NEWS FROM GREYHOUND ACTION
Victory at Coventry!
Plans for greyhound track withdrawn.
On March 11th Greyhound Action received a message from an animal rights
campaigner in Coventry that people living near the disused Butts athletics
stadium in the city had been sent a letter from the council informing them that
a company called Butts Park Ventures Ltd had put in a planning application to
build a rugby stadium, together with a greyhound track, on the Butts site.
Research on the internet revealed that Butts Park Ventures was owned by Keith Fairbrother, the Chairman of Coventry Rugby Club, who were
selling their present stadium and looking to build a new one. The news was
passed on to Coventry Animal Alliance (CAA), who immediately began a campaign
against the proposed greyhound track. A meeting was held in Coventry
between members of CAA, representatives of Greyhound Action and local animal
rescue workers, and a plan of action was formulated. Local campaigners set up a
group called Coventry Against Greyhound Exploitation
(CAGE) and produced leaflets outlining the cruelty and slaughter associated
with greyhound racing and the disturbance likely to be caused to local
residents by racegoers. Petition forms asking the
council to refuse planning permission for the track were printed and hundreds
of Coventry residents signed them
at street stalls held by CAGE. At first CAGE concentrated their efforts on leafletting and petitioning people living near the Butts
and were very encouraged by the attitude of the local residents, who were
almost unanimously opposed to the proposed track. The local councillor
for the area expressed his support for the CAGE campaign and gave advice on the
best way to go about persuading the council to reject the track. It turned out
that the Butts was actually owned by the council, so the campaign had two lines
of attack - one, that the council should not allow greyhound racing, with all
its associated cruelty etc., on its land, and two, that planning permission
should be refused on account of the problems the track would cause for local
residents. The e-mail and home addresses of all the councillors
(including those on the Planning Committee) were obtained from Coventry City
Council and people far and wide were asked to send letters and e-mails
requesting that the track not be allowed. People were also asked to write to
Keith Fairbrother asking him to drop his plans for
the track. Further research on the internet and elsewhere revealed that Fairbrother had previous involvement in greyhound racing
and some years before had built a "flapping" track in Coventry
without planning permission, which he subsequently had to pull down. It turned
out that he had gone bankrupt several times and owed hundreds of thousands of
pounds to various people, as well as having a criminal conviction for stealing
electricity. On May 20th, thirty people and several rescued greyhounds held a
picket outside the Council House (Town Hall) in Coventry
city centre, and this was followed the next night by a public meeting at a hall
near the site of the proposed track, which was attended by over 50 people, with
the majority being local residents. First to speak at the meeting was John from
CAGE, who told of how members of the group had been to Hall Green greyhound
track the previous Saturday on a fact-finding mission. During one of the races
there, a greyhound broke its leg and was carried from the track screaming and
eventually "put to sleep" by a vet. Later, a survey was done of local
residents, who spoke of how their lives were made hell on race nights by
drunken punters shouting, fighting and urinating in their gardens. John also
spoke about the criminality and dodgy dealings of Mr Fairbrother. Paul, a Greyhound Action investigator, showed
some video clips exposing the cruelty and killing of dogs, as well as the
fraud, associated with the greyhound racing industry. One of the videos had
been filmed just north of Coventry and showed a pit full of the bones of
slaughtered greyhounds and a former training kennels employee speaking of how
his ex-boss, and other trainers, had shot dogs who were no longer good enough
to race. Tony from Greyhound Action then gave some general information about
greyhound racing, including the facts that 50 greyhounds are slaughtered by the
industry every day and each major track is responsible for the deaths of at
least 500 greyhounds per year. Three members of Coventry City Council were also
at the meeting and they all expressed opposition to
the proposed track. All the local residents present were also opposed to it and
all vowed to join the demonstration planned for the coming Saturday outside the
Council House. A reporter from the Coventry Evening Telegraph was there too,
but predictably (the paper has a history of opposition to animal rights) the
next day's edition gave more emphasis to a supposed threatening letter received
by Fairbrother than to the overwhelming evidence
against the proposed track presented at the public meeting. Then Saturday 25th
came, and just as CAGE campaigners were preparing for the Council House demo, a
phone call came through from the Evening Telegraph saying that Fairbrother had withdrawn his plans for the greyhound
track. He had cited economic reasons, but it was obvious he had surrendered in
the knowledge that there was no way the Council would allow the track in the
light of all the evidence gathered by CAGE and the strength of the local
opposition to it. It was too late to call off the demo, which instead turned
into a victory celebration, involving well over 200 people and a fair
scattering of rescued greyhounds and other dogs. Champagne
was drunk on the steps of the Council House and a march took place through the
centre of Coventry, during which a
bookmakers temporarily shut up shop after demonstrators gathered outside it.
