May 2011

The forum on Man Utd star's retirement

Manchester United Photo

The tributes for former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes have come flooding in on the Betfair football forum after the ten-time Premier League winner announced his retirement. Read more

Dutch coach again rated Chelsea favourite

Chelsea Photo

A lack of alternatives appears to be the main reason that Guus Hiddink is once again the frontrunner to return to Stamford Bridge for a second spell in charge, with Harry Redknapp considered his main rival. Read more

Swansea become football's latest fairytale

Swansea City Photo

Every season nowadays there seems to be a special play-off winner and this year was no exception as Swansea beat Reading to earn the right to be the Premier League's first ever Welsh representatives. Read more

Andy Gray

No Gray Areas - the season's best bits

Manchester United Photo

Following the conclusion of a memorable Premier League campaign, our main man Andy Gray runs through his highlights, picking out the best player, manager, match, new addition and the unsung hero. Read more

Houllier's health to halt West Ham's plans

West Ham United Photo

It has been suggested that the possibility of a Premier League vacancy emerging at Aston Villa could yet scupper West Ham's plans to hire Sam Allardyce as their manager ahead of their Championship adventure. Read more

International Friendly Betting: Nigeria v Argentina

There's international friendly action to look forward to on ESPN on Wednesday night as Argentina's fringe players bid to stake a claim for a place in their Copa America squad when they travel to Nigeria. Read more

The Betfair Football £10 Bet of the Day

For our final ever Bet of the Day we're heading to the third tier in Sweden - the main reason being that there aren't many alternative options today - and backing IK Sleipner to shut out struggling Motala. Read more

Big odds on Betfair as Peterborough go up

Unsurprisingly, the best prices were offered on Betfair on the half-time/full-time results of both the Championship and League One play-off finals, as well as the 3-0 margin of victory that Peterborough enjoyed. Read more

Man Utd see Scholes successor at Spurs

Luka Modric is believed to be Manchester United's preferred option to take Paul Scholes' place in heart of the Red Devils midfield after the Old Trafford legend confirmed his retirement at the age of 36. Read more

Arsenal braced for fresh fight for Fabregas

The summer hasn't truly started until talk of Cesc Fabregas abandoning Arsenal for Barcelona is in full flow, so Tuesday's rumours that the Champions League winners are preparing a fresh bid are no huge shock. Read more

Find out how to get Betfair on your phone!

Been trying to download the Betfair Mobile application but had no joy? Fret no more, as there's now a site you can visit to get a link sent to your phone to install the product that allows you to bet on the move. Read more

Bet up to £25 risk-free on Swansea victory

New Betfair customers can stake up to £25 on their first bet after opening an account and have the money refunded if they lose. Why not take advantage of this offer with a bet on Swansea defeating Reading? Read more

Allardyce said to be offered West Ham gig

There are rumours that Sam Allardyce has been presented a deal with a generous pay packet and big promotion bonus in an attempt to convince him to drop down into the Championship and manage West Ham. Read more

Back Huddersfield to secure promotion

The Champions League Final will be the most watched tie of the weekend but the League One and League Two play-off finals are a big deal too. Here are the bets we are planning for both Old Trafford showdowns... Read more

Republic of Ireland to seal trophy with win

Giovanni Trapattoni's side have been in sparkling form so far in the first ever Carling Nations Cup, thumping Wales 3-0 and Northern Ireland 5-0, so should be backed at above evens to overcome Scotland. Read more

Andy's Final tips - Man Utd will beat Barca

Our top tipster Andy Gray is confident that Manchester United can turn the odds upside down in Saturday's much anticipated Champions League Final and defeat a brilliant Barcelona side in 90 minutes. Read more

Five must-know Barcelona v Man Utd stats

Regardless of how many different clubs have contested them, there are several similarities between almost every Champions League Final. We've picked out five that could help you make money on the Wembley showdown... Read more

Bet on Man Utd - get a refund if they fail!

