Knees up Mother Brown Forum:

Never in The Stow's league but always a great night out...last night tomo

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Only Crayford and Romford left....

Sadly Rom, Wimbledon's been dying on it's a**e for years. I think the only time it got a "crowd" as such, was nights like the greyhound derby.

The only part of the stadium that was busy on any particular night, was where you could wine and dine behind the glass. I think the dogs is just another victim of the modern world; even the punters can bet from the comfort of the local bookies.

Eggs'n'nuts wrote:Sadly Rom, Wimbledon's been dying on it's a**e for years. I think the only time it got a "crowd" as such, was nights like the greyhound derby.

The only part of the stadium that was busy on any particular night, was where you could wine and dine behind the glass. I think the dogs is just another victim of the modern world; even the punters can bet from the comfort of the local bookies.

I wonder if it will kick the bookies up the arse ?

They don't pay enough out of what they make......and London Tracks are worth far more to developers than they are getting from anything else.

To be honest ...Romford has totally lost its way as a good night out trying to be the new Stow.

Crap expensive booze, taking itself far too seriously and bookies that wont take a proper bet.

If it stayed the "good value laugh" then it would make far more money.

I'm not sure how the "on course" bookies operate, but it does seem to me (even at the horses), they make/lose their money and then f**k off (maybe somebody can correct me if I'm wrong). But you're right when you say it's become an expensive night out Rom.

I think the reason is, it's become a "one off night out" as opposed to just regularly going down the dogs, so people/punters have got a few bob in their pockets ready for the big night; therefore the track can or need to take the p**s and charge silly money for not a lot.

Eggs'n'nuts wrote:I'm not sure how the "on course" bookies operate, but it does seem to me (even at the horses), they make/lose their money and then f**k off (maybe somebody can correct me if I'm wrong). But you're right when you say it's become an expensive night out Rom.

I think the reason is, it's become a "one off night out" as opposed to just regularly going down the dogs, so people/punters have got a few bob in their pockets ready for the big night; therefore the track can or need to take the p**s and charge silly money for not a lot.

They want to change their image....yet are forgetting the people that have been regular and been keeping them open.

I used to sit next to Yasmin Le Bon at Walthamstow.....but i was sitting next to Yasmin from Becontree at Romford.

Now im not sitting next to anyone....great business !!

As for bookies....the ones at Romford have always been shocking. They lay off any big bets anyway so why be tight ??

I lived a 2-3 minute walk from Romford Dogs for 18 months and never went. I'm now a 15 minute walk away and I still haven't gone. Thing is I'm not sure why as every time I have gone (last time was at least 10 years ago) I've had a good night.


I must give it another go. How much is it to get in these days?

Cockneyboy311 wrote:I lived a 2-3 minute walk from Romford Dogs for 18 months and never went. I'm now a 15 minute walk away and I still haven't gone. Thing is I'm not sure why as every time I have gone (last time was at least 10 years ago) I've had a good night.


I must give it another go. How much is it to get in these days?

Gawd knows mate.....I used to get in free as an owner.

always a good night over romford dogs

but youre mate - worth more to developers

£7 for the 'posh' bit, £5 for the tradesmans entrance.

Still free on a Saturday morning/Thursday afternoon

Great shame, we always had a summer evenings racing there each year as a family.

Huge shame, but as we've seen these tracks over a decent sized bit of land & in prime city locations are always going to have developers swarming around like vultures.

It's sad but the future of the game is going to be new tracks built in the middle of nowhere like Towcester. What that does for attendances I don't know

I did a couple of race nights at Wimbledon a few years ago and they were pretty well resigned to their fate even then. The place is an asbestos ridden dump, with only the restaurant and finish straight stand fit for occupation, the rest looked like Mosul after a bombing mission.

Eggs'n'nuts wrote:I'm not sure how the "on course" bookies operate, but it does seem to me (even at the horses), they make/lose their money and then f**k off (maybe somebody can correct me if I'm wrong)..

There is a horseracing levy paid by bookmakers that goes back into the sport, this does not exist in greyhound racing - despite attempts to introduce it. However even with this levy horse racing is not exempt from redevelopment because as Romford has already pointed out the real estate value on these places is massive. Kempton Park -the home of prime national hunt horse racing is also likely to be sold off shortly.
Horse racing will be next, a lot of these tracks are in leafy Surrey and surrounding areas, never underestimate the pull of the pound.
The Levy may well have helped to keep at least a couple of the greyhound tracks open though.
Am trying to count up the number of dog tracks I have been to that no longer exist.
I went to Haringey a few times, that place was massive.
The Wick, the Stow, Catford, White City, Wembley (where the West Ham players went the night before the 75 cup final), any others I have forgotten?
outside of London -Ramsgate (Dumpton Park).

This is for the UK :

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bloody hell - thats shocking

hammerdivone wrote:Great shame, we always had a summer evenings racing there each year as a family.

What made you stop exactly?

Romford wrote:
I wonder if it will kick the bookies up the arse ?

Romford and Crayford are both owned by Bookmakers (Corals?) as far as I'm aware. The Saturday Morning / midweek afternoon BAGS meetings are run to provide pictures and a bookmaking market to betting shops. The stadiums don't need any customers for these meetings and generally don't (even with free entry).

The Bookies at Crayford are fun to watch - one guy will change 5/1 to 4/1 for a dog, and the other 3 bookmakers will then immediately do the same. None of them will have actually taken a cash bet in that time!

There is a horseracing levy paid by bookmakers that goes back into the sport, this does not exist in greyhound racing - despite attempts to introduce it. However even with this levy horse racing is not exempt from redevelopment because as Romford has already pointed out the real estate value on these places is massive. Kempton Park -the home of prime national hunt horse racing is also likely to be sold off shortly.
Horse racing will be next, a lot of these tracks are in leafy Surrey and surrounding areas, never underestimate the pull of the pound.
The Levy may well have helped to keep at least a couple of the greyhound tracks open though.
Am trying to count up the number of dog tracks I have been to that no longer exist.
I went to Haringey a few times, that place was massive.
The Wick, the Stow, Catford, White City, Wembley (where the West Ham players went the night before the 75 cup final), any others I have forgotten?
outside of London -Ramsgate (Dumpton Park).[/quote]

Cheers for that mushy.

Regarding Kempton Park, there's talks of 3,000 dwellings going on that site. Coupled with Sandown Park virtually on it's doorstep and not being a million miles away from Epsom Downs and Ascot, I can't see it standing a chance to be honest.

There's massive local resistance to the mooted building on Kempton Park, it's by no means a fait accompli.

Kempton Park also suffers from only being full once a year. (King George on boxing day)

With Ascot and Sandown, both hold high quality flat racing in the summer as well as national hunt in the winter.

Kempton has the all weather but your hardly going to entice people to come through the doors with the **** they serve up on that surface.