Is salvation really in sight for the Stow?

Walthamstow Greyhound Racing / Editor / 06 August 2008 / 1 Comments

A campaign to save Walthamstow stadium is gathering momentum and Mark Sullivan has been talking to its leader...

"As long as I have a breath in my body the fight to save Walthamstow will go on."

Those are the words of Ricky Holloway, whose initial lone battle to save the greyhound track he loves has gathered so much momentum it now attracts a myriad of national media coverage and thousands of like-minded followers.

Holloway describes the planned closure of the country's most famous track as greyhound racing's Armageddon and there is little doubt that if, as scheduled, the Stow stages its last race on August 16 it will be a cataclysmic moment for a sport that has experienced more than its share of highs and lows since its inception at Belle Vue in Manchester in 1926.

Following huge popularity in the post-war years, greyhound racing has been in steady decline since the legalisation of betting shops in 1961 which meant that punters didn't have to go the tracks to have a bet.

Sky-high attendances began to reduce. The UK once had in excess of 100 tracks while today there are less than 30. But through it all Walthamstow has shone like a beacon - quite literally with its iconic art deco neon signage. It seems as long as the sport could show off the Stow as its flagship it had something to be proud of.

But that jewel could now be taken away as the result of a deal struck by the Chandler family, the owners of the track, and L and Q Group and two partner companies who view the eight acre site as being of more value as affordable housing for those in the Waltham Forest area.

Whilst nobody would argue the dire need of more dwellings for people on lower incomes, those backing the drive to keep the Stow open as a greyhound circuit point to there being plenty of other pieces of land in the locality suitable for that purpose other than the home the area's most famous landmark which is also an integral part of the social fabric and a major job provider.

Holloway claims that the new owners of the Walthamstow site would never have bought it had they not been led to believe greyhound racing at the venue was making massive loses; and that the sport in the UK is terminally ill with no hope of survival. The tracks end of year published accounts for the year ending February 2007 revealed a paltry profit of £16,000 on a turnover in the region of £8million.

In response to what are clearly disastrous numbers, critics have pointed to the alleged poor management of the track by its owners, in particular to staffing levels which are understood to be in the region of 400, and it is claimed a failure to "move with the times".

A consortium of businessmen with a passion for greyhound racing in general - but Walthamstow in particular - have been brought together by Holloway and enough has been raised to match the price paid to the Chandlers for Walthamstow (although that figure has never been made public) with profit on top. After initial scepticism it now seems Holloway and his partners are being viewed with credibility by the L and Q Group and its partners.

Meetings between the two parties are understood to be taking place to discus either the sale of the site or leasing Walthamstow to Holloway and co for the continuation of racing in the short term. Meanwhile, the Save Our Stow campaign continues to gain national exposure protests rallies and news items on media outlets.

Time though is a precious commodity and nobody has lost sight of the deadline of August 16. After that date Walthamstow will cease to be a venue for greyhound racing unless agreement between the new owners and Holloway's men. It promises to be a tense time and the shape of greyhound racing in the future in the UK could hang on the outcome.

More information on the campaign to save Walthamstow can be found here: http://www.smashiton.com/Main/SaveOurStow.htm

Comments (1)

1. Sylvia Fairley | 08 August 2008

   I am one of many who are shocked to hear of the end of Stow. I was there last night, and can't believe it can all be swept away for development.

   I just want to ask: have as many preservation groups as possible been approached? The building is a unique example of 30's art Deco, and I would have thought that there was some hope that the stadium could be preserved for this reason?

   SF.