Silver Derek - a glorious betting shop character

Apologies to those who have read this one before. Taken from another forum about 3yrs ago

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Here is a glorious story of an occurrance last Sunday
in a drinker in the West End of Aberdeen.

Completely unbelievable but 100% true.

The reason I describe it as unbelievable is because
for my sins in the 90's I was running betting shops up
here. I met many characters rich and poor but can
honestly say I will have settled over 2000 "scorecast"
wagers and can only remember marking up ONE winner.
That was something along the lines of McCoist & 1-0
Rangers at 18/1 or something basic.

It is mainly an old man's bet I found and they were
not too adventurous with their selections. Ian Wright
+ 2-0 or Eoin Jess and 1-0 were the norm. They still
never ever came in.

William Hill in the local paper offer up a free 1
scorecast voucher every Friday for the weekend's
Aberdeen game. I would opine that during the few years
they have been doing this, they have probably been
caught half a dozen times if the jollies have obliged.

The scene is set and at this point I should introduce
you to Silver Derek. A doyen of the Geordie floodlit
greyhound scene in the 70's. Used to be a trainer's
assistant at Brough Park, Sunderland and Pelaw etc
etc. It obviously was not a route to a lucrative life
as by the time we ran into each other it was 1994 in a
run-down housing scheme betting shop.

He was dogs and football only. 50p wagers, a pound if
he was sure, until he had exhausted his 4 daily
float. He was like that for years. An absolute
gentleman with glorious old tales to tell. I shifted
betting shop and his custom followed. He was old
school. He'd win a tenner and then go and drink
himself into the ground. I'd always shout him a pint
after my shift in the boozer. It's magic buying a pint
for someone that massively appreciates it. "I'll
square you up Stevie" was the constant shout. Jesus,
I'd enjoy watching him savour that pint more than I
enjoyed my own at times!

Anyway, I digress, but if Silver Derek got a hot hot
tip he would find a tenner. Old Ricky Santini of
Betfair fame gave us a Jack Berry juvenile back then
that bolted up somewhere at 100/30. Old Derek had his
tenspot on it to land his biggest win of the year.
Beside himself with joy.

Anyway, I think you know what is coming.

I was sitting in a dingy boozer in the Aberdeen West
End with my mistress. I'd been to Pittodrie earlier in
the day and seen them beat Rangers in a majestic game
of football. The town was absolutely jumping and there
is usually carnage when Rangers are in town so we
headed away from the centre.

Settled in this boozer and the Silver Fox taps me on
the shoulder. Hadn't seen him for a good few years but
I swear he still had the same jacket on and was still
betting with cupro-nickel.

Anyway, he beckons me over to the corner of the boozer
and produces a folded piece of blue paper. A William
Hill betting slip no less. His biggest bet of any
given weekend is quite clearly the 1 free scorecast
courtesy of the Evening Express.

He unfolded it and I saw the most glorious sight in
that familiar old handwriting.


RUSSELL ANDERSON to SCORE FIRST and ABERDEEN to win
3-2

Anderson is the Dons centre back who scores once in a
blue moon. Whats more, the Dons were 7/1 to win the
game in the 90 mins. It was a Derek kind of bet. It
was completely and utterly authentic. The stamp at the
bottom was genuine.


950/1

He bought me and the boiler THAT beer.

The question Silver Derek asked me was a pearler. "As
it is a free bet will I get 950 or 951 back?"

"950 Derek"

Cue a crestfallen glance.

"They're bloody criminals"

Absolutely joyous and completely true. Biggest priced
winner I have ever witnessed.