Charlton Stadium

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Charlton Stadium
LocationCharlton, London
Coordinates51°29′19.442″N 0°1′44.061″E / 51.48873389°N 0.02890583°E / 51.48873389; 0.02890583
Opened1930
Closed1971
Tenants
Greyhound racing

Charlton Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Charlton, London.

Origins[]

An amusement contractor (someone that had dealings with circus acts) called Thomas Murphy built Charlton Stadium south of the Thames on the Woolwich Road, just east of Gallions Road.[1]

The first meeting took place on Saturday 20 July 1930.[2]

Thomas Murphy[]

There is a record of an extraordinary event concerning Murphy and his 13-member Jazz Monkey band. The band escaped in 1926 after thieves let them loose and the 13 monkeys made their way from Latimer Road causing havoc at Latimer Road Underground station and many other parts of London, one even made it to Rugby.[3]

Thomas Murphy died on 8 March 1932 aged 39 leaving his estate and the stadium to his benefactors. His memorial in Charlton cemetery features two life-sized statues of sleeping greyhounds.[4]

History[]

The starting traps at Charlton Greyhound Stadium c.1960

Following Murphy's death the shareholders of 'The Charlton Stadium Company Ltd' met and the company was liquidated and wound up in 1936 and then taken over by 'The Charlton Stadium (1936) Ltd'. Under new ownership, the stadium was completely rebuilt. The racing circuit was 361 yards in circumference with short straights favouring sprinters and not galloping types. New ventures such as boxing bouts were organised as the company traded up until the start of World War II.[5] During wartime, racing was severely interrupted but business was booming by the end of the war. Totalisator turnover was in excess of £1 million every year after the war. These represent phenomenal figures based on historic inflation.[6]

During the war the greyhound Ballynennan Moon won the Charlton Spring Cup in 1943; at the time this was Charlton's second biggest event behind the Cloth of Gold which had begun in 1941 over the distance of 600 yards. On 5 June 1946 Charlton Stadium (1936) Ltd was acquired by London Stadiums Ltd, which also acquired Wandsworth Stadium Ltd and Park Royal Stadium Ltd. The three companies received shares in London Stadiums Ltd.[7]

The first Charlton hound to claim glory on the open race front was Satin Beauty trained by Durant who won the Coronation Stakes at Wembley in 1942. Black Coffee won the Circuit at Walthamstow Stadium in 1949.[8]

In the 1950s, London Stadiums Ltd appointed Mr R E C Parkes as Director of Racing to oversee their three tracks and the Racing Manager was Mr A Lambert. In 1959 Charles Boulton replaced Lambert before the track closed in September 1961 following difficulties. The Cloth of Gold was switched to sister track Wandsworth. In 1963 Frank Sanderson headed a group of greyhound owners who made an offer to purchase the stadium from London Stadiums Ltd.[9] The closure lasted four years before the company opened up again for racing again in 1966.[10]

Wandsworth closed in 1966 resulting in Mr K A Guy (Director of Racing) and Boulton (Racing Manager) taking up the same positions at Charlton. Doug Allison was appointed Assistant Racing Manager. Also arriving from Wandsworth were two major events, the Olympic and the Cloth of Gold, the latter was Charlton's own original race. Racing was on Tuesday and Fridays evenings at 7.45pm and trials were held on Wednesdays at 11.30am. The trainers at the track after reopening were Bill Cowell, J Hourigan, P. O’Shaughnessy, G Holyhead and Miss B Nattriss, most were ex-Wandsworth trainers.[10]

Two more big events the Greenwich Cup and Ben Truman Stakes were held at Charlton following the demise of New Cross Stadium in 1969 and the final London Stadiums Ltd track Park Royal closed its doors the same year blaming the opening of betting shops for the outcome.[11]

Sunbury Kennels[]

All three stadia, Wandsworth, Park Royal and Charlton Stadium were served by the Sunbury Kennels, which were located in a rural setting on Hanworth Road in Sunbury-on-Thames twelve miles from Park Royal Stadium. The kennels which were built in 1933 at the cost of £25,000 sat in fourteen acres and had accommodation for 600 greyhounds. In addition to the kennels there was a veterinary surgery including X-ray, Ultraviolet and Infrared ray apparatus, with the kennel staff and veterinary surgeon living on site. The self-contained exercising grounds included over three quarters of a mile of special track for road work.[5] The establishment had its own kitchens, bakery and isolation kennels (for sickness). One of the early kennel managers was Mr Cadwallader who organised 12 trainers (4 per stadium), each with their own stadium related section. Total staff numbered 80 and the kennels were seen as the equivalent for London Stadiums Ltd that the Hook Estate and Kennels was for the Greyhound Racing Association.[12]

Closure[]

In 1967 the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) purchased Clapton Stadium and Slough Stadium, and then added Charlton to their portfolio. GRA had a child company, the GRA Property Trust, officially intended to improve the value of its property portfolio. The GRA duly sold Charlton stadium. On 19 March 1974 Makro opened its fifth UK store on the site.[13] The last race meeting was on 28 September 1971.[14]

