Round 3 update!

As we move into the knock-out stages of the World Cup and the pressure continues to build, we’re continuing to rate and hate the men and women on the World Cup airwaves with our #PunditWatch league table.

The last round of the group stages had some of the best drama yet (including everyone’s favourite moment so far – Germany getting knocked out) as well as a few dull affairs (who else fell asleep during England v. Beglium?) for our pundits to get their teeth stuck into.

Whilst Gary Lineker continues to dominate the top of the table, having posted another record week, the biggest mover of the week was ITV’s own Gary Neville, who has started to make waves from his co-commentary seat after a quiet start, and is now the most talked about pundit on ITV taking that spot from Ian Wright. The biggest riser from the BBC’s side ,surprisingly,  was ever-present pundit Alan Shearer.

Aside from Gary, however, it’s been a relatively bad week for all of ITV’s top pundits with Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Patrice Evra all sliding down the table. Evra’s terrible week on social should be caveated by the fact that he has finished his punditry duties now though.

Further down the table it’s a much rosier affair for ITV with Glenn Hoddle, Lee Dixon, Slaven Bilic and Ryan Giggs all having good weeks and generating more conversation than during round 2.

The race for the wooden spoon has seen a significant change too, as Martin O’Neill has managed to climb one spot, leaving the new Mr. Irrelevant Iain Dowie in his wake.

In the overall race between BBC and ITV, BBC still slightly pip it with six pundits in the top 10 but they’ll need to keep performing well to keep out the likes of Danny Murphy and Jacqui Oatley, who has climbed the table this week, out of the top 10 for much longer.

Make sure you follow all this and more using #PunditWatch on Twitter!

 

Round 2 update!

Didier Drogba, Patrice Evra and, whisper it, Mark Lawrenson were the big movers in our Pundit Watch league table, following the completion of the second round of World Cup matches.

With plenty of drama on the pitch, there's been loads for the experts to get their teeth in to and, using key social metrics including follower numbers and mentions, as well as sentiment, we're continuing to rate and hate the men and women on the World Cup airwaves.

Gary Lineker has continued his early good-form, dominating the Twittersphere with his witty pronouncements and insightful analysis and remains top of the league with nearly five times the mentions of his closest competitor, Rio Ferdinand.

Elsewhere, ITV’s fan-favourite Patrice Evra continues to grow his follower base. His off-the-wall but his energy and love of the game seems to be appealing to social users and he's also the most talked about man on ITV, judging by the mentions.

Didier Drogba has seen a huge spike in mentions over the last few days, with fans praising his easygoing nature and expertise, while Cesc Fabregas continued his strong performance, shooting up to sixth in the standings.

Perhaps most remarkably though, it’s Mark Lawrenson’s social media profile which has grown the most during the World Cup, with a massive 14% follower rise in the past week and more than 50,000 mentions - who knew the old fart even knew how to operate a mobile phone?!

Twitter-less Ally McCoist continues to earn co-comm rave reviews for his history bulletins alongside the reliable Jon Champion, while ITV's Roy Keane has provided some of the tournament's most memorable punditry moments, including looking like he wanted to kill Slaven Bilic, dampening down Ian Wright's England ebullience and revealing how he was close to ripping Carlos Quieroz's head off. during his time at Man United. 

Elsewhere, some of the top female pundits are certainly showing up the men. Both Alex Scott and Eni Aluko have enjoyed big profile exposure during the tournament, with Scott growing her follower base by a whopping 10%.

The overall battle between ITV and BBC, however, remains tight. At the moment, we’d have to give the prize to BBC as they claim the six out of top 10 pundits but it’s certainly all to play for still as we head into the final round of the group stages.

Make sure you follow all this and more using #PunditWatch on Twitter!

Round 1

A trio of female analysts were among those to make waves during week one of our World Cup Pundit Watch challenge.

We're rating and hating the men and women on our airwaves using key social metrics including follower numbers, mentions and sentiment.

And while prolific Tweeter and nation's favourite Gary Lineker predictably dominated the social scene during the opening round of matches, Alex Scott, Eni Aluko and Jacqui Oatley each saw the biggest increases in their following, comfortably beating higher profile male counterparts like Alan Shearer and Rio Ferdinand.

Another top performer in the first round has been Slaven Bilic, who, despite not having any social media accounts, finds himself in the top 10 most talked about pundits in week 1 with his now infamous ‘I don’t care’ comment even managing to make Roy Keane laugh, something we didn’t know was even possible.

Patrice Evra courted controversy for one exchange with Eni Aluko some thought 'patronising' but was among the topped mentioned pundits on Twitter, while new boy Cesc Fabregas, despite widespread praise for his sharp analysis, attracted mockery for his satorial choice on debut, with his shirt deemed to make him look like a sailor.

Lineker had a whopping 200,000 mentions during week one, with next best Rio Ferdinand streets behind with 47,000. Next came Ian Wright followed by Evra, Shearer and Fabregas.

The likes of Martin Keown, Mark Lawrenson, Henrik Larsson and Ryan Giggs were branded dull by many, while Lineker's counterpart on ITV, Mark Pougatch, has had almost no  social engagement. 

The winner of Pundit Watch will not only receive our gratitude, they’ll also receive our elusive (and totally imaginary) Golden Mic

Follow us on Twitter and look out for the #PunditWatch for more!

And then there were eight. We are now down to the quarter-finals stage of this summer’s tournament and fans are dreaming of a famous World Cup triumph.

Those dreams will become a reality for one of these nations on July 15^th but all eight will be fully focused on the task at hand; reaching the semi-finals.

England will face Sweden in Saturday’s afternoon fixture and plenty of punters will fancy the Three Lions to prevail in that encounter.

Gareth Southgate’s men are 19/20 to win this clash in 90 minutes and that is a decent price considering the quality in England’s squad – click here for a full preview ahead of that match.

Hosts Russia go up against Croatia in the later game and it would take a brave man to write Stanislav Cherchesov’s side off.

Nobody expected Russia to get this far but that victory over Spain has got supporters dreaming. It should be an open, end-to-end affair and England fans will be keeping a close eye on the outcome if the Three Lions get past Sweden.

 

SWEDEN vs ENGLAND

With five clean sheets in their last six matches, Sweden are built on defensive stability and the onus will be on England to break the Scandinavian side down.

