Final greyhound race to take place at town stadium

A greyhound racetrack will host its final event this week.

Abbey Stadium in Blunsdon St Andrew, Swindon, has been home to greyhound racing since 1952.

The stadium - which will close after Christmas and could be transformed into a village with 130 homes under current proposals - was also the venue for Swindon's speedway events until 2020.

"I think it is devastating for the local community," Jonathan Hobbs, a journalist with Greyhound Racing UK, told BBC Radio Wiltshire. "It was in Swindon for many years and was a very safe family friendly environment... and somewhere people could enjoy a night out."

Greyhound racing came to Abbey Stadium on 1 November 1952, with 2,000 people in attendance to watch a greyhound called Don't Care win a 324-yard (296-metre) race in a time of 19.02 secs at odds of 6–1.

The final dog meeting will take place behind closed doors on Saturday, with the final public race on Tuesday.

Greyhound racing is legal throughout the UK but Wales and Scotland are in the process of introducing legislation to prohibit the sport.

Marie Osbourne-Matthews, who used to run the Speedway Supporters Club, said their greyhound neighbours used to give her hope that the stadium could survive.

Speedway has not taken place in Swindon since 2020 and is due to move to a new venue.

She said: "When the greyhounds were still running, it still gave us as speedway fans that little bit of hope.

"But now there is going to be no greyhounds, before we know it, the stadium is going to be gone.

"The memories when you drive past aren't going to be there anymore."

When the announcement was initially made that greyhound racing would end in Swindon, Clarke Osborne, chairman of Gaming International, said the decision was made with "profound sadness".

The company, which owns the stadium, had said that costs had increased, which led to the decision to close.

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