Mildenhall Stadium

Mildenhall is in an area with strong coursing roots and in later decades greyhound racing became a popular sport too. The market town in Suffolk is surrounded by agricultural land with the only significant landmark near the town being RAF Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force station that opened in 1934. It would take another 37 years before the area experienced speedway.

In 1971 a speedway practice track was built on farmland owned by Terry Waters and two years later on the same farmland the track was moved to the south side of the junction where Hayland Drove meets Cooks Drove. The track was extremely primitive with a few sheds used as dressing rooms and straw bales made up the safety fence. In 1975 the Mildenhall Fen Tigers were formed and they entered the National League.{{cite web|url=http://www.national-speedway-museum.co.uk/mildenhall%20stadium.html|title=Mildenhall Stadium|publisher=The National Speedway Museum}}

{{main|Mildenhall Fen Tigers}}

File:Greyhound racing at Mildenhall Stadium c.1980.png

In August 1990, Dick Partridge approached Terry Waters regarding a return for speedway and the introduction of greyhound racing. A lease was agreed and the greyhound track was constructed along with improvements in the facilities including new concrete terracing and track lights. The hare was an 'Outside Sumner' and the sand that made the surface was the King's Lynn silica sand. Seventy-four kennels were constructed with a paddock and weighing room added in an area of the old speedway pits. After securing a licence from the National Greyhound Racing Club the first meeting took place on Saturday 21 September 1991.{{cite news|title=Closures and openings over the past 10 years, July 1993, page 18|year=1993|newspaper=Greyhound Star}} An eight race card started with a 375 metres event that was won by Coppacabana a 3-1 shot trained by Mills in a time of 24.61 secs.{{cite book|last=Barnes/Sellers|first=Julia/John|title=Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File, pages 71-72|year=1992|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-22-8}}

The stadium suffered a two-month closure in the early part of 1992 before re-opening under new management headed by Denis Diffley.{{cite news|title=Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1992) August edition|newspaper=Greyhound Star}} In 1995 Terry Waters took over from Dick Partridge who suffered financial difficulties.{{cite web|url=http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/remember-when-september-3/|title=Remember When - September 1995|date=22 September 2018 |publisher=Greyhound Star}}

One of the sports leading trainers Linda Jones from nearby Lakenheath attended the track regularly whilst establishing the Imperial Kennels.{{cite book|last=Fry|first=Paul|title=The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook, pages 222-223|year=1995|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=186054-010-4}} Tuesday and Saturday night racing became regular nights with other race distances in addition to 375 being 550 & 700 metres.

Later the greyhound racing was then overseen by Richard Borthwick and Michael Glynn and new Racing Manager was Michael Hill. Mildenhall underwent changes again with distances being fine-tuned to 220, 375, 545, 700, 870 & 1025 metres on a circumference of 325m. Terry Waters took over as General Manager at the turn of the millennium{{cite book|last=Hobbs|first=Jonathan|title=Greyhound Annual 2008, page 191|year=2007|publisher=Raceform|isbn=978-1-905153-53-4}} and in 2008 Dave and Ron Coventry took over{{cite web|url=http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/remember-july-4-2/|title=Remember When July|date=28 July 2019 |publisher=Greyhound Star}} followed by Richard Borthwick.

In 2006, a couple bought a house close to Mildenhall Stadium where stock car racing and speedway have taken place since 1975, and began complaining about the noise. The couple took the stadium to court in 2014 and won resulting in the threat of closure for the stadium.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-33636066|title=Mildenhall Stadium noise row: Owners lose Supreme Court case|work=BBC News |date=23 July 2015 }} In between the track experienced a temporary suspension following the exit of promoter Carl Harris.{{cite web|url=http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/remember-january-2/|title=Greyhound Star (Remember When - January 2008)|date=26 January 2019 |publisher=Greyhound Star}} In 2016, the stadium was sold to Deane Wood of Spedeworth Motorsports.{{cite web|url=http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/mildenhall-is-sold/|title=Mildenhall is sold|date=11 August 2016 |publisher=Greyhound Star}}

Greyhound racing was held every Tuesday and Friday night (all year round) but on 15 January 2018 it was announced that the racing would cease. With the ongoing problems experienced by the track, the majority of its biggest trainers left for Crayford Stadium, Henlow Stadium and Harlow Stadium, which resulted in racing only being held one night per week before the closure.{{cite web|url=http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/mildenhall-closure/|title=Mildenhall Closure|date=15 January 2018 |publisher=Greyhound Star}} In 2020, Kevin Boothby (the Towcester promoter) announced the return of racing and renamed the stadium Suffolk Downs.{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/suffolk-downs-granted-gbgb-licence/|title=Suffolk Downs granted GBGB licence|date=7 January 2022 |publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=15 January 2022}} The first trial session took place on 12 January 2022.{{cite web|url=https://greyhoundstar.co.uk/suffolk-downs-first-trial-session/|title=Suffolk Downs first trial session|date=12 January 2022 |publisher=Greyhound Star|access-date=15 January 2022}}

When racing returned the first meeting was held on 8 February 2022, with the primary race distance being 388 metres. Mark Wallis joined the stadium training ranks during 2023 and won his 14th Greyhound Trainer of the Year title after recording 1591 points.{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/trainer-of-the-year-final-standings-2023/ |title=Trainer of the Year final standings 2023 |website=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |date=3 January 2024 |access-date=25 January 2024}}

On 30 July 2024, the stadium suffered a fire which caused significant damage to several areas. The building containing machinery and agricultural vehicles was destroyed and damage was caused to the bar area and offices.{{cite web|url=https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/mildenhall/we-are-devastated-significant-damage-at-motorsports-sta-9376951/ |title=Huge blaze at Mildenhall Stadium in West Row causes 'significant damage' |website=Suffolk News |date=31 July 2024 |access-date=20 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2nnp6jj8yo |title=Services yet to find cause of stadium fire |website=BBC |date=6 August 2024 |access-date=20 August 2024}} The stadium remained closed for the remainder of 2024 and was expected to return in the second half of 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.sisracing.tv/suffolk-downs-work-ongoing-but-second-half-2025-earliest-return/ |title=Suffolk Downs work ongoing but second half 2025 earliest return |date=3 December 2024 |website=SIS TV |access-date=23 January 2025}}

{{cite web|url=https://greyhoundstar.co.uk/british-track-records-2/ |title=British Track Records as of January 2024 |website=Greyhound Star |date=11 January 2024 |access-date=25 January 2024}}

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Category:Stock car racing venues

Category:Greyhound racing venues in the United Kingdom

Category:Sports venues in Suffolk

Category:Speedway venues in England

Category:Mildenhall, Suffolk