Sports Betting Centre

Sunday, 30 November 2014

New Sports Betting Centre Website Goes Live


Our new-look sister site Sports Betting Centre has gone live.

The site is a purposely minimalist, no-frills online hub for sports news and betting information, specialising in the latest offers, bonuses and promotions. Everything you need to know from the leading sportsbooks will be found on SBC's pages.

Please take a look at the new site at www.sportsbettingcentre.co.uk and bookmark it to keep up to date with all the latest developments in the betting world.

Thursday, 27 November 2014

RIP Phillip Hughes

Today we heard the tragic news that Australian test cricketer Phillip Hughes had passed away, aged 25, after having been in critical condition for two days following his horrific injury whilst playing for South Australia.

The terrible news serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers that sportspeople still encounter on the playing field. In recent years we have witnessed footballers fatally collapsing, and of course sports such as boxing and motor racing have always incorporated an unavoidable element of danger.

It will of course be of no consolation to his grieving family that the condition brought on by his having been hit on the neck by a 90mph bouncer - vertebral artery dissection - is extremely rare.

Those who were playing in the game and who witnessed the tragic accident, including of course bowler Sean Abbott, are said to be being counselled.

Sports Review extends its deepest sympathies to Phillip's family, friends and loved ones at this most difficult time.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

When Will City Begin to be a Force in Europe?

I remain unconvinced by Manchester City as a European soccer superpower in spite of their 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich, probably the world's best club side, last night.

Let us remember that Bayern were already through to the knockout stages as the top team in their Champiions League group. Let us remember too that within twenty minutes of the game they ere down to 10 men. In spite of both these factors, it took two late goals from City to establish their supremacy.

It is difficult to credit that some sportsbooks were offering 13/5 on a City victory at their own ground. This is a team which has benefited from some £1 billion of investment. That such crazy prices were on offer is perhaps indicative of the lack of confidence that soccer pundits have in them on the European stage.

All this aside it would be foolhardy to write the Blues off as contenders for the Champions League title. Any side with the talent and the firepower that Manchester City have must surely be in with a shout.

But City really need to start proving themselves at this level, because their contribution to this tournament thus far has fallen woefully short of expectations.

Monday, 24 November 2014

Sports Bonuses and Promotions

If you know anything at all about sports betting and don't have any moral or religious objections to having an occasional flutter there is real money to be made by exploiting sign-up bonuses and promotions offered by online bookies.

Forget about slogans and clichés about betting being a mug's game - we are not talking here about throwing good money after bad. Instead we are talking about taking cold advantage of the "catchpenny" offered made to potential new customers by most online sportsbooks to get you hooked on betting. Only the trick is you don't get hooked - you just take the bonus.

Generally speaking it goes like this - when you have opened an account with the bookie and deposited funds you will usually be eligible to receive a small bonus as a welcome present. Ordinarily it will not be large - typically in the region of £10-£50, or a percentage of your first bet - and there will be wagering requirements tied to the offer. This means that should your free bet win, or should the bet placed with free bonus money be successful, you will be required to wager the money again a certain set number of times before it can be withdraw back to your money account.

READ THE SMALL PRINT

Some such offers are unattractive. You have to read the terms - or rather the small print attached to the offers - carefully before you commit. Sometimes even free bets are tailored to make you fail.

The free bet is not a con as such, but rather a loss leader. The hope is that you will develop a habit and become a regular but unsuccessful customer. Making money out of free offers and promotions comes from taking the award (if it is viable) and running, once the terms and conditions have been fulfilled.

Another way of cashing in on free bets is to lay them at a betting exchange such as Betfair. Using this method the amount you will take home will be considerably smaller than the quantum of the free bet itself, but you will be guaranteed to be left in pocket.

Many players make several hundreds of pounds by opening accounts with each of the bookies and exploiting free bets and bonuses. Check with a reliable sports reviewer first though to ensure that the sportsbook is trustworthy.


Reproduced with acknowledgements to Money Making Ideas.

Saturday, 22 November 2014

Is Winning 100 Caps Still a Big Deal?

By Ben Carter

Wayne Rooney became the ninth English footballer to win 100 caps last weekend when captaining England to a 3-1 victory against Slovenia. A few days later Yaya Toure reached the same landmark for Ivory Coast. Is it easier to do this now than it was a generation ago?

Some of the world's greatest players played surprisingly few games for their national team.

Dutch legend Johan Cruyff's international career spanned 12 years in the 60s and 70s - the same length as Rooney's career to date - but he only played 48 times for his country. Portuguese forward Eusebio's career lasted 13 years, at roughly the same time, but resulted in just 64 caps.

Meanwhile, the two best players of the current generation - 29-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 27-year-old Lionel Messi - have already won 117 and 96 caps respectively for Portugal and Argentina, and look set to win many more.

How do you explain the discrepancy?

