Weekend Review: Storm Ciara stunts sport as punters shade the bookmakers
A 97th-minute goal for Crewe secured one Betfred customer over £24,000
A truncated weekend of sport in the UK and Ireland due to Storm Ciara and punter-friendly results across the continent marked a frustrating few days for the bookies.
The Premier League fixture between Manchester City and West Ham was called off due to winds topping 90mph in Manchester, while favourites Barcelona and Inter Milan triumphed in their respective league fixtures.
Kindred Group’s Ali Gill said: “ a quiet weekend in the Premier League due to the combination of the winter break and Storm Ciara. However, punters still managed to have a good time as Sheffield United were extremely well backed, and duly obliged, beating Bournemouth to leave us well behind there.
“In Europe, it was even worse as our two biggest matches of the weekend went entirely the way of the players. Barcelona and Inter Milan both won leaving us well in the red, with goals galore and winning favourites never what we want to see.”
Betfred spokesperson Peter Spencer also revealed two of the biggest weekend winners.
A Surrey-based bettor predicted ‘Both Teams to Score’ as well as the result on five English Football League matches.
The payroll clerk’s £50 stake on Exeter, Brentford, Coventry, Blackpool and Crewe saw him win £24,200 – with Crewe’s Charlie Kirk scoring in the seventh minute of added time to bring the bet home.
90+8' GOAL! #CreweAlex
Ainley slides Kirk through in the box and he beats two defenders before slotting home! Get in! https://t.co/k4XU3vEveh
— Crewe Alexandra (@crewealexfc) February 8, 2020
Elsewhere, a Royal Navy sailor in Plymouth won £96,412 on a five-fold accumulator, with two races at Carlisle and three races at Wolverhampton.
The grandfather placed a £104 stake and because of Betfred’s best starting price bonus promotion scheme, he walked away with an extra £194,344, giving the punter a total return of £290,756.
Also, in the horseracing world, a 33-1 winner in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday gave the bookies a good start but two odds-on and well-supported winners in a row at 1/3 and 2/5 meant that punters shaded ahead marginally on the day, according to Gill.