2014 My Challenge

Hi Leedsv,

Congrats on being gamble free for 3 months, I hope to be in the same situation 3 months down the line.

If you haven't already, you can join the"2014 challenge" thread which is in the Overcoming Problem Gambling section.

Let's stay Clean for '14!

Thanks for the well wishes.

I will join right now.

Hey leedsv

Many many congratulations on your milestone today mate - I know it's still a day at a time but to get into treble figures is superb. I'd be honored to add you to the group - we can all probably learn a lot from you.

Good luck and keep up the great work!

Mr Brightside

Thank you for that mrbrightside.

Its little things like that which perk you up in a day, when you are feeling low.

Every lunchtime is still a struggle for me, i miss going to the bookies at lunch, i miss the excitement, i miss the people, but i know that each day i beat it, im a better person.

I had a bit of a depressive setback at the weekend, me and the wife were having a drink with a friend who i dont see that often and he asked

'hows the gambling going?' I was never one to boast about gambling, and for this person it was more ignarance than anything else as nobody except my wife knows i have an issue, but when he said it, the atmosphere changed, i became fidgety, my wife looked saddened and hurt, and i felt like i was back to square one on the day 25 Sep 13 when I had to confess all to her. But i managed to brush over it, and she told me id done well after and it hasnt been mentioned since.

One thing is for certain, my favourite sport, horse racing will always be seen as gambling to 99.9% of people, whether you do or dont bet, and ill always face the uphill struggle as people always want to know if you won/lost who you were on etc and if you say you havent had a bet you are questioned.

I guess its one of those things ill have to accept. One day ill have the courage to tell them i used to have an issue with gambling.

I am a big racing fan, obsessive perhaps, and i got into this whole sorry mess stupidly because i let my knowledge get the better of my sensible mind and a certainty never ended up being what it should have been, and im ashamed to say that what started out as knowledgable considered selections ended up as mug bets as the gambling side took over my brain.

The weird thing is, i have always been a football fan also, following leeds home and away for many years, but very rarely did i think about gambling on the result. Each man has his/her own vice, and racing ended up being mine.

When i started to really get into racing, my bets were very small and limited to one or two a week, and even back than i had to fend off questions on who i had backed in each race and i'd tell them, its not just about gambling......but it did end up that way, wasting money chasing losses on low grade all weather racing when my passion and knowledge is for national hunt.

I've started to reclaim my love for the sport, with my new found spare money i've started up my own mini library at home, buying as many used hard backed racing books and biographies as i can find on amazon that are selling for £0.01 plus postage............ive found a hobby and im happy.

I've rambled on again, but it shows my guards up eh! im back, im reading these pages, the ticker of days since the last bet is rising......

And for you sir, a huge congratulations on the 9 weeks, im chuffed for you. What a great way to come back at someone, im using that myself the next time, it shows we are strong and we can make choices, even if we are working our socks off to stay clean and beat the urges. It does make me sad to think of how much time ive wasted and good things ive missed out on, but thats massively outweighed by the potential great times ahead now i've got my problem under control.

Have a good evening all.

Thank you julie, very nice of you to take the time to say that.

Hey Leeds!!

Where are you mate?? Long time no see??

Hope you're doing well still - drop us a wee note. We're missing you on the 2014 challenge!

Mr Brightside

Late reply, i know Rainman, but i feel i should explain, my mind has been so far from gambling and work is that busy that i havent even felt the need to come on here to keep myself in check. Im happy to report im still 4 months and 12 days clean.

Billy Bremner - theres a subject - he was our boss when i 1st started showing an interest and going down to watch leeds train when they still did behind the ground, met him a few times in the early 80's after training, which was great as my dad had spoken to highly of him as a player and what ive seen on old footage. We have a statue outside the ground commemerating his life now.

Thanks for all your support as usual, guard as always well and truely up.

Im with you on that, i hope i didnt come accross as being cocky, i too feel i have certainly got it sorted in the short term, but i've many mountains to climb, but we can do that together pal, brothers in arms.

I know our paths don cross any more, but our record against Palace in the 90's, without checking, was always poor. You really were a bogey team. That's how i see it anyway.

