Saturday 17^th April

English Championship

Blackpool v Nottingham Forest

Both of these sides have aspirations of playing in the Premier League next season so there’s a lot on the line as Forest travel North to take on Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Ian Holloway has done a marvellous job this season to even get his side close to the play-off picture. In a league where the likes of Middlesbrough, Ipswich and Sheffield United are all behind Blackpool, it’s testament to the hard work and endeavour of one of the more colourful characters in the game. Holloway has transformed a side who were only ever hoping for a mid-table finish at best into a side who currently sit 2 points off the final play-off position with 3 games to go. Their success this season has been built on a very good home record. They have won 12 of their 21 home games, losing just 4 all season long. After a lull during January and February, they have picked up again and have went on a run of 1 defeat in 6 before last week’s defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park – where everybody has struggled this season.

Nottingham Forest secured their play-off position last week with a comfortable win over Ipswich. Forest had a sustained challenge for automatic promotion which only petered out in the last couple of months, which can be put down to the loss of some key personnel to injury. Billy Davies will be determined to get his side back on a consistent run of good form before the play-off begins however, and after guiding Derby to the Premier League through the play-offs, as well as leading Preston to the play-off final before that, there is nobody better for the challenges which lie ahead. Forest, however, have struggled on the road of late and have not won on the road since their demolition of West Brom at the Hawthorns at the beginning of January. It’s a run of form which has seen them lose 7 and draw 1 of their last 8 on the road, scoring just 4 goals in the process.

Blackpool’s key player without a doubt has been Charlie Adam. Their skipper moved from Rangers in the summer for £500,000 and has never looked back. He has scored 15 goals from midfield and has been the catalyst for ‘Pool’s promotion bid. His form has earned him a call-up to the Scotland squad and he has been linked with a lucrative move to the Premier League in recent weeks. His future could lie in the top league with another club should Blackpool be unsuccessful in their bid to gain promotion, despite this, he will be as committed as anyone to push his side as far as they can go.

There has never been much between these sides when they play, as shown by the numerous draws in recent times (5 of the last 7 have ended in stalemates). This time around, however, a draw is not much good to the home side who need all 3 points to keep the pressure on Swansea and Leicester above them. With a play-off place assured and the likelihood it will be 3^rd place at that, I think Blackpool’s desire will be greater and can see them sneaking all 3 points.

My selection: Blackpool to beat Nottingham Forest at a best priced 6/5 with Betfred

English League 1

Gillingham v Leeds United

I think it’s always wise towards the end of the season to concentrate on matches involving teams who have something to play for and that is certainly the case for both Gillingham and Leeds.

Gillingham are still in deep trouble at the bottom end of the table where they currently lie 3 points and one place from the relegation zone, directly above Tranmere who have a game in hand as well. They are there in no small part because of their dreadful away form which reads zero wins, 6 draws and 15 defeats. It’s a shocking record which would normally see a side already relegated in most leagues. However, their home form has compensated for this somewhat as they have lost just 3 games all season at Priestfield, winning 10 and drawing the other 8. It’s the home form of a side who could be chasing promotion yet they are most definitely hampered by their inability to win away from home. Their recent home record is good as well, with 3 wins and 3 draws from their last 6.

Leeds are starting to recover from a shocking run of form which has saw them lose their lead at the top to Norwich, drop out of the automatic promotion spots for a couple of weeks, only to climb back up to 2^nd after 3 successive wins. Those run of wins were preceded by 4 straight defeats at the most crucial part of the season. Their return to form is most welcome for Simon Grayson who must have had visions of last season’s collapse at a similar stage. Their away form for much of the season has been pretty good with 11 wins and 5 draws from their 21 matches on the road thus far. They have won their last two away from home as well, against both Yeovil and Carlisle, and perhaps most encouragingly for all concerned with the club, is the fact they have created chance after chance in both these games.

Leeds have an excellent record against sides in the bottom half of the table away from home and will be looking to consolidate and continue this tomorrow. Gillingham have done reasonably well against the top sides at home, losing only to Norwich. I don’t think there is much between Leeds and Norwich when both are on form and the signs are there that Simon Grayson’s side are coming back to their best in recent games. They know they have to keep on winning with it being so tight for that 2^nd automatic promotion spot. A win tomorrow puts them within touching distance of playing in the Championship again and it’s a win I’m backing them to get.

