Have never been to the new stadium, but spent many an evening at the old stadium watching stock cars, bangers and speedway. Sad day for Crayford and all those who work at the stadium.
Sad to see a local landmark close, but to be honest I miss the OLD stadium there much more, as it also held banger racing and speedway as well, which meant it got a lot more use during the week. I used to really enjoy watching banger racing as a child.
The whole area needs a proper redevelopment plan, as the Sainsbury's carpark is a massive waste of space, the store itself is unnecessarily large while the petrol station is too small.
Used to love going to speedway there, went to banger racing as well a few times, a long time ago now
Dog racing has been in decline for years, so no surprise.
I think it's a sign we are getting old to be honest, times move on and things change, much like pubs closing.
Not sure why, darts and horse racing have reinvented themselves a bit in the last 10-15 years and are now much more appealing to a younger audience. Not sure why dogs should be any different.
Thinks horse racing is a dress up day out, often followed by entertainment (that's the one's my daughter goes to anyway).
Darts has become more like football with the spectator interaction.
Dog racing I find it more like a cross between going to an old bookies and a poor 1970's lower league football ground, which is probably why I quite like it! It hasn't;t moved on in 40+ years
I think the 'youth' of today just see that as zero appeal, much like going out drinking. Amazes me how many of the under 30's at work rarely drink, certainly never at lunch and rarely after work - that was a daily occurrence for me. I was out 4 nights a week at their age.
When I started work in 1970 for an insurance broker it was perfectly normal to go to the pub at lunchtime everyday.
With difficulty filling traps I don’t know why they just don’t reduce the number of races in a meet. 12-13 race cards has always felt a bit unnecessary for me and the gap between races pretty narrow. A lot of people have gone before the last races. Reduce the card down to 9-10 races, gap it a little more and get full trap cards again and I think most people would like that.
Its being developed from Maxim Road round the back of the industrial units right to the boundary of the Greyhound track circa 15 blocks its a massive development. Not doubt a few extra blocks will go in its place.
They should never have moved the busy Saturday evenings racing to Sunday evening. It’s almost as if they wanted the decline to justify closing it down and selling to developers.
They should never have moved the busy Saturday evenings racing to Sunday evening. It’s almost as if they wanted the decline to justify closing it down and selling to developers.
Iv owned Greyhounds at both Crayford and Sittingbourne for many years. The Crayford Management team had no say in losing their two busiest meetings of the week. The Saturday mornings and nights were always well attended. But, Entain who own Crayford, moved these meetings to Monmore. Leaving Crayford with a Saturday afternoon, and Sunday grave yard shift. So Crayford hasn’t just died, it’s was pretty much killed by its own management. Midweek Evening meetings started at 18:23 a finish at 21.10, how can those times attract a crowd.
Years ago they closed Walthamstow as unviable, saying it didn’t make a profit. However, it had about 10 of the Chandler family on its board paying themselves massive salaries, for doing nothing. Hence why it showed no profit on the bottom line. Then closing it down gave these individuals a massive payout from selling the land for flats.
Hoping somebody will see Crayford can make a profit and step in to save the track.
With difficulty filling traps I don’t know why they just don’t reduce the number of races in a meet. 12-13 race cards has always felt a bit unnecessary for me and the gap between races pretty narrow. A lot of people have gone before the last races. Reduce the card down to 9-10 races, gap it a little more and get full trap cards again and I think most people would like that.
Reducing the number of races doesn't help because it's all about turnover for bookmakers and by that I don't mean on course - it would be diluting the number of opportunities for punters to lose money. Why fund a track that can only fill nine races when you have others owned by you that could fill 14 races with reserves too? It's no coincidence that, once upon a time, the norm for horserace meetings was six races - now we are seeing some with nine. Less people are owning greyhounds especially with the younger generation more conscience of welfare issues both on the track and when it comes to a dog's short career coming to an end. Fewer dogs mean fewer trainers. Fewer trainers and less runners mean more likelihood of insider trading at some tracks.
