Perry Barr Stadium
Encyclopedia
Perry Barr Stadium is a stadium
and racetrack on Aldridge Road in Perry Barr
, Birmingham
, England
.
It was originally constructed for an athletics club, Birchfield Harriers
who held its opening ceremony on 27 July 1929, having purchased the land on 11 November 1926. The façade still carries their badge, a running stag
, rendered in Art Deco
style bas relief, carved in 1929 and attributed to William Bloye
. The site was formerly a rubbish tip, chiefly for fly ash
from a local power station.
Birchfield Cycling Club used the venue for cycle races, and, from the mid 1930s, the cycle track outside the running lanes was used by the Sunbac Speedway Club for dirt-track racing (speedway
). In the 1930s and 40s, Aston Villa Football Club's second and third teams trained at the stadium.
Soon after the start of World War II
, the stadium was requisitioned by the government and used by the Home Guard
. Later in the war it was used to accommodate Italian
prisoners of war
; the last of these did not leave until January 1946 and the club only returned to the stadium the following month. Shortly afterwards, the club hired out the stadium on Saturday evenings, to Birmingham Speedway. Floodlight
ing was installed to facilitate the latter, and this allowed for the first floodlit athletics meeting ever held in the United Kingdom, in September 1948, after the lights had been turned on near the end of an earlier meeting, which had overrun into dusk. Floodlit horse jumping competitions were also held.
On 29 May 1954 Diane Leather
became the first woman to run a mile in less than 5 minutes, during the Midlands Women's AAA Championships at the ground.
In 1977, their centenary year, Birchfield Harriers moved to the newly-built Alexander Stadium
, nearby. Perry Barr Stadium, as it was then renamed, is now used for greyhound racing
on Thursdays and Fridays, and is the home of Birmingham Brummies
speedway team.
The staudium is opposite the main Birmingham City University
campus and close to (and served by) Perry Barr railway station
.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
and racetrack on Aldridge Road in Perry Barr
Perry Barr
Perry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
It was originally constructed for an athletics club, Birchfield Harriers
Birchfield Harriers
Birchfield Harriers is an athletics club, founded in 1877. Its home is at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, England.Named after the Birchfield district of Birmingham, their previous home , at nearby Perry Barr, was Alexander Sports Ground. It still carries their badge, a running stag, rendered in...
who held its opening ceremony on 27 July 1929, having purchased the land on 11 November 1926. The façade still carries their badge, a running stag
STAG
STAG: A Test of Love is a reality TV show hosted by Tommy Habeeb. Each episode profiles an engaged couple a week or two before their wedding. The cameras then follow the groom on his bachelor party...
, rendered in Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style bas relief, carved in 1929 and attributed to William Bloye
William Bloye
William James Bloye was an English sculptor, active in Birmingham either side of World War II.He studied, and later, taught at the Birmingham School of Art , where his pupils included Gordon Herickx, Raymond Mason and Ian Walters...
. The site was formerly a rubbish tip, chiefly for fly ash
Fly ash
Fly ash is one of the residues generated in combustion, and comprises the fine particles that rise with the flue gases. Ash which does not rise is termed bottom ash. In an industrial context, fly ash usually refers to ash produced during combustion of coal...
from a local power station.
Birchfield Cycling Club used the venue for cycle races, and, from the mid 1930s, the cycle track outside the running lanes was used by the Sunbac Speedway Club for dirt-track racing (speedway
Speedway in the United Kingdom
The sport of Speedway in the United Kingdom has changed little since the first meetings in the 1920s. With three domestic leagues, its own Speedway Grand Prix and an annual entry into the Speedway World Cup it remains one of the popular motorsports in the country.-History:The first meeting in the...
). In the 1930s and 40s, Aston Villa Football Club's second and third teams trained at the stadium.
Soon after the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the stadium was requisitioned by the government and used by the Home Guard
Home Guard
-Military:*British Home Guard*Combat Groups of the Working Class *Confederate Home Guard, during the American Civil War*Croatian Home Guard and Imperial Croatian Home Guard*Danish Home Guard...
. Later in the war it was used to accommodate Italian
Military history of Italy during World War II
During World War II , the Kingdom of Italy had a varied and tumultuous military history. Defeated in Greece, France, East Africa and North Africa, the Italian invasion of British Somaliland was one of the only successful Italian campaigns of World War II accomplished without German support.In...
prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
; the last of these did not leave until January 1946 and the club only returned to the stadium the following month. Shortly afterwards, the club hired out the stadium on Saturday evenings, to Birmingham Speedway. Floodlight
Floodlight
A floodlight is an artificial light providing even illumination across a wide area.* High-intensity discharge lamp, the class of lamp itself* Stage lighting instrument, the types associated with Stage productions...
ing was installed to facilitate the latter, and this allowed for the first floodlit athletics meeting ever held in the United Kingdom, in September 1948, after the lights had been turned on near the end of an earlier meeting, which had overrun into dusk. Floodlit horse jumping competitions were also held.
On 29 May 1954 Diane Leather
Diane Leather
Diane Leather is the first woman to run a mile in less than 5 minutes. Representing the Birchfield Harriers, Leather broke the 5 minute barrier with a time of 4 minutes and 59.6 seconds, during the Midlands Women's AAA Championships at Birmingham's Alexander Sports Ground on 29 May 1954 - just 23...
became the first woman to run a mile in less than 5 minutes, during the Midlands Women's AAA Championships at the ground.
In 1977, their centenary year, Birchfield Harriers moved to the newly-built Alexander Stadium
Alexander Stadium
Alexander Stadium is an international athletics stadium located within Perry Park in Perry Barr, Birmingham, England, at . It has staged the Amateur Athletics Association Championships, and was the venue of the 1998 Disability World Athletics Championships...
, nearby. Perry Barr Stadium, as it was then renamed, is now used for greyhound racing
Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom
Greyhound racing is a popular sport in Great Britain with attendances at around 3.2 million at over 5,750 meetings, across 26 stadia in 2007 alone. There are 26 stadia in Britain, it is a Parimutuel betting tote system with on-course and off-course betting available, with a turnover of...
on Thursdays and Fridays, and is the home of Birmingham Brummies
Birmingham Brummies
Birmingham Brummies are a British speedway team, who were reformed in 2006 and then accepted into the Premier League in 2007. The club race at Perry Barr Stadium ....
speedway team.
The staudium is opposite the main Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University is a British university in the city of Birmingham, England. It is the second largest of three universities in the city, the other two being the Aston University and University of Birmingham...
campus and close to (and served by) Perry Barr railway station
Perry Barr railway station
Perry Barr Railway Station is a railway station in Perry Barr, Birmingham, England.Although rebuilt around the time of electrification in the 1960s, it stands on the site of the original Grand Junction Railway station of 1838, and so is the oldest station on its original site in the city, and one...
.
External links
- Perry Barr Greyhounds
- Birmingham Brummies
- Birchfield Harriers
- "Almost the 5 Minute Mile" Pathe newsreel filmed at the ground, 31 May 1954