Greyhounds
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I’m lockdown bored.
I have been around for a long time in the betting and greyhound scene, and seen all the changes over this time.
Started as a kid as a bookies runner when I delivered milk, went in illegal bookies before betting shops (results on ticker tape), sent bets in post to bookies until old enough for a telephone credit account, later worked Saturdays and Bank Holidays in a betting shop (all bets hand written and put in clock bag, manually calculate pay out on winning bets, { pounds, shillings and pence} ), Saturday football pools door to door collector, went NGRC racing, later owned and trained flappers in the heyday, until Maggie closing the pits killed the game, went to Shelbourne Park and Hackney sales, and then for a while had a few NGRC. Even had shares in racehorses.
Life in Britain changed, sport was now on TV so no need to go somewhere to watch live. The monopoly of Saturday football pools coupon for the working man ended when fixed odds betting started, and soccer betting became more popular. Attendance at all spectator sports declined, people had other things like foreign holidays to spend their money on. Their children were, in consequence, not brought up in their parent’s earlier sporting and betting life, so it was not carried on.
The big bookmaking firms got their hands on the Greyhound industry and bit by bit as it has been run to suit their business model, until we are where we are now.
As sad as it may be to me and you guys on this forum, it is only a sport for a small minority, but as we and these people age it will decline further as a sport.
Now it is just a numbers game – 6 numbers spinning round a wheel every few minutes from 8 o’clock in a morning until 10 o’clock at night 7 days a week, with a built in 125/130 percentage (and the forecast a bigger bonus) for the bookies, and a platform for the BOTS. Welcome to the new FOBT’s. All live on a PC, Laptop, Phone or TV, and betting a the click of a finger – who would have ever believed it.
Sadly, all this is only possible because of the way that many dogs are been entered to run that is not necessarily in their best interest.
It is difficult to let go when it is in your blood, but that is what we will have to do.
Thank you for reading – maybe there will be other opinions
I have been around for a long time in the betting and greyhound scene, and seen all the changes over this time.
Started as a kid as a bookies runner when I delivered milk, went in illegal bookies before betting shops (results on ticker tape), sent bets in post to bookies until old enough for a telephone credit account, later worked Saturdays and Bank Holidays in a betting shop (all bets hand written and put in clock bag, manually calculate pay out on winning bets, { pounds, shillings and pence} ), Saturday football pools door to door collector, went NGRC racing, later owned and trained flappers in the heyday, until Maggie closing the pits killed the game, went to Shelbourne Park and Hackney sales, and then for a while had a few NGRC. Even had shares in racehorses.
Life in Britain changed, sport was now on TV so no need to go somewhere to watch live. The monopoly of Saturday football pools coupon for the working man ended when fixed odds betting started, and soccer betting became more popular. Attendance at all spectator sports declined, people had other things like foreign holidays to spend their money on. Their children were, in consequence, not brought up in their parent’s earlier sporting and betting life, so it was not carried on.
The big bookmaking firms got their hands on the Greyhound industry and bit by bit as it has been run to suit their business model, until we are where we are now.
As sad as it may be to me and you guys on this forum, it is only a sport for a small minority, but as we and these people age it will decline further as a sport.
Now it is just a numbers game – 6 numbers spinning round a wheel every few minutes from 8 o’clock in a morning until 10 o’clock at night 7 days a week, with a built in 125/130 percentage (and the forecast a bigger bonus) for the bookies, and a platform for the BOTS. Welcome to the new FOBT’s. All live on a PC, Laptop, Phone or TV, and betting a the click of a finger – who would have ever believed it.
Sadly, all this is only possible because of the way that many dogs are been entered to run that is not necessarily in their best interest.
It is difficult to let go when it is in your blood, but that is what we will have to do.
Thank you for reading – maybe there will be other opinions
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Great read Rigsby. Like you I have been in the sport a long time in different guises, Started going with my father in early 60s, bought my first greyhound when I was 17 (1967). After owning a few flappers and NGRC took out a kennel hands licence and then eventually training my own and a few decent ones for others. Spent the last 20 years being an oncourse Bookmaker at Portsmouth and then Hove. I never thought the sport would end up like this but the reality is the sport over time has been turned into an Industry that has taken the fun and excitement away. We were lucky to be around in the great days. Take care.
Sadly most tracks only going because of the books 
The death will come with no Dogs available , insane amount of racing will bleed supply dry , Who wants to buy a dog that ends up running at insane times of the day 
..
