Introducing the final eight chasing the Betting Shop Manager of the Year title

The final of this year’s Racing Post/SIS Betting Shop Manager of the Year competition takes place in London on Monday, when a new champion will be crowned.

Here, the eight regional champions introduce themselves by talking about their lives, careers and how they relax away from their jobs.

The overall winner will be invited to several key racing and betting events during their year as champion.

Danielle Baker

Coral (Oswestry, Midlands and Wales)

When I was 16 I loved to roller skate and every other Sunday afternoon I attended a skate club, and this is where I met my partner Liam. And, 30 years later, here we still are with two wonderful boys, Jordan and Koby. 

After having my second son, I became ill with anxiety and eventually agoraphobia. After months of medication and counselling something clicked and the long-awaited kick up the backside happened.

I got myself a job as a 20-hour cashier in a DIY shop, and although I still had anxiety, within five years I worked my way up to operations manager. I continued to do this for seven more fantastic years. 

Danielle Baker: Coral manager from OswestryCredit: JOHN GROSSICK

After being made redundant I saw an advert for a shop manager at Coral. It was scary at first, but you don’t get far in life unless you’re comfortable being uncomfortable at some point.

So I learned about the job, had some great training, hired and trained a new team and fell in love with the industry. Seven years on, I have a busy shop and a brilliant team.

I like to be outside, doing anything from birdwatching to fishing and walking, which comes in handy as I also try my hand at metal detecting. 

My mum worked in a big darts pub and that’s where I met Ted Hankey. I played him in a charity match and, unsurprisingly, he thrashed me 2-0, so you could say that’s my claim to fame.

David Barcroft

Paddy Power (Bury St Edmunds, Anglia and south-east)

Born and raised in Cambridge, I left school with few qualifications and went to work for Tesco.

Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1995, I left as I was unsure how life-changing the disease would be and joined my father’s small haulage company.

This was only short term while I got to grips with my health and I started looking for a more long-term career. I saw an advert for a trainee manager at Ladbrokes and I began my career in the betting industry in Newmarket in August 1996. 

I’ve met many interesting people, including West Indian cricketer Michael Holding, who, to my surprise, remembered me some two years later.

David Barcroft: Paddy Power manager from Bury St Edmunds

During my 11 years there, I progressed to area operations manager before being made redundant in 2007.

I tried something different, but the lure of the betting shop meant I returned to Newmarket in 2010 as manager for Betfred and after seven years I joined Paddy Power.

When my shop in Bury St Edmunds opened in December 2021, I was asked to set it up and get it established. This has given me a new lease of life, meeting my partner here, and with my daughters and grandsons living locally, it has made sense to stay.

I’m a Cambridge United season ticket-holder and have been supporting them for 45 years through the highs and many lows.

I enjoy a day at the races and have also been to the British Masters golf, NFL London and Goodwood Revival this year. I also try to play golf, my handicap being myself.

Stacey Carnell

Ladbrokes (Barnsley, north and north-east)

I started out at 18 as a cashier with Coral. I knew nothing about bookmakers, and I wasn’t all that clued up on sports either, but I fell in love with the atmosphere in shops and the industry in general. I became a manager within five years. I moved to Ladbrokes during the merger as I was asked to open a store that was relocating to a new premises and became a marketplace manager.

Recently I have been pursuing development opportunities to grow my experience and knowledge by providing area manager holiday cover in the region. I have enjoyed this experience, networking and meeting new people, and building my skillset.

Stacey Carnell: Ladbrokes manager from BarnsleyCredit: JOHN GROSSICK

I thrive on being busy and my husband and two beautiful children keep me just that. I also help look after my elderly uncle and run our family caravan in Ingoldmells.

During the pandemic my hands became a little idle, when I wasn’t being a novice school teacher to my children that is, so I did something I had wanted to do for a long time. I wrote and self-published a fantasy novel under a pen name. I have now written nine books.

Becoming regional champion has been one of the highlights of my career.

Gordon Champion

William Hill (West Wickham, Greater London)

Before working in the betting industry, I worked for Allders department stores in their transport department. I joined Stanley Racing as a cashier and progressed to manager before William Hill took over and I became deputy manager of the Wayside branch. 

I moved to the New Addington branch as a customer experience manager and I was there until the shop closed during Covid. I moved to Glebe Way in July 2021, quickly settling into my new surroundings and making the shop the place it is today.

Gordon Champion: William Hill manager from West WickhamCredit: Mark Cranham

I also represent William Hill on racecourses including Newmarket, Epsom, Sandown, Goodwood and Cheltenham. Spending the week at Cheltenham is always the highlight of the year. I also get to meet racing legends like Sir Anthony McCoy and other celebrities while working there.

In my spare time I love to attend sporting events from horseracing to NFL. My biggest passion is Tottenham Hotspur and I follow them all over the country. There hasn’t been much to cheer about in the last few years, but things are starting to look up. 

