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This season in the English Premiership is expected by most to come down to a battle between Chelsea and the Manchester clubs – although perhaps Arsenal cannot be totally written out of the story. The online bookmakers had made Manchester City the hot favourites before the season started, but you would have only found very low odds on them. So, now that we have had the opportunity to see the teams in early season action, are there any pointers on which of them would make a good bet?
From Subbuteo to Schmeichel – its the book packed with more football memories than you can cram into your boot bag
Football today is all about the mega-money transfers, foreign owners and goal-line technology. The 1990s was a completely different experience for the average football lover.
Last night I asked my American followers on Twitter for their opinion on new signing Kei Kamara, here’s a snapshot of what people had to say:
I also spoke to Dan Williams (@DannyinBelfast) and asked for his opinion on Jacob Butterfield. He recommended the following articles on Sabotage Times, the first written by himself and the second by David Preece (@davidpreece12).
Why Jacob Butterfield Is The Missing Piece Of The Puzzle
Norwich City Fans Should Get In A Lather About Their New Gazza Jacob Butterfield
Footballers are used to pressure, as they play week-in, week-out in front of 10,000′s of people in the stadiums and millions of television viewers around the world. However, while the top footballers are gifted with a ball at their feet, it was up to some of the most recognisable players from around the world to show their proficiency with a golf club in the inaugural Westwood Cup in Las Vegas back in June, and beat the pressure of a different sport.
Middlesbrough fans and owner Steve Gibson seem to be behind Tony Mowbray, and believe that the former West Brom coach is the man to lead the side back to the Premier League. However, the next six months will be imperative for Mowbray, and the club, with a terrible end to last season.
Chelsea are in a stage of rebuilding – next season a new manager will be at the helm and surely another couple of new players will be splurged on in the summer transfer window. However, one issue that the west London club need to decide on is whether to extend the contract of long-standing midfielder Frank Lampard, which expires this summer.
In addition to some of the cracking deals currently on offer (see below), our friends at Zino have offered free magazine subscriptions to 10 of our lucky readers.
Winners will be able to choose from any of the thousands of titles on offer including: FOUR FOUR TWO, XI QUARTERLY and HOWLER .
It’s been a mixed bag of fortunes for Middlesbrough this season, as they have continued, and failed, their quest to regain promotion back into the Premier League.
The side currently sits 12th in the table, one of three sides on 58 points and with no hope of making the play-offs, but there is no reason why betting sites shouldn’t make them one of the best outside bets to go up next season.
Real Madrid v Manchester United
UEFA Champions League
Bernabeau Stadium, Madrid
Wednesday February 13, 2013
19:45 GMT
The tie everyone has been waiting for is upon us as the impending Premier League champions travel to the current Spanish champions for the pick of the last 16 ties. Manchester United have it all to do as they need some form of protection heading into the second leg.
Celtic v Juventus
UEFA Champions League
Parkhead, Scotland
Tuesday February 12, 2013
19:45 GMT
Celtic’s superb performances in the Champions League group stage have given them the chance to square up against one of Italy’s best teams. Juventus were too good for Chelsea and they will back themselves to be too good for the Scottish champions.
If you are thinking of doing some football betting on an upcoming fixture then make sure you come and check out the latest betting tips and odds at Bwin Betting.
The festive period is historically a depressing time for Boro fans… if ever the wheels were about to fall off a particular campaign, it would invariably happen during our Christmas fixtures (and still does). However, one game that bucked that particular trend was a Boxing Day visit to St James Park in the early 1990′s.
I’m pleased to say I was in the away end that day, witnessing a goal that was as bizarre as it was satisfying. Since then I’ve often wondered what the home fans made of that game and the manner of the defeat.
Luckily for me, Michael Hudson (aka The Accidental Groundhopper) agreed to pick up the story from the NUFC perspective. Enjoy.
This is another piece I’ve been working on for the upcoming Fantasista Exhibition launching Spring 2013. I will add a bit more editorial to this when i get time but just wanted to post up the image to get some initial feedback tonight.
This is a piece I’ve been working on recently for next years Fantasista Exhibition, which will be launching in Spring 2013 at a Central London location. The exhibition will celebrate players who (in the organisers own words) “are a symbol of creativity and invention, of imagination and entertainment, of artistry and magic”. So I thought who better to take on than “Zizou”.
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There is no question that gambling in all of its forms has thrived in the modern era, as the big companies have moved to set up online and mobile betting options to reach a wider range of customers, and new smaller companies have set up online. One type of gambling that has always been particularly popular in the UK is sports betting – particularly football betting – and that has continued into the digital age, with numerous options for online football betting and sites offering information and tips. All this information can make knowing where to start a bit overwhelming for newcomers to this activity though, so how do you bet on football successfully?
As part of the work I’ve been doing for the upcoming Fantasista Exhibition (launching Spring 2013), I decided I couldn’t let things pass without including Middlesbrough’s own Fantasista and number 10, Juninho. For those of you who arent already aware, the height chart shown in the background is a tongue in cheek reference to his nickname on Teesside “The Little Fella”
Prints will be available in next few days, so if you’re interested in buying one feel free to drop me a line on via my contact form
Check out the latest ‘Boro odds and Football Tips at Betfair and make a bet on whether you think the ‘Boro can gain promotion!
I recently teamed up with football author Paul Smith regarding a project I had been considering for some time. My aim was to create a series of posters focussing on English football stadiums that are no longer with us. Paul kindly agreed to let me use some of the source materials / maps he and his wife had collected over the years during his own research. I will keep adding additional clubs to the project dependent on demand, so please drop me line or use the comments section below if you would like your own club inlcuded
As a Middlesbrough fan I had to think long and hard before creating this particular piece. However, I felt excluding it would contradict the aim of the project, which is to set aside personal loyalties and to instead celebrate what certain grounds meant to people (home or away). With this is mind I was very grateful to IBWM‘s Jeff Livingstone, who offered to write an impassioned, albeit it through gritted teeth, introduction to this piece (a full transcript can be found below).
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic illustration done as part of my ongoing A-Z project
