Has it always been like this?

[Sheerluck Holmes]

By 'this' i mean the debauchery that surrounds any major race meeting, at least in my city of York. I have come to dread race weekends, when quite often in the past, I would pop to to the course enclosure - I live in the city centre so it's quite handy. But, recently, I just can't help thinking that the sport you all care so passionately about is being sullied by pissed up morons, bussed/trained in from Newcastle, Barnsley, Leeds, Wakefield, Hull and along with the locals, make it their sole purpose to get as p1ssed up as they can and like to cause as much trouble as they seemingly can (Ok, ok, I know I'm generalising here). I do know the racing is good for city's economy - the local curry house was absolutely packed last night for the first time, since, er, the last race meet! But is it worth it? The local paper sometimes prints stories of debauchery but is apparently loathe to print too much in case it tarnishes the cities repuation of a 'tourist haven'. Obviously, I love horse racing and can see through the idiots, but what about the families (who the BHA try to appeal to) who see gangs of lads pissing in their front gardens or women puking and fighting in the street? One of my friends has been to the races and has seen a woman been done doggy style over someones wall - admitedly it was down the the side of the house but even still.... I do understand I'm just round the corner from the main drag on foot back into York, so suffer more than someone who lives miles away, but honestly, it's getting beyond a joke. I've actually gone to trouble of putting all York's fixtures in my diary so I know to stay away from the town centre. Am I a wimp? Maybe. Am I moaning for the sake of it? Could be. Is it a case of NIMBY? Perhaps. But I just don't see why this sh1t has to go with 50 odd horses running around a race course. Is it like this at Ludlow? Fakenham? I guess not. How does York compare to it's contempories - Ascot, Newmarket, Goodwood etc?

[jayalexander]

Re: Has it always been like this? Newcastle is full of pissed up morons anyway, so raceday here wouldn't be much different from any other day :lol