Sunderland - Ashbrooke
Groves Field : SR2 7NL Sunderland - Ashbrooke : Image credit Wiki Commons Groves Field was a football ground in Sunderland and was the home of Sunderland AFC from 1882-3. The six acre site became Ashbrooke Sports Club which opened on May 30th 1887 and was used for cricket and rugby. Ashbrooke became a multi-sports facility catering for rugby, cricket, football, hockey, squash, tennis and bowls.

The Kensington CC, previously called the Kensington (Sunderland), moved their annual sports from Blue House to the Ashbrooke Ground around 1898.

The July 2nd and 4th, 1898 Kensington CC sports featured two bicycle scratch races, three handicaps, a team race and two professional races.

In the July 4th 1903 sports there were three running races and three bicycle races.

There seemed to have been a long quiet period for bicycle racing at Ashbrooke before the Sunderland Police started to hold their sports after WWII and up to the mid-1950's and their sports included cycle racing. The police sports were very popular amongst cyclist and several NCU championships were held with the sports, including the NCU 440 yards Newcastle Centre race in 1952.

Ashbrooke Sports still exists and is the home of Sunderland RFC.


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Photos : Wiki Commons