The English have a saying ‘a new broom sweeps clean’ to which the Irish have added, “but an old broom knows the corners”.
Sound like the old broom knows where the dirt is hidden!
Both British and Irish racing are facing big changes in the sanitary and maintenance departments, indeed the Irish are already under way.
In May, Wicklow TD Andrew Doyle took over the greyhound portfolio as part of his responsibilities at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Marine.
New broom Doyle is about to deliver new legislation, supposedly to improve the governance of the Irish greyhound industry.
However, as became clear when he was recently questioned in the Dail about the shambles that is greyhound racing in Dublin, Minister Doyle has no intention of looking backwards. He gave out a barrage of mumblings about ‘not revisiting historical issues’ and making a fresh start.
That is not really true though is it Minister? Cos you appear happy to hold greyhound racing to an aged €20m debt that your predecessors created.
Why has no one asked previous ministers or CEOs/Chairmen of Bord na gCon to justify how they left the Irish racing industry in such crap order? They could hold the meeting in Limerick stadium.
No Minister Doyle you are avoiding the corners because you won’t like what you will find lurking in them.
Here is a solution for you. Since it is clear that the Irish Government has been negligent in how it has allowed the greyhound industry to be mismanaged – it should pay the bill. The €20m debt is owed to the Allied Irish Bank which is state controlled. Write it off – you are only paying yourself.
If you don’t want to write all of it off – sell Harolds Cross, cut price, to the greyhound patrons. Twenty years ago your predecessors came running to Paschal Taggart to reinvigorate a mismanaged industry, ask him again to organise a sale. He might even buy a share.
Alternatively, make the greyhound industry pay back a reduced debt, interest free, over the next 20 years. A really clean solution.
Britain has its own issues – and opportunities – in the coming months.
Firstly, new legislation due before Parliament in April, will wipe out the ‘Gibraltar triangle’ – the area of the world where internet betting tax goes missing.
Even if the bookies try to throw some obstructing lawyers at the problem, they will still have to pay, and attempt to reclaim later.
The new legislation will see the cessation of the Levy Board as Gambling Commission take an even greater role in controlling the gambling industry. It will have the powers to look into any bet struck by anyone based in the UK, even on an overseas website.
Horse racing will receive 10% of bookmaker profits on racing bets. There is no such guarantee for the dogs, though there are a couple of reasons to believe that it will receive some form of benefits.
Firstly, Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has written to the betting industry demanding that they honour their greyhound commitments. Given the comparatively low turnover on dogs, and the fact that in one form or another, the betting industry owns a decent proportion of greyhound real estate, it won’t cost the big firms too dearly.
Secondly, the betting parasites like Betfair will no longer have an excuse to not pay. They have always refused on the basis that the biggest firms don’t pay on their offshore bets. Not only will they be obliged to pay, it will be on the basis of actual turnover, not voluntary estimates.
The summer of 2017 also offers greyhound racing a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to gets it act together.
The May exit of GBGB Chairman Tom Kelly and the anticipated departure of his Chief Executive (Faulksit is still to be confirmed) offers a window for the industry to make a fresh start.
It is nearly ten years since Lord Donoughue wrote the report that led to the setting up of the GBGB and the industry has been taking on water ever since.
Over a period of time though, some loosening of the bindings has taken place with a more workable board structure being gradually achieved.
You might even argue that the current board is closer to what we should have been given in the first place. It is certainly lighter of independent directors, whose role, with some exceptions, seems to have been more of ballast than benefit.
The trainers appear to have a worthy no-nonsense representative in Pete Harnden, with the owners rep due to be announced, probably this week. Hopefully they have chosen well.
Which still leaves us with the biggest concern – the serial failures of GBGB’s appointments committee to recruit the right people for the top jobs. They have a dire record and this industry cannot afford to keep making the same mistakes.
Current thinking is that the next chairman should be of the more traditional type, less hands-on than Tom Kelly. My personal choice would have been Ian Lavery, though the Wansbeck MP appears to have an even bigger task than saving greyhound racing, as election co-ordinator for the Labour party.
The driving force for the new board should be the new CEO. This industry does not need someone at the end of his/her working career. The position needs drive, imagination, an understanding of, and passion for greyhound racing. The new person should be able to innovate and create unity in a fractured industry.
Above all else, it must be a fixed term, performance related appointment.
In short – we don’t need a new broom – we need a power washer.
Following Piegate, when the Sutton reserve goalie landed a punt by being filmed on TV eating a pie, I am told that there is a large gamble planned for Swindon’s SKY meeting.
Somebody has taken the 8-1 that a GBGB director will be filmed on his hands and knees ‘doing a Robbie Fowler’ by attempting to hoover the winning line up his left nostril.
The Gabling Commission report that the mystery punter is “a big guy with a beard and was seen tucking the betting slips into a guitar case”.
I’ve taken all the 4s.
Finally, I am awaiting a reply from GBGB’s Head of Regulation Mark Bird concerning next year’s Gold Collar. Might the winner be allowed to race in his trophy?
