Oxford Greyhound Stadium has seen a sharp increase in visitor numbers in recent weeks. A campaign by the greyhound racing industry promoting a 1p Meal Deal which allows race-goers entry and a fast food meal for only a penny is believed to be behind the increase. Although the penny deal is only available on Tuesday or Thursday nights, there has been a spill-over effect leading to the stadium being packed every Saturday since the campaign started three weeks ago.
Stadium General Manager, Maureen Ridley is thrilled with the increased visitor numbers, "During September and October we've seen lots of new faces at the stadium. One family that came for the first time said they couldn't believe they hadn't been before and would definitely be coming back. The fact that a family with young children and a group of adults can come to the same place and all have a great time shows that greyhound racing is suited to all ages.
"With all the doom and gloom of the credit crunch, we're able to offer our customers value for their money, even without the penny meal deal. There's always a great atmosphere, especially when the race starts and everyone cheers their dog around the track!
Many customers said it was the prospect of a night of entertainment at a reasonable price that attracted them. Amongst the punters was a group from Newbury, Berkshire who added to the fun by dressing up in golfing attire to celebrate one of the group's birthdays. One of the party revellers said, "We fancied doing something different for a birthday night out, and coming to the dogs is a cheap and easy way of doing it!
Current figures show that since the launch of the 1p Meal Deal campaign, more than 20,000 vouchers have been downloaded nationwide. The promotion runs until the end of October.
For more information visit www.lovethedogs.co.uk or www.1pmealdeal.com
High Resolution Images
Click to see fullsize version, then right-click Save As to save
We will be happy to email you the text of this press release along with
all associated high-resolution photography