"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?"

"I SPY!!" - ODDS ON SPORT - is the latest addition to the Furlong To Go portfolio. We have been considering doing this for a while, and we hope to be able to offer you opportunities to place wagers on most sports, though initially we will be concentrating on football. We hope you find this latest feature of some use

POSTING TIMES FOR SELECTIONS_ Selections  should be available on Fridays, after 11:00pm. Hopefully this helps

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 19

"The Spy" considers the start of the Christmas programme below. 

Safest bet to help pay for those Christmas presents looks to be concentrate on a home accumulator this week. We are rather spoilt for choice. 

In the Premiership, nobody is going better than Spurs (beginning to really take shape and score for fun of late) and they can readily dispose of a weak, and increasingly desperate Ipswich.

In Div 1, the Midlands Derby can go to Birmingham who will be keen to impress new boss Bruce and should hold too many guns for a limited Walsall outfit.

Div 2 contains several home bankers but Brentford and Bristol City stand out. Brighton and Wycombe also appeal.

Div 3 - Mansfield can beat Exeter who were badly exposed as moderate by non-league Dagenham in midweek. 


Recommendation 

Spurs with Birmingham, Brentford, Bristol City and Mansfield to land the bet - I think we can be quite confident about these selections. Happy punting and happy Christmas. 


THE SPY
ODDS ON SPORT 
Saturday, December 22, 2001 

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 18

"The Spy" who has been on his travels this week (visiting the Ukraine ... no this time it wasn't looking for horses to follow !!) with temperatures of minus 16, offers selections only while he thaws out! 


Recommendation 

Take Mansfield and Bournemouth to provide the away wins. Add to them the home bankers of Burnley, Brentford and Plymouth for this week's five-timer. As always with our away selections include additional lines with these selections as draws with the same home winners. 


THE SPY
Saturday, December 15, 2001

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 17

"The Spy" has searched out the best bets from this weekend's FA Cup second round.

Most of the ties look pretty tight - the value lies in the following selections;

Exeter (11-10 Super Soccer) v Dagenham (our pre-season Conference selection) would have appealed as a certain shock result for the non-league outfit about 6 weeks ago. The bookies have priced this contest up accordingly with little account for recent form. All has changed on that front, with Dagenham not at their best of late and Exeter on somewhat of a high (despite being a modest outfit overall). That 11-10 looks worth taking.

Rochdale (7-2 Ladbrokes) at Blackpool makes plenty of appeal - this Derby match is sure to be closer than the Rochdale quote indicates. Rochdale going well in Div 3 with a creditable away record can go close here and represent the value against a Blackpool side that have lost their goal machine this week to Southampton.

Brentford (6-4 Super Soccer) currently 3rd in Div 2 should have too much strength overall for a talented Scunthorpe side who have badly lost their way in their last two matches. A crisis of confidence? Brentford can exploit this. 

Hull v Oldham looks on paper to be a home winner. I'm not so sure and Oldham who have been difficult to beat on their travels in the higher grade can grab a draw at 9-4 (generally available).

For those looking for shorter price selections, it is hard to see Rushden stopping Brighton in their current form (the Seagulls are 1-2 with Corals) while Chesterfield (4-7 generally) and Stoke (4-6 Ladbrokes) can dispose of Southend and Halifax respectively.

Good luck! 

Recommendation 


Back the above sides in single bets with the firms stated.


THE SPY 
Saturday, December 08, 2001

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND" - WEEK 16

The Spy has considered this weekend's football programme and the following represent his conclusions. 

A difficult week (bets to be kept to a minimum is the main thrust of my advice) with home winners looking particularly difficult to pick out. I think with this in mind, the away and draw section makes most appeal.

Homes 

For those wanting a home selection the one I fancy most is Coventry, who face a fairly moderate Wimbledon outfit. Coventry displayed their new strikeforce (Hughes and Mills) in their mid-week victory over Crystal Palace and it appeared to be a marriage made in heaven. Expect them to blossom again and find at least a couple of goals between them against a vulnerable Wimbledon defence.

Aways 

Liverpool (cannot see Derby holding the Liverpool forwards at bay), Arsenal (will be bouncing after the defeat of Man U and will surely be determined to capitalise on Ipswich's overall weakness especially in defence) Brighton (who can stop that man Zamora) Scunthorpe (scoring goals for fun against low scoring Carlisle) and Plymouth (an edge on quality in all departments against Orient I suspect) make plenty of appeal.

Draws

Stockport (both sides will welcome a derby) draw Wrexham (two poor sides who would welcome a stalemate) & Darlington (may still be recovering from last week's mauling) are the leading fancies. 


Recommendation

Suggest a line of three draws on the above matches to small stakes. A further line involving any 3 of the aways above should also be profitable. My pick would be Arsenal, Liverpool and Scunthorpe. 

