Monmore Green Stadium facts for kids
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| Location | Wolverhampton, England |
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| Coordinates | 52°34′37.71″N 2°6′6.73″W / 52.5771417°N 2.1018694°W |
| Operated by | Ladbrokes Coral |
| Date opened | 1928 |
| Race type | Greyhound racing Motorcycle speedway |
Monmore Green Stadium is a cool place in Wolverhampton, England. It's where you can watch exciting greyhound races and thrilling speedway events. The stadium has comfy private rooms, a restaurant, and several places to grab a drink. It's run by a company called Ladbrokes Coral.
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Speedway: Fast Bikes and Roaring Crowds
Speedway races happen here on Monday nights. The home team is the Wolverhampton Wolves. They race in the top league, called the Elite League. Their captain is Fredrik Lindgren from Sweden.
Many famous riders have raced for the Wolves. These include Britain's two-time World Champion Tai Woffinden. Also, multiple World Champions like Ole Olsen and Hans Nielsen from Denmark. Sam Ermolenko from the USA, who won in 1993, also rode here.
Sometimes, another team called Cradley Heathens races at Monmore Green. They are in the National League. Fans sometimes call the stadium "Monmore Wood" as a tribute to an old stadium.
The speedway track is about 264 meters (289 yards) long. The fastest time for four laps is 53.45 seconds. This record was set by Darcy Ward in 2015.
Greyhound Racing: Speedy Dogs in Action
Greyhound races happen often at Monmore Green. You can watch races on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons. Evening races are held on Thursday and Saturday nights.
The track hosts several big races. These include the Ladbrokes Gold Cup and the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby. Other important races are the Ladbrokes Festival 630's and the Ladbrokes Summer Cup. Since 2015, the famous Trafalgar Cup for young dogs has also been held here.
A band called Half Man Half Biscuit even wrote a song about the track. It's called "Monmore, Hare's Running." You can find it on their 1997 album, Voyage to the Bottom of the Road.
History of Monmore Green
Early Days: Opening in 1928
Monmore Green Stadium first opened its doors in 1928. It's located south-east of Wolverhampton city center. The first races were held on January 11, 1928. About 10,000 people came to watch. The first greyhound to win a race was Arrow Tranby. It won a 500-yard race.
In 1935, the large kennels at Monmore were divided. They also served another stadium nearby. Monmore stayed open during most of World War II. In 1943, they started a new race. This race later became known as the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby.
Changes and Growth: Mid-20th Century
A big fire hit the main grandstand in 1963. The stadium had to close for a while for repairs. This led to major improvements. The grandstand got a modern glass-fronted restaurant. This made the stadium very up-to-date.
In 1970, a company called Totalisators and Greyhound Holdings (TGH) bought Monmore. Four years later, in 1974, Ladbrokes bought TGH. This added Monmore and other tracks to Ladbrokes' ownership. In 1981, the track started holding special races for bookmakers. These were called BAGS fixtures.
Modern Era: 21st Century Success
In the late 1980s, the old kennels were removed. The stadium started working with trainers who brought their dogs in. Jim Woods became the Racing Manager. The stadium hosted the Golden Jacket race in 1986. The Midland Gold Cup also returned in 1994.
The year 2011 was very successful for Monmore Green. They won the BAGS National Track Championship. In 2013, Tony Williamson took over as Racing Manager. The important Trafalgar Cup competition started being held here in 2015.
In 2018, the stadium made a deal with SIS. This meant races would be held every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon. Also, every Thursday and Saturday evening. A top trainer, Kevin Hutton, joined the track in August 2018.
Major Greyhound Races at Monmore Green
- Ladbrokes Gold Cup
- Ladbrokes Puppy Derby
- Trafalgar Cup
- Ladbrokes Gold Cup Festival 630
- Ladbrokes Spring Festival 630
- Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic
Images for kids
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Monmore Green Stadium, Wolverhampton around 1970.
