Old betting memories of Londons dog tracks

was champ past his best then slippy?

The trip was too short for the Champ to get competitive in that race Howdi. Bearing in mind he was taking on the best greyhound there has ever been. It was a tough ask to put it mildly that he would be involved in the finish with his 'quirky' style of racing especially with Track Man( track record holder at Catford over 555 metres) and the very talented bitch Glenowen Queen likely to go the early pace that would mean SC would be unsighted and out of touch. He got the hump, stopped chasing the hare and the rest is history.

remember the odds that night slip?

Clapton
Walthamstow
Harringay
Wembley
White City
Hackney

Been to all on several occasions, must have been something I said
Somehow Romford has escaped the carnage so I cannot be a bock 

Agree with you SB about Ballyregan Bob...best there has ever been.

Something for you, Howdi and others to think about overnight though..

Much as I loved S Champ, I sometimes wonder if the hare driving when he was at its peak was subtly done so as to bunch the dogs up that he let go well clear. He was a box office attraction and when he flew out and won one night (at Oxford?) the crowd was a bit disappointed. Hence, I wonder if races were sometimes set up a bit to suit his style?

With today's precise technology, the speed of the hare could be very closely examined but not back then...

Just a thought...night night all.

Ballyregan Bob was probably the best 6 bend runner but Scurlogue Champ drew the crowds.
When he ran at the Stow they ran out of programs that night,the only time i saw this happen.
I saw Scurlogue run at Wembley early 85 and he was a standout bet for the TV trophy, unfortunately 4/6 was the top price outright.
Top 4 bend runner at the time would've been a toss up between Yankee Express, Haymaker Mack, Game Ball & Hong Kong Mike.

Glasgowcalling, the Southall track was a flapping track and was opened in the latter part of the thirties, one source indicates it closed in 1996, from memory thought it was earlier, hopefully someone else can clarify

The Knight and others, if you like reading about the old London tracks, there are a couple of well filled topics on the Greyhound Forum. They are:
'New Cross Anyone ever go there?' and
'Memories of Harringay'.
They include posts from such as Whitmarsh and Mr Memory, who certainly go back a bit.
I used to attend Wimbledon and Wembley, but my favourite was just outside town, and that was Slough. Enjoyed the flaps at Southall too!

Nice thread squeeze and posters, great read .

I live in north west but had relatives in  London.
Can remember trips as 15 year old to West Ham, Crayford . Wembley, Stow Hackney  massive thrill the betting and all the tubes and buses had to catch to get there

Great Sunday morning read, thanks chaps

Used to love the Wick on a Saturday morning. Sometimes did the double with Wembley Saturday afternoon, or Wimbledon saturday night; once the treble.

The Greyhound derby was may favourite, went for years without missing a trial or a heat. Used to try and take in a round or to of the Irish and Scottish derbies too.

Had a good Saturday morning at Crayford once so went to Shawfield to see Westmead Harry win that night; got wrecked and missed the plane home; the missus still hasnt forgiven me.

Used to love the Gold Collar; Humphreys put on a good show. Catford for the Collar, Portsmouth for the Muzzle, Stow for the Arc, Crayford for the jacket, Reading for the Masters, Wembley for the Blue Riband, Hackney for the Guineas, Wimbledon for the Laurels;
Used to get the monthly open race video too,  happy days.

Slippy Blue and I met in a bar in a Spain; we could talk dogs for hours; my memory for names was hopeless though.
(Except where I had backed the winner)

I know precisely NOTHING about Greyhound Racing, but this is already a little gem of a thread. Keep the misty water-coloured memories coming gentlemen (and of course any lady contributors).

I've personally only ever been to one Greyhound meeting, in the far-off days when I lived on the South Coast. It's not a London track, but perhaps you will indulge my reminiscences. So, here goes :

PORTSMOUTH

I went one Friday night during a Summer's evening in maybe 1989. Every girl there appeared to have a bun in the oven. A Fagin-like figure standing at the back of what passed for a grandstand was handing out cash from an impressive money roll to a team of hand-picked urchins to invest on each upcoming race. I was perplexed to discover that you could only actually place bets with the track bookies in the minutes before the race was due off. A bell actually rang to indicate the time when betting could commence. God only knows what Pavlov and his own greyhound would have made of this experiment in conditioned behaviour. (Is this a common feature of greyhound betting???).

The facilities were spartan, the crowd attendance lamentably low. All in all, an unimpressive night of international sport, and a sad introduction to a historic sporting subculture.

Went to WALTHAMSTOW, bookie who looked like Jackie Palloe the wrestler, was smoking the biggest cigar i have ever seen!!

3 Greats from New Cross

The Grange Gem.Aughadown Lady & Muswell Matador.

and probably this lady.saw her win at Crayford. weaved in and out,had a brain.

http://www.doloresrocket.com/

ONSLOW1974, I'd take very short odds that was Tom "The Viking" Jenkins. With his twin brother John they were 'The John Power Organisation' and absolute legends of the ring that the oldtimers will remember well.

slippy blue you are bringing back some names now.

if i remember correctly tom jenkins had been on the scotch one day and decided to take on a dog called chicata bannana owned by harry findlay and everyone else was shorting it he kept knocking it out taking absolute lumps on it much to the annoyance of certain punters.
unbelivable scenes when it got turned over.

the only time i think he swerved a bet was two of the characters from the dodgiest betting shop post was the 2 mecca managers one a pikey looking guy the other a real smoothie who were getting some real hot info notably john coleman dogs and the smoothie manager seemed to have a friendship with tom and used to mark his card and they could have up to 4 figures on

great post. the only thing I would take exception to is that the form is not "all over the shop" in any bookies you care to walk in. Nor is it a priority in the post.

