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Hall Green Stadium

Hall Green Stadium
Hall Green Stadium, York Road, Birmingham - geograph.org.uk - 95829.jpg
Full name Hall Green Greyhound Stadium
Location York Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England
Coordinates 52°26′17″N 1°50′25″W / 52.4380°N 1.8403°W / 52.4380; -1.8403Coordinates: 52°26′17″N 1°50′25″W / 52.4380°N 1.8403°W / 52.4380; -1.8403
Owner Euro Property Investments Limited
Operator Greyhound Racing Association
Construction
Opened 24 August 1927
Renovated 1970, 1981, 1987, 1989
Closed 29 July 2017
Tenants
Greyhound racing

Hall Green Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium located in the Birmingham suburb of Hall Green. The stadium closed in July 2017 to make way for a housing development, following a planning application submitted by the stadium's final owner, Euro Property Investments Limited.

The track itself was a 412-metre long oval track with a sand covered surface. The capacity of the stadium seems to be somewhat in question with estimates ranging from 2,500 to 3,000.

The stadium's main stand facilities included outside terracing along the main straight, fast food outlets, a bar on the first floor, and an indoor seated area with glass frontage overlooking the track on second floor. Also on the second floor was the a la carte restaurant. Executive suites that can hold between 18 and 100 people were located on the first bend of the track.

Related facilities included a hotel situated on bends 3 and 4 which opened in 1990, some rooms of which offered views of the track and a purpose built snooker hall along the back straight with 21 full sized tables.Conference facilities were also provided and managed by the stadium.

Investment in 1970 resulted in the track becoming one of the major provincials in the country and the GRA spent over £750,000 renovating the club house into a four tier restaurant and a new electronic display tote board was built. The track kennels were demolished during the renovation resulting in a contract trainer system.

In 1981 the track changed to an all-sand surface which replaced the former grass straights, an 'Outside McKee Scott' hare and undersoil heating were also installed. Further stadium improvements in 1987 including a large snooker club to the tune of £400,000 and another face lift in 1989 to the tune of £1 million saw an extension to the restaurant and construction of a 48 bedroom hotel called ‘The Lodge’. A new track surface was also installed during this latest investment.

The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) bought the land that was known as the Olympia Sports Ground in the Birmingham suburb of Hall Green and constructed a greyhound track. Opened on 24 August 1927 it was the first greyhound track to be built in the city. A crowd of 20,000 turned up to experience racing for the first time despite the fact that another Birmingham track Kings Heath Stadium had just opened three months previous. The first race on that Wednesday evening was won by Lock Latham owned by Lady Lock and Mr P.Latham and was over 500 yards in a winning time of 29.66. Appearing that same night was Bonzo who duly won his race and would go on to win the first ever running of the Champion Hurdle race at White City Stadium, London, and this event would soon be called the Grand National.


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