# 1950 Speedway National League Division Three

The 1950 National League Division Three was the fourth season of British speedway's National League Division Three
The league was reduced from 13 teams to 10. Halifax Dukes, Plymouth, Yarmouth and Hanley had all moved up to Division Two whilst Hastings Saxons dropped out. The two new sides were Aldershot Shots and St Austell Gulls whilst Tamworth changed their nickname from 'Hounds' to 'Tammies'.
Oxford Cheetahs, who had finished bottom of the table during their inaugural league season in 1949, rose spectacularly up the league to win the title. The Oxford team was made up from an entirely new set of riders including Harry Saunders, signed as captain from Tamworth for £750, Pat Clark from Rayleigh for £250, Bill Osborne from Walthamstow, Raymond Buster Brown from Wembley and Eric Irons from Cradley.
Ken Middleditch of Poole topped the averages.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Oxford Cheetahs | 36 | 26 | 2 | 8 | 54 |
| 2 | Poole Pirates | 36 | 23 | 3 | 10 | 49 |
| 3 | Leicester Hunters | 36 | 21 | 0 | 15 | 42 |
| 4 | Swindon Robins | 36 | 19 | 1 | 16 | 39 |
| 5 | Aldershot Shots | 36 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 37 |
| 6 | Tamworth Tammies | 36 | 17 | 0 | 19 | 34 |
| 7 | Exeter Falcons | 36 | 16 | 1 | 19 | 33 |
| 8 | Liverpool Chads | 36 | 14 | 1 | 21 | 29 |
| 9 | Rayleigh Rockets | 36 | 12 | 0 | 24 | 24 |
| 10 | St Austell Gulls | 36 | 9 | 1 | 26 | 19 |

## Fixtures & results
### A fixtures

| Home \ Away | ALD | EX | LEI | LIV | OX | PP | RAY | SA | SWI | TAM |
| Aldershot | | 55–29 | 38–42 | 55–28 | 53–30 | 52–32 | 57–27 | 47–37 | 42–42 | 54–30 |
| Exeter | 51–33 | | 41–42 | 58–25 | 35–49 | 45–39 | 63–21 | 60–24 | 46–38 | 55–29 |
| Leicester | 63–21 | 48–35 | | 65–19 | 35–48 | 45–39 | 60–24 | 56–28 | 39–45 | 45–39 |
| Liverpool | 39–42 | 47–35 | 39–45 | | 35–49 | 42–42 | 56–28 | 42–41 | 51–32 | 40–44 |
| Oxford | 56–27 | 49–35 | 61–23 | 66–18 | | 42–42 | 60–24 | 64–20 | 43–41 | 51–33 |
| Poole | 47–37 | 43–41 | 45–39 | 37–47 | 43–41 | | 61–23 | 50–33 | 51–33 | 53–31 |
| Rayleigh | 37–47 | 50–34 | 49–34 | 49–35 | 33–51 | 32–51 | | 46–38 | 41–42 | 38–46 |
| St Austell | 35–48 | 52–31 | 34–50 | 52–32 | 37–47 | 30–53 | 60–24 | | 39–44 | 40–44 |
| Swindon | 49–35 | 54–30 | 50–34 | 61–23 | 30–54 | 62–21 | 53–31 | 48–34 | | 42–41 |
| Tamworth | 49–35 | 51–32 | 29–55 | 54–30 | 36–36 | 38–45 | 43–40 | 53–31 | 47–37 | |

### B fixtures

| Home \ Away | ALD | EX | LEI | LIV | OX | PP | RAY | SA | SWI | TAM |
| Aldershot | | 53–31 | 46.5–37.5 | 56–27 | 50–33 | 31–52 | 41–43 | 52–32 | 50–34 | 59–25 |
| Exeter | 61–23 | | 52–31 | 66–18 | 48–36 | 42–42 | 55–29 | 52–32 | 36–48 | 65–19 |
| Leicester | 51–33 | 59–25 | | 41–42 | 64–17 | 39–45 | 56–28 | 53–31 | 58–26 | 36–48 |
| Liverpool | 52–32 | 43–40 | 44–39 | | 40–44 | 36–48 | 55–29 | 60–24 | 43–41 | 39–45 |
| Oxford | 52–31 | 61–23 | 39–45 | 59–25 | | 42.5–41.5 | 52–32 | 52–32 | 45–39 | 57–26 |
| Poole | 46–38 | 56–28 | 44–40 | 52–32 | 45–39 | | 58–26 | 56–28 | 54–30 | 43–41 |
| Rayleigh | 40–44 | 41–43 | 51–33 | 43–39 | 41–43 | 54–30 | | 46–38 | 50–34 | 45–39 |
| St Austell | 47–37 | 50–34 | 30–54 | 32–52 | 42–42 | 45–39 | 64–20 | | 68–16 | 55–28 |
| Swindon | 50–34 | 53–30 | 50–34 | 37–47 | 44–37 | 45–39 | 33–51 | 52–31 | | 46–38 |
| Tamworth | 45–38 | 38–46 | 37–47 | 43–41 | 29–54 | 43–41 | 51–32 | 50–34 | 50–33 | |

## Leading Averages

| | Rider | Team | C.M.A. |
| 1 | Ken Middleditch | Poole | 10.53 |
| 2 | Basil Harris | Aldershot | 9.90 |
| 3 | Pat Clark | Oxford | 9.78 |
| 4 | Trevor Redmond | Aldershot | 9.64 |
| 5 | Don Hardy | Exeter | 9.57 |

