Judy Middleton 2001 (revised 2022)
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| copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove The Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium, on the right is the Alliance Building Society's Headquarters, which was opened in 1967 and demolished in 2001 |
Before the stadium was built, the land had been in agricultural use by A. J. Clark, market gardener. It is interesting to note that seeds must have remained in the earth because after the stadium was built, asparagus continued to sprout in the old kennel area while rhubarb was still to be found where the car park would later be laid out. There was an apple orchard where Orchard Road was later built.
This land lay outside the perimeter of the old Hove parish boundary, and the situation did not change until 1 April 1928 when the boundaries of Hove and Brighton were regularised. That did not matter to the inhabitants of Hove who were horrified at the prospect of a greyhound stadium being built in their vicinity. Alderman Sir Alfred Sargeant thundered that such a scheme was detrimental to the best interests of the borough. Feelings ran so high that Hove Council organised a local referendum on the subject. At Hove 14,050 cards were sent out, while in the area shortly to be added to Hove, 288 cards were despatched. It was stated that out of the cards returned to the Town Hall, 7,326 were supportive of the Council’s action in opposing the building of a stadium, while a paltry 2,142 thought a stadium was a good idea. In addition, Hove Council’s opposition was backed by Brighton Council, Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce, Hove Parochial Council, Hove Wesleyan Church, and Cliftonville Congregational Church.
Construction
All the opposition was hopeless, and indeed it was a case of trying to shut the stable door after the horse had bolted because the Greyhound Stadium was soon up and running.
Thousands of tons of soil had to be shifted in order to make the track area level. Two large pits with a depth of around 30-ft to 40-ft were dug for drainage, and were filled with old motor cars. Much of the material used in the construction of the stadium came from the old Brighton Aquarium that was demolished in 1927. However, the four standard lamps did not hail from the Aquarium, and were especially made for the stadium.
The stadium was gas-lit, and the gas company was said to be very proud of the undertaking. But there was a problem; the stadium stood on a somewhat exposed site and when there was a high wind, the gas lamps could be blown out.
The stadium cost £4,000 to build, and the owners decided to call it the Hove Sports Stadium, which must have made Hove councillors grind their teeth.
The Opening Day
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| copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums Brighton Season Magazine 1920 Sir William was the former Chief Constable of Brighton 1901-1920 |
A special luncheon was held at the Royal York Hotel, Brighton, just before the opening. Sir William Gentle, chairman of the Greyhound Racing Association, delivered a speech in which he referred to the opposition. He said that those people had probably never seen a greyhound race in their lives and ‘they had formed in their minds quite an erroneous idea of how greyhound racing was conducted.’
Harry Preston applauded ‘this wonderful greyhound-racing movement’ and he was quite convinced that the stadium would be of great benefit to the area.
The opening night took place on 2 June 1928, and some 7,000 spectators turned up to watch the seven races. Seats in the grandstand cost 5/- and box seats cost 6/8d. There were also larger boxes to accommodate six people for rich patrons such as David Sassoon. The racing programme cost sixpence, and the heading across the top read ‘Greyhound Racing Association (Brighton) Ltd West Blatchington, Hove’.
The architect to the National Greyhound Racing Club measured the track and declared the distance on the inner rail to be 525-yds. The main stadium personnel were as follows:
Brigadier General H. E. Trevor, general manager
J. H. Skinner, racing manager
Commander W. Kennedy, veterinary surgeon, (whose practice was located at the stables of the Sussex Hotel, Kingsway)
The first race was called, appropriately enough, the Hove Stakes, and carried a prize of £16. It was won by a greyhound called Costs owned by Mr and Mrs Graham Hooper. The Hoopers had another success that evening when their other greyhound Damaged Goods also won a race.
The
reporter from the Sussex
Daily News
was no doubt expecting there to be some trouble on this first
occasion. Perhaps he took up his pen reluctantly to write ‘it was
a gathering remarkable for its orderly character’.
