Spain World Cup Win Costs Stan James Dear

Leading telephone and internet bookmakers Stan James were this morning counting the cost of refunding all losing stakes (to a maximum of £250) on the outright market placed prior to the World Cup as a free bet if pre-tournament favourites Spain obliged.

Head of PR Charlie McCann: “The final was a double whammy in that we paid back all losing bets on the goalscorer markets given the game went into extra time but all our punters who backed a nation other than Spain pre-tournament will have their stake back in their account this morning. We won’t know just how much it has cost us until the refund has been reinvested on this week’s Open Championship perhaps or indeed the forthcoming StanJames.com World Matchplay darts which begins in Blackpool on Saturday. We bet 20/1 that England land the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and even at that price don’t envisage many of our customers reinvesting on the Three Lions.”

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Should England Sack Fabio Capello?

England were very poor, so poor, the question has to be asked, should the manager, Fabio Capello be sacked? He earns a reported £6m a year, was that value for money?

A shocking disallowed goal and four strikes by a rampant Germany have sent a sorry England crashing out of the World Cup. The disallowed goal was a shocker, and goal line technology has to come in, but it is only 5/1 to do so. But it wouldn’t have mattered, England won one game against Slovenia and there was nothing encouraging, a shadow of the England we saw in qualification.

I think we saw a glimmer of what really went on when John Terry let the cat out of the bag. It was clear that all was not well in the camp and you can’t win World Cups unless your team morale is high. Something clearly was not right, was it the discipline? The fact that he told multimillionaires that they couldn’t see their wives? Was it a case of mutiny and too much bounty?

I was told that one England World Cup player wasn’t bothered about playing for England and had to be persuaded several times, he would rather have gone on holiday. The cash he would earn was less than a weeks wages. I wonder if the status and salaries these players now enjoy means they are not motivated and certainly being told what they can and can’t do or even say probably doesn’t sit well.

Is it fair to blame the manager?

Well it is not his fault the players didn’t perform, we have seen that they can. However there is clearly something not right with his relationship with the England players and unlike at club level he can’t now transfer in or out a new set. There is no reason to assume that if there is an issue that it will suddenly get any better. He also seems to rate Emile Heskey and clearly failed to look at the player stats before picking his team. With two goals needed he brought off Defoe and put on Heskey, that was poor. I would personally sack the manager, but they gave him a new contract just before the World Cup.  That defies belief! What we need is someone who is passionate, has the respect of the players, understands the English game and above all is English, I think it matters.

Fabio Capello has already said he will not resign, but why would he, he has a big payout coming if the FA do want to get rid of him. He and his advisers are no fools are they? The football fans are being taken for fools though in my view. That was a poor show and our nation deserves better. We deserve passion and commitment.

World Cup 2010

Next England Manager?

England  Should Appoint David Beckham?

I would now appoint David Beckham as manager but have someone as a consultant or mentor, like Terry Venables who he can turn to for advice. It gives us a couple of years to regroup. I say give him a two year contract, that should be the norm for England managers. He has the respect of the players, is committed to England and what have we got to lose? We have tried experience and big names with big CV’s. If not Beckham then Alan Shearer. I think Club management is so different that by having someone not saddled with all that experience could make a difference. I think David Beckham would be a great choice. He is also 33/1 to be the next England Manager.

Harry Redknapp..7/4
Roy Hodgson..7/2
Stuart Pearce..7/1
Martin O’Neill..10/1
Jose Mourinho..12/1
Sam Allardyce …12/1
Arsene Wenger…14/1
Steve Bruce.. 16/1
Mark Hughes…16/1
Guus Hiddink..20/1
Alan Shearer…25/1
David Beckham…33/1

Who are you now supporting?

For me its Spain. Hate the Germans and the Argies. Brazil is the glory hunters option and I don’t like Orange much, so Spain is the team I have now adopted for the World Cup!

Argentina Throw Down World Cup Gauntlet, World Cup Betting Update

Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat-trick as Argentina won 4-1 against South Korea in the World Cup on Thursday afternoon. They will no doubt be shorted in the World Cup Betting.

Diego Maradona‘s team took the lead after 16 minutes at Johannesburg’s Soccer City when Lionel Messi‘s free-kick into the box struck the standing foot of Chu-Young Park and flew into the South Korea net.

World Cup Betting Tips

Argentina World Cup betting Favs


Higuain favourite to top score as ARGENTINA NEW FAVOURITES FOR WORLD CUP

ARGENTINA have been slashed from 13/2 to 9/2 clear favourites for the World Cup by William Hill following their victory over S Korea. ‘All of a sudden punters seem to have changed their opinion of Maradona being the maddest manager in the world to being the most marvellous. We’ll see.’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Hills now make Brazil and Spain 5/1 jt second favourites and also offer 7/1 Germany; 8/1 England and Holland; 14/1 Italy; 25/1 France and Portugal.
GONZALO HIGUAIN is now 7/4 favourite to be World Cup top scorer with William Hilo who also offer 8/1 Forlan and Messi; 9/1 David Villa; 10 Klose; 11 Rooney; 12 Fabiano; 14 Van Persie.

GROUP B….1/200 Argentina; 50/1 Greece; S Korea….To qualify: 4/7 S Korea; 5/2 Nigeria; 7/2 Greece.