How many on here have already said "I used to love to go" but simply don't do so with any regularity nowadays. I've been once in the last decade and that was a couple of years ago. The place was totally lacking in any atmosphere. Most people that do bet on dogs can do something that they never could in a former era - they can sit in the comfort of their home, not have to queue up for something to drink and watch the races on freeview greyhound channels. Bookies like Ladbrokes only need so many tracks to offer Greyhound racing to those people at home and in the bookies.
The closure will come down to Ladbrokes crunching the numbers and deciding that it's not viable for them. At one time there were over 30 London greyhound stadiums - Charlton had one that closed in 1971 and most of those of a certain age will have heard of the likes of Wimbledon, Catford, Hackney, Walthamstow etc etc. With the closure of Crayford, there will be just the one - Romford. There are, I believe, just 20 licensed tracks in the whole of the UK. Times have sadly moved on.
Shame, but my Wife and I have kept saying " we must go....." but haven't for years. Saturday was the best night. Growing up in Woolwich, Dad worked days at Harveys in Charlton as a Draughtsman, but also had an evening job at Charlton Dog track taking bets etc. My Sister used to take me along the lower Road to go meet him, and walking into the old dog track at night as a youngster was magical. The noise, smells, lights, excitement. Simple times!
Many years ago people thought that Bookmakers buying tracks would be the saviour of the sport. However they have gradually taken control and now meetings take place at different times to satisfy far eastern punters. I stopped going when Catford closed where I was a regular for many years. I agree with Smiffy boy and Ralph Milne that the removal of Saturday mornings and evenings have caused a decline in attendances. People are creatures of habit.
It has a VERY special place in my heart. Growing up i went every Monday with my dad and his mad mates. All through my teenage years up until i left school. The old track was great. My dad always walked up late to place his bet just as the hare started and NEVER told us what he'd bet on. it was a ritual. I started to feel like a man on those nights out, a quick pint on the way home as well. I am one of those that's gutted but hasn't been for about a year. Its use it or lose it sometimes.
I'm welling up thinking of the great times i spent with him there.
I also used to go to Crayford Kestrels quite a bit and got that into Speedway i went to away games at Mildenhall and Wolverhampton etc - as a kid i had quite the speedway programme collection
Dog racing has been in decline for years, so no surprise.
I think it's a sign we are getting old to be honest, times move on and things change, much like pubs closing.
Not sure why, darts and horse racing have reinvented themselves a bit in the last 10-15 years and are now much more appealing to a younger audience. Not sure why dogs should be any different.
Thinks horse racing is a dress up day out, often followed by entertainment (that's the one's my daughter goes to anyway).
Darts has become more like football with the spectator interaction.
Dog racing I find it more like a cross between going to an old bookies and a poor 1970's lower league football ground, which is probably why I quite like it! It hasn't;t moved on in 40+ years
I think the 'youth' of today just see that as zero appeal, much like going out drinking. Amazes me how many of the under 30's at work rarely drink, certainly never at lunch and rarely after work - that was a daily occurrence for me. I was out 4 nights a week at their age.
When I started work in 1970 for an insurance broker it was perfectly normal to go to the pub at lunchtime everyday.
same in the late 80’s. I started locally in Sidcup for 4 years, we were in the Alma every lunchtime. Then into the city and same again but for more than an hour. I worked at one place that closed Wednesday PM, no guesses where we all were.
now I know very few people who bar a ‘meeting’ go to the pub, certainly more go to gym than anything else during lunch times.
times change as do habits. Drinking, going to dogs etc is now very much a once in a while thing. Just look how many people have said on here they used to love going, but haven’t for sometimes decades.
i suspect if we have this conversation in 25 years they’ll be barely any pubs left as we know them and likely no greyhound racing.
Dog racing has been in decline for years, so no surprise.
I think it's a sign we are getting old to be honest, times move on and things change, much like pubs closing.
Not sure why, darts and horse racing have reinvented themselves a bit in the last 10-15 years and are now much more appealing to a younger audience. Not sure why dogs should be any different.
Thinks horse racing is a dress up day out, often followed by entertainment (that's the one's my daughter goes to anyway).
Darts has become more like football with the spectator interaction.
Dog racing I find it more like a cross between going to an old bookies and a poor 1970's lower league football ground, which is probably why I quite like it! It hasn't;t moved on in 40+ years
I think the 'youth' of today just see that as zero appeal, much like going out drinking. Amazes me how many of the under 30's at work rarely drink, certainly never at lunch and rarely after work - that was a daily occurrence for me. I was out 4 nights a week at their age.
