The first Longsight Athletic Festival and Musical Promenade was held on July 10th 1869 at Longsight Cricket Club. The athletics consisted of running races, high and long jump, boxing and a velocipede race over two miles, which was won by C Jennison of Longsight. It is likely that C Jennison was the son of John Jennison the owner of Belle Vue Zoological Gardens in Longsight. Belle Vue was offering velocipedes for hire in June 1869.
The second Athletic Festival was held on July 23rd 1870 and again, a two miles velocipede race was held which was won by W Shawcross of Longsight.
Owens College, later to become the University of Manchester, held their sports at the cricket club on May 2nd 1872. The cricket club's Athletic Festival seems to have only lasted a couple of years and there does not seem to have been any more bicycle racing until 1880.
Owens College held their annual sports meeting at the cricket club on June 3rd 1880, included with the various sports was a bicycle handicap race over two miles, which was won by WH Brazil off 80 yards, who lapped the whole field, including the scratch man.
At the 1881 Owens College sports, A Hampson won the two miles bicycle race from WH Brazil. This was the last bicycle race at the ground. Owens College went on to have their own athletic ground next to Fallowfield stadium cycle track.
The lease on the Kirmanshulme Road ground expired on September 29th 1891 and the club moved to a new site on East Road. The old ground was developed for housing around where Norman Grove is currently situated.