This is part of the problem now. Nobody sees racing (equine or canine) as a semi solvable puzzle.. as an interest. Just a bit of a pss up day out.

I agree, dontwintoeasy.  I backed horses since i was about 12 and only stopped a few years ago when i was seduced by poker.  What i loved about horseracing was that it was a solvable puzzle if you studied the form.  Unfortunately that took time and so most bets were a compromise.  I have a maths background so it was a great help with understanding handicapping etc, I do not think the current young generation have the brains for it and that is why it is dying out. I wish that I could get back my love of horseracing.  It seemed to stop almost immediately I started playing poker.  I don't understand why.

West Ham dog track from 1960
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/greyhounds-in-retirement

ONSLOW1974     06 Jan 13 12:18 
Went to WALTHAMSTOW, bookie who looked like Jackie Palloe the wrestler, was smoking the biggest cigar i have ever seen!!


That rings a bell with me Onslow
Wasn't this one some years later was it ?

.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattp/111388270/

in the documentry--gone to the dogs--Walthamstow

whos the pro punter?

where did most of crowd(bookies,owners,trainers go to after Walthamstow closed?

not london but always remember at wallyford when the 'mop' was running!

WALTHAMSTOW

I went about once a month, and always on a Saturday. I used to go woth a group of mates, and one of them, a lorry driver named John, never had a bet, he only went got 'the craic'. This was handy as John used to get the beers in when the races were on and the queues at the bars had mostly died down.

On one such visit, John had been to the khazi while a race was on. When he came out he asked me 'Who's John Power?' I pointed him out and asked if he was going to break into a sweat and have a bet on something.

'I might do now.' he said 'I was sitting on the bog when I heard two blokes talking in the khazi. One told the other that John Power had had two grand on the 4 dog in the last.' 

I had my biggest bet of the night on it, and Ilm fackdd if I can recall its name, but am glad to report that it romped home at at 9/2.

WALTHAMSTOW

Once again, a group of us, with John the lorry driver as one of the designated drivers. He got well pissed off because he couldn't drink, and actually had a few bets, and got the right hump when he was £20 down when it was all over.

Back in the car park opposite the entrance, four of us got into his car, which always took about 10 minutes to warm up, and it was a cold foggy night. There was only way out, and getting out was always slow.

He pulled forward behind another car, and as usual, about 4 long lines converged into one line near the exit gate. The rest of us were busy chatting and didn't notice that we had hardly moved after 5 minutes. John got irate and started to sound his hooter at the car in front, which was about 4 inches from his front bumper. But at either side of us, the lines were still moving along, even if it was slow.

More hooting by John had no effect, so he shouted out of the window 'Any time tonigght mate, I wanna go home for facks sake.'  Still the car in front never moved, while either side of us, they ploughed on.

John shouted out of the window 'You daft coont, facking move will ya.' Still no movement, so John got out and went to the car.

When he came back I asked 'Are we moving  now?'

'Not yet' he said 'There's no coont in it.'

He had pulled up behind a car that had parked and the driver had left his lights on.

It was a good 15 more minutes before we could back up and get out from behind it, with us 3 taking the piss out of John all way home.

SqueezeFirmly
05 Jan 13 23:54   
WALTHAMSTOW

Scene of chit chatters meeting up a few years back. Must have been 10 or 12 of us there. After the racing everybody except me and my mrs went for an indian meal. I had been at work all day and was tired, and it's over 100 miles to drive home, so we left the party.

There were photos, but I've only got one.

You know that old joke when a bloke has a pint in his hand and somebody asks him the time, he turns his wrist and pours his beer all over himself... What mug would fall for that...

Tinypic working now

.
http://i50.tinypic.com/ort1nd.jpg

Some of us know who it is, but those who don't are welcome to guess.

SF,adblock corrected that to a picture of a stag,

I just copied and pasted the address and got the right picture, so no idea what's happened there.

CATFORD

Didn't get over there much, it being sarf of the river. But after moving over to 'foreign soil' for about 6 months in the mid to late 1980s. 9, I used to go there for the occasional meeting.

I had no idea of how any dogs ran the track, or any idea of form, save for the programme.

On one such night, plotted up on the stairs with Mrs SF, we got chatting to a pair of middle aged men, who didn't seem to have bet all the time we were there. It transpired they had paid to get in (when they could have got in free for the last two races as most tracks opened the gates back ) They just enjoyed the racing and watching the hurly burly of the betting  jungle in front of them. They said they were were waiting for the 1 dog in the last as 'She's the best stayer over here.' (Perhaps a Catford regulay may know the bitch from that era).  It takes some patience to stand and watch a whole card and not have a bet, so I applaud them for that. 

I can't recall the name of the greyhound in the red jacket, but it was all over as she poured on the pace down the back straight and pulled clear for an easy win to lots of 'OY OY' from the crowd as she was the 15/8 favourite.

