Quickie

Sorry. No time to dwell tonight.

Today's Betting

Poor day. No winners anywhere.

Northern Monkey: Staked 1.5pts, -1.5pts.
The Market Examiner: Staked 3pts, -3pts.

Sportyy: Staked 2.5pts, -2.5pts.

Proper blog tomorrow. Hopefully.

Same old...

Well, that was all a little predictable last night, wasn't it? It certainly was for Form Lab Lite who suggested bets on a 0-0 scoreline at half time, a draw/draw half time/full time double result, and a draw after 90 minutes. After the full time whistle, I quite wanted England to win!

I thought Terry had a decent game, although he did get caught criminally out of position twice in the first half that presented Balotelli with a couple of opportunities. Overall though, I'd suggest he was England's MOM, not that the competition for such an accolade was too intense.

One last thing on the Euros just for the minute...how bland and boring is Alan Shearer as a pundit. Just what exactly does he add to the viewer experience? Answers on a postcard, please.

Right, hardly any time tonight...


Today's Betting

Just the one bet for Northern Monkey today and a tiny profit as the selection placed. No success for On The Nose (0/1) or The Market Examiner (0/2).

Quiet on the sports front too, with just Sportyy in action, finding one winner (Rufin to bt Darcis) from two for a smallish profit.

Northern Monkey: Staked 0.5pts, +0.112pts.
On The Nose: Staked 0.5pts, -0.5pts.
The Market Examiner: Staked 2pts, -2pts.

Sportyy: Staked 3pts, +0.975pts.

Sunday 24th

Northern Monkey: Staked 0.5pts, -0.5pts.

Summer Of Football: Staked 6pts, +0.299pts.
Form Lab Lite: Staked 4pts, +1.535pts.

Saturday 23rd

Northern Monkey: Staked 3.91pts, -3.002pts.
On The Nose: Staked 4pts, -1.6pts.
Winning Racing Tips: Staked 0.5pts, +0.375pts.
The Market Examiner: Staked 2pts, +3.824pts.

Summer of Football: Staked 2pts, +0.02pts.
Form Lab Lite: Staked 1pt, +0.375pts.

I know, I'm weird.

When it comes to the cricket team (and I mean the proper test playing cricket team, not the one that plays the easily forgettable one day stuff), I am very much an England supporter. The same with the rugby union team. I'll never forget Wilkinson's drop goal to win the World Cup a few years ago or Flintoff's Ashes series back in 2005 (or, come to think of it, Botham's Ashes when I was a mere eight years old and present at Old Trafford for one of his spectacular hundreds that summer!) - sporting moments that will live forever in the memory.

When it comes to football though, you know, I really don't care that much about England. Sure, I want them to win. But I have never bought into them. The fervour for the national team that many demonstrate, I just have no desire to join in with. Weird, eh?

I was lightly taken to task for this in the 'Comments' section last night. The view of the commentor being that with my having backed Spain pre-tournament and thus expressing a preference for them to win should they play England in the final, that some things were more important than money. Well, that's certainly true. But the trouble is, for me anyway, the England football team isn't one of them.

That got me thinking, and the distinction between club and international football suddenly became crystal clear to me. There have been the odd occasion when I have backed against my team, Arsenal. I did so on the advice of the tipster, whose expertise I have paid for. I have no trouble at all in drawing a very clear line between business (making money) and pleasure angst involved in supporting your football team. On each occasion Arsenal actually won. I was delighted, but poorer. In other words, my feelings for Arsenal are stronger than those associated with winning an individual bet.

Compare that to England. If I've backed Spain to win the tournament and they happen to play England in the final, my bet is more important to me. And there is the difference between my support for my team, and my support for England.

Why I can get so emotionally attached to the England cricket and rugby teams and not to the football team, I have no real idea. It's probably linked to so much of international football being an inconvenience. You know how it is. In non-tournament years you're starved of football throughout the summer, the league then starts and after getting into it again and having played two or three matches, suddenly there's a big break for internationals that usually amount to a friendly against Norway followed by a qualifier in Azbekhistan or somewhere. Both games tend to be incredibly tedious affairs that England win 1-0 and which are stupendously underwhelming.

Perhaps the lack of passion is brought about by other things. I don't know. But there we have it and whether or not England are successful in the Euros or the World Cup, I have to say, I don't really give a fuc fig. Given the choice of England winning the Euros final or Arsenal taking three points in their opening league match in a few weeks time, then there's only one choice I could make, I'm afraid.

Sad. I know.


Today's Betting

Today's racing action was blighted rather by no fewer than four non-runners. The ones that did go needn't have bothered!

