The Portsmouth Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing stadium in Tipner northwest of Portsmouth.
Video Portsmouth Stadium
Origins
The stadium was built in 1930 east of Tipner Lane on the site of Stamshaw Chemistry Works. The stadium will be accessed from the new Target Road and effectively replace the tracks in the Portsmouth Greyhound Track (Copnor) that drove from 1928-1930.
Maps Portsmouth Stadium
Opening
The larger new stadium opened on May 25, 1931 with coach Fred Tolfree claiming all four first place in the opening race of five dogs. The first winner is the favorite Tommy Pup 2-1.
Pre war history
In 1932 the stadium was purchased by Joe Childs a famous jockey at the time because he was a jockey to King George V. Also included in the new management team were captain Jack Parker of the Harringay and Bradbury Pratt speedway teams.
In 1937, a 14-year-old boy named George Curtis got a job with trainer Bill Peters and one year later Hugo Spencer joined the track as a coach. The stadium management is run by Sporting Promotions (Portsmouth) Ltd.
Post war history
Total turnover peaked in 1946 at à £ 1,108,662.
In 1956, Quick Surprise won the Scottish Greyhound Derby and reached the English Greyhound Derby final for coach Pat Mullins. Two years later Joe Childs died and the ownership of the stadium fell into the hands of F A Childs who also became Racing Manager. F A Childs was replaced by E F G Wilkins after Childs sank in an accident. Childs is remembered in the following years as the F.A.Childs Memorial Trophy proceeds.
In 1961 Hugo Spencer trained Hey There Merry to win the Scottish Derby and Spencer Journey To Dublin reached the final of the English Derby. The National Recreation Company took over the stadium in 1963 with Bill Francis becoming Racing Manager and Golden Moncong to be introduced as the main event of the track.
George Curtis claimed his first victory as a coach when Bad Trick won the Dog Derby in 1964. In 1968 Curtis left Portsmouth for Brighton replaced by his brother Charlie and left Hugo Spencer and Greg Doyle as other resident coaches. Unfortunately Charlie Curtis was killed in a car accident just one year later.
Spencer continued his success by winning the 1971 Welsh Greyhound Derby with Specters Dream and he would also win three National Sprints in 1961 with Hi There Merry and two in 1975 and 1976. The race itself would be transferred to Portsmouth for three years after Clapton Stadium closure.
In 1972, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) purchased a track from the Nationwide Leisure Company with the sole purpose of selling it as a profitable commercial property under the GRA Property Trust Company. But the property bubble broke out in 1973 leaving the southern coastline with a lifeline. Reading was not so lucky and closed under the GRA that resulted in coach Ron Jeffrey arriving in Portsmouth. Bill Francis became General Manager and oversaw two Racing Manager spells, Jim Layton and Stuart Strachan both filled positions before Dave Stow settled in the role.
Walstone reached the 1985 Greyhound Derby England final for coach John Copplestone and in 1990 the track replaced the grass trajectory to go all the sand. In the same year Jo Burridge won the Hunt Cup with Colored Panther. Copplestone had another England Derby finalist in 1991 when Summerhill Super ended in fifth and another Copplestone greyhound called Murlens Abbey won the Greyhound of the Year after victories that included Arc, East Anglian Derby and Edinburgh Cup.
In 1992 Wembley plc announced significant losses causing cost-cutting practice and Portsmouth suffered as a result despite the fact that the GRA has promised a new Portsmouth stadium. Lee McAlpine replaced Dave Stow as Racing Manager before Eric Graham took over and in 1998 Jim Snowden left Catford Stadium to take over as General Manager of the retired Bill Francis.
During 2006, the 'Sumner in the channel' rabbit system was replaced by 'Swaffham'
Closure
In 2008 it was announced that the Portsmouth Board's long-term lease was nearing its end and they were considering selling the site for redevelopment. The GRA rental holder unloaded the line to a new company, registered in March 2008, called PGS Ltd headed by general manager Eric Graham.
It was agreed that PGS Ltd could pay a pepper rent of 1,000 pounds per year because there was no value in rebuilding the land at that time. Graham attempted to renew the lease two years later in 2010 but was rejected by the Tipner Regeneration Company and the South East England Development Agency. Within a few weeks, the company ended up with direct effects and a designated liquidator with unpaid staff and coach. Racing Manager Paul Clark was suspended by Graham for comments made over the role of GRA and Grahams in closing.
The last meeting took place on 27 March 2010 and the stadium was demolished in 2012 with a site awaiting redevelopment.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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