# 1951 Speedway National League Division Three

The 1951 National League Division Three was the fifth and final season of British speedway's National League Division Three
The league remained with 10 teams but there were changes. Oxford Cheetahs, Leicester Hunters and Liverpool Chads had all moved up to Division Two whilst Tamworth Tammies dropped out.
Plymouth Devils dropped down from Division Two. The three new sides were Cardiff Dragons, Long Eaton Archers and Wolverhampton Wasps.
Poole Pirates won their first title. Alan Smith of Plymouth topped the averages.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Poole Pirates | 36 | 30 | 0 | 6 | 60 |
| 2 | Exeter Falcons | 36 | 28 | 0 | 8 | 56 |
| 3 | Aldershot Shots | 36 | 21 | 1 | 14 | 43 |
| 4 | Rayleigh Rockets | 36 | 21 | 0 | 15 | 42 |
| 5 | Swindon Robins | 36 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 34 |
| 6 | Plymouth Devils | 36 | 16 | 1 | 19 | 33 |
| 7 | Cardiff Dragons | 36 | 13 | 3 | 20 | 29 |
| 8 | St Austell Gulls | 36 | 13 | 0 | 23 | 26 |
| 9 | Long Eaton Archers | 36 | 13 | 0 | 23 | 26 |
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wasps | 36 | 5 | 1 | 30 | 11 |

## Fixtures & results
### A fixtures

| Home \ Away | ALD | CAR | EX | LE | PLY | PP | RAY | SA | SWI | WOL |
| Aldershot | | 55–28 | 59–23 | 66–18 | 54–30 | 43–41 | 54–30 | 55–28 | 54–29 | 60–24 |
| Cardiff | 48–36 | | 43–41 | 59–25 | 48–36 | 32–52 | 40–44 | 50–31 | 42–42 | 52–25 |
| Exeter | 56–28 | 52–32 | | 65–18 | 54–30 | 43–41 | 59–25 | 63–21 | 45–38 | 67–16 |
| Long Eaton | 35–48 | 52–32 | 39–44 | | 45–39 | 45–39 | 29–54 | 42–41 | 39–45 | 60–24 |
| Plymouth | 53–31 | 51–33 | 41–42 | 65–19 | | 36–48 | 44–40 | 44–40 | 37–47 | 61–23 |
| Poole | 59.5–24.5 | 63–21 | 53–31 | 68–16 | 54–30 | | 64–20 | 59–24 | 48–36 | 66–18 |
| Rayleigh | 43–40 | 61–23 | 61–23 | 58–26 | 57–27 | 38–45 | | 55–29 | 50–34 | 67–17 |
| St Austell | 43–40 | 43–41 | 36–48 | 52–32 | 36–48 | 28–56 | 58–26 | | 50–34 | 58–25 |
| Swindon | 53.5–30.5 | 61–22 | 41–43 | 59–25 | 52–32 | 31–53 | 35–49 | 55–29 | | 61–23 |
| Wolverhampton | 37–57 | 54–30 | 22–62 | 45–39 | 34–50 | 39–45 | 27–57 | 48–36 | 26–58 | |

### B fixtures

| Home \ Away | ALD | CAR | EX | LE | PLY | PP | RAY | SA | SWI | WOL |
| Aldershot | | 51–33 | 56–28 | 57–26 | 53–31 | 32–52 | 47–35 | 58–26 | 52–31 | 66–17 |
| Cardiff | 45–39 | | 41–42 | 55–29 | 43–41 | 47–37 | 45–39 | 66–18 | 42–42 | 65–19 |
| Exeter | 54–29 | 60–24 | | 58–25 | 53–31 | 55–29 | 54–29 | 62–22 | 53–31 | 64–19 |
| Long Eaton | 43–41 | 49–35 | 48–35 | | 42–40 | 37–47 | 44–40 | 54–30 | 60–24 | 49–35 |
| Plymouth | 42–42 | 54–30 | 35–49 | 59–25 | | 43–40 | 40–44 | 53–31 | 47–37 | 51–33 |
| Poole | 60–24 | 44–40 | 54–30 | 51–33 | 51–33 | | 55–29 | 57–27 | 54–30 | 63–20 |
| Rayleigh | 39–45 | 48.5–35.5 | 37–47 | 55–29 | 50–33 | 38–46 | | 51–32 | 50–34 | 60–24 |
| St Austell | 45–39 | 44–38 | 43–41 | 58–26 | 38–46 | 26–53 | 49–35 | | 44–40 | 47–37 |
| Swindon | 56–28 | 46–38 | 38–46 | 49–35 | 44–39 | 38–46 | 41–43 | 45–39 | | 59–25 |
| Wolverhampton | 28–56 | 41–41 | 40–44 | 50–33 | 36–48 | 25–59 | 35–49 | 44–40 | 38–44 | |

## Leading Averages

| | Rider | Team | C.M.A. |
| 1 | Alan Smith | Plymouth | 10.58 |
| 2 | Ken Middleditch | Poole | 10.33 |
| 3 | Trevor Redmond | Aldershot | 10.10 |
| 4 | Geoff Mardon | Aldershot | 9.88 |
| 5 | Brian Crutcher | Poole | 9.41 |

