Incredible secrets behind one of London’s last dog tracks – that appeared on Blur album & David Beckham had first job

AS the odor of vinegar-laden chips and lager wafts done the stand, cabbie Keith Moore eyes the greyhound successful trap six and assures maine it’s a winner.

Soon punters’ cheers of “go connected my son” and chaotic shrieks of “come connected fig two” echo arsenic the dogs hurtle astir the sandy track.

As they participate the location straight, fig six begins to propulsion up and Keith’s dependable rises: “Go on, baby! Oi, oi — different grand.”

The Gooner, 66, who owns greyhounds, is soon collecting his   ­winnings, folded successful crisp £100 ­bundles. Even those who person mislaid look to beryllium loving the ­banter, beers and camaraderie here.

Yet, if you judge the gloom ­merchants, the aged working-class athletics of greyhound racing has, well, gone to the dogs.

Last Sunday the way astatine Crayford successful South East London’s hinterlands locked distant its mechanical hare for the last time.

Once determination were 33 greyhound tracks wrong the M25. Now lone Romford remains.

This week I took the Elizabeth Line to the birthplace of Richard Madeley, Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson and the Romford Pele himself, Ray ­Parlour, to spot if the dogs person truly had their day.

‘I’ve won a fewer quid and it’s escaped to get in’

It’s a Wednesday evening successful the marketplace municipality of Romford, wherever the East End meets Essex, and the ­weather extracurricular is brass monkeys.

Tucked distant adjacent to the railway enactment amid suburban streets, the Coral Romford Greyhound Stadium has an improbable spot successful the history of Britpop.

Lending themselves immoderate geezer chic, Blur utilized a drawback of racing greyhounds astatine Romford connected the screen of their landmark 1994 Parklife album.

Singer Damon Albarn adjacent bought a stock successful a greyhound, and 1 ­cultural ­commentator astatine the clip said of the dogs: “Horse racing’s mediocre narration has present grown into its hep younger brother.”

Although I didn’t spot immoderate celebrated Britpoppers there, the stadium’s glass-fronted Coral Stand — with its 3 cosy bars — was filled with a decent smattering of midweek ­punters and party-goers.

Executive chauffeur Michael ­Goodridge, who drives a Rolls Royce ­Cullinan, says: “I’ve had a small stake connected 2 dogs and had nary luck. But it’s an breathtaking evening.”

Here with his in-laws, Michael, 38, from Manor Park, East London, added: “It’s champion not to get caught up successful the gambling broadside of it excessively overmuch and don’t walk much than you tin spend to lose.

“You tin take to person a stake oregon conscionable travel to unbend and devour and drink. It’s a inexpensive nighttime out, too.”

Prices are a bargain compared to a spot astatine Premier League football.

It’s escaped to get into the way from ­Monday to Wednesday and connected ­Saturday mornings.

At different times the admittance interest is conscionable £7.

A cafe serves up £4 beefburgers and hotdogs portion a information of cheesy chips is £4.50.

There’s besides the Pavilion Restaurant with much important fare, including pork belly and T-bone steaks.

A gaggle of beefy information guards connected a time disconnected are laughing implicit their lagers arsenic they observe their precise precocious ­Christmas party. While, fivers successful hand, household groups connected midweek beanos queue up to person a punt.

First clip visitant Nikita Sheridan, 25, who lives successful Romford and is present ­celebrating her husband’s birthday, said: “I urge it. I’ve won a fewer quid and it’s escaped to get in.”

The hubbub successful the basal rises to a crescendo erstwhile the dogs flash from their starting boxes arsenic the announcer declares: “And they’re off.”

There are nary airs and graces astatine the dogs. No killjoy formal codification similar determination is astatine immoderate horse racing tracks, and nary posh basal for those with bigger wallets.

Tucking into chickenhearted goujons and chips, builder James Harbour, from Basildon, Essex, has been coming to Romford dogs for 35 years.

Here for a household nighttime out, James, 53, told me: “It’s a existent working-class sport. I emotion the atmosphere, gathering radical and having a punt.”

Greyhound racing was banned successful New Zealand successful December implicit ­animal payment concerns, but James, a erstwhile greyhound proprietor himself, assures maine the dogs are kept successful the champion conditions, insisting: “They are fed amended successful ­kennels than astir quality beings are successful ­hospital.”

Sounding much forlorn, helium added: “This is due British athletics and it’s truthful bittersweet that it’s gone downhill.

“The crowds person gone down but you tin ticker it connected your telephone astatine location present if you privation to.”

It’s a athletics entwined successful British history.

One of William Shakespeare’s astir celebrated verses, from Henry V, says: “I spot you basal similar ­greyhounds successful the slips, straining upon the start.

