IF THEY MADE WIMBLEDON STATE OF THE ART GREYHOUND TRACK WOULD YOU GO MORE THE 3 TIMES A YEAR

probrably do the derby first round nights if I can get a lift in the back of the van from glenamaddy

Would do final night and probably fri sat 1st round as well

Like too far away

Same here - ponies from Scotland take too long.

but Dr it's only a 5 min cab, or 20 min walk from either district or northern line.

I'd go there more for sure, Ive been with 2 or 3 sets of people from overseas in restaurant and its been sh yte food. even tho i much prefer to be on terraces

swayne i would never go because its a nightmare to travel there its rush hour on the trains and going by car forget it rather go to crayford thru the blackwell tunnel then go wimbledon

You obviously know your manor dr.  Why the phuck is Paschal so willing to invest in the location then???

i live in the east of london so as i said its a nightmare to get there for people who live south of the river it mite be different

Sign of the times

Would anyone go 3 times a week this day and age !
Unless your kennel staff or trainers !

Let's say 2014 the the stow still open
Would there be the same old faces there
Paying £4 pint

I love Wimbledon to be done up
But I take it as if now if was to stay open that's for sure
as for pain in the ass I'm in Essex
It's a real pain in ass getting home
More or less got stop drinking half 10 to make your way home
But the boys get digs two Fridays nights
1st 2nd rd which big help to crash !
**** nose how going to do Thursday Friday Saturday !
Can't wait !

fair enough Dr. When I lived Essex/Suffolk border pre 2000 when got to London always took the Northern line from Moorgate and walked from Tooting Broadway.  Even now I live in NW London Zone 2 it's quicker by District I still go across to the City and take Northern line to Tooting Broadway for nostalgia reasons, lol

I was away from the game for a while - back now for about a year.  I am shocked at the state of it. Sadly, I give it no more than five years ( maybe less ) and it will be all but finished.  No enterprise in history has survived such a cash vacuum as the greyhound industry is experiencing just now.  It would just need SKY to jump ship - maybe in the face of outside pressures - and it would dissolve almost overnight.  I also think that some top trainers already know that.

yes, I worry about that too Loyal. Not take much pressure/£'s/few very poor or vacant trap cards for SKY to pull out. and certain org.s then lobby on the dogs on TV in shops for shops to remain open at night issue.

paschal plans has a greyhound track & 400 houses/properties I understand.

Yer and a proposed TR tipping booth where all his legions of followers can go and pay for his doggie tips, he ten to follow each night

I've not been since Moaning Lad won the Derby, think it was the mid-90's but nearly been for Leger heats or final. To be honest, I find it cheaper to go to Shelbourne for the Irish Derby and that includes return flights.

Went Wimbo every year from '89 Lartigue Note to Moaning Lad, stayed in Streatham and driving down wasn't a problem. Juice too expensive nowadays, though.

If I went again, coach to Victoria, tubes to station not far from Plough Lane, then taxi. Taxi to digs after racing, then reverse journey to get home. Pain really.

Why should a state of the art Wimbledon not succeed in the way that Shelbourne park has?
Is it much easier to get to the other few Greyhound tracks we have left in the south?
My journey to Romford is no quicker than getting to Wimbledon.

The quality food angle and large restaurant facilities & private boxes could easily bring
in a new audience. It would have next to no competition. No Walthamstow, no Hackney, no Wembley .......

If the levels of prize money that Pascal has talked about came in, many would be drawn back
into Greyhound ownership. Win a graded race in a month and you could cover your kennel bill that month.
A higher prize money structure could bring the best Greyhound trainers and their wealthy owners
to Wimbledon. The competition could cause the bookmakers to raise prize money at their tracks as well.

If they held high quality racing, I'd be going at least once per week. They could hold a quality
open card every week (like the Stow did) and that would certainly help bring the crowds back.

