The busy Easter fixture list may well be upon us, and while it could be a huge weekend in terms of where the Premier League title may end up, for one bookmaker, it is already over bar the shouting. Online Bookmaker BetFred is already paying out its customers on Manchester United winning the league, despite seven matches still to go, including a Manchester derby at the end of April. United do hold a five point advantage and has what appears to be an easy home fixture on Sunday, while City travel to London to face Arsenal, and that has been enough for bookie BetFred to decide that the title is heading back to Old Trafford and nowhere else.
But is there a hidden agenda behind all this? Is it merely a publicity stunt, because BetFred owner Fred Done, is an avid Manchester United supporter, and the move could be a big gloat in the direction of the Red Devil’s neighbours. This is a smart bit of promotional business by BetFred, and it is not the first time that they have decided to pay out early on the outright winner market. Fred paid out early back in the 1998 season when United held a twelve point lead over Arsenal, only to see the Gunners come back and take the title by a point. BetFred lost over half a million pounds on that occasion.
BetFred did this last season too in April, as they paid out on Manchester United winning the title then as well, which didn’t back fire. Fred Done is pretty confident that the Red Devils, who are on a seven match winning streak, are simply going to coast to the title again.
