I remember the last time i went to romford.
It was in the winter of 2002.
It had been a bad couple of weeks for me.
the bills were upaid, i was skint, and not to well.
I owed my landlord about £1200, which was around 9 weeks rent if i remember correctly, i was in huge debt(and not just with banks and credit cards) but with poeple less receptive to negotiating the terms of the agreed payment plan.
My familly and close friends had been keeping me above water for about a month but even they knew nothing of the full extent to which i had emersed myself in debt.
Anyway, this one particular day, a tuesday, i'd arranded to meet the landlord at 7pm.
I had a horrible bout of flu and my stomach ulcers were really bad.
I remember that day well, just lying in bed all day needing desperatly to eat something but not being able to convince my stomach of the same.
Around 4pm one of my mate bells me up and says hes got £250 for me and that hell bring it round about 6.
This was good as i thought i would atleast be able to temporarily placate my landord with something, amalgamated with a story of woe and bad luck i was hoping to buy some more time and send him on his way that night somewhat appeased.
He was a really nice guy actually, although he had a few quid i knew that our situation was causing him problems and i felt bad for that.
my mate comes round to drop the money off and in doing so leaves his racing post.
Its about 6:45 now and i take it to bed with me to read whilst waiting for the landlord.
I clock that its the romford coral essex vase tonight and after having a 5 minuite shower decide the landlord will have to wait one more night.
I manage to get out of the house before he arrives and am on my way.
God i remember how cold it was, i dont ever recall being colder.
After a couple of vodka and cokes in the pub by greenwich station and the one in the pub outside romford train station i get there about 9pm
I quickly proceed to back the next 3 losers and am down to my last £20
John mcririck(sp) was in attendence that night and they were having a tuxedos only champagne night in the main bar.
Meanwhile i'm in the tiny little greasy cafe under the stadium, eating the worst cheese burger you could imagine and studying the 9:45 with the obligotory old boy in the corner doing the same.(he looked a lot more healthy than i did)!!
Patrirch man was the 10/11 well backed jolly in 6, 3 was a catford dog called haughty ted who had the early pace, 4 was a finisher called top power, 2 was vacant and i'd discounted the other 2
top power drifted from 5/2 to 4/1
i read it to go round second to haughty ted and never fancied the jolly much so i had my last £20 on it.(hadnt even considered how i was getting home)
The race unfolds exactly how i read it and the only voice you could here in the crowd if you were watching the race on sky sports was bolts as top power went round a close second to haughy ted and picked it up with ease, i never shouted a dog home louder!!
I backed the last 3 winners of the night and walked out with £950(including a 4/6 shot that held on by the shotest of short heads)
The year before i had a lot of money and would cash in or drop £1000-£2000 in the casino and would have the same on a dog or a horse without thinking much of it, but never had i or have i been so greatful for a succession of winners and £950 as i was that night.
I think that if there is such a thing as the gods of gambling then their intervention will only come when you really do need it the most, all those times you were in trouble , skint, or on a big losing streak, but never really at the bottom of the barrall and swore that if you could ust get this one bet home you'd walk out the betting shop, casino, they knew you were trying it on
I'm convinced of that since that night.
It was such a great return journey that night, knowing that i could re-secure my place of accomadation meant the world to me.
the very next day my landlord was happier than i'd expected about recieving the £500 i gave him in cash.
I couldnt give him it all, i was off to walthamstow that night!!
I havnt been back there since and would love to go, see you there.
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