Hendon Greyhound Stadium
| Location | Hendon, London |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°34'22.5"N 0°13'46.8"W |
| Opened | 1935 |
| Closed | 1972 |
Hendon Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Hendon, London.
The area of Hendon famously has special links to greyhound racing based on the fact that on the 6 March 1876 the first attempt at mechanical racing took place on a 400 yards long straight course near the Welsh Harp in the London suburb of Hendon. This was fourteen years before the patent for circular tracks had been taken out and fifty years before the first oval race was held at Belle Vue Stadium. During 1934 an attempt to start racing greyhounds around the Hendon Cricket ground failed after the owners of the ground, the Wearmouth Coal Company Ltd rejected the proposal.
One year later in 1935 a stadium had been constructed on spare land between the River Brent and the relatively new North Circular Road directly east of the main London, Midland and Scottish railway line.
The opening meeting was on 5 March 1935 with the stadium consisting of one main grandstand building along the home straight and a capacity of 6,000 spectators. The hare system used was an 'Outside Sumner' with a track circumference of 398 yards grass course with sharp bends.
Owned by Hendon Stadium Ltd the totalisator turnover figures peaked at £2 million. Main events included the Calcutta Cup and Welsh Harp Cup.
After World War II Hendon and Hackney Wick Stadium merged to become the Hackney and Hendon Greyhounds Ltd company. The resident kennels featured six ranges with each able to house up to fifty greyhounds, paddocks sat next to each range with cooking facilities and a veterinary surgeon on site. The kennel fees were 17s 6d for each greyhound.
In the 1950s Mr D G Lewis became the Racing Manager followed by Fred Whitehead becoming the Director of Racing for Hendon and Hackney. Lewis would switch to sister track Hackney with Michael Marks brought in to replace him. The pair would once again swap places in the 1960s sixties with Lewis returning to Hendon.
During the 1960s racing continued on two evenings per week (Monday and Saturday at 7.45pm) and amenities included a restaurant and five additional buffet and licensed bars with principal events called the North Circular Marathon, Burletta Stakes and L.V. Chairman’s Cup. A major event arrived in 1969 after Hendon was awarded the Guineas following the closure of Park Royal Stadium. With the end of Park Royal and New Cross Stadium their Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service (BAGS) fixtures were replaced by Hendon and Hackney.
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