Watch a greyhound race without having put a bet on and you realise that you need a slip in your hand to make this a spectacle. It was never the sight of running dogs that brought close to 60,000 to the old White City stadium. Gambling is central to greyhound racing's appeal while payments from the large bookmakers help keep it viable.
Gambling, however, needs greyhound racing less than ever before. The William Hill branch next to the track provides relief for those for whom a bet every fifteen minutes isn't enough. Punters here are betting on a sport that's in direct competition with the races outside. The odds for a race at 'Brushwood, UK' flash up. As the race starts, I realise that the reason I've never heard of Brushwood is because it doesn't exist. I'm watching animated greyhounds race around a virtual track; but there's lots of real money being staked.
There are still serious gamblers to be found at trackside. These veterans hunch over their desks and fiercely annotate their race cards. Many barely exchange a word all evening and their solemn manner suggests business rather than pleasure. The crowd is not, however, all serious gentlemen in macs. Several lively parties of twentysomethings are determined to start the weekend with gusto. The mass of mini-skirts, high heels and hair gel on show is proof that there's still a younger generation who believes in a night at the dogs.
Yet, the enthusiasm of those few present can't hide the absence of the many who used to come. This stadium that once dealt in thousands now scrapes together a few hundred. A beautiful new stadium cannot in itself save London's greyhound racing; if they build it, will they come?
Andrzej Ryan is a writer based in London.
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