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| copyright © R. Jeeves An interesting old postcard view of the Greyhound Stadium |
Maurie Elliott’s Memories
Maurie Elliott was the hare-driver at the stadium for 40 years. In the early days it was heavy work because he had to operate a stubborn hand-winch to get the hare moving. Sometimes the machinery would break down, and then the greyhounds would have a field day, pouncing on the hare and tearing it apart. At other times, if the hare were almost worn out, it would be thrown to the greyhounds after the race for them to play with. In either case it meant that Elliott then had the task of creating a new hare. He became very adept at stuffing and sewing up a rabbit skin. In 1935 electricity finally arrived at the stadium, which meant that the hare could whizz around the track without bothering Elliott’s muscles. It was claimed that Elliott had attended around 13,000 races or trials.
During the Second World War, Elliott was in charge of the emergency food store at the stadium, which had been ear-marked for use in case of a major bombing disaster at Hove, and there was the added advantage that the stadium had large water tanks. The stadium also housed an auxiliary police station with a staff of regular police and reserve officers; Elliott saw service as an auxiliary police driver during this time.
The 1930s
In the 1930s the chairman was Dr G. W. Drewett who habitually wore a pinstripe suit with a high wing collar. He was the proud owner of a famous greyhound called Honeyman’s Last, and although the champion of many races, the dog turned out to be a complete failure at stud.
Another well-dressed man at the stadium in those days was Mr McNeil who wore a smart uniform, and blew a bugle at the start of the parade.
In May 1932 a hand-operated totaliser was installed. It caused tremendous controversy, and indeed the timing was unfortunate because just seven months later such a machine was declared illegal. This soon changed in November 1934 when the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act was passed, and a tote became legal.
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| copyright © J. Sharp The electric tote in 2004 |
The race card for the 201st meeting on 10 September 1932 carried some interesting information about the greyhounds. In the first place, before being entered for a race, they must have run at least three trials. Then it was up to the racing manager to grade them. On the day of a race the greyhounds arrived at the stadium two hours beforehand. They were carefully checked over, weighed, and a coloured collar (to correspond with the same coloured jacket) was put on, bearing the number of the race on it. This collar was removed when the greyhound was wearing the correct jacket. Only officials and stewards were allowed in the racing paddock. The draw for trap numbers took place in the manager’s office two days prior to the race.
In 1936 a new tote was erected at the stadium, and it was reputed to be the largest ‘Forecast’ electric tote in the country. The tote cost £12,000, and it is astonishing to note that it provided employment for 60 men. It was in operation for the first time on 25 July 1936.
The Act already referred to also limited the
number of meeting that could be held in a year to 108, but at Hove,
meetings were spread over 104 days.
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| copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
Naval, Military & Air Force Tournament at
Hove Stadium. 16 July 1936
|
On 19 March 1938 Lady Eva de Paravicini cut a silken tape to officially open the racing season, while Mrs Charles Wakeling, wife of the chairman of the directors, pressed a silver button to inaugurate the new electric lighting system, which had cost £2,000 to install. The whole of the racing track was now brilliantly illuminated by 50 lamps of 1,500 watts. The electric hare, which was only three years old, was replaced by a state-of-the-art MacWhirter Ellis trackless hare. The circumference of the track was put at 492-sq-yds, and only West Hart and White City had longer ones.
In addition to the huge grandstand in the 3/- enclosure, there were two stands in the 1/6d ring. One of them had been built in 1936, and the other was completed just in time for the 1938 season with men hard at work night and day to get it finished in time. The architect responsible for the latter was Horace G. Carrington Couldrick; it could hold 1,000 people and it cost £7,500.
In the 3/- enclosure, there were two clubs that season. The club and restaurant at the top of the stadium was called the Greyhound Stadium Club, and the subscription was 10/6d. The club under the grandstand was called the Nevill Road Greyhound Club, and the subscription was 2/6d. Later on in 1938 it was hoped to create yet another club and restaurant under the new stand.
In June 1939 the stadium was closed for two months while both grandstands were extended, and the terracing in front of the Nevill Road stand was lowered.
Not long after this, the kennels were moved from the back of the Orchard Road stand, and the greyhounds were kennelled at Albourne, near Henfield.
