Archive for May, 2007
Two betting news items that may be of interest:
Big Brother warned of betting fix
Bosses of the Big Brother television series have been warned by representatives from the betting industry that Far East gambling syndicates are plotting to fix the show by rigging eviction votes. The shows producers were told how cartels have access to technology which can be used to hijack the public vote, although a spokesperson responded, saying the voting system was independently adjudicated by the Electoral Reform Society.
Oh, and that’s s’posed to makes me feel better?! … BTW the best bookmaker for all novelty betting is canny Irish bookie… PaddyPower.com
Bookmakers to contribute share of profits to sport
The UK government has agreed to support demands for bookmakers to contribute a share of their profits to the country’s five major sports – football, tennis, both codes of rugby and cricket. The sports governing bodies have been arguing that growth in gambling revenue from sports other than racing entitles them to a share of profits.
They also have said that the growing betting market threatens the integrity of their events and will cost more to police. Sports minister Richard Caborn said that he would be contacting bookmakers shortly in an attempt to negotiate a settlement.
Bookmakers are thought to be pushing for a voluntary payment of £5 million and £10 million annually in the short term, although they would consider a system similar to the levy paid to horseracing, which sees a percentage of profits passed over to the sports.
The government have agreed that the sports have a persuasive “moral case” for a cut of the estimated £500m annual turnover in sports betting.
Any UK industry-wide ‘sports tax’ could directly result in bookies increasing their margins – with poorer odds offered to punters – and more online betting at top non-UK bookies (like PinnacleSports.com for Handicap betting)
May 21st, 2007
Top Costa Rican bookie – JustBet.com – has just launched a new limited time joining bonus to entice new customers.
Called, Spring Bling it is a dazzler of a deal. New bettors who deposit $500 get an extra $250 in bonus cash.
A few Terms and Conditions apply:
- New customers only
- It’s a one-time deal and capped at $500
- Once you take then up on it your Deposit and Bonus funds are held for 90 days (you can bet and win – but can’t withdraw)
- You must bet through (roll over) the deposit and bonus cash 7 times before withdrawing it and any winnings can be withdraw after rolling deposit and cash 3 times.
Click here to check it out – offer expires June 1, 2007
Here’s a link to a review on JustBet.com in case you want more info on this online bookie.
May 21st, 2007
AC Milan plan £28M bid for Chelsea’s Drogba
The News of the World says the Italian giants have made Chelsea’s 33-goal hitman their No1 target AHEAD of Andriy Shevchenko. A top Milan source said: “Our vice-president has already spoken to Didier’s representatives and made it clear we still want to sign him. “We know Didier really wanted to come last year but it didn’t happen. This year it could be different.” Milan have also told Shevchenko, who left them to join Chelsea for £31m last summer, he’d be welcome back. It is unthinkable both would go to the San Siro but Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani made it clear to Drogba’s people he is their top choice.
The Battle for Torres
The Spanish outfit have sparked a new chase for their £25million-rated forward by trying to sign a replacement in Italian striker Vincenzo Iaquinta, says the Mirror. Atletico have put off all bidders for young forward Torres in the past, but their move for the Udinese forward has set the ball in motion for the biggest summer auction of all.
- United chief Sir Alex Ferguson has been a long-term admirer of Torres and would do business, especially if the price dropped a little.
- Chelsea chief Roman Abramovich has also tried and failed for him before.
- Liverpool will try to break up that monopoly with a move of their own, although that will be a test of their new American wealth – and whether the owners are prepared to pay top dollar for the Spaniard. The Merseyside outfit will have more pulling power if they land the Champions League trophy next week.
Football news summaries brought to you by Globet International Sports and the team at BookieLabRat.com.
May 20th, 2007
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said Sunday that the FA Cup winners would not be looking to make any major new signings during the close season. However he said there would be some movement in and out of the club before the start of next season.
Chelsea may have relinquished their Premiership title to Manchester United this season but they finished on a high by winning the FA Cup on Saturday, beating United 1-0 after extra time at the new Wembley to complete a domestic cup double.
“We were second in the Premier League and in the semi-finals of the Champions League, so you have got to say on the back of two other seasons of winning the Premiership, it has been a very good year, and the team is getting stronger,” said Kenyon. “It would have been unjust had we finished up with only one trophy, because of the team effort this season. They and the manager have shown great spirit.” Kenyon insists the squad will not need major surgery this summer.
He told BBC radio: “I doubt we will have big-name signings because I do not think we need it. “We are in the region of moving three out and bringing three or four in. We are looking for some cover. “We are looking for central defence, a midfield and a striker. They will be good players who can contribute to the team and the squad. “That will give us not only the added numbers we need for the competitions, but also cover. “We have got to bear in mind that we are losing potentially four players for the African Nations Cup in January next year, which is going to be a challenge for us.”
The Chelsea chief executive also rejected suggestions Andriy Shevchenko and German international Michael Ballack would be offloaded following largely disappointing first campaigns at Stamford Bridge, “We have brought both these players in for three or four years – we did not bring them in for a season,” Kenyon insisted. “I am confident they are going to be here as big players with Chelsea next season. “They want to contribute a lot more, they feel they have a lot more to give. It takes time to settle in.” “They are two fantastic professionals. It is an exciting prospect to see those two guys on top of their game for us next season.”
