# 1952 Speedway National League Division Two

The 1952 National League Division Two was the seventh post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.

## Summary

The post-war boom was now fading and the League was shortened to 12 teams with Division Three now defunct and continued only on a regional basis. Previous champions Norwich Stars had been promoted to Division One. Newcastle, Walthamstow and Halifax had closed whilst Fleetwood Flyers changed to Fleetwood Knights and ran only open meetings. Poole Pirates were the only new entrant, promoted from the former lower tier.
Poole Pirates won the title, having won Division Three in the previous season.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Poole Pirates | 44 | 31 | 1 | 12 | 63 |
| 2 | Coventry Bees | 44 | 25 | 5 | 14 | 55 |
| 3 | Leicester Hunters | 44 | 25 | 2 | 17 | 52 |
| 4 | Cradley Heath Heathens | 44 | 24 | 0 | 20 | 48 |
| 5 | Glasgow White City Tigers | 44 | 23 | 1 | 20 | 47 |
| 6 | Edinburgh Monarchs | 44 | 21 | 4 | 19 | 46 |
| 7 | Ashfield Giants | 44 | 19 | 3 | 22 | 41 |
| 8 | Motherwell Eagles | 44 | 19 | 2 | 23 | 40 |
| 9 | Yarmouth Bloaters | 44 | 20 | 0 | 24 | 40 |
| 10 | Stoke Potters | 44 | 18 | 1 | 25 | 37 |
| 11 | Liverpool Chads | 44 | 16 | 3 | 25 | 35 |
| 12 | Oxford Cheetahs | 44 | 11 | 2 | 31 | 24 |

## Fixtures & results
### A fixtures

| Home \ Away | ASH | COV | CH | ED | GLA | LEI | LIV | MOT | OX | PP | STO | YAR |
| Ashfield | | 42–42 | 51–33 | 53–31 | 36–48 | 50–34 | 47–37 | 32–51 | 47–37 | 48–36 | 50–34 | 52–32 |
| Coventry | 41–43 | | 43–41 | 42–41 | 48–36 | 32–52 | 54–30 | 45–39 | 45–39 | 44–40 | 50–34 | 56–28 |
| Cradley Heath | 49–35 | 53–31 | | 51–33 | 56–28 | 40–44 | 50–34 | 47–37 | 46–38 | 36–48 | 56–28 | 57–27 |
| Edinburgh | 43–41 | 53–31 | 55–29 | | 53–31 | 42–42 | 42–42 | 46–38 | 54–30 | 37–47 | 56–28 | 54–30 |
| Glasgow | 42–42 | 47–37 | 49–35 | 56–28 | | 49–35 | 56–28 | 43–41 | 56–28 | 49–35 | 53–31 | 58–26 |
| Leicester | 52–32 | 38–46 | 40–44 | 48–35 | 48–36 | | 37–47 | 52–32 | 50–34 | 49–35 | 45–39 | 54–30 |
| Liverpool | 48–36 | 40–44 | 44–40 | 45–39 | 41–43 | 50–34 | | 43–41 | 58–26 | 25–58 | 42–42 | 62–21 |
| Motherwell | 39–45 | 50–34 | 48–36 | 41–40 | 40–44 | 48–36 | 50–33 | | 51–33 | 44–40 | 49–35 | 62–22 |
| Oxford | 52–32 | 44–40 | 51–30 | 52–32 | 53–29 | 38–45 | 38–46 | 41–43 | | 33–51 | 44–40 | 51–33 |
| Poole | 58–26 | 59–25 | 69–15 | 48–36 | 61–23 | 50–34 | 60–24 | 62–22 | 42–42 | | 64–20 | 62–22 |
| Stoke | 57–27 | 51–33 | 32–51 | 45–39 | 53–31 | 53–31 | 64–20 | 47–34 | 51–33 | 53–31 | | 49–35 |
| Yarmouth | 54–30 | 55–29 | 50–34 | 35–49 | 56–28 | 38–46 | 61–23 | 49–35 | 52–32 | 44–40 | 45–39 | |

