wembley 80–27 Birmingham20/07 Bradford Odsal 72–36 Sheffield04/07 Sheffield 48–60 Bradford Odsal02/07 West Ham 55–52 Wimbledon01/07 Wimbledon 63–44 West Ham08/06 Belle Vue 58–49 New Cross12/06 New Cross 50–57 Belle Vue Semifinals Date Team one Score Team two25/07 Wembley 50–57 Belle Vue13/07 Belle Vue 60–48 Wembley19/08 Wimbledon 62–46 Bradford Odsal03/08 Bradford Odsal 53–55 Wimbledon Final First leg 16 September 1946 Wimbledon DonsNorman Parker 13Lloyd Goffe 10Oliver Hart 9George Saunders 9Arch Windmill 6Dick Harris 6Mike Erskine 5Cyril Brine 1 61 – 46 http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/2013/05/national-trophy-1946.html 1946 National Trophy Speedway Archive 10 August 2021 Belle Vue AcesJack Parker 13Bill Pitcher 10Wally Lloyd 10Eric Langton 8Ron Mason 2Jim Boyd 2Ralph Horne 1Dent Oliver 0 Wimbledon Stadium Second leg 21 September 1946 Belle Vue AcesWally Lloyd 18Jack Parker 14Bill Pitcher 11Eric Langton 8Jim Boyd 6Dent Oliver 3Louis Lawson 2Ron Mason 1 63 – 45 Wimbledon DonsNorman Parker 11Oliver Hart 10Dick Harris 7Mike Erskine 7Lloyd Goffe 3George Saunders 3Cyril Brine 2Arch Windmill 2 Hyde Road Stadium Belle Vue were National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 109–106. Riders' Championship Tommy Price won the British Riders' Championship final held at Empire Stadium on 12 September, in front of 85,000 spectators.https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1946fixtures.pdf 1946 fixtures Speedway Researcher 3 June 2023Tommy Price wins Speedway Championship Daily Herald 13 September 1946 3 June 2023 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19460913/075/0004 British Newspaper Archive subscription There were no less than 23 qualifying rounds, where riders from National and Northern League tracks respectively, competed in six meetings each. Pos. Rider Heat Scores Total1 ENG Tommy Price 3 3 3 3 3 152 ENG Bill Kitchen 3 3 2 2 3 13 3 ENG Jack Parker 3 f 3 3 3 124 ENG Eric Langton 2 1 3 3 2 11 5 ENG Malcolm Craven 3 2 f 2 3 106 ENG Norman Parker 2 3 1 2 2 107 CAN 1921 Eric Chitty 2 1 3 1 2 9 8 ENG Frank Hodgson 1 3 2 1 1 8 9 AUS Ron Johnson f 2 3 2 f 710 AUS Bert Spencer 1 1 1 0 2 511 ENG Wally Lloyd 0 2 2 0 1 5 12 ENG Jeff Lloyd 0 1 0 2 1 4 13 AUS Bill Longley 2 2 0 0 0 414 ENG Tommy Allott 0 0 0 1 1 215 ENG Ernie Price 1 0 1 0 0 216 ENG Ron Clarke (res) 1 1 0 2 16 ENG Alec Statham 0 0 0 - - 0 f=fell London Cup First round Team one Score Team twoNew Cross 59–49, 46–60 WimbledonWest Ham62–46, 43–65 Wembley Final First leg 26 August 1946 WimbledonNorman Parker 17Oliver Hart 13Archie Windmill 7Cyril Brine 6Dick Harris 2 George Saunders 1 Lloyd Goffe 1Charlie Dugard 1 53–55 WembleyBill Kitchen 13George Wilks 11Tommy Price 9Bill Gilbert 9 Alf Bottoms 7Bob Wells 4Roy Craighead 2Charlie May 0 Plough Lane Second leg 29 August 1946 WembleyTommy Price 16 Bill Kitchen 14Bill Gilbert 8 Alf Bottoms 7Roy Craighead 2George Wilks 2Bob Wells 1 Charlie May 1 66–42 Wembley Win Cup Final South Western Star 30 August 1946 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004606/19460830/146/0006 British Newspaper Archive 16 September 2023 subscription WimbledonNorman Parker 10Lloyd Goffe 7Oliver Hart 7 Cyril Brine 7Archie Windmill 6George Saunders 3Dick Harris 2harlie Dugard 0 Wembley Stadium Wembley won on aggregate 121–95 Riders & final averages Belle Vue 22em ENG Eric Langton 11.13 ENG Jack Parker 11.00 ENG Wally Lloyd 8.46 ENG Bill Pitcher 6.91 ENG Dent Oliver 5.00 ENG Jim Boyd 4.92 ENG Ron Mason 3.90 ENG Harold Jackson 4.67 ENG Louis Lawson 1.45 New Cross 22em ENG Ron Johnson 10.69 IRE Eric French 9.52 ENG Geoff Pymar 8.63 ENG Les Wotton 8.24 ENG Phil Bishop 4.14 ENG Mick Mitchell 4.12 ENG Frank Lawrence 3.78 RSA 1928 Keith Harvey 3.40 ENG Les Webbon 3.06 ENG Ray Moore 2.29 ENG Jack Cooley 2.13 ENG Jack White 0.57 Odsal 22em ENG Alec Statham 9.72 ENG Ron Clarke 9.50 AUS Bill Longley 9.20 ENG Ernie Price 8.39 ENG Fred Tuck 6.90 ENG Albert Rosenfeld 2.93 ENG Vic Pitcher 2.86 ENG Bill Osborne 2.00 ENG Red Hamley 1.33 ENG Jack White 1.25 ENG Charlie Oates 1.24 ENG Stan Beardsall 0.80 ENG Ron Stringer 0.60 Wembley 22em ENG Bill Kitchen 10.75 ENG Tommy Price 10.00 ENG George Wilks 9.00 ENG Alf Bottoms 5.90 ENG Bill Gilbert 5.72 ENG Bob Wells 5.66 ENG Roy Craighead 5.50 ENG Bronco Wilson 5.11 ENG Charlie May 4.90 West Ham 22em CAN 1921 Eric Chitty 10.30 ENG Malcolm Craven 9.03 ENG Colin Watson 8.40 ENG Bob Harrison 7.89 ENG Jack Cooley 4.73 ENG Cyril Anderson 4.14 ENG Benny King 3.47 AUS Buck Whitby 3.39 ENG Frank Lawrence 3.23 ENG Ron Howes 3.23 ENG George Gower 3.00 ENG Bert Roger 2.45 ENG Dick Geary 2.29 Wimbledon 22em ENG Norman Parker 10.12 ENG Lloyd Goffe 8.23 ENG Oliver Hart 7.58 ENG Mike Erskine 6.29 ENG George Saunders 5.82 ENG Dick Harris 5.69 ENG Arch Windmill 5.38 ENG Charlie Dugard 4.38 ENG Alex Gray 4.00 ENG Cyril Brine 4.00 See also List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions Knockout Cup (speedway) References Category:Speedway National League Category:1946 in speedway Category:1946 in British motorsport