Racing cheetahs. Can you believe it? That’s just one of the many unique stories that Romford Greyhound Stadium holds.
Welcome to the Coral Romford Greyhound Stadium. It is a greyhound racing track in Romford town centre. The Ladbrokes Coral group owns and operates it. Romford Greyhound Stadium has a capacity for over 1700 people.
The stadium has won the British Greyhound Racing Board’s “Racecourse of the Year” award twice. It won in 1998 and again in 2003. Following the closure of Wimbledon Stadium in 2017, Romford is one of only two stadiums left in Greater London. Crayford Stadium is the other.
The track here is 350 metres in circumference. Distances raced include 225, 400, 575, 750 and 925 metres. Six race meetings happen each week. You can find them on Friday and Saturday evenings. Wednesday and Saturday mornings also have meetings. Two afternoon meetings take place on Monday and Thursday. December sees racing on Tuesday evenings too.
You can place bets for each race at the Tote. Track-side bookmakers are also available. Several major open racing events take place at Romford Greyhound Stadium each year. These include the Cesarewitch, Champion Stakes and Essex Vase. You can also find the Romford Puppy Cup, Golden Sprint and Coronation Cup here.
The Coral grandstand sits on the finishing line side of the track. It splits over two levels. Inside are two public bars. They are The Champions Bar and La Roc Bar. You can also find Trap 7 Snack Bar and Tote betting facilities. The Paddock Restaurant seats 200 diners. The Coral grandstand reopened in September 2019 after a £10 million refurbishment. The Pavilion restaurant sits on the third bend. It can cater for 100 diners. A Marquee sits on the fourth bend. It contains a bar, snack bar and Tote betting facilities.
Archer Leggett and his brother-in-law started it all. In 1929, they rented land near the Crown Hotel. It was just off London Road in Romford. They spent £400 to equip the land for greyhound racing. On June 21, they opened for business. Privately owned greyhounds chased a hare powered by an old Ford car engine. The venture only lasted a year. The landlord doubled the rent to £4 a week. Leggett then raised £600 to build a new track. It included a stand in Belle Vue Meadow. The new site was on the south side of London Road. The first meeting took place in September 1931. Attendances exceeded 1,000 people.
In 1935, four new directors invested an extra £17,000. The track was converted into a stadium. Romford Stadium Ltd constructed extra stands and kennels. The company then purchased Dagenham Greyhound Stadium.
Before work began at Dagenham, Arthur Leggett planned to bring cheetah racing to the UK. Twelve cheetahs arrived from Kenya in December 1936. After quarantine, Romford, Harringay and Staines were chosen for the experiment. The cheetahs ran for the first time in December 1937 at Romford. The experiment failed. Although cheetahs were faster, they lost interest in chasing the lure.
The Essex Vase began in 1939. The stadium had a main grandstand with the Seniors Club. Another stand and the Junior Club were on the back straight. The paddock was on the third bend. Racing kennels and the Racing Manager’s office were there too. The track was 380 yards in circumference. Distances were 460 and 650 yards.
In 1976, Arthur Leggett agreed to sell Romford to Corals. The new owners invested heavily. A new grandstand included a glass-fronted restaurant. The tote and hare system were replaced. The track became popular with the public and the industry.
Local dog “Go Ahead Girl” recorded 17 consecutive wins in 1977. Lauries Panther won the 1982 English Greyhound Derby. This provided Romford with its greatest moment.
In 2006, the stadium underwent a £400,000 refurbishment. In 2019, a multimillion-pound renovation took place. This included demolishing the main stand. It created more car parking space. A new grandstand was built. A new track was laid down. The official re-opening was in September 2019.
Underworld tracks are named after greyhounds that ran at Romford Greyhound Stadium. These include Born Slippy, Sappy’s Curry and Pearl’s Girl.
So, next time you hear the roar of the crowd. Remember the cheetahs. Remember the history. Remember Romford Greyhound Stadium. It is more than just a track. It’s a slice of London’s vibrant past.