The ATR Interviews ~ Ralphie7

[BillyHills]

For the second Interview I wanted to choose someone that has made an impact on the Punters Lounge over a long time, someone that has 'lived' the experience of the forum fully. From entering and supporting competitions, taking part in serious duscussions, and someone that has left their individual mark on the PL for a very long time. Ralphie joined the PL back in 2002, nearly 15,000 posts later he has continued to make a massive contribution to the forum on a daily basis. He is an ever present in the Daily Racing Competition which began in 2004, he has been involved in the TC Competition every season for as long as I can remember and fights his corner for his beloved Man Utd in the Sports Banter section. You might think that was enough but its in the ATR Systems section that Ralphie has the crown jewels of the Punters Lounge. On January 3rd 2004 he started a system, simply called 'Quick System'. Amazingly this thread is now 240 pages long, it has had 4,700 posts and over 300,000 views. The longest, most viewed thread on the forum. To date the 'Quick System' is over £1,400 in profit, quite simply an amazing achievement. Over the years I have had lots of conversations with Ralphie via PM or on a thread or two and despite the way he may come over in some of his posts i've always had the opinion that he his a very proud and private person. I'll be honest, I didnt think he would agree to this interview. In my book the guy is what the PL is and should be all about, the following chat you are about to read only confirms that.

[BillyHills]

