| Location | Irvine, North Ayrshire Scotland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 55°37′05″N4°39′45″W / 55.61806°N 4.66250°W |
| Opened | 1933 |
| Closed | 1993 |
Irvine Caledonian Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. [1]
Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a track. There are two forms of greyhound racing, track racing and coursing. Track racing uses an artificial lure that travels ahead of the dogs on a rail until the greyhounds cross the finish line. As with horse racing, greyhound races often allow the public to bet on the outcome.
Irvine is an ancient settlement, in medieval times a royal burgh, and now a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The 2011 Census recorded the town's population at 33,698 inhabitants, making it the largest settlement in North Ayrshire.
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain, with a border with England to the southeast, and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast, the Irish Sea to the south, and more than 790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
The first greyhound meeting at Irvine took place on 21 August 1933. Known as the Caledonian Stadium it was located between Bank Street and Quarry Road. It is not to be confused with the location of a football ground and running track that was built adjacent on the north side some years later. The track which was independent (unlicensed) was 400 yards in circumference resulting in race distances of 120, 325, 525 and 725 yards with an uphill finish. The main event was the Marymass Handicap and there were two covered stands and kennels for 48 greyhounds. [2] Racing was held on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon and the hare was an Outside McKee Scott. [3] It was one of two greyhound tracks in Irvine, the other being the Townhead Greyhound Track. The racing at the Caledonian Stadium ended in 1993.
Townhead Greyhound Track was a former greyhound racing track in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland.
Both the football ground and the greyhound stadium have since been demolished and form the west area of a large recreation park.
