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[1] but the season was restriced to various open meetings and there was no league structure. The season ended early in September following problems with the track surface.[2]
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.[3][4]
Hyde Road Stadium
Plaque commemorating the Gardens and stadium
The purpose built 382 metres (418 yards) track was laid around the existing athletics and cycling track and the club secured the services of leading rider Arthur Franklyn as captain coach.[3] 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.[5]
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 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 In 1931, Belle Vue reserves took over Harringay's fixtures, after they had withdrawn from the Southern League.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.[6]
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.[8]
War years
Belle Vue was the only track to continue operating throughout World War II,[9] running 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, the Aces finished runner-up in the league no less than eight times, being denied by Wembley Lions for five of them.[10]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.[11]
1960s
The Aces riding at Hyde Road during the eventful 1963 season
A change in promoter occurred in 1960, with Ken Sharples taking charge and Aces rider Peter Craven won 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.[12][13][14][15]
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 the speedway manager in 1967, and remained in that position until 1973. Belle Vue Ove Fundin
1970s
Sören Sjösten
Peter Collins
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.[16]
Frank Varey took over as Speedway Manager in 1974, before Jack Fearnley took up the reins in 1974.
1980s
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, 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.[17]
Kirkmanshulme Lane
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 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.
1990s
The next significant success arrived in 1993, when 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 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 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.[18]
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.
National Speedway Stadium
The Aces moved to a new purpose-built stadium in Gorton in 2016, which also served as the national stadium for British speedway.[19] 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.
2020s
In 2022, the club ended a 28 year wait for their 13th league title after winning the SGB Premiership 2022.[20] 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.[21]
Peter Spencer Collins MBE is a former speedway rider who spent his whole career (1971–1986) with the Belle Vue Aces, the team he supported as a child.
Christopher John Morton, MBE is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned 115 international caps for the England national speedway team and 7 caps for the Great Britain team, making him the third most capped England & British rider of all-time.
Peter Theodore Craven was an English motorcycle racer. He was a finalist in each FIM Speedway World Championship from 1954 to 1963 and he won the title twice. He was British Champion in 1962 and 1963.
Jason Philip Crump is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from Australia. He is a three-time Speedway World Champion, a World Cup winner and a former World Under-21 Champion.
Ivan Gerald Mauger was a New Zealand motorcycle speedway rider. He won a record six World Championships (Finals), a feat equalled only with the inclusion of the Speedway GP Championships by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden who won one World Final and five GP Championships. Mauger rode for several British teams – Wimbledon Dons, Newcastle Diamonds, Belle Vue Aces, Exeter Falcons and the Hull Vikings. In 2010, Mauger was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.
Eric Henry Boocock is a former motorcycle speedway rider who appeared in three Speedway World Championship finals. He was the joint manager of the Great Britain national speedway team with Colin Pratt.
The 2005 Elite League speedway season was the 71st season of the top division of speedway in the United Kingdom and governed by the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB), in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA).
The 1972 British League season was the 38th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the eighth season of the British League.
The 1973 British League season was the 39th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the ninth season of the British League.
The 1975 Gulf Oil British League season was the 41st season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 11th season known as the British League.
Jason Rodney Lyons is a former Australian international motorcycle speedway rider. Jason is the son of former rider Rod Lyons.
The 1978 Gulf British League season was the 44th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 14th season known as the British League.
The 1934 National League Division One was the sixth season of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain. It was also the first time that a second division/tier of racing was introduced following the creation of a reserves league.
The 1935 National League Division One was the seventh season of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1936 National League Division One was the eighth season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1939 National League Division One was an eleventh and unfinished season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1984 British League season was the 50th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 20th known as the British League.
Frank Varey was a former international speedway rider who featured in the Speedway World Championship finals in 1937 and 1938. He also featured in two Star Riders' Championships, the forerunner to the World Championship, in 1932 and 1933. He earned 21 international caps for the England national speedway team.
The 1963 National League was the 29th season and the eighteenth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
Hyde Road Stadium, in Manchester, England, often referred to as Belle Vue 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.
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Sören Sjösten
Peter Collins
