'It is no longer viable for us to continue operating the site' - Entain announce intention to close Crayford greyhound stadium after 38 years

Entain on Wednesday announced that it intends to close Crayford Stadium, ending 38 years of greyhound racing at the track since it opened on its present site in place of the previously closed Crayford & Bexleyheath, which first saw racing in 1932 and was shut by Ladbrokes in 1985.

The news was revealed by Entain UK communications director Simon Clare. He said: “We are saddened to announce the intended closure of the Crayford greyhound track.

“We have been exploring various avenues to avoid this decision for some time but, ultimately, it is no longer viable for us to continue operating the site.

“The dwindling support for the venue has led to insufficient trainer interest to fulfil our schedules, fewer competitive racedays and, therefore, lower attendance which has sadly driven our decision to close."

As an illustration as to the challenge Crayford has been facing, Clare said: “Only 18 per cent of races at Crayford this season have been six-dog races, substantially below the 90 per cent target.”

He continued: “Ladbrokes have a long history in greyhound racing, helping to build and open the Crayford venue in 1986, so the decision has not been taken lightly. 

“Impacted colleagues have been informed of our intention to close the track and we will shortly commence individual consultations with colleagues to discuss the support/options available to them.

“We will also continue to support all trainers impacted by the disruption and hope that many of them will continue to race their dogs at other UK greyhound tracks.

“We remain committed to the highest levels of animal welfare. As such, every affected greyhound will be cared for through an enhanced investment and rehoming strategy.

“We are looking to expand our infrastructure to rehome dogs, develop new rehoming partnerships in the UK, the US and Canada and support trainer and greyhound transition to other tracks in the UK."

Entain already has positive news about rehoming affected greyhounds, with Clare adding: “We have already found homes for 14 dogs in the US via our new initiative there.”

Clare confirmed that Entain’s other tracks are not under threat, stating: “We will continue to fulfil the current fixture schedule at our remaining tracks at Romford, Hove and Monmore.”

Crayford packs them in for the Golden Jacket final in February this year Credit: Steve Nash

He said Crayford trainers would be allocated positions where possible, but also stated that it was too soon to know whether the track might be sold as a going concern.

He added: “We have to go through the consultation periods with all the staff first.”

Crayford’s premier event is the Golden Jacket, a competition originally at Harringay, and it was won by stars such as Glin Bridge in 1976, Keem Rocket (1985), Chicita Banana (1990) and Bellmore Sally, the last to do the Jacket double (2022-23), following in the footsteps of Bobs Regan (1991-92) and Wexford Minx (1993-94).

Barring an unexpected reprieve of the track, Rick Holloway’s Dazl Rolex will go down in history as the final winner of the 714m event this year.

The news may also signal the end of the road for hurdle racing, with the track almost the sole bastion for jumpers and the Grand National taking place there on Sunday, although Hove still has its hurdle wings in place and until recently was staging jump racing.

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