CITY CALL ON REDS FANS TO GET GATE ROCKING FOR PALACE CRUNCHER . . .
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By Simon Parkinson
BRISTOL City's players and staff believe they can complete the big mission tonight (Tues, May 13 7.45pm) - and they're calling on every Reds fan to roar them all the way to Wembley.
Ashton Gate will be packed once more for the Sky-televised visit of Crystal Palace, whom they lead 2-1 going into the crucial second leg encounter which can see them to a play-off showdown with either Watford or, most likely as it stands, Hull City.
And sparks are set to fly this evening with Palace's controversial and colourful boss Neil Warnock seething still at what he perceived to be "over-exuberant" celebrations within the Robins camp following Saturday's 2-1 victory at a stunned Selhurst Park.
Warnock insisted: "When everyone thinks you are out it's a great challenge to go and pit your wits against 20,000 fans and an opposing team who already think they are there. It's not beyond us and I don't think we need any more motivation.
"Apart from getting a deckchair out they couldn't have done much more. I thought they (City) were arrogant and I don't think you expect that in professional football."
City supremo Gary Johnson, however, told the Bristol Evening Post: "He's (Warnock's) been into our dressing room and he knows some of our players well enough to know we're professional and not arrogant.
"We have a good bunch of lads here and he couldn't be more wrong."
Johnson added: "We want the fans to play a positive part by shouting themselves hoarse."
City's Aussie midfielder Nick Carle added: "We don't want to make any mistakes or give them any chances to get back in the game. We just need to worry about what we need to do; to make sure we win the game and go through."
Match odds: Bristol City (to win) 11/8, Crystal Palace 7/4, draw 11/5
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ABOUT US
ROY Holbrook admits that he took something of a gamble himself when he stepped off the scaffolding poles to try his luck as a bookie. And boy, did it pay off!
Two decades on and Roy oversees EIGHT Winning Post betting shops in the Bristol region with the promise of another to come at Portwall Lane, opposite Redcliffe Church in the city.
The Hartcliffe-born Holbrook was seldom far from sport – in the seventies he kept goal for Suburban League side Teyfant Athletic, helping them to a famous Bosley Cup success while a junior side. And it stands to reason that he was a regular punter at his local bookmakers, that after undertaking a bookmaking course when he was in his mid-teens.
“I used to go into my local betting shop everyday to try my luck and I had a strong sense that I could do the job myself,” he explained.
“I had my own scaffolding business but I decided to sell up and have a go at bookmaking. My wife Annette and I managed to secure our first premises at Filton Avenue and get it up to scratch and all these years later Winning Post is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
“I suppose it was a gamble at the time and we relied a lot on our regular customers but it’s a gamble that has paid handsome dividends for us.”
There’s very much a family flavour about Winning Post. Roy’s sons Lee and David, both in their twenties, and son-in-law Darren, run shops at Clifton, Filton Avenue and Knowle respectively. For Roy, 51, it’s a case of these days keeping close guard on the credit business.
“We’ve grown to become the biggest independent bookmaker in Bristol and football is a big part of what we do, together with horse racing, it goes without saying,” he said.
“As most people know we have a shop at Ashton Gate Stadium, but if there’s any prices to be laid on semi-professional football then we’ll always match them. We’re well renowned for taking big bets!
“You can bet with your credit card or open a deposit account and you can collect your money at your convenience at any of our branches." For all your prices, contact Winning Post on any of the numbers or locations below.
contact
Who to contact: Roy Holbrook – 01179 568002
Where to go: Winning Post
has shops at the following sites: Portwall Lane, Redcliffe; Stockwood Rd, Stockwood;
Whiteleadies Rd, Clifton; Gloucester Rd, Bishopston; Filton
Avenue, Filton; Bradley Avenue, Winterbourne; Bedminster
Rd, Bedminster; Bristol City FC, Ashton Gate; Redcatch
Rd, Knowle.
Website: www.winning-post.co.uk
Email: winningpost@btconnect.com
Main sponsors: N/A