Re: The ATR Interviews ~ Ralphie7 The Punters Lounge 1. You joined the PL back in October 2002, how did you come across the site in the first place? It was my son John who told me about the site. So blame him guys. It’s his fault. 2. What was the idea behind the username 'Raphie7'? Ralphie comes from the United icon Ralphie Milne Remember his forays down the wing, sometimes he even had the ball at his feet. The number 7, Some greats have worn United’s number 7 Best, Robson, Cantona http://manu.theoffside.com/manchester-united/those-who-have-worn-the-number-7-shirt.html 3. Is there a story or a reason why you chose your avatar? It’s the cover of the Smiths album Meat is Murder, luv The Smiths and Morrissey 4. Your famous on the PL for your 'Quick System'. We dont expect you to let out any secrets but what was the inspiration behind it? Inspiration ? nothing really. I just just struck lucky Systems fascinate me I remember when I started playing with systems I had a tendency to over complicate things. Now I never add a rule to a system unless I can back it up with good reasoning. 5. Are you at all surprised by the following your system gets from fellow members and how many views it has attracted? Surprised ? Yes I never ever expected this to be still going. Just hope it continues. I have some great followers who have been with me from the start. I think of it now as our system. They are very loyal and they respect my wishes for the rules to stay hidden ( they were on view for a year ). I would like to thank them for that. You know when I first started I was amazed at how friendly Punters Lounge was. I used to go on other racing system forums and the slagging off and arguments that occurred on there were really bad. You had to have a broad back and thick skin to post any tips/systems on them believe me . I certainly wouldn’t go to the trouble. Not so on Punters Lounge. Its friendly on here and that’s what I like. 6. Are there any other 'systems' in the pipeline? Never say never. I am a bit bogged down with work at present. I need to get my Quick System results updated on my spreadsheet. Plus the house needs decorating can’t remember the last time I did it. Don’t know how I managed to pull that one off. Don’t tell the wife. Got some ideas but that’s all they are at the moment. 7. You are one of the 4 ever present members of the DHRC, it began in Feb 2004, why have you stuck with it so long? I didn’t realize there was only 4 of us. For me it’s the fun factor – I enjoy it 8. You are also a long standing player in the TC which your son Eric also plays in, do you discuss the competition together? We used to. We had a bit of friendly rivalry going on. He is teaching in Manchester now and what with teaching playing football watching United and painting he doesn’t have a lot of time now. So John’s (7eric) selections for the past couple of years have been done by his mum. I have to hold my hands up she is better at it than me. 9. As we can see, you are a supporter of the competitions on the PL, do you think these are an important part of a forum? Yes I do. They are a fun way of getting to know people. You can also try different selection processes if you want to without risking your hard earned cash. Horse Racing 1. Have you always been interested in Horse Racing? No not at all. My Dad used to live breathe and sleep horses. He had a mate who lived in Middlesbrough they hardly ever saw each other but used to speak on the phone. They used to put bets on for each other and settle every now and again. I can remember when I was about 14 at school my Dad got the Tote Jackpot up ( I think it was 6 winners ) He sent his mate half of the winnings which was a fair bit in those days. His mate sent me a pair of brand new football boots he said it was a thank you because my Dad could have kept the lot and he would have never known. Happy days . When I was about 25 yrs I did have a share in a horse MR NEWS think I paid £100 it was owned by Newsagents. It was trained on Sutton Bank. can’t remember the trainer’s name but I think either he or his wife did commit suicide. Nothing to do with MR NEWS though. I believe he ended up in tins of dog food. It was only after I lost the sight in my left eye that I started gambling on the horses. It was at this time that I became a member of Punters Lounge. I got mates with Timmy Tour in ATR and it took off from there. I read a lot and learned a lot. I won . I won big. Then I used to blow the lot empty my bank account on a stupid bet that I knew didn’t have a cat in hells chance. It was a way of hurting myself self harm I suppose. I was out of my head. Depressed , Counselling, Anti Depressents , Guilt, Poor Self Esteem, Anger ( why me ) , Loss of Confidence. Before this happened I was a workaholic but suddenly I couldn’t do certain jobs. I stopped going out. I was thinking of topping myself at this point. How my wife stayed with me I will never know but she did and I owe her big time. She is the love of my life and just didn’t realize how much I was hurting her. I am sorted now ( or at least I hope I am ) but my interest in racing and Systems remains. My own knowledge of horse racing though is not a patch on yours and the other guys on here. 2. The ATR system section was created just two years ago, do you think this was a good move, and have you noticed if this has had an effect on how many people view the threads now? I think it was a good move for Punters Lounge. It keeps it more structured and tidy. I don’t know if it has had any effect on how many people view threads now though. 3. What type of racing do you enjoy the most, flat, NH, Big races, sprints, classics, AW? NH 4. If you could change one thing in Racing or Betting overnight, what would that be? Just wish it was more honest. 5. Can you remember your first bet, how old were you and where did you put it on? My first bet was on MR NEWS – finished last if it finished at all and it was put on at a branch of William Hills. 6. Can you reveal your biggest win to date, you dont have to be specific about the amount but what was it on? The biggest win will have been a Lucky 15 in the Timmy Tour days of Punters Lounge. 7. What was the 'bet' that got away, the nearly bet that still haunts you? The only bets that still haunt me are those stupid ones where I blew the lot. The ones I mentioned earlier. 8. Do you bet on other sports, if so which ones? Football 9. Do you bet online or still visit the high street? Which do you prefer? I bet online – prefer it for the convenience 10. Do you think Horse Racing is 'clean' at the moment and does this effect the way you bet? I think you are naïve if you think it is totally clean but then again what is. Doesn’t really effect the way I bet Manchester United 1. How long have you been a supporter of Man Utd? Since the Munich Air Crash when I was 8 years old. 2. Although the Champions League was a disappointment, were you happy with the season overall? Yes it was a good season and winning the League will always come first for me. 3. Do you think Ronaldo and Tevez will be wearing a Utd shirt in August? Ronaldo ? who knows I will never boo a United player but I have not celebrated any of his goals this season either. If he wants to go then personally I would let him go. Tevez ? I would like him to stay he always gives 110% and puts pressure on defenders and defenders don’t like that. I like him 4. Do you still get to see FC Utd play, if so how often? Yes. as often as I can but not as often as I would like. I like the Euro aways like Whitby. 5. Do you think the takeover at Man Utd was good or bad for the clubs future? The takeover was bad. In a way I suppose we only have ourselves to blame. If United supporters had bought up the shares in the early days of going public then maybe it wouldn’t have happened. There again I certainly didn’t know the ins and outs of buying shares in those days. even if I had had the money spare to buy some. The Glazers bought us with debt. Before the Glazers we were the richest club in the world. Now we have a massive debt. I think it takes about 40 million a year just to service the debt. So no the Glazers are/were bad for the future of United. If they walk away they will leave the debt with United. 6. The big four have dominated the Premier League for years now, can you see that changing anytime soon? No not really maybe the odd season but long term no. 7. Do you think the millions at Man City will enable them to ever catch up with Utd? No money doesn’t guarantee success. It takes more than money to attract top players to a club. Quick Questions 1. What is your homepage at the moment? iGoogle 2. Name a site on your favourites that may surprise us? I have been through them 3 times and I must be so boring all there is are Dog Breeders, Morrissey sites, Football sites, Usual shopping sites eg HMV and Customs & Excise (vat) the only one I can’t remember adding is this one http://www.thomann.de/gb/index.html?sid=ccb009d2f0433d7825322726e20b08bd 3. Favourite Music, song, band? Indie. There is a light that never goes out-The Smiths. Morrissey/The Smiths, Stone Roses 4. Favourite TV show, not sport related? Dexter, The Apprentice , Shameless, Countryfile ( nothing to do with Julia Bradbury ) 5. What was the last book you read? Purely Positive Training by Sheila Booth 6. What do you do for a living? I run and own along with my wife a Spar Convenience Store. 7. Do you have any hobbies away from sport? Dog Training 8. How many Dogs do you have at the moment? 3 dogs ( 2 German Shepherds 1 Golden Labrador ) 9. What gadgets do you own, Ipod, Mobile, Xbox, etc.. Apple Ipod Nano, Nokia 6300 10. Do you prefer Racing UK, ATR or Channel 4? No Preference 11. Biggest personal achievement? My daughter & son ( Emma & John ) so proud of them both. Watching United win the Champions League in the Camp Nou 1999 with my son John. Running a marathon in under 3 hours. __________________________________________ A big thanks to Ralphie for doing interview number two, anyone who missed the first episode; http://www.punterslounge.com/forum/f13/atr-interviews-bowles10-85335/ Any questions or comments are most welcome.