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Feathers fly over new ruling on pigeon racing

Emilene Coventry
12/12/2007

PIGEON racers are in a flap as government penpushers have decided the hobby is no longer a sport.

Despite the support of the Queen – she is patron of the Royal Pigeon Association – the Inland Revenue has decided that pigeon racing can no longer be classified as a sport.

Skipping, baton twirling and model aircraft flying still meet the criteria, according to the ruling.

It means people like Stephen Walsh, who has 70 pigeons and is a member of the Dukinfield Flying Club, may have to pay business rates on the sheds where they keep their birds.

Stephen, 45, of Rowan Crescent, said: "I was absolutely gobsmacked when I heard this. It’s definitely a sport!

"I don’t know how they can say that.

"It will kill the sport if we all suddenly have to start paying business rates.

"It’s dear enough as it is. It’s not just paying for the races, it’s the feed and the medicine you have to give them.

"And it’s starting to drop off now anyway, most pigeon racers are pensioners,

"We’re not getting any youngsters in because they’re all playing computer games."

Sports clubs can formally apply for business rate relief of 80 per cent from HM Revenue and Customs and then to their local authority for 20 per cent.

A spokeswoman for Tameside Council said pigeon lofts had always been subject to business rates but only at a cost of around £40-50 a year.

"More recently, the government has introduced a relief scheme for those sporting organisations that are classified as community amateur sports clubs and meet the criteria laid down by the Inland Revenue.

"It appears that the Inland Revenue has determined that pigeon clubs do not meet the criteria, therefore we would be unable to award relief under this scheme," she said.