1955 Greyhound track
This aerial photo from 1955 looks down on Craighead Grey hound Racing track. Later to become Blantyre speedway, the greyhounds must have been a noisy distraction for the residents of nearby Craighead Rows. (pictured in the foreground)
Blantyre man Gary Doonin once told me, “Gary Doonin told me, “My grandfather bought the area and a house in Auchinraith Road for a total of 300 pounds. The track was used as a Whippet racing track when bought in 1925 and he was one of the first to introduce greyhound racing to scotland in late 20s.” The track was widened to accommodate larger races, by building a new track over the top of the existing one in March 1965. By 1977, the Greyhound Track had a further use. As well as Greyhounds, it was used also as Blantyre’s Speedway. Gary also added, “The stadium also held boxing matches but it wasn’t until July 1977 that my dad Frank through Jimmy Beaton introduced speedway. The track remained open until April 1982 (the last race) and closed due to building EK expressway and a Strathclyde Regional Council and the family got paid an utter pittance Compensation.“
In the background is the railway bridge, on what is now Whistleberry Road.
On Social media:
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Moyra Lindsay I have a photo of Gary’s dad and my mums family outside the Auchinraith Road house, Frank would be about eight maybe. I will look it out. All had bare feet I think.
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Colin Pitcairn Loved it here….
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Eva Brown Lived in Craighead Rows but we called it Baird Rows
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Alex Moore Across from the track was the well knowing pub called kellys where many a fixed greyhound was arranged it was part of the fun To find out which dog was trying I spent many a good night there in the early sixties as it was part of flapping greyhound tracks. And was run by the well known frank doonin
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Elizabeth Dobson Grieve My dad spent a lot of time at the track, both as a spectator and as an owner of greyhounds
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Derek Watson The last speedway meeting there was actually October 1981. The track is still fondly remembered by Tigers fans today.Photo also explains why there was a very narrow space between the back straight of the track and the boundary wall(due to the houses shown here)
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The Blantyre Project 18th October 1981 to be precise! Tigers vrs Bobby Beatons Buccaneers. Result 44-27. During the winter, the Glasgow promotion moved the team a few hundred metres to Craighead Park which was situated behind the wall that ran along the back straight which was to be the new venue for Blantyre speedway. A new chapter in the history of Glasgow Speedway began on Friday 30th April 1982 with the opening meeting at Craighead Park, Blantyre, although was short-lived until it closed on 14th September 1986. wink emoticonWish the speedway was back.
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