Second World War
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| copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums Locations of bombs dropped near the Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium |
When war was declared in September 1939, the stadium was closed down. But it was soon back in business. The big difference was that there were no evening meetings because of the blackout; instead, they had to hold them during daylight hours.
In that time race cards carried an important notice ‘In the Event of an Air Raid Warning patrons are advised to go into the Buffets under the Stand.’ Patrons would be sure to hear such a warning because the air-raid siren was situated close by at the Goldstone Pumping Station.
The race card also carried an exhortation for patrons to do their bit for the war effort by purchasing National Savings Certificates, which could be bought at both stands. By July 1940 some £300 worth of certificates had been sold at the stadium.
In 1941 the stadium’s fellow sporting venue, namely Brighton & Hove Albion at the Goldstone Ground, was in dire straits and in danger of liquidation with an overdraft of £9,000. Then the vice-chairman, A. W. Hillman, brought in the stadium’s directors, Charles Wakeling and Carlo Campbell, who saved the financial situation, and subsequently joined the Albion’s Board as well.
A Big Show was organised at the stadium during the war, and it was said to be the largest one-day event ever organised outside London. Again it was held as a fund-raising event on behalf of Hove Hospital. The Show was held on August Bank Holiday, and took full advantage of war-time double summer-time with events being staged from 10.a.m. to 10.p.m. There was a horse show, a gymkhana, show jumping, sheep dog trials, a dog show, and an athletic meeting.
The largest crowd of the war years was when around 20,000 people attended the Canadian Army Athletic Championship. Unhappily for local punters, the civilian population was not allowed entry. Thus, when the Brighton Police tug-of-war team defeated the Edmonton Regiment, there were no local supporters to cheer them on.
Athletics and Other Sports
In 1948 Charles Wakeling, director, paid for part of the stadium ground to be turned into a ground for athletics, using the space formerly occupied by the old speedway track. The ground was levelled, and extended at the north and south ends. This was not so easy as it sounds because the north part had to be raised while the south part needed to be lowered. One of the main features was the cinder track, the first to be laid in Sussex. There was space for six lanes, each measuring 4-ft each. Mr A. V. Alexander, Minister of Defence, opened the track in the summer of 1948. The athlete Gordon Pirie did some of his training at the stadium.
At one time, many touring rugby teams used the
stadium to inaugurate their season, including the New Zealand All
Blacks, the Australian Wallabies, and the South African Springboks.
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| copyright © National Library of Australia The Dubbo Liberal & Maquarie Advocate 29 December 1953 |
The stadium also served as a venue for boxing, and famous names such as Jack London and Jack Pettifer were among the fighters who have appeared there.
St Richard
It may seem an unlikely record, but in May 1953 the stadium became the venue for the largest religious gathering seen in Sussex for a hundred years. The event was to celebrate the sept-centenary of St Richard of Chichester (1197-1253) the patron saint of Sussex. An attendance of around 10,000 people was expected.
Royal Visit
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh had a busy day at Hove on 16 July 1962. First of all, they opened newly re-vamped George Street, then they attended the stadium for a massed display of uniformed youth organisations, and afterwards opened Hangleton Library.
The
royal couple were delayed in arriving at the stadium because their
official car was stranded in Church Road by the massive crowds. At
the stadium the Queen inspected the Queen’s Scouts and Guides while
the Duke had a word with recipients of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Then the royal couple climbed into an open-top car to circuit the
stadium watched by a crowd of more than 10,000 people. At one stage,
the Duke told the driver to stop because he had spotted a boy lying
flat on his back with arms and legs bandaged, playing the part of a
victim in a Boys’ Brigade First Aid demonstration. The boy was
13-year old Michael Shorter and the Duke wanted to have
a chat
with him. Apparently, the Duke said, in characteristic mode, ‘I
hope you are going to let him out of there.’
The 1960s and 1970s
From 1928 to 1960 there were in the region of some 23,000 greyhound races at the stadium involving some 138,000 greyhounds.
The kennel girls were a feature of the stadium,
and it was their job to parade the greyhounds around so that punters
could see them before the race. In 1960 the kennel girls were decked
out in polo-neck sweaters, tartan-trimmed shower-proof jackets or
light brown twill jackets, and jockey caps. Later on, the uniform was
changed to smart red jackets and blue trousers.