My selection: Leeds to beat Gillingham at a best priced 5/6 available with Totesport

It’s FA Cup Fourth Round betting time! Just three short weeks ago we were at the turn of the new year, and looking forward to the Third Round of the FA Cup, the first fixtures of 2010. Now here all the thrills and spills of the FA Cup are back again, as the fourth round takes precedence on Saturday and Sunday. There are of course, two notable absentee’s on the list, namely Manchester United, who lost to Leeds, and Liverpool, who lost a replay at Anfield to lowly Championship side Reading. Other than that, the Premier League did pretty well in the third round against lower ranked teams, and there are a few eye-catching ties for Saturday. Here are some of the highlights of the FA Cup fourth round, with latest prices.

Preston v Chelsea
First up, holders Chelsea have landed themselves a nice draw away to Preston, which gets underway at 12.45pm on Saturday. Preston are down in 17th in the Championship, but ran riot against Colchester in the FA Cup Third Round, where they scored seven unanswered goals against the League One side. They didn’t fare quite so well back on league duty afterwards, where they crashed 4-2 to Bristol City. Chelsea, strong favourites for the Premier League title, are no strangers to scoring seven goals themselves. Last Saturday they thumped Sunderland 7-2 at Stamford Bridge, which means they have scored twelve goals in their two games in 2010. They looked back to the ominous best again on Saturday, very fluent and slick passing going forward. This is of course, all without Didier Drogba and Michael Essien who are still involved in the African Cup of Nations. A good pay day for Preston, but Chelsea should come through very comfortably. Pretty much a full side should turn out for Chelsea, with Ancelotti looking to build momentum on all fronts.
Tip: Over 2.5 Goals – Evens at BetFred

West Brom v Newcastle
Sounds like it should be a Premier League fixture, and it could very well be next season. Newcastle have been leading the way at the top of the Championship all season, with, for the most part, West Brom hot on their heels. The two sides met at St James’ Park last Monday, and the game ended up in an exciting 2-2 draw. The Toon Army are hoping for a rapid return back to the big time, and sitting three points clear of second placed Nottingham Forest in the league with a game in hand, they will be confident they can achieve just that. A good run in the FA Cup, by boss Chris Hughton, would further instil belief that Newcastle belong in the big league, and they can do that by besting third placed West Brom. Newcastle should have the edge in defence, but both have similar goal difference record. Not a great deal to choose between them, and the fact that they are both chasing promotion at the top of the Championship, adds a little extra rivalry to give this tie a little edge.
Tip: West Brom -0.25 Asian Handicap – Evens at Victor Chandler

Tottenham v Leeds
After dumping rivals Manchester United out of the FA Cup at Old Trafford in the third round, League One leaders Leeds probably won’t have too much fear about going to White Hart Lane. Sure Spurs are enjoying life in the top four at the moment, but when a team beats Manchester United on their home turf, then you know your opponents are going to give you a hard time. Maybe the FA Cup distracted Leeds a little, as they haven’t won a game since, drawing one and losing two. Such has been the success of their season so far though, that they are still three points clear of Norwich and Charlton at the top of League One, with a game in hand over both. It is often the way, a good cup run can detract from much needed form in the league, and this is where the balance comes in as a manager. Fans can rest assured though that Leeds boss Simon Grayson will be going all out to beat Tottenham and cause another major upset in the FA Cup. They should be good enough to close out the rest of the season in League One and get promotion back to the Championship. How far they go in the FA Cup though, could determine how easy a ride they get in the league though over the next coming weeks. Tottenham of course, have a great FA Cup pedigree, and are looking a better side than they have done in years. They came undone in their midweek Premier League match against Liverpool though, despite dominating for long periods of the game. They showed some good attacking prowess, without getting the breaks, and it should be a very entertaining game against Leeds.
Tip: Tottenham to win by one goal margin – 11/4 at SkyBet

There are some all Premier League match ups, which see Everton v Birmingham, Portsmouth v Sunderland and Sunday’s fixture between Stoke v Arsenal. Reading’s reward for their heroics against Liverpool, is a home tie against Premier League side Burnley. Representing League Two, Accrington Stanley have a great home draw against Premier League side Fulham, while Notts County host Wigan. Other highlights sees Championship strugglers Scunthorpe have a glamour tie against Carlos Tevez and Manchester City. Carling Cup finalists Aston Villa have a home tie against Brighton.

