The modern game [...]]]> Football as a sport owes its origins, like many sports, to the English public schools of the late 19th Century. However, this was simply where the game was codified and formalised, as football as a popular pastime in the British Isles can be dated back to as early as the 8th Century.

The modern game differs considerably from the violent, free-for-all struggles of its historical ancestors though. Its modern origins can be traced to a meeting in London in 1863, where the Football Association was formed. Although the rules would go through several evolutions, the game soon caught on nationwide.

It may have been a game originally of the English aristocracy, but it was the workers of Britain’s growing industrial cities in the Midlands and the North of England who took the game to their hearts. The game soon spread to other parts of Britain, Scotland in particular and the first official international match between the old enemies of England and Scotland was played in 1872.

The simplicity and accessibility of this kind of football meant that it soon spread to Europe. Clubs in Switzerland, Denmark and Belgium were formed in the last decades of the 19th Century. As the 20th Century began, Italy joined the ranks of countries officially playing the sport in 1898, with Germany following in 1900 and Spain in 1902.

A Scotsman, William Hutton, founded the Argentine Football Association in 1893. A league was already operating there, making the Argentine league the second oldest in the world after England. The sport spread quickly throughout South America, where the inhabitants took to it with all the enthusiasm of converts to a new religion.

A second-generation Briton, Charles Miller, formed the first club in Brazil and this nation perhaps more than any other has taken to the game to the heart of its culture. Brazil have won the World Cup five times, making them the most successful nation in footballing history.

FIFA, the game’s global governing body, was formed in France in 1904. By the time of its fiftieth anniversary it had 84 members. Now there are 207 different national associations in total, testifying to the game’s huge appeal and ability to captivate people from vastly different cultural backgrounds.

The game continues to spread to new outposts, its popularity always growing. The second half of the 20th Century saw Africa rise as a continent, with countries like Cameroon and Senegal starring on the international stage. Asia’s huge population has also adopted the sport, while Australia, for so long a country where cricket and its own kind of football ruled the roost, now also has a successful international side.

The game has penetrated deeply into the modern psyche, with players like Pele, George Best and the current Barcelona star Lionel Messi more famous than most politicians. Iconic stadia such as Villa Park, Celtic Park, Anfield and Old Trafford have become locations which millions are familiar with, evoking a popular history that resonates with ever more fans worldwide. Football is truly a global phenomenon.

You can find all the regular football bets here [...]]]> Many football supporters view the English premiership as the most popular league in the world and with soccer becoming the most popular sport from a betting point of view, it’s safe to assume that the Premier League attracts more than its fair share of bookmakers’ money.

You can find all the regular football bets here from the first goal scorer to the number of red and yellow cards in a match. Betting in play has had a strong influence on the rise of football betting too as it’s a perfect fit for the growth in televised football that is beamed around the world.

Betting on the outright winners of the Premiership is still a popular pastime but with Manchester United having dominated for so long, some punters are looking at other Premiership bets. Fortunately for those gamblers, Manchester City’s rise to prominence has seen the title bet become more attractive but it’s still tempting to look at other options.

You can now bet on the sides striving to get into the top four or even the top six positions at the end of the season. This is where clubs can qualify for lucrative European Competitions and as a result, there is so much more to play for in the Premiership besides winning the title.

There are other types of football bet that are exclusive to the Premiership and these would include the league’s highest goal scorer and the gamble that is colloquially known as the “Sack Race”.

The highest scorer bet is a fascinating one and it often goes down to the last game of the season with injury, suspension and loss of form all playing their part in deciding on the ultimate winner. In fact, at the end of the 2010-11 season, the award was shared between two players so you can see why this gamble is so popular.

In contrast, the “sack race” is usually decided fairly early on. This is where you have to speculate on the first premiership manager to lose his job and while this is a healthy market, its interest is spurred on by constant media speculation.

For any type of football game, the first or last goal scorer gamble is an exciting way to increase your enjoyment of the match and some clever research can help to tip the balance of the odds back in your favor. It’s only natural that the premiership’s centre forwards are more likely to score first in any game but that also means that their respective odds could be very short indeed.

As an alternative, take a look through any starting XI in the premiership and see who takes the penalty kicks. If it`s a striker or even a defender then you could stand to gain a healthy profit if you bet on that player for every game of the season.

You could also look at defenders who are good in the air and contribute a healthy proportion of their side’s goals from corners and other set pieces. Once again, odds for these players will be longer and you can take advantage in the long term.

Above all however, premiership betting should be an enjoyable way of increasing the excitement of any match. So bet in moderation, watch plenty of live football and enjoy all your bets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhiOuY7L5Hc

Although Ivo Karlovic was inches away from defeat [...]]]> Tournament worth 100 ATP points, $14400 and first title after three fruitless years. Ivo Karlovic is the winner of ATP Challenger Tournament Sacramento. Ranked 75. in the world, Karlovic defeated James Blake for seventh time in their last ten duels, acting decisively in the third set.

