Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium

I saw stock car racing here and a had a great time. Think gladiatorial banger racing set in a lower-​leagues dreary stadium, complete with blood-​thirsty cheers from supporters as their favoured cars passed.
At first, I admit, I was sceptical. How fun could racing around an oval track be, even if the slow procession of cars to the starting grid was evocative of childhood favourite, Super Mario Kart? Turns out, pretty entertaining, particularly as the track got more and more slippery and the engine sizes of the cars started to increase race to race. Soon there were cars spinning into the side, being rammed off the track and, once, near the end, a car flipping over on to its roof after some unlucky side-​swipes. Even the racing proved more absorbing than I had expected, with leading cars sometimes relinquishing certain wins after wiping out around the last corner. The rather dangerous nature of proceedings seemed rather surreal too, what with the cars whizzing around just over 10 metres from the watching crowd.
The price is a little high, around £20 for a day’s racing but there are about 12 – 15 races for that, including a no-​rules demolition derby at the end.
All in all, a entertaining and unexpectedly rewarding insight into working class Wimbledon.

Went here for a recent birthday and it was a really great experience. A very unique night out. We arrived with no understanding of what was going to happen but were soon helped by a kind regular. They have a lot of different deals for entry so you don’t need to spend a lot of money to enjoy yourself. Slightly contradicting my previous point, but, the food is quite expensive for what it is, the drinks however are quite reasonable and the atmosphere is infectious. It takes a little while to get there from most places as it isn’t particularly close to the station, but that said it is more than worth the journey. You probably wont win big, but you will have a lot of laughs.

Going to the Dogs at Wimbledon is a cracking night out. There are plenty of vouchers to get in and get drinks on the cheap, but the real cost is the gambling which can sucker you in and left your wallet empty.
My lack of gambling knowledge was easily exposed when placing the first bet but I soon picked up the alien lingo and won a tenner on one of the races. The best tip is to go for tri casts which for a 50p stake can net big winnings if your mutts finish in the predicted order. Each race is only 30 seconds long and with 10 races in the night there is plenty of opportunity to win or lose.
I would definitely recommend going to the Dogs to anyone looking for a decent night out.

Wimbledon Dogs was the most English experience I’ve encountered in my 2 years in the country. A pint slugging, boisterous and care-​free crowd appear to frequent Wimbledon Stadium. I admit that I prefer my money in my pocket rather than left up to chance, but a simple 1 – 2 reverse (where you choose the 1^st and 2^nd place dog and they can win in either order) at 2 pounds, was pocket change and helped me to get involved. I, of course, opted to not bet again (after losing) and instead made predictions based on the greyhound attitude upon entering the stadium. I’m a pretty good guesser!
To all you non-​Brits, I am going to recommend the experience. As any non-​Londoner will tell you, this city is not a proper mark of being British. Grab a pint and a view of the track, this is London, ready to be embraced!

I’m not really a gambling, beer swilling type of guy, but it was my mate’s birthday and I wasn’t going to miss his bash. It cost £5 to get in and I was told drinks were reasonably priced. I wanted to be outside near the action but punters were smoking on mass by the track. I’m quite fond and attached to my lungs and pulmonary heart failure wasn’t on any of our groups agenda. The blooms of smoke billowing towards our group quickly pushed us inside. This turned out ok as we were up by the bar at the top of the stadium. Below us in rows were people dining but I didn’t check the menu.
The clientele was as expected. There was a mixture of guys, some clearly hardcore gamblers, others just there for fun. Mostly they were the salt of the earth types. The ladies were the attractive, dressed nicely, in a smart casual you want to look at me whilst I drink my beer type. There is also an executive service which separates the corporate rich folk from the mass, wining and dining them in opulent splendour.
It was inevitable I would have a flutter. I had my race card in hand, and armed with the snippets of advice given by friends I attempted to make a bet. I am a glaring novice in these matters and it showed. As the betting lady and I tried to communicate, me babbling like an idiot, she using slick betting lingo I eventually settled on a 123 reverse. I am a foolish optimistic and a believer that the sun always shines. The dogs came hurtling out of the blocks and I was swept up on the wave of excitement, convinced I would win. Unsure whether to watch the screens or the track and completely unaware of what dogs were the ones I’d bet on, I yelled support anyway. I desperately wanted my £3 stake to magical transform into £36. Races are brief no more than 30sec on average so you have to be attentive. My first two dogs came in as I heard people exclaiming victory others despair. I needed Helenas Rock to make the trio. Although the race was over I was still frantically trying to find out who came third. To my dejection it wasn’t Helenas Rock. Gutted! Whatever happened to beginners luck?
I didn’t win a single race all night. Nevertheless Wimbledon Dogs is a fun night out that is best enjoyed in groups of all ages and sexes.