icemaninvestments

[icemaninvestments]

Season 2024/5.... It’s all kicking off (including the Football)  

The Good news is we have said farewell to a dire Tory government, and the good news stops there.  

We are at the moment witnessing some violent and hateful ‘protests ‘(riots) by ‘concerned citizens ‘ (fash).  This follows a recent Tommy Knobinson march in London that had around 30,000 in attendance. This is all extremely worrying, however, too early to see how it all plays out. 

Imagine some fringe elements will be put off once they see people going to court. A lot of others who regard immigration as a priority will be repelled by the thuggery and destruction. On the other hand, there is a lot of whataboutery in the right-wing media from the people who stoked this up and continue to act as apologists. It is very scary how many people seem to being radicalised online 

This blog has always supported Hope not Hate the anti-racist charity, that support is needed now more than ever. Hopefully the Left, civic society and trade unions can unite and start the fight back, this will mean countering hate on the streets and community organising. 

It beggars’ belief that the original excuse for these events was in reaction to the horrific incident in Southport that resulted in the deaths of 3 children.  The mentality being ‘I am so upset about violence and the death these poor children that I felt compelled to loot Greggs and grab some sausage rolls. Sad. 

Last years investments created a profit and now we start all over again....

Football 

As usual IceMan is all about ante-post value in the outright markets, singles only.  No accumulators or match coupons. 

We won’t get rich but expect to post a profit and contribute to Hope not Hate. 

Premier League – Tottenham to make the top six- 4/6 

Most years my dabble in the Premiership has involved Arsenal, I have at various times backed them top 6, top 4 and to win in the without Man City market. There great performance last year is reflected in current prices. There is no Arsenal angle. I am instead looking to their North London rivals Tottenham, I did consider backing them for top 4, however I am concerned they could come up a bit shy, therefore I have taken top 6 at 4/6 which is a shortie but represents ‘relative’ value as I feel they are more a 1 /2 shot. There is a positive case for Spurs, however this position is motivated as much by challenges faced by their rivals. I am assuming Man City, (cheating bastards who should be relegated to the National League), Arsenal and Liverpool are 3 of the top 6 so Spurs are up against Villa, Man Utd, Chelsea and Newcastle (head chopping bastard owners) in vying for the remaining places. Villa now have the distraction of the Champions League, United have potential to improve but still appear too inconsistent, Newcastle have managerial and financial concerns hanging over them (Good) and Chelsea are Chelsea. 

Spurs finished 5th last year so you would hope that Big Ange (ex Celtic) can at least maintain that level in his second season.  Spurs suffered injuries last term to many influential players, so having them back to full fitness should have a massive impact. I also expect Spurs to make useful additions to the squad over the next couple of weeks.      

 Championship - Leeds to be promoted 23/20  

Any thoughts about this division must start with looking at the relegated sides from the Premiership and Championship teams that were knocking on the door last year.  Of the relegated sides I like Luton the best and expect them to go well.  However I am going to make Leeds the pick, they massed 90 points last year which would have normally secured automatic promotion. Many people regarded them as the best team in the league. They have retained Daniel Farke as manager and have a strong squad. They have lost some key players but also added some interesting signings with hopefully more to come. I admit it is not an original pick. 

League One – Bolton to be promoted 11/4 

Birmingham City are the obvious starting point as they are a big club at this level and have spent heavily on recruitment. Thing is, this ain’t been missed in the market and The Blues have been underperforming for years. I am therefore happy to roll the dice again on Bolton who went close for us last season.  The Trotters have improved year on year under Ian Evatt and if they do that again, we will collect. They appear to have an even stronger squad for this campaign.       

League Two – Doncaster Rovers to be promoted – 11/5 

This was a tricky division to select from. I was tempted to stick with last year’s selection MK Dons who got beaten in the play offs. I am also hearing positive things about Port Vale who have invested a lot of money for a side at this level. In the end, I have worked on the basis that teams that finish last season strongly tend to do well the following season and Doncaster Rovers fit the bill. In January last year they looked like relegate candidates then Gavin McCann engineered an escape that took them all the way to the play offs. They have lost a talented winger but also recruited wisely, including veteran journeyman forward Billy Sharpe, it will be interesting to see what he can do at this level. 

National League – Aldershot to finish top half – 5/4 & Barnet to be promoted 5/2 

Despite this being a tough league to get out of, it has proved a happy hunting ground for me over the years. In recent seasons there has tended to be a standout option for the one automatic promotion place, this year not so much.  The consensus is that Barnet last year’s runners up have the strongest team. I do fancy them to win the title, however I am being cautious and backing them for promotion with the safety net of the play offs. My other interest in this league is my local side Aldershot. The bet is a very conservative punt on The Shots to finish in the top half of the table. Last year they outperformed expectations to come in eighth place.  On the downside they have sold their most talented player however they have also recruited smartly. I am hoping to see them being competitive for a play off place. 

Scottish Premiership – Hearts without Celtic/ Rangers – 15/8 

The SPL for me is all about Celtic and how often they can beat Glasgow rivals Rangers. The problem is that Celtic ae so superior that I can’t find a betting angle on them. I am looking at the market without the big two and Hearts are hard to avoid. They were comfortably the best of the rest last season and look a better outfit than their obvious rivals, even if there is a question mark over their main striker. Aberdeen are my normal go to punt, however, they had a shocker last year.  They look to have significantly improved under new management but the gap to Hearts seems too wide. Aberdeen could also lose their leading scorer.  So, reluctantly Hearts it is, they are a bit too Rangers adjacent for my liking, would have much preferred to back Edinburgh rivals Hibs but they are rubbish.         

Scottish Championship – Livingston 11/2 each way 

This division is very competitive, it is easy to make a case for at least 5 sides.  I am taking a chance on Livingston who have probably punched above their weight in the premiership in recent season. Last year they had a torrid time and were relegated.  They have retained a good manager and a lot of the premiership squad; they also added some useful signings. Livi have also looked good in pre-season cup games. I am hoping that there is no hangover from last season, and they can compete successfully at this level.  

Scottish League One – Queen of the South 9/2 each way 

One of my golden rules is not to force a bet, if you don’t really feel it, then walk away. I seem to have broken that rule. The fact I have backed a 9/2 shot each way betrays my lack of confidence. This league looks very weak compared to recent seasons. I honestly can’t remember the case for QOS they were 7th last year and have had a middling pre-season, maybe I was drunk. Obviously if they win, I will claim it as a shrewd bit of business. 

