A Former Football Pitch

The Roodee served as a football ground before it was used for horse racing, and for several years it was the venue for the annual Goteddsday (Shrove Tuesday) match. This early variant of football was known for being very violent, and there were several deaths, which led to it being outlawed in 1533.

The first horse race took place six years later following the consent of the Mayor of Chester, Henry Gee. This is why horses are sometimes nicknamed, ‘gee-gee's’. The racecourse has been used for this purpose ever since.