Premier League v Premier League
Everton (4/5) v Birmingham (3/1) at Ladbrokes
Stoke (10/3) v Arsenal (5/6) at Coral
Portsmouth (6/4) v Sunderland (9/5) at William Hill

Premier League v Championship
Preston (11/1) v Chelsea (1/4) at Bet365
Bolton (4/5) v Sheff Utd (7/2) at SkyBet
Wolverhampton (5/6) v Crystal Palace (11/4) at Totesport
Reading (8/5) v Burnley (23/10) at Boylesports
Scunthorpe (7/1) v Man City (2/5) at BetFred

Premier League v League One
Aston Villa (1/5) v Brighton (14/1) at Victor Chandler
Tottenham (1/3) v Leeds United (8/1) at Blue Square

Premier League v League Two
Accrington Stanley (21/4) v Fulham (9/20) at Sporting Bet
Notts County (4/1) v Wigan (4/6) at Paddy Power

Championship v Championship
Cardiff (Evens) v Leicester (12/5) at Stan James
West Brom (11/8)  v Newcastle (2/1) at 888Sport
Derby (7/5) v Doncaster (24/13) at Expekt

League One v League Two
Southampton (17/11) v Ipswich (6/4) at Bwin

We witnessed a famous FA Cup upset at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Leeds United obliging with victory at odds of 10/1. While Manchester United weren’t at full-strength, the best pre-match price available about the English champions was 1/4 with bet365, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s men expected to expose the gulf in class between the two sides.

At half-time, Jermaine Beckford’s 19th minute goal was the difference between the two teams  and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to pay a visit to one of the best bookmakers for In-Play betting. Bet365 have a cuttting-edge live betting console and it was interesting to note that they were making the Red Devils 7/5 favourites before the second-half kicked off. The draw was priced at 2/1, with Leeds available at 21/10 despite their advantage.

At the interval, you could also have backed ‘No Second Goal’ at odds of 9/2 with bet365, with Manchester United a 1/3 chance to score next and the visitors at 5/1 to grab a second. The bookmakers were clearly expecting Sir Alex Ferguson to have a few harsh words for his team in the dressing room!

However, five minutes into the second half and Leeds looked relatively comfortable. Wayne Rooney was already starting to come deep for the ball and the League One team were having a fair share of possession. United were out to 8/5 on bet365’s In-Play console, with the draw 2/1 and Leeds at 15/8. The odds on there being Under 2.5 or Over 2.5 goals were both 5/6, with the champions still expected to score.

By the 56th minute, Manchester United werre still failing to make an impact and bet365 decided to make them the 15/8 outsiders to win the match. With 35 minutes left (plus stoppage time), Leeds were the 7/4 favourites and were occasionally threatening on the break. Valencia and Giggs were thrown on in a bid to shake things up.

As the game went past the hour mark, bet365’s traders were changing the match odds every two minutes, something to note for future In-Play betting matches. The Red Devils must have been heavily backed by many customers expecting the Premier League team to eventually find a breakthrough and kick on to win, although Simon Grayson’s team were standing firm. In the 62nd minute, Man United were made 9/4 chances by bet365, with Leeds still available at 6/4 to back. However, by the 68th minute with Leeds looking comfortable, the home side were 11/4 and the visitors were 5/4. The draw was available at 7/4.

As we went past the 75th minute, the bet365 traders had seen enough of Manchester United’s lacklustre display to decide it was unlikely they would score two goals in the remaining time. Bet365 offered 5/1 about Manchester United and made Leeds odds-on (5/6) for the first time in the match. Indeed, it was the Yorkshire side that nearly scored around the 80th minute, with Beckford shooting wide and then Snodgrass hitting the woodwork with a free-kick. Manchester United were now 9/1, the draw was 9/4 and Leeds were 1/2 chances.

There was an additional five minutes of injury time for the Red Devils to salvage a draw and they nearly came close to obliging at odds of 15/4 with a goalmouth scramble. However, it was those that had backed Leeds before the match or In-Play with bet365 that were celebrating by the final whistle.

Old Trafford
Sunday, January 3
Kick-off: 1pm

Manchester United’s season heads to the realms of the FA Cup, where they entertain old rivals Leeds United at Old Trafford on Sunday. With little in the way of major upsets in the Third Round so far, Leeds will be hoping that their short trip across the border will cause Alex Ferguson to have a red face by the end of the day. Leeds boss Simon Grayson is confident that his team can cause their high flying foes to have a very difficult afternoon. Coming away from Old Trafford would even be something of a moral victory for the League One side.

