Posts filed under 'English Football'
Here’s a quick round up of the latest sportsbook offers on the first week of EPL football. These offers all give you the option of winning, losing or getting your stake back and so can be considered a king of betting insurance. Last season the bookies ended up paying out some big bucks on their cash backs specials, lets hope it continues in the 2008/08 season!
[For a detailed daily update comparing all bookmaker cashbacks and specials check out this page on GoonersGuide.com].
T ‘n’ T – An Explosive Start!
Sunderland v Liverpool – Sat 5.30pm Setanta and Man United v Newcastle – Sun 4pm SS1
If Fernando Torres or Carlos Tevez scores the last goal in either of these games, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on that match. Max Refund €300/£200 per customer. [Note: If the Fernando Torres or Carlos Tevez play no part in the games, the special will refer to if the last goal is scored outside the box.]
There’s Only One Keano?
Sunderland v Liverpool, Saturday August 16
Betfred will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast win single bets on the Sunderland v Liverpool match on Saturday as a free bet – if Robbie Keane scores the last goal of the game. Maximum refund is £200 (or your currency equivalent) per customer.
Carlos The Tevez-tator!
Man Utd v Newcastle, Sunday 4pm
Betfred will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast win single bets on the Man Utd v Newcastle match on Sunday as a free bet – if Carlos Tevez scores the last goal of the game. Maximum refund is £200 (or your currency equivalent) per customer.
Gold Difference!
2008/2009 Season Antepost Cashbacks: English Premier League, Championship League One, League Two, BlueSquare League
If any of these leagues is decided by goal difference, BoyleSports will refund all losing single bets on that particular League. Max refund per bet per customer per League is €300 (or currency equivalent). Applies to existing bets & bets placed up to Aug 31st, 2008
Bore Draw!
Olympics Football, ALL Football! Place a pre-match correct score, double result or scorecast bet on ANY FOOTBALL MATCH and Bet365 will refund losing stakes if the match finishes 0-0.
Football Yankee Free Bet!
Have an Ante-Post Yankee on any four English and Scottish leagues and if you have only ONE WINNER VCBet (Victor Chandler Bookmaker) will refund your stake as a free bet. Max refund £110 (€132) per person. Applies to Yankees placed on Outright market only. Applies to Yankees placed before 31/08/2008.
>>Check out the latest bookmaker reviews on these top online sportsbooks at BookieLabRat.com.
August 14th, 2008
Premiership Online Betting – Matchday One Preview & Odds (Aug 16)
Premiership betting is now just a matter of days away. Matchday one of the 2008/09 Premier League season kicks-off on Saturday August 16th, with a whole host of exciting new players and coaches for Premiership bettors to take into consideration, and same unbeatable Premiership betting odds are available at PinnacleSports.com. Get Premiership Asian Handicaps priced to 1.96/1.96 – that’s just 102% – and Premiership total goals and three-ways (1X2) to just 103%.
United Kick-off Title Defence Without Two R’s
Manchester United kick-off the new Premiership season, seeking a hat-trick of titles, without their two most influential players – Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. After a summer of speculation, United fans may just be grateful that Ronaldo is still at the club, but won’t be able to play until mid-September following ankle surgery. Rooney’s summer wedding passed without incident, but he picked up a virus on tour in Africa which keeps him sidelined. Coach, Alex Ferguson is also without Anderson – on Olympic duty – and the suspended Nani, leaving him short up front.
The Red Devils kick-off at home to Newcastle, looking to start afresh under Kevin Keegan. King Kev has given bad boy Joey Barton a second chance after a summer behind bars, while Michael Owen has been persuaded to stay on Tyneside. Obafemi Martins may need time to recover from the sudden death of his mother in late July, while fellow striker, Mark Viduka, is known for bloating during the off-season. Man Utd won the two meetings last season by an aggregate of 11-1, but with problems up front, they may struggle for goals. Nevertheless, PinnacleSports.com make United favourites on the Premiership betting, Manchester Utd 2.000 (-1.5)* with Newcastle Utd 1.926 (+1.5)* – a market priced to less than 102%.
