Bought in 1912 by the chairman of Newport County, Bert Moss, as their home ground to herald their entry into the Southern League, Somerton Park was, for almost eighty years, one of the principal sporting venues in the city and hosted speedway and greyhound racing in addition to football. The ground was almost sold for housing in 1919 but rescued by a group of employees from Lysaght's Steel Works. After Newport failed to be elected to the Football League for the 1931 ? 32 season, the ground was bought by the Cardiff Arms Park Company who had just sold the Arms Park to the Welsh Rugby Union having bought it themselves from the Marquis of Bute in 1922. They constructed the stadium capable of hosting greyhound racing and football in 1932. The first match was on 27 August 1932 and greyhounds first raced on 17 November 1932. Greyhound racing came to an end in 1963. Speedway racing was a regular feature from 1964 ? 1977 as Somerton Park became home to the Newport Wasps. Newport County went bankrupt in 1989 and Somerton Park was closed. It briefly reopened during the 1992 ? 1993 football season but was closed permanently at the end of that year's play. The stadium was demolished and the land sold for housing development. The site is remembered in the name of the estate that replaced it: Somerton Park.

Daryl Leeworthy, RCAHMW, 4 October 2010.