Belle Vue Speedway
Kirkmanshulme Lane
Belle Vue Stadium, Kirkmanshulme Lane, Gorton, Manchester M18 7BA
Kirkmanshulme Lane was in at the beginning of UK speedway.  The track ran "Open Meetings" in 1928 and closed later in the year.  Sixty years later speedway returned and this spell from 1988 to 2015 is what this webpage is mainly concerned with, but if you have items from 1928 please get in touch John
1988 Re-opening  BLRC Badges  Other BV Badges  The Stadium In Modern Times  Mike Faria   Stuart Bamforth  Shawn Moran  4 TT Winners   Jason Lyons   Kirky Lane Stadium  Kirkmanshulme_Lane's_Final_Meeting
Opening Tomorrow
1928
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
28th July 1928 Programme
The 1928 Programme is courtesy of Jack Babrovskie
John says: I am looking for more from 1928 Kirky Lane.  If you can supply photos, newspaper clippings etc please email me John
70 Speedway Years In Manchester 1998
Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop
Kirkmanshulme Lane In Modern Times
The internationally famous Belle Vue Zoological Gardens, Hyde Road, Gorton, Manchester closed its doors to Speedway in 1987 but speedway continued in the city when 1988 saw the Belle Vue Aces bring speedway back at their new/old home at Belle Vue Greyhound Stadium, Kirkmanshulme Lane in Gorton Manchester.
Nick Babrovskie's Photographs
Jack Babrovskie says: Hi John, Here are some photos of Nick's of the Kirkmanshulme Lane stadium and track taken at an ‘open day’ prior to the 1988 season.
Jack says: The large indoor stand on the back straight. For a time this also housed the club shop run by former Ace Taffy Owen.  It was later demolished.  Note the buildings alongside main stand on home straight. These were also later demolished in a stadium ‘upgrade’.  Just between the two smaller stands can be glimpsed the old cottage which I think was used as an office before being also demolished to provide more parking spaces.
Re-opening Meeting's
1st & 8th April 1988
Courtesy of Jack Babrovskie
The opening meeting scheduled for 1st April 1988 became a victim of the Manchester weather, The rained off meeting was put back and the following meeting a week later against Wolverhampton became Belle Vue's first meeting "on the track" at Kirkmanshulme Lane.
Belle Vue v Wolverhampton
Courtesy of Jack Babrovskie
Peter Collins Column From The First Programme
Courtesy of Jack Babrovskie
Flyin' Mike Faria
Stuart Bamforth
Jack Babrovskie says:  Some black humour from the back cover of the KL 1st meeting programme.  Background:  British Car Auctions had announced that they were giving a donation to the club. Stuart Bamforth (pictured) had of course sold the Hyde Road stadium and site to them for redevelopment.
1988 First Belle Vue Aces Team At Kirkmanshulme Lane
The Aces team that started that season (see photo) is (back row) : Peter Ravn, Andy Smith, Paul Thorp, Chris Morton.  (front row): Roland Danno, Mike Faria, Glenn Hornby.
1988 Peter Craven Trophy
Winner Kelly Moran flanked by Kelvin Tatum and Sam Ermolenko
British League Riders Championship 1988
More From Jack Babrovskie's Collection
Courtesy of Jack Babrovskie
BLRC Badges
This feature follows on from the BV Hyde Rd page 2.  Manchester has always been the home of the British League Riders Championship and the club produces badges to commemorate the final. The Hyde Road page has badges from 1970- 1987.  We have only 4 badges, so far, from Kirky Lane's era as follows: -
1988	1988	1989
1990	1991
If you can add to the 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991 badges please scan them and email them to me John
Belle Vue Badges
Kirkmanshulme Lane
Badge Scans are Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop.  There are many pre-1988 BV Badges on the Belle Vue Hyde Road Page  The badges following below are from the Kirkmanshulme Lane Era 1988 - 2015
1988	1988	1989
1989	1989	1989
1989		1990
1990	1990
1990	1991	1991
	1991
1993	1994	1995
1995	1996	1996
1997	1997	1998
1998	1998
2000	2006	2006
2006	2008	2008
2009	2010	2010
2012	2012	2012
	Kirkmanshulme Lane closed it's doors to speedway in 2015.   As of 2016, Belle Vue Speedway resides at the National Speedway Stadium; situated but a stone’s throw from its two historic homes at the Greyhound Stadium and the legendary Hyde Road Stadium.