No luck for On The Nose (0/2), Northern Monkey (0/2), or The Market Examiner (0/1).

On the sports side of the portfolio, Sportyy had a winner (Seppi to beat Kohlschreiber) although the small portion of the bet I placed with William Hill was regarded as void as Kohlschreiber retired a set down and a break down in the second set. Fortunately the majority of the stake was placed with Pinncale which pays out on the player leading at the time of retirement.

Finally Form Lab Lite continued the pattern of having a winner (Germany to win at half time and full time) and a loser on the goalline on a match in Ireland.


On The Nose: Staked 1pt, -1pt.
Northern Monkey: Staked 1.75pts, -1.75pts.
The Market Examiner: Staked 1pt, -1pt.

Sportyy: Staked 1.5pts, +1.44pts.
Form Lab Lite: Staked 2pts, -0.09pts.


See you Monday.

Game (Not) On!

Ladbrokes are the latest to close my account. No real surprise, I suppose. Pain in the arse, though. Six months ago, I'd say my "go to" accounts were Bet 365, Ladbrokes, and Hills. Of that trio, only Hills is left standing.

This blog has already travelled down the road of wailing and gnashing of teeth. I have no wish to revisit all of that now. But, it is an apt time to draw attention to someone who instead of moaning and whinging, is actually going to try to bring the pathetic stance made by so many of the UK/European bookmakers to the attention of a wider audience.

Step forward Kodagira.

You may remember Kodagira's excellent blog. Since wrapping that up he's been proofing his football trades to the SBC and is setting/has set up a very promising service on the back of it. If that wasn't enough to fill his waking hours, he's now stepping forward to challenge the complacency, misrepresentative advertising and general git-like behaviour so prevalent amongst the high street and online (non)-bookmaking fraternity. I believe a website is in the offing, and in the bits and pieces I've picked up from the relevant thread in the Secret Betting Club's forum, Kodagira has some fresh ideas as to how to wage this particular war.

I sincerely wish Kodagira the very best of British in this fight. Can't help thinking he's much more the 'Punter's Friend' than the likes of Victor Chandler, Paddy Power or Fred Done will ever be.

For any non-SBC members who read the blog, I'll keep you posted.


Today's Betting

For the second day running Winning Racing Tips produced a tiny profit by getting their one selection to place (Opinion Poll - Royal Ascot - 11/2 and 5/1).

A decent winner for On The Nose (Fast Or Free - Royal Ascot - 8/1) but a small profit after five other horses were unsuccessful.

Northern Monkey had just the one today (Piri Wango - Royal Ascot - 20/1) which finished fifth. Now Wayne suggested backing this with one of the bookies paying out on five places but my days of being able to choose my bookmakers to use to place a bet are long gone. So as it happened I came out dead even as two thirds of my stake were placed with a bookie paying only four places, and a third that did pay the fifth.

Finally, a very nice winner for The Market Examiner (Venetian Lad - Fontwell - 6.8/1) to produce a profit after three other losers.


Summer Of Football got one right and one wrong in the MLS overnight to essentially break even. Form Lab Lite had a loser in the same league, but later had winners in Sweden and in the Portugal/Czech Republic match this evening - Portugal to win and Ronaldo to score anytime. Quite a sweet moment when The Posing One thumped his header home!


Northern Monkey: Staked 0.5pts, level.
Winning Racing Tips: Staked 0.7pts, +0.091pts.
On The Nose: Staked 4pts, +0.5pts.
The Market Examiner: Staked 4pts, +3.8pts.

Summer Of Football: Staked 2pts, -0.05pts.
Form Lab Lite: Staked 3pts, +0.819pts.


Will be just a quick one tomorrow. Got to drop my lad off for Cub Scout camp he's off on for the weekend. It's pissing it down right now. The forecast is for it to continue through until Monday. Rather him than me.

Rational debate

It seems whenever I write about football, I provoke comments that are not truly thought out or rational.

After yesterday's England match, I expressed the opinion that John Terry had a poor game and suggested he is a weak link in this England team. This was based on factual evidence:

1. For the "goal that wasn't", he was criminally caught under the flight of the ball. If Terry's strength is the reading of the game which has through his career compensated for his relative lack of pace, then he didn't read that situation at all well. Lescott did, as he stood slightly deeper aware of the threat of a ball over the top. Terry didn't, and was badly caught.

2. Terry was then simply outpaced, as he had been by Ibrahimovic in a race for the ball in the Sweden match. Now Ibra is known for many things, but blistering pace is not one of them. Whilst he's never been quick, Terry is noticeably slowing.

