The first velocipede racing at Burnbank was on 28th August 1869 inside the Burnbank Drill Hall. The velocipede races were a one mile race for amateurs, a one mile slow race a competition for ‘fancy riding' and tilting at the ring. Admission cost one shilling and a brass band performed. The race organiser was probably a velocipede school which was advertising in the Glasgow Evening Citizen (31st July 1869) "Burnbank Velocipede Schools. Reduction in prices. Drill Hall, Great Western Road and 66 Mitchell Street (new premises). Velocipedes can always be had for out-door practice at Burnbank at same charge. Open 9am till 11pm. Velocipedes 6d per half-hour; Admission 3d."
The Regiment held well attended annual sports meetings at Burnbank in the 1870s with open and members events, there was no bicycle racing at the sports.
A 6 day professional bicycle race was held in Burnbank drill hall from 15-20th June 1880, with twelve hour racing sessions every day. A track was built within the hall and spectators watched from inside the track circle. The largest attraction was the appearance of John Keen of Surbiton, the World 50 miles champion and the other competitors included H Higham, the Midlands champion, Walter Phillips, T Andrews, A Bills, R Patrick, H Daniels and J Nicholls. The eventual winner was Higham who completed 937 miles and won £50, in second place with 931 miles was Andrews, who won £20. The attendance was described as good with an all day crowd on the final day.
Sports meetings at Burnbank Ground were described as "fashionable" in 1883 and the grounds as being "in the best part of the city, where the rough seldom sets his foot."
The 1st Lanark Corp Amateur Athletic Club held their annual athletic sports and a military assault-at-arms at Burnbank and at the 29th May 1886 meeting, the sports included bicycle racing, running and athletics. The meeting was held again at Burnbank Park on 1st June 1889 and included one and two miles handicap safety bicycle races. Many more sports meetings may have been held with bicycle racing, but were not reported in the press, the annentscottishrunning.com website gives information on meetings in 1875, 1884, 1885, 1886 and 1889.
Six day racing returned to Burnbank drill hall from 9-14th February 1893, with racing for eight hours per day and £150 in prizes, the event was organised by Aginton and Wilson. There were nine starters and the track was small, at 107 metres, 15 laps to the mile, fifteen feet wide and was banked five feet at the bends. John Dunlop Lumsden of Galashiels was the winner race with 721 miles followed by William Parkes of Newcastle 655 and J Jackson of Leeds with 635 miles. After the 6 day race had finished, the Theatre Royal organised some bicycle races on the track before it was dismantled, Vesta Tilley** was present at the event.
The drill hall was used for various activities, it hosted cat shows in the 1870s, various exhibitions in 1880s, it was used as a roller skating rink for twenty years from the 1870s. When a school was built on the site of the drill hall, the Company built a new drill hall close by, at 242 West George Street (G2 4QY) in 1897. The Burnbank Ground was developed for housing around Barrington Drive and Dunearn Street in the 1890s. Many years later, the new drill hall was developed for housing and the Lanarkshire Rifles headquarters moved to 261 West Princes Street G4 9EA.
** Vesta Tilley was an actress, she was one of the most famous male impersonators of her era and the best paid female actress in the 1890s. Her most famous music hall character was ‘Burlington Bertie'. She was appearing in pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow, at the time of the six day race, where she played Dick Whittington.
