John Prendergast’s story begins in 1932 – the year April The Fifth won the Derby. When our hero Neil Stone while walking through the Gorbals, stumbles across the stance of an illegal street bookmaker, the innocent Neil is somewhat surprised when bookie’s lines are pushed into his pocket, and even more surprised when minutes later the police arrive, and with the punters, he is thrown into the Black Maria, and later charged with being a street bookmaker.
But some good comes from this when Kirk Mearns – ‘the big city bookmaker’ – offers the unemployed Neil a job and promises to teach him the business. Much of the next five years Neil spends as a street bookmaker in the Gorbals, and soon learns how to outwit the Hawk, the local policeman who uses all sorts of tricks and disguises in his efforts to catch the bookie.
It seems Neil’s life is complete when Kirk offers to sell him the business, and then he meets and immediately falls in love with a beautiful English girl.
They are happily married and have three little children when tragedy strikes the family. Neil is sure things couldn’t get any worse for him, but they do, when a few days later, the much fancied, My Love, wins the Derby and it looks like he will have to sell his home and his car to get sufficient money to pay-out. But Neil survives to open the first illegal betting shop in the Gorbals, and then in Newton.
This is a unique story in which the author has used his personal experiences, knowledge of the times, and humour of the Glaswegian to recount thirty years of illegal bookmaking – from the bookie’s point of view.
A thoroughly entertaining, fast-moving read. A must for men and women alike.