Chelsea Have Limited Strike Options For Opener
Much like their arch-rivals Man Utd, Chelsea start the Premiership campaign with limited strike options. New coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, has confirmed Didier Drogba will miss the opener at home to Portsmouth (as well as the second game against Wigan). With Salomon Kalou at the Olympics, and Andriy Shevchenko a peripheral figure, Scolari may be forced to play Nicolas Anelka as a lone striker.
FA Cup winners’ Portsmouth, who narrowly lost out in last weekend’s Community Shield, are the first team to try to break Chelsea’s unbelievable 82 game home record. Crouch and Defoe, the Premiership’s only all-English strike force, will be looking to bring down the Bridge but despite the Blues’ problems in attack PinnacleSports.com make them favourites on their Premiership betting market Chelsea 2.060 (-1.5)* with Portsmouth 1.870 (+1.5)* – Soccer betting odds 60% better than traditional bookmakers.
To add even further excitement to betting on the Premiership, PinnacleSports.com’s low margin pricing has also been applied to the new live soccer betting markets for the Premier League, with 1.95/1.95 style live Asian Handicap pricing and in-running Total goals betting.
*Odds subject to change
About PinnacleSports.com:
1.96/1.96 style Asian Handicap pricing (c.102%) and live-betting on the major European Football Leagues gives gamblers up to 60% better online Premiership betting. PinnacleSports.com offers commission-free fixed odds online sports betting with exchange style pricing, as well as the web’s highest guaranteed liquidity and fastest payouts.
Join up at PinnacleSports.com and get a 10% sign-up bonus, 7% cash back on horse bets and the best odds on all major sports. Sorry, no USA residents.
Read the latest detailed review on PinnacleSports online bookmaker
August 12th, 2008
Ahhhh….good old football, our dearest of friends, returns after a short break this weekend. Despite a full fixture list of Championship, League One and Two and lower league football, all Premier League eyes will be on Wembley come Sunday afternoon.
The traditional Community Shield is seen by most people as the start of the Premier League season. Ok, so it is basically a fancified friendly, but unlike the rest of the pre-season fixtures this is one that managers and players are always determined to win.
In recent years the shield has been competed by two out of the big four in the league, hence why there’s so much interest in it – so this year will be slightly different. On paper Portsmouth don’t have a chance against Man Utd – they’re certainly not a top four side. They may have a very competitive side, but their FA Cup run, which got them to Sunday’s fixture, was a tad underwhelming. That is, in all but one of the fixtures – the quarter final win over, yes you guessed it, Man Utd.
Man Utd’s route to the Community Shield is far more impressive reading – having won the Premier League for the tenth time in May, just days before picking up the Champions League title. But it’s not been a particularly pleasant summer for Sir Alex Ferguson, despite what he may say – the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga is surely going to come back and haunt him when the Portuguese star finally returns from injury in a few weeks.
Ronaldo’s absence on Sunday isn’t really a blessing in disguise however, as Fergie finds himself with a squad depleted through injury – Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville are crocked, doubts remain over Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick’s fitness, Nani is suspended, while Anderson is off to the Olympics. Add to that no notable new signings to show off.
Harry Redknapp on the other hand is rubbing his hands in delight at the prospect of his new strike partnership of Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch – the two England men will surely provide a formidable partnership, ala Sunderland’s classic Phillips/Quinn combination a few years ago. The sale of Sulley Muntari may be a blow to the Pompey midfield, but hanging on to Niko Krancjar could prove to be a masterstroke for Redknapp this season.
But let’s not go crazy here – Man Utd play games on the big stage for fun nowadays. Pompey’s two visits to Wembley last term affected their football – they were nervous and not particularly inventive. If they play the same again they will be found out by the Red Devils.
Man Utd could give young striker Frazier Campbell a start on Sunday, after an impressive loan season with Hull last year. Can he replicate his form at the top level? If Redknapp can convince his boys it’s just another friendly though, we could be in for a great season opener. Worth a punt on Pompey for the beautiful game!