Jermain Beckford (who has netted 18 times this season) should be up front for Leeds, and they are looking strong at the top of League One, as they haven’t tasted defeat for 15 games now. Leeds are currently 8 points clear at the top of the division with a game in hand over their nearest challengers, Norwich and Charlton. They are in fine goal scoring form themselves, and will need to be on top of their game from the outset to challenge Man Utd. Despite the great form, there is still a gulf in class between the top of the Premier League and League One teams, but as struggling Reading showed against Liverpool on Saturday, the underdog can have almost have their day.

Manchester United should be able to field a more experienced back four, with Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown taking their places again. United have struggled for fit players at the back, but are starting to get back to some kind of strength there. After hammering Wigan 5-0 in their last outing, it could just be that United could be getting stronger now they are getting some of their experienced players like Paul Scholes. Wayne Rooney is firing on all cylinders, but he still remains their most favoured route to goal. If the Leeds defence can mark him out of the game, then they will be in with some kind of chance, as United have not proven to be overwhelmingly strong up front when Rooney is taken out of the equation.

Manchester United to win: 1/4 at SkyBet
Draw: 11/2 at Totesport
Leeds United to win: 13/1 at ExtraBet

Betting Advice: It has been 17 attempts since Leeds last beat Manchester United, and it will be just as much of an uphill struggle for them to get the job done again. Expect a lot of spirit from the League One side, but remember that doesn’t always equate to class. Manchester United, even if they are not as strong as they have been in past seasons, have more than enough quality to close this one out.
Leeds +1.75 Asian Handicap – Evens at Bet365

Saturday 3^rd October

English Premier League

Burnley v Birmingham City

A meeting of two promoted sides at Turf Moor also see’s two young Scottish managers clash when Owen Coyle’s Burnley take on Alex McLeish’s Birmingham.

Burnley have been your stereotypical Jekyll and Hyde side this term with 3 wins and 4 defeats from their opening 7 matches. All 3 of their wins have come at home in pretty convincing and impressive fashion. They have got the better of Everton and Sunderland, both of whom occupy top 10 places whilst their most notable victory came in August when they defeated Champions and current league leaders, Manchester United. Their away form, however, is far less impressive. In their 4 matches on the road they have yet to gain a point, conceded 14 goals and have a 0 in the goals for column. Granted, these games have been against strong home sides including Liverpool and Tottenham, but it must already be a cause for concern for Coyle.

Birmingham have been a lot less entertaining than tomorrows opponents but that may not be a bad thing in the long run. The blues have conceded 6 goals in their 7 matches which is pretty good going for a side in the lower reaches of the league. The problem is at the other end of the pitch as they have only managed to breach the opposition’s defences 4 times in the same number of games. McLeish will not be overly disappointed with a total of 7 points at this stage but will be looking for his team to create more chances and score more goals, especially against teams who are likely to be in and around them come the end of the season.

Both sides have not had their problems to seek in terms of injuries even at this early stage of the season. The Clarets will be without influential striker Martin Paterson again tomorrow as well as a creative spark in the middle of the park, Chris McCann. Both have been very good for Burnley but Coyle believes he has the squad in place to deal with such absences. Birmingham will be without their Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez who has flown home for personal reasons. They may have James McFadden back from injury which would be a big boost for McLeish who is desperate for some spark upfront.

I don’t think there will be a massive amount of points between these two sides come May, but at the same time, I can’t see both being relegated. Burnley will really need to improve their away form to stay up whilst tomorrow’s visitors will have to start scoring more goals. Burnley have a knack of sneaking victories at home in close fought encounters. Steven Fletcher leads the line will and will no doubt be ably supported by recent recruit David Nugent. I expect another close game tomorrow but think Owen Coyle’s men will come out of it with all 3 points to maintain their 100% home record this season.

My selection: Burnley to beat Birmingham

Best odds available: 13/10 available with Betfred

English League 1

Leeds United v Charlton Athletic

A massive game in League 1 on Saturday see’s top of the table Leeds entertain 2^nd place Charlton, a match which would have been in the Premiership 3 or 4 years ago.

Leeds head into this match still unbeaten after 10 games with 8 victories and 2 stalemates. They have finally got to grips with life in League 1 and got a balance between playing home and away. Their home record for the last two seasons has been impressive to say the least but they have always been let down by their form on the road. Simon Grayson, in his first full season as manager, has addressed that problem by making them harder to beat and this has been reflected in their results. United have an identical record both home and away with 4 wins and a draw apiece.