Although Ivo Karlovic was inches away from defeat against Austrian Martin Fischer in the first round, saving two match points (6:3, 3:6, 7:6), 31-old went on to the very end. Second seed at $100.000 worth tournament, Karlovic then defeated Victor Estrella (6:3, 6:3), Thiemo de Bakker (6:4, 7:6) and finally James Blake, first time on the winner throne in 40 months.

James Blake was paper favorite. On the way to the final, 74. player in the world demolished opponents without losing a set. He defeated Amer Delic (6:4, 7:5), Chris Guccione (6:4, 6:4), Jack Sock (6:4, 6:2), and Alex Kuznetsov (6:2, 7:5). Head to head results however hinted at Karlovic win.

From Wimbledon 2000 to Delray Beach tournament last year Blake and Karlovic met 9 times. Karlovic was winner first (6:3, 7:6) and last time (6:3, 6:7, 6:1). He was also better in San Jose (6:7, 7:6, 6:4), at Roland Garros (4:6, 6:4, 7:5, 7:5), in Basel four years ago (4:6, 7:6, 6:4) and in Davis Cup (6:7, 4:6, 6:3, 7:6, 7:5) two years back.

Blake was better three times, last time two years ago in Shanghai (6:3, 6:7, 6:4). Former number 4 on ATP list earned his last title at Winnetka Challenger back in June (against Reynolds), and he was also winner in Sarasota at the end of June 2011 (against Bogomolov), but motivated Karlovic prevented him to capture third domestic title this year.

Karlovic defeated Blake in three sets, but could have been easily two. In the first set he kept pressure on Blake’s serve and got only one break (6:4). Second set Blake started with 2:0, finally winning 6:3, with great deal of luck.

Third set witnessed exceptional Karlovic serving capabilities. He got right first serve 85% of the time, leaving Blake somewhat powerless. After 96 minutes of total time, Karlovic won his first tournament since Nottingham grass win against Fernando Verdasco in June 2008.

Quick Stats – Ivo Karlovic 2011 Season Results

Raonic is first time at Shanghai Masters

Milos Raonic, Canadian of Montenegrin origin, will play for the first time at Shanghai Masters ATP. Last and partly this year were good for him, he ranked higher on ATP list, and currently is [...]]]> ATP Masters – Shanghai (CHN) – Hardcourt Starts: Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 7:00 AM

Raonic is first time at Shanghai Masters

Milos Raonic, Canadian of Montenegrin origin, will play for the first time at Shanghai Masters ATP. Last and partly this year were good for him, he ranked higher on ATP list, and currently is listed as 30th player in the world. Unfortunately he seems to be prone to injuries, which limits number of his matches. He was gradually coming into right shape after tournament in Tokyo, where he lost 2:0 against Rafael Nadal.
He is not at his best, but will play on hardcourt, his favorite. He does not give up easily and we can expect good fight.

Too many matches

Michaël Llodra is primarily focused in tennis doubles, where he has good results, paired with Nenad Zimonjic. He is also experienced player, and that gives him some edge in this match. On the other hand, hardcourt is not his favorite surface. He also plays double matches in Shanghai, which makes him exhausted as compared with 11 years younger Raonic.

Younger is better

Raonic has definitive advantage, he is 3:0 against Llodra from tournaments in Monte Carlo, Australian Open and Montreal. They have similar ATP rankings, Raonic is 30th and Llodra 33rd on the list. However, it seems that Raonic is difficult opponent to LLodra, he can’t find right tactics against Raonic’s powerful first serve, judging from previous results. Raonic is also taller and his serve is hitting at difficult angles for left-handed Llodra.
If everything plays out as predicted, advantage in this game is with Raonic.

Quick Stats Head to Head

Bad Form

Santos is currently 13th on Brasilero Serie A table. It is considered failure as far as their fans are concerned, because they always wish to stay on top. Santos is also in bad shape, they lost last three matches against Gremio, Fluminense and Figueirense. This duel [...]]]> Starts Sunday, October 09, 2011 9:00 PM

Bad Form

Santos is currently 13th on Brasilero Serie A table. It is considered failure as far as their fans are concerned, because they always wish to stay on top. Santos is also in bad shape, they lost last three matches against Gremio, Fluminense and Figueirense. This duel also comes with more troubles, Arouca and Edu Dracena are suspended, Para and Ganso are injured, Neymar is on international duties and Elano is not confirmed for the first eleven.

Missing Players

Palmeiras is better than Santos at least on paper, they are eighth on the table with 40 points with ambitions to advance to Copa Libertadores. They draw last two matches however, playing against America MG 1:1, and Atletico Goias with same result. Luan is suspended for this match and Kleber and Cicinho are injured. Valdivia is away, playing for Chile national team.

Goal Drought

This match is expected to be uneventful, especially because both team played not so well in the last round. Santos is defeated by Gremio 1:0, and Palmeiras draw 1:1 against America MG. Furthermore, both teams have a lot of problems with lineups because of absent players.
Here are statistics:
Last 6 matches Santos Won 3 Lost 3 Draw 0

Last 6 matches Palmeiras Won 1 Lost 1 Draw 4