Janne Andersson’s men have been superb so far this summer – sticking to a game plan that quite clearly works for them. 888sport have opened with Sweden at 8/11 to grab a goal on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, England were desperately unlucky not to defeat Colombia in normal time but the Three Lions did manage to finish the job on penalties. Yes, that’s right – England won a penalty shootout.

Fans will be hoping that Gareth Southgate’s side can wrap this one up in normal time and England are available at an appealing 13/10 to score two or more goals.

We are now into the business stage of the competition and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see goals. An early opener for England could set the tone for the rest of the contest whilst Sweden will be looking to make the most of set-pieces.

13/8 for over 2.5 goals is well worth considering despite Sweden’s defensive prowess – this England side may have too much firepower for their opponents.

TIP: Over 2.5 goals @ 13/8

CORRECT SCORE: Sweden 1-2 England (Priced at 17/2 with 888sport)

 

RUSSIA vs CROATIA

Russia’s defence stood strong against Spain and the hosts may adopt a similar approach for this fixture. It wasn’t pretty but it was effective in that last-16 clash and Cherchesov will be wary of Croatia’s threat in attack.

By the same token, this Russia side have the quality in the final third to cause problems for Croatia and both teams to score is worth a punt at 6/5.

Dangerous in the first half but laboured in the second, Croatia were very 'Jekyll and Hyde' against Denmark. Like England, Zlatko Dalic’s men also needed penalties to reach the quarter-finals and Croatia fans will demand an improved effort here.

A repeat of that second half performance could see the European outfit exit the competition. If Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic play well, the 11/20 available for Croatia to advance to the next round could look huge...

Backing against Croatia would be foolish despite the obvious concerns. Russia will have the vast majority of the Sochi crowd behind them and Dalic’s side must try to weather the early storm.

Croatia will have chances to score though and I fancy them to advance to the next round - 17/10 for two or more goals in their favour represents good value. For Russia, this could be the end of the road...

TIP: Croatia to score two or more goals @ 17/10

CORRECT SCORE: Russia 1-2 Croatia (Priced at 9/1 with 888sport)

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Ep7 | Rapper to Reporter - Big Narstie makes reporting debut, goes LIVE for England v Colombia

After an epic journey, Big Narstie has finally made it and completed his transformation from Rapper to Reporter!

Check out Narstie's debut as he took to the airwaves as London-based Love Sport Radio's big match reporter on what turned out to be one of the most dramatic nights in recent World Cup history - England's monumental last 16 victory over Colombia!

Immerse yourselves in the drama of the penalty shootout win once more as Big Narstie describes the action in his own unique style - and find out why Narstie's evening ended with even more drama than the shootout itself!

It was a fitting culmination to a journey that began with Big Narstie bemoaning the current state of football punditry and resulted in 888sport challenging the rapper to Take 'Em On and become a football reporter himself.

After first getting tips from commentary legend Barry Davies, Narstie then learned Russian culture and picked up a bit of the local lingo, before stepping up his training with interview technique advice from BT Sport presenter Lynsey Hipgrave and learning to deal with pressure with a little help from Sky Sports News' Olivia Wayne.

The final prep then saw Narstie enter the lions' den to interview rival fans with the assistance of model and fan TV star Sophie Rose, as news emerged he'd been snapped up by London station Love Sport. What a debut it's been - and, as Narstie says, he well and truly smashed it!

Ep6 | Rapper to Reporter - Big Narstie meets supporters in GERMAN pub with fan TV babe Sophie Rose

Ahead of his big World Cup reporting debut, Big Narstie is taught all about the art of interviewing football supporters by Chelsea Fan TV presenter, Sophie Rose - and he's thrown in at the deep end with a visit to a German pub!

It's the latest installment in Big Narstie's dream to turn from Rapper to Reporter during the World Cup. So far Narstie has learnt commentary tjps from legend Barry Davies, Russian language and culture, interview technique from BT Sport presenter Lynsey Hipgrave and landed a passenger plane to master the art of working under pressure!

Ep5 | Rapper to Reporter - Big Narstie tries to land packed PLANE in ultimate pressure test 

There are few more pressurised jobs than being a reporter on live TV - apart from, maybe, landing a passenger plane with hundreds of people aboard!

So in the latest installment of Big Narstie's quest to turn from Rapper to Reporter, we drafted in Sky Sports News presenter Olivia Wayne to teach Narstie the art of dealing with pressure, before setting him the ultimate challenge: bringing in a Boeing 737 to land safely!

Putting Narstie in an exact replica of the jet at Flight Experience London, Olivia is in for a bumpy ride as Narstie attempts to make a smooth landing - can he get them both down in one piece?

It's the latest episode in a series which has seen Narstie learn commentary tjps from legend Barry Davies, Russian language and culture and interview technique from BT Sport presenter Lynsey Hipgrave as he attempts to land a gig as a bona fide World Cup reporter this summer.

Ep4 | Rapper to Reporter - Big Narstie interviews Beckham, Lineker, Sven, Hoddle & more

Big Narstie puts his interview skills to the test in the latest part of his training to turn from Rapper to Reporter during this summer's World Cup!

And what a cast he gets to quiz, as England managers and players from previous World Cups are subjected to Narstie's unique interview style, including Bobby Robson, Gary Lineker, Glenn Hoddle, David Beckham, Sven Goran Eriksson, Steven Gerrard and Roy Hodgson (all played impeccably by top football impersonator Mark Langley).

BT Sport's Lynsey Hipgrave is on hand to guide Narstie through the art of the interview - safe to say, it wasn't a ride without a few bumps!

This is just the latest in a series of challenges Big Narstie needs to overcome if he's to earn a gig as a reporter in Russia this summer, having already got commentary tips from Barry Davies, learned Russian culture with folk band Russian Tornado and picked up the lingo at language school. Stay tuned for the next chapter!

 

Ep3 | Rapper to Reporter  - Big Narstie goes to Russian language school

He's learned commentary skills from a legend and rapped with a local folk band, but now Big Narstie needs to brush up on the Russian lingo as he embarks on the third step of his journey to transform from Rapper to Reporter.