THE SPY
ODDS ON SPORT
Friday, 30 November 2001

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 15

"The Spy" considers this week's programme to be quite a difficult one. Despite some apparently obvious home winners (Hull, Plymouth, Newcastle, Manchester City & Burnley) we will go with some less obvious choices (except Newcastle where we have particular confidence) as listed below;

Millwall v Gillingham - @8-15 looks quite attractive with Gillingham's poor away record in mind and Millwall's Den remaining a hard place to visit. Expect a comfortable passage for the Lions.

Scunthorpe v Darlington - Scunthorpe who landed the banker bet last week are scoring for fun of late and already hold a recent 3-0 decision over Saturday's rivals. 

Wimbledon v Wolves - Wolves who are better on their travels represent Wimbledon's toughest test in recent weeks. In failing to overcome Walsall, Barnsley and Sheffield United in recent home starts the Dons look up against it here against the free scoring outfit from the Midlands who will be keen to put right their goalless home effort last week.

Wrexham v Stoke - the Welshman who were dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league Hereford look to face a tough task here against Stoke (who have won on their last 7 starts in Wales) and can capitalise on Wrexham' s poor home form. 


Recommendation 

1 X 5 fold (with Ladbrokes) involving Newcastle, Millwall, Scunthorpe as home winners with Wolves and Stoke to take the away honours. Include draw options with the homes in separate lines for the away selections. 


THE SPY
ODD ON SPORT
Saturday, November 24, 2001 

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 14

This week "The Spy" has decided to focus his attentions on the FA Cup First Round (where single win bets are accepted) as this has been a source of regular success in the past. 

With so very little difference nowadays between the majority of teams in the lower Nationwide leagues and the non-league set-up, it often pays to follow these sides in one off contests against league opposition - the odds can be very favourable.

Let's start by one to buck this trend:

Doncaster v Scunthorpe - While we had a few thoughts pre-season that Doncaster might be able to mount a serious Conference challenge they look no better than a mid-table side at present. Scunthorpe meanwhile are in super form of late and are looking real championship material in Div3 - they will have to many guns for the non-league side.

Halifax v Farnborough - another side we highlighted pre-season who we suggested might have a good first season in the Conference. This is proving the case. Scoring goals is no problem to Farnborough which is exactly where Halifax's problems begin (just 12 goals all season). While Halifax will keep it tight (they specialise in 0-0 draws) I'm hopeful there is only one team to support at the suggested odds and that is Farnborough.

Aldershot v Bristol Rovers - home advantage might just be enough to help Aldershot overcome a Bristol side currently in freefall down Div 3. They also score plenty which is a failing of the league side. It's easy to see an upset here.

Exeter v Cambridge City - I'm less confident about an upset here with Exeter finding reasonable form of late. But they are, overall, a modest outfit who must still be vulnerable against relatively modest Cambridge who seem more confident on their travels than on their home patch. 

And finally,

Tranmere v Brigg Town - the non-league side are 33-1 with Hills to win this contest. While a home win is most likely, Tranmere are no great shakes and Brigg got past the useful Conference side Boston in the last round. Any side that can do that are not 33-1 shots in my book which is surely well wide of the mark. Well worth a pound or two! 


Recommendation (Singles)
Scunthorpe (Banker) 13-10 Hills
Farnborough (Next best) 5-2 Stanley
Aldershot 11-4 Hills
Cambridge City 13-2 Hills
Brigg Town 33-1 Hills


THE SPY
ODDS ON SPORT
Saturday, November 17, 2001 

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 13

A limited football programme for The Spy to consider.

England v Sweden 

Just a friendly and key players from both sides not starting. With Sweden winning their World Cup qualifying group comfortably (they displayed a level of consistency throughout their programme) they look the bet to minimum stakes at the 5-1 widely available. It is certainly difficult to get excited about the 8-15 on quote for an English victory especially as you do not know what sort of display you will get. Overall, the German victory looks increasingly like a blip on an otherwise modest landscape of performances and it seems far more likely that the Swedes high standard of play will be on show rather than and English one. As the Swedes often struggle for goals (they don't concede many either) and top man Larsson will not play, this looks tight and a single goal may be all that separates the two sides. I expect Sweden to get it. 

Recommendation


Back a Swedish win @ 5-1 generally available. 1-0 is the preferred scoreline.

Odds of around 11-1 is available with Super Soccer for the domestic home win accumulator involving Scottish banker Airdrie, Watford against troubled Stockport, improving Rushden against lowly Halifax, Hartlepool against modest Exeter and Torquay against Swansea. 

