"For the first 25 years of my life all I ever wanted to do was race round Belle Vue. The best track I ever did race on as well. When I was still at school I would make my jam sandwiches. On a Saturday morning get on a bus from Ashton bus station & go to Belle Vue & watch the Saturday afternoon training schools, that would be about 1974-6. It was the end of an era when that place closed down and speedway has never been the same since."

"Brought back some very happy memories. The old Hyde Road was my very first visit to a speedway meeting way back in 1985 - May 11th v Oxford"

"Good to see so much feedback on the zoo, one of the great speedway venues to be sure. It also had a feature that I believe was unique although I could be mistaken. You know how the two minute warning siren would sound when the riders would be slow to leave the pit gate or when a rider had a bike problem, the ref up in his box would push a button, right? Wrong, at least at the zoo.

There the siren was activated by the Belle Vue team manager which in my time was Dent Oliver. The button was situated high on the wall by the out gate from the pits and very few people knew about it. So if the home rider was having a bike problem the siren never went off but if it was a visitor old Dent would scuttle round in quick time and get him on two minutes.

I was watching a second division meeting there once, I think it was the Colts and the Romford Bombers and the visitors team manager couldn't figure out why the home riders were never put on two minutes so I explained to him that it was his job to sound the siren and showed him where the button was. So the next time a Colt had a problem this guy walks over and sounds the siren and I stood back to watch the fireworks. Dent Oliver it must be said wasn't the most placid bloke you would meet and he exploded big time at this poor bloke who had dared to touch his button. Of course the Bombers team manager told Dent that it had been my idea and I got thrown out of the pits which happened several times over the years.

I had bought a house about five minutes walk from the zoo and had made it into two flats and rented one flat to Ole so we were always at the track stirring things. We rode for Mike Parker and that was like a red rag to a bull for Dent Oliver who always regarded us as troublemakers. Good times though and good memories."

"Hyde Road was the mecca of Speedway and the BSPA should of made it the Wembley of speedway. The current GP round in England would of been brilliant on the big track - I'm sorry but Cardiff could not hold a torch to the likes of the BLRC at Hyde Road.

I recently bid for and won a four hour tape of action from Hyde Road taken from the TV which includes the Northern riders champ of 1983, the BLRC from 1977, some great races from a England V USA test match in 1982, the BLRC from 1987 and some action from the Aces v Cradley in 1984. It fills me up every time I watch it. I used to sit in either B or C stand in the home straight. "

"Now that's the Belle Vue I remember... stood on the fourth corner by the pit lane and ducking every time Peter (Craven), Ron (Johnson), Bob (Duckworth), Slant (Payling) or Dick (Fisher) came round. And later on of course Ivan Mauger, Alan Wilkinson, etc. Still got a faceful of muck every racenight though. 1956-1971 Happy Days.

Does anyone else remember the meeting when Peter Craven did four laps (on his own) at the beginning of the night in a (successful) attempt at the four lap record. Then Bob Duckworth came out on his own and broke the 'Flying Lap' record?"

"Oh for the love of Hyde Road stadium, the memories come flooding back. I used to travel down to Belle Vue on Saturdays from Barrow. The stadium had a special magic the likes of which we will never expeiance again."

"These pictures brought back some fond memories, leaving Ipswich at about midday, getting to Belle Vue for five, a few pints in the "Rock" (think that was its name?) and then stagger across the road to see the Witches and the Aces slug it out. This was the day we all looked forward to Belle Vue away!, good food and drink AND the speedway was pretty tasty as well!!!!!!!"

"G'day and Greetings from Darwin, NT. Looks like it was raining in Manchester just for a change - only time I was there it rained as well (Late 60's). More than a coincidence methinks!!."

"Thanks, Kathy - there's some wonderful memories in these pictures, you can practically hear the crowds and smell the dope. Although it's slowly coming back, a lot of my interest died with this stadium, so for that reason I'd remove the second picture, though, or at least edit it so that you can't see the word 'Bamforth'.

Remember the greatest race ever on this track, the 1973 Cup Final Run-off between Peter Collins and Anders Michanek? How do you follow that?"

"Great shots of Hyde Road. My father and I well recall what was the first stadium in the world purpose built for dirt track racing. Great memories too of the complex - especially the fun fair."

"These pictures of the old Hyde Road track and Stadium bring back so many happy memories of the best race track in the world.

So many memories come flooding back into your mind about happy times spent at the Hyde Road Track, both on race days, and also the Monday night training school.

