Oxford Greyhound Stadium to shut (From Oxford Mail)

Soon there will be nothing left to do in Oxford at all. Greyhounds was a good night out .
And they wonder why people are going to other towns to shop and for entertainment for the family's . Absolute joke .

this is a crafty plan by the developers (who own the gra).
run it down, come out with loss making statements.
then the planning applications for housing go in !
IT STINKS !

This is a really sad day, The owners have done everything in their power to reduce trade including making Speedways return impossible, and only so they can make a quick buck developing the land to homes, but what is the point in taking away a place of employment and entertainment to the local area for more housing? Bored people with no work = trouble

More housing, doesn't anyone realise that more forms of entertainment for everyone would be preferred.

We have too many people in Oxford as it is, and with this possible development and the 900 - 1200 extra houses at Barton in the offing its only going to get worse.

I am delighted this has closed. The very nature of Greyhound racing promotes Greyhound abuse. Thousands are needlessly euthanized if they don't make it to the track, or due to minor injuries. Then there are the 'so called' lucky ones who make the track, have a risk filled life of racing who then go on to face their next hurdle once this career is over. As young as age 3 (or younger if injured or not fast enough) they will be abandoned to already overfilled rescue centres, whose job is to find them a home. There are many others who don't even get this option and are killed in barbaric ways by their trainers. The whole vicious cycle can only be stopped by recognising that Greyhound racing has no place in a civilised society where we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers. It serves only to satisfy the greed of the trainers, bookmakers, race track owners and the misguided public who come to watch and bet on them, often oblivious to the abuse and neglect that goes on behind the scenes.

William Stroudley, Sandford on Thames wrote:
More housing, doesn't anyone realise that more forms of entertainment for everyone would be preferred.

We have too many people in Oxford as it is, and with this possible development and the 900 - 1200 extra houses at Barton in the offing its only going to get worse.

Agreed, more housing with no work opportunities is not a good recipe. MP Andrew Smith done a local survey and the vast majority don’t want the housing development, the wider Oxford community don’t want to see the back of the dog track for housing, but yet due to some very poor business decisions this looks like it’s definitely now going to happen. You can’t help wonder how many under the table payments have been made to the council that is meant to represent the people..... if they actually represented us they would listen to us.

pollypenny wrote:
I am delighted this has closed. The very nature of Greyhound racing promotes Greyhound abuse. Thousands are needlessly euthanized if they don't make it to the track, or due to minor injuries. Then there are the 'so called' lucky ones who make the track, have a risk filled life of racing who then go on to face their next hurdle once this career is over. As young as age 3 (or younger if injured or not fast enough) they will be abandoned to already overfilled rescue centres, whose job is to find them a home. There are many others who don't even get this option and are killed in barbaric ways by their trainers. The whole vicious cycle can only be stopped by recognising that Greyhound racing has no place in a civilised society where we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers. It serves only to satisfy the greed of the trainers, bookmakers, race track owners and the misguided public who come to watch and bet on them, often oblivious to the abuse and neglect that goes on behind the scenes.

Your on cloud cuckoo land, racing dogs of all varieties has been around since god knows when and will always be, it's been a great night out for families, stag and hen nights and committed punters and hopefully this will stay so but I suspect money will talk again.

You can't just keep on building houses, seems daft to me but then again i am not in that business. Losing the Cheetahs was the start of the rot.

Keep,dog racing, keep the karting, and try to get speedway back.

Very gutted so sad, Somthing has to be done to stop it shutting.

I live in Blackbird Leys, I'm gutted its going, its a sad evening.

I didn't get this questionnaire, i would of liked to of been able to send my opinion, although i doubt it would of made a difference. I thought the public meetings had support to keep the stadium!

BigAlBiker wrote:

pollypenny wrote:
I am delighted this has closed. The very nature of Greyhound racing promotes Greyhound abuse. Thousands are needlessly euthanized if they don't make it to the track, or due to minor injuries. Then there are the 'so called' lucky ones who make the track, have a risk filled life of racing who then go on to face their next hurdle once this career is over. As young as age 3 (or younger if injured or not fast enough) they will be abandoned to already overfilled rescue centres, whose job is to find them a home. There are many others who don't even get this option and are killed in barbaric ways by their trainers. The whole vicious cycle can only be stopped by recognising that Greyhound racing has no place in a civilised society where we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers. It serves only to satisfy the greed of the trainers, bookmakers, race track owners and the misguided public who come to watch and bet on them, often oblivious to the abuse and neglect that goes on behind the scenes.