>>For great Community Shield betting prices check out Bodog Sportsbook (BodogLife.co.uk).
>>For more on Bodog Sports read the latest review on Bodog Sportsbook here at BookieLabRat.com or at a Bodog Review and Rating at GoonersGuide.com.
August 8th, 2008
Saturday sees the start of the football season, after a very brief summer interlude. It will take a lot to beat last season’s epic battle for promotion in the Championship, where ten clubs had a realistic chance of making the Premier League as late as April. No-one seemed consistent enough to win the thing but West Brom finally decided to pull their fingers out in the last few games to be crowned champions.
Stoke and Hull joined them in gaining promotion, but those who came close will know the pressure will be on them this season to challenge again and go one better. That could spell bad news for some, most notably Watford who, after a great start to the campaign, basically fell apart, leaving their fans feeling deflated. A number of key players have left this summer (Henderson, Ellington, Stewart, Shittu) and with Jon Harley the only signing of note a promotion challenge seems very doubtful.
Any takers on Watford to win the Championship? Check out the latest odds at Bodog Sports
All three clubs relegated from the Premier League will be looking to go straight back up this season, and the bookies seem pretty confident of that fact. Of the three Derby are outsiders, largely due to the wholesale changes being made at the club the past few months. However their team sheet still looks impressive at this level, which includes new striking options in Rob Hulse, Liam Dickinson and Nathan Ellington, experience in Roy Carroll, Robbie Savage and Alan Stubbs, and their wonderkid Giles Barnes, who still remains with the club despite big-money transfer rumours. Paul Jewell’s men could prove to be the best bet on offer.
Fancy Derby to win the Championship? Check out Bodog
Birmingham are the one sure bet – although it’d take a hefty punt to see some profit return. In Alex McLeish they have a proven motivator, and they have an excellent set of players to depend upon. James McFadden should prove to be one of the stars of the Championship this season as long as he’s not tempted away, and in Marcus Bent and Kevin Phillips they should have two names near the top of the goalscoring charts. A shoe-in, as long as they remember to do the work.
Placing a bet on Birmingham to win the Championship? Visit Bodog online sportsbook.
The same should be said for Reading – ok, Dave Kitson’s move to Stoke and Nicky Shorey’s imminent departure are a blow, but looking at the Thames Valley side’s attacking options they should be confident in climbing out of this league. Kevin Doyle is a Premier League player, while Leroy Lita will be looking to earn his place back into the starting line-up after a disappointing 12 months. Second place beckons.
Fancy a flutter on Reading to win the Championship? Check out the latest prices at Bodog.
Crystal Palace have been given unfavourably low odds considering their team sheet. This has got to be down to Neil Warnock – he nearly repeated Iain Dowie’s impressive feat of taking the club from relegation places to promotion in the space of six months, but his side ran out of steam with a few games to go. With star striker Clinton Morrison having left, Warnock will be even more dependant on his very young, but talented, side to perform above their stations. Chairman Simon Jordan’s threat to leave suggests all may not be well down in south London. Probably best to leave them alone.
Bet on Crystal Palace to win the Championship at Bodog.
Ipswich came from nowhere last season to nearly make the play-offs but couldn’t keep it up until May. Their home form was what got them so close and Jim Magilton will be hoping the addition of Tractor Boys legend Richard Wright and the evergreen Ivan Campo can seal them a place in the play offs come May. If things go right early on, Ipswich coul be a great outside punt for the title.
Backing Ipswich to win the Championship? Visit Bodog Sportsbook for great odds.
QPR have been made joint favourites to win the league this season but that is just barmy. Yes they’ve had a major cash injection, they have the ability to attract European players to London and they have a great, if somewhat flawed, new boss in Iain Dowie, but last season stank of a club getting ahead of themselves. They need a season to put together a decent first team before challenging for honors next season. Saying that, a play off place is certainly achievable this year.
Get your bets on on QPR to win the Championship at Bodog Sports.
