Sunderland Greyhound Stadium
LocationCity of Sunderland
OwnerArena Racing Company
Construction
Opened1940
Renovated1989
Expanded1989
Tenants
Greyhound racing

Sunderland Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track situated at Fulwell in the City of Sunderland and English county of Tyne and Wear.[1] The stadium is owned by ARC and racing takes place every Wednesday and Friday evening as well as an additional BAGS meeting on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The circumference of the track is 378 metres.

Speedway

Speedway races were held at the track from 1964 to 1974, with home teams including The Saints, The Stars and The Gladiators.

Greyhound racing

Competitions

Sunderland host one major competition called the Arena Racing Company Grand Prix (formerly the William Hill Grand Prix). It is not to be confused with the defunct classic race, The Grand Prix, held at Walthamstow Stadium until its closure.[2]

History

Origins & Opening

Designed by architects Matkin and Hawkins, the stadium was built at a cost of £60,000 in 1940. The site chosen for the new Boldon Greyhound Stadium, as it was known at the time, was North of Sunderland and south-east of East Boldon where the Sunderland and Newcastle Roads merged. It ran parallel with this road on its south side and the London & North Eastern Railway on its north side. On the opposite side of the road (slightly east) was the East Boldon hospital for infectious diseases which would later become the sanatorium. Boldon had strong links to the mining community which was a common factor with new greyhound tracks.[3]

It all started on the afternoon of Saturday 23 March 1940 at 3pm, quickly followed by a second and third meeting on the Easter Monday. Fred Gillespie was brought into the track to act as General and Racing Manager, along with other officials A E Hawkins from the Coundon track and George Hall from the White City Stadium (Newcastle). The opening meeting saw eight races over 450 yards and the meeting was advertised as a Sunderland super greyhound stadium with a wonder totalisator and three luxurious clubs, large covered enclosures and a free car park.[4] The first ever winner was trap 2 'Percheron' at odds of 5-2 in a time of 28.35 secs.

Early history

The greyhound track at Sunderland has had a varying past with affiliation to the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) on two separate occasions and a long stint as an independent track. It was known as the Newcastle Sports Stadium and the Boldon Greyhound Stadium throughout its history, before being renamed the Sunderland Greyhound Stadium.

Despite opening during the war, business grew year on year until peaking in 1946.[5] The track included a large main glass fronted club on the home straight with ballroom attached, covered stand and clubs on the fourth bend, a covered stand on the back straight, with the racing kennels and paddock on the first bend. There was also accommodation for 170 greyhounds adjoining the stadium which acted as the resident kennels. It was a 380 yards circumference track with an 'Inside Sumner' hare and distances of 348, 450 & 600 yards.[6]

The stadium first joined the NGRC set up after the war but withdrew in 1951 (believed to be on 26 February). The reason for the change was a system called 'Combine' which allowed tracks to run under rules similar to the latter day permit rules. Sunderland wanted owner-trainers that included many from the mining community to be able to race on separate race nights but the NGRC refused this request. With Sunderland also reliant on these forms of income the decision was made to leave.

The next forty years would see independent racing only, with racing held mainly every Thursday and Saturday evening; prize money was very good for a 'flapper' (term given to unlicensed tracks) offering a substantial £75 winners prize for some race in the mid-sixties which eclipsed many NGRC tracks. It was still an all-grass track, but there was now a 650 yard distance. Annual events included the Vaux Trophy and Milburn Trophy.[7]

During the late seventies, the track turned to an all-sand surface and raced mainly handicaps over 420 metres but underwent changes as the Sunderland Greyhound Racing Co pulled out. The betting licence was renewed but the ageing stadium closed in June 1980, awaiting either an offer for the stadium or a lease agreement. John Young eventually stepped in to become the owner and acting as General Manager and Racing Manager and they also introduced whippet racing. Distances in the mid-eighties were 243, 420, 600, 777, and 957 metres.

Renovation & re-opening

At the end of 1988, businessmen and race horse owner Terry Robson and former Brough Park trainer Harry Williams took over the control of Sunderland. A new track was designed and over £1 million was spent rebuilding the facilities. There was a new restaurant, private boxes, and an application to the NGRC thrown in. A £20,000 sponsorship deal from the Mailcom business owned by Eddie Shotton was secured before the opening night to boost open race competitions; Shotton was a well-known greyhound owner. The all-sand track had an 'Outside McGee' and racing was overseen by former Middlesbrough Racing Manager Ross Searle on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings.[8] Ten contracted trainers were brought in, Michael Brunnock, Graham Calvert, Kevin Donnelly, George Elliott, Terry Hart, Shirley Linley, Eddie McDermott, Ken Thwaites, Malcolm Woods, and Dawn Milligan.[9]

NGRC racing returned over forty years after the last affiliation with a bumper 12 race card on Wednesday 6 June 1990.[10] The track was unrecognizable to the one that had existed just two years previous and ten days later open racing took place and attracted Ravage Again who was in the middle of his 29 consecutive winning streak.[11]

Recent history

David Mullins and Ted Soppitt arrived as trainers in 1991 and the first ever Sunday greyhound racing fixture was held during 1992.[12] Trainer Harry Williams won the Scottish Greyhound Derby with New Level in 1993.

