The jewel in Scotland’s whippet racing calendar had to be abandoned at the weekend after gypsy travellers tore through the venue.
Competitors and spectators, fearing for their safety, fled before Sunday’s finals of the Scottish Whippet Derby in Kirkcaldy.
Doubts have now been expressed as to whether the popular event will ever be held in the town again.
The derby, hosted by Kirkcaldy Whippet Club for 16 years, attracts racers from across the UK and Ireland and is a welcome money spinner for the area’s economy.
This year’s championships on Randolph Playing Fields began on Saturday, July 23, and were being hailed as the best ever until trouble flared on finals day.
It is believed the travellers began fighting among themselves somewhere on the A92 in Fife, before continuing their battle at the edge of the playing fields.
Despite attempts by police to stop them, around 15 caravans were then driven at speed through the gate and onto the field.
Kirkcaldy club secretary Arthur Cook said people had felt intimidated and were terrified young children attending the event could be hit by the vehicles.
The travellers have since moved on after being threatened with legal action by Fife Council, but Mr Cook said he was so angry he was considering stopping the derby.
“I’m actually thinking about packing it in because it’s hard enough to organise without something like this happening,” he said.Caravans”There were 10 finals to go when there was this huge rumpus and a lot of caravans came tearing into the field.”
Competitors, who traditionally camp or stay in caravans on the field during the week-long championships, packed up and left as soon as the travellers pitched up.
“This was really bad. They were fighting on the main road outside and although they didn’t come onto the track, they came right into the field,” Mr Cook added.
“They drove across the field and unhitched their caravans. We had a lot of young bairns there and people were frightened for them so they decided to leave rather than risk trouble.
“People were saying this was the best derby ever and the weather had been great, but sadly I don’t know whether we will be able to have it next year because the sponsors are not happy.”
Mr Cook contacted MSP David Torrance in the midst of the trouble and said he arrived around 15 minutes later to try to sort it out.
Mr Torrance yesterday called for a change in the law to stop travellers disrupting the community.
“When they arrive on sites illegally they should be evicted straight away,” he said. “They leave a mess, which the council has to remove, and last time they damaged the pavilion and left chaos behind them, including a burnt-out caravan.
Ruth Gibson, lead officer for Fife Council’s gypsy traveller service, said the travellers had moved on on Monday evening following a visit by the site manager and the police.
“Legal action was being raised and they had been informed about that,” she said.
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user winkyintheuk.