Bingo contest could be too close to call

Published on 03/10/2007 13:51

TWO Edinburgh bingo callers will go head-to-head in an "apprentice v master" battle to be crowned Scotland's champion.

James Cook of the Fountainpark Mecca will take on his mentor Alan Brown of Gala Wester Hailes at the industry's Scottish final.

Nearly 100 regulars from both men's clubs will follow them through to an X Factor-style showdown in East Kilbride later this month.

The callers will have to answer a series of questions about the game before being given three minutes to persuade the judges they should be Scotland's bingo ambassador.

Mr Cook, of Slateford, will regale the judges with comic stories of his early days in the game with Mr Brown.

He said his main achievement was to have brought a younger crowd to the game, as the average age of bingo players where he works is 28, compared with a national average 38.

He expects a friendly rivalry .

He said: "It's not microphones at dawn, but they are Gala and we are Mecca and there is a bit of friendly rivalry between us.

"Because I used to work with Alan when he was at Mecca and he taught me a lot of what I know, it will be a bit like the apprentice against the master.

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Mr Brown, meanwhile, is convinced his own performance, a specially-adapted bingo version of the Frank Sinatra hit My Way, will win him the prize.

He said: "It will be interesting with James there since I trained him up. But may the best man win, that's what I say.

"I've been doing this 24 or 25 years and I want to use that to my advantage."