Kenyon said the club would now also be focussing on tying down two of its stallwarts to long-term deals. Reports have suggested England midfielder Frank Lampard, 28, is considering buying out the remainder of his current deal, and he has been linked with a move to Barcelona. However, both Lampard and England captain John Terry, 26, have made it clear they would prefer to extend their stay at Chelsea, provided the right terms can be agreed.
“We got to the point within the season where we all like to just concentrate on football, and they both reacted very positively to that,” said Kenyon. “Now we will be concentrating on getting those contracts put to bed, and John Terry and Frank Lampard starting back with us on July 9. “It is business as usual now, it is just a slightly different business to what we have been involved in during the last six months.”
May 20th, 2007
While top UK bookie and dyed-in-the-wool Man U fan Fred Done (BetFred.com) is licking his wounds and paying out his latest cash back offer due to Drogba’s late extra-time FA Cup winner, canny Irish bookie Paddy Power has extended his TOO CLOSE TO CALL Money-Back Special.
Having escaped a cash back payout on the FA Cup, Paddy Power will now refund your bets on the following games:
– Champions League Final (AC Milan v Liverpool)
– Championship Playoff Final
– League 1 Playoff Final
– League 2 Playoff Final
Here’s the deal: If you back a team to win in 90 minutes and they fail to win in normal time but lose on a penalty shootout, then Paddy Power will refund all win-draw-win bets on that team only.
Applies to win-draw-win (1X2) single bets placed before kick-off only with a maximum refund of €300/£200 per customer.
May 19th, 2007
Jose Mourinho gave Chelsea supporters double cause for celebration after their dramatic FA Cup triumph over Manchester United by moving to quash any lingering suspicion that he could leave London this summer.
Speculation that the Portuguese would quit or be forced out this summer has swirled around Stamford Bridge throughout Mourinho’s third season in charge, fuelled by a mid-season breakdown in his relationship with the club’s Russian owner, Roman Abramovich.
But after watching Didier Drogba’s extra-time winner secure the only English trophy to have eluded him in the first final at the new Wembley, Mourinho insisted he would be staying on. “I am moving house, because you (the media) have shown my address to the whole world, but I am not going back to Portugal,” he said. “I love this club, I love living in this country and I don’t want to leave,” Mourinho said after adding an FA Cup triumph to the two Premiership titles and two League Cup trophies he has won with Chelsea.
“If you have doubts, what can I do. I can’t do anything about it. I have a contract, I want to stay, the club told me they want me to stay. I look at them as honourable people, not as liars, so when they say publicly they want me to be manager next season, I have no reason to doubt. “The only way to stop this (speculation) will be on July 9 in Los Angeles (when Chelsea begin a pre-season tour) and I will be there.”
Although United had enjoyed the better chances in the 115 minutes that preceded Drogba’s winner, Mourinho insisted that Chelsea had deserved their victory and could not resist a jibe at Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. “My feeling was that we could be here three hours and they would not have scored a goal,” he said. “We controlled the game so well defensively. We know the way they want to play and we did not give them that game.”
Mourinho’s interpretation was disputed by Ferguson, who described the contest as a “stalemate” while admitting that some of his players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, had looked jaded at the end of a hard season. “You can’t do much about goals when they come as late as that,” he said. “We were too tired to mount any challenge but that is football. “I didn’t think we played well. We didn’t deserve to win the game, or lose it — it was one of those games. There was not enough attacking momentum from either side to deserve to win the match. “We had the better chances but it was a stalemate really. The pitch was slow which didn’t help and we had two or three players who looked tired. They have played a lot of matches and it is understandable. Cristiano looked a bit tired, he has had a long season for a young lad.”
In a match of few clear chances, United came agonisingly close to taking the lead at the end of the first period of extra-time, when Ryan Giggs slid in to meet a low Wayne Rooney cross. Petr Cech saved but Giggs’s momentum carried him into the goalkeeper and the ball crossed the line in his arms.
Ferguson acknowledged that the linesman would have been unable to see clearly that the ball had crossed over, but he insisted referee Steve Bennett should have awarded a penalty for what he saw as a foul on Giggs by Michael Essien. The United boss went on to suggest that Mourinho had succeeded in influencing the official with his pre-match comments. “He does it before every big game. There’s 22 players out there and he’s talking about the referee all week — maybe it works for him. I was disappointed with the referee, for an FA Cup final I would have expected better.”
Despite his disappointment at missing out on a fourth league and cup double at the helm of United, Ferguson said the club had had a fantastic season and achieved their main goal of reclaiming the Premiership title. “To lose so late in the game is very hard to take but I have seen it time and time again in football. You can’t be surprised. The thing is to accept it and get on with it. I want to wake up tomorrow and get on with life.”