New Betfair customers can stake up to £25 on their first bet after opening an account and have the money refunded if they lose. Why not take advantage of this offer by backing Manchester United to beat Barcelona? Read more

Andy Gray's Barcelona vs Man Utd best XI

If you had to pick the best manager and 11 players out of the incredible array of talent that will be on display in this weekend's Champions League Final, who would you go for? We asked Betfair's UK Football Ambassador Andy Gray... Read more

Iniesta talks to Betfair prior to Man Utd tie

World Cup Final goalscorer, Ballon d'Or podium finisher and one of the best midfielders in the world Andres Iniesta has spoken exclusively to Betfair just days before the Champions League Final about the match, his favourite Manchester United players, Barcelona's season and his team-mates... Read more

Maldini's Barcelona vs Man Utd verdict

Keen to hear a Spanish view on Saturday's Champions League Final? Well, look no further because we've quizzed our Spanish Football Ambassador Maldini about the Wembley showdown, in which he anticipates Barcelona claiming a narrow victory. Read more

Andy Gray on the current Man Utd team

Our star pundit Andy Gray doesn't understand why the current Manchester United team have faced criticism for showing a grittiness that should be admired, and thinks that they will surprise a few at Wembley. Read more

Huge support for the Chelsea job favourite

Support continues to grow for Harry Redknapp in the battle to be appointed Chelsea's next manager despite such an appointment appearing unlikely for a number of reasons. Is he heading to Stamford Bridge? Read more

The Betfair Football £10 Bet of the Day

For the third time this week, we're turning to the Russian second tier for our £10 wager, and who can blame us given that our first two visits have proven successful? Once again, Volgar-Gazprom are our team... Read more

Liverpool linked with a relegated defender

Kenny Dalglish appears to be focussing on players with Premier League experience as he looks to guide Liverpool back into the Champions League, with Birmingham's Scott Dann the latest target mentioned. Read more

Man Utd can achieve the almost impossible

Our expert Manchester United previewers are backing the final match of the season to be the most glorious of the lot for the Reds, predicting that they will overcome Barcelona in the Champions League Final at Wembley. Read more

Spurs manager first choice for Chelsea job

Harry Redknapp has overtaken Guus Hiddink as the favourite to take charge of Chelsea following the dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti, yet his CV pales in comparison to several of the other leading contenders. Read more

QPR linked with another ex-Chelsea boss

First it was Claudio Ranieri and now it's Carlo Ancelotti that the tabloids claim is a managerial target for promoted QPR, with rumours refusing to fade despite the constant pledges of support for Neil Warnock. Read more

Maldini's Barcelona vs Man Utd best XI

Betfair's Spanish Football Ambassador Maldini had no room for Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs or David Villa when we asked him to choose the best team he could think of combining the players involved in this year's Champions League Final... Read more

The forum on West Ham's next manager

Will the favourite to lead West Ham, Sam Allardyce, really take a job outside the Premier League? Is Neil Warnock being axed by QPR as likely as some say? Here's what the Betfair football forum users think... Read more

Contract clause unlikely to affect Liverpool

Another scramble to sign Charlie Adam is likely to engulf the Premier League this summer, though on this occasion predicted protagonists such as Liverpool and Tottenham stand a greater chance of success. Read more

The Betfair Football £10 Bet of the Day

After two successive triumphs betting in the Russian second tier, it's back to top division action for us this evening as we back GAIS to defeat fellow mid-table side Hacken in the Swedish Allsvenskan. Read more

England winger adds to Aston Villa's woes

Ashley Young isn't the only Aston Villa player considering a move to a bigger club after Stewart Downing revealed that he isn't prepared to commit to a new deal and is eager to play in the Champions League. Read more

Two targets in Sunderland's striker hunt

Demba Ba and Peter Crouch have both been mentioned over the last 24 hours as potential summer signings for Sunderland as they bid to build on their first top-half Premier League finish in a decade. Read more

Ex-Real Madrid manager linked to Chelsea

Manuel Pellegrini's agent has claimed that his current side Malaga have been approached by Chelsea asking for permission to speak to the former Real Madrid boss, though he is expected to stay in Spain. Read more

Arsenal boss plans to spend big in Spain

Arsene Wenger appears set to live up to his promise that Arsenal would be busy doing business in the transfer market this summer having admitted his interest in signing Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. Read more

Four-man fight develops for West Ham job

Chris Hughton, Sam Allardyce, Dave Jones and Martin O'Neill are proving almost inseparable in the Betfair market for next West Ham manager, with every single contender available to back at [5.7] or longer. Read more

The Betfair Football £10 Bet of the Day

After Tuesday's success betting on Russian 1. Division action, we're excitedly heading back for more and putting our faith in newcomers Torpedo Vladimir outclassing the experienced campaigners of Ural. Read more

Newcastle set sights on French forward

Lorient's 21-goal attacker Kevin Gameiro has emerged as Newcastle's number one target as they try to finally replace Andy Carroll, though the Magpies face competition from Valencia and Sunderland. Read more

