Official Premiership 2008/09 thread

[Scott McFly]

Why do they pay out early? Surely all they're doing is potentially costing themselves money. :/

I presume they stop accepting new bets for it as well? If they think X eventuality is going to be a sure thing, then even if they pummel their given odds into the ground they'd still lose a tiny bit of money every time someone new made the (apparently sure-fire) bet.

Even so: ridiculous.

Probably for the publicity too, people will bet there in the hope that they do pay out early on something making it irrelevant if it actually happens or not. And the more people think that, the more business they'll get.

[stokeriño]

Villa-Chelsea! Looking forward to this.

Sky Sports' predicted line-up has our back four as Bosingwa-Alex-Terry-Ferreira. Paulo Ferreira (or perhaps Bosingwa) on the left? The fuck?

Edited February 21, 2009 by stokeriño

[therockbox]

The rest of the season for Chelsea fans is going to be amazing. They spent the first half of the season moaning about Scolari's lack of a Plan B, so they're going to be in heaven with Hiddink going through to Plan Z in every game. Two or three different formations used during a match and all his substitutions used up before half-time, it's going to be awesome.

Edited February 21, 2009 by therockbox

[stokeriño]

1-0, Anelka

Brilliant work by Lampard to create it.

[Summers]

Meh.

Wake the hell up, Villa.

[Summers]

Four minutes became under three, thanks to timewasting. Well done ref.

[stokeriño]

Phew.

Better from Villa in the second half, but we ground it out. That's (potentially) another 3 points further away from Arsenal. >_>

Edit: Shouldn't have been four minutes in the first place. Not to mention that Villa didn't exactly show the urgency their position would supposedly dictate either.

Edited February 21, 2009 by stokeriño

[Summers]

..It should have been about 5 minutes, are you crazy? Every throw in and goal kick was used to waste extra time.

Doesn't matter, we'll take third back. (Y)

[Liam]

Paddy Power is paying out on Manchester United as winners of the Premier League, FA Cup and Carling Cup - the first time any bookie has paid out early on a team winning more than one trophy in a season.

With United's goal impregnable in their last 14 league games and Arsene Wenger's admission that the champions are 'untouchable' Paddy Power is not only declaring the title race over but all domestic trophies for this season.

The bookie will pay out on all bets on United winning the three domestic trophies as well as any bets on the domestic doubles and the treble.

United are already just 1/6 to retain their title, 2/5 for the Carling Cup and 7/4 for the FA Cup, with Paddy Power looking at an early payout of over £1 million.

Paddy Power, head of communications for the bookie, said: "We know and punters know the race for trophies is all but over for another year so why wait for the formalities?

"If none of the opposition are able to even score a goal against United what chance have they got of actually beating them to silverware? We just hope someone can do us a favour and stop them in Europe.

"However, paying out on all three is a gamble. Football has a way of biting teams on the backside when they least expect it so we could yet end up with egg on our faces and not for the first time.

"Paddy Power are famous for being the first to call title races over, even paying out on Chelsea after just seven games of the 2005/06 season. But we haven't always got it right, famously paying out on Arsenal in the 2002/2003 season only to have to pay out again when Manchester United pipped them to the title."

Paddy Power are also waiting on the outcome of this season's relegation fight having paid out on Stoke, currently 2/1 on for the drop, after their loss on the first day of the season.

I'm a United fan and even I can see this is stupid. The whole "the opposition can't score against them" argument won't necessarily be true in the Carling Cup final where VDS will probably be rested and maybe one of Vidic or Ferdinand as well. Then there's the FA cup, a tournament which still has Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton in it where pretty much anything can happen. I can see us winning a double of some sorts but paying out for a domestic treble already is purely the result of PaddyPower believing the media hype a bit too much.

Why do they pay out early? Surely all they're doing is potentially costing themselves money. :/

Why do they pay out early? Surely all they're doing is potentially costing themselves money. :/

I presume they stop accepting new bets for it as well? If they think X eventuality is going to be a sure thing, then even if they pummel their given odds into the ground they'd still lose a tiny bit of money every time someone new made the (apparently sure-fire) bet.

Even so: ridiculous.

Basically, the thinking behind it is that with compulsive gamblers, you'd rather have them take the money back as soon as possible, so they can then start losing it back over the counter. It gives you more time to start winning back the money, or some such thing. They have got stung in the past with it, but not always.

Probably for the publicity too, people will bet there in the hope that they do pay out early on something making it irrelevant if it actually happens or not. And the more people think that, the more business they'll get.

And that. Plus kinda what Stokerino said....if you pay out now, you know what your liabilities are, and can thus control the prices from now on. You are on to potentially lose a fair amount, limit your losses however you can.

[9 to 5]

0-4 today I reckon.

[R.W.]

By half time

[Matt]

RSC to break the streak.

[9 to 5]

If anyone is going to score for us and break that record, it won't be RSC.

[Summers]

Samba will.

[9 to 5]

No he won't. Suspended. Samba is fucking awesome, easily my 2nd fave Rovers players.

[Summers]

Fuck.

Ooijer? He will.

[Thrilla]

Jason Roberts will break the streak!

[Matt]

Kuszack's in goal tonight, so that'll be the excuse no doubt.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

You know you're in a relegation battle when....

You want Arsenal to score a winner in the last five minutes. Come on you dirty gooners.

[Summers]

Come on Sunderland, you bastards!

Fuckin' Pompy, basteeds!

Edited February 21, 2009 by Johnny Superstar