Football Pools - Betting - 8 from 10

I like a bit of a flutter as the ‘£1 Kid’ but I have never been interested in anything but betting on Football or Soccer for the American readers. Even as a kid, I would make lists and make predictions for fun simple times for simple things.

Mum and Dad did the pools with Dad doing Littlewoods while Mum would do Vernons and Spot the Ball which sometimes she would let me do 10 or 20 crosses under strict orders not to lose count. I could never understand why mum did Vernons when Littlewoods paid out more prize money. If there were, a spare coupon floating around I would fill it out for fun checking it out on Saturday.

Dad had a bloke in work who he would hand over the completed coupons to and with a large clientele at the factory as honest as the day he was born. I remember mum would insist the ‘no publicity’ box was ticked but there was never the need to worry as the big jackpot win alluded the family. Their poison was the basic 8 from 10 and if there was a chance of a win mum would get a book out full of crosses and have to perm her coupon.

I did not see it as gambling until I was older and saw it as a battle of wits or your ability to guess right. I probably would have had more luck than I did by sticking a needle in the coupon. You have to remember back then it was not like today were there is plenty of information available to help you make your decisions. Back then, you would have to deliberate the relative footballing merits of Darlington v Hartlepool that was not much. As I reach my teens, mum allowed me to do a line on the "8 homes", "4 draws", "5 aways" which sounds easy but it wasn’t.

I miss doing the Football Pools and I believe they are ceased trading these days but you can get a football coupon at the bookies. In the world of technology, I use the internet.