Tag: promotion

Permutations at the ready

Permutations at the ready

Bournemouth are at home to Bolton this evening, a win will see them get promoted. Well I say that, but a win would put them three points ahead of rivals with a vastly superior goal difference. As good as a promoted.

There are a number of permutations available for the adventurous this evening. Bournemouth are 1.30’s for the match and 1.10ish for promotion. Backing them for the match but going against promotion could prove useful. Of course they could draw

27/04/2015 | By | Reply More
Going to the wire

Going to the wire

It’s a fascinating season in the Championship this year and it’s going to wire!

The championship is always ultra competitive, unlike the premier league most years, and this often throws up some interesting scenarios. The prize on offer, promotion to the premiership is such a large one, that clubs will spend or ‘fight like beavers’, to get a chance of the riches on offer.

This year we are only three games away from deciding which two lucky teams will get

17/04/2015 | By | Reply More
Southampton agree fee for tea lady

Southampton agree fee for tea lady

Quite a few jokes doing the rounds at the unprecedented sale of Southampton players which is attracting a lot of press. But inside the humour and horror (for Southampton fans) some serious lessons for traders. You can profit from the mayhem. But first, anecdotal reflection and another trading lesson.

In 2003 I sat in the Millenium stadium and crowed at how Southampton had finally made it. Seventh in the premier league, FA Cup final and a crop of talented …

02/08/2014 | By | Reply More
Relegation & promotion markets and over reaction

Relegation & promotion markets and over reaction

I’ve been active in the promotion and relegation market for a few years now, but this year is a good example of why.

I’m always amazed at how volatile the market can be throughout the season. This year looks like an interesting year at the top, but I hadn’t imagined just how much prices would fluctuate so early in the season. I’m mean it’s only just started and yet people are heavily discounting something that won’t happen till next May.…

30/09/2013 | By | Reply More
How to buy success

How to buy success

As the new season is upon us all football fans up and down the country will no doubt have fresh hopes about what the season will bring. Transfers will have been done and hopes raised. But what is it that makes a team successful? What is the most defining characteristic?

The defining characteristic

As is well known, a lot of club revenue gets spent on wages to attract top players. This is in the hope that buying talent buys performances. …

17/08/2013 | By | Reply More
Pre-Season Football

Pre-Season Football

Not much to be read into pre season friendlies TBH. As a manager you are looking at new players, either acquired or coming up through the ranks and assessing things for the next season. Results are not paramount, injuries are and when I looked into pre-season friendlies a few years ago there seemed to be little correlation to the start of the new season.

What I do look for though is new transfers, which does give a clue to performances …

23/07/2013 | By | Reply More
A tale of last day relegation

A tale of last day relegation

Last day of the premiership today, hoping for a few twists and turns on the last day.

I recently watched Southampton get promoted to the Premiership. It’s the end of a seven year wait and has finally exorcised the ghost of relegation from seven years ago. But for me it also has been a point of closure after I sent my team down seven years ago! Well I say I sent my team down, I didn’t, but it felt like …

13/05/2012 | By More
Play off promotion clues

Play off promotion clues

Take a deep breath, its play off time. I personally think play offs are a bit unfair. You play well all season only to suffer some injuries which mean you are not automatically promoted, then lose in a knock out competition. I would feel gutted at this.

One thing you may have noticed about the play off is that teams that finish in the top position in the league, in respect to the play off teams, don’t necessarily get promoted. …

03/05/2012 | By More
Last day nerves, apathy & the weather

Last day nerves, apathy & the weather

When we approach the end of season crunch games, when relegation or promotion can be decided on the last game, look out for shocks. Also, in the mid division stuff, where there is little to play for; also look to the outsider. It’s at moments like these that you can find value in the markets. Normal statistical analysis becomes much less reliable at these points.

Look for early signs that a team that ‘has’ to do something is showing nerves. …

28/04/2012 | By More
How to play the play offs

How to play the play offs

I was asked for an opinion recently on the championship play offs. I tipped a Reading vs Swansea final with Reading likely to edge it. So far so good, as both Swansea and Reading are through, so how did I get it right?

It’s quite simple really, “Form” is the answer. When you look at play off success over the years then form stands out as the key determinate. Form teams do well in the play offs on average and …

18/05/2011 | By More
Going up or not?

Going up or not?

I feel sorry for QPR fans who have just ‘won’ promotion to the premier league but could yet be scuppered by the FA hearing into irregularities. It’s another example of why value tends to exist at either extreme of the market. People discount something as certain or not far too quickly than chance would and this is where value is often found. My P&L is punctuated with big spikes where value lays or backs eventually return a big one …

04/05/2011 | By More
Don’t pay till May

Don’t pay till May

It was only when my favourite football club got relegated that I started playing around in the relegation and promotion markets. Since then it has become a regular stamping ground for me during the season, especially at the start or end. People seem to have this wonderful propensity to put too much emphasis on recent results or events. Either that or they carry hopes that are just clearly out of whack with reality.

So far this year I have made …

04/12/2010 | By More
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