Linlithgow Lightning

Defunct British motorcycle speedway team

Linlithgow Lightning

Club information
Track address| Heathersfield Stadium
Myrehead Farm
Whitecross
Linlithgow
West Lothian
Country| Scotland
Founded| 1994
Closed| 1999
Major team honours
| Conference champions| 1996

|

Knockout Cup winners (tier 2)| 1996

Linlithgow Lightning were a British speedway team based in Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland. They raced at Heathersfield Stadium.[1][2][3]

## History

[edit]

Plans for holding speedway in Linlithgow started in October 1988, when the Edinburgh Monarchs manager Alan Robertson revealed that a circuit would be built to enable younger riders to use it as a training circuit.[4] The site would be known as Heathersfield Stadium and the location was on Myrehead Farm in Whitecross (55°58′46″N 3°39′32″W﻿ / ﻿55.97944°N 3.65889°W﻿ / 55.97944; -3.65889). The stadium was used a training track up until 1994, when Linlithgow Lightning (managed by Alan Robertson) joined the 1994 British League Division Three.[5] The first fixture took place on 26 June 1994.[6][7] In 1995, they raced in the 1995 Academy League but experienced financial issues during a troubled season.[8][9]

During their third season, led by Barry Campbell, Blair Scott and Peter Scully, the team won the 1996 Speedway Conference League and the Conference League Knockout Cup.[10][11]

The following season most of the league winning team moved up to the Premier League before they competed in the 1997 Speedway Conference League as Lathallan Lightning.[12]

Alan Robertson did not enter a side during 1998 but he was joined by Edinburgh promoter John Campbell for the 1999 season and they managed a team for one more season during the 1999 Speedway Conference League season.[3]

In September 1999, Linlithgow Lightning were told that by the landowner that he was selling and that the team would have to move out.[13] The club folded in 1999 and the venue closed in October 1999.[14]

## Season summary

[edit]

Year and league  | Position  | Notes

|
|

1994 British League Division Three | 4th |
1995 Academy League | 6th |
1996 Speedway Conference League | 1st | Champions & Knockout Cup winners
1997 Speedway Conference League | 11th | rode as Lathallan Lightning
1999 Speedway Conference League | 6th |

## See also

[edit]

* List of United Kingdom Speedway League Champions

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Linlithgow - Heathersfield Stadium". Speedway Museum Online.
2. ^ "Linlithgow Speedway". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
3. ^ a b "The Linlithgow Story". Speedway Plus. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
4. ^ "Tigers hunt ends in Spain". Daily Record. 21 October 1988. Retrieved 29 February 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
5. ^ "Linlithgow - Heathersfield Stadium". Speedway Plus. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
6. ^ "New track". Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. 25 June 1994. Retrieved 29 February 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
7. ^ "1994 tables". Speedway GB.
8. ^ "1995 tables". Speedway GB.
9. ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
10. ^ "Major League Competitions". Speedway Archive.
11. ^ "1996 Tables". Speedway GB.com.
12. ^ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - MODERN ERA (1991-PRESENT)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
13. ^ "Speedway". Daily Record. 30 September 1999. Retrieved 29 February 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
14. ^ "The Linlithgow Story". Speedway Plus.

* v
* t
* e

Speedway in the United Kingdom

Current leagues|

* SGB Premiership
* SGB Championship
* National Development League
* List of champions

Former leagues|

* Elite League
* Premier League
* National League (1932–1964)
* Provincial League (1960–1964)
* British League
* British League Division Two/National League
* Conference League
* National League Division Two
* National League Division Three
* English Dirt Track League/Northern League
* Southern League (1929–1931)
* Southern League (1952–1953)
* Provincial League (1936–1937)
* Southern Area League

Current team competitions|

* Knockout Cup
* League Pairs champions
* League Fours champions

Former team competitions|

* London Cup
* Midland Cup
* Craven and Young Shields
* Premiership Shield

Current individual competitions|

* British Speedway Championship
* League Riders' champions
* British U-21
* British U-19
* Scottish Open

Former individual competitions|

* London Riders'
* Midland Riders'
* Northern Riders'
* Southern Riders'
* Olympique
* Internationale

See also|

* Speedway
* British Speedway Promoters' Association
* Speedway Control Bureau

* v
* t
* e

United Kingdom Speedway Seasons

Tier One League
Top division|

* 1929
* 1929
* 1930
* 1930
* 1931
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Tier Two League
Second division|

* 1934
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Tier Three League
Third division|

* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1994
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Champions|

* League champions
* Cup winners

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template