Owlerton Stadium

Owlerton Stadium's multi-million pound investment and commitment to animal welfare has helped it land one of the most prestigious events on the UK's greyhound calendar. The Sheffield venue has been chosen to host the 2009 Betfair Trainers' Championship which takes place on Tuesday, March 17, 2009, and will be screened live on Sky Sports. "I am absolutely delighted that the Greyhound Trainers Association have chosen Sheffield Sports Stadium to host the Betfair Trainers' Championship in 2009," said Owlerton Stadium assistant general manager David Perry. "There's no doubt that this is one of the highlights of the racing calendar and we are all very much looking forward to welcoming our friends from Betfair and Sky, together with the top six trainers in the country and all their connections. "The support of our parent company, A & S Leisure, has enabled Sheffield Sports Stadium to continually invest in the facilities at Owlerton, resulting in one of the best greyhound stadiums in the country. This year we have completely relaid the track and next year, we are planning to build an extension, doubling the size of the restaurant. "I think the decision of the Greyhound Trainers Association to stage the Betfair Trainers' Championship at Owlerton is a fitting tribute to the investment in the Stadium, and will give us the perfect opportunity to showcase our superb track and facilities." John Haynes, organising the Betfair Trainers' Championship on behalf of the GTA, said: "As always we wanted a good galloping track and we wanted to go north. "Earlier this year £140,000 was spent to re-lay the track at Sheffield; it is this commitment to greyhound welfare that should be recognised. "It goes without saying that it will be a great night's racing and the Sheffield management team have promised to pull out all the stops." Betfair have supported the event since 2006 and are currently in negotiations to extend their sponsorship to 2010 and beyond.