31-625: The Belle Vue Colts are the junior youth development team of the Belle Vue Aces , one of the World's most famous motorcycle speedway team, based in Manchester in the northwest of England . Belle Vue first operated a reserve team during the 1934 Speedway National League which finished 6th in the league table. Three years later in the 1937 Provincial Speedway League the Belle Vue reserve side took over
62-514: A further change in ownership occurred in December 2006 as ex-captain Chris Morton along with David Gordon bought the club from Tony Mole and Ian Thomas. The team nearly ended the search for another league title after reaching the play-off final in 2015 . It was also the team's last season at Kirkmanshulme Lane before moving to the newly built National Speedway Stadium in 2016. The Aces moved to
93-586: A new purpose-built stadium in Gorton in 2016, which also served as the national stadium for British speedway. Following early teething troubles with the track surface which led to meetings being postponed, the Belle Vue team had a successful season and finished the league programme at the top. However, the Aces lost to Wolverhampton Wolves in the two-leg play-off finals. They did however win the Knockout Cup in 2017. In 2022,
124-786: A second team in the National Development League , known as the Belle Vue Colts . Racing in Belle Vue first took place on 28 July 1928 at the Belle Vue greyhound stadium in Kirkmanshulme Lane. Mr G. A. Hunting, manager of the International Speedways Ltd was the promoter but the season was restriced to various open meetings and there was no league structure. The season ended early in September following problems with
155-432: A second world title in 1962. The Aces experienced a year that they would never forget in 1963, glory and tragedy ensued when the team won the league title but Peter Craven died, following a challenge match at Edinburgh's Old Meadowbank stadium, on 20 September 1963. Harold Jackson took over as Speedway Manager in 1964, prior to the Aces becoming founder members of the new British League in 1965 . Dent Oliver became
186-460: A team of their raw youngsters alongside former provincial league teams like Middlesbrough Bears , Plymouth Devils and Rayleigh Rockets , and the new division roared into life on Wednesday 8 May 1968 with Belle Vue defeating Canterbury 55–23 in the first ever second division match. The Colts went through that maiden season unbeaten at home and clinched the league title on Wednesday 28 August when they beat Weymouth 63-15 (the most convincing victory of
217-547: A total of 176 meetings during the war years, which were attended by a total of 2,816,000 people. The winners of the wartime British Individual Championships were: After the war, the team racing resumed, with the Aces taking their place in the 1946 National League and subsequently winning another National Trophy and ACU Cup double but then the domination was ended by Wembley Lions . There was sadness on 13 September 1947, when manager E.O. Spence died. Johnnie Hoskins took over from Alice Hart as promoter in 1953. From 1946 to 1960,
248-505: The 2021 National Development League speedway season . 2019 team 2021 team 2022 team Belle Vue Aces The Belle Vue Aces are a British speedway club, based in Manchester . The club hold the record of having won the top tier League championship 14 times. They currently compete in the SGB Premiership , racing at The National Speedway Stadium , with home matches usually taking place on Monday evenings. They also run
279-741: The Star Riders' Championship (the unofficial championship of the world). In July 1937, the Liverpool Merseysiders promotion dropped out of the league and was replaced by the Belle Vue Aces promotion, led by Mr.E.C Spence and because Belle Vue already had a team in the National League they renamed the Provincial League team to Belle Vue Merseysiders. Belle Vue was the only track to continue operating throughout World War II , running
310-406: The Aces finished runner-up in the league no less than eight times, being denied by Wembley Lions for five of them. Jack Parker starred for the Aces during the period and he was joined by Ron Johnston and Peter Craven , the latter being crowned as world champion in 1955 when a Belle Vue rider. A change in promoter occurred in 1960, with Ken Sharples taking charge and Aces rider Peter Craven won
