# 1950 Speedway National League

The 1950 National League Division One was the 16th season of speedway in the United Kingdom and the fifth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.

## Summary

Bristol Bulldogs joined the league. Wembley Lions won the National League for the fifth time.
The Odsal Boomerangs became the Odsal Tudors during the season, the name change came at the end of July, possibly as a consequence of the events of 1 July. On 1 July 1950, 47-year-old Joe Abbott was killed instantly following a crash at Odsal Stadium in a league match against West Ham Hammers. After falling and hitting the safety fence he was hit by a rider behind. Jock Shead, a second rider was killed on the same night in a division 2 fixture.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Wembley Lions | 32 | 24 | 0 | 8 | 48 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 32 | 19 | 0 | 13 | 38 |
| 3 | Wimbledon Dons | 32 | 17 | 1 | 14 | 35 |
| 4 | New Cross Rangers | 32 | 16 | 1 | 15 | 33 |
| 5 | West Ham Hammers | 32 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 32 |
| 6 | Bradford Tudors | 32 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 32 |
| 7 | Bristol Bulldogs | 32 | 15 | 0 | 17 | 30 |
| 8 | Birmingham Brummies | 32 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 24 |
| 9 | Harringay Racers | 32 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 16 |

## Fixtures and results
### A fixtures

| Home \ Away | BV | BIR | BRA | BRI | HAR | NC | WEM | WH | WIM |
| Belle Vue | | 49–35 | 46–38 | 63–21 | 61–23 | 40–44 | 45–39 | 60–24 | 62–21 |
| Birmingham | 37–47 | | 44–40 | 47–37 | 52–32 | 43–41 | 39–45 | 50–33 | 49–35 |
| Bradford | 47–37 | 48–36 | | 61–23 | 54–30 | 51–33 | 41–42 | 48–35 | 43–41 |
| Bristol | 49–35 | 55–29 | 49–35 | | 42–41 | 41–43 | 43–40 | 44–40 | 38–46 |
| Harringay | 37–47 | 51–31 | 39.5–42.5 | 56–28 | | 37–47 | 31–52 | 40–44 | 44–39 |
| New Cross | 59–25 | 60–24 | 53–31 | 64–20 | 51–33 | | 36–48 | 54–29 | 55–29 |
| Wembley | 48–36 | 60–24 | 59–25 | 58–26 | 51–33 | 43–41 | | 60–24 | 46–38 |
| West Ham | 46–38 | 44–40 | 59–25 | 51–33 | 36–48 | 45–39 | 33–51 | | 46–38 |
| Wimbledon | 41–43 | 53–31 | 52–32 | 50–32 | 55–29 | 42–42 | 34–50 | 35–49 | |

### B fixtures

| Home \ Away | BV | BIR | BRA | BRI | HAR | NC | WEM | WH | WIM |
| Belle Vue | | 43–40 | 40–44 | 59–25 | 54–30 | 61–23 | 40–44 | 47–37 | 39–45 |
| Birmingham | 41–43 | | 48–36 | 64–20 | 56–28 | 49–34 | 47–37 | 53–31 | 30–54 |
| Bradford | 47–37 | 53–31 | | 62–21 | 44–40 | 57–27 | 52–32 | 48–36 | 41–43 |
| Bristol | 47–37 | 48–36 | 44.5–39.5 | | 50.5–33.5 | 48–36 | 48–35 | 45–38 | 50–33 |
| Harringay | 37–46 | 61–23 | 52–32 | 37–47 | | 49–35 | 36–48 | 37–43 | 26–58 |
| New Cross | 54–30 | 47–37 | 59–25 | 62–22 | 47–35 | | 39–45 | 50–34 | 38–46 |
| Wembley | 39–45 | 59–25 | 52–32 | 54–29 | 54–30 | 45–36 | | 59–25 | 33–48 |
| West Ham | 51–33 | 59–25 | 54–29 | 54–30 | 52–31 | 55–29 | 51–32 | | 35–49 |
| Wimbledon | 41–43 | 49–35 | 60–24 | 64–20 | 39–45 | 61–23 | 41–43 | 44–40 | |

## Top Ten Riders (League only)

| | Rider | Team | C.M.A. |
| 1 | Graham Warren | Birmingham | 10.55 |
| 2 | Norman Parker | Wimbledon | 10.17 |
| 3 | Tommy Price | Wembley | 9.79 |
| 4 | Jack Parker | Belle Vue | 9.42 |
| 5 | Vic Duggan | Harringay | 9.30 |
| 6 | Alec Statham | Wimbledon | 9.21 |
| 7 | Cyril Roger | New Cross | 9.21 |
| 8 | Louis Lawson | Belle Vue | 9.19 |
| 9 | Bert Roger | New Cross | 9.04 |
| 10 | Eric French | New Cross | 8.81 |

