Wimbledon’s demise is ruff decision

David Yates gets it off his chest

A CHAPTER will close on British sporting history at 10.35pm, when the traps at Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium open for the last time. After a death so slow and protracted the once vibrant track — graced by stars such as Ballyregan Bob (right), Scurlogue Champ and Mick The Miller — will pass its final breath. Dog racing has taken place at Wimbledon since 1928, and in 1985 it became home of the Greyhound Derby after the closure of White City. But as of tonight that’s all in the past. AFC Wimbledon will return to a stadium built on the Plough Lane site, which will also be used for housing. If you’ve visited Wimbledon over the past decade and a half, you’ll no doubt have shaken your head at a so-called premier greyhound racing stadium doing a very convincing impression of a ramshackle dump. “Why pay good money to call for the bulldozers and wrecking ball?” asked a friend this week. “The place will surely fall down on it’s own soon enough.” Wimbledon’s demise is a sadness to those of us who follow greyhound racing — it was where I had my first winner as an owner with Prince of Thiefs (sic), who became a much-loved pet — but there’s also a lesson to be learned. Go to Crayford — with Romford the only surviving dog track within the M25 — on a Friday or Saturday night, and the place is buzzing. People go there because sufficient investment has been put in to make the customer experience worthwhile. When the Jockey Club in January announced plans to close Kempton, many who supported the venture pointed to the fact the place has become run down. Well, throw some money at the project — speculate to accumulate — and that can change. Once they’re closed, they rarely come back.