Interview: Wimbledon general manager Keith Hallinan
With the 2014 William Hill Derby less than a month away at Wimbledon Jim Cremin finds GM Keith Hallinan in resilient mood
POSTCARDS From The Edge might sum up recent years at Wimbledon, with Shirley MacLaine's rendition of I'm Still Here a potential refrain for the 86th anniversary meeting, the Night of Passion, to be staged on William Hill Derby quarter-final night, May 20.
The rousing anthem features lyrics such as: 'Good times and bum times, I've seen 'em all. And, my dear, I'm still here.
'Smooth sailin' sometimes. Sometimes a kick in the rear! But I'm here.
'I got through all of last year. And I'm here. Look who's here! I'm still here!'
An apt battle cry, perhaps, for the Plough Lane management team, led by Keith Hallinan. Wimbledon's general manager celebrates five years in his role on July 1, having taken a gamble when switching from Sittingbourne.
'I'm proud to be running the home of the Derby, and am actually buoyant about the future here,' he says. 'We've had a lot of unfair stick, but have been getting fantastic crowds, over 2,000 on some Saturdays, and we've got the £200,000 William Hill Derby ahead. We're making money, and I think we're going to be around a lot longer than some people think.
'I said to Diane McLean, who is organising the anniversary party here, that it's to mark the first 86 years! She's doing a tremendous job, and I'm grateful to Hills for allowing their quarter-final night to celebrate this broader element.'
Hallinan is keenly looking forward to the Derby. 'We're lucky to have such a tremendous backer in William Hill - they're doing an enormous amount to promote greyhound racing and give a real dream to everyone involved in the sport. My particular thanks go to Ralph Topping [Hills chief executive], Kate Miller [PR director] and Jennie Prest [sponsorship and PR manager]. They're playing a blinder and we've got the world's greatest race.'
Hallinan, 54, accepts visitors have a point when they highlight the initial impression created by the rundown nature of the stadium and car park. However, he argues: 'When people do get inside they have a fantastic time and come back for more. It's a fantastic asset for the borough, it offers good value and a safe night out, and the fact of the matter is that greyhound racing, stock car racing and the various markets here are doing well.'
With rumours persisting that Wimbledon is set to seek Bags fixtures if the opportunity presents itself, there seems the possibility that far from being the basket case so often presented Wimbledon, with a fair wind and the redevelopment plan put forward by Paschal Taggart, could end up being one of the most profitable tracks in Britain.
Under Hallinan a lean and mean operation is in place, and he insists that the decision to switch sides, closing the former main grandstand, has been crucial.
'I know that was unpopular with greyhound fans, which has helped fuel the criticism, but what we had was a big ocean liner of a stand and it was costing a fortune to keep open.
'The Mick The Miller stand, by contrast, is relatively modern, comparatively small and cheap to run. Yes we downsized, but there are few tracks that would make money without a Bags contract in this country. We do - and that's despite the costs of being in London.'
He explains it has taken a lot of hard work. 'We promote an Oyster card deal through various poster sites and this offers free entry and mini racecard - nearly 2,000 people took advantage of that during March.
'Then we have the Groupon deal where 1,200 people have come through in the past month enjoying entrance, racecard, food and a drink for two people - all for £8. We also have a number of partners offering internet-based deals such as Wowcher. These strike a chord with customers, and we're genuinely busy.'
With the site designated as having to remain as a sporting one, Hallinan can see few alternatives to greyhound racing there and brushes off the claims of the football lobby.
'I don't accept that football, as it has been proposed, is viable,' he says, 'and in the cold light of day I suspect Merton Council will be cautious too.
'The local residents, thanks to the campaign from Diane McLean, have made their views clear - they want greyhound racing to stay. The car boot fairs we have on Wednesdays and Saturday are popular, and Spedeworth have been successfully promoting Sunday night stock car racing for some 40-odd years here.
'Then there's our Sunday morning market too. Speedway, quite frankly, doesn't make money anymore, so we're staying clear of that. I can't quite see how AFC Wimbledon, on the basis of 3,500 people every other week for seven months a year, could be viable. They'd need a multi-millionaire benefactor - which I suppose is a possibility, but I prefer self-sufficiency.'
Hallinan reckons that since Clive Feltham and GRA finance director Mike Stapley effectively took over the business themselves last July and signed a five-year lease for Wimbledon - 15 years for Belle Vue and Hall Green - the climate has significantly changed for the better.
'We're all working harder, but everyone can see that the stadium is ticking over nicely. We employ 120 people and the jobs are important to each and every one of them - for some it's their entire living, for the majority it's important supplementary money - and they have all helped put a real show on. I love it here. I came into the business in 2001 at Catford, and when that closed went to Sittingbourne.
'We've got decent bookmakers and our trainers work with the racing office to stage an exciting product.
'We're going to have the special Derby final night enclosure again, with extra bars and facilities in the car park outside the main entrance. We're also going to be promoting the special William Hill Derby offer through May in the Racing Post, a voucher for four that gives free admission, racecard and a pint for every night of the Derby, except the final.
'There's a lot going for us. We're still going to be here for quite some time yet.'
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