# 1949 Speedway National League

The 1949 National League Division One was the 15th season of speedway in the United Kingdom and the fourth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.

## Summary

Birmingham Brummies joined the league and the Anniversary (League) Cup was discontinued or the teams would have met each other six times in the league. Wembley Lions won the National League for the fourth time.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Wembley Lions | 42 | 28 | 1 | 13 | 57 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 42 | 24 | 0 | 18 | 48 |
| 3 | New Cross Rangers | 42 | 24 | 0 | 18 | 48 |
| 4 | West Ham Hammers | 42 | 23 | 0 | 19 | 46 |
| 5 | Odsal Boomerangs | 42 | 22 | 1 | 19 | 45 |
| 6 | Harringay Racers | 42 | 18 | 0 | 24 | 36 |
| 7 | Birmingham Brummies | 42 | 16 | 1 | 25 | 32 |
| 8 | Wimbledon Dons | 42 | 11 | 1 | 30 | 23 |

## Fixtures & results
### A fixtures

| Home \ Away | BV | BIR | BRA | HAR | NC | WEM | WH | WIM |
| Belle Vue | | 49–35 | 27–57 | 47–37 | 58–23 | 45–39 | 41–43 | 47–37 |
| Birmingham | 41–43 | | 48–36 | 36–47 | 46–38 | 54.5–29.5 | 62–22 | 46–35 |
| Bradford Odsal | 49–35 | 42–42 | | 47–37 | 50–34 | 51–32 | 55–29 | 55–29 |
| Harringay | 47–37 | 59–25 | 48–36 | | 35–48 | 31–53 | 43–41 | 46–38 |
| New Cross | 46–38 | 56–28 | 48–34 | 63–20 | | 40–44 | 44–39 | 44–40 |
| Wembley | 47–37 | 62–22 | 54–30 | 40–44 | 53–31 | | 58–26 | 49–35 |
| West Ham | 50–34 | 51–33 | 50–33 | 47–37 | 48–36 | 44–40 | | 54–30 |
| Wimbledon | 44–40 | 52–32 | 31–53 | 46–37 | 34–47 | 42–42 | 46–38 | |

### B fixtures

| Home \ Away | BV | BIR | BRA | HAR | NC | WEM | WH | WIM |
| Belle Vue | | 55–29 | 55–28 | 54–30 | 45–39 | 52–32 | 59–25 | 48–35 |
| Birmingham | 39–45 | | 37–46 | 39–45 | 50–34 | 34–49 | 53–31 | 49–35 |
| Bradford Odsal | 48–36 | 60–24 | | 57–27 | 42–41 | 34–50 | 51–33 | 58–25 |
| Harringay | 34–50 | 46–38 | 42–41 | | 52–31 | 37–47 | 47–37 | 42–41 |
| New Cross | 51–33 | 52–32 | 64–20 | 43–40 | | 48–36 | 54–29 | 42–41 |
| Wembley | 48–36 | 49–35 | 45–39 | 65–19 | 53–31 | | 37–47 | 58–26 |
| West Ham | 45–39 | 43–31 | 52–32 | 50–34 | 39–45 | 39–45 | | 44–40 |
| Wimbledon | 55–29 | 41–43 | 50–33 | 50–34 | 34–50 | 39–45 | 38–46 | |

### C fixtures

| Home \ Away | BV | BIR | BRA | HAR | NC | WEM | WH | WIM |
| Belle Vue | | 53–31 | 34–50 | 59–25 | 43–40 | 59–25 | 55–29 | 61–23 |
| Birmingham | 38–46 | | 48–36 | 48–36 | 49–35 | 50–34 | 34–50 | 54.5–29.5 |
| Bradford Odsal | 34–50 | 50–33 | | 57–26 | 54–30 | 50–33 | 65–19 | 49–35 |
| Harringay | 52–32 | 50–34 | 51–33 | | 34–49 | 30–53 | 45–39 | 53–31 |
| New Cross | 46–38 | 50–34 | 57–27 | 51–33 | | 38–46 | 55–29 | 45–38 |
| Wembley | 45–39 | 41–43 | 43–41 | 54–30 | 52–32 | | 47–36 | 47–37 |
| West Ham | 46–38 | 36–48 | 58–26 | 50–33 | 54–30 | 47–37 | | 60–24 |
| Wimbledon | 35–49 | 51–33 | 42–40 | 58–26 | 48–36 | 40–44 | 39–45 | |

## Top Ten Riders (League only)

| | Rider | Team | C.M.A. |
| 1 | Vic Duggan | Harringay | 10.65 |
| 2 | Graham Warren | Birmingham | 10.21 |
| 3 | Jack Parker | Belle Vue | 10.12 |
| 4 | Wilbur Lamoreaux | Birmingham | 9.86 |
| 5 | Dent Oliver | Belle Vue | 9.60 |
| 6 | Aub Lawson | West Ham | 9.57 |
| 7 | Norman Parker | Wimbledon | 9.35 |
| 8 | Bill Gilbert | Wembley | 9.24 |
| 9 | Tommy Price | Wembley | 9.10 |
| 10 | Ron Clarke | Odsal | 8.79 |