Elsewhere, Bristol City will have a lot to do to repeat last year’s great run, although in Nicky Maynard they have a bright young player – yet another Premier League-class act from the Dario Gradi school of Crewe? Wolves and Sheff Utd will be there or there abouts again, but their success will rely heavily on the form of their star strikers Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and James Beattie respectively.
Fancy Sheff Utd to win the Championship? Visit Bodog online sportsbook.
Down the bottom newly promoted Swansea and Nottingham Forest are surprisingly not tipped for the drop by the bookies. Roberto Martinez’ great work at the Welsh side has convinced many that they are more than capable in competing at this level. Colin Calderwood’s Forest side have that weight of history behind them which should kick them into gear having finally made it back into the Championship. Rob Earnshaw’s signing should help too!
Bet on Swansea to win the Championship at Bodog.
Play off winners Doncaster have a lot to do to prove they can survive at the next level – but the bookies seem to prefer the three B’s for relegation – Burnley, Barnsley and Blackpool. After disappointing seasons each side may be feeling the pressure from the stands, but if their respective managers can drill home that there are no points on the board yet then maybe they can prove a few doubters wrong. Meanwhile, Southampton had a dreadful season last time out and with no major signings look set for another unhappy 9 months which could see them drop out of the league.
August 8th, 2008
Arsenal Welcome the Cream of Europe
Emirates Cup betting is now on with the four team pre-season event, hosted at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, running Saturday and Sunday (August 2 and 3, 2008).
Along with the hosts, Arsenal, soccer punters can get early look at Real Madrid, Juventus and Hamburg. The Emirates Cup only features four games, with three points for a win and one for a goal, but bettors can look to profit from smart betting – especially if you use a top online sportsbook for the best odds.
If you’re into handicap betting PinnacleSports.com is well worth a look, and for fixed odds bets on the Emirates Cup, we’d suggest Bet365. We’ve provided handicap odds below:
The event kicks off at 2pm (GMT) on Saturday with La Liga Champions, Real Madrid, against Bundesliga side, Hamburg, now coached by ex-Spurs boss, Martin Jol, who will be all too familiar with the Gunners. PinnacleSports.com price Real Madrid favourites 2.090 (-0.5 & -1)* with Hamburg 1.840 (+0.5 & +1)* – a market priced to 102%.
As always with friendly games, bettors should play close attention to the team sheets, as soon as they are available. The on-pitch squad and overall positional makeup pre-season make for some tricky betting.
At 4.15pm (GMT) the hosts Arsenal, take on the mighty Juventus for what should be a cracking game. The Gunners remained unbeaten at home last season, conceding just 11 goals from 19 home games. Kolo Toure is a doubt having suffered a bout of malaria, but Arsenal fans could get more familiar with new signing, Samir Nasri – an adaptable attacking midfielder. The Old Lady was rejuvenated last season having returned from the wilderness of Serie B. Claudio Ranieri achieved the target of Champions League qualification, but this season, he has set his sights much higher. PinnacleSports.com price Arsenal slight favourites 1.893 (0/scratch & -0.5)* with Juventus 2.040 (0/scratch & +0.5)*.
*All odds subject to change so check out the latest onsite at PinnacleSports.com.
About PinnacleSports.com
PinnacleSports.com was the first online sports book to introduce reduced margin betting, using a pricing model that gives players up to 60% better odds than other bookmakers. They’re not a betting exchange, like BetFair, but with low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, PinnacleSports.com has earned an industry-leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player as a sportsbook.
Get a 10% sign-up bonus, 7% cash back on US horse bets and some of the best odds on all major sports. (Compare PinnacleSports.com to other popular online sportsbooks here at BookieLabRat.com)
July 29th, 2008
Gallas apologises for captaincy errors
William Gallas has apologised for the mistakes he made last season as Arsenal captain and promised to learn from his errors should Arsene Wenger entrust him with the on-field leadership of the side in the upcoming campaign.
Gallas was criticised for setting a bad example when, after Birmingham City secured a late draw against the Gunners at St Andrews in February, he spent several minutes sitting on the turf after the final whistle in what appeared to be a protest at the decision that led to City’s equalising penalty.
