BEST of the BETS

Personally speaking, the prospect of this site shutting down is very bad news.
I would be willing to enter into a partnership with multiple persons,
though it would have to be a collective effort, and I'm not willing to
subscribe more than 100 pounds on my end - at least in theory.

That being said, Mugz, is there no revenue source for you on here at present?
Bookmaking sites must offer some incentives for user traffic, do they not?

If all of this effort on your end, plus volunteers, is for nowt on a daily basis,
it's hard to imagine making a go of it for any length of time.
That would be a shame.

There is no other racing forum that transcends both sides of the Atlantic like this one. :up:

It is an opportunity for someone to take over the in its current form and if they think they can monetize it good luck to them. I would never ask people to pay to use the site and as people are not prepared to enter a P2P contest for £15 then its pretty clear that this isnt viable anyway.

If everyone wanted to stay together then someone either needs to setup a site for free on another platform or you all go and use an existing forum and lobby the owner to set you up with some contests if thats your reason for using this site.

It's a sad day coming. :worry:

I was thinking along the same lines H4C, then there was mugz suggestion of looking for a free host.
so i decided to go trawling to see what was out there .
came across one that may be of interest.
https://www.proboards.com/switch-to-proboards-free-forums
free with adverts, $6 a month ad free.
dont give up hope.

There is no rush and Im not going to shut down without something being setup to retain the community is that is what people want. To run a forum and customize it you need to be a bit tech savvy but other than that its just the time commitment which might be a issue.

It would be a shame to see the site close and I would like to see it remain open.

Maybe a revamp to encourage new members and good chats.

I would be happy to look at any ideas.

JT

To give everyone a better idea of timings I am looking to close at the end of August which is plenty of time if someone wants to step in and setup an alternative.

Sorry to hear this Mugz, been here a good few years and it's been very good most of the time. I appreciate all the hard work you've done but I can't really offer any time or money to help out. Sad that so many of the good guys left, miss a lot of them. Pleased to have chatted with Coolerking when he was still with us, loved the rememberance competition. Thank you Mugz, all the best mate.
Oh, by the way. Up the Blades

The final day the board will be open for posting will be Saturday 29 July. We will have the final TTC on that day and then the lights will be switched off on 1 August.

Sad news, but it's a sign of the times with internet forums largely dying out over time, although there are exceptions.

Most of those on here these days won't know me, but I owe my career at least partly to this forum. I first logged on in 2003 as a student, and marvelled at some of the tipping going on, LazyExcuse and Hippo being the obvious examples. Tankyman too, great for the shorter prices. I had always had an interest in data and statistics, and started tipping on the forum in 2004 (fairly sure Attraction in the 1,000 Guineas was the first tip I put up - beginner's luck!). I've been a tipster and analyst full time since 2008 having served a year or so in the trading room of a well known Irish bookmaker. There was so much to read and learn on the board at the time. I remember some lad tipping Mission Affirmed (won 33/1) at Southwell one day and couldn't believe it was possible to find winners at those odds. Lots of winners from LazyExcuse (the 2005 Gold Cup tricast at 1000/1), and incredibly high quality and interesting write ups. It isn't that long ago since Hippo's huge day at Goodwood - pure bananas, monstrous each-way accumulator. Some might remember a lad called Ziderhead from the old days? Spamming the forum with nonsense in the early days, some very funny run ins although it all seemed deadly serious at the time.

Mugz, you've been a constant for all those years - 20 years that I know of and perhaps more? Thanks for all that you've given to it, I always enjoyed being a member and reading the boards although I've contributed much less in recent times. If anyone decides to put together a new meeting place / information exchange / or keep in touch I'd be happy to be a part of it.

All the very best, to Mugz and all the members,

Dan.

Splendid email Dan! My input has been a bit sporadic over the years, but I remember all those names, particularly Lazy Excuse (didn't he go on to become a tipster too?). Thanks Mugz for all the hard yards you've put in to make the site so enjoyable.

Great post!
Nice to hear success stories, although most,
if not all, of the subject matter is from before my
time here. Still, there has been no shortage of
racing analyst talent on this forum for years now.
Mugz has been at the helm through it all. :up:

We have common ground on our career paths, dandan.
I also started in the early 1980s with a leading Irish
bookmaking firm. I'm sure you are at least 20 years
younger than I am, but a coincidence nonetheless.
I've been on the California/Nevada border for over
30 years now, and have remained in the gambling
business throughout, in a number of capacities.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading your post.
Continued success to you down the road :up: