Swindon Stadium

Swindon Stadium, also known as the Abbey Stadium, is a Greyhound Board of Great Britain regulated greyhound racing track and former speedway track in Blunsdon, Swindon, England.[2] Greyhound racing currently takes place every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday as part of the ARC fixture schedule.

Swindon Stadium
Full nameSwindon Greyhound Stadium, The Abbey Greyhound Stadium or The Abbey Stadium
LocationLady Lane, Blunsdon, Swindon, England
Coordinates51.607°N 1.792°W / 51.607; -1.792
OwnerStadia UK
OperatorStadia UK
Capacity2,000 [1]
Construction
Built1947
Opened1949
Tenants

Speedway

The stadium was home to the Swindon Robins, who competed in the SGB Premiership until 2021.[3] The speedway track has a circumference of 315 metres.[4]

Opening

The stadium opened to the public on 23 July 1949 when it hosted the Swindon Robins speedway team; greyhound racing followed three years later on 1 November 1952.[5] Swindon had two earlier short-lived greyhound track venues, in the village of Wroughton and near the town centre in Edinburgh Street, but both had disappeared by the mid-thirties.[6] The stadium occupied a rural setting south of Lady Lane and was named after the Blunsdon Abbey estate in Blunsdon St Andrew, a Victorian estate which had seen its main house destroyed by fire in 1904.[7]

History

Swindon Stadium c.1980

The track initially raced as an independent, with 2,000 people attending on 1 November 1952 to watch a greyhound called Don't Care win a 324-yard race in a time of 19.02 secs at odds of 6–1.[8] [9] The stadium came into the hands of the Bristol Greyhound Racing Association, owners of Oxford and Eastville (Bristol) stadiums at that time. This led to the track becoming part of the National Greyhound Racing Club during April 1968. The Silver Plume competition arrived in the same year, as the track's principal event.[10] Another independent track to the northwest of Swindon opened during the sixties at Common Platt but had little effect on the business of its larger neighbour.[11]

In 1983 ADT (British Car Auctions) purchased the Abbey Stadium and used its large car park as a base for their sales. Other competitions at the track were the Grand National of the West, Pride of the West and the Jubilee Stakes.[12] In 1997 the BS Group sold their Eastville stadium and bought Swindon from ADT. The entire Bristol operation including the racing office, bookmakers, trainers, the Western Two Year Old Produce Stakes and the BAGS contract transferred to Swindon.[13]

The BS Group became Stadia UK and then Gaming International, and after the closure of Walthamstow stadium in 2008 the track hosted the Arc competition. In 2018 the stadium signed a deal with ARC to race a Monday, Wednesday and Friday matinée meeting every week.[14] Later in 2018, the Arc competition was discontinued due to expected track changes, but following the sudden closure of Towcester, leading owner John Turner stepped in to save the Oaks with a late scheduling in December.[15]

Redevelopment

A redevelopment has been planned since June 2007.[16][17] The owners, Gaming International, were granted outline planning permission in 2008 to build houses on part of the site and after several revisions, outline permission was again granted in 2015, for up to 100 houses and a care home.[18] Work began on housing in November 2016 but the stadium plans were delayed.[19][20] In 2019, the original plans to reposition the stadium and track were scrapped, and the track was reduced in circumference from 463 metres by creating two new bends inside the old circumference, making way for housing. The 509 race distance was also scrapped.[21] The planning authority disallowed any further housing additions until progress was made with replacing the existing buildings.[22]

The stadium and track, therefore, remained in its original position with plans to install prefabricated buildings in place of the existing buildings.[23][24] From 2021 to 2023, the speedway team did not enter the British leagues due to uncertainty surrounding the ongoing changes.[25][3] In December 2022, the stadium continued to experience a stand off between the council and builders Taylor Wimpey over perimeters and expected redevelopment. Clarke Osborne of Gaming International issued a press release for a call for sites, which states that it wants to find ground for a 5,000 capacity stadium to host speedway, karting and car racing.[26] However similar statements had been issued in previous years by Gaming International/BS Group for Milton Keynes Greyhound Stadium, Reading Stadium and Eastville Stadium.

