Wimbledon Stadium

Wimbledon Stadium stood on marshy land east of the River Wandle in south-west London. Built in 1928, it became one of Britain’s best-known greyhound tracks and hosted the English Greyhound Derby every year from 1985 to 2016. The stadium also held stock-car races, speedway and motorbike meetings until 2005. Its grandstand seated 8,000 and overlooked a large car park used for weekend car-boot sales. The Burhill kennels in Walton-on-Thames supplied most of the hounds, training champions such as Mick the Miller and Highland Rum. The track introduced innovations like weighing scales for greyhounds in 1929 and the Instaprint photo timer in 1950. Con Stevens managed the stadium for nearly half a century, overseeing five Derby wins by 1957. Trainers Paddy McEllistrim, Stan Martin and Phil Rees Sr. shaped Wimbledon’s reputation, while Ballymac Ball and Ford Spartan carried the colours to victory. The stadium survived wartime bombing and forged a lasting place in greyhound history. Visitors found a brick-fronted grandstand, executive boxes, bars and a large restaurant serving waiter-style meals. Beyond the stands lay a wide tarmac car park where Saturday and Sunday markets sold second-hand goods. The Plough public house stood nearby, while the only housing in the area clustered along Summerstown Road. The site later made way for new homes and AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane stadium.