John Russell and the longest article ever, with barely a Villa word.

https://heroesandvillains.info/2021/10/04/sporting-debuts/

There were five greyhounds in all the races in the period being written about at Perry Barr, Kings Heath and Hall Green as well as the Black Country tracks at Wolverhampton, Willenhall and Cradley Heath.

Thanks for that Clash.  Great memories of Cradley.  The  Cradley dogs were a very mixed bunch of canine athletes.  My Dad being the habitual punter he was loved to bet in the Cradley handicaps on a Saturday night.  His certain winner finding system was to back a treble with his own initials - R V G.  Invariably the only V on the card was an ancient greyhound called Vimto Besant that was so knackered it used to get 20 yards start over 500 yard races.  Inevitably it was caught by the first bend and my Dad's dream of wealth finished up down the swanee.  I was about seven when I started to try to convert him to using his brains not his initials when having a bet but it fell on deaf ears.

Yes I loved Cradley greyhounds used to go regular in the mid to late 70s with my Grand Dad and my 2 uncles - great memories

Do you remember seeing an old chap Sid, usually in the bar that always had a radio to his ear held there by pulling his shoulder up. I think he had done it for so long that his shoulder had actually become deformed.