Monday, January 09, 2006

Xabi Alonso for Liverpool (vs Luton), 7 August 2006



The magic of the FA Cup, isn't it? Hmmm?

It's frequently called the best weekend of the football calendar, and it certainly didn't disappoint, with lots of great games, a few cracking goals and, most importantly, a few shocks. Where do you start? Huddersfield giving Chelsea a game at Stamford Bridge? Luton giving the European champions a bit of a fright? Millwall holding Everton? Nuneaton deservedly holding Boro? Torquay holding Birmingham? Leyton Orient beating Fulham? Leicester beating Spurs?

All great results, but I think my favourite was seeing plucky northerners Manchester United being given a financial lifeline by holding the mighty Burton Albion to a draw and a lucrative replay. Their reward if they get through that? Another payday when they take on the mighty, mighty Wolves at Molineux. If they get past Burton that is...

Tee Hee.

---

I see that some lucky punter from Liverpool made £25,000 out of a bet on Xabi Alonso scoring from the half way line at some point this season. Apparently he watched him try it a few times last season, and thought it was worth a punt. Some punt though. How many goals are scored from behind the halfway line every season? It can't be many - certainly for Premiership teams. The last one I can remember is David Beckham against Spurs about ten years ago. But this guy didn't only bet that someone would score one this season, he also nominated the player. That's quite a bet. Even more so when you hear that this guy was so confident that he put £200 on it. And fair play to him - it came in.

Is it just me who thinks that the odds of 125/1 are a bit stingy?

4 comments:

LB said...

I don't understand what in God's name prompts you to wake up one morning and think "I know! I'll put £200 (yes, £200) on Dirk Diggler lookalike Xabi Alonso to score from his own half this season!"

Mad.

I had a tenner on Liverpool to win the game at 3-1 down, though. Although I also had a tenner on Celtic to beat Clyde when 2-0 down, so what you gain on the swings....

weenie said...

What were the odds on Burton getting a draw?

Now that it's been mentioned that United need the cash from the replay, could they have deliberately played for a draw? Or were they really that bad against the non-leaguers?

swisslet said...

well they are quite cosy with Burton (they played a friendly at the start of the season that opened Burton's new stadium), and I have heard it mentioned that they could have done it deliberately....

really though? It's the only competition they can realistically win, isn't it?

ST

Anonymous said...

Just imagine if some poor sod had had £200 quid on Pedro Mendes to score from his own half last season?