341-471: The Aces won the league title, led by 21-year-old, Joe Screen and well supported by Americans Bobby Ott and Shawn Moran and the Australian Jason Lyons . A further management change in 1994 saw George Carswell link with Perrin and Bowes as co-promoter and the following season a promoting change saw John Hall replace Don Bowes, to link up with Perrin and Carswell. The Premier League broke in two at
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#1732890880848372-412: The Aces' matches. Notable successes include the 1978 Scottish Junior League title, the 1989 British League 2 Championship and K.O. Cup double and the 2001 and 2002 Northern Youth Development titles. Joe Screen , Carl Stonehewer , Scott Smith, Lee Smethills, Ricky Ashworth and James Wright all moved on to a higher level. Since 2016 the team have competed in league competition and currently are part of
403-410: The big London teams on a regular basis. They became the leading club in the country winning the title four times from 1933 to 1936, in addition to claiming five National Trophy wins and five A.C.U Cup wins. The Belle Vue team included riders such as Eric Langton , Frank Varey , Joe Abbott , Max Grosskreutz , Bob Harrison , Bill Kitchen and Frank Charles . Both Langton and Charles were winners of
434-629: The champions of the Northern League on win rate percentage. In 1931, Belle Vue reserves took over Harringay's fixtures, after they had withdrawn from the Southern League. This meant the Aces had a team in both the Northern and Southern Leagues although they were often referred to as Manchester in the Southern League. The team joined the National League when it was formed in 1932, racing against
465-575: The club ended a 29-year wait for their 13th league title after winning the SGB Premiership 2022 . The Aces controversially brought in Robert Lambert as a late season injury replacement for Max Fricke and Lambert scored a 15 point maximum in the play off final 1st leg. The Aces won their 14th league title by regaining the Premiership in 2024. Hyde Road (speedway) Hyde Road Stadium , in Manchester , England, often referred to as Belle Vue
496-453: The club's approach as he recognised that if the club was to remain at the very top of British Speedway it needed a way of developing its own young riders. Oliver quickly introduced the now legendary Monday night training schools which he hoped would provide for Belle Vue's future. His efforts brought huge and immediate rewards, with youngsters coming from the north of England to become a part of Belle Vue's roster. Belle Vue were invited to enter
527-509: The control of Belle Vue — to become the Rochdale Hornets . Rochdale finished third in the 1970 Second Division and reached the semi-finals of the knock-out cup. The Hornets closed after finishing ninth in the 1971 championship, but not before unearthing the biggest talent that the second division was ever to produce: the 16-year-old Peter Collins . The Belle Vue Colts have continued in various competitions, usually as second half events after
558-410: The end of 1996, with the Aces becoming members of the new Elite League . The next decade saw minimal success and a change of promotion occurred in late 2004 as John Perrin sold the club to Workington promoters Tony Mole and Ian Thomas. This was Thomas's second stint in charge of The Aces. In 2005, the team won the Knockout Cup led by Jason Crump and the pairs championship the following season before
589-411: The fixtures of Liverpool Merseysiders and in the 1939 Speedway National League Division Two the Belle Vue reserves replaced Stoke Potters . In the mid-1950s Belle Vue ran a few "second" team events when the Aces were away from home. The Belle Vue Colts side was formed by former Aces rider Dent Oliver , who became General Manager of Belle Vue Aces in 1967. Oliver's arrival brought sweeping changes to
620-701: The last speedway meeting was staged on 1 November 1987, when a double header took place. Firstly, Belle Vue defeated the Coventry Bees in a replay of the League Cup before losing to the Cradley Heath Heathens in the final league match ever raced at Hyde Road. When the stadium at Hyde Road was sold in 1987, the Aces moved back to the Belle Vue Greyhound Stadium, under the promotion of Peter Collins, John Perrin and Don Bowes. The opening meeting of
651-416: The more famous riders who rode at Hyde Road, either for international meetings, as a Belle Vue Ace, or as a visiting team rider include Speedway World Champions Jack Young , Peter Craven , Ronnie Moore , Ove Fundin , Barry Briggs , Ivan Mauger , Ole Olsen , Peter Collins , Anders Michanek , Egon Müller , Michael Lee , Bruce Penhall , Erik Gundersen , and Hans Nielsen . The speedway at Hyde Road
