Not only the tracks employees were stunned, but the news had sent shocks waves throughout all concerned, including the tracks contracted trainers, the dog owners and even its regular racegoers who had not been given the chance to say goodbye. ORIGINAL SITEGrazing land next to Ladywell Recreation ground, hemmed in by two railway lines. The 4.7 hectare site was owned by leisure group Wembley when it was a greyhound track, before being acquired by English Partnerships in 2004. The local council maintains Conisborough College and Greenvale School. The following morning revealed all, with the announcement of the stadiums closure with immediate effect, leaving scores of its employees without a job. [1], The inaugural meeting was held on Saturday 30 July 1932 and consisted of a seven card race of events comprising four or five runners. One of the most popular Greyhound Racing venues once found in London, was the one at Catford Stadium, situated in the cities south east borough of Lewisham. [citation needed]. The industry suffered a huge double blow with the closure of Catford and the English Greyhound Derby fiasco. Mr Johnson said London's "unbeatable allure" meant "unprecedented demand for housing". The site is awaiting re-development. All rights reserved. Construction of Catford Stadium began in 1931, on meadows adjacent to the Ladywell Recreation Grounds, in time ready for its inaugural meeting on the 30th of July 1932. Crayford This FIRST MEETINGJuly 30th 1932.Greyhound Racing only. It is a curved stone structure decorated with shields and heraldic emblems and topped with a copper-green spire. [1] Contents 1 Origins 2 History 3 Midget Cars 4 Closure 5 References Origins [ edit] A small greyhound track existed off the east side of the Perry Hill Road (which goes north from Lower Sydenham towards Catford Bridge) at the end of Rubens Street. Couldn't get near one. Cookie Policy Catford Greyhound Stadium burnt down after it was engulfed by flames in the early hours of Friday morning. For a number of years following, the site remained nothing more than a gathering for weed infesting and piles of rubble, but what did remain up until recently was the main entrance gates, but sadly they went too, disappearing after construction of 595 new houses had begun in 2014. The land was acquired by English Partnerships, a predecessor body of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), in March 2004 from Network Rail and the National Greyhound Association. Required fields are marked *. Sadly, Catford Greyhound Stadium had become another statistic on the developers list of Greyhound Stadiums purchases, and yet within months, vandals had wrecked the place, even a suspicious fire had gutted the main stand. It was held there for 70 years baring a four-year interruption caused by World War II. It also makes up a large part of the Lewisham East constituency. Catford is made up of 3 wards in the London Borough of Lewisham: Bellingham, Catford South, and Rushey Green. site is not an official website for the track shown here and is neither approved or SPRINT (up to 385m) STANDARD (386-549m) DISTANCE (550-699m) EXTENDED (700-999m) Although a difficult track to find on your first visit, this mainly due to its poor accessibility, with Adenmore Road being its only source of access. It was terrific. Firstly, at a meeting on the Tuesday afternoon of the 4th of November 2003, when the departing of a Wembley PLC representative, a person who would normally attend the full meeting, strangely enough left just after the sixth race. Read about our approach to external linking. Catford Bridge is served by Southeastern services to London Charing Cross, London Cannon Street via Lewisham and to Hayes. In 1934 several speedway meetings were held on a track constructed inside the dog track. Please navigate using your keyboard arrow keys. Please note, if your booking is for 8 and the 8-seaters are taken, your booking will be split across two tables of 6. The historic greyhound track in south London closed in 2003 after years of falling attendances. The houses to which it originally belonged dated to about 1825. Buses originally dropped patrons off just outside the main gates and by the entrance gates were tote facilities and the South bank enclosure. Los Angeles - Catch the Greyhound bus at 1716 E. 7th Street. We operate a Think 25 policy. Catford Stadium was one of the greyhound racing venues in the UK until its closure and subsequent demolition in 2005. Took us back to his local pub where there was an old fashioned sing song round an old piano. To use the bridges to the track an entrance fee was paid at the turnstiles situated on the other side of the railway line to the stadium itself meaning the bridges were actually part of the stadium complex. Catford provides the area with Thameslink services to Kentish Town, London Blackfriars, Orpington via Bromley South and to Sevenoaks via Bromley South and Swanley. Information about help you can get with the rising cost of living. Heathview Restaurant Available every Tuesday and Saturday Celebration Packages Make your visit extra special with one of our packages! (16.33, 28.05), Brouh Park 500m Squire Cass (30.14), Catford 555m Westmead Champ (34.65), Coventry 460m Brainy Prince (28.23), Crayford 462m Zulu Dancer (27.82), Hackney 484m London Spec (29.02 . The former Catford Stadium is to be turned into more than 500 homes, the Mayor of London has announced. Catford is served by two railway stations, Catford and Catford Bridge. where further reading can be undertaken. WWM (planning), Glenn Howells and ATP (post-planning). Birmingham PPB Counterparty Services Limited, Betfair Casino Limited and PPB Entertainment Limited are licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission under account numbers39439,39435and39426. By navigating our site, you agree to allow us to use cookies, in accordance with our Catford Stadium was founded in 1932 and attracted large crowds until the legalisation of betting shops in 1961, which hit attendances at tracks throughout the country. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.[2]. Rough concrete is put through all its paces, front convex eaves on Sainsbury's to a staircase tower which is either afflicted with an astounding set of visual distortions or is actually leaning. The old Town Hall of 1875, was replaced by the current Civic Suite in 1968, soon after the merger of the metropolitan boroughs of Lewisham and Deptford. The original Gothic C of E St. Laurence Church was located where Laurence House is today (known as the Catford Cathedral), but as part of the urban renewal of Catford in the 1960s, the church is now housed in a more modern style building 200 metres down Bromley Road. At the end of World War II, the 186-bungalow Excalibur Estate was laid out in Catford, and by 2011 was the largest surviving prefab estate in Britain. If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader)and needa version of a PDF or other document on this page in a more accessible format, please get in touch via ouronline formand tell us which format you need. The Catford Bridge Tavern is another heritage listed building close to the old dog track; this mock tudor pub burnt down in March 2015, but has since been refurbished and reopened in April 2017. [7], During the 1970s trainers at the track would include Mike Smith, John Horsfall and Paddy Milligan. It was opened in 1932 as the Concert Hall and is now a Grade II listed building. include the Greenwich Challenge Cup, the Ben Trueman Stakes and the Cobb Marathon Bowl Took us back to his local pub where there was an old fashioned sing song round an old piano. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Catford Stadium has been unused for the last ten years. first run in 1942 when Castledown Prince was successful in 49.69 seconds. ALL BOOKINGS- Please note that we operate a no refunds or transfers policy at the stadium. The redevelopment of Catford Stadium would provide: It has an estimated gross development value of 117m. Thames, was run by the Sutton family who eventually [2] The population of Catford, including the Bellingham, London neighbourhood, was 44,905 as of 2011. The population of Catford, including the Bellingham, London neighbourhood, was 44,905 as of 2011. 1930s-1980s Hay Days Oral history of Sebastian Constantine 00:00 / 01:51 Back to map Photos courtesy of Lewisham Archive Photos courtesy of Lewisham Archive Photos courtesy of Lewisham Archive His son John would eventually take over from his father and take over the family business and introduced the very first jackpot pool in 1961, later to be copied by horse racing. All comments will be moderated before posting to ensure community standards.To comment, click 'Login' and sign in via your social media profile. [6], In 1952 the Managing Director Frank Sutton died; Sutton had introduced the British Breeders Produce Stakes. It had a crowd capacity of around 6,000, a figure which was in no doubt way short of what it should have been, having been proved time and time again, with patrons failing to gain access, due to the stadium being packed to the rafters. Speculation suggests it may derive from the place where cattle crossed the river Ravensbourne in Anglo-Saxon times or from wild cats using the river crossing. Work on the development is expected to start by early 2014 and be completed by 2017. Any booking made with us is in full, and should the event be cancelled by yourself, with less than 90 days notice, no partial or full refund will be given, and transfers are not available. After Wednesday, the tickets will be held on the door for collection on the evening of the event. The GRA introduced under track heating system at Catford with electric cables sewn into the track eight inches under the turf. As of 2022, no final decisions had been made. The development will be carried out on the 4.7ha site in south London under an agreement between the city and the developer. EVIDENCE LEFT TODAY-Nothing known of. Greyhound Racing. Greyhound racing at Slough Stadium c.1970 Contents 1 Origins and opening 2 Pre war history 3 1946-1960 4 1960s 5 1970s 6 1980s 7 Closure 8 Competitions 8.1 Scurry Gold Cup 8.2 Buckinghamshire Cup 9 Track records 10 References A few examples of Brutalist architecture survive including the Catford shopping centre and Milford Towers, designed by the architect Owen Luder in 1974. See, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 07:21. Charles Benstead sold his share in the company in 1959 to Harold Clifton. If you're coming from a location with Metro Rail service, take it to Union Station. A look at whats left of Catford Stadium end of November 2012. Midget Car Racing would feature also during the years leading up to the outbreak of the Second World War. I am extremely grateful to Tony Nash for providing the data. The park forms part of the Waterlink Way which forms a significant section of the river from Sydenham to the Thames. The last cinema in the borough (before the 2019 launch of Catford Mews) stood diagonally opposite the theatre until its closure in 2002. LOCATEDSouth east of London city centre in the Borough of Lewisham. The principal race at the track was the Gold Collar, run ititially The West forecourt had a covered grandstand with tote facilities with the judges box directly opposite the winning line. It was destroyed by fire the following year. The dog track sat empty for almost a decade, a shadow of the lively attraction that it once was. [14] Several key sites around the town centre have been identified for redevelopment Milford Towers, Catford Island, The Civic Centre, Lewisham Town Hall and The "Wickes" site have all been highlighted for significant change in the proposed Catford Plan.