Your on cloud cuckoo land, racing dogs of all varieties has been around since god knows when and will always be, it's been a great night out for families, stag and hen nights and committed punters and hopefully this will stay so but I suspect money will talk again.

You can't just keep on building houses, seems daft to me but then again i am not in that business. Losing the Cheetahs was the start of the rot.

Keep,dog racing, keep the karting, and try to get speedway back.

Sorry Polly but you are so so very wrong. I live in the north east on England and i am totally gutted by this news. Please dont paint this picture you dont no the facts. True greyhound people are great people who love and cherish there dogs. They are so well looked after and the greyhounds actually love to run. If they did not want to run they would simply refuse. I know this because i have a 10 year greyhound that i breed myself to race and she did not want to. She has not been killed or shipped off to a re-homing centre. She has a very happy life and is treat better me. Also the retired greyhound trust (charity) run an amazing re-homing scheme. They have helped to find loving homes for over 3000 retired greyhound of all ages this year alone.

There is the minority of bad people in all walks of life including greyhound racing but i am outraged with your statement. This is our sport and we love greyhound racing but most of all we love our Greyhounds.

There is absolutely zero evidence that Oxford has too much housing. House prices are still far too high here, people are forced to live in shared occupancy or out on the street, students have nowhere to go, and commuters come in from all over the place because they can't find anywhere to live in Oxford itself. There are cinemas, football and other sports facilities, a host of museums, theatres and what have you in Oxford. No point living in the past people, 1939 is some time ago now.

what to do next? mass sterilisation a limit on how many children people have like in China. surely people should have the right for some where to live. I love open spaces open countrysides but unless the population is limited this aguement about building houses will not go away

Off course gambles killed Oxford?
Sad for loss of the track for everybody concerned, but not surprised as losing 500k p a Friday BAGS contract broke the straw.
If BAGS were making money with off course bookies doing well at Oxford then Oxford would have survived. The fact of the matter is economics prevails. If Oxford was good business for the national bookies, then BAGS would have bent over backwards to keep it going.
3 years ago I was refused a 40 quid bet on my dog in a Tote betting shop in Oxford and was offered 10 quid maximum!! Why? Well they told me that they have been stung many many times by off course gambles they had to limit bets and I am sure they have said enough is enough, The numbers do not work and the golden goose has died.

BigAlBiker wrote:

pollypenny wrote:
I am delighted this has closed. The very nature of Greyhound racing promotes Greyhound abuse. Thousands are needlessly euthanized if they don't make it to the track, or due to minor injuries. Then there are the 'so called' lucky ones who make the track, have a risk filled life of racing who then go on to face their next hurdle once this career is over. As young as age 3 (or younger if injured or not fast enough) they will be abandoned to already overfilled rescue centres, whose job is to find them a home. There are many others who don't even get this option and are killed in barbaric ways by their trainers. The whole vicious cycle can only be stopped by recognising that Greyhound racing has no place in a civilised society where we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers. It serves only to satisfy the greed of the trainers, bookmakers, race track owners and the misguided public who come to watch and bet on them, often oblivious to the abuse and neglect that goes on behind the scenes.

Your on cloud cuckoo land, racing dogs of all varieties has been around since god knows when and will always be, it's been a great night out for families, stag and hen nights and committed punters and hopefully this will stay so but I suspect money will talk again.

You can't just keep on building houses, seems daft to me but then again i am not in that business. Losing the Cheetahs was the start of the rot.

Keep,dog racing, keep the karting, and try to get speedway back.

If you truly believe that thousands are not needlessly killed and injured due to a sport that only serves to entertain you and make money for others then 'cloud cuckoo land' is where you clearly are.
Many things have been around 'since god knows when', that doesn't mean it still should be, or ever should have been. I have two rescue Greyhounds that are the direct result of failing to make the track and being dumped,and have many friends who also have rescue Greyhounds that only needed rehoming due to abandonment or retirement from this appalling industry.
If you'd care to do your research you would find out the true horrors of what really goes on behind the scenes and also the unregulated over breeding and euthanasia.
If you cared one iota about the dogs you would not support the industry, so you support speaks volumes.

