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compared with 15,000 24 months earlier. There were fewer race reports
during the year, with some races being cancelled. The 1899 season started
with ‘disappointing’ crowds despite ‘delightful weather’ (28) and the paucity
of press coverage continued.

Just 2,500 were there to see the opening fixture on Easter Monday in the
new century (29) and while the annual 50 mile race was to happen in
September it was to be its last at the track (30). It was sold to a speculative
builder for £7,500 (31), the reporter seemed to think that Catford was in
south west London though. In reality, the offer of a large amount of money
from a developer in the context of falling gates was probably an offer too
good to refuse for the owners. When the builder was Henry Woodham or not
is unclear – but he certainly developed houses in the area at around the time
the stadium was sold an was based at 132 Brownhill Road.

Oddly, the grandstand remained – used for warehousing until the 1990s,
when it too succumbed to development – the modern houses below are where
the stand once stood. The street name, with its hints of a brief record
breaking past, is all that remains.

1.The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London, England), Saturday, May 25, 2.1889; pg. 326;
Issue 1460.
2.Daily News (London, England), Monday, May 20, 1889; 3.Issue 13453
3.Berrow’s Worcester Journal (Worcester, England), Saturday, May 25, 1889; pg. 4; Issue 10206. 19th Century
British Library Newspapers: Part II.
4.Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), Thursday, July 17, 1890; Issue 6603
5.The Morning Post (London, England), Wednesday, August 20, 1890; pg. 3; Issue 36873
6.Daily News (London, England), Monday, May 16, 1892; 6.Issue 14389.
7.The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London, England), Saturday, September 03, 1892; pg. 151;
Issue 1631
8.Birmingham Daily Post (Birmingham, England), Monday, August 15, 1892; Issue 10655.
9.The Yorkshire Herald, and The York Herald (York, England), Monday, May 08, 1893; pg. 8; Issue 13081. 19th
Century British Library Newspapers: Part II
10.Birmingham Daily Post (Birmingham, England), Wednesday, November 14, 1894; Issue 11359
11.The Pall Mall Gazette (London, England), Monday, January 21, 1895; Issue 9306.
12.The Pall Mall Gazette (London, England), Wednesday, March 6, 1895; Issue 9344
13.The Morning Post (London, England), Monday, May 20, 1895; pg. 2; Issue 38359
14.Daily News (London, England), Monday, May 20, 1895; Issue 15331
15.The Standard (London, England), Monday, May 20, 1895; pg. 2; Issue 22115
16.The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London, England), Saturday, May 25, 1895; pg. 327
17.The Standard (London, England), Friday, June 28, 1895; pg. 8; Issue 22149
18.Berrow’s Worcester Journal (Worcester, England), Saturday, July 27, 1895; pg. 6; Issue 10527. 19.The
19.Sheffield & Rotherham Independent (SheffieldEngland), Thursday, September 19, 1895; pg. 8; Issue 12788.
20.The Morning Post (London, England), Tuesday, April 07, 1896; pg. 3; Issue 38636. British Library
Newspapers, Part II: 1800-1900.
21.The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London, England), Saturday, May 09, 1896; pg. 296; Issue
1824

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