| League | National League |
|---|---|
| Season | 1953 |
| No. of competitors | 9 |
| Champions | Wembley Lions |
| National Trophy | Wimbledon Dons |
| Coronation Cup | Harringay Racers |
| London Cup | Harringay Racers |
| Midland Cup | Birmingham Brummies |
| Highest average | Ronnie Moore |
| Division/s below | National League (Div 2) 1953 Southern League |
| |
The 1953 National League Division One was the 19th season of speedway in the United Kingdom and the eighth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.[1]
New Cross Rangers folded in June. Wembley Lions won their fifth consecutive title and their eighth overall.[2][3][4]
Wimbledon Dons won the National Trophy for the fourth time and Harringay Racers completed a cup double winning the Coronation Cup and London Cup.
Novice rider Harry Eyre died in Poplar Hospital on 7 July 1953. He suffered fatal injuries earlier that evening at West Ham Stadium, in a second half novices match against Bradford.[5][6]
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Wembley Lions | 16 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 23 |
| 2 | Harringay Racers | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 22 |
| 3 | Birmingham Brummies | 16 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 19 |
| 4 | Bradford Tudors | 16 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 17 |
| 5 | Wimbledon Dons | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 16 |
| 6 | West Ham Hammers | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| 7 | Norwich Stars | 16 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 12 |
| 8 | Belle Vue Aces | 16 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 11 |
| 9 | Bristol Bulldogs | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 10 |
New Cross Rangers withdrew mid-season - record expunged.
The Coronation Cup was run in a league format. Harringay Racers came out on top.
| Pos | Team | PL | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Harringay Racers | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 24 |
| 2 | Wembley Lions | 16 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 18 |
| 3 | Bradford Tudors | 16 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 17 |
| 4 | Belle Vue Aces | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 16 |
| 5 | Norwich Stars | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 15 |
| 6 | Wimbledon Dons | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| 7 | West Ham Hammers | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| 8 | Bristol Bulldogs | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| 9 | Birmingham Brummies | 16 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 12 |
New Cross Rangers withdrew mid-season - record expunged.
| Rider | Nat | Team | C.M.A. | |
| 1 | Ronnie Moore | 
|
Wimbledon | 10.63 |
| 2 | Jack Young | 
|
West Ham | 10.61 |
| 3 | Alan Hunt | 
|
Birmingham | 10.47 |
| 4 | Olle Nygren | 
|
Bristol | 10.25 |
| 5 | Freddie Williams | 
|
Wembley | 10.13 |
| 6 | Arthur Forrest |
|
Bradford | 9.94 |
| 7 | Split Waterman |
|
Harringay | 9.84 |
| 8 | Eric Williams |
|
Wembley | 9.66 |
| 9 | Aub Lawson |
|
Norwich | 9.19 |
| 10 | Tommy Price |
|
Wembley | 9.13 |
The 1953 National Trophy was the 16th edition of the Knockout Cup.[7]
First round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25/04 | Ipswich | 57-51 | Southampton |
| 25/04 | Swindon | 68-40 | Exeter |
| 24/04 | Plymouth | 54-54 | Oxford |
| 23/04 | Cardiff | 80-28 | St Austell |
| 23/04 | Oxford | 66-42 | Plymouth |
| 21/04 | Southampton | 74-33 | Ipswich |
| 21/04 | St Austell | 55-53 | Cardiff |
| 20/04 | Exeter | 60-48 | Swindon |
Second round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19/05 | Cardiff | 42.5-65.5 | Leicester |