Scottish League Two – Clyde 2/1 

I am a bit annoyed as I missed the boat on the 3/1 on Clyde, however it was due to the fact that the price and market move seemed to be based on vibes and not facts, bearing in mind that they finished 9th out of 10 last season. The reason for the expected turn around in fortunes is as usual money, Clyde have a serious financial power advantage over the other sides at this level.  There has been a massive churn of players with most of the new arrivals being players who have operated in higher divisions. The wee Bully have had a solid pre-season. It’s time to believe the hype.  

La Liga Spain – Athletic Bilbao – Top 4 – 7/4

I don’t back teams on sentiment, but it is nice when once in a while a team you genuinely like also offer some good market value. Basque side Athletic Bilbao are such a case. They finished fifth last year admittedly 8 points adrift of fourth place. The main reason I fancy them to improve placings is that Girona will probably drop out of the top 4 as transfer activity has weakened their squad. They also have the distraction of Champions League games. A more positive case for Athletic is that they are well managed by Ernesto Valverde who has a real feel for the club and superstar Nico Williams looks set to stay for another season.    

Old stuff 

Politics Lab/Lib Coalition 7/1 (Loss)

Reminds me what a political rollercoaster we have been on. When I struck this position, I thought Lab would not get a majority government.  As you can imagine I am not too concerned about putting this in the loss column.   

Hungary -Euro2024 150/1 E/W (Loss) 

Hungary played like 150/1 shots. They were shite like their government. 

Democrats Evs to win Presidency.  Now 10/11 

Two weeks ago, I had this in the loss column.  It is just nice to now have a competitive race. Kamala Harris is now a shade of odds on, to be honest I would not now buy the Democrats at Evens as I am worried Trump could win the Presidency despite losing the popular vote.  

I am pleased I played this safe and backed the Democrat ticket rather than Joe Biden himself.   

Matteo Berrettini - Wimbledon 28/1 E/W (Loss)

No complaints. He got beat in the second round by the no1 seed, three of the sets he lost went to a tie-break. He has since won a couple of tournaments. 

GAA Football – Dublin to win All Ireland 7/4 (Loss)

In GAA everyone who ain’t a Dub hates the Jackeens, backing Dublin is a joyless and mercenary thing to do.  You justify it by saying that when they inevitably win, you gain a financial upside. This time they shit the bed, so I just feel dirty about getting involved. Had Mayo or Donegal won, I would have happily taken the hit, however Armagh winning was small consolation.   

That’s it.  

I will be out and about at some counter demonstrations over the coming days. No Pasaran.

IceMan Investment Portfolio – Punting for a Purpose 

Smash the Fash  

[icemaninvestments]

End of Season Update 2023/24

Ok, a little bit of politics before we hit the football returns. Iceman is looking forward to getting rid of this corrupt and incompetent Tory government. Thing is, you can’t help being concerned that a timid Labour Party is gonna inherit a total shitshow. Farage is moving the ‘Overton window; rightward and Tommy Knobinson recently marched largely unopposed through the streets of London, things could turn very ugly if Starmer does not get a grip on the situation. Knobinson is due in London again in late July, hoping this time he will meet opposition on the streets.

I will pick up politics again after the election when posting next season’s tips. Investment-wise the portfolio had another successful season; we generally need 3 or 4 to land to make a profit and this year most selections made the winning column. As IceMan has an anti-fascist stance, I have contributed to Hope not Hate who are opposing hate mongering candidates in the coming election.

Results...

Premiership, Arsenal without Man City 9/4 (Winner) Hit the sweet spot with this, for a moment I was cursing myself for not being bolder as it looked like Arsenal might get home, however, Man City reigned them in, as they do. I was pleased I did not go with the more conservative Arsenal top 4 which would have impacted the winnings. Must admit the post season legal threats from Man City against the Premiership have only made me more alienated from this league of greed, they are moaning about the ‘tyranny of the majority, totally betraying the fact they are owned by an autocratic state. I wish they would be told to follow the rules or feck off. . Championship Leicester City Promotion 13/8 (Winner) Leicester looked comfortable for much of the season, they had a slight wobble on the home straight but ended up as Champions.

League one – Bolton promotion 11/4 (Loss) Bolton were par for the course, I selected them on the basis they would be competitive for automatic promotion and almost certain to make the play offs, only disappointment is that they started the Play off final favorites at 4/7 against a team they recently beat 5/1., Bolton were terrible on the day, and it was not to be.

League Two Stockport 5/4 (Winner) and MK Dons 11/4 (Loss) Stockport made this look easy in the end, they won the Championship with a 14-point margin for automatic promotion. Unusually I went double handed in this division. Stockport were a bit skinny, but they still looked solid value, therefore I took a chance with MK Dons who looked like good play off material. In fact, they comfortably made play offs but suffered a bizarre 8-1 aggregate defeat to Crawley who they had finished 8 points ahead of. Like most football supporters of a certain vintage, I hate MK Dons because of their origin story (they transplanted Wimbledon to Milton Keynes like a NFL franchise) so apart from the financial hit, I was pleased they did not get promoted.

National League Chesterfield 6/4 (Winner) and Gateshead promotion 25/1 (void) Chesterfield was a bit of a shorty, but you don’t mind when they back it up with results. Chesterfield ended as Champions with a 14-points promotion margin. I maybe could have been more ambitious and backed them for the title rather than promotion. Gateshead were a 25/1 shot and it was all about them making the play offs. I was really pleased when they achieved that, however they were then disqualified as they did not have sufficient security of tenure on their stadium, which meant that they could not be promoted into League Two. The bet was voided but left a sour taste.

Scottish Premiership - Aberdeen without Celtic/Rangers 9/5 (Loss) This looked a very cautious position. I assumed they would battle out third place with Hearts. The Sheep had a stinker, they finished in 7 th a massive 20 points adrift of Hearts. Better Premiership news, Celtic win the Championship and keep Glasgow green and white.

Scottish Championship - Dundee United 11/8 (Winner) Champions by 6 points, however they made hard work of this, fair play to Raith who pushed them all the way.,.

Scottish League One Hamilton Academicals 5/2 (Loss) Always thought this was a two-horse race between Accies and Falkirk. On the face of it there is no shame in coming second, however they were 16 points shy of Falkirk.

Scottish League Two - Stenhousemuir to win 6/ 1 e/w (Winner) Well, pleased with this, I placed this as a safe bet as I was convinced each way angle would cover my stake. Stenny outperformed the odds and won the title by 8 points.

