Betfair Official Blog

Lost Tracks: West Ham

Darrell Williams recalls another greyhound track gone from the East End...

Whichever way you look at it, West Ham Stadium was huge. Capacity wise, it was capable of holding 100,000 people - nearly half of them housed in a main two tier stand with a second stand also accommodating another 20,000 spectators, while the track itself was the largest in Britain with a circumference of 562 yards (513 metres) and boasting 123 yard straights. It was so big that greyhounds running over the standard trip of 550 yards didn't even have to run a complete lap!

West Ham Stadium, nothing to do with the Premier League football team, was based in Prince Regent Lane in Custom House East London, close to where the present day Prince Regent DLR Station now stands, and was officially opened on 28th July 1928. Soon to be recognised as one of the finest sporting grounds in the country, the stadium had been designed by Archibald Leitch, responsible for most of the major football stadia at the time including Anfield and Highbury.

The stadium also staged speedway (West Ham Bombers) and was the home of the newly formed, but short lived Thames AFC, but as Chairman of the Directors Sir Louis Dane observed at its official opening: "We are a Greyhound Racing Company and the dogs are the most important and our first interest."

And the greyhounds were certainly well catered for; over 200 were kennelled at the stadium in four blocks, while the huge track was lit by 70 x 750 watt lamps and used a special kind of Monorail train weighing only 500lbs to carry the hare.

Given its huge circumference, West Ham was also one of the fastest tracks in the country and at one stage held eight world records. It was also virtually guaranteed to race whatever the weather due to its unique distinction of having its turf track laid on wood raised twelve inches above ground level.

Punters - and as many as 30,000 per meeting attended at its peak - loved West Ham as its galloping circuit ensured its racing was almost trouble free, making it easier to predict results, although as was often remarked, its fairness denied the local runners any edge in Open races.

On the track, the Cesarewitch was West Ham's highlight, with the Classic, originally run over 600 yards, won by some of the greats in its early years.

Legendary Mick The Miller, who set a world record time in the heats, won the race in 1930 - he had earlier made his 600 yard debut at the track - while in 1931/2, Future Cutlet became the race's only dual winner. Later, in the fifties, both Pigalle Wonder (dead heat) and Mile Bush Pride were also successful.

As to its trainers, Stanley Biss, probably the greatest handler of bitches in the game first started out at West Ham in the 1930s, while Classic winning handler Tommy Johnston was also based there in the sixties.

West Ham Stadium closed in May 1972, and was demolished the same year, with housing now built on the site. Some of the streets are named after the former speedway stars who rode there. Sadly, there was no such recognition for the greyhounds.