Misplaced Pages

#443556

48-537: Swansea Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing track on Ystrad Road in Fforestfach , north-west of Swansea , Wales . It is not to be confused with the Fforestfach track called White City that was built earlier and had closed by the time Swansea Greyhound Stadium opened. The stadium was situated on the north side of Ystrad Road opposite three factories (clothing, sprinklers and electrical components). On

96-419: A decline beginning in the early 1960s, after the 1960 UK Betting and Gaming Act permitted off-course cash betting. Sponsorship, limited television coverage, and the later abolition of on-course betting tax have partially offset this decline. Commercial greyhound racing is characterized by several criteria (varying depending on country) and can include legalized gambling, the existence of a regulatory structure,

144-663: A greyhound's career will end between the ages of four and six – after the dog can no longer race, or possibly when it is no longer competitive. The best dogs are kept for breeding and there are industry-associated adoption groups and rescue groups that work to obtain retired racing greyhounds and place them as pets. In the United Kingdom, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has introduced measures to locate where racing greyhounds reside after they have retired from racing and as from 2017 records have been available to

192-621: A noted coursing judge; and Sir William Gentle , a retired chief constable - he formed the Greyhound Racing Association Trust Ltd in August 1925. Although Gentle was the first company chairman, it was Critchley who took control of the company as managing director, and provided the energy and vision to drive it forward. The other directors were Robert Grant Jr., Francis Steward Gentle, F A Lumley, Henry Haworth Hardman and Charles A Munn. The North West of England

240-546: A nursery and rearing establishment by the GRA. Further cutbacks by the GRA included the sacking of two advertising executives and five trainers from the Hook Estate and Kennels . In mid 1969 it traded as the 'Greyhound Racing Property Trust'. This move, together with a contemporaneous improvement of tax conditions for the industry by Chancellor Jim Callaghan , saw the GRA's share price improve dramatically. The GRA's strategy

288-406: A pre-race veterinary inspection before being allowed to take part in that race. The racing industry (in several countries) actively works to prevent the spread of doping cases. Attempts are being made to recover urine samples from all greyhounds in a race, not just the winners. Greyhounds from which samples cannot be obtained for a certain number of consecutive races are subject to being ruled off

336-535: A year. Although this meant that greyhound racing was still the country's second most popular sport after football, it was a dramatic decline on attendances after the war. In 1957 Laddie Lucas became the Managing Director of replacing Francis Gentle who remained as Chairman of the company. Presaged by the sale of the Harringay Arena in 1958, the company soon moved to support it share price in

384-613: Is a popular industry in Ireland with the majority of tracks falling under the control of Rásaíocht Con Éireann (GRI) which is a commercial semi-state body and reports to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine . The vast majority of greyhounds racing in the UK are imported from Irish breeders (estimated 90%). In the greyhound industry Northern Irish tracks are considered to be in

432-439: Is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a track. There are two forms of greyhound racing, track racing (normally around an oval track) and coursing ; the latter is now banned in most countries. Track racing uses an artificial lure (usually a form of windsock) that travels ahead of the greyhounds on a rail until the greyhounds cross the finish line . As with horse racing, greyhound races often allow

480-470: The totalisator , first introduced in 1930. Like horse racing , it is popular to bet on the greyhound races as a form of parimutuel betting . Greyhound racing enjoyed its highest United Kingdom attendances just after the Second World War —for example, attendances during 1946 were estimated to be around 75 million based on an annual totalisator turnover of £196,431,430. The industry experienced

528-523: The 1920s, his greyhound racing tracks were spread across the USA and attracted thousands of visitors. Modern greyhound racing was developed in England by the GRA. American businessman Charles A. Munn had secured the rights from Smith for artificial-lure racing in England in the early 1920s. With three others - Brigadier-General Alfred Critchley , a Canadian-born World War I flying veteran, Major L Lyne Dixson,

SECTION 10

#1732798674444

576-539: The American 'International Greyhound Racing Association' (or the I.G.R.A.), they launched the Greyhound Racing Association , holding the first British meeting at Manchester 's Belle Vue Stadium . The industry was successful in cities and towns throughout the UK – by the end of 1927, there were forty tracks operating. Middle-class reformers were outraged, and the working-class delighted, with

624-439: The GRA still held a financial stake in at some point during their history. The GRA had conceded its financial stake in the following stadiums by 1939: The GRA gained its financial stake in the following stadiums post-1945: In 2005 GRA Ltd was sold by Wembley PLC to venture capitalists Risk Capital Partners Ltd for £50 million, GRA retained its name with Clive Feltham as Managing Director. though it later emerged that