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| copyright © J. Sharp Kennel Girls in the 2000s |
In 1961 betting shops were legalised. This was a blow to greyhound racing because punters no longer had to visit the stadium in order to place a bet.
In 1973 a Brighton-trained greyhound called Easy Investment, recorded a time of 28.17 seconds for the then 525 yards, which earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
In the summer of 1976 the Coral Leisure Group acquired the stadium, and invested some £275,000 in creating a sports club there. It contained three championship badminton courts, seven ordinary squash courts, and one glass-backed championship court. It opened in October 1978, and soon there were 500 members, Mrs Gillian Gilkes, an all-England badminton champion, took part in an exhibition match.
The 1980s
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| copyright © J.Middleton The Co-operative Superstore (now Waitrose) sported an unusual roof adornment |
Although the short-term gain was cash in hand, the long-term reality was that the site became constricted and there was no space for expansion. A future possibility might have included a ground-share with Brighton and Hove Albion, but this was never an option, once the site had been reduced.
In August 1984 the Brighton & Hove Gazette printed a long feature article about the stadium. It was stated that around 8,000 people go to the dogs every week. The stadium employed 72 cashiers to accept bets on the tote, and eight messenger girls to take bets from customers in the restaurant. There were 32 TV monitors relaying information; Wally Hughes was the tote manager.
The article also mentioned veteran bookie George Gunn, and there was a photograph too. The twelve other bookies at the stadium nicknamed him the Godfather because he always looked smart. Mr Gunn told the reporter that his father had been the first greyhound bookmaker in the area. Mr Gunn also thought the stadium had the best race-track in the country because of its width, which allowed the dogs to recover if there was a bump on the bend.
After the Second World War there were more than a hundred greyhound tracks in the country, but by 1988 there were under fifty. Fortunately, there was a bit of a revival at the beginning of the 1980s, and by 1988 Saturday nights at the stadium were attracting crowds of more than 3,000 people.
In June 1988 the stadium celebrated its Diamond Jubilee with some special races, a grand firework show, and a display of vintage cars. Three men who attended the first meeting were also present. They were John McGill, aged 81, Reg Knight, aged 79, and the famous Argus Billy.
Ballyregan Bob
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George Curtis (centre), Bob Rowe (right)
and Ballyregan Bob, circa 1986
photograph by RJRoweCollection,
(Licence - Creative Commons) |
Ballyregan Bob was a brindle-coloured dog who became the most successful greyhound in history. He was born in Ireland, and when he was aged twelve months, he was purchased by businessman Clifford Kevern for £1,500. On 25 August 1984 his career in England began at Hove. He was trained by George Curtis of Hove who stated ‘He had classic pace over bends, coupled with seemingly limitless stamina and sheer determination.’
On 9 December 1986 at Hove this greyhound ran over 695 metres and notched up his 32nd consecutive win to surpass American champion Joe Dump’s world record sequence. There were 8,000 spectators to witness his victory, and the event was screened live on BBC’s 9 o’clock news. Other victories won at Hove were as follows:
The £1,000 Cosmic Orbit Young Puppies Trophy (515 metres)
The £3,000 Olympic (515 metres)
The £2,000 Racing Post World Challenge (695 metres)
Ballyregan Bob won 42 races from 48 starts, and by 1987 his stud fees were £600 a time.
On 29 March 1990 Lavinia, Duchess of Norfolk, unveiled a marvellous, life-like sculpture of the greyhound by acclaimed local artist James Osborne at the stadium.
Ballyregan Bob died in April 1994, and Patrick Kelly, greyhound expert on the Evening Argus, was moved to write that he was ‘simply poetry in motion’.
Argus Billy
The man popularly known as Argus Billy had a pitch inside the stadium near the turnstiles for 45 years from which he sold copies of the Evening Argus. It is a wonder he was so fond of the place, seeing as back in 1933 he had lost part of a finger when a greyhound bit him. But Argus Billy was a fixture at the place, and part of the ambience. Therefore, there was general uproar when the management decided to move his pitch because the turn-stile area was re-vamped in 1990. The sales manager rather snootily stated words to the effect that Argus Billy did not fit in with the new decor, and selling newspapers just inside the stadium created a downmarket effect. Trainers, greyhound owners, and several hundred people rallied to Billy’s defence, but it was all to no avail.
