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issue 25 posted at 10.45am on 18 May 2007...

So, can the FA Cup live up to the mammoth expectations this Saturday? The one thing you can be sure of is that Sporting Index are providing the best Cup Final service. We have hundreds of markets on the big game. See them all by downloading our impressive PDF document here.
 
A special mention must go out to the Sporting Index client team who triumphed in a gala charity quiz night on Thursday, beating a whole host of top sporting names including the quiz legend that is Bill Beaumont! Apparently they had to be dragged off stage after a Gwyneth Paltrow type winning speech - congratulations boys!

Yours in sport

 

Is it fair that the team who wins the league does not win the title? The Guinness Premiership Playoff Final between league 'winners' Gloucester and Leicester may not be the right way to settle a league title but one Irish client didn't care as he bought Leicester's Performance at 63 for €20 (Win: 25 pts, Draw: 10 pts, Try: 15 pts, Conversion / Penalty / Drop Goal: 5 pts, Missed Penalty / Drop Goal: -5 pts, Yellow Card / Sin Bin: -5 pts, Red Card / Sending Off: -15 pts). The Tigers had stormed into a 22-6 lead by half time with three tries, two conversions and a penalty. Tuilagi and co continued the blitz in the second half, going over four more times to cement a whopping 145 make-up and €1,640 profit for the client. Bet you he will be on the same bet when Leicester take on Wasps this Sunday.

It must be nice when you're not invited to one golf event but end up going to another and winning it. That's what Lee Westwood did last weekend when he triumphed in the tongue-twisting Valle Romano Open de Andalucia. One client bought the Englishman on our Leaderboard Index at 11 for £50 (1st: 60 pts, 2nd: 40, 3rd: 30 and so on until 8th). Although the punter would not have been overly confident after Westwood's average first round of 72, the Ryder Cup hero looked different class as he turned it on to shoot 64, 65 and 67 to finish two shots clear and take his 17th tour title. This elegance from the Worksop boy delivered the client a £2,450 profit and Westwood his first win in nearly four years!

 

To say that the players in the Sheffield United v Wigan 'trapdoor' match last Saturday showed passion is the understatement of the year! One client obviously had no faith in their commitment as he sold bookings in the match at 54 for £5. Not a good move as the match saw some monstrous tackles, the size of which belonged on the set of an 'adult movie' rather than a football match. In total 8 players were booked and one was sent off for a second yellow to bring the final total of the bookings market to 105, leaving the bemused punter's pockets shy of £255.

Mr. T from London has a Warnock-like beef with the refereeing officials this week.. "'I bought the weekend's Bookings Bananas at 450 for £2. The bet got off to a good start with the Saints v Derby game yielding 6 bookings and the FA Trophy Final a further 4. So at 12 x 8 = 96 (bookings: 2pts, reds: 5pts) I only needed a further 3 bookings to be well in the money. Unfortunately the ref in the Bristol Rovers v Lincoln game appeared to have misplaced his cards after booking Nat Brown. There were a total of 34 fouls committed by 18 players after that, including 6 handballs. I was under the impression that a deliberate handball was an automatic booking? If it wasn't deliberate then it shouldn't be a free kick, should it? There were two players who each committed 3 fouls plus a handball and yet they still went uncarded! One of these actually committed 2 fouls in 2 minutes! Incredibly there was only one booking in this maelstrom and I went for a loss of £ 516. I've got it wrong many, many times but on this occasion I think I was robbed!".

 

FA Cup Final Here's an interesting one from our plethora of markets on the big game. Total Throw-Ins are up 2 to 40-43. Do you know something we don’t?

Heineken Cup Gloucester were savaged by the rampant Tigers in the Guinness Premiership Final last weekend. Will Wasps suffer a similar fate at Twickenham? Leicester are up half a point to 52.5-53.5 on our Heineken Cup - Outright Index.

European Football Nails are being bitten to the quick in Spain (even Frank Rijkaard's dreadlocks are shaking). Barcelona are down 8pts to 45-47 on our Primera Liga - Championship Index after their disappointing draw against Real Betis last weekend.

Super League "I can move, move, move any mountain". Gloucester's rugby supreme, Tom Walkinshaw, was heard whistling the ditty after convincing Lesley 'The Volcano' Vainikolo to switch codes earlier this week. The Bradford Bulls, who are due to lose his services at the end of June, are down 2pts to 61-64 on our Super League - Outright Index.

Formula One Eddie Jordan says that Lewis Hamilton won't win the Drivers' title this season. I'm sure the Stevenage speedster isn't shedding any tears. He's currently sitting pretty on top of the standings and is up 4pts to 32-35 on our F1 - Drivers Championship Index.

Politics So Tony Blair is leaving No.10? Boo-hoo! Now let's talk real politics. The Irish General Election is now less than a week away and Enda Kenny's Fine Gael party have come in for some support. Their Total Seats are trading up 1.5 to 50.5-52.

 

Do you love me or hate me? We're asking you for your views on The Mole. Tell us what you think of it and if there is anything that you would like to see added or improved. The best, most 'constructive' replies sent into themole@sportingindex.com will get a £50 football supremacy bet on next Wednesday's Champions League Final.

Going to miss Gary? If the nightmare has come true and you have been roped into some outing or visit while the big game is on then don't worry. By having our fantastic mobile betting service on your phone you can bet and keep in touch with all the action. To download text SIBOM to 89700 or click here and follow the simple instructions.

 
 
 


...
mins since MU conceded
an FA Cup Final goal

 
 


...avg Real Madrid TGMs
in last 3 matches
 
 


...WI's 2nd inns avg in
last 3 Tests at Lord's
 
 


...Strauss' 2nd inns avg in last 3 Tests on home soil
 
 


...avg
match pts in Bath's last 4 European matches

 
 


...Tuilagi's avg try mins in Leicester's last 3 games

 
 



...matches since Oldham kept a clean sheet v Blackpool

 
 



..consec Wembley Finals where only 1 team scored
 
 



...FA Cup Finals at Wembley since 3+ goals scored
 
 



..avg winning margin in
last 7 Heinek
en Cup Finals