View source for Belle Vue Colts

{{Short description|British speedway rteam}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox motorcycle speedway team
|clubname = Belle Vue Colts Speedway Team
|image =
|track = [[National Speedway Stadium]]<br>Kirkmanshulme Lane<br>[[Gorton]]<br>[[Manchester]]
|country = England
|founded = 
|manager  =
|captain = 
|league = [[National League (speedway)|National Development League]]
|website = [https://www.bellevue-speedway.com/ official website]
|colours = Red, White and Black
|tracksize = 347 metres
|track record time= 58.18 secs (4 laps)
|track record date= 26 August 2019
|track record holder= Dan Bewley

|honour1 = [[National League (speedway)|National League Champions]] 
|year1 = 2017
|honour2 = [[British League Division Two|British League Champions (Div 2)]] 
|year2 = 1968, 1969
|honour3 = [[British League Division Two Knockout Cup|British League Div 2 KO Cup]] 
|year3 = 1969
}}

The '''Belle Vue Colts''' are the junior youth development team of the [[Belle Vue Aces]], one of the World's most famous [[motorcycle speedway]] team, based in [[Manchester]] in the northwest of [[England]].<ref>Pavey, A. (2004) ''Speedway in the North-West'', Tempus Publishing Ltd. {{ISBN|0-7524-3192-7}}</ref>

==History==
Belle Vue first operated a reserve team during the [[1934 Speedway National League]] which finished 6th in the league table.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/history/leaguetables1929-1939|title=BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - PRE-WAR ERA (1929-1939)|website=Official British Speedway website|access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref> Three years later in the [[1937 Provincial Speedway League]] the Belle Vue reserve side took over the fixtures of [[Liverpool Chads|Liverpool Merseysiders]] and in the [[1939 Speedway National League Division Two]] the Belle Vue reserves replaced [[Stoke Potters]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/yearbyyear.html|title=Year by Year|website=Speedway Researcher|access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref> In the mid-1950s Belle Vue ran a few "second" team events when the Aces were away from home.

The Belle Vue Colts side was formed by former Aces rider [[Dent Oliver]], who became General Manager of Belle Vue Aces in 1967. Oliver's arrival brought sweeping changes to the club's approach as he recognised that if the club was to remain at the very top of British Speedway it needed a way of developing its own young riders. Oliver quickly introduced the now legendary Monday night training schools which he hoped would provide for Belle Vue's future. His efforts brought huge and immediate rewards, with youngsters coming from the north of England to become a part of Belle Vue's roster.

Belle Vue were invited to enter a team of their raw youngsters alongside former provincial league teams like [[Middlesbrough Bears]], [[Plymouth Devils]] and [[Rayleigh Rockets]], and the new division roared into life on Wednesday 8 May 1968 with Belle Vue defeating Canterbury 55–23 in the first ever second division match. The Colts went through that maiden season unbeaten at home and clinched the league title on Wednesday 28 August when they beat Weymouth 63-15 (the most convincing victory of the season).<ref>{{cite book|last=Rogers|first=Martin|title=The Illustrated History of Speedway|year=1978|page=129|publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-904584-45-3}}</ref> Twelve months later The Colts retained their Second Division title and even went one better by adding the Knock-Out Cup to the trophy cabinet. Many of the riders used in those two debut seasons went on to further their careers at first division level.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/history/leaguetables1965-1990|title=British League Tables - British League Era (1965-1990)|website=Official British Speedway website|access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref>

In 1970, the Belle Vue management looked for a new home for their nursery team, and this was found at Rochdale where the Colts moved — still under the control of Belle Vue — to become the [[Rochdale Hornets]].<ref>Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). ''Homes of British Speedway''.  {{ISBN|0-7524-2210-3}}</ref> Rochdale finished third in the 1970 Second Division and reached the semi-finals of the knock-out cup. The Hornets closed after finishing ninth in the 1971 championship, but not before unearthing the biggest talent that the second division was ever to produce: the 16-year-old [[Peter Collins (speedway rider)|Peter Collins]].

The Belle Vue Colts have continued in various competitions, usually as second half events after the Aces' matches. Notable successes include the 1978 Scottish Junior League title, the 1989 British League 2 Championship and K.O. Cup double and the 2001 and 2002 Northern Youth Development titles. [[Joe Screen]], [[Carl Stonehewer]], Scott Smith, Lee Smethills, [[Ricky Ashworth]] and [[James Wright (speedway rider)|James Wright]] all moved on to a higher level.

Since 2016 the team have competed in league competition and currently are part of the [[2021 National Development League speedway season]].

== Season summary ==
{{collapse top}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!width=350|Year and league
!width=50|Position
!width=350|Notes
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[1934 Speedway National League]] || 6th|| Reserve League
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[1937 Provincial Speedway League]] ||4th|| reserve side took over fixtures of [[Liverpool Chads|Liverpool Merseysiders]]
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[1939 Speedway National League Division Two]] || 6th ||  Belle Vue reserves replaced [[Stoke Potters]]
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[1968 British League Division Two season]] || 1st || [[List of United Kingdom speedway league champions|Champions]]
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[1969 British League Division Two season]] || 1st || [[List of United Kingdom speedway league champions|Champions]] & [[Knockout Cup (speedway)|Knockout Cup]] winners
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[1997 Speedway Conference League]] || 12th || 
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[2011 National League speedway season]] || 3rd ||
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[2016 National League speedway season]] || 5th || 
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[2017 National League speedway season]] || 2nd || 
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[2018 National League speedway season]] || 6th || 
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[2019 National Development League speedway season]] || 2nd|| PO semi finals
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[2021 National Development League speedway season]] || 3rd || 
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[2022 National Development League speedway season]] || 5th || 
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[2023 National Development League speedway season]] ||3rd || 
|- align=center
|align="left"| [[2024 National Development League speedway season]] ||2nd || 
|}
{{collapse bottom}}

== Previous teams ==
{{collapse top}}

'''2019 team'''

* {{flagicon|ENG}} Jordan Palin
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Leon Flint]]
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Kyle Bickley]]
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Connor Bailey (speedway rider)|Connor Bailey]]
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Danny Phillips]]
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ben Woodhull]]
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ben Rathbone]]

'''2021 team'''

*[[Jack Smith (speedway rider)|Jack Smith]] 8.87
*[[Benji Compton]] 8.86
*Harry McGurk 7.35
*Jake Parkinson-Blackburn 7.08
*[[Connor Coles]] 6.75
*Paul Bowen 6.00
*Sam McGurk 5.94
*Ben Woodhull 3.45

'''2022 team'''

*{{player||ENG|[[Jake Mulford]]}} 8.72
*{{player||ENG|[[Jack Smith (speedway rider)|Jack Smith]]}} 8.67
*{{player||ENG|Harry McGurk}} 8.30
*{{player||ENG|[[Nathan Ablitt]]}} 7.68
*{{player||ENG|Sam McGurk}} 6.75
*{{player||ENG|Archie Freeman}} 6.31
*{{player||ENG|Freddie Hodder}} 5.61

{{collapse bottom}}

== See also ==
* {{cat|Belle Vue Colts riders}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Speedway National League}}

[[Category:Sport in Manchester]]
[[Category:National League speedway teams]]