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Hello,
I took my elderly parents to Haydock yesterday [80, & 73], both are and always have been very keen and knowledgeable race goers.
The table set before us was superb, mixed racing including the imponderable Swinton Handicap.
We got in very early, a good 2 hours before racing and seated ourselves in the Tatts., indoors.
Come the first race, in what was very humid conditions, I can safely say that 75% of the crowd were Stag/Hen parties, some adorned in every sort of fancy dress.
The "Girls" were in various stages of undress, and the Tatts. and members’ lawn near the winning post resembled a Spanish Costa rather than a English racetrack.
Let me say right now, that initially, the bare flesh was quite an interesting back drop to the racing..but the novelty wore thin as more and more alcohol was consumed.
Unfortunately, tables near where we were seated were took over by a crowd of young lads, who NEVER stopped singing, rather chanting for four hours. Again, initially amusing, it soon wore thin.
My parents, and I, and noticeably other "race" goers became hot and bothered and decided to leave what had become a scene from Soddom & Gommorrah, without Victor Mature.
Missing the last two races’, we ambled to the car park, fairly satisfied with the fare we had been served, but would have enjoyed more.
I noted other like minded people heading in the same direction opting to leave what would inevitably lead to a scene of battle.
Maybe it was our ages, but the crowd who left early doors resembled a defeated army..we have lost, give the place to the hordes, our time has gone.
Let me say, I witnessed no violence, but it was always brewing.
My conclusions, without being too critical of the youngsters who were clearly enjoying themselves, with racing just being incidental, is that there is now a social, cultural change happening at our Summer Meetings. Whether it is for the best, of for the good of racing, is another debate.
But it appears Haydock authorities have opted, for financial reasons, to go for The Stag/Hen venue status and there is nothing we can do about it.
regards,
doyley
Sadly you could write what you have just written leaving the Haydock part blank with people able to fill in whatever racecourse is appropriate.
A sign of the times I’m afraid.
I had a pi$$ed up Neanderthal threaten to "kick my effing head in" at Lingfield yesterday and he wasn’t a kid but a middle aged bloke out with his family. My "crime", politely asking if I could get by because he was blocking the walkway.
I am glad to say that I have not experienced this problem at my local race tracks ( Exeter, NA and Wincanton which may be due to their location away from the cities) but I have heard a lot of stories from other racing enthusiasts that some race courses are resembling drunken parties which ruin the enjoyment of the genuine racegoer. Watching the racing on tv, I have noticed that the crowd at Haydock comes across as being very rowdy.
I would not go racing if I had to endure these drunken bores and I think that in the long term, it will prove to be a mistake for the race tracks to encourage them.
Pete
Greed overcomes any thought of the future, I’m afraid.
I was at Windsor on May Day Monday and there was no sign of this sort of behaviour, I’m glad to say.
I endeavour to make my visits to the track on days when the rowdier element are all at work, earning the money so that they can blow it at the racecourse.
Avoid festivals, Friday nights and Saturdays.
I appreciate that not all can do this but there have to be some advantages to being old, and RETIRED!!!
Colin
I was at Haydock being my local and track and an annual member their and i totally echo what doyley wrote.
Sadly at Haydock and Chester in the summer we get the football crowds who have nothing to do and probably are not to keen on gardening as a past time so they will pay £20 or so to get in a racecourse then £3.50 for a pint and behave in a stupid manner and make it unpleasant for everyone.
Even after racing you see men and women urinating around the car parks and next to the coaches and while i go racing to see the horses and some quality racing their is this element which makes things unpleasant for ones who are their for the racing.
Its days like that which make me pine for the autumn when i can book a day off work midweek and go to a small course for a more relaxing and easier going kind of days racing, when i went to Musselburgh in Feb their was no sign of any trouble and even Fair Friday at Hamilton which had 7000 Glaswegians in, the behaviour and craic was wonderful to behold.
Still not long to the next season
Sad, but that is the kind of mediocre society we live in. Those kind of people have no place on a racecourse but if they were not ‘enjoying’ themselves under the umbrella of racing no doubt they would find someone elses pleasure to ruin. Whatever they may say racecourses are interested first and foremost on numbers and making as much money as possible. Although not all problems are drink-related plenty are so if they really wanted to do something banning the sale of alcohol on course would be a fair starting point or do we now have such a strong drinking culture that we can’t go without for even a few hours?
decided to leave what had become a scene from Soddom & Gommorrah, without Victor Mature.
