New Cross Stadium, Hornshay Street, Old Kent Road, in South East London opened 1 June 1933, as a greyhound racing stadium and later speedway. The ground was adjacent to The Old Den,Aerial photo of New Cross Stadium and The Den from 1962 the then home of Millwall F.C. and was used as a training ground by the club when they did not have facilities of their own. The track was often referred to as 'The Frying Pan'. It was built inside the greyhound track and had banking all the way round.Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. At the time of its closure in 1969 the stadium had a capacity of 26,000. The stadium was demolished in 1975.

Origins Previously the site had been used for athletics during the early 1900s. In 1933, the site was used for a new stadium construction. The construction cost the New Cross Greyhounds Ltd £100,000 and the stadium was designed by Mr. G. Simpson and built by Robert McAlpine & Sons.

Greyhound racing History The greyhound track was small compared to the average London track and the racing was initially independent (unaffiliated to a governing body). The track was a very tight circumference of 354 yards with a surface of peat, short straights of 86 yards and heavily banked bends. The stadium could accommodate 25,000 people.

The opening race meeting was held on Thursday 1 June 1933 and was opened by the celebrities Cicely Courtneidge and Jack Hulbert. Mr L. O. Browne was appointed as the first Racing Manager. The main race distance was over 550 yards. The first trainers were John 'Jack' Kennedy, Bill Smith, Godfrey Hyde Clark and Harry Spoor and a complex of 200 kennels were attached to the stadium. In 1934, the kennels increased to 250 and Albert Bedford joined the training ranks.

Before the start of the war the stadium was acquired by the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA), who took a controlling interest in January 1938. The GRA subsequently licensed the track with the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC), with the first meeting under rules taking place during January 1938.

Also in 1938, the GRA introduced a new competition called the Greenwich Stakes (later to be called the Greenwich Cup) and this was soon followed by the Berkeley Cup in 1939, held over 415 yards. Both events were the principal events at the stadium and they became prominent races on the open race circuit.

After the war Totalisator turnover figures peaked at £3,095,736. The healthy bank balance of the New Cross Greyhounds Ltd Company and the GRA allowed the construction of three new covered stands, two on the home straight and one on the back straight. Restaurant buffet bars, tea buffet bars and licensed bars were to be found in all three enclosures.

In 1946, the hare system used was a 'Sumner' and the kennel facilities for the New Cross trainers were situated at nearby Silwood Street within ten minutes walking distance of the track.

Trainer Jack Tallantire joined the track in 1952 and Joe Pickering experienced great success that included a double English/Scottish Grand National win by Prince Lawrence in 1954 and 1955. Pickering also lifted the Trafalgar Cup with Our Tim II.

A third major competition called the Ben Truman Stakes was introduced in 1962, when the training ranks consisted of Norman Chambers, Sanders, John Shevlin, Smith and Charlie Smoothy.

John Field arrived as the new Racing Manager in the 1960s and in August 1968 the usual racing schedule of Thursday and Saturday nights was altered after the introduction of Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service (BAGS) fixtures when the Stamford Bridge closed to greyhound racing.

Closure The BAGS racing lasted less than one year, when the stadium closed with relatively little notice on 3 April 1969 after difficulties over the lease with landowners British Rail.

The stadium was left derelict for several years until it was demolished in 1975 as part of a plan to redevelop the football ground, although those plans fell through. The site is now a public open space called Bridge House Meadows. Millwall F.C. have since moved to a new site north of the stadium, with houses now occupying the location of their old ground.

Competitions Greenwich Cup

Berkeley Cup

The Berkeley Cup was inaugurated in 1939. The competition was given dispensation to be held during World War II but the 1940 edition was postponed.

