# 1957 Speedway National League

The 1957 National League was the 23rd season and the twelfth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.

## Summary

The closure of Wembley Lions, Bradford Tudors and Poole Pirates left the league with only four teams, so the seven sides in Division Two merged to make an eleven-team first tier and so Division Two became defunct.
Bradford Tudors returned to replace Birmingham Brummies mid-season (in early August) and Swindon Robins followed up their Division Two title in 1956 with the Division One title in 1957.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Swindon Robins | 20 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 31 |
| 2 | Belle Vue Aces | 20 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 30 |
| 3 | Wimbledon Dons | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
| 4 | Norwich Stars | 20 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 22 |
| 5 | Leicester Hunters | 20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 21 |
| 6 | Southampton Saints | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 18 |
| 7 | Bradford Tudors* | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 18 |
| 8 | Coventry Bees | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 18 |
| 9 | Oxford Cheetahs | 20 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 15 |
| 10 | Ipswich Witches | 20 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 12 |
| 11 | Rayleigh Rockets | 20 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 11 |
* Bradford Tudors replaced Birmingham Brummies mid-season.

## Fixtures and results

| Home \ Away | BV | BB | COV | IPS | LEI | NOR | OX | RAY | SOT | SWI | WIM |
| Belle Vue | | 58–38 | 60–36 | 58–38 | 61–35 | 63–33 | 60–36 | 64–32 | 57–39 | 55–41 | 58–38 |
| Birmingham/Bradford | 20–22 | | 67–29 | 55–41 | 61–35 | 52–44 | 58–37 | 62–34 | 57–39 | 66–30 | 49–47 |
| Coventry | 44–51 | 50–46 | | 63–32 | 55–41 | 49–47 | 60–36 | 55–41 | 52–44 | 49–47 | 49–47 |
| Ipswich | 45–51 | 59–37 | 53–43 | | 41–55 | 46–50 | 54–41 | 67–29 | 48–47 | 47–49 | 46–50 |
| Leiceter | 52–44 | 56–40 | 54–42 | 42–54 | | 52–44 | 58–38 | 56–39 | 58–34 | 48–48 | 62–34 |
| Norwich | 47–49 | 59–37 | 68–28 | 69–27 | 52–44 | | 61–35 | 59–37 | 42–54 | 50–46 | 62–34 |
| Oxford | 50–46 | 53–43 | 54–42 | 50–46 | 46–50 | 47–49 | | 57–34 | 51–44 | 37–59 | 34–62 |
| Raleigh | 44–52 | 67–29 | 62–34 | 56–40 | 62–34 | 46–50 | 48–48 | | 47–49 | 38–58 | 39–56 |
| Southampton | 67–29 | 59–37 | 72–24 | 71–25 | 65–31 | 51–45 | 50–46 | 46–50 | | 47–49 | 47–48 |
| Swindon | 63–33 | 77–19 | 70–26 | 61–35 | 64–32 | 51–45 | 61–35 | 63–33 | 62–34 | | 55–41 |
| Wimbledon | 52–43 | 65–31 | 58–38 | 54–42 | 53–43 | 57–39 | 46–49 | 55–41 | 53–43 | 47–49 | |

## Top Ten Riders (League only)

| | Rider | Team | C.M.A. |
| 1 | Peter Craven | Belle Vue | 11.18 |
| 2 | Ove Fundin | Norwich | 10.38 |
| 3 | Bob Roger | Swindon | 10.27 |
| 4 | Ron Johnston | Belle Vue | 10.27 |
| 5 | Barry Briggs | Wimbledon | 10.00 |
| 6 | Ken McKinlay | Leicester | 9.77 |
| 7 | Brian Crutcher | Southampton | 9.76 |
| 8 | Aub Lawson | Norwich | 9.73 |
| 9 | Peter Moore | Ipswich | 9.64 |
| 10 | Dick Bradley | Southampton | 9.48 |

## National Trophy

The National Trophy was not held during 1957.