One reason is that fewer international games were played in years gone by. In the 1960s, England played about 10 games per year, whereas now it plays about 12. Over Wayne Rooney's career, to be precise, England have played an annual average of 11.9 games.

This is partly because there are more countries - thanks, for example, to the break-up of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union - and partly because tournaments are getting bigger. For example, 32 teams played to win one of four qualifying spots for the European Championships in 1972 whereas 54 teams will try to win one of 24 berths in the 2020 Euros.

These changes led to England playing 49 qualifiers between 2000 and 2009, compared to 31 between 1970 and 1979. It's no coincidence then that 273 of the 309 players to have reached 100 caps - or 88% - played during the 21st Century.

So what if the greats from the past had played in an era where national teams average nearly 12 games a year?

PROJECTIONS

Our projections show that Pele and Maradona would both have comfortably reached 100 caps had they been playing today, although Cruyff would still have fallen short.

But it's Eusebio whose caps figures increase the most. During his lengthy Portuguese career the national side only played 72 times and he played in 64 of those games, scoring 41 goals. We project that he would have won 138 caps had he been playing today.

Of the four English players who earned 100 caps in the last century - Billy Wright, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton - Wright, who was the England captain from 1948 to 1959, emerges from our recalculation on top, with a staggering 147, while Shilton, who holds the record for most actual England caps at 125, comes out with 142. This is because Wright played 97% of the games for which he was eligible, compared with Shilton's 57%.

Another reason why players today earn more caps is that these are now awarded to players who appear as substitutes.

There were no substitutes in World Cup games until 1970, so before this only 11 players per game could be awarded a cap.

Two substitutes were introduced to all international games in 1988 and this was upped to three in 1995. Up to six substitutes are now allowed in friendly games, so a team can theoretically award 17 caps per game.

When Scotland and England met at Celtic Park on Tuesday, both teams made all six permitted substitutions - once those players stepped on to the pitch, they earned a cap.

UNTHINKABLE

International managers have a changed mindset and the whole culture has shifted from 30 to 40 years ago, when the likes of Sir Alf Ramsey would nearly always pick his first-choice team even for friendlies. There are also requests from clubs these days to perhaps give a player 45 minutes or an hour in an attempt to keep him fresh for club commitments, resulting in more fluidity in selection.

West Bromwich Albion recently unveiled a statue to their legendary attacker Tony Brown. England teams had such a familiar look, and manager Sir Alf Ramsey a tried and trusted first eleven, that he won only one cap, against Wales in 1971. The idea of a player of his calibre winning a single cap these days is unthinkable.  


Reproduced with acknowledgements to BBC News Magazine.

Thursday, 20 November 2014

Premiership Backs in Samoa Starting Line-Up

Visitors Samoa are set two include two Premiership backs in their starting line-up for tomorrow's Rugby Union fixture against England at Twickenham.

Northampton full-back Ken Pisi and Sale centre Johnny Leota join the side which defeated Canada 23-13 in its last outing.

There had been some worrying speculation about the prospects for the game amid reports that the tourists were considering a boycott in protest against their alleged treatment at the hands of the Samoa Rugby Union. However it has now been confirmed that the match will go ahead.

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Ben Burgess on Becoming a Teacher

By Ben Burgess (ex-Brentford - yes, that's my team!)
 
I remember vividly the moment I decided to retire from football.

I'd just signed a two-year contract with Tranmere at the age of 30, but had only managed to complete two training sessions in the first three weeks of pre-season, because of long-standing knee problems.

I wasn't enjoying it and dreaded the thought of spending two more years icing my knees and plugging away in the gym.

We had a friendly against a non-league team and I said to myself that if I couldn't get through the game then I'd retire.

Ten minutes in, I ran/limped over to close down a 45-year-old centre-half who was wearing a gum shield! He faked to clear it down the line and cut inside me with the pace of a wounded snail. I tried to turn, my knee locked and I collapsed on the floor. Game over.

EMOTIONS

Confusion, fear, anger, desperation, apprehension. These are just a few of the emotions running through your head when you realise that the only job you've ever wanted, the only life you've ever known, is coming to an end.

That phone call to my wife after the game was emotional. She knew how painful football had become for me and that I wasn't happy.

When I couldn't walk after a game she would often tell me to retire, but she could never have anticipated me giving it all up one month into a two-year contract.

We have two young children and mortgages to pay for, how can I pay these without football? Can I continue to support my family as I have always wanted to?

I'm only 30, I need to work for at least 30 more years. These are all harrowing thoughts that will enter a footballer's head at some stage.

Breaking the news to my manager at the time, Ronnie Moore, that his big summer signing was retiring a few weeks before the season started was one of the hardest acts of all.

If I'm perfectly honest, I knew I should never have signed for Tranmere.

The moment I was in the secretary's office putting pen to paper should have been a moment of joy and celebration, as it had been when I signed for Blackburn Rovers at 16, or when I signed for Hull City and Blackpool. Instead I felt empty, and inside I wanted to cry.

