A smooth start as GBGB settles.

Byline: Jonathan Kay looks back at the first week for greyhound racing's new controlling body

ONE week since it officially became the governing body of the sport, there appears to have been a seamless transition to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain from the dual bodies of the BGRB and NGRC - so much so that those outside the organisation might wonder what all the fuss was about, difficulties with the official website notwithstanding.

"I'm very pleased with how the formation of GBGB has gone so far," chief executive Ian Taylor said yesterday.

"Everyone here understands the importance of the GBGB working to secure a brighter future for this great sport and we are all 100 per cent focussed on delivering at all levels; it's a very exciting time.

"My first objective was to get staff from both the NGRC and BGRB working together under a single roof, and I am delighted that that was achieved without difficulty and without disruption to the day-to-day operation of the sport.

"There is a very positive atmosphere in the GBGB office in Holborn and I am looking forward to finalising the executive team with a press officer and a UKAS officer in due course."

UKAS - the United Kingdom Accreditation Service - is the sole body recognised by government to assess organisations against internationally-agreed standards and appointing a UKAS officer is seen as vital to maintain self-regulation in greyhound racing which is particularly relevant in the field of welfare.

Taylor added: "The next priority is to complete the appointments to the GBGB and GRB Greyhound Regulatory Board boards and then to start looking at the structure and membership of the various committees where so much of the core work will be undertaken.

"We are committed to keeping the sport's stakeholders fully informed as new initiatives begin to be rolled-out, so expect plenty of updates from us in the weeks and months ahead."

The GBGB board is to meet bi-monthly with the first such gathering scheduled for Tuesday, February 10. The board, as set out in the Donoughue framework, comprises Maurice Watkins (chairman), Taylor, Ian Reynolds (GRB chairman), Clive Feltham (GRA), Rachel Corden (Nottingham), Bill Glass (Stadia UK), Stuart Locke-Hart (owners), Bob Stott (independent director), Sir Gordon Duff (independent director) and the yet-to-be appointed GRB veterinary director. That appointment is expected in the next two-to-three weeks.

Watkins is due to give the opening address at the GBGB annual awards evening at the Hilton London Metropole on Sunday, January 25, ticket sales for which are said to be "very encouraging" having picked up markedly since the nominations were announced on New Year's Day, although some still remain.

THE official website of the GBGB - address www.gbgb.org.uk although the old www.thedogs.co.uk also redirects there - has had some teething problems which are readily conceded by spokesman Peter Laurie.

"The launch of the new GBGB website was certainly not as smooth a transition as we had planned for and anticipated," he said.

"Many of the difficulties arose in the process of replicating the results database from the old website into the new, which was nowhere near as fast as our web-developers had expected.

"These issues are being ironed out as quickly as possible and visitors will be seeing improvements to the site and new features being added on a regular basis during the coming months.

"We have been working since the minute the new site went live to improve both speed and functionality and the effects of that work should be visible before the end of the week. We're very grateful for the patience of our visitors at the moment, and we share their frustration at the parts of the site which so far haven't worked as well as they should.

"Ultimately we were keen for the new organisation to have an online presence from January 1, and though it clearly wasn't a fantastic start, we have every confidence that the new site will quickly develop into an essential web resource for enthusiasts and others interested in finding out more."

'We are committed to keeping the sport's stakeholders informed'

Ian Taylor, CEO