Wimbledon Dog Track will close this summer. Planning permission has been given to knock it down and replace it with a block of flats and a new football stadium (London does not have enough soccer grounds apparently).
In the wider population this will be greeted with an indifferent shrug, but for us greyhound fans it presents a real dilemma.
I had a part share in a dog (bitch) that did well enough to reach the semi-finals of the Greyhound Oaks some years ago. Kearney's Keep could have won the final with a bit of luck, but even back in 2000 when I went there to see her run (and win the first round at 33/1!) it was obvious that Wimbledon Stadium had atmosphere but was already unloved, neglected and something of a dump. Fifteen years later it is to be finally put out of its misery.
I regret this but it is hardly surprising. Wimbledon took over as the host of the Greyhound Derby after the even sadder demise of White City. It was felt at the time that the premier dog race had to stay in the capital.
With no tracks left in London after this summer that is no longer the case. Where should the Greyhound Derby move to now?
Belle Vue (Manchester) is favourite. There's the new northern powerhouse thing and it was the first dog track opened in England. Towcester wants to give it a go. They can accommodate the crowds and are in the middle of the country.
To me though the ideal site for the 2017 Greyhound Derby is Hove. It is a fair galloping track, the crowds are coming back, we have the road and rail links, there are hotels to stay in, everyone likes visiting the seaside and the facilities are pretty good.
Wouldn't this be great - Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premiership, Sussex County Cricket Club returning to Division1 of the County Championship, and Hove hosting the Greyhound Derby? You'd be able to hear the famous Derby roar from the top of the i360!
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