THE SPY
ODDS ON SPORT
Friday, November 09, 2001

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 12

Football - Ante-post update

Currently, our pre-season selections are doing rather well - long may it continue. While there was no premiership recommendation for either the title or relegation we strongly hinted at Leeds chances at 8-1 and this price is no longer available after their unbeaten start. In Division 1, we suggested Preston twice (including at 40-1) and Wimbledon and while the Dons are struggling Preston have picked up in recent weeks and have moved into sixth place last weekend. Crewe our handicap pick are no world beaters but are among the front runners at this stage but that is to be expected with their huge points allowance. They will need to improve to win it. No recommendation in Division 2 for the title but our selection of Northampton looks reasonable although they have picked up recently after a poor start. In division 3, Hull (our title selection) are well placed while our selection to finish bottom (Carlisle @7-1) looks appealing with Halifax and Exeter probably the other main contenders. Our handicap picks (Shrewsbury and Mansfield) I'm pleased to say are first and second in the current handicap table despite some recent loss of form by both sides. Finally, in the Conference our 10-1 picks Dagenham are clear at the top with Boston representing the chief danger. In fact, the biggest danger to us landing the 10-1 is their own success in cup competitions which may eventually stretch their resources and affect their league form. 

Those who followed our Heineken Cup tip (Bath @ 18-1) are also feeling happy following two further recent successes and a passage to the next round looking assured. Bath are now around half those odds. 


Recommendation

For this week's selections, we will give a final chance to Manchester City who should surely have too much firepower for poor travellers Gillingham, free scoring Burnley can take account of low scoring Sheffield United, in form Peterborough can take account of disappointing Wigan, Carlisle can be fancied at low scoring Macclesfield while in form Rushden should be too hot for modest Swansea. Hills offer odds of around 29-1. Include draw options for the away selections with the three home choices. 


THE SPY
ODDS ON SPORT
Friday, November 02, 2001 Recommendation

For this week's selections, we will give a final chance to Manchester City who should surely have too much firepower for poor travellers Gillingham, free scoring Burnley can take account of low scoring Sheffield United, in form Peterborough can take account of disappointing Wigan, Carlisle can be fancied at low scoring Macclesfield while in form Rushden should be too hot for modest Swansea. Hills offer odds of around 29-1. Include draw options for the away selections with the three home choices. 


THE SPY
ODDS ON SPORT
Friday, November 02, 2001

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 11

"The Spy" has considered this week's football programme - his thoughts are given below; 

Homes

Blackburn, C.Palace, Coventry, Brighton, Cardiff, Carlisle, Luton, Celtic &Ross County

Aways 

Liverpool, Wimbledon, Crewe, Millwall, Peterborough, Oldham & Rochdale, 

Draws

Derby, Ipswich, Portsmouth, Reading, Stoke & Aberdeen

Shocks

Aston Villa v Bolton - 9-2 for a Bolton away victory looks too big to me on the back of their Old Trafford success - they will be bouncing.

Man Utd v Leeds (3-1) represents the value here after their unbeaten start.

Wolves v Burnley - looks close and 7-2 looks generous for the away side here in view of Wolves struggling home performances.

Huddersfield v Wrexham - the Welsh side (7-2 outsiders) have found better form of late and might cash in on the inconsistent home form of the Terriers.


Recommendation

I'm quite confident about all the home selections above - the best value though with Hills is Cardiff (11-10), C.Palace (4-6), Coventry (1-2), Ross County (5-8) combined with the banker Celtic (1-6). This adds up to a total of 9.8-1. Ross County is probably the weakest of these choices - use Blackburn if you agree. 

An away line of Crewe, Millwall and Rochdale also appeals @ around 17-1 with Ladbrokes. Bolton, and Leeds could be added for those feeling braver or Liverpool for those looking for a safer option.

Happy punting!.


THE SPY
ODDS ON SPORT
Friday, October 26, 2001

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 10

"The Spy" has considered this week's football programme - his thoughts are given below; 

Homes

Fulham, Man Utd, Burnley, Millwall, Colchester, Torquay, Shrewsbury, Luton, Airdrie, Ross County

Aways 

Southampton, Watford, Manchester City, Rangers

Draws

Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, Port Vale, Halifax (looks a cast iron 0-0 draw to me), Hibernian

Shocks

Coventry v Crewe 6-1 is an insult to Crewe who put league leaders Wolves in their place this week (no fluke about it either) and this looks too good an opportunity to miss.

QPR v Northampton - 11-2 does not reflect the Cobbler's chances here judged by both sides recent form 

Celtic v Dundee Utd (14-1) for the away with Corals just looks very tempting to me especially after Celtic's Euro Cup exertions in the week.


Recommendation

No Bet. 



THE SPY
"I SPY!!" - ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 13th October 2001

"SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?" - WEEK 9

A full domestic programme of football for "the Spy" to consider this week - his thoughts are given below; 

Homes

Watford, Wycombe, Hull, Plymouth, Rochdale, Livingston and Ayr.

Aways 

Leeds, Wolves, Wimbledon, Coventry, Tranmere, QPR, Carlisle, Celtic and Montrose.

Draws

Aston Villa, Crewe, Huddersfield, Orient, Scunthorpe, Arbroath and East Stirling.

Shocks

Sheffield Utd v Grimsby - Grimsby at 7-2 have steadily fallen down the table since heading affairs in the early weeks. However, despite this, they look overpriced hear to build on their midweek success at Liverpool against an average Sheffield outfit. 