3. He didn't make a heroic goalline clearance because very simply, he did not prevent the ball from crossing the line. Were it not for the incompetence of the official standing in line, five yards away, it would have been a goal, and the goal would have been entirely Terry's fault. Fact.

Now, the very best make errors. Of course they do. If this were a one off, I'd forgive Terry, no problem. He has undoubtedly been a fine defender in his time, and the exact sort of player that my team, Arsenal, have lacked since Tony Adams retired. But the thing is, these errors are becoming more and more commonplace in Terry's game now. I think back to the 5-2 defeat of Chelsea by Arsenal last season when Terry was almost comically inept. Liverpool fans might remember the game at Anfield towards the end of the season when Terry had an absolute shocker. And now this.

Terry's lack of pace is without a shadow of a doubt, a weak link in this England team. Hodgson must be terrified of opposition teams getting in behind the defence, because anyone quick who does so, will not be caught. Hence, the defence have to defend deep, and they need to be protected by two central midfield players who similarly have to drop deep to prevent too much space arising between the defensive line and the midfield line. This invites pressure and limits the ability of the midfield to link with the attack when in possession. Gerrard, to his immense credit, is managing to have a positive impact further forward despite this hindrance.

Look, Terry is/has been a fine defender. This isn't a club thing. This is a factual thing. He's still great at putting his head in, making strong tackles, etc. But I bet I know what the managers of the teams who might oppose England in this tournament will be thinking is a weakness to be exploited.

Now, you may not agree with this analysis. No problem with that, and I'll always publish a well thought out contradiction to anything I say. But to leave a comment: "JT was emmense (sic). Enough said", is not good enough. It's a bit like a barrister defending someone on a murder charge by going into court and saying, "M'lud. The accused didn't do it, init. 'Nuff said".

Interaction and debate is great, and encouraged. But please, a bit more constructive, eh?

Just one more thing about the Euros...

The egotistical prat that is Niklas Bendtner fined £80k by UEFA for showing his Paddy Power sponsored pants.

Croatian FA fined £64k for the racist chanting of some of the nation's supporters.

Shows some pretty mixed up priorities, doesn't it?



A question for you. Do you always check your winning bets after they should have been settled?

It's a tiresome task alright, especially when you have a lot of football bets being placed left, right and centre. It's a habit I've got into though, and I'm pleased I did. It is not a frequent occurence that the bookmaker omits to pay out, but it does happen. 888Sport didn't initially pay me on today's winning Sportyy bet. According to my account, the bet had been settled, but had been marked down as a loser. A quick email sorted the issue out, but if I hadn't checked, I'd have been none the wiser. Don't need to be giving money away.

Just as well to check, I reckon.


Today's Betting

If my portfolio was topically split into Eurozone countries, the racing would be an amalgam of Greece/Spain/Ireland/Italy, whilst bailing them out were the Germany (and the IMF) represented by the sports services. The trend continued today.

This imbalance is either the portfolio doing it's job, balancing out the losses with gains to prevent disaster, or is depressing and agonsisngly vulnerable to a quick downturn in fortunes on the sports side of the business. I guess it depends on whether you're a glass half empty or full kinda chap.


A very, very small return from today's Winning Racing Tips selection that managed to finish in the frame (Geneva Geyser - Worcester - a mix of 6/1 and 7/1).

Just a couple of the races at Royal Ascot dabbled in by On The Nose, which went in fairly big each way on Aljamaaheer (5/1) which subsequently ran into third. The other bet was a loser.

Another bad day at the office for Northern Monkey, with four selections, three of which were unplaced. The one that did place (Ginger Jack - Hamilton - mix of 11/2 and 5/1) was a fast finishing second.

No success from The Market Examiner's one selection.


Another winner for Sportyy today (Harrison beating Lu - 1.83), although 888Sport seemed reluctant to ackonwledge the success!

Three matches played by Form Lab Lite and two winners found, one in Finland and the other in Sweden. Not going to name the teams - can't spell them!


Winning Racing Tips: Staked 0.6pts, +0.083pts
On The Nose: Staked 2.5pts, -0.708pts.
The Market Examiner: Staked 1pt, -1pt.
Northern Monkey: Staked 3.5pts, -2.471pts.

Sportyy: Staked 2pts, +0.831pts
Form Lab Lite: Staked 3pts, +1.35pts.


So, a small profit on the day. I console myself with the thought that each day of racing losses is one closer to the day of significant profits. Got to happen. Tomorrow would be splendid.