KEITH HALLINAN General Manager
Wimbledon have dropped down to a meeting per week until September but the whole vibe is upbeat from the stadium management.
“Why not?” says GM Keith Hallinan, “We have just witnessed the best Derby I have known in my 15 years in this business. Crowds were up 20% on last year, and we had some tremendous publicity through the press.”
A runner shortage and the loss of RPGTV coverage means the Plough Lane operation will only race on Saturday nights until the TV service returns in the autumn. The additional revenue will go towards prize money and enable the track to resume Thursday night open racing.
Hallinan added: “Six months ago, the feeling was doom and gloom. The staff were given redundancy notices and we were just waiting for the inevitable. We have a new two year contract, albeit with a six-month break clause. From being 5,000-1-on to close, I think we now have an even money chance.
“Central to all of this has been the staff. It sounds like a cliche to say ‘it wouldn’t have been possible without them’, but I really mean it. They have kept going despite all the worry and uncertainty, and I could not be more proud of them.”
