Central Park Stadium
Central Park Stadium formerly Sittingbourne Stadium is a greyhound racing track, and former speedway track and football stadium located in Murston, Sittingbourne, Kent, England. Greyhound racing takes place every Friday evening in addition to their four SIS morning meetings.
Facilities
The stadium was built to a capacity of approximately 6,000, with 2,000 seats available in the Main Stand, two end terraces and a large covered terrace opposite the Main Stand. There are also four private suites, a trackside restaurant, three bars and a fast food cafeteria.History
Sittingbourne FC played at the Bull Ground in the town centre until 1990 when they sold the site for £4.5 million and built a new state of the art stadium on the outskirts of the town named Central Park Stadium. However, overspending on the new ground caused the club financial difficulties and they were forced to sell the ground to the local council and lease it back. The ground was eventually leased to a company that ran greyhound racing events, who allowed the football club to sign a seven-year lease. The club found it hard to guarantee the availability of the stadium due to the racing, however, and agreed to start playing their games on part of the complex where they used to train. This was built in 2002 and named Bourne Park.Speedway
In May 2013, National League speedway returned to the county of Kent, with the newly formed Kent Kings racing at the stadium.Greyhound racing
Competitions
Opening
The track was supposed to have opened during 1994 but following several trial sessions was put on hold due to problems surrounding the football club. These included debts of £1.1 million and a £680,000 repair to a structural design fault with the roof of the stadium.Sittingbourne opened on Tuesday 3 October 1995, with a crowd 2,125; the new facilities included a track side restaurant, fast food outlets, three licensed bars and three private executive suites. The first ever race over 475 metres was won by Try My House for trainer Wayne Wilson. Wilson would also claim the first major win for the track when he won the 1995 Puppy Derby at Wimbledon Stadium with Corpo Election. The other trainers supplying runners on the opening night were Sonia Spiers, Derek Millen, Alison Ingram, Peter Galloway, Martin White, Ken Tester, Mick Mew & Tony Palmer. The General Manager was John Aitken and the Racing Manager was Paul Nevett.
History
Financial troubles surfaced again in 1996 and the track was forced to close and with no promoter available to run the stadium the future of the new venue was put into question. However, during 1996, Roger Cearns re-opened the stadium; Cearns was the grandson of W.J. 'Bill' Cearns the founder of Wimbledon Stadium way back in 1928. Cearns transformed the operation into a successful business and in the process negotiated a deal that brought the Trainers Championship to the track in 1998.Cearns then introduced the Kent Derby as the tracks principal event and managed to secure a second Trainers Championship in 2000. Cheryl Miller & Maxine Locke joined the training ranks soon after and Jess Packer was brought in as Racing Manager. Cheryl Miller reached the 2002 English Greyhound Derby final with Windgap Java, a first for Sittingbourne; the fawn dog had won the Pall Mall Stakes earlier in the year. Another major event was introduced at the track called the Kent Silver Salver, revived after being shelved following the closure of Canterbury. In 2003, Sittingbourne staged a third Trainers Championship within a six-year period and the track took over the running of the WJ Cearns Memorial) from Wimbledon. In 2006, the track agreed a deal with Betfair to stage 10 Sunday meetings that were screened on Eurosport.
Lenson Joker won the 2008 Greyhound of the Year and John Mullins won the 2011 TV Trophy on his home track with Knockies Hannah, the first time the event had been held at Sittingbourne. In 2012, the track was granted permission to host the original classic race for hurdlers the Grand National which moved from Wimbledon. It was a major coup for the track.
In 2017, following the closure of Wimbledon Stadium, the track received two more high-profile competitions called the Springbok and Juvenile. The Springbok was inaugurated in 1937 and is the leading competition for novice hurdlers. The Juvenile was inaugurated in 1957 and is an invitation competition for the best six greyhounds who still have a puppy status.
In 2018, the stadium signed a deal with SIS to race every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning and every Friday evening. Following the closure of Towcester in 2018, trainer Patrick Janssens joined the track and later won the 2020 Trainer of the Year title.
In April 2021, promoter Roger Cearns announced that the stadium had been sold to the Arena Racing Company. In 2022, the stadium owners ARC signed a long term deal with Entain for media rights, starting in January 2024. In June 2023, the stadium underwent major track renovation costing £500,000, which resulted in new race distances. As a consequence the track stopped racing over hurdles.