Happy Days

Mt first visit to Slough dog track.

Seven years old and my dad announced one Saturday morning in 1968 that we were going to a football match for the firat time ever. Couldn't have been more thrilled, but from seeing Match Of The Day had a worry about being crushed on the terraces.

The game turned out to be Slough Town reserves vs Walton & Hersham reserves at the dog track (the Dolphin stadium). Slough Town reserves won 3-2, the attendance was 16 and it remained the most exciting match I attended until I saw HSV win 4-3 at Bayern Nunich in 1982.

To complete a perfect day we had chips on the way home on the bus, and my dad told me how he had won over £300 backing forecasts at the track in the late '50s, lost the lot and more, then met my mum who, thankfully, had a Post Office Savings account.

It all sounded perfectly reasonable to me, as when they argued, the row usually ended with my mum shouting that he'd only married her for her Post Office Savings account.

Used to go to Catford in the mid 1960s....sandown/kempton in the afternoon and the dogs in the evening.A number of times a wide dog Newgrove Toddy (think that was its name) got me out of trouble from 5 or 6...then lost again outside the track playing find the lady and had to walk home to Westcombe Park.

WALTHAMSTOW (again)

For those who have been there, you know that as you leave the gate in the big ring, the seafood stall is on your right.

On this night there were only 3 of us, accompanied by 'Fat Stan', the teenager in my first Hackney post. We finished a few quid up, nothing to shout about, except for Stan, who had done about a fiver, and was broken hearted. He loved his grub did Stan, and had saved enough for pie and chips. We were in my car and he asked 'Are you going to the chippie on the other side of the roundabout?'

Stan couldn'tt name one pub anywhere, but he knew every food outlet within 250 yards of any dog track we took him to.

'No I'm not' I said 'I'm on a promise tonight, so you'll have to wait unit we get near home.'

We all laughed as Stan said 'No, that's alright, don't mind me. You rush home to get your facking leg over, and I'll starve then.' which was even funnier as Stan was about 5 feet 6, and you got no change out of 16 stones.

As mentined before, he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, and as we passed the seafood stall he shouted 'Hang on a minute.'

He walked up to the stall at the right hand end asked 'How much are the whelks mate?'  The bloke told him. Then 'How much are the cockles mate?'. The bloke told him. He worked his way along the counter asking the price of everything.  When he got to the other end he asked 'How much is the bread mate?'  The bloke said ' It's free.'

Thinking he was doing no wrong, Stan picked up the stainless steel bowl that was full of bread chunks and said 'I'll bring the bowl back next week.' and tried to walk off.  But even before the bloke came out and stopped him (we were pissing ourselves laughing) Stan had already crammed about 10 pieces into his gob.'   

When he had finally finished chewing it up and swallowing it we were about a mile down the North Circular Road.

He said 'What did he get the hump for ? He said it was free, the coont.'

Had some great nights at White City when I managed the Hills shop in Bleomfontain Road. A group of us from the shops all around Shepherds Bush and Acton would meet up in the Adelaide on the Uxbridge Road and go on to the dogs and perhaps even risk  a wild night at Hamersmith Palais with a compliant cashier or two. I was never really into greyhounds but I remember one...Mutts Silver----I think it won a big race at the city and then another at Slough on Grand National Saturday

Hello Dobbo, hope all is well with you in Bruges.

Mutts Silver won the 1976 Derby at White City no less, so as you say quite a big race! Trained by Phil Rees at Wimbledon.

WEMBLEY

A long way form West Ham, I only went once. What a soul-less place for dog racing. No atmosphere imo, and watching a forlorn Stan Bowles standing on his own in the rain after backing a string of losers doesn't cheer you up much. I think this was the only meeting in history that I left before the last race.

Thanks for the good wishes Slippy but I am afraid Brugge is just an expensive memory.I never thought I would experience skintdom again but there you go.I remember another dog at White City called Commuter Kid. I was trying to start a car-share agency at the time and I saw this dog running and backed it at 25/1.It sluiced in of course and the assembled genius experts were totally pissed off at my muggish luck.

As said before I had trouble getting boyfriends to take me to the dogs, however one particular one was even worse

He suffered from agraphobia so we had to get a cab there and back to Hackney but one day the  return cab did not turn up and by the time we realised he was not coming they would not let us back in to phone them.  The bus stop was not far away but it was out in the open and he would not wait at the bus stop.  So we had to wait by a building and when we saw a bus approaching we had to sprint across the open fields and try to catch it.  We had about three attempts before we caught it

However, the incident made me fully aware of how bad his agraphobia was as whilst we were waiting he went the colour of beetroot and sweat poured down his face.  We are still friends and his agraphobia is much better.

Went to the St Leger final at Wembley in 1979 because my dad had backed Kilmagoura Mist AP at 50/1 so we went to the final to cheer it on, remember my dad backing two other dogs on the night as savers but the Mist powered home to great cheers.

SQUEEZE, i have just been looking through my box of old programmes since you mentioned WEMBLEY. i founda st leger final night for 1981.

6k to the winner then was good prizemoney, but i like you always seemed to find it a rather souless place. i will have to look on

internet for race result now !!! as im fooked if i can remember. ( guess it might have been trap 6, alfa my son. ?? 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Leger_(greyhounds)

WHITE CITY

Home of the greyhound Grand National. Since its first running in 1927, only 3 dogs have won it twice -  Juvenile Classic in 1938 and 1940, Blossom of Annagura in 1949 and 1950 and Topofthetide in 1978 and 1979.

