Derby Greyhound Stadium

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Derby Greyhound Stadium, also known simply as Derby Stadium, was a greyhound racing venue in Derby, England. The site had a long history before racing began there: it was once the Vernon Street Prison, a six-acre site near Vernon Street and South Street. The prison opened in 1827 with high walls and room for more than 300 prisoners. It stayed as a prison until 1916 and then served as a military prison. In 1929 the buildings inside the walls were torn down, but the curtain wall and the big entrance remained.

A few years later, the Preston Greyhound Racing Association bought the site and built a stadium inside the prison walls. The stadium opened on 29 April 1933, with Ted Rimmer as the first manager. The first race winner was Tramore Lad over 260 yards. Early races often involved four dogs. The track circumference was 385 yards, and other race distances were 460 and 650 yards. The kennels were next to the track, and the old prison officer’s quarters were turned into trainer housing, a cookhouse, and storage.

Notable moments from the stadium’s early years included Silver Wire winning the 1939 Scurry Gold Cup at Clapton Stadium. After the war, a greyhound named Keepers Remorse raced 409 times. The tote money in 1947 was £452,808. Racing managers over the years included Lt. Col. Prior and George Turnpenny.

In 1968, trainer John Horsfall left Derby for Catford, and Pat Murphy trained Malaria, who won the Midland Flat Championship. During the 1960s, race nights were on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the venue had three buffet bars and two licensed bars. The circuit was later measured at 378 yards.

In the 1970s, Barry Davis became racing manager, and two main events were added: the Derby Plate over 420 metres and the Derby Vase over 590 metres.

In 1984, Terry Corden bought the stadium for £300,000 and had been the general manager since 1979. Peter Robinson became racing manager, and the only remaining trainers at the kennels were Tom Harrison and Pat Murphy after others left. In 1988 the stadium was sold for £1 million to JF Miller Properties and Heights of Abraham Limited. Within two years, Derby City Council planned redevelopment. The last race meeting was on 7 December 1988, the same year as Derby’s sister track Preston closed.

Today the area has been redeveloped with offices, but the entrance known as Vernon Gate still marks where the prison and the stadium once stood.