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Wayne Mc Carthy Ireland (Verified User) Posts 1214 Dogs 27 / Races 0 11 Apr 2008 15:00
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i agree Johnny very hard to serve 2 masters and of course Greyhound racing is competing for the same audience as horse racing. Dick is serving 2 masters and its between 2 stools ye fall.
it would be sad to see Lifford fall away after all it is worth over 2.5m to the board in tote turnover!!!
w
William Twaddle United Kingdom (Verified User) Posts 7 Dogs 12 / Races 0 11 Apr 2008 16:22
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The topic is well named and yes I think they have lost the plot.Lifford is owned by the Duffys with Willie Duffy the head of the family.I have known Willie for the past 50 years. He is a man who started from the bottom and is now a Multi millionaire.He has always been involved in Greyhounds.When the track was put up for sale by the Magee family the main offers were from developers.If the Duffys had not stepped in and bought, the track would have been bulldozed to be replaced by houses.The have spent millions and made it into one of the best tracks in Ireland with a Tote and betting market to be envied.I live in the North and I do not know much about the law in the South but I know here a statement or promise made in front of witnesses is legal and binding. Willie has always been a man of his word any dealings I have had with him have always been honoured.I wish he owed me a million as I know I would get it. The Duffy family could afford to take the IGB to court and believe me they will if they have a case.Can the IGB at this moment in the middle of a recession afford another court case? The returns from Dundalk will they replace the loss in revenue if Lifford closes? A rethink is needed by the IGB. This is a problem which effects all of the greyhound fraternity not only in Lifford and Dundalk. The building of Limerick and development of Kilkenny Enniscorthy etc could be affected. I hope a compromise can be reached very soon.
William - I would like to congratulate you on your honest and spirited input to this debate.
I have met Hugh Duffy, but can't pretend to know the family well. From what I have learned over many years, they are the sort of people who will burn before they concede to injustice, and I understand, having had discussions away from this forum, that they simply will not give way at ANY price!
I think this is a hugely important time for the greyhound industry in Ireland. From the day that Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh lost the greyhound racing portfolio, things have gone rapidly downwards. IGB chairman Paschal Taggart was forced from office by a man not fit to tie his laces. Dirty filthy politics that had nothing to do with the betterment of greyhound racing!!
The net result is a Kerry Mafia who are simply not up to the task - in my opinion.
Paschal made many enemies, and I have previously references to his 'mistakes', though I would like to clarify what I meant. I think Paschal made errors in hastily dismissing some employees who he did not feel were competent, in a way that left the IGB vulnerable to compensation claims. He is a very passionate/driven man, and when he found people blocking progress, his first attitude was "f*ck em off out of the place" Not ideal in a modern litigious world of a semi state body! (Another huge mistake was not forcing the Sporting Press to close down when they brought the opportunity on themselves!)
What Paschal was, and remains, is completely besotted with and passionate about greyhound racing. I would never have given the unpaid commitment to this industry that Paschal did so willingly, and with such awesome success, over so many years.
In years to come you will look back on the Taggart era as 'the Golden Age of Irish Greyhound Racing' - a time when you showed the rest of the world how it should be done.
So I ask. . . *Is the current greyhound board as passionate about greyhound racing as Paschal and most of the people on this forum? *Will there be a prize money increase in line with inflation this year? *Is the recession an ideal cover for the Board's declining profitability and cost cutting? *Is everyone in the IGB putting greyhound racing in front of horse racing? * Will the developments at Kilkenny and Limerick be 'rescheduled' or 'revised' due to an 'unforeseen downturn'in the greyhound industry? * Are you prepared to follow Gabriel and force a complete capitulation from the IGB by targeting local and national politicians?
Although I hate to swing this topic back to the top it has to be said.
What Dundalk have: 5 sundays in the summer with racing that must be finished by 4.00pm and with no racing above A3 class.
Big reason for a big argument?
Gabriel Brown Ireland (Team Member) Posts 3190 Dogs 0 / Races 0 13 Apr 2008 11:02
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Graham I started this topic on the grounds of integrity (along with 13 other points of intrest of failure by the IGB) Have you read the letters? The chairman give his word, along with the CEO, to the Duffy Family
"at a past meeting in Lifford with both the CEO and Chairman an agreement was given that no decision regarding racing in Dundalk on Sundays would be made without prior consultation with the Owner and Directors of Lifford Greyhound Racing Company"
I would call this breach of contract, also If this is how the chairman and CEO like to conduct there business affairs in a semi state body then I think its time for them to move on, its totally outrageous that the chairman and the CEO have treated the Duffy family in this manner after they place investment of up to ten million euros in greyhound racing in the North West. Another point of intrest is when the first stage of Dundalk was built the greyhound stadium, private investment was only One Million euro.
No Gabriel, I haven't read all the letters. Maybe its an issue of integrity alright but if I was a member of the board I wouldnt be writing any more letters to the people concerned when those said letters get into the hands of people that put them up on the internet for all and sundry and are used as a battering ram by people that have previously changed their colours.
You are normally bang on the money with your posts but I cant agree with your position on this.
Its very simple, the Bord have shafted the Lifford track. There is a very clear and serious conflict of interests with several members of the bord.
As for the letters being in the public domain, its irelevant. Willie Duffy has been quite open that the track will close if the Bord break their word and allow Dundalk to race on a Sunday.
If Lifford closes I wont have another dog in the yard, and there are plenty of other dogmen from the NW who feel the same. But sure maybe that doesnt matter to those in high places as they have never seen fit to even visit Lifford.