Excellent Doyley, but wasn’t it Stewart Granger?Yours is a familiar, sorry tale well told
Doyley , totally agree , I just avoid saturday racing now at all costs in the summer , its just not worth the hassle , as for Friday evenings in Newmarket ,not if you paid me a thousand quid !!!
In short Racecources want to make a killing in these months , they know the regular racegoers wont leave permanently , so why should they care ??
have fun
Ricky
It isn’t just racing, the same thing is happening in cricket. I got so sick of the drunken morons at Edgbaston that whenever I attend international matches there these days I sit in the alcohol free section. Harder to avoid them at a racecourse, I would have thought.
Of course, many of these people would be no problem at all without a few drinks in them. Alcohol is the main, indeed the only culprit. It has become acceptable to be completely out of control in public and racecourses are pandering to this trend because it brings them fat piles of cash.
But then, sporting authorities and bodies around the world seem to think that their sole purpose is to bring in as much cash as they possibly can, whatever the consequences.
A lot of posters will pull faces at this, but its always struck me as being a bit worse in the north than the south. There is far more of a boozingforthe hellofit culture up there and also thsi strange desire to get legless during the day (which i can never understand). Seen it bad at Donny, York and Ripon
Most of the courses around London are not too bad (although ive not been to Newmarket on some of more notorious days) and probably not much different to a few years back
I think as you get older, you become more aware of this stuff and less tolerant of it. Rightly so…..
Can’t say I have noticed it being the preserve of the northern courses – Newmarket on 1000gns day was like an open air bar, with everyone in Tatts seemingly on a mission to drain the nations’ Carling resources.
Can’t say I have noticed it being the preserve of the northern courses – Newmarket on 1000gns day was like an open air bar, with everyone in Tatts seemingly on a mission to drain the nations’ Carling resources.
Other beers are available.
Don’t think many posters on here would disagree with any of the above. I paid more to get in the Richmond enclosure at Goodwood to try and avoid some of these morons but there was as many where I was too. Wide boys from the city flashing their cash and trophy birds etc.
Andrew beat me to it with the cricket. That’s gone the same way except at Lords. Anything international or one day and it can be hideous at other grounds. Sad state of affairs…
no, clivex is absolutely right, you never see that sort of behaviour down south
Not the point. I frequent both and there is definately a different atmosphere at most of the northern courses compared to most of the southern ones. A chippy response was expected to that of course
Andrew beat me to it with the cricket. That’s gone the same way except at Lords. Anything international or one day and it can be hideous at other grounds. Sad state of affairs…
I watch a lot of international cricket. Granted im a member at the Oval and go to members at Old trafford. Havent been to headingly yet either
But Lords can be awful. I have sat near to more types there that needed their lights punching out, than any other ground. Would also say it is the least knowledgable crowd of the venues ive been to. Like Twickenham perhaps, a lot of people go simply to say that they were there
This is a major threat to the future pleasure of Informed Racegoers. Better to stay at home and watch it on TV. Family Days are a tolerable evil in comparison, because kids always like to see horses, and that might engender an interest in racing later; but boozing yobboes wouldn’t take the simple pleasure of seeing horses that we do; you could create a virtual racecourse a la Steepledowns and bus them in there; they’d be happy if they could booze, bet and see it on TV screens.
Informed Racegoers can indeed attend on Monday to Thursday afternoons, especially not in the summer months, avoiding festivals, and get a proper old-fashioned day’s racing.
I’ve had some trips to French and German courses in the last few years and the atmosphere there is so laid-back – no drunks, nobody walking around eating or drinking. People sit down to eat there. (Who remembers the time here when it was bad form to be seen eating in the street?) I thoroughly recommend Parisian racing to anyone who’s within reach of Eurostar and who doesn’t mind a virtually alcohol-free environment; the grizzled locals imbibe little cups of very strong coffee.
Excellent Doyley, but wasn’t it Stewart Granger?
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