Irish Sports
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03 Nov 12
23:57
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05 Jan 10
Saturday 3rd November 2012 in Oxford By John Gaisford http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk
The withdrawal of the Friday morning BAGS meeting will be like a knife through the heart of all the people fighting to save Oxford Stadium from houses being built on the site.
What more incentive is there for Oxford City Council now not to accept the planning application from Galliard Homes?
The loss of almost £500,000 in income from the BAGS contract is a real killer.
A crumb of comfort though is that before the introduction of the extra Friday BAGS meeting, the company was making a profit as it had done for the previous 20 years, I am told.
Everyone connected with the stadium, which has been providing entertainment since 1938 – owners, trainers, staff, bookmakers, public and the suppliers will all be left on a knife-edge as the time approaches for the application to be submitted.
Like everyone, BAGS did not want to be left out in the cold if everything went belly-up for the stadium over the next year, and ensure they had the facilities to complete their annual programme for the betting shops.
Greyhound Racing Association boss Clive Feltham described the decision as a ‘bombshell’, turning Oxford into a loss-making company. Why then did the GRA tell the council earlier this year that the stadium was not making money?
In addition, the site has become much less appealing as a going concern and could well put off potential buyers.
The best thing that could possibly happen is the Irish Government agency NAMA calls in a loan worth almost £50m, and puts the GRA into receivership and the stadium is then sold to the highest bidder.
Racing manager Gary Bai-den admits the racing office and the rest of the staff are very uneasy over the future.
“I don’t blame BAGS for taking the steps they have, it’s purely a business decision,” he said.
“But we must hope that some good housekeeping during the next few difficult months will help us to win the day.
“Friday night racing has the potential to be better than it is, so let’s hope we get plenty of support through the turnstiles.”
The withdrawal of the Friday morning BAGS meeting will be like a knife through the heart of all the people fighting to save Oxford Stadium from houses being built on the site.
What more incentive is there for Oxford City Council now not to accept the planning application from Galliard Homes?
The loss of almost £500,000 in income from the BAGS contract is a real killer.
A crumb of comfort though is that before the introduction of the extra Friday BAGS meeting, the company was making a profit as it had done for the previous 20 years, I am told.
Everyone connected with the stadium, which has been providing entertainment since 1938 – owners, trainers, staff, bookmakers, public and the suppliers will all be left on a knife-edge as the time approaches for the application to be submitted.
Like everyone, BAGS did not want to be left out in the cold if everything went belly-up for the stadium over the next year, and ensure they had the facilities to complete their annual programme for the betting shops.
Greyhound Racing Association boss Clive Feltham described the decision as a ‘bombshell’, turning Oxford into a loss-making company. Why then did the GRA tell the council earlier this year that the stadium was not making money?
In addition, the site has become much less appealing as a going concern and could well put off potential buyers.
The best thing that could possibly happen is the Irish Government agency NAMA calls in a loan worth almost £50m, and puts the GRA into receivership and the stadium is then sold to the highest bidder.
Racing manager Gary Bai-den admits the racing office and the rest of the staff are very uneasy over the future.
“I don’t blame BAGS for taking the steps they have, it’s purely a business decision,” he said.
“But we must hope that some good housekeeping during the next few difficult months will help us to win the day.
“Friday night racing has the potential to be better than it is, so let’s hope we get plenty of support through the turnstiles.”
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