Catford Dogs - Derelict London

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="005fd5a3.jpg"> <div> <B>  </B><B> </B><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial Rounded MT Bold" ><B>www.derelictlondon.com</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="02c5d430.jpg" border=0 width="93" height="67" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=50 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="006d2b03.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#C0C0C0" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="derelict_london_com.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Derelict London.com"><U><I><IMG SRC="3c896370.gif" border=0 width="150" height="55" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></U></A></div> <div> <B>Catford Dog Stadium - these pics taken Jan 2004 - 2 months after closure- </B></div> <bR> <div> The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA)  closed its Catford track in south-east London on 5/11/03.</div> <bR> <div> The track had been losing money because of declining attendances in recent years and the </div> <div> site is now likely to be sold for residential property.</div> <bR> <div> This is the second GRA track in the London area to close in recent years. Greyhound racing </div> <div> at its Wembley track came to an end in 1998 due to poor attendances. At least half a dozen</div> <div>  greyhound tracks have closed in and around London in the past 20 years.</div> <bR> <div> Catford was founded in 1932 and attracted large crowds until the legalisation of betting shops in 1961,</div> <div> which hit attendances at tracks throughout the country. The rich and famous, Hollywood stars and</div> <div> those from the world of sport all visited this corner of Catford . The Gold Collar trophy, its most </div> <div> prestigious race, regularly had a ' personality' to present the winning trophy, the likes of Henry </div> <div> Cooper, Lester Piggott, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno, Leslie Grantham and even Red Rum </div> <div> stepped across the famous sand track to the presentation podium, where starstruck owners, </div> <div> trainers and well-wishers celebrated before being joined by their heroes in a lap of honour.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Catford Stadium was the subject of scandal in August 2002 when a greyhound called Football </div> <div> Focus died in the kennels there of heat exhaustion and, on the BBC TV exposé of greyhound </div> <div> racing in December 2001, a trainer who ran greyhounds at Catford was caught on camera </div> <div> admitting that he gave large meals to dogs before racing to slow them down, </div> <div> so big money could be won on them in subsequent races.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id660.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><IMG SRC="c26fabb0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="187" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id660.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U> </U></A><A HREF="id660.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><IMG SRC="c28fabb0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="187" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> The first meeting took place on July 30, 1932, when dual Derby winner Mick The Miller, the most </div> <div> legendary greyhound in the history of the sport besides Ballyregan Bob and Scurlogue Champ, </div> <div> was paraded around the track.</div> <bR> <div> Back in its heyday, Catford used to have as many as 80 bookmakers, while only four were operating </div> <div> in the main ring when it closed.</div> <bR> <div> A female member of staff was once abducted by a gang and £30,000 – the night’s tote takings – stolen.</div> <bR> <div> The late Roy Dwight – cousin of Reg Dwight (Sir Elton John) – who famously scored and then broke his</div> <div> leg in the 1959 FA Cup Final for Nottingham Forest against Luton, was assistant racing manager during </div> <div> the mid-1980s.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id660.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><IMG SRC="c2afabb0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="187" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id660.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U> </U></A><A HREF="id660.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><IMG SRC="c2cfabb0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="187" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Here's some pics of the interior (courtesy of Derelict London visitor Danny Black)</div> <div> <A HREF="id787.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><IMG SRC="f35d8b60.jpg" border=0 width="216" height="182" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id787.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U> </U></A><A HREF="id787.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><IMG SRC="f37ddb60.jpg" border=0 width="221" height="182" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id787.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U> </U></A><A HREF="id787.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><IMG SRC="f399fb60.jpg" border=0 width="159" height="182" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Heres some pics of the stadium just before demolition taken by Fred:</div> <div> <IMG SRC="237c31c60.png" border=0 width="305" height="198" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="237e25c70.png" border=0 width="293" height="199" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="23802fcc0.png" border=0 width="303" height="204" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="238223cd0.png" border=0 width="291" height="205" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> and some taken by Evan Jones:</div> <div> <IMG SRC="27fe1ee40.jpg" border=0 width="286" height="228" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="280230e40.jpg" border=0 width="304" height="228" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="2807c3080.jpg" border=0 width="195" height="264" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="2804c6080.jpg" border=0 width="198" height="264" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="2806c5070.jpg" border=0 width="197" height="263" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="derelict_london_com.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Derelict London.com"><U><I><IMG SRC="3c896370.gif" border=0 width="150" height="55" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>