#BettingPeople: Tom Power
Interview: TOM POWER Tom cut his teeth working with his bookmaking uncle and father before taking on all comers in the main rings at the top dog tracks in London. He soon amassed betting shops home and abroad. Literally overnight things started to come crashing down around the Tom Power empire. Here’s his story, meeting Tom Power.
TOM POWER (part 1 of 5)
Legendary greyhound bookmaker Tom Power talks about his career, in part one he talks about starting out in the Silver Rings with his brother John, taking on and beating the closed shop and brick wall of bookmakers committees, betting more aggressively than other bookmakers and punters they knew to fear.
TOM POWER (part 2 of 5)
Greyhound bookmaker Tom Power talks about his run in with the ‘Paper Bag Man’, taking big bets from boxers and comedians and really getting started in the main rings. He also explains about Power’s expansion into Italy and taking on established ‘bookmakers’ with telephone betting on football.
TOM POWER (part 3 of 5)
Tom Power talks about building his betting shop empire in the UK, the scourge of the ‘race wreckers’ at some tracks, the showdown between Scurlogue Champ and Ballyregan Bob and dog racing’s demise in London.
TOM POWER (part 4 of 5)
Tom talks about betting shops marking the beginning of end of greyhound racing in London, BAGS meetings, the rise and fall of Tom Power, ‘roman candle’. Plus neglecting his betting shops in the UK, having his 340 shops in Italy closed down overnight. Talking about how, or if, it’s possible to stay ahead of the game forever. He tells an excellent story about the final night at Harringay Dogs and lamenting the loss of Walthamstow, White City and Wembley.
TOM POWER (part 5 of 5)
In the final part of his interview, Tom talks about owning greyhounds, never being a punter, advice for aspiring bookmakers, learning from his uncle who was a bookmaker. Why punters shouldn’t be educated and how many bookmakers don’t know the theory of bookmaking and that’s why they don’t win. Tom is not a fan of Ken Livingstone, school teaching, scoring three goals at Hampden Park, he tells how he got his pitch at White City and remembers the highlight of his career.
TOM POWER (BONUS TALE)
Tom Power with a bonus tale. Nothing to see here officer….
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