Long Eaton Invaders
Encyclopedia
Several motorcycle speedway
teams operated from 1950 until 1997 in Long Eaton
, England
. Teams have raced at the Station Road Stadium as the Long Eaton Archers, Long Eaton Rangers, Nottingham Outlaws and the Long Eaton Invaders. The Invaders returned in 2011, with home meetings taking place at Leicester Lions' track.
from as early as 1929, the first meeting being on 18 May 1929. The Derby Evening Telegraph
described the oval circuit as having four laps to the mile, with straights 35 ft (10.7 m) and the bends 50 ft (15.2 m) 'to allow broadsiding
at 60 mph'. The last meeting of this era was on 10 June 1930.
Speedway returned to Long Eaton in 1950 with a team initially called the Archers. The team operated until 1953 when the promotion closed. The Archers name was again used when the track re-opened in 1963 until it closed again at the end of the 1967 season. In 1969 the track re-opened with the team named the Rangers until 1974 when the Archers name was used for one more season. The track opened again in 1979 and were called the Nottingham Outlaws but closed at the end of the 1980 season.
Another revival followed in 1982 as the team was again re-branded, but this time as the Long Eaton Invaders – the name was chosen due to the popularity of the Space Invaders
arcade game at that time. The Invaders won the Speedway National League
Championship in 1984 and the Premier League Four-Team Championship
in 1997. In early 1998 it was announced that the stadium was to be sold for housing development and the club would have to vacate immediately. The proposed development never took place, and there was an unsuccessful attempt to reopen the site for speedway racing in 2005.
The site has been approved for a residential development with public open spaces by Erewash Borough Council.
The Long Eaton Invaders returned in 2011, competing in the Midland Development League, sharing Leicester Lions' new track in Beaumont Leys
for home matches.
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
teams operated from 1950 until 1997 in Long Eaton
Long Eaton
Long Eaton is a town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just north of the River Trent about southwest of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Teams have raced at the Station Road Stadium as the Long Eaton Archers, Long Eaton Rangers, Nottingham Outlaws and the Long Eaton Invaders. The Invaders returned in 2011, with home meetings taking place at Leicester Lions' track.
History
Speedway had been hosted at Long EatonLong Eaton
Long Eaton is a town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just north of the River Trent about southwest of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area...
from as early as 1929, the first meeting being on 18 May 1929. The Derby Evening Telegraph
Derby Evening Telegraph
The Derby Telegraph, formerly the Derby Evening Telegraph, is a daily tabloid newspaper printed and distributed in Derby, England.-History:In 1857, Richard Keene was publishing the Derby Telegraph every Saturday. His business was in Irongate...
described the oval circuit as having four laps to the mile, with straights 35 ft (10.7 m) and the bends 50 ft (15.2 m) 'to allow broadsiding
Broadsiding
Broadsiding is the method used in motorcycle speedway for travelling round the bends on the speedway track. The rider skids his rear wheel by spinning it at such a speed that it sets up a gyroscopic action and this opposes the natural tendencies of centrifugal force. Then he controls the slide by...
at 60 mph'. The last meeting of this era was on 10 June 1930.
Speedway returned to Long Eaton in 1950 with a team initially called the Archers. The team operated until 1953 when the promotion closed. The Archers name was again used when the track re-opened in 1963 until it closed again at the end of the 1967 season. In 1969 the track re-opened with the team named the Rangers until 1974 when the Archers name was used for one more season. The track opened again in 1979 and were called the Nottingham Outlaws but closed at the end of the 1980 season.
Another revival followed in 1982 as the team was again re-branded, but this time as the Long Eaton Invaders – the name was chosen due to the popularity of the Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
arcade game at that time. The Invaders won the Speedway National League
Speedway National League
The National League was the top division of Speedway in the United Kingdom from 1932 until 1965 when it became known as the British League. Prior to 1932 there were only small regional leagues competing within the sport in the UK. The National League was re-incarnated in 1975 as the second division...
Championship in 1984 and the Premier League Four-Team Championship
Speedway Premier League Four-Team Championship
The Premier League Four-Team Championship is a contest between teams competing in the Speedway Premier League in the UK. Eight teams are grouped into fours, with one rider from each team in each race...
in 1997. In early 1998 it was announced that the stadium was to be sold for housing development and the club would have to vacate immediately. The proposed development never took place, and there was an unsuccessful attempt to reopen the site for speedway racing in 2005.
The site has been approved for a residential development with public open spaces by Erewash Borough Council.
The Long Eaton Invaders returned in 2011, competing in the Midland Development League, sharing Leicester Lions' new track in Beaumont Leys
Beaumont Leys
Beaumont Leys is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, comprising the north-western Leicester suburb of Beaumont Leys.-Geography:...
for home matches.