Newcastle-Online.com Team: Archie Brand Newcastle-Online.com Team: Archie Brand

Just stumbled across a few of this guy's pieces and they are quite good, I like his style of writing, humor and his opinion is spot on...  ¶ Wednesday, December 21, 2005 0 comments

  World Vision Polar Bear Dip http://www.polarbeardip.ca/

Who wants to jump in Lake Ontario on New Years Day???  ¶ Friday, December 16, 2005 0 comments

  EPL Weekend Predictions/Results - Dec 17th Starting Balance: -£7.84

SATURDAY

Aston Villa v Man United
Man United are tough to guage... When you think they are going to come out like fiery animals, they fall asleep, and vice-versa... I think Villa, however, are really struggling for confidence and I just think Man United after their very good result against Wigan will come into this wanting to prove something and move on up the table... Attemping to close the gap with Chelsea who face a tough match v Arsenal.
Prediction: Man United
Odds: 1.72
Result: Man United Win, +£1.44

Everton v Bolton
This is a tough one to predict. It seems Everton are turning the corner and starting to put in the type of performances that allowed them a 4th place finish last year. Bolton on the other hand are going through an inconsistent patch...
Prediction: Draw
Odds: 3
Result: Bolton win 4-0... Yuck! I go down to -56p

Fulham v Blackburn
Another tough call... Blackburn beat Charlton last week, both they are Fulham have been inconsistent... I'm going to go with the home team...
Prediction: Fulham
Odds: 2.2
Result: Fulham win 2-1, excellent, I win 2.40, I'm up £1.84

Portsmouth v West Brom
Ok, Redknapp has had a week with his boys now, and I know he'll have them fired up... West Brom will be happy that they've picked up points v Citeh and I think will roll over comfortably...
Prediction: Portsmouth
Odds: 2.2
Result: Portsmouth win 1-0! Yes, Another £2.40, I go up to £4.24

West Ham v Newcastle
After such a spirited performance last week against Arsenal, Souness is expected to field an unchanged side. West Ham are expected to be missing Sheringham and their central dfender Gabbidon, which also should help...
Prediction: TOON!
Odds: 2.75
Result: Yes! A Michael Owen Hattrick, and goal #199 for #9, we win 4-2! I get 3.50, so I'm up to £7.74 for the day...

Wigan v Charlton
Wigan have the RUNS!!! They went on a run of 6 straight wins (Everton, Bolton, Newcastle, Villa, Fulham, Portsmouth), then went on a run of 5 straight losses (Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man U)... Jewell will want them to start putting more points in the bank immediately and I think they'll be super super up for this one, fighting for every ball...
Prediction: Wigan
Odds: 2.1
Result: Wigan win 3-0! Excellent, I win £2.20! Up to £9.94 for the day!, regardless of the final 2 results I'll be up for the weekend!

Man City v Birmingham
Birmingham have been beat-up by almost everyone this season, they're inconsistant and so are City... Since Birmingham won last week and City lost, let's expect the inconsistency to continue.
Prediction: Citeh
Odds: 1.72
Result: City played well, Birmingham played horribly, I'm up £1.44, total of £11.38 for the day! Excellent haul!


SUNDAY

Middlesbrough v Tottenham
Tottenham are starting to put some good results together again and Middlesbrough are looking tired already...
Prediction: Tottenham
Odds: 2.75
Result: Argh! Final result was a draw... down to £9.38

Arsenal v Chelsea
To be honest, this result doesn't much matter... If Arsenal win, their essentially just picking up the 3 points they would have expected to have got from either of their last 2 matches, against Bolton and Newcastle, and they'll still be WAY off the pace... To be honest, I think I will be cheering for Arsenal, simply because every point that Chelsea drop potentially gives us a glimmer of a championship race, which would be nice... Arsenal have lost 2 straight and they WON'T want to make that 3... At the same time, Chelsea will be up for it too...
Prediction: Draw
Odds: 3
Result: Argh! Why, oh why would I bet against Chelsea! Ha! down to £7.38

Starting Balance: -£7.84
Weekly +/-: +7.38
Ending Balance: -0.46

Well a decent weekend gets me almost back to par... Let's see how I do over the holidays...