Bristol Rovers as short as 1-2 should overcome Macclesfield as big as 5-1 but there must be doubts in view of their current poor form. Macclesfield tend to keep things tight and will be difficult to overcome here 

Brechin v Dumbarton at 11-4 who have a useful away record could spring a surprise at the league leaders.

And finally, avoid Manchester City v Stockport (7-1) - who can predict what City will do? They should win this easily but I wouldn't put any money on it especially in the Derby atmosphere where Stockport will give their all.

Recommendation

I'm quite keen on the away selections this week and a combination of those above in trebles could prove very profitable. I think those offering the best value in a treble are QPR (6-5), Tranmere (6-5) and Montrose (Evens). Next best Wolves (8-5). A home line consisting of Livingston (Evens), Hull (4-7), Ayr (4-5), Watford (4-5) and Wycombe (4-6) should also pay dividends. 

THE SPY
"I SPY!!" - ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 13th October 2001

"Something for the Weekend" - WEEK 8.

With this weekend's domestic football programme in tatters thanks to the international matches "The Spy" has cast his net rather wider this weekend in search of a bet or two. Perhaps, this edition should more accurately be called "Something Different for the Weekend"! 

Rugby - The Heineken Cup 

While "the Spy" freely admits to know little about the oval ball game, he does know people who do (who better than to interrogate those people who go week in week out for their views). The following represent the results of my findings with my knowledge of the betting markets applied to the gems we have unearthed. I'm probably not giving too much away judging by the current odds available in passing on that Pool 1 should be won by Leicester, Pool 2 by Stade Francais, Pool 3 by Bath, Pool 4 by Munster, Pool 5 by Cardiff and Pool 6 by Toulouse. But, this was the consensus of the views I received. 

The most likely winner of the overall tournament was likely to be Leicester. At a best priced 5-2 they were not telling me much I thought. I pressed for something at longer odds and the result was Bath (18-1 with Stan James and Chandler). Why I asked. There is plenty of reason I concluded from what I was told that Bath who have begun poorly are about to take-off. Having plenty of players about to return from injury is a big plus but the key was the return of just one player - Mike Catt. His return last week stimulated Bath to record a win over Biarritz and apparently he was the star of the show. He was the playmaker who made the rest of the team tick - that key clue in the crossword puzzle that makes the rest of it a doddle. Catt showed his England class and enabled his colleagues such as Tindall to show improved form. Bath players who have been the backbone of the classy England side look sure to continue to improve and look sure to win their Group. That means a home quarter final which should prove a useful advantage to see them through to a semi-final place. At that stage, 18-1 is going to look a big price with their experience of the big occasion likely to be a huge benefit in any one off game. Let's just hope they can avoid Leicester until the final.

Recommendation 

Bath to win the Heineken cup at 18-1 Stan James - for those more cautious 9-1 a place (1,2) is not without it's attractions. 


Horse Racing

Newmarket tomorrow. The Spy has long since thought that Putra Pekan was an ideal Cambridgeshire contender and much to my joy he has made the field. He will appreciate this trip and the way the race will be run. He may well pop up at a working man's price and defy Alphaeus who has also been attracting the Spy's attention.

And Finally ... Football 

England v Greece - difficult to see anything other than an England win (despite the loss of Owen among others) against a Greek side so readily dismantled by Finland last time. The Old Trafford atmosphere is likely to be all too much for them. Take England to win 3-0 or 4-0 with Heskey exactly the right type of player to muscle out the Greeks and score the opening goal. 

THE SPY
"I SPY!!" - ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 28th September 2001

"Something for the Weekend" - WEEK 7.

The Spy has considered this weekend's football programme, the following represent his conclusions. 

An extremely difficult week - with nothing appealing at all in the Scottish divisions or the English Premiership the choice for selections is strictly limited to the 3 Nationwide leagues. Bets should be kept to a minimum - so much so that we will depart from normal practice and just give the recommended bet this week. 

Recommendation

Take Reading as the home banker. Brentford should be able to cope with faltering Colchester while Stirling fresh from smart performances in the Cup can take account of lowly Queen's Park. With these 3 homes (Manchester City would be an alternative) add 2 aways - Wolves who perform better away than at home can roll over Rotherham in their rich vein of form and Peterborough can take account of poor Wrexham who are leaking goals a plenty. This pays over 18-1 will Hills. As always suggest the away selections are also covered with the three homes as draw options. 

THE SPY
"I SPY!!" - ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 28th September 2001

"Something for the Weekend" - WEEK 6.

The Spy has considered this weekend’s football programme, the following represent his conclusions.

Homes 

C. Palace, Celtic, Hull, Birmingham, Gillingham, Leeds, Bristol Rovers, Brighton & Brentford Draws East Stirling, Queen’s Park, Berwick, Rushden, Crewe, Leicester, Motherwell & Norwich  

Aways

Brechin, Stoke & Swindon  
 
Shocks  

Montrose v Albion - despite their respective league positions Albion (7-2) have an astonishing record here (won 8 of last 9). Port Vale v Northampton (9-2) - both sides in a poor state and this game could go either way. Port Vale are no value at odds on to win this.  
 
Recommendation

After last week’s winning recommendation (paid 9-1) in selecting three away wins, I’m tempted to try and top up with a similar bet this week. However, the away options look thin this time around. Therefore, we will stick with 5 homes and suggest Celtic, Hull, C.Palace, Gillingham and Bristol Rovers. Place bet with Super Soccer for combined odds of around 10-1.  

THE SPY
"I SPY!!" - ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 21st September 2001

"Something for the Weekend" - WEEK 5. 

The Spy has considered this weekend's football programme and the following represent his conclusions. 

Shocks

Man City v Birmingham. City so shaky in their last two outings (including that 4-0 reverse at West Bromwich) might find 11-4 Birmingham quite a handful.

Wimbledon v Sheffield Wednesday. 100-30 Wednesday have found their form last two starts and can take advantage of Wimbledon's shaky defence.

Macclesfield (2-1) v Hull. Hull who have not clicked into top gear yet may find in tough at Macclesfield (renowned fighters) who are beginning to get it right after a slow start. Draw may be the outcome.

Homes

Burnley, Bristol City, Huddersfield, Rangers, Raith, & Stranraer

Draws

Middlesbrough, Barnsley, Preston, Cambridge, Macclesfield, St Johnstone Airdrie, Ayr & Cowdenbeath

Aways

Liverpool, Leeds, Chelsea, & Brechin


Recommendation

Back 5 homes from the list above in a single line (exclude Stranraer) with Hills @ cumulative odds of around 7.5-1.

Back 3 aways above (exclude Leeds) @ nearly 9-1 with Stanley.

THE SPY
"I SPY!!" -  ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 14th September 2001

"Something for the Weekend" - (weekday edition) .... 

Sunderland's chances at Sheffield Wednesday in the Worthington Cup tie tomorrow 

Sunderland are an above average Premiership side who have already shown their quality this season. In Phillips and Quinn they have a formidable strike force which should overpower an average Wednesday side without too much difficulty. Sunderland are sure to field a strong side and are always committed under Peter Reid's rule. Wednesday who were in relegation trouble last term before a late surge seem to be struggling to recapture that sort of form and have just 4 points so far to their name. Expect them, despite home advantage, to be easily brushed aside. 

Recommendation

Sunderland win for which they are a best price of evens with Ladbrokes. Single bets are available on these cup matches.

THE SPY
"I SPY!!" - ODDS ON SPORT
Wednesday 12th September 2001

"Something for the weekend?"  - Week 4

The Spy has considered this weekend's football programme, the following represent his conclusions.

Shocks 

Colchester v Northampton - High riding Colchester who are not as smart as their good start suggests may not take all three points against a Northampton side (7-2) off the mark last week against Brighton.

Darlington v Carlisle - 3rd placed Darlington (as short as 1-2) may struggle to win against Carlisle (with new striker on board) in this "near" derby contest who nearly surprised the leader's Rochdale last weekend.

Hull City (8-13) of to a sluggish start may struggle for all three points against York who have started well.

Dundee v St Johnstone (4-1 - bottom placed with a single point to their name) have a useful record at Dundee over a number of years and clearly relish playing these particular opponents. 

Recommendation

This week's bet takes in the Scottish home bankers (Celtic and Stirling) with the surprise first division leaders Burnley (always a tough proposition at Turf Moor). These homes are combined with Manchester City (should be able to outscore goal shy West Bromwich) and Brechin (fine away performances against higher opposition in the cups) as aways. This adds up to nearly 11-1 with Hills. Suggest also additional lines to cover the away selections as draws with the same home winners. These lines add up to 22-1, 18-1 and for both "aways" ending in draws at 36-1. Stake accordingly. 

THE SPY
"I SPY!!" -  ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 7th September 2001

"Something for the weekend?"  - Week 3

The Spy has considered this weekend's very truncated football programme, the following represent his conclusions.

Limited options this week because of the international fixtures limiting the league programme.  Suggest that three aways looks like a nice option; include the Dutch to beat the Republic of Ireland, Luton to beat Exeter and Rushden to take the honours at Oxford. 

Holland really must win in Dublin to stand a chance of winning their Group and even to guarantee a play off place in what is such a tight Group. While Ireland is never an easy place to get a result the Dutch class (so evident in their display against England) can win the day. The Irish have some niggling injury worries too which won't help their cause if players are forced to miss out. Another factor, as the Group stands, is that Ireland don't necessarily have to win this game so they might have an uninspiring game plan which could hand the initiative to the visitors. Think orange!.

Exeter are in a poor state of affairs with just a point at lowly Halifax in their pocket so far. They look destined for a long struggle this season on their performances so far. Meanwhile, all is looking rosy down at Kenilworth Road with Joe Kinnear at the helm of the Luton Town ship. With 9 points already bagged (good enough for second place in the table) they will be expecting three points from this trip. They look promotion material.

