1948 Speedway National League Division Three

1948 Speedway National League Division Three
LeagueNational League Division Three
Season1948
No. of competitors12
ChampionsExeter Falcons
National Trophy (Div 3 final)Southampton Saints
Highest averageAlf Bottoms
Division/s aboveDivision One
Division Two

The 1948 National League Division Three was the second season of British speedway's National League Division Three[1][2]

The league had expanded from 8 teams to 12. Reigning champions Eastbourne Eagles were forced to close due to a petrol ban at their stadium, so their team moved a few miles along the Sussex coast to Hastings. The new entrants Coventry Bees, Hull Angels, Poole Pirates and Yarmouth Bloaters all struggled to make an impact and finished in the bottom five positions.

The Hull Angels were a corporation backed team, managed by Fred Archer and the team wore the crest of the city's coat-of-arms (3 golden crowns on a blue shield and yellow background).[3]

Exeter Falcons won their first title[4] and Alf Bottoms of Southampton topped the averages.[5]

Eric Dunn of Hastings Saxons was a third speedway rider (with Reg Craven and Bill Wilson) to be killed during the season. 34-year-old Dunn was riding in a meeting (on 13 June) at the Arlington track when he fell and was hit by a rider behind. He died two days later in hospital (15 June).[6]

  1. ^ "Home". speedwayresearcher.org.uk.
  2. ^ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Eighteen applications". Weekly Dispatch (London). 18 January 1948. Retrieved 21 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Major League Competitions". Speedway Archive.
  5. ^ "National League Division 3 1948" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Speedway News". Eastbourne Gazette. 16 June 1948. Retrieved 11 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.