Wimbledon Stadium, also known as Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, was a greyhound racing track located in Wimbledon in southwest London, England. It also hosted stock car and other small circuit motor racing events, and until 2005 hosted motorcycle speedway. The stadium hosted the English Greyhound Derby every year between 1985 and 2016. Facing declining attendances and with no renovations undertaken for many years, the stadium was put up for sale by the owners, the Greyhound Racing Association, and closed permanently in March 2017. The site was purchased by Galliard Homes Limited, in order to build 600 new apartments and a new football stadium, the new Plough Lane, for AFC Wimbledon. The stadium was demolished in 2018 to clear the site for the new development; it was one of London's last remaining greyhound stadia, leaving only Crayford and Romford remaining, and was the third to close since the year 2000 after Catford in 2003 and Walthamstow in 2008. Stadium The facilities originally included a brick-fronted grandstand, seating 8,000, executive suites, several bars, and catering facilities, including a large waiter-service restaurant. The stadium was surrounded by a large open-air car park, which hosted car-boot sales on Saturdays and Sundays for many years. Greyhound racing Origins The greyhound stadium was constructed east of the River Wandle on a section of marshland which was difficult to build on and was prone to flooding. The only buildings nearby were a chamois leather mill, a large sewage works, and the Plough public house. Slightly to the east was Summerstown Road, which held the only housing in the immediate area. The difficult plot did not deter South London Greyhound Racecourses Ltd., who went ahead with plans to build a large stadium ready for 1928. However, financial difficulties halted the project until a consortium headed by Bill 'WJ' Cearns, whose firm had been responsible for the construction of the stadium, stepped in with sufficient funds to save the project. Opening The first race on opening night, 19 May 1928, was won by a greyhound named Ballindura trained by Harry Leader. The Burhill kennels in Walton-on-Thames became renowned within the industry for housing the hounds for Wimbledon, and were used by trainers Stan Biss, Harry Leader and Ken Appleton. Paddy McEllistrim, a Norfolk farmer and breeder of greyhounds, and Sidney Orton, joined the training kennels soon after. 1928–1939 Wimbledon was the first track to introduce weighing scales in 1929 at