City Stadium, Bradford facts for kids
| Location | Bradford, West Yorkshire |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°47′39″N 1°46′37″W / 53.79417°N 1.77694°W |
| Opened | 1932 |
| Closed | 1965 |
City Stadium, Bradford was a special place in Bradford, West Yorkshire. It was a track where greyhound dogs raced. Imagine a stadium filled with excitement as speedy dogs chased a lure!
Building the Stadium
The City Stadium was built in a busy part of Bradford. This area was full of factories and businesses. It was easy to get to, close to a main tram line. A railway line also ran right next to the stadium. This railway helped move goods from the local factories.
The stadium officially opened its doors on Monday, August 15, 1932. This was five years after another greyhound track, the Greenfield Stadium, had opened nearby. The main building at City Stadium had places to bet and seats for people to watch. There were also areas for standing and kennels for the dogs.
A Look at Its History
When it first opened, City Stadium was part of a group called the British Greyhound Track Control Society (BGTCS). This group helped manage greyhound racing. But in 1935, the BGTCS stopped operating. After that, City Stadium became independent. This meant it ran its own races without being part of a bigger organization.
Even though it had simple facilities, City Stadium became famous for a different reason. In 1958, a well-known film called Room at the Top used the stadium as a filming location. Several scenes were shot there, making the stadium a part of movie history! In the 1960s, races were often "handicap" races. This means some dogs got a head start to make the race fairer. Races were usually 470 yards long and happened on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
Why the Stadium Closed
In 1960, a new law changed things for places like City Stadium. This law allowed betting shops to open all over the country. This meant fewer people came to the stadium to place their bets. As a result, the stadium started losing money.
The owners tried new ideas to attract visitors. They even held card games after the races! But then, in 1963, a big fire caused a lot of damage. It cost £50,000 to repair, which was a huge amount of money back then. The stadium never fully recovered from this setback.
Greyhound racing at City Stadium ended on Wednesday, October 30, 1965. For a short time, the stadium was used for cycling events. It even had a special track called a velodrome for bikes. But soon, a large warehouse was built on the site. Today, the area is still mostly industrial. The old stadium site is now where the large Federal Mogul buildings stand. The road that used to run alongside the railway is now called 'Greyhound Drive'. It's a reminder of the stadium that once stood there.