Competitions

British Bred Produce

The Arc

Silver Plume

Extended content
Year Winner Breeding Trainer Time SP Notes
1968 Glory NewtownPrinters Prince – Kilmagoura DaisyColin McNally (Perry Barr)29.18
1969 The Bad DropPrairie Flash – Lady JulianaMrs Kay Lee (Swindon)30.3520–1
1970 Ballybeg FlashPrairie Flash – Knock LateJoe Booth (Private)30.71Track record
1971 Spectre's DreamSpectre – Jockeys DreamHugo Spencer (Portsmouth)1-1f
1978 Lisnastrane LukeSole Aim – Trina AnnHazel Walden (Swindon)28.78
1990 Kilcurley CoalMoneypoint Coal – Victoria RangeJohn McGee (Hackney)29.042-1jf
1992 Summerhill SuperDaleys Gold – Tiny TolcasJohn Copplestone (Reading)28.192-5f
1993 Forever RovingSkelligs Tiger – Roving LindaBill Masters (Hove)28.778–1
1994 Crafty FontanaDruids Lodge – Crafty WinterLinda Mullins (Walthamstow)28.694–1
1998 Trade StyleTrade Official – Biddys StyleCindy Clapp (Hall Green)28.845–1Track record

1968–1974: 550 yards, 1975–1998: 480 metres

Current track records

Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes
262Signet Mafia[27]15.4027 March 2022
476Queen Joni[28]27.5314 September 2023Produce Stakes semi final
682Emotional[29]41.517 November 2021

Former track records

Extended content

Former track records (post-metric) [30]

Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes
275Fearless Swift16.2819 August 1985
280Mollifrend Tom16.195 October 1988
285Leaders Highway16.2310 June 1998
285Everton Cheetah16.2312 March 2003
285Jimmy Lollie[31]15.9030 September 2009
460Droopys Clay27.543 September 2002
460Pindi Express[32]27.3311 February 2004
476Money Matters [33]27.893 August 1988
476Cadburys Hero[34]27.8631 August 2019
480Dave's War28.491979
480Clonee Bill28.2618 October 1982
480Peasedown Julie28.269 November 1983
480Trade Style28.8423 May 1998Silver Plume Final
480White Santa28.6312 June 1998
480Three Wells28.6011 April 2001
480Dalcash Invader28.573 September 2002
480Westmead Joe28.5019 July 2006British Bred Produce Stakes semi-final
480Rhyzome Wizard28.4421 October 2006
480Troys Expert28.2925 July 2009British Bred Produce Stakes final
480Mark My Words28.289 July 2011British Bred Produce Stakes heats
480Mark My Words28.2615 July 2011British Bred Produce Stakes 2nd round
480Sids Dream28.2024 February 2012
480Shaneboy Alley[35]28.181 May 2013Arc final
480Johnnys Star[36]28.185 July 2013
509Greenfield Fox [37]March 1977
509Westmead Gold29.981 July 1987
509DarraghCommet29.944 July 1988
509Broadacres Butch29.854 April 2001
509Rhyzome Wizard29.7326 August 2006
509Pine Isle29.7016 September 2009
509Little Jig29.6530 September 2009Pride of the West final
509Crusty Crab29.5910 November 2010
509Sawpit Sensation[38]29.431 May 2013
530Greenfield Fox31.581977
685Bright Cut42.381976
685Black Port41.7218 July 1984
685Droopys Kovac41.8631 May 2002
685Streaky Luvs Men41.6413 July 2002
685Shelbourne Star[32]40.9411 February 2004
695Miss Linsey45.4217 June 1985Jubilee Stakes semi-final
695Go Go Tiger45.3717 June 1985Jubilee Stakes semi-final
695Jet Streamer45.316 November 1987
737Wailea Flash44.623 August 1988
737XamaxAyam Zaman45.133 September 2002
737Streaky Luvs Men45.1111 July 2003
737Wise Maldini44.8620 September 2003
737Ballymac Swift[39]44.291 May 2013
932Ballymac Swift[40]59.1222 May 2013
943Eternal Mist60.181980
943Tartan Sarah58.5223 July 1984
476 HGizmo Pasha29.4013 June 1990
476 HFaoides Country29.1118 September 1991
480 HGreenacre George[32]28.933 September 2002

