Doncaster Greyhound Stadium

For the former stadium on York Road, see Doncaster Greyhound Track.

Doncaster Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Stainforth, near Doncaster, England.^[1]

Doncaster Stadium

The winning line at Doncaster Greyhound Stadium in 2018
Former names	Stainforth Stadium
Location	Station Road, Stainforth
Coordinates	53°35′20.7″N 1°01′49.1″W
Opened	1929 Speedway 1941 Greyhound Racing
Website
Official website

It is sometimes referred to as Meadow Court Stadium and was previously known as Stainforth Stadium. It is not to be confused with the former Doncaster Greyhound Track that existed near the York Road.

The stadium has executive suites, a restaurant, a number of bars and fast food areas. Racing takes place every Monday and Wednesday night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

History

Pre-war History

Stainforth Stadium opened as a speedway dirt track in 1929 following extensive work on an area of marsh land west of Station Road that was turned from marsh to cinder. The track consisted of sand, three inches of concrete and then finished off with nine inches of cinder. The first speedway took place on Easter Monday 1930 ^[2] but despite a promising start the Stainforth speedway company went into liquidation in 1930.

In 1933, the Stainforth Amateur Athletic Club bought the stadium but the World War II brought the Athletics to a halt. However, in 1941 during the war a greyhound and whippet track was added,^[3] the first meeting was on Saturday 22 March 1941 and plans were drawn up for racing every Saturday at 5.30pm. Races were held over 300 yards and 465 yards and the track attempted to gain permission for a tote in 1945 without success.^[4]

Post-War history

Stainforth Greyhound Stadium c.1993

The track remained a flapping track (not licensed by the National Greyhound Racing Club) for thirty five years; boxing events and trotting was also seen at the stadium that was owned by Benjamin Lovatt at the time. Distances changed to 350 and 600 yards and meetings took place on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.^[5] The stadium was reportedly sold in 1976 but plans to upgrade the track ended with the stadium closing in 1978 and the site remained derelict for a further thirteen years.

In 1992 businessman and greyhound enthusiast Chick Hicken and his partner June Hicken submitted plans for a new stadium to Doncaster council. The plans were passed during March 1993 a newly built track costing £1.5 million opened. The track wanted to become part of the National Greyhound Racing Club and brought in former English Greyhound Derby winning trainer Barbara Tompkins as General Manager; Racing Managers were Andrew Walker and Richard Bentley. A three tier grandstand was constructed with a restaurant, cocktail bar, public bar and other facilities all being available for the customers. Sometimes known as Meadow Court Stadium, the distances were over 275, 480, 661 and 709 metres on a track circumference of 430 metres.^[6] The opening also resulted in an exodus of trainers from Craven Park, Hull in order to train at Stainforth.^[7]

Tompkins retired in 2004 and the stadium re-branded from Stainforth Stadium to Doncaster Stadium in 2006. Former Belle Vue Stadium Racing Manager Stephen Gray and Richard Munton had spells as Racing Managers there from 2006-2008 and 2008-2010 respectively before former Wembley manager Mick Smith arrived. The track has grown in reputation and held the TV Trophy in 2008 & the Trainers Championship in 2010. The Yorkshire St Leger was inaugurated in 2004 and became the biggest event held at the track annually.^[8]

In 2018 the stadium signed a deal with SIS to race every Monday and Wednesday evening, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.^[9]

Competitions

Yorkshire St Leger

Track records

^[10]

Current

Metres	Greyhound	Time	Date	Notes
275	Pinpoint Mo[11]	16.51	31 July 2017
450	Droopys Country[12]	27.16	21 September 2016
483	King Eden[13]	28.87	28 August 2017
661	Frisby Figo[14]	41.00	1 September 2004
661	Black Pear[14]	41.00	4 September 2004	=equalled
868	Flying Winner[14]	55.82	24 June 2008
877	Roxholme Magic[15]	55.69	30 September 2015

Former

Extended content

Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes 278 Slippery Jaydee 16.44 1 December 1994 278 Fosse Way 16.17 28 March 1999 278 Musical Chair 16.84 30 October 2001 278 Glendon Jack 16.63 16 November 2004 450 Pinpoint Dazl 27.50 30 September 2015 450 Qatar Fortune 27.42 27 July 2016 450 Coolavanny Rebel 27.31 17 August 2016 460 Super Bridge 27.46 2 July 1994 480 Silver Steel 28.92 2002 480 Ravenshill Lad 29.22 2 August 2003 480 Rhincrew Santini 29.08 6 July 2004 480 Rhincrew Santini 28.96 13 July 2004 480 Farloe Joe 28.95 10 September 2004 480 Farloe Verdict[14] 28.94 13 July 2004 483 Farloe Joel 29.55 27 March 2005 483 Cocks Hero 29.52 3 April 2005 483 Distant Mist 29.46 1 May 2005 483 Glen Abbey St 29.39 1 May 2005 483 Jordans Spark 29.25 1 May 2005 483 Yorkshire 29.07 29 July 2005 485 Jubilee Rocco 29.73 24 June 1993 485 Maireads Bob 29.71 20 September 1998 666 Westwood Surprise 40.95 10 September 1993 705 Gaba Gabba Hey[14] 44.40 17 November 2009 709 Almost On Fire 43.86 28 June 1998 709 Soviet Valley 44.66 11 March 2003 709 Gaynors Jet 44.55 7 March 2004 709 Hesley Gale 44.42 10 September 2004 709 Frisby Figo 43.93 1 May 2004 890 Slow Fuse 58.43 23 March 2001 910 Let Us Know 58.43 3 March 2002 910 Ericas Equity 58.08 10 September 2004 925 Souda Bay 59.56 9 February 1998

References

1. "Track Search". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 25 December 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
2. "Stainforth Snippets". Stainforth Online.
3. "Doncaster Greyhound Stadium". Yorkshire Evening Post. 31 March 1941. Retrieved 7 December 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
4. Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1946.
5. Furby, R (1968). Independent Greyhound Racing. New Dominion House.
6. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook, page 254. Ringpress Books. ISBN 186054-010-4.
7. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When) March edition". Greyhound Star. 2015.
8. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 185. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
9. "SIS announces schedule for SIS British Greyhound Service for 2018". SIS. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
10. "British Track Records as of January 2024". Greyhound Star. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
11. "RPGTV SPRINT". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
12. "2016 track record result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
13. "RPGTV STANDARD DUPLICATED". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
14. "Track records". Greyhound Data.
15. "ANDREW WALKER BOOKMAKERS MARATHON". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 17 October 2021.

53.58907°N 1.03025°W / 53.58907; -1.03025