In February, 2020, Coral Brighton & Hove Stadium inaugurated a coveted ‘Hall of Fame’ to celebrate outstanding human or canine achievement at the ‘showplace of greyhound racing’ and the long-serving Andy Leaney, 57, was an inductee in September, 2023.

In 1977 Andy Leaney's West Blatchington Junior School lifted the trophy in the Hove & Portslade Primary Schools’ Football League for the third successive year – the team were also finalists in the Knockout Cup four years in a row and failed to concede a goal during the successful cup run.

The West Blatchington outfit comprised Darren Charman, Darren Elms, Marcus Greer, Andy Leaney, Richard Nunn, Kevin Palmer, Adrian Pollington, Stephen Pryer, Jonathan Stone, Stuart Taylor, Gary Wickens (captain) and Lee Westmorland,

Andy Leaney, initially a member of the groundstaff team in 1983, enjoyed the honour of inserting the peerless Ballyregan Bob into the starting traps for the very first time in 1984 and that landmark spawned the tale of the most celebrated canine athlete in greyhound racing history.

ANDY LEANEY: The Hove racing office grader was inducted into the coveted Hove Hall of Fame in 2023.

In 1986, Andy Leaney was also offered a supplementary post in the Hove racing office three evening meetings per week – Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays – before switching from his groundstaff duties to fill a vacancy in the very busy print shop that was chiefly responsible for producing thousands of racecards each week for Coral Stadia.

Twenty years ago Andy Leaney, a lifelong supporter of Queens Park Rangers FC, transferred to a full-time role in the Hove racing office and he eventually graduated to deputy racing manager and chief grader.

Andy Leaney, whose wife Julie is also a full-time employee at Hove as a paddock steward and parader, is a genuine animal lover and the couple currently care for a retired greyhound.