I know and understand that this is a very serious issue. The board seem to have broken their word OK. I know the Duffys rightly feel shafted. I just think they've gone about things the wrong way.
The Board shouldnt dig them out and give them Sundays. Especially since it seems to be the result of threatened legal action. My argument is that when all is said and done... are 5 sunday afternoons at a track 165KM away with low grade racing going to damage Lifford?
I honestly think it will have a negative effect on Lifford. A lot of the Sunday crowd in Lifford travel a fair distance to the racing. I know if I was in their postion I wouldnt drive past a track to drive another couple of hours up the road.
This issue appears to be the straw that has broken the camels back for the Duffys. The dogmen from the north havent been represented on the bord for a long time and the latest appointments are hardly going to change that.
Wayne Mc Carthy Ireland (Verified User) Posts 1214 Dogs 27 / Races 0 13 Apr 2008 14:03
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of course it will have a negative impact on lifford.
northern people and people just south of the border would normally go one direction on sunday and thats lifford.
this will take from them and again i must stress that this is in the height of the gaa season which will make it even more difficult for Lifford and Dundalk if it goes ahead but i honestly dont think it should or will.
Gabriel Brown Ireland (Team Member) Posts 3190 Dogs 0 / Races 0 13 Apr 2008 19:32
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Graham you wouldnt be looking for a job as commentator in Dundalk on a Sunday by any chance? As for me publishing the letters, I have done it many times long before this and will do it again, more so when we have a Board that im my opinion is not capable of taking this industry forward, this issue and many other clearly show this is the case, they have done nothing but knock every ones confidence in the game country wide.
"The Board shouldnt dig them out and give them Sundays. Especially since it seems to be the result of threatened legal action"
Dundalk threatened the IGB with legal action also
(Quote by CEO) "Other make demands and suggest possible European court action if there demands are not met"
William Twaddle United Kingdom (Verified User) Posts 7 Dogs 12 / Races 0 14 Apr 2008 10:31
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Graham the main problem in running Lifford is that it is situated in Donegal where there is a small population of greyhounds. The track has to rely on owners travelling most times quite a distance to run their dogs. I live in the North where we used to have Celtic, Dunmore,Dungannon,Ballyskeagh and Derry. We now have only Derry.Lifford is the nearest track to us and if it closes a lot of people will quit the dog game.At the moment greyhound racing in Derry is under threat as the soccer team want to take over the Brandywell and turn it into a soccer stadium.They have submitted a plan to the owners Derry City Council and no Greyhound track is on the plan.This could mean possible closure of the only track in the North. Most of the dogs involved have been bought out of the South. The market in England is shrinking daily. Can the breeders afford to lose another market?
Gabriel Brown Ireland (Team Member) Posts 3190 Dogs 0 / Races 0 15 Apr 2008 18:36
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The IGB and the Directors of Lifford will be meeting in Dundalk Tomorrow, hopefully there will be an amicable settlement agreed by all party's involved.
must have been something agreed heard liff will continue racing
Gabriel Brown Ireland (Team Member) Posts 3190 Dogs 0 / Races 0 17 Apr 2008 16:49
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Press Release 16-04-08
After a constructive meeting between the owners and directors of Lifford Greyhound Racing Stadium and a subcommittee of Bord na gCon it was decided that following careful consideration of all the factors especially the opening of Drumbo Park that the decision to allocate limited Sunday racing on a trial period to Dundalk was premature. Both parties decided that in the interest of the overall industry it would be best to have a meeting with all parties concerned at a later date so that the best decision can be made for the entire industry. In a very constructive meeting both Lifford and Bord na gCon are open to consider whatever is positive for the industry going forward.
Dundalk Stadium disappointed as Sunday Racing is rescinded
Since the opening of Dundalk Stadium in 2003, the board of Dundalk Racing (1999) Ltd have made numerous applications to The Irish Greyhound Board to secure racing on occasional Sundays throughout the year. Up until recently, all applications were denied.
A letter was received on 12th March 2008, granting Dundalk Stadium permission to host greyhound racing on Sundays albeit with several restrictions attached. Those restrictions included Sunday racing being confined to June, July & August, no greyhounds above A3 class were permitted to race and racing at Dundalk Stadium had to be over before 4pm.
Restrictions aside, the board of Dundalk Racing (1999) Ltd accepted the offer and detailed that they would race on Five Super Sundays throughout the month of June. Plans and a marketing effort were already underway to communicate the addition to Dundalk Stadiums racing calendar.
On 16th April 2008, Dundalk Stadium were informed by The Irish Greyhound Board that following a meeting with the owners and directors of Lifford Greyhound Stadium that they have decided to rescind their decision to allow Dundalk Stadium to host a select number of Sunday fixtures.
Chief Executive Officer of Dundalk Stadium, Mr. Jim Martin states:
As a team, we were very disappointed to learn that permission to race on Sundays had been reversed. We feel that this is a lost opportunity to promote racing in our region and that was our main intention in applying to the Irish Greyhound Board originally to promote and develop greyhound racing by appealing to a wider audience on a Sunday afternoon. We are also disappointed that we were not involved in the discussions with The Irish Greyhound board and the owners and directors of Lifford Greyhound Stadium.
Since the closure of Ballyskeagh and at the request of the Irish Greyhound Board, Dundalk Stadium has put on more races than any other track in Ireland in an attempt to support the owners, breeders and trainers in the North of Ireland and Dundalk Stadium stood alone in its efforts.
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