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Shawfield Stadium

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Coordinates: 55°50′18″N 4°13′44″W / 55.83833°N 4.22889°W / 55.83833; -4.22889
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Shawfield Stadium
View from the terracing c.2008
Shawfield Stadium is located in South Lanarkshire
Shawfield Stadium
Shawfield Stadium
Location in South Lanarkshire
LocationRutherglen, Scotland
Coordinates55°50′18″N 4°13′44″W / 55.83833°N 4.22889°W / 55.83833; -4.22889
OwnerThe late Billy King[1]
SurfaceGrass
Opened1898
Closed2020
Tenants
Clyde F.C. (1898–1986)
Bridgeton Waverley F.C. (1923–1927)
Glasgow Tigers (1988–1995, 1997–1998)
Scottish Monarchs (1996)

Shawfield Stadium is a venue in the Shawfield district of the town of Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located close to the boundary with Glasgow.[2]

Originally a football ground, Shawfield was home to Clyde F.C. from 1898 to 1986. Greyhound racing was introduced in 1932, and the stadium hosted the Scottish Greyhound Derby from 1970 to 1985 and from 1989 to 2019. The Glasgow Tigers speedway team were also based there, from 1988 to 1995 and 1997 to 1998, with the Scottish Monarchs also racing there in 1996. Other sports including boxing and athletics were also staged at Shawfield.

On 19 March 2020, an announcement was made to suspend racing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the following two years the majority of trainers moved their greyhounds to other venues as the track became derelict.[3] During October 2022, the stadium's owner Billy King died, ending the likelihood of it ever reopening.[1]

Greyhound Racing

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Competitions

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Opening

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John Bilsland (sole owner of Stanley in Liverpool) helped instigate the plans to open Shawfield in his home town and brought the greyhounds to the home of Clyde F.C. The football club had been based at the stadium since it opened in 1898[4] but were experiencing financial difficulties by 1930 resulting in the need to find new income streams. The club had tried previously to allow greyhound racing to take place at Shawfield but the Football league was opposed to the idea. Finally an agreement was reached with the chairman John McMahon and the Shawfield Greyhound Racing Company Ltd (SGRC) was born.[5] The track opened on 14 November 1932 in the North Rutherglen area of Glasgow and was a big galloping circuit of 473 yards with 125-yard straights with well banked bends and it became a very popular venue. When Shawfield opened for racing the city of Glasgow already hosted four other National Greyhound Racing Society affiliated tracks in Albion, Carntyne, White City and Firhill. In addition there were the independent tracks of Clydeholm, Coatbridge and Mount Vernon which totalled eight tracks in Glasgow at the time.[6]

The first recorded winner was 'Swordmanship' receiving six yards in a 303-yard handicap race, the time was 18.45 sec. The SGRC bought the stadium from Clyde FC in 1935.[6]

History

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Shawfield Stadium c.1988

After the war had finished the SGRC was valued at £4,000 in 1946 by the taxman but the figure proposed by the owners was only £600 resulting in a dispute. As with most tracks at the time Glasgow experienced a profitable spell during the early fifties but both Albion and Firhill were closed to greyhound racing by the end of the decade. White City had shut by 1962 and in 1968 Carntyne was the latest track to close their doors which had a knock on effect for Shawfield. With the Scottish Greyhound Derby left without a home there were only two tracks big enough to host the event, Powderhall Stadium or Shawfield. The copyright of the Scottish Derby was held by the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) and they decided that Shawfield could host the 1970 Scottish Derby. Jim Layton was Racing Manager at the time and one year later the track also received another prestigious former Carntyne competition called the St Mungo Cup.[7]

In 1975 a devastating fire at the track resulted in the loss of the majority of facilities for the public. To combat this an investment program that included a state of the art totalisator system, ray timing and photo finish equipment was planned and this period also saw the GRA arrive on the scene as they acquired the track under their GRA Property Trust. The track made the National Intertrack final in 1976.[5]