Charlton started the season on fire with 6 straight wins in the league. Since then, however, they have struggled and have only managed to secure maximum points in 1 of their last 4 matches. That was against Exeter last weekend but since then, they have suffered a heavy defeat away to Colchester during a midweek round of fixtures. Charlton’s problem may be that they rely a lot on young, emerging talent. They have experienced pro’s as well, of course they do, but their key players in key positions are experiencing this sort of football for the first time. When I say that, I mean football at the top end of the league. For the last few seasons Charlton have found themselves at the bottom end scrapping for points whereas now, they are one of the major scalps in league 1 which means other teams tend to raise their game against them.

I’ve spoken before about where Leeds’ quality lies – their strikers. Jermaine Beckford has the perfect foil in the shape of Lucciano Becchio. The Argentinean does a lot of the dirty work for his strike partner who is left to score the vital goals. However it is not just the strikers who have came to the fore this term, United’s midfield has also chipped in with much needed goals and just as important, assists. Bradley Johnson and Robert Snodgrass have been in scintillating form this early in the season. Johnson has already notched 5 goals whilst Snodgrass has just been called up to the Scotland squad for an upcoming friendly.

Two midweek matches are hard at the best of times so when both matches are away from home it makes it even more difficult. Charlton went down with a whimper on Tuesday and it strikes me as a tired performance due to the aforementioned reasons added to the fact that Phil Parkinson is working with a pretty small squad.

Leeds have only dropped two points at home this term and I can’t see them dropping further points tomorrow.

My selection: Leeds to beat Charlton

Best odds available: 10/11 available with several bookmakers including Bet365

Jermaine Beckford also has a habit of scoring in big games at Elland Road so the striker looks a decent bet at the same price to add to his 7 goals.

Other selections: Jermaine Beckford to score at anytime

Best odds available: 10/11 available with Paddypower

Good Luck and Happy Punting

The Carling Cup third round kicks off on Tuesday night, with Liverpool’s trip to Leeds looking to be the highlight of the first batch of matches. Elland Road once again hosts a Premier League club, as the League One team welcomes Liverpool into the hotbed of Yorkshire football. Leeds are currently sat at the top of League One, undefeated so far this season, having only dropped two points out of their first eight games. They boast four wins from four at home, scoring 11 and having only conceded 2. This should give them great heart going into the game against Liverpool, and even depending on how strong a side the Reds will field, they will fancy their chances either way.

It is unlikely that the likes of Gerard and Torres will make an appearance for the Reds, unless it is coming off the bench. This will not dent the desire of Leeds to put on a giant killing act. The home advantage should play a big part for Leeds, who were relegated from the Premier League five seasons ago. This is their big chance to show that they can play amongst the best in the country again. Beyond the four straight wins at home this season, Leeds have actually won 15 straight at Elland Road, going back into the end of last season.

Liverpool have also started to find some form after a little uneasy start to the season when they were still trying to find their feet. They themselves are on a run of four straight wins, and even in Benitez fields what will be considered a weakened side, there should be enough quality on show to give Leeds a good game. There have been questions raised about Liverpool’s strength in depth should the big stars disappear. If Gerard and Torres, arguably their two best players, don’t show, it could give a good picture into what life would be without them. It is this worry which puts them further back in the race for the Premier League.

But league form can be thrown out of the window come cup tie time. Leeds v Liverpool reads as a mouth watering clash, and the passions will be high from the men in white. Liverpool can expect a tough game, and will probably have to absorb a lot of pressure to get through this one.

Leeds to Win – 4/1 at 888Sport
Draw – 11/4 at Stan James
Liverpool to Win – 3/4 at Expekt

Betting Tip. This one appears to have a draw written all over it, as they say. Home advantage and a spark of passion up against a Liverpool side without Torres and Gerard? Will the Reds crumble under the pressure? Probably not, for they should have enough quality not to lose. A draw here seems the most probable outcome.

The Carling Cup swings back into midweek action on Tuesday, with some interesting matches in the Third Round. Often taking a back seat because of its midweek games and lesser standing of importance to the FA Cup, the Carling Cup is still an important piece of silverware for teams to chase down. The chance to put a bit of silverware in the cabinet is nothing to be sneezed at, and while some of the top teams may take the opportunity to give some big game experience to their young fledglings, the competition can still stir up emotions and produce some cracking games.

Hitting the headlines on Tuesday are the fixtures of Leeds v Liverpool and Arsenal v West Brom. There is also an interesting pair of Premier League clashes to look forward too, and eyes will of course be on some of the lower teams in football tier, to perform a big night of giant killing.