When I started work in 1970 for an insurance broker it was perfectly normal to go to the pub at lunchtime everyday.
same in the late 80’s. I started locally in Sidcup for 4 years, we were in the Alma every lunchtime. Then into the city and same again but for more than an hour. I worked at one place that closed Wednesday PM, no guesses where we all were.
now I know very few people who bar a ‘meeting’ go to the pub, certainly more go to gym than anything else during lunch times.
times change as do habits. Drinking, going to dogs etc is now very much a once in a while thing. Just look how many people have said on here they used to love going, but haven’t for sometimes decades.
i suspect if we have this conversation in 25 years they’ll be barely any pubs left as we know them and likely no greyhound racing.
The decline in pub going is much smaller than the decline in interest in sports like greyhound racing though.
Greyhound racing was the poor man's betting. Do the pools, and stick a couple of quid on the dogs. I'm not sure many people went there because they loved watching dogs running around a track, which isn't the same for other minority sports like non league football or county championship cricket.
Yes there was a social side, but that can be replicated elsewhere
Dog racing has been in decline for years, so no surprise.
I think it's a sign we are getting old to be honest, times move on and things change, much like pubs closing.
Not sure why, darts and horse racing have reinvented themselves a bit in the last 10-15 years and are now much more appealing to a younger audience. Not sure why dogs should be any different.
Thinks horse racing is a dress up day out, often followed by entertainment (that's the one's my daughter goes to anyway).
Darts has become more like football with the spectator interaction.
Dog racing I find it more like a cross between going to an old bookies and a poor 1970's lower league football ground, which is probably why I quite like it! It hasn't;t moved on in 40+ years
I think the 'youth' of today just see that as zero appeal, much like going out drinking. Amazes me how many of the under 30's at work rarely drink, certainly never at lunch and rarely after work - that was a daily occurrence for me. I was out 4 nights a week at their age.
When I started work in 1970 for an insurance broker it was perfectly normal to go to the pub at lunchtime everyday.
same in the late 80’s. I started locally in Sidcup for 4 years, we were in the Alma every lunchtime. Then into the city and same again but for more than an hour. I worked at one place that closed Wednesday PM, no guesses where we all were.
now I know very few people who bar a ‘meeting’ go to the pub, certainly more go to gym than anything else during lunch times.
times change as do habits. Drinking, going to dogs etc is now very much a once in a while thing. Just look how many people have said on here they used to love going, but haven’t for sometimes decades.
i suspect if we have this conversation in 25 years they’ll be barely any pubs left as we know them and likely no greyhound racing.
The decline in pub going is much smaller than the decline in interest in sports like greyhound racing though.
Greyhound racing was the poor man's betting. Do the pools, and stick a couple of quid on the dogs. I'm not sure many people went there because they loved watching dogs running around a track, which isn't the same for other minority sports like non league football or county championship cricket.
Yes there was a social side, but that can be replicated elsewhere
I'm sure that's the case of dogs v pubs, even if they have dropped down to about 40,000 now (down from something like 70,000 in the 80's).
But it just highlights changing attitudes and times.
It has a VERY special place in my heart. Growing up i went every Monday with my dad and his mad mates. All through my teenage years up until i left school. The old track was great. My dad always walked up late to place his bet just as the hare started and NEVER told us what he'd bet on. it was a ritual. I started to feel like a man on those nights out, a quick pint on the way home as well. I am one of those that's gutted but hasn't been for about a year. Its use it or lose it sometimes.
I'm welling up thinking of the great times i spent with him there.
I also used to go to Crayford Kestrels quite a bit and got that into Speedway i went to away games at Mildenhall and Wolverhampton etc - as a kid i had quite the speedway programme collection
As a 10year old, Steve Naylor was one of my first sporting heroes
Dog racing has been in decline for years, so no surprise.
I think it's a sign we are getting old to be honest, times move on and things change, much like pubs closing.
Not sure why, darts and horse racing have reinvented themselves a bit in the last 10-15 years and are now much more appealing to a younger audience. Not sure why dogs should be any different.
