Lonsdale Park Greyhound Stadium
Workington, Cumbria, England
Lonsdale Park Greyhound Stadium, Workington, England — opened 1882, as a rugby enclosure built by Workington Football Club (the ground's new home named Lonsdale Park), formally opened 10 Sep 1892, 20 rugby league games hosted, home of Workington Football Club, 1898-1909, while playing as a Northern Union (rugby league) club, before financial pressures forced voluntary liquidation and a merger back into rugby union as Workington RUFC in 1909.
Sourcing caveat: This site's own recorded end date for rugby league use here (1938) is not explained by any source found, since Workington's Northern Union spell ended in 1909; this is an open, unresolved discrepancy. The ground was demolished after greyhound racing ended in 1999; the site was sold to Allerdale Borough Council in 2018 for a proposed new community stadium.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1882, as a rugby enclosure built by Workington Football Club (the ground's new home named Lonsdale Park), formally opened 10 Sep 1892 (This site's own directory records rugby league use here 1898-1938. The 1898-1909 portion aligns with Workington Football Club's known Northern Union (rugby league) membership; no source confirms rugby league activity at the ground between 1909 and 1938, a gap left unresolved rather than guessed at.) |
| Home club | Workington Football Club, 1898-1909, while playing as a Northern Union (rugby league) club, before financial pressures forced voluntary liquidation and a merger back into rugby union as Workington RUFC in 1909 |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 20 |
| Top recorded crowd | 10,600 |
| Years used | 1898–1938 |
| Location | Workington, Cumbria |
Name history
- Lonsdale Park — 1882-1999, also later known as West Cumberland Stadium once used for greyhound racing
Rugby league history
On 'the Cloffocks' beside the River Derwent, this ground's rugby league era was brief: Workington won the Cumberland Shield in 1897 and 1898 and the Cumberland Senior title three years running, 1907-1909, presumably including matches here, before the club's Northern Union venture folded in 1909. The modern rugby league club, Workington Town, was not founded until 1945 and played at a different ground, Derwent Park, so is not connected to this venue. After 1909 the ground continued as home to Workington A.F.C. (football, 1909-1937), then greyhound racing (1933-1999) and motorcycle speedway (1931-32, 1937-38).
Football (Workington A.F.C., 1909-1937), greyhound racing (1933-1999) and motorcycle speedway (1931-32, 1937-38).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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