 Circa.1950 | |
 | |
| Location | Dudley Wood Road, Dudley, West Midlands |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°28′32″N2°05′06″W / 52.47556°N 2.08500°W |
| Opened | 1917 |
| Closed | 1995 |
| Tenants | |
| Association football (1917–1959) Greyhound racing (1947–1995) Speedway(1947–1995) | |
Dudley Wood Stadium also known as Cradley Heath Greyhound Stadium [1] was a greyhound racing, speedway and association football stadium. [2]
The origins of the track date back to 1917 when the Cradley Heath St Lukes Football Club built a new ground during World War I, because the lease at their previous ground at Codsall Park had expired. [3] They found farmland that was suitable for a pitch and constructed a basic football ground and stadium east of the Dudley Wood Road. [4]
Cradley Heath St Lukes were a successful football team playing in front of crowds of 6,000 at their peak. They won the Birmingham and District League three times. The team formed Cradley Sports Enterprise, which also introduced the greyhound racing at the venue. [5]
Cradley Heath speedway team first raced at the stadium on 21 June 1947. [6] The third division "Cubs" became the "Heathens" in the National League Division Two in 1949, and raced continuously until 1952. In 1959 the track reopened for one unlicensed meeting and in 1960 the Heathens entered the newly formed Provincial League. The club then operated continuously, at top flight level from 1965, until 1995 when they were evicted by the new landlords who had bought the stadium to redevelop into housing. [2]
The speedway track measured 367 yards (336 m) with a shape and size modelled on the track at Wembley Stadium. [7] The 4-lap track record (clutch start) of 60.7 seconds was set by Hans Nielsen on 18 July 1990. [8]
Cradley St Lukes were in debt and after war a betting licence was obtained and Cradley Heath Enterprises started work on the stadium that would include a speedway track. The football club successfully gained permission from Stanley Rous (Football Association) to play on a ground that also held the other sports on the proviso that they did not interfere with the running of the club. So in December 1947 the racing started and the football club decided to sell the ground to the greyhound company for £3,500. [9]
Racing continued throughout the 1950s as an independent track (unaffiliated to a governing body) and the football club moved out in 1959. During this time the track continued to apply to the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) for a full licence without success, the first application had been in 1948 had been refused and subsequent applications had all been refused. [10] Finally in 1966 the track then under the management of Fred Jeffcott received the news that they would be under the NGRC banner by the end of the year. [11] NGRC racing began in September 1966 under the supervision of Racing Manager Lionel Clemmow and a new competition called the Golden Hammer was inaugurated in 1968. The first winner of the event was Shannon Water from Perry Barr. The event was suspended after the 1972 running until 1983 due to the fact that the track flittered in and out of NGRC status. [12]
Derek Pugh a former Monmore trainer purchased the track and introduced the popular Cradley sales trials during the eighties as the auctioneers Hall, Wateridge and Owen held regular events. The Bridgewater family also had a stake in the company and despite the limitations of the venue there were eight bookmakers, a manual tote and automatic ray timing. Racing was held on Tuesday and Friday nights with trials on Wednesday mornings, the circumference of the circuit was 413 metres with distances of 231, 272, 462 and 647 metres behind an 'Outside McGee' hare. [13]
Pineapple Choice won the 1980 Stow Marathon, Red Prim trained by Jim Barrett claimed the 1981 Eclipse Stakes. Michael and Barbara Compton's Pineapple Barrow reached the 1982 English Greyhound Derby final and won the St Mungo Cup, the Ken Reynolds trained Slender Boy was victorious in the 1983 Northern Flat and the puppy Glenamona lifted the 1983 Trafalgar Cup.
