The Green-Eyed Monster heads to White Hart Lane - Betting News with Betfred

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It is a case of those ' who want to' facing those ' who already have' at White Hart Lane on Sunday when Liverpool take on Tottenham Hotspur.

The North London side finished in the top four last season and have now qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League after some inspirational performances - and their form is reflected in their price this weekend, 11/10 to beat the red half of Merseyside.

How jealous Reds fans must be as they are forced to make do with a place in the Europa League competition, as well as seeing their side faltering in the Premier League. Indeed, the Premier League best odds make Liverpool 4/1 to finish in the top 4 this season compared to the 9/4 on offer for Spurs to do likewise.

Roy Hodgson will be hoping that Spurs have an off day after their Champions League win over Werder Bremen on Wednesday night. For inspiration he is likely to look at some of Spurs' previous results following their midweek European exertions, which include defeats at the hands of both Wigan and Bolton.

Liverpool are looking to end a poor run of form on the road, where they have taken just three points from 21 this season, and have won only twice away from Anfield since December 2009.
They are 13/5 in the football betting to take all three points on Sunday.

What must be of worry to Reds' fans is how regularly their side have conceded goals on the road, and now they travel to face a Spurs team that has been free-scoring in recent weeks.

Earlier in the week Christian Poulsen said Liverpool need to get "better and better" away from home, and they can be sure that their top four credentials will be truly tested at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Spurs are capable of ripping any side apart going forward with their free-flowing attacking football, just look how they destroyed defending European Champions Inter Milan, so this is a daunting examination for Liverpool.

Harry Redknapp's side look full of confidence and self-belief - the exact opposite to Hodgson's troubled troops. A lot will depend on how Liverpool cope with the man-of-the-moment, Welshman Gareth Bale, who is 8/1 to score the first goal, and the buy of the season so far, Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart.
It seems that if you can nullify their presence in midfield, then you are a huge step closer to getting a result over the Londoners.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Spurs have looked in great scoring form, but they are also susceptible to conceding, and the same can be said of Liverpool, so even money with Betfred for more than 2.5 goals in the game seems a good option. Also with leaky defences on both sides Betfred's 4/5 that both teams will score looks very tempting.

Sunday 28th November: Tottenham v Liverpool, kick-off 4pm, Live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Five 'Not So Fab' Faces as France Flourish!

Last Wednesday night England's very own Roman emperor and general, Mr.Fabio Capello led our national football team into battle. The outcome was another woeful, hapless and altogether thoroughly embarrassing performance, which ended inevitably in defeat.

What makes the 2-1 'friendly' defeat even more galling is that the opposition were France, who less than six months ago were in total disarray themselves, as disharmony on and off the park at the World Cup led to an unprecedented and almost catastrophic collapse within the ranks of the French Football Federation.

At the tournament last summer, Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka reportedly clashed with Raymond Domenech at half-time during their second group game against Mexico, and was sent home from the World Cup for 'verbally abusing' his coach.
The rest of the France squad refused to train in protest at the decision, and Domenech had to read out a statement from them explaining their actions.

The FFF managing director Jean-Louis Valentin resigned in disgust, and even French President Nicolas Sarkozy was called upon in an attempt to defuse the situation!

In the end France were eliminated for failing to deliver on the pitch, and were thus eliminated at the group stage of the tournament, with Domenech refusing to shake the hand of South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after the final group game.

Domenech 'stood down' as France coach after the tournament and former Manchester United defender Laurent Blanc replaced Domenech in July.

The World Cup controversies subsequently forced FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes to resign, while head of state Nicolas Sarkozy pledged to personally lead an investigation.

It doesn't end there either, as Domenech is now currently seeking £2.5m in severance pay, claiming he was made a 'scapegoat' for his team's poor World Cup performance.

The trauma following such a dramatic chain of events, you would understandably think might take a football nation quite a while to overcome.

On the contrary in fact - Blanc has adapted incredibly well, and his side sit top of their Euro 2012 qualifying group after four games.

After 90 minutes at Wembley this week, in which England's players were outfought, outthought and outplayed so comprehensively by their French opponents, here is an interesting statistic worth noting in terms of the resources available to both nations - ' There are currently 41 French professionals playing football in England right now, and not one Englishmen playing in France.'

The reaction of the England football team to its failure at the World Cup could not be more different to that of our counterparts across the English Channel.
We continue to deliver abject sub-standard performances, while France, once the phoenix consumed by flames, has risen again from the ashes..........and in quick fire time!

How and why is this the case?
A new manager.............enough said!

Leryn Franco - South American Athletics Babe

Leryn Dahiana Franco Steneri (born 1 March 1982 in Asunción, the capital city of Paraguay, of Uruguayan parentage). Leryn's natural beauty and her sporting prowess, allows her to pursue a career in athletics, as well as one of a professional model.