Rushden have started well winning at York and holding Macclesfield already away from home. There performance in beating Burnley at Turf Moor in the Cup was a highly pleasing effort. A team going in the right direction. This cannot be said for their opponents at the weekend - Oxford. Relegated last season (by some way) they appear not to have found their feet yet and they have two home defeats to their name already. It would come as no surprise to see the free scoring Rushden add to that misery. 


Place recommended bet with Hills. Holland (13-10), Luton (Evens) & Rushden (9-5) which adds up to odds of over 12-1. 

Shocks 

Avoid table topping Colchester at Swindon - they have a poor record at the County Ground. 

Young and talented Shrewsbury could upset favourites Bristol Rovers.

Mansfield (a similar outfit to Shrewsbury) should get the better of Kidderminster despite the odds on offer. 


Germany V England

There is little new to add to the comprehensive news coverage of this match throughout the week. I think the bottom line is that the Germans need just a draw to almost be certain of winning the Group. The Germans who are totally ruthless in their preparation / organisation will have a game plan to achieve this result - they rarely fail in such circumstances as their record shows over the last thirty years. Even if England do manage to take the lead, I would anticipate the Germans (who are improving rapidly for their next World Cup bid as they tend to do) to be good enough to equalise. England will no doubt press for the win but have hardly impressed in this competition and will not be good enough to meet the lofty ambitions they hold. I attended the Finland v England match in Helsinki and could not believe how poor the English side was, recent wins against Albania and Greece have not changed my mind. I suspect reality will quickly set in on the night for England in realising they are up against a more than useful side and settling for a draw which would also not be the worst result in the world for them with the play-offs in mind. I'll recommend the draw - I only hope that England are good enough to hang on and that the Germans don't become to ambitious. For those who like an ante-post wager incidentally, Germany to win the World Cup outright (around 14-1 with Hills for example) might be worth an investment. As I have stated, they are an outfit clearly going the right way, and with further improvement to come over the next year look interesting with their World Cup final pedigree behind them. This should be placed before the outcome of this match as they will certainly shorten up if things go as I envisage. 


THE SPY
"I SPY!!" -  ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 1st September 2001

"Something for the weekend?"  - Week 2

The Spy has considered this weekend's football programme, the following represent his conclusions.

Homes 

Arsenal, Ipswich, Gillingham, Wimbledon, Cardiff, Port Vale Hartlepool and Kidderminster

Aways

Leeds, Man U, Colchester, Notts County and Hull City, 

Draws

Blackburn, Southampton, Newcastle, Fulham, Walsall, Wigan and Macclesfield

The shocks

Fulham v Derby - the visitor's as high as 4-1 with Hills are unlikely to role over easily and may stifle enterprising Fulham.

Man City v Crewe - City are heavily odds on to oblige but Crewe are not the worst team in the world and will be keen to kick start their slow start to the season. 

Recommendation

On the whole a difficult week. Take Arsenal, Gillingham and Kidderminster as home winners and combine them with Leeds and Colchester as away wins to small stakes. Suggest also for safety adding two further lines with each of the "aways" included as the draw option with the same home winners. 

THE SPY
"I SPY!!" -  ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 25th August 2001

"Something for the weekend?" 
By The Spy

The Spy has considered this weekend's football programme, the following represent his conclusions.

Homes 
Leeds, Liverpool, Man U, Stoke, Orient, Notts County, Oldham, Hull and Rochdale

Aways
Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Gillingham and Kidderminster 

Draws
Derby, Burnley, Norwich, and Brentford

The shocks

Leicester (seen as a home banker in many people's eyes but in some disarray last season and likely to be held by newcomers Bolton - who have little to lose this year - despite being as short as 8-11) 

Coventry could come unstuck against Midland rivals Wolves despite being strong favourites after their winning start to the campaign. The Derby atmosphere could lift the underdogs. 

Preston appear to be lacking in confidence and should not be entertained at 4-5 against Walsall who will come looking for a draw. 

Bristol City should rollover a poor Swindon side (4-7 to do so) but West Country rivalries may make this a close one to call.

Recommendation

As form still has to settle down we shall be cautious and suggest a small stake five fold home win accumulator. Leeds (1.4/1), Liverpool (1.4/1), Stoke (1.53/1), Hull (1.6/1) and Orient (1.5/1). Place bet with Ladbrokes for best combined odds of 7.2/1. 


THE SPY
"I SPY!!" -  ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 18th August 2001

FOOTBALL BETTING ... WHO'LL WIN THE DIVISIONS - AN UPDATE 
By The Spy

Following the opening exchanges in the Nationwide League encounters at the weekend our recommended bets generally performed well; the obvious exception being Preston who were hammered 5-0 at Gillingham. I have noted in the past that bookmakers tend to overreact to first day poor performances and extend prices considerably which often provides an ideal opportunity to "top up" at larger prices on original recommendations - we did this with Brighton last season (extended from 9-1 to 14-1 after an opening day defeat) - unfortunately with this in mind the opposite has happened and our teams have been shortened up considerably. Preston represent the exception again.