West Ham flop gives QPR food for thought

After a desperately disappointing loan spell at West Ham, Robbie Keane showed any scouts watching him in action for Republic of Ireland on Tuesday night what he is capable of with two more strikes. Read more

Scotland to exploit Arsenal star's absence

Wales captain Aaron Ramsey is likely to be one of several senior players rested by boss Gary Speed for tonight's clash with Scotland, making a repeat of their 3-0 victory over them 18 months ago unlikely. Read more

Man Utd confirm new signing is imminent

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Manchester United are confident of making David de Gea the first of three or four major squad additions that they are expected to snap up over the next few months. Read more

Man Utd vs Barcelona set to go the distance

Our expert Manchester United previewers are of the opinion that the Champions League Final could run for at least two hours on Saturday, much as the last one the Reds won against Chelsea in 2007-08 did. Read more

Andy Gray's Barcelona vs Man Utd verdict

Betfair's UK Football Ambassador Andy Gray has offered his opinion on how this year's Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United will unfold, predicting that the Red Devils will triumph in a thrilling encounter at Wembley. Read more

Young predicted to make Aston Villa exit

There are numerous opportunities on Betfair to bet on whether certain players will opt for a change of scenery this summer or stick with their current clubs, with Ashley Young one of those expected to move. Read more

The forum's verdict on Chelsea's next boss

Who will become the seventh Chelsea manager of the Roman Abramovich era? Carlo Ancelotti was sacked on Sunday and there has been plenty of discussion on the Betfair football forum about his successor... Read more

Liverpool to offer veteran a two-year deal

Kenny Dalglish is believed to be close to agreeing a deal to bring 40-year-old goalkeeper Brad Friedel back to Anfield this summer. The Aston Villa number one is also a target for Tottenham and West Brom. Read more

Man City alerted to Argentine's availability

Whether Carlos Tevez has a future at Manchester City remains in doubt, however the impending availability of Sergio Aguero offers them an opportunity to replace him with another Argentine star. Read more

All change in battle for the West Ham job

Dave Jones has overtaken Chris Hughton as the favourite to succeed Avram Grant as West Ham manager following reports from Sky Sports that the Cardiff boss is the number one target of the Irons board. Read more

Plenty of interest in Arsenal fringe players

Denilson, Andrey Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner could all be considered surplus to requirements by Arsenal this summer but there is no shortage of suitors for the trio, while Bacary Sagna is also admired. Read more

Turkey coach backed in for Chelsea return

Guus Hiddink has emerged as the favourite to take over at Chelsea despite his commitments to the Turkish national team, leading the next manager market ahead of Marco van Basten and Harry Redknapp. Read more

The Betfair Football £10 Bet of the Day

The Russian second division plays host to our latest £10 wager as we take the bold move of trusting a team that have lost their last five games to turn things around against a side in similarly dreadful form. Read more

Tottenham striker 6/4 to use shop window

The Carling Nations Cup gets back underway this evening with a big derby clash between Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in which Robbie Keane is hoping to put a dreadful season behind him. Read more

The forum on Birmingham City's relegation

Sympathy is in short supply on the Betfair football forum after Birmingham's Premier League exit, with Alex McLeish, Ben Foster and Barry Ferguson criticised and a lengthy stay in the Championship predicted... Read more

Dutchman shock favourite for Chelsea job

No, not Guus Hiddink, who many punters anticipate would be Roman Abramovich's preferred choice to succeed Carlo Ancelotti, but Marco van Basten, whose last job ended in failure at Ajax in 2009. Read more

Axed Chelsea boss invites West Ham link

Carlo Ancelotti's surprise claims that he would consider the challenge of managing West Ham in the Championship have prompted a series of bets on him succeeding Avram Grant at the Boleyn Ground. Read more

Everton and Celtic consider freebie striker

In news that is sure to attract the attention of several Premier League clubs and the Old Firm, Cardiff have confirmed that Jay Bothroyd will be leaving this summer. Everton are rated the favourites to sign him. Read more

The Betfair Football £10 Bet of the Day

It's over to the Swedish second tier tonight for our latest £10 wager as we bet on early table-toppers and constant promotion hopefuls Assyriska getting the better of terrible travellers Brommapojkarna. Read more

Arsenal captain odds-on to go this summer

The likelihood of Cesc Fabregas remaining at Arsenal beyond the summer has been questioned once again after he missed the club's final Premier League game and instead chose to watch the Spanish Grand Prix. Read more

Big odds on Betfair as Liverpool lose again

The best odds were offered on Betfair as Aston Villa ended a far from brilliant campaign in style with a 1-0 win over Liverpool, while there were also huge sums to be won backing the likes of Wigan and Blackburn. Read more

Heartbreak for Blackpool and Birmingham

It was a frenetic afternoon of agony and ecstasy in the Premier League as Blackpool and Birmingham fell through the trap door and Wigan pulled off the great escape. Read more

Ask Sir Alex - eager to win it at Wembley?

