Crayford Stadium Closes After Nearly 90 Years of Greyhound Racing
Crayford Stadium held its final greyhound meeting in January 2025, ending a chapter of local sporting history that began in the 1930s.
Crayford Stadium, the greyhound racing track off Stadium Way in Crayford, held its final meeting on 19 January 2025, bringing an end to a form of racing associated with the town for close to 90 years.
A long local history
Greyhound racing first came to the Crayford area in the 1930s, when a circuit was built around a grass speedway track on land known as Crayford Fairfield, with racing opening in 1932. The track raced under various guises, including as Crayford & Bexleyheath, for decades.
The modern stadium
In the mid-1980s the site was redeveloped. Part of the land was sold for a Sainsbury's superstore, while a new greyhound stadium and sports arena was built on the remainder. The new Crayford Stadium opened on 1 September 1986, with a small, tight all-sand circuit that became well known to greyhound racing followers.
Closure
The stadium was latterly owned by Ladbrokes Coral, part of the Entain group. Racing ceased after the meeting on 19 January 2025. The closure was widely reported in the local and national press as the end of an era for the town.
Sources: Wikipedia (Crayford Stadium); KentOnline; Time Out London.