CAGE members gave interviews to local TV and radio and there was tremendous
support from the public for what had been achieved. In less than 2½ months the
battle to stop greyhound racing coming to Coventry
had been won, meaning that, with Canterbury
in 1999, the last two proposals for new greyhound tracks in England
have been defeated.
Greyhound Awareness
Week.
The recent Greyhound Awareness Week, which took place at the end of May, was
the most successful yet, mainly because of the announcement, on May 25th, that
the chairman of Coventry rugby club had withdrawn plans to include a greyhound track
as part of the club's new stadium (see article above). Elsewhere in the country
many local animal rights groups and concerned individuals also played their
part - and there were several demonstrations outside greyhound stadiums, and
street stalls up and down the country to help educate the public not to support
greyhound racing. Tens of thousands of leaflets were distributed and thousands
more signatures added to our petition to abolish greyhound racing. There was a
good deal of coverage in local and regional newspapers and on local radio.
Special mention must be made of the Northern Animal Rights Alliance, who
carried out a whole week of action, including street stalls, pickets outside
betting shops in several towns in the North-East and a demo at the Sunderland
track. Also London Animal Action, who held a 30 strong demo outside Walthamstow stadium, which attracted a good deal of media
coverage, including a debate on a London-wide radio station. Also thanks to the
Marchig Animal Welfare Trust and all the many
individuals whose kind donations made it possible for us to put Greyhound
Awareness Week on this year. There will be another
Greyhound Awareness Week next May - and we're hoping to have an even bigger
success with that one, but, in the meantime, there's no reason why people
shouldn't continue to spread the anti-greyhound racing message. We have plenty
of leaflets, posters, petition forms etc. available (free of charge) for anyone
who wants to do street stalls, as well as useful advice and information for
those who would like to hold demonstrations. Greyhounds are abused and killed
365 days a year by the greyhound racing industry. We need to be campaigning 365
days a year to protect them.
Wallyford - A Battle Lost, but the Fight Goes On!
Our thanks to all those people who e-mailed/faxed/wrote to
the East Lothian councillors in an attempt to prevent the
proposed greyhound track near Wallyford (a few miles
from Edinburgh) being given the go-ahead. Unfortunately, despite a great
deal of effort by greyhound protection campaigners, the plans for the track
were just recently given final council approval. This really comes as no great
surprise, as we heard about proposals for the track very late in the day and,
by the time the campaign got going, the council had already given general
approval to the idea of a greyhound track. We are not too downhearted however,
as a very good movement against greyhound racing has now been established in
the East Lothian area. The track still has to be built
and if/when it is, it will need large attendances in
order to survive. If enough people in the area can be educated about the
slaughter and cruelty inherent in the greyhound racing industry, the track will
not get the support it needs and will be forced to close, as has already
happened to several major greyhound stadiums in other parts of Britain.
Greyhound Action Group Edinburgh & Lothian are continuing to campaign
against the track. Please give them your support, especially if you live in Scotland
or the very north of England.
They can be contacted by phone on 01620 829711 or via e-mail at [email protected]
Researchers Needed.
As mentioned above, we would have had a much better chance of stopping plans
for the Wallyford track had we heard about them
earlier. We are in desperate need of volunteers to do research for us on the
internet and in various publications, so that we can gather as much information
as possible about the greyhound racing industry and its plans. Please contact
Greyhound Action if you can help in this, or any other way. Printed Version If
you would also like the printed version of our newsletter sent to you through
the post, please send us an e-mail giving your postal address. Greyhound
Action, PO Box 127, Kidderminster,
DY10 3UZ Tel: 01562 745778 Fax:
0870 138 3993 E-mail: [email protected]
Don't let the Diamonds go to the
Dogs!
Below is a recent article from the Northants Evening Telegraph.
