White City Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England.

Origins

Construction Manchester is synonymous with greyhound racing because Belle Vue Stadium became the first greyhound track in the United Kingdom and Ireland to hold oval course racing in 1926. One year later on 1 November 1927 the remaining eleven acres out of a sixteen-acre plot of land belonging to the Royal Botanical Gardens was sold to Canine Sports Ltd and a stadium was speedily constructed. The stadium in the Old Trafford area was south of the Chester Road tramway and north of Talbot Road.

Opening The first meeting took place on 28 May 1928 followed by speedway on 16 June 1928. The circuit circumference was listed as with distances of , , and behind an "Inside Sumner" hare system. The circuit was described as having wide well banked turns.

Pre war history One of the first track trainers was J. Madden who trained Loose Card to victory in the 1929 Scurry Gold Cup and just one year later the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) purchased the stadium. The GRA owned multiple tracks including Belle Vue.

White City struggled to match the popularity of Belle Vue and another rival track the Audenshaw Greyhound Racing and Sports Ground started in racing in 1932. In June of the same year a greyhound called Wild Woolley was propelled to national fame when winning the English Greyhound Derby for White City trainer Jack Rimmer and owner Sam Johnson. Wild Woolley defeated the legendary Mick the Miller and Future Cutlet by a neck in the final. The following year Future Cutlet became the Derby champion and Wild Woolley finished third place despite being the favourite on this occasion.

The principal pre-war event was the Wilkinson Memorial Challenge Cup and amenities at the track included a home straight Grand Enclosure that offered catering and licensed bar facilities in the Members club. Starting from the back straight was the Popular Enclosure which continued around the third and fourth bends. The kennel facilities were at sister track Belle Vue and contained 320 electrically heated kennels situated well behind the first and second bends of the Belle Vue circuit. The fact that the greyhounds were housed at Belle Vue meant that the trainers at the time were attached both to Belle Vue and White City.

Post war history

After the war business boomed and totalisator turnover in 1946 was £1,878,980. A Derby final appearance by a greyhound called Lacken Invader was trained by L. Hague.

A new Racing Manager (RM) by the name of Charlie Birch took control during the 1950s and a new cinder track being installed for athletics in 1953. In 1959 Birch was replaced by R W Payne after Birch moved to Harringay Stadium. Payne was in turn replaced by A W Williams. In 1960 the Cock O’the North, a major race was inaugurated and six years later the Manchester Cup was switched from sister track Belle Vue. Stan Mitchell a recent training addition from Perry Barr Stadium trained Barrys Shamrock when he won the first running of the Manchester Cup at White City in 1966.

The trainers supplying runners in the 1960s were Stan Mitchell, Wilf France, Percy Stagg, W Holland, G England and Bill Adams. In the early 1970s three new trainers Eddie Moore, Harry Bamford and Ron Saunders joined. In 1971 the experiment by the GRA to introduce eight dog races went into full swing with trials at Harringay and racing at Belle Vue and White City.

Eddie Moore's Myrtown, a dark brindle dog finished runner up to Jimsun in the 1974 English Greyhound Derby and one year later he made the 1975 English Greyhound Derby final again. Trainers continued to join the track in the late 1970s George Barnett and Jack Hurt were two such trainers, the latter experienced success with a greyhound called Kilbelin Ruler and Hurt had arrived from Preston Greyhound Stadium in 1977.

Speedway

Dirt track racing started on Saturday 16 June 1928 and finished in 1930 but was revived for a meeting in 1958.

Stock car racing The stadium started to host BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars run by Mike Parker Promotions in 1972. The track was originally a very bumpy shale surface, but was tarmaced in 1976, by Mike Parker. The BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars World Championship World Final race was held twice at White City. In 1976 the race was won by Stuart Bamforth, and in 1979 by Frankie Wainman. The racing continued until the end of the 1981 season.BriSCA Formula One - The first 50 years 1954-2004 Keith Barber p 188-189

Closure Later R Thomas became RM assisted by Ian Travis but the GRA Property Trust which was an offshoot of the GRA were actively selling large city sites and White City fell into that category.

