@werdermouth. My mum worked at the EG and was part of a team of ladies employed solely on the spot the ball competition to examine all the spot the ball entries, to try and identify a winner.
To do so, they each had a template which they placed over the photograph containing the ball and the template had a hole in it the size of a pin head. To win, the centre of the cross had to match with the centre of the ball when viewed through the pin hole.
You are correct that if a winner was not identified it was carried over until a winner was found. 😎
Thank for yet more Diasboro almost-first-hand knowledge on the subject ...And was that hole in the template made by a dart 😉
is it a Smoggy area, too?@chris-from-barlby Image how much ANY property in Marlborough would be worth now, let alone a two of terraces. I’ve only been to the town once but it was dripping with wealth.
Do they get free cigarettes in there?
I will get me coat ... Up the Boro!
@k-p-in-spain I’d be interested to know if the original photo had the ball on it or not.
I've cut and pasted this from the online rules and FAQs for a current spot the ball competition. I suspect the rules have been the same since the get go.
The competition closes at midnight Sunday every week. The following morning, a panel of professional football judges – made up of referees and ex-professional players – come together to decide where, in their professional opinion, the centre of the ball should be in the image everyone played the previous week. The winner is the person who is closest to the judged position.
...
Why don't you use the original ball position to judge the winner?
The basis of the game must be the skill of an entrant versus the skill of professionals - not versus the chance that the original spot on the football picture is picked. It is a subtle but important legal definition by which we are bound to operate.
Here's the link.
@martin-bellamy. To the best of my knowledge as far as the EG was concerned it did; my mum is no longer with us so I can’t confirm definitely. 😎
Martin thank you for an interesting starter and the memory of the 'Pools' collector! Never mind the 'con' that was spot the ball!
When I first worked in an Advertising Agency in London there was a small syndicate in the Creative Department, about twelve of us all putting two shillings and sixpence on Littlewoods each week. We were all given the predictions each Friday by the Art Director who ran it and dutifully checked at five o'clock on Saturday.
Then one week eight draws! We'd won. The organiser was a little late on the Monday morning and when he turned up he looked very sheepish. Without telling us he'd changed from Littlewoods at a penny(?) a line and moved to Zetters at about 72 lines for a penny. We all got about £12.00 each and that was the nearest we got to 'Spend, Spend, Spend'.
I think that was 1967 or 1968. I remember Huddersfield winning promotion to Division 1 that season. Never did the pools again. Lightning doesn't strike twice, well not unless you are Boro. Today I'm with the Marton Oracle so no pressure OFB!
Happy New Year to everyone.
UTB,
John
I have just seen Powmill’s post so clearly my understanding is wrong; not sure however that the EG had the resources to employ ex-players/referees so the dart option that Werdermouth mentioned may have been in use! 😉😎
According to my new best friend ChatGPT, "The classification of "Spot the Ball" competitions under UK law has been nuanced. Depending on their structure, they may be considered betting, prize competitions, or lotteries. If classified as prize competitions, promoters are not required to hold a betting operating licence."
I have no idea what the implications of each classification are, but maybe since the old EG competitions and later ones will have been run under different rules, or by ignoring them, all understandings can be equally true.
Three changes - Borges, Doak & Burgzorg replace Engel, Jones & McGree:
Just arrived at the Riverside with a Bovril in hand looking at the team sheet and early KO results which favour Boro.
So, again, all to play for, and another must win to progress.
Which Boro will turn up? "Typical" or the real deal? I guess we will know by 4.50 ish.
Three changes - Borges, Doak & Burgzorg replace Engel, Jones & McGree:
CJ on the line-up:
Three changes from Boro then. Borges back in for Engel is likely one of the two things - perhaps even a bit of both. Engel played 70 minutes three days ago in his first start for four months, so likely there's some fatigue-based protection in the decision.
On top of that though, in rewarding Burgzorg for his cameo at Hull, Borges is the more natural of the two left-backs to invert, which Carrick has been doing of late to create more space for Burgzorg in the wide position. It was from this avenue that Boro's Hull winner came.
Finally, good amid the speculation to see Doak back in the starting line-up. Boro were able to rest him for 70 minutes at Hull, and while Carrick said after he was really happy with Jones, there's no doubting that Doak was a bigger attacking threat in 20 minutes, than Jones in the previous 70.
As for the bench, it's straight swaps and the same 20 as at Hull, with no returnees, as Carrick suggested, from injury. He did say after Hull that Forss, Morris and Ayling could all be in contention for Blackburn.
His comments on the make-up of the bench are encouraging.
Good lunch time results for us. Opportunity there for us to nullify the game in hand advantage Blackburn has and consolidate 5th place (at least for now).
[...] early KO results which favour Boro.
CJ's thoughts:
Championship early kick-offs
Two big results that have an impact on Boro. Burnley have beaten Blackburn 1-0 at Ewood Park, while Swansea scored a late equaliser against West Brom. It means Boro stay fifth, and, unless there's an 11-goal swing with Watford today - who host Sheff Utd today - Boro will be staying fifth regardless of result today. It's an opportunity though to strengthen their grip on top-six with a win, while also putting pressure on a couple of the sides above them.