### B fixtures

| Home \ Away | ASH | COV | CH | ED | GLA | LEI | LIV | MOT | OX | PP | STO | YAR |
| Ashfield | | 43–41 | 41–42 | 43–41 | 45–38 | 35–49 | 44–40 | 43–41 | 60–24 | 35–49 | 56–28 | 51–33 |
| Coventry | 56–28 | | 48–36 | 42–42 | 54–30 | 42–42 | 59–25 | 48–36 | 62–21 | 55–29 | 59–25 | 50–34 |
| Cradley Heath | 45–39 | 48–36 | | 44–40 | 55–29 | 52–32 | 52–32 | 51–33 | 54–30 | 38–46 | 58–26 | 46–38 |
| Edinburgh | 61–23 | 39–45 | 44–40 | | 46–38 | 53–29 | 50–34 | 45–39 | 59–25 | 46–38 | 59–25 | 47–37 |
| Glasgow | 47–37 | 38–46 | 40–44 | 46–38 | | 38–45 | 61–23 | 45–39 | 59–24 | 45–38 | 52–32 | 56–28 |
| Leicester | 47–37 | 38–46 | 46–38 | 45–39 | 58–26 | | 54–30 | 48–36 | 53–31 | 32–52 | 51–32 | 50–34 |
| Liverpool | 47–37 | 42–42 | 56–28 | 34–50 | 47–37 | 40–44 | | 59–25 | 50–34 | 40–44 | 60–24 | 59–25 |
| Motherwell | 39–44 | 42–42 | 49–35 | 42–42 | 41–43 | 49–35 | 51–33 | | 54–30 | 43–41 | 54–30 | 55–29 |
| Oxford | 42–42 | 32–52 | 35–49 | 43–41 | 35–49 | 37–47 | 44–40 | 41–43 | | 24–60 | 51–33 | 46–38 |
| Poole | 55–29 | 52–32 | 57–27 | 54–30 | 56–28 | 59–25 | 60–24 | 60–24 | 66–18 | | 67–17 | 68–16 |
| Stoke | 60–24 | 32–52 | 54–30 | 38–46 | 54–30 | 46–38 | 52–32 | 50–33 | 53–31 | 40–44 | | 58–26 |
| Yarmouth | 65–19 | 47–37 | 55–29 | 54–30 | 57–27 | 56–28 | 67–17 | 62–22 | 64–20 | 58–26 | 44–40 | |

## Top Five Riders (League only)

| | Rider | Team | C.M.A. |
| 1 | Tommy Miller | Glasgow | 10.91 |
| 2 | Derick Close | Motherwell | 10.57 |
| 3 | Fred Brand | Yarmouth | 9.82 |
| 4 | Brian Crutcher | Poole | 9.66 |
| 5 | Ken Middleditch | Poole | 9.63 |

## National Trophy Stage Two

* For Stage One - see Stage One
* For Stage Three - see Stage Three
The 1952 National Trophy was the 15th edition of the Knockout Cup. The Trophy consisted of three stages; stage one was for the third-tier clubs, stage two was for the second-tier 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. Poole won stage two and therefore qualified for stage three.
Second Division qualifying first round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 05/06 | Plymouth | 57-51 | Poole |
| 02/06 | Poole | 67-41 | Plymouth |
| 24/05 | Coventry | 71-36 | Motherwell |
| 24/05 | Stoke | 71-37 | Cradley Heath |
| 23/05 | Cradley Heath | 67-41 | Stoke |
| 23/05 | Motherwell | 61-47 | Coventry |
| 19/05 | Liverpool | 71-37 | Edinburgh |
| 17/05 | Edinburgh | 67-41 | Liverpool |
| 13/05 | Yarmouth | 61-47 | Leicester |
| 09/05 | Leicester | 71-37 | Yarmouth |
Second Division Qualifying Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 19/06 | Oxford | 53-55 | Poole |
| 09/06 | Poole | 78-30 | Oxford |
| 07/06 | Coventry | 52-55 | Leicester |
| 07/06 | Stoke | 55-52 | Liverpool |
| 06/06 | Leicester | 55-53 | Coventry |
| 02/06 | Liverpool | 75.5-32.5 | Stoke |
| 24/05 | Glasgow Ashfield | 52-56 | Glasgow White City |
| 21/05 | Glasgow White City | 65-43 | Glasgow Ashfield |
Second Division Qualifying semifinals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 20/06 | Leicester | 46-62 | Glasgow White City |
| 18/06 | Glasgow White City | 53-55 | Leicester |
| 25/06 | Poole | 85-23 | Liverpool |

### Second Division Qualifying final

First leg
Second leg

## Midland Cup

Coventry won the Midland Cup, which consisted of eight teams. There was one team from division 1, five teams from division 2 and two teams from division 3.
First round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
| Wolverhampton | Long Eaton | 69–26, 59–37 |
Second round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
| Leicester | Stoke | 54–42, 42–53 |
| Oxford | Wolverhampton | 62–34, 45–51 |
| Cradley | Coventry | 50–46, 34–62 |
Semi final round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
| Oxford | Coventry | 25–71, 26–70 |
| Birmingham | Leicester | 70–26, 63–33 |

