Swansea Greyhound Stadium
 Swansea Stadium | |
 | |
| Location | Ystrad Road, Fforestfach, Swansea, Wales |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°38′28″N 3°59′16″W / 51.64111°N 3.98778°W |
| Opened | 1947 |
| Closed | 2009 |
Swansea Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing track on Ystrad Road in Fforestfach, north-west of Swansea, Wales.[1] It is not to be confused with the Fforestfach track called White City that was built earlier and had closed before World War II.
History
[edit]The stadium was situated on the north side of Ystrad Road opposite three factories (clothing, sprinklers and electrical components).[2] On 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.
On 6 March 1947, the Swansea Highways Committee held a meeting to discuss a proposal for a new greyhound racing track.[3] Trails commenced on 6 June and the grand opening took place on Saturday 14 June 1947 with two race meeting at 2.45pm and 7.00pm.[4]
The greyhound stadium also hosted grass track speedway[5] and had a large circumference of 484 metres with distances of 312, 430 and 525 yards. Races included the Swansea Derby.[6] The stadium remained independent (unaffiliated with a governing body) and raced on Tuesday and Saturday evenings.[7]
It closed on 7 November 2009 following the non compliance of an improvement notice, issued after Swansea county council enforcement officers found kennels in poor repair and wheelbarrows of excrement.[8] The stadium was demolished and the site opposite the Ystrad Trade Park remains empty.[8]
The land has been rented/leased by the council to a waste recycling company. The land is currently undergoing preparation work.
References
[edit]- ^ "Swansea Fforestfach". Greyhound Racing Times. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "OS County Series Glamorganshire 1920". old-maps.co.uk.
- ^ "Swansea Dog Track Plans". South Wales Daily Post. 7 March 1947. Retrieved 14 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Swansea Greyhound Stadium". Neath Guardian. 5 June 1947. Retrieved 14 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Port Talbot's Youngest Track Rider". Neath Guardian. 27 June 1947. Retrieved 14 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. pp. 302–303. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
- ^ Furby, R (1968). Independent Greyhound Racing. New Dominion House. p. 96.
- ^ a b "Swansea Greyhound Stadium to close". Wales online. 3 November 2009.