Even Ferguson, whose sides have always made a habit of producing late winners, was resigned to penalties when Drogba collected a pass Mikel John Obi, played a slick one-two with Frank Lampard and then beat the sprawling Edwin van der Sar with the deftest of clipped finishes. It was Drogba’s 33rd goal of the season, a tally that also includes the winner in the League Cup final against Arsenal in February. But the Ivory Coast forward had to share the plaudits with Cech, who pulled off a superb double save to deny Wayne Rooney and Giggs at the start of the second-half before coming to his side’s rescue again in extra-time.
May 19th, 2007
Robbie Slater is the tipster onsite at top Australian bookie, CentreBet.com. Here are his picks for this week:
ENGLISH FA CUP FINAL
The top two teams in English football come up against each other in what is sure to be a rugged affair, the two managers do not like each other and neither do the players. I believe Chelsea, after surrendering their league title to United will have a point to prove against their great rivals, and will win by 2-1. I think Didier Drogba will find the back of the net first.
>>Chelsea to win 2-1, Drogba as 1st goalscorer
SPANISH LA LIGA
Real Madrid took top spot off Barcelona last week and I don’t expect them to surrender any points to Recreativo, as they know they have the title in their grasp with Barca’s form getting worse. Raul is my tip to open the scoring for Real in a 3-1 victory.
>>Real Madrid to beat Recreativo 3-1, Raul as 1st goalscorer
You can check out more of Robbie’s weekly picks online at Centrebet.com
Compare the latest odds across the best online bookies at BookieLabRat.com here.
May 18th, 2007
A late entry into this week’s BEST CASH BACKS comes from UK bookie, BetFred.com. (Check out the deals from VCBet, Gamebookers and of course our cash back king Paddy Power in a posting yesterday here).
With the irresitable catch-cry “NO WAY JOSE” Betfred will refund all losing correct score, first/last goalscorer and scorecast single bets on the FA Cup Final, if Chelsea win the game in extra time OR on penalties!!
– Losing stakes will be refunded in the form of a free bet
– Free bet will be credited within 72 hours of game
– Maximum refund £100 (or currency equivalent) per customer
May 16th, 2007
Here’s a trio of today’s best Cash Back deals at our recommended online bookmakers:
1. PaddyPower (yep, you can ALWAYS rely in Paddy to have a deal or two on the table!) Too Close To Call – Chelsea v Man Utd – FA Cup Final – Sat 3pm BBC1/SS1 Money-Back Special: If you back a team to win in 90 minutes and they fail to win in normal time but lose on a penalty shootout, then Paddy Power will refund all win-draw-win bets on that team only. Max refund €300/£200 per customer.
2. Victor Chandler Have a bet on the Correct Score or First Goalscorer on the UEFA CUP FINAL or the FA CUP FINAL and if the match reaches a PENALTY SHOOT-OUT The crew at VCBet will refund your losing stake as a free bet to use on a future match. Max £100 per person per match.
3. Gamebookers These Savvy European bookmakers are running an “ACTION REPLAY” promotion on AC Milan vs Liverpool in Athens on May 23, 2007, a replay of their 2005 Champions League final clash. Gamebookers are offering you insurance against a repeat of the 3-3 result in the 2007 Champions League final: They’ll refund all losing bets on Exact Score, up to €10 if the game stands at 3-3 after regular time.
May 15th, 2007
Man U chief David Gill has assured fans that money will be available to add to Sir Alex Ferguson’s squd this summer… ah, right – as if there was any doubt!
Gill: Man Utd boss Ferguson will get major funds
“You can’t just assume the success you’ve achieved will continue,” Gill told Manchester United Radio. “You have to always look to improve and invest, and that’s what we’re going to do. We’ve got a great team who have done very well and we’ll be looking to tweak it here and there. “Manchester United has been – and always will be – a club that buys players as well as giving youth its chance. And that’s what we’ll see next year and for many years to come.” Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves tops the list of players linked with a summer move, with Dimitar Berbatov and Gareth Bale also reputed targets for the Red Devils manager.
Nicky Butt has launched a scathing attack on Newcastle teammates…
Butt in scathing attack on Newcastle wasters
The former Manchester United midfielder says the new gaffer will have to clearout the dead wood inside the Toon dressing room. “We haven’t been told anything yet, but we have heard the speculation about Sam, and everyone seems confident it is going to be him,” said Butt. “Hopefully, he will be brought into the club and sort a few things out. “The majority of the players in the changing room work hard and are good professionals. “But there are a few who, generally, don’t want to play for the club. The sooner that is sorted out, the better.”I am not one to criticise my team-mates, but there are genuinely one or two players who don’t want to be here. There are some players who have bad spells, but they give 100% in every game. “But when there are other people who have the ability to do well, yet don’t always want to do well, that is wrong.”
Jose Mourinho admits Chelsea caught short after surrendering title to Man U…. huh? How was it theirs to surrender?
Mourinho: Chelsea caught short over defenders
“The only thing we can criticise ourselves on is that in the other seasons we had a group of four central defenders,” said Mourinho. “This season, three. The fourth in the other years was Robert Huth. Imagine a fit Robert Huth this season, he would have played an incredible role. “He would have played 35, 40 matches. But before JT, William Gallas, and Ricardo Carvalho, we had no injuries, no suspensions, no problems.”
May 15th, 2007
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