Mansfield (Field Mill) Greyhound Track

Licenced racing in Mansfield only lasted three years from 1928 until 1931 leaving the town without greyhound racing until 1448. The story of the Field Mill greyhound circuit is short and not very well known.

In 1861 a sports ground was built in the centre of Mansfield and although it hosted football it was mainly used as a cricket ground until the Mansfield Town FC started playing there in 1919. The Duke of Portland sold the ground in 1921 with the condition that it remained a sports venue and Mansfield Town FC built a grandstand in 1922. By 1926 using ash from nearby coal mines they had built three other sides to the ground formed into mounds.

During March 1928 plans to add a greyhound track around the pitch went into full swing and by middle of May the track was complete. The idea had come about in 1927 following the craze that swept Britain since the introduction of the sport at Belle Vue in 1926, although this track was very basic it was an early NGRC pioneer track and started racing on 26th May 1928.

However the NGRC banned the track in 1929 after seeing the greyhound management fall foul of the NGRC regulations that included the refusal to comply with the NGRC stewards. A covered stand was also built on the Bishops Street side of the track in 1929 but the greyhound racing (now independent) only continued until 17th October 1931 ending a short period of history for the stadium.

Afterwards in 1931 the stadium was expanded further and continued to improve over the decades. It remains the home of Mansfield Town FC today.

More information about this track is available in the downloadable PDF