Greenfield Stadium, Bradford facts for kids
Greenfield Stadium in Bradford c.1960
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| Former names | Greenfield Athletic Ground Greenfield Autodrome Yorkshire Trotting and Athletic Grounds |
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| Location | Bradford |
| Opened | Before 1907 |
| Closed | 5 March 1969 |
| Tenants | |
| Bradford Northern Bradford Panthers Greyhound racing |
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Greenfield Stadium was a famous sports place in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was also known by other names like Greenfield Athletic Ground. This stadium was the first home for the Bradford Northern Rugby league team.
Later, it became a popular place for greyhound races and speedway events. The stadium was located near School Street in Dudley Hill, Bradford. In 1907, it was a large field with a special track for running and horse trotting.
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Stadium Closure
The stadium closed down in March 1969. The land was sold to build industrial warehouses. The very last sports event held there was a greyhound race meeting. About 4,790 people came to watch on March 5, 1969.
Sports Played at Greenfield
Greenfield Stadium hosted several exciting sports over the years. It was a key venue for rugby league, greyhound racing, and speedway.
Rugby League History
In 1907, the new team, Bradford Northern, rented the ground. They paid £8 to Whitaker's Brewery, who also helped sponsor the club. Greenfield became the team's first permanent home. The club even set up its main office at the nearby Greenfield Hotel.
Bradford Northern played their first match there on September 7, 1907. They played against Huddersfield, and about 7,000 fans came to watch. Later that year, the team had a big win against the touring New Zealand side.
Bradford Northern spent £302 to improve the stadium. They added a grandstand, fencing, and worked on the pitch. However, they only stayed at Greenfield for one season. In June 1908, they decided to move to Birch Lane. After that, they moved to their current home, Odsal Stadium.
Once Bradford Northern left, the stadium was used only for running and trotting. By the 1920s, it was known as the Yorkshire Trotting and Athletic Grounds.
Greyhound Racing Era
Stadium Transformation
In 1926, work began to change the venue into a greyhound racing stadium. This was one of the first greyhound stadiums in the UK. It officially opened for racing on October 8, 1927. The track was connected to the National Greyhound Racing Club.
The stadium now had much better facilities. There was a main stand with covered seating on the School Street side. This was opposite the starting gate for the dogs. There was also covered seating along the back straight. At one end, a huge scoreboard showed race results. At the other end, there was a clubhouse overlooking the track.
Exciting Races and Records
Soon after opening, a big storm hit Bradford in October 1927. The stadium lost the roofs from both of its stands. The stadium was run by the Greenfield Greyhound Racing Association.
In 1932, a trainer named Jimmy Rimmer set a record. He had 504 winning dogs in one year while working at the track. Rimmer was also famous for his role at the Waterloo Cup, a big greyhound event. In 1934, a greyhound from Greenfield called Deemsters Mike raced in the English Greyhound Derby final. This dog also won the Northern Flat race.
The track was known for being well-designed. It had a good run-in to the finish line, which was great for all types of racing dogs. The races used an 'Outside Sumner' hare, which is a mechanical lure. Race distances included 310, 500, 650, and 700 yards. The track itself was 420 yards around.
The stadium had entrances next to the Greenfield Hotel. There was also a popular club stand. Behind this stand were fifty kennels for race day and a paddock for the dogs. Even more kennels were located further away for the dogs to live in. A third stand, called the Padden Connel club, was between the first and second bends. This brought the total number of people the stadium could hold to 7,000.
In 1952, the track reached the final of the national track championship. This event was sponsored by the News of the World. However, Greenfield lost to Eastville Stadium in the final.
Speedway Racing
In 1961, a speedway track was built inside the greyhound track. It was about 320 meters long. The city's speedway team, Bradford Panthers, moved to Greenfield from Odsal Stadium. The first speedway event was opened by a famous promoter named Johnnie Hoskins.
However, the speedway team's success was short-lived. The last speedway meeting at Greenfield Stadium was on Tuesday, October 9, 1962. It was a double-header event against teams from Sheffield and Leicester. The Bradford Panthers team stopped racing soon after this.