Greyhound10 wrote:

BigAlBiker wrote:

pollypenny wrote:
I am delighted this has closed. The very nature of Greyhound racing promotes Greyhound abuse. Thousands are needlessly euthanized if they don't make it to the track, or due to minor injuries. Then there are the 'so called' lucky ones who make the track, have a risk filled life of racing who then go on to face their next hurdle once this career is over. As young as age 3 (or younger if injured or not fast enough) they will be abandoned to already overfilled rescue centres, whose job is to find them a home. There are many others who don't even get this option and are killed in barbaric ways by their trainers. The whole vicious cycle can only be stopped by recognising that Greyhound racing has no place in a civilised society where we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers. It serves only to satisfy the greed of the trainers, bookmakers, race track owners and the misguided public who come to watch and bet on them, often oblivious to the abuse and neglect that goes on behind the scenes.

Your on cloud cuckoo land, racing dogs of all varieties has been around since god knows when and will always be, it's been a great night out for families, stag and hen nights and committed punters and hopefully this will stay so but I suspect money will talk again.

You can't just keep on building houses, seems daft to me but then again i am not in that business. Losing the Cheetahs was the start of the rot.

Keep,dog racing, keep the karting, and try to get speedway back.

Sorry Polly but you are so so very wrong. I live in the north east on England and i am totally gutted by this news. Please dont paint this picture you dont no the facts. True greyhound people are great people who love and cherish there dogs. They are so well looked after and the greyhounds actually love to run. If they did not want to run they would simply refuse. I know this because i have a 10 year greyhound that i breed myself to race and she did not want to. She has not been killed or shipped off to a re-homing centre. She has a very happy life and is treat better me. Also the retired greyhound trust (charity) run an amazing re-homing scheme. They have helped to find loving homes for over 3000 retired greyhound of all ages this year alone.

There is the minority of bad people in all walks of life including greyhound racing but i am outraged with your statement. This is our sport and we love greyhound racing but most of all we love our Greyhounds.

Greyhound10....I too live in the North East but it matters not where we live because commercial dog racing depends on inherent cruel parctices for its financial viability worldwide.......

The culling of 1,000's of healthy puppies that fail to chase. The destruction of 1,000's of healthy juvenile dogs that are too slow and dont make the grade. The destruction of 100's of dogs that sustain treatable but 'career ending' injuries on the dangerously configured tracks and the destruction of 1,000's of healthy 2-4 year old greyhounds because 'no retirement home can be found'.

All these practices are condoned and effectively promoted by the industry in order to protect profits. At least 10,000 greyhounds bred for British racing go 'unaccounted' for annually - presumed killed.

Greyhound racing is not recognised as a sport by the EU - the British Government or the Government's official sports regulators - Sport England. It is purely and simply a self regulating gambling industry that is responsible for the uncontrolled breeding and deaths of thousands of greyhounds every year.

This industrialised cruelty is no way to treat a dog.

www.greytexploitatio
ns.com

Well said pollypenny!

I have seen more than enough dead discarded greyhounds in very large numbers abandoned by their 'loving' trainers. Obviously this doesnt seem to matter to the majority so long as hen and stag parties have a good night out. Beyond belief.

as in most other organised sport, a few top level arenas still make money , but the majority wherever they are, are struggling to break even and will also become victims to the present economic downturn and the changing wishes of customers in their leisure requirements,, eg pubs , many football clubs etc.

They show off about the 50 years of blackbird leys. And what do the council do I wonder. Hmmm was it some of back hander behind close doors with the owners of the stadium. What a mess blackbird leys look. Ive been there since the 70's it was great times, and yes we have to build but close the doors and stop the ones who come here and take everything.

They show off about the 50 years of blackbird leys. And what do the council do I wonder. Hmmm was it some of back hander behind close doors with the owners of the stadium. What a mess blackbird leys look. Ive been there since the 70's it was great times, and yes we have to build but close the doors and stop the ones who come here and take everything.

