| League | National League Division Two |
|---|---|
| No. of competitors | 12 |
| Champions | Bristol Bulldogs |
| National Trophy (Div 2 final) | Bristol Bulldogs |
| Highest average | Bruce Semmens |
| Division/s above | National League (Div 1) |
| Division/s below | National League (Div 3) |
The1949 National League Division Two was the fourth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.[1][2]
The League was extended to 12 teams with the addition of new entrantsWalthamstow Wolves andAshfield Giants.Coventry Bees,Southampton Saints andCradley Heath moved up fromDivision Three, with Cradley changing their nickname from Cubs to Heathens in the process. Two sides were missing from those that finished the previous season.Birmingham Brummies moved up toDivision One andMiddlesbrough Bears dropped out, although the promotion and most of their riders moved to the renamedNewcastle Magpies whose riders and promotion in turn had moved toAshfield[3][4]
The Division Two Anniversary (League) Cup was discontinued as the expanded league programme gave the teams 44 league fixtures.Bristol Bulldogs retained their title.[5]
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol Bulldogs | 44 | 34 | 1 | 9 | 69 |
| 2 | Sheffield Tigers | 44 | 29 | 1 | 14 | 59 |
| 3 | Norwich Stars | 44 | 27 | 0 | 17 | 54 |
| 4 | Cradley Heath Heathens | 44 | 25 | 0 | 19 | 50 |
| 5 | Edinburgh Monarchs | 44 | 24 | 0 | 20 | 48 |
| 6 | Walthamstow Wolves | 44 | 21 | 3 | 20 | 45 |
| 7 | Southampton Saints | 44 | 21 | 3 | 20 | 45 |
| 8 | Glasgow Tigers | 44 | 20 | 0 | 24 | 40 |
| 9 | Fleetwood Flyers | 44 | 18 | 1 | 25 | 37 |
| 10 | Newcastle Magpies | 44 | 17 | 1 | 26 | 35 |
| 11 | Ashfield Giants | 44 | 12 | 1 | 31 | 25 |
| 12 | Coventry Bees | 44 | 10 | 1 | 33 | 21 |
| Home \ Away | ASH | BRI | COV | CH | ED | FLE | GLA | NEW | NOR | SHE | SOT | WAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashfield | 38–46 | 45–39 | 45–38 | 39–45 | 45–39 | 35–46 | 52–32 | 50–34 | 40–43 | 40–41 | 48–36 | |
| Bristol | 63–21 | 67.5–16.5 | 62–22 | 68–16 | 61–22 | 62–22 | 60–24 | 66–18 | 55–29 | 56–27 | 60–24 | |
| Coventry | 38–45 | 35–48 | 42–40 | 44–39 | 35–49 | 45–39 | 47–37 | 53–31 | 32–50 | 42–42 | 45–39 | |
| Cradley | 48–36 | 34–50 | 59–25 | 54–30 | 50–34 | 56–27 | 49–35 | 45–38 | 61–23 | 48–34 | 52–32 | |
| Edinburgh | 57–27 | 40–44 | 53–31 | 44–40 | 45–39 | 43–41 | 52–32 | 43–40 | 34–49 | 54–29 | 45–39 | |
| Fleetwood | 45–39 | 46–38 | 53–29 | 46–38 | 57–27 | 38–46 | 47–37 | 30–53 | 51–33 | 48–36 | 54–30 | |
| Glasgow | 52–32 | 27–57 | 59–25 | 54–30 | 50–34 | 68–16 | 53–31 | 48–36 | 45–39 | 64–20 | 52–32 | |
| Newcastle | 54–30 | 29–55 | 53–31 | 60–23 | 49–34 | 45–39 | 43–40 | 37–46 | 47–36 | 53–31 | 41–43 | |
| Norwich | 48–36 | 52–32 | 67–16 | 58–26 | 58–25 | 58–26 | 57–27 | 59–24 | 46–38 | 61–23 | 57–25 | |
| Sheffield | 52–31 | 49–35 | 58–26 | 50–34 | 49–35 | 60–24 | 59–25 | 48–36 | 34–50 | 69–15 | 56–27 | |
| Southampton | 50–34 | 45–39 | 55–28 | 37.5–43.5 | 50–31 | 41–42 | 43–41 | 45–39 | 55–29 | 41–41 | 52–29 | |
| Walthamstow | 44–39 | 46–37 | 67–17 | 45–39 | 58–26 | 42–42 | 48–34 | 48–36 | 40–43 | 40.5–43.5 | 41–41 |
