The 1954 National League Division Two was the ninth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
Summary The Southern League was replaced by the Southern Area League which resulted in Division Two taking in teams from the defunct Southern League. Only St Austell Gulls declined to step up to the national level, whilst from the previous season Yarmouth Bloaters were not issued a racing licence and Stoke Potters withdrew. Bristol Bulldogs moved down from Division One to make 15 teams starting the season. However, Glasgow White City Tigers and Wolverhampton Wasps both suffered a series of poor results in the Northern Shield and both withdrew before the league campaign started.
Bristol Bulldogs won the league title. Bristol also won the early season Southern Shield, while Lanarkshire Eagles won the disrupted Northern Shield following the withdrawal of Glasgow and Wolverhampton.
Plymouth Devils withdrew after one league fixture and Edinburgh Monarchs withdrew mid-way through the 1954 season citing financial losses and their Managing Director Frank Varey also resigned.
League Final table Pos Team M W D L Pts1 Bristol Bulldogs 20 14 0 6 282 Poole Pirates 20 12 0 8 243 Swindon Robins 20 11 0 9 224 Leicester Hunters 20 11 0 9 225 Ipswich Witches 20 10 0 10 206 Exeter Falcons 20 10 0 10 207 Oxford Cheetahs 20 10 0 10 208 Coventry Bees 20 10 0 10 209 Southampton Saints 20 9 0 11 1810 Lanarkshire Eagles 20 9 0 11 1811 Rayleigh Rockets 20 4 0 16 8
Glasgow White City Tigers, Wolverhampton Wasps withdrew before league racing Plymouth Devils, Edinburgh Monarchs withdrew, record expunged.
Fixtures and results
Top five riders (league only) Rider Nat Team C.M.A. 1 Ken McKinlay Leicester Hunters 10.88 2 Dick Bradley Bristol Bulldogs 10.58 3 Ken Middleditch Poole Pirates 10.03 5 Tommy Miller Coventry Bees 9.90 4 Bob Roger Swindon Robins 9.58
Shields
Southern Shield Team PL W D L PtsBristol 14 11 0 3 22 Exeter 14 10 0 4 20 Poole 13 8 0 5 16 Swindon 14 8 0 6 16 Rayleigh 14 6 0 8 12 Oxford 14 5 0 9 10 Southampton 14 4 0 10 8 Plymouth 13 3 0 10 6
Northern Shield Team PL W D L PtsLanarkshire 8 6 0 2 12 Coventry 8 5 1 2 11 Edinburgh 8 3 1 4 7 Ipswich 8 3 0 5 6 Leicester 8 2 0 6 4
Riders' Championship Ken Middleditch won the National League Division Two Rider's Championship. The final was held at Hyde Road on 16 October.
Pos. Rider Pts1 Ken Middleditch 142 Ian Williams 13=3 Bob Roger 11=3 Terry Small 11=3 Peter Robinson 11
National Trophy For the National Trophy see the 1954 Speedway National League.
Midland Cup For the Midland Cup see the 1954 Speedway National League.
Riders and final averages
Bristol
10.58 8.71 8.28 7.25 7.14 6.03 5.60 5.31 4.35 Harry Serrurier 3.20 2.86
Coventry
9.90 9.45 6.86 6.61 6.56 5.58 5.60 5.38 5.20 4.30 4.92 3.00 2.33
Edinburgh (withdrew)
9.87 8.53 Roy Bester 8.00 5.43 4.80 4.50 4.00 4.00 3.73
Exeter
8.57 8.20 7.67 6.86 6.55 5.94 5.93 5.13 5.03 3.33
Ipswich
9.32 8.85 8.45 6.38 (George Snailum) 6.31 6.08 5.89 5.44 5.33 5.04 5.03 3.68
Lanarkshire
9.30 7.70 7.59 6.29 6.07 6.00 5.96 5.46 4.95 3.20
Leicester
10.88 Roy Bester 8.25 7.61 6.53 6.38 6.26 5.93 5.33 5.09 4.94 (James Goldingay) 3.05
Oxford
8.85 8.10 6.34 6.30 5.73 5.71 5.45 5.24 4.87 4.86 4.44
Plymouth (withdrew)
9.00 8.50 7.33 7.00 7.00 5.14 4.79 4.26 4.00 4.00 3.80
Poole
10.03 9.26 7.76 6.92 6.55 6.78 6.05 5.50 Vern McWilliams 3.20 0.57
Rayleigh
8.43 8.20 7.37 5.81 5.46 4.73 4.49 3.78 3.53 2.93 2.00
Southampton
7.33 6.92 6.82 6.62 6.46 6.22 5.59 5.41 1.33
Swindon
9.58 8.00 6.79 6.63 6.32 6.26 5.49 5.28 4.15
See also List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions
References