Reminder, you can get BBC's Match of the Day via BitTorrent, it's always posted late Saturday Night on www.fbtz.com  ¶ Friday, December 16, 2005 0 comments

  icNewcastle - Birthday boy

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http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/news/tm_objectid=16483649%26method=full%26siteid=50081%26headline=birthday%2dboy-name_page.html

Happy Birthday Michael Owen!
Michael turns 26 today, December 14th, 2005....  ¶ Wednesday, December 14, 2005 0 comments

  EPL Weekend Predictions Dec 10th, 2005 Betting - Balance going into the weekend: £0.46... Let's hope I can do a little better than I did last time out!

Saturday:

Liverpool v Middlesbrough
Well Liverpool have been on a really, really good run lately... Geez, they even managed not to get beat by Chelsea, despite Hamman almost getting his leg broke... I honestly can't see it continuing though. Liverpool are favored to win, but for the measly 88p I'd get for that result, I'd rather go for an upset...
Prediction: Draw
Odds: 3.6
Result: Liverpool won, boo, I'm -£2.

Birmingham v Fulham
Yawn... No suprise this one won't be televised... Birmingham have a bunch of players back from injury, they'll start to put a bit of a patchy run together, and I think they'll be looking at this match as a decent chance for 3 points. Fulham are due for a loss...
Prediction: Birmingham
Odds: 2.1
Result: Brum win 1-0, Hurrah! I get a win, I win £2.20, up £.20 for the day

Blackburn v West Ham
A tough one to call, Blackburn have both Bellamy and Dickov out through injury, which leaves on Savage to run around mouthing off like a prick... I think I'll go out on a limb and choose an away win here...
Prediction: West Ham
Odds: 4
Result: Blackburn win 3-2, Dickov WAS back... :(, I'm at -£1.80 for the day

Bolton v Aston Villa
Bolton will be flying after their win against Arsenal. Villa will be... not so much... They've been bounced out of the league cup by Doncaster (who?), and then missed out on 3 points at Newcastle thanks to Barry firing an 87th minute penalty over the bar...
Prediction: Bolton
Odds: 1.61
Result: Draw... Shugar... I'm down £-3.80

Charlton v Sunderland
Oh Sunderland, why did you bother getting promoted?
Prediction: Charlton
Odds: 1.61
Result: Of course Charlton won, thank you! I get £1.22 back, so just down £2.58


Chelsea v Wigan
This will be a really good match, Wigan have had a tough run of games, 3 straight losses and they're heading towards midtable, where they'll still be happy... I think Wigan will feel they can take something from this, after holding on and just losing from that Crespo wonderstrike... Nonetheless, you just can't bet against Chelsea, they've just drawn to Liverpool and it's just not fashionable to not win twice in a row!
Prediction: Chelsea
Odds: 1.14 <- Crazy eh, I'll make 28p off risking £2!!!
Result: Again, of course Chelsa win, I get my lousy 28p... I'm down £-2.30

West Brom v Man City
West Brom have had a few decent results lately. I think City should take them, City have a few players back from injury, they're always up for it, should be a fairly easy 3 points for them.
Prediction: Citeh
Odds: 2.25
Result: West Brom win 2-0?? What?? Ugh... I'm down £-4.30

Sunday:

Man United v Everton
I HATE PICKING MAN UNITED.
Prediction: Man United.
Odds: 1.3
Result: Shouldn't have done... Everton draw 1-1, and should have won actually, I lose another £2... Down £6.30 for the weekend...

Monday:

Tottenham v Portsmouth
Well 'Arry is back at Portsmouth, which has to be one of the most incredibly stories of the year... I doubt if a soap opera would write a storyline like that. There was a really interesting angle on the story, apparently millions of bets were lodged on Rednapp going back to Portsmouth, meanwhile Mandarich was claiming that he was going to look elsewhere... I think the Pompey players will absolutely come out playing completely differently, and Tottenham haven't looked quite as strong recently... You know what, it's a long shot, but I'm going to stick with the rediculous soap opera plot line and say that with his first match back in charge he gets Portsmouth a suprise win, what the heck!
Prediction: Portsmouth
Odds: 8!
Result: Sh*te, the team shouldn't handle it... They had the chance to erase my previous loss for the weekend, put my in the black, but no joy, Tottenham win comfortably in the end 3-1... So I end up down £8.30 for the weekend... Horrible...

Starting Balance: +£0.46
Weekend: -8.30
Ending Balance: -£7.84

Let's hope I do better next weekend! You know what though? I somehow, in some way forgot to bet on the Newcastle match??? Probably a good thing though because I'm been trying to bet with my head, so I think I would have actually gone for a draw in that one! Haha!  ¶ Friday, December 09, 2005 0 comments