#BettingPeople

#BettingPeople: David Stewart has been working behind the scenes as head of Star Sports’ content team for over a decade, what many people might not know is that his career started with a bang on the front page of the Sun and on national TV, meet David Stewart, aka Computer Kid.

#BettingPeople: Professional poker player Marty Smyth was the highest European earner in 2007, winning top tournaments, then extended into sports and horse racing betting. This is his first interview in 20 years.

Professional punter, friend of the stars and avid Chelsea fan, ‘Tracksuit’ Dave Standbridge is a much-loved character on and off the racecourses of the UK. In this four-part interview, he talks about his life battling the bookies and, more recently, a much deadlier foe. Dave has asked that we share a link to the charity that helps people with MPN (myeloproliferative neoplasms). You can find out more and donate by clicking the link below: MPN Voice – Donate.

David Lovell, born into a respected and innovative bookmaking family, started life learning the odds with his father John, and started one of Wales’ first in-running suites, where fortunes were made before he became a full-time professional punter with runners countrywide until founding DragonBet with his brother James. Reticent to talk publicly for years, finally we have David Lovell in the #BettingPeople chair, speaking to Simon Nott.

#BettingPeople: Winning over 1,600 points in three years on golf and 200 a year backing horses over the last four years for his followers has made Ginger Joe become a thorn in bookmakers’ sides. In this four-part interview, he tells Simon Nott how he does it.

Rob Furber – professional reality TV punter, founder of TV betting analysis website entertainmentodds.com and author of ‘The Gambler’, speaks to Simon Nott at our flagship betting shop in Mayfair!

Ryan Conneely is the face thousands recognise as the punter striving to beat the bookmakers on the Barking Mad Betting channel. In this interview, he tells Simon Nott about his love of greyhound racing, learning the hard way and how he could be very rich indeed.

Jason Timms and his father made a living sticking on for sharp punters for decades, betting on and off course, using accounts and betting shops. These days, those activities are much harder to do, so Jason has decided to come out of the woodwork to tell the story of what was one of the best-connected operations in racing to Simon Nott.

Simon Nott met with Races Now tipster, on-course presence and content creator Stephen Darbyshire to discuss his tipping, what SD offers, and his visits to racecourse betting rings.

Ahead of the start of this year’s Star Sports Greyhound Derby, Simon Nott sat down with the Managing Director of Greyhound Racing UK, Mike Davis.

David, the son of a bookmaker, has been in the game all of his life and worked through the many changes in the betting ring over the last 30 years. In this interview, he talks about a life in the betting industry.

#BettingPeople: Recorded in WJ Arment & Son’s traditional pie and mash shop, Walworth, son of an illegal street bookmaker and brother of betting ring legend Johnny Lights, author and journalist Alan Hurndall’s new book, ‘The Kid From The Kiosk,’ tells the story of his upbringing in South East London, some of which he relates in this interview with Simon Nott.

Maurice ‘Mo’ Charge – bookmaker, punter and sportsman rose from council estate boy to a top bookmaker and feared punter – here’s his story as told to Simon Nott.

#BettingPeople: David Hipkin is a betting industry expert with a wide range of experience looking for edges. He is the co-founder of SharpBetting.co.uk, a site that was launched in 2024 with a focus on horse racing, football and boxing.

#BettingPeople: PATRICK VEITCH: Professional punter and thoroughbred investor Patrick Veitch is revisited by Simon Nott to find out what’s been happening in his world since they last talked two years ago.

#BettingPeople: Horseracing legend Bob Champion is world famous for racing Aldiniti to win the Grand National in 1981 and since then he has raised £16,000,000 and rising for cancer charities. In this interview with Simon Nott he talks about before, during and after his famous victory.

#BettingPeople: Peter Barron was editor of the Northern Echo for 17 years and in that time championed horseracing and other sports coverage in the paper. His career started as racing correspondent of the Scunthorpe Telegraph. In his time at the paper, he was awarded an MBE. He’s now a freelance publicist and is heavily involved with Redcar racecourse as well as charity work.

#BettingPeople: Based in Portugal, Jose Ribeiro enables and advises betting syndicates across the globe, he’s also a gifted chess player and continues to be at the highest level. In this four-part interview, Jose talks about his beginnings, the workings of betting syndicates and the strategies that some of them use.

#BettingPeople: After the success of his interview, Gambler, Coder & SharpBetting.co.uk Co-Founder Chris Fawcett is back to answer your questions, covering a range of topics about the gambling world!

#BettingPeople: Million-selling author Felix Francis started his writing career with a physics paper in 1986 while following his first career in academia. He is the son of best-selling author and ex-jockey Dick Francis ultimately helping with and eventually continuing the family ‘Dick Francis’ series of books, however, not before learning to fly a plane, becoming a sharp-shooter, teacher and successful businessman in his own right. Felix talked to Simon Nott as his latest book ‘Syndicate’ was launched.