In 1983, the stadium came on the open market and in 1984 the GRA looked to have agreed a deal to sell to Asda bur planning permission was refused.[1] During 1986, Clyde FC were given notice to leave and in May 1986 planning permission for houses was refused.[1] The stadium shut down on 25 October 1986. Supporters of the track lobbied to save the track and with the help of Billy McAllister, a former bookie, Racing Manager and racing reporter at the track, the Shawfield Action Group was formed. An 8,000 strong petition helped stave planning permission and there was some good news when a business consortium (led by track bookmaker Billy King) bought the track instead of the expected developers. On 11 June 1987 the track re-opened under the Shawfield Greyhound Racing and Leisure Company Ltd.[6] In 1988, the GRA lost their rights to the Scottish Derby following the sale of Powderhall and the Scottish Derby returned to its Glasgow roots. The management which included Robert Lithgow (Racing Manager), had already re-introduced the St Mungo Cup and William King Cup. A £100,000 facelift completed the takeover.

Billy King continued to ply his trade as a bookmaker and in late 2001 the Shawfield Greyhound Racing and Leisure Company Ltd became the Shawfield Greyhound Stadium Ltd.[8][1] The large tote board which dominated the south end of the track was demolished in 2004.[9]

Demise and closure

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Exterior in 2005

It was the last remaining licensed track in Scotland until its closure in 2020. The venue then remained unused for two years following the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2022 the owner Billy King died of a suspected heart attack, ending the likelihood of the stadium reopening.[1] It had previously been reported that the owners were looking to redevelop the site for housing, pending the results of an environmental report on the contamination there.[10]

In October 2023, plans were unveiled for the redevelopment of the site, involving the demolition of the stadium and its replacement with a mixed use development including housing and retail.[11]

Track records

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Extended content

At closing

Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes
300 Ravage Again[12] 17.35 7 April 1990
480 Droopys Buick[13] 28.63 2 April 2016 Scottish Greyhound Derby semi final
500 Droopys Sandy[12] 29.39 21 May 1994 Scottish Greyhound Derby Final
500 hurdles Face The Mutt[12] 31.07 25 May 1982
670 Crack of the Ash[12] 40.50 11 September 1993
730 Decoy Princess[12] 45.09 20 February 1988
882 Rosemoor Flower[12] 56.55 13 April 2002
932 Silken Dancer[12] 59.35 2 September 1993

Former (Pre metric)

Yards Greyhound Time (sec) Date Notes
300 Montforte Louis 16.45 30 July 1965
300 Bright Lad 16.60 27.05.1970
303 S M Rob Roy c.1950 [14]
303 Special Intention 16.43 5 July 1950 [14]
500 Clane Flirt 27.88 06.08.1945
550 Rushton Smutty 27.60 16.07.1951
525 Fin Machree 29.07 21.07.1947
525 Biddys Fire 28.75 27.07.1964
535 Killone Flash 29.63 10.05.1971
700 Mad Midnight 39.88 1946 World Record
700 Our Tansy 39.53 12.07.1947
500 H Minorcas Glass 28.75 18.05.1956
525 H Morganstown View 30.30 08.08.1958

Former (Post metric)

Extended content
Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes
300 Fearless Prince 17.97 1987
300 Movealong Inler 17.94 20.02.1988
300 Ravage Again 17.41 27.10.1989
450 Fair Hill Boy 26.85 27.10.1989
480 Comrades Delight 29.56 21.12.1991
480 Funny Enough 29.32 10.09.1994
480 Solar Symphony 28.97 20.05.1995 Scottish Greyhound Derby Final
480 Justright Melody 28.87 08.08.1995
480 Farloe Verdict 28.79 03.04.2004 Scottish Greyhound Derby Final
480 Fear Haribo 28.76 14.04.2007 Scottish Greyhound Derby Final
480 Tyrur Kieran 28.69 09.04.2008 Scottish Greyhound Derby semi final
480 Greenwell River [15] 28.66 11.04.2009 Scottish Derby invitation
500 Special Account 10.08.1982 Scottish Greyhound Derby semi final
500 Special Account 29.99 14.08.1982 Scottish Greyhound Derby Final
500 Westmead Harry 29.62 19.05.1990 Scottish Greyhound Derby Final
510 hurdles Lovely Pud 31.63 09.07.1984
670 Prince Peacock 41.53 11.08.1984
670 Wellimoff 41.08 1988
670 Chicita Banana 40.83 07.04.1989
725 Woopsy 45.91 1987
882 Omega Jet 56.63 18.04.1998
882 Lucky Mollie 56.55 13.04.2002
882 My Tootsie 60.44 1987
932 Denes Mutt 59.68 08.09.1987
932 Swiss Trips 59.54 05.09.1991

Football

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Clyde F.C.

