Racing Manager GARY MATTHEWS one more night on duty in the stewards’ box Pic Steve Nash
The concrete blocks have been delivered. They will be places across the entrances on Sunday, to prevent a caravan takeover of the site. It was a fortune made in concrete that financed the building of Wimbledon Stadium in 1928, and blocks of the stuff that symbolise the end of it. Saturday’s card
Racing manager Gary Matthews officially departs GRA on the day the blocks are lowered into place. An announcement about a GBGB appointment is expected on Monday. Assistants Owen Winkley and Dan Homewood are due to resurface at RPGTV and Central Park respectively.
The track’s 48 runner kennel strength are expected to be absorbed into a variety of other venues. There will be no feeding frenzy for the welfarists.
The shock of the closure has long passed and was inevitable as soon as Merton Council demonstrated that they were prepared to turn a blind eye to a swathe of guidelines and requirements on social housing, in order to ensure that football returned to Plough Lane.
After 16 years at the track, Matthews shares the mood of most, frustration, tinged with sadness. He is expecting a huge crowd for the final meeting and has done his best to accommodate owners and trainers.
He said: “Bar virtually one trainer, whose runners weren’t good enough, I have tried to give everyone at least one runner and the meeting will finish with a graded race for six local kennels. There isn’t a lot else to say really. . .”
The first and last race at Wimbledon
