PASCHAL TAGGART, seine Ambitionen für das "neue"Wimbledon

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From www.racingpost.com

Taggart's ambitions for the 'new' Wimbledon

By richard birch 9:42AM 18 MAY 2012

PASCHAL TAGGART, the businessman who is still revered in Ireland for
revolutionising its greyhound industry, has submitted plans to Merton
Council for a spectacular, brand new £30 million greyhound track at
Wimbledon.
Taggart believes the scheme, if successful will “herald a fantastic new era
for greyhound racing in Britain”. It centres around a four-tier stadium
containing plush hospitality suites, restaurants and concourse bars –
accessible by escalators and lifts – with a capacity for 6,000 patrons.
There will be employment opportunities for over 275 people, with welcome
regeneration of the surrounding area.
Taggart, who has three partners in the business venture, said
yesterday: “We’ve made a success of this sort of thing before in
Ireland, and now we’re keen to do the same thing in London.
“Obviously, first and foremost I’m doing it to make money. I fervently
believe a very successful greyhound track in London – where there is access
to eight millionpeople – will make lots of money. And if I make money then
the owners and trainers at Wimbledon will be making money, too. Success
breeds success.
“But I’m also passionate about the sport of greyhound racing. It
breaks my heart to see the current state of Wimbledon. I own a runner in the
semi-finals of the Derby [Droopys Jet] yet haven’t been over for the last
two rounds because the place is so bad and depressing.
“If my bid is successful and I get the right planning permission, I pledge
to demolish the present monstrosity, totally clear the site, and build the
best greyhound stadium in the world, which will also cater for successful
stock car racing.
“I would hope to stage racing on Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays, and
perhaps Sunday afternoons, too. My intention would be to keep the Derby at
Wimbledon.

“My plan will regenerate the local area and create lots of jobs. The aim is
for the current site to eventually look like a mini Olympic village. It will
herald a new era for greyhound racing in Britain and, in turn, have hugely
positive effects on the Irish greyhound industry as well. I’m so excited
about this plan. It would be a dream come true, and I’m determined to make
it happen.”

Wimbledon is currently part-owned by London property firm Galliard Homes,
and the stadium, which hosts the sport’s greatest race, the greyhound Derby,
is widely acknowledged to be in a state which doesn’t fit its description as
Britain’s premier track.
Taggart continued: “Wimbledon at the moment is scary. It is so
dilapidated, run-down and unattractive. It’s dreadful, dreadful,
dreadful. The British greyhound industry deserves far, far better.
“We submitted our plans last week and think they’re great plans, I’m sure
greyhound people will think they’re great plans, and we hope that Merton
Council think they’re great plans too.”
Taggart instigated wholesale change across the Irish greyhound
industry at the beginning of this century, which resulted in huge increases
to the level of prize-money available to owners.
He added: “We had a vision and a great team who all shared that vision. If
you get a group of people together who all share the same enthusiasm and
passion for a project then anything is possible. We want to give Britain and
the world a greyhound track to be proud of.”
Taggart’s plans for the new Wimbledon grandstand include a 1,500 capacity
ground floor concourse with bars and direct access to track-side terracing.
The terracing will be sheltered by a large over-sailing roof, and
patrons will be able to view the racing from a raised concourse area
containing seating for 200.
A carvery restaurant offers seating for 400 people, and the ground floor
will be glazed towards the track allowing spectators to view the live action
over the external terraces.
On the first and second floors a 700-seater restaurant will allow
customers to enjoy a meal with uninterrupted viewing of the track through a
large suspended planar glass wall.
The third floor will contain eight luxurious corporate suites,
accommodating up to 60people in each and two suites accommodating up to 80
patrons – all with a private bar and elevated viewing of the track.
This level will be designed so each suite contains external private
balconies, with an overall capacity for 640 corporate patrons. The judges,
hare driver and video boxes will also be located here.
When Taggart took over as chairman of the Bord na gCon, as the Irish
Greyhound Board was known in December 1995, he was quoted: “Give the public
top-class racing and facilities and they will come greyhound racing.”
On his appointment, greyhound attendances in Ireland were around 600,000.
When he departed ten years later they were 1.4 million.

‘This could be the sport's last chance'
THOSE within the sport were predictably upbeat at the possibility of
Wimbledon being saved from the developers.
Four-time Derby-winning trainer Nick Savva said: “It sounds very exciting
and I pray it happens. London without a greyhound track is just too horrible
a prospect to contemplate.
“It’s vital for greyhound racing that Wimbledon is bought by someone who can
build a new stadium there for the sport. It is so evident that this is going
to be the last Derby at Wimbledon unless something like Paschal Taggart’s
scheme is accepted.”
Ray White, a Londoner who has won the premier Classic three times as an
owner with Rapid Ranger (twice) and Bandicoot Tipoki, said: “I was at
Wimbledon on Tuesday night and it was such a demoralising experience.
Everything about the place was awful.
“The current owners are clearly only in it to make a quick buck. If Paschal
Taggart’s plans come off I’ll be keen to sponsor races there and buy a few
more dogs. Everyone will get their enthusiasm back.
“You’ve only got to look at Shelbourne Park in Ireland to see what can be
done and what can be built. It would bring a feelgood factor back to
greyhound racing in London which has been missing for many, many years now.”
Wimbledon trainer Richard Rees, whose family have sent out runners at the
Plough Lane track for almost 50 years, said: “At last it seems there’s some
good news on the horizon. Just hearing about the plans for a modern, brand
new stand and all those wonderful facilities has got the hairs on the back
of my neck sticking up.
“I’m told by someone who has seen the plans that it will be like the Royal
Ascot of greyhound racing. Please God, let it happen.
“We’ve all got to support Taggart’s bid and hope and pray it is
accepted. This could be the sport’s last chance.”