Monmore Green Stadium


Monmore Green Stadium is a greyhound racing and speedway stadium located in Wolverhampton. The stadium has private suites, a restaurant and a number of bars. The venue is owned and operated by the Ladbrokes Coral group.

Speedway

is raced there on Monday nights with the Wolverhampton Wolves competing in the top division of the sport, the Elite League where the team is captained by Speedway Grand Prix rider, Sweden's Fredrik Lindgren. Other riders who have ridden for the Wolves over the years include Britain's twice Speedway World Champion Tai Woffinden, multiple World Champions Ole Olsen and Hans Nielsen from Denmark, 1993 World Champion Sam Ermolenko of the United States and assorted others including England's Andy Grahame, Australians Jim Airey and Mark Fiora and America's 1982 World Pairs Champions Dennis Sigalos and Bobby Schwartz.
On some alternate Monday nights, National League team Cradley Heathens also race at Monmore Green.
The speedway track at Monmore Green is long and the current 4 lap track record is held by Australian Darcy Ward with a time of 53.45 set on 10 August 2015.

Greyhound racing

Matinée races take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays with evening race meetings on Thursday and Saturday nights. The track hosts several major races including the Ladbrokes Gold Cup, Ladbrokes Puppy Derby, Ladbrokes Festival 630's, Ladbrokes Summer Cup and from 2015 the prestigious puppy competition the Trafalgar Cup.
The track features prominently in the song "Monmore, Hare's Running" on the 1997 album Voyage to the Bottom of the Road by the band Half Man Half Biscuit.

History

20th Century

Monmore opened in 1928 south-east of Wolverhampton and south of the Sutherland Road between the Great Western Railway line and East Park. The official opening night was Wednesday 11 January 1928 organised by a company called the Midland Greyhound Racing Association. A 10,000 strong crowd witnessed the seven races including two hurdle events and the first greyhound to win a race was Arrow Tranby winning one of the 500 yards races in a time of 32.08 secs at odds of 6-1 when winning the Shirley Stakes.
In 1935 the large resident Monmore kennels were split into two sections and also served Willenhall Greyhound Stadium. Unlike many tracks Monmore remained open during the majority of the war and introduced the Midland Puppy Championship in 1943, which would become the Midland Puppy Derby and then the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby. The company ran a policy of having joint Racing Managers covering both Monmore and Willenhall. In the fifties Peter Cartwright left his position as Racing Manager to join the National Greyhound Racing Club and was replaced by Bob Harwood. Further competitions were introduced at the track that included the Midland St Leger, Midland Classic Potential, Pride of the Midlands and Staffordshire Knot.
In 1963 a devastating fire swept through the main grandstand resulting in the closure of the track for a considerable period whilst repairs were made. The annual Midland Puppy Championship had to be switched to Willenhall. The fire instigated a major change with the grandstand undergoing significant investment in the mid-sixties to include an ultra-modern glass fronted restaurant with tiered viewing and waitress service. It brought the facilities up to date and attracted outside interest from the Totalisators and Greyhound Holdings. In 1970 TGH purchased Willenhall and Monmore from the Midland Greyhound Racing Co Ltd to add to the existing tracks of Crayford & Bexleyheath, Gosforth, Leeds and Brough Park that they already owned. Four years later in 1974 Ladbrokes bought out TGH and added another racetrack Perry Barr. Arthur Aldridge became Racing Director for Ladbrokes and following the 1981 decimation of horse racing fixtures due to bad weather the track held BAGS fixtures for the first time.
The tracks resident kennels were demolished in the late eighties making way for the contract trainer system and Jim Woods arrived from Nottingham Greyhound Stadium to take over as Racing Manager with Bob Harwood General Manager. The stadium hosted the Golden Jacket classic race in 1986 before it moved to Crayford Stadium and a pre-war event the Midland Gold Cup returned in 1994. The stadium underwent changes in 1996 including a change of hare system from a Sumner to a Swaffham.

21st Century

2011 was a very successful year for the track when they won the BAGS National Track Championship and trainer Chris Allsopp became champion trainer. In 2013 Jim Woods retired after a 31-year career handing the reigns to Tony Williamson. The prestigious Trafalgar Cup competition was held for the first time in 2015.
In 2018 the stadium signed a deal with SIS to race every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon and every Thursday and Saturday evening. Leading trainer Kevin Hutton joined the track in August 2018.