We asked Sir Alex Ferguson if the fact that this year's Champions League Final takes place at Wembley meant that success in the competition would be even more special than usual, given Manchester United's 1967-68 triumph at the old ground. Read more

Man City striker's future is again unclear

Just two days after Roberto Mancini declared that Carlos Tevez wanted to stay at Manchester City, the club's captain has been on Argentine radio saying that he is hoping for a change of scenary this summer. Read more

Andy's Sunday tips - Birmingham will win

Birmingham are second favourites to join West Ham in the Championship but our top tipster Andy Gray is predicting that they will triumph at Tottenham to prolong their stay in the Premier League... Read more

Bet on Man Utd - get a refund if they flop

New Betfair customers can stake up to £25 on their first bet after opening an account and have the money refunded if they lose. Why not take advantage of this offer by backing Manchester United to beat Blackpool? Read more

In-play guide to Tottenham vs Birmingham

Birmingham are the only of the strugglers on Sky Sports on Sunday to start outside the drop zone but are judged the least likely to win. We've found three ways to make money in-play from their trip to Tottenham... Read more

Bet up to £25 risk-free on Stoke vs Wigan

New Betfair customers can stake up to £25 on their first bet after opening an account and have the money refunded if they lose. Why not take advantage of this offer with a bet on Stoke and Wigan drawing? Read more

Watch Lazio's late top-four push on Betfair

The fight for Champions League football in Serie A has gone to the wire, and all the twists and turns as Udinese and Lazio fight for qualification are available for Betfair customers to watch on Betfair Live Video... Read more

Back Accrington & Wimbledon in play-offs

The League Two play-off semi-final deciders and Conference final are being stage on Friday night and Saturday afternoon and our money is on Accrington, Torquay and AFC Wimbledon being left celebrating. Read more

QPR boss still fancied for West Ham job

Neil Warnock has consistently claimed that he believes that he has the backing of the QPR board and those that have spoken have said the same, but his odds continue to drift in the next West Ham boss market. Read more

Man Utd close in on expensive goalkeeper

After months of speculation over who Manchester United would choose to succeed Edwin van der Sar as their first-choice goalkeeper, the Daily Mirror are reporting that David de Gea is close to signing. Read more

Bet of the Day - Accrington set to triumph

After three successful tips in a row, we have a winning streak to maintain at the end of the week and our strategy for doing so is to back Accrington to get the better of Stevenage in League Two play-off action. Read more

Man Utd will end a glorious season in style

Our expert Manchester United previewers anticipate that the final Premier League game of another title-winning campaign will be celebrated with an 18th home triumph of the campaign... Read more

Ten-time title winner in West Ham running

There is still no clear favourite in the battle to be named 14th permanent manager of West Ham, with Chris Hughton unconvincingly leading the way, but outgoing Rangers boss Walter Smith has received support. Read more

Newcastle odds-on to see off Sunderland

Sunderland start the final round of Premier League fixtures just a point behind Newcastle, yet despite ending the campaign away to relegated West Ham, they are a huge price to finish above their rivals. Read more

The forum on Birmingham's nervy finale

The prospect of Carling Cup winners Birmingham defending their trophy in the Championship next season has attracted plenty of discussion on the Betfair football forum, as a tense final day lies ahead. Read more

Another day, another winger for Liverpool

Liverpool are one of six clubs being linked with a summer move for Wigan winger Charles N'Zogbia after another impressive campaign at the DW Stadium, with Tottenham also reported to be suitors. Read more

The Betfair Football £10 Bet of the Day

After two winning tips in two days, our bid for a third successful £10 wager in a row takes us to the Dutch Europa League play-off between Heracles and Groningen, which is live on Betfair Live Video. Read more

Have a loss-proof £25 bet on Peterborough

New Betfair customers can stake up to £25 on their first bet after opening an account and have the money refunded if they lose. Why not take advantage of this offer with a flutter on Peterborough beating MK Dons? Read more

Arsenal link to defender refuses to vanish

Christopher Samba looks increasingly likely to move to Arsenal this summer as reports linking him with a move to the Emirates show no sign of dying down, though Mamadou Sakho is an alternative target. Read more