YearWinnerTrainerTimeSP1939 Return Fare IIArthur Jonas (Stamford Bridge) 25.11 5/21941 Ballynennan MoonSidney Orton (Wimbledon) 30.07 13/8f1943 Wavecrest II Tom Johnston Sr. (Private) 30.23 3/11946 Winsome Seal Gordon Nicholson (Catford) 24.39 1/5f1947Latest SelectionLilah Shennan (Private) 24.85 7/11948 Jacks Arrow Stanley Biss (Clapton) 24.37 100/81949 Buzzing AfterwardsAlf Turner (Catford) 24.13 5/11950 Derrycrussan Tom Smith (Clapton) 24.22 4/9f1951 Pluckanes Belle Jack Harvey (Wembley) 24.10 5/-11952 Kale Seed Gunner Smith (Private) 24.12 5/21953 Home Luck Stan Martin (Wimbledon) 23.68 1/6f1954 Baby Joe Harry Spoor (New Cross) 24.08 8/11955Rosey Coaldust Paddy McEvoy (Private) 24.08 8/11956 Rosey Coaldust Paddy McEvoy (Private) 24.24 2/1jf1957 Charming Style Henry Parsons (Crayford) 24.26 7/4f1958 Town Prince Leslie Reynolds (Wembley) 23.97 11/10f1959 Sporting Magger Dal Hawkesley (West Ham) 24.43 100/71960 Victory Streak John Shevlin (New Cross) 23.80 2/11961 Wonder Blue Ernie Butler (Private) 23.64 33/11962 Greenane BoulevardeDennis Hannafin (Wimbledon) 24.48 1963 Greenane BoulevardeDennis Hannafin (Wimbledon) 23.99 1964 Tralong Jet John Shevlin (New Cross) 24.54 4/11965Mimi II Ivy Regan (Private) 34.80 1966 Fawn Poacher Ernie Butler (Private) 34.90 1967 Big Rocket Henry Parsons (Crayford) 35.341968 Local View John Shevlin (New Cross) 35.22 (New Cross, 415 yards)

Ben Truman Stakes

Track records

Distance yards Greyhound Time Date Notes415 Bantown Banner 24.02 31 May 1938415 Winsome Seal23.96 31 May 1938 Berkeley Cup semi final415 Floating Dingy 23.92 13 July 1946415 Home Luck 23.48 13 April 1954550 Knockbrack Flyer32.52 September 1935550Congleton Lord32.25 26 April 1938550 Prince Norroy 32.2625 October 1941550 Tuturama 31.26 1963600 Kinauld Demonstrator 35.17 26 July 1938600 Shadowlands Delight 35.02 6 September 1947600 Gambling Dick 34.95 September 1951600 Silent Leader 34.50 27 August 1964770 The Black Freak 46.12 November 1958770 Magic Brooklyn =46.12 December 1959770 Buckwheat 45.38 26 October 1963880 Ray-O-Vitol 52.62 2 June 1962415 H Knockbrack Flyer 24.82 6 April 1938415 H Vintners Cup 24.16 13 April 1957600 H Mira Chara 36.57 24 August 1939600 H Mazel Tov 36.22 November 1958600 H R.S.II 35.47 1 September 1962

Speedway

The stadium held speedway from 1934 to 1967. The teams were known as the New Cross Lambs (1934–35), then the New Cross Tamers (1936) and finally the New Cross Rangers from 1937 to 1963.Jacobs, N. Speedway in London, http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk, New Cross Speedway

In 1935 Tom Farndon was killed after crashing at the stadiumJacobs, N. Out of the Frying Pan, The stadium was used in the 1949 film Once a Jolly Swagman (released as Maniacs on Wheels in the US) starring Dirk Bogarde as a speedway rider and Sid James as the team promoter.

Stock car racing The birth of oval track stock car racing in the UK and the first ever BriSCA Formula One Stock Car Racing took place at the New Cross Stadium, London on Good Friday, 16 April 1954. The final was won by car 11, Chevalier D'Orgeix. Racing continued here until 1956. Three meetings also took place in 1968 whilst Harringay was being revamped.

During 1966 racing at the stadium was promoted by Spedeworth International and had its own team, the London Sparrows, who also had Wimbledon Stadium as its home track. The London Sparrows team included Del Stickings, Dave Pierce, Graham North, Johnny Melia, Ken Lambert, John O’Hagon, John Watts, Les Collins, Todd Sweeney and Harry Andrews.

External links Defunct Stockcar Stadiums Photographs of New Cross as a Stockcar track and pictures of it today Details of speedway meetings at New Cross

References