This book examines the rapid rise and slow decline of greyhound racing in Britain, focusing on the 1920s to the 1960s. It examines the way in which the middle classes sought to ban or control a sport and gambling opportunity which became a niche part of British working-class culture.
Preface
List of abbreviations
Introduction
1. The rise of greyhound racing in Britain 1926-45: the politics of discrimination
2. Discrimination and decline: greyhound racing in Britain, 1945 to the 1960s
3. 'Animated roulette boards...': financing, operating and managing the greyhound tracks for racing the dogs, c. 1926-61
4. Dog breeding, dog owning and dog training: dividing the classes
5. An Ascot for the common man
6. Policing the tracks, detecting malpractice, and dealing with the racketeers and 'shady' individuals, 1926-c. 1961
7. The decline of greyhound racing in Britain, 1961-2017
Conclusion
Appendices
Bibliography
Index
Keith Laybourn BSc MA PhD FRHistS FHA is editor and Diamond Jubilee Professor Emeritus at the University of Huddersfield.