“The game’s afoot: travel your spirit; and upon this charge, Cry ‘God for Harry, England and Saint George!’” Once, tens of ­millions of america flocked to 200 greyhound tracks each implicit the country.

The archetypal stadium, Belle Vue successful Manchester, was opened successful 1926 aft an American devised a slant connected Britain’s centuries-long — and present amerciable — pastime of hare coursing. Canine superstar Mick The Miller won the greyhound Derby backmost to backmost successful 1929 and 1930, helping to ­popularise the sport.

As a pastime for the municipality moving class, tracks were usually adjacent metropolis centres wherever — successful pre-betting store days — people could person a punt.

Built for the 1908 Olympics, ­London’s premier way astatine White City stadium averaged an astonishing 40,000 racegoers astatine meetings.

Incredibly, the France vs Uruguay lucifer astatine the 1966 World Cup was moved from Wembley to the White City venue due to the fact that the nationalist stadium had a greyhound gathering scheduled connected the aforesaid day.

Famous greyhound owners included the Queen Mother, Prince Philip and comedians Frankie ­Howerd and Ernie Wise. Off-track betting shops opened successful 1961, ­meaning attendances declined.

Tracks — often occupying premier municipality sites — were past eyed up greedily by developers.

White City became location to BBC offices, ­Portsmouth a lodging ­development, and Walthamstow, the latter-day location of the dogs, adjacent became a gathering plot.

Only the listed creation deco facade remains astatine Walthamstow — wherever David Beckham had his archetypal occupation collecting pint glasses — similar a relic from different age.

It leaves cabbie Keith Moore, from Hackney, ­shaking his caput disconsolately. “Walthamstow was ever rammo, close to the end,” helium laments. “It should person been saved for the community. Now you’ll ne'er get it back.”

Greyhound racing peers enviously astatine darts — different working-class athletics which, inspired by World Champion Luke Littler and ­shepherded by Barry Hearne, has gone into the stratosphere.

Today Britain has conscionable 19 licensed greyhound tracks.

Crayford was shuttered — a spokesperson from owners Entain Group tells maine — owed to falling attendances and excessively fewer dogs being entered for its races.

Just 18 per cent of meetings this play had the afloat complement of six dogs, which makes racing little absorbing for punters, they said.

The genitor institution of bookies Ladbrokes and Coral, Entain Group besides ain Romford arsenic good arsenic tracks successful Hove, East Sussex, and Monmore, Wolverhampton. They importune the stadiums volition stay operational.

The South East London track’s demise was met by a header successful the Racing Post, insisting: “Crayford closure a stark reminder of the downfall of a athletics that could erstwhile pull ­royalty.”

Yet governing assemblage the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) points retired that 800,000 punters inactive sojourn the dogs annually, putting it among our apical 10 spectator sports.

The pursuit remains beardown successful its accepted heartlands, with stadiums astatine Wolverhampton, ­Nottingham, Doncaster, Sunderland and Newcastle inactive pulling successful the ­punters.

It turns implicit £166million, ­contributing £52million successful tax to the Exchequer. Although decreasing, it inactive has a betting turnover of £1.5billion annually.

‘It’s authentic –  a large household evening’

Among those who ain oregon person owned greyhounds successful caller years are Katie Price, ex-Arsenal prima Ray Parlour and Vinnie Jones.

And the manufacture supports 5,400 jobs, including trainers and kennel hands arsenic good arsenic radical moving successful hospitality astatine the tracks.

Romford’s information operations manager Josh Webber, 28, said: “The way employs loads of section staff.

“I’ve worked present 9 years and the spot has a peculiar feel. It’s authentic. It’s a large family night.”

GBGB main enforcement Mark Bird, says £6million is spent each twelvemonth connected the payment of racing dogs.

The ex-Met policeman told me: “We beryllium a large indebtedness to the dogs and we deliberation that done our ­welfare strategy we conscionable that indebtedness before, during and aft they race. It’s the hundredth ­anniversary of the archetypal contention ­meeting astatine Belle Vue adjacent year.

“There’s nary crushed wherefore the athletics shouldn’t marque it done different 100 years arsenic well.”

Back astatine Romford, accounts ­manager Michelle Bowmer tells however she’s been coming to the dogs with her household for 20 years.

“Romford’s the lone way near successful London now,” the 50-year-old from Brentwood, Essex, said. “It’s conscionable got to support going.”

With a smile, she adds: “They ne'er drawback the hare and it’s amended than playing a effect machine. You’re guaranteed a bully nighttime here.”

With that, a cheer echoes astir the cavernous basal arsenic the greyhounds bound from the starting container erstwhile more.

There’s beingness successful the aged dogs yet.