## National Trophy Stage Three

* For Stage Two - see Stage Two
* For Stage Three - see Stage Three
The 1950 National Trophy was the 13th 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. Oxford won stage one and therefore qualified for stage two.
Third Division Qualifying First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 10/04 | Liverpool | 50-57 | Oxford |
| 06/04 | Oxford | 76-32 | Liverpool |
Third Division Qualifying Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 22/04 | Swindon | 60-47 | Oxford |
| 20/04 | Oxford | 62-46 | Swindon |
| 10/04 | Exeter | 65-41 | Leicester |
| 07/04 | Leicester | 66-42 | Exeter |
| 19/04 | Tamworth | 71-37 | St Austell |
| 18/04 | St Austell | 48-58 | Tamworth |
| 20/04 | Poole | 51-57 | Aldershot |
| 19/04 | Aldershot | 61-45 | Poole |
| 21/04 replay | Leicester | 53-55 | Exeter |
| 17/04 replay | Exeter | 62-45 | Leicester |
Third Division Qualifying semifinals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 05/05 | Exeter | 54-53 | Oxford |
| 27/04 | Oxford | 83-24 | Exeter |
| 03/05 | Tamworth | 67-41 | Aldershot |
| 01/05 | Aldershot | 63-44 | Tamworth |

### Qualifying final

First leg
Second leg

## Riders' Championship

Pat Clark won the National League Division Three Rider's Championship, in front of 28,000 spectators. The final was held at Walthamstow Stadium on 23 October.
| Pos. | Rider | Pts |
| 1 | Pat Clark | 15 |
| 2 | Trevor Redmond | 13 |
| 3 | Ken Middleditch | 11 |
| 4 | Gerry Jackson | 9 |
| 5 | Norman Street | 9 |
| ? | Harwood Pike | 6 |
| ? | Alex Gray | 6 |
| ? | Hugh Geddes | 3 |
| ? | Jack Unstead | ? |
| ? | Basil Harris | ? |
| ? | Reg Duval | ? |
| ? | Cyril Quick | ? |
| ? | Harold Jackson | ? |

## Riders & final averages

Aldershot
* Basil Harris 9.77
* Trevor Redmond 9.72
* Doug Ible 7.27
* Ivor Powell 6.69
* Bob Harrison 5.75
* Joe Rodwell 5.65
* Doug Papworth 5.17
* Pat Flanagan 4.14
* Bob Bunney 4.00
* Ron Burnett 3.52
* Ken Smith 3.36
* Bill Grimes 3.09
Exeter
* Don Hardy 9.69
* Hugh Geddes 8.20
* Arthur Pilgrim 7.56
* Ken Walsh 6.87
* Ted Moore 6.20
* Vic Gent 6.56
* Jack Bedkober 5.93
* Johnny Sargeant 5.19
* Johnny Myson 3.57
* Goog Hoskin 5.67
Leicester
* Lionel Benson 8.77
* Jock Grierson 8.39
* Harwood Pike 8.32
* Cyril Page 7.52
* Les Beaumont 7.45
* Johnny Carpenter 7.09
* Joe Bowkiss 6.86
* Vic Pitcher 6.78
* Ron Wilson 6.63
* Sid Hipperson 6.21
* Ernest Palmer 5.33
* Jack Watts 3.47
Liverpool
* Bill Griffiths 7.27
* Harry Welch 7.00
* Reg Duval 6.92
* Doug Serrurier 6.73
* Angus McGuire 6.13
* Arthur Bush 6.03
* Percy Brine 5.94
* Derek Glover 5.90
* Alf Webster 5.67
* Stan Bedford 3.64
* Buddy Fuller 3.62
* Brian Craven 1.54
Oxford
* Pat Clark 9.99
* Frank Boyle 9.12
* Bob McFarlane 8.35
* Bil Kemp 7.32
* Eric Irons 7.22
* Bill Osborne 7.20
* Jimmy Wright 7.16
* Harry Saunders 7.10
* Buster Brown 6.40
* Ernie Rawlins 6.07
* Brian Wilson 5.10
Poole
* Ken Middleditch 10.53
* Cyril Quick 9.44
* Ticker James 7.42
* Tony Lewis 7.30
* Dick Howard 6.46
* Terry Small 6.28
* Charlie Hayden 6.09
* Frank Wheeler 5.00
* Alan Kidd 4.75
* Allan Wall 4.00
Rayleigh
* Les McGillivray 7.06
* Gerry Jackson 7.03
* Jack Unstead 7.01
* Ron Howes 6.87
* Vic Gooden 5.29
* Frank Bettis 5.19
* Charlie Mugford 4.15
* Tom O'Connor 4.06
* James Osborne 3.96
* Mike Wood 2.88
St Austell
* Harold Bull 7.68
* Ray Ellis 7.48
* Norman Street 7.30
* Ken James 5.89
* Maury McDermott 5.62
* John Yates 5.53
* Bill Sobey 5.33
* Rusty Wainwright 4.74
* Larry Young 4.50
* Ed Williams 4.00
* George Gower 2.91
Swindon
* Mick Mitchell 8.21
* Hugh Geddes 8.44
* Alex Gray 8.18
* Bill Downton 6.88
* Bob Jones 6.74
* Frank Evans 6.34
* Ron Clark 6.28
* George Craig 6.26
* Reg Lambourne 6.09
* Danny Malone 5.98
* Tom Wilson 2.20
Tamworth
* Brian Wilson 8.78
* Lionel Watling 8.14
* Eric Boothroyd 8.00
* Dick Tolley 7.43
* Ivor Davies 7.21
* Brian Shepherd 5.84
* Harry Bastable 5.39
* Cecil Hookham 5.21
* Laurie Schofield 4.40
* Ray Beaumont 3.21
* James Hitchings 2.95
* Geoff Newman 0.24