Twenty of the country’s leading trainers have signed an open letter to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain requesting immediate dialogue independent of their trade association, the Greyhound Trainers Association, headed by Ricky Holloway.
The letter follows an article in the Racing Post on Sunday in which GBGB chairman Tom Kelly criticised the ‘logjam” apparently created by the GTA or more specifically “by a small number of people, an even smaller number of them being trainers, who do not, in my opinion, have the support of the profession in general. … “
The letter reads:
Many greyhound trainers who have a large number of greyhounds and who depend on the sport for a living are concerned that the current leadership of the GTA do not represent their views. Furthermore there is a concern that the ongoing dispute between the GTA and the GBGB is damaging the sport and negatively impacting the GBGB ability to negotiate improved funding.
We believe it is important that professional trainers are represented in the ongoing dialogue surrounding future funding of the sport and would ask the Greyhound Board to offer representation to one of the trainers who have signed this letter or to a nominated representative. We do not believe that our intervention is a long term solution and will be striving for the election of a representative for trainers in due course.
The list of signatories: Harry Burton, Seamus Cahill, Matt Dartnell, Jimmy Fenwick, Mark Fenwick, Steve Gammon, Paul Garland, Stephen Kaila, June McCoombe, John Mullins, Barry O’Sullivan, David Pruhs, Steve Rayner, Pat Rosney, Jim Reynolds, Nick Savva, Ted Soppitt, Martin Wiley, Harry Williams, Paul Young
David Pruhs: “I have signed up to this letter as much out of frustration as anything. The GBGB refuse to liaise with our appointed representative, which I think is wrong; though we know Ricky has his faults too.
“But if we don’t do something we aren’t going anywhere. Both sides blame each other for the lack of progress, so now we will find out who is telling the truth. If the GBGB really want to engage, this is their opportunity. If not, they have clearly been lying to us.”
John Mullins: “This has to be the way forward. It is common knowledge that Ricky Holloway and I don’t get on, but that isn’t the reason that I have put my name to this.
“I don’t think the GTA have done anything for the trainers. They are concentrating on trying to prove fraud by the GBGB when they should be looking after their members. I don’t know whether they have been any fiddles taking place, and I am not really interested.
“The GTA should be looking out of the trainers. If they were going to protest, they should have protested outside bookmaker offices. It is time to move on.”
Barry O’Sullivan said: “I just want to see some progress made. Ricky seems to make a lot of noise but nothing seems to happen. We will now wait and see whether going this route will prove any better.”
June McCombe: ”I didn’t vote for Ricky Holloway as GTA chairman to begin with and I think I have been proved right in my decision. Nobody is doing anything for professional trainers and we are struggling desperately.
“The minimum wage has really hit us badly, and the hobby trainers are contributing to that by taking dogs in for prize money alone. We need somebody to speak up for those of us who train for a living, not as a hobby.”
