Monday's announcement from Arc that a consultation process with staff at Belle Vue will begin immediately suggests we have seen the last greyhound race at the famous stadium.

Following the suspension of racing at the Manchester track post-lockdown, with the current behind-closed-doors policy blamed for this latest decision, a number of trainers attached to the track have moved on already - signing contracts at Sheffield and Perry Barr.

Arc has already pledged to continue to support those greyhounds with trainers attached to Belle Vue, meeting the welfare needs of those racers, and that is absolutely the right and correct thing to do - and you would expect nothing else from a well-run company.

But is it something the sport should just accept? Is there any recourse?

It needs to be reiterated Arc do not own Belle Vue, only hold the lease to race. They own Newcastle, Nottingham and Sunderland outright, but also only hold the lease at Perry Barr in Birmingham, on land owned by a go-ahead local council there.

The Belle Vue site in Gorton is owned by Crown Oil Pension Fund.

Crown Oil had been seemingly happy to use the rental payments to ensure a profit for shareholders and investors. It was a workable arrangement ensuring the livelihoods of staff, both based at the track, and trainers and their staff attached to the venue.

However, in December, they sought and were granted planning permission for the site. That clearly expressed an intention to cash in on a property they owned, again absolutely their prerogative as the land owners - albeit a cold-hearted business decision.

Whether they should have had the opportunity in the first place remains a moot point, but a glance at previous owners the GRAs history will bring you up to speed. Arc inherited a track which lacked investment and was shrouded in uncertainty, albeit was still very popular.

Chances are Belle Vue has gone. However, it would be nice to think greyhound racing itself will be involved in the consultation process announced by Arc - and that means contact and discussions with the GBGB. It should be included - if nothing else to glean valuable experience and nous for future developments.

The Board is the sports regulator, but has been largely without a commercial presence since the British Greyhound Racing Board became the GBGB in 2009, although the sport has made giant strides in regulation, welfare and the policing of the sport. That side of greyhound racing is in fantastic hands and great shape.

However, GBGB managing director Mark Bird has signalled his own intentions for the future, including the appointment of a commercial director, which could take the game in a different direction still. It will see a rejuvenated attitude to PR and marketing - a fresh look at moving the sport forward.

Greyhound racing needs to shout from the rooftops - the product needs selling, again.

That said, all of this will likely come too late to save Belle Vue. Might a commercial director have sold the naming rights to the stadium? Could he or she have paved the way for a National Greyhound Racing Museum there - at the home of the sport.

Ironically, the land seems affordable now in the great scheme of things and Crown Oil could be willing partners in any sale - back to us!

Many within the industry have suggested, with good reason, that greyhound racings major problem is the lack of overall power it holds. It is a regulator, not a track owner. That is unlikely to change throughout this present Belle Vue situation, but must be goal.

You would never envisage horse racing selling Ascot, Epsom or York, but for those great and historic venues read White City, Wimbledon and Walthamstow for greyhound racing. Getting a foothold in track ownership could give the sport some certainty.

A pipedream, yes, but something definitely to give serious consideration - put the bricks in place now. Somewhere to proudly house the sports great history which stretches back to 1926 and that first meeting staged under rules at, yes, Belle Vue in Manchester.

The 'ZOO' was the only greyhound track in the North West of England.

We all expected it to happen one day but when 'ARC' came in we all thought we had a future.

Never mind we move on some of our trainers have moved to other tracks but sadly some have been forced to retire.

I have been going to the track since i was a school boy over 50 years now. I will miss the old place but life goes on..

You Have To Try And Be Positive In Life but one thing nobody can take away is my memories down at the ZOO..

Thats exactly the attitude I adopted when Hall Green closed, yes its dreadful for all concerned but no use in crying over spilt milk

Sold for peanuts back in the day.

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Agreed that they do not own the track but they should not be powerless, if they haven't already they could lobby Historic England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport(DCMS) to obtain Listed status for the stadium. This should be a formality given it's history, but as I understand it Save Belle View Stadium were rebuffed with their enquiries for listing. This is ridiculous when you consider that the following Listing Selection Guide for Sports and Recreation Buildings, on the Historic England site includes examples of Cock Fighting and Bull Baiting Structures

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On their Home page Historic England also proudly include a link to the recently protected the Remains of the Worlds Earliest Surviving Gasworks.

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The DCMS about page states "We protect and promote our cultural and artistic heritage"

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Surely the sport of Greyhound racing has been culturally influential for much of the last century, at the very minimum bringing the(albeit generally derogatory) phrase "gone to the dogs" into general use.

Agreed but it was sold a number of years back for 2 million pounds, the board then hadn't the forsight to buy it then, at least here in Ireland we own most of our tracks.