Kevin Bairstow.
Kevin was a regular at the Elland Road Greyhound stadium before it closed in 1982 although it was from the early 1990's that I got to know him as both of us were in the George Pub quiz team (captained by Tony).
I also knew him as he worked in the Stanley Racing bookmakers in Oakwood and he was there on Grand National day 1991 when armed attackers fired a shot in the ceiling before robbing it.
This was an event that shook Kevin up badly and resulted in him being unable to work for a while.
Kevin is quite distinctive looking and I always remember the Crimestopper reconstruction where the police went to the trouble of getting a bald headed actor with a goaty beard to play the part of him to say "don't shoot". Wish I'd videoed it.
He works for Leeds City council now and shares my interests in Greyhound racing and betting. He wins quite a lot of money by backing a horse or greyhound to win with one bookmaker then backing it to lose with either a Spread betting company or Betfair. At the right odds he wins whatever the result.
He's so successful with his strategy that most bookmakers change their odds when he calls them. To get round this he sometimes uses my betting accounts, as I must be marked down as a mug punter and have no problems getting the required odds.
Kevin is the sort of person who'll get involved in preventing any crime. On a train in London once (on the way to Catford Greyhound stadium) he confronted a large group of lads spraying graffiti, whilst everyone else on the train ignored them. For a while it looked like it may turn nasty, but in the end they got off the train and were satisfied enough putting 2 fingers up as they ran away.
Until recently Kevin lived in a high rise block of council flats in Kirkstall, but because the council were so keen to get hold of the flat for student accommodation they moved him to a house in Harewood which just doesn't "look council".
We were on the way to Kinsley Greyhound stadium recently when a friend of his from a while ago called him to meet up. Kev's responses went something like this "No I don't live in Kirkstall anymore I live in Harewood". "No I can't meet you tonight as I'm off to see one of my greyhounds race". "No I can't meet you next week either as I'm flying to Ireland for the Punchestown Horse racing festival".
I think his friend wondered whether he was speaking to the same person.
He's a very good chess player and has played in several competitions. I took my lads to see him in a tournament once and they were bored out of their minds until the awards presenter mentioned that they were hoping to get chess on to Sky Sports. I couldn't stop them laughing at that one much to the annoyance of the "geeks" there.
There's nothing geeky about Kevin though and in summer you'll often find him outside Leeds Library playing chess on the pavement.