#BettingPeople: Mark Adcock is one of the UK’s top pigeon fanciers who has followed in his father and grandfather’s footsteps training out of their loft in Croydon. In this interview Mark explains the ‘nomination’ system of betting, how the top birds can sell for £1,000,000, how the game works, discusses the side bets stuck on races, breeding, getting involved and more.

#BettingPeople: Jerry White, bookmaker’s assistant and professional punter has been in the game man and boy. He was introduced to and fell in love with greyhound racing before he was of legal age to bet. He cut his teeth at both the dogs and horseracing and even went behind the scenes working in a yard for a period of time. In his time on course, he’d known some of the legendary punters of the day in an environment where the underworld wasn’t very far away. These four parts cover some fascinating stories, the bonus episode covers Jerry’s parallel life in music mixing with Britpop Royalty and punk rock legends. Was Jerry born lucky? You decide!

#BettingPeople: William Morgan, educated at Radley and Cambridge, was an amateur jockey for 30 years, the manager of Limestone Stud for 20 years, a Jockey Club steward for 10 years, a Trustee of the European Breeders Fund, a council member of the Thoroughbred Breeders Association, writer for various breeding publications, and member of the Race-Planning committee 2002 -2009. William was also a committee member of Carlisle racecourse who still found time to write four huge volumes on long gone racecourses called ‘Strongholds Of Satan.’ Two versions have been published, both of which stand at 1,032 and 1,016 A4-sized pages, whilst another version is on the printers. Strongholds of Satan can be found at: mainholmpress.co.uk

#BettingPeople: Chris went from having his very first bet, a tip from a computer program in 1991 to becoming a full time professional punter in seven years. He’s since educated himself along the way creating bots and AI programs to beat the bookmakers, he’s now co-founder of SharpBetting.co.uk and sharing his knowledge.

#BettingPeople: Barry Hearn rose from lowly beginnings in the East End of London to become one of the most successful sports promoters of recent times. He was responsible for the rise of Steve Davis and the popularity of snooker and went on to make household names of countless sportsmen and sports. His Matchroom empire is now headed by his son Eddie, but ambition and passion still burns bright in the patriarch of the business, Barry. In this punchy interview, he talks about his rise to the top and how he has dealt mentally with the highs and lows on the way, talks about his top 10 rules and gives valuable advice to anyone wishing to succeed in business.

#BettingPeople: Terry Allen is an ex-Jockey Club Betting Intelligence Officer, SP Returner and SP Validator who has also clerked for on-course bookmakers, run betting shops worked as a Pontins Bluecoat and once appeared as a dancer on Ready Stardy Go and shared a dressing room with The Kinks. In this three-part interview, he talks about his career.

#BettingPeople: Dual-purpose trainer Joe Tickle has worked his way through the ranks in racing as a Jockey and assistant trainer, he’s now training under his own name and is expanding his operation and enjoying winners in both codes. In this four-part interview, he talks about the reality of getting a foothold on the training ladder.

#BettingPeople: Rolf Johnson has worked directly under and knew and been balled out by Phil Bull, Ryan Price, David Elsworth and Toby Balding as well as working at The Scout at the Daily Express writes for Highclere and various publications worldwide. In this interview he talks about his life in racing and beyond which has seen him work with the greats and travel the globe.

Award-winning racing journalist and author Geoff Lester got a job at the Sporting Life in 1964 after being told by his careers teacher he couldn’t become a racing journalist. He stayed at the paper until it closed in 1998. In this four-part interview, he talks about his long career where he mixed with the royals and rascals on the turf and travelled the world in search of a racing scoop.

Veteran professional punter Alan Potts was one of our first #BettingPeople interviewees back in 2017. We caught up with him again to find out how the mop has flopped since that initial interview. Alan says ‘there’s lots of talk about winners but never forget there were also thousands of losing bets. But the losers don’t make such good stories!’

Professional punter and now also tipster by necessity, Ian Richards has made a living by spotting value in a host of varied markets for decades. In this interview, he talks about the sorts of sports he has utilised to his betting advantage over the years, and how lockdown drew him to his current preferred value-seeking betting.

One of the UK’s leading football tipsters, Kevin Pullein’s tips made a profit for an astonishing 27 consecutive seasons. In this interview, he talks us through his strategy for beating the bookmakers at football and tells us something of his career path that got him to the top of the tipsters.

Lizzie Kelly was the first female rider to win a Grade 1 jumps race in the UK, and came very close to matching that feat in France as a jockey she won The Betfair Hurdle, Betfred Bowl and Ultima and rode twice in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, since retiring to start a family she’s a TV and Radio broadcaster and runs Valentine Bloodstock alongside her Husband Ed.

Darran Pearce specialises in betting and tipping on the lesser-known branches of popular sports, non-league football, hunter chases and Australian jump racing. In this interview, he tells us how he’s gained his edge by successfully betting and tipping on these sports while working for the broadcasting arm of bookmakers throughout his career.