Any World Cup reporter worth his salt needs to know a few key local phrases, so we sent Big Narstie to a Russian language school in central London to refine his skills. Ever wondered what Base Defence League translates to in Russian? You're about to find out!

 

Ep2 | Rapper to Reporter  - Big Narstie spits World Cup bars with Russian folk band 

Episode two of Rapper to Reporter sees Big Narstie team up with folk band ‘Russian Tornado’ to create a truly unique football World Cup rap!

 

 Ep 1 | Rapper to Reporter - Big Narstie freestyles with commentary legend Barry Davies

London, UK [7th June, 2018]: Grime icon Big Narstie is to tear the football punditry scene apart this summer as he embarks on a unique journey to transform himself from a Rapper to Reporter with the support of online bookmaker 888sport. 

Sick and tired of the army of predictable pundits clogging the airwaves, Narstie is backing himself to Take ‘Em On and do things very differently in a seven-part journey that he hopes will end with him landing a reporting gig on the world stage.

After noticing Big Narstie tweet his distaste at current match punditry during England’s friendly against Nigeria on June 2nd, and witnessing huge fan demand, 888sport kicked things off by challenging Big Narstie to train up and take on the pros. The rising music star quickly obliged, sparking the start of what’s set to be a truly remarkable journey.

Coined #NarstieRussia by the man himself, the collaborative online video series launched today, with Big Narstie getting tips from commentating legend and international reporting veteran, Barry Davies. The duo hit it off from the very start, with Narstie walking away with a new commentary catchphrase and Davies learning rap bars as the two formed the most unexpected and loveable bromance. 

Narsties’ journey over the following six episodes will see him brush up his reporting, language skills and cultural understandings in a quest to become the nation’s ultimate alternative reporter this summer. All episodes will be distributed across June and early July. 

Speaking ahead of his adventure, Big Narstie said: “The pundits during the recent games I watched were so gas. I thought for the World Cup I’m gonna take ‘em on, roll out to Russia myself and do my own ting. 888sport got involved and it’s happening. I’m gonna show the world how to do proper football reporting, Narstie-style.

“First up I got to roll with my G Barry Davies, who’s got mad skills. This summer we gonna do things different, show these fools some proper football analysis.”

Guy Cohen, SVP & Head of B2C, 888holdings, added: “The World Cup is enormously significant for sports brands, but we were very keen to challenge the norm. We’re excited to have Big Narstie on-board for our World Cup campaign, taking him from rapper to reporter. Like us and our punters, he’s not afraid to truly Take ‘Em On by backing himself against the naysayers, following his instincts and doing things his own way.”

 

There are few more pressurised jobs than being a reporter on live TV - apart from, maybe, landing a passenger plane with hundreds of people aboard!

So in the latest installment of Big Narstie's quest to turn from Rapper to Reporter, we drafted in Sky Sports News presenter Olivia Wayne to teach Narstie the art of dealing with pressure, before setting him the ultimate challenge: bringing in a Boeing 737 to land safely!

Putting Narstie in an exact replica of the jet at Flight Experience London, Olivia is in for a bumpy ride as Narstie attempts to make a smooth landing - can he get them both down in one piece?

It's the latest episode in a series which has seen Narstie learn commentary tjps from legend Barry Davies, Russian language and culture and interview technique from BT Sport presenter Lynsey Hipgrave as he attempts to land a gig as a bona fide World Cup reporter this summer.

Cup finals can often be a minefield for bettors, as there are so many variables in play. Managers often employ different strategies to the ones they used in the league or earlier stages of the tournament; players either thrive in the intense environment or buckle under the overwhelming pressure, and even referees are desperate not to make the wrong call.

With all these things to consider, it’s wise to change your betting strategy for cup finals. Here, we provide an in-depth guide to the things you need to watch out for when betting on knockout stages and finals, and provide useful information to help you when you plan your bets.

Dubious Refereeing Decisions

 

Referees are arguably under more pressure than the players in cup finals because it’s their decisions that could have huge implications for who wins the competition. If they end up making a mistake, they could incur the wrath of tens of thousands of supporters and end up spending the rest of their days adjudicating in the lower leagues.

But it’s these high stakes that often force referees into making terrible decisions. Therefore, staking on referees to make mistakes could prove fruitful. One of the most common errors in history is allowing goals to stand that shouldn’t have, or not awarding goals that had crossed the line.

There are some prime examples of these occurrences happening in major matches throughout history. England fans will remember their match against Germany in the Round of 16 at South Africa 2010. The Three Lions were trailing 2-1 until Frank Lampard pulled the scores level with a beauty of a strike from outside the area.

The ball bounced in off the crossbar but then struck the upright again and fell out of the goal. It was clearly over the line but referee Jorge Larrionda waved play on and England ended up capitulating in a 4-1 loss.

One of the most famous cases of a goal being given which should have in fact been a sending off was the “Hand of God.”

In the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England, Diego Maradona intentionally struck the ball with his hand to score a goal. The strike was awarded to Argentina who went on to win the match as well as the tournament.

Form Players Often Produce In The Final

You may think that betting on the likes of Lionel Messi to score in a cup final is a sure thing but even the best players in the world can feel the pressure in the latter stages of a tournament. The 2014 World Cup final was a prime example of superstars faltering.

Lionel Messi wasted a golden opportunity when through on goal, while Gonzalo Higuaín also bottled what should have been a sitter. David Villa also failed to score in the 2010 World Cup final despite being one of the top scorers in the competition.

While these historic moments may put you off betting on the obvious choice in the goalscorer markets, it’s wise to see which players have had strong form going through each stage of the tournament in question. They often carry it right through until the end.

For instance, in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Brazil’s Ronaldo had scored six goals on his way to the final and was in fine form. In the last match against Germany, he bagged another two to secure the Golden Boot and the World Cup trophy.

Cristiano Ronaldo has proven time and time again to be a reliable bet for doing the business in a Champions League final. He has scored three goals in his last two finals in the ultimate European tournament, and also ended those competitions with the Golden Boot.

In 2010-11, Messi won the Golden Boot and also scored in the final against Manchester United, while Neymar was the joint top scorer in 2014-15 and bagged a goal in the victory over Juventus.

The conclusion here is that betting on form players in the goalscorer markets in the Champions League final often produces returns.

How Often Do Matches Go To Extra-Time?

