Wimbledon Stadium facts for kids
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| Full name | Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium |
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| Location | Plough Lane, Wimbledon, London SW17 0BL, England |
| Coordinates | 51°25′52.91″N 0°11′12.01″W / 51.4313639°N 0.1866694°W |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 19 May 1928 |
| Renovated | 1950s |
| Closed | 25 March 2017 |
| Demolished | 16 March 2018 |
Wimbledon Stadium, also known as Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, was a famous sports venue in Wimbledon, southwest London, England. It was mainly known for greyhound racing.
The stadium also hosted exciting stock car races and other small motor racing events. For many years, until 2005, it was home to motorcycle speedway races. From 1985 to 2016, Wimbledon Stadium hosted the English Greyhound Derby every year, which is a very important greyhound race.
Over time, fewer people came to the stadium, and it wasn't updated. Because of this, the owners, the Greyhound Racing Association, decided to sell it. The stadium closed for good in March 2017. A company called Galliard Homes bought the land to build 600 new apartments and a new football stadium for AFC Wimbledon, called Plough Lane. The old stadium was taken down in 2018 to make way for these new buildings. Wimbledon Stadium was one of the last greyhound stadiums in London to close.
Contents
What the Stadium Looked Like
The stadium originally had a large grandstand made of brick, which could seat 8,000 people. It also had special executive suites, several bars, and places to eat, including a big restaurant where waiters served food. Outside the stadium, there was a large car park. For many years, this car park was used for car-boot sales on Saturdays and Sundays, where people could buy and sell things from their car boots.
Greyhound Racing History
How it Started
The greyhound stadium was built on marshy land next to the River Wandle. This area was tricky to build on and often flooded. The only nearby buildings were a leather factory, a sewage plant, and a pub called The Plough. A little further east, Summerstown Road had the only houses in the area.
Even with these challenges, a company called South London Greyhound Racecourses Ltd. decided to build a big stadium for 1928. However, they ran into money problems. Luckily, a group led by Bill 'WJ' Cearns, whose company was building the stadium, stepped in with enough money to finish the project.
The Grand Opening
The stadium officially opened on 19 May 1928. The very first race was won by a greyhound named Ballindura, trained by Harry Leader. The Burhill kennels in Walton-on-Thames became well-known for housing the greyhounds that raced at Wimbledon. Famous trainers like Stan Biss and Sidney Orton used these kennels.
Early Years: 1928–1939
In 1929, Wimbledon was the first track to use weighing scales at its kennels. This meant that people watching the races could know the greyhounds' weights before they ran. New races like the Puppy Derby and the Wimbledon Gold Cup were also started.
A very famous greyhound named Mick the Miller came to Wimbledon in 1929. He stayed at the kennels during the 1929 English Greyhound Derby. In 1930, Mick the Miller won his second Derby title, making himself, the sport, and Wimbledon Stadium very famous across the country. The Laurels, another important race, also came to Wimbledon in 1930.
Wartime and Beyond: 1940s–1950s
During World War II, the stadium was damaged by bombs but kept operating. A famous dog named Ballynennan Moon became a star during the war years. He won many races, almost breaking a record for consecutive wins.
In 1943, another young greyhound, Ballyhennessy Seal, moved to Wimbledon. His trainer, Stan Martin, helped him win the Derby in 1945, which was the third Derby win for the track. After the war, a new grandstand was built to replace the damaged part of the stadium. In 1950, Ballymac Ball won the Derby for Wimbledon, also trained by Stan Martin. The stadium also helped test the Instaprint photo timer, which became standard across Britain.
Changes and Success: 1960s–1970s
In the 1960s, new trainers like Phil Rees Sr. joined the track. There were talks about rebuilding the stadium, but the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) bought a large part of Wimbledon to keep it as a greyhound track.
In the 1970s, the GRA invested more money into the stadium, increasing the prize money for races like the Laurels. They also introduced new technology, such as sectional timing and a system for grading greyhounds based on their ability. In 1976, Mutts Silver, trained by Phil Rees Snr., won the Derby for Wimbledon.
