Interview: ALAN ALGER

Interview: ALAN ALGER Alan Alger is a top bookmaking PR who has worked for several big names in the game and currently with Betway.com. In this series of four interviews he talks how he went from a job where he had to put his hand up to ask to go to the toilet to attending the top race meetings in the UK. He talks light-heartedly about his acting career and scoring the last goal at Highbury in a match before the bulldozers moved in as well as serious concerns about corruption in non-league football.

ALAN ALGER (part 1 of 4)

Alan Alger, head of PR at Betway.com bookmakers and Arsenal fan talks about scoring the last goal in a match at Highbury. watching football as a youngster. He explains his background in betting and horse racing at Lingfield and Yarmouth. Getting his first job at City Index, getting a job with Speadex moving to Dunstable and having the worst year and a half of his life.

ALAN ALGER (part 2 of 4)

Alan continues his story, he talks about the temptation to go professional punting rather than continue working for a bookmaker. Leaving Spreadex for Sportingbet, getting his first break in PR Bloomberg TV and getting Barnsley and Burnley confused. He discusses swapping working the long hours of a trader into the 9-5 of PR. He debunks the misconceptions of a PR representative’s life as a whirlwind of champagne and dining. He explains dealing with bad publicity and highlights a couple of cases.

ALAN ALGER (part 3 of 4)

Alan Alger continues with his interview explaining the benefits of his job including travelling the turf, the worst of the job, twitter trolls and social media abuse. Actually listening to punters and their complaints and changing your rules if they are wrong. Does the bookmaking industry shoot itself in the foot as far as public image goes? The best and worst of advertising used to promote the bookmaking industry and what ‘banter’ is not his bag. Alan looks into his crystal ball to try and predict what the bookmaking industry is going to look like in a decade, the importance of content in public relations in modern marketing.

ALAN ALGER (part 4 of 4)

Alan concludes his interview talking about his acting role in ‘The Bromley Boys’ and his ambitions (or not) in that sphere. Talk then gets more serious when the subject of non-league football corruption is broached, Alan has strong opinions on the subject and cites some examples. He also takes issue with some of the current regulations regarding betting on non-league football. He finishes up with advice for anyone wishing to get involved in the industry.