9 articles: updated 15th July 2008

Industry rumours suggested that the NGRC were ready to pull the plug following the track's failure to pay Paul Philpot the £10,000 prize money he is still owed from December's Coventry St Leger Final. That cash was owed by Greyhound Racing At Coventry Ltd, a company owned by Malcolm Frances, which is now in liquidation.

However, following discussions between the Coventry's new promoter, Avtar Sandhu, and NGRC CEO, Alistair McLean, common sense seems to have prevailed. Racing manager, Simon Harris, said "Sandhu is paying off some more of the outstanding prize money, but the level of debt was far worse than anyone anticipated. While nobody is devaluing the importance of the prize money, if the phones gets cut off, we don't have a business."

The total prize money bill is around £50,000, with other debts including a brewery bill for £37,000, likely to take the total debts well into six figures. Harris is hoping that the BRGB will be equally open minded about over £21,000 in prize money that was not paid out by Greyhound Racing at Coventry Ltd. The net result is that the BGRF have refused to give any grants, prize money or integrity to the new management since they took over on March 1. Harris said: "I can understand that the BGRF are angry, but this is a totally different company. We will give them the address of the administration and they can pursue the old management. The bottom line is, Sandhu could have stuck two fingers up at the whole business and nobody would have got a penny. Nobody should lose sight of the fact that the new business doesn't owe anyone a penny. What's more, the new company has continued to pay out the existing prize money levels, including the £4.50 BRGB grants."

COVENTRY is the new home of the Cradley Sales with the first auction pencilled in for late November, and then every four weeks, taking over from Perry Barr who were the long time previous hosts.

Cradley's sales go back 40 years and its history is nomadic. It all started as a favour at Monmore. Derek Pugh, an auctioneer by trade, was a greyhound owner at Monmore. He agreed to do a greyhound sale for the owners of the track and it proved a hit. The hammer next went down at Brough Park because, at the time, both venues were owned by the same proprietors. Then the sales moved all over the country; Sheffield, BelleVue, Nottingham, Wembley, Crayford, Catford, Hackney and Wimbledon in their time all used Pugh's services.He then bought and owned Cradley Heath track in the Midlands for a while - and that's where the sales settled and why they are still termed that. After selling Cradley track, Pugh moved them to Norton Canes for a short time. Sadly the service station on the M6 Toll occupies the space where that establishment once raced! For the last ten years it has been based at Perry Barr.

One difference to the sales at their new home at Coventry is that ten of the dogs in the catalogue will be provided by the ZigZag kennels of Charles Pickering with the intention, according to Malcolm Francis, Coventry's general manager, of giving "a good push to British breeding."Sales of this nature are important.With Cradley Sales, the Irish greyhounds are entered in the catalogue produced by Philip and Derek Pugh not long after the previous auction.

With only four weeks between sales there is plenty of paperwork and organisation. On the day of the sales each dog is identified, weighed and checked by a vet. Then the trials begin. Each trial is timed and recorded on video. At the end of trials a result sheet is produced.There is an opportunity to watch video replays of the performances, and a notepad and paper is a must. On average there are 80 dogs to buy on any one sales day - all at reasonable and affordable prices - and if not sold there is the potential for bartering. The sales have developed an enviable reputation.

I sought opinion from a friend of mine who had recently paid his first visit to a sale held by Brian Harrison's Combined British Auction at Crayford.My friend, already an owner at Crayford, had knowledge of the standard times at the venue but he took it upon himself to do some homework and research standard times at the Irish tracks. As it transpired it stood him in good stead and his advice is for those going to sales to do the same.He picked up the catalogue for a small fee and then proceeded to watch the trials and jot down notes. He also suggested that it may be worth going to more than one auction before even considering buying or at least making yourself known to a trainer beforehand.There was a good gathering of people and at no point did he feel pressurised to buy.

The sales put the onus on the purchaser, and away from your trainer.Malcolm Francis is looking forward to the sales coming to Coventry, saying: "Our graded times compare favourably to anywhere in the country; 33 per cent
of our races are opens so there is also a solid record of the times needed to compete at various levels. We are a young business and, having the sales here, only adds to our growing portfolio."

Francis says that next year he has already secured nine competitions with prize-money in excess of five figures and, by 2007, the aim is to increase that to one a month. With the Lady Godiva Stakes, 480 metres for bitches, and the Mike Allen Winter Derby still to come this year at Coventry, the signs are that the Cradley Sales are arriving at an upbeat time. My best to them all.

Dozens of protesters bearing placards with slogans such as "You Bet - They Die" and "Dying To Entertain You" shouted at cars pulling into the site.The protests will continue throughout the week.

John Curtis, of the Coventry Against Greyhound Racing group, said he was pleased with the response they were getting from passing pedestrians and drivers, who beeped horns to show their support.

He said: "It is a tragedy that the industry is expanding but we now must look at longer term education."We are meant to be a nation of animal lovers but in my experience the public are very good at turning a blind eye when it comes to cruelty."