Friday, July 12, 2002
Greyhound stadium may be built near
Diamonds
A GREYHOUND stadium could be built alongside the Rushden
& Diamonds football complex in Irthlingborough.
Owner of the site, R J Griggs and Company, already has planning permission to
develop the land as an entertainment complex. But the company has now gone cold
on the idea of building a multiplex cinema and is looking at other attractions.
A greyhound stadium is high on the list of possible alternatives. Company
spokesperson, Howard Johnstone, said: "No firm
decision has yet been taken and we are looking into various options including a
hotel, as well as a greyhound stadium.
"In the event of us going into greyhound racing, we would create a brand
new, modern stadium with a race track, restaurant and bars." Northamptonshire has a strong interest in greyhounds, with
many owners and trainers based in the Corby, Kettering
and Wellingborough area. But the nearest stadiums are
in Peterborough, Milton
Keynes and Oxford.
The Griggs Group believes the Irthlingborough site
would be the ideal location for Northamptonshire's
own stadium.
Mr Johnstone added: "A
greyhound stadium is just one of the possibilities we are exploring but in the
end the planning authority will have the final say.
"We would only be permitted to build a greyhound stadium if the council
agreed Irthlingborough was an appropriate
location."
If the greyhound idea is the option that gets the go-ahead the Griggs Group
would aim for the venue to be a prestigious project. Such a stadium would be
similar to the successful Peterborough
greyhound venue, which has seating for at least 600, a trackside terrace,
restaurants and bars, and a family room with games.
If the Griggs board decides to pursue the idea and it receives backing from
council planners, greyhound racing could begin within 18 months.
R J Griggs and Company is also known as R Griggs Group Ltd. They are the
people who make Doc Martens boots.
Max Griggs, President of R Griggs Group Ltd, is chairman of Rushden & Diamonds Football Club.
Howard Johnstone (mentioned in the article) is one of
the directors of the football club.
R Griggs Group Ltd Vice Chairman and Interim Deputy Managing Director of
Operations, Stephen W. Griggs, is also a director of the football club.
Chairman of R Griggs Group Ltd is Clifford Morton.
Please write to them asking them not to build the greyhound stadium.
Explain about the large-scale slaughter and abandonment of greyhounds caused by
the greyhound racing industry. Tell them that another greyhound track will just
create a demand for the breeding of even more greyhounds, most of which will be
killed if they fail to make the grade, or when their racing careers are over,
because there simply are not homes available for so many dogs. In addition,
there are thousands of injuries, many of them serious, to dogs running on
British tracks every year.
Inform them that there is rapidly growing opposition to greyhound racing by
people concerned about the fate of the dogs and the stadium is likely to be the
focus of large anti-greyhound racing demonstrations.
Point out that drink, drunkenness and rowdiness are all closely associated with
greyhound racing and life is likely to be made hell on greyhound race nights
for anyone living near the proposed stadium. Local residents living near
greyhound tracks in other parts of Britain have complained of being kept up to
the early hours by noise and disturbance from punters and traffic, fights
between rival groups of punters with the police frequently called, shouting and
swearing, empty bottles and cans being thrown into their gardens, and punters
urinating in their gardens and against the walls of their houses.
Rushden & Diamonds have a superb modern football
stadium and have risen from obscurity to Football League status in just a few
years. The involvement of the club with the killing, cruelty and anti-social behaviour associated with greyhound racing would seriously
tarnish its good reputation.
Please keep your letters/messages polite, as these are people who may not be
aware of what greyhound racing really involves, so any rudeness could be
extremely counter-productive.
Max Griggs/Howard Johnston/Stephen W. Griggs, Rushden
& Diamonds FC, Nene Park, Diamond Way, Irthlingborough, Northants, NN9
5QF.
Fax 01933 650418.
Max Griggs/Howard Johnston/Stephen W. Griggs/Clifford Morton,
R Griggs Group Ltd, Station
Road, Nene Park, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire
NN9 5QG.
Fax: 01933 411347 or 01933 654503
Email: [email protected]
Please also write to the Northants Evening Telegraph:- Letters, Northants Evening
Telegraph, Upper Mounts, Northampton,
NN1 3HR
Fax: 01604 467190 E-mail: [email protected]
Further
update to the Irthlingborough saga . . .
