Darnall Stadium
| Location | Darnall, east Sheffield, South Yorkshire |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°23'02.8"N 1°24'57.9"W |
| Opened | 1927 |
| Closed | 1964 |
Darnall Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Darnall, east Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
The Darnall Wellington Cricket and Football Ground (Wellington Grounds) was built on a plot of land on the south side of the London and North Eastern Railway at the turn of the 20th century. It hosted cricket and football matches including Roundel F.C. competing in the Hatchard Cup in 1900. This ground is not to be confused with the Darnall Cricket and Football Ground which was found nearby on the north side of the railway line and was used by The Wednesday Cricket Club (founded in 1820). This original ground made way for housing around the same time that the Darnall Wellington Ground was built.
The first greyhound track to be constructed in the city of Sheffield would be called Darnall Stadium. The site chosen was the Wellington Grounds which was partly surrounded by garden allotments at the time of the greyhound track construction. The stadium would be accessed from Poole Road with the eastern side of the stadium adjacent to allotments and James Street. Directly to the north was a metal wire rope works and railway line and to the east was another large collection of allotments that would eventually be converted into the Parkway market.
The opening night was Monday 23 May starting at 7.30pm. Trials had previously taken place to classify the runners into relevant races and the local press were excited by the fact that a greyhound called Latto the 1923 Waterloo Cup winner had sired some of the greyhounds due to take part in the event. There were some reservations about the fact that it was coursing greyhounds that were expected to take to the new oval form of racing but it had already been successful at the new Greyhound Racing Association tracks.
The Darnall Working Men's Club band started proceedings at 6.30pm before a six race card began. The manager was F Williamson and the A J Detheridge from Bristol was brought in as the judge. There were over 100 bookmakers and between 5-6 thousand spectators who witnessed a greyhound called Mission win the first ever race at 3-1 odds finishing two lengths clear of the field. It was also reported that the electric hare "caused bewilderment and then keen interest as the crowd became thrilled by the new contraption".
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