Bolton v West Ham
Two Premier League sides struggling to get going this season, and neither with a home win, and both with just one away win. This will be a good chance for both teams to build a little confidence and get their league campaigns kick started. It will be hard to pick a winner out of these two, as they are very similar in form this year. The Hammers have a couple of injury problems, notably Matthew Upson, who took a knock in the weekend’s defeat to Liverpool. Bolton boss Gary Megson is under a bit of pressure, and he has insisted that it will be a strong side which he fields. For that reason and for them being at home, the sensible money should go on a home win.
Bolton to Win 7/5 at William Hill, Draw 12/5 at Bet365, West Ham to win 21/10 at BetFred

Barnsley v Burnley
The battle of the B’s. Burnley are credible 9th in the Premier League with three home wins. Their away form leaves a lot to be desired though, as they haven’t managed a single goal yet in three matches. That could be down to class of opposition, and it is notoriously hard for newcomers to get away points in the highest level. Barnsley on the other hand haven’t won at home all season, and their single win has been away. This sounds like an even match up, but the Premier League side probably won’t field their strongest team, as their status in the league will be far more important to them, and they already have a few injury worries. They do have a good cup record though, so a bet would probably favour them.
Barnsley to win 21/10 at Coral, Draw 12/5 at BetFred, Burnley to Win 7/5 at William Hill

Carlisle v Portsmouth
Whether cellar-dwellers of the Premier League, Pompey, will fancy this awkward trip much, is up for debate. Carlisle are 18th in League One, and the northerners have only 8 points from 8 games, which would explain their position. Pompey are going backwards this season, and are still looking for their first league win, having only scored four times in six matches. Definitely not the stuff of Premier League survivors. Pompey boss Paul Hart has some selection problems because of injury and players being cup tied and this could be one of the upsets of the night.
Carlisle to win 10/3 at Coral, Draw 13/5 at William Hill, Portsmouth to win 18/19 at Expekt

Nottingham Forest v Blackburn
Rovers, one of those teams that always seems to hang around and cause a nuisance of themselves in the Premier League, are, like Pompey, finding it tough going this season. They are third from bottom with only one home win to their name so far. Forest aren’t exactly setting the Championship alight either, as they are lingering down in 18th place. This may not be a match to inspire a lot of neutral interest, but it throws up another good chance for a lower team to claim a Premier League scalp. Rovers boss Sam Allardyce is one person who is always up for a scrap, and he’ll be openly honest and determined to change their form around quickly. This could be a platform for them, and their fighting spirit, and just that little bit of class should see them edge through.
Forest to win 9/4 at BetFred, Draw 12/5 at Boylesports, Blackburn to win 11/8 at Coral

Peterborough v Newcastle
Fallen giants Newcastle are making early seasons strides to work towards getting back where the Toon Army belong, in the Premier League. They currently sit in second place in the Championship, just one point behind leaders West Brom. Here they take on 18th placed Peterborough, in a week where the club has been remembering the sad passing of Sir Bobby Robson. With contrasting seasons so far, Newcastle should have the form and the edge to get through this tie without too much trouble. The Posh only picked up their first win of the season in injury time on the weekend, while Newcastle were cruising to a 3-1 win.
Peterborough to win 11/5 at BetFred, Draw 5/2 at Bet365, Newcastle to win 11/8 at SkyBet

Scunthorpe v Port Vale
Scunthorpe, 13th in the Championship, take on Port Vale who are 14th in League Two. The gulf here between the two sides, combined with Scunthorpe’s home advantage, should mean a relatively easy passage through for them. The home side will be missing their top striker through injury though, and maybe the Vale shouldn’t be too underestimated though, because they have already knocked out both Sheffield teams, both of which are championship sides.
Scunthorpe to win 8/15 at BetFred, Draw 10/3 at William Hill, Port Vale to win 6/1 at Bet365

Stoke v Blackpool
Premier League newcomers Stoke, who are sitting mid table after a good start to the season, will be looking for safe passage past the seasiders in this tie. This should be an interesting match actually, with not too much between the two teams. Again, like Burnley, Stoke will probably field a team that is different to their main league one, in order to rest important players and not risk injuries. Blackpool are enjoying a fairly good start to the Championship season, as they sit in 7th place. They are doing admirably because of injury problems, and the Potters, with a changed side, could be in for a really tough fight.
Stoke to win 4/5 at William Hill, Draw 11/4 at Coral, Blackpool to win 4/1 at SportingBet

Sunderland v Birmingham
The other Premier League match up. Both teams are kind of mid table in the league, and will be looking at each other, and thinking they are in with a good chance of progressing to the fourth round. Sunderland will naturally be the happier of the pair with the home draw. Birmingham have been cited as potential drop candidates for this season, and their league position could be a little flattering. Sunderland on the other hand have been looking forward after investing in the team during the off season, and should be the stronger of the two sides here.
Sunderland to win 5/6 at SkyBet, Draw 5/2 at Bet365, Birmingham to win 4/1 at Coral

Hi folks. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the start of the new season. It’s been a long, long summer without top flight football and this season promises to be interesting. I hope my previews over the coming months prove insightful, helpful but most of all, profitable.