Thinks horse racing is a dress up day out, often followed by entertainment (that's the one's my daughter goes to anyway).
Darts has become more like football with the spectator interaction.
Dog racing I find it more like a cross between going to an old bookies and a poor 1970's lower league football ground, which is probably why I quite like it! It hasn't;t moved on in 40+ years
I think the 'youth' of today just see that as zero appeal, much like going out drinking. Amazes me how many of the under 30's at work rarely drink, certainly never at lunch and rarely after work - that was a daily occurrence for me. I was out 4 nights a week at their age.
When I started work in 1970 for an insurance broker it was perfectly normal to go to the pub at lunchtime everyday.
same in the late 80’s. I started locally in Sidcup for 4 years, we were in the Alma every lunchtime. Then into the city and same again but for more than an hour. I worked at one place that closed Wednesday PM, no guesses where we all were.
now I know very few people who bar a ‘meeting’ go to the pub, certainly more go to gym than anything else during lunch times.
times change as do habits. Drinking, going to dogs etc is now very much a once in a while thing. Just look how many people have said on here they used to love going, but haven’t for sometimes decades.
i suspect if we have this conversation in 25 years they’ll be barely any pubs left as we know them and likely no greyhound racing.
The decline in pub going is much smaller than the decline in interest in sports like greyhound racing though.
Greyhound racing was the poor man's betting. Do the pools, and stick a couple of quid on the dogs. I'm not sure many people went there because they loved watching dogs running around a track, which isn't the same for other minority sports like non league football or county championship cricket.
Yes there was a social side, but that can be replicated elsewhere
I'm sure that's the case of dogs v pubs, even if they have dropped down to about 40,000 now (down from something like 70,000 in the 80's).
But it just highlights changing attitudes and times.
I don’t think it’s changing attitudes so much, more times evolving. A lot of our social spend now goes on things that were either not the norms or in relation to phones and other tech / entertainment subscriptions, didn’t even exist
Dog racing has been in decline for years, so no surprise.
I think it's a sign we are getting old to be honest, times move on and things change, much like pubs closing.
Not sure why, darts and horse racing have reinvented themselves a bit in the last 10-15 years and are now much more appealing to a younger audience. Not sure why dogs should be any different.
Thinks horse racing is a dress up day out, often followed by entertainment (that's the one's my daughter goes to anyway).
Darts has become more like football with the spectator interaction.
Dog racing I find it more like a cross between going to an old bookies and a poor 1970's lower league football ground, which is probably why I quite like it! It hasn't;t moved on in 40+ years
I think the 'youth' of today just see that as zero appeal, much like going out drinking. Amazes me how many of the under 30's at work rarely drink, certainly never at lunch and rarely after work - that was a daily occurrence for me. I was out 4 nights a week at their age.
When I started work in 1970 for an insurance broker it was perfectly normal to go to the pub at lunchtime everyday.
same in the late 80’s. I started locally in Sidcup for 4 years, we were in the Alma every lunchtime. Then into the city and same again but for more than an hour. I worked at one place that closed Wednesday PM, no guesses where we all were.
now I know very few people who bar a ‘meeting’ go to the pub, certainly more go to gym than anything else during lunch times.
times change as do habits. Drinking, going to dogs etc is now very much a once in a while thing. Just look how many people have said on here they used to love going, but haven’t for sometimes decades.
i suspect if we have this conversation in 25 years they’ll be barely any pubs left as we know them and likely no greyhound racing.
The decline in pub going is much smaller than the decline in interest in sports like greyhound racing though.
Greyhound racing was the poor man's betting. Do the pools, and stick a couple of quid on the dogs. I'm not sure many people went there because they loved watching dogs running around a track, which isn't the same for other minority sports like non league football or county championship cricket.
Yes there was a social side, but that can be replicated elsewhere
I'm sure that's the case of dogs v pubs, even if they have dropped down to about 40,000 now (down from something like 70,000 in the 80's).
But it just highlights changing attitudes and times.