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Clyde F.C. took over the site, previously a trotting track, in 1898,[16][4] having previously been based across the River Clyde at Barrowfield Park. The club earned additional revenue from using Shawfield for boxing and Track and field; greyhound racing was introduced in 1932.[16] Clyde's financial difficulties led to the sale of Shawfield to the Shawfield Greyhound Racing Company Ltd in 1935, but the club continued to play there as tenants.[16] They invited emerging Junior team Bridgeton Waverley to play there temporarily in the 1920s.[17] During the Second World War, Clyde almost had to leave Shawfield because the owners demanded the use of the stadium on Saturday afternoons.[18][19] Eventually a compromise was reached where the stadium would be used for dog racing on alternate Saturday afternoons, allowing Clyde to play their home fixtures.[19]

Old entrance gate at Shawfield in 2008

After World War II, Clyde and the other smaller clubs in the Glasgow area struggled to compete with the dominant Old Firm.[20] In addition to this, many of the heavily populated tenements surrounding Shawfield (Oatlands, Hutchesontown, Dalmarnock, Bridgeton and central Rutherglen districts) had been cleared in the 1960s, reducing Clyde's support base.[16][21] The club proposed to move to the new town of East Kilbride in 1966.[16] Four years later, Clyde attempted to take over Hamilton Academical;[22] this collapsed when four of the Hamilton directors secured a lease on Douglas Park.[22] Clyde continued to play at Shawfield until 1986, when the GRA's redevelopment plans led to Clyde's eviction.[16] Despite the collapse of the redevelopment plans, Clyde did not return to the ground, although this was proposed in 1988.[16] After a period of uncertainty playing at Firhill in the north of Glasgow (home of rivals Partick Thistle) and then later at Hamilton, Clyde eventually accepted an offer from the town of Cumbernauld to move to what became Broadwood Stadium.[16]

1957 disaster

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On 14 December 1957, a disaster occurred at the stadium during a Scottish Football League match between Clyde and Celtic.[23] A very large crowd of 27,000 had been allowed into the stadium to see the fixture[24] (involving the team which had just won the League Cup and the team which would go on to lift the Scottish Cup at the end of the season), with reports of the time describing Shawfield as "bursting at the seams";[25] crushing was experienced among some of the spectators prior to kick-off. At the time this issue was a fairly common occurrence at popular events, and it was also normal for children in the crowd to be passed over the heads of the adults out of the terracing. In this instance the juveniles were passed over the 4-foot (1.2 m) high terracing boundary wall onto the greyhound track and sat on the track to watch the match, with their backs to the wall.[23][26]

In the opening minutes a goal by Celtic resulted in a surge forward among the packed crowd, and a section of the boundary wall collapsed forward under the strain, falling onto the boys sitting on its opposite side.[23][25][26] Players stopped to help the injured,[25][26] whilst supporters at the other end of the ground were unaware of any incident due to the smog which enveloped the stadium,[25] and initially shouted for the game to be restarted. The match did resume following a 20-minute delay to rescue trapped boys and carry away the injured for treatment, despite some of the players being visibly distressed by what they had witnessed.[26][27] Celtic eventually won a contest played at particularly high intensity by a 6–3 scoreline.[27]

A total of 50 persons were injured, almost all of them children, with 13 detained in hospital suffering serious injuries and one fatality among them: a nine-year-old boy named James Ryan from Bridgeton whose chest was crushed.[23][24]

During the fatal accident inquiry the following February his uncle stated that James had been lifted over the wall onto the track only seconds before it collapsed,[23] and other boys who were injured also stated that they had still been in the stand at the time the goal was scored and had jumped over the wall to avoid being crushed just prior to it falling.[24] The inquiry heard evidence that the wall had been inspected following the incident and was of sound and legal construction, and it was only the extreme force that caused it to collapse.[23][24] The accident was blamed on unruly persons in the crowd who had repeatedly been rushing forward irresponsibly,[23] and on the absence of any crush barriers in that area of the terracing which would have lessened the forward pressure exerted.[24] The police also stated that they had not formally agreed for any persons to be on the track at the time (although it was permitted in exceptional circumstances), and even larger attendances had previously been recorded at Shawfield for fixtures against Celtic and Rangers.[24]

Notable matches

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The stadium hosted four Scottish Football League XI representative matches:[28] in 1911 versus the Southern League,[29] 1921 versus the Irish League XI,[30] and 1954 and 1956 versus the League of Ireland XI;[31][32] the Scottish side won all four matches.

