Walthamstow Stadium
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Walthamstow Stadium is a dog track located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in East London. Despite its name, the Stadium is actually located in Chingford (grid reference TQ375913) and not Walthamstow.
It is a greyhound racing stadium for the purposes of entertainment, usually including gambling on the outcome of a race.
It was opened in 1933 by William Chandler and is still owned by the Chandler family. It has a larger attendance and income from gambling than any other dog racing track in the UK, with capacity for over five thousand spectators.
Walthamstow Dog Track has been referenced in a number of works of popular culture, notably in the film Snatch. It could be said that if a person from the East End of London refers to "going down the dogs", they are probably going to the dog track at Walthamstow or Romford Greyhound Stadium. There were once 33 greyhound tracks in London, but only these 2 remian along with Wimbledon and Crayford Stadiums, after Catford Stadium controversially closed in 2003.
Walthamstow Stadium also hosted the Walthamstow Wolves speedway team but the sport left the stadium in the 1950's due to a declining crowds and complaints of noise from local residents. The track itself can still be seen but has been covered in tarmac for easier maintenance of the dog track.
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