Bundesliga - Union Berlin top 4 11/4 (Loss) Worse bet of the season, almost relegated

Politics Lab/Lib Coalition 7/1 Now 20/1 (ShitePrice)

Not too sad at taking a loss on this. The lab majority looks certain. Expect this in loss column next time.

Hungary -Euro2024 150/1 E/W now 80/1 (IcePrice) Still very much dark horses, they lost a long unbeaten streak when losing a recent friendly to Republic of Ireland, apparently Ireland were flattered by the win. See if Hungary can qualify for knock out rounds and take it from there, Shame they are in same group as Scotland who I will be supporting in the absence of Ireland.. Democrats Evs to win Presidency. Will pick this up next time. Very concerned that Trump now odds on to win. This goes way beyond this betting position. Tbh when I placed this bet, I was rather hoping Biden would have stood aside, I never thought the criminal conviction in NYC would hurt Trump, however I was hoping the fact that he was always asleep and dropping toxic farts would have an impact.

City of Troy - 2000 Guineas 13/5 (Loss) Whenever you back a two year for next seasons guineas you run a risk that it won’t even make the starting lineup due to loss of form or injury. In this instance the horse turns up and starts as an odds-on favourite at 4/6, so I was looking forward to the Race. As it happens City of Troy needn’t have bothered showing up, he was literally not at the races. The under performance then became more of a mystery as next time out he ran away with the Derby.

Late Night Pass - Grand National 35/1 (Loss) This one drifted in the market on the day and it did run prominently until fading about 3 fences out as he was a bit one paced. Not totally surprised, I always considered it an each way prospect and hoped he might have sneaked into fourth place.

Matteo Berrettini - Wimbledon 28/1 E/W now 33/1 (Shiteprice) This bloke is always injured. He is a grass court specialist and we he can some games in prior to the tournament. Tbh I am shocked he is not a lot bigger than 33/1.

GAA Football – Dublin to win All Ireland 7/4 now 3/2 (IcePrice) Feel dirty posting this, as a supporter I am in the anyone but Dublin camp, however they look decent value at that price. There is a joke of an Irish person saying ‘is there any occasion that you would support England and the reply is; yes, if they were playing Dublin. I will be cheering on Mayo and Donegal as my heritage is from those Counties.

IceMan Investment Portfolio – Punting for a Purpose

Smash the Fash.

[icemaninvestments]

IceMan Investments Update – Mid Season 2023/24

New Year greetings from your favourite anti-fascist betting blog. 

We start 2024 with ongoing crises and misery in Ukraine and Gaza. We also confront the electoral rise of the far right across Europe (with the welcome exception of their setback in Poland). 

We have the almost unbelievable possibility that Trump gets re-elected in the States (more on that later). The only bright spot on the horizon is the almost certain defeat of this mean and corrupt Tory government.

As usual IceMan is always punting for a purpose and will donate some of the inevitable profit to Anti-Fascist organisation Hope not Hate. 

Ok on with the Football before we get too depressed. As usual we have some Teams who already look home and dry, some still very much in the mix, a couple heading to the loss column and an absolute stinker. Here goes....

Premiership, Arsenal without Man City 9/4 now 16/5 (ShitePrice)

If you had suggested to me at the start of the season that Arsenal will end the Christmas break a place behind Man City, I would have been well happy, however I would not have expected City to be third and Arsenal fourth. The improvement of leaders Liverpool is not a complete shock, it is the fact Aston Villa sit third that is really surprising. At this stage, this bet looks like a loser. There is a good chance Villa may fall back in the second half of the season, it is making up a 5-point deficit to Liverpool that is problematic. My only hope is that Arsenal can add some reinforcements including a top striker in January and then massively improve, even at that Liverpool still need to wobble. It ain’t over yet, but not optimistic. 

Championship Leicester City Promotion 13/8 now 1/66 (IcePrice)

Gary Lineker is a prominent supporter of this club; I say that cos just mentioning his name upsets so many Daily Mail/Torygraph Gammons. Given that they were relegated last season and took a gamble on appointing Enzo Maresca, I was not entirely sure that Leicester represented good value at 13/8. That price now looks a steal. Delighted with this position, top of the table and even more importantly 13 points clear of third place, looking set for automatic promotion.  I will be collecting on this. 

 League one – Bolton promotion 11/4 now 8/13 (IcePrice)

This is a very competitive division. Bolton are second with a game in hand and only two points behind Portsmouth. Looking good for automatic promotion. They are, however, only 2 points clear of third placed Peterborough, a team I seriously considered backing. Bolton can hopefully hold on to an automatic promotion spot, failing that, they are nailed on for a play-off slot.  Looks an excellent chance of a pickup. 

League Two Stockport 5/4 now 1/8 (IcePrice) and MK Dons 11/4 now 6/1 (ShitePrice) both for promotion 

Stockport aka ‘The Hatters ‘due to the town’s historical link to the Hat trade, it actually has a Hat Museum. are on top of the league so automatic promotion looks on. They have a six-point margin, however 4th placed Barrow do have a game in hand, so this is closer than the market suggests. Stockport have dropped a few points recently, albeit against some good sides, which has allowed some of the chasing teams to close the gap.  MK Dons were the second choice, and I was backing them as more of a play-off team. They currently sit one place outside a play-off position, though they have games in hand, so very much in the mix. Expect to collect from Stockport. MK Dons should make play offs and we can take it from there.        

National League Chesterfield 6/4 now 1/66 (IcePrice) and Gateshead 25/1 now 5/1 (IcePrice) Promotion 

Chesterfield aka ‘The Spireites ‘(due to a crooked town church spire) was a bit of a shortie , however I would have to been a total contrarian to overlook their chances. Only one automatic promotion place in this league, Chesterfield look good for it as 7 points clear with games in hand. Gateshead were selected as they represented excellent value to be competitive for a play-off place. They have not let us down and currently occupy a play-off slot. Expect to collect on Chesterfield and optimistic Gateshead can make the play offs.

Scottish Premiership - Aberdeen without Celtic/Rangers 9/5 now 10/1 (ShitePrice)

Very disappointed with The Sheep and am moving this into the loss column. They have been shockingly inconsistent and are in 9th place, 13 points adrift of 3rd.  They do however have 3 games in hand, it is difficult to imagine them making up that much ground, main rivals Hearts are having a steady season, so can’t see them imploding. Aberdeen may also lose some of their best talent in the January transfer window. 

In better SPL news, Celtic are top and have beaten Rangers for the second time this season.       