672-575: The Lord Loch , as chairman. The new company issued its prospectus in December of the same year. Diversification also came quite early in the company's history as they quickly adapted their venues for use as speedway tracks. In 1936 it diversified further by acquiring land next to its stadium in Harringay , north London and building the short-lived Harringay Arena . The first major challenge for

720-866: The United States, greyhound racing is governed by state or local law, however, as of 2023 only two racetracks in West Virginia continue to operate. Greyhound care is regulated by the American Greyhound Council and the National Greyhound Association . There was one greyhound racing track in Mexico, the Caliente Hipodrome in Tijuana , that hosted races from 1947 to July 14, 2024. There

768-450: The United States. In the UK, under the GBGB retirement scheme (introduced in 2020) greyhounds are ensured an approved GRS homing centre after racing. In many countries, greyhound racing is purely amateur and solely for enjoyment. In other countries, particularly Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States, greyhound racing is similar to horse racing in that it is part of

816-802: The category of Irish greyhound racing and the results are published by the GRI. They do not come under the control of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain . Racing in New Zealand is governed by the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) in accordance with the Racing Act 2003. Greyhound racing in Great Britain is regulated by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain and accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service . In

864-399: The company came with the 1934 Betting Act which stipulated that greyhound tracks must plan their programme a year in advance and hold no more than 104 meeting a year (two a week). It also required that tracks in the same neighbourhood must hold their meetings on the same evening. Nonetheless, given the novelty of the sport the GRA, and the industry in general, was able to weather both this and

912-549: The company during this period was inept, the assets were sold but they still accumulated debts of £18.4 million. A scheme of arrangement was organised in 1976 in order to avoid liquidation. They then sold their third share in Walthamstow and their 23% stake in Coral . The company survived in part through 1980s sale of a number of leading GRA venues, including White City, Slough, Shawfield, Harringay, and Powderhall. In 1987 GRA

960-588: The company structure. The ownership of the Belle Vue track was actually in the hands of a subsidiary, Greyhound Racing Trust (Manchester) Ltd. In many cases Critchley and his co-directors owned a controlling or significant interest in these subsidiaries. By the end of 1927 the company had acquired an interest in 18 racing tracks. Its relationship to many of these tracks was affiliation, rather than full ownership. Nonetheless, in November 1927, just two years after

1008-472: The company was formed they were able to report that 4,500,000 people had passed through their turnstiles giving gross receipts of £500,000. In the same month the company was approaching its shareholders with plans to take the company public. To effect this plan a new entity, The Greyhound Racing Trust Ltd , was formed. Whilst Critchley and Munn were still directors of this new company, Lyne Dixson no longer featured and Gentle had been replaced by Major General,

SECTION 20

#1732798674444

1056-486: The disruption brought about by World War II . During 1942, Alfred Critchley became the Chairman in place of the late Edward Loch, 2nd Baron Loch . The popularity of greyhound racing boomed in the post-war years, with 25 million people passing through the turnstiles nationwide each year. The sport peaked in 1946, with White City alone recording a turnover of £17,576,190. The 1960 Betting and Gaming Act heralded

1104-445: The emergence in the late-1920s of Greyhound racing as an entertaining new sport and betting opportunity. At first it seemed modern, glamorous, and American, but the middle class lost interest when working-class audiences took over. The working class appreciated the nearby urban locations of the tracks and the evening times of the meetings. Betting has always been a key ingredient of greyhound racing, both through on-course bookmakers and

1152-497: The end of the sport's popularity. The Act allowed alternatives to track-betting including bingo halls, casinos and betting shops. The development of high street betting meant that people could now bet without having to visit tracks. The Act also subjected greyhound track operators and the Greyhound Tote to much higher tax rates than betting shops. By the end of the decade attendances had declined to 10 million visitors

1200-726: The face of falling attendance by focusing the market on the value of its property portfolio. In 1965 John Sutton became Managing Director and the GRA extended its board by adding Major Percy Brown, John Cearns (son of WJ Cearns ) and Charles Chandler Jr. to the directors but sold the Kingsfurze breeding establishment at Naas in County Kildare , the seven acre grounds had been breeding greyhounds for over 17 years. They then sold Upper Childown Farm and Fan Court Farm grounds in Longcross near Chertsey . The two properties were used as

