Staines Greyhound Stadium was a

greyhound racing Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around an oval track. The sport originates from Hare coursing, coursing. Track racing uses an artificial lure (usually a form of windsock) that travels ahead of th ...

stadium in

Staines-upon-Thames Staines-upon-Thames, also known simply as Staines, is a market town in northwest Surrey, England, around west of central London. It is in the Borough of Spelthorne, at the confluence of the River Thames and River Colne, Hertfordshire, Colne. ...

Origins and opening

Staines Greyhound track opened on 21 January 1928, and the first race was won by a greyhound called Oojah over 55 yards. The stadium was at Hythe End just north of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

, south of Wraysbury Road. Previously this area was an unpopulated rural area that today makes up some of the Colne Valley Parks. The track was very basic with one main stand on the home straight. During its early existence it was sometimes referred to as Bell Weir Park.

Affiliation

It is believed that this track may have been affiliated to a governing body at one stage but for the majority of its existence traded as an independent (unaffiliated to a governing body) and therefore nicknamed a flapping track.

Cheetah racing

In 1936 Arthur Leggett, the owner of

Romford Greyhound Stadium Romford Greyhound Stadium, referred to as Coral Romford Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Romford town centre in the London Borough of Havering in east London which is owned and operated by the Ladbrokes Coral group. The s ...

, decided to bring

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...

racing to the UK. Twelve cheetahs arrived from

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

in December 1936, courtesy of explorer Kenneth Gandar-Dower. After six months of quarantine, the cheetahs were given time to acclimatise before Romford,

Harringay Stadium Harringay Stadium was a major greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway venue in Harringay, north London. It was built and opened in 1927 and closed in 1987. Construction Harringay Stadium was the third greyhound racing stadium to open in Br ...

and Staines were earmarked for the experiment with the cheetahs, running for the first time on Saturday 11 December 1937 at Romford. The experiment failed and the racing was stopped because although the cheetahs were able to better the greyhound times, they had to be let off first when racing greyhounds, and when they raced against each other they became uninterested and stopped chasing the lure.

History

In 1938, a Putt Mossman Motorcycle rodeo took place (this was a form of motorcycle tricks and skills). Stock car racing was also popular in the late 1950s. Staines owner Jack Walsh was in partnership with fellow bookmaker William Hill and they won the

English Greyhound Derby The English Greyhound Derby is the most prestigious race on the British Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing calendar, with a history stretching back to 1927. It was first held at White City Stadium, but moved to Wimbledon ...

with Lone Keel in 1938. The track could hold a maximum of 5,000 spectators and supplied a tote with a turnover in 1947 of £47,165. In 1949, Jack Walsh expressed his frustration with the authorities after his application to join the National Greyhound Racing Society was withheld. After agreeing to the completion and upgrading of facilities he was upset that the application also meant he would have to race on selected days as chosen by the NGRC as to avoid competition with

Slough Stadium Slough Stadium originally known as the Dolphin Stadium was a Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing stadium in Uxbridge Road, Slough, Berkshire. Origins and opening George Bennett Sr. a resident and entrepreneur of Slough b ...

which was against his given rights as a track promoter as stated in the

Betting and Lotteries Act 1934 The Betting and Lotteries Act 1934 ( 24 & 25 Geo. 5. c. 58) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, ...

, an action that he could not agree with.

Closure

The track closed in 1960 and was dismantled in 1965, making way for a section of M25 cutting through the nearby land west of the Queensmead Lake Reservoir. The derelict track appears in the 1964 movie ''

Séance on a Wet Afternoon ''Séance on a Wet Afternoon'' is a 1964 British crime thriller film, directed by Bryan Forbes, and starring Kim Stanley, Richard Attenborough, Nanette Newman, Mark Eden and Patrick Magee (actor), Patrick Magee. Based on the 1961 novel by Mark ...

''.

References

{{English greyhound tracks Defunct greyhound racing venues in the United Kingdom