“You know I learned a lot, you want to be the best captain, give good advice to your players, but sometimes you can make mistakes as well so I think this season I know what I’m going to do and I know I am ready to change my way to speak to the players,” Gallas told Arsenal TV.
Experienced midfielder Gilberto Silva has left Arsenal for Panathinaikos with recent additions Samir Nasri and Aaron Ramsey enhancing the youthful feel at the Emirates Stadium. “They (the Arsenal squad) are young,” Gallas said. “They are very shy but it won’t be difficult for them to settle in, the squad is fantastic the atmosphere is very good so I think it will be fine for them. We have to win something because the trophies are more important at the end of the season. Last season we were near to winning something, I hope this season it will be different. Everybody knows what they have to do, we are ready.”
Fabregas pledges loyalty to Arsenal
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has slammed a report suggesting he is considering a move to Real Madrid.
Fabregas was a key member of the Spain squad that won Euro 2008 and according to a report last weekend in Spanish sports newspaper Marca he was quoted as saying he might move to the Bernabeu, especially if Arsenal did not win a trophy this season.
But in a statement the 21-year-old told Arsenal’s official website here Monday: “I have not spoken to any media so it’s frustrating to read quotes that I have supposedly said about my future. I have spent the summer relaxing with my family, friends and girlfriend and I return to training with Arsenal tomorrow (Tuesday). I think that some people are just trying to make mischief but my intentions are very clear. I am happy here at Arsenal, my future is with Arsenal and the priority is to achieve success and win trophies at Arsenal.”
Start the new season with a new online bookie: check out the latest sportsbook reviews and online bookmaker joining bonuses at BookieLabRat.com.
July 28th, 2008
Liverpool’s new assistant manager Sammy Lee on Sunday said the Anfield outfit can outshine their Premier League rivals and end the club’s 19-year wait for title glory.
“There are three very good teams,” Lee told the club’s website. “We are not that far away and I feel we have proven on many occasions over the past four or five years that we can be better than them. Not as good as – but better.”
Last season Liverpool came fourth in England’s top flight behind champions Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
“I feel we are going in the right way. I feel with just a little bit of tweaking here and there we will not be far off,” said Lee, who returned to the club in May as Rafael Benitez’s second in charge. Only time will tell, but everyone is striving and working hard to try and make sure we can close that gap and overhaul it.”
As a player Lee enjoyed nine fruitful years at Anfield, making almost 300 first-team appearances and scoring 19 goals as the club won three first division titles and two European Cups in the early 1980s. After finishing his career at Bolton Wanderers, Lee was invited to join the Liverpool coaching staff by manager Graeme Souness in 1993, going on to help Gerard Houllier steer the club to a Premier League runners-up spot in 2002. He joined Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England national team set-up on a full-time basis in 2004 and was appointed Sam Allardyce’s assistant at Bolton in 2005.
“The attention to detail of Rafa and his staff is fantastic,” said Lee of his new boss and his backroom team. “It’s a joy to watch. They look at every facet of every player and work out how they can maximise and get the best out of every player. That for me is an education. “All the top men have their own ideas, but the best ones are also prepared to listen to other ideas and decide how much of that input they want to implement.”
Photo and blog post courtesy of Paddy Power Bookmaker.
Here’s Paddy’s latest odds on Liverpool to win Multiple Trophies*
– Liverpool to win the Premier League & the F.A Cup 33 – 1 (34.00)
– Liverpool to win the Premier League and the Carling Cup 40 – 1 (41.00)
(*odds subject to change so check them out on site at PaddyPower.com)
>>Review of Paddy Power Sportsbook – compare this top rating Irish bookie to other top online bookmakers here at BookieLabRat.com.
July 13th, 2008
Former England captain David Beckham claimed on Sunday that his ex-Real Madrid team-mate Zinedine Zidane is the best player of all time.
The 33-year-old Englishman told sports daily Marca that it had been a dream come true to play alongside Zidane for three years at Real.
