The Crayford greyhound track in Dartford, Kent, England, which has been causing suffering to greyhounds forced to race since 1986, will close after the Christmas season in 2024.
The stadium owners, Ladbroke, said on their website, “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 race days, and, therefore, lower attendance which has sadly driven our decision to close. 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.”
The number of greyhound race stadiums in the UK has been dramatically reduced in recent years. The Henlow Stadium in Bedfordshire, one of the oldest greyhound racetracks in the UK, held its final race on the 21st of January 2024 before shutting down for good. Local animal rights groups had protested at the site for years and confirmed the closure. In 1984, the leading greyhound racing stadium in Britain, the White City Stadium, closed down, and it was replaced by the Walthamstow Stadium in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London, which also closed in 2008. Then, the Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium closed in 2017 before the site was demolished, and the Hall Green Stadium in Birmingham was also shut the same year. Peterborough Greyhound Stadium closed its doors for the final time in 2020 after 75 years.
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