If you decide to bet on a winner in a cup final, you need to stipulate whether you think that your team will win in normal time or after extra time and penalties. The odds will change for each of these markets. If you bet on a team to win and they prevail in extra time, you may lose your bet if you haven’t specified that you think that team will win the match at any time.

Of the 17 Champions League finals played since the turn of the century, seven have gone to extra time. Six of those seven games also progressed to a penalty shootout to settle the tie.

Five of the matches in question were tied at 1-1 before extra time, while the famous Liverpool and AC Milan encounter of 2005 was knotted up at three goals apiece by the end of the ninety minutes. The only goalless draw that led to extra time was played between Milan and Juventus at Old Trafford in 2003.

Of the twenty World Cup finals played to date, seven of them have gone on to extra time. Two of those seven have been settled on penalties. Over time, there has been a 35 percent chance of the match going beyond the 90 minutes. But in the last six tournaments since 1994, extra time has become more frequent.

In fact, there have been four occasions when the match has gone on past the 90, with two of those games going to a penalty shootout. Three World Cup finals have been tied at 1-1 before extra time, three at 0-0, and one at 2-2.

In the last three finals, the teams have been level at 0-0 twice and 1-1 once. For this reason, betting on a goalless or low scoring draw in the World Cup final in Russia this summer could be fruitful.

These statistics highlight how cup finals are frequently tight affairs which could go either way. The teams that make it to the last game of the tournament have battled and brushed aside strong teams to get there, so the standard of football is always extremely high. In addition to that, neither side wants to let it slip at the pivotal stage.

What’s The Average Number Of Goals Scored?

In the last twenty Champions League finals, there have been 58 goals, giving an average of 2.9 goals scored per game. In that time period, there has only been one 1-0 victory, while the most frequent result is 2-1, of which there have been five.

In six of those twenty games, a team has managed to keep a clean sheet, highlighting how betting on both teams to score in the final can be a fairly sure bet. Again, of the twenty World Cup tournaments played to date, there have been 71 goals scored in the final. This gives an average of 3.5 goals per game.

These stats are slightly skewed by the high-scoring games of old and, since 1990, there has only been one game that has produced three goals or more. It seems that modern sides play much tighter nowadays, and there have only been six goals scored in the last four finals.

While cup finals can often be quite unpredictable, there is the opportunity to have some fun with your bets. Try looking into more obscure markets such as whether players will shave their national flags into their heads, or whether a player will cry. Ronaldo, for instance, was odds-on to shed tears at the 2014 World Cup and bettors were duly rewarded.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Every day in the UK there are a number of horse racing and greyhound meetings taking place for you to bet on. Both sports have a great tradition in this country and have been, for a number of years, two of the core betting products.

Here is a look at the differences between the two sports and at what you can bet on in each of them if you are new to either horse racing or greyhounds.

Betting Opportunities

There are number of betting opportunities available in horse racing and greyhounds other than just who will win the race.

In horse racing you can bet on one horse beating another in a match bet, the exact order of first-second and first-second-third, known as forecasts and tricasts respectively, and multiple bets which take place across a number of races.

In greyhound racing, many of the same bets are available as they are in horse racing. One of the most popular bets in dog racing is a combination forecast or tricast.

This is where selections are permed together - you have a better chance of winning, however, your total stake is much more than just a single line.

 

Colours

A jockey’s silk colours in horse racing will represent the owner of a horse.

You will most likely be familiar with the colours of the leading operations, however, they are always published in the race card so you can identify the horse you have bet on in a race.

In greyhounds, the colours of traps 1-6 never change. Once you know the trap number of your dog, you will know which colours to look out for.

 

Course

One of the biggest differences, other than the type of animals in the two sports, is the course in which the runners race upon.

In horse racing, the track is much bigger, as the distance used is further - in some cases the participants race over four miles and two furlongs.

A greyhound track is an oval shape and each course is very similar in distance. The surface is made of sand to make it as safe as possible for the runners. There are 22 registered greyhound tracks in the UK today.

The majority of horse racing courses are turf, however, there are some all-weather tracks in which fibre sand is used.

This particular surface allows the course to hold meetings all year round, which is particularly useful during winter when temperatures drop and the turf tracks freeze over.

 

Flat and Jumps

In horse racing, there are two different types of racing: flat and National Hunt. These are both very popular in their own right.

The flat season typically runs from April to October in the UK, while the jumps season takes centre stage from October through to April. Both of these codes hold their own leading meetings.

The Cheltenham Festival is by far the biggest in jumps racing and takes place annually in March, with the Cheltenham Gold Cup being the blue riband event of the week, won by Native River in 2018 who is 6/1 to prevail again in 2019.

Meanwhile, Royal Ascot is arguably the most prestigious week of the year in flat racing and that takes place in mid-June.

Although there are some hurdle races in greyhounds, the majority of the action is on the flat. Some dogs will run in both flat and hurdles competitions, therefore, there isn’t a clear distinction in the code like in horse racing.

 

Grading

Both sports use a grading system to determine the class of the race which is taking place. In horse racing, the highest level a horse can reach is Group One.

These contests involve the very best horses in that division. Many trainers will send their horses around the world in pursuit of these races and prize money.

On a day-to-day basis though, you will see lots of handicap contests in which the runners are closely matched on their official rating.

The handicapper will give the better horses a higher weight in order to give each runner an equal chance of winning.

In greyhound racing, the highest level the dogs can enter is Open racing. For all the major competitions in the sport such as the Derby, where Dorotas Wildcat is 5/1 favourite for the 2018 renewal, an entry fee is required from the owner of the dog for it to take part.

The majority of the greyhound racing which you see will be graded action. A dog will move up and down the grading system depending on its results.

The highest grade is A1 at a particular track, while it can go all the way down to A12 if a dog is struggling for results and time.

 

Number of runners

In the UK, greyhound races feature six dogs unless there is a non-runner on the day and there is no time to add a reserve. In Australia, eight-runner races are more common, as they use wider tracks for their dogs to get round.

Horse racing is completely different; there can be a minimum of two runners in a race or as many as 40 as there are for the Grand National at Aintree.

The betting obviously changes when there are lots of runners in a race, as it becomes more competitive for punters to bet on.

