c4countdown

I got Jeff Stelling's book "Jellyman's Thrown A Wobbly"
from my kids for fathers day. A really good read for anybody who wants to find out about the legend. Mainly about his "Soccer Saturday" but a lot of background about Jeff himself, and a chapter about how he arrived on Countdown. About a tenner but well worth it.
(If the sales go up Jeff a signed copy would be nice)



http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/8710 ... oduct.html

Why is he called jellyman?
I should imagine it is a good read..he has a good se4nse of humour on screen, very dry wit.
No slouch when it comes to getting the odd word or numbers game either.

Jennifer McElroy wrote:Why is he called jellyman?

If only you were interested in football!

It's a bit like the all-time classic. A game at Crystal Palace. A player called Gerry Queen. An altercation. Guardian headline - QUEEN IN BRAWL AT PALACE.

Jennifer McElroy wrote:Why is he called jellyman?

I believe there is a footballer with the surname of Jellyman, who when he got sent off Jeff said that "Jellyman has thrown a wobbly".

Nope..not at all interested in football, unless it is David beckham in his calvins that is!
Thanks for the explanation boys, that makes it clearer. Good title for a book, I wonder why he hasn't shown it on Countdown. Maybe it is one of the prizes?

Jennifer McElroy wrote:Maybe it is one of the prizes?

Losers get a canvas countdown bag with an O.E.D., a pen, a clock, a mug, & Susie's book as prizes but Jeff's aint there.
You can also take your nameplate & get a couple of photos sent out to you. I don't know what winners get - obviously.

Davy Affleck wrote:

Jennifer McElroy wrote:Maybe it is one of the prizes?

Losers get a canvas countdown bag with an O.E.D., a pen, a clock, a mug, & Susie's book as prizes but Jeff's aint there.
You can also take your nameplate & get a couple of photos sent out to you. I don't know what winners get - obviously.

What's the difference between the OED and ODE?

Steve Durney wrote:
What's the difference between the OED and ODE?

Nothing to a dyslexic

Just to clarify, the ODE (or OED) usually referred to is the ODE2r, the current one.

Davy Affleck wrote: Losers get a canvas countdown bag with an O.E.D., a pen, a clock, a mug, & Susie's book as prizes but Jeff's aint there.
You can also take your nameplate & get a couple of photos sent out to you. I don't know what winners get - obviously.

Back in 2001 there was a fair bit more stuff in the goody bag - polo shirt, board game, electronic game, telephone message pad, coaster, extra book - and the winners got the same as the losers, except of course the winner got a teapot.

Davy Affleck wrote:

Jennifer McElroy wrote:Maybe it is one of the prizes?

Losers get a canvas countdown bag with an O.E.D., a pen, a clock, a mug, & Susie's book as prizes but Jeff's aint there.
You can also take your nameplate & get a couple of photos sent out to you. I don't know what winners get - obviously.

You don't get a t-shirt any more?

Davy Affleck wrote:

Steve Durney wrote: What's the difference between the OED and ODE?

Nothing to a dyslexic

But if you get it wrong it'll cost you...

The OED is the full multi-volume version that's given to the Countdown champion, and ODE is the single-volume version that is the official source of words for Countdown. ODE costs £26.25 from Amazon, the OED £750 from OUP, though there is a CD-ROM version now for £165. You might well be able to access the online version of OED, though, through your local library service website for free.

Davy Affleck wrote:Losers get a canvas countdown bag with an O.E.D., a pen, a clock, a mug, & Susie's book as prizes but Jeff's aint there.
You can also take your nameplate & get a couple of photos sent out to you. I don't know what winners get - obviously.

As well as the teapot, winning 1 game nowadays gets you this. But still no shirt of any type.

Brian Moore wrote:

Davy Affleck wrote:

Steve Durney wrote: What's the difference between the OED and ODE?

Nothing to a dyslexic

But if you get it wrong it'll cost you...

The OED is the full multi-volume version that's given to the Countdown champion, and ODE is the single-volume version that is the official source of words for Countdown. ODE costs £26.25 from Amazon, the OED £750 from OUP, though there is a CD-ROM version now for £165. You might well be able to access the online version of OED, though, through your local library service website for free.

Just to clarify, the Countdown series champion wins the leather-bound OED which retails at £4,000 (but can be found on Amazon for £200 less).

"Just to clarify, the Countdown series champion wins the leather-bound OED which retails at £4,000 (but can be found on Amazon for £200 less)."

Nice prize too. I'd love to know where people actually put all those books. Must weigh a ton

Srsly no shirt?

IIRC I got a polo shirt (dad size), a board game, an ODE2r, a teapot (optional extra), an SOED (also optional extra), two of Susie's books and a mug.

I probably got more than that, but I can't remember.

Kudos, Kai!!

Darren Carter wrote:

Jennifer McElroy wrote:Why is he called jellyman?

I believe there is a footballer with the surname of Jellyman, who when he got sent off Jeff said that "Jellyman has thrown a wobbly".

The footballer in question is actually Gareth JellEyman. He was a player who had a good disciplinary record, which you'll know if, like me, you've read this fantastic book. Then, he received a red card which Jeff coined that phrase and he then got sent off again not too long after that.

The book is superb. I even got Jeff to sign my copy of it at the first Manchester recording.