You can almost hear the bikes roaring away from the start line, and see the different lines that riders took on this the most fairest of tracks.

When I first found the pictures on this site, it sent a tingle or chill down my spine, the place was MAGIC for me, and also thousands more Speedway fans not just from Belle Vue, but from all over the World.

The Stadium and track is gone, but NEVER FORGOTEN."

"Wonderful pictures of the old Belle Vue - the best speedway track in the country. I remember the training schools at Hyde Road on Saturday mornings in the winter and Monday evenings in the summer. Watching Peter Collins and Chris Morton and a lot more come through the ranks and never missed a home match. Now I am lucky if I can afford to attend a handful of meetings in a season. The old Hyde Road stadium was a very special place."

"Every Saturday years ago we used to watch Manchester United/City in the afternoon and then go to Hyde Road to support Belle Vue in the evening. Those were days when speedway attracted really big crowds.

They are not going to come back while we have this ridiculous play off system. Belle Vue this year won the league this but are not champions because of a one off match. Belle Vue lost 12 matches over the season, does this mean that every team that beat them can also have a valid claim to be champions? The league is not a knock-out competition, it is a measure and reward for consistency over a season. What would happen in football if Chelsea won the league by 10 points, and then lost in a one-off game to Manchester United? I feel sorry also for Coventry fans whose victory is obviously tainted by the fact they were not the best side in the league this year. Come on speedway, this is not the way to win back supporters. "

"I have only ever been to Hyde Park once a long time ago when as a Kings Lynn fan we went to the league riders final which was won once again by Barry Briggs. I remember the day at the zoo entertaining us with the disgustingly funny monkeys and the best speedway racing that we could remember. Now as a born again speedway fan with my kids loving it as well it is sad to think of the loss of this fantastic race track with its superb corners for overtaking. Seeing this site has reminded me of a distant but brilliant day."

"Brilliant site, brings back childhood memories of the riders and tracks I travelled to as a boy. Still go to Sheffield but not as often as I would like. Thank you for a great web site will put it in my favourites."

"Great seeing pictures of Hyde Road. I was 11 when it got knocked down. It's where I caught the speedway bug. Although I suspect the pictures are just prior to demolition given that the whole stadium has been photographed, good that someone did it though."

"Brilliant pictures of "the" Belle Vue which immediately took me back into a time warp of 30 years past. So many great memories of great BLRC meetings there under floodlights at the end of every season, special one for me and probably a lot of Glasgow fans of my generation when Jimmy Mac got a rostrum place in 1971 and the Tigers' fans made enough noise to make it sound like a Scotland victory at Wembley!"

"Just thought I would just drop a line with regards to the greatest speedway track ever!! Yep Hyde Road of course, my dad first took me there in 1983 and although the stadium was sadly on its last legs, the racing was quite honestly the best I have ever seen anywhere since!! For sure the stadium would have never passed the Bradford/Taylor reports of the late eighties, but to just see those pictures brings back so many great memories of my childhood, standing there with my dad watching the likes of Mort and PC. The track may have gone but the memories will never fade."

" I have just been looking at the pictures of the old Belle Vue, they have brought back alot of memories. The atmosphere at this place was something special it used to make me quite emotional , it just was the best speedway track in the world. The racing at Hyde Road was fast and exciting and you never left there dissapointed, if only speedway was still running here, the closure of the stadium was a massive loss to the speedway world. Miss you loads Hyde Road - never forgotten."

"Excellent site & article, I to went to Hyde Road with my family in the 60s the days when you had to reserve seats because of its poularity. I went again in the 80s and to the last ever meeting. Hyde Road was the only place to see speedway, big wide track, plenty of passing. I miss the place, the best Saturday night out."

"These photos bring back wonderful memories as I was a regular at Hyde Road from 1964 to the end in 1987. Wonderful cicuit,the best in the world, just the stands let it down."

"Brings back a lot of memories of both stockcars and speedway. All good ones though. I attended from 1965 through to late seventies."

"Great pictures, takes me back a few years seeing them. They'll never be another Stadium like Hyde Rd. The Greyhound Stadium isn't a patch on the ol' Hyde Rd, even though it's where the Mecurial Aces started out from.

Hyde rd was one hell of a place to get entertainment, my family and I spent many a happy hour cheering the Aces along as well as the International matches, individual meetings etc. I used to watch the meetings at the Pits bend till I saw sense and moved to the straights, I ended up a lot cleaner as well, use to sit in C Stand when I took my family.