Argus Billy continued to sell newspapers at the stadium, but his stall was outside, although under cover of sorts. But Billy was made of stern stuff and he lived until the grand age of 94, having notched up 55 years of selling the Evening Argus at the stadium; he died in August 1997.
The 1990s
In April 1991 there were fears about the loss of the Orchard Road stand; it had a lower fee than the main stand, but accounted for a quarter of all admissions. It was once the property of the stadium’s owners, but it was given to the Alliance & Leicester Building Society in exchange for another piece of land north of the stadium. Since then, the stand had been leased to Coral’s for five years, but the lease expired in September 1990.
The two companies failed to reach an agreement, and thus the parties found themselves in the High Court on 21 May 1991. Coral’s lost their case, and they were ordered to return the stand to the Alliance & Leicester on 21 November 1991.
The last hurrah of the Orchard Road stand was on 7 September 1991. As a salute to the occasion one race was called the Orchard Road Finale Trophy, which was won by Cullinagh Jacko, owned by James Atkinson, and trained by Gordon Hodson. The trophy was presented by Lizzie Hudson, aged 96, who had been present at the first meeting in 1928.
The stand was then demolished. The affair caused a great deal of bad feeling, and in the end proved somewhat pointless because the Alliance & Leicester (after many denials to the contrary) moved out of the area, without having made any use of the disputed piece of land.
The loss of the Orchard Road stand meant that the main stand had to be turned into two separate enclosures with different admission prices; one was called Skyline and the other was Trackside. Some of the equipment in the children’s playground had to be moved but the Friendly Whale slide remained.
In May 1991 it was stated that Coral’s had been put on the market by the parent company, Bass, with a price tag of £300 million. Coral’s Leisure Group owned two greyhound stadia – one at Hove and the other at Romford, besides 1,300 betting shops. Then in August 1991 Bass changed their mind, and said they were not disposing of Coral’s after all.
However,
in January 1998 it transpired that Ladbroke’s, the country’s
largest bookmaker, had purchased Coral’s Leisure Group for £363
million. The deal included the stadia in Hove and Romford, 891
betting shops, on-course betting, telephone betting, credit services,
and
a shareholding
in Satellite Information Services.
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| copyright © J. Sharp July 2004 |
There were calls for the take-over to be referred to the Monopolies Commission but Ladbroke’s hoped to avoid this by selling off 128 betting shops to Tote Bookmakers. Ladbroke’s would then have control over of 2,609 betting shops in comparison with the next largest enterprise, William Hill with their tally of 1,530 betting shops. By August 1998 Peter Mandleson, Trade & Industry Minister, was still pondering over the issue, but two months later he ordered Ladbroke’s to sell Coral’s within the space of six months. In December 1998 Coral’s was purchased by Morgan Grenfell Private Equity, which was owned by Germany’s Deutsche Bank. Ladbroke’s stated that in the short time they had owned Coral’s, they had raked in a profit of £40 million before tax.
Some Stalwarts
In October 1991 greyhound trainer Gunner Smith, announced his retirement at the age of 87, claiming to be the oldest greyhound trainer in the world. Gunner acquired his nickname from his gamekeeper grandfather because as a youngster he used to help him make sure the guns were ready for action. Gunner Smith’s association with the stadium went back to 1935, and remarkably he was granted his first trainer’s licence at the age of seventeen. There were usually around ten greyhounds at each Hove meeting that he had trained. He won the prestigious Regency Cup, besides many other titles.
Norman Russell, aged 67, died in April 1992. He was one of the best known officials at the stadium. Two years previously he had tried a spot of retirement but missed his old life at the stadium so much that he only spent one week in idleness before reporting back for duty. This time he died just five weeks after his second retirement. Russell had spent some 46 years at various tracks around the country, and moved to Hove ten years ago.
