In its own way, the Belle Vue Stadium was one of the most iconic sporting venues in Manchester.
It may not have the grand tradition of Old Trafford or the versatility of Manchester Arena, but the former home to greyhound and speedway racing hosted sporting events for the best part of a century.
Sadly, it opened its doors for the final time in 2020. So why did the Belle Vue Stadium close and what has happened to the site since?
Racing Ahead
For many years, Belle Vue was the spiritual home of greyhound racing in the north of England.
As well as hosting numerous ‘local’ races, the venue was also home to the Oaks – one of the most prestigious races on the calendar alongside the English Greyhound Derby. The latter remains the pivotal race in the schedule for those that bet on greyhound racing, with the likes of Links Maverick (16/1), De Lahdedah (20/1) and Glenvale Bill (25/1) disputing favouritism in the 2024 edition. For dog owners, the lure of a £175,000 winner’s cheque is hard to ignore.
The Oaks has since moved to the Perry Barr track, but enjoyed a short stint at Belle Vue alongside the Scurry Gold Cup, Cesarewitch and Cock o’ the North – all favourites with greyhound owners up and down the country.
The first dog racing meeting took place at Belle Vue back in 1926, with the Greyhound Racing Association – a body that existed for the best part of 100 years until its dissolution in 2019 – buying the parcel of land south-east of the city and constructing the stadium.
The grand opening and first race meeting took place in July 1926, with the popularity of greyhound racing such that some 70,000 spectators were frequenting the track by the end of the decade.
The sport continued to grow in popularity during the 21st century, with Belle Vue undergoing a £500,000 makeover during the 1970s, with additional hospitality and dining suites added and a new stand built.
But it was during the 2000s that greyhound racing began to fall on hard times, with numerous track closures in England and a seeming downturn in interest amongst spectators and punters. It wouldn’t be long before the writing was on the wall for Belle Vue…
End of an Era
In 2014, the Greyhound Racing Association sold the ownership rights of Belle Vue to the Crown Oil Pension Fund, securing a leaseback deal that was then itself sold on to the Arena Racing Company (ARC) five years later.
And that, pretty much, was that. Two months after ARC took over the lease, a deal was penned that saw planning permission granted for housing development on the site, with the final ever greyhound race hosted by Belle Vue in June 2020.
Demolition work began in 2021, before building commenced on the property development that today sees flats and family homes on the Gorton site.
But there will be many who remember taking in a greyhound meeting or a speedway race at the old Belle Vue Stadium, a much-loved venue in Manchester throughout the 1900s and into the 2000s.