It is also significant for each-way bets as, when there are 16 or more runners in a handicap, the bookmakers pay four places. In greyhound racing, each-way punters have two places for their dog to finish in, in order to be paid out a return.

 

Starting Stalls

In flat racing in horse racing, starting stalls are used to make it as fair as possible at the beginning of a race. This is particularly important in sprint races, as none of the runners can gain an unfair advantage over their rivals.

The position on the track of these starting stalls is different from one track to another, however, the details will always be published in the race card before the contest.

In jumps racing, a tape is issued across the track and a starter will let the horses go. This is because National Hunt races are over two miles or longer, therefore, there can be no advantage gained by some horses being at the front of the line or at the back.

In greyhound racing, starting traps are also used. The greyhounds are placed into the traps by their handlers and once the hare passes the traps, the lids are opened and the runners are then on the move.

 

Time

The time of a horse race and greyhound contest obviously depends on the distance the runners are travelling. A standard greyhound race will finish much quicker than any horse race as they cover 500 metres in the region of 30 seconds.

In the 2017 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, in what is one of the fastest horse races around the world, the winner Lady Aurelia finished with a time of 57.45 seconds. The American returns again this year and is 7/2 to defend her crown.

When at full speed, a horse will travel much quicker than a dog, however, in long-distance races, the jockeys will ensure their mounts travel at a low cruising speed to ensure they see out the full distance, otherwise, they will struggle to get home.

Good luck the next time you are placing a bet on horse racing or greyhounds and enjoy the thrill of the contest you are having a punt on.

Throughout the world of sports, match day after match day, the most passionate and the craziest fan bases show up in full colours.

Whether it’s against a local rival or in a game that no longer has significance to the remainder of the season, these die-hard fans turn up in droves.

Without these enigmatic fan bases, sport wouldn’t be the same. Their character and commitment to everything that their team does creates atmospheres and inspires others to cheer on their teams.

So, here are some of the craziest and most passionate fan bases in sport.

Red Star Belgrade Ultras

Hidden away in Belgrade lies the Rajko Mitic Stadium – which has made so much noise that every football fan in Europe has heard of them. Every other week, the Serbian stadium fills with those loyal to Red Star Belgrade, known as the Delije.

These Serbian football ultras are notorious in Europe as being some of the most passionate and fearsome fans in the world.

Speaking of the Delije, Red Star Belgrade’s ultras firm often evokes images of violence and terrifying chanting crowds - and, from the outside, that’s certainly true. In Belgrade, football is a way of life, with every resident passionate about their football team.

Western media only tends to bring up Red Star Belgrade when violence occurs, and, unfortunately, that overlooks the revelry of match day, which is filled with noise and colour.

 

Seattle Seahawks 12s

Dressing up in the team’s colours is all well and good but, when the fan base joins together to cause a reading on the Richter scale, that’s something very special indeed.

Seattle Seahawks fans are notorious around the NFL for creating a deafening noise whenever the opposition’s offence is on the field. The hooting and jeering while the quarterback tries to make his count has earned the fan base the nickname ‘12s’ as they play as the 12^th man in games at CenturyLink Field.

In an event now known as the ‘Beast Quake’, the cheering of the 12s was actually registered between one and three on the Richter scale by nearby seismometers. It was the 2011 Wild Card playoff game, and the New Orleans Saints had surged to close Seattle’s hefty lead to just four points.

But, then, on Seattle’s 33-yard line, the home team Seahawks decided to run the ball. Marshawn Lynch, known as “Beast Mode”, took the ball, shrugged off multiple tackles, and scored a touchdown to the elation of the Seahawks crowd.

2011 isn’t the only time that the 12s have rocked the Richter scale; they do it quite regularly. Thanks to how the stadium’s roof is set up, the sound made by the fans echoes back down, helping to cause seismic activity.

They also once held the record for being the loudest fan base in the USA, registering at 137.6 decibels (at take off, a jet plane registers at 150.0 decibels). The 12s will be cheering from their homes for their opening day game, for which the Seahawks are at EVENS to defeat the Denver Broncos.

 

Lech Poznan Ultras

Back to Eastern Europe – more specifically, Poland – we go for another incredibly rowdy and passionate fan base of football fans. Their celebration is unmistakable, while their passion during matches is almost unrivalled.

During every game at the Municipal Stadium in Poznan, you will see Lech Poznan ultras fill the Tribune I stand. The three tiers will always be covered with blue and white banners with hundreds of fans colour co-ordinated by tier – blue shirts in tier two, white shirts in tier one.

Most impressively about Lech Poznan's dedication to their mighty fan base is that they’ve erected a platform in front of the stand.

On this platform stands two drummers and some who effectively act as the fan conductor. He sets in motion the chants, fist pumps, scarf waving, confetti throwing and, indeed, the famous celebration.

When the Lech Poznan fans turn around link arms, the stand begins to rumble as they bounce around and chant. It’s an incredible spectacle, and one of the most co-ordinated acts of madness at any football match.

The celebration is so iconic that Manchester City, now 7/10 to win the Premier League next season, adopted it.

 

England’s Barmy Army

England may have become famous for its firms of football hooligans in the 1970s and 1980s but it’s the nation’s cricket fan base which comes in as the most passionate and maddest of all English sports fan groups.

Everywhere they go, people always know, who they are…

From the outside and even on television, cricket – especially test cricket – comes off a rather peaceful game between two sets of gentlemen or ladies ready to battle over many days, and take their time doing so. But, when you go to an England cricket game, at home or away, you’ll hear the Barmy Army in full voice.

The Barmy Army sets up trips to watch England play cricket all over the world; they fill the streets, bars, and the majority of a stand when they turn up.

En route to the venue and during the game, you’ll hear them all bellowing their chant and beating the drums, regardless of the time of day or score. The stereotype of cricket fans being somewhat snobby and tranquil couldn’t be further from the truth of the Barmy Army.

When it comes to seeing the Barmy Army in full force, the Ashes tests between England and Australia are when they get the most passionate. For the next Ashes, England is at 27/20 to win, which will only spur these rowdy fans on even more.

 

Oakland Raiders’ Raider Nation

Often voted as having the nicest jerseys in the NFL, the Oakland Raiders fans instead turn those into terrifying pieces of attire as they gather at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum.

