Maindy Centre

History

The site on which the Maindy Centre stands was gifted by Lord Bute to the people of Cardiff. In the 1920s, it was a clay pit that had been filled with water and household refuse and used for swimming, with a number of adults and children drowned in it. The site was filled in and by May 1951 the new Maindy Stadium was opened. The stadium was designed so that events could be used for the requirements of the Amateur Athletics Association and the National Cyclists' Union.

Boxing matches also took place at Maindy Stadium between May 1935 and July 1963.

Facilities

The 460 m outdoor floodlit cycling velodrome was well known for its slight unevenness, caused by subsidence, as the stadium was built on the clay pit. There was a six-lane cinder running track inside the cycle track at one point, but this has since been removed and replaced by a mini football pitches and a road section for traffic safety courses (in the middle of the velodrome. There was also extensive seating and covered area with a judges box in the 1960s, on an area which is now a grass bank behind the back straight of the cycle track. At that time, the finish line on the cycle track was located at the opposite side of the cycle track to its current location.

Maindy remains to be used extensively for training and racing and hosts many events such as the Cardiff International Grand Prix. It is used in particular for teaching youngsters to ride. At 460 metres in length and 18 degree bankings, the track is not as steep as the majority of velodromes, and therefore perfect for those new to the sport. The concrete surface is also used for floodlit training sessions during the winter, where road bicycles are used as opposed to track bicycles.

The cycle track has recently been resurfaced, seeing an end to the characteristic red asphalt surface which covered it for several years, funded by the Eddie Smart memorial fund.

The Maindy Flyers Youth Cycling Club is also based at the stadium, and boasts past members such as Geraint Thomas. Riders from the club have gone on to win four of the eight Olympic gold medals won by Welsh sportspeople between 1976 and 2016. The British National Derny Championships were held at the stadium in 2007, local riders and past members of Maindy Flyers, Alex Greenfield and Katie Curtis came second and third respecitvley. Another past members of Maindy Flyers, Matthew Rowe, finished third in the men's championships. Other notable ex-members include Elinor Barker, Luke Rowe and Owain Doull.

The facility also has a 6-lane 25 m length swimming pool, which was opened in 1993, and a 5-a-side pitch,

References

References

1. "Maindy Centre". Cardiff Council.
2. (20 July 2015). "40 fascinating pictures that showcase Cardiff's legendary sporting heritage". [[Walesonline]].
3. (17 July 2021). "Maindy Stadium velodrome set to be ‘needlessly’ bulldozed". [[Newsquest.
4. "Maindy Stadium". [[Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales]].
5. (2 April 2011). "Maindy Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom". [[BoxRec]].
6. "Photo of Cardiff, Maindy Stadium c1960". Francis Frith.
7. (11 January 2008). "2008 Track Major Events Calendar". British Cycling.
8. (25 July 2005). "Bicycle Tracks & Velodromes". Bike Cult.
9. (15 August 2016). "This Cardiff cycling club is to thank for half of Wales' Olympic golds in the last four decades".
10. . ["From Go-Ride to Glasgow for Team Wales Riders"](https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/wales/article/20140801-welsh-cycling-news-From-Go-Ride-to-Glasgow-for-Team-Wales-Riders-0).