In October 1991 the oldest greyhound still running at the stadium was six-year old Rainey’s Pet, who had just won his 18th victory. Many greyhounds retire at the age of four, but Rainey’s Pet still loved the chase, and had taken part in no less than 157 races.
More about the 1990s
In 1993 it was decided to make use of the old tote building at the south-east corner. It had become redundant since the arrival of computers, and so it was converted into offices by R. Vinalls of Henfield. Work was completed in September 1994. It is interesting to note that Peter Shotton, who started his career at Hove in 1964 as racing manager, devised the first computerised tote. Shotton retired in 1997 after some 44 years in greyhound racing.
A Sunday race-meeting was held for the first time on 8 January 1995, and more than 1,500 people attended. But the initial enthusiasm soon wore off with angry bosses laying the blame on magistrates insisting that the eight bars at the stadium must close at 3 p.m. The bosses claimed that they were not making enough money to cover their expenses, and so Sunday racing between July and October was cancelled. In May 1996 an application was made to the licensing magistrates to allow the bars to remain open until 5 p.m.
In November 1995 the stadium won the £10,000 Supertrack 95 final at Wembley Stadium in a 26-28 win over Romford. Peter Miller, Hove’s racing manager, collected the Duke of Edinburgh Trophy from Brough Scott, the racing commentator from Channel Four. The overall points score for Hove after five rounds were as follows:
Coolmona Road (22)
Hart to Mine (22)
Press Copy (18)
Bobs Riband (16)
Above Average (11)
Tiger Khan (11)
Sir Frederick (9)
Kalamity Clare (9)
Away Duke (6)
Ballarue Minx (6)
Sandstormer (6)
Vulcan Bomber (6)
Silver Glow (5)
Iron Mole (5)
Stranger Passing (5)
Allincourt Blaid (4)
Silver Lining (2)
In 1996 the stadium won its second Wembley victory, Supertrack 96, which established the Brighton & Hove Stadium as the top greyhound racing venue.
Coincidentally, members of Coral’s Sports and Leisure Club have been winning victories in squash at both regional and national level.
On 2 June 1998 the stadium celebrated its Platinum Jubilee, and it issued a special souvenir race card in booklet form with a cover featuring a reproduction of the first race card and a portrait of Ballyregan Bob. The meeting was attended by 1,800 fans plus the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Francis Tonks, and broadcaster Derek Jameson. In addition there was 86-year old Charles Page of Aldrington Avenue, who worked as a bookmaker with his brother at the first meeting. He said that back in 1928 it had been warm and sunny, and it only cost 1/3d to get in.
In November 1998 it was announced that the stadium
had won a grant of £106,000 from the British Greyhound Racing Fund,
and the marketing manager, Jeff Piper, said they were very pleased.
However, the money was only half the cost involved in a major
face-lift for the stadium.
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| copyright © J.Middleton The exterior of the Greyhound Stadium was photographed in September 2021 |
The 2000s
In September 2000 the end of an era was marked by the removal of the turf-covered straights, which had been in place since 1928. But nowadays, turfing was deemed to be impractical, and an all-sand track was considered to be safer for the dogs. Most of the remaining tracks in the country also used sand tracks.
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| copyright © J. Sharp July 2004 |
In June 2020 it was said that greyhound racing was
the last sport to be closed down during the Covid-19 pandemic, and
the first to open up once lock-down restrictions were lifted. It was
hoped that later in the year the Sussex Cup and the TV Trophy would
be able to be staged at the stadium.
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| copyright © J. Sharp Lazer Ray July 2004 |
It is a different matter when it comes to the annual visit of Zippo’s Circus to Hove because the circus management have to pay a fee to the council for use of their land, and therefore the council have a say in the matter. All the same, the council has not banned animals from appearing in a circus, and in Zippo’s case, they only consisted of trained horses and budgerigars anyway; it was Zippo’s that decided to leave the animals behind when they came to Hove because of the nuisance caused by protesters.
Sources
Argus (11/6/20 / 15/12/20)
Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade
Evening Argus
Hove Council Minute Books
Mr R. Jeeves
National Library of Australia
Personal interview with Maurie Elliott
Mr R J Rowe
Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
Mr J.R. Sharp
Copyright © J.Middleton 2022
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