1986 Edinburgh Cup.

that's a quality ask
I never even knew it had won
only shows that on data its a grey area results at powderhall

cheers wedge!

Creamery Cross did the double '83/'84 and Smokey Pete won it the year before Coolamber Forest's success

i've been to every Edinburgh Cup since I'm Quickest won it, had every single final card until we moved house in 2005, went to look for them one day, couldn't find them, the wife said she threw all the rubbish out, I could have strangled her on the spot, all the best dogs in the UK came up for this race, it was a brilliant competition, I can't remember how all the races ran and Coolamber Forest is one of them, probably because I didn't bet it. my mate and I had 2 dogs in the races won by Princes Pal and Social Circle if anyone can remember them two winners, one of our dogs was beaten a sh hd for 2nd in the final won by Social Circle, we didn't think we would win the Cup, only entered for a bit of fun, we had what we thought were good dogs but when you run in these races you can see the class that is needed to win one, although you sometimes get the occasional shock. cheers.

1958     Pigalle Wonder     Champion Prince - Prairie Peg     Jim Syder Jr. (Wembley)     28.10     1-2f    
1959     Pigalle Wonder     Champion Prince - Prairie Peg     Jim Syder Jr. (Wembley)     28.08     4-5f    
1960     Skibbereen Rocket     Ballymac Ball - Aughadown Flirt     G Rodgerson (Powderhall)     28.38     6-1    
1961     Faithful Charlie     Glittering Look - Lady Artic     Jim Irving (Private)     28.02     4-7f    
1962     Montforte Jo Jo     Manganstown Major - Copper Glen     G.W.Barnett (Private)     28.29     9-4jf    
1963     We'll See     Knock Hill Chieftain - Bunnykins     Tommy Johnston Jr. (Carntyne)     28.03     1-1f    
1964     Ocean Roll     Hi There - Ocean Swell     Bill Weir (Private)     28.07     10-1    
1965     Clonmannon Flash [7]     Prairie Flash - Dainty Sister     Jim Hookway (Owlerton)     28.14     4-6f    
1966     I’m Quickest     Skips Choice - Grattan Star     Randy Singleton (White City - London)     28.33     3-1    
1967     Negro Harpist     Oregon Prince - Imperial Astra     Jim Irving (Private)     27.94     5-2    
1968     Kerry Long Ago     Bauhus - Kerry Piper     Paddy Milligan (Private)     28.04     7-4f    
1969     Rockfield Era     Mad Era - Whittle Down     J Doyle (Shawfield)     28.40     2-1    
1970     The Other Green     Prairie Flash - The Other Flash     Jim Irving (Private)     28.10     4-7f    
1971     Supreme Fun     Newdown Heather - Top Note     Sid Ryall - Private     28.08     1-2f    
1972     Say Little     Albany - Newhouse Blue     Colin McNally (Perry Barr)     27.91     2-1    
1973     Deelside Silver     Silver Hope - Dusty Prim     Tommy Kane (Private)     28.14     9-2    
1974     Bealkilla Diver     Sallys Yarn - Bealkilla Queen     Pat Mullins (Private)     28.20     7-1    
1975     Tory Mor     Toms Pal - Melville Money     Paddy Milligan (Private)     27.67     7-4     Track record
1976     Gaily Noble     Monalee Champion - Noble Lynn     John Coleman (Wembley)     28.24     6-1    
1977     Linacre     Lively Band - Certral     Ted Dickson (Slough)     27.91     11-10f    
1978     Dale Lad     Bright Lad - Kerry's Pal     Geoff De Mulder (Coventry)     28.07     100-30    
1979     Jon Barrie     Clashing - Famous Heart     Ray Andrews (Leeds)     28.25     3-1    
1980     Jelly Crock     Lindas Champion - Mosey Ada     Matt Travers (Ireland)     28.35     4-5f    
1981     Deel Joker     Free Speech - Leaping Lady     John Gibbons (Crayford)     28.07     6-4f    
1982     Brief Candle     Peruvian Style - Sky Banner     Paddy Hancox (Perry Barr)     27.98     6-4    
1983     Creamery Cross     Knockrour Slave - Creamery Alice     Allen Briggs (Private)     28.18     3-1    
1984     Creamery Cross     Knockrour Slave - Creamery Alice     Allen Briggs (Private)     28.35     6-1    
1985     Smokey Pete     Smokey Flame - Smokey Cotton     Kenny Linzell (Walthamstow)     28.34     7-4    
1986     Coolamber Forest     Coolamber Tank - Coolamber Pet     Matt O'Sullivan (Ireland)     28.26     10-1    
1987     Princes Pal     Cronins Bar - Ballea Oshkosh     Matt Travers (Ireland)     28.32     11-10f    
1988     Pond Hurricane     Lindas Champion - Soda Pop II     Harry Williams (Brough Park)     28.92     4-9f    
1989     Intelligent Lad     Burnpark Black - Face The Dawn     Dawn Milligan (Brough Park)     28.21     5-1    
1990     Social Circle     Nelsons Dasher - Gorgeous     Linda Mullins (Romford)     28.22     4-5f    
1991     Glenpark Again     Whisper Wishes - Ballycrine Style     Willie Frew (Shawfield)     28.09     7-1    
1992     Murlens Abbey     Daleys Gold - Murlens Toe     John Copplestone (Portsmouth)     28.00     4-6f    
1993     James John     Manorville Major - Frisky White     Davie Neill (Powderhall)     27.69     12-1    
1994     Highway Leader     Leaders Best - Highway Mystery     Michael Bacon (Perry Barr)     28.08     15-8f    
1995     Analysis     Mid Clare Champ - Glenmoira     Francie Murray (Ireland)     29.49     5-2    

