Exeter Speedway History

Speedway Teams UK 1929-1934

1929 Southern League


*Birmingham were originally named Perry Barr, as there was also another Birmingham team at that time called Hall Green who eventually dropped out after only a few meetings in 1929.


** Pictured Below Right: The Stamford Bridge team who won the first ever League Title in 1929, taken from an old postcard that were popular at that time.



Team PL W D L Pts
Stamford Bridge 20 17 0 3 34
Southampton 20 16 0 4 32
Coventry 20 14 0 6 28
Crystal Palace 20 11 0 9 22
Wembley 20 11 0 9 22
West Ham 20 8 0 12 16
White City 20 8 0 12 16
Harringay 20 7 0 13 14
Birmingham 20 7 0 13 14
Lea Bridge 20 6 0 14 12
Wimbledon 20 5 0 15 10


1929 Northern League

* White City (Manchester) resigned in September due to some dispute with a record of  36 points from 18 matches, in other words undefeated.  In the same month Warrington were expelled for some infringement with a record of 11 points from 18 matches. 
* * Two tracks had previously resigned in July, probably because of the slack organisation of the League, and these were Belle Vue and Burnley. 
*** The "Almanac of Sport 1966" includes information about Speedway.  These items were contributed by Dave Stevens who at the time was secretary to the B.S.P.A.  He states that in the first year of league racing there were 12 clubs in the S.L. ( we know that already) but that there was 17 clubs in the N.L., at least initially. If correct, we are two teams short.

Team PL W D L Pts
Leeds 23 17 1 5 35
Preston 24 16 0 8 32
Halifax 22 14 1 7 29
Rochdale 24 12 1 11 25
Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 23 10 1 12 21
Salford 21 10 0 11 20
Liverpool 21 10 0 11 20
Sheffield 21 8 1 12 17
Newcastle 18 8 0 10 16
Barnsley 21 8 0 13 16
Middlesbrough 21 6 0 15 12

Matches in 1929 were originally decided over six heats, but in June it was extended to nine. Each race was scored on a 4,3,2,1 point system with four riders making up the Team.




1930 Southern League.


*The Invincible Vic Huxley (Left) who took 52 lap records on the 35 tracks he competed on and had won nine £100 pound competitions that year. This season also saw the start of the great Australia versus England test matches. Captain of the Aussies, Vic was to earn around £200 - £300 per week during these times, no wonder he was to retire six years later to return home and start his own motorcycle business. Vic was the captain of Southern League Harringay.
*Birmingham competed this season at Hall Green rather than Perry Barr as previous season.


Team PL W D L Pts
Wembley 24 20 1 3 41
Southampton 24 17 1 6 35
Stamford Bridge 24 16 1 7 33
Wimbledon 24 16 1 7 33
Birmingham 24 13 1 10 27
Coventry 24 13 1 10 27
C.Palace 24 11 1 12 23
Lea Bridge 24 10 1 13 21
West Ham 24 10 0 14 20
Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 24 8 1 15 17
High Beech 24 8 0 16 16
Harringay 24 7 0 17 14
Nottingham 24 2 1 21 5


1930 Northern League.

A season remembered as a fiasco, with many teams completing less than half their fixtures. The victorious Belle Vue team includes Frank Varey, Arthur Franklyn, Eric and Oliver Langton, Dusty Haigh and Bob Harrison.

Sunday, June 29th, a number of riders, masked to avoid recognition stage a meeting at the Audenshaw trotting track in Lancashire without an ACU licence. Over 12,000 pay to enter whilst an estimated 5,000 get in free after crashing the barriers. As a result, 34 riders and nine officials were suspended.

Team PL W D L Pts
Belle Vue 21 19 1 1 39
W.City (M'chester) 15 13 0 2 26
Liverpool 18 13 0 5 26
Preston 15 8 0 7 16
Warrington 17 8 0 9 16
Sheffield 13 6 0 7 12
Leicester (Melton Rd) 13 4 1 8 9
Edinburgh 11 4 0 7 8
Barnsley 12 4 0 8 8
Newcastle 9 2 0 7 4
Wombwell 12 2 0 8 4
Rochdalel 10 2 0 8 4
Glasgow W.City 11 2 0 9 4


1931 Southern League

* The Southern League was organised by  a group of track owners calling themselves the " Association of Motorcycle Track Racing Promoters" whilst the Northern League was organised (or disorganised) by a group called the "Northern Dirt Track Owners Association".   Presumably these two groups amalgamated in 1932 to form the "National Speedway Association". 
* * Also the first riders championship, the "Star Riders Championship" was only open to S.L. riders , northern riders only allowed in after the founding of the National League in 1932.

