He was, I believe, perhaps the most influential and controversial punter of the last generation, and successful too; and today I’m going to give a little insight into the methods he employed. He was the Dutchman, C. Van Der Wheil, sometimes known as the Flying Dutchman. He arrived in this country in 1945 at the end of the war, having served with the British forces. He was a physical and mental wreck,and had only half a crown in his pocket, about 12p in today’s money. Yet by 1948 he was going for sailing holidays as they called them then, not cruises, for months on end in the Caribbean, at that time an experience enjoyed only by the very wealthy. Yes, and it was all paid for by his punting. He came to the attention of the punting public in the winter of 1978 in a contribution to the Sports Forum of the old Sporting Chronicle Handicap Book. His contributions continued there over the years, provoking discussion, admiration and envy. I can’t begin here to do justice to the whole argument, but at least I can give the basic VDW method, and even here there may be punters prepared to enter into the debate.
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