1248-541: The gambling industry. Modern greyhound racing has its origins in coursing . The first recorded attempt at racing greyhounds on a straight track was made beside the Welsh Harp reservoir, Hendon, England , in 1876, but this experiment did not develop. The industry emerged in its recognizable modern form, featuring circular or oval tracks, with the invention of the mechanical, or artificial, hare in 1912 by an American, Owen Patrick Smith. O.P. Smith had altruistic aims for

1296-436: The greyhound racing industry played an important role in the rise of drug-resistant hookworms . Greyhound farms tended to treat greyhounds with dewormers even when the dogs did not have an active infection, thus enabling worms, which are constantly exposed to drugs, to develop immunity against the drugs among the surviving worms. The rise of drug-resistant hookworms poses a threat to pets and humans more generally. Generally,

1344-527: The industry to stop the killing of the jack rabbits and see "greyhound racing as we see horse racing". In 1919, Smith opened the first professional dog-racing track with stands in Emeryville, California . The Emeryville arena was torn down in February 1920 to make way for the construction of a modern racetrack using the mechanical lure, described in the press as the "automatic rabbit." The first race at

1392-628: The new park was on Saturday, May 29, 1920. The oval track and mechanical hare were introduced to Britain, in 1926, by another American, Charles Munn, in association with Major Lyne-Dixson, a Canadian, who was a key figure in coursing. Finding other supporters proved rather difficult, however, and with the General Strike of 1926 looming, the two men scoured the country in an attempt to find others who would join them. Eventually they met Brigadier-General Critchley , who introduced them to Sir William Gentle . Between them they raised £22,000, and like

1440-492: The non compliance of an improvement notice, issued after Swansea county council enforcement officers found kennels in poor repair and wheelbarrows of excrement. The stadium was demolished and the site opposite the Ystrad Trade Park remains empty. The land has been rented/leased by the council to a waste recycling company. The land is currently undergoing preparation work. Greyhound racing Greyhound racing

1488-538: The northern edge of the greyhound stadium was a racecourse with a football ground inside the centre of it. It is unclear if it was ever used for horse racing. The greyhound stadium opened around 1949 and had a large circumference of 484 metres with distances of 312, 430 and 525 yards. Races included the Swansea Derby. The stadium remained independent (unaffiliated with a governing body) and raced on Tuesday and Saturday evenings. It closed on 7 November 2009 following

Swansea Greyhound Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue

1536-411: The physical presence of racetracks, whether the host state or subdivision shares in any gambling proceeds, fees charged by host locations, the use of professional racing kennels, the number of dogs participating in races, the existence of an official racing code, and membership in a greyhound racing federation or trade association. The medical care of a racing greyhound is primarily the responsibility of

1584-424: The public to bet on the outcome . Animal rights and animal welfare groups have been critical of the welfare of greyhounds in the commercial racing industry for many years which has contributed to the reforms of the industries in recent years. A greyhound adoption movement spearheaded by kennel owners has arisen to assist retired racing dogs in finding homes as pets, with an estimated adoption rate of over 95% in

1632-495: The public. Several organizations, such as British Greyhounds Retired Database, Greyhound Rescue West of England, Birmingham Greyhound Protection, GAGAH, Adopt-a-Greyhound and Greyhound Pets of America, and the Greyhound Trust try to ensure that as many of the dogs as possible are adopted. Some of these groups also advocate better treatment of the dogs while at the track and/or the end of racing for profit. In recent years

1680-627: The purchase was part-financed by property developer Galliard Homes . The sale resulted in speculation that GRA could cease to operate as a greyhound stadium operator, with stadia sold off or closed. In 2009 the Portsmouth Stadium track was sold by Risk Capital to pay down the takeover debt; it closed early the following year. Takeover debt and loan problems continued. During 2012 the GRA closed Oxford, in 2017 Wimbledon and Hall Green closed, on 25 March and on 29 July, respectively. During October 2019 Clive Feltham's GRA Acquisition sold

1728-590: The racing industry has made significant progress in establishing programs for the adoption of retired racers. In addition to actively cooperating with private adoption groups throughout the country, many race tracks have established their own adoption programs at various tracks. Greyhounds Australasia was formed in 1937 (as the Australian and New Zealand Greyhound Association) and consists of governing bodies in Australian states and New Zealand, which regulate greyhound welfare and living conditions. Greyhound racing