The issue here has nothing to do with cruelty to greyhounds or affordable housing in Oxford. It is about property speculators targeting fully-functional and well-maintained sporting facilities, with the profit-driven objective of converting them into brownfield development sites. Most councils would give their eye teeth for such a stadium, so let's hope OCC sees sense, and ensures the site is retained and maintained for its intended purpose - sports not housing. If the current management feels unable to operate it successfully, then it should be valued and sold for what it is - a loss making concern, not prime development land.

Dogs are just dogs. We can use them howsoever we want and eat them too .
Oxford's a dump and the stadium one of the worst parts. Time for it to go and good riddance.

KennethN wrote:
The issue here has nothing to do with cruelty to greyhounds or affordable housing in Oxford. It is about property speculators targeting fully-functional and well-maintained sporting facilities, with the profit-driven objective of converting them into brownfield development sites. Most councils would give their eye teeth for such a stadium, so let's hope OCC sees sense, and ensures the site is retained and maintained for its intended purpose - sports not housing. If the current management feels unable to operate it successfully, then it should be valued and sold for what it is - a loss making concern, not prime development land.

Greyhound racing is not recognised as a sport by the EU - the British Government or the Government's official sports regulators - Sport England. It is purely and simply a self regulating gambling industry that is responsible for the uncontrolled breeding and deaths of thousands of greyhounds every year.

Greytexploitations wrote:

KennethN wrote: The issue here has nothing to do with cruelty to greyhounds or affordable housing in Oxford. It is about property speculators targeting fully-functional and well-maintained sporting facilities, with the profit-driven objective of converting them into brownfield development sites. Most councils would give their eye teeth for such a stadium, so let's hope OCC sees sense, and ensures the site is retained and maintained for its intended purpose - sports not housing. If the current management feels unable to operate it successfully, then it should be valued and sold for what it is - a loss making concern, not prime development land.

Greyhound racing is not recognised as a sport by the EU - the British Government or the Government's official sports regulators - Sport England. It is purely and simply a self regulating gambling industry that is responsible for the uncontrolled breeding and deaths of thousands of greyhounds every year.

Greytexploitations wrote:
Greyhound racing is not recognised as a sport by the EU - the British Government or the Government's official sports regulators - Sport England. It is purely and simply a self regulating gambling industry that is responsible for the uncontrolled breeding and deaths of thousands of greyhounds every year.

This misses the point. The stadium is also a venue for go-karts and other motor sports, and it used to be for speedway. In addition, it once housed a health club (and still might do, for all I know). The issue is about a venue, not about the possible evils of greyhound racing. The title of the article is a little unfortunate, in that respect.

What's going to happen to the Lightning Motorcycle training place on the site?

firstly, let me say to those making comment about 'cruelty to animals' that I don't believe for one moment that Andrew Smith MP would have become supportive of anything connected with either cruelty to animals, or cruel sport. Secondly, that the demise of the greyhound and speedway stadium isn't because of any particular lack of interest, but more the pure commercial greed by those who own the site to make (very) gross profit. Thirdly, that as for Oxford City Council, here we have a local authority which has been famously incapable of repairing and maintaining housing and other property which it owns, let alone wanting to build more! Much was made about the state of the Temple Cowley swimming pool complex, but the same lack of historical care and investment (decades before the Coalition Government appeared) can be seen across Oxford, from public toilets, to pools and community centres - and before the Council tendered-out the management of sports halls/etc, also to its leisure centre facilities. So, perhaps Andrew Smith's biggest headache isn't the owners and developers of the Stadium, but his own Party's Labour-led Oxford City Council.

BigAlBiker wrote:

pollypenny wrote:
I am delighted this has closed. The very nature of Greyhound racing promotes Greyhound abuse. Thousands are needlessly euthanized if they don't make it to the track, or due to minor injuries. Then there are the 'so called' lucky ones who make the track, have a risk filled life of racing who then go on to face their next hurdle once this career is over. As young as age 3 (or younger if injured or not fast enough) they will be abandoned to already overfilled rescue centres, whose job is to find them a home. There are many others who don't even get this option and are killed in barbaric ways by their trainers. The whole vicious cycle can only be stopped by recognising that Greyhound racing has no place in a civilised society where we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers. It serves only to satisfy the greed of the trainers, bookmakers, race track owners and the misguided public who come to watch and bet on them, often oblivious to the abuse and neglect that goes on behind the scenes.