I can find very little comfort from the Preston match reports except for David Moyes (Preston manager) saying that very little went right for them on the day. They also performed badly against Gillingham last season so they might represent Preston's bogey team. However, it is clear they were simply routed and the scoreline could have been worse, and this by a team with just survival ambitions. My fear that this young team's confidence has been shaken by the play off defeat by Bolton seems to hold some merit. Clearly, the defence has been badly affected as demonstrated pre-season for example in their 5-0 defeat by Leeds. But this was the first match of a new season and there is a long time for this talented side (largely unchanged from last year) to find it's feet - the respected Moyes is sure to get it right. Their next match looks an ideal one (home to Walsall) who look sure to try and keep things tight and play for a draw. Preston should be too strong overall and return to winning ways providing a welcome boost to their confidence. If this does transpire, you can guarantee that Hill's offer of 40-1 (twice the price before the Gillingham encounter) will quickly disappear. All in all, with the shortage of quality in this division, these odds look worth taking to small stakes and are big enough to entertain including the each way option. 

The other significant performances at the weekend were the pleasing start by Manchester City over Watford (who it is clear will need more time to be a force) and Coventry who beat lowly Stockport comfortably (another team just looking to survive this year). A little too much in my view has been made of these performances and their shortening odds may be a little hasty. Let's see these sides tested properly before going overboard. Many of the other performances simply confirmed my impressions that the quality is low in this section and that Preston if coming back to their best have significant Championship chances this year.

Recommendation

Preston 40-1 Hills (Championship Each Way)


THE SPY
"I SPY!!" -  ODDS ON SPORT
Monday 13th August 2001

FOOTBALL BETTING - WHO'LL WIN THE DIVISIONS
By The Spy

PREMIER

Championship
Reports in the press have already indicated that the "big hitters" have been out in force with the removal of tax on ante-post football betting to pile into Manchester United to land yet another title - their fourth in succession. They have very obvious claims with additions to their squad making plenty of appeal - their chances are well advertised and need little emphasis from this quarter. Any opposition to them must carry a good chance of failure. With that fact firmly in mind, my suggestion for those looking elsewhere is Leeds (8-1 Coral) who were hugely progressive last season and who represent a team capable of even better as their talented young squad would have gained plenty from their domestic and European experiences last term. A major plus for Leeds this season with their championship prospects in mind is their absence from the European Cup (they have a UEFA Cup place) and all the matches that involves. This will inevitably place resource restraints on Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal which will place burdens on them throughout the campaign especially if they are successful - of course these teams do have the squads to cope with this situation but the disruption caused could lead to dropped points. Hopefully, for those looking to have a financial interest this might let Leeds in the backdoor. Of the others, perhaps only Chelsea (who look to have bought well) and Sunderland merit some respect but Chelsea's backline always looks vulnerable to me and Sunderland on balance still just don't look quite up to the task. 

Relegation

For money buyers look no further than Derby (6-5 with Coral). They were goal shy last year and the ageing Ravanelli does not look the answer - I can see him becoming quickly frustrated and leaving. They have little else to recommend them and seem intent on relying on last year's squad - they simply do not look up to the task. Bolton also look set to struggle and I would add to that list Leicester, Southampton, Blackburn and West Ham. Not much value here though when you consider all the various teams who could get caught up in the battle for survival, although there might be just a little in 4-1 (Sunderlands) offer for the Hammers to lose their Premier status. They were nearly dragged into the issue last season and their fragile defence has been weakened further with the loss of Stuart Pearce. With no replacements at the time of writing, their wonderful attacking prowess could be undone by a threadbare defensive set up which I often regard as crucial to a team's stability. I expect plenty of high scoring matches ending in defeat. The pressure on the West Ham forward line to produce the goals will be intense and bound to fail in the longer term. 

Bet Recommendations

None.

First Division

Championship

Manchester City are the favourites and I have to agree with my colleague Christopher Iles view that they "must be the weakest promotion favourite this season". Anyone who saw their defensive frailties last season will want further reassurance than the arrival of the dependable Stuart Pearce before backing them with any confidence. Coventry have plenty of quality but are also short enough considering much of their talent has been ripped out of the side. They may take a little time to adjust and the loss of Hartson who seemed to fire their end of season escape act is significant. Bradford who also came down just look to have too little quality even at this level. Birmingham and Wolves are interesting and look good enough for the play-offs without perhaps having the overall quality to win this division outright. For me though, the two to concentrate on are Wimbledon (14-1 general) and Preston (20-1 Hills/Coral) who had such good seasons last year. Preston who finished an admirable 4th only to lose out in the play-offs may have further improvement to come as last year was very much a learning experience for them. They look overpriced with the only doubt been the disappointment factor remaining in their minds. Wimbledon who nearly made it to the play-offs had too many draws for success last season but were always hard to beat. If those draws can be turned into victories, they can also go close. Both Preston and Wimbledon have relatively unknown strikers (Connolly and Healy) who may take defences apart with any luck. This could be the basis of championship bids by both teams. Slight doubts about Wimbledon concern the unsettling proposed move to Milton Keynes but the Dons are used to overcoming such troubled times. 