But sandwiched in between Blossom of Anagurna and Topofthe tide, who can remember the West Ham based dog Sherrys Prince, who lifted 3 consecutive Grand Nationals from 1970-1972. With his time of 29.22 in 1971 the fastest ever recorded at White City, which closed in 1984. 

I was there for his semi-final in 1972, he was out of the traps fast, but somehow caught his tail in the fence, and left a bit of it behind. It still amazes me that he was only beaten just two and a half lengths by Adamstown Valley into second spot, with unhindered dogs not able to match this pair.

Us West Ham dog fans were back in force for the final, and how it returned 5/4 was beyond me. We were opposite the winning line and got 13/8 with no trouble, and one of us even got 15/8 early doors. Up went the lids and out he flew, back to his impeccable jumping and and cruised home to a lot of 'OY OY OY' from all around the stadium. 

All back on the Central line to Mile End, then change for Plaistow. It's not so long a journey when you come home winning.

Happy Days.


White City was the track used in the film 'The Blue Lamp' (1950) which had a very early instance of swearing in it, when somebody said 'Some bastard has shot George Dixon'

Who remembers Edgware Straights?? would be around the middle 80s, everyone stood around eyeing all the faces up, bookmakers betting to around 250% (they probably had to tbf)

I managed to get a win out of a dog where several pro trainers didnt, mind you it was a clumsy lump and got a solo

Used to have once a year outings to Catford, Wimbledon and Brough Park. My old man's missus and her mates do Romford properly once a year. One of the girls used to own one called 'Sport' (Sporting Mariner) who was apparently quite good.

CLAPTON

Home of the Scurry Gold Cup. I wasn't a regular here, probably once a month, or when it was an Open Race card.

On this night the journey to the track was my first visit by public transport, instead of the usual car. Me and two mates got on the bus in Stratford Broadway, and I offered the conductor a fiver for my fare, thinking I would get away with it. No such luck, I didn't even get any £1 notes in my change, and much to my mates amusement, I got a pocket full of facking silver.

Getting off the bus outside Hackney Hospital, it was a really long walk down Glyn Road to the Clapton track. Lucky it wasn't a cold night.

It was about 1972/3 that Tideways Lisa was a hot favourite in one of the Scurry heatsm and also favourite for the final.  She was normally an exceptionally fast starter, which is all you need to get clear at Clapton, as it was a really tight circuit, more like a circle than an oval.

She was in the blue jacket, and as the lids flew up there was a fraction of a stumble from her, but her electric pace got her back in contention before the turn, but she got sandwiched between two dogs and popped up in the air like a bar of soap out of somebodys hand.

Favourite backers moaned all around the stadium as there was no coming back after this, our only hope wss that she got up and ran the wrong way, thus getting the hare stopped and the race made void.

Soon came the answer to punters prayers, a man ran to the side of the track, and in an event that you don't see these days (but I've seen twice) he produced a cat from his coat, and threw it onto the track as the leading dogs approached.  The cat got away with its fur intact, but the red jacketed dog pursued him over the rails and was injured, and the race was made void.

In the re-run there were no trapping errors for Tideways Lisa, she hit the lids like greased lightning, the red box was empty, and she was out and on her way home in the blink of an eye.

Happy days

So it managed to just qualify by a whisker then

My dad took me to Clapton on a bank holiday, all the girls behind the tote counters knew him so god knows how many times he had been there before when he was supposed to be " working late " remembered that trap six won every race bar one !

Some great memories of all the 90s London tracks, Catford, Wimbledon, and The Stow. Best of all is Rommers of course, not strictly London but hey ho.

The days of Russ Bridge (top grade) who trapped only when the train was going past -'Wheres the train? Oioioioi, choo choo', sublime.

Or the best matchrace in history when local stayer and heroine Chocolate Chip ran against Snugboro Rose a top class animal that was stepping up in trip. In front of a packed, jam-packed house who'd come for this race, Rose led to the delight of 50% of the crowd, went clear. Then at the 575m pole, Chip started flying, the other 50% oioioi-ing, so that at about 700m the whole stadium was shouting on one or the other. Just fabulous.

Racing Post Festival final nights at The Stow, Catford Gold Collar finals....what a great game it was back then

HARRINGAY

Of all the tracks in London, for some reason, this was the track where you spotted most regulars from West Ham in the crowd.

I was there for a normal night of graded racing, when a mate heard a whisper in a bar that the 'jolly' in the last race wasn't 'at the races'.

We never heard what was going to run well, so we plumped for the dog in red, which obliged by a fair margin at 8/1.  The favourite was 5th at evens.

I can't recall any names of these dogs ffs.

Harringay was where the stock car race took place in 'The Long Good Friday.'

Catford

I had a very eventful Saturday night there circa 1989.
Myself and two blokes I played cricket with all had a runner on the same card each with diferent trainers.

Second race, we back the wicket keepers dog from 11/4 to 11/8. It was a strong market in those days but John Humphreys and David Richardson (the main layers) knew us and me inparticular and shortened up more than the bets really deserved but the sheep were jumping in as well so it wa a one dog book in the end.

