FOOTBALL POOLS
Sta,—In the "News of the Week " section of Thj Spectator (November 3rd) you have a reference to football pools. In
this there is the statement: " It is idle to argue that knowledge of form counts for anything in predicting 34 results on one list." Let me inform you that no pool promoter asks any client to do this. The average pool coupon gives 34 matches from which one is required to try to forecast correctly the revIts of from 3 to 14 matches according to the section of coupon under consideration. The Football Council have decided to try to stop pools for, as they say, " the good of the nation." At the same meeting they also approved of Sunday football " within limits," which can mean anything. Herbert Morrison, Home Secretary, has already described pools as " a harmless amuse- ment." The stopping of pools would not prevent betting on football, business as usual with it. The man who backs on horses daily has no patience to write out the ad. pool coupon. Marking off 12 to 14 columns with 12 to 14 matches in each column is too much trouble. As a pool and crossword fan I look upon the twopenny football pool in the nature of a competition. I am referring to crosswords with larger prizes attached. I can also find great pleasure in solving the crossword puzzles published in Glasgow Herald, Birmingham Post, &c. That by the way. However, I can assure you that what I have written.about the pools is correct, and that the idea of forecasting 34 results out of 34
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