We say goodbye to Perry Barr Stadium this week with a special look back

The old Perry Barr

With just days left before the closure of Perry Barr, we are reminded that it will be the second time that we have lost the place. 

The original Perry Barr Stadium on Walsall Road in Birchfield opened in April 1928 with a crowd of 15,000 racegoers. 

The circuit was bigger than either Birmingham neighbours Hall Green and Kings Heath and noted for the longest run-in in Britain, 106 yards from last bend to winning line. 

(As a guide to the toughness of the circuit, when the track closed, the 500m track record was held by English Derby runner-up/Scottish Derby winner Special Account at 30.58.) 

Perry Barr, along with six other tracks forming the Totalisator and Greyhound Group was bought by Ladbrokes in 1976. 

By 1984 the owners claimed that they ‘couldn’t justify the cost of repairs and maintenance’. 

Birmingham Council passed an 8-7 vote in allowing planning permission for a shopping centre. However, things didn’t go well elsewhere for the bookmaker landlords; in the case of Crayford, there was an insistence that a new smaller stadium would need to be built on the same site.  Plans to build on Leeds were rejected for decades though Willenhall was shut down. Newcastle and Gosforth were leased out. 

Racing Manager Jim Perkins, who had only recently taken over from Jim Woods, went to Chasewater, the Perry Barr trainers largely dispersed between the other Midlands tracks and Sheffield. 

The new Perry Barr

It wasn’t until 1990 that local owner, trainer and businessman Maurice Buckland secured a deal for the nearby Alexander Sports Ground, home of the famous Birchfield Harriers Athletics Club. 

The Aldridge Road stadium opened for racing in October with Gary Woodward as the racing manager. A year later, the position was taken over by the most successful former trainer from the ‘old Perry Barr’, Frank Baldwin. 

The following year the new venue was awarded its first BAGS contract.

In 1994 the racing strength increased by almost 300 dogs following the decision of Norton Canes to switch back to independent racing. 

After a dozen years under the control of Buckland, Perry Barr is bought by GRA for £4.2m. Within a month they have cut two race nights and sacked 15 trainers. The following year another 40 are surplus to requirements. 

Despite this, the track continued to prosper. In an interview with Greyhound Star in 2011, GM Martin Jennings claims regular Saturday evening crowds of ‘just under a thousand and tote of £20,000’ (equiv today of £34,600). 

Following the sale of GRA to Galliard Homes, a management team headed by Clive Feltham announces “long term leases” for Perry Barr, Hall Green and Belle Vue. 

By 2014, the track are restricted to eight race cards on Friday and Saturday evenings due to a runner shortage. 

However by 2018, Perry Barr’s Martin Seal reveals the track has a kennel strength of 430 greyhounds, supplied by 52 kennels spread over a wide area, from North and South Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and East Anglia. 

The following year, the track was sold to Arena Racing Company. 

In March 2023 the Star published a secret pre-planning application made by Perry Barr’s head lease holders Corbally Group to develop the site.  

That announcement was followed soon afterwards by ARC that they would transfer the greyhound operation to Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton. 

Racing at Perry Barr

Indeed there were many links between the ‘two Perry Barrs’ including competitions, the most famous being the Birmingham Cup which was first staged at the old Perry Barr in 1939. 

Over the years there were numerous tales connected to the event. 

The first concerns the track’s wartime star and 1944 Birmingham Cup winner Model Dasher. Trained by Tom Baldwin (father of Frank) Dasher won 28 times when racing was confined to Saturday afternoons. 

He broke a leg in his 41st race. During that brief career, Dasher won over £2,000 in prize money (equiv to £123K today) and set track records at Wembley (700yds), Perry Barr (500yds & 525yds), Coventry (750yds), and Eastville (600yds). 

He later went to stud and sired English and Irish Derby finalists. Sadly, at nine years old he escaped from his kennel and was bizarrely hit and killed by a train. 

Only one hound ever landed the Birmingham Cup and English Derby, the 1946 double winner Mondays News, though the story of Slaney Record is possibly more interesting still. 

Trained by Perry handler Jim Toseland, the fawn had been bought for £1,000 and had won the Spring Stakes at West Ham before going on to finish third, one place behind Mondays News in the 1947 English Derby. 

Two years later he was running in graded handicaps at Perry Barr. Amazingly, he went to stud and sired probably the most significant stud dog of the next 50 years, Hi There. 

Two of the sports greatest racers were visitors to the old Perry Barr. Mick The Miller contested two match races there twice for one win and one defeat. 

33 years later it would be the turn of the bitch who would smash his record of 19 straight wins. 

Her name was Westpark Mustard and she was seeking her 12th consecutive victory. 