So, mateys dog absolutely pings in the 385 metre sprint, turning the second bend it's three clear already and we're all in fine voice giving it the biggun on the terraces. Still well in front on the run in and no offers our fella he cramps up and gets chinned right on the lollipop to get done a short head, absolutely sickening.

Onwards and upwards however, it happens!

Onto the opening batsmans dog, in the 7th race. It was a bit of a stand out and we were expecting it to be favourite and sure enough it opened up 2/1 returning a well backed 6/4 jolly. So they are going in and opening bat says he'll be back later and disappears. Horror of horros he completely fluffs the break but it's a 555 metre 6 bend race so time to recover. Passing the winning line for the first time he gets checked and is 100/1 from there as the second favourite boots clear. Approaching the 5th bend and turning for home a teddy bear lands in front of the leader (no prizes for guessing whose it was) and the race is void as it caused a big pile up. Cue an angry mob chasing our man who then scales a wall topped with two layers of rusty barbed wire and our man makes his escape.
I saw him the next day and there were pieces of flesh missing from his palms and most fingers but we got our stakes back and that's the main thing

Another couple of races later and then it's the turn of my dog who won his last two and got upgraded again. Badly drawn in 3 and with my trainer having another runner he told us to back the other one and to leaave mine alone. (Can you guess where this is going..?) So, mine opens 7/2 the kennelmate 5/2. We back that down to 15/8 fav with what ammo we had left. Seeing that I wasn't punting mine I don't think I saw anyone else have even a score on him it drifted to 8/1. Mine is last but comes with his late rattle against the better dogs and picks up the other runner close home to a stunned silence from the crowd and a few dirty looks in my direction. It took some explaining to say I never had a dollar on that night which was the truth.

Without dobt a memorable night but for all the wrong reasons I can laugh about it now but at the time it wasn't very funny I must say.

Always remember Harringay as being a real sh!thole with the other side of the track closed to the public towards the end, remember going once in the late 70's & for some reason was still there after racing, their was a one dog trial which we watched, don't know why but it seemed the dog flew round the track but for all we knew it could have been an optical illusion, not sure how we found out its name but we did & it ran the following week so we went to back it for no other reason that we saw the trial, think it won half the track

I'm the one on the right !

Catford was my second home, nearly cried when it shut, was in Vegas at the time, a mate was meeting us out there, the colour drained from my face when he told me, many great stories from there, Harringay, owned a dog called Hikers Pint, a right dodge, we went down the kennels on Sunday to give it a live one, I was 17, day before I went to a pet shop to buy a Rabbit, shop keeper pointed to a big cage full of them, "what one do you want"? He thought I was after a pet! I just picked one and my mate looked after it that night, I could not watch what happened at the kennel and hid behind a tree, my mates got on with it, but the dog ran away from the Rabbit, a right coward!!! ( must have been a West Ham fan) anyway he was down to run the next Friday, the trainer told my mate it had really geeded him up and he would win, we were at Royal Ascot and punted Scorpio at 9-4 to win The Hardwicke, that won and we drove straight to Harringay, I had £400 at 11-4 on Hikers, he bolted up, we went mental, the runners from that race, printed in The Standard is still on my wardrobe door at my old mums in Deptford

my first greyhound derby final..what a night ..what a crowd..what atmosphere..been hooked ever since....

  http://www.greyhoundderby.com/1975-greyhound_derby.htm

  SQUEEZE, did you ever go to the dogs on the south coast.?? brighton or portsmouth. ??  your  " mugshot" looked familiar thats all.

  maybe ive seen you around the london tracks..good luck and a good thread...glasgow..ex southampton....

  " must of been a west ham fan "

...says the man from behind the tree....

Could not harm one of Gods creatures

WHITE CITY was always my favourite London dog track, so many great nights there, fantastic atmosphere on Derby final nights.  One of the best was when PATRICIA'S HOPE winning his second Greyhound Derby in '73 (previous dog to do that was MICK THE MILLER over 40 years before). And in 1972 PATRICIA'S HOPE had also won the Welsh and Scots Derby.

A brilliant fast trapper from the outside boxes, plenty of early pace which saw him clear or well placed at the bend.  And when he returned to win his second Derby he'd been at stud for almost a year - and had about 400 puppies running around the Irish countryside !

Sadly he had some cruel owners, and if I remember the facts right, they brought him back one year for a parade of champions and just left him at the airport.  I think it was a vet who had him in the end and looked after him for the rest of his life.

GLASGOWCALLING

SQUEEZE, did you ever go to the dogs on the south coast.?? brighton or portsmouth. ??  your  " mugshot" looked familiar thats all.

maybe ive seen you around the london tracks..good luck and a good thread...glasgow..ex southampton....

Where's my mugshot ?

Was going to Brighton once, many years ago, but got there in the afternoon with a mate. We met two birds and dog racing took second priority.

Only been to Soton once, not dog racing. That was to look at a pub about 20 years ago.

I think he thinks it's you what poured your beer down your front in that pic Squeeze

FFS

If I was that daft I'd shoot my facking self.

I spent one summer in the mid 90's going to either Wimbledon Walthamstow Wembley or Catford most days of the week refining my money making system.  Needless to say it was a dud but the weather was good and I enjoyed myself and it was better than working.