Raider Nation is made up of mad fans, to put it simply. The southern stand of the stadium is known as the ‘Black Hole’ as it is filled with the most hostile fans in the league.

These fans all don the black jersey of the Raiders, as well as silver and black face paint, plastic swords, Mad Max-type armour, silver chains, horns, and skulls.

When the league voted to move the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas – commencing 2020 – the biggest outcry came from fellow NFL fans who felt Raider Nation had been very hard done by.

These incredibly passionate, borderline crazy fans would no longer have a team. Luckily, they have another season to send off their team and are 59/50 to defeat the Los Angeles Rams at home in their first game of next season.

 

Boca Juniors Fans

In Argentina, football is huge. In fact, it’s bigger than huge; it’s everything. There’s no doubt that the nation is already buzzing for the World Cup, which Argentina is 11/1 to win. But, the biggest and most notoriously passionate fan base in the country is that of Boca Juniors.

An ocean of blue and yellow shirts, flares, smoke and streamers fill the La Bombonera in each home game. Fans go crazy for each goal and bring down a tirade of boos for anything done against their team.

However, the Boca Juniors fan base couldn’t have reached such a height of fame in the sporting world if it wasn’t for their arch-rivals.

The battle between Boca Juniors and River Plate is a national event in Argentina, which sees two incredibly passionate fan bases collide. While the events of the game often cause clashes between the two groups, it’s the pre-match actions that always heat up the atmosphere.

The two fan groups pull tricks against each other in the running to the huge derby game. From derogatory poster campaigns to insulting in-stadium inflatables, the fan bases go all-out to let the opposition know that they are hated. Then, there’s the atmosphere during the games, which is both electrifying and terrifying at the same time.

From football to cricket, and all the way over to American football, the world of sport boasts some truly spectacular fan bases. Deem it to be passion or craziness; these fans don’t care: they just want their team to win.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

There’s arguably nothing quite like the thrill of European action, with midweek encounters that have brought us action-packed nights in both the Europa League and Champions League over the years.

As the best teams from around the continent go head to head, sometimes encounters can be decided by the finest of margins, while, other times, there are huge mismatches in quality that produce high-scoring victories for the continental giants.

Likewise, just when everything seems over for some teams following a crushing defeat or falling behind in games, against all the odds, they somehow managed to dig deep and produce a spectacular turnaround.

Such comebacks leave a lasting impression and, in this article, we take a look at five of the greatest in European football history.

5: Leixoes 7-6 FC La Chaux-De-Fonds

We start the ball rolling with two teams who most people, these days, have likely never heard of, probably because neither currently play in the respective top flights in their respective countries.

Leixoes play in the second tier of Portuguese football, while FC La Chaux-De-Fonds are in the third tier in Switzerland, so the glory days for both clubs are long in the past.

Nevertheless, their meetings in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup first round back in November 1961 produced one of the most spectacular comebacks in European football history.

FC La Chaux-De-Fonds enjoyed a crushing 6-2 victory in front of just 3,184 in attendance at their Charriére home ground, where they still play to this very day.

The Swiss side were abundantly confident they were going through to the next round, thanks to what looked like a more than comfortable four-goal margin, but Leixoes clearly had other ideas.

The Portuguese outfit ran riot in the second leg, putting five past their stunned rival to win the tie 7-6 on aggregate.

 

4: Deportivo La Coruña 5-4 AC Milan

It’s been a bumpy ride in La Liga for Deportivo La Coruña and their fans in recent years.

They were relegated from the Spanish top flight at the end of the 2017-18 campaign but, not so long ago, they were a side that captured the imagination during their thrilling European football encounters.

However, their 2003-04 Champions League run seemed over after a 4-1 defeat away at the San Siro against AC Milan, but the Italian giants were left stunned in the second leg.

Inspired by an early Walter Pandiani finish inside five minutes, Deportivo tore their star-studded rivals apart.

Juan Carlos Valerón added a second and Albert Luque struck a third just before the stroke of half-time, levelling the aggregate score and putting his side ahead on away goals.

Fran struck the fourth in the 76th minute, the Riazor Stadium was rocking and AC Milan had been dumped out of the competition in spectacular fashion.

 

3: Borussia Mönchengladbach 5-5 Real Madrid

Before being rebranded to its current Europa League name, the UEFA Cup was a competition that always produced scintillating encounters.

After demolishing the mighty Real Madrid 5-1 in the first leg of their 1985-86 meeting, the Gladbach side managed by Jupp Heynckes had produced a major European upset.

Confident of completing the job comfortably enough, his team headed to the Santiago Bernabéu in the Spanish capital.

It’s often said that the word ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist for Real Madrid and Los Blancos found themselves two goals to the good just 19 minutes into the contest.

The German side were starting to realise that things weren’t looking as comfortable as they had thought but the momentum was already with Real Madrid by this point.

Santillana struck the third on 77 minutes and with his side mounting wave after wave of attacks, he also struck the crucial fourth goal with just two minutes left on the clock.

There was no time left for a reaction from the visitors and Real Madrid won the quarter-final tie on away goals.

 

2: FC Barcelona 6-5 Paris Saint Germain

Over recent years, PSG have been spending phenomenal amounts of money in transfers, all with the aim of finally conquering the Champions League.

When they crushed Barcelona 4-0 at the Parc des Princes during the 2016-17 campaign, it finally looked like the French side were a genuine force to be reckoned with, on track to achieve their ambitions.

After such a potent first-leg display against such a powerful opponent, all the spending appeared to be justified.

After being hammered in France, the Catalan giants were also hammered by the press in Spain, so they were out for blood in the second leg at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona took a 3-0 lead, although Edinson Cavani grabbed a crucial away goal for PSG, seemingly dashing any hopes of turning the tie around.

However, Neymar scored twice in three minutes right at the death, then Sergi Roberto scored a dramatic tie-winning goal five minutes into stoppage time, proving it is  never over until the final whistle.

To this day, Barcelona are the only team ever to recover from a four-goal first-leg deficit in Champions League history.

 

1: Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich

Compared to other matches, the score was quite low in this showdown between Manchester United and Bayern Munich in 1999, but it’s the remarkable and unforgettable nature of this comeback that makes it arguably the greatest in European football.

