• Wed. Feb 19th, 2025

Up to 3,500 spectators expected at first official greyhound race – but protest is planned

Byoxfordnewspaper

Sep 2, 2022

Up to 3,500 spectators are expected at Oxford’s first official greyhound race of the season tonight.

Oxford Stadium is preparing to host its biggest crowd since it reopened in April when the first race begins at 7.30pm.

Managing director Kevin Boothby has extended the Sandy Lane venue's capacity and confirmed executive suite tickets are sold out.

He said: "We forecast a crowd of up to 2,000 for our first greyhound racing fixture when drafting our initial plans.

“But uptake on tickets since they were launched suggests we’ve again underestimated demand, which is why capacity has been extended once more."

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Mr Boothby secured a 10-year lease to reopen the derelict stadium last year.

It had hosted speedway and greyhound racing for 73 years before closing in 2012.

He said: "It promises to be an emotional but memorable night for the many thousands of individuals and families we’re excited to welcome through our doors, many of whom would not have stepped foot in our building for at least 10 years."

Oxford Mail:

However, there is strong opposition.

Animal rights activists will mount a protest outside the Blackbird Leys venue to call for an end to greyhound racing.

Organisers PETA, the League Against Cruel Sports and Oxford Vegan Action, say they are seeking to raise awareness of the mistreatment of greyhounds in the sport including the disappearance or killing of thousands of dogs every year.

They have threatened to cause "a ruckus" outside the venue and are urging people to boycott the races.

The League Against Cruel Sports said it will keep up its opposition to greyhound racing in the city.

Regional campaigns manager Emily Lawrence said: “The League will continue to call for an end to greyhound racing in Oxford until this so-called sport is permanently ended at Oxford Stadium and the dogs are finally safe from being injured or killed purely for people’s entertainment."

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Scheduled race events in late August were postponed until Oxford Stadium passed its Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) track inspection.

Paul Illingworth, senior stipendiary steward at GBGB, said: “As part of our regulatory processes, we have been conducting regular visits to Oxford Stadium to inspect their preparations and ensure everything is in place for racing to begin.

“This has meant working closely with Kevin Boothby and his team, as well as bringing in experts at STRI [Sports Turf Research Institute], to ensure the track and facilities meet high standards we expect across our sport.

“We are pleased that, following an inspection this week, the Greyhound Regulatory Board has formally granted the stadium its racecourse licence, which will now be able to usher in a new and existing generation of racing fans.”

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