Origins After the 1924-25
British Empire Exhibition Wembley Stadium was in liquidation before eventually being purchased by
Arthur Elvin. For the stadium to survive into the future it required much needed revenue and it was greyhound racing that provided it. Elvin and greyhound racing are credited with saving the stadium from closure and demolition.
Opening The first meeting was held on 10 December 1927 when 70,000 people witnessed the first ever winner called Spin claim the Empire Stakes over 525 yards. The Director of Racing and Racing Manager was Captain Arthur Brice, he was well known as the judge for the
Waterloo Cup. ===Pre
war history=== In 1928 the stadium introduced a major competition called the
St Leger which became one of the most prominent classic races in the greyhound racing calendar ranking only lower than the
English Greyhound Derby. The first ever running in 1928 was won by a local hound by the name of Burletta trained by Alf Mulliner. Over the following decades Wembley would become unrivalled in terms of major competition success and at times become almost dominant. Despite the success it was never seen as the spiritual home of greyhound racing because the
White City Stadium which hosted the Derby took this honour and even after the closure of White City it was
Walthamstow Stadium that took over the mantle. Wembley attracted all of the sports greatest greyhounds and introduced further events called the
Coronation Stakes in 1928 for bitches only, the
Trafalgar Cup which started in 1929 and was as significant an event for puppies as was the
Puppy Derby at the time, the Wembley Gold Cup in 1929, the
Wembley Spring Cup in 1930 and the Wembley Summer Cup in 1937. Arthur 'Doc' Callanan joined the training ranks in 1931 which included Alf Mulliner, Thomas Cudmore, Bob Burls, Sidney Probert and Jim Syder Sr. The track characteristics were described as a fast galloping track 463 yards in circumference with long straights and easy turns, it was also noted that the track was well kept and well turfed but the course was too rigorous for the smaller type of dog and an 'Inside MacWhirter Trackless' hare system was used. The greyhounds were kept on site in the grounds of the stadium with facilities found on the left hand side of the famous
Twin Towers, they included six sets of kennels housing 300 greyhounds in total with incorporated kitchens, each had its own paddock area and they were situated next door to the racing and administration offices. In addition there were isolation kennels for sick greyhounds, a large training gallop a large paddock by the racing kennels, and a veterinary surgery. The racing kennels were only on race nights. Two significant training appointments were made starting with Harry 'Jack' Harvey in 1936 and Leslie Reynolds three years later in 1939. The pair embarked on a series of competition wins that was the most successful in the industry for three decades. the equivalent of a staggering £411 million as of 2015.
1950s In 1952 the track underwent changes, the circumference was shortened to 435 metres and the Inside MacWhirter Trackless hare system was replaced by an Outside McKee Scott. Three of the most well-known owners the all ran their greyhounds at Wembley; the trio of George Flintham, Noel Purvis and Norman Dupont purchased and owned many of the sports leading greyhounds. The stadium hosted the only ever meeting between
Ballyregan Bob and
Scurlogue Champ in 1985, the invitation race saw Ballyregan Bob equal the Westpark Mustard's record but sadly Scurlogue Champ failed to finish after pulling up lame. A future
BBC Television trophy winner Glenowen Queen finished second but 11¾ lengths adrift.
Closure In 1998 during a very difficult spell the news arrived that the greyhound racing would end as plans were revealed for the stadium rebuild. The sport that had been responsible for the survival of the stadium for decades had not been included in the new plans. The last race was held on Friday 18 December 1998. ==Competitions==