In Paschal we trust! He knows what he's doing!

well said Stow. Romf is 19 miles East of me and it takes c90mins on public transport

Some of the replies to this question say more about the contributors than the future of Greyhound racing in London. If there was a first class stadium, with a first class running surface, putting an all open race card on a Friday night all the restaurant tables would be sold out on a regular basis.

The fact some of those punters being negative on here would not be arsed to go says a lot more about the decline in betting ring activity than any of those "All Our Yesterdays" posts where the strength of markets was reliable.

After all the hard work and effort shown so far to preserve Greyhound Racing in London it is a shame a post like this had to be started and a disgrace that some people felt it necessary to undermine the positivity felt after the show of passion.

By the way look at the Hackney model after the relaunch if you want to know if a similar venue in Wimbledon will be successful.

Before some smart Alec says "I believe the Hackney model went into receivership", it went into receivership on the opening night but the ten months or so it was allowed to continue trading were all packed.

Swayne and Dr Atkins:

You can get an overland train from London Bridge to Hayden's Road (Wimbledon Line), then a 5 minute walk.

I go regularly no matter the condition of the stadium, (probably due to all the flapping tracks I've been to over the years, where facilities are very basic).

thanks Mad, but I prefer my longstanding walk..which takes me past a W Hills important as you cant bet online with them. cheers

i go 3-10 times a year now, mainly sky/derby nights, used to go 3 times a week. can honestly say if it was done up i would go at least once a week and thats with a young family and long working commitments. i also used to have 1-3 dogs a time and again would honestly say id have another 2-3 at the track.

I agree with Stow, would def go on a regular basis, for open races and would buy dogs again, its quite a decent journey, train to Waterloo East, then on to Wimbledon, get there early, drink around the station and cab to track, used to do it a hell of a lot, Saturdays were a good day, get there early pm, watch the racing and have a right good drink, never missed a round of The Derby for years, and went when there was good racing on, stopped when track was changed, they are shafting you with the state of the place and the poor service

best way is by canoe up the wandle from the footpath near the sava centre opposite merton garage, you'll end up two minutes from the stadium, just leave the boat on the embankment and jump over the bridge in plough lane.

safari guide laying down his law once again - the only opinion in town!

Sometimes, just sometimes, when individuals are misguidedly making mistakes, it requires the voice of experience to illuminate the errors and offer examples to help those individuals develop into more rounded and worldly contributors.

If you are unable to see through your blinkered view of the future of Greyhound racing failing to acknowledge that Sky have virtually already pulled the plug then carry on posting transparent thoughts which are generally ignored by those who know better, however, when the title of the thread has the possibility to undermine a movement that benefits the sport, the voice of experience will arrive to let those individuals understand their weaknesses.       

It is not my law, it is my opinion which just happens to be a better opinion than yours.

As I pointed out - safari guide laying down his law once again - the only opinion in town!

See Guys - SKY, in the immortal and utterly "experienced words" of safari guide, our greyhound racing God, Guru and Pompous Ahsshole, "have virtually already pulled the plug".  Check the bottom line - aspublished in RP. pmsl.

Sky dates 2014

Tues   Jan 14     Romford Coral  Coronation Cup
Wed   Jan 29    Hall Green  Local Parking Security Prestige
Tues   Feb 4      Sheffield
Tues   Feb 11     Newcastle  Pinpoint Festival of Racing
Tues   Mar 4     Wimbledon  Racing Post Juvenile/The Springbok
Tues   Mar 25   Trainers’ Championship
Wed   Apr 16     Swindon  Pinpoint Arc
Thur  Apr 24    Hove  Coral Regency
Sat     May 17    Wimbledon  William Hill Derby 3rd round *
Tues   May 20   Wimbledon  William Hill Derby quarter-finals
Sat     May 24   Wimbledon  William Hill Derby semi-finals
Sat     May 31    Wimbledon  William Hill Derby final
Wed  Jun 4      TBC
Wed  Jun 11     Kinsley  Betfred Gymcrack
Tues  Jun 24    Sheffield  Coors Three Steps To Victory
THE Sky Sports greyhound schedule for the first half of 2014 has been announced and it is, as expected, significantly expanded compared to this year.

