The Astley & Tyldesley club was formed in November 1989 and made their on track bow in April 1991, initially racing in the Manchester League. Improvements to the Gin Pit circuit, which was originally mainly funded and built by club members, have been made on an ongoing basis with the venue being afforded the status of the North's Regional Centre in 1997 and being a top graded facility, 'A' Grade International.

The club is an accredited British Cycling Go-Ride Club and the venue became British Cycling’s North West Cycle Speedway Academy during 2002. The A&T club boasts a proud record of recruiting and developing their own talent, with A&T riders having won one World Individual title and twenty eight British Individual titles (25 home grown). A&T have won the North & Scotland League Division 1 three times, Division 2 twice, Division 3 seven times, Northern Fours League once, Northern Junior League eight times, Northern K.O. Cup once, Northern Junior K. O. Cup five times, Manchester League Division One five times, Manchester League Division Two thirteen times, as well as the 1997 British U-16 Team Championship. A&T are the only club ever to complete a clean sweep in a season, by winning all three divisions of the North & Scotland Regional League, as well as the Northern Regional Final in both 2017 and 2019.

In 2003 the club successfully promoted the World Team Cup. The club acquired the prestigious Sport England Clubmark accreditation early in 2005 - only the 2nd cycling club in the U.K. to do so. The club successfully promoted the 1996 and 2010 British Individual Finals , the 1998, 2000, 2001, 2011 and 2015 British Team Finals and the 2019 Cycle Speedway Cup Final. The club won the Wigan Sports Club of the Year Award in 2011, 2015 & 2018, whilst winning British Cycling's Go-Ride Club of the Year Award in 2017.

Since 2014 the club has expanded it's activities to incorporate an Off Road section and a Road section, resulting in the change of name to A&T Cycling Club. Major funding in 2016 resulted in the complete rebuilding of the Gin Pit race track to a new specification and professional construction standards.

Riders Racing Statistics

Record of Personal Best Times (original track 1991-2015)

Record of Personal Best Times (New Track 2016 onwards)
 
Steve Harris - 53 years old. Essex born, but raised in Swindon, Steve is an undoubted legend of the sport. He transferred to A&T for the 2018 season, having previously raced for Swindon, Bristol St. George, Heckmondwike, Horspath and Poole, as well as Bydgoszcz, Kalety and Swietochlowice in Poland. A former Gt. Britain team manager, Steve won the 1999 World Individual title in Poland. He is the current British Grand Veterans Individual Champion, six times British Veterans Champion, three times World Veteran Individual Champion, seven times British Indoor Individual Champion and five times British Indoor Veterans Individual Champion. Throw in several British Team Championship wins, both indoors and outdoors, and Premier/ Elite League title wins with Horspath, and Steve is the most decorated rider of all time. He holds the all time record for British Individual title wins at all levels, currently standing at 19, and has made an all time record number of 25 British Open Individual Final appearances. Steve was a member of both the England team which won the Veterans World Cup and the Gt. Britain team which won the Veterans Federations Cup, in Poland in 2019.
 
Paul Graham - 52 years old. Former Bury and Manchester rider who returned to the sport in 2013 after an absence of 19 years. He quickly returned to form and rode in the 2016 and 2017 British Veterans Individual Finals. Won the 2018 North & Scotland Veterans Individual title. Was A&T Team Manager for three seasons, before becoming Club Captain in 2017 and helping the team to win the North & Scotland League Division 1 title three years in succession.
Terry Norman - Age 52 - Terry has joined A&T at the start of the 2023 season, on loan from Stockport 2006, to enable him to compete in North & Scotland League Division 1 matches. He started racing in 1985, with the old Stockport club, and has also raced for Tameside, Stoke and Wednesfield. An England international rider, Terry was the 2005 British Individual Champion.


Joel Partington - Age 25 - Joel started racing in 2007 at A&T, and rode for us in junior competitions until 2013. He then focused on track racing, with much success, before returning to A&T in 2021. He was a regular member of the A&T team which won the 2022 North & Scotland League Division 1.
Pierce Bacon - 23 years old - Pierce hails from Suffolk and started racing for Kesgrave, before switching to Ipswich. He won the 2017 British Elite Junior Grand Prix series. Whilst studying at Liverpool University, Pierce transferred to A&T at the start of the 2022 season, after a loan spell with us in 2021. He was a regular member of the A&T team which won the 2022 North & Scotland League Division 1.
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