Saturday 15^th August

Scottish Premier League

Aberdeen v Celtic

Celtic begin their quest to regain the SPL with a visit to Pittodrie to take on Aberdeen. Both clubs have new managers this season so the game promises to be an intriguing one.

Celtic missed out on their 4^th successive league title on the final day of last season, as a result, then manager, Gordon Strachan, resigned paving the way for current incumbent Tony Mowbray to take the reigns. His first task as manager was to get rid of Paul Hartley, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Shunsuke Nakamura (amongst others). Thus far, he has spent shrewdly by acquiring Marco Antoine Fortune, Landry N’Guemo and Danny Fox.

Aberdeen also find themselves with a new manager in the shape of former Motherwell gaffer, Mark McGhee. McGhee, a former player at the club, has had to contend with the departure of several key players, most notably captain Scott Severin and former Celtic player, Jamie Smith. He has recently brought in Jerel Ifil from Swindon Town and hope’s to land a Canadian striker in time for tomorrow’s match.

Both clubs have already played competitive matches this season, despite this being the opening weekend of the league campaign. Aberdeen suffered an embarrassing 8-1 aggregate defeat to Czech Republic side, Sigma, whilst Celtic overcame a first leg reverse against Dynamo Moscow at home, with an excellent display in the Russian capital to advance 2-1 on aggregate. There may have been mitigating circumstances with regards to Aberdeen’s capitulation, such as the lack of defensive cover due to injuries and the team getting to grips with McGhee’s preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Celtic look very impressive in Russia, especially new signings N’Guemo and Fox. Both have added something which has been missing for some time at Celtic, presence in the middle of the park and a proper left back able to get forward in support. Tony Mowbray has already had a major effect on the confidence of the squad with the likes of Donati and Samaras having impressive contributions in the European ties and pre-season matches. Mowbray has also instilled a free flowing and impressive passing game which has been missing at the club for years. Their ability to keep the ball and get forward with a purpose was the biggest factor in Celtic’s Russian success.

Mark McGhee was a leading contender for the Celtic manager’s job according to Scotland’s media. He will want to prove a point of sorts to the Celtic board that they ultimately chose wrong by laying down a marker tomorrow. He’ll have influential defender Zander Diamond available after injury and will hope his presence will shore up the porous defence. Mowbray will have to decide whether or not to give Scotland midfielder Scott Brown a start in place of Donati tomorrow, but it is likely that he will give the starting XI in Moscow another chance to impress.

Pittodrie is never an easy place to get a result, let alone on the first day of the season. However, with confidence high, genuine competition for places and impressive performances thus far, Celtic will be hard to stop tomorrow. Aiden McGeady, Shaun Maloney, Scott McDonald and Fortune should have too much firepower for the Aberdeen defence and I fully expect Tony Mowbray to comfortably collect his first 3 SPL points as Celtic manager.

My selection: Celtic to beat Aberdeen

Best price available: 4/6 with several bookmakers, including Coral

English League 1

Wycombe v Leeds United

Wycombe entertain Leeds in their first home match of the 2009/2010 season, looking for their first points of the new season after an opening away day defeat.

Wycombe gained automatic promotion last season into the 3^rd tier of English league football. Manager Peter Taylor is very experienced and has a vast knowledge of lower league football so will know what to expect this season. However, can the same be said for the majority of their squad? Doubtful! Apart from a few older players in Wanderers’ squad, most of them have not played at this level. This has been highlighted by losing 7 goals in two matches thus far. The club’s 3-2 defeat to Charlton was followed by a 4-0 home thrashing by Peterborough in the Carling cup.

Leeds narrowly missed out on last year’s League 1 play-off final but once again find themselves as favourites for promotion. Simon Grayson has previously won promotion from this division with Blackpool and will be hoping to do likewise in his first full season as boss of the Elland road club. He will have to do so without the services of talismanic teenager, Fabian Delph who was sold to Aston Villa earlier this month, ending months of speculation. One man who is still at the club is Jermaine Beckford. Last season’s top goalscorer is still on the transfer list having not signed a new contract in the summer but found himself on the scoresheet last weekend in United’s 2-1 victory over newly promoted Exeter with a double.