I do love your ground though, one of the very few old school ones left, although the away facilities are so old and decrepid i dont know how you get away with it!

I dont know if you ever saw Bobby Collins play, but we lost him last month. They say he was even better than Billy which must have taken some doing.

All the best to you to sir, and i genuinely do mean that.

Great to see you posting Leeds - even better to hear how well you are doing and that life in general is good. Life seems so much easier without gambling huh?

I was thinking about you last month when Forest played your boys at the City Ground. I stood looking at the away fans wondering if you were among them? You must be a bit bewildered by everything that's going on there at the moment eh? Did well keeping hold of McCormack in the January window. It took a wonder goal that day for the home team to get the result!

Do you want me to add you back into the challenge gain this week - we could be doing with you there buddy!!

Look after yourself and keep adding to your amazing clean tally!! Gives us all hope!!

Mr Brightside

Life really is on the up - its never been better.

Apart from our sorry excuse for a club. How we manage to go from one financial calamity to another is beyond me with the size of our support.

I didnt make it this year, too much going on at home with Christmas and the little ones. I actualy blame Kenny for that goal, despite it being a wonder strike, he wasnt concentrating.

Please add me back in, ill make a concerted effort to keep on here more often, and support others who are where i was a few months back.

Keep the faith buddy and thanks for all your kind words, you are doing a cracking job.

Hi Leeds V,

Just thought I'd pop in and commiserate with you about the state of the club, that farce with the manager is no way to start a new era under a new owner. Makes you think of the shambles that happened in Portsmouth.

Well done on staying gamble free and on the right track, you're right about each man having his vice, and while I always enjoyed betting on a few sports, it would often lead to much larger bets in the online casinos, where I had my real problem.

All the best mate,

Ryan

Julie -

Thank you,

I have a great family, although my kids are too young to understand, my wife is solid, and keeps me in check. Living without gambling, has changed me back to the happy person i was years ago.

Ryan, thank you, our mini resurgence was foiled last night, but only to be expected.

The portstouth fiasco scares me. Fingers crossed we sort things out sensibly.

On the vices, I never fully appreciated how much of an issue the FOBT's & Casino's were. It's only when you read others stories, and you realise the wider spread problem. Like ive said before, thankfuly i was never tempted.

Bobby Rain, Rainman, Bobsok, thank mate, i'll say no more, wont claim to know how you are feeling but appreciate so much you taking the time to post that. Means the world knowing what you are going through.

And yes, the full force of me was blowing that winner in on saturday.

Guard up.

Bob, great to have you back.

Im crossing all i can that it blows over as quick as possible mate, amd you get back to where you were.

Plenty of fire in my belly and i know there is a volcano in yours.

You got the team pretty much nailed down. Frank Gray came a lot later.

Its funny, but when im down, i listen to this song, which although was realeased 2 years before i was born, still fires me up.

http://britishchartsingles.bl…s-united-leeds-united-fc.html

First of all there's the Boss who's right behind us

He's the one who fills our hearts with pride

It's a joy to us all when Big Jack has the ball

To know that he is on our side

There's a red headed tiger known as Billy

And he goes like a human dynamo

Mick the Mover of course, he can work like a horse

And Top Cat Cooper's always on the go

And we play all the way for Leeds United

Elland Road is the only place for us

With heart and soul for the goal that's clearly sighted

We're out to toast each other from that silver Cup

You should see how he runs, Speedy Reaney

When Iron-Man-Hunter sends it down the wing

While the Brains is everywhere, doing more than his share

Sniffer Clarke's always there to bang it in

Proud and tall in the goalmouth stands the Viking

And the eleven Pauls are never far away

Lasher Lorimer what a shot

Then to tie them in a knot there's Eddie the Last Waltz Gray

And we play all the way for Leeds United

Elland Road is the only place for us

With heart and soul for the goal that's clearly sighted

We're out to toast each other from that silver Cup

And we play all the way for Leeds United

Elland Road is the only place for us

With heart and soul for the goal that's clearly sighted

We're out to toast each other from that silver Cup