"Big Deal" Episode Featuring Greyhound Racing.

Whats the track in that episode Sparrow ?

I think it must be a flap because the only inside hare I remember at that time would have been Romford but maybe too late even for that track.

So let me get this straight .....regarding Silkys career ....

Failed footballer
Failed greyhound trainer
Failed actor
Failed r p g t v presenter

Have I got it right ?

Irishone. Not really. Anybody who makes over 300 pro football appearances is hardly a failure. He has lead a very colourful life.

99% sure it was Aldershot Sparrow.

Thank you, glasgow.

What on earth is irishone and pompey on about here?

Aldershot Stadium 1992

The village of Tongham is found roughly one mile east of Aldershot town centre, positioned on the Surrey and North East Hampshire border. The village is more recognised as being the home to Surrey’s largest brewery, The Hog’s Back Brewery, but also was once the home to Aldershot Greyhound Stadium. The original site had been nothing more than grazing land, but there is evidence that the land may have been used for Motor Cycle Grass Track Racing during the early 1930’s. Although it is yet to prove, but it is thought that greyhound racing also took place on the site during the early 1930’s, with a track having been constructed on a narrow section of land, which had created a track with long straights and two tight bend’s, with the Southern bend becoming much tighter than the other. But it wasn’t until late 1949 that a speedway track was laid within the infield of the greyhound track, which again was an unusual pear shaped speedway circuit, ready for its first meeting on the 10th of April 1950. The Aldershot venue became one of only a handful of flapping tracks that operated south of London, in an area mainly dominated by NGRC controlled tracks. Early distances were run over 275, 500 and 675 yards, before eventually switching to the metric versions of 254, 462 and 626 metres, with regular six dog racing chasing an inside Sumner type hare. Like most other tracks it promoted big race events such as The Southern Championship, The Aldershot Derby and the occasional Inter-track Challenge, normally against Aldershot’s nearest rivals Weymouth. Speedway ceased during 1960, a period that saw the cinder track replaced by a tarmac one, as Stock Car Racing began to feature at the stadium. This new venture would continue for the next thirty years or so, being staged regularly right up until the stadiums closure. By the end of the 1980’s, it was announced that plans had been passed for the construction of a new bypass that pass close by to the stadium, sending the alarm bells ringing amongst its patrons, knowing that the stadium lay directly in the pathway of the new road. But what didn’t help the cause was that Greyhound Racing had been running at a financial loss for a good number of years, and the books had only just been balanced by the slight profit margin made by Stock Car events. It came as no surprise when it was announced that the stadium had been sold to the council under the compulsory purchase order scheme. Aldershot’s final meeting came on the 30th of October 1992, and became the last flapping track to stage greyhound racing south of the City of London. The final Stock Car meeting came on the 21st of November 1992, and within a month of the stadiums closure, the Bull Dozers moved in to level the land. Construction of the new A331 Bypass and a slip road began in December 1993, seeing most of the site being swallowed up by the new project. Fortunately, a small section of the site did survive, tucked in at the rear of the houses on Phillips Close, although the land comes across as nothing more than over grown vegetation, it still hides the stadium’s evidence, with mounds of rubble here and there, presumably from demolished outbuildings that once covered the site.

A lovely lovely place.
We took one down there once in the back of a van
Ran trials on Sunday
Paid two quid to the racing manager
Geyser by the name of Fiore
Dog wasnt injured as trainer told us
Moved it on

Pompey I was taking the pi55

I know! Your right Frank Fiore was racing manager when we raced dogs there from 1967-1985. Turned his hearing aid off when you complained, Big Bob was the hare driver. We were lucky enough to win  the Aldershot Derby with the same dog (Ratcatcher) in 1983 and 1984. Those days long gone unfortunately. Regards....Steve

Yeah good memories, took the dog out for its sunday walk from the kennel in hersham , stuck it in the van, down to tongham, picked up a burger in that merry gobbler up on the hogsback, couple of pints with mr fiore, great day !