The ownership has changed hands several times; first Lloyd Milligan ran the track and then Dodds and Stephenson came into part ownership with Williams before Kevin Wilde became the latest owner in 1994. Wilde had been involved in the takeover of Brough Park, where Williams now returned to take up training again. Jimmy Nunn arrived as the new Racing Manager from Sheffield.[13]

Sunderland gained a lucrative BAGS contract before William Hill made it clear they were looking to invest into the greyhound industry influenced by the 'New Deal'. Following negotiations with Wilde, they agreed the purchase Sunderland for £9.4 million in September 2002. Wilde remained as the Director of greyhound stadia following the William Hill purchase of Brough Park one year later.[14] The track was voted "Northern Greyhound Track of the Year" by the British Greyhound Racing Board in 2005.[2]

Following the departure of Kevin Wilde, William Hill appointed Joe O'Donnell as Director of Stadia. In May 2017 the Arena Racing Company (ARC) acquired both Sunderland Greyhound Stadium and Newcastle Greyhound Stadium from William Hill.[15]

The annual UK William Hill festival of racing was the principal event at the track, the meeting included the William Hill Grand Prix and William Hill Classic and was shown live on Sky Sports. In 2018 the stadium signed a deal with their parent company ARC to race every Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday evening, Thursday lunchtime and Sunday lunchtime.[16]

In 2021, the William Hill Grand Prix returned but was renamed to the Arena Racing Company Grand Prix and it was downgraded to a Category 2 event.[17] In 2022, the stadium owners ARC signed a long term deal with Entain for media rights, starting in January 2024.[18]

Track records

Current track records

Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes
261Walshes Hill[19]15.3020 June 2015
450Droopys Trapper[20]26.4922 July 2018
640Coolavanny Aunty[21]38.8114 April 2022ARC Grand Prix semi final
828Shes the Deal[22]51.8124 January 2006

Former track records

Extended content

[23]

Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes
255Ravage Again15.8716 June 1990
255Steamy Lass15.8511 July 1990
255Ravage Again15.6520 July 1990
255Intelligent Lad15.6412 September 1990
261Gold Buster15.6010 February 1996
261Ballymac Rooster15.5410 October 2006
261Hes A Mystery15.5022 May 2009
261Jimmy Lollie15.389 July 2010
405Harens Smokey25.2114 September 1990
405Disc25.0521 September 1990
405Sunshine Slippy24.973 December 1990
450Mandies Supreme27.5516 June 1990
450Mandies Supreme27.5227 June 1990
450Pinewood Rocky27.4722 August 1990
450Slaneyside Hare27.4110 October 1990
450Seafield Quest27.3810 November 1990Mailcom Puppy Derby Final
450Gulleen Darkie27.2919 December 1990
450Harsu Super27.0025 October 2000
450Premier Marine26.9323 October 2004
450Roxholme Silks26.658 December 2004Northern Puppy Derby semi
450Delwood Senior26.8011 August 2006
450Mahers Boy26.7519 May 2007Classic semi-final
450Groovy Stan26.6719 May 2007Classic semi-final
450Meenala Cruiser26.6422 May 2007
450Blonde Snapper [24]26.5914 July 2011Classic final
580Tomijo36.0016 June 1990
631Sir Alva39.5916 June 1990
640Autumn Tiger38.9722 October 1995
640Blue Tick George[25]38.9513 April 2021ARC Grand Prix semi final
776Glasha Band50.6627 July 1990
776Chitral49.9125 August 1990
782Always Dangerous50.1314 September 1990
826Road Princess52.9916 June 1990
828Elteen Heather53.061997
828Doras Miller52.4613 February 2002
828Blues Fancy52.1814 December 2004
828Shes the Deal51.9820 December 2005

References

  1. ↑ "Track Search". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 25 December 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
  3. ↑ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 302. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
  4. ↑ "New Stadium Opening, Thursday 21 March". Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette. 1940.
  5. ↑ Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1946.
  6. ↑ Tarter, P Howard (1949). Greyhound Racing Encyclopedia, page 59. Fleet Publishing Company Ltd.
  7. ↑ Furby, R (1968). Independent Greyhound Racing, page 24. New Dominion House.
  8. ↑ "Remember When - June". Greyhound Star.
  9. ↑ Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File, page 111. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-22-8.
  10. ↑ "Sunderland Race Back To The Top, Wednesday June 6, 1990". Sunderland Echo. 1990.
  11. ↑ Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File, page 111. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-22-8.
  12. ↑ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When) October edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
  13. ↑ Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook, page 255. Ringpress Books. ISBN 186054-010-4.
  14. ↑ "Stadium boss is betting on bright future". Sunderland Echo.
  15. ↑ "ARC ANNOUNCE ACQUISITION OF NEWCASTLE AND SUNDERLAND GREYHOUND STADIUMS FROM WILLIAM HILL PLC". Arena Racing.
  16. ↑ "Arc Schedule Released". Greyhound Star.
  17. ↑ "Category 2 events". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  18. ↑ "No Competition - No Progress". Greyhound Star. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "THE WILLIAM HILL SPRINT". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  20. ↑ "Trapper Record". Greyhound Star.
  21. ↑ "THE ARC GRAND PRIX SEMI-FINAL 1". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  22. ↑ "2006 track record result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  23. ↑ "Track records". Greyhound Data.
  24. ↑ "William Hill Classic Final". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  25. ↑ "ARC GRAND PRIX SEMI FINAL 2". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 2 May 2021.

54°56′25″N 1°24′34″W / 54.940191°N 1.409378°W / 54.940191; -1.409378

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