Your on cloud cuckoo land, racing dogs of all varieties has been around since god knows when and will always be, it's been a great night out for families, stag and hen nights and committed punters and hopefully this will stay so but I suspect money will talk again.

You can't just keep on building houses, seems daft to me but then again i am not in that business. Losing the Cheetahs was the start of the rot.

Keep,dog racing, keep the karting, and try to get speedway back.

Sorry but dog racing is toast, and RIGHTLY SO! Good riddance to animal cruelty. NEXT

Greyhound10 wrote:

BigAlBiker wrote:

pollypenny wrote:
I am delighted this has closed. The very nature of Greyhound racing promotes Greyhound abuse. Thousands are needlessly euthanized if they don't make it to the track, or due to minor injuries. Then there are the 'so called' lucky ones who make the track, have a risk filled life of racing who then go on to face their next hurdle once this career is over. As young as age 3 (or younger if injured or not fast enough) they will be abandoned to already overfilled rescue centres, whose job is to find them a home. There are many others who don't even get this option and are killed in barbaric ways by their trainers. The whole vicious cycle can only be stopped by recognising that Greyhound racing has no place in a civilised society where we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers. It serves only to satisfy the greed of the trainers, bookmakers, race track owners and the misguided public who come to watch and bet on them, often oblivious to the abuse and neglect that goes on behind the scenes.

Your on cloud cuckoo land, racing dogs of all varieties has been around since god knows when and will always be, it's been a great night out for families, stag and hen nights and committed punters and hopefully this will stay so but I suspect money will talk again.

You can't just keep on building houses, seems daft to me but then again i am not in that business. Losing the Cheetahs was the start of the rot.

Keep,dog racing, keep the karting, and try to get speedway back.

Sorry Polly but you are so so very wrong. I live in the north east on England and i am totally gutted by this news. Please dont paint this picture you dont no the facts. True greyhound people are great people who love and cherish there dogs. They are so well looked after and the greyhounds actually love to run. If they did not want to run they would simply refuse. I know this because i have a 10 year greyhound that i breed myself to race and she did not want to. She has not been killed or shipped off to a re-homing centre. She has a very happy life and is treat better me. Also the retired greyhound trust (charity) run an amazing re-homing scheme. They have helped to find loving homes for over 3000 retired greyhound of all ages this year alone.

There is the minority of bad people in all walks of life including greyhound racing but i am outraged with your statement. This is our sport and we love greyhound racing but most of all we love our Greyhounds.

No, you love RACING your greyhounds, for money. Decent folk would not put their animals in harms way for profit nor entertainment. Good riddance to the Oxford track..NEXT!

It is very worrying how illeducated people such as the above, peddle lies as the truth, and want to destroy peoples livlihoods, entertainment, and have good dogs killed, just to provide themselves with some justification for being on this planet. I take all your comments with a pinch of salt, and console myself with the fact that you will all end up with your leader Mr Broughton sooner or later.

mailisrubbish wrote:
Dogs are just dogs. We can use them howsoever we want and eat them too .
Oxford's a dump and the stadium one of the worst parts. Time for it to go and good riddance.

I'm guessing you've never troubled the membership secretary of MENSA.
If you like eating dog so much, why not emigrate to China - you'd be in your element - and nobody here would miss you.

Pavinder Msvarensy wrote:
It is very worrying how illeducated people such as the above, peddle lies as the truth, and want to destroy peoples livlihoods, entertainment, and have good dogs killed, just to provide themselves with some justification for being on this planet. I take all your comments with a pinch of salt, and console myself with the fact that you will all end up with your leader Mr Broughton sooner or later.

Closure can't come soon enough.
As for being "illeducated", maybe you should invest in a spell-checker. Might I suggest having your blinkers surgically removed - the NHS can do marvellous things these days.
But your comments are breathtaking in their hypocrisy. Could it be the same Pavinder, who posted on the Oxford Mail earlier today to kill all their dogs in spite, rather than trying to rehome them?