Leeds know the importance of getting points on the board early doors and will be looking to take advantage of Wycombe’s leaky defence. Beckford along with striker partner, Lucciano Becchio will be a handful for the best defenses in this league so Wycombe’s new signing, Michael Duberry, will have to be at his best if his side are to get anything out of the game.

Interestingly enough, this will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs in a competitive match and it is sure to be a feisty and hard fought match. With Leeds’ experience in this division coupled with their excellent attackers, I think they will nick this one but expect it to be close.

My selection: Leeds United to beat Wycombe

Best price available: EVS with several bookmakers including Boylesports

Good Luck and Happy punting  

The end of the war in ‘45 saw the resumption of competitive football in the form of the F.A. Cup.

During hostilities the league set-up was two "first divisions", North and South and lesser regional leagues. On this occasion the two finalists were both from the Southern Section, Charlton Athletic and Derby County. 98,000 saw they game which went into extra time, but not without a couple of "firsts". Jacky Stamp, (Derby centre forward), shot for goal only for the ball to burst in mid-air. Just as it had done in a regional league game between the same sides the previous week.

First blood went to Derby when Charlton’s left half Bert Turner put thru’ his own. Almost immediately Charlton went on the attack and Turner equalised. The first person to get on both score sheets in an F.A. Cup Final.The  game went to extra-time, for only the second time at Wembley. Derby went on to win 4 – 1.Charlton gained their revenge next season. beating second division Burnley 1 – 0 in extra-time.

No team dominated in the early years after ‘45 until Newcastle won 3 times between ‘51 and ‘55. In amongst these successes was the MATTHEWS FINAL. Bolton lead 3 –1 with some 22 mins remaining. Matthews completed one of his dazzling runs with a cross for Mortenson to score his and the teams second goal. Mortenson went on to score the only Cup Final hat-trick at the old stadium.

The next outstanding happening was in the 55/56 final,  when City, having lost the previous year, beat Birmingham 3 – 1. With their goalkeeper, Bert Trautman playing for the last 20 mins with a broken neck.The club doctor stated that the slightest jolt to the neck could have paralysed if not killed him. I watched that game on T V and Trautman was awesome.

Two years later Man Utd lost to Bolton Wanderers. This was three months after the Munich disaster. United were allowed to sign players who had already played in that seasons cup games. The only time it has been allowed. Not surprisingly Bolton ran out 2 – 0 winners. United’s second consecutive Cup final defeat. They made amends beating Leicester City 3 -1 in 62/63.

The sixties really belonged to ‘Spurs with a double success in 60/61 and 61/62. Follwed by a third in  66/67.

The 64/65 final would add a new name to the trophy now matter who had won. It turned out to be one of Liverpool’s numerous successes. Leeds had to wait until 71/72 for their first ever Cup Final win. The following season when they attempted to retain the trophy, they were surpisingly beaten by a Porterfield goal for Sunderland.
No one team dominated during the Seventies, and the start of the Eighties saw three years of replays. ‘Spurs winning the first two of these for yet another double final success.

Everton won in 83/84 and were beaten in each of the following two seasons. The second of which saw the first ever Merseyside Derby Final. Repeated three seasons later, when Liverpool  also repeated their victory. The shock of the decade came in 87/88 when WIMBLEDON beat all the odds and Liverpool by a single goal.
‘Spurs saw in the next decade with a 2 – 1 defeat of Notts Forest.

The next nineteen years have been a virtual monopoly fo the "BIG FOUR". Only twice has an "outsider" won the Cup. Everton 94/95 and last year Portsmouth were successful.

When the F.A. Cup is mentioned the thoughts often tend to wander to the few clubs who have also achieved the Cup and League Double. With some hundred and twenty finals decided only six teams have achieved the Double. Preston, Aston Villa, ‘Spurs and Liverpool have one success each Whilst Arsenal and Man. Utd have three each.

The spread of these successes shows no pattern whatsoever. Two between 1889 and 1897 then a blank until 1961. A ten year gap to the next and then another barren spell until 1986.Then there was a fistful (four) between 1994 and 1999. The last occasion was 2002.

Although the "Big Four" appear to have most things their own way, none seems to be able to really dominate as Man. Utd did in the nineties.