County Ground Stadium
{{Short description|Rugby union, greyhound racing and speedway stadium}}
{{About|the former rugby union, speedway and greyhound racing venue in Exeter||County Ground (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = County Ground Stadium
| nickname =
| image =
| coordinates = {{coord|50|42|52|N|3|32|30|W|region:GB}}
| opened = 1929
| renovated =
| expanded =
| closed = 2006
| owner =
| operator =
| surface =
| capacity = 5,200
}}
The County Ground Stadium, also previously known as the Devon County Athletic Ground, was a rugby union, greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Exeter, Devon.
It was one of two separate venues in Exeter known as the County Ground, along with the still-used County Cricket Ground. It is also not to be confused with the Exeter Greyhound Stadium in Marsh Barton that also held greyhound racing and speedway.
Origins
The first sporting use of the site was the 19th century, where the land behind the church in St Thomas, just off Cowick Street, was used for cricket, football, wrestling, and other sports. By July 1841, over an acre of land had been developed to form a wrestling ring, with temporary raised covered seating. Wrestling was popular between hay and corn harvests, with prize money of 100 sovereigns.{{cite web|publisher=Exeter Memories|title=County Ground, Church Road, St Thomas|year=2006|url=http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_sport/county_ground.php}}
In 1888, the field was put up for sale, and in 1893 it was purchased by the newly formed Devon County Athletic Company Ltd, led by former mayor Robert Pople. The company build the first permanent grandstand with a capacity of 700. As well as the field, the ground had an elliptical cycling track around the edge.
The company funded work on the ground by issuing of £6,000 of share capital in £1 share lots.{{cite news|work=Western Times|title=Abridged prospectus: Devon County Athletic Ground Company Limited|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000265/18930424/042/0001|date=1893-04-24}}
The ground was used by users including:
- Exeter Cathedral School
- Exeter Football Club (which was a rugby club)
- Civil service cricket club
- Exe Vale Cricket Club
- an annual horse show
Early 20th century
In 1901, for the coronation of Edward VII, the ground hosted a sports day for the public, including egg and spoon race, sack race, and greasy pole, a military tournament the following day, and the Exeter Horse Show.
In September 1905, the County Ground staged the opening match of the New Zealand rugby team's first-ever British tour, against the Devon County XV. New Zealand's "All Blacks" nickname was first coined in media reports of their shock 55–4 victory over Devon.{{cite news|last1=Keating|first1=Frank|author-link1=Frank Keating (journalist)|title=How the original All Blacks went down in the annals of history|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2010/nov/03/all-blacks-new-zealand-1905|date=3 November 2010|access-date=16 May 2015|work=The Guardian}}
By November 1905, the Devon County Athletic Group company reported that the stadium was in dire financial trouble, and faced closure within 6 months,{{cite news|work=Exeter and Plymouth Gazette|title=Devon County Athletic Ground - Serious financial position|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000511/19051124/118/0014|date=1905-11-24}} but by 1907, they reported a healthy profit.{{cite news|work=Western Times|title=Devon County Athletic Ground Company|date=1907-11-23|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000265/19071123/007/0003}}
In 1911, the ground was once again the focus of coronation celebrations for George V, including a display by over one thousand schoolchildren, and a grand firework display in the evening.
The ground closed for World War I, and in 1918 burned down, delaying reopening until 1921 with the construction of a new grandstand.
In January 1929, Southern Speedways Ltd, led by Mr Seward Glanfield agreed a ten-year contract with the Devon Athletic Ground Company{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000511/19290122/049/0005 |title=Dirt Track |website=Exeter and Plymouth Gazette |date=22 January 1929 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=23 September 2024}} and the cycle track was ripped up, and replaced with a motorcycle speedway track.{{cite news|work=Western Morning News|title=New Devon Sports Venture|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000329/19290126/121/0011|date=1929-01-26|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 September 2024}}{{cite news|work=Western Morning News|date=1929-01-26|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000329/19290126/169/0011|title=Dirt Track Racing}} The original company went into liquidation in 1930 after a year, but the track was taken on by a second promoter, but speedway stopped after only 2 years, closing in 1931 when the second promoting company went into liquidation.{{cite news|title=Exeter speedway|date=1931-08-08|work=Western Morning News|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000329/19310808/005/0004}}{{cite news|work=Exeter and Plymouth Gazette|date=1931-08-07|title=Speedway Closes - Exeter promoting company in liquidation - second failure|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000511/19310807/092/0016}}
On Saturday 13 December 1930, promoters started independent (unaffiliated to a governing body) greyhound racing,{{cite web|url=https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/291242/91681/12/100955|title=OS Plan 1967-1968|publisher=old-maps.co.uk}} with the {{convert|370|yards|metres}} track holding races over 250, 440, 620 and 810 metres. The track was described as a tight circuit with an almost square shaped track.{{cite book|last=Furby|first=R|title=Independent Greyhound Racing|pages =88|year=1968|publisher=New Dominion House}} Main competitions included the Spring Cup, Derby and St Leger and they had an 'Inside Sumner' hare system.{{cite book|last=Barnes|first=Julia|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File|year=1988|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-15-5}}
From World War II
The ground again closed for the Second World War, being used as a military transport hub, but reopened afterwards.
{{main|Exeter Falcons}}
In 1947, the Exeter Falcons speedway team returned the sport to the ground,{{cite news|work=Western Morning News|date=1947-01-15|title=Speedway racing - Plans for resumption at Exeter|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000329/19470115/047/0005}}{{cite news|work=Western Morning News|date=1947-03-27|title=Speedway racing|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000329/19470327/042/0005}}{{cite news|work=Daily Herald|date=1947-03-22|title=Speedway carries on with some limitations|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19470322/152/0006}} where they continued until 2005. The restart of speedway at the County Ground including the first speedway in the country to feature a steel safety fence.
The ground also continued to host the Exeter Chiefs rugby union team as the primary tenant.
Closure
It was the home ground of Exeter Rugby Club (latterly Exeter Chiefs) prior to their move to Sandy Park in 2006. Bellway Homes built 150 houses on the site shortly afterwards.{{cite web|title=History|url=http://exeterchiefs.co.uk/club-info/history/|website=Exeter Chiefs|access-date=16 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220002404/http://exeterchiefs.co.uk/club-info/history/|archive-date=20 December 2015|df=dmy-all}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{English greyhound tracks}}
{{Motorcycle speedway tracks}}
Category:Defunct greyhound racing venues in the United Kingdom
Category:Defunct speedway venues in England