Romford Greyhound Stadium
 | |
| Location | London Road Romford London RM7 9DU England, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Owner | Gala Coral Group |
| Operator | Gala Coral Group |
| Capacity | 4,300 people |
| Opened | 1929 |
| Tenants | |
| Greyhound racing | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Romford Greyhound Stadium, referred to as Coral Romford Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Romford in the London Borough of Havering in east London which is owned by the Gala Coral Group. The stadium has a capacity for over 4,300 people.
The stadium has won several awards including Winner of the British Greyhound Racing Board's 'Racecourse of the Year' award in 1998 and again in 2003. Several Underworld tracks are named after greyhounds that ran at the stadium, including Born Slippy, Sappy's Curry, and Pearl's Girl.
It is the last remaining greyhound track in east London; since the closure of Walthamstow Stadium in 2008.
Racing
The track is 350 metres in circumference, and the distances raced are 225, 400, 575, 750 and 925 metres.
There are five race meetings each week, on Saturday mornings and Thursday afternoons and during the evening on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.[1] During December racing is also held on Tuesday evenings.
Bets for each race can be placed either at the Tote or with the track-side Bookmakers.
A number of major open racing events take place at the stadium each year, these include the Golden Sprint, the Champion Stakes, which is broadcast live on Sky Sports, the Puppy Cup and the Essex Vase.
Facilities
The stadium consists of two stands both containing a number of bars and restaurants, plus a separate restaurant called The Pavilion.
The Main stand is situated on the finishing line side of the race track and is split into two levels inside with staggered standing platforms outside. Inside on the ground floor there are two fast-food restaurants and two bars, the La Roc Bar and the Trappers Bar, while on the second floor there is the Chase Restaurant and the Laurie Panthers Bar which is the largest bar in the stadium.
A soft children's play area is provided for use by people in either of the two stands and because of its position still allows the racing to be watched from the edge of the track.
Competitions
- Essex Vase
- Champion Stakes
- Golden Sprint
- Puppy Cup
- Coronation Cup
References
- ^ "Romford Greyhound Stadium". Retrieved 25 November 2008.