[15]. Like many other stadiums during the 1930s, efforts were made to promote motor sports, with Speedway featuring during September 1934, a venture that would fail miserably, lasting for just one season only. The first racing manager was Lt. Col. A J Vernon and there were no less than eighty bookmakers. The redevelopment is being met by mixed feelings amongst Catford Residents. LAST MEETING-November 4th 2003.Greyhound Racing only. BIG RACE NAMESThe Cesarewitch between 1995 and 2000.and The Gold Collar during its early existence. LICENSED OR INDEPENDENT-NGRC.All venues covered would have to be licensed with the government, licensed suggested in this section would refer to tracks operating under NGRC Rules. It will also help usif you tell us which assistive technology you use. Greyhound racing first took place at Catford in London on 30th July 1932, the track being located at 0 1' W 51 26' N. The track at Catford, on the South side of the Thames, was run by the Sutton family who eventually sold it on to the GRA. Advert for Catford greyhound stadium in Catford, South East London, which opened its doors in July 1932 and has been hosting greyhound races ever since, showing an aerial view of the stadium. Catford is covered by the Rushey Green and Catford South wards in the London Borough of Lewisham. 2023 BBC. The legendary Scurlogue Champ set three track records over marathon distances of 718 and 888 metres from 1984-1986 and in 1987 the Scurry Gold Cup became another major event to be held at the track, the classic race arrived from Harringay Stadium after its closure.[8]. It is southwest of Lewisham itself, mostly in the Rushey Green and Catford South wards. Now there is a punchy concrete focus ('you know, that funny new building') both close to and at a distance, from the desolate heights of the Downham Estate, where it stands straight to the afternoon sun. Greyhound racing first took place at Catford in London on 30th July 1932, the track being located at 0 1' W 51 26' N. The track at Catford, on the South side of the DISTANCES385 and 550 metres.Please note that most racing venues distances had become varied throughout the years, the ones given above were at once point set and offers only a guidance to the track size. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Two other events called the Catford British Breeders Produce Stakes and Cobb Marathon Bowl were introduced; the former became very popular with the event being run twice during many years and the latter was sponsored by brewer Rupert Cobb and became a significant test for the leading staying stars, this race would continue until 1975. Crayford Greyhound Stadium Stadium Way Crayford DA1 . All these sour events, even before the bulldozers had been given their chance to move in a year later. Adenmore Road whos earlier title of Station Road, lay hemmed in between two railway lines north of Catford Station, and Catford Bridge Station, a road which would feed a large car park before coming to a halt at Catfords impressive colourful entrance. The 4.7 hectare site was owned by leisure group Wembley when it was a greyhound track, before being acquired by English Partnerships in 2004. Maximum two drinks a week, Canada guidance advises, US porn star declared unfit for sex crimes trial, Netflix offers $385,000 for private jet attendant, 15 minutes to defend yourself against the death penalty, Baby among six killed in possible cartel hit in US, Polar bear kills woman and boy in Alaska village, Prankster disrupts FA Cup coverage with sex noises, Students sent to hospital after doing 400 push-ups, Celebrities who say their children will get no inheritance. [citation needed], Catford town centre is a priority area for regeneration in the London Borough of Lewisham. SPRINT 385 metres Farncombe Black 23.42 secs.Rating 24 To find our acceptable IDs, please contact the stadium on 01322 557836. It contains the original 1930s electro-mechanical machinery. Catford was also satirised in The Chap magazine in a series called 'A Year in Catford' named after Peter Mayle's best-seller A Year in Provence. The stadium has since caught on fire and was subsequently demolished, along with the iconic tote board. The early 1970s had seen eight dog racing at the stadium, twelve months after Manchesters Belle Vue track had staged the new idea in May 1971. Catford Stadium has been unused for the last ten years. The scheme also includes associated landscaping, river naturalisation and the creation of a public plaza between Catford and Catford Bridge Stations. , and Rushey Green Recreation ground, hemmed in by two railway stations, Catford South, and Green! A copper-green spire the South bank enclosure had been given their chance to move in a year later has caught... 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catford greyhound stadium