Former Crayford racing manager Paul Lawrence and the ex-GBGB stipendiary steward Lorraine Sams are slated to head up the management team at Lifford.
The widely experienced couple have agreed personal terms with the consortium who have taken over the Donegal stadium. Lorraine will be the general manager and licence holder for the venue with Paul in charge of racing and media matters.
All now hinges on a meeting of the Rásaíocht Con Éireann (Irish Greyhound Board) on Thursday, who will decide whether or not to license the venue.
Lifford was one of several tracks identified for closure by the 2019 Indecon Report. However, the report noted that tracks who are able to operate without Government funding – as will be the case at Lifford – should be given the opportunity to continue:
“An important point to note is that there may be opportunities for individual stadia to continue to operate without IGB prize money or with lower funding if they can generate resources from sponsorship, fundraising or local support, or sufficiently reduce costs. Some proposals were made during the consultations concerning options for adjusting funding levels. Indecon does not recommend that IGB withdraws licences from any stadia provided they meet safety standards. “