The Bavarian giants had the lead after just five minutes thanks to a Mario Basler free-kick but, while they dominated the rest of the game, despite a host of great chances, the killer blow never came.

They also didn’t account for ‘Fergie Time’ either. When the TV cameras panned on the face of Lothar Matthäus in the 80th minute, the German football legend was all smiles sat on the bench, just after being substituted.

After all, he was on his way to winning the only major trophy to elude him during his illustrious career with the Bavarian giants.

However, that confidant look of expected victory soon turned to utter disbelief, once the game headed past ninety minutes and into stoppage time.

For climactic drama and untold glamour, F1 is unrivalled in the motorsport world. Since 1950, when Giuseppe Farina won the inaugural FIA World Driver’s Championship, legends have come and gone, etching their names into the annals of history.

Certain periods of F1 history have also seen specific constructors dominate the standings, leading to close-fought title battles.

Most recently, in the mid-2010s, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fought tooth and nail under the Mercedes brand prior to the latter’s retirement.

Even now, in 2018, the Silver Arrows still fly without apparent equal, powered by the successor of the original feared W05 hybrid engine that started a dynasty.

Here, we look at two iconic inter-team rivalries from F1 history, and how they compare to another potential rivalry brewing in F1

Giuseppe Farina v Juan Manuel Fangio

In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, these two Alfa Romeo racers were the most captivating talents of their day.

As the first season in which the Driver’s Championship was awarded, the year of 1950 saw this rivalry come to a head, and ensure the place of the iconic Alfa Romeo 158/159 chassis in motorsport history.

In an age before intensive safety measures, those famous red bullets duelled and diced with death on many occasions, but the real drama came in the final race of the season, which enabled Farina to clinch the title by just three points.

The decider: Monza, 3 September 1950

By the seventh race of the season, Fangio had won three races to Farina’s two. In Farina’s home race, the Argentine ace took pole position and looked primed to take the win that would see him become the very first champion of the 1950s.

However, he had not counted on Farina repeating the feat of that year’s Swiss Grand Prix and get a win after starting behind Fangio in pole.

Far from being a duel until the bitter end, fate gifted Farina the championship win, with Fangio retiring after just 23 laps due to gearbox issues. Not to be deterred, he took over Piero Taruffi’s car in the pits to rescue his title bid.

However, it would be utterly in vain, with Ferrari’s Alberto Ascari tearing up the track and enjoying the race of a lifetime on his home circuit – though he never managed to beat countryman, and eventual champion, Farina.

In terms of the Farina/Fangio rivalry itself, F1 historians are split as to whom truly was the better man – although there is little doubt that Fangio was the more relevant driver of the two in terms of how he raced and enjoyed stardom.

Nonetheless, there can be absolutely no doubt at all that (in 1950 at least) Farina showed why class is permanent.

 

Alain Prost v Ayrton Senna

Senna’s dauntless racing style brought F1 kicking and screaming into a modern era, and provided a blueprint for generations of future drivers.

Prost, meanwhile, lived to win and found gaps in the flow of machines, the likes of which only a proud few have ever dared to exploit.

Both men were already electrifying figures on the circuit, and when Prost joined Senna at McLaren in 1988, it seemed as though nothing could stop the Woking outfit.

That proved true, but it was not without its hair-raising moments, which questioned the sanity of the McLaren administration’s decision to pair two racers famed for personal glory at all costs.

Unsurprisingly, it was a short-lived partnership, with Prost joining Ferrari in 1990. However, there were plenty of fireworks in the two years that Prost and Senna shared one banner.

The decider: Jacarepaguá, 26 March 1989

In 1988, the first season of McLaren’s ‘dream team’, the Portuguese Grand Prix proved to be the first clear manifestation of the ugly side of that partnership. During the race, Senna had attempted to make an active stab at preventing Prost from taking the lead.

In the process, Prost was forced close to the pit wall at a dangerous speed of 174 mph, and though the manoeuvre succeeded without incident, Prost’s existing grudge towards Senna reached new depths.

Opening the 1989 season with his home race, Senna (in pole position) was the rampant favourite to succeed on day one, and press on to defend his title.

Yet, having seen his biggest rival sweep to the 1988 title, Prost would assume his ultimate form and show exactly why he was the top dog at McLaren.

From fifth on the grid, Prost went straight for Senna, but it would instead be Gerhard Berger that stopped Senna with a clash that saw the Brazilian immediately fall behind the pack. Merciless as ever, Prost raced through but underperformed by his own standards to finish second.

With Senna going on to finish eleventh, the race turned out to be a frank illustration of how 1989 would go for the McLaren duo. Though Senna would win the next three races in succession, Prost made the podium in two of them.

Senna then suffered three retirements and a seventh-place finish in the next four races, with Prost winning three times. After that, there was no going back, and Prost went on to wrest the title from Senna with ease.

It would be extremely disrespectful to identify a clear ‘winner’ in this rivalry. Both men set the sport alight, but in staying with McLaren, Senna proved that there is always some honour in loyalty by staying with McLaren through his peak years.

The late 1980s and early 1990s saw mixed fortunes for Senna, but he stuck through it all – until the very end.

Daniel Ricciardo v Max Verstappen 

On 29 April 2018, Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo once more showed their individual willingness to win, even at the cost of their own team’s reputation.

Their headstrong attitudes culminated in a crash on that day’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and if this wasn’t already a rivalry in its own right, it certainly is now. At 22, Verstappen has already shown tenacity beyond his years.

Even in his debut season, Verstappen was breaking new ground, with a particularly impressive overtake at Blanchimont in the Belgian Grand Prix of 2015 showing the world exactly what he was capable of.

Indeed, it is here that the similarities between Verstappen, and the likes of the aforementioned Fangio and Senna, become apparent.

Shared characteristics include the absence of fear and a willingness to tear up proverbial scripts, even at the cost of inconveniencing respected and better-established teammates.

However, Ricciardo has (unlike Verstappen) also managed two third-place finishes (in 2014 and 2016).

On both occasions, Ricciardo locked out Sebastian Vettel in a Ferrari team seen as second only to Mercedes, and furthermore, the Australian still commands much shorter FIA Driver’s Championship odds than his teammate.