Discontinued

sparrow, there are some legends their, the English trainers liked the track, thanks for that. cheers.

the bairn, that dual winner Pigalle Wonder 1958/9 was possibly the best I have ever seen.

yes sparrow, Pigalle Wonder and Mile Bush Pride were the most talked about dogs of the time, we used to get the Greyhound Owner and all the open race results were there along with write ups of the big races, it used to be great looking up the results, it seemed so exciting in those days, waiting for the paper, up here to get the results of the of the English races you had to wait 2 days and only the Sporting Life gave them, that was when you could afford to buy a racing paper. cheers.

thanks guys for all your help. 1986... was it the year lavally oak was 2/3 clear at first bend then went lame?

cheers

the bairn...Was the Greyhound Express not available to you?

troy, Lavally Oak absolute flying machine, it's funny how somebody can jog your memory of great memories from the past, I'm sure Lavally was a white and fawn dog wide runner. cheers.

sparrow, the Express was available but I never bought it, and you wouldn't believe it, there was a thread on here about best distance dogs we'd seen, another great distance dog I saw running at Powderhall was called Booked Six but I never mentioned it because I didn't think anyone would have heard of it, brilliant again sparrow, you are amazing. cheers.

the bairn...yeah great dog.. white and fawn trained by jane glass, think it would have won that night when clear in Edinburgh cup, just trying to figure out which year it was?.

the bairn....a few people on here have mentioned not buying the Greyhound Express and I can't understand why anyone would not have bought it back then. I still have copies at home which I treasure.

troy, a dog you could bet on without even looking at the opposition, them were the days, the dog we had was Little Things ran 3rd in the Edinburgh cup final, it was trained by Edna Armstrong, she changed it's name from Fireball, son of Game Ball,  cheers.

great days, great memories.

I vaguely remember Booked Six and would probably have been at Clapton for that race.

sparrow, I can't remember buying the express, maybe occasionally, but not regularly, as we couldn't afford to buy a right dog and focussed on flapping dogs when I was younger, plus played football and did a lot of overtime, started getting the Sporting Press sent over in the early eighties for years, it was good, I was never a fan of the Greyhound Star though. cheers.

the bairn... who did you play football for?

I can understand if you were a flapping man but the Greyhound Star was just a magazine really and form students or regular punters would not bother with it too much. The Greyhound Express stopped publication in 1969 and was a great loss to the sport and some would say the beginning of the great decline of Greyhound Racing.

troy, I was in a great team at school, Graeme High,which included John Blackley, Wilson Hoggan and the others who were just as good if not better, we won the Scottish cup under 14's, I went for a trial with West Brom while playing with Gairdoch, trained with Falkirk and The Shire, and then signed for Linlithgow Rose and got a trial for Forfar[scored for them] just wasn't good enough for the step up, Arthur Duncan also played in the Gairdoch team. did you play for any team troy from about 65 through to about 73. cheers.

Davie Neill was a local bairn,what a feat to win such a prestigious race, sad what happened to his talent. Curious tb did you work locally.

Was only young, but wasn't there a 'greyhound advertiser'? Seem to remember that for some reason. Do any of you know owt about that. Think I recall members of the family always having it?

Could you be thinking of the Greyhound Owner newspaper?

bairn...played juvenile up to 21s had trial for Scotland u16s but never got picked for friendly against wales then gave up for while, then got playing again with my mates, playing amateur for years,  enjoying the game again and banter.

beccaboo, yes Davy Neil lived in Camelon, 1 mile from me, he was about 10 years younger than me, but I knew him very well, he was always at the dogs, especially Falkirk stadium, I think he had a contract with Powdehall when he won the Edinburgh cup with James John for the local lads, one whom was a great friend of Slim Summerville the well known bookie and some character, I don't actually know what Davy did but he ended up in Ireland working for a top trainer for a spell but I think he is back home but I'm not too sure, a helluva nice lad too. cheers.