Deptford...great story;brave to bet £400 aged 17

YES, sorry SQUEEZE, i thought you were implying it was you with your drink down your front !! i deffo know his face from somewhere though.

have not seen mr memory on here lately hope he is well

Greyhound racing is about as relevant now as taking a pinch of snuff or beating your carpet on the washing line.

In its death throes now and will soon be a distant memory.  An OAP obsession.

mdm, I was talking about Mr.Memory and whitmarsh on the horse racing forum well before Christmas. I haven't seen either of them post for about 6 months or so. Mr.Memory is around 87 now at least I would say and was posting great stories about Ike Morris, Tony's Dad from the 40's, I don't think we will be seeing him again somehow

cahillisgod     09 Jan 13 18:38 
Greyhound racing is about as relevant now as taking a pinch of snuff or beating your carpet on the washing line.

In its death throes now and will soon be a distant memory.  An OAP obsession.



You post once  about every five months & that is the best you can come up with

^^^ Probably, he's a troll.

A troll who posts twice a year

slippy blue hope they just gone on holiday for the winter

Had a few dogs at Catford late 90's.

One in particular was a flying machine. First time up the dog was obviously stuffed, waiting for the day we would have it on. He fell out of the traps was last halfway, then took off and only got beat in a photo.

Wow we thought, what a run from a dog not ready. So we takes him for a solo trial at a famous trainers private circuit, to get the dog right. The dog clocked a very fast time there, and the trainer said he is Open race class. Thats handy we thinks as the dog was entered A5 at Catford.

Day of the gamble, we are all on at 5/2. Traps open, last early on. Down the back straight, dog goes from last to first. Around final bend he's 5 Lengths clear and stops. Waits for the others and gets beat in a photo.

Not so happy days.

I went to the stow 3 times a week for over 20 years. I  made some great friends there. I used to own an average of two Greyhounds each year with a few different mates involved.

A few betting highlights.

Bonnys Tomboy.
A mate of mine went out with a young lady whose dad was on very good terms with trainer John Coleman. The word was that John was backing this one off course with a view to get a load of money together to buy some Greyhounds in an upcoming sale. My brother and I went over and had plenty on at around 8-1. Nobody else at the track seemed to be backing it. Smashed out and made all.

Green Warrior
A good mate of mine had his dogs with trainer Graham Sharp and I put a few with him. One week, he turned to my mate and said "make sure you are here next week" He'd always tell us about the chances of his Greyhounds, but had never said something like this before. We scoured the card the following week, nothing of his stood out. He said have a good bet on Green Warrior. Form figures were 5666, well beaten on all starts at big prices. Was in a grade A8. They had two rows of bookies back them, so I went down the far end to see the early show. 1st show 14/1. I put around £40 on. I went down the other end and he was 16/1, 20/1 in a place. I topped up and my mate (who has bundles) had a few hundred on at 20/1. He used to bet up to a grand or two, so this bet was not out of the ordinary. Traps opened, ping - made all.

The Savva system
Nick Savva trained at the stow at one point and he had some superb you Greyhounds. I sussed out that one of the kennel hands came in our bar and bet on the t0te. I was on good terms with the t0te ladies and arranged to bung them a few quid if they told me what he'd bet on. I'd be propped up at the bar and they'd tap a coin on the t0te window to alert me when he'd come in and bet. A very lucrative system that was.

stow judge

Bonnys Tomboy.
A mate of mine went out with a young lady whose dad was on very good terms with trainer John Coleman. The word was that John was backing this one off course with a view to get a load of money together to buy some Greyhounds in an upcoming sale. My brother and I went over and had plenty on at around 8-1. Nobody else at the track seemed to be backing it. Smashed out and made all.

was this around the late 80s as i remember an independent bookmaker in enfield used to take a lot of live money for colemans dogs and they used to lay them off and normally doubled up the stakes and there was one night they had an 8/1 and a 13/2 shot up in singles and doubles.

there was a big stewards at mecca bookmakers as one shop in finchley lost in the region of 12k and another at the back of colney hatch lane lost 10k.

the bookmaker in question was related to a well known villain who picked up 16k from laddies on the friday morning and on the saturday morning had ironed out the whole lot to brooke bookmakers.

When I worked for Mecca (1980) a non-regular came in and asked to back Deel Joker in the ante-post market for the Mecca Bookmaker Guineas at Hackney. I forget how much he wanted on, but at 14/1 it was far too big for me to take without phoning in. When I phoned, I was told he could have something stupid like £25 at 14s, £50 at 12s and the rest at 10s !!  I told my area manager he was having a laugh, but he was serious.

I told the punter to go to different shops and put enough on so that it doesn't take out a grand in any one shop, then the managers won't have to phone their area office.

I got him on over the phone with two managers who were mates, one in Tottenham and one in Leyton, and he had other bets in the Tottenham area. He got all his money on at 14s.

The dog won the final at 9/4, and he came to my shop with all the tickets. I phoned the office and they arranged for me to go to the bank and get the money. Thinking I was on a 'bung' I took him there in my car. I paid him out inside the bank, and when we came out I thought he would come back with me to get his car. But he just said 'Thanks' and walked the opposite way to where my car was parked.

He had no car. I got a facking parking ticket though.

He came in 3 or 4 weeks later to back another dog.

I said 'You can fack right off.'

