The first bicycle races at the Spa cricket ground were at the newly formed Gloucester Athletic Club sports meeting on 2nd September 1880. It was a beautiful day for the sports and the circular grass track was hard, making good going for the cyclists. The bicycle races were a local one mile scratch, and one and two miles open handicap races, both of these open races were won by F Moore of Balsall Heath BC off scratch.
The Gloucester Athletic Club held their August sports at the Spa from 1880 until the late 1920s, varying the cycle races slightly over the years. In 1882, the meeting included a one mile tricycle race. Gloucester annual athletic sports on 7th August 1900 added a one mile bicycle handicap race in conjunction with the Gloucester City Cycling Club (formerly the Tyndale Cycling Club) and the funny London trick cyclist Arthur Pellant gave a performance. At the 1902 Athletic Club sports Ernie Payne** of Worcester, in his first year of competition, won both the open half mile handicap and the two miles handicap races. The NCU district half mile championship was held at the sports a few times in the early 1920s.
The Gloucestershire Constabulary Sports were first held at the Spa grounds in 1922, the sports alternated between Gloucester, Cheltenham and Bristol. The police events were a one mile bicycle handicap for men under 35 years old and one for men over 35, the open events were half mile and one mile handicap races and the NCU local area half mile championship race. The Police sports continued into the 1930s.
The sports on 7th August 1928 saw the last bicycle racing organised by the Athletic Club at the Spa Ground for nearly thirty years. The Athletic Club revived their August Bank Holiday sports in 1957, the meeting included four bicycle races, 440 yards handicap, 880 yards scratch, 1 mile handicap and 5 mile scratch. Admission was 1/6 in advance, or 2/- on the day. This was the last bicycle racing at the Spa Ground.
The Ground is still in use and is now the home of Gloucester City Winget Cricket Club.
** Ernie Payne, the Worcester St John's CC rider, was nicknamed ‘the Worcester Wonder' he went on to win a gold medal in the 1908 Olympic Games team pursuit event with Ben Jones, Clarence Kingsbury and Leon Meredith. Payne rode an Imperial Rover with Dunlop tyres.