Scottish Championship - Dundee United 11/8 to win the league now 4/7 (IcePrice) 

I wish I could be as confident as the markets on this one, I had expected ‘The Terrors’ to be 5 points clear at this stage, currently they sit in second, 3 points behind the leaders Raith. Importantly they do have a game in hand and a superior goal difference. A downside is that they lost a recent head-to-head match with Raith, on the upside they do have a stronger squad which could be reinforced in January. I would expect this to prove a critical advantage in the second half of the season. Optimistic of collecting on this.    

Scottish League One Hamilton Academicals 5/2 to win the league now 7/2

This league looked like a matchup between perennial under achievers Falkirk and recently relegated Hamilton Academicals, so called as they were established by students from Hamilton Academy. . Having previously had my wallet burned by Falkirk, I considered Hamilton to represent better value. Up until recent weeks this has been the case, as it was hard to separate these sides. However, Hamilton have faltered a bit of Late and have gifted Falkirk what appears an unassailable advantage.  This looks destined for the loss column; however, you can never underestimate the ability of Falkirk to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.   

Scottish League Two - Stenhousemuir to win 6/1 each way now 8/15 (IcePrice)    

In contrast to my other Scottish selections ‘Stenny ‘are bang on the money. They are in tremendous form and find themselves 11 points clear in the top spot. A caveat is that other teams have played less games, but a bird in the hand and all that. Stenny looks a cert for top 3 and I fancy them to push on and win this league.  Going to collect something, for sure.  

Bundesliga - Union Berlin top 4 11/4 now 1500/1 (ShitePrice)

Every season there is a pick that turns out to be an absolute shocker. This year it is Union Berlin, a surprise package last year, I fancied them to kick on this season as many of their potential rivals appeared weakened by selling top players.  This season Union have been rubbish, they are in 15th place, 21 points shy of top 4. Enough. 

Politics Lab/Lib Coalition 7/1

No change in this position, the current cash out exactly matches my stake. I am cashing it out as I now don’t expect a formal coalition even if Lab come up a bit shy of an overall majority.   

***New***

Hungary -Euro2024 150/1 E/W now 100/1 (IcePrice)

I love to through a dart at an underrated long shot in tournament football. Politically Hungary being successful would be a nightmare. Far right leader Orban is a massive football fan and would milk any triumph. On the other hand, 150/1 is a big price as many teams of equivalent capability are trading below 50/1. Hungary won a not overly challenging qualifying group and have a young squad led by Liverpool player Dominik Szoboszlai.   

Democrats to win Presidency

I have taken a safety approach of backing Democrats rather than Biden specifically who is available at 9/4. Biden is almost certain to be the candidate but doubts around his age and his current unpopularity mean he could stand aside.  TBH, I would welcome that happening, and his being replaced by Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer. The real worry about this bet is that it is an Even money shot, the Democrats should be 1/20 on running against Trump the narcissistic sociopath, Trump is actually a marginal favourite in most books. Trump is campaigning as a full on white Christian nationalist and being upfront about his fascistic tendencies. This is a bet where the financial winnings are irrelevant compared to the real-world geopolitical consequences.  

The MAGA cult and GOP enablers seem all in for syphilitic, Adderall addicted whack job. Things are getting desperate when you start to hope that the recent Trump smells revelations on the internet are true and might dent some of his popularity. The MAGA cult will have no problem voting for an authoritarian bigot, but do they want a President who literally shits his adult nappy and stinks the place out.      

City of Troy - 2000 Guineas 13/5 now Evs (IcePrice)

I can’t help myself; I do love an ante post bet on the Guineas. I got on to City of Troy prior to his impressive Dewhurst win. As I have found to my cost, brilliant two-year-old form does not always translate to winning classics at three. On the plus side his trainer Aidan O’Brien seems genuinely enthused and he knows a good horse when he sees one. 

Late Night Pass -Grand National 35/1 

Still my favourite sporting event. I normally get involved in February when the weights are released, however this year I am getting in early as I was very taken by the prospects of Late Night Pass who has had two good outings this season. This has not gone unnoticed in the market, though he can still be backed at a generous 33/1. 

Matteo Berrettini - Wimbledon 28/1 E/W

This is a very tentative and small stakes dip into the Tennis markets. Berrettini is a great grass court player as evidenced by the fact he was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2021. He has recently been injury plagued which is obviously reflected in this price. So, hoping he can reach Wimbledon fully fit and in the form that enabled him to hit the World no6 ranking.   

That’s it . 

 IceMan Investment Portfolio – Punting for a Purpose 

Smash the Fash  

[icemaninvestments]

IceMan Investments Update – New Season 2023/24

A new season is upon us, and IceMan has come up with some new selections to boost the portfolio. As ever we are looking for incremental year on year growth. IceMan is always punting for a purpose and will donate some of the inevitable profit to Anti-Fascist organisation Hope not Hate. 

I always seems to be posting these updates against a dramatic political backdrop, I suppose that is just the reality of life since 2016. Trump has just been indicted (again), Putin continues his flailing Russian imperial project in Ukraine and closer to home Sunak is going to war in defence of ��Motorists’. What a load of Bollix, what saddo actually identifies as a ‘Motorist’. I am a Husband, Father and Grandfather etc and well down the list, I am a bloke who sometimes drives a car. My interests as a ‘motorist’ are massively outweighed by my concern for pollution and the environment that will have a major impact on my children and grandchildren (and everybody else’s, even self-described ‘Motorists’).  

Ok on with the Football. 

Premiership, Arsenal without Man City 9/4 

I was seriously going to give this league a miss this year. It is a great product on the pitch but the dodgy owners, too much money and hype mean I have fallen out of love with the Premiership. So, there is all that plus the fact I was struggling to come up with a betting angle, one of the IceMan rules is don’t force it, if there is not a good prospect, then walk away, don’t just take a position because it is ‘the big one‘ or you feel obliged to have an interest. 

Then I was reminded of the without Man City market. Last year I had what in hindsight looked to be a ridiculously conservative bet on Arsenal top 6. This year I am being more ambitious and backing the Gunners to win the title without Man City, basically I pick up if Arsenal win or come second to City. The reason for the confidence is Arsenal will have learned a lot from last year’s campaign and they have have made some good additions to the squad, principally Declan Rice, a player about who I have mixed opinions, I don’t think I will ever forgive him for turning his back on the Republic of Ireland.  

Championship Leicester City Promotion 13/8  

I considered staying with last years selections Middlesbrough who made the play offs. I fully expect them to be there or thereabouts this year, however I am hoping for a team that might snatch an automatic promotion place. This makes consideration of the relegated premiership sides a must, of those, I feel Leicester are best placed to make a quick return. There are negatives, an untested manager, the sale of some of their most talented players and hoping there is not too much of a hangover following a disappointing premiership season. Recruitment so far has been solid rather than spectacular. Having said all that, they do have a massive operating budget and a good depth to their squad. they will be able to make more acquisitions both now and in the January window. They have not been missed in the market , Ideally, I would have liked a better price, however a winning shortie is better than longer priced loser. 

 League one – Bolton promotion 11/4  

Once more, I did consider last year’s pick Peterborough, who gave a decent account of themselves by making the play offs. Expect them to be in the shake out again. It was difficult to overlook the claims of Bolton. This team has improved incrementally each season under Ian Evatt and made the play offs last season. Ironically their success in the EFL Trophy was a distraction that may have cost them promotion last term. Very optimistic they can go one better this season. 

League Two Stockport 5/4 and MK Dons 11/4 both for promotion 

Very much against my usual MO I am going in two handed here. As ever I considered last year’s picks Mansfield, but not for long, they are always fancied but have proved to be perennial under achievers.  A more tempting throwback to last year would be to rejoin the Wrexham bandwagon and their push for back to back promotions. Their Hollywood profile now means they have been found in the market and hold little appeal at current odds. A very good alternative is Stockport who are tested at this level and were very unlucky not to be promoted last year, missing out in the play-off final after making a bold promotion push following a slow start to the campaign. They have retained the core of that squad and made some smart additions like Nick Powell who has been successful at higher levels. Price is a little skinny but is a fair reflection of their chances. The other play in this division is MK Dons, like most football fans I dislike this club immensely due to their historical foundations when they pulled some US franchise nonsense to move what was Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes. Anyways, IceMan don’t do emotional on sports investments. This side look the best of the relegated teams and if impressive boss Graham Alexander can get them to click, they represent decent value in the promotion market.        

National League Chesterfield 6/4 and Gateshead 25/1 Promotion 

Ok so much for my normal MO I am going in two handed again in a league that has been a happy hunting ground over the years. First up is the obvious and unavoidable Chesterfield. They are the market leaders for a reason. They were beaten in last year’s play off final and the division looks easier this time around following the promotions of Wrexham and Notts County. Manager Paul Cook normally operates at a higher level than this. He has added to an already strong squad and I am hoping they can secure the automatic promotion slot, but taking the insurance of having the play offs as a safety net.   

The second tip is more adventurous as with the exception of Chesterfield, I feel the league has a very open look. Gateshead look a bit overpriced at 25/1. They are a solid unit and have had a good pre-season. They need a massive step up in form to challenge for the play offs but that is why they are priced 25/1.    

Scottish Premiership - Aberdeen without Celtic/Rangers 9/5  

Regrettably I can’t find a Celtic angle, it would be great if my financial and emotional interests aligned but this is not the year. Therefore, I am sticking with last years pick Aberdeen. Such was their improvement under Barry Robson that I can only get about half last year’s odds on this selection. They have a great forward line and look set to outgun Hibs and Hearts. Go on The Sheep. 

Scottish Championship - Dundee United 11/8 to win the league.

So, we visit the City of Jute again. last year Dundee done us a favour and this year we hope their city rivals Dundee United can do the same. Not gone unnoticed to me that United have issued a new third kit that gives a nod to their Irish heritage, as they were founded as Dundee Harps. Like Dundee, United are hoping to rebound after a poor premiership season that ended in relegation. The case for United is the same as Dundee last year, they should just have enough class and depth in their squad to be successful at this level. A twist on this position is that United Manager Jim Goodwin was Aberdeen boss last year and was a big reason why I tipped them, however he had a shocking time and ended up getting sacked, they only improved after his departure. I still rate him as a manager, and he is an Irishman. (Not that any sentiment comes into it).      

 Scottish League One Hamilton Academicals 5/2 to win the league

We are backing one of the best sounding names in Scottish football, and there are many. Like Leicester, MK Dons and Dundee United I am getting involved with a relegated side again. There are always worries that last year’s poor form and losing habits can continue into the new season. I am less concerned in this case than some of the others as The Accies have made some good additions to the squad and have performed well in pre-season. Falkirk look an obvious danger, but they always seem to find a couple of sides too good for them and have become regular under achievers. 

Scottish League Two - Stenhousemuir to win 6/1 each way 

I am rolling the dice again on Stenny. Last year they were underwhelming finished in sixth place. They trade at 6/1 rather than the 9/2 I took last year and that looks good value in a very competitive division. The reasons to be optimistic are an uptick in results following the appointment of Gary Naysmith last January. The club have also been busy adding some useful new additions to the squad. Hopefully they change it up and at least make the top 3. Go Warriors        

Bundesliga - Union Berlin top 4 11/4 

I always have a look at the top European leagues in search of a bit of value. There was nothing in the Spanish or Italian markets to whet my appetite. The German Bundesliga looks to offer some value with Union Berlin to make the top 4. A negative is that they will have to contend with playing Champions League games this season which could stretch the squad, however they did go quite deep in the Europa league last season while managing a 4th place finish. On a positive, Bayern and Dortmund should take the top two places and with all due respect to Monchengladbach and Freiburg. I believe this leaves Union, Leipzig , Frankfurt and Leverkusen to fight over the two remaining slots. I think 11/4 represents a good price as Unions close rivals have all lost some serious scoring talent.  

An Oldie

Politics Lab/Lib Coalition 7/1

This is still a ‘live ‘position’ and the current cash out exactly matches my stake so no change in the odds. I will keep this open, however personally I don’t expect a formal coalition even if Lab come up a bit shy of an overall majority.  Then again, I said no chance of Brexit or Trump winning in 2016, so what do I know.  

There is a part of me that would quite like the Lib Dems to have some leverage on Labour as I reckon i Anyways, let’s get these Tory feckers out. It will help Lab take stronger positions on better relations with EU and proportional representation. 

So that is it, the money has been placed in the market. I can sit back and enjoy the ride.    

IceMan Investment Portfolio – Punting for a Purpose 

Smash the Fash  

[icemaninvestments]

IceMan Investments Update – End of Season 2022/23

Well, all is well that ends well. A very topsy turvy season. I think at the mid-point I would have been happy for the portfolio to break even. As it happens a lot of positions were not resolved until the last games, and the fund made a handy profit (could have been so much more, Napoli). 

As usual we will donate to Anti-Fascist organisation Hope not Hate and Mrs IceMan will no doubt purchase something for our Grandson.

