☀️ THE RPGTV SHOW IN 2020 ☀️

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Jun 4, 2020 8:22:11 GMT johncox said:

have you tried the link on the rptv thread on the news of other tracks thread,  visiontv.co.uk/channel/live360

thanks for the link spot on

[johncox]

no prob, link thank`s to jr

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MONDAY JUNE 8th 2020::

By Mr Phil Donaldson....

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.....Live RPGTV schedule for the week ahead.....

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Credit is due for our safe return....






BY JONATHAN KAY



IT has been good to see some sort of sense of normality return to greyhound racing over the past couple of weeks even if it is likely to remain spectator-less for quite a period yet.

The excellent way in which the June 1 return was handled by the Greyhound Board should not be underestimated and, much as this will have the haters hating, I’m absolutely convinced that no previous regime would have had the sport back as soon.

All through the still-ongoing Covid-19 crisis, there was a pathway to resumption in place and, lest we forget, greyhound racing was the last game in town before lockdown was ordered in March.

However, when it was announced on May 11 by the government that professional sport could resume behind closed doors at the start of June, the still welcome news did seem to scupper hopes of a return to trials on May 18.

But GBGB managing director Mark Bird showed fantastic leadership, having the confidence, and balls, to give those May 18 trials the go-ahead, which ultimately meant greyhound racing was in a place to match horseracing, which didn’t require trials first, and resume competitively on the first day of June, even a few hours before its equine cousin.

That is something the open-race lobby should perhaps have factored in when agitating about that echelon of the sport being left on the back burner in the opening weeks, although it has to be conceded that the GBGB’s initial operational policy decree that it would not be permitted was rather blunt and to the point.

As it happens, the calls were heard and the end of last week saw a plethora of announcements including the return of open-racing from June 29, confirmation by Ladbrokes Coral of a series of major Category One competitions from July onwards and, of course, most important was the confirmation that there will be a Derby at Nottingham.

The Derby was clearly in the balance and the vibes seemed to move one way then the other but Nottingham, Arc and Star Sports all worked to make it happen even if it’s clear that the financial implications to all of doing so are far from certain to be favourable, indeed odds-on to be very much not.

One thing lockdown did show time and again was the value of social media and the endless possibilities it offers to promote and increase interest in the sport.

It was undoubtedly helped by people having a lot more time on their hands than usual and may be tough to keep going with the same intensity, but the appetite of the greyhound racing fraternity, and even beyond, for such content is clearly there.

The GBGB has also done the sport proud with its series of information films which, even if planned and produced prior to Covid-19, were on a different level to anything we have seen before.
Getting the message out about greyhound racing, and that it has much to be proud of, is vital when there are many just waiting to pounce, whether their criticism has any merit or not.

And on that note, one area that can still be improved is the industry’s way of handling bad news. We all know that sh*t happens and the best way to manage it is to be on top of it at the start to stop the rumour mill going into overdrive.

One recent example was the cancellation of Belle Vue’s planned Sunday meeting on the first weekend back.

In fairness to Rachel Corden, greyhound operations director for Arena Racing Company, she immediately replied to a text query to reveal a runner shortage was behind the decision but that was not before the internet forums had decided it was due to either a spike in the Covid infection rate in the north-west or Arc pulling out of the lease for the stadium.

As we know, sadly it was subsequently decided that racing there behind closed doors was not financially viable, with a suspension until at least the end of August announced.

There is, though, more sympathy with that announcement being delayed as staff had to be informed of their furloughing, and trainers of the decision, first before reading about it.

In general, though, front up and move on. That way any negatives won’t unduly detract from the undoubted positives even in this strangest and most troubling of times.

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22nd June 2020::

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Julie Collier introduces the action on Thursday night.


Live RPGTV schedule for the week ahead



Sky Channel 175, Freesat Channel 176
6pm start Mon-Thu, 5.30pm Fri-Sun



Monday 22nd: Nottingham & Yarmouth
In the studio: Ian Meek & Jonathan Hobbs

Tuesday 23rd: Newcastle & Sheffield
In the studio: Errol Blyth & Dave Clark

Wednesday 24th: Sunderland & Yarmouth
In the studio: Jason Barrasford & Jonathan Kay

Thursday 25th: Newcastle & Yarmouth
In the studio: Julie Collier & Richard Harkness

Friday 26th: Nottingham & Romford
In the studio: Darrell Williams & Ali Brown

Saturday 27th: Hove & Sheffield
In the studio: Errol Blyth & Dave Clark

Sunday 28th: Central Park & Pelaw Grange
In the studio: Rachel Casey & Kaan Hughes...

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