Sunday, 20 October 2002
We've been sent the article
below, which appeared recently in the Northants
Evening Telegraph.
It is reprehensible that they have not responded to any of the letters - but
do keep writing, as it all helps to keep pressure on them not to go ahead
with the track.
The claim that no cruelty would occur on their premises completely misses
the point. The real problem is the increased demand for breeding of
greyhounds (and the subsequent "disposal" of those that are
"unwanted") that
such a stadium would cause.
A local branch of Greyhound Action is being set up in the Irthlingborough
area to increase the campaign against the track. We'll let you have more
details soon.
Tony Peters, Greyhound Action
Dog track plan sparks outcry
LETTERS from all over the country are being sent objecting to proposals for
a greyhound stadium.
Protesters fear if a track is built alongside Rushden
& Diamonds football
ground at Nene Park
in Irthlingborough the number of unwanted greyhounds
being dumped will increase.
Founder of Northamptonshire Greyhound Rescue Mandy
Hooker said: "I've spoken
to lots of supporters who are writing to the R Griggs group to say the
stadium is not needed.
"We are surrounded by greyhound race tracks in Peterborough, Warwick
and
Milton Keynes - and Irthlingborough is
slap bang in the middle of these.
"By the time greyhounds reach 18 months old they are used on the track and
when they reach four a lot are taken off the track."
Currently, Northamptonshire Greyhound Rescue has 35
greyhounds in its care
at kennels just outside the county.
A further 175 are on a waiting list and the charity fears if plans for a
county track go ahead there will be an influx of unwanted dogs.
Owner of the site, R Griggs and Co, already has planning permission to
develop the land as an entertainment complex.
Sports and leisure division director for R Griggs, Howard Johnstone,
said:
"We've received lots of letters from all over the country and basically we
have not responded.
"No decisions have been made and to some extent this has been blown out of
all proportion.
"If we were to develop a greyhound stadium it would be run to the highest
possible standards and certainly no cruelty to animals would occur on our
premises."
Northants Evening Telegraph, Friday, October 04, 2002
Wisbech – Flapping track closes down . . .
Monday, October 21, 2002
We have heard from one of our supporters in Cambridge that the
independent ("flapping") greyhound track at Wisbech has closed and the whole site is padlocked and up for sale.
This is true – I have passed by it quite recently and seen the ‘for sale’ signs for myself.
It’s a very tatty looking place – hasn’t seen a lick of paint in years! (Patrick, Norwich SAFE)
The reason given in the local paper was that the proprietor's mother
was getting older, so he was selling up, but it is thought that the real
reason is because the track just wasn't profitable enough.
Proposed new track for Liverpool – the first to be built in the UK for 40 years . . .
New campaign group set up
As you can see from the newspaper report below, the
planning application has
now gone in for this track.
A campaign has already been started in Liverpool against it and we'll send
full details of this soon, together with details of Liverpool councillors to
write to/e-mail.
Tony Peters, Greyhound Action
Liverpool is ready to go to the dogs
GREYHOUND racing could soon return to Liverpool after a
break of more than
30 years.
The greyhound stadium, the first to be built in the UK for more than 40
years, is part of a £6.5m development submitted to planning chiefs for
approval yesterday.
The two-tier stadium on the site of the derelict Clifford Holroyde
school in
Higher
Lane, Fazakerley, will provide 2,000 seats and 1,000 standing
capacity. There will also be 350-seat restaurant, bars, cafes, conference
rooms and viewing boxes.
If the plans are approved, the first races could be in spring 2004.
The development is likely to create 225 new jobs.
The stadium, which would be run by the Greyhound Racing Association, is also
likely to be used for business conferences and training events.
Liverpool's last track, the White City Stadium in Lower Breck Road, Anfield,
was demolished in 1973 to build St Margaret's junior school.
Liverpool Daily Post Oct 16 2002
Please download a letter of protest to send to the following Liverpool City Councillors.
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
If you need more info about the cruelty/slaughter caused by the greyhound
racing industry contact:- Greyhound Action, PO Box 127, Kidderminster, DY10 3UZ
Tel: 01562 745778 Fax: 0870 138 3993
E-mail: [email protected]
Action For Greyhounds UK now have their own website – Please visit it at Action For Greyhounds UK
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