Relegation 

Nothing stands out. Crewe at 150-1 for the championship and 13-5 to be relegated is all wrong as far as I'm concerned. They showed real signs of progress towards the end of last season and pulled easily clear of the relegation zone and were in the top half of the form teams over the second half of the season. With Dario Gradi well up to bringing the best out of a young and improving squad (despite modest overall resources) they make considerable appeal on the handicap betting to win the championship with the even spread of points likely among the big guns and no run away leader likely. 

Bet recommendations

Wimbledon (win championship) 14-1
Preston (win championship) 20-1
Crewe (win championship on handicap with Hills (18-1) (+32 points).

Second Division

Championship

Likely to be a tight section. Any from those with plenty of cash at their disposal (Wigan, Cardiff and Reading), Stoke, Port Vale, Bournemouth, Huddersfield, Tranmere, QPR, Bristol City and Notts County could all make realistic title challenges. Cardiff make plenty of appeal with Sam Hammam trying to repeat his Wimbledon feats and putting his money where his mouth is. Cardiff score goals for fun and it is only their defensive weakness (Spencer Prior may help but more will be needed) which prevents me from being confident about them. Of course, if the defence continues to leak I have no doubt Hammam will step in - this might make them interesting as a mid-season bet. With Huddersfield and Tranmere looking to depend on last year's squads both can mount a serious challenge and could be good enough to prevail. QPR may need more time. So, in conclusion, Reading get the tentative vote after going so close last year. They have plenty of goal scoring options at their disposal and a strong balanced squad (6-1 Surrey represents a fair price). Overall though, too tight to bet on. 

Relegation 

Northampton (11-2 Stan James) appeal. Got themselves in a major rut last season and have not shown much in pre-season to show signs that they have turned the corner. Heavy defeats including by Conference outfit Boston United (5-1) does not augur well for their survival chances. 

Bet recommendations

Northampton (to be relegated) 11-2 (Stan James)

Third Division

Championship

This looks best left to Bristol Rovers (perhaps a shade unlucky to be relegated with a high points total of 51 points last season) Luton (also relegated) and last year's fast finishers Hull City who have been on a wild spending spree. Of the others, Rochdale might go well again without being good enough, Rushden are a club going in the right direction but a Championship might just be beyond them at the first time of asking and Hartlepool and Cheltenham can press for play off places without threatening the top. In what is a close call, the nod just goes to Hull City because of the extra depth to their squad and the ability no doubt to add to that strength if Brian Little (good man to have at the helm) deems it necessary. Gerry Francis, the Bristol Rovers manager does not appear to have that luxury - injuries to key squad members could play their part come next May. Both Shrewsbury and Mansfield were making significant progress last season despite their youthful and inexperienced sides as verified by their second half season performance. Shrewsbury tore apart the Champions Brighton on the last day to show what they were capable of. Both make some appeal on the handicap betting for this section 

Relegation 

Carlisle who are perennial strugglers only just escaped last term. With the same squad at their disposal and pre-season results not encouraging (they have considerable off the field troubles too) they look rock solid value at 7-1 (Hills) to come bottom of this section.


Bet recommendations 

Hull (Championship) (11-2 Super Soccer)
Carlisle (to finish bottom) 7-1 (Hills)
Shrewsbury +27 points with Super Soccer at 17-1 and Mansfield +24 at 17-1 Super Soccer.

Conference

Championship

Another quite competitive heat. Principal challengers to last year's runners up Yeovil include Doncaster, Boston United, Stevenage and Dagenham and Redbridge. Yeovil may struggle to repeat last year's efforts (they have lost their star striker among others) and as favourites look worth opposing. I respect Doncaster's chances (beat the useful Scunthorpe 3-0 on Monday) and look a side going the right way. Boston also fit this criteria and have the finance to back up their effort - sure to be involved although I suspect teams may raise their game against them because of their outspoken manager. The vote goes however to the progressive Dagenham ( 10-1 Surrey) who have continued there fine run from last season in pre-season landing the Essex Cup from Canvey and holding West Ham 2-2 this week. They are a young, talented and energetic side who can go very close this term and they look a little overpriced with these qualities in mind. Farnborough might be the surprise package based on their pre-season form but they should not be good enough in their first season at the end of the day.

Relegation

No views. 

Recommendation

Dagenham and Redbridge (Championship) 10-1 (Surrey)

THE SPY
"I SPY!!" -  ODDS ON SPORT
Friday 10th August 2001

This page was updated - Sunday January 06, 2002 06:57:36 PM