PROMOTION from our EFL Championship is undoubtedly the golden ticket for participating clubs. 

It is worth at least £150 million even if a team subsequently finishes rock bottom of the Premier League table 12 months later. This bountiful scenario brings huge Championship outright betting participation.

Accordingly, fitting remuneration is paid to the coaches who plot a path to the top flight. Football betting activity quite rightly reflects the work these highly astute men put in on the training ground. 

So who will be the best paid EFL Championship coaches in the new 2025/26 campaign? Here are the leading five according to intelligent estimates across various online sites…

Will Still

• Salary – £1.3 million per annum
• Club – Southampton
• Age - 32
• Date appointed – 25th May 2025

Will Still on Southampton: "I am so proud and excited to have joined Southampton building up to the new season. The club has huge potential and so there is a great opportunity to do something special here.

"My aim is to build a clear identity bringing a very positive future for the team. I will create a close-knit group of players to get Saints back to the Premier League where we belong."

Martí Cifuentes

• Salary – £1.1 million per annum
• Club – Leicester City
• Age - 43
• Date appointed – 15th July 2025

Martí Cifuentes on Leicester City: "It is a great personal honour for me to be appointed as manager of Leicester City. Having previously worked in England at Queens Park Rangers, I am aware that Leicester are a fantastic club with a proud history.

"Therefore it is a privilege for me to be asked to help write the next chapter. I am looking forward to getting to know the players, the supporters and the city in the coming weeks and months ahead. I am excited that we can begin this journey together because I can see the passion that exists at Leicester."

Kieran McKenna

• Salary – £1 million per annum
• Club – Ipswich Town
• Age - 39
• Date appointed – 16th December 2021

Kieran McKenna on Ipswich Town: "It was really disappointing to be relegated from the Premier League last season but our squad is strong and so we are looking for a bright future.

"We have a sensible supporter base who could see the jump we had made to the top flight after winning promotion. They appreciated our players attempting to compete in the toughest league in the world.

"My team is very much still together and united. So that will be a massive thing for us going forward now in this new Championship season and for years ahead."

Rubén Sellés

• Salary – £850,000 per annum
• Club – Sheffield United
• Age - 42
• Date appointed – 18th June 2025

Rubén Sellés on Sheffield United: "When I first heard about the possibility of joining Sheffield United, it was a no brainer for me. The club has tremendous history. My mission is to move the team forward and try to be even more competitive.

"The whole project is very powerful and ambitious with everyone on the same page. I think I am capable of building a good model to optimise our performances using all the tools we have. We want to be aggressive and make things happen in the Championship to give ourselves a very good chance of winning games."

Chris Davies

• Salary – £600,000 per annum
• Club – Birmingham City
• Age - 40
• Date appointed – 6th June 2024

Chris Davies on Birmingham City: "We’ve got the football but we’ve got the fight as well at Birmingham City. I’ve told my players our final total of 111 points last time out is a bit of history in sealing promotion as League One champions.

"It’s only possible to get that amount of points if you’re a proper team. We will take that momentum on into the Championship."

Read More:

• League Two salary figures and estimates
• League One salary figures and estimates
• Football predictions
• How much do Championship players get paid?
• Learn about the Championship playoff final
• The most expensive transfers in Championship history

*Credit for the image belongs to Alamy*

With the summer now in full swing, July is always an action-packed month in terms of the horse racing taking place across the UK, Ireland and France. 

Let’s take a look at some of the main features and races that you will witness across the month of July. 

Saturday 5th July: Eclipse & Lancashire Oaks 

There are two premier fixtures for the price of one on this particular Saturday, with Sandown hosting the Eclipse Stakes and Haydock showcasing the Lancashire Oaks. 

The Eclipse is Britain's first major all-aged Group 1 of the season. It has previously been won by some of the sport's greats including in recent years Sea The Stars, Golden Horn and Enable, and is sure to be a great renewal once more. 

Meanwhile at Haydock Park, there will be much excitement around the participation of Estrange in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks. The exciting grey filly could further enhance her reputation as being a live Arc hope, with another big run over the 1m4f trip. 

