Who remembers the Bookies runner

[stpetre]

I would have thought that bookies runners would be sort of 'redundant' when betting shops were legalised around 1961. Then they would be sort of messenger/collectors like the pools people, which was quite legal. The legitimate betting offices (no public allowed inside) that were around previous to this, were called 'Turf Accountants.'

[trastrick]

Not a runner in the true sense, but as a kid used to "run" the bets from our house around the lump to the local bookie.

 

The procedure was really simple and trusting.

 

You would wrap half a crown in a piece of paper, with the words "1,2,3 Prince Polo" and a short nom de plume, like "Ranger", and that was it!

 

Then later just collect (or not)

[TORONTONY]

I would have thought that bookies runners would be sort of 'redundant' when betting shops were legalised around 1961. Then they would be sort of messenger/collectors like the pools people, which was quite legal. The legitimate betting offices (no public allowed inside) that were around previous to this, were called 'Turf Accountants.'

 

Even when they were legal, they still took "homemade, scribbled " bets .Even as late as1969 I have put bets on at work with a bookie's agent "runner". My nan never went in the betting shop, the bookies wife took them over. My grandmother was not doing anything illegal.