I never saw him again.

Sorry SF but couldn't help but laugh!

Blackrock
Would i be correct in stating the private traners was P.M.
If so he was a rum devil. My brother had  a few open dogs in the late 80's, and the two best ones were with him for a while.One was a sprinter named Freds Fathom who was almost top class. the other was a beautiful bitch named Certain Style. We used to travel all over the place to see them run, and Certain Style was a fancied one in the Oaks final at
Hrringay in i think it was 1987.We had backed her at 33/1 ante-post, and i think she was either favourite or 2nd favourite in the final.Unfortunately she had her back legs taken away at the 3rd bend when leading, and 4 grown men were almost in tears . Happy days though.

Afraid to say that financially, the dogs is in a pickle, and to pretend otherwise probably doesn't help. Combination of, what, 10 dedicated sports channels (none of which champion the hounds), changing demographics, and the fact that you can now put singles on the football. Early rounds of the knockout races can be good fun, but otherwise I can't be assed.

only ever been to perry barr, hall green, and monmore green

My dad used to take me to Clapton every saturday night which was great fun - i seem to recall that a band played there on saturday nights, i can't be certain but i think it might have been the Salvation Army brass band - but i could be wrong.

Great post. my memories all revolve around CATFORD. From going as a small kid with my dad circa 1970 to climbing over the old turnstiles in doggett road with my mates as a teenager. standing tall trying to get a bet on at the tote window,mostly old ladies so not too many problems. Went regularly in the 80's and 90's, Tuesdays,Thursdays and Saturdays then changed to Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays if i remember correctly. Trips 222 385 555 718 888 and experimented with 517. Also in the early days seem to remember 8 dogs races although that seems scacely possible given the tight nature of the track and handicap races. Always went in the cheap ring,great crowd a lot of characters one that springs to mind was peanuts, bookmakers holmes, Brian aka wally harrison,sollaway and geezer who used to bet without both stood near the 555 start. I stll have about a dozen cards but like slippy threw loads out some years ago (i regret it too) they were great times and dont regret a minute of it. Boxing day morning was the best thing about christmas. Had my first big bet on a trap 6 dog the first meeting afer the great storm Oct1987 had seen the advance card and was sure the 6 box was perfect had 400 at 6/4 and led all the way. Was worried the meeting was going to be called off. the dog was called ball something. Remember many dogs but one that always barked as he was going into traps was called millwall grade A1 backe hima few times and, also remembr came out skint a few times as well and walked home back to lee green... happy days!!!

I went to Catford with a mate and his dad in the late 60s. His dad went to stick all his cash on an odds-on shot called Farmer Zora over 1,112 yards flat, and we got a lift there from a mate of his who was going to Eltham. The dog won easily. But because his dad didn't drive, we had to get a bus back to Blackwall Tunnel, then a bus through the tunnel, then another bus to Canning Town. By the time I got home it was facking midnight.

Betting without man at Catford was Jim Robinson, I liked that bloke. We use to chat about races beforehand and I always got a bit extra and fractions with him. He always liked to know what I was thinking of doing but he was a good judge on his own.
Wally Harrison of course, Tony Kemp, Sid Hooper, Steve Gibbs, old man Solloway (he actually helped set the tissue for John Humphries).
That nutcase Mick, alaways off his rocker. They had 8 dogs races for ages, the 385 trip was literally like equine bingo when they were doing that. I never saw any handicaps there though.

*canine bingo* still looking at the Aintree card!

Did you bet with Arthur at Catford?

You know what, I have met him in The Norwood Hotel a couple of times so know who he is but I just cannot remember him standing let alone punting with him. I bet with Harry Cripps untold amounts of times on the cheapside, he is still at Romford as far as I know. I was usually in the main ring betting with John Humphries and David Richardson but knew all the books from the cheapside as they all had a pitch at Wimbledon as well. I just cannot recall the mad Scotsman that is Arthur

Mad scotsman

I stand corrected, just spoke to my dad and he says they never had handicaps at CATFORD, he first went just after the war with my grandparants and was at catford dogs the saturday night I was born in lewisham hospital, so i guess i must remember that from some her track he took me to.  I remember Jim robinson now. Used to stand with Tony B (harry cripps)and often cadged a lift back home on his way back to falconwood, that was before he took up the bookmaking side, saw him at ronmford just before christmas standing in the cheap ring, still the same. Mostly bet with wally harrison, big fat cigar on the go, cant ever remember him not laying everyone in the queue when the price had been wiped off other boards and whatever the results nothing seemed to faze him. proper gentleman.

Found this by accident looking for something else

Wembley,

Went in my 1st year down in London with my induction manager from Laddies, we went Wendy Fairs Heats night and I too found it soulless but it was my 1st visit to Wembley as being a Huddersfield fan, we didn't get too much opportunity

Didn't back a winner but told "Supermac" Malcolm McDonald that he was a crap manager, City had beaten us 10-1 when he was in charge

Crayford

Had a few nights out there as works do's as free entry and free coach if you took 30+
Cleaned up in the last one night despite having a lump on the 2nd, my now wife backed the wrong dog for me in fc/tc's and got it up, paid £190 for a £1, would have had 1st, 2nd and 4th if she had put my selections on

Stow

Worked there for Laddies on course from mid 1997 to 1999 covering the BAGS and again for a small time in 2002. Great craic, free scampi and chips, knew most of the staff

On the back of working there, got a freebie to a charity night during the 1999 Cheltenham festival for Cancer Bacup with Ian Dury the star guest (RIP), Jupitus was MC and Lamarr there too along with a few other celebs.

