PUNTERS BET ON BROKEN HART
Portsmouth’s Paul Hart has been the heaviest backed manager in William Hill’s ‘first Premiership boss to go’ market. Hart is now 4/1 favourite, having been backed down from 6/1, with Phil Brown and Alex McLeish the 9/2 joint second favourites, and Mark Hughes 6/1 fourth favourite. ‘Pompey’s financial woes and their lacklustre form at the end of the last campaign undoubtedly explain the gamble on Hart, but if their takeover goes through shortly and they are able to bring players in, their situation could change rapidly’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.
HILLS: FIRST PREM BOSS TO GO…4/1 Hart; 9/2 Brown; McLeish; 6/1 Hughes;16 Martinez;McCarthy; Megson; 20 Benitez; Hodgson; Pulis; Zola; 25 Ancelotti; Allardyce; Bruce; 28 Wenger; 33 Coyle; O’Neill; Redknapp; 40 Moyes; Ferguson.
DEFOE TO START AGAINST CROATIA?
AFTER HIS two goal performance against Holland, Jermain Defoe is a 9/4 chance with William Hill to start (1/3 not to) England’s next World Cup qualifying match against Croatia – and the same price to be in the starting line up when England kick off their World Cup finals campaign.
Hills make David Beckham an Even money chance to be in England’s starting line up in their opening World Cup finals game, 8/11 not to. Gareth Barry is 5/6 to start, 5/6 not to.
GINOLA GEORDIE BOSS?
DAVID GINOLA is 25/1 to be Newcastle boss on January 1, 2010 with William Hill, who make Alan Shearer 2/1 joint favourite, and also offer 2/1 Chris Hughton, 7/2 Colin Calderwood, 8/1 Kevin Keegan, 10/1 Joe Kinnear, 16/1 Alan Curbishley, 16/1 Aidy Boothroyd, 25/1 Lee Clark, 25/1 Steve Bruce, 25/1 Glenn Hoddle. ‘Ginola appears to have indicated that he’d quite like to be Newcastle boss, and as an ex-player he’d probably be more popular with the fans than most. After all, he doesn’t have much less managerial experience than Alan Shearer’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.
BURN-ING MONEY?
WILLIAM HILL have taken a bet of £300 on Burnley winning the Premiership at odds of 2500/1 – in a Hampstead, London betting shop. ‘It is fair to say that this was the most unexpected bet we have taken on the title race, and we have cut their odds to, er, 2000/1’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe, ‘But it wasn’t such a shock to take a £10,000 bet on Manchester City, in the form of a £5000 each-way wager. Burnley and City are our worst potential outcomes in the title race but it is fair to say we are taking one of them more seriously than the other!’
LATEST WILLIAM HILL PREMIERSHIP TITLE ODDS: 15/8 Chelsea; 23/10 Man U; 4 Liverpool; 9 Arsenal; 11 Man City; 2000 Burnley.
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