# 1951 Speedway National League

The 1951 National League Division One was the 17th season of speedway in the United Kingdom and the sixth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.

## Summary

The entrants were the same as the previous season as were the top three positions at the end of the season. Wembley Lions won the National League for the sixth time.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Wembley Lions | 32 | 25 | 0 | 7 | 50 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 32 | 19 | 1 | 12 | 39 |
| 3 | Wimbledon Dons | 32 | 17 | 1 | 14 | 35 |
| 4 | West Ham Hammers | 32 | 16 | 1 | 15 | 33 |
| 5 | Birmingham Brummies | 32 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 32 |
| 6 | Bristol Bulldogs | 32 | 15 | 1 | 16 | 31 |
| 7 | Harringay Racers | 32 | 15 | 1 | 16 | 31 |
| 8 | New Cross Rangers | 32 | 9 | 1 | 22 | 19 |
| 9 | Bradford Tudors | 32 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 18 |

## Fixtures & results
### A fixtures

| Home \ Away | BV | BIR | BRA | BRI | HAR | NC | WEM | WH | WIM |
| Belle Vue | | 44–40 | 57–27 | 50–34 | 55–29 | 52–31 | 43–41 | 51–33 | 47–36 |
| Birmingham | 45–39 | | 56–28 | 37–46 | 44–39 | 51–33 | 41–43 | 52–31 | 48–36 |
| Bradford | 33–50 | 41–42 | | 48–36 | 36–45 | 44–40 | 25–59 | 50–34 | 43–41 |
| Bristol | 54–30 | 54–29 | 65–19 | | 46–38 | 38–46 | 48–35 | 49–35 | 40–44 |
| Harringay | 40–44 | 55–29 | 51–28 | 56–28 | | 50–34 | 47–36 | 48–36 | 39–44 |
| New Cross | 39–45 | 43–41 | 56–28 | 48–34 | 45–39 | | 29–53 | 43–41 | 42–42 |
| Wembley | 57–27 | 43–41 | 60–24 | 56–28 | 55–29 | 55–28 | | 44–40 | 49–35 |
| West Ham | 51–33 | 54–30 | 48–36 | 53–31 | 50–34 | 48–36 | 37–47 | | 59–25 |
| Wimbledon | 49–35 | 57–27 | 55–29 | 45–39 | 44–40 | 51–33 | 47–37 | 40–44 | |

### B fixtures

| Home \ Away | BV | BIR | BRA | BRI | HAR | NC | WEM | WH | WIM |
| Belle Vue | | 61–23 | 57–27 | 43–41 | 52–32 | 48–36 | 45–39 | 42–42 | 51–33 |
| Birmingham | 43–41 | | 40–44 | 55–29 | 53–31 | 59–25 | 45–39 | 48–36 | 49–35 |
| Bradford | 45–39 | 37–47 | | 37–47 | 34–50 | 45–39 | 40–44 | 53–31 | 54–30 |
| Bristol | 62–22 | 51–33 | 46–38 | | 50–34 | 56–28 | 37–47 | 44–40 | 52–32 |
| Harringay | 56–28 | 48–36 | 53–31 | 42–42 | | 45–38 | 35–49 | 45–39 | 45–39 |
| New Cross | 39–45 | 38–46 | 54–29 | 51–33 | 35–47 | | 35–49 | 49–34 | 39–45 |
| Wembley | 61–23 | 55–29 | 50–34 | 53–31 | 43–41 | 57–27 | | 38–45 | 49–35 |
| West Ham | 54.5–29.5 | 58–26 | 58–26 | 47–37 | 53–31 | 44–40 | 39–44 | | 47–37 |
| Wimbledon | 49–35 | 51–33 | 63–21 | 60–24 | 50–34 | 49–35 | 36–48 | 46–38 | |

## Top Ten Riders (League only)

| | Rider | Team | C.M.A. |
| 1 | Aub Lawson | West Ham | 10.31 |
| 2 | Ronnie Moore | Wimbledon | 9.91 |
| 3 | Freddie Williams | Wembley | 9.76 |
| 4 | Alan Hunt | Birmingham | 9.75 |
| 5 | Norman Parker | Wimbledon | 9.56 |
| 6 | Eddie Rigg | Bradford | 9.29 |
| 7 | Malcolm Craven | West Ham | 9.25 |
| 8 | Split Waterman | Harringay | 9.07 |
| 9 | Jack Parker | Belle Vue | 9.03 |
| 10 | Geoff Pymar | Bristol | 8.95 |