Laddies had paid for a table of 10 but it was World Hurdle day so all the bigwigs were pissed in Cheltenham so it filtered down to us plebs and all those beers I had bought the organiser came back to me that night

I arrived early straight from work, didn't need the ticket to get in as was known by gate staff as an employee, still used that in 2005 :)...Got up to the Goodwood suite just in time for 1st didn't really have time to study and after buying a pint for me and my mate had £12 in my hand of the £100 I took with me, threw on a fc/tc and it copped for £150, won the £10 table raffle (Signed Meat Loaf poster and Dury CD) wasn't allowed to pick anything more valuable by organiser and sat next to Dog Compiler all night so backed another 4 winners, more beers and a ruby to finish

Cushtie

Romford

My first visit was my best back in 1992. My mate had dogs with Simpson at Hackney and one Friday night, he came into the boozer round the corner from work fora pint and said he was off to Rommers. I was living in Ilford at the time and he said do you want to come. It was Friday Feb 13th, had had a busy week so not much money on me it was all at home but had a nifty so said yes, no entrance fee as he had owners pass as his dog WISHING TREND was running in the 2nd last and Simpson had fancied dogs either side

These races 10.30, 10.45 & 11.00 were on the SUPERLEAGUE channel beamed into pubs and clubs by BAE in the early dats of Satellite and you could bet INTERTRACK from Wimbledon as well and they did Sat nights

His 1st dog won at 7/2 and the £10 on that was ok then had a £10 on Simon's dog at 20's when it drifted from 16's. It had T1 and the jolly in T5 had done the track record at Crayford the week before

The dog trapped and took paint off the rail and 1st time round was 3 clear and there as only me and Simon Oi OI'ing, the 5 got in trouble but was catching hand over fist but she held on by a neck

Bloke next to us said did you back that, back it I said, he owns it as we toddled onto the track for the presentation

Last one won at 11/4 and Simon told me the West End/City bookies had taken an hammering as there were small trixies on all over

Ruby and more beers afterwards but he did loads back at Hackney the next day

It was Friday the 13th in the early 70s when I got a small yankee* up on the night dogs, £2-20 stake for a £48 return.  I decided to back one trainers dogs at Hackney the next morning, and I had 5 of the 8 winners and 3 forecasts. Thank you Josh Hedley.

*Only ever had two all successful yankees in all my years of punting. Hardly touch multiples on horses or dogs these days.

Got out of jail one night at Rommers, was in the restaurant with the Mrs and couldn't buy a winner, one f/c all night and that paid about £8, she had about 6 winners and the bill was just about to arrive for food and drink and my flexible friend was going to have to pay

Tote girl came for last race and said you've not had much luck tonight love, I said tell me about it, it could be worse I said, I could be doing the dogs for Joe Corals which I kinda was at the time

She said, that nice man over there says 6 will win the last so I had a £10 on it downstairs on the way back from the bog (The cab money home) and put it in the fc/tc bets I'd been doing all night, Mrs B backed it too and oi oi'ed it home for the 1-2-3, nice tip for the tote girl, waitress and a black cab home HAPPY DAYS

I think the nice man was either Jim Austen or Ian St.Pier,

Good stuff Baggers. Seems hard to believe now but only one track left in London and Wimbledon won't be going for too long now I suspect. Years ago there were tracks at Brixton, Catford, Wandsworth and New Cross all of which are few miles from me.

Slippy, working class sport gone to the dogs, Stow was run into the ground with too many fingers in the pie Inside the M25, only Romford and Crayford surviving with BAGS fodder for the shops and some OPENS

As you say, Wimbledon been let go for so long only a matter of time

Used to go to Charlton now and again.

If Wimbledon were to go then there wouldn't be a dog track with a London postcode....that would have been unthinkable years ago no dog track left in London.

I can't believe all the Sarf Lahndahn mob like slippy don't remember 8 bend Handicaps. For a while the first race on a Saturday was always an 8 bend handicap. I remember making many a trip through the blackwall tunnell to back the good thing off scratch with my old man, god bless 'im.

Howdi... I swear this is true, When you stated 20 years ago, for that dog race, it reminded me of the bet I did.. and it could have been the very same race!
I had a 50p comb tricast 6-2-1, and as you said, the 3,4 & 5 dogs tumbled, one of them ended up in the hare channel and they stopped the race. Of course the cameras were on the 1-2-6 dogs, and I was counting the payout when the race was stopped. Not my best day :(

Best thing I ever saw in a betting shop.

Old bloke did i tricast 1-2-6 (fav numbers every race) 33s,25, and 6s or such like - 3 favs took each other out at bend.

He'd stood to win  a very tidy some and cheered home - strung out like washing - job done, going mental at the screen. Hare stopped - void race.

He asked to see the Betting Shop Manager and demanded payment as he said somebody knew his bet and had stopped the hare.

Refused payment and wiped out everything on the counter with his walking stick - he was in his 80s then - 20 years ago.

The whole fecking shop stopped and you could have heard a pin drop