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Greyhound Racing

Hi Everyone - working at Perry Barr dogs was my life when I was a teenager - I was there from 1975 when I started working for Colin McNally at the kennels behind the stadium at weekends and on race nights after school. I then worked for Andy Agnew when Big Mac moved to Cradely Heath. When I was 16 I was able to be a parader on race nights and did this up until I left to go to University in 1983. When I left I was parading for Rita Hayward. It was around this time that they were talking about Ladbrokes selling the land and knocking down the old stadium to build a new shopping centre on the land. Everyone was really sad about it but we were powerless against Ladbrokes and their intention to sell. Fortunately some of the greyhound owners came up with a scheme to use the abandoned old Birchfield Harriers stadium over the road to make a new stadium. I don't think Perry Barr would have been the same without a greyhound stadium in it. Up until recently I used to use the One Stop shopping centre a lot as I have been travelling back to Perry Barr almost every week to visit my late father who until just before he passed away still lived in the family home of Wilnecote Grove - a short distance from the stadiums and shopping centre. It would be lovely to see some photographs of the original Greyhound track if anyone has any.
 
Izzy1703 ... a couple of pics before your time but may be of historical interest.
A photo from the early 1950s showing the entrance to the dog track that was there then. From that entrance there used to be a covered queuing area all the way to the track.
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An aerial pic dated 1937 showing the dog track and also what was the the Birchfield Harriers track. In the top centre just about visible are houses being built in Wilnecote Grove.
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these are forum linked pics only visible if logged in.
 
Wow - thanks for that. I know that my family home was built in the 30s. The entrance to the track looked a lot different in my times. I used to go in down a tree lined drive which was the car park on one side and a paddock which we used for the dogs on the other. This drive would lead to a security guards hut and a large metal/wire gate. This would open to lead you directly to the back of the main stand of the stadium.
 
A cropped and enlarged view of the area in 1937. The Walsall Rd runs from bottom left across the view with the river bridge near the right. There appears to be a tree lined path from the Walsall Rd to the track area. Wilnecote Grove right of centre near the top of the view.
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My Uncle Horace Round raced greyhounds at Perry Barr,Hall Green and Kings Heath in the late 50 s and early 60s.He was good friends with Harry Parkes (Aston Villa ) they were always atPerry Barr.
One of his dogs won the BBC Television Trophy at Powderhall Edinboro.
 
My wife daughter and I used to go to the Perry Barr greyhound track on Saturday night . I used to put bets on for all three of us even though my daughter wasn't old enough to bet , I always had the same trap numbered dog and used to be lucky on quite a few ocassions . My daughter asked how I was so lucky I told her about the trap I bet on . Next bet the three of us was on my lucky number , I never won a sprazzy since .
 
His son Brian still has the Television Camera which was the Trophy for the winner
Many thanks for that Pedrocut.My dad won a lot of money on that and gave me and my Brother £10 each
 
Hi Everyone - working at Perry Barr dogs was my life when I was a teenager - I was there from 1975 when I started working for Colin McNally at the kennels behind the stadium at weekends and on race nights after school. I then worked for Andy Agnew when Big Mac moved to Cradely Heath. When I was 16 I was able to be a parader on race nights and did this up until I left to go to University in 1983. When I left I was parading for Rita Hayward. It was around this time that they were talking about Ladbrokes selling the land and knocking down the old stadium to build a new shopping centre on the land. Everyone was really sad about it but we were powerless against Ladbrokes and their intention to sell. Fortunately some of the greyhound owners came up with a scheme to use the abandoned old Birchfield Harriers stadium over the road to make a new stadium. I don't think Perry Barr would have been the same without a greyhound stadium in it. Up until recently I used to use the One Stop shopping centre a lot as I have been travelling back to Perry Barr almost every week to visit my late father who until just before he passed away still lived in the family home of Wilnecote Grove - a short distance from the stadiums and shopping centre. It would be lovely to see some photographs of the original Greyhound track if anyone has any.

IMG_2134.jpg
 
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