Tredoman Athletics Ground, Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed, Mid Glamorgan, South Wales.
POSTCODE———————————–CF82 7EQ
LOCATED————————————–Ystrad Mynach lies 20 miles north of the Welsh capital Cardiff.
Situated one mile south of Ystrad Mynach town centre, visible from the roundabout that joins the A469 and A472 main roads.
ORIGINAL SITE——————————-Farm grazing land.
DATE CONSTRUCTED———————-1976
DATE VENUE OPENED———————July 1976.
Meaning other sports may have taken place prior to the arrival of Greyhound Racing.
FIRST MEETING——————————July 20th 1976.
Greyhound Racing only.
LICENSED OR INDEPENDENT———–Independent
All venues covered would have to be licensed with the government, licensed suggested in this section would refer to tracks operating under NGRC Rules.
INSIDE OR OUTSIDE HARE TYPE——-Inside Sumner.
Please note that the Electric Hare suggested is only a guidance and would have been in operation for a certain amount of time at this venue. Although it is not necessarily guaranteed that it was operational all the time, as other types of lure may have been used and updated as time progressed.
DISTANCES————————————310, 515 and 720 yards.
Please note that most racing venues distances had become varied throughout the years, the ones given above were at once point set and offers only a guidance to the track size.
CIRCUMFERENCE—————————Don’t know.
Please note that alterations at most racing venues throughout its existence would see that the circumference of the track would vary, the one shown above offers only a guidance to the track size.
BIG RACE NAMES—————————The Welsh Greyhound Derby, The Glamorgan Cup and the locally sponsored Gold Cup.
STADIUM SHARED WITH——————Amateur football.
LAST MEETING——————————-Ran last meeting as independent track o Saturday 29 July 2023, but re-opened under GBGB rules on Friday 03 November 2023 to provide betting office action via the SIS banner
Greyhound Racing only.
STADIUM CLOSURE DATE—————-N/A
Meaning other sports may have taken place after Greyhound Racing had ceased.
STADIUM DEMOLITION——————–N/A
BUILT ON SITE——————————–N/A
In some cases, structure’s that originally covered the venue after the stadium had been demolished, may have been themselves demolished too, so the one described is more likely to be the one which now presently covers the site.
EVIDENCE LEFT TODAY——————–N/A
FURTHER COMMENTS——————–None
The only greyhound track surviving in Wales, flapping or licensed, is the one known as The Valley Greyhound Stadium. The Valley track is located on the outskirts of the village of Ystrad Mynach, a village located roughly twenty miles north of the Welsh capital Cardiff.
The track also shares the venue with Tredomen Athletic Football Club and is situated one mile south of the town, visible from the roundabout at the junction off the A469 and A472. Although having developed on a grazing land as a football pitch during the early 1970’s, the Valley track staged its first meeting on the 20th of July 1976, with a greyhound called Boss winning the first ever race. Early meetings had distances set at 310, 515 and 720 yards, with six greyhounds chasing an inside Sumner type hare.
It’s big race attractions were The Gold Cup and The Glamorgan Cup, both run over the four bend distance. Operating as a flapping track its equivalent metric distances are now 274, 460 and 650 metres, with the running surface fully sanded. The track was sold with the intention of turning it into GBGB licensed track. Further details of this deal can be founded on the track’s original web site which covered independent racing.
There are a number of interesting You Tube videos on the web about this track…. including this one. And this
Following the threat of greyhound racing ban in Wales, the following was produced…. another video
REPORT ON LAST MEETING AS INDEPENDENT TRACK – SATURDAY 29 JULY 2023
“And so, after more than ninety years of independent greyhound racing in Wales, that was that.
Flapping in the Principality was given a grand send off, too. A packed crowd saw some super performances and you certainly couldn’t argue with a track record from the last independent Welsh Greyhound Derby champion. It was good to see two Valley stalwarts, Liverpool and Iced Tea, win on flapping’s closing night but the honour of being the last winner went to a relative youngster, Pandy Charlie, who can be expected to reappear on the strength as soon as the track becomes GBGB-licensed.”
FOOTNOTE: The video of last Welsh Flapping Derby final and other races can be found here…Videos
REPORT ON FIRST MEETING AS GBGB TRACK – HELD ON FRIDAY 03 NOVEMBER 2023 (courtesy of Racing Post)
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