My other passion is travel. With my wife Leanne, we love visiting different places. Mexico and Las Vegas are my two favourites, especially as we got married in Vegas ten years ago. We visited Dubai in January, which was great as we got to take in a race meeting at Meydan, and seeing the sheer scale of the place was amazing.

Jackie Kerr

Paddy Power (Swords, Ireland)

I played multiple sports as a child, like football and netball, even trampolining at one stage, before settling on basketball as my main interest when moving to Dublin.

I’ve always had an interest in attending live sport too. Holidays with my parents, Alan and Isobel, often involved visits to a horse or greyhound meeting. I’ve also organised trips to major events with friends, most recently the Women’s Euro football final and World Cup final in Lyon.

In my spare time I love going to concerts and festivals. I live in Dublin city centre, so there’s no shortage of traditional Irish music to see. In June last year, I went as far as to travel home from Primavera Barcelona, to work a full shift, and then to Royal Ascot the following day.

Jackie Kerr: Paddy Power manager from SwordsCredit: Patrick McCann

My previous jobs included bar work and a short-lived career as a promotional mascot before joining Paddy Power in 2005.

Some years later, I was also fortunate enough to meet my partner Jan, who worked for a rival bookmaker on the same high street at the time.

I’ve been involved in the training shop programme for new starters, the transition from the Epos to Arkle system as a superuser, lead a new shop team through an acquisition from an existing bookmaker and be selected for this year’s Retails Got Talent programme.

Andrew Lord

Coral (Accrington, north-west and Isle of Man)

I was born the youngest of five sons on March 31, 1958. I left school after my A-levels to pursue a career in art. After just a year, I realised this wasn’t for me and aged 19 I discovered my new family at Coral.

After my seven weeks of manager training, I was let loose on the betting public, based at the Accrington branch.  From there I did relief managing, travelling between Burnley and Manchester, even doing a summer season in the betting shop at Pontins, Morecambe.

In 1986 I met my wife to be, Michelle, and that’s when I came back home to the Accrington branch where I still am today.

Andrew Lord: Coral manager from AccringtonCredit: john grossick

The first of my two daughters was born in 1989, Rebecca, followed by Sophie in 1991 and we now have two beautiful granddaughters, Skye and Esther. Together as a family we have a love of travelling, especially since we discovered cruises 15 years ago.  

In my early days Coral was sponsoring the up-and-coming Steve Davis. He invited me to an exhibition evening that night, but I had to decline the offer as it was my 21st birthday and of course I had other plans.

My only claim to fame is having my photo in The Guardian newspaper. Accrington was a marginal seat in an upcoming general election, so to promote it, I drew caricatures of the contenders with a brief form guide. The press got to hear about it and I had my 15 minutes of fame.

Ryan McNaught

Ladbrokes (Plymouth south-west and Channel Islands)

I’m 29 years old and I live in Plymouth. I have two daughters, Meelah (9) and Alizah (6). My partner Kath is my biggest supporter and best friend.

Attending a conventional school played a big role in shaping my early life. To say I was a bit of a class clown would be a slight under-exaggeration, but the one thing I always did take seriously was sport.

Growing up, my mum worked on reception at a local sports centre, while my dad was a semi-professional boxer. 

When I turned 18, after delivering pizzas for a year, I was ready to find something I was interested in. I knew I loved sport, so I decided an apprenticeship at Ladbrokes would be a great fit.

Ryan McNaught: Ladbrokes manager from PlymouthCredit: Phil Mingo/PPAUK

I had hoped to travel, but shortly after starting at Ladbrokes, my world turned upside down and I was no longer working for just myself, and my first born Meelah entered the world with Alizah arriving a few years later.

Having children changed my perspective on everything. I was a young dad suddenly with two little girls looking up to me. My partner Kath came into our lives four years ago, she pushes me to be the best version of myself every day.

This role has shaped me into the person I am today, making me a likeable, well-rounded professional. I’m immensely proud of what I have achieved both personally and professionally, especially being nominated for this award.

Danny Morrison

Betfred (Stranraer, Scotland)

I was born and raised in Halifax, West Yorkshire. At the age of 16 I started working for Timeform. I used to sneak up to the editorial department to watch the racing – I fell in love with it from there.

I then left Timeform and moved to Scotland where the only job I felt would suit my passion for sport and horseracing in particular was in a betting shop. I applied for a cashier role at William Hill and two years later I became a deputy manager. I became a manager with Coral, which became a Betfred shop six years ago, and that’s where I am today, 14 years on.

Danny Morrison: Betfred manager from StranraerCredit: JOHN GROSSICK

Becoming a finalist in the Betting Shop Manager of the Year is my and my shop team’s proudest moment.

I’ve been married to my wife Fiona for 14 years and we have two amazing children, Leo and Abbie.

My passion outside of work is horseracing, which I share with Leo as he loves his racing, and we have been to plenty of meetings from Cheltenham to Ayr.

One of the most surreal moments in recent times was having Kieren Fallon in my shop last year watching the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He told me to back Alpinista – I did and she won easily. No sooner had she crossed the line, he looked up, winked at me and sloped off out of the door like a thief in the night.

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