Track records
Previous
| Metres | Greyhound | Time | Date | Notes |
| 265 | Fast Ranger | 16.20 | 24 November 1999 | |
| 265 | Westmead Shaw | 16.13 | 20 May 2012 | |
| 265 | Murlens Crash | 16.00 | 16 March 2014 | |
| 265 | Troy Bella | 15.99 | 24 March 2019 | Silver Salver Semi-final |
| 277 | Kevinsfort Duke | 16.05 | 26 November 2024 | |
| 450 | Parking Flash | 27.46 | 4 June 2006 | |
| 450 | Jims Havana | 27.35 | 17 June 2007 | |
| 450 | Citizen Skipper | 27.26 | 24 May 2009 | |
| 450 | Jacks Back | 27.10 | 8 July 2010 | |
| 450 | Farley Champ | 27.00 | 25 March 2015 | |
| 450 | Lenson Jed | 26.93 | 26 January 2016 | |
| 450 | My Mate Max | 26.92 | 4 October 2016 | |
| 473 | Rebel Leader | 28.73 | ||
| 473 | Droopys Vieri | 28.53 | 26 March 2000 | Trainers championship meeting |
| 480 | Reagrove Roe | 29.09 | 4 June 2006 | |
| 480 | Lenson Joker | 28.92 | 12 August 2007 | Kent Derby heats |
| 480 | Lenson Bolt | 28.91 | 16 August 2009 | Kent Derby heats |
| 480 | Eye On the Flash | 28.90 | 4 March 2010 | |
| 480 | Blonde Fletch | 28.80 | 20 June 2010 | |
| 480 | Jazz Apollo | 28.72 | 24 July 2011 | |
| 480 | Coolavanny Bert | 28.50 | 20 November 2011 | |
| 500 | Official Rebel | 30.70 | 28 May 2006 | |
| 500 | Emporio Spitfire | 30.60 | 4 June 2006 | |
| 500 | Macintosh Wonder | 30.53 | 16 July 2006 | |
| 500 | Lenson Express | 30.31 | 8 April 2007 | WJ & JE Cearns Invitation |
| 500 | Lenson Earl | 30.26 | 9 December 2007 | |
| 500 | Lenson Express | 30.23 | 28 September 2008 | |
| 500 | Grayslands Tiger | 30.14 | 24 May 2009 | |
| 500 | Lemon Maldini | 29.97 | 24 July 2011 | |
| 500 | Toolatetosell | 29.75 | 10 August 2014 | |
| 500 | Jet Stream Duke | 29.84 | 16 March 2014 | |
| 500 | King Eden | 29.46 | 3 October 2017 | |
| 642 | Gormanstown Star | 40.60 | ||
| 642 | Domingo Dancer | 40.33 | 17 April 1998 | Trainers Championship meeting |
| 642 | Lobo | 39.96 | 7 October 1999 | |
| 642 | Droopys Zach | 39.64 | 9 August 2009 | |
| 642 | Boomtown Polly | 39.60 | 30 March 2014 | |
| 642 | Droopys Posh | 39.58 | 11 May 2014 | |
| 642 | Touch Tackle | 39.44 | 19 October 2014 | |
| 642 | Affleck Bolt | 39.33 | 24 March 2019 | |
| 708 | Sumi Girl | 44.32 | 27 November 1998 | |
| 708 | Brimardon Star | 44.00 | 3 May 2009 | |
| 708 | Brimardon Star | 43.70 | 2 August 2009 | |
| 731 | Garfiney Blaze | 44.05 | 20 January 2024 | Cesarewitch final |
| 893 | Redec Pride | 59.62 | 22 October 2006 | |
| 893 | Slaneyside Demon | 58.42 | 29 October 2006 | |
| 893 | Slaneyside Demon | 57.64 | 5 November 2006 | |
| 893 | Omega Wink | 57.44 | 29 July 2007 | |
| 893 | Gas Hawk | 57.20 | 2 August 2009 | |
| 893 | Seamies Gambler | 57.19 | 9 August 2009 | |
| 893 | Matching Amy | 56.91 | 20 June 2010 | |
| 893 | Droopys Djokovic | 56.82 | 31 July 2011 | |
| 893 | Buglys Billie | 56.82 | 21 August 2011 | |
| 893 | Aayamzabella | 56.49 | 17 October 2013 | |
| 893 | Slick Strauss | 56.24 | 3 October 2017 | |
| 916 | Jodie With Flex | 58.29 | 14 February 1999 | |
| 916 | Ericas Equity | 58.09 | 17 August 2003 | |
| 943 | Baliff Perry | 62.14 | 15 October 2006 | |
| 943 | Omega Wink | 61.96 | 26 December 2006 | |
| 943 | Gaytime Beauty | 60.74 | 12 August 2007 | |
| 943 | Omega Wink | 60.69 | 15 August 2007 | |
| 943 | Blonde Blitz | 60.18 | 18 July 2010 | |
| 265 H | Mystical Mick | 16.66 | 16 March 2014 | |
| 265 H | Barricane Jack | 16.61 | 15 February 2019 | |
| 265 H | Bockos Tiger | 16.54 | 13 September 2019 | |
| 473 H | Ballmac Keano | 29.41 | 1 July 2001 | |
| 480 H | Borodale Hawk | 31.02 | 26 November 2006 | |
| 480 H | Skippers Crew | 30.58 | 3 December 2006 | |
| 480 H | Nickel Trader | 30.53 | 9 March 2007 | |
| 480 H | Nickel Trader | 30.40 | 18 March 2007 | |
| 480 H | Carnaree Honcho | 30.06 | 7 April 2007 | |
| 480 H | Westmead Vieri | 29.90 | 19 May 2007 | |
| 480 H | Castledale Lad | 29.71 | 19 August 2007 | |
| 480 H | Platinumlancelot | 29.45 | 30 July 2009 | |
| 480 H | Sizzlers Spirit | 29.44 | 15 July 2010 | |
| 480 H | Mash Mad Snowy | 29.20 | 1 June 2014 | |
| 480 H | Razldazl Raidio | 29.18 | 11 September 2016 | |
| 480 H | Ballymac Manix | 29.17 | 18 September 2016 | |
| 480 H | Razldazl Raidio | 28.99 | 25 September 2016 | |
| 480 H | Sober Call | 28.97 | 22 February 2017 |