Hyde Park Greyhound Stadium

Last updated
Hyde Park Greyhound Stadium
LocationManor Oaks Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
Coordinates 53°22′56″N1°27′04″W / 53.38222°N 1.45111°W / 53.38222; -1.45111
Opened1933
Closed1980

Hyde Park Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium on Manor Oaks Road in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.

Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom

Greyhound racing is an industry in the United Kingdom. The industry uses a Parimutuel betting tote system with on-course and off-course betting available, with a turnover of £75,100,000.

Sheffield City and metropolitan borough in England

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. With some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely industrial roots to encompass a wider economic base. The population of the City of Sheffield is 582,506 (mid-2018 est.) and it is one of the eight largest regional English cities that make up the Core Cities Group. Sheffield is the third-largest English district by population. The metropolitan population of Sheffield is 1,569,000.

South Yorkshire County of England

South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in England. It is the southernmost county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region and had a population of 1.34 million in 2011. It has an area of 1,552 square kilometres (599 sq mi) and consists of four metropolitan boroughs, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. South Yorkshire was created on 1 April 1974 as a result of the Local Government Act 1972. Its largest settlement is Sheffield.

Contents

Origins

A track was constructed in 1933 on St Johns Road, north of Manor Oaks Road in an area known as Park Hill at the time. Previously the site had been the Hyde Park Cricket Ground followed by the Hyde Park Drill Ground [1] and then the Hyde Park Volunteer Ground. [2]

Hyde Park was a cricket ground in Sheffield on a site now used for high-rise community flats. It took the name of fields that occupied the area in the early 19th century. Hyde Park was used for important matches between 1830 and 1854. It opened in 1826 and was adopted by Sheffield Cricket Club as a home venue, replacing Darnall New Ground, from 1830 until 1854. It was itself superseded in April 1855 by Bramall Lane. Hyde Park staged the first "Roses Match" between Yorkshire and Lancashire in July 1849.

Opening

The greyhound racing started on the 1 April 1933. [3]

History

There were two large stands and amenities included a sizeable members social club and snack bar. Racing was held on Friday and Saturday nights at 7.30pm. The track itself was a small circumference of 300 yards enabling distances of 200, 375, 525 and 700 yards. The five dog racing was a mixture of handicap races an level breaks racing with an 'Inside Sumner' hare system in use. [4]

Many of the greyhounds that raced at the track were company owned and came from their breeding kennels at Hatfield Woodhouse Farm. The same management called Hyde Park Greyhounds Ltd ran the track from when it opened into the 1970s and was one of the first tracks in the country to convert to grass straights and sanded bends instead of all-grass just after the Second World War. [4]

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 70 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the National Greyhound Racing Club) and was known as a flapping track which was the nickname given to independent tracks. It struggled to compete with the much larger Darnall Stadium and Owlerton Stadium but totalisator turnover peaked in 1946 at £625,084. [5]

The National Greyhound Racing Club was a former organisation that governed Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom.

Darnall Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Darnall, east Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Owlerton Stadium

Owlerton Stadium, sometimes referred to as Sheffield Sports Stadium, is a greyhound racing track in Owlerton near Hillsborough in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Greyhound Racing takes place on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings and every Monday and Thursday afternoon. There is a modern glass-fronted Panorama Restaurant accommodating up to 300 people, executive suites, fast food facilities and a number of bars.

Annual events included the Tenants Trophy and Coopers Trophy. [4]

Closure

The track closed in April 1980 when the site was converted to housing called Manor Oaks Gardens. [3]

Related Research Articles

Old Craven Park was a rugby league and greyhound racing stadium in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Southend Stadium was a former greyhound racing and football stadium in Grainger Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. It was also the home ground of Southend United between 1934 and 1955 and was also known as Greyhound Park.

Gosforth Greyhound Stadium

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.

Pennycross Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium in north Plymouth, Devon.

The Doncaster Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Doncaster. It was sometimes incorrectly referred to as Sprotbrough Greyhound Track due to its location near the Sprotbrough Road.

Diamond Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium situated in Falkirk, Scotland. It was also known as the Brockville Greyhound Stadium and Falkirk Diamond Stadium and is not to be confused with the nearby Brockville Park.

Blackburn Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire.

Halifax Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium and cricket ground on the same grounds as Thrum Hall in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Breck Park Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Liverpool.

The Oldham Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in the Watersheddings area in the north east of Oldham.

Tamworth Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Fazeley near Tamworth, Staffordshire.

Wakefield Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Luton Stadium was a former greyhound racing and speedway stadium.

Hartlepool Stadium was a greyhound racing, football, cricket and rugby union stadium in Clarence Road, Hartlepool, County Durham.

The Halfway Greyhound Track was a greyhound racing stadium on Torquay Road, Kingskerswell, between Newton Abbot and Torquay in Devon.

St Helens Greyhound Racing and Sports Stadium was a greyhound racing and former football stadium on Park Road in St Helens, Lancashire

Wombwell Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing and football stadium on Hough Lane in Wombwell, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire. It was one of two greyhound tracks in the town; the other was called the South Yorkshire Sports Stadium.

Temple Mills Stadium also known as White Temple Stadium was a greyhound racing, whippet racing and boxing venue in East London.

References

  1. ↑ "The Drill Hall Project - Charting a neglected legacy". Drill Halls.org.
  2. ↑ "OS County Series Lancashire and Furness 1930". old-maps.co.uk.
  3. 1 2 Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
  4. 1 2 3 Furby, R (1968). Independent Greyhound Racing. New Dominion House.
  5. ↑ Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1946.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.