Rugby animal rights campaigner Janet Cummings said she was pleased at the strength of the turnout. She said: "This is very a very powerful demonstration and we are making people aware of what is going on."No-one can miss us here and we are still hoping to get the racing stopped altogether."We want to stop firms booking Christmas parties at the stadium. A lot of people do that but this is animal cruelty and there's nothing to celebrate here," she added.

Protestors have vowed to take their battle against plans for greyhound racing at Coventry Stadium to court after the final green light was given to the scheme.Rugby borough council's licensing committee approved a track betting licence for the Rugby Road stadium in Brandon following a five-hour meeting on Monday, in court if necessary.

The meeting was held up by submissions from solicitors representing the stadium and from residents who said the stadium did not have permission to reintroduce racing at the track.

Councillors heard from protesters living near the site who feared their lives would be made hell by extra noise, light pollution, traffic congestion and litter as soon as the racing starts on April 14.

Brandon parish councillor Joy Stanton, said the fight would not end.

She said: "This is not the beginning of the end but the end of the beginning. We are not going to let this go."If you think we are too small to make a difference try sleeping with a mosquito."She said residents would challenge the decision.

Rugby Road resident John Sidey, who has lived in the area for 30 years, said he was disappointed by the decision.He said: "We are concerned as to what will happen when the racing starts."So far the owners seem to have shown no consideration for the residents. It seems betting is the main thing."

Brandon stadium commercial development manager Jeremy Heaver said he still wished to work with protesters.He said: "I will go out and meet with anyone to discuss concerns."We are very pleased the final hurdle has been overcome."He said 150 new staff would now be taken on.

Animal rights campaigners are planning protests during the first week of racing.

GA comment: In fact, the committee only approved the track betting licence on the casting vote of the chairman, after the voting went two for, two against and two abstentions - and the chairman only voted as he did because he feared that legal action would be taken against the council by the stadium proprietors, if the licence were refused.

Protestors who gathered outside a planning meeting to demonstrate against plans to reinstate greyhound racing at Brandon stadium were dealt a blow when councillors approved the first phase of the controversial application last night.

About 20 animal rights campaigners with dogs and placards waited outside Rugby town hall to protest against plans from bosses at Coventry Stadium to reintroduce the sport to the track in spring.

They were dismayed when members of the borough council's planning committee approved the application for new kennels at the site - the first phase of the plan.

Cllr Douglas Hodkinson (Lab, Earl Craven and Wolston) said although he believed officers had underestimated the effect the track would have on residents, he was not against the proposal.

But protester Janet Cummings, of Tower Road, Rugby, branded the decision "appalling".

She said: "We sent countless letters in and they do not seem to have taken them into account at all.

"The item was so short, it was hardly discussed.

"We won't give up - we'll continue to fight other applications put forward by the stadium."

Fellow campaigner Abigail Jones, 24, of Coundon, Coventry, who took her rescued greyhounds Milly and Rory to the protest, said the decision had been expected.

Speaking before the meeting, she said: "I think they will get approval, judging by the amount of work that has already gone on at the site.

"We are here to spread awareness of how greyhounds are treated if they cannot race. If people and businesses are aware of what the dogs go through, they will not support the plans."

Brandon parish councillor Heather Timms, who was at the protest, said she was disgusted at the decision.

Cllr Timms helped organise a 210-signature petition, signed by residents in Binley Woods and Brandon, against the plans.

She said: "No consideration was given to residents - even our ward councillor voted to approve it."

Coventry Stadium commercial development manager Jeremy Heaver said he now hoped to work with villagers and animal rights campaigners.

He said: "We are on the same side. They don't approve of cruelty to the dogs and neither do we. We are investing a lot of money to provide the best possible conditions for the greyhounds."

Stadium boss meets angry villagers >> Coventry Evening Telegraph, Jan 23 2004

Angry villagers in Brandon have hit out at planning chiefs who they say are failing to stop a picturesque area being ripped up and replaced with “desert land”.

A row broke out in the village last month after bosses at the nearby Coventry Speedway track destroyed part of a field at the front of their Rugby Road site to create a loose-stone car park.

Villagers said the work decimated a field which was home to variety of wildlife, including tiny muntjac deer, which sheltered among the trees.

They immediately contacted planning bosses at Rugby Borough Council who sent out officials.
But by the time they arrived, the work had already been carried out.

Following the row speedway bosses, who said the field had always been used as a car park, met with villagers to try and rebuild the relationship.

But last week more work which destroyed the remaining green land at the edge of the field was carried out.
Villagers said when they reported it planners told them they would not take action because the owners would have been given retrospective permission.

Brandon parish council vice chairman Heather Timms said they had been let down by the authority.
She said a 200-year-old oak tree was chopped down as part of the work which has been taking place over the last month.
She said: “The stadium owners are running rings around Rugby borough planning officers.
“Even though officers have confirmed that a breach of planning regulations has occurred, they have taken no action against the owners of the stadium to either insist they apply for retrospective planning permission or to reinstate the site.”