Annual footie wagers paid up at PG Live as Hammers make Warren a very happy show director
The football season has just finished and The Ashes are on the way so there was much talk at PG Live on the sporting front.
And for die-hard West Ham fan and show co-director Warren Lomax there was no better way to celebrate the success of the 15th PG Live than with a 2-1 Europa Conference League Final win over Fiorentina.
The 90th minute winner at the match in Prague on Wednesday night earned the Hammers the title to leave Warren happily blowing bubbles – despite having to give up his seat at the game because it clashed with the show, but his two sons were there to savour the atmosphere.
Having wrapped up the show at the Business Design Centre, Warren nipped off to a nearby pub to cheer on his footie heroes with a bunch of other cardies, including long-time pals Jenny Cummins, md of Macmillan Cards in Sydney, and Mike Gray, owner of M.E.G Cards & Gifts in Northern Ireland.
The Irons were also the subject of Warren’s annual £50 bet with Spurs fan and Danilo md Daniel Prince: “We bet on who finishes higher in the Premier League, Daniel’s won the last seven out of eight years and did so again this year – but at least we did way better in Europe!”
Steve Jones-Blackett also had to pay up for his yearly wager with sales agent and Charlton Athletic fan Alan Potter, which was a double disappointment as the Wendy Jones-Blackett director’s Leeds United team also suffered relegation from the Premier League
“The bet is who got the most points in the season,” Wendy explained, “but Steve seems to be always handing cash over to Alan. It’s £20 a season and they’ve been doing it every year since the first PG Live!”
This year the wagers have benefited charity as the money is going to Look Out London, Cardgains’ annual charity challenge where the buying group is aiming to raise £25,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association in memory of greetings industry legend David Hicks with a 25-mile sponsored walk around the capital on 29 June – please click here if you’d like to donate too.
And there’s an extra reason to put some coppers Ian Bradley’s way as the sales agent and Rush Design director has been cajoled into taking a dip in the Serpentine in a rather skimpy red posing pouch if he and wife Lorraine raise £3,000 on their own page for the walk.
The said red pants were presented to him by Tracey Arnaud, sales manager of PG/PG Live, at the recent show – and Ian, ever the good sport, gave visitors a thrill by wearing them!
On the cricket front, there’s no greater rivalry than England and Australia and, with the biennial Ashes series starting here on Thursday, 16 June, Simson Cards’ co-owner John Simson took the opportunity of his trip from Down Under to reignite his friendly grudge with Tracks co-owner Clive Field.
“To celebrate our long partnership with Tracks and Clive as a total cricket tragic we have The Greeting Card Ashes!” Simo told PG Buzz. “See what happens to 25 Simson cards and 25 Tracks cards are burnt separately to a cinder and appropriately bottled. The winner keeps the trophy until your country lets you down…again!”
Emulating the Ashes trophy itself – an urn containing the ashes of a cricket stump from the 1882 match between the two sides when England lost to the Aussies for the first time – it could well be staying with John for the duration as Australia currently holds the title and has won it outright 34 times to England’s 32 over the 72 series to date.
Meanwhile, there was also a lot of footie banter around the stands as Watford fans John Jones, from Enveco, and The Imaging Centre’s Adam Short had to put up with ribbing from PG Buzz’s Tracey Bearton as her team are long-time rivals Luton Town who won the play-offs to leap into the Premier League, leaving the Hornets behind in the Championship.
“Mind you,” Tracey admitted, “there’s was no way I’m betting with them on the Hatters staying up in the new season – but at least we’ll get a new stadium out of it, although I’m looking forward to seeing the big guns put up with our quaint little ground this year.”