1776-582: The same time the Catford Stadium track was closed. Wembley Plc sold the GRA to Risk Capital Partners in 2005 and later traded as GRA Acquisition Ltd. The list shows all tracks that have been owned and operated by the Greyhound Racing Association since greyhound racing commenced in 1926 until 2019. The following is a list of tracks that were not fully owned or operated by the Greyhound Racing Association, but which

1824-502: The same time. The GRA financed its activities by employing the then sophisticated automatic totalisator betting system developed by the British -born but long time Australian resident (the concept of Australian citizenship does date earlier than from the 1970s) George Alfred Julius . The company's sophisticated commercial structure was quickly evident. From the earliest a complex set of subsidiaries and joint holdings characterised

1872-416: The sport, which he felt was inhumane. He began to look for a way to make the sport less bloody by using an artificial lure. After much trial and error, Smith attracted investors and perfected an artificial lure system in 1912. His tracks allowed for six greyhounds to race at a time, and were circular instead of straight. Although it took some time for the concept to be fully developed and put into practice, by

1920-472: The track in some countries. Violators are subject to criminal penalties and loss of their racing licenses by state gaming commissions and a permanent ban from the National Greyhound Association . The trainer of the greyhound is at all times the "absolute insurer" of the condition of the animal. The trainer is responsible for any positive test regardless of how the banned substance has entered the greyhound's system. A series of research papers have indicated that

1968-481: The track sales the company secured various loans and also began to apply for planning permission of some of its London sites to secure their development value. However, a slump in the property market caused shares in property companies to free-fall. At the beginning of 1975 GRA Property Trust was suspended from the Stock Exchange following news of debts said to be in the region of £20 million. The management of

Swansea Greyhound Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-406: The trainer while in training. All tracks in the United Kingdom have to have a veterinary surgeon and veterinary room facilities on site during racing. The greyhounds require microchipping, annual vaccinations against distemper , infectious canine hepatitis , parvovirus , leptospirosis , and a vaccination to minimize outbreaks of diseases such as kennel cough . All greyhounds in the UK must pass

2064-501: Was borrowed, Belle Vue Stadium was built on the land. The stadium opened on 27 July. Although the attendance at the first meeting was disappointing, by the end of the first season in October, thirty seven meetings had been held, with an average attendance of 11,000. In 1927, Greyhound racing was taken to London with the acquisition of the near-derelict White City Stadium . GRA also moved its headquarters from Belle Vue to White City at

2112-423: Was chosen to introduce the sport to the country, most likely hoping that the area's coursing tradition would make it attractive to the local population. On 14 October 1925 the association took a seven-year lease on land at the northern end of Kirkmanshulme Lane (an old brickfield), Manchester at an annual rent of £276, leased from the adjacent Belle Vue Zoological Gardens . With capital of £22,000, £8,000 of which

2160-628: Was developed from coursing in 18th-century Britain. The first official coursing club was the Swaffham Coursing Society in Norfolk , England, which put on its first event in 1776. Modern greyhound racing was effectively developed by Owen Patrick Smith, the chamber of commerce director in Hot Springs, South Dakota in the early years of the 20th century. He had been involved in organising local coursing events but did not like

2208-894: Was formerly at greyhound racing track in Vietnam at the Lam Son Stadium in Vung Tau , Vietnam from 2000 to March 2023, but it has since closed. As of 2023, the company that owned the Lam Son track is building a new horse and greyhound race track in Lam Dong province. There was also a greyhound track located in Macau , China at the Canidrome which conducted greyhound racing for about 90 years, but discontinued racing in 2018. Greyhound Racing Association Greyhound racing

2256-460: Was the subject of a £68.5 million reverse takeover by Wembley Stadium . Wembley assumed control of GRA and in February 1988 the GRA Group was renamed Wembley plc. The company went through a period of reorganisation and modernisation during the 1990s, and in 1998 GRA purchased Oxford Stadium . 2003 saw the lease acquisition of another new track, Perry Barr Stadium , in north Birmingham . At

2304-640: Was to buy up tracks which raised the value of the company's stock and to sell when the price of property boomed. They sold six tracks from 1970-1974 (Charlton, Kings Heath, West Ham, Reading, Liverpool and Clapton) and had previously agreed the sale of their flagship track White City. Foreseeing that industry rationalisation would be required, the company embarked on a strategy that would allow them to control this phase, buying up competing tracks. As part of this spate of buying, in March 1972, GRA Property Trust acquired Wimbledon Stadium , later its flagship venue. Despite

#443556