The decider: Sepang, 1 October 2017

What should have been a comfortable win for eventual champion Lewis Hamilton from pole position became a frustrating defeat at the hands of a young underdog.

Clearly, Red Bull’s strategy on that occasion was to go straight for the jugular that was Hamilton’s Mercedes before it built up a head of steam. Combined with the crushing humidity of Sepang, it was a tactic that worked wonders.

Red Bull scored two places on the podium, with Verstappen winning and Ricciardo finishing third.

Where the Red Bull team alone is concerned, it was not the first time that Verstappen had bested Ricciardo on the circuit – far from it.

However, it was a major step towards establishing a case for the young Dutchman being undisputedly seen as Red Bull’s primary driver, regardless of his lesser experience compared to Ricciardo.

If, however, Verstappen is to ultimately be considered the better of the two current Red Bull teammates by future generations, he will have to finish on the podium of a championship table.

He would, also, arguably need to do so inside a Red Bull car – within the current climate of Mercedes dominance – to go down as a true legend in due course.

In all sports, it’s winning trophies that earns a team’s legacy. However, a team that goes undefeated for an extraordinary stretch of games gets cemented in the minds of the fans as the greatest team of all-time.

These greatest undefeated streaks showcase some of the most overwhelmingly dominant teams that the world of sport has ever seen.

 

Arsenal (49 Premier League games)

Starting at the tail end of the 2002/03 season, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal team had finished second to Manchester United by just five points. The Gunners won their last two games of the season 6-1 and 4-0, having lost to Leeds on the 36^th match day.

Then came the 2003/04 season, which would go down in English football history. Wenger’s team boasted the likes of Jens Lehmann, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Dennis Bergkamp, and, of course, Thierry Henry. These stars went on a run of 26 wins and 12 draws to win the title and earn the nickname, the ‘Invincibles’.

In 2004/05, as defending champions, Arsenal won their first five games, going undefeated for nine before succumbing to Manchester United 2-0. The phenomenal streak ended on 24 October. 

With a new manager coming into the club this summer, Arsenal are at 25/1 to win the Premier League next season.

 

Celtic (69 Scottish games)

In 2017, Celtic managed to conquer the record that their own club had set 100 years prior. Manager Brendan Rodgers forged this shiny new record of 69 games undefeated in all Scottish competitions.

The undefeated streak started off spectacularly with a 7-0 win over Motherwell on May 15, 2016. The run appeared never-ending, with the Celtic team shredding any Scottish unit that stood before them. Until, on December 17, Hearts came out of nowhere to claim a mighty 4-0 win.

 

Steaua Bucureşti (119 Romanian games)

Holding the record for the longest undefeated run in Europe is Romanian outfit Steaua Bucureşti. Through the 1980s, the team ran by Emeric Jenei and Anghel Iordănescu dominated Romanian football and even performed well on the European stage.

During their emphatic run of 119 undefeated domestic games, Steaua Bucureşti won five consecutive league titles as well as 15 cup matches. When it comes to dominating in the top division, it seems very unlikely that any team will be able to come close to this record.

 

Manchester United (25 Champions League games)

Through Sir Alex Ferguson’s 27 years at Manchester United, he built and managed many teams that will go down in history as some of the best of all-time. Never one to put much emphasis on losing a game – provided the season was going to plan – Ferguson’s run in the Champions League from 2007 to 2009 was quite spectacular.

With a Champions League win sandwiched in the middle, Manchester United went undefeated from their group stage game of the 2007/08 competition all the way to the Champions League final in the 2008/09 season. A masterful showing from Xavi, Andreas Iniesta, Samuel Eto’o, and Lionel Messi proved to be United’s undoing.

Manchester United will open the 2018/19 campaign at home to Leicester City; punters can back the Red Devils at 2/9 to start with a victory.

 

West Indies (27 international test matches)

In international test cricket, it can be very difficult for a team to establish an undefeated streak. As teams play on many differing pitches, in all sorts of weather conditions, and while dealing with various climates around the world, settling into good form can be very difficult.

From 1982 to 1984, the West Indies test team proved that they could master all pitches and all conditions on either hemisphere. During their incredible 27 test match undefeated streak, captain Clive Lloyd led the West Indies past Australia, India, and England, among others.

Unfortunately, this current batch isn't expected to do as well in the ICC World Cup, for which the West Indies are at 16/1 to win.

 

Philadelphia Flyers (35 NHL games)

In the NHL, it’s commonplace for the team who tops the final standings to lose around a quarter of their games – due to how demanding the schedule is and how physical the games are. So, when a team goes nearly half of the season undefeated, that’s quite some achievement.

In the 1979/80 season, en route to topping the NHL and being runners-up in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Philadelphia Flyers went on an unprecedented run of 25 wins and ten draws.

 

New England Patriots (21 NFL games)

When people think of dominant NFL teams, the combination of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick always comes to mind. From the fifth game of the 2003 season to the eighth game of the 2004 season, the New England Patriots won every single game – including the Super Bowl.

The Pats may have seen their undefeated streak come to an end at 21 games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they went on to win the Super Bowl for the second year running.

As you would expect, the Brady-Belichick team is expected to defeat the Houston Texans in their opening game of the season at odds of 4/11.

 

New York Giants (26 MLB games)

All the way back in 1916, the New York Giants managed to string together 26 undefeated games. This shocked the National League because, in the season before, the Giants finished as the worst team on their side of the MLB.

But, in 1916, towards the end of the season, the Giants went on an unprecedented 26 games without a loss. Despite this, however, they still finished fourth in the National League.

Post-war, the Cleveland Indians boast the undefeated streak record of 22, which they achieved in 2017. Despite strong seasons recently, the Indians are at 14/1 to win the World Series this year.

 

Los Angeles Lakers (33 NBA games)

Coached by Bill Sharman and headlined by the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, Jerry West, and Jim McMillian, the 1971/72 Lakers managed to disrupt what looked to be the dawning of a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar championed Milwaukee Bucks dynasty.

During the regular season, from their tenth games to their 42^nd, the Los Angeles Lakers went on a monstrous undefeated streak of 33 games. In fact, due to the NBA not registering draws and the games going to overtime, it was a 33 game win streak. The Lakers won their division, conference, and went on to be crowned NBA champions.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*