| 15/05 | Leicester | 70-38 | Cardiff |
| 15/05 | Motherwell | 78-30 | Swindon |
| 15/05 | Wolverhampton | 71-37 | Southampton |
| 14/05 | Oxford | 51-57 | Rayleigh |
| 12/05 | Southampton | 49-59 | Wolverhampton |
| 11/05 | Liverpool | 40-68 | Coventry |
| 09/05 | Coventry | 76-32 | Liverpool |
| 09/05 | Edinburgh | 47-61 | Glasgow White City |
| 09/05 | Rayleigh | 67-41 | Oxford |
| 09/05 | Stoke | 69-39 | Yarmouth |
| 09/05 | Swindon | 62-46 | Motherwell |
| 06/05 | Glasgow White City | 75-33 | Edinburgh |
| 05/05 | Yarmouth | 52-55 | Stoke |
Third round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/06 | Glasgow White City | 76-32 | Wolverhampton |
| 29/05 | Leicester | 68-40 | Rayleigh |
| 29/05 | Motherwell | 73-35 | Poole |
| 29/05 | Wolverhampton | 49-59 | Glasgow White City |
| 25/05 | Poole | 62-46 | Motherwell |
| 23/05 | Coventry | 69-39 | Stoke |
| 23/05 | Rayleigh | 72-36 | Leicester |
| 21/05 | Stoke | 71-37 | Coventry |
Fourth round
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/07 | Bradford Odsal | 63-45 | Bristol |
| 04/07 | Belle Vue | 50-58 | Wimbledon |
| 04/07 | Harringay | 85-23 | Motherwell |
| 04/07 | Norwich | 71-37 | West Ham |
| 04/07 | Rayleigh | 64-44 | Glasgow White City |
| 03/07 | Bristol | 65-42 | Bradford Odsal |
| 03/07 | Motherwell | 63-45 | Harringay |
| 01/07 | Glasgow White City | 69-39 | Rayleigh |
| 30/06 | West Ham | 59-49 | Norwich |
| 29/06 | Wimbledon | 77-31 | Belle Vue |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/08 | Stoke | 38-70 | Wimbledon |
| 25/07 | Norwich | 58-49 | Bristol |
| 24/07 | Bristol | 64-44 | Norwich |
| 20/07 | Wimbledon | 89-19 | Stoke |
| 18/07 | Harringay | 40-68 | Wembley |
| 16/07 | Wembley | 60-48 | Harringay |
| 15/07 | Glasgow White City | 56-52 | Birmingham |
| 11/07 | Birmingham | 70-38 | Glasgow White City |
Semifinals
| Date | Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/08 | Wimbledon | 59-49 | Bristol |
| 08/08 | Birmingham | 62.5-45.5 | Wembley |
| 07/08 | Bristol | 46-62 | Wimbledon |
| 06/08 | Wembley | 78-29 | Birmingham |
First leg
| Wimbledon Dons Ronnie Moore 17 Cyril Brine 14 Norman Parker 11 Geoff Mardon 10 Peter Moore 9 Barry Briggs 3 Don Perry 1 Reg Trott 0 | 68 – 40 | Wembley Lions Eric Williams 11 Tommy Price 9 Bill Kitchen 5 Eric French 4 Trevor Redmond 4 Jimmy Gooch 3 Brian Crutcher 2 Freddie Williams 2 |
|---|---|---|
| [8] |
Second leg
| Wembley Lions Freddie Williams 17 Tommy Price 15 Eric Williams 8 Brian Crutcher 7 Trevor Redmond 7 Bill Kitchen 5 Eric French 4 Jimmy Gooch 3 | 66 – 42 | Wimbledon Dons Ronnie Moore 11 Norman Parker 8 Peter Moore 7 Barry Briggs 6 Geoff Mardon 5 Don Perry 3 Cyril Brine 1 Reg Trott 1 |
|---|---|---|
| [8] |
Wimbledon were National Trophy Champions, winning on aggregate 110–106.
First round
| Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|
| Wimbledon | 61–46, 56–52 | Wembley |
Semi final round
| Team one | Score | Team two |
|---|---|---|
| Wimbledon | 46–58, 38–69 | West Ham |
| Harringay | 64–44, w/o | New Cross |
First leg
| Harringay Jack Biggs 1 Maury Dunn 12 Jeff Lloyd 12 Split Waterman 10 Ron How 8 Frank Lawrence 5 Ken Walsh 1 Allan Quinn 0 | 60–48 | West Ham Jack Young 18, Bert Roger 10 Malcolm Craven 6 Wally Green 4 Howdy Byford 4 Keith Gurtner 4 Fred Curtis 2 Pat Clarke 0 |
|---|---|---|
Second leg
| West Ham Jack Young 17 Bert Roger 11 Keith Gurtner 8 Malcolm Craven 7 Basse Hveem 6 Howdy Byford 4 Pat Clarke 4 Wally Green 4 | 58–50 | Harringay Maury Dunn 11 Jack Biggs 12 Jeff Lloyd 9 Ron How 8 Split Waterman 7 Frank Lawrence 2 Arthur Atkinson 0 Alan Quinn 0 |
|---|---|---|
| [9] |
Harringay won on aggregate 110–106
Birmingham won the Midland Cup, which consisted of six teams. There were two teams from division 1 and four teams from division 2.
