# 1948 Speedway National League Division Two

The 1948 National League Division Two was the third post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain. Edinburgh Monarchs were new participants as the league was extended to 9 teams.

## Summary

Wigan Warriors were replaced by Fleetwood Flyers after just 3 away matches with their entire team transferring. A quickfire 19 days effort resulted in the concrete wall surrounding the Highbury Stadium pitch being demolished and a 30 feet wide track being constructed.
Bristol Bulldogs were crowned champions.
32-year-old Bill Wilson of the Middlesbrough Bears was fatally injured, on 3 July at Norwich and died two days later in hospital.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Bristol Bulldogs | 32 | 23 | 0 | 9 | 46 |
| 2 | Birmingham Brummies | 32 | 20 | 1 | 11 | 41 |
| 3 | Middlesbrough Bears | 32 | 18 | 2 | 12 | 38 |
| 4 | Sheffield Tigers | 32 | 17 | 1 | 14 | 35 |
| 5 | Norwich Stars | 32 | 17 | 0 | 15 | 34 |
| 6 | Glasgow White City Tigers | 32 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 31 |
| 7 | Newcastle Diamonds | 32 | 11 | 0 | 21 | 22 |
| 8 | Fleetwood Flyers | 32 | 10 | 1 | 21 | 21 |
| 9 | Edinburgh Monarchs | 32 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 20 |
* Wigan Warriors were replaced by Fleetwood Flyers after 3 away matches

## Fixtures & results
### A fixtures

| Home \ Away | BIR | BRI | ED | FLE | GLA | MID | NEW | NOR | SHE |
| Birmingham | | 39–44 | 59–25 | 40–44 | 53–31 | 42–42 | 50–34 | 51–33 | 57–27 |
| Bristol | 65–19 | | 64–20 | 49–35 | 53–31 | 49–35 | 57–27 | 60–24 | 61–23 |
| Edinburgh | 43–41 | 38–46 | | 45–39 | 39–44 | 45–39 | 29–55 | 39–45 | 47–36 |
| Fleetwood | 38–46 | 41–42 | 34–49 | | 48–36 | 37–47 | 44–39 | 31–53 | 39–45 |
| Glasgow | 48–36 | 36–48 | 49–35 | 49–34 | | 37–47 | 47–35 | 41–42 | 55–29 |
| Middlesbrough | 65–18 | 50–33 | 57–27 | 65–19 | 61–22 | | 59–25 | 57–27 | 51–33 |
| Newcastle | 49–35 | 37–47 | 53–31 | 38–45 | 37–46 | 39–45 | | 50–34 | 39–44 |
| Norwich | 50–34 | 56–28 | 56–28 | 45–37 | 53–31 | 39–45 | 54–30 | | 62–21 |
| Sheffield | 50–34 | 43–40 | 60–23 | 48–36 | 55–28 | 45–39 | 46–38 | 45–39 | |

### B fixtures

| Home \ Away | BIR | BRI | ED | FLE | GLA | MID | NEW | NOR | SHE |
| Birmingham | | 62–22 | 58–26 | 62–22 | 65–19 | 64–19 | 66–18 | 58–26 | 58–26 |
| Bristol | 52–32 | | 64–19 | 57–27 | 65–18 | 56–28 | 67–17 | 49–35 | 55–29 |
| Edinburgh | 33–51 | 53–31 | | 42–41 | 52–32 | 56–27 | 45–39 | 33–51 | 39–44 |
| Fleetwood | 40–44 | 51–33 | 50–34 | | 40–44 | 48–36 | 52–32 | 53–31 | 53–31 |
| Glasgow | 39–45 | 46–38 | 63–21 | 42–42 | | 55–29 | 54–30 | 60–24 | 42–42 |
| Middlesbrough | 39–45 | 38–45 | 66–18 | 51–33 | 42–42 | | 56–28 | 51–33 | 47–37 |
| Newcastle | 48–36 | 51–33 | 58–26 | 43–41 | 50–34 | 38–46 | | 52–32 | 43–41 |
| Norwich | 40–44 | 34–50 | 52–32 | 53–30 | 66–18 | 39–45 | 54–30 | | 46–38 |
| Sheffield | 38–45 | 51–32 | 64–20 | 54–30 | 34–50 | 57–27 | 66–18 | 53–31 | |

## Anniversary Cup (Div 2)

The Anniversary Cup for Division Two was run in a league format. Birmingham Brummies came out on top.

### Final table

| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Birmingham Brummies | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 24 |
| 2 | Sheffield Tigers | 16 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| 3 | Bristol Bulldogs | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | Glasgow White City Tigers | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 16 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough Bears | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 16 |
| 6 | Norwich Stars | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 15 |
| 7 | Fleetwood Flyers | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 15 |
| 8 | Newcastle Diamonds | 16 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 12 |
| 9 | Edinburgh Monarchs | 16 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 12 |

## Top Five Riders (League only)

| | Rider | Team | C.M.A. |
| 1 | Fred Tuck | Bristol | 10.20 |
| 2 | Frank Hodgson | Middlesbrough | 9.84 |
| 3 | Graham Warren | Birmingham | 9.84 |
| 4 | Wilf Plant | Middlesbrough/Fleetwood | 9.24 |
| 5 | Jack Hunt | Newcastle | 9.22 |