Every time I post an IceMan it seems to coincide with some Tory implosion, to be fair it would be hard to avoid it. As I write this, a report on the lying Bastard Boris Johnson has just confirmed Boris Johnson to be a lying Bastard, who knew. 

This is how it played out....

Premiership, Arsenal Top 6 - 4/6. Winner 

Yep, it was a skinny price and in hindsight, we could have been bolder. No regrets, as caution was rewarded on some other positions. I always regarded this one as ‘buying money’ and so it proved, no doubt a few Chelsea and Spurs backers done their bollix in this market. Over the years the Gunners have returned a nice dividend to the portfolio, the Grandson is a North London lad and culturally will be more Spurs inclined, not that IceMan will get emotionally swayed. The market is the market, and it is all about the price.      

Championship Middlesbrough, Promotion - 3/1 Loser 

A season of two halves for Boro. They were going nowhere until Michael Carrick took over and then they were on fire for the second part of the season. They even flirted with automatic promotion at one stage.  I always considered making the play offs to be par for this bet and to be fair they delivered on that.  I am a bit disappointed as they were favorites to win the play offs but got turned over by Coventry. 

 League one - Peterborough Top 6 - 6/5 Winner 

The Posh made hard work of this, we dodged a bullet on this one as I was tempted to back them for promotion and would have been sick watching them throw away a 4 goal first leg play off advantage. This one did go down the wire, The Posh luckily secured a top 6 place on the final day of the season. 

League Two Mansfield Town Promotion  5/2 - Loser 

Mansfield missed out on the playoffs on goal difference, really frustrating. At the start of season, I expected them to be challenging for automatic promotion and to sit safely in a play off place. Very disappointing, indeed.  

National League Wrexham Promotion 4/5- Winner 

This league has been kind to us over the years and it was great to return another winner. Wrexham were pushed all the way by Notts County and won the Championship by 4 points. This was a high profile win due to the Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who to be fair seemed to be loving their involvement. Another instance where we could have been more aggressive and backed to win the championship, however, these things equal out, see Peterborough and Dortmund.   

Scottish Premiership - Aberdeen without Celtic/Rangers 17/4 - Winner  

Been a rollercoaster ride for The Sheep at one stage I had these as nailed on certs then they imploded and drifted away and I moved them to the loss column. Fortunately, they rediscovered their form under Barry Robson and secured third place on the penultimate day.    

Regret Celtic were not a backable proposition this year but glad they put Rangers in their place (as usual). Success has come at the price of losing our manager to Spurs and having Brendan Rodgers return, I will be looking out for a Celtic angle next year, Champions League? Ha. Nae problem with the wee bhoy being a bit Spurs inclined but should Celtic ever come up against them in Europe, then family allegiances and traditions will get more complicated.    

Scottish Championship - Dundee to win 7/4 – Winner 

Another winner who made hard work of getting over the line. They eventually won the title by 5 points but for most of the season they were off the pace and struggling to put a winning run together. The depth of their squad paid off in the end though it was a long time coming.   

Scottish League One - Queen of the South to win 5/1 each way – Loser.

Disappointed with this year’s picks in the lower Scottish divisions as I have a good record in these leagues but was never really at the races this year.    

QOS , flattered to deceive early days but then a serious downturn in form had them in the loss column from mid-season. Ended up 6 points shy of third place.  Rubbish.

Scottish League Two - Sternhousemuir to win 9/2 each way – Loser.    

This side ended up in 6th place, 4 points off third position. Like Queen of the South above, they have been in loss column for a while. We seen the best of them in the early games. More Rubbish.

Bundesliga - Dortmund without Bayern 5/4 - Winner

Another one of my selections who were struggling mid-season, they were actually in 6th place at one stage.  They then went on a fantastic run towards the end and went into to the last game as favorites to win the Bundesliga from Bayern Munich, they fell short and vindicated my conservative approach to investing, as I had been tempted by a big price for them to win the title.   

Napoli Champions League each way 150/1 – Loser 

If you back a 150/1 shot and they go deep in a competition, you are normally happy, however, on this occasion , not so much.   This is the one that got away. Still can’t believe I got such a fantastic price, this was after they had started well in Serie A, they went on to be Champions. The fact they won Serie A makes it more disappointing that they lost a very winnable quarter final to domestic opponents Inter Milan who finished 18 points behind Napoli in the Championship. Even worse Napoli were in the kinder side of the draw so would have faced fellow Italians AC Milan in the semi final (20 points behind them in Serie A).  A final against Petro State Abu Dhabi (Man City) would have been challenging but even if they lost, we got 75/1 each way. My normal investing approach is cautious, but this allows me to throw the odd dart at a lively longshot.  Yeah, I ain’t got over how they come up short and the transformative effect that could have had on the fund. Napoli/Crapoli not that I’m bitter. 

Politics Lab/Lib Coalition 7/1

This is still a ‘live ‘position’ and the current cash out exactly matches my stake so no change in the odds. I will keep this open, however personally I don’t expect a formal coalition even if Lab come up a bit shy of an overall majority.  Then again, I said no chance of Brexit or Trump winning in 2016, so what do I know.  

There is a part of me that would quite like the Lib Dems to have some leverage on Labour as I reckon it will help Lab take stronger positions on better relations with EU and proportional representation. Anyways, let’s get these Tory feckers out.  

Grand National – Gaillard Du Mesnil 36/1 Winner plus Gericault Roque 36/1 – Loser 

Tidying some Horse Racing loose ends. I love an ante post bet on the Grand National. The danger of ante post though is sometimes you lose without actually getting a run for your money, this applies to Gericault Roque. On the other hand, sometimes you end up on backing one of the favorites at a big price. Gaillard Du Mesnil backed at 36/1 was returned on the day at 10/1 (Ice Price), he ran into third place, so we had a nice each way pick up which more than covered the Gericault Roque loss. 

Cheltenham Gold Cup – The Stattler 12/1 - Loser

By way of contrast with the above, The Stattler position backfired, I took 12/1 early doors but on the day of the race he was a ‘drifter’ in the market and got returned at 16/1 (ShitePrice). Not surprisingly, something was not right, and the horse was pulled up during the race.  

Ok that is it. Will be back soon with the new seasons’ investments. Will be monitoring the markets, transfers, friendlies and all betting information to come up with some selections for 2023-24 season.  

Solidarity to all who fight the forces of darkness, reaction, cranks, conspiracy theorists and right wing culture warriors. 

