The New Recreation ground opened with a sports meeting on 2nd July 1892 at which there were two bicycle handicap races, a one mile open event and a one mile race for boys under fifteen years old. In the next twelve months, there were five sports meetings at the ground, but these do not seem to have been reported in the press.
On Wednesday 28th June 1893, there was a ‘horse versus cyclist competition', when Texas Jack riding a mustang raced John Lamb, a very experienced professional six day rider for £50 over fifteen miles. There was a very large crowd of around 5,000 and the race was won by the horse rider.
The fifth NER sports meeting took place on 1st July 1893 and the attendance was around 3,000. The bicycle sports were a one mile open handicap race and a one mile youths under sixteen handicap race.
There was a sports meeting on 28th July 1894, but the bicycle entries were disappointingly low. The heavy rain that fell in the days before the meeting enabled the track to be well rolled.
The Seton Carew Iron Works held their first annual sports at the ground on Monday 27th August 1894, there were athletics, running races and two bicycle races.
The NCU refused to give a permit for the sports meeting on 17th August 1895, because of the poor condition of the track. The meeting went ahead, but attendance was poor. This prompted the club to re-make the track and the new six laps to the mile track was first used for a sports meeting on 27th June 1895 at which George Painter, a one-legged cyclist, challenged Mr Rogers for £10 in a ten miles race, Painter having two laps start. For the first few miles Painter's wheel was rubbing on his frame and he slipped further behind and was ready to give up when a spectator gave him his Rover racing machine. Painter continued and gradually pulled back his deficit on Roger's and caught him after eight miles and won the race.
The fourth annual sports meeting of the Grosvenor CC was held at the ground on Monday 30th August 1897. There were four bicycle handicap contests, half and one mile open races, a one mile veterans, an officials race and a five miles open race for a cup donated by Maxwell's jewellers. This was probably the last bicycle racing to be held at the ground.
The recreation ground site was purchased by West Hartlepool Corporation, the site was develpoed for a refuse destructor and an electricity sub-station. The site is still occupied by Hartlepool Waste Recycling Centre.