South Yorkshire Times, January 13th,1933

Thurnscoe Street Betting Case

An unemployed Thurnscoe miner, Charles Neal, was charged at Doncaster on Tuesday with street betting. He pleaded not guilty.

P.c. France said that 12-40pm, on Jan 7th he saw defendant talking to a young man with a bicycle in Houghton Road, Thurnscoe. As he approached the man, defendant was offered and accepted what appeared to be a slip of paper. When he saw the officer, defendant handed it back.

Witness accosted them and asked for the slip as he had reason to believe it was for the purpose of betting. He took Neal into custody when he found it was a football coupon. At Goldthorpe police station it was found that Neal had one betting slip, the money for which amounted to 16s 6d and which was found on him, ten completed football coupons and 17 unfilled. When charged with street betting Neal replied “You have watched me for two years and now you have got me at last.”

Neal, on oath, said the young man asked him to take the football coupon “I do not run for any bookie and I don’t receive any money for it. If anyone asks me to take a bet, I oblige them.”

He was fined 40s., the Chairman (Mr. Shiffner) remarking “Ask Mr. Williams, of Thurnscoe to pay it for you.”