The following year, in 1869, the Manchester Sixth Annual Athletics Festival continued to be held at New Barns racecourse and took place on July 3rd 1869. The meeting had an extensive range of sports including flat racing, hurdle racing, pole leaping, jumping throwing, hammer, putting the shot, boxing, singlestick**, gymnastics and velocipede racing. The velocipede race was over a mile and three quarters and the first prize was a ten guinea patent adjustable French two-wheeled velocipede donated by Andrews Muir^^ and there were other prizes down to fourth place. The race was held on the racecourse under dry conditions which made the turf very hard.
This is an extensive description from the Manchester Courier of July 5th 1869, which describes very well the atmosphere at very early velocipede races. "This was essentially the ‘blue riband' of the festival, no fewer than 17 bicycles - one or two with a seeming disposition to be fractious - being guided to the starting post. Bicycling never, perhaps, had such a field day; and never had riders such a trial of endurance, patience, and an attack of banter. Nor should it be wondered at. In the seventeen who undertook the task of rounding the Manchester racecourse - a mile and three quarters distance - under a broiling sun, and under the banter of a crowd disposed to create fun, lining the rails of the course, there was included almost every variety of bicycle. There were representatives of French manufacture in all brilliancy of silver-like steel and yellow paint, with others again of home manufacture, looking, as was subsequently shown, as if they had not a ‘ghost of a chance'. The Derby never attracted more attention to its spectators than did the bicycle contest of Saturday to the crowds on the course. After the usual amount of preparation - the oiling of axles, the adjustment of ‘pigskin' and cranks - with a preliminary canter or two, the seventeen were duly marshalled at the post in excellent line, and then arose a dispute as to what constituted a proper ‘start'. Some were already mounted and prepared to be off, others would retire behind the line prepared to make a rush, and others - who eventually gained the day - were for having a distance of 15 yards from the starting post in which to make a start. This was agreed to, and the line of coloured horsemen were duly placed in order for the report of the pistol. With the pistol fired, the whole line instantly commenced to run, and strange to say maintained their line unbroken until they had all vaulted into their saddles. Commencing the series of spills which it would seem invariably mark races of this kind, one of the competitors diverged from his course and in an instant had ‘cannoned' against his neighbour, who in turn stopped the way of a friend who had been staying in the rear. Horses and horsemen at once lay in a confused mass upon the sward, and having gained their legs and ‘sorted themselves', once more they were off. By this time, however, the greater part of the velocipedes were well under weigh, and their directors making painful-like demonstrations of attaining speed. Half way round the course, however, the heavy pedal exercise, with the slippery surface of the grass and the heat of the sun, began to visibly affect the competitors, with the exception of the first half dozen, who had singled themselves from the remainder, and were coming along in capital order. Those in the rear had tailed off miserably into Indian file - a file extending over half the course, whilst Mr Richardson, who, on nearing the goal had put on an excellent spurt, came in a winner by about 50 yards. The time in which Mr Richardson was stated to have rounded the course was 8 min, 45 sec. After the first six competitors the others came in at intervals for fully three quarters of an hour, and were loudly cheered upon their arrival."
Race result:
1. WF Richardson, Rock Ferry, Mersey Rowing Club
2. James Molly, Manchester
3. William Rose, Manchester AGC
4. A Stewart, Hightown AC
5. JR Ward, Sale FBC
6. CGB Corbett, Manchester AGC
The band of the 68th Light Infantry played through the day and Salford police kept control at the ground. Gate receipts were £143, which would indicate an attendance of around 3,000 if the price of admission was sixpence.
For the seventh athletic festival in 1870 the venue moved to Longsight Cricket Club and then the Manchester Annual Athletics Festival stopped after 1870.
There seemed to be no bicycle races on the course in the 1870s, but the racing resume there some fifteen years later. There was a shortage of good cycle tracks in Manchester in the 1880s, this was highlighted in The Athletic News of April 19th 1887 "The gravel path at Sale is as yet simply unrideable; the Pomona, which is never good, will perhaps be in a little better condition during the next fortnight".
A banked cinder track, three laps to the mile, was laid at the racecourse in 1886, and this was used for trotting races, bicycle and running races. Salford Harriers started race meetings in 1886 with bicycle races, but they lost money on the events. Tommy Edge organised the Manchester Central Amateur Athletic Club's annual sports and the Ancient Order of Forester sports were held there. The Athletic News of March 1st 1887 reported on a race meeting at the racecourse which included a tricycle race. They reported "The comic songster Mr J Buckley was there" who unfortunately "brought down the lady who won the tricycle race" she was riding a "Cunard" machine. In September, there was a race "for the benefit of the Bolton strike". The racecourse seemed to have received much less attention in the press than other Manchester bicycle tracks.
Athletic sports meetings, with bicycle races, continued at the racecourse through the 1890s with meetings organised by Manchester Central Athletic Club, Salford Police, Oddfellows Order and the Shop Assistants Union, among others. New Barnes Cycling Club was formed in 1891 and held their first race meeting at the course on October 3rd that year.
The last bicycle races at New Barnes were the Salford FC sports on August 11th 1900 at which there were two bicycle handicap races over one and two miles and the attendance was 3,000.
The New Barnes racecourse was next to the newly built Manchester Ship Canal and the racecourse was closed in 1902 when the site was compulsorily purchased by the Manchester Ship Canal Company, who used the land to extend their docks and warehouses. The Manchester Racecourse Company returned to the Castle Irwell ground that they had vacated in 1867 and built a new racecourse there which opened in 1902.
The old racecourse was developed into the Erie Basin of Salford docks. Following the closure of the docks in 1982, Salford City Council acquired 220 acres of land in the Salford docks area and from 1990 the large Salford Quays development took place.
** Singlestick was a martial art which used a thin stick as a weapon. The sport was very popular in the 1800s and was an Olympic sport in 1904, but fell out of favour after that.
^^ Andrew Muir was an engineer, bicycle builder and dealer of Victoria Bridge, Salford. He was an agent for the French Velocipede Company (Compagnie Imperiale de Velocipedes), and he manufactured and sold his own patent adjustable machines and provided riding lessons. In June 1869, he lost the Compagnie Imperiale agency to H Dawson and was shortly after sued for £23 for taking payment, but not supplying, two machines to a dealer in Dumfries. This seems to have resulted in the collapse of his business.
