Fixture to mark greyhound racing's UK centenary

A stadium says greyhound racing's centenary in the UK will be celebrated with a special fixture in Wolverhampton.

Dunstall Park Greyhound Stadium (DPGS) announced there would be a race night on 24 July, 100 years to the day since the first modern greyhound race took place in the UK at Belle Vue Stadium in Manchester.

A six-race card would replicate the first fixture at 1926, and entertainment from the era has been planned, it added.

The Dunstall Park facility, which opened in September last year, sits inside the city's horse racing venue, with up to 25,000 spectators able to watch races from the main grandstand.

Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium in Birmingham closed in August, bringing almost a century of tradition to an end.

Officials at Dunstall Park are also gearing up to mark the sport's centenary with racing in July scheduled every Saturday and Wednesday evening.

The stadium said that after World War Two, crowds of up to 92,000 watched greyhound racing fixtures at showcase venues, including Walthamstow and White City Stadium.

DPGS general manager Chris Black stated that, while the sport "and other pursuits in life" had undergone "significant change in the last century, greyhound racing's fundamentals remain the same".

Dogs were "at the heart of everything we do", he added.

"They make the perfect pets in retirement, which we're proud to facilitate by working closely with our homing partners who ensure each dog finds its perfect, forever home when its racing career ends."

Black said the stadium's team would "showcase this and more to racegoers through our centenary celebrations".

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