The venue also hosted the annual Glasgow vs Sheffield Inter-City match in 1901, 1954, and 1956.[33][34] Both Harry Haddock and Tommy Ring played in the two latter matches, with Ring scoring in both.[33]

The ground has hosted many other representative matches, including the benefit match for the Players Union between a Scottish XI and English XI in 1914,[35][36] the Scotland XI vs British Army international trial,[37] the Scotland under-23 against Auld Enemy[38] and then tenants Clyde,[39] A Scotland Junior XI vs Scotland 2nd XI was played in 1961.[40]

It also hosted three Scottish Junior Cup Finals, in 1909, 1942 and 1943 (two of these went to a replay, held elsewhere).[41] It annually hosted the (Evening Times Trophy) Central Junior League Final between 1944 and 1964.[42] Additionally, it held the 1953 Central League Cup final, with Ashfield beating 2–1 Kilsyth Rangers.[43]

Rutherglen Ladies, one of the leading women's association football teams in Britain in the 1920s and 30s (when they were officially banned from participating in the sport) played several exhibition matches at Shawfield.[44][45]

Speedway

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The Glasgow Tigers, returning to their home city in 1988 after a year's exile in Workington, became the new tenants after Clyde FC. The Tigers raced there for a decade, apart from the 1996 season when they were temporarily in abeyance and replaced by the ill-fated Scottish Monarchs who had a team but no track due to the closure of Powderhall. When the venue opened, the racing could be viewed from two straights and the third and fourth bends but over the years the viewing area was reduced to a small part of the stadium in front of the stand. They departed to Ashfield Stadium ahead of the 1999 season.

Other sports

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Benny Lynch, the first Scottish boxing world champion,[46] had his first title defence and the first world championship match held in Scotland at Shawfield on October 13, 1937. A convincing win over Peter Kane saw Lynch retain his flyweight title in front of 40,000 spectators.[47] [48]

Location anomalies

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  • Historically, the boundary between the county and city of Glasgow and the county of Lanarkshire passed right through Shawfield. During World War II, when the gathering of crowds in areas deemed "unsafe" were severely restricted, this meant Shawfield was allowed to accommodate 20,000 spectators, whereas Celtic Park, less than a mile away but wholly located in Glasgow was permitted only 10,000 people in a much larger venue.
  • In the 1966–67 season, Clyde's third-placed finish in the Scottish League should have earned them a place in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, however a one club per city rule applied to the competition, and second placed Rangers had precedence to represent Glasgow. Clyde attempted to argue that Shawfield's location actually meant they were from the separate town of Rutherglen, however the organisers of the tournament cited Clyde's membership of the Glasgow Football Association and participation in the Glasgow Cup.
  • Local government reorganisation in 1975 meant that Rutherglen, and Shawfield with it, was now incorporated entirely into an expanded Glasgow district within Strathclyde region. Further changes in 1996 created the new unitary authority area of South Lanarkshire, with Shawfield now lying entirely within this area and no longer even partially in Glasgow.
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  • The stadium in April 2022
    The stadium in April 2022
  • The Rutherglen Road side of the stadium in April 2022
    The Rutherglen Road side of the stadium in April 2022
  • The stadium in April 2022
    The stadium in April 2022
  • Old entrance at the north of the stadium in 2009
    Old entrance at the north of the stadium in 2009
  • The stadium in 2009
    The stadium in 2009

