The Lost Football Bet Returns

In the days before the national lottery and the never ending football coverage on television football fans and none football fans alike engaged in a dividend based wager called the Football pools. In the 1930’s – 1990’s this was a very popular bet that was an institution in its own right. Each week when the football results were read out at final score, the pools forecast was given and many fans checked to see if they have managed to win a share of the prize pool.

Nowadays the pools is somewhat of a lost bet with fans being offered so many alternative betting options and in running markets on the betting exchanges. Fans who were not into traditional sports betting now use the lottery in search of that one life changing win. In my youth I remember watching the results for my Grandfather who took part each weekend and searching for those all important 1-1 draws. I recall that our school secretary won £750,000 when I was in school in the mid 1990’s. It seemed that everyone played the Pools when I was young.

The Football Pools were started in 1923 with founders John Moores and two friends handing out 4000 Littlewoods coupons outside Old Trafford. Unfortunately for the two friends they lost heart in the project and allowed Moores to buy them out. After buying out his friends Moores expanded the Pools concept and in the 1930’s millions of people took part in the Pools in what became a national pastime, making the founder a billionaire in the process. Participants were motivated to play by the massive winnings that you could win from such a small stake. More than 60 million people are said to have received payout cheques from the Pools, with one syndicate earning £2.9 million pounds one lucky weekend. During the 1980’s the Pools sponsored the League Cup and in 1994 they sponsored the FA Cup competition so for fans unaware of their part in footballs history they really were prominently involved in football fans lives.

Such was the importance of the Football Pools that in the cold winter of 1962/1963 with icebergs floating down the Mersey in Liverpool there was only two of the 55 matches not postponed that weekend. But the Pools results could not be postponed so something had to be sorted out so the dividends could be calculated. The Pools panel was born to debate and decide the results of any matches that was part of the Pools competition that were postponed for any reason. The Pools panel was formed by former players and referees and still runs today with former stars Roger Hunt, Gordon Banks and Tony Green deciding the results which could earn someone millions of pounds.

Unfortunately the Pools were badly affected by the National Lottery which started in 1994. The new TV based competition caused numbers of participants to dramatically dwindle as the media portrayed the lottery as the place to go to search for that big win.

Thankfully this great national pastime is enjoying a comeback. A new advertising campaign fronted by former Soccer AM presenter Tim Lovejoy has hit our screens and a brand new website has been formed so the Pools is brought into the 21st century. Classic games such as Spot the Ball, The Classic Pools and a new Super 6 game can be played via the website allowing all fans a chance to participate in an 80 year footballing tradition. For as little as £1 fans can supplement their football betting at sites like bwin.com and possibly win the Pools that your Grandfathers and great grandfathers tried to do every weekend in the past.

By Malcolm Clarke