The Derby's New Home: 1980s
After White City Stadium closed in 1984, Wimbledon was chosen to host the sport's biggest event, the English Greyhound Derby, starting in 1985. This was a huge deal for Wimbledon. The first Derby held there was over a new distance of 480 meters. Pagan Swallow won, making the Rees family the second father and son duo to win the Derby. When Harringay Stadium closed, the important Oaks race for female greyhounds also moved to Wimbledon.
Later Years: 1990s–2017
In 1990, a greyhound named Druids Johno was partly owned by Prince Edward. In 1991, Ballinderry Ash won the Derby, bringing Wimbledon's total Derby wins to eight.
In 1996, Wimbledon introduced Intertrack betting, allowing people at other tracks to watch races and place bets directly at Wimbledon. Sky Sports also started showing greyhound meetings from Wimbledon in 1999.
In the 2000s, some greyhounds achieved amazing feats. Rapid Ranger won two Derby titles in 2000 and 2001, just like Mick the Miller. Later, Westmead Hawk also won the Derby twice in 2005 and 2006. In 2010, the stadium underwent big changes, costing around £400,000, to update the grandstand and the track itself.
However, fewer and fewer people attended races over the years, and the stadium became old and worn out. Its closure was announced, and the very last race meeting took place on 25 March 2017. Many fans came to say goodbye, and the final race was won by Glitzy King.
Speedway Racing
The Wimbledon Dons
For over 50 years, until 2005, Wimbledon Stadium was also the home of the Wimbledon Dons speedway team. Speedway is a type of motorcycle racing on an oval track. The stadium was famous for hosting the Internationale meeting every year from 1962 to 1981.
The Dons team started racing in 1929. After World War II, the team was reformed and raced in the top league from 1946 to 1964. The Dons won the league many times in the 1950s. In the years after the war, weekly crowds were often over 30,000 people. Even as speedway became less popular, Wimbledon remained a top team with good crowds.
In the 1980s, the stadium owners decided that speedway would end in 1986. But a group of people, led by David Pickles, helped the Dons continue. They had some success, but eventually, the team faced financial problems. In June 1991, the Wimbledon Dons rode their last race at Plough Lane. The team finished their 1991 season by moving to Eastbourne and were called the Eastbourne Dons.
After being closed for eleven years, the team reopened at Wimbledon Stadium in 2002. However, they were finally disbanded completely in 2005 due to a disagreement about rent prices between the team's promoters and the stadium owners.
Stock Car Racing Events
Plough Lane also hosted exciting motor racing events. These included Superstox, Stock Cars, Hot Rods, and Bangers. The first stock car meeting was on 29 September 1962. The track quickly became a very important venue for these races, hosting the Superstox World Championship every year until 1974. These big events were so popular that tickets often sold out.
The stadium even had its own stock car racing teams in 1966 and from 1971-72. The Unlimited Banger World Final also took place at Wimbledon for many years. However, this event moved to another stadium in 2008 because new rules about vehicle emissions in London made it too expensive for the racing transporters to travel to Wimbledon.
Other Special Events
Wimbledon Stadium was used for a part of the music video for the 1978 Queen song "Bicycle Race". In the video, many professional female models rode bicycles around the stadium.
Banger racing at the stadium was also shown in an episode of the 1970s ITV police TV show The Sweeney, called "Contact Breaker".
Closure and Demolition
In 2007, a development company called Galliard Homes bought the stadium. Later, the local football team, AFC Wimbledon, became interested in building their new football stadium on the site. In December 2015, plans to build the new football stadium and 600 homes on the greyhound stadium site were approved.
Despite efforts to keep the stadium open, including a rival plan to build a new greyhound stadium and a request to make the stadium a protected historical site, these attempts failed. The stadium officially closed to the public on 25 March 2017. The demolition of the stadium and its buildings began on 16 March 2018, clearing the way for the new development.
Images for kids
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Wimbledon Stadium around 1980, showing the track and stands.
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Puff Pastry, the 1972 Wimbledon Spring Cup champion, with its owner Mr. R. White.
See also
In Spanish: Wimbledon Stadium para niños