“To train with Zidane for three years (2003-06) was a dream,” confessed Beckham, who has been capped over 100 times by his country. For me he is the greatest player of all time.”
Beckham, who is now playing for Los Angeles Galaxy, also believed that the best Spanish player at the moment is Barcelona’s playmaker Xavi, who inspired Spain to the Euro 2008 title last month and was judged player of the tournament.
However, Beckham also thinks that goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who he knows from his time at Real, should be awarded world player of the year after several outstanding performances at the Euro.
Beckham also denied he wished to become an actor even though he is living in Hollywood but that he would like to return to Madrid – where he still has a house – one day and work with the youth side at Real.
Photo and blog post courtesy of Bodog Sports. Bodog has successfully extended from a highly popular North American sportsbook into offering credible odds and coverage of UK and European betting markets. Check it out!
>>Bodog Sports
>>Bodog Sportsbook Review
July 13th, 2008
Well, I hope you had YOUR money on the Champions League Final at Paddy Power. Paddy Power bookmaker’s latest daring (crazy?) cash back offer is costing them dearly, like, quizillions… well, an expected payout of almost €1.5 million!
What’s this all about?
In a cash back offer called “Russion Roulette”, as Ronaldo scored in normal time, Paddy Power are refunding ALL losing single pre-match Win-Draw-Win, Correct Score, 1st/last/anytime goalscorer and Half-time/Full-time market bets on this match.
It was limited to a maximum refund of €300/£200 stake-back per customer, but still, wow!
I wonder if Paddy is now regretting refunding the €100,000+ in bets placed on the “poultry puppet” Dustin the Turkey in Eurovision betting? It was just a good will gesture…
As Paddy’s marketing team would, and indeed did say: Stuffed, cooked and served up on a big plate of loser salad.
We’re looking forward to more of PaddyPower.com’s great cash back deals next football season and hope they come to the party with a few “investement options” during Euro 2008!
If you don’t have an account yet with this great Irish bookie you should! Get online to Paddy Power now and sort it out!
(Here are links to the latest reviews of PaddyPower bookmaker and the excellent Paddy Power Casino in case you need more encouragement!) Sorry, no USA residents can be members at Paddy Power.
May 22nd, 2008
With a striking similarity to last season, Manchester United find themselves chasing a league and cup double with only Chelsea standing in their way. Last season the Blues thwarted them as the failed to add the FA Cup to the Premiership title. The Londoners will be looking to do the same as the Red Devils look to add the Champions League trophy to the Premier League silverware earned last weekend.
Chelsea Boosted by Fitness of Drogba & Terry
Chelsea pushed Manchester United all the way in this season’s Premier League, but ultimately failed by the narrowest of margins on the final day of the season. They don’t have to wait long for a chance to exact revenge, as the sides meet on Wednesday night at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow for the first ever all-Premiership Champions League.
Leading online soccer bookmaker, PinnacleSports.com, price Man Utd 1.800* favourites to add the European trophy to their Premiership silverware, with Chelsea 2.150* to gain retribution for domestic disappointment.
Chelsea are boosted by the recovery of John Terry & Didier Drogba, who both sustained injuries in the final league game of the season. Drogba scored the winner in extra-time when they met in the 2007 FA Cup final, while a Michael Ballack double gave the Blues three points at Stamford Bridge near the end of April.
Despite that recent defeat, Alex Ferguson feels confident of repeating his 1999 success in this competition with Man Utd. Fergie was recently named Premier League manager of the season, while Cristiano Ronaldo scooped player of the season as well as the top scorer’s golden boot, one of several plaudits the winger has earned. Headlines in recent days have interpreted comments from Ronaldo as suggesting he is destined to leave for Real Madrid. Such rumours are an unnecessary distraction for Man Utd’s key player, and he will have to block the speculation out as he seeks to fulfil his potential on the biggest stage.
PinnacleSports.com price Ronaldo 2.890* to score in 90 minutes, with Drogba 3.880* to find the net.
*All odds subject to change, so check out the latest Champions League Odds Live across the top online sportsbooks.
May 19th, 2008
Next Posts
Previous Posts