1954 Southern Area League
LeagueSouthern Area League
No. of competitors5
ChampionsCalifornia Poppies
Riders' ChampionshipAlby Golden
Highest averageErnie Lessiter
Division/s aboveNational League Div 1
National League Div 2

The 1954 Southern Area League was the first season of the newly named regional third tier of speedway racing in the United Kingdom for Southern British teams. It replaced the defunct Southern League. With most of the Southern League teams moving up to Speedway National League Division Two, six new teams started the season—many of them making their debut in league speedway.[1]

Summary

Three teams finished equal on points at the top but California Poppies from California, Berkshire were champions by the slenderest possible margin of a single race point with all their rivals having an fixture in hand that was never ridden.

Aldershot Shots withdrew mid-season.[2] Ernie Lessiter of Ringwood topped the averages.[3]

Final table

Pos Team PL W D L Pts
1 California Poppies 16 9 0 7 18
2 Ringwood Turfs 15 9 0 6 18
3 Rye House Roosters 15 9 0 6 18
4 Brafield Flying Foxes 15 8 0 7 16
5 Eastbourne Eagles 15 3 0 12 6

Withdrawal (Record expunged) : Aldershot Shots

Leading Averages

Rider Team C.M.A.
1 Ernie Lessiter Ringwood 10.86
2 Gil Goldfinch California 10.48
3 Jimmy Gleed California 10.21
4 Peter Mould California 9.83
5 Vic Hall Brafield 9.46

Riders' Championship

Alby Golden won the Riders' Championship. The final was held at Rye House Stadium on 3 October.[4][5]

Pos. Rider Club Pts
1 Alby Golden Ringwood 14+3
2 Ernie Lessiter Ringwood 14+2
3 Vic Ridgeon Rye House 12
4 Dave Slater Rye House 10
5 Fran Greasley Brafield 10
6 Vic Hall Brafield 8
7 Jimmy Gleed California 7
8 Jack Taylor Eastbourne 7
9 Pete Mould California 6
10 Geoff Woodger Rye House 6
11 Gil Goldfinch California 6
12 Bob Bunney Aldershot/Eastbourne 5
13 Bill Simpson (res) Rye House 5
14 Ron Burnett Aldershot 4
15 Syd George Brafield 2
16 Eric Hockaday California 2
17 Harry Wilson Eastbourne 2
18 Gordon Richards (res) Eastbourne/Ringwood 0


Riders & final averages

Aldershot (withdrew)

Brafield

California

Eastbourne

Ringwood

Rye House

See also

References

  1. ^ "Major League Competitions". Speedway Archive.
  2. ^ http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/docs/1954/leaguetables.pdf[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Southern Area League 1954" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Motor Cycling". Daily Herald. 4 October 1954. Retrieved 10 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Southern Area League Riders Championship". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
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