 | |
| Location | Coventry |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°26′36.241″N1°30′9.041″W / 52.44340028°N 1.50251139°W |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Closed | 1964 |
| Tenants | |
| Greyhound racing & speedway | |
Lythalls Lane Stadium was a greyhound racing and Motorcycle speedway stadium in Coventry. [1] It is sometimes referred to as Foleshill Stadium or Coventry Stadium but should not be confused with Brandon Stadium.
In 1928 the Coventry Greyhounds Ltd constructed a greyhound and speedway stadium in the Holbrooks area of Coventry off Lythalls Lane, Foleshill. [2] Opening night was 7 April 1928; the track was a reasonable size and able to accommodate over 5,000 spectators. There was a large grandstand on the home straight and tote facilities right in front of the winning line. [3] The first speedway in Coventry arrived during the inaugural year of UK speedway on 21 July 1928. The racing was organised by Midlands Speedways (a Manchester company) with a series of open and challenge events. [4]
The track got off to an inauspicious start when the General and Racing Manager Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Nigel Fitzjohn committed suicide in the stadium offices in 1929. The 47-year old took a dose of prussic acid, a highly poisonous substance. Then in early 1933 the main stand caught fire and was destroyed. [5]
In 1938 the Eclipse Stakes was inaugurated at the track over 500 yards. Lythalls Lane was located in a mainly rural area during World War II and the only damage during the Coventry Blitz in 1940 and 1941 was a clubhouse that burned. A year later Ballynennan Moon won the Eclipse, the event had returned after a two-year break. [6]
After the war the Sanderson's (Alan and wife Hilda) acquired the freehold of the stadium, Alan Sanderson owned the luxury Selsdon Park Hotel built in the 1920s and was reputed to have bottomless pockets. [7] In addition to the Lythalls Lane purchase was the nearby Brandon Stadium that hosted the Coventry Bees speedway team. Sanderson was also a big speedway fan.
The racing was very profitable as indicated by a tote turnover of £1,529,244 in 1947 and the track could attract the best greyhounds of the era. In the Invitation Stakes run at Coventry on 9 August 1945 Bah's Choice beat Quare Times by five lengths in a new track record with a time of 29.45sec. In 1946 Clare Orton (son of the great Sidney Orton) was recruited by the track. [8]
The company changed name in 1950 following the purchase of Leicester Stadium in Blackbird Road from Leicester Stadium Ltd. The new guise would be Midland Sports.
The Sanderson's employed George McKay as their greyhound trainer considerable success. Duffys Arrival reached the final of the 1945 English Greyhound Derby losing out to Ballyhennessy Seal. Another of McKay's charges Robeen Printer won the St Leger in 1945 and then went for the Oaks but had to settle for runners up spot to Prancing Kitty. Robeen Printer had arrived in England with a fine reputation following a victory in the Irish Laurels. The fawn was bought for record 1,650 guineas for a bitch by the Sanderson's. McKay would become Racing Manager at the track some years later. [9]
Success in the fifties came in the form of Drumman Rambler trained by Olly Chetland, the Coventry greyhound finished runner up in the 1952 English Greyhound Derby final. Duke of Alva (Dicky Myles) claimed the St Leger title in 1957. [10]
Midland Sports owned three Midlands tracks and with competition for business this ultimately let to the demise of Lythalls Lane. An agreement was reached for the redevelopment of the site and planning permission was passed. The last meeting was held on 25 September 1964. [11] [7]
Today there is a road called Stadium Close, the only reminder that a stadium existed beneath the housing on Compton Road.
| Yards | Greyhound | Time (sec) | Date | Notes/ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 310 | Robeen Printer | 17.28 | 10 June 1946 | |
| 525 | Neidins Bunty | 30.57 | 1938 | [12] |
| 525 | Collar | 30.50 | 12 November 1938 | [12] |
| 525 | Ballynennan Moon | 29.57 | 22 August 1942 | Eclipse heats [13] |
| 525 | Parish Model | 29.43 | 3 May 1947 | |
| 525 | Faithful Charlie | 29.19 | 29 August 1961 | Eclipse heats |
| 525 | Jim's Tour | 29.16 | 29 August 1961 | Eclipse heats |
| 525 | SS Leader | 29.12 | 29 August 1961 | Eclipse heats [14] |
| 700 | Shaggy Lass | 40.87 | 4 February 1947 | |
| 750 | Model Dasher | 43.65 | 14 April 1945 | |
| 525H | Wolverton Grenadier | 30.86 | 21 March 1946 |
Wimbledon Stadium, also known as Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, was a greyhound racing track located in Wimbledon in southwest London, England.
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.
Brandon Stadium, also known as Coventry Stadium, is located 6 miles east of Coventry in Brandon, Warwickshire, England. It was the home of the Coventry Bees motorcycle speedway team. It also hosted BriSCA F1 Stock Car Racing on the 1st Saturday of the month from April through to November. From 1978 until early 2016 it intermittently hosted greyhound racing. As of 2023, it is closed and has become dilapidated after several fires, including an arson attack in 2022.
Leicester Stadium also known as the Blackbird Road Stadium, was a sports stadium on Parker Drive in Leicester. The stadium was initially used for greyhound racing with motorcycle speedway starting there five years later. It was also a venue for BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars.
Crayford & Bexleyheath Stadium was a greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway stadium in the London Borough of Bexley.
The Eclipse is a greyhound racing competition held annually at Nottingham Greyhound Stadium.
Luton Stadium was a former greyhound racing and speedway stadium.
The 1932 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the seventh year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The total annual attendance across the country for 1932 topped 20 million, increasing to 20,178,260 from 17,906,917, a sixth consecutive annual increase.
The 1937 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 12th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1941 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 16th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1942 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 17th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1945 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 20th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1957 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 31st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1961 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 35th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1964 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 38th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1972 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 46th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1973 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 47th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1982 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 56th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1984 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 58th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1986 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 60th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.