Greyhound Board of Great Britain appoints Sir Philip Davies as Chair
It was also announced that Mark Bird will remain as Chief Executive for another two years.
Key points:
– Sir Philip Davies will act as Chair of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain from 1 September 2025
– Mark Bird will remain as Chief Executive to help facilitate this change
Sir Philip Davies has been appointed as the next Chair of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB). He will take on the role starting 1 September 2025.
Davies comes to the role with extensive political experience, having served as MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire from 2005 to 2024. During this time, he was also a part of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and the Panel of Chairs.
On his appointment, Davies said: “I am honoured to have been appointed Chair of GBGB. Licensed greyhound racing is a fantastic sport which has held an important place in the fabric of our country for almost a century. Greyhound and horseracing have been an integral part of my life since my childhood when my mother ran a betting shop in Doncaster. As such, I know just how important greyhound racing is to local communities and what an important contribution it makes – both economically and socially.”
Davies also thanked outgoing Chair Jeremy Cooper for “his leadership and stewardship over the past seven years,” citing his ambition and drive to improve the GBGB.
Cooper himself said: “As I conclude my time as Chair, I would like to thank the entire industry for their support during the last seven years. In particular, I would like to both thank and congratulate the GBGB Board for their ongoing commitment and support of many beneficial initiatives that we have introduced.”
Good to know: The announcement follows the passing of former Chair Lord Lipsey, aged 77, in early July, who acted as GBGB Chair from 2004-2009
Alongside this announcement, it was also reported that current Chief Executive Mark Bird will remain in the role for another two years. Bird will aid in the onboarding of Davies, as well as other new Board members, including Tony Brealey as Owner Practitioner Director, alongside Dave Baldwin, Katie Bennison and Kim Sanzone.
We spoke to Bird in the H1 Sports Betting Focus issue of Gambling Insider to discuss the ban on greyhound racing in New Zealand.
On remaining in the role, Bird said: “This is an important and exciting time for GBGB and licensed racing and it is vital that there is as much stability and continuity as possible within the organisation. Our sport faces a number of opportunities as well as challenges and, with Sir Philip at the helm, I believe we are very well placed to take advantage of these opportunities and address the challenges head on.”
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