2015
Badges Courtesy of Wattie Dunlop.  Wattie has a few which we don't know the years, they follow below.  Please email John  if you know the years
Badge 1 Year Unknown	Badge 2 Year Unknown	Badge 3 Year Unknown
Badge 4 Year Unknown	Badge 5 Year Unknown	Badge 6 Year Unknown
Badge 7 Year Unknown	Badge 8 Year Unknown
Roland Danno & Alan Wilkinson
Peter Ravn
Shawn Moran
April 1992 Aces
April 1992 team: (back row) Richard Musson, Mike Hampson, Jason Lyons, Frede Schott, (front row) Bobby Ott, Joe Screen, Kelly Moran
1992 Joe Screen Taking The Outside Around Jeremy Doncaster
4 Team Tournament Winners
1992 Bobby Ott & Jason Lyons
1993 Aces
1993 team: (back row) Jason Lyons, Frede Schott, Bobby Ott, Mike Hampson, Carl Stonehewer, (front row)  Shawn Moran, Joe Screen (on bike), Peter Scully (?) Team manager and promoter John Perrin standing on right.
Paul "Otter" says: Hello there, just been looking at your fantastic website it's amazing but I have noticed a mistake on the Belle Vue speedway (Kirkmanshulme lane) page. 1993 aces picture back row 4th in you said its Mike Hampson its Mike Lewithwaite and front row at the end its not Peter Scully its Shawn Venables hope this helps keep up the good work from Paul (life long aces fan)
John says:  Thank you Paul for praising my website.  I love getting emails like yours, it makes the expense of doing the site worthwhile.  BV are my second favourite club btw. I am a lifelong Newcastle Diamonds fan and hopefully I will never have to do a Defunct page on Newcastle!
Frede Schott & Jason Lyons
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Jason Lyons
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Chris Manchester
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Belle Vue Mystery Man
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Graham sent me this photo without the riders name.  He appears to be the Aces number 6.  Can you id him and hazard a guess at the year.  I presume the photo was taken at Kirky Lane? John
Jack Babrovskie says: OK John, I’m going to stick my neck on the line and suggest that this pic is Mike Faria in 1988.  Happy to be corrected as not sure, but Jack
Ales Dryml
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Kirkmanshulme Lane Entrance
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Kirky Lane 1995
The Home Straight
The Back Straight With The Chieftain Stand
The above two images are courtesy of Graham Gleave
More Images Of Kirkmanshulme Lane's Facilities!
Dave Hobson Says
Hi John,  I thought you may like a these 3 pictures from the pit area of Belle Vue in what I thought was going to be the last meeting at Kirkmanshulme Lane, until we made the play offs.  Regards  Dave
Photos courtesy of Dave Hobson
Kirkmanshulme Lane's Final Team
Courtesy of Graham Gleave
Kirkmanshulme Lane's Last Meeting 28th September 2015
And the end has cometh!  Belle Vue will move to their third home.  Hyde Road and Kirkmanshulme Lane are now history, the Aces will go on at their new venue and good luck to them there.  However my website deals with Defunct venues so if you have photos and memories etc from Kirky Lane or Hyde Road please get in touch John
The contents of the site are © and should not be reproduced elsewhere for financial gain. The contributors to this site gave the pictures and information on that understanding.  If anyone has any issue or objections to any items on the site please e-mail and I will amend or remove the item.  Where possible credit has been given to the owner of each item.