IceMan Investment Portfolio – The ‘Better’ Way to Invest

[icemaninvestments]

IceMan Investments Update – Mid- Season 2022/23

Ok, just a quick check in on how the pre-season positions are playing out. Looks like an interesting year with Arsenal already a sure fire pick up, balanced by a couple in the loss column. A cheeky 150/1 Napoli are in Champions league contention and lots of other picks are still in the mix. As ever, all to play for. 

Here’s where we are, Sports bets with an anti-fascist attitude....    

Premiership, Arsenal Top 6 - 4/6 Now 1/300 IcePrice. Seen enough calling this a Winner.    

Ok last season my caution was rewarded when a took a top 6 position rather than the more ambitious top 4. This reason, I should have been bolder, Arsenal are actually sustaining a title challenge and sit 5 points clear at the top. They have a massive 16-point margin over 7th place. No hesitation in declaring this an early Winner.  

Championship Middlesbrough, Promotion - 3/1 now 7/2 (Drifter)

So, I backed them on the basis that they had the ‘best’ manager, who then takes them into a relegation place and is sacked. I did however raise a concern about a proven goalscorer who was never recruited. So, new manager Michael Carrick does some magic on existing player Chuta Akpom who can’t stop scoring. Boro now in a play-off place and have signed another striker. Quietly optimistic about their prospects.     

League one - Peterborough Top 6 - 6/5 Now 2/1 (Drifter)

‘The Posh’ have been super inconsistent. At one point they were going gangbangers and this looked a confident pick up. They have now slipped down to 9th and 5 points off 6th place. Peterborough have responded by doing what they always do and appointing Darren Ferguson for the fourth time, in an effort to get them back on track. Obviously, the price has drifted but they still in the mix. 

League Two Mansfield Town Promotion 5/2 Now 7/2 (Drifter)

One of the most frustrating of this year’s picks, The Stags just keep chucking away leads turning 2-0 wins into 2-3 losses. They have been in and out of the play offs slots but currently sit 9th and two points shy. They are still in with a shout but need to push on.     

National League Wrexham Promotion 4/5 now 1/4 (IcePrice) 

The bookies seem to have the Red Dragons as nailed on certs; I wish. Reality is there is only one automatic promotion place, and they are currently in second place, five points behind Notts County but crucially have two games in hand. Solidarity to star striker Paul Mullin who got in a bit of trouble for wearing boots that had that had the message ‘Fuck the Tories’. IceMan hopes he scores 200 goals this season and has a cracking career. Respect.         

Scottish Premiership - Aberdeen without Celtic/Rangers 17/4 Now Drifter 

Except for Arsenal and Wrexham the main takeaway across the selections this year is inconsistency. At one stage Aberdeen were sitting comfortably in third place and looked a certain pick up. They then suffered a horrendous loss of form which has seen them overtaken by Hearts, they are now 3 points behind but having played a game more. This bet is still ‘live’ but Hearts have a significant advantage. Aberdeen got back to winning ways at the weekend, so hoping they can make a fight of this.        

Scottish Championship - Dundee to win 7/4 Now 6/5 (IcePrice)  

Continuing the theme, Dundee had looked like taking control of this league and had me looking forward to an early pay out. However, they never pushed on and now find themselves in third, 4 points adrift of Queens Park. Despite this their price has shortened as the bookies are pricing in the fact that their deeper squad should make the difference in the run in. I am quietly optimistic about collecting.     

Scottish League One - Queen of the South to win 5/1 each way Now 66/1 (ShitePrice)

This pick started quite brightly and was in contention for a top 3 place during the early part of the season. Their form fell away leading to a recent Managerial change. They are in 8th place, 9 points off third so too little, too late for us. This is in the loss column.    

Scottish League Two - Sternhousemuir to win 9/2 each way Now Drifter   

Guess what? Sternhousemuir had an ok start to the season and looked like they would be challenging for a top 3 place. Another collapse in form and change of manager ensued. They now rest in 6th, 5 points away from third. Looks like too much of an ask, heading for a loss. Can’t find an updated each way market as only win only. Safe to say would be a substantial drifter.       

Bundesliga - Dortmund without Bayern 5/4 Now would be ShitePrice

Dortmund have been disappointing, like a lot of my selections they have flattered to deceive at times, however they have never been able to put a winning run together. They are now in 6th, 5 points off 2nd. Hopefully they can improve and chase down some of the sides in front of them. Realistically, it looks like they have too much to do, and I would rather be on RB Leipzig at this stage. I cannot find a revised without Bayern Munich market, however, no doubt Dortmund would have drifted into ShitePrice territory.         

Spain World Cup 8.5/1 (Lost)

Yes, of course, Spain started brilliantly beating Costa Rica 7-0. It was all downhill from there and they ended up tamely losing on penalties to Morocco.   

New :

Napoli Champions League each way 150/1 now 16/1 (IcePrice) 

Not previously posted this as added to portfolio after the domestic football positions. The Bet based on a massive price for a team who had started Serie A well. Unlike so many others, their fine form has continued, and they are top of Serie A, until last week they were unbeaten. They did win their latest game so hopefully no dramatic loss of form. They topped their champions league qualifying group pipping Liverpool. I Do have to point out Rangers were in this group and got nil points. HAHaHa. Next up a winnable tie against Eintracht Frankfurt.  

Politics Lab/Lib Coalition 7/1

I put this on before the Truss implosion, at that stage a Lab majority looked remote. I would happily forego the winnings on this if it meant a Lab majority. it will be small consolation should they come up shy.  

Grand National – Gaillard Du Mesnil 36/1 now 20/1 (IcePrice) plus Gericault Roque 36/1 now 33/1 both each way and the 36/1 were price boosts.  

Cheltenham Gold Cup – The Stattler 12/1 now 10/1  

I am a sucker for both races and love an ante post bet. I was about to do some research and the first articles I read were by Matt Brocklebank of Sporting Life who was putting up these selections. I looked at some other options but kept coming back to these on value. As ever with ante post we are taking a gamble that will even make the race. 

Hopefully we can finish the season with some profit and use a bit of it to fight the forces of darkness and reaction.              

IceMan Investment Portfolio – The ‘Better’ Way 

[icemaninvestments]

IceMan Investments Update - New Season 2022/23 - Getting The Betting

Here we go again. Another season and another reason for optimism , anything is possible until it ain’t. 

As ever, looking to increase the fund incrementally no accumulators or moonshots, just ’vanilla’ fixed odds ante post positions. Looking for a season's worth of entertainment and some profit to support anti-fascist work in the UK and Kurdish Solidarity in Rojava where once again they are under attack by the Turkish state. 