| Home \ Away | ASH | BRI | COV | CH | ED | FLE | GLA | NEW | NOR | SHE | SOT | WAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashfield | 42–42 | 54–30 | 33–51 | 39–45 | 45–38 | 51–33 | 51–33 | 34–50 | 41–43 | 37–47 | 53–31 | |
| Bristol | 63–21 | 52–29 | 53–31 | 60–24 | 67–17 | 70–14 | 60–24 | 68–16 | 65–19 | 55–26 | 51–33 | |
| Coventry | 55–29 | 38–46 | 36–48 | 38–46 | 46–38 | 32.5–30.5 | 40–44 | 38–45 | 35–47 | 36–47 | 36–47 | |
| Cradley | 57–27 | 54–30 | 53–31 | 50–34 | 44–40 | 59–25 | 51–33 | 56–27 | 60–24 | 49–35 | 57–27 | |
| Edinburgh | 51–33 | 44–40 | 45–37 | 57–27 | 58–26 | 61–23 | 54–29 | 55–29 | 45–39 | 58–26 | 61–22 | |
| Fleetwood | 52–30 | 39–44 | 53–31 | 64–18 | 35–49 | 56–28 | 53–31 | 35–49 | 46–38 | 49–35 | 41–43 | |
| Glasgow | 49–35 | 35–49 | 35–49 | 51–33 | 48–34 | 51–33 | 51–32 | 47–36 | 45–39 | 58–26 | 39–45 | |
| Newcastle | 54–29 | 28–56 | 56–28 | 42–41 | 59–25 | 49–35 | 49–34 | 48–36 | 30–54 | 50–33 | 42–42 | |
| Norwich | 64–20 | 45–39 | 62–22 | 41–43 | 61–23 | 48–34 | 58–26 | 63–21 | 41–43 | 61–23 | 56–28 | |
| Sheffield | 57–26 | 56–28 | 58–26 | 49–35 | 63–21 | 43–40 | 68–16 | 48–36 | 48–36 | 57–27 | 48–36 | |
| Southampton | 45–39 | 41–42 | 54–30 | 52–32 | 53–31 | 51–33 | 52–32 | 47–37 | 44–40 | 50–34 | 42–41 | |
| Walthamstow | 54–29 | 35–49 | 49–35 | 54–30 | 53–31 | 62–21 | 56–27 | 50–34 | 55–28 | 52–32 | 51–32 |
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruce Semmens |  | Sheffield | 10.47 |
| 2 | Billy Hole | | Bristol | 10.11 |
| 3 | Jack Mountford | | Bristol | 9.75 |
| 4 | Roger Wise | | Bristol | 9.56 |
| 5 | Alan Hunt | | Cradley Heath | 9.45 |
The 1949 National Trophy was the 12th edition of theKnockout 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. Bristol won stage two and therefore qualified for stage three.[8]
Second Division qualifying first round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07/06 | Glasgow Ashfield | 53-55 | Cradley Heath |
| 03/06 | Cradley Heath | 56-52 | Glasgow Ashfield |
| 15/06 | Glasgow White City | 67-41 | Norwich |
| 18/06 | Norwich | 71-36 | Glasgow White City |
| 22/06 | Fleetwood | 69-38 | Stoke Hanley |
| 18/06 | Stoke Hanley | 56-52 | Fleetwood |
| 17/06 | Bristol | 73-35 | Sheffield |
| 16/06 | Sheffield | 53-55 | Bristol |
| 31/05 | Southampton | 52-56 | Walthamstow |
| 30/05 | Walthamstow | 63-44 | Southampton |
Second Division Qualifying Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25/06 | Coventry | 42-66 | Bristol |
| 24/06 | Bristol | 80-28 | Coventry |
| 02/07 | Edinburgh | 57-51 | Fleetwood |
| 29/06 | Fleetwood | 61-44 | Edinburgh |
| 02/07 | Norwich | 78-30 | Newcastle |
| 27/06 | Newcastle | 64-41 | Norwich |
| 24/06 | Cradley Heath | 66-41 | Walthamstow |
| 20/06 | Walthamstow | 64-39 | Cradley Heath |
| 08/07 replay | Cradley Heath | 71-37 | Walthamstow |
| 04/07 replay | Walthamstow | 62-44 | Cradley Heath |
Second Division Qualifying semifinals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23/07 | Norwich | 70.5-37.5 | Cradley Heath |
| 22/07 | Cradley Heath | 67-41 | Norwich |
| 13/07 | Fleetwood | 46-60 | Bristol |