## Riders and final averages

Belle Vue
* Peter Craven 11.18
* Ron Johnston 10.27
* Bob Duckworth 6.92
* Eddie Rigg 6.78
* Dick Fisher 6.00
* Tink Maynard 5.60
* Peter Williams 4.71
* Slant Payling 3.73
* Brian Craven 3.24
* Lew Grepp 0.73
Bradford/Birmingham
* Dan Forsberg 9.42
* Nigel Boocock 7.92
* Ron Clarke 7.84
* Eric Boothroyd 7.37/6.78
* Ron Mountford 7.23
* Arthur Forrest 7.15
* Al Allison 5.21
* Guy Allott 5.19/4.93
* Jim Tolley 5.05
* Trevor Redmond 4.76
* Harry Bastable 4.00
* Derrick Tailby 3.20
Coventry
* Per Olof Söderman 8.43
* Ron Mountford 8.07
* Jim Lightfoot 6.53
* Charlie New 6.34
* Reg Duval 6.04
* Les Owen 4.00
* Nick Nicholls 3.35
* Jim Tolley 3.31
* Eric Hockaday 3.07
* Arthur Wright 2.81
* Bob Mark 2.30
Ipswich
* Peter Moore 9.64
* Cyril Roger 9.13
* Aage Hansen 8.17
* Bob Sharp 6.04
* Bert Edwards 5.36
* Junior Bainbridge 4.67
* Jimmy Gooch 4.09
* Wal Morton 3.79
* Danny Dunton 3.84
* Johnny Fitzpatrick 3.03
* Len Silver 2.82
* Ken Last 1.00
Leicester
* Ken McKinlay 9.77
* Rune Sörmander 8.40
* Jack Geran 8.04
* Alf Hagon 6.71
* Harry Bastable 6.47
* Al Allison 4.67
* Charlie Barsby 3.88
* Bryan Elliott 3.31
* Reg Fearman 3.25
* Vic Hall 1.54
* Des Haswell 0.62
Norwich
* Ove Fundin 10.38
* Aub Lawson 9.73
* Phil Clarke 9.41
* Billy Bales 7.60
* Harry Edwards 5.87
* Geoff Pymar 3.91
* Derek Strutt 3.68
* Dave Hankins 2.75
* Reg Trott 2.58
* Barry East 2.33
* Wal Morton 2.05
Oxford
* Jack Biggs 8.38
* Gordon McGregor 6.92
* Ronnie Genz 7.81
* Dennis Newton 6.29
* Roy Bowers 5.51
* Howdy Byford 5.10
* Ray Cresp 5.00
* Maury McDermott 4.00
* Frank Johnson 3.64
Rayleigh
* Les McGillivray 8.00
* Jack Unstead 6.93
* Birger Forsberg 6.38
* Ken Adams 5.98
* Eric French 5.97
* Peter Clark 5.91
* Pete Lansdale 5.40
* Maury McDermott 3.72
Southampton
* Brian Crutcher 9.76
* Dick Bradley 9.48
* Brian Hanham 7.17
* Alby Golden 6.00
* Maury Mattingley 5.68
* Bill Holden 5.54
* Jimmy Squibb 5.03
* Johnny Hole 5.06
Swindon
* Bob Roger 10.27
* George White 8.61
* Ian Williams 8.17
* Ken Middleditch 7.54
* Neil Street 6.70
* Ernie Lessiter 6.44
* Al Sparrey 6.40
* Mike Broadbank 5.21
Wimbledon
* Barry Briggs 10.00
* Ron How 8.31
* Ronnie Moore 8.00
* Gerald Jackson 7.29
* Cyril Maidment 6.52
* Cyril Brine 6.04
* Split Waterman 5.86
* Gerry King 4.00
* Ivan Mauger 4.00
* Bob Andrews 3.76