Today's Papers / Top Dog / 01 November 2007 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Betfair's top dog sniffs around the truth behind the latest tabloid tales

Top Dog

Betfair's top dog sniffs around the truth behind the latest tabloid tales.

• Cruft's champion - Top stories that can dominate the news agenda
• Pedigree chum - Insights that tell you something you don't know
• Dog's dinner - Speculation, guesswork, or ideas that just don't come off.

Top Dog says:

Football's coming home again . . . or at least that's the FA's aim after they brought forward their announcement that they'd bid for the 2018 World Cup under pressure from Downing Street. Harold Wilson won an election on the back of us winning the 1966 World Cup - could Gordon Brown stay in office by helping bid for another tournament to be held here. The current betting goes 3.35 a Labour win whenever the next general election gets held - it's 2.22 that will happen in early 2009!

Cruft's:

Daily Express - FA off to a flier in 2018 cup race - Harry Harris is the only top Fleet Street football reporter who never goes to matches, but his knowledge of sports politics makes him one of the key Express writers. Former Sports Minister Richard Caborn tells him the Germans will back this bid to host the World Cup.

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Star - Nev: I want place back - The Star's 'Seriously Football' motto gives them extra space to cover Premier League news, and Gary Neville is due to end seven months out in the humble surroundings of the Manchester Senior Cup tonight. The return of their skipper will be a boost for their title chances but come too soon for the weekend's big showdown at The Emirates. Arsenal are 2.62 favourites to win it.

Daily Star - I'll be new king Cole - West Ham striker Carlton Cole tells the Star's Dave Armitage that he's growing up at last. With Craig Bellamy, Dean Ashton and Bobby Zamora all injured he'll have to. Hammers are 2.02 to win at home to bottom club Bolton on Sunday.

The Sun - I'm sorry - The last day of Peter Ridsdale's book serialisation, and he finally admits he might have had some responsibility for the mess Leeds got themselves into! Little consolation for Elland Road fans - it's still a long way back from League One.

Daily Mirror - Spot of luck marred by Richards KO - Alan Nixon's match report from Bolton is on the ball with news that Micah Richards could be out for a month if a scan on a knee injury today brings bad news. That would dent Manchester City's season and England's slim qualification hopes against Croatia. City plus 40 points are 3.85 favourite in the Betfair Handicap League.

Daily Mail - Hutchings vote of confidence - it's only a couple of paragraphs but JJB stadium chairman Dave Whelan has just told Chris Hutchings he'll be given more time to lift his club away from the relegation zone. No wonder the Wigan boss is now the favourite at 3 to be next manager out of a job!

Dog' s dinner:

The Sun - It's Man Miguel - Top Dog will have to take himself for a long walkies to burn off the calories that Antony Kastrinakis leaves in his bowl every day! His latest 'target' for Manchester United is Sporting Lisbon's Miguel Veloso. Okay so Champions League clubs carry big squads but you'd think Fergie could field six teams every week if he signed all the players that Kastrinakis has linked with him.

Today's other stories:

The Sun - Juan's Won one! - Trick 'n treat for Lamps - Golden Juande - Ed Banger - A close Shev - Chris Kamara on Aidy Boothroyd

Daily Express - Tottenham in Juanderland - Benni blast puts paid to Portsmouth - Lampard rescues Chelsea - Silva lining for Gunners - Long wait over for Neville

Daily Star - Ed double on target - FA to splash £20m on bid - Keano style will fit Ramos - Super Steve kops glory - El for Megson -

Daily Mirror - Hat-trick and treat - Robbie puts fear of God into Reds - Route Juan for Spurs - We're the Rio thing says Ferdinand - Wenger's kids top of class

Daily Mail - Frank-tastic - Juande lets mask slip - Cahill takes Moyes into last eight - Stevie steals show - Benni has a ball at Pompey

Tags: 2018 World Cup, Betfair's Top Dog, Chris Hutchings, Micah Richards