| 08/07 | Bristol | 73-35 | Fleetwood |
First leg
| Bristol Bulldogs Jack Mountford 18 Billy Hole 16 Eric Salmon 12 Roger Wise 11 Johnny Hole 10 Mike Beddoe 7 Dick Bradley 5 Chris Boss 0 | 79 – 29 | Norwich Stars Phil Clarke 8 Bob Leverenz 6 Jack Freeman 5 Fred Rogers 4 Bert Spencer 3 Ted Bravery 2 Alec Hunter 1 Syd Littlewood 0 |
|---|---|---|
| [9][10] |
Second leg
| Norwich Stars Phil Clarke 18 Bob Leverenz 14 Ted Bravery 12 Bert Spencer 11 Fred Rogers 8 Syd Littlewood 8 Jack Freeman 4 Johnny Davies 1 | 76 – 32 | Bristol Bulldogs Roger Wise 7 Jack Mountford 6 Billy Hole 6 Mike Beddoe 4 Dick Bradley 3 Eric Salmon 3 Johnny Hole 3 Graham Hole 0 |
|---|---|---|
| [11][10] |
Ashfield
Ken Le Breton 9.33Merv Harding 8.85Keith Gurtner 7.56Alec Grant 4.96Norman Evans 4.62Gruff Garland 4.15Norman Johnson 3.66
Willie Wilson 3.65Rol Stobbart 3.18Eric Liddell 3.18Bristol
Billy Hole 10.11Jack Mountford 9.75Roger Wise 9.56Eric Salmon 9.19Fred Tuck 9.00Mike Beddoe 7.51Johnny Hole 6.31Dick Bradley 5.40
Chris Boss 4.14Graham Hole 3.56Coventry
Bob Fletcher 7.70Derrick Tailby 6.35Bert Lacey 6.30Les Wotton 5.91Lionel Levy 5.76Les Hewitt 5.63Jack Gordon 5.00John Yates 4.79Roy Moreton 4.32Johnny Reason 4.00Ed Pye 3.83Jack Winstanley 3.74John Duncan White 3.17Cradley Heath
Alan Hunt 9.45Eric Williams 8.59Jack Arnfield 7.35Gil Craven 7.23Roy Moreton 6.72Geoff Godwin 5.76Bill Clifton 5.64Les Tolley 5.63Phil Malpass 5.56Les Beaumont 5.52Ray Beaumont 4.21Edinburgh
Jack Young 9.04
Dick Campbell 8.81Eddie Lack 7.59Clem Mitchell 6.98Dennis Parker 6.35Don Cuppleditch 5.77Danny Lee 5.35Harold Fairhurst 5.04Keith Cox 4.Bill Baird 3.66Bert Shearer 3.Nobby Downham 3.Tommy Lack 2.05Fleetwood
Wilf Plant 8.67Cyril Cooper 8.45George Newton 8.12Norman Hargreaves 8.85Ernie Appleby 6.14Brian Wilson 4.96Don Potter 4.00Frank Malouf 3.95Ron Hart 3.59Fred Yates 3.14Percy Day 3.06Larry Young 2.90Glasgow
Bat Byrnes 8.35Junior Bainbridge 8.17Joe Crowther 8.00Will Lowther 7.51Jack Hodgson 7.20Gordon McGregor 6.40Harold Fairhurst 5.95Norman Lindsay 5.93Buck Ryan 5.08Nobby Downham 4.83Alf McIntosh 3.71Ken McKinlay 2.64Billy Bates 2.40Newcastle
Derick Close 8.12Frank Hodgson 8.10Jack Hodgson 7.91Wilf Jay 7.12Herby King 5.61Son Mitchell 5.57Ernie Brecknell 5.13Joe Arthur 3.77Don Lawson 3.48Norwich
Paddy Mills (Horace Burke) 8.96Phil Clarke 8.81Bob Leverenz 8.26Bert Spencer 7.22Ted Bravery 7.20Jack Freeman 7.11Fred Rogers 6.94Syd Littlewood 6.37Johnny Davies 5.70Alec Hunter 5.02Bill Codling 3.37Sheffield
Bruce Semmens 10.47Stan Williams 9.29Len Williams 8.70Tommy Allott 8.59Andy Menzies 6.27Tommy Bateman 6.09Jack Chignell 5.94Jack Bibby 5.77Guy Allott 4.98Alf Parker 4.47Ralph Horne 3.62Southampton
Bob Oakley 8.24Jimmy Squibb 7.30Cecil Bailey 7.12Roy Craighead 6.71Tom Oakley 5.95Phil Bishop 4.91Bill Rogers 4.87Bill Griffiths 4.74Bill Thatcher 3.67Alf Kaines 3.23Walthamstow
Jim Boyd 9.10Wilf Jay 8.11Charlie May 8.07Benny King 7.52Harry Edwards 6.50Reg Reeves 6.39Arch Windmill 5.92Harold Bull 5.78Bill Osborne 5.39Dick Geary 5.27Ted Argall 2.59| National League Division Two: |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Northern League: | ||