There's been some good pics going around facebook - this one made me smile:
Ireland are 4/1 to get out of the group and 100/1 to win it so we are very much outsiders on all fronts. I'd love to see us get out of the group - it would be a great boost for the country. It's great to see everyone get in the mood and enjoy themselves as there's so much doom and gloom at the moment. I have the house decked out in flags and whatnot so I'm looking forward to tomorrow night.
As regards bets, I have both Ireland and Croatia to score tomorrow at 6/5. For the tournament winner, I have the Netherlands who are trading around 6/1.
Not much quality racing on today - I've a few bets but I mainly focused on the football for my Irish Independent column:
***
I OFTEN wonder how many families have kept the glass milk bottles issued
by Premier Dairies to celebrate the capital's 1,000th birthday in 1988.
Or the millennium 50 pence coins – anyone remember those? During that
year, the country went bananas issuing commemorative collectables and my
grandfather always told me to keep them safe as they “would be worth a
mint” by the time I was 30.
As an eight- year- old, I believed every word he said ( I think he believed it himself), but recently, I checked how much those milk bottles were selling for online and was gutted to see that the most you'd get for one now is a little more than a tenner.
The other big event that year was the European Championships and, even though I was quite young, I can easily recall how massive an occasion it was – being the first time Ireland had qualified for a major tournament. My father bought me a ‘ Jack's Army' cap and I hardly took it off all summer. Maybe it's from watching ‘ Reeling In The Years,' but I've a crystalclear recollection of Ireland beating England and the whole nation going into party mode.
MEMORIES
A draw with the Soviets and the loss to the Netherlands meant we didn't go further, but it was a taste of things to come with Italia ' 90 just around the corner.
Both my grandfather and father are no longer with us, but the ‘ Jack's Army' cap still survives and I've proudly hung it up over the TV in time for tomorrow as a reminder of those great times.
As an eight- year- old, I believed every word he said ( I think he believed it himself), but recently, I checked how much those milk bottles were selling for online and was gutted to see that the most you'd get for one now is a little more than a tenner.
The other big event that year was the European Championships and, even though I was quite young, I can easily recall how massive an occasion it was – being the first time Ireland had qualified for a major tournament. My father bought me a ‘ Jack's Army' cap and I hardly took it off all summer. Maybe it's from watching ‘ Reeling In The Years,' but I've a crystalclear recollection of Ireland beating England and the whole nation going into party mode.
MEMORIES
A draw with the Soviets and the loss to the Netherlands meant we didn't go further, but it was a taste of things to come with Italia ' 90 just around the corner.
Both my grandfather and father are no longer with us, but the ‘ Jack's Army' cap still survives and I've proudly hung it up over the TV in time for tomorrow as a reminder of those great times.
Nostalgia aside, we will have a tough task in getting out of the
group and at 4/ 1, we are the outsiders of the four to make the quarter-
finals.
Still, stranger things have happened, and a result against Croatia would give a fantastic boost to the campaign. I don't want to look too far ahead though, and I'm going to take each match and betting market as it comes.
Tomorrow night looks tricky, but a punt on both teams to score could be worth a shot and is available at 6/ 5.
They may have beaten us in ' 88 but, as regards the overall winner, there could be money to be made by backing THE NETHERLANDS at 13/ 2.
Some readers may remember me tipping them for the 2010 World Cup for which they reached the final, although they found it hard to keep their heads in the last game and the ref flashed his cards a record number of times for a final. If they show a bit more discipline in this tournament, they could go all the way.
In the racing, there's a distinct lack of quality contests on offer today, but the John Gosdentrained STARBOARD has claims in the Free Betting With Freebets. co. uk Conditions Stakes at Doncaster ( 4.20), priced around 11/ 8.
DO THE DOUBLE
Soccer
I'm backing the Netherlands to win Euro 2012 and it's worth noting that they have scored more goals than any other side in qualifying for the tournament. At a general 4/6, they should be a safe enough bet to get their campaign off to a good start this evening against Denmark.
Horseracing
Listen And Learn is impossible to oppose in the bumper at Worcester (3.50). He'll be short around 1/2, but he is bred for better things -- and judging by his debut race, when just denied by Billy Twyford, he should take all the beating.
EACH WAY OUTSIDER
AT 25/ 1 and higher, LAS VERGLAS STAR is a touch too big for the John Halewood Memorial Handicap at Chester ( 3.10). While he failed to make an impact in both his races this season, he was a decent handicapper last term winning two races. He's dropped a couple of pounds in the weights and is expected to show improvement this afternoon.
SELECTIONS
7.00Windsor: Bunce
3.10Chester: Las Verglas Star (e/ w)
3.50Worcester: Listen And Learn
4.20Doncaster: Starboard
Ireland v croatia: Both teams to score
Euro2012: Netherlands to win
LAST WEEK'S WINNERS
Pastoral player: Won at 3/ 1
St nicholas abbey: Won at 8/ 11
Desert law (e/ w): Placed at 11/ 1
Camelot: Won at 8/ 13
Still, stranger things have happened, and a result against Croatia would give a fantastic boost to the campaign. I don't want to look too far ahead though, and I'm going to take each match and betting market as it comes.
Tomorrow night looks tricky, but a punt on both teams to score could be worth a shot and is available at 6/ 5.
They may have beaten us in ' 88 but, as regards the overall winner, there could be money to be made by backing THE NETHERLANDS at 13/ 2.
Some readers may remember me tipping them for the 2010 World Cup for which they reached the final, although they found it hard to keep their heads in the last game and the ref flashed his cards a record number of times for a final. If they show a bit more discipline in this tournament, they could go all the way.
In the racing, there's a distinct lack of quality contests on offer today, but the John Gosdentrained STARBOARD has claims in the Free Betting With Freebets. co. uk Conditions Stakes at Doncaster ( 4.20), priced around 11/ 8.
DO THE DOUBLE
Soccer
I'm backing the Netherlands to win Euro 2012 and it's worth noting that they have scored more goals than any other side in qualifying for the tournament. At a general 4/6, they should be a safe enough bet to get their campaign off to a good start this evening against Denmark.
Horseracing
Listen And Learn is impossible to oppose in the bumper at Worcester (3.50). He'll be short around 1/2, but he is bred for better things -- and judging by his debut race, when just denied by Billy Twyford, he should take all the beating.
EACH WAY OUTSIDER
AT 25/ 1 and higher, LAS VERGLAS STAR is a touch too big for the John Halewood Memorial Handicap at Chester ( 3.10). While he failed to make an impact in both his races this season, he was a decent handicapper last term winning two races. He's dropped a couple of pounds in the weights and is expected to show improvement this afternoon.
SELECTIONS
7.00Windsor: Bunce
3.10Chester: Las Verglas Star (e/ w)
3.50Worcester: Listen And Learn
4.20Doncaster: Starboard
Ireland v croatia: Both teams to score
Euro2012: Netherlands to win
LAST WEEK'S WINNERS
Pastoral player: Won at 3/ 1
St nicholas abbey: Won at 8/ 11
Desert law (e/ w): Placed at 11/ 1
Camelot: Won at 8/ 13
- Wayne Bailey
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