Mark Wallis (The Future For Greyhound Racing)

[bennythedip2]

Today on Marks site, he wrote an article that brings home the hard facts, that greyhound racing needs the backing from bookmakers and advertising

Marks column read as follows >>

The issue of how hard it is for professional trainers to make ends meet again came to the fore as respected Belle Vue trainer Kath Harris decided to call it a day. Her case is another not just of finances but more of a case of having to work seven days a week with the pressures of a Bags contract and things that every person outside the industry would take for granted like a holiday is a luxury that most trainers can't afford!

I have to say I'm so lucky that I have reliable and loyal staff who can cover me so I can have a normal family holiday but I can tell you the money needed for this really has to come out of our own pockets as even our business could not afford it and though I say it delicately we are supposed to be the leading kennel in the country.

How have we, as an industry, got into this situation?
It seems like professional trainers are quitting at an alarming rate, smaller trainers, who are the backbone of most provincial tracks and in many cases Bags tracks, are also dwindling as it no longer becomes viable to keep their own dogs. For far too long promoters have taken the stance that if one trainer quits another ten trainers will be standing in line to replace them.

Yes, promoters that's another issue, of course they are also struggling to balance the books and all look at the easy option of selling their valuable land space to potential property developers. Certainly while they are earning easy money from Bags contracts they don't see the need to promote anymore and the percentage they put back into paying trainers and prize money for owners is not nearly enough to stop the bleeding.

Our governing body the GBGB paid, at great expense, for a report on the industry from the respected Delloites group and they highlighted the problems above yet seven months later nothing has been done. Scandalous in my opinion. Something has to change and urgently or the only professional trainers that will be left will be ones who have another business that can supplement their greyhound operation or trainers that do everything on the cheap and that surely has to bring the welfare of the greyhounds into serious question!

The GBGB has plenty on their plate in keeping the sport clean and drug free for which they do a good job and the integrity is something we can all be proud of but their supposed lead in commercial growth is a shambles and holding us all back and while I'm not going to slate individuals the leadership has to come into question.

I have done my best to stay out of the politics of the sport. The two years I spent on various GTA and later GBGB committees was eye opening but the time and effort needed to try and bring about change for fellow professionals almost sent our business bankrupt but I now really fear for our sport.

It's such a shame because deep down I know we have a wonderful product, one that, if it was financed and run properly, could again rise to be one of the most enjoyed pastimes for the British public. The safety and welfare of our beautiful and loved greyhounds can never be questioned but without proper finance no industry can survive.

Of course we shouldn't forget owners, without them the sport cannot function you would think. To be honest I have felt for a long time that the bookmakers, who fund the industry, and in many cases the promoters actually don't give a damn about them.
As long as the trainers can give them enough greyhounds to fill their cards, especially Bags ones, they really don't care who owns the dogs whether it be the trainers themselves or owners. For their part, owners enjoy the sport as a hobby and I would say 95% of them don't want to get involved in the politics and in a lot of cases simply walk away from the sport without a fight and who could blame them the sport is supposed to be enjoyable and a release from their day to day jobs.

Have I got the answers, I'm not sure but all I can say again and again it's time that a crisis meeting was arranged. A selection of all the stakeholders in our industry need to put their differences aside and meet to discuss the current state of our sport and what we can achieve in the future - owners, trainers, breeders, promoters, the GBGB, bookmakers and anybody else that can try and bring some ideas to the table to take us out of the doom and gloom and negativity we are currently in.

We have to take a chance and find a way to persuade the bookmakers to put a huge amount of money directly into prize money and trainer payments, we need to find money for a National advertising campaign that goes on mainstream television and radio, but most of all in my opinion we need to find a team of young enthusiastic individuals who have a passion for greyhound racing and are capable of making decisions on our sport's future, of course this will not come cheap.

Towcester is now just on the horizon and to me this will give our industry huge hope. The project has been a long time in the planning but now looks a matter of a couple of months away from coming to fruition. Heading the operation is Kevin Ackerman under the guidance of Lord Hesketh and both are a breath of fresh air to our sport.
They can see the opportunity greyhound racing can bring to both Towcester and the industry. There is a real demand across the globe for greyhound racing and one where integrity and style can become a huge success. I'm sure there will be a few teething problems and it remains to be seen how the rest of the promoters view this new venture as in many cases all they see is a new track diluting any current funds available.

To me Towcester could set the mark for all other tracks to follow in the future and open up many doors and I'm itching to be a part of it all. Chris Page one of the, if not the best, racing managers of the past few decades is so excited by what he has seen so far and his enthusiasm is a joy in what has been some bleak times. (Well said Mark)

I can see the next couple of months until Towcester opens dominating the greyhound news.

[Tony2005]

I wonder if Mark wrote this poolside in Portugal or table side from Vegas....