Blackburn

The original intention of promoter Mike Parker was that the new track at Blackburn would be a replacement for the popular Nelson, a mere 15 miles away, which was to be demolished to make way for the new M65 motorway. However, delays in the motorway project meant the two venues ran together for a couple of seasons, until the curtain finally fell on Nelson in 1979.

The track itself was housed in Blackburn Greyhound Stadium, built in 1933, and if the first meeting’s programme is to be believed, it cost Parker £30,000 to set up. By all accounts, it took a mile of steel wire and seven tons of steel posts for the safety fence, and 1000 tons of hardcore, 400 tons of tarmac, and untold tons of concrete for the track surface. The nearest guess on the concrete would win a fiver!

Parker’s investment doubtless introduced thousands more race fans to the sport, and the first meeting took place in a blaze of publicity on Thursday 20th April 1978, for which 53 cars booked to race. In front of a near full house, Dave Hodgson won both the Consolation and Final. Dave would emerge as one of the men to beat at Blackburn

The tight and tricky tarmac oval couldn’t have been more different than the rough and bumpy shale of nearby Nelson, and was the most demanding of the tracks in the area. But as the drivers gradually got used to the super smooth tarmac, and ran more stagger and lower gear ratios to cope with the smaller than usual track, Blackburn emerged as an action venue.

The racing at Blackburn had been getting better and better, and the track was getting a reputation as one not to be missed. But it wasn’t to last. Undeterred by a couple of previous failed attempts, in 1984 Tesco finally obtained planning permission to build a supermarket on the site, and racing came to an abrupt end. “We knew it was going to close eventually, but even we were shocked by the suddenness of the decision”, was Mike Parker’s comment at the time.

The place was flattened in June 1984, and by December the new Tesco was open for business. Their TV adverts at the time made out it was a Christmas present – “To Blackburn, Merry Christmas from Tesco”. Fair to say that the gift wasn't universally appreciated by everyone!

There's a story that the stadium was sold to Tesco for a nominal £1 because it was loaded with debt. When the middle of the dog track was excavated, an old bottle dump was discovered. Some of the old bottles were worth a considerable amount - enough to cover the stadium's debts!