Former track records (pre-metric)

Yards Greyhound Time Date Notes
520Glory Newtown29.181970
520Houghton Ryp1972
520Houghton HeraldAugust 1973
550Snobbish Flash31.371969
550Buff Bauhus31.31October 1969
550Ballybeg Flash30.7129 June 1970Silver Plume Final
575Legane Glory32.441970
740Bishops Miss42.931970

References

  1. "Swindon Greyhound Stadium | Swindon Dog Track".
  2. "Track Search". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 25 December 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  3. "Return of speedway at Swindon delayed until 2023". Swindon Robins Speedway. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  4. "Swindon Robins Speedway Official Website: CLUB OFFICIALS & TRACK STAFF".
  5. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 134. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
  6. "Greyhound Racing for Wroughton, Saturday 19 July". Swindon Advertiser & North Wilts Chronicle. 1930.
  7. "Sunday blazing Sunday brings down Blunsdon Abbey, recalls Barry Leighton". Swindon Advertiser. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  8. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 134. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
  9. "2,000 watch the greyhound racing - 3 November 1952". The Evening Advertiser. 1952.
  10. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 81. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  11. Furby, R (1968). Independent Greyhound Racing, page 61. New Dominion House.
  12. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing, page 59. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  13. Hobbs, Jonathan (2002). Greyhound Annual 2003, page 143. Raceform. ISBN 1-904317-07-3.
  14. "Arc Schedule Released". Greyhound Star. 21 December 2017.
  15. "Oaks to be run in December". Greyhound Star. 8 November 2018.
  16. Benke, Mike (21 March 2015). "New £5m home on cards for Swindon Robins Speedway team". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  17. "New stadium boost for Robins". Swindon Robins. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  18. "S/OUT/14/0833 – Abbey Stadium Lady Lane Swindon SN2 4DN". Swindon Borough Council – Planning. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  19. Humphreys, Chris (11 November 2016). "Work starts on new £5m stadium for Swindon". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  20. Amphlett, Floyd (24 January 2018). "AT LAST! THE NEW SWINDON READY TO PROCEED". Greyhound Star.
  21. "Produce Stakes Last Event Before Swindon Switch". Greyhound Star. 18 June 2019.
  22. "DECISION DELAYED ON MODIFIED PLANS FOR STADIUM". Insider Media Ltd.
  23. "Produce Stakes Last Event Before Swindon Switch". Greyhound Star. 18 June 2019.
  24. "Let's Go Racing". Swindon Greyhounds.
  25. "Swindon withdraw from 2021 Premiership". BBC Sport. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  26. "Call for sites". Speedway Star page 4. 19 November 2022.
  27. "Greyhounds Today Sprint - Heat 1". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  28. "The Seventy Seventh British Bred Produce Stakes 2023 Semi-Final - Heat 3". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  29. "The Blunsdon 682m Stayers". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  30. "Track records". Greyhound Data.
  31. "2009 track record result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  32. "Swindon track records". Greyhound Data. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  33. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1988) August edition". Greyhound Star.
  34. "The Swindon Standard Stakes". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  35. "2013 track record result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  36. "result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  37. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1977) March edition". Greyhound Star.
  38. "result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  39. "737 track record". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  40. "932 track record". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
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