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LEICESTER LIONS This site is not an official website for the track shown here and is neither approved or endorsed by the speedway team. |
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| Speedway racing has taken place
across at least 4 separate venues in the Leicester since 1928. That first meeting was held
at The Stadium on Blackbird Road on 6th September of that year on an open dirt track.
The team took part in the Southern League in the 1930-31 season and, later, were to
take part in the National League Division 3 in the 1949-50 season, Division 2 in the
1951-56 seasons and the British League throughout the 1975 to 83 seasons. Just one year after the initial meeting a further meeting took place at the Leicester Super Stadium on the Melton Road on 18th May 1929. |
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The final meeting at the Blackbird Road venue took place on 25th October 1983 when Leicester lost 40-38 to Belle Vue. |  |
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Greyhound racing first took place at the Blackbird Road track on 26th May 1928 and subsequently shared the venue, and often joint events, with speedway racing. |  |
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The team have, at various times, been known as The Hounds, the Hunters and the Lions. |  |
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This section gives a comprehensive picture of
the badges produced for the team throughout the ages, but only provides the briefest of
glimpses of its history. For those wishing to read more widely we recommend a visit to http://astore.amazon.co.uk/wwwgreyhoundd-21 especially Complete History of the British
League:
by
Peter Oakes ISBN-10: 0948882077 |
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To view a complete collection of badges choose the relevant link below:- |
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The Leicester Lions operated between 1968 and 1983 before their membership lapsed. However, they re-emerged in 2011 and compete at the Beaumont Sports Complex (track size 300 metres) in Leicester. Their colours are red and yellow, and they currently (2019) contest the SGB Championship. In their first season, in 2011, they finished last in the Premier League, while in 2012 they improved to sixth place in the Premier League, but were gallant runners-up in the Premier Fours, being defeated in the final by Berwick Bandits. By 2017 they had joined the SGB Premiership, but finished bottom and only avoided relegation by winning a play-off against the SGB Championship winners Sheffield Tigers.
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More detailed information is available from "Homes of British Speedway' by Robert Bamford & John Jarvis A further great source of information is provided on John Skinner's excellent website on Defunct Speedway tracks, with a link given below. For all Speedway enthusiasts, John Somerville’s website should always be your first port of call:-https://www.skidmarks1928.com/v/photos/john-somerville-collection |
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| 1929 | 1929 | 1929 |
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| 1930 | 1932 | 1982 |