RoggieB wrote:

Pavinder Msvarensy wrote:
It is very worrying how illeducated people such as the above, peddle lies as the truth, and want to destroy peoples livlihoods, entertainment, and have good dogs killed, just to provide themselves with some justification for being on this planet. I take all your comments with a pinch of salt, and console myself with the fact that you will all end up with your leader Mr Broughton sooner or later.

Closure can't come soon enough.
As for being "illeducated", maybe you should invest in a spell-checker. Might I suggest having your blinkers surgically removed - the NHS can do marvellous things these days.
But your comments are breathtaking in their hypocrisy. Could it be the same Pavinder, who posted on the Oxford Mail earlier today to kill all their dogs in spite, rather than trying to rehome them?

Well said RoggieB. And yes it was indeed the same Pavinder who threatened to kill all his dogs out of spite. What a truly delightful individual he is!
He has certainly added to the evidence that Greyhound trainers are not very nice people, to put it mildly.

the closeing of the speedway by the GRA, has proved tobe a shot in its own foot !!!!!

had the speedway been running (more use of the venue) it would still be open to this day & onward !!!
well done GRA, anouther british sporting area gone !!!!!!!

“It’s very sad, the end of an era.”
“Everybody affected here will have to find new jobs, it’s a sad, sad day.”

Cry me a river Mr. Baiden

For your next job try for something that actually helps advance society rather than degrading it.
Perhaps then the powers-that-be will show you a little more love.

All of the anti greyhound people dont have clue and i would love to know where they have gotten there facts from. 10,000 dog needleslled every year. There been 10,000 dogs breed this year as the number litters decline. The regulations in racing are very strict and retired dogs can be and are to ensure they looked after. At the end of the day we love our sport and it the dogs,staff, trainers and all greyhound supporters that are loosing out.

to ny w wrote:
Off course gambles killed Oxford?
Sad for loss of the track for everybody concerned, but not surprised as losing 500k p a Friday BAGS contract broke the straw.
If BAGS were making money with off course bookies doing well at Oxford then Oxford would have survived. The fact of the matter is economics prevails. If Oxford was good business for the national bookies, then BAGS would have bent over backwards to keep it going.
3 years ago I was refused a 40 quid bet on my dog in a Tote betting shop in Oxford and was offered 10 quid maximum!! Why? Well they told me that they have been stung many many times by off course gambles they had to limit bets and I am sure they have said enough is enough, The numbers do not work and the golden goose has died.

I don't understand why nobody has commented on this.
If BAGS, bookmakers afternoon greyhound service, had not cancelled the Friday fixture for 2013 onwards, Oxford would have stayed open in the short term.
You have to ask why it was cancelled. If the bookies were making serious money instead of being stung on a regular basis, we wouldn't be mourning or commenting on its closure.
The Golden Goose was bled to death and those that did the bleeding will be worse off in the long term as the goose is dying.

The Dogs is a very good night out and popular form of entertainment in Oxford. Im very sad it will be closing as are many people I have spoken too. I think the comments that greyhound racing is cruel are riduclous, it is in the dogs nature to run and all of the owners/trainers I know love their dogs as the pets that they are.

I think it was always planned that eventuallythe track would be closed down and houses built there. The council have obviously received some backhander for this, but suprise, suprise, they ar still preaching they have no money!

I agree that there is a lack of affordable housing in Oxford, its a shame that the houses that will be built on the site will more than likely be hugely over priced, poorly built new builds that the average first time buyer/family can raise a mortgage for.

Oxford really doesnt have much going for it anymore.

mdh1664 wrote:
this is a crafty plan by the developers (who own the gra).
run it down, come out with loss making statements.
then the planning applications for housing go in !
IT STINKS !

I'm against more housing in Britain full stop, soon we won't be able to feed ourselves with the wave upon wave of ppl expecting to be housed on these shores.
However the track closing is good day for greyhounds, less cruel callous activity and animal exploitation.
Could not the site be used to replenish a least a small part of the forest land that has been depleted over the centuries in Britain or be used as an animal sanctuary or for some other use that is health promoting.