# 1947 Speedway National League Division Three

The 1947 National League Division Three was the inaugural season of British speedway's National League Division Three Speedway in 1947 was restricted in terms of fixtures and attendances following the fallout from World War II.
With several new teams joining British Speedway in 1947, a third league tier was created for the first time. The new teams included the Cradley Heath Cubs, racing at Dudley Wood Stadium, Hanley Potters following an eight-year absence from British speedway and Exeter Falcons after a lease was signed by Motor Sports (Exeter) Ltd (led by Frank Buckland) with the landlords County Athletic Ground Company.
Eastbourne Eagles won the title in their first season of league speedway.
Peter Robinson of Southampton topped the averages.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Diff |
| 1 | Eastbourne Eagles | 28 | 18 | 0 | 10 | 1260 | 1057 | 36 | +203 |
| 2 | Cradley Heath Cubs | 28 | 18 | 0 | 10 | 1215 | 1116 | 36 | +99 |
| 3 | Southampton Saints | 28 | 17 | 1 | 10 | 1113 | 1197 | 35 | -84 |
| 4 | Exeter Falcons | 28 | 15 | 0 | 13 | 1193.5 | 1131.5 | 30 | +62 |
| 5 | Tamworth Hounds | 28 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 1159 | 1179 | 24 | -20 |
| 6 | Hanley Potters | 28 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 1113 | 1197 | 24 | -84 |
| 7 | Wombwell Colliers | 28 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 1100 | 1225 | 24 | -125 |
| 8 | Plymouth Devils | 28 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 995 | 1330 | 15 | -335 |

### A fixtures

| Home \ Away | CH | EAS | EX | HAN | PLY | SOT | TAM | WOM |
| Cradley Heath | | 50–34 | 50–34 | 49–34 | 54–30 | 47–37 | 44–40 | 46–36 |
| Eastbourne | 58–24 | | 49–32 | 55–29 | 56–27 | 35–46 | 54–27 | 51–33 |
| Exeter | 57–26 | 50–32 | | 62–20 | 55–28 | 43–41 | 56–28 | 50–31 |
| Hanley | 41–43 | 43–40 | 49–33 | | 59–23 | 43–40 | 49–34 | 47–33 |
| Plymouth | 40–42 | 30–54 | 40–43 | 41–42 | | 39–44 | 41–43 | 43–40 |
| Southampton | 53–30 | 39–44 | 47.5–36.5 | 55–27 | 49–34 | | 55–29 | 57–27 |
| Tamworth | 41–43 | 40–44 | 48–36 | 54–30 | 44–38 | 41–42 | | 48–35 |
| Wombwell | 47–37 | 46–37 | 48–35 | 44–38 | 54–30 | 37–47 | 50–34 | |

### B fixtures

| Home \ Away | CH | EAS | EX | HAN | PLY | SOT | TAM | WOM |
| Cradley Heath | | 59–25 | 61–22 | 59–23 | 62–22 | 57–27 | 35–48 | 59–25 |
| Eastbourne | 55–28 | | 50–33 | 48–32 | 52–29 | 48–34 | 44–39 | 52–30 |
| Exeter | 62–22 | 47–37 | | 52–31 | 53–30 | 53–31 | 47–37 | 43–41 |
| Hanley | 37–47 | 36–46 | 54–23 | | 63–20 | 57–26 | 35–49 | 45–36 |
| Plymouth | 45–33 | 47–37 | 44–40 | 47–36 | | 42–42 | 44–40 | 54–29 |
| Southampton | 59–24 | 51–33 | 55–29 | 61–23 | 62–22 | | 48–35 | 53–31 |
| Tamworth | 41–43 | 33–50 | 50–34 | 46–38 | 54–29 | 50–34 | | 54–30 |
| Wombwell | 43–41 | 43–40 | 51–33 | 40–44 | 48–36 | 41–39 | 51–32 | |

## Leading averages

| | Rider | Team | C.M.A. |
| 1 | Peter Robinson | Southampton | 10.57 |
| 2 | Cyril Roger | Exeter | 10.34 |
| 3 | Wally Green | Eastbourne | 10.20 |
| 4 | Basil Harris | Eastbourne | 9.54 |
| 5 | Bob Oakley | Southampton | 9.37 |

## Riders & final averages

Cradley Heath
* Geoff Bennett 9.36
* Les Beaumont 8.40
* Eric Irons 7.44
* Jimmy Wright 7.04
* Bob Fletcher 6.90
* Alan Hunt 6.10
* Ray Beaumont 5.88
* Phil Malpass 5.03
* Frank Evans 4.34
Eastbourne
* Wally Green 10.20
* Basil Harris 9.46
* Jock Grierson 8.46
* Jimmy Coy 7.25
* Ken Tidbury 6.29
* Harry Saunders 5.71
* Ron Clarke 4.49
* Alan Briggs 3.71
* Bob Sivyer 3.20
* Eric Dunn 3.20
* Dennis Gray 3.00
Exeter
* Cyril Roger 10.31
* Don Hardy 7.86
* Stan Hodson 6.92
* Les Trim 6.62
* Allan Chambers 6.36
* Arthur Pilgrim 6.20
* Johnny Myson 6.18
* Sid Hazzard 6.08
* Bronco Slade 5.90
* Tom Crutcher 5.66
* Bill Williams 3.80
Hanley
* Dave Anderson 8.52
* Vic Pitcher 8.44
* Dick Howard 7.43
* Ray Harris 6.79
* Reg Gregory 6.15
* Les Jenkins 6.04
* Cyril Page 5.89
* Gil Blake 5.30
* George Fisher 5.23
* Bert Danner 3.89
Plymouth
* Ivan Kessell 7.81
* Stan Lanfear 7.55
* Alex Gray 6.84
* Charlie Challis 6.56
* Billy Newell 6.47
* Les Covell 5.71
* Len Read 5.10
* Doug Bell 4.26
* Jim Cashmore 4.20
* Bill Deegan 4.16
* Vic Gent 3.74
* Jack Milross 3.71
* Harold Sharpe 3.41
* Bill Sale 3.14
Southampton
* Peter Robinson 10.57
* Bob Oakley 9.37
* Jimmy Squibb 8.09
* George Bason 6.99
* Alf Kaines 6.47
* Pete Lansdale 6.22
* Bert Croucher 5.81
* Vic Collins 5.67
* Tony Buxey 3.73
* Matthew Hall 2.93
* Ron Lemon 2.80
* Bill Griffiths 2.40
Tamworth
* Steve Langton 8.00
* Arthur Payne 7.79
* Bill Harris 7.74
* Vic Pitcher 7.33
* Bill Dalton 6.67
* Ted Gibson 6.50
* Jack Baxter 6.64
* Cyril Page 6.27
* Charlie Oates 5.35
* Jack Ladd 5.18
* Fred Yates 4.89
* Jack Kidd 4.00
* Reg Challenger 2.29
Wombwell
* Harwood Pike 8.78
* Stan Hodson 8.15
* Len Tupling 7.88
* Bernard Tennant 7.11
* Bert Lacey 6.50
* Stan Beardsall 6.24
* Alf Elliott 6.12
* Red Hamley 6.03
* Bert Thomas 5.72
* Harry Modral 5.45
* Sam Marsland 5.38
* Ken Allick 5.33
* Jeff Bishop 4.79
* Gerry Williams 4.65
* Reg Challenger 4.00