### Final

First leg
Second leg
Coventry won on aggregate 110–82

## Riders & final averages

Ashfield
* Willie Wilson 8.29
* Bruce Semmens 6.76
* Larry Lazarus 6.64
* Chum Taylor 6.62
* Jack Gates 6.16
* Ron Phillips 6.07
* Dick Howard 5.35
* Merv Harding 4.19
* Ron Johnson 4.18
* Cyril Cooper 3.30
* Eric Liddell 1.76
Coventry
* Vic Emms 9.48
* Les Hewitt 9.05
* Johnny Reason 7.83
* Charlie New 6.93
* Stan Williams 6.72
* Peter Brough 6.21
* Derrick Tailby 5.64
* Jack Wright 4.42
* John Yates 4.34
* Lionel Levy 4.00
Cradley Heath
* Harry Bastable 8.70
* Brian Shepherd 8.24
* Jim Tolley 7.41
* Les Tolley 7.02
* Phil Malpass 6.62
* Fred Perkins 5.63
* Dick Tolley 5.24
* Guy Allott 5.16
* Derek Braithwaite 5.08
* Geoff Bennett 4.43
* Wilf Willstead 2.00
Edinburgh
* Don Cuppleditch 9.54
* Bob Mark 9.14
* Dick Campbell 9.09
* Harold Fairhurst 8.07
* Eddie Lack 6.45
* Keith Gurtner 5.68
* Johnny Green 4.78
* Jimmy Cox 4.66
* Harry Darling 3.12
* Jock Scott 2.13
Glasgow
* Tommy Miller 10.91
* Junior Bainbridge 8.15
* Ken McKinlay 8.14
* Alf McIntosh 5.88
* Peter Dykes 5.50
* Don Wilkinson 5.17
* Bob Sharp 4.92
* Len Nicholson 4.65
* Jack Hodgson 4.27
* Frank Hodgson 3.95
* Stuart Irvine 1.07
Leicester
* Len Williams 9.14
* Lionel Benson 8.48
* Jock Grierson 7.88
* Joe Bowkis 6.29
* Les Beaumont 6.26
* Harwood Pike 6.10
* Alf Parker 5.61
* Laurie Holland 4.81
* Charlie Barsby 4.15
Liverpool
* Peter Robinson 9.13
* Reg Duval 7.37
* Tommy Allott 7.37
* Don Potter 7.36
* Harry Welch 6.77
* Bill Griffiths 6.09
* Len Read 5.79
* Eric Smith 4.77
* Alf Webster 4.52
* Tommy Anderson 3.68
* Val Morton 3.36
Motherwell
* Derick Close 10.57
* Gordon McGregor 8.18
* Noel Watson 7.51
* Keith Gurtner 7.23
* Will Lowther 5.53
* Johnny Green 5.47
* Stan Bradbury 5.21
* Joe Crowther 4.80
* Bluey Scott 4.17
* Scott Hall 3.29
* Bob Lindsay 3.00
Oxford
* Jim Gregory 7.42
* Jim Boyd 6.79
* Harry Saunders 6.39
* Bill Osborne 6.17
* Frank Boyle 5.03
* Bill Kemp 5.62
* Herby King 4.92
* Ron Wilson 4.50
* Len Glover 3.83
* Ernie Lessiter 1.00
Poole
* Brian Crutcher 9.66
* Ken Middleditch 9.63
* Terry Small 8.75
* Bill Holden 7.93
* Tony Lewis 7.90
* Jimmy Squibb 7.64
* Johnny Thomson 6.93
* Roy Craighead 6.63
* Allan Kidd 6.40
Stoke
* Ken Adams 8.50
* Ron Peace 7.50
* Reg Fearman 7.44
* Les Jenkins 6.73
* Ray Harris 5.64
* Johnny Fitzparick 5.40
* Fred Siggins 5.29
* Peter Orpwood 5.25
* Gil Blake 5.16
* Derek Braithwaite 4.98
Yarmouth
* Fred Brand 9.82
* Bob Baker 9.62
* Reg Reeves 6.77
* Terry Courtnell 6.73
* Johnny Chamberlain 5.53
* Reg Morgan 5.38
* Gundy Harris 4.76
* Tip Mills 4.75
* Vic Ridgeon 3.13
* Roy Bowers 4.73
* Stan Page 4.63