IT'S BEEN a dogs' life for 77-year-old Dorothy Wood. And she's loved every minute.

Dorothy was just two years old when her dad took her to the very first greyhound race meeting at Belle Vue. And she's been a fan ever since.

She goes to Belle Vue three times a week - and when the stadium celebrates 75 years of dog racing, at a special meeting on July 24, Dorothy will be there again, her form guide at the ready.

From her usual spot in the Belle Vue restaurant, Dorothy, from North Reddish, admitted she couldn't remember that first event, which attracted a crowd of 1,700.

''I was only two and we lived in Shropshire at the time but were up visiting my aunt and uncle in Salford,'' she said.

''My father was very keen on horses and he saw the dog racing advertised and brought us along. The family has been keen on dog racing ever since and for the last 35 years I've been to Belle Vue nearly three times every week with my son Alan.

Changes

''I've seen a lot of changes in staff but the sport has only really changed like the world has.

''The clothes may have got more glamorous but I don't think people are as well behaved as they used to be.''

She added: ''I'm going to keep coming to Belle Vue as long as I can and I've asked the manager if I can have my ashes scattered on the track when I die.

''He said yes at the time and I might well hold him to it.''

Greyhound racing has never been so popular - it is now second only to soccer for sheer numbers of spectators.

And today's meetings are far from the working class stereotype of cloth caps and pies. Now it's designer labels and a la carte menus.

Betting receipts top £1.6bn each year and 3.7 million people visit the UK's 32 tracks annually.

Celebrities

And in the last five years, celebrity spectators and dog owners such as Vinnie Jones, Chris Evans, Damon Albarn and David Seaman have helped complete the glamorous renaissance at tracks around the country.

Highlighting the popularity of the sport, Sky Sports televised seven of the 12 races at the Manchester stadium last night including the prestigious Cock of the North.

Belle Vue general manager John Gilburn explained that greyhound racing had dug itself out of a hole in recent years.

''Up to about eight years ago it was still back in the 1950s,'' he said. ''All the stadia had suffered little or no re-investment at all.

''At the same time people were expecting much more from a night out and facilities for other sports such as 10-pin bowling were getting much better.

''It was then that the industry woke up and discovered customer service and, with good marketing, created the great product we have now.

''We now have gone up from three to four nights a week and we regularly get 2,500 people.

''When I first came six years ago, we were lucky to get more than 1,000 on a Saturday night.''

During its 75 years Belle Vue, the UK home of greyhound racing, has seen many of the biggest names, including one of the most famous dogs of all time, Ballyregan Bob.

At the 75th birthday event on July 24, the stadium is planning a theme night with the highest-ever prize money of £7,500 for an invitation race.

Staff will wear 1920s dress and a gala meal will be served in the restaurant.

Admission will be just 75p, as will the first two drinks of the night.

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