Century of greyhound racing to end as track closes

Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium hosts its final race on Saturday

A historic greyhound racing venue will close on Saturday, bringing almost a century of tradition to an end.

The last race goes at Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium at 22:11 BST, before operations move to Dunstall Park, at Wolverhampton Racecourse, opening on 19 September.

The closure marks the end of 96 years of greyhound racing in Birmingham and the stadium's general manager Chris Black predicted it would be "an emotional evening".

"We've known our long-term future sits in Wolverhampton for some time, but to be closing in on our final race night suddenly makes it feel real," he said.

The Perry Barr track opened in 1990, but a previous venue - the Birchfield Ladbroke Stadium - first welcomed spectators in 1929.

Mr Black said Perry Barr held "great memories" for hundreds of thousands of visitors.

The venue has since hosted some of the sport's most prestigious competitions, such as the St Leger and the Laurels.

Greyhounds have raced in Perry Barr for almost a century

The End of an Era event features 12 races, a historic photo display and an after-party following the final race.

"We want Saturday to be a true celebration of Perry Barr," Mr Black said.

"I'm sure there won't be many dry eyes in the house when the greyhounds cross the line for one final time, but we're determined to put on a good show and give her the send-off she deserves."

He added the move would mark "the beginning of a new era" and a plan to "bring greyhound racing to a wider audience".

The new Wolverhampton facility is the first new greyhound racing track to be built in more than a decade, bosses said.

It follows a multi-million pound investment by Arena Racing Company, which has previously said animal welfare concerns were an important part of its business.