Sunday 6th July: Prix Jean Prat 

The Prix Jean Prat is a Group 1 that takes place at the Deauville racecourse and is restricted to three-year-old colts and fillies. The race is contested over a distance of seven furlongs. 

This year’s renewal will see Aidan O’Brien’s runners trading prominently in the horse racing betting. 

Thursday 10th – Saturday 12th July: Newmarket July Meeting 

The final day of The July Festival is all about the July Cup. This Group 1 race is one of the most valuable and prestigious sprint races in the world and the winner is often acknowledged to be the best sprinter in Europe. 

Other feature races at this Festival include the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes (Fillies & Mares), plus the 20-strong Bunbury Cup for the seven furlong handicappers. 

Sunday 13th July: Grand Prix de Paris 

The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 horse race open only to colts and fillies who are aged three-years-old. The race is run over one mile and four furlongs and has proved to be a key Arc trial over the years. 

Saturday 19th – Sunday 20th July: Irish Oaks Weekend 

Saturday is a day dedicated to the best of Irish Flat racing, led by the Group 1 Irish Oaks. The prestigious Classic is the ultimate test for three-year-old fillies, and is a race that has shaped the pedigree scene for generations. 

Saturday 26th July: King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes 

The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot is one of Britain's most prestigious open-age flat races. A Group 1 staged over a mile-and-a-half, the race has seen some of the most talented horses of all time lay a marker down. 

Tuesday 29th July – Saturday 2nd August: Glorious Goodwood 

All five days of the Goodwood Festival are known as Premier Racedays, which mean they celebrate the very best of British horseracing. With no less than 13 Group contests and three ultra-competitive Group 1’s, the feature  race is the £1 million Sussex Stakes.

If you're craving the return of the National Hunt season, it might be worth checking out our latest Cheltenham odds ahead of the 2025/26 jumps campaign. 

*Photo credit belongs to Alamy*

• Roger Federer is the most successful men’s player in the Open Era
• Federer leads the way with eight titles, one ahead of Pete Sampras
• Bjorn Borg and Federer have enjoyed the most sustained periods of Wimbledon dominance

Wimbledon is the premier event on the tennis calendar. Winning at Wimbledon is a highlight of any tennis player’s career, whether accustomed to the status of tennis betting favourite or producing one of the great upsets.

Much like the Ashes or Super Bowl, Wimbledon attracts sports betting attention from people who are not locked into the sport year-round. Success at Wimbledon is the greatest way for a tennis player to make their name.

There have been shocks and epics throughout the men’s Open Era at Wimbledon – our list below has every Wimbledon men’s winner since Rod Laver’s 1968 title.

Wimbledon Men's Winners:

• 1968 – Rod Laver
• 1969 – Rod Laver
• 1970 – John Newcombe
• 1971 – John Newcombe
• 1972 – Stan Smith
• 1973 – Jan Kodes
• 1974 – Jimmy Connors
• 1975 – Arthur Ashe
• 1976 - Bjorn Borg 
• 1977 - Bjorn Borg
• 1978 - Bjorn Borg
• 1979 - Bjorn Borg
• 1980 - Bjorn Borg 
• 1981 – John McEnroe
• 1982 – Jimmy Connors
• 1983 – John McEnroe
• 1984 – John McEnroe
• 1985 – Boris Becker
• 1986 – Boris Becker
• 1987 – Pat Cash
• 1988 – Stefan Edberg
• 1989 – Boris Becker
• 1990 – Stefan Edberg
• 1991 – Michael Stich
• 1992 – Andre Agassi 
• 1993 – Pete Sampras
• 1994 – Pete Sampras
• 1995 – Pete Sampras 
• 1996 – Richard Krajicek
• 1997 – Pete Sampras
• 1998 – Pete Sampras
• 1999 – Pete Sampras 
• 2000 – Pete Sampras
• 2001 – Goran Ivanisevic
• 2002 – Lleyton Hewitt
• 2003 – Roger Federer
• 2004 - Roger Federer
• 2005 - Roger Federer
• 2006 - Roger Federer
• 2007 - Roger Federer
• 2008 – Rafael Nadal
• 2009 - Roger Federer
• 2010 – Rafael Nadal
• 2011 – Novak Djokovic
• 2012 - Roger Federer
• 2013 – Andy Murray
• 2014 – Novak Djokovic
• 2015 – Novak Djokovic 
• 2016 – Andy Murray
• 2017 - Roger Federer
• 2018 – Novak Djokovic
• 2019 – Novak Djokovic 
• 2020 – Tournament Cancelled
• 2021 - Novak Djokovic
• 2022 - Novak Djokovic
• 2023 - Carlos Alcaraz
• 2024 - Carlos Alcaraz

