Pigeon-racers see numbers in freefall

Pigeon-racing is in danger of dying out, say experts, who have watched numbers taking up the sport plummet in recent years.

The pastime is failing to attract younger competitors and West Midlands groups say their membership is dwindling. Historically, the West Midlands has spawned dozens of pigeon-racing groups over the decades and is still the biggest catchment area in the country. But a society from Old Hill say they have seen their numbers halve in the last 20 years.

And they fear the sport will one day just be a distant memory.

Clive Tromans has been a pigeon fancier for more than 60 years and is a member of a group in Old Hill.

"It takes dedication, it's 365 days a year, and there's a lot of hard work involved. I think the youngsters would prefer to watch TV," said the 70-year-old.

Along with fellow racers Martin Goodwin, 69, and Jack Caddick, 75, Mr Tromans has been breeding, competing and keeping the birds for more than 150 years between them, but Mr Goodwin said the sport was not what it once was.

He said: "In the last 20 years, the numbers in our club are down by 50 per cent, it's dying out, maybe not in our lifetime, but it will stop."

Nationally membership of clubs and federations is falling. Peter Bryant, general manager of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association, said: "Like a lot of traditional hobbies the sport is in decline; nationally we lose about 1,200 members a year.

"We have about 33,000 members, and fortunately as we get closer to the 30,000 mark, it is slowing down.

"We do have trouble recruiting younger people as they tend to be more interested in football and computers.

"Traditionally we have a more mature membership, and they are literally passing away and we aren't getting the youngsters coming through."

He said last year there were 288 clubs in the West Midlands – the most in the country – with 4,500 members.

The birds are released as far away as France and can fly 465 miles to get home.