Betfred release Documentary to mark 50th Anniversary

Betfred punters have been enjoying a whole 10 months of special 50th-anniversary offers and promotions but things are stepping up an extra gear in October to mark the month when the first Betfred shop officially opened. As part of their 50th-anniversary celebrations, Betfred have released a documentary, The Betfred Story, which follows the history of the UK based bookmaker. The documentary, which is narrated by Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster Gordon Burns, traces the journey of Betfred from a single shop in Ordsall, Salford, into one of the UK’s biggest gambling operators with a billion-pound turnover.

“Rags to Riches”

The 4-part documentary series, which was produced by Betfred and 39 Pictures, tells the story of two brothers, Fred and Peter Done who grew a business from nothing in post-war Britain. Mark Pearson, Betfred’s Head of Media describes the documentary as “a real rags to riches story" but what hopefully comes across is that Betfred may be the biggest independent bookmaker on the high street but it is very much a family affair.”. The documentary uses archive footage from Pathe, Granada and the North West Film Archive as well as interviews with Fred Done, industry leaders and sports superstars to creating the enthralling story of one of the world’s largest independent bookmaker. It’s essential viewing for anyone with an interest in the history of sports or the gambling industry, documenting how things have changed over the past half a century.

The Betfred Story

Part 1 of the series gives a rare insight into the early lives of Fred and Peter Done documenting their upbringing in Salford in the 1940’s, their humble beginnings and their decision to follow in their father’s footsteps (an illegal bookmaker) by opening the first Betfred shop in 1967. In Part 2 we learn how Frankie Dettori cost the industry a fortune when he rode all 7 winners at Ascot in 1996 leaving Fred down and out and broke. Fred also reminisces about how he decided to become the first ever bookmaker to pay out early, paying up on all bets backing Manchester United to win the Premier League in 1998 only for Arsenal to be crowned champions on the final day of the season. In Part 3 we see how Betfred has used multi-million-pound sponsorship deals to boost the company’s profile (Betfred currently sponsor the Super League, Betfred Cup and World Snooker Championship) and the reasoning behind changing their name. Part 3 also explores how Fred negotiated a multi-million-pound deal to buy the Tote from the British government in 2011. The 4th and final part of the series explores Fred’s private life and takes a behind the scenes look at the running of the company.

All 4 parts of ‘The Betfred Story’ are available to watch for free on the Betfred Youtube Channel, Facebook Page and Betfred Blog.

About Betfred

Betfred is the UK’s 4th largest bookmaker and the largest independent bookmaker in the world. The company employs more than 10,000 people across over 1,000 betting shops and multiple support centres. The company offers both sports betting and casino games through their online platform. At the Betfred Casino players can find a huge selection video slots as well as table games such roulette, poker and blackjack. The company is licensed and regulated in Gibraltar while its main headquarters is in Warrington in the UK.

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