English Football League / Alan Dudman / 27 December 2008 / Leave a Comment

Betting.betfair.com's resident lothario Alan Dudman has an eye for the ladies but he also has a keen eye for good bets when it comes to League One football. Read on...

Does Christmas throw you? Well it does me, I have no idea what day it is at the moment, and at the time of writing, someone has informed me it is indeed Saturday morning! How strange.

When I played football, December was always a time I enjoyed. Mainly because I never fancied the ice, the cold, and the winds, and was usually out injured with a fairly bad strain or something that would keep me out until the weather got better.

When injured, I remember being mentioned in connection with a couple of the top London clubs....Limelight, Ministry of Sound and Stringfellows etc etc.

Anyway, I hope everyone has enjoyed the festivities. I know I certainly have. Never before have I eaten so much food.....pheasant, sausages, fried breakfasts, chocolate trifle, you name it, I've eaten it. Oh and turkey too, but that will be last of any references to game birds.

Ok maybe not (you can see where I am going with that one already).

So onwards and upwards to this Sunday and a look ahead to a series of games that all seem a bit lop-sided. Lots of shorties taking on lots biggies, plus a gentle stroll down memory lane.

Swindon Town [2.24] versus Brighton [3.50], the draw [3.50]

Swindon of course is famous for Melinda Messenger. And quite right too! She had the most lovely pair of eyes I have ever seen!!

The town also holds one or two other memories, notably when covering Southampton in a pre-season game at the County Ground. I arrived at around the 75th minute mark - which wasn't a good start.

After enjoying the final 15 minutes of the game, I then had to interviewthe Saints boss Glenn Hoddle. I was very excited about meeting one of my heroes, sadly Glenn didn't feel the same about me. It was period in my life that can only be described as Brit Pop meets Pop Art.

Needless to say, Hod didn't quite appreciate my Andy Warhol look!

Swindon have a new manager! Step forward Danny Wilson, a man who is still a dead ringer for my mate Ralph.

Although officially not in charge on Boxing Day, his presence seemed to have had an effect on the players as the Robins secured a fine win away at Leyton Orient.

It'll be sad to see caretaker boss David Byrne go (if he goes) as I really liked his approach to management (see Donut quote three weeks ago). But Wilson is a good appointment for a club really in the doldrums.

Town skipper Hasney Aljofree is definitely out, he faces a scan on Monday. Out also are Jamie Vincent and the suspended forward Billy Paynter.

Meanwhile Brighton have quietly slipped into the relegation zone and have picked up a measly one point from their last 21 available.

They've lost six of their last seven and struggle to score on the road. Micky Adams' side were booed off after their Boxing Day defeat to Colchester, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Adams as the nextmanager to get the sack in the division.

Adam Virgo returning from suspension will be a boost to the Albion, but I just can't see any kind of positive result here for the Seagulls, nor many goals.

Recommendations:

Back under 2.5 goals @ [2.02],
Back Swindon to win 1-0 @ [9.60], 2-0 @ [13.00]

Oh and I remember a game bird from Swindon....but sadly I am approaching my words limit.

Oldham Athletic [1.73] versus Carlisle United [5.30]

Oldham remain lively promotion contenders and sit fifth in the table with a very healthy 40 points.

I expect this to become 43 by Sunday evening and the game againstCarlisle represents pretty much a penalty kick.

John Sheridan saw his team beat a woeful Crewe 3-0 on Boxing Day, and refreshingly said afterwards: "I don't mind if the players have a few beers with their families as they deserve it, but they know we are back in ready for Sunday'. It was always an approach I heartily endorsed.

Shez shuffled his pack ever-so-slightly two days ago by leaving out Whitaker and Liddel, they'll probably come back and I predict a few goals against a Carlisle team that don't score but concede away from Brunton Park.

Recommendations:

Back Oldham @ [1.73]
Back Oldham to win 2-0 [9.80], 3-0 [17.00]
Back over 2.5 goals [1.84]

Northampton Town [2.12] versus Bristol Rovers [3.70] the draw [3.70]

Northampton, ahh so many memorable times. Now there's a phrase you don't hear too often.

Four years ago I attended a 'Murder Mystery' weekend at Castle Ashby, a quite magnificent stately home steeped in rich history of the aristocracy....quite how they let this peasant in I don't know.

Peasant = game bird? Does that work?

Anyway, the murder took place during dinner, and it was a fine young actor who fell right next to me after his wine was poisoned. I filled out the card at the end and said it was Colonel Mustard, candlestick, study. They weren't impressed., neither was I - the acting was rubbish.

On with the match:

A match between two average teams, with average records and an
average league position.

Northampton are patchy to say the least, but capable on their day. The 4-4 draw v Scunthorpe is still lurking at the back of my mind!

Rovers sit just three points behind their hosts but are edging dangerously close to the dreaded drop zone.

Paul Trollope's side were awful in the second-half against MK Dons, and were quite rightly booed off. Defensively they haven't ironed out their set-pieces problem which always makes them vulnerable.

I see a few goals perhaps as the Gas can't defend away, and Northampton have been boosted by the recent return of forward Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Recommendations :

Back the draw @ [3.70]
Back over 2.5 goals @ [1.94]

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