Competitions[]

Cloth of Gold[]

Year Winner Breeding Trainer Time SP
1941 Victory Welcomed Border Mutton – Worsted Wayward J Noonan (Private) 34.56 7-2
1943 Jubilee Time Fine Jubilee – Winning Time Leslie Reynolds (Wembley) 23.62 1-3f
1945 Another Farewell Dal Hawkesley (West Ham) 35.14 1-2f
1946 Mondays News Orlucks Best – Monday Next Fred Farey (Private) 35.10 4-7f
1947 Kilrid Hero Tom Johnston Sr. (West Ham) 35.28 7-2
1948 Young Pretender Chieftain - Blackstreets R H Clark (Private) 35.22 100-8
1949 Captain Lake Captain Brown – Banna Lake Jack Harvey (Wembley) 35.64 3-1
1950 Coolafin Sidney Orton (Wimbledon) 36.10 7-1
1951 Push Hard D.X.Rice – Just Push J E Scott (Charlton) 35.15 7-2
1952 Dublin Darkie Paddy McEvoy (Private) 34.63 1-3f
1953 Kilcurry Ranger Jack Toseland (Perry Barr) 34.86 5-1
1954 Prince Chancer Fire Prince – Palm Swell Jimmy Jowett (Clapton) 34.35 4-7f
1955 Pancho Villa Mad Birthday - Golden Withins Jack Harvey (Wembley) 34.86 3-1
1956 Come To Mama J Taylor (Private) 35.22 6-1
1957 Kilcaskin Kern Magourna Reject - Pavona Tony Dennis (Private) 34.74 3-1
1958 Kilcaskin Kern Magourna Reject - Pavona Tony Dennis (Private) 35.13 1-1f
1959 Coolkill Racket Collkill Nigger- Tennis Racket Reg Holland (Private) 34.41 7-4
1960 Noonas Rhapsody Ballymac Ball – Vahsel Bay Jimmy Jowett (Clapton) 34.46 5-1
1961 Golden Arrow II Solar Prince – Nepey Lass Bob Burls (Wembley) 34.76
1962 Daytona Kid Racing Man – Silver Kid Tom Johnston Sr. (West Ham) 38.93
1963 Music Guest Solar Prince – The Grand Duchess Tom Johnston Jr. (West Ham) 38.72
1964 Poor Linda Hi There – Kilcomney Queen George Waterman (Wimbledon) 38.08 11-4
1965 Clifden Orbit The Grand Prince – Pink View Tom Johnston Jr. (West Ham) 37.85
1966 Cons Duke Crazy Parachute – Cons Diet Lionel Maxen (Hackney) 34.63
1967 Cheek To Cheek Hi Con - Benison Paddy Keane (Clapton) 36.12
1968 Quiet Cheer Golden Cheers – Vals Pet Joe Booth (Private) 34.70

(1941-61 Charlton 600 yards), (1962-65 Wandsworth 650 yards), (1966-68 Charlton 600 yards)

The Olympic[]

Greenwich Cup[]

Track records[]

Distance
yards
Greyhound Time Date
415 Jubilee Time 23.46 04.09.1943
415 Balliantrim 09.1957
415 Mighty Midget 04.06.1959
415 Carry On Oregon 23.36 1970
600 Victory Welcome 34.56 22.05.1941
600 Crazy Paving 34.34 25.07.1959
775 My Bang Bang 26.07.1966
775 Mothel Duchess 45.93 1970
880 Mothel Duchess 52.69 1970
379 H Neds Bay 24.22 19.08.1966
415 H Still Moving 24.70 26.09.1941
415 H Halfpenny King 24.20 1970
600 H Brindle Regatta 35.58 30.07.1960

References[]

  1. ^ "OS Plan 1953-1955". old-maps.co.uk.
  2. ^ "Charlton's new greyhound racing stadium in Woolwich Road". Daily Herald London. 1930.
  3. ^ "Monkeys Loose - Wild Pranks in Notting Hill". Western Star and Roma Advertiser (reprinted from Daily Chronicle). No. 2615. Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. 5 January 1927. p. 4. Retrieved 17 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Thomas Murphy and the Charlton Greyhounds". Running Past.
  5. ^ a b Tarter, P Howard (1949). Greyhound Racing Encyclopedia. Fleet Publishing Company Ltd. p. 58.
  6. ^ Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1947.
  7. ^ Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). pp. 251–252. ISBN 0-85020-0474.
  8. ^ Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
  9. ^ "Greyhound Star (Remember When - January 2021)". Greyhound Star. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. ^ a b Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  11. ^ Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  12. ^ "Remember When - October 1946". Greyhound Star. 2013.
  13. ^ "Makro Charlton-Anchor & Hope Lane, London, SE7 7RZ - makro.co.uk". www.Makro.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  14. ^ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. p. 413. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
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