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "KING OF SCOTTISH RACING". Greyhound Star. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Track Search". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 25 December 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  3. ^ Lanarkshire stadium labelled an 'eyesore' as shocking new pictures show decrepit state, Jonathan Geddes, Daily Record, 27 July 2022
  4. ^ a b Origins - Barrowfield Park - 1877-98 Clyde FC
  5. ^ a b Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing, page 29. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  6. ^ a b c Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 132. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
  7. ^ Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, pages 70-71. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  8. ^ "Shawfield Greyhound Stadium Ltd". Companies House. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  9. ^ Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 204. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
  10. ^ Lanarkshire racetrack faces uncertain future with environmental report needed for planning application to proceed, Jonathan Geddes, Daily Record, 19 September 2022
  11. ^ Lennon, Holly (24 October 2023). "Shawfield Stadium facing demolition in favour of hotel and housing under new plans". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g "Track records". Greyhound Data.
  13. ^ "Racing Post Greyhound TV Scottish Derby Semi Final 3". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Shawfield Track Record". Daily Record. 6 July 1950. Retrieved 9 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 2009) April edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h Inglis 1996, p. 436
  17. ^ "Bridgeton Waverley's Big Deeds". Junior Veteran. Glesga Keelies. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  18. ^ (Bob Crampsey 1990, p. 97)
  19. ^ a b (Bob Crampsey 1990, p. 115)
  20. ^ (Bob Crampsey 1990, p. 182)
  21. ^ "Club history: Post-war". Clyde F.C. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  22. ^ a b (Bob Crampsey 1990, p. 183)
  23. ^ a b c d e f g "When tragedy struck at the football". The Herald. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  24. ^ a b c d e f "Fans at back caused sway". Evening Times (hosted on 'the Celtic Wiki'). 27 February 1958. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  25. ^ a b c d "It looked all over". Evening Times (hosted on 'the Celtic Wiki'). 14 December 1957. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  26. ^ a b c d "Shawfield Horror". Evening Times (hosted on 'the Celtic Wiki'). 14 December 1957. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  27. ^ a b "Great match at Shawfield". The Herald (hosted on 'the Celtic Wiki'). 16 December 1957. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  28. ^ Player Representative Honours Archived 21 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Partick Thistle History Archive
  29. ^ Mon 02 Oct 1911 SFL 3 Southern League 2, London Hearts Supporters Club
  30. ^ Wed 26 Oct 1921 SFL 3 Irish League 0, London Hearts Supporters Club
  31. ^ Thu 18 Nov 1954 SFL 5 League Of Ireland 0, London Hearts Supporters Club
  32. ^ Wed 26 Sep 1956 SFL 3 League Of Ireland 1, London Hearts Supporters Club
  33. ^ a b "Football. Inter-city Match–Glasgow V Sheffield". Glasgow Herald. 12 September 1901. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
    "Remarkable Late Miss by Glasgow's Centre". Glasgow Herald. Partick Thistle History Archive. 11 November 1954. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  34. ^ "GLASGOW VS SHEFFIELD – SHAWFIELD GLASGOW – INTER CITY MATCH – 14-NOV-56 – 1956/1957 – MINT". Your Football Programmes. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  35. ^ "SCOTTISH XI v ENGLISH XI, 20 April 1914". 11 v 11. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  36. ^ "Representative Matches (1874-1927)". SFHA. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  37. ^ "Useful practice match for Scotland's team". Glasgow Herald. 8 December 1955. p. 11. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  38. ^ "England's Matches the under 23's". England Football Online. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  39. ^ "EASY WIN FOR UNDER-23 TEAM AT SHAWFIELD". Glasgow Herald. 15 December 1955. p. 4. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  40. ^ "Kilmarnock V Western League X1". SFQA's. 29 May 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  41. ^ Scottish Junior Cup Finals, Scottish Junior Football Association
  42. ^ "Scottish Central Junior League". SFHA. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  43. ^ "The Field in Clover (Front Page)". Evening Times. 20 June 1953. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  44. ^ Fiona Skillen; Steve Bolton (11 February 2021). "Women's Football in Interwar Scotland:Sadie Smith and the Legendary Rutherglen Ladies FC | Part 1". Playing Pasts. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  45. ^ New exhibition to pay tribute to Rutherglen's trailblazing female footballers Jonathan Geddes, Daily Record, 5 December 2021
  46. ^ "Benny Lynch: Scotland's first-ever World Champion boxer finds new Glasgow Green home". Glasgow Times. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  47. ^ "Those were the days: Boxer Peter Kane, 1937 and 1948". Herald Scotland. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  48. ^ "From the archive: Benny Lynch, Scotland's first world boxing champion". Herald Scotland. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
Sources
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