Solidarity to all Anti Fascist Comrades, and in particular to those who like a bet on the Football including the lower Scottish leagues. Proud to be niche  

IceMan has now invested a fiscally responsible amount into this seasons football markets with the objective of more sustained incremental growth for the fund. AKA we dabbling in the football predictions and these are the picks,   

Premiership - Arsenal Top 6 - 4/6

I always find it hard to get an angle on this League. I was tempted by Arsenal 2/1 top 4 but on reflection I think they might come up a bit shy. So, with an abundance of caution I am going big on a top 6 finish, a bet that paid off last year. It is a proper shortie  but you can’t buy money cheap. Newcastle with their head chopping owners are the biggest threat but The Gooners should be streets ahead of them. This is a bet to nothing. Looking forward to collecting. 

Championship - Middlesbrough Promotion - 3/1 

This is an interesting division and my first impression was play it safe and take Norwich 7/4 for promotion. Norwich go up, come down and go up again. I  landed a winning bet  last time they were in this league and to be honest I might regret not making them the selection. I have, however,  looked elsewhere and fancy Middlesbrough. The 6/5 top 6 appealed but sometimes you need to be more  adventurous so I have backed them for promotion. This is tricky league with Norwich, Watford and Burnley coming down from the Premiership.,West Brom and Sheffield United will be dangers however, Middlesbrough picked up massively last season after Chris Wilder was appointed and narrowly missed the play offs. They have recruited well pre-season with a couple of nice additions and I  expect  they add a good forward to the squad to maximise their chances. Chris Wilder is arguably the best manager in the Championship and I am confident he can lead them into the play offs at least.   

League one - Peterborough Top 6 - 6/5 

So I am backing the side known as The Posh (nothing to do with Spice) . Peterborough were relegated from the Championship last year but actually finished their campaign strongly. They are a yo-yo club and are always competitive  at this level. They have often been on my radar but this is the first time I have taken an interest. I am wary of some of the bigger clubs Sheffield Wednesday, Derby and Ipswich (who done my money last year) so I am taking a defensive stance and backing them for a top 6 finish. 

League Two - Mansfield Town Promotion - 5/2 

I did consider giving last years picks Bradford another spin but I think the slight improvement under Mark Hughes has been overly priced in. On balance I think  last years beaten play-off finalists Mansfield offer a better option. They have retained most of their squad and I expect them to be challenging for an automatic promotion slot.

National League - Wrexham Promotion - 4/5

No prizes for originality I am sticking with last years pick Wrexham aka FC Hollywood. Last season they came up short for us, losing in the play offs after just missing out on automatic promotion. They had a massive churn of players last year and integrating them cost them, as they made a slow start. This should not be an issue this season, so I do expect them to kick on and go one better. The 6/4 to win the title actually looks value but I am taking a safer approach and going for promotion, giving the insurance of a play off place. I know it is a proper skinny price but it is a fair reflection of their chance.    

On to my happy hunting ground of Scotland. This is helped by the fact the League Cup competition starts before the proper divisional leagues get underway, giving us a useful form guide. 

Scottish Premiership - Aberdeen without Celtic/Rangers - 17/4 

As a Celtic supporter (Irish and anti fascist connections) I have to make sure my heart does not rule my head in this market. Last season I initially passed this league over, it was only after a poor start that Celtic drifted to a generous 3/1 , that I got profitably involved. This season The Bhoys are  4/6 Jollies and as much as I believe they will win, I do not think that price represents good value.

I have therefore looked at the betting without Celtic/Rangers market and fancy a small interest in Aberdeen. This used to be my go to premiership bet and paid dividends over many seasons. Last year though The Sheep had a shocker  the Edinburgh outfits Hearts and Hibs are more favoured by the markets. The case for The Sheep really comes down to faith in  manager Jim Goodwin who took over during the last campaign. This year he has a full season to impose his style on the side. They have lost a couple of promising youngsters but have used the funds to recruit wisely. Finally they have shown good form in recent league cup games.    

Scottish Championship - Dundee to win - 7/4 

Ok the big negative  Dundee were rubbish last season and were relegated from the premiership. Positives are they have a new manager and their recent form in the League Cup has been very impressive. They will be pushed by Inverness and Partick but should have a strong enough squad to do the business at this level. 

Scottish League One - Queen of the South to win 5/1 each way 

This looks a competitive league and I could make a decent case for 5 different sides. The one I fancy though is the team with one of the best names in British football Queen of the South. Like Dundee they are coming off the back of a relegation season. They have a very young manager who has  been active on the recruitment front. Once again the pre season Cup form has been the clincher for me. 

Scottish League Two - Sternhousemuir to win 9/2 each way

I have had some good results from this division, often backing newly promoted teams and this year Bonnyrigg Rose fit the profile. However, their pre-season cup form has been mixed, tempting me to look elsewhere. Sternhousemuir have been busy in the transfer market and can improve on a solid 5th place finish from last season. Their pre season results against teams of a similar standard have been good.   

Bundeslega - Dortmund without Bayern - 5/4 

I do think that even without Erling Haaland , Dortmund will push Bayern harder this season. It is a stretch though to imagine them coming out on top. They have done some good early transfer business and are a confident selection in the without Bayern market. 

Loose Ends 

Still hold a position on Spain at 8.5 /1 for World Cup. My big outside bet on Ukraine did not pay off as they lost a play off final. 

I am enjoying all the fun and games around BJ being ousted but it did cost me a small bet on Wes Streeting as next PM at 130/1. 

That's it Comrades. It all kicks off on Saturday.    

IceMan Investment Portfolio - More Mammon - Less Gammon

[icemaninvestments]

Hail Hail The Celts Are Here!

IceMan does it again, another year of growth. It was a very challenging year in the English markets, however, some smart trades in Scotland helped keep the portfolio on to profitable footing. Massive respect to the impact’ Big Ange’ had on transforming Celtic into SPL Champions. This position was the portfolio ‘change-maker’.

Firstly, a little bit of politics. The Ukrainian resistance is putting up a brave and determined fight against Fascist Scum Putin, Slava Ukraini.

The Turkish State continues to oppress Kurdish opposition both internally and in Rojava. Erdogan = Terrorist

Boris Johnson, Brexit, DUP, Donald Trump and The GOP. Get Tae Feck.

Here’s the Football...

Premiership - Arsenal Top 6, 5/4 - WINNER

Right after a terrible start in which they lost their first three games. Arsenal improved and