Racing commentator Simon Holt has been on the national circuit since 1988 having worked his way up to that position from a ‘poor’ upbringing via Superform and The Sporting Life. In this interview, Simon talks about his current work as a commentator, his career so far and outside interests including owning and breeding horses.

TV presenter, pundit, journalist, jockey’s agent, commentator and now bookmaker Matt Chapman talks about his career so far with some juicy topics along the way.

#BettingPeople: Racing Journalist, broadcaster, successful, previously professional punter and stand-up comedian Ross Brierley talks about his approach to backing winners, strategy and mentors plus his background and that comedic streak.

#BettingPeople: Dave Roberts prefers the term ‘Seller of jockeys’ to agent, but whatever you want to title him he was without a doubt the biggest, handling 100’s of jockeys over his career, including AP McCoy from his very early days in the saddle. In this four part interview, we talk to the man behind some stunning careers.

Simon Nott catches up with betting industry consultant Matthew Trenhaile, who remains one of the most respected in the industry, for his second appearance on #BettingPeople. Over five parts, plus a bonus episode.

‘The Successful Punter’ has plied his trades of punting, tipping and racecourse hosting from his Midlands base for decades. He’s now based in the Philippines finding his feet fathoming their one racecourse and intends to ‘commute’ to Hong Kong and Dubai to bet and host in the coming months. Here is his story in three parts.

Training from state of the art Sarsen Farm in Upper Lambourn, Dan & Claire Kübler have virtually doubled their prize money each year over the last three years. They both achieved degrees before travelling then deciding on a career training racehorses. Here’s their #BettingPeople interview telling how they are making their training pay using science to ensure they get the best from their horses with their innovative techniques.

Mike Parcej, described by some as the ‘Phileas Fogg of racing’ is a prolific racegoer and passionate fan of the sport with some strong opinions about the game and the experience of attending the races in the UK and beyond.

Newcastle-born and-bred Paul Willis has lived in the USA since 1984 but started his sporting life working with his on-course bookmaking father in the Silver Rings of the North but venturing as far south as the Epsom Derby, working the floor, clerking and tic tacking. He was also a talented footballer, a contemporary of Paul Gascoigne signed to Newcastle United up to Under 19’s. Paul then moved to the USA where he won awards for soccer, set up his own football club and championed steeplechasing in the USA with horses in training in the USA, Ireland and the UK including his Atlantic Friends syndicate. Meeting Paul Willis with Simon Nott.

Head of trading at TTP (Trade The Prices) Steve Couling is an odds compiler and ex greyhound trainer who has enjoyed an innovative career compiling prices for the industry on many sports including German Ice Hockey and Basketball as well as more conventional horses and greyhounds. He was pivotal to the rise of Stan James and the introduction of BOG. His story is a fascinating one, in four parts.

Ex- Jockey now top bloodstock agent Tom Malone has purchased over 3000 winners for clients including Grand National Winner One For Arthur, Gold Cup winner Native River and Royal Ascot winner My Dream Boat. In this three part interview, he talks about his humble beginnings, time as a jockey, point to points and the big money world of bloodstock.

Birmingham-born and bred journalist and author Chris Pitt has turned his childhood fascination with racing, fuelled by visits to the long time gone Birmingham races, into a career. His passion for racing has taken him all around the world, to racecourses long since forgotten and a wedding at the races. Here’s the fascinating story of Chris Pitt.

#BettingPeople: Jonathan Powell has been a racing correspondent for the News of the World, Sunday People, Sunday Express, Sunday Times, and the Mail on Sunday as well as writing books on Bob Champion, Paul Nicholls, David Nicholson, Frankie Dettori, ‘tidied up’ autobiographies of Jenny Pitman and Patrick Veitch, not to mention Desert Orchid and Monksfield. He’s also been involved with the IJF and the son of a Great Train Robber and guarded a racehorse armed with a shotgun. Phew. Meeting Jonathan Powell with Simon Nott.

Professional punter Shane is considered by many to be the shrewdest judge in Ireland whose opinions make the market. He started his working life working in a betting shop before taking the plunge to work in Paddy Power’s trading room. After four years he jumped shop taking the plunge as a full time professional punter and has never looked back. Simon Nott meets Shane Reville.

Professional punter Jeff Laughton has been beating the bookies professionally for almost 20 years. His apprenticeship was an unusual one, he started working life as a policeman as part of the team that caught the Yorkshire Ripper, was a DJ while still a policeman, ran an entertainment business that used to pay Gary Barlow £60 to perform at one of their clubs then became a professional punter and successful owner. Simon Nott meets Jeff Laughton.

Dave is a freelance racing and betting journalist that writes for GeeGeez.com and The Sporting Life, writes paddock notes for ‘Blue Delta’ works as a frontman for racecourse bookmakers and gets a few quid punting too. Here’s his story. Meeting Dave Massey with Simon Nott.