The Greyhounds Race at Abbey Stadium for the last time

The promotion of Greyhound Racing at Swindon’s Abbey Stadium closed for the last time on Saturday 27 December after 73 years of promotion at the site, 28 years by Gaming International.

Jo Clarke, acting General Manager at Abbey Stadium, said: “It was a very emotional day for everyone attending this invitation only last day of racing. Many recollections of times past, hugs and tears from the entire team that has produced greyhound

racing 4 times a week over many years.

"Some of those attending have been part of the team for the 28 years we have been in Swindon and some who moved with us from Bristol, adding up to 15 years on those 28.

"I was delighted that Peter Geeves, recently retired General Manager was able to join us.

"All of Gaming International’s teams have worked on the basis of an informal, non-hierarchical organisation structure and Swindon has been no exception. The closeness and involvement of the team makes it harder to say goodbye.

"I am proud that we delivered our last greyhound meeting to our usual high standard.”

Clarke Osborne, Chairman of the group that owns the Abbey Stadium said: “It was a poignant day for everyone involved, from our brilliant team of colleagues, greyhound trainers and their assistants and greyhound owners, some of whom have been with the company for over 40 years.

"It is 28 years ago that I persuaded my then Board of directors to purchase this local stadium which was facing closure and replacement with a regional car auction facility. We invested in new and extended facilities, expanded the uses and revenue streams, brought eager and capable management together with our relationship and reputation with the Bookmakers

Afternoon Greyhound Service. We even took over the Speedway promotion for a period before passing onto the then top Speedway promoter Terry Russell.

"The Abbey Stadium or as we named it, Swindon Stadium flourished and became known nationally and internationally, through its greyhound racing.

"But everything changed in March 2020 with the onset of the pandemic. The Covid 19 shutdown placed an immediate strain on cash flows, introduced the biggest change in the way we  communicate since the invention of the telephone, broke habits in spectator leisure pursuits and furthered the popularity of sport and leisure delivered to the home.

"We were able to survive as a business, through financial sacrifice by the whole of the GI team, increasing debt and the support of Arena Racing Company (ARC) in awarding additional event purchasing.

"Since the relaxation of lockdown conditions, both greyhound racing and speedway have not recovered attendances to pre-pandemic levels and have further deteriorated, I believe, primarily due to a change of habit in spectator leisure regular attendance and the rapid and continual advance in the delivery of TV coverage.

"Greyhound Racing attendances have fallen to levels that make the promotion of racing without revenues from rights exploitation, loss making and the betting turnover (the primary revenue source) is under increasing pressure from the AI technology and algorithms that have opened infinite markets across the world’s most viewed sports.

"Our contract with Premier Greyhound Racing (PGR) has come to an end and will not be renewed as they move to racecourses that are owned or controlled by themselves.

"Saturday marked the end of 93 years of continuous greyhound racing promotion for the company and 50 years of my involvement in greyhound racing. Those 50 years have been both rewarding and enjoyable for me, where I have had the opportunity of helping to shape the future and innovate. Most of all I have had the privilege of meeting and working with some incredible people in the UK and overseas.

"It is somewhat ironic, that supporters of banning this ancient and highly regulated sport should attend and demonstrate for press coverage of their inaccurate and inflated statements of injury and cruelty at the safest racetrack in the U.K.

"There is always more work to be done, to continually improve through regulation and innovation, but at the heart of matters, greyhounds that have been pure bred since the Egyptians c4000 BC and bred for racing and hunting in England by the Celts, love to race, it is in their DNA. They are athletes of the canine world and are cared for with the same attention as thoroughbred horses and human athletes.

"Greyhound racing has developed and continues to develop the science of safe racing tracks and surfacing, the veterinary care of fitness and injury and the placing of greyhounds with new owners when retiring from their racing career. The problem is that we have too much racing, putting the athletes under strain by racing more than once a week and increasing the number of greyhounds retiring and waiting for new homes and new owners. When I first became involved (in Bristol) racing was limited by regulation to 8 races per meeting and two meetings per week.

"Today, without regulation on the number of races staged by any licensed racecourse the demand for racing greyhounds has spiraled, driven now by the war of media rights essentially doubling the number of races staged. I hope and predict that a solution will be agreed in the not too distant future and consequently the demand will shrink dramatically.

"I am proud of our achievements and investment in Swindon, proud of the team and hopeful of the opportunity for the company to continue its presence and investment in Swindon through the development and management of the new community hub and in supporting the development of the Swindon Motorsports facility at Studley Grange.”