sub parse_format{
  my $line = shift;
  my ($date, $number,); ## for returning
  while ($line =~ m/^ #linestart
                    (\d+\/\d+\/\d+\s+\d+) # capture date and first number
                     \,\s+ #junk in the middle
                     (\d+) # capture the last bit
                     $ # end of string
                   /ox )
  {
    ($date,$number,) = ($1, $2,);
  } else {
    warn "\'$line\' did not conform to format. Skipping...\n";
  }
  return ($date, $number,);
}