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The last of London's 22 dog track shuts down tonight, the end of an era. Terribly sad!
I first got interested in greyhound racing in the early eighties and everyone was complaining about the state of the sport back then, little did we realise how much worse it was to become!
I first got interested in greyhound racing in the early eighties and everyone was complaining about the state of the sport back then, little did we realise how much worse it was to become!
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That's terrible
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Such a shame, so many memories.....
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shocking no greyhound track london
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I went through my Greyhound betting stage during the summer of 1996. Most days I would visit one of the London tracks. Got some good memories of Wimbledon, Walthamstow, Catford and the old Wembley stadium. Shame to see whats happened.
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I think walt closing biggest shock
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What about Romford and Crayford?
Where does the Greyhound Derby end up? Recall getting the forecast up the year Hit The Lid won. Long time ago and the only time I've been. |
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Romford is Essex, Crayford is Kent. The Derby will end up at Towcester.
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we're in a era where people bet on cartoon races...
DEAL WITH IT. |
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Wembley is Middlesex by that description?
According to Wiki.. "Romford is a large town in East London, England, and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering" "Crayford is a town and electoral ward in south-east London, England within the London Borough of Bexley" |
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London does have a track. Pedantic I know, but the London/Kent border runs through Crayford and the dog track is on the London side. Crayford is in the London Borough of Bexley.
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There were some rumours a while back that the owners were considering an offer for the stadium from a developer who wanted to knock it down and build flats. It's prime location you see. 5 minutes walk from the station into London, 10 minute drive to Bluewater and bang next door to a huge Sainsbury's and a new Aldi's.
I wouldn't be surprised if Crayford is gone within 5-10 years. |
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I visited Wembley dog track several times. My outstanding memories is the betting opening no more than 5 mins before the off and the bookies shaking in their shoes in case a punter "knew something".
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A working class sport which is now sadly an anachronism.
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Hello pixie. Are you still in business my good man?
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People complain about the straightness of horse racing. I was in a bookies one afternoon a long time ago and in a late afternoon race a dog was backed in from 12/1 to 2/5 and won by approx. 6 lengths. Saw it with my own eyes!
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Romford has a Romford post code in the county of Essex and Crayford has a Dartford post code in the county of Kent. If you asked someone from Romford or Crayford where they come from neither would ever say 'London'.
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Hanging on in there, Guinness. Might be a different story in October when the triennial review on the FOBTs is finally concluded!
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Aye that's gonna hurt those like your good self, and the big boys will march on.
Great to see you're still fighting though.. |
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I know, thanks for the kind words. There is going to be carnage if they drop the maximum spin to £20 or below!
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Romford is the London part of Essex, crayford is the London part of Kent, Romford doesn't have a London post code but it's in the London borough of Havering, Crayford doesn't have a London post code but it's in the London borough of Bexley.
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For the purpose of a benefit claim Romford and Crayfish are in London where the cap for parents is £442 a week; it's £385 a week elsewhere.
As a lot of people betting on this are on benefits, I think benefit rules rather than royal mail post code rules should apply. Anyone know which are the three nearest tracks to Westminster from tomorrow? |
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Crayford, Romford and Harlow. Sittingbourne the next I think.
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Tell I lie, I think Henlows closer to Westminster than Sittingbourne.
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Not a bother pixie. Keep yer chin up...
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I don't go to many tracks so to those that do, there is always a group of women on the corner outside Crayford stadium with banners and a megaphone protesting against greyhound racing. Is this a one off or is it a common occurrence at other tracks too?
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A very sad day indeed, Wimbledon was a big part of my life growing up from a very young age, Dad and his mates always had runners there and in the last 40 odd years I have seen all the greats run there. None more so than my namesake who won the 1990 Derby and caused me to lose my voice shouting him home and then went on the missing list for 3 days when I got weighed in. It's a great shame but the track has got wonderful memories for me and I'll just have to cherish those.
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Oh and Clydebank, the Derby has gone to Towcester.
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but the track has got wonderful memories for me and I'll just have to cherish those
Same, have been over at least once a year every year since 2004 and even though the stadium was rundown i always liked the place. Pretty much knew last years Derby final would be the last time i was there  |
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Not particularly a dog man but I can remember Pearls Girl, Moral Standards and the amazing Westmead Hawk, such a shame you wonder if the sport will still be here in 30 years
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Cheers, Biscar, nice to hear a eulogy from a non-doggy man. You can just imagine how the greyhound guys like Premier Fantasy, Slippy Blue and the rest of us must feel. Crayford with it's silent hare, sh1t viewing (and in Kent!
 ), Romford a better track (but in Essex ) aren't the same. As I said, back in the eighties people grumbled and look where it's at now!Not just London, and White City was just before my time, but Slough, Reading and Oxford just to name a few.... |
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I still recall the night Hit The lid won. It was just a fun night out on the booze for me and I was a few quid down betting about five quid a race. and decided to push the boat out on the Derby which was about the last race, by having what I think was a tenner forecast on 6-2 and 6-3. Paid a right few quid from memory. At the time I was a bookie manager for William Hill (the shop opposite Stamford Bridge) and recall going with the relief manager Dave Turner aka Bagwan amongst others, and quite possibly another relief manager, a young fellow by the name of Jason. Not that long after Bagwan, Jason and his girlfriend Dee, another relief manager, did a runner with the takings over Christmas. In those days racing finished early before xmas and the bookie shops were shut. Basically they never did any banking in the days leading up to the xmas break. Then on Boxing Day all hell broke loose
 No idea what happened to any of them. |
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Romford is London as far as i'm concerned otherwise you are stripping London right back to an area the size of a market town
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isn't West Ham 'Essex' ?
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Why is it shutting is it for devolpment ?
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they might relocate the track to Milton Keynes
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Funnily enough Towcester is on the doorstep of Milton Keynes, so you at not far wrong!
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Great memories, Been to most, Park royal had a hill by the road, as did Stamford Bridge, I remember this because the telephone boxes where closed with leather strapping to stop 'Quickie' results being phoned to Ireland (long story) my Dad would 'tic Tac the winning FCs to me and i would cycle to the nearest phone box occupied by another 'person' who was in the process of talking to 'another' in a person to person call to Ireland (before STD) came to London.
I was at Dagenham the day of the Coup, I was 14, I wanted a bet on the Nanny but get nowhere near the windows, Was with my Dad doing 'Quickie Results' School was not a priority in my dads (gambling) world. Slippy, I'm sure you remember Ballyregan Bob and Scurlogue Champ, here's a piece of trivia you may also know. ......Romford, “Helen did not like company company a great deal, for she left them far behind and made them look slow. She covered the 355 yards in 15.86 seconds, easily a track record, and at a speed of 55mph.” Helen was a Cheetah!!. http://www.vaguelyinteresting.co.uk/the-great-romford-and-harringay-cheetah-races/ |