## National Trophy 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. Wimbledon Dons won the third and final stage and were therefore declared the 1950 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 | Belle Vue | 80-28 | New Cross |
| 26/07 | New Cross | 48-60 | Belle Vue |
| 01/08 | Halifax | 50-58 | Harringay |
| 28/07 | Harringay | 68-39 | Halifax |
Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 12/08 | Belle Vue | 55-52 | Wimbledon |
| 14/08 | Wimbledon | 67-41 | Belle Vue |
| 10/08 | Wembley | 53-51 | Birmingham |
| 05/08 | Birmingham | 79-29 | Wembley |
| 12/08 | Bradford | 80-28 | Bristol |
| 11/08 | Bristol | 66-42 | Bradford |
| 11/08 | Harringay | 62-46 | West Ham |
| 08/08 | West Ham | 62-46 | Harringay |
| 01/09 replay | Harringay | 49-59 | West Ham |
| 29/08 replay | West Ham | 59-49 | Harringay |
Semifinals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
| 12/09 | West Ham | 56-51 | Bradford |
| 09/09 | Bradford | 70-38 | West Ham |
| 28/08 | Wimbledon | 61-47 | Birmingham |
| 26/08 | Birmingham | 42-66 | Wimbledon |

### Final

First leg
Second leg
Wimbledon were National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 119–97, the trophy was presented by Vera Lynn.

## London Cup

First round
| Team one | Score | Team two |
| New Cross | 45–62, 33–74 | Wimbledon |
| West Ham | 66–42, 46–62 | Walthamstow |
Semi final round
| Team one | Score | Team two |
| Wembley | 58–50, 51–56 | Harringay |
| Wimbledon | 56–50, 54–54 | West Ham |

### Final

First leg
Second leg
Wembley won on aggregate 108–107

## Riders & final averages

Belle Vue
* Jack Parker 9.42
* Louis Lawson 9.19
* Dent Oliver 8.42
* Ron Johnston 8.00
* Charles Cullum 7.02
* Ken Sharples 6.58
* Henry Long 5.88
* George Smith 5.44
* Ron Mason 5.34
* Dennis Parker 4.90
* Gerry Hickson 1.33
Birmingham
* Graham Warren 10.55
* Geoff Bennett 8.19
* Arthur Payne 7.07
* Doug McLachlan 6.46
* Fred Perkins 4.73
* Jim Tolley 4.44
* Ron Mountford 3.92
* Dennis Hitchings 3.61
* Bob Wells 3.33
* Wilf Willstead 2.61
Bradford
* Jack Biggs 8.78
* Ron Clarke 8.35
* Eddie Rigg 7.89
* Joe Abbott 5.95
* Dick Seers 5.53
* Oliver Hart 7.54
* Ernie Price 5.66
* Norman Price 4.61
* Ron Peace 4.85
* Ken Brown 4.08
* Eric Smith 1.67
Bristol
* Billy Hole 7.15
* Fred Tuck 6.78
* Dick Bradley 6.36
* Jack Mountford 5.94
* Geoff Pymar 5.93
* Eric Salmon 5.73
* Roger Wise 5.51
* Johnny Hole 4.91
* Mike Beddoe 4.64
* Chris Boss 4.57
* Jack Summers 3.20
Harringay
* Vic Duggan 9.28
* Split Waterman 8.22
* Danny Dunton 7.71
* Jeff Lloyd 6.33
* Cliff Watson 6.08
* Joe Bowkis 5.43
* Geoff Pymar 5.25
* Lloyd Goffe 4.82
* Alf Viccary 4.00
* Nobby Stock 4.12
* Fred Pawson 3.78
* Jimmy Grant 3.40
* Arthur Bush 3.13
* Sid Clark 3.10
New Cross
* Cyril Roger 9.21
* Bert Roger 9.04
* Eric French 8.81
* Jeff Lloyd 7.17
* Bill Longley 7.00
* Frank Lawrence 5.88
* Ron Johnson 5.60
* Ray Moore 5.13
* Bob Baker 3.82
* Don Gray 3.40
* Ronnie Genz 0.80
Wembley
* Tommy Price 9.79
* Freddie Williams 8.75
* George Wilks 8.44
* Bill Kitchen 7.88
* Bob Oakley 7.37
* Bill Gilbert 7.33
* Eric Williams 7.22
* Bruce Abernethy 6.16
* Alf Bottoms 4.17
* Bob Wells 3.70
* Jimmy Gooch 3.11
* Den Cosby 2.67
* Jack Gates 1.45
West Ham
* Aub Lawson 8.79
* Wally Green 8.03
* Malcolm Craven 7.66
* Eric Chitty 7.52
* Reg Fearman 5.70
* Lloyd Goffe 5.53
* Howdy Byford 5.14
* Kid Curtis 5.00
* Frank Bettis 4.75
* Cliff Watson 3.43
* Trevor Davies 2.52
Wimbledon
* Norman Parker 10.17
* Alec Statham 9.21
* Cyril Brine 8.66
* Ronnie Moore 7.23
* Ernie Roccio 6.88
* Dennis Gray 5.98
* Mike Erskine 5.94
* Jim Gregory 4.89
* Dick Harris 4.30
* Reg Trott 4.16
* Bruce Semmens 3.08