THE BERNIE THE BOOK COLUMN
DANCE YOURSELF SILLY – STRICTLY RETURNS! BUT WHO WILL WIN THE GLITTERBALL?
I make no apologies for the content of my column…this is not wholly a sports column, it’s a gambling column and sometimes (however unpalletable) a price stands out, hits you in the face and demands to be taken and this year it’s a result of the strictly b/c/d rated celebrities on Britain’s favourite autumnal viewing show-SCD. But who am I talking of? Not the ex-footballer or reality star, not the acknowledgement of an ITV presenter, not a radio face that no-one knows, not the Eastender that’s been contracted to do a rhumba, but a bona-fide BBC establishment star whose personal life has been paraded through the press, who is the innocent party in a marriage breakdown and who has a warm engaging personality and is familiar to us all via Blue Peter and Countryfile…yes indeed HELEN SKELTON, who is a top price of 5/1. Bookies are well aware of her attraction and while I don’t profess to know if her Paso Doble cuts the mustard at the Hunslet C & W barn dance, she is unquestionally a mover in betting circles!! See who they pair her with!!
My main fancy is ARGENTINA who have largely underperformed in the Messi era. Maradona dragged the country single handededly to glory in 1986 and the problem since then is there has been an expectancy that Lionel would have done the same,not so. However they have a raft of top international players and with the lessened expectancy of their starman, the weight might have lifted from the squad and the country back home. They should also be used to the climate more than most. At a juicy 8/1 they are my first choice.
September also is the beginning of the Autumnal programme across so many sports. I have detailed in past issues my ante-posts for this year’s football season, but now let’s turn to the World Cup as all the runners and riders are settled (mixed metaphor). The first thing to be conscious of is the venue. Never before has it gone to an Arabic country…cue Qatar, never before has it gone to a country with an average daily temperature in the 40s! and irrelevant of state of the art air cooled open air stadia (how does that work!!) any country who prepares well in terms of acclimatisation and logistics is going to have a significant advantage. Therefore look to the moneyed associations.
That aside, who will peak in November/December? PHTM SEPTEMBER 2022
I do feel however there will be a strong showing from an African team and therefore my second choice is SENEGAL at a whopping 80/1 and at half the odds a place for the final, that’s still 40/1 before a ball has been kicked. As to the Golden Boot?? I would have small interests on Ronaldo @ 16/1 for his swansong and Martinez for Argentina at double carpet. Meanwhile as politics is much in the news with a new prime minister in presumably Liz Truss according to the bookies, is it not worth pontificating on how the Labour leadership might challenge the Tories in the polls. There is definitely a malaise around Starmer, whether it’s charisma, past baggage or unelectibility, it is not beyond the possibility that there might be a change. And if so, looking at the front bench, there is little to excite, but hold on what about the Mayor of Manchester at 11/2. Hello Andy!!
Good Punting…
Bernie the Book 85
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