Cradley Heath closed its doors in 1995 [14] and the stadium was demolished in 1998 by the new owners (Barratt Homes), despite not receiving planning permission for their home development project. [15]
| Year | Winner | Breeding | Trainer | Time | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Shannon Water | Prairie Flash – Shannons Daisy | Denis Delaney (Perry Barr) | 27.96 | |
| 1969 | Discretions | Prairie Flash – Sheila At Last | Wally Ginzel (Private) | 28.20 | 4-11f |
| 1970 | Thrushs Song | Forward Flash – Greek Lady | Frank Baldwin (Perry Barr) | 28.30 | 7-4 |
| 1971 | Big Crash | Spectre II – Kilcox Damsel | Peter Payne (Private) | 28.89 | |
| 1972 | Fleet Fox | Sally's Story - Ticarda | Colin McNally (Perry Barr) | 28.90 | 2-1 |
| 1983 | Roman Spring | Instant Gambler – Clinker Lassie | 28.36 | ||
| 1990 | Linthurst Rita | Buncarrig – Tinys Pet | Leo Pugh (Hall Green) | 28.60 | 13-8f |
1968-72 (500y), 1973-82 (not held), 1983-90 (462m)
| Distance | Greyhound | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500y | Shannon Water | 27.95 | 05.1968 |
| 272m | Tea Punt | 15.91 | 24.07.1981 |
| 462m | Slender Boy | 28.12 | 08.11.1983 |
| 647m | Ballybeg Grand | 40.35 | 28.09.1977 |
| 692m | Ritas Hero | 42.40 | 23.04.1982 |
| 875m | Pineapple Choice | 55.73 | 20.07.1982 |
Eastville Stadium, also known as Bristol Stadium and Bristol Stadium – Eastville, was a stadium in Eastville, a northern suburb of the English city of Bristol.
The Athletic Grounds was a stadium in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It was the home of Rochdale Hornets Rugby League Football Club for over 90 years until 1988. It has also been used for speedway, BriSCA F1 Stock Cars and greyhound racing.
Hackney Wick Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium located at Waterden Road in Hackney Wick, London, England.
Rye House Stadium was a speedway and greyhound racing venue in Rye Road, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. It is situated adjacent to the River Lea Navigation.
Cradley Heathens were a motorcycle speedway team from Dudley, England. The team was founded in 1947 and competed primarily at the top level of British speedway at Dudley Wood Stadium until its closure in 1995. The team was revived as Dudley Heathens in 2010, competing in the National League, reverting to the Cradley Heathens name in 2013 but ceased operating after the 2019 season.
Belle Vue Stadium was a greyhound racing track in Belle Vue, Manchester, England, where the first race around an oval track in Britain was held on 24 July 1926. It has also been used for motorcycle speedway, as the home ground of Elite League team Belle Vue Aces from 1988 until 2015, and from 1999 until 2019 for stock car racing and banger racing.
Long Eaton Stadium, previously the Recreation Ground, was a multi-use sports ground in Long Eaton, Derbyshire that staged cricket, cycling, football, greyhound racing and speedway.
Park Royal Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in London used from 1931 until 1969. It is not to be confused with the Park Royal Ground built in 1907 by the Great Western Railway and used by Queens Park Rangers F.C. from 1907 to 1915.
Milton Keynes Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium, in Milton Keynes located on the Groveway in Ashland.
Norton Canes Stadium was a former greyhound racing track situated in Norton Canes, near Cannock in Staffordshire.
Warrington Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Arpley, Warrington.
Crayford & Bexleyheath Stadium was a greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway stadium in the London Borough of Bexley.
Northumberland County Ground or the Gosforth Greyhound Stadium was a rugby stadium and greyhound racing stadium in Gosforth, Tyne And Wear.
White City Stadium (Nottingham) was a greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway stadium in Trent Lane, Nottingham.
Exeter Greyhound Stadium, also known as the Marsh Barton Stadium, was a greyhound racing stadium in Marsh Barton, Exeter.
Halifax Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium and cricket ground on the same grounds as Thrum Hall in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
The 1964 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 38th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1966 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 40th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1971 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 45th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1975 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 49th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.