Major competitions

Ladbrokes Puppy Derby
Trafalgar Cup
Ladbrokes Gold Cup Festival 630
Ladbrokes Spring Festival 630
Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic

Track records

Current
Distance
metres		GreyhoundTimeDateNotes
210Andlyns Asabat12.4508.05.2014
264Jetharts Here 14.9508.09.2007
416Southfield Jock 24.0104.12.2015
480Ballymac Eske 27.4828.06.2012
630Iceman Brutus 37.0720.08.2007Ladbrokes Gold Cup heats
684Centour Corker40.6029.05.2003Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic Final
835Slick Strauss 51.0017.08.2017
480 hurdlesBrave Ruler28.8826.07.1999

Previous
Distance
metres		GreyhoundTimeDateNotes
210Cry Havoc12.6420.03.1997
264Parliament Act15.3228.08.2001
264Boher Chief15.3027.05.2004
264La Galga15.2411.08.2005
264La Galga15.2326.08.2005
264Winnies Dancer15.2208.10.2005
264Ningbo Jack15.0912.06.2006
264Paid Boss15.0824.08.2007
277Cross Bar16.6619.04.1984
277Fearless Champ16.3409.11.1985
416Devitos Chance24.96 10.12.1997
416Moynies Cash24.5703.07.2004
416Woodcroft Jo24.5104.09.2004
416Belindas Company24.3323.09.2006
416Funtime Chunky24.3324.08.2007
416Last Mohican24.3005.07.2008
416Loughbeag Roopy24.2226.06.2010
416Guinness Sky 24.2124.06.2013
460Larkhill Jo27.1510.04.1997
462Hume Silver28.1514.06.1984
462Fearless Champ28.1218.01.1986
480Larkhill Jo27.9507.07.1997Midland Gold Cup semi-final
480Knocktoosh Queen27.9309.08.2003
480Express Hancho27.9123.08.2003 Ladbrokes Gold Cup semi-finals
480Westmead Eagle27.8517.03.2005
480Ballymac Pires27.8217.03.2005 Ladbrokes Puppy Derby final
480Blonde Dino27.8108.09.2007
480Ballymac Ruso27.7906.12.2008
480Bandicoot Tipoki27.7612.03.2009 Ladbrokes Puppy Derby heats
480Farloe Lee=27.7612.03.2009Ladbrokes Puppy Derby heats
480Target Classic27.71 07.12.2009
480Farley Blitz27.6013.02.2010
484Duke of Avon29.2205.07.1979
484Keen Mint29.5511.10.1982
484Fearless Power29.2608.11.1986
484Darragh Commet29.0811.02.1989
630Spring Rose37.9010.05.1997
630Slippy Elite37.8128.11.1998
630Form of Magic37.5616.05.2002Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic heats
630Marmions37.4220.05.2004Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic semi
630Westmead Hawk37.0820.05.2005
647 Telecomm Tiger40.4218.10.1986
647 Catunda Flame40.3308.07.1989
647 Easy Bimbo40.1813.07.1991
647Highmoor Glen40.1010.07.1993
684 True Honcho41.0314.04.2001
692 Desert Fame43.4125.04.1984
692Miss Bluebird43.3729.10.1985
815 Lizzies Girl52.1623.04.1975 BBC TV Trophy Final
815 Scurlogue Champ51.8015.05.1985 BBC TV Trophy heats
815Scurlogue Champ51.6422.05.1985BBC TV Trophy final
835Spenwood Gem52.0917.09.1998
835Knappogue Oak52.0928.08.2001
835Minglers Moth52.0115.08.2002
835Hesley Gale51.9527.05.2004
835Head Iton Tonge51.6021.06.2007
835Flying Winner51.2629.08.2009
880Thornfield Pride 54.7919.07.1997
900Make It Not58.05 05.11.1983
900Angelas Girl04.1983
900Lilac Wonder57.8305.12.1992
900Ladys Storm57.0209.07.1998
1067 Belladare70.74 09.05.1987
1067Coverall70.3429.10.1990
1104Travel Now 72.6625.03.2000
460 HJames Wish28.191998
484 HDistant Echo30.5418.07.1987
484 HNifty Kid30.3228.11.1988
484 HRun On King30.0910.04.1991
647 HTebroc Heathen42.6020.04.1989

Previous
Distance
yards		GreyhoundTimeDateNotes
300 General Radiance17.2227.05.1937
300Hurry Kitty17.1708.11.1945
475Neidins Bunty27.5323.03.1939
475Coynes Castle27.1408.08.1946
500Rushton Mac1954
500Lucky Joan28.1010.1962
525Kilpeacon Bride30.0905.02.1944
525Red Captain29.3404.1965
525Aughrim Glen29.191970
650Derry Fame37.0406.1964
650Hogans Express37.041970=equalled
700Half Term40.7914.10.1944
700Clahane Girl40.0509.1962
700Forward King39.8209.1967 Steward's Cup final
880Chantilly Lace51.8004.1960
880Old Irish51.101970
525 HBaytown Express30.9029.10.1944
525 HCoast Raider30.6009.1957