Most Wimbledon Titles:

Roger Federer’s eight titles makes him the most successful Wimbledon men’s player ever.

Martina Navratilova is the only player with more singles titles in the Open era – find out more about the greats of the women’s game in our Wimbledon women’s winners piece.

Though grass courts were long the fortress of players with the fastest tennis serves, Federer became the master of the All England Club without the most powerful serve, but with accuracy, variation and an all-round game unmatched in the history of the sport.

Federer is one of just two players to win five consecutive Wimbledon men’s titles. Starting with a majestic win in 2003, the Swiss maestro beat Andy Roddick in each of the next two finals before wins over Rafael Nadal in 2006 and 2007.

Federer once again faced Nadal in 2008, but the Spaniard was victorious this time round in what is considered by many as the greatest Grand Slam final of all-time.

Pete Sampras was Federer’s predecessor as the King of Wimbledon. The big-serving American won Wimbledon seven times over an eight-year span from 1993 through to 2000. Federer’s win over Sampras in 2001 was a changing of the guard in SW19.

Sampras didn’t hold the record as the most successful man in Wimbledon history for very long. His seven titles is still good for second-most all-time, though Novak Djokovic could well catch him before he calls time on his career.

Djokovic claimed his sixth Wimbledon title in July 2021. The Serbian has lifted the famous trophy on the last two occasions and got the better of Federer in the 2014 and 2015 finals – the first of which was a five-set thriller.

Djokovic’s win over Federer in 2019 was every bit as spectacular, winning the fifth set 13-12.

Borg’s five titles from 1976 through to 1980 have him level with Djokovic for now. The Swede’s period of Wimbledon dominance will take some beating – even Federer could not make it six titles on the bounce.

John McEnroe and Boris Becker are the only other players with more than two Wimbledon titles. McEnroe succeeded Borg, beating the Swedish star in 1981, and making the final in each of the next three seasons.

McEnroe’s rivalry with Jimmy Connors (who beat him in the 1982 final). The McEnroe and Connors rivalry was always a headline at Wimbledon in the early 1980s – Connors finished his career with two Wimbledon titles despite making it to the final on six occasions.

Becker won back-to-back Wimbledons after McEnroe’s run. He then made the final four times in four years between 1988 and 1991, but only lifted the trophy once more. Becker went 1-2 in finals against Stefan Edberg before losing to Michael Stich in 1991.

Six players have won two Wimbledon titles in the Open Era. The most recent player to join that group was Andy Murray – the Brit made history in 2013 and joined Nadal, Edberg, Laver, Connors and Newcombe with his second title in 2016.

While Americans are frequently victorious at the US Open, it had been a long wait for British success at Wimbledon. Prior to Murray’s emotional 2013 triumph, no British man had won the singles since Fred Perry completed his threepeat in 1936.

Wimbledon Amateur Era:

The Amateur Era ran from 1877 through to 1967. William Renshaw, with seven titles, is the most successful man in the Amateur Era, but it is worth noting that Renshaw won the majority of these titles in a different format.

Only two of his seven Wimbledon wins came in a complete draw. The other five were in the comparatively complicated challenge round format.

Norman Brookes, the 1907 All Comers’ Winner, was the first non-Brit to win Wimbledon. Brookes won his second title seven years later, following four consecutive wins for his fellow Australian Anthony Wilding.

Other countries began to enjoy success later in Wimbledon’s Amateur Era, including six successive French champions in the 1920s and an array of American winners. Manuel Santana became the first Spaniard to win at the All England Club in 1966.

For all the markets for Wimbledon - 888sport

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*