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English Greyhound Derby Invitation
The English Greyhound Derby Invitation formerly the Derby Consolation Stakes was a long standing competition for greyhounds eliminated during the later stages of the English Greyhound Derby. It was originally for the six greyhounds eliminated at the semi-final stage but is now for greyhounds invited by the racecourse, although this still consists largely of the eliminated semi finalists. It was run at White City Stadium from 1927 until 1984. Following the closure of White City the event was switched to Wimbledon Stadium in 1985 and then to Towcester Greyhound Stadium in 2017. Winners over the decades have included Quare Times, Dante II, Sole Aim, Lively Band and Toms The Best Toms The Best was a leading racing greyhound during the 1990s. He is the only greyhound to have won both the English Greyhound Derby and the Irish Greyhound Derby. He was also voted the 1998 UK Greyhound of the Year. Whelping and rearing He was .... The race was discontinued following the closure ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White City Greyhounds
White City Greyhounds was the greyhound racing operation held at White City Stadium in London. The venue was regarded as the sport's primary track during its existence. History Origins After the 1908 Summer Olympics the White City area was used for further exhibitions, including the France-Britain Exhibition of 1908 and the Japan-Britain Exhibition of 1910, but the stadium began to be underused. By 1922 attempts had been made to sell it and it is reputed to have been in a very poor state by 1926. During the Februarys of 1926 and 1927 the stadium was used for the British Industries Fair before the public announcement that the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) had purchased the stadium following on from the success experienced by the company at the nation's first greyhound meetings in Manchester at Belle Vue Stadium. It would be the GRA's second stadium and the old running and cycle tracks were grassed over. A new restaurant was built and covered terracing was constructed. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clapton Stadium
The Clapton Stadium, also known as Millfields Road, was a football ground and greyhound racing stadium in the Lower Clapton area of London. History The stadium was originally named Whittles Athletic Ground and was mostly used for whippet racing. It was built on top of an old fireworks manufactory on the north side of Millfields Road. Football In 1896 Clapton Orient moved to the site from Pond Land Bridge, after which it became known as Millfields Road. The football club began redeveloping the stadium, with large embankments built around the pitch using slag from an adjacent power station.Paul Smith & Shirley Smith (2005) ''The Ultimate Directory of English & Scottish Football League Grounds Second Edition 1888–2005'', Yore Publications, p83, Clapton Orient were elected to the Second Division of the Football League in 1905, and the first Football League was played at the ground on 9 September 1905, with Orient beating Hull City 1–0 in front of 3,000 spectators. In 1906 th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1956 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1956 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 30th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary Attendances and Totalisator turnover had stabilised, with the latter resulting in a turnover of around £55 million. The Churches' Council on gambling quoted a figure of £119 million but that figure was for total gambling spend within the industry. One problem for the industry was the fact that the biggest names Spanish Battleship, Rushton Mac and Pauls Fun had all retired leaving the search for a new star. Competitions No single greyhound was able to secure more than one classic race success, the main Derby titles went to Dunmore King and Keep Moving. The 1956 English Greyhound Derby runner-up Duet Leader won the Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium and the Derby final third Gulf of Darien, reached the St Leger final at Wembley and the Cesarewitch at West Ham Stadium. The Welsh Greyhound Derby failed to take place again. Shipping magnate Noel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catford Stadium
Catford Stadium was a historic greyhound racing stadium in Catford, a suburb of London. Origins Charles Benstead and Frank Sutton founded the stadium on Southern Railway land between two commuter lines in 1932. The entrance was on Adenmore Road, West of Doggett Road. Greyhound Racing Opening The inaugural meeting was held on Saturday 30 July 1932 and consisted of a seven card race of events comprising four or five runners. Mick the Miller was paraded around the track prior to the fourth race. The first racing manager was Lt. Col. A J Vernon and there were no less than eighty bookmakers. A kennel complex was constructed at Layham's Farm, Keston, near Biggin Hill and six trainers were appointed. The track was described as a tight 369 yard circumference circuit and the hare was an 'Outside Breco Silent' before being switched to a more conventional 'Outside McKee'. Buses originally dropped patrons off just outside the main gates and by the entrance gates were tote facilities a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1955 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1955 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 30th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary Spanish Battleship became the greatest greyhound in Irish history by securing a third consecutive Irish Greyhound Derby title. No other greyhound had managed to win more than one Irish Derby previously. Before retiring, he broke the track record at Cork during his Laurels victory and won another McCalmont Cup title. His connections turned down a £15,000 bid from a London syndicate. Rushton Mac defeated the versatile and hot favourite Barrowside in the English Greyhound Derby final. Competitions Barrowside dominated the Grand National at White City, the red fawn dog claimed a five length victory at odds of 1-3 in a track record time of 29.43. The Gold Collar at Catford Stadium was won by Firgrove Slipper, a competition that featured 1953 English Greyhound Derby champion Daws Dancer. The new Derby champion Rushton Mac won the Welsh Greyhoun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 29th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary Spanish Battleship secured a second consecutive Irish Greyhound Derby title becoming the first greyhound in history to do so. In addition to the Derby win, during the year he won the Tostal Cup at Harold's Cross Stadium and Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park before an injury curtailed his efforts in the Callanan Cup final. After