White City Stadium (Manchester)

White City Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Greater Manchester.

White City Stadium
LocationOld Trafford, Greater Manchester
Coordinates53°27′43″N 2°17′00″W
Opened1927
Closed1982

Origins

Construction

Manchester is synonymous with greyhound racing because Belle Vue Stadium became the first greyhound track in the United Kingdom and Ireland to hold oval course racing in 1926. One year later on 1 November 1927 the remaining eleven acres out of a sixteen-acre plot of land belonging to the Royal Botanical Gardens was sold to Canine Sports Ltd and a stadium was speedily constructed.[1] The stadium in the Old Trafford area was south of the Chester Road tramway and north of Talbot Road.[2]

Opening

The first meeting took place on 28 May 1928 followed by speedway on 16 June 1928. The circuit circumference was listed as 448⅔ yards with distances of 500, 525, 700 and 725 yards behind an 'Inside Sumner' hare system. The circuit was described as having wide well banked turns.[3]

Pre war history

One of the first track trainers was J. Madden who trained Loose Card to victory in the 1929 Scurry Gold Cup and just one year later the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) purchased the stadium. The GRA owned multiple tracks including Belle Vue.[1]

White City struggled to match the popularity of Belle Vue and another rival track the Audenshaw Greyhound Racing and Sports Ground started in racing in 1932. In June of the same year a greyhound called Wild Woolley was propelled to national fame when winning the English Greyhound Derby for White City trainer Jack Rimmer and owner Sam Johnson. Wild Woolley defeated the legendary Mick the Miller and Future Cutlet by a neck in the final. The following year Future Cutlet became the Derby champion and Wild Woolley finished third place despite being the favourite on this occasion.[4]

The principal pre-war event was the Wilkinson Memorial Challenge Cup and amenities at the track included a home straight Grand Enclosure that offered catering and licensed bar facilities in the Members club. Starting from the back straight was the Popular Enclosure which continued around the third and fourth bends. The kennel facilities were at sister track Belle Vue and contained 320 electrically heated kennels situated well behind the first and second bends of the Belle Vue circuit. The fact that the greyhounds were housed at Belle Vue meant that the trainers at the time were attached both to Belle Vue and White City.[1]

Post war history

After the war business boomed and totalisator turnover in 1946 was £1,878,980.[5] A Derby final appearance by a greyhound called Lacken Invader was trained by L. Hague.[4]

A new Racing Manager (RM) by the name of Charlie Birch took control during the 1950s and a new cinder track being installed for athletics in 1953. In 1959 Birch was replaced by R W Payne after Birch moved to Harringay Stadium. Payne was in turn replaced by A W Williams. In 1960 the Cock O’the North, a major race was inaugurated and six years later the Manchester Cup was switched from sister track Belle Vue. Stan Mitchell a recent training addition from Perry Barr Stadium trained Barrys Shamrock when he won the first running of the Manchester Cup at White City in 1966.[6]

The trainers supplying runners in the 1960s were Stan Mitchell, Wilf France, Percy Stagg, W Holland, G England and Bill Adams. In the early 1970s three new trainers Eddie Moore, Harry Bamford and Ron Saunders joined. In 1971 the experiment by the GRA to introduce eight dog races went into full swing with trials at Harringay and racing at Belle Vue and White City.[7]

Eddie Moore’s Myrtown, a dark brindle dog finished runner up to Jimsun in the 1974 English Greyhound Derby and one year later he made the 1975 English Greyhound Derby final again.[4] Trainers continued to join the track in the late 1970s George Barnett and Jack Hurt were two such trainers, the latter experienced success with a greyhound called Kilbelin Ruler and Hurt had arrived from Preston Greyhound Stadium in 1977.[7]

Speedway

Dirt track racing started on Saturday 16 June 1928 and finished in 1930 but was revived for a meeting in 1958.[8][9]

Stock car racing

The stadium started to host BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars run by Mike Parker Promotions in 1972. The track was originally a very bumpy shale surface, but was tarmaced in 1976. The BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars World Championship World Final race was held twice at White City. In 1976 the race was won by Stuart Bamforth, and in 1979 by Frankie Wainman. The racing continued until the end of the 1981 season.[10] A tarmac track was laid down for MPP Promotions, which improved the bumpy shale track.