## National Trophy

The 1948 Trophy (sponsored by the Daily Mail) was the 11th edition of the Knockout Cup. The Qualifying event for Division 3 teams saw Southampton Saints win the final and qualify for the Elimination event. The Elimination event for Division 2 teams saw Birmingham Brummies win the final and qualify for the Quarter Finals proper.
Elimination Event First Round
| Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
| 19/06 | Birmingham | 79-29 | Southampton |
| 15/06 | Southampton | 41-66 | Birmingham |
| 16/06 | Glasgow White City | 70-38 | Edinburgh |
| 19/06 | Edinburgh | 62-46 | Glasgow White City |
Elimination Second Round
| Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
| 17/06 | Sheffield | 55-53 | Norwich |
| 19/06 | Norwich | 76-32 | Sheffield |
| 03/07 | Birmingham | 80-28 | Glasgow White City |
| 23/06 | Glasgow White City | 45.5-61.5 | Birmingham |
| 18/06 | Bristol | 65-43 | Fleetwood |
| 22/06 | Fleetwood | 69-39 | Bristol |
| 14/06 | Newcastle | 41-65 | Middlesbrough |
| 17/06 | Middlesbrough | 67-40 | Newcastle |
Elimination Third Round
| Date | Team One | Score | Team Two |
| 26/07 | Birmingham | 75-33 | Fleetwood |
| 13/07 | Fleetwood | 49-59 | Birmingham |
| 03/07 | Norwich | 66-41 | Middlesbrough |
| 01/07 | Middlesbrough | 53-54 | Norwich |

### Elimination Final

First leg
Second leg

## Riders & final averages

Birmingham
* Graham Warren 9.84
* Stan Dell 8.57
* Doug McLachlan 8.26
* Geoff Bennett 7.91
* Arthur Payne 7.53
* Brian Wilson 6.79
* Charlie May 6.55
* Buck Whitby 5.94
* Roy Dook 5.46
* Dick Tolley 5.39
Bristol
* Fred Tuck 10.20
* Billy Hole 8.95
* Nobby Stock 8.60
* Mike Beddoe 8.45
* Roger Wise 7.94
* Jack Mountford 7.83
* Eric Salmon 7.40
* Cyril Quick 5.38
* Johnny Hole 4.37
* Ginger Nicholls 3.25
* Graham Hole 1.67
Edinburgh
* Bill Maddern 7.15
* Dick Campbell 6.68
* Clem Mitchell 6.00
* Eddie Lack 6.00
* Danny Lee 5.50
* Dennis Parker 5.32
* Keith Cox 4.96
* Bill Baird 4.74
* Bert Shearer 3.75
* Nobby Downham 3.30
* Don Cuppleditch 2.55
Fleetwood
* Wilf Plant 9.47
* Dick Geary] 9.03
* Norman Hargreaves 7.46
* Jack Gordon 6.06
* Cyril Cooper 5.68
* Reg Lambourne 5.18
* Ron Hart 4.70
* Ernie Appleby 4.54
* Percy Brine 4.14
* Dick Seers 2.40
* Jack Winstanley 1.60
Glasgow
* Joe Crowther 8.13
* Bat Byrnes 7.80
* Will Lowther 7.59
* Buck Ryan 7.20
* Harold Fairhurst 6.21
* Norman Lindsay 5.98
* Junior Bainbridge 5.57
* Gruff Garland 5.00
* Nobby Downham 4.87
* Gordon McGregor 3.83
* Angus McGuire 1.50
Middlesbrough
* Frank Hodgson 9.84
* Wilf Plant 8.88
* Jack Hodgson 8.77
* Geoff Godwin 7.77
* Benny King 6.91
* Billy Wilson 6.23
* Derick Close 6.22
* Tip Mills 5.94
* Herby King 5.45
* Frank Bettis 4.53
* Joe Arthur 4.00
* George Farmer 3.75
* Dick Tolley 3.56
Newcastle
* Jack Hunt 9.22
* Wilf Jay 8.72
* Charlie Spinks 8.17
* Norman Evans 7.41
* Ken Le Breton 6.80
* Alec Grant 6.66
* Keith Gurtner 4.80
* Rol Stobbart 4.14
* Maurice Stobbart 3.82
* Ed Pye 3.52
* Peter Lloyd 3.41
* Fred Rogers 3.17
* Danny Calder 3.09
Norwich
* Bert Spencer 8.61
* Paddy Mills (Horace Burke) 8.47
* Phil Clarke 8.10
* Ted Bravery 6.79
* Fred Rogers 6.63
* Sid Hipperson 6.50
* Ossie Powell 6.35
* Jack Freeman 6.04
* Syd Littlewood 5.49
* Geoff Revett 4.91
* Paddy Hammond 4.00
Sheffield
* Bruce Semmens 9.09
* Tommy Bateman 8.33
* Tommy Allott 7.31
* Len Williams 7.16
* Jack Bibby 6.94
* Stan Williams 6.77
* Danny Lee 4.71
* Ken Sharples 4.55
* John Duncan White 4.21
* Bryan Gorman 2.60
* Henry Long 3.50
* Alf Parker 1.56