With their win, second-placed Burnley moved 12 points clear of Boro, but that will be nine again, as long as Boro meet expectations and win this afternoon.
[...] early KO results which favour Boro.
CJ's thoughts:
[...]
Echoed by the Beeb's live text commentary:
Boro look to build some momentum
Middlesbrough's hopes of getting themselves into the automatic promotion hunt might not look great on paper. The Teessiders are 12 points off second place with 21 games to play. However, Boro are the division's second-highest scorers after leaders Leeds and have the squad to put a run together. Perhaps that started with their last minute 1-0 win at struggling Hull City on Wednesday and they'll need to back that up today at home to another side in the bottom three.
Cardiff battled to a point against Coventry on New Year's Day despite playing almost the whole second half with 10 men after Callum Robinson's sending off.
ELL gives Boro an early lead in 12th minute, assisted by Master Doak. 🙂
ELL gives Boro an early lead in 12th minute, assisted by Master Doak. 🙂
Bugger! The Bluebirds equalise 10 minutes later - CJ:
Tantalising Cardiff cross at the back post. Dijksteel does enough to stop Tanner getting on it at the back post, but it gets caught at their feet while both on the ground. As Fry rushes in to clear it's knocked slightly away from him so, under pressure, he tries as best he can to flick it clear. But he only gets it as far as Chambers who produces a great finish into the far top corner.
🙁
Thought Cardiff started the better of the two teams and it took Boro a while to get going but it was very good goal with Doak showing his pace and Latte Lath making the perfect run to convert the cross. Thought it was then going to be the start of an easy win but yet again the Boro defence contrived to gift a goal with Fry for some reason opting to back-heel the ball to around the penalty spot rather than simply clear the ball.
Boro similar to at Hull looking to pass the ball into the net but have lacked the final ball or touch since the equaliser - plus getting caught offside far too often. They need to move the ball a bit quicker and not move it side to side in front of Cardiff as they can then shift across in numbers to crowd out Boro.
CJ's verdict on the first half:
Good Boro start and got their noses in front. Doak excellent throughout. But Boro conceded a soft equaliser and lost their momentum in the game. Always dominant as far as possession was concerned, but not created much of note since.
CJ on the ref:
Referee Tom Neild [sic] hasn't made himself the most popular man on Teesside in that first half. No major errors but just a lot of baffling decisions. Not given clear fouls against Boro players, and then given soft ones in Cardiff's favourite [sic]. It wasn't the greatest first-half officiating I've seen.
Well the only positive was that we didn’t lose but overall a poor game against a battling Cardiff.
Same old problems, loads of possession but not able to find a second goal having scored a well worked first. Sloppy defending allowing Cardiff to equalise. 😎☹️
Blackburn losing and WBA conceding a late equaliser gave Boro a great chance to consolidate their League position but yet again they can’t beat a bottom team.
No point putting forward excuses, they just fail to deliver when given the opportunity..
I am expecting the season to bumble along with Boro in or around the play off positions and producing results like today just when fans think things are getting better.
Philip of Huddersfield
👎👎☹️☹️
Well Boro huffed and puffed but in the end blew their chance of opening up a gap to 6th place - they lacked quality again with the final delivery and shot with no clear chances created against a side who were happy to defend a point. Boro it appeared were too easy to defend against as rarely had anyone attacking the box to offer a target for crosses - not that anyone delivered a decent ball with Barlaser being the main offender today.
Also odd decision to switch Doak to the left and then keep feeding him to execute below his standard on the right - may have been better to play Jones on the left instead. Gilbert came on earlier but didn't get a kick really - Dijksteel probably the pick for me as he ran up and down the right all game driving forward and using his pace to cover across the back. Another missed opportunity with a 4th draw in 5 games - unbeaten run extended to 6 though so not all bad.
Once again can't beat team who comes to defend, there was both sides of boro on display the sublime for our goal and the ridiculous for their goal. The game summed up in the words if Lister "it was of a low quality". Don't know what we will do if Liverpool decide to sell Doak. Not a happy new year and not a happy bunny......
Still the fifth in the league, and six games unbeaten.
We must all be disappointed with a draw at home, but there is still nearly half of the season to play. If we aim for top two, we need to start winning and not drawing.
But life goes on, and we are well positioned in the league. Next a week's rest and the FA Cup. We are in a good place.
Up the Boro!
Jarrko,
I agree we’re in a good place - but only to finish in a play off position. To think Boro will finish in the top 2 is just wishful thinking .
I fully expect the top 2 to come from the current top 3 and if TWO of them go to pieces then Sunderland are currently the team to step in. Boro would only be one of a clutch of teams.
Plus looking to the end of the transfer window will Boro be a weaker team if Latte Lath leaves?
Philip of Huddersfield
👎👎😔😔
@jarkko Boro getting into the top two, has as much chance of me winning the Lottery. And I do not even do it.
We will be lucky to make sixth, the way we play generally. No excuses today, Cardiff could have scored before we did.
Back to leaking goals from our own mistakes. Unfortunately Carrick does not appear to have the ability to improve our defensive part of the team.
If we lose either LL or Doak, then the play offs will turn into only a dream.