Her athletic career started in 1998 at the age of 16, breaking national records in both the javelin and triple jump. She eventually chose the javelin throw as her area of expertise. She went on to win javelin bronze in 1999 and 2000 at the South American Junior Championships, and in 2001 she walked away with top honours. Leryn was South American under-23 Champion in 2004, and in doing so she won herself a place on the Olympic team at the Athens Games, in 2004.

At the Pan American Games in 2007, Franco broke her own personal record, earning her the chance to represent her country at the Olympics for the second time, in Beijing, in 2008. She also gained notoriety through her participation in the opening ceremonies.

As a model and beauty pageant contestant Leryn was the runner-up in the 'Miss Universo Paraguay' competition in 2006 and also in the 'Miss Bikini Universe' pageant the same year. She also has her own calendar, which was shot in 2007 by Martin Crespo.

She has been romantically linked with Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, after they met at the Beijing Olympics.

Read more at: Leryn Franco/Facebook and Leryn Franco/Twitter

Toffees Need To Stick It To The Gunners - Betting News with Betfred

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Everton have been painfully shy in front of goal all season but are going to need their strikers to be on top form if they are to get all three points against Arsenal on Sunday at Goodison Park.

Arsene Wenger's men are riding high in the league despite losing three games and looking shaky. The defeat against Newcastle showed the continued fragility of goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and the Gunners rode their luck against Wolves in midweek to earn a win.

Everton have recovered from the early season jitters to climb the Premier League table, and should certainly not be on the end of a 6-1 home thrashing like they were in this fixture last season. However despite home advantage and an improvement in results recently, the Toffees are still the outsiders in the Premier League betting at odds of 12/5 for the win with Betfred compared to the 6/5 on offer for Arsenal to take all three points.

David Moyes earned the manager of the month award for October, but he knows his team could be even higher if his misfiring strikers could score on a more regular basis.

Yakubu and Louis Saha have struggled as Everton have scored only 13 goals so far this season, but now the Toffees fans are hoping that Jermaine Beckford can be the one to fire them up the table.

He has been poor so far, but finally came to life with a brilliant last-minute goal against Bolton in midweek, the type of goal his team-mate Leighton Baines claims he has been doing "quite regularly" in training.

"He has now proved he can be a valuable asset for the club," said the defender.

While one goal does not a goalscoring legend make, it could fill the Everton fans with some optimism - especially as the Arsenal rearguard looks more vulnerable than in recent seasons. Beckford is 8/1 in the football odds to be first goalscorer, so this could be a good option, if the game is stalemate going into the latter stages.

With the right pressure in the correct areas the Blues should be able to cause the Gunners defensive problems, but they will have to be wary as the likes of Fabregas, Wilshire, Walcott, Chamakh and Arshavin could really trouble them on the break

My Tip of the Weekend:

Expect a tight game in which Arsenal will be too strong and take all three points back to London with a 1-0 win, a result which is 6/1 with Betfred.

Sunday 14th November: Everton v Arsenal, kick-off 2pm, Live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Classic Football Quotations said by Football Fans or about Football Fans - Part Three

Supporting a second team in the Premier League is like Yasser Arafat saying he has a soft spot for Judaism - NICK HANCOCK, TV presenter and Stoke City fan, 1997.

It's bad enough having to go and watch Bristol City without having things stolen - JUDGE DESMOND VOWDEN QC, sentencing a man who stole from a City fan's car, 1984.

Football violence is like smoking. If you try it once and hate it, you don't do it again. But if you try it once and like it, it's bloody hard to give up - DOUGIE & EDDY BRIMSON, self-confessed Watford hooligans, in their book Everywhere We Go, 1996.

There are more hooligans in the House of Commons than at a football match - BRIAN CLOUGH, Nottingham Forest manager, 1980.

We seem to be lumbered with the 'Inger-lund, Inger-lund, Inger-lund' chant. That may be boring but at least everyone knows the words - HELEN JOSLIN, Football Supporters' Association official, as England reached the semi-finals of the European Championships, 1996.

If it was one of our meat pies, it could have done more damage than a brick - ANDY RITCHIE, Oldham manager, after food was thrown at the referee during an FA Cup tie v Chelsea, 1999.

They're not happy in Burnley unless they're moaning. You could win 5-0 and they still wouldn't be happy. They're good folk but they'll moan about owt - STAN TENNENT, Burnley manager, 2003.

What a nightmare. I'm a Tottenham fan and I get cuffed to you - TONY ADAMS, Arsenal captain, on what was said by the prisoner handcuffed to him following his arrest for drink-driving, 1998.