## National Trophy Stage Three

The 1951 National Trophy was the 14th 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. Wimbledon won the third and final stage and were therefore declared the 1951 National Trophy champions.
* For Stage One - see Stage One
* For Stage Two - see Stage Two
First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 10/08 | Bristol | 74-34 | Norwich |
| 20/08 | Norwich | 75-33 | Bristol |
| 07/08 | West Ham | 72-35 | Bradford Odsal |
| 25/08 | Bradford Odsal | 43-65 | West Ham |
Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 05/09 | Belle Vue | 46-62 | Wembley |
| 09/08 | Wembley | 52-55 | Belle Vue |
| 11/08 | Birmingham | 55-53 | Wimbledon |
| 20/08 | Wimbledon | 64-44 | Birmingham |
| 25/08 | Norwich | 63-45 | Harringay |
| 24/08 | Harringay | 65-42 | Norwich |
| 04/09 | West Ham | 62-46 | New Cross |
| 29/08 | New Cross | 65-43 | West Ham |
Semifinals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 04/10 | Wembley | 78-29 | New Cross |
| 26/09 | New Cross | 53-55 | Wembley |
| 03/09 | Wimbledon | 65-43 | Harringay |
| 07/09 | Harringay | 40-68 | Wimbledon |

### Final

First leg
Second leg
Wimbledon were National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 125–91.

## London Cup

First round
| Team one | Score | Team two |
| Wimbledon | 55–51, 44–64 | Wembley |
| Walthamstow | 53–55, 29–78 | West Ham |
Semi final round
| Team one | Score | Team two |
| West Ham | 57–51, 42–65 | Harringay |
| New Cross | 45–63, 38–70 | Wembley |

### Final

First leg
Second leg
Wembley won on aggregate 118–98

## Riders & final averages

Belle Vue
* Jack Parker 9.03
* Ken Sharples 7.84
* Louis Lawson 7.66
* Ron Johnston 7.46
* Henry Long 7.23
* George Smith 6.03
* Dennis Parker 5.61
* Ron Mason 4.54
* Angus McKenzie 3.48
* Val Morton 2.89
* Bob Serrurier 1.60
Birmingham
* Alan Hunt 9.75
* Ron Mountford 8.17
* Graham Warren 7.92
* Arthur Payne 7.33
* Eric Boothroyd 6.20
* Cyril Page 6.00
* Jim Tolley 4.95
* Ivor Davies 4.52
* Lionel Watling (James Goldingay) 4.04
* Fred Perkins 4.50
* Bill Jemison 2.12
* Geoff Bennett inj
Bradford
* Eddie Rigg 9.29
* Dent Oliver 7.04
* Oliver Hart 6.00
* Arthur Bush 4.88
* Arthur Wright 4.74
* Lloyd Goffe 4.59
* Ron Peace 4.15
* Eric Smith 3.92
* Ken Brown 3.69
* Alec Burrows 3.65
Bristol
* Geoff Pymar 8.94
* Dick Bradley 8.80
* Jack Mountford 7.05
* Billy Hole 6.80
* Johnny Hole 5.90
* Chris Boss 5.28
* Eric Salmon 5.51
* Mike Beddoe 5.07
* Jack Summers 2.22
Harringay
* Split Waterman 9.07
* Olle Nygren 8.31
* Jeff Lloyd 8.13
* Jack Biggs 8.29
* Nobby Stock 6.39
* Danny Dunton 5.91
* Cliff Watson 5.45
* Maury McDermott 5.09
* Ron How 4.75
* Jimmy Squibb 4.10
* Ron Barrett 4.00
New Cross
* Cyril Roger 8.82
* Eric French 8.38
* Bert Roger 8.05
* Frank Lawrence 6.45
* Tom Oakley 6.27
* Bill Longley 4.90
* Ron Johnson 3.76
* Don Gray 3.73
* Ray Moore 3.64
* Harold McNaughton 3.62
* Ronnie Genz 2.18
* Dick Shepherd 1.67
* Bernie Aldridge 1.50
* Eric Minall 0.67
Wembley
* Freddie Williams 9.76
* Bob Oakley 8.36
* Bruce Abernethy 8.27
* Tommy Price 8.11
* Eric Williams 7.62
* George Wilks 7.53
* Bill Kitchen 7.06
* Jimmy Gooch 5.74
* Bob Wells 2.94
* Den Cosby 2.67
West Ham
* Aub Lawson 10.31
* Malcolm Craven 9.25
* Wally Green 7.92
* Eric Chitty 7.05
* Arthur Atkinson 5.30
* Howdy Byford 5.27
* Kid Curtis 5.00
* Reg Fearman 3.41
* Lloyd Goffe 2.86
* Geoff Woodger 1.43
* Johnny Guilfoyle 1.40
Wimbledon
* Ronnie Moore 9.95
* Norman Parker 9.56
* Cyril Brine 8.31
* Dennis Gray 6.97
* Ernie Roccio 6.74
* Jimmie Gibb 5.18
* Jim Gregory 3.79
* Reg Trott 3.65
* Mike Erskine 3.00
* Craig Jones 1.44