 Swansea Stadium | |
| Location | Ystrad Road, Fforestfach, Swansea, Wales |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°38′28″N3°59′16″W / 51.64111°N 3.98778°W |
| Opened | 1949 |
| Closed | 2009 |
Swansea Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing track on Ystrad Road in Fforestfach, north-west of Swansea, Wales. It is not to be confused with the Fforestfach track called White City that was built earlier and had closed by the time Swansea Greyhound Stadium opened.
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.
Fforestfach is a suburban district of Swansea, Wales which developed during the Victorian era as part of the expansion of Swansea, and to service several collieries in the area. It lies within the Cockett ward, between the districts of Waunarlwydd and Cwmbwrla, and contains the areas of Cadle and Ravenhill.
Swansea is a coastal city and county, officially known as the City and County of Swansea in Wales. Swansea lies within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan and the ancient Welsh commote of Gŵyr on the southwest coast. The county area includes Swansea Bay and the Gower Peninsula. Swansea is the second largest city in Wales and the twenty-fifth largest city in the United Kingdom. According to its local council, the City and County of Swansea had a population of 241,300 in 2014. The last official census stated that the city, metropolitan and urban areas combined concluded to be a total of 462,000 in 2011; the second most populous local authority area in Wales after Cardiff.
The stadium was situated on the north side of Ystrad Road opposite three factories (clothing, sprinklers and electrical components). [1] On the northern edge of the greyhound stadium was a racecourse with a football ground inside the centre of it. It is unclear if it was ever used for horse racing. The greyhound stadium opened around 1949 and had a large circumference of 484 metres with distances of 312, 430 and 525 yards. Races included the Swansea Derby. [2] The stadium remained independent (unaffiliated with a governing body) and raced on Tuesday and Saturday evenings. [3]
It closed on 7 November 2009 following the non compliance of an improvement notice, issued after Swansea county council enforcement officers found kennels in poor repair and wheelbarrows of excrement. [4] The stadium was demolished and the site opposite the Ystrad Trade Park remains empty. [4]
The land has been rented/leased by the council to a waste recycling company. The land is currently undergoing preparation work.
