{{Short description|British motorcycle speedway team}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Use British English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox motorcycle speedway team |clubname = Leicester Hunters |image =[[File:Leicester_Hunters_motorcycle_speedway_logo.png|100px]] |track = [[Leicester Stadium|The Stadium]], <br>Blackbird Road,<br> [[Leicester]] |country = England |founded = 1948 |closed = 1962 |manager = |captain = |league = [[National League (1932–1964)|National League]]/[[Speedway Provincial League|Provincial League]] |website = |colours = Hunting pink and gold |tracksize = 382 yards (1949), <br>364 yards (1950), <br>380 yards (1951-1962) |track record time= |track record date= |track record holder= |honour1 = [[Midland Cup (speedway)|Midland Cup]] |year1 = 1951 }} The '''Leicester Hunters''' were a [[motorcycle speedway]] team which operated from 1948 until 1962.<ref name="Bamford">Bamford, R & Jarvis J. (2001) ''Homes of British Speedway'', {{ISBN|0-7524-2210-3}}, p. 147-149</ref>
== History == Speedway had operated before the war at both [[Leicester Stadium]] and the [[Syston Sports Stadium]]. Speedway was proposed to return to Leicester in 1948 at Leicester Stadium, led by A. D. Sanderson with [[Roy Dook]] and later Bob Peett managing the team, but concerns from local residents over noise levels delayed the return until the following year, with the newly formed team limited to away challenge matches in 1948.<ref name="Bamford" /> To go with the team name, the riders wore hunting pink race bibs featuring a gold horseshoe.<ref>Jones, Alan (2004) ''Speedway in Leicester: The Hunters Era'', Automedia, p. 8</ref> The Hunters joined the [[National League (1932–1964)|National League]] in [[1949 Speedway National League Division Three|Division 3]], where they finished 10th.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rogers|first=Martin|title=The Illustrated History of Speedway|year=1978|page=129|publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-904584-45-3}}</ref> Former rider [[Cyril "Squib" Burton]], who had been one of the top riders of the Leicester Stadium team in the early 1930s, took over as manager in 1950 and the team joined division 2 at the end of the season, after finishing in third place.<ref name="Hoare">Hoare, Ron (1979) ''Speedway Panorama'', Haynes, {{ISBN|0-85429-252-7}}, p. 122</ref>
The team spent six seasons in division 2<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/history/leaguetables1946-1964|title=BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)|website=Official British Speedway website|access-date=25 August 2021}}</ref> and by 1957, the dwindling number of teams meant that the National League operated as a single division and the Hunters stayed in the top division until 1961, their best placing being as runners up in 1959.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/yearbyyear.html|title=Year by Year|website=Speedway Researcher|access-date=25 August 2021}}</ref><ref name="Hoare" /> Mike Parker then took over the club, and opted to join the [[Speedway Provincial League|Provincial League]] in 1962, finishing in 12th position.<ref name="Bamford" /> This was to be the Hunters' final season, with the team transferring to [[Long Eaton Speedway|Long Eaton]] for the 1963 season.<ref name="Bamford" /> Speedway returned to Leicester Stadium for a period but the team were renamed [[Leicester Lions]].
== Season summary == {{collapse top}} {| class="wikitable" |- !width=350|Year and league !width=50|Position !width=350|Notes |- align=center |align="left"| [[1949 Speedway National League Division Three]] || 10th || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1950 Speedway National League Division Three]] || 3rd || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1951 Speedway National League Division Two]] || 2nd|| |- align=center |align="left"| [[1952 Speedway National League Division Two]] ||3rd || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1953 Speedway National League Division Two]] || 8th|| |- align=center |align="left"| [[1954 Speedway National League Division Two]] || 4th || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1955 Speedway National League Division Two]] || 7th || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1956 Speedway National League Division Two]] || 6th || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1957 Speedway National League]] ||5th || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1958 Speedway National League]] || 4th || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1959 Speedway National League]] ||2nd|| |- align=center |align="left"| [[1960 Speedway National League]] || 6th || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1961 Speedway National League]] || 10th || |- align=center |align="left"| [[1962 Provincial Speedway League]] || 12th || |} {{collapse bottom}}
== Notable riders == *[[Harry Bastable]] *[[Ivor Brown (speedway rider)|Ivor Brown]] *[[Jack Geran]] *[[Norman Hunter (speedway rider)|Norman Hunter]] *[[Ken McKinlay]] *[[Paweł Waloszek]] *[[Len Williams (speedway rider)|Len Williams]]
== See also == *[[Speedway in Leicester]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Sport in Leicester]] [[Category:Defunct speedway teams in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in England]] [[Category:1962 disestablishments in England]] [[Category:Auto racing teams established in 1948]] [[Category:Auto racing teams disestablished in 1962]]