HGS, just can't remember if their was an Adertiser, I can remember the Noon Record, but it was a horse racing paper, I don't know if it was just distributed in Scotland. cheers.

sparrow, you'll no believe it, but once again you amaze me, the Greyhound Owner you've put up is showing when Corbie Wood was opening, Corbie Wood track is in Bannockburn near Stirling which was built for the trotting fraternity, they must have thought with Falkirk closing it would be a success, but the track was built inside the trotting track and wastoo far away from the punters, in other words no atmosphere, it was a cracking track but like Towcester too far from the action. by the way I'm one of the few who thought Towcester was magnificent but murder to get to, I don't know the geography for the area but we stayed in Northampton, cost us a fortune in taxi fares too and from the track. cheers.

Greyhound Owner doesn't ring any bells. It was quite a thin black and white paper if I remember right. Gonna call my uncle, see if he remembers.

HGS, you're right, front page, page2, page3, back page, it was mostly adverts. cheers.

No joy there either. Could've swore it were the Advertiser, but dunno for sure. Cheers fellas.

Ah nice one bairn.

the bairn
28 Apr 20 19:14
Joined: 06 Jul 02
| Topic/replies: 2,610 | Blogger: the bairn's blog
sparrow, you'll no believe it, but once again you amaze me, the Greyhound Owner you've put up is showing when Corbie Wood was opening, Corbie Wood track is in Bannockburn near Stirling which was built for the trotting fraternity, they must have thought with Falkirk closing it would be a success, but the track was built inside the trotting track and wastoo far away from the punters, in other words no atmosphere, it was a cracking track but like Towcester too far from the action. by the way I'm one of the few who thought Towcester was magnificent but murder to get to, I don't know the geography for the area but we stayed in Northampton, cost us a fortune in taxi fares too and from the track. cheers.




Some more on Corbiewood............................The Scottish town of Bannockburn is more famous in history books as a battle ground used by the Scots and the English to sort things out, but in more recent times it has been the host to another contest, that of Greyhound Racing. Known as Corbiewood Greyhound Stadium, it remains located in the middle of some vast acres of farmland, just about visible from the A872 main road, situated approximately one mile north of junction 9 of the M80. The original site had been a densely wooded area known as, not surprisingly Corbie Wood, with the trees taking root amongst a number of disused mine shafts that had been abandoned many years previous. But it was in 1969 that the area became cleared and levelled to create a Speedway training track for enthusiasts. More sporting activities took place in 1973 when Harness Racing featured, but it would take another four years before a greyhound track would develop within the boundaries of the trotting circuit. An inside Sumner type hare system was installed with an all sanded track being laid that seemed spacious enough to sustain six dog racing. But the failure to attract enough greyhound prevented Corbiewood getting started and business remained as a track for just trialling and schooling only. It would take a few more years before a more successful approach happened, after new promoters successfully gained a license to begin Greyhound Racing in 1983. An illness amongst one of its promoters delayed its opening, but eventually Corbiewood did get its chance to add its name to the list of greyhound tracks, with its opening meeting arriving during September 1984. Firstly sprints were run over 330 yards, while the four bend dogs faced a stiff 550 yards trip, before further trips were calibrated at 120, 300, 340, 500, 550 and 830 yards. Troubled times during 1985 had seen the track being managed by three different promoters, the financial strain that the track was under forced its third management team to close the venue. The tracks problems stemmed from its remote location, in an area that could not attract enough greyhounds to fill the card, along with bookmakers who had become reluctant to stand after suffering early heavy losses. New promoters give the track another chance two years later, they invested heavily, yet this time efforts were rewarded, seeing more entrants filling the card on a more regular basis. Corbiewood continued to soldier on, just like other tracks with its ups and down but twenty years later, the decline of greyhound racing was beginning to be felt even more at the track. Its struggle was not only due to the scarcity of greyhounds, but also the declining numbers of bookmakers and punters as well, which all contributed to the track staging its final meeting on the 27th of April 2010. Although it was used for a short while after, for schooling, eventually all links with greyhound racing ceased. Fortunately, the venue is still there, its presence being not much different to the days of Greyhound Racing, with the track itself still intact, although decaying with neglect, it rests peacefully along the side of the Trotting circuit, which is still in operation today.

sparrow, Corbie Wood was a very good track, but with all the flapping tracks closing and youngsters not interested and the dog population dwindling the track eventually had no chance, most importantly if there are no bookies then no punters equals no track, the irony of it was, easy access from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife and Lanarkshire, it just shows how bad the situation had become, if it had been in the 50's or 60's they would have had more punters than Wimbledon. cheers.