The stadium was sold to developers during 1981 and the stadium closed during 1982. A few years later it was demolished to make way for the retail park. The white colonnaded entrance gateway in Chester Road remains.

Competitions Cock o' the North

Manchester Cup +YearWinnerBreedingTrainerTimeSP1958 Ballypatrick The Grand Champion – D.West Cyril Beaumont (Belle Vue) 29.39 4-7f1959 Dancing Sheik Imperial Dancer – Delias GreenTed Brennan (Owlerton) 29.50 2-1f1961 The Red RappareeThe Grand Fire – Lisamote PrincessAustin Hiscock (Belle Vue) 29.541962 Faithful CharlieGlittering Look – Lady Artic Jim Irving (Private) 29.41 1963 Dalcassian Son Champions Son – Dalcassian ElfAustin Hiscock (Belle Vue) 29.43 1964 Sanhedrim Odd Venture – Single Peeper Harry Bamford (Private) 29.34 6-4f1965Sanhedrim Odd Venture – Single Peeper Harry Bamford (Private) 29.041966 Barrys Shamrock Bermudas Cloud – Dromiskin LassStan Mitchell (White City Manchester)29.80 1967 Forward Flash Crazy Parachute - Supreme WitchJack Brennan (Owlerton) 30.31 1968 Special Martell Good Brandy – Tansy's Special Stan Mitchell (White City Manchester)29.921969 Desert Kuda Kilbeg Kuda – Far Down Jim Irving (Private) 29.865-11970 Always A MonarchAlways Proud – Libe Latinus Eddie Moore (White City Manchester)29.49 5-21971 John Silver Faithful Hope - Trojan Silver Barbara Tompkins (Private) 29.501972 Allowdale Era Wonderful Era – Careless SmackEddie Moore (White City Manchester)30.24 5-11973 Fly Dazzler Kilbeg Kuda – Nualas Lovely Norman Oliver (Brough Park) 29.08 3-11974 Deise Valiant Valiant Ray – Greenville Band Ron Saunders (White City Manchester)29.124-6f1975 Myrtown Myross Again – Longstown LassieEddie Moore (White City Manchester)29.00 1976 El Teide Own Pride – Steal Out Ron Ron Chamberlain (Private) 29.9914-11977 Chensu Mula Sole Aim – Mark Heather Ted Parker (Harringay) 29.561-1f1978 Clashing Breeze Clashing – Princess Painter Eddie Moore (Belle Vue) 29.851979 Kilbelin Ruler Supreme Fun - Duritza George Barnett (White City Manchester)30.031980Cushie Snowball 30.09 1981 Oakdene Sonny Here Sonny – Keslake Yanka Eddie Moore (Belle Vue) 29.757-4 (1958-65 Belle Vue), (1966–81 White City Manchester)

Track records Pre-metric Distance yards Greyhound Time Date500 Coynes Castle 28.55 22.05.1946500 Baytown Dagger 28.04 13.06.1955525 Tindani 30.01 15.10.1941525 Jersey Creamery 29.65 1948525 Grangelough 29.21 15.06.1959525 Riobally Shaun =29.21 24.09.1959525 Poor Linda 29.00 27.07.1964525 That Cailin 28.94 1970700 Pork 41.26 24.05.1934700 Dark Hissop 41.07 1946700 S.S America 40.18 11.05.1959725 Clady Border 42.26 1946725 Blackberry Rambler 42.16 02.04.1956725 Mighty Kern 41.15 30.07.1964880 Rozels Blue Girl 50.63 15.06.1964949 Baytown Dentist 56.40 04.07.1955525 H Donovan 31.29 28.07.1932525 H Mr Immaculate 30.28 04.06.1959525 H Hunters Gift 30.04 14.05.1964525 H Beamons Feat 30.00 1970

Post-metric Distance metres Greyhound Time Date255 Bunker Prince 15.15 15.08.1980485 Myrtown 28.76 05.05.1976670 Croghan Hostess 41.12 13.10.1969485 H Beamons Feat 30.00 30.10.1969485 H Strebor Gem 30.00 10.06.1973

References