The only possible future would be a reduction in tracks ,Turned into super stadia Casino hotel Attached ,would need a tote that worked, Exotic bets to draw punters in ETC , a group of say 10 tracks across the country tote running at say 120 % profits to tracks and welfare , ,A focus on Leisure an evening out etc or a couple of days break All around the Dogs ,Families attending visiting Kennels etc Get young blood into the game Special Sunday meeting for that , we are going nowhere
with the current situation ,Very little if any Promoting of the Sport , But then what is there to promote ? An Evening out you are thrown back out on the street at 9.30
Sheffield seems to be a track that was doing well ,popular venue for the casuals , has casino attached ,I have never been ,once this shyte is over will make a point of going book hotel for night or two ..
There needs to be a re focus , current situation is little more than Animal exploitation
The death will come with no Dogs available , insane amount of racing will bleed supply dry , Who wants to buy a dog that ends up running at insane times of the day .. The only possible future would be a reduction in tracks ,Turned into super stadia Casino hotel Attached ,would need a tote that worked, Exotic bets to draw punters in ETC , a group of say 10 tracks across the country tote running at say 120 % profits to tracks and welfare , ,A focus on Leisure an evening out etc or a couple of days break All around the Dogs ,Families attending visiting Kennels etc Get young blood into the game Special Sunday meeting for that , we are going nowhere
with the current situation ,Very little if any Promoting of the Sport , But then what is there to promote ? An Evening out you are thrown back out on the street at 9.30
Sheffield seems to be a track that was doing well ,popular venue for the casuals , has casino attached ,I have never been ,once this shyte is over will make a point of going book hotel for night or two .. There needs to be a re focus , current situation is little more than Animal exploitation
has taken the fun and excitement away. Spot on POMP ,
if affordability checks come in at what they are saying then greyhound racing and horses racing will be memories for me because i won't be able to have an account started off at white city dogs and ascot horses met some great people a lot sadly not with us anymore but at least in my lifetime i been to some great greyhound tracks which are no longer with us always said if they can close white city they can close any greyhound stadium.new technology ruined betting killed betting shops
watching crayford on a sky channel in HD tonight with other tracks given the same quality boost the game must have a future.......the quality of the pictures is better than i have seen since jeff sterling hosted the greyhounds on sky sports.......reflecting....i heard some sad news today.....firstly micky jenrick has succumbed to covid and that john humphreys has been taken into hospital with breathing difficulties through covid.....condolences to mickys family and friends and fingers crossed for JH to beat this bastard disease.......
Sad news winja. Hopefully jh can turn it round. Put lot into game
Hopefully John recovers quickly.
I havent got a bad word to say about the man, very rarely if ever knocked me back at Catford or Crayford, gave me a few WTF looks and double takes before taking the bet. He put loads into the sport and is a real character always had a chat about other things like family and sport. Absolute top man who never took any liberties but was fair.
Keep pulling John, tell the big fella upstairs "You got nothing"
I havent got a bad word to say about the man, very rarely if ever knocked me back at Catford or Crayford, gave me a few WTF looks and double takes before taking the bet. He put loads into the sport and is a real character always had a chat about other things like family and sport. Absolute top man who never took any liberties but was fair.
Keep pulling John, tell the big fella upstairs "You got nothing"
Sad to say, but look at the USA for where UK dog racing could go in UK.
Florida had so many great tracks but all gone now because from Jan 1st this year the sport became illegal. Animal rights fanatics go their hooks into it and we will go the same way if the sport continues to be run as the OP describes.
What really frustrates me, though, is that there was a public vote in Florida about whether dog racing should be allowed. Big vote for NO, but how many of those voting were young and had no idea what they were voting for? I genuinely fear for dog racing given the younger generation who understand very little outside of drinking, computers and mobile phones would vote exactly the same way as Florida.
Florida had so many great tracks but all gone now because from Jan 1st this year the sport became illegal. Animal rights fanatics go their hooks into it and we will go the same way if the sport continues to be run as the OP describes.
What really frustrates me, though, is that there was a public vote in Florida about whether dog racing should be allowed. Big vote for NO, but how many of those voting were young and had no idea what they were voting for? I genuinely fear for dog racing given the younger generation who understand very little outside of drinking, computers and mobile phones would vote exactly the same way as Florida.
Didn't know about Florida. Very interesting points you make
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