Couple who won £1 million from 80p dole money sought for anniversary

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 04:32 · Archive

The Pools is seeking Tommy and Elaine McDonagh, who won £1,010,172.40 in October 1987 after scraping together 80p from dole money.

Tommy and Elaine McDonagh, from Cross Roads near Keighley, won £1,010,172.40 on the Littlewoods Football Pools in October 1987 after Tommy, who was unemployed, scraped together 80p from his remaining dole money to buy two extra lines on his wife's pools coupon. The couple had three children and were living in a three-bedroom terraced house on £90 a week in unemployment benefits.

Their jackpot was one of the largest in The Pools' history at the time, falling just short of a prize shared by Margaret Francis and ten colleagues from Roundway Hospital in Wiltshire in 1986. Following their win, Tommy and Elaine were able to enjoy the honeymoon they never had, having married when Elaine was just 16. They also planned to replace their seven-year-old Datsun with a BMW, while Elaine planned to learn to drive and continue her business studies at Keighley College. The T&A reported that their first luxuries included a trip to Disneyland and treats for their children.

The Pools is now seeking them to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their win. Jessica Thomas, brand communications manager at The Pools, said: 'Tommy and Elaine's win is one of the many remarkable stories in The Pools' history. To think that two extra lines on a coupon could change a family's lives so dramatically is extraordinary.'

How it is being reported

• 80p left of his dole and nothing to lose - the split-second decision that made Tommy a millionaireTommy and Elaine McDonagh scraped together dole money for their couponHuddersfield Examiner · 21 Oct, 04:00
• The couple who won £1 million after 'scraping together' 80p from dole moneyThe life-changing win came after jobless Tommy used 80p from the remains of his dole money.Telegraph & Argus · 21 Oct, 01:00

In this story: Tommy McDonagh · Elaine McDonagh · Littlewoods Football Pools · The Pools · Cross Roads · Keighley

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