Still rocking, finding it tough to keep a straight face in the face of such "experienced" drivel!

Then they followed it with this:-
There are 15 dates through to the end of June which fits in with the aspirations of  Bags , the programme commissioners, to have around 30 broadcasts during the full year compared to 22 this year – when there were no shows in January or February while negotiations over financing were completed.
If you base argument ( bile really ) on a shifting sand of a foundation, ie, wrong information, you look stupid.  Now I've helped you become more "experienced".

With 4 sports channels to fill, I'd be amazed if Sky turned it's back on Greyhound racing. They have an awful lot of hours to fill.
Are Sky getting it for free?

Honcho great news re SKY , .

Safari , these forums are fodder for those with verbal diarrhoea , pictures paint a thousand words

The above article was published in late 2013 about 2014, in case there is any doubt.  2015 is miles away from any negotiation at this stage.

Do you think the present Sky greyhounds bears any resemblance to the Sky Greyhounds of previous years? Do you think they are only purchasing a product put together with Betting shop money, presented by betting shop presenters, with timing of races brought forward because of betting shop restrictions. If the Betting shop product was not produced and given to Sky do you think Sky would invest time, money or resources in greyhound races?

Sky have virtually given up on Greyhound Racing as I explained earlier.

Like many small minded people you are blinkered by the blatantly obvious and unable to think cohesively without someone leading you there.

Ok donut.  Let me be more blatantly obvious - others on here will make their own judgements on my mind, quite a few have made their minds up already about yours.  My fear is that SKY jump ship - I made that clear.  Nothing else.  You then baled in with your bile as appears to be your norm.  SKY haven't yet.  They have shown no sign of doing so yet, either.  That's good for the industry.  Argue that one while you look small and petty.  safari guide - the only man in greyhound racing who believes that doubling the cost of exporting a greyhound will be good for racing!

Why are you being abusive? I'm not being abusive? Why are you talking for others? Why are you calling my posts bile when they are nothing like the description? SIS meetings produced and shown on the Sky platform are helpful for the industry but that is a different thing to my point which referred to Sky investing in greyhound racing like they invest in the football. You need to understand the point before you debate its merits.

Loyal Honcho. I apologise for calling you small minded. It was uncalled for and unnecessary. You are of course entitled to your opinions which just happen to be different in some respects from mine.

just read this all the way through  .....

"it is my opinion which just happens to be a better opinion than yours"  .... classic safari   its a wonder you got your 'ed in that picture mate

All I know is I hate them fooking slow motion replays, does my napper in

The current sis programme is rubbish compared with old sky one

WOULD-BE Wimbledon buyer Paschal Taggart has confirmed that his plans to redevelop the stadium for greyhound racing have been scaled back in light of a recent report from consultants RPS regarding flood risk in the area.

The local Wimbledon Park Residents Association (WPRA) commissioned the report to look at the plans put forward by AFC Wimbledon, in conjunction with Galliard Homes, to bring football back to Plough Lane.

The report's executive summary stated: "RPS cannot see how at present this scheme can overcome and address flooding constraints; in fact, it appears at this stage of their design process that this scheme will significantly exacerbate flooding in the area."

The alternative plan, put forward by Hume Consulting, originally proposed building a new 4,500-capacity greyhound stadium with 550 dwellings and ancillary facilities.

That, though, has now been downgraded to 3,000 capacity according a recent report in local paper the South London Press which carried the headline 'Dogs 1, Dons 0' and was confirmed by Taggart.

not good for football or dogs but perhaps better for dogs, worry that Paschal investors wont like it that they cant make a killing as less flats will be allowed