Memories of Victor Chandler?
Nottingham Forest are sponsored by Victor Chandler, the well-known bookmaker.
Years ago before I was married, I used to work in a pub called The Merryhils at Oakwood in North London during University holidays. The pub is stll there, but it has been renamed.
The pub was owned by a man called Chandler, who was related to the family that owned Walthamstow stadium with its greyhound racing track. They were very good to me and C always thought that the deal we got for our wedding reception there in 1968 was a very good one. Especially, as her parents weren’t in the least bit well-off!
I don’t quite know the pub owner’s relationship to Victor, but it was fairly close and I can remember being introduced to an embarrassed young kid of about six, all dressed up in a fancylittle suit with a bow tie, who I’m fairly sure was called Victor. It was only a chance meeting, but I suspect Victor would not have preferred to have worn something different. You’d certainly not dress a little boy, that way today!
But he has gone on to do well!
Checking with his personal Wikipedia entry, it would appear it wasn’t Victor, as the age was wrong, but some of the complimentary quotes about Victor there could equally apply to the landlord of The Merryhills. They were very good people to work for and in perhaps the three years I did, I enjoyed it immensely and there was never any cross words. And of course there was the excellent wedding reception at an affordable price!
Pamela Puts on a Show
I watched Strictly Come Dancing and I was very impressed with the performance of Pamela Stephenson, who got the highest total score from the judges.
So my bet of £4 on Pamela to win is still running.
Pamela’s Odds Are Coming Down!
I got 50-1, but now after tonight’s performance, she’s down to 22-1.
I think I got value!
The ECB is not Commenting
And quite rightly so, given the latest allegations from the head of the Pakistani Cricket Board; Ijaz Butt. This is what MIke Selvey says The Guardian.
Actually, what he is suggesting, in his hamfisted, truculent way, is that if Pakistan players can get accused of malpractice whenever they underperform, then how about a taste of your own medicine when it is England, not Pakistan, who lose five wickets for 17 runs and with it the game. It is a pathetic yah-boo response, of course, and childish when there have been serious issues raised these past few weeks, but that is all it is. However spiteful it might seem, we should really take no notice of Mr Butt.
Nor should we just accept the latest fixing story at face value, for there are chancers out there, and not just those who would try to bend matches and incidents. There might be a fast buck to be made by someone who could pass off a tale: it has been tried before. This particular story, one in which it is said the outcome, or rather elements of the Pakistan innings on Friday, were known in advance, ought to be treated with a little more suspicion than appears to have been the case with those who simply interpret what they read as gospel without thinking it through.
I hope that we don’t invite the Pakistani cricketers again for several years, as they and their officials are really devaluing this so-called series of matches.
I might watch some of the match today and I hope that England win by a country mile.
Don’t They Ever Learn!
It is now being reported that there are more betting allegations in the cricket.
I was going to watch the last two matches next week! Perhaps, I won’t as it would appear the bookmakers have already decided who will win!
My Bet For a Winner is Pamela Stephenson
The BBC has just announced the line-up for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
My money is on Pamela Stephenson, who showed she can dance, years ago in Not The Nine O’Clock News But perhaps not in the way required!
The ICC Does the Right Thing
The ICC has done the right thing in suspending the three Pakistani cricketers accused of being involved in a betting scandal.
The cricketers may or may not be involved, but you can imagine the atmosphere in say Cardiff, if they had been allowed to play. Sports fans in that city are noted for their humour.
But for the Pakistani High Commisioner to claim that the important video was made later is a disgrace.
I have a feeling that this incident will run and run. Let’s hope that the ICC and England continue to act in the fair-minded way they have up to now.
The Pakistani Betting Scandal
Now I’ve held a bookmaking licence in my time and I’ve also had some good successes making the odd ridiculous bet. I had £10 each-way on Terimon for the Derby many years ago at 500-1 and it came second, so I made a profit of over a £1,000 on the transaction.
Usually though I’ve had inside information, as the horse has either been one of mine or it has been trained in the same stable. There was also my last winner, Joy of Freedom, who won at Folkestone at long odds, because she was pregnant and that had improved her no end!
But in all these cases the bookies offered the odds and we took them.
The one case we didn’t take the odds, was when my horse, Debach Delight, won at Ayr. She started at odds of 22-1 on, which meant that to win a pound, you needed to stake tenty-two. Not good betting odds, but I had noticed that to generate business the bookies were offering 10-1, if she won the race by ten lengths. When she duly won by twelve, I told the jockey about the betting, who said that I should have had a bet and told him, as he would have made sure I won. He wasn’t suggesting anything dishonest, but he had eased the horse down in the last furlong and if it had mattered, he would have made sure, she had won by the requisite distance, as she in fact had.
This just shows that if bookmakers offer silly bets, like whether the next delivery will be a no-ball, it is very easy to take advantage.
In part this is what has happened with the scandal involving the Pakistani cricketers. The bookies offer a silly bet, so someone takes advantage and asks the bowler to bowl a no-ball.
The first thing that needs to be done is rid the sport of these illegal bookmakers or at least the bets that encourage cheating. Only then will we be able to clean up the game.
I have to say that the response of Pakistani supporters in the UK, seems to have been exemplary, with most appearing to be extremely disappointed about the actions of the Pakistani players.
Don’t They Ever Learn?
Pakistani cricketers are once again in the brown stuff. This time, it’s about spot betting on whether a delivery is a no-ball or not. But the Pakistani cricket team has been involved in all sorts of scandals over the past few years. So you’d think that with all the problems in the country, that the cricketers would be playing to try to give some sort of lift to their unfortunate compatriots.
If the allegations are proven to be true, then those involved should be banned for life from ever playing cricket again!
The real curse is this spot betting. Imagine yesterday at Portman Road and you could bet on Grant Leadbitter hitting the bar from a free kick. (Actually, what he did deserved a goal!) But bookmakers in some places will take such a bet. Certainly no reputable or licensed one would.
As an aside to this Oxfam have just said that billions of pounds will have to be spent to reconstruct Pakistan and it must start now! Can we trust the country to spend the money wisely and not let it end up in the hands of crooks?
Even if we can, these cricketers have sowed the seeds of doubt in many peoples’ minds.
Some Horse!
Sea the Stars achieved immortality on Sunday, by winning the Prix de l’Rac de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday.
According to Paddy Power, he might even win the Irish Sports Personality of the Year! I doubt it though, as Brian O’Driscoll is long odds-on!
Some years ago, we went to Longchamp on Arc day. The reason was that a horse we had bred, was running in one of the supporting races. According to the odds, the horse only had a modest chance. But no-one had told her!
Unfortunately, this memoral day is not recorded on film, as I din’t take a camera! I learned the lesson then and always have one in my pocket now!
The Anonymous Widower 