Best Race? There was that many I could fill a book about them, mostly about PC & Mort, Ivan was Ok, but he wasn't a racer, he was a gater. Soren was great also, he's entertaining JC now winning races in Heaven. I'm 60 now, but I used to go when I was a nipper, but took my family when I got married. Don't go as often now though."

"This was the best stadium for me. I was more into F1 stockcars in the 80s and had some fantastic nights there sat up in block L on the first turn. I'll never forget Stu Smith senior winning his 500th career final there at the last ever meeting. I shed a tear when I left looking back vowing never to buy a car from BCA on what the site became. GREAT PICTURES."

"Looking at these photos of old Belle Vue brought back a lot of happy memories. I have supported Belle Vue since 1963 through the good times and the not so good. The highlight of my memories was witnessing probably the greatest match race, if not speedway race, ever ridden between Peter Collins and Anders Michanek in the run off for the 1973 Speedway Star KO cup. They passed each other on every corner from start to finish, with Collins outwitting Mich with an awesome cut back off the last bend. I also recall the sheer power of the team in the early 70s with Ivan Mauger leading the way. Love the site, keep up the good work."

"Seeing the photo's brought back such happy memories, from the great Peter Craven days to the Collins & Morton era. Why oh why was it allowed to be pulled down and the land used to sell cars !!! It was such a great riders track."

"Hyde Road, Manchester - the traditional and not forgotten home of the Belle Vue Aces. Although a Londoner, I made several happy visits. It was indeed a sad day when speedway ended there. "

"I've only been into speedway for a few years and far-and-wide people tell me that this was the greatest speedway venue. Thanks for putting up the pictures."

"I only ever went to Hyde Road once. I have to say that the atmosphere was quite unlike Meetings I have attended elsewhere. As soon as you walked into the place it seemed to grab you. There was a 'buzz' about the Track even before the engines had started warming up. I believe it was a World 'Pairs' Event that I attended and I remember marvelling at the different lines that were available, and, if I remember correctly Soren Sjosten tried most of them. The noise from the Supporters was amazing, I've never heard anything like it either at Wembley or at Football Matches. I remember coming away and thinking to myself - I MUST come back here. Sadly it was not to be. Perhaps some of the saddest photographs I have ever seen are those that show the Stadium as it was being demolished. I know that all good things must come to an end - sad that it was in my time. Such is the legendry status of HYDE ROAD that the very mention of it brings a tingle up my spine. I wonder what the Ghosts of all those magnificent Riders like the Max Grosskreutz, Langton Brothers, Peter Craven etc. would make of it now? I wish I had been lucky enough to go regularly - those people who were should treasure the Memories. "The Past is another Country" they say - they are definitely right."

"Fantastic photos bring back a lot of happy memories of probably the greatest purpose built speedway stadiums ever if not the greatest spent many many happy hours there and saw all the greatest riders in the world in the 60s and 70s including the wonderful Peter Craven."

"It brought a lump to my throat looking at the photos. Every saturday night for ten years we used to travel to the Hyde Road stadium, we used to sit in Block B, in the good old days of Peter Collins, Chris Morton, Russ Hodgson, Jim Brett - just to name a few! Who remembers the good old derbys with Halifax Dukes and Kenny Carter (RIP). Ahh well, only distant memories now ! But Bloody good ones !!!"

"The old Belle Vue was magical, the track was fast and wide with so many different racing lines. I dont think I ever saw a bad meeting there in 25 years. Mauger, Olsen, Michanek, Briggs, Penhall , Gundersen, Nielsen, Ermolenko, Morans, Carter, Lee and not forgetting Peter Collins and Mort - I've seen them all and many other greats of speedway ride this amazing track. Speedway is just not the same anymore in Manchester. I will never forget you Hyde Road, it was a great pleasure while it lasted. RIP."

"I was sat looking at the pics of Hyde Rd with a million images and memories running through my brain remembering all the greats riding the track in BLRC, Pairs Finals, test matches and of course Aces matches and magical place gone forever but entrenched in our memories. If only I could go back in time for one meeting watching Ivan, Soren, PC, Pusey, Wilkie, Eric, Ken Eyre and Tyrer etc battling against Briggo, Ole, the Booey bros, Anders, Ray Wilson, Simmo etc under the lights. Me and my mates sat at the pits bend with shale in our hair and dusty faces."  

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