However, the renowned stayer was found herself trailing the locally trained Secret Dusty until the final strides of the 550 yard race. 

But for the track’s enormous run in – the record attempt would have been over. 

Mustard never raced over four bends again and duly made the 20. 

The closure of GRA’s other venues saw an increase in the major events transferred to the new Perry Barr. 

The Laurels, Oaks, St.Leger and Scurry have all featured on the Aldridge Road circuit that is widely acknowledged as one of the fairest in the country. 

Pick of the St.Leger winners has to be Droopys Clue, the only dog ever to win the event twice, and setting a 710m track record that will never be broken. 

There have only been four English Oaks staged at Perry Barr and Patrick Janssens has won two of them. Though it is almost impossible to separate the pair. 

Druids Say Go completed an eight-timer when landing the final and went on to finish runner-up in the Laurels. Slick Sakina was midway through a seven-timer when taking the 2022 final and setting a 480m track record. 

But it will be the name of Aayamza Sydney that will be sealed in time as both the unbeaten track record holder for the standard distance and winner of one of Perry Barr’s five Laurels finals. 

Appropriately too, it will be the last of the track’s five Scurry winners who will remain the eternal track record holder for 275 metres, Rioja Oisin. 

Last but not least, there have been four Trainers Championship meetings (Judgement Nights) staged at this hugely popular venue which will be forever fondly remembered by Charlie Lister OBE (2005), Nick Savva (2012), Patrick Janssens (2023) and Mark Wallis (2025). 

Here are a few of the historic moments – mainly courtesy of Steve Nash 

BALLYMAC UNDER and trainer MATT DARTNALL after winning his Birmingham Cup heat by over eight lengths. Perry Barr 12.1.08 

 Candy Man and connections after his Birmingham Cup win - L-R: Darren Holmes, Carol Weatherall, owner Matt Walker, Ian Langford and Sean Conway. Perry Barr 30th September 2021 Photo: © Steve Nash 

Oaks champ Druids Say Go with Ria Tillett, Patrick Janssens and James Couldwell, leader of the Value Racing Syndicate Perry Barr 26th October 2024 

2009 Fear Zafonic begins his most fruitful year by landing the Birmingham Cup at Barry Barr. In March he will win the Racing Post Juvenile. In May he will be beaten a neck in the English Derby Final, and in September he will take the East Anglian Derby and will ultimately be voted Greyhound of the Year. 

GBGB Chief Executive Ian Taylor presents the trophy to Kieran Roe (right) after FEAR ZAFONIC's williamhill.com Birmingham Cup win. Perry Barr 22.1.09 Pic Steve Nash 

Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger winner HAVANA LOVER with Rab McNair, his son Kevin (left) and grandchildren, twins Laughlan and Lyle, along with the KSS Syndicate's Simon Senyk (right) and Ian and Wendy Openshaw (at back). Perry Barr 29th September 2022 Photo: © Steve Nash 

The Old Perry Barr 

PERRY BARR - Premier Greyhound Racing Trainers' Judgement Night  6th April 2023 Photo: © Steve Nash 

SLICK SAKINA, Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks winner poses on the track with the trophies and (L-R): owner Keith Allsop, Jamie McGee, Patrick and Cheryl Janssens, and Ria Tillett Perry Barr 27th October 2022 Photo: © Steve Nash 

Matt Dartnall shows off his Leger champ Space Jet joined by owner Kurn Rushen (right) his partner Maggie Terry and kennelhand Mark Sealey. Perry Barr 30th September 2021 Photo: © Steve Nash 

Westpark Mustard on her Perry Barr visit 

The Charlie Lister training team with John Haynes after winning the Trainers Championship STEVE NASH PIC Perry Barr 9.4.05

Perry Barr GM Chris Black is joined by RM Martin Seal (left) and his deputy Dan Bradshaw to present the PGR Judgement Trophy to Patrick Janssens - alongside his team of wife Cheryl, her daughter Ria Tillett, Jamie McGee and Kelly Bakewell. Perry Barr 6th April 2023 Photo: © Steve Nash 

Nick Savva holds the Trainers Championship trophy flanked by staff Matthew Pym and Gail May (Andy Ioannou also worked on the night but was busy with Westmead Maldini after his runner up spot in the final leg). Perry Barr 21st March 2012 Pic Steve Nash 

The Mark Wallis/MWD team pose with the Trainers' Judgement Night trophy - L-R Keane Barry, Emily and Mark Wallis, Michelle Connolly and Mike Davis Premier Greyhound Racing Trainers' Judgement Night. Perry Barr 29th March 2025 Photo: © Steve Nash