Trying to explain why we hate Palace is like trying to explain why grass is green and vomit limp. We just do - ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER, poet-ranter and Brighton fan, 1995.

You won't get me flicking on a (football) phone-in. I'd rather listen to a game of chess on the radio. Phone-ins are platforms for idiots - JOE ROYLE, Manchester City manager, 2001.

I must have done all right for them to gob all over me - STEVE JONES, Bournemouth striker, after running a gauntlet of Birmingham fans, 1994.


To see more classic quotations made by Fans, Managers, Chairmen and Players alike posted on this site previously, type Quotations into the search box in the top left hand corner of the page).

Part One of The World's Wackiest Sports - The Rock Paper Scissors World Championships

All aboard if you’re looking for a truly unique experience.
Book some cheap flights to Toronto, Canada in time for for the annual ' Yahoo! Rock Paper Scissors World Championships ' which are being held on the 14th November 2010, at the Steam Whistle Brewery.

Now, we have all taken part in this game at sometime in our lives, whether it be in the school playground or down the pub – but here the stakes are a lot higher, as the winners will end up clutching C$10,000 (£6,179) in the hands that brought them to victory, not to mention bragging rights of being able to call yourself 'World Champion of Rock Paper Scissors.'

What’s more, they are officially sanctioned by the World Rock Paper Scissors Society.
The World RPS Society is dedicated to the promotion of Rock Paper Scissors as a fun and safe way to resolve disputes. The World RPS Society is involved in many areas of the sport, such as: research studies, workshops, tournaments at both local and international levels, book publishing, and much more.

As with most sports, the World RPS Society has established a code of ethics, formally known as the:

World RPS Player’s Responsibility Code.

These regulations are put forth in addition to standard game rules in order to ensure the safety and respectability of the game around the world. The responsibilities game players are expected to adhere to include:

• Remove all jewellery and watches for the sake of safety.
• Agree to the number of rounds before you begin playing.
• Reconsider your options before using Rock Paper Scissors to make decisions that could affect your livelihood.
• Always be aware of the differences in foreign cultures. In some areas, shooting signs with your hands is simply unacceptable.

There are dozens of other rules for RPS play. All are published online and can be seen here at the World RPS Society website.

The Secret to Winning at RPS:

Contrary to what you might think RPS is not simply a game of luck or chance. While it is true that from a mathematical perspective the 'optimum' strategy is to play randomly, it still is not a winning strategy for two reasons.
First, 'optimum' in this case means you should win, lose and draw an equal number of times (hardly a winning strategy over the long term).
Second, humans, try as they might are terrible at trying to be random, in fact often humans in trying to approximate randomness become quite predictable. So knowing that there is always something motivating your opponent's actions, there are a couple of tricks and techniques that you can use to tip the balance in your favour.

Basically, there are two ways to win at RPS:

The first way is to take one throw away from your opponent options. ie - If you can get your opponent to not play rock, then you can safely go with scissors as it will win against paper and stalemate against itself. Seems impossible right? Not if you know the subtle ways you can manipulate someone. The art is to not let them know you are eliminating one of their options.

The second way is to force you opponent into making a predictable move. Obviously, the key is that it has to be done without them realizing that you are manipulating them.

Most of the following techniques use variations on these basic principles. How well it works for you depends upon how well you can subtly manipulate your opponent without them figuring out what you are doing. So, now that the background is out of the way, let's take a look into these techniques.

History of the World RPS Society:

The Paper Scissors Stone Club was founded in London, England in 1842 immediately following the issuance of the1842 law declaring "any decision reached by the use of the process known as Paper Scissors Stone between two gentleman acting in good faith shall constitute a binding contract. Agreements reached in this manner are subject to all relevant contract and tort law."

In 1918, the name was changed to World RPS Club in to reflect the growing International representation. At roughly the same time the Club moved its headquarters from London to its present location at Trinity Plaza in Toronto, Canada. Despite the allied victory, the official reason for the move was "England is far too dangerous a place to make a suitable home country for a game of conflict resolution." Canada was seen as an excellent choice since it was seen as a "safe, hospitable and utterly inoffensive nation, a part of the commonwealth, yet not inhabited by the descendants of criminals."

In 1925 when the club briefly reached over 10,000 members, the name was changed again to The World RPS Society.

Breaking News:

It is my sad duty to announce the passing of Wojek Smallsoa, Chairman of the World RPS Society Steering Committee. After a life-long battle with living, Chairman Smallsoa's mortal Paper was snipped short at the age of 87. Due to the gravity of the situation, a period of mourning within the Society will be recognized which forces the cancellation of the 2010 World Championships of RPS.

At this point no date has been set for the 2011 World Championship, nor who will be entitled to Mr. Smallsoa's coveted parking spot in front of Trinity Square Plaza in Toronto.

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