Dogs have had their day

LONDON’S last greyhound meeting will be staged on March 25 before Wimbledon, the only remaining dog track in the capital, closes.

The Plough Lane stadium is being redeveloped as the new home of League One AFC Wimbledon, who will move from their Kingsmeadow home in Kingston, Surrey.

The dogs’ demise will, however, benefit Chelsea, who had greyhound racing at Stamford Bridge until 1968. Roman Abramovich’s club have an agreement to buy the 4,800-capacity Kingsmeadow, where their academy and women’s team will play home matches. The deal is dependant on AFC Wimbledon relocating to Plough Lane, which has been the only dog track in London since Walthamstow shut in 2008.

England vision consultant Sherylle Calder’s plan to limit the players’ use of mobile phones to improve their awareness won’t impress two of the RFU’s major sponsors — O2 and Samsung. An RFU spokeswoman said: ‘Dr Calder is a visual awareness expert and our partners understand her role.’ The RFU used the autumn Tests to make a comparison between playing music when tries are scored and letting the Twickenham crowd create its own atmosphere. Hopefully the music will stay switched off for England’s Six Nations home matches when the decision is made today. CONSiDERABLE progress has been made building non-League Salford City’s new ground, which received planning permission despite local residents’ fury at the lack of consultation by the Gary Neville-led Class of ’92 co-owners. There have since been a number of promises that Neville and his fellow Manchester United icons would talk to the club’s neighbours. But the residents association report no contact.