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#1732890880848682-502: The new era of the Aces was held on 1 April 1988, and saw Belle Vue take on Bradford Dukes in the Frank Varey Northern Trophy. However, the match was abandoned after just two heats due to a waterlogged track (rain), with the Aces leading the match. Due to other commitments Collins resigned from his promotional position in 1989, leaving Perrin and Bowes in charge of the Aces. The next significant success arrived in 1993, when
713-408: The reins in 1974. In 1982, former World Stock-Car Champion Stuart Bamforth became promoter and the stadium was also used for Stock Car racing. The year of 1982 resulted in the Aces winning their 11th league title, the team was led by Chris Morton , although Peter Collins was still an integral part of the team. Following the announcement that Stuart Bamforth had sold the stadium for redevelopment,
744-517: The season). Twelve months later The Colts retained their Second Division title and even went one better by adding the Knock-Out Cup to the trophy cabinet. Many of the riders used in those two debut seasons went on to further their careers at first division level. In 1970, the Belle Vue management looked for a new home for their nursery team, and this was found at Rochdale where the Colts moved — still under
775-508: The speedway manager in 1967, and remained in that position until 1973. Belle Vue Ove Fundin The team had signed world champion Ivan Mauger in 1969 and supported by top Swede Sören Sjösten the Aces easily won the 1970 championship before going on to win three consecutive league titles and two Knockout Cups. They had been joined by Peter Collins for the 1972 title win. Frank Varey took over as Speedway Manager in 1974, before Jack Fearnley took up
806-566: The track surface. The following year in 1929, the North Manchester Speedway Club, who had previously arranged fixtures for the International Speedways Ltd moved the speedway to the recently built 40,000 capacity Hyde Road stadium nearby on Hyde Road, which was the home ground of Manchester Central F.C. and which formed part of the Belle Vue Zoological Gardens . The purpose built 382 metres (418 yards) track
837-608: Was 382 metres (418 yards) in length. The site of the old Hyde Road stadium is now the site of the British Car Auctions Ltd . Hyde Road hosted the Final of the World Pairs Championship in 1974 and 1977. Several other sports used the ground including amateur soccer club, Manchester Central F.C. , baseball , and the rugby league where Broughton Rangers crossed from Salford to play at Belle Vue from 1933 until
868-585: Was laid around the existing athletics and cycling track and the club secured the services of leading rider Arthur Franklyn as captain coach. The opening speedway meeting here was staged on 23 March 1929, when Arthur Franklyn won the Golden Helmet and the first league fixture was on 4 May, against Preston . Belle Vue resigned from the English Dirt Track League) in 1929 , stating that it wasn't popular enough but in 1930 and 1931, they were regarded as
899-537: Was named after Hyde Road , a road which begins at the east end of Ardwick Green South in Ardwick and runs east towards Hyde . At the boundary between Gorton and Denton it continues as Manchester Road. In 1928, the owners of the gardens decided to convert the stadium for use as a speedway venue. It was already used at that time as a football ground for the Manchester Central F.C. The opening speedway meeting here
930-505: Was staged on 23 March 1929, when Arthur Franklyn won the Golden Helmet. Following the announcement that Stuart Bamforth had sold the stadium for redevelopment, the last speedway meeting was staged on 1 November 1987, when a double header took place. Firstly, Belle Vue defeated the Coventry Bees in a replay of the League Cup before losing to the Cradley Heath Heathens in the final league match ever raced at Hyde Road. Speedway returned to Belle Vue Greyhound stadium and remained there. Some of
961-522: Was the home of the Belle Vue Aces speedway team. The stadium's capacity was 40,000 and it was built in 1928 and used until demolished in 1987. It was claimed, incorrectly, to have been the first purpose-built speedway track in Britain. Part of the complex of buildings and attractions that formed Belle Vue Zoological Gardens the Hyde Road stadium was originally constructed in 1886, as an athletics ground. It