## National Trophy Stage Three

The 1949 National Trophy was the 12th edition of the Knockout Cup. The Trophy consisted of three stages; stage one was for the third division clubs, stage two was for the second division 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. Belle Vue Aces won the third and final stage and were therefore declared the 1949 National Trophy champions.
* For Stage One - see Stage One
* For Stage Two - see Stage Two
First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 29/07 | Harringay | 60-47 | Bradford Odsal |
| 23/07 | Bradford Odsal | 80-28 | Harringay |
Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 20/08 | Bradford Odsal | 70-38 | Birmingham |
| 19/08 | Bristol | 47-60 | New Cross |
| 18/08 | Wembley | 56-52 | West Ham |
| 17/08 | New Cross | 55-53 | Bristol |
| 16/08 | West Ham | 64-44 | Wembley |
| 13/08 | Birmingham | 51-57 | Bradford Odsal |
| 15/08 | Wimbledon | 58-50 | Belle Vue |
Semifinals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 17/09 | Belle Vue | 66-42 | Bradford Odsal |
| 10/09 | Bradford Odsal | 54-54 | Belle Vue |
| 07/09 | New Cross | 55-53 | West Ham |
| 06/09 | West Ham | 64-44 | New Cross |

### Final

First leg
Second leg
Belle Vue were National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 140–76.

## London Cup

First round
| Team one | Score | Team two |
| New Cross | 57–50, 56–51 | Wimbledon |
| Walthamstow | 55–52, 48–60 | Harringay |
Semi final round
| Team one | Score | Team two |
| West Ham | 65–43, 70–38 | New Cross |
| Wembley | 65–43, 57–51 | Harringay |

### Final

First leg
Second leg
Wembley won on aggregate 124–92

## Riders & final averages

Belle Vue
* Jack Parker 10.12
* Dent Oliver 9.60
* Louis Lawson 7.95
* Bruce Semmens 6.17
* Ken Sharples 5.96
* Bob Harrison 5.75
* Charles Cullum 5.72
* George Smith 5.68
* Jack Chignell 5.41
* Ron Mason 5.36
* Jim Boyd 4.10
* Henry Long 3.43
Birmingham
* Graham Warren 10.21
* Wilbur Lamoreaux 9.86
* Doug McLachlan 7.02
* Geoff Bennett 6.14
* Arthur Payne 5.94
* Dennis Hitchings 4.40
* Stan Dell 4.18
* Buck Whitby 3.09
* Dick Tolley 3.02
* Bill Humphries 2.91
* Brian Wilson 2.24
Harringay
* Vic Duggan 10.65
* Ray Duggan 6.83
* Geoff Pymar 6.63
* Nobby Stock 5.77
* Danny Dunton 5.03
* Arthur Bush 4.97
* Lloyd Goffe 4.68
* Jimmy Grant 4.06
* Sid Clark 3.79
* Joe Bowkis 3.11
New Cross
* Ron Johnson 8.60
* Bill Longley 8.02
* Cyril Roger 7.86
* Eric French 7.58
* Jeff Lloyd 7.19
* Bert Roger 6.47
* Bob Baker 6.12
* Ray Moore 5.77
* Frank Lawrence 5.17
* Don Gray 3.58
Odsal
* Ron Clarke 8.79
* Jack Biggs 8.73
* Oliver Hart 8.31
* Joe Abbott 7.93
* Ernie Price 7.74
* Eddie Rigg 6.68
* Bob Lovell 3.61
* Norman Price 3.58
* Dyson Harper 1.16
Wembley
* Bill Gilbert 9.24
* Tommy Price 9.10
* Split Waterman 8.20
* Freddie Williams 7.40
* George Wilks 5.80
* Bill Kitchen 7.60
* Bob Wells 6.59
* Bruce Abernethy 5.05
* Alf Bottoms 5.69
* Jack Gates 2.82
* Den Cosby 2.67
* George Saunders 2.60
* Buster Brown 2.57
West Ham
* Aub Lawson 9.57
* Cliff Watson 8.00
* Malcolm Craven 7.98
* George Wilks 6.71
* Eric Chitty 6.09
* Howdy Byford 5.30
* Wally Green 4.53
* Kid Curtis 3.84
* Frank Bettis 3.93
* Reg Fearman 1.71
Wimbledon
* Norman Parker 9.35
* Alec Statham 7.71
* Mike Erskine 7.10
* Cyril Brine 7.04
* Jimmie Gibb 6.98
* Dick Harris 4.00
* Bill Pitcher 3.17
* Reg Trott 2.87
* Les Wotton 2.75
* Jack Wright 2.67
* Huck Fynn 2.18
* Wal Morton 2.00