First round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Leicester | Stoke | 65–31, 46–50 |
Semi final round
| Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Leicester | Coventry | 50–46, 43–53 |
| Birmingham | Bradford | 73–25, 59–37 |
First leg
| Birmingham Alan Hunt 15 Graham Warren 9 Harry Bastable 9 Arthur Payne 7 Ron Mountford 6 Ron Barrett 6 Eric Boothroyd 5 Bob Roger 4 | 61–35 | Coventry Charlie New 13 Johnnie Reason 9 Derrick Tailby 5 Vic Emms 3 Reg Duval 2 Les Hewitt 1 Jack Wright 1 Stan Williams 1 |
|---|---|---|
| [10] |
Second leg
| Coventry Charlie New 14 Derrick Tailby 7 Stan Williams 4 Vic Emms 4 Reg Duval 4 Johnnie Reason 3 Les Hewitt 2 Jack Wright 0 | 38–58 | Birmingham Alan Hunt 14 Ron Mountford 12 Graham Warren 9 Harry Bastable 7 Eric Boothroyd 7 Arthur Payne 6 Ron Barrett 3 Bob Roger 0 |
|---|---|---|
| [11] |
Birmingham won on aggregate 119–73
Belle Vue
Ron Johnston 7.88 Peter Craven 7.74 Ken Sharples 8.27 Jack Parker 7.00 Louis Lawson 6.69 Dick Fisher 4.62 Harry Edwards 4.22
Jock Grierson 3.87 Willie Wilson 3.86 Bob Fletcher 3.74 Olle Segerström 2.00 Val Morton 2.00Birmingham
Alan Hunt 10.47 Graham Warren 7.67 Dan Forsberg 7.64 Eric Boothroyd 7.19 Arthur Payne 7.19 Harry Bastable 6.36 Ron Mountford 5.97 Phil Malpass 4.57 Bob Roger 4.48 Ron Barrett 4.21 Ron Mason 3.00 Bill Jemison 1.25 Lionel Watling (James Goldingay) 1.18Bradford
Arthur Forrest 9.94 Eddie Rigg 8.00 Arthur Wright 7.14 Dick Seers 6.26 Ron Clarke 6.20 Keith Milner 5.50 Dent Oliver 5.69 Arthur Atkinson 5.04 Arthur Bush 5.00 Bill Longley 3.69 Wal Morton 4.27Bristol
Olle Nygren 10.25 Dick Bradley 8.13 Eric Salmon 7.88 Billy Hole 7.55 Jack Unstead 6.67 Johnny Hole 6.10 Chris Boss 5.80 Chum Taylor 4.37 Geoff Pymar 4.24Harringay
Split Waterman 9.84 Jack Biggs 9.00 Jeff Lloyd 8.14 Maurice Dunn 7.73 Ron How 7.60 Frank Lawrence 5.87 Stan Clark 5.33 Ken Walsh 5.00 Arthur Atkinson 4.68 Allan Quinn 4.00New Cross (withdrew)
Jock Grierson Cyril Roger Olle Nygren Bert Roger Merv Harding Bill Longley Bob Roger
Eric French Frank LawrenceNorwich
Aub Lawson 9.19 Cyril Roger 7.48 Fred Rogers 6.76 Billy Bales 6.40 Merv Neil 5.60 Phil Clarke 5.49 Fred Pawson 5.12 Roy Craighead 3.40 Alec Hunter 2.29 Jack Freeman 2.00Wembley
Freddie Williams 10.13 Eric Williams 9.66 Tommy Price 9.13 Brian Crutcher 7.87 Bill Kitchen 6.26 Jimmy Gooch 4.78 Eric French 6.23 Trevor Redmond 6.05 George Wilks 4.57West Ham
Jack Young 10.61
Basse Hveem 8.00 Wally Green 7.43 Pat Clark 7.72 Howdy Byford 4.68 Bert Roger 4.49 Malcolm Craven 5.50 Keith Gurtner 3.92 Kid Curtis 2.86 Cliff Watson 2.29Wimbledon
Ronnie Moore 10.63 Geoff Mardon 8.66 Sune Karlsson 8.00 Peter Moore 6.97 Barry Briggs 6.31 Norman Parker 7.50 Dom Perry 5.57 Bill Longley 5.05 Reg Trott 4.49 Cyril Brine 4.42 Cyril Maidment 2.72 Dennis Gray 1.60|
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| Current leagues |
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| Former leagues |
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| Current team competitions |
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| Former team competitions |
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| Current individual competitions |
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| Former individual competitions |
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| See also |
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National League seasons 1932–1964
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