RETIREMENT SPEECH

So, I'm standing outside Ronnie Moore's office at Prenton Park, all geared up with the retirement speech I'd rehearsed in my head a hundred times.

"The gaffer won't be in until 11, he's got a meeting," one of the scouts informed me. Ninety minutes later I finally had my audience with Ronnie. "What's up big man?" he boomed at me.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to retire boss," I squeaked (not quite believing the words myself).

"Don't be silly," was the reply. "What are you going to do without football?"

"I've got a couple of ideas," I said a bit more forcefully.

"You're not quitting. Go home and have a think and I'll see you in a few days."

I managed to stay strong and finally convinced Ronnie to let me retire.

Saying goodbye to the lads who I'd only known a couple of weeks had me close to tears. It was more the thought of never being in a changing room again, never scoring a goal again, never having that banter again, more than missing anyone in particular.

Now what?

I've played and loved football from the moment I could walk, just like most other players, but I'd reached a point where I'd had enough of the beautiful game and wanted a complete break from it.

COACHING

Friends and colleagues all presumed I'd go into coaching but that's the last thing I wanted.

It appears to me that all players seem to sleepwalk into coaching after retirement, as though it's already been decided for them and they have no choice. Some do make great coaches but others wait and wait for a job to magically appear and slowly see their savings disappear.

All footballers need to realise that there is so much to achieve and enjoy outside of the "football bubble" we have been cocooned in all our lives.

I recall receiving hundreds of texts and phone calls from friends and team-mates wishing me well, but also enquiring about my sanity. Why quit when you've got a contract? You will regret it. Just see out your contract. Too late, my mind was made up.

To play professional football you need to have more skills and strengths than people give us credit for. Determination, leadership skills, ability to work in a team, performance under pressure, focus and adaptability... just some of the unique skills we all possess that are transferable to the outside world. What employer would not want an employee with those credentials on their CV?

VOCATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL COURSES

While still playing I took advantage of the Professional Footballers' Association's fantastic range of vocational and educational courses. I completed a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting at Staffordshire University. This was followed by some radio commentary with the BBC and a few articles for sports magazines. A future in journalism did appeal to me but I had my heart set on becoming a teacher.

A month after retiring, I started to study for a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). This intense one-year course leads to qualified teacher status.

"Teaching won't pay the bills," I was repeatedly informed by family and friends, and I did fear that I could spend a year training and still not get a job.

I wasn't a wild footballer with flashy clothes and cars. I had invested well and, as my wife is a self-employed graphic designer, I was in a position to take a year out without it affecting our family finances too much. There's no doubt that my current wage is only a fraction of previous salaries. But I'm supporting my family, I've created a whole new career and there is a clear path of progression that will hopefully see my salary increase.

Later that year I had to start going for interviews. Sat in a waiting room, amongst nervous 22-year-olds, a decade their senior, all competing for the same job. I was able to put things into perspective. I'd played at Wembley in front of 80,000 people, I'd taken penalties live on TV, I'd been verbally abused by thousands of fans (some were my own), so why should I be nervous about sitting in front of a panel of five people or teaching in front of a class of 35 eight-year-olds?

I was successful in the first interview and have just completed my first year as a teacher.

UPS AND DOWNS

Just like football there's been ups and downs. I've had goals to achieve, I've had pressure on me, I've dealt with an intimidating crowd (of eight-year-olds). Most of all, though, I've had a really enjoyable year where each day is different.

The changing room has been replaced by a staff room full of women, but the banter is still there, albeit with less swearing and no look-a-likes pinned above their seat.

Other teachers have accepted me, even though a couple were booing 'The Bird Man' (my nickname because of my flapping arms celebration) from the stands a couple of years ago, for the majority I'm just Ben.

Nothing quite compares to scoring a goal, but watching a child finally grasp what you've spent hours teaching them, or to watch a boy who hates reading pick up a book and talk passionately about it, comes pretty close. In football I was ambitious and determined to be the best player I could. In teaching I have the same ambitions. I want to climb the ladder to be a headmaster.

Do I miss football? Not anywhere near as much as I thought I would.

I spend fun-packed weekends with my children. I don't spend all Sunday and Monday limping around with ice strapped to my knees. What has surprised me though is the distance that I have become estranged from former team-mates.

Whenever I speak to ex-team-mates/current players they really struggle to even contemplate that I'm doing something outside of football. They don't enquire about my 'new' life. All talk just reverts back to the changing room or other football-related chat that only a few years ago I would be spouting myself.

A DIFFERENT PATH

I chose a different path, one that works for me. I understand everyone has different ideas and dreams but I'd just advise footballers to keep an open mind.

So when that moment comes for a footballer to think about retirement, there are many transferable skills, which would be an asset to an employer. Instead of being paralysed by fear and apprehension, hopefully they will feel excitement and a sense of opportunity at the next stage of their working life, which could well be until they are 68.

Reproduced with acknowledgements to BBC Sport.