his historic Derby win he would win the Tipperary Cup with two track record runs and a victory in the McCalmont Cup but would be a shock loser in the final of the McAlinden Cup for the second year running. Pauls Fun won the English Greyhound Derby for Leslie Reynolds securing a record fifth title for the trainer. The annual totalisator was £56,139,001. Competitions Prince Lawrence and Ardskeagh Ville claimed the pre-derby classics, the Grand National and Gold Collar respectively. Jack Harvey went on a significant thre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1953 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1953 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 28th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The annual totalisator was £61,522,849 which constituted a solid year. The main stars of the year were Spanish Battleship, in Ireland and Magourna Reject, in the United Kingdom. Competitions There was a surprise in store during the first major event of the year when 1951 Scurry Gold Cup runner up Mushera Silver won the Gold Collar, at 13-2 beating Monachdy Girlie by two lengths. The Scottish Greyhound Derby was cancelled for the second successive year due to insufficient entries but the Welsh Greyhound Derby received a high standard of entry. Glittering Look made amends for his unlucky Derby performance beating fellow Derby finalists Small Town, Galtee Cleo in addition to Endless Gossip and Ollys Pal. A competition called the London Tracks Coursing Cup (confined to London track greyhounds) was held near Cambridge and was won by Must Ventu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 27th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The annual totalisator was £64,263,725, which indicated that the industry had stabilised following a few turbulent years. The year focused on the performances of two greyhounds, Endless Gossip and Magourna Reject. Despite the fact that Magourna Reject had failed to land a classic competition during the year, he drew the crowds everywhere he went and Endless Gossip was denied the chance to win the Triple Crown because the Scottish Greyhound Derby had been cancelled. Competitions Match racing was still popular even twenty years after the Mick the Miller era. One such match was between XPDNC (the Grand National champion against this year's favourite Lambourn Blackflash. Lambourn Blackflash won by five lengths and both competed in the Grand National at White City during May. The two rivals qualified for the final, but it was a 20-1 shot (Whis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walthamstow Stadium
Walthamstow Stadium was a greyhound racing track in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London.BBC News - Walthamstow race track to close' It was regarded as the leading greyhound racing stadium in Britain following the closure of White City in 1984. The stadium closed on 16 August 2008. Greyhound racing Crooked Billet In the early part of the 20th century the Myrtle Grove sports ground was built and used by the Walthamstow Grange Football Club from 1908. By 1929 the ground hosted greyhound racing for the first time and was known as the Crooked Billet Greyhound and whippet track (named after the nearby Crooked Billet public house). The track was an independent track, unaffiliated to a governing body. In 1931, William Chandler, a bookmaker by trade, decided to build on the existing independent track. Chandler also had shares in the Hackney Wick Stadium. Opening It cost Chandler £24,000 to buy the site and the Art Deco parapet entrance was built in 1932 with the c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1951 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1951 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 26th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The annual totalisator was £65,548,855, a fifth consecutive drop since 1946 but considerably more stable than the significant decreases experienced during 1950. Once again the blame was directed towards the government and their tax policies of 10% tote tax and an additional 45% entertainment tax. Two tracks closed claiming that they could not continue to trade under the current taxation. In January Tamworth Greyhound Stadium and in May White City Stadium (Newcastle), the latter closed after the Managing Director Mr Whatley reported unmanageable figures. The tote receipts were £75,000 of which £47,000 was taken out by taxation. Restrictions on gambling were very much still considered by the government to be in the interests of the general public. A record 140 entries were received at the initial stage of the 1951 English Greyhound Derby, B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1950 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1950 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 25th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The annual totalisator was £70,408,231, a fourth consecutive drop since 1946. Seventy-one of the tracks were affiliated to the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) which accounted for £61,068,000 of the total. The drop at the 71 tracks constituted 18% and paid attendances were 21,549,000, a drop of 10%. The returns further increased the friction between the industry and the government, with the former blaming the tote tax cost of £9,182,000 in addition to normal income tax on other areas of the business. Ballymac Ball continued his exceptional form from 1949 by winning the English Greyhound Derby. Tracks The Boyne Valley Greyhound Stadium in Navan and Spennymoor Greyhound Stadium both open. Competitions The News of the World in association with the National Greyhound Racing Club announced plans to sponsor a national intertrack competit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West Ham Stadium
West Ham Stadium was a stadium that existed between 1928 and 1972 in Custom House, in East London (it was in the County Borough of West Ham, in the county of Essex, at the time of the stadium's construction). The stadium was built in 1928 on Prince Regent Lane, near the site of the present-day Prince Regent DLR station. The venue was used for greyhound racing and speedway on weekdays and had no connection with West Ham United football club, who played at the nearby Boleyn Ground, Upton Park from 1904 until 2016. Greyhound racing Origins Plans for a very large stadium in a rural area near Plaistow Marsh, east of Canning Town were unveiled in the late 1920s and work began on the structure where an old sports ground (built in 1855) was situated that had belonged to the workers of the custom house of Royal Victoria Dock. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch, responsible for most of the major football stadia at the time including Anfield and Highbury. There was a large t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