I don’t think it’s changing attitudes so much, more times evolving. A lot of our social spend now goes on things that were either not the norms or in relation to phones and other tech / entertainment subscriptions, didn’t even exist
Pub boozing is held up by the generations just above me, it was par for the course back in the day for all of us to be in the pub every single afternoon from work and the texts would start sometimes obscenely early telling me someone was in the pub and the race was on to get my work done and join in. Then a lot of us if we had work vans they did not have trackers on, I dont think any of us had cars on finance, me and maybe 2 others had our own properties but it wasn't all heavy sessions usually 2 beers and off. When pints started breaking the 2.50 barrier wages weren't keeping up and they haven't. Its now 6 quid a pint in my local and comparatively to my wages that is now a real expense so God knows what its like for anyone trying to save any money
Also young people, as a purely anecdotal observation aren't as bothered, gym culture isn't a new thing, its par for the course for food to be involved in going out so places like wetherspoons make hay especially for groups whereas my local only does food on a Sunday but has a live band every Friday and isn't comparable for prices with somewhere like wetherspoons.
Also far fewer younger people doing jobs with their paws where the day ended in the pub was par for the course which will trickle down to less people seeing using the pub regularly as the norm
Comments
That is a shame to hear its closing however I don't think I'd been there for the best part of 15 years
'Let's go Catford dogs'.
'Ok let's go next week'.
This went on a few years and then Catford get's shut and a few hundred flats now in place.
Hoping somebody will see Crayford can make a profit and step in to save the track.
How many on here have already said "I used to love to go" but simply don't do so with any regularity nowadays. I've been once in the last decade and that was a couple of years ago. The place was totally lacking in any atmosphere. Most people that do bet on dogs can do something that they never could in a former era - they can sit in the comfort of their home, not have to queue up for something to drink and watch the races on freeview greyhound channels. Bookies like Ladbrokes only need so many tracks to offer Greyhound racing to those people at home and in the bookies.
The closure will come down to Ladbrokes crunching the numbers and deciding that it's not viable for them. At one time there were over 30 London greyhound stadiums - Charlton had one that closed in 1971 and most of those of a certain age will have heard of the likes of Wimbledon, Catford, Hackney, Walthamstow etc etc. With the closure of Crayford, there will be just the one - Romford. There are, I believe, just 20 licensed tracks in the whole of the UK. Times have sadly moved on.
Growing up in Woolwich, Dad worked days at Harveys in Charlton as a Draughtsman, but also had an evening job at Charlton Dog track taking bets etc. My Sister used to take me along the lower Road to go meet him, and walking into the old dog track at night as a youngster was magical. The noise, smells, lights, excitement. Simple times!
I agree with Smiffy boy and Ralph Milne that the removal of Saturday mornings and evenings have caused a decline in attendances. People are creatures of habit.
I'm welling up thinking of the great times i spent with him there.
I also used to go to Crayford Kestrels quite a bit and got that into Speedway i went to away games at Mildenhall and Wolverhampton etc - as a kid i had quite the speedway programme collection
charltonbob said: same in the late 80’s. I started locally in Sidcup for 4 years, we were in the Alma every lunchtime. Then into the city and same again but for more than an hour. I worked at one place that closed Wednesday PM, no guesses where we all were.
now I know very few people who bar a ‘meeting’ go to the pub, certainly more go to gym than anything else during lunch times.
times change as do habits. Drinking, going to dogs etc is now very much a once in a while thing. Just look how many people have said on here they used to love going, but haven’t for sometimes decades.
i suspect if we have this conversation in 25 years they’ll be barely any pubs left as we know them and likely no greyhound racing.
Greyhound racing was the poor man's betting. Do the pools, and stick a couple of quid on the dogs. I'm not sure many people went there because they loved watching dogs running around a track, which isn't the same for other minority sports like non league football or county championship cricket.
Yes there was a social side, but that can be replicated elsewhere
But it just highlights changing attitudes and times.
Also young people, as a purely anecdotal observation aren't as bothered, gym culture isn't a new thing, its par for the course for food to be involved in going out so places like wetherspoons make hay especially for groups whereas my local only does food on a Sunday but has a live band every Friday and isn't comparable for prices with somewhere like wetherspoons.
Also far fewer younger people doing jobs with their paws where the day ended in the pub was par for the course which will trickle down to less people seeing using the pub regularly as the norm