1000th Post Imminent - Win some FREEBIES! RESULTS IN

[BigBird]

Hi all,

It's nearly my 1000th Post - I really need to get out more... :shock:

Anyway, as is traditional, a small giveaway or two to mark the occasion.

The Freebies:

First Prize: Serious Watch Porn - the heavily illustrated '1001 Wristwatches from 1925 to the present' by Martin Haussermann. Like all the best porn, it does have some informative storyline, but the pictures tell the story best... it's a Hardback and about 300 pages, and packed with photos, from Alpina and AP to Xenex and Zenith. I won this in a TZ thread for a similar milestone, and it seems right to recyle into the forum.

And for the runner-up: A batch of New, Old stock straps, all sorts including some old-style fold-over-with-pins from Holland - where I got them, I've no idea. There also a thin Black NATO style (20mm) nylon band, a used Poljot bracelet, and a generic steel bracelet (20mm) with 16mm end pieces. If I find any more spares in the dark recesses of the drawers, they'll be thrown in too.

How to win:

Easy. My team (the mighty Arsenal) are off to Greece on Tueday night to deliver a shoeing to some Greek Pub team (Olympiakos). All you need to do is predict the time of the first goal scored in the match. Put your predicted time as a reply on the thread. If you pick the same time as an earlier prediction, your guess won't count, so check before you choose.

After the game, I'll use the Sky Sports web page to get the 'official' time. Bear in mind that they always roll up the goal times, so if scored after just 45 seconds it would be 1 (one), if after 3mins 55 secs, it would be 4, and so on.

The opening goal may also be scored in injury time, so you can have up to 45(+3) for a first half injury time goal, and 90(+5) for a very late opening goal. '46' is the first minute of the second half. My 'O' level maths reckons that gives you 98 possible choices, plus the 'No Goals' option.

The winner will be the closest to the correct time. In the event of a tie, the earlier predicted time will be the winner.

Clear as mud, right?

Entries up to 7:30pm on Tuesday night.

One last thing - the first prize book is really heavy, and will cost a fortune to ship overseas, (£10+ Europe, £20+ ROTW), so if you're overseas, you're basically playing for the second prize, unless you want to spring for the shipping at cost. I'll offer the winner that option if he's overseas, otherwise they get the straps. It will be so much easier if the winner is in the UK, and the book will be sent by Standard Parcel post at my expense.

Here's a quick taster of the goodies, good luck to all.

Cheers

Mike 8)

The Book:

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And the straps/bracelets:

[alex]

Nice gesture, thanks.

18 mins for me please.

[Mitch Buchannon]

That's very nice of you Mike.
My guess: 31 min

[SternG]

When your team get over here they'll find out that Olympiakos is no pub team :twisted: :D

Nice gesture and congrats on the milestone 8)

[amnesia]

Very nice offer !

7th min for me please.

Are there any pubs left open in Greece?

[learningtofly]

Nice gesture!!

Hmmmm... well, with the Gooners on a downward curve (let's face it, there's only one team in North London these days and will be for some time) my money's on 11 minutes.

Oh, and Olympiakos to score :twisted:

[Nt016]

27 mins here

[kfman]

The meaning of life and everything - 42 minutes

[unclealec]

Great gesture.
19 mins for me please.

[Marios]

14mins for me :)

[dreamboat10]

35 mins, cheers.

[ManCityDG]

Nice one mate. 40th min.

[erasuretim]

i predict there will be no goals!

regards

tim

[galewis]

Good on you Mike!

I predict 9th minute.

Gary

[seikopath]

37.

[ben4watches]

17th minute for me.

Nice gesture 8)

[DS3R]

22, and it will be Arsenal (I hope) :)

[GilesAMorse]

12th minute for me.

Fingers crossed!

Giles

[simonrah]

Nice gesture!!

Hmmmm... well, with the Gooners on a downward curve (let's face it, there's only one team in North London these days and will be for some time) my money's on 11 minutes.

I spent Wednesday night channel hopping and to my surprise I discovered coverage of an insignificant football competition that I had never known about before on an obscure channel. I learned that it can be rather enjoyable watching the performance of some Greek teams as they thrash inferior opposition.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15850170.stm

Further investigation revealed that the other team on display has unfortunately been an abject failure since the one and only time it won the League in 1961, but it does undertake admirable charity work. I salute it for its wonderful achievement in providing a comfortable retirement home for an elderly French gentleman who was unable to find regular gainful employment after losing his job elsewhere in North London.

I also understand that this team have transformed the life of a troubled and unwanted Togolese individual, and that this rehabilitation was made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of a Mancunian benevolent society.

As to next week - Olympiakos to score first in the 20th minute and the Arsenal youth team to go on to win the game 2-1. Not that it matters too much, as we've already qualified top of the group.

[will852]

Great idea and gesture!

53rd min for me.

[AndyR]

Nice gesture. I'll go for 34 mins please.

Andy

[TT300]

12th Min for me please 8)

[village]

Nice gesture...

First goal will be in the 62nd minute.

[Banjo]

Nice gesture and congrats on the mile stone.

I shall go for 29.

[Tahiti]

11th minute for me. Thanks.

[Kewstoke]

cheers 67 minutes for me :)

[BigBird]

Update: The 'Minutes' that have gone so far:

7,9,11,12,14,17,18,19,22,27,29,31,34,35,37,40,42,5 3,62 and 67 (and 'No Goals').

Tahiti (who picked number 11) and TT300 (who picked Number 12) both need to select a new number, as they've chosen numbers that had already gone... :roll:

Mike 8)

[TT300]

13 then please :)

[Routers]

Hi,
I'll go for 23.

Cheers,
Ian.

[SternG]

Alrighty then, 69th minute for me, and Olympiakos to score 8)

Or has it been taken already :D

[SSK007]

Congrats on a 1000 :lol:

[Sharky]

24th min please! Great gesture

Mark

[albinh]

let's say, 13th!

Edit. 77th!

[markl]

My team lay down for you on Saturday so you shoudn't be to tired ! Leets say 21 ..my 250th post - might be lucky !

Congrats on 1000.

[edoze]

6 mins for me :-)

[W44NNE]

33 for me

Thanks for the great gesture! :D

[Top]

32 for me!

Congratulations on a 1000 posts!

[ascolgan]

I'll go for 79mins.

Thanks for the gesture,
Drew

[samswatch]

I am going for 22

and congrats on the 1000

[fiddler69]

85th minute

[964RS]

Oooh I love giveaways :D

5 mins for me please

[michalko82]

30' for me please. And I hope it will be Van Persie :D

[RogDen]

81

and well done on your 1000

[BigBird]

Roughly half an hour left for any more guesses!

Cheers

Mike

[BigBird]

Results are in!

The 'Official' Time of the first goal (to the pub team) was 16 minutes.

ben4watches was closest with 17 minutes and wins the book!

Marios was runner up on the tie-break rule (14 minutes), and gets the straps etc.

PM's on way to nottify winners, thanks to all who entered.

And the Arse have just let in a comedy second goal... :shock:

Mike 8)

[Marios]

:cheers: :cheers:

Thanks for the gesture Mike - best of luck in the second half (Panathinaikos supporter :wink: ).