Tottenham to shop at local rivals Chelsea

Didier Drogba is a summer transfer target for Tottenham as they bid to battle their way back into the Champions League places, according to reports in the Daily Express, who also expect Jermain Defoe to go. Read more

Chelsea title charge anticipated in 2011-12

Manchester United are unsurprisingly favourites to retain their Premier League title next season, but it is Chelsea rather than Manchester City, Arsenal or Liverpool that are expected to prove their main rivals again. Read more

Berbatov to shine in audition for Man Utd final place

Our expert Manchester United previewers are fascinated by the battle to be Premier League top goalscorer and the exciting finale to the relegation battle - in which the Reds will have a say - and have looked at the latest odds on offer... Read more

New contenders emerge for West Ham job

Dave Jones, Alex McLeish and Kevin Keen have all been mentioned as potential challengers to current favourite Chris Hughton to succeed Avram Grant and become the 14th manager of West Ham. Read more

Liverpool lead busy queue for Ligue 1 star

The Daily Mirror are claiming that Liverpool are favourites to land Lille's in-demand Belgian youngster Eden Hazard, who it is believed would cost the Merseyside club up to £20 million to bring to Anfield. Read more

Play-off reunion with Rodgers for Reading

Former manager Brendan Rodgers and his Swansea side are all that stand between Reading and a return to the Premier League after they conquered their first Welsh hurdle with a 3-0 triumph away to Cardiff. Read more

Tevez pulls level as Man City climb to third

Manchester City's magnificent May continued as they defeated Stoke again to overtake Arsenal, with Carlos Tevez's two strikes in the 3-0 win moving him alongside Dimitar Berbatov as joint-top goalscorer. Read more

Chelsea talk silenced by rumoured target

The second most expensive footballer ever, Kaka, has played down speculation that he could follow his mother to London this summer by revealing his determination to prove a success at Real Madrid. Read more

Five must-know Europa League Final stats

Porto and Braga are used to clashing on a regular basis domestically but rarely is there as much at stake when the two collide as there will be this evening as the duo fight it out for Europa League glory. Read more

Bet up to £25 risk-free on Huddersfield

New Betfair customers can stake up to £25 on their first bet after opening an account and have the money refunded if they lose. Why not take advantage of this offer by backing Huddersfield to beat Bournemouth? Read more

Bet of the Day - Porto to dominate in final

The Europa League Final takes place in Dublin this evening with Portuguese clubs Porto and Braga fighting for the trophy. For Wednesday's £10 wager we're backing the favourites to win convincingly. Read more

Betfair users profit from calamitous Cardiff

Unsurprisingly, Betfair customers were able to benefit from the best odds on correct score bets in both Championship play-off semi-final second legs, as Swansea and Reading struck three times in Wales. Read more

Aston Villa try to keep star from Liverpool

Liverpool are reportedly keen on Ashley Young and Stewart Downing and while Aston Villa realise that they may lose the former, they are apparently desperate to convince Downing to stay at Villa Park. Read more

The forum on why Stoke will defeat Wigan

After their comeback against West Ham, many punters are predicting that Wigan will complete a relegation escape that few saw coming. However, several on the Betfair football forum are far from convinced... Read more

Newcastle to get West Ham fire sale going

Carlton Cole is said to be a target of former boss Alan Pardew at Newcastle, potentially kicking off a mass exodus at West Ham that could also see Scott Parker, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Mark Noble leaving. Read more

Swansea justify play-off favourites status

Having finished third in the regular season, Swansea again vindicated their position as favourites to win the Championship play-offs by triumphing 3-1 over Nottingham Forest at the Liberty Stadium. Read more

Final day shootout for Man Utd & Man City

The scrap to be Premier League top goalscorer looks set to go the distance with two goals separating top two Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez, while Robin van Persie and Darren Bent also stand a slim chance. Read more

Tottenham set to buy not sell this summer

Rafael van der Vaart and Harry Redknapp have both handed Spurs fans a boost ahead of the summer transfer window, with the former confirming that he is happy to stay and the latter planning big business. Read more

Bet of the Day - Man City will deliver again

Manchester City complete a fine home campaign against FA Cup Final victims Stoke on Tuesday night and for our £10 daily wager we're betting that they sign off with both a victory and a clean sheet. Read more

Bet £25 risk-free on extra time at Cardiff

New Betfair customers can stake up to £25 on their first bet after opening an account and have the money refunded if they lose. Why not take advantage of this offer by backing Cardiff and Reading to draw? Read more