Hyde Road (speedway)

[1] 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.

[3] The opening speedway meeting here 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.

Some of 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.

Several other sports used the ground including amateur soccer club, Manchester Central F.C., baseball,[5] and the rugby league where Broughton Rangers crossed from Salford to play at Belle Vue from 1933 until the club's demise in 1955 having renamed as Belle Vue Rangers in 1946.