Closure

Later R Thomas became RM assisted by Ian Travis but the GRA Property Trust which was an offshoot of the GRA were actively selling large city sites and White City fell into that category.[11]

The stadium was sold to developers during 1981 and the stadium closed during 1982. A few years later it was demolished to make way for the retail park. The white colonnaded entrance gateway in Chester Road remains.[12]

Competitions

Cock o' the North

Manchester Cup

Year Winner Breeding Trainer Time SP
1958 BallypatrickThe Grand Champion – D.WestCyril Beaumont (Belle Vue)29.394-7f
1959 Dancing SheikImperial Dancer – Delias GreenTed Brennan (Owlerton)29.502-1f
1961 The Red RappareeThe Grand Fire – Lisamote PrincessAustin Hiscock (Belle Vue)29.54
1962 Faithful CharlieGlittering Look – Lady ArticJim Irving (Private)29.41
1963 Dalcassian SonChampions Son – Dalcassian ElfAustin Hiscock (Belle Vue)29.43
1964 SanhedrimOdd Venture – Single PeeperHarry Bamford (Private)29.346-4f
1965 SanhedrimOdd Venture – Single PeeperHarry Bamford (Private)29.04
1966 Barrys ShamrockBermudas Cloud – Dromiskin LassStan Mitchell (White City Manchester)29.80
1967 Forward FlashCrazy Parachute - Supreme WitchJack Brennan (Owlerton)30.31
1968 Special MartellGood Brandy – Tansy's SpecialStan Mitchell (White City Manchester)29.92
1969 Desert KudaKilbeg Kuda – Far DownJim Irving (Private)29.865-1
1970 Always A MonarchAlways Proud – Libe LatinusEddie Moore (White City Manchester)29.495-2
1971 John SilverFaithful Hope - Trojan SilverBarbara Tompkins (Private)29.50
1972 Allowdale EraWonderful Era – Careless SmackEddie Moore (White City Manchester)30.245-1
1973 Fly DazzlerKilbeg Kuda – Nualas LovelyNorman Oliver (Brough Park)29.083-1
1974 Deise ValiantValiant Ray – Greenville BandRon Saunders (White City Manchester)29.124-6f
1975 MyrtownMyross Again – Longstown LassieEddie Moore (White City Manchester)29.00
1976 El TeideOwn Pride – Steal Out RonRon Chamberlain (Private)29.9914-1
1977 Chensu MulaSole Aim – Mark HeatherTed Parker (Harringay)29.561-1f
1978 Clashing BreezeClashing – Princess PainterEddie Moore (Belle Vue)29.85
1979 Kilbelin RulerSupreme Fun - DuritzaGeorge Barnett (White City Manchester)30.03
1980 Cushie Snowball30.09
1981 Oakdene SonnyHere Sonny – Keslake YankaEddie Moore (Belle Vue)29.757-4

(1958-65 Belle Vue), (1966–81 White City Manchester)

Track records

Pre-metric

Distance
yards
Greyhound Time Date
500Coynes Castle28.5522.05.1946
500Baytown Dagger28.0413.06.1955
525Tindani30.0115.10.1941
525Jersey Creamery29.651948
525Grangelough29.2115.06.1959
525Riobally Shaun=29.2124.09.1959
525Poor Linda29.0027.07.1964
525That Cailin28.941970
700Pork41.2624.05.1934
700Dark Hissop41.071946
700S.S America40.1811.05.1959
725Clady Border42.261946
725Blackberry Rambler42.1602.04.1956
725Mighty Kern41.1530.07.1964
880Rozels Blue Girl50.6315.06.1964
949Baytown Dentist56.4004.07.1955
525 HDonovan31.2928.07.1932
525 HMr Immaculate30.2804.06.1959
525 HHunters Gift30.0414.05.1964
525 HBeamons Feat30.001970

Post-metric

Distance
metres
Greyhound Time Date
255Bunker Prince15.1515.08.1980
485Myrtown28.7605.05.1976
670Croghan Hostess41.1213.10.1969
485 HBeamons Feat30.0030.10.1969
485 HStrebor Gem30.0010.06.1973

References

  1. Tarter, P Howard. Greyhound Racing Encyclopedia. Fleet Publishing Company Ltd.
  2. "OS Plan 1954". old-maps.co.uk.
  3. Ash, Edward C (1933). The Book of the Greyhound. Hutchinson & Co. p. 303.
  4. Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
  5. Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1946.
  6. Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN 0-85020-0474.
  7. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  8. "Manchester White City". Defunct Speedway Tracks.
  9. "Manchester White City Speedway Track". The National Speedway Museum.
  10. BriSCA Formula One - The first 50 years 1954-2004 Keith Barber p 188-189
  11. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  12. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
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