## National Trophy Stage Three

* For Stage Two - see Stage Two
* For Stage Three - see Stage Three
The 1951 National Trophy (sponsored by the Daily Mail) 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. Exeter won stage one and therefore qualified for stage two.
Third Division Qualifying First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 05/04 | Cardiff | 52-56 | Rayleigh |
| 05/04 | Plymouth | 54-54 | Exeter |
| 02/04 | Poole | 69-39 | Aldershot |
| 02/04 | Exeter | 77-30 | Plymouth |
| 31/03 | Aldershot | 66-40 | Poole |
| 31/03 | Rayleigh | 68-40 | Cardiff |
| 31/03 | Swindon | 71-37 | Long Eaton |
| 29/03 | Long Eaton | 49-58 | Swindon |
Third Division Qualifying semifinals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 16/04 | Exeter | 73-35 | Rayleigh |
| 16/04 | Poole | 61-47 | Swindon |
| 07/04 | Swindon | 66-41 | Poole |
| 14/04 | Rayleigh | 56-52 | Exeter |

### Qualifying final

First leg
Second leg

## Riders' Championship

Ken Middleditch won the National League Division Three Rider's Championship. The final was held at Penarth Road Stadium in Cardiff on 23 October.
| Pos. | Rider | Pts |
| 1 | Ken Middleditch | 14 |
| 2 | Alan Smith | 11+4 |
| 3 | Jack Unstead | 11+3 |
| 4 | George Wall | 11+2 |
| 5 | Terry Small | 11+1 |
| 6 | Trevor Redmond | 11+0 |
| 7 | Bob Roger | 9 |
| 8 | Tony Lewis | 9 |
| 9 | Gerry Jackson | 9 |
| 10 | Mick Holland | 7 |
| 11 | Buster Brown | 6 |
| 12 | Goog Hoskin | 5 |
| 13 | Jack Winstanley | 2 |
| 14 | Hugh Geddes (res) | 1 |
| 15 | Danny Malone | 1 |
| 16 | Norman Street | 1 |
| 17 | Tom O'Connor | 0 |
| 18 | Don Hardy | 0 |

## Riders & final averages

Aldershot
* Geoff Mardon 10.06
* Trevor Redmond 10.00
* Basil Harris 8.07
* Bert Edwards 8.04
* Pat Flanagan 6.59
* Ivor Powell 6.11
* Brian Wilson 5.61
* Doug Papworth 4.79
* Ron Burnett 4.67
* Bob Harrison 4.28
* John Dore 4.19
* Bill Grimes 3.43
* Craig Jones 3.49
Cardiff
* Charlie May 8.88
* Mick Holland 8.26
* Gerald Pugh 7.44
* Kevin Hayden 7.39
* Chum Taylor 6.62
* Arthur Pilgrim 6.47
* Jimmy Wright 6.20
* Frank Johnson 5.16
* Bert Croucher 4.78
* Les Moore 4.64
* Ray Beaumont 4.44
* Vic Butcher 4.00
* Mick Callaghan 4.16
* Vic Brinkworth 2.78
* Jack Bibby 2.67
* Ray Thackwell 2.29
Exeter
* Bob Roger 8.91
* Don Hardy 8.89
* Goog Hoskin 8.79
* Johnny Sargeant 8.43
* Ken Walsh 8.30
* Jack Bedkober 7.10
* Vic Gent 6.77
* Ted Moore 6.02
* Paul Best 4.49
Long Eaton
* Frank Malouf 6.82
* Jack Winstanley 6.71
* Peter Moore 5.71
* Johnny Jones 5.50
* Eric Minall 5.41
* Eric Mason 5.37
* Ernest Palmer 5.05
* Bill Humphries 4.55
* Percy Brine 4.44
* Ray Binfield 3.53
Plymouth
* Alan Smith 10.84
* George Wall 9.13
* Bill Thatcher 8.00
* Brian Hitchcock 6.08
* Ron Barrett 5.93
* Johnnie Bradford 5.22
* George Craig 4.63
* Frank Wheeler 4.56
* Rusty Wainwright 4.21
* Tom Turnham 4.18
* Dennis Hayles 4.00
* Doug Fursey 3.33
* Farnk Holcombe 3.29
* George Watts 3.08
Poole
* Ken Middleditch 10.47
* Terry Small 9.60
* Brian Crutcher 9.52
* Bill Holden 8.08
* Tony Lewis 8.08
* Roy Craighead 8.00
* Alan Kidd 7.51
* Vic Thyer 6.60
* Dick Howard 7.41
* Johnny Thomson 6.67
* Charlie Hayden 6.55
* Frank Wheeler 4.83
* Jack Cunningham 4.00
Rayleigh
* Gerry Jackson 8.58
* Jack Unstead 8.43
* Maurice Dunn 8.30
* Tom O'Connor 7.74
* Les McGillivray 7.56
* Ron Howes 7.23
* Vic Gooden 6.83
* Jules Benson 6.13
* Frank Bettis 5.20
* Mike Wood 4.00
* James Osborne 3.29
St Austell
* Harold Bull 7.16
* Ticker James 7.37
* Norman Street 7.29
* Ken James 5.80
* Maurice Hutchens 5.69
* Mick Mitchell 5.49
* Max Rech 5.48
* Allan Quinn 5.54
* Ken Monk 4.84
* Stan Bedford 3.04
Swindon
* Buster Brown 7.87
* Alex Gray 7.69
* Hugh Geddes 7.54
* Danny Malone 7.35
* Frank Evans 7.13
* Ray Ellis 6.80
* Bob Jones 6.90
* Reg Lambourne 6.10
* Miek Beddoe 5.33
* Ken Wiggins 4.47
* Dudley Smith 3.67
Wolverhampton
* Roy Moreton 6.55
* Jack Cunningham 5.96
* Harry Wardropper 5.49
* Ron Wilson 5.39
* Ronnie Genz 5.06
* Dick Harris 4.83
* Gundy Harris 4.58
* Alan Sutcliffe 4.57
* John Hitchings 4.56
* Cliff Biggs 4.43
* Bob Wigg 4.40
* Derek Timms 4.30
* Cyril Maidment 3.50
* Ted Stevens 2.29