Team PL W D L Pts
Wembley 38 29 1 8 59
Stamford Bridge 38 27 0 9 54
West Ham 38 23 0 15 46
Crystal Palace 38 22 0 16 44
Wimbledon 38 19 1 18 39
High Beech 38 19 1 18 39
Southampton 38 18 0 20 36
Bell Vue (Res) 38 14 0 24 28
Lea Bridge 38 11 0 27 22
Coventry 38 8 1 29 17


Only six teams competed in the Northern League this year, and for the third time in succession the fixtures were never completed. Another trophy was put up for competition, and the first official World Championship (later to be re-styled the British Individual Championship) was inaugurated. Vic Huxley won the first title and successfully defended it against Colin Watson, a leading British rider of that time. However, Vic lost his title towards the close of the season to Southampton's Jack Parker, but only after one of the most titanic struggles speedway has ever seen.


1931 Northern League

Team PL W D L Pts
B.Vue 18 12 0 6 24
Leeds 18 10 1 7 21
Sheffield 17 10 0 7 20
Leicester 15 8 0 7 16
Preston 16 5 1 10 11
Glasgow 12 2 0 10 4



1932 National League


Team PL W D L Pts
Wembley 16 13 0 3 26
Crystal Palace 16 11 1 4 23
Belle Vue 16 9 1 6 19
Stamford bridge 16 8 1 7 17
Wimbledon 16 8 1 7 17
West Ham 16 7 0 9 14
Coventry 16 6 0 10 8
Clapton 16 4 0 12 8
Plymouth 16 4 0 12 8


The Wembley "Lions", winners of the 1932 National League. From left to right: Lionel Van Praag, Reg Bounds, Ginger Lees, Colin Watson, Jack Ormston, George Greenwood and Harry Whitfield.

With the North and South now combining for the single National league, the Johnnie Hoskin's Lions also took the National Trophy and the London Cup trophy. With the institution of a supporters club and an end-of season membership of nearly 20,000, things looked very good for the Empire Stadium management.

Eric Langton was to capture the World Championship that had been started the previous year when Jack Parker was unable to contest the challenge after breaking his collar-bone.



1933 National League


Crystal Palace (Below) who finished fourth in the League this year from another postcard that were popular at this time. Left to Right: Triss Sharp, Joe Frances, "Nobby" Key, F.E.Mockford (manager) Ron Johnson (capt), Tom Farndon, Harry Shepherd and George Newton. At the close of the season however, Palace was closed down and the whole team moved across to New Cross.

Team PL W D L Pts
Belle Vue 36 31 0 5 62
Wimbledon 36 23 0 13 46
West Ham 36 21 3 12 45
Crystal Palace 36 21 0 15 42
Clapton 36 19 3 14 41
Wembley 36 19 1 16 39
Coventry 36 10 2 24 22
Sheffield 36 11 0 25 22
Plymouth 36 11 0 25 22
Nottingham 36 9 1 26 19

This season saw the start of Belle Vues domination as they win the league comfortably and also the national Trophy. They remained winners until 1937 when West Ham ended their reign though they went on to win the National trophy for five consecutive seasons.

This was the year two great tracks closed their doors - King's Oak in Essex and the Stamford Bridge circuit in London as the crowds dwindled, and it was to be the last year for Crystal Palace.

This was also the year that the Tapes start mechanism was introduced and a similar apparatus is of course still used today.


1934 National League



Pictured Below Right is the 1934 New Cross Team who finished third in the National League staged in that Year.

Team PL W D L Pts
Belle Vue 32 27 0 5 54
Wembley 32 26 0 6 52
New Cross 32 21 0 11 42
West Ham 32 16 1 15 33
Wimbledon 32 16 0 16 32
Harringay 32 14 1 17 29
Birmingham 32 9 0 23 18
Plymouth 32 8 2 18 18
Walthamstow 32 5 0 27 10