SA Footy

I remember growing up and going to the trotts on a Saturday night and it was the night i look forward to the most, i was fortune enough that my dad owed trotters trained by lance justice. There used to be rides ice cream vans it was a great family night out. Once had up to 20 book makers there now has only one


What has happened to it? lack of prize money? or lack of interest?

This subject has been well commented on over the last few years but i believe the main reason the bookies have deserted the place is that they were sent to the wall at about the same time our own punters pal MAL introduced his LATE MALS tipping service.

some other reasons,

Prizemoney has stayed stagnate or even decreased.
The premier trainers went interstate
Quality and quantity of horses dropped away
Big punting owners then dont attend
Sky racing in tabs and homes
ease of internet and phone betting from home
less punters go hence less bookies
less bookies go hence less punters

The trots r not alone with small crowds
Crowds on racetracks Australia wide have plummeted over the last 25 years

Stop charging people to get in the Sh#t hole would be a good start...

$5 is hardly a fortune though.

I was out there Sat night for the first time in about 2 years. I think there was 2-3 bookies when i was last there, but only 1 on Sat night.

I used to go every week about 15 years ago, and there were plenty of bookies there, and spectators too. Its sad how things have dropped off over the years.

Its a great family night out at the Trots - i have 3 young kids and they loved it on Sat night. Its one of the few places that you can actually bring in your own drinks too. I have no idea on how to improve things, or get people through the gates. My comments are purely an observation.

its a sh!thole and the people running the joint need to have a look at themselves, maybe they should have business men and women running the joint, not horse trainers! and preferably under 75 years of age! theres a start for them,

I've heard a lot of whinging over the last few years about the people running GDP and trotting in this state, so why dont the members just vote in more suitable people than they currently have or better still put THEIR hand up and do the job themselves.

As for the place being a shithole, what would the average punter that rocked up on a Saturday night find shitty about the place?

jackpot jim wrote:This subject has been well commented on over the last few years but i believe the main reason the bookies have deserted the place is

3 or 4 trainers organising boat races on the Friday arvos.

Thats the point Jim......the average punter dosnt rock up....theres no one there............and why?? cause the place is a Sh#t hole!!!!!!

RichoRichoMan wrote:Thats the point Jim......the average punter dosnt rock up....theres no one there............and why?? cause the place is a Sh#t hole!!!!!!

you still havent answered jj's question though - what do you think is sh!tty about it?

RichoRichoMan wrote:Stop charging people to get in the Sh#t hole would be a good start...

get a sportsbeat at a pub, club or some tabs & EVERYWEEK on page 19 there is a tear out coupon to get in for free, or alternatively get there before 5.00pm (first is usually around 6.25pm) & get in for FREE.....on friday nights & monday afternoon meetings it is FREE to get in anyway

I think i have answerd it! Theres no one there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hence must be alot of other people thinks its a Sh#t hole

being from the southern burbs it is too bloody far for me and the family to travel, why gdp was ever plonked out at bolivar is anyones guess, bloody arf way to port augusta from my joint, i would love to see them have a return to wayville not permanently as that would never happen but say a couple of times a year..............you guys in the know mr bayman would that be feasible do you reckon? or arent the facilities up to it? they would pack the place out imho. Thoughts anyone?

only way punters would flock to the trots if the race track was connected to the Adelaide Casino

stampy wrote:why gdp was ever plonked out at bolivar is anyones guess

I'd take a guess and say they needed a new track bcos Wayville was too small and land out there was cheap and plenty of room for trainers to set up stables nearby.
In regaurds to the distance from the city, it's just a stones throw compared to Melton from Melbourne and Menangle from Sydney.

fwiw i don't think GDP is a Shithole and the reasons for poor crowds these days have been well documented previously and i dont think they have any thing to do with the standard of facilities out there.

i see your points JJ but by being out at bolivar it alienates half the population who cant be arsed using half a tank of fuel to get there and back

Remember the days that when you left Globe Derby they had police directing traffic.

I know they put the lights in - but I bet that doesn't / wouldn't need to happen anymore.

JJ is almost right
However
Why is it the Greyhound mob get better recent crowds on the main nights Thursday compared to GDP the main night Saturday ?

The dog mob , are these days proactive, promote, advertise, and do something of extreme importance
They attract younger people
The have the lovely hunnies, a greyhound syndicate dog, a progressing grading review panel,a very good website and 2 of the state leading bookies on course
The syndicate dog is constantly mentioned on SAFM , a station that attracts the younger audiences

Go to GDP these days and its full of baby boomers and pensioners
The days of glamourous young women are gone
When Bayman and I used to go to GDP in the 70s and 80s the course was full of younger people

I used to take a bevy of beautys to GDP in my younder days
I wouldnt these days if I was a young lad

If the population boom went as expected back when they bought the place it would have been in the middle of the metro area but the boom went south instead and when all said and done it is fifteen mins out of town. As for wayville forget there is no room there for a bigger track and the show society were the main reason they left in the first place i think.

forget racing at wayville the main reason people dont go to the track is you can bet on your phone, computer and you can sit in your arm chair on watch it on TV that is the main reason i think people dont go it is all on TV my dad used to go to the races trots every sat now he says watch them on TV stay home and he is right.

span wrote:forget racing at wayville the main reason people dont go to the track is you can bet on your phone, computer and you can sit in your arm chair on watch it on TV that is the main reason i think people dont go it is all on TV my dad used to go to the races trots every sat now he says watch them on TV stay home and he is right.

Pre-zactly! Cheap beers, the ability to turn the racing over to something else when you want.... the reasons are endless. As I've said before instead of charging people to get in, they should be giving away free tickets and a $5 bet!

I harp back to the dollar days at the Sheffield Shield in the 80's or 90's. They used to attract big crowds, which in turn would've sold more merchandise, more beer, more pies, all in all it's a win win! I know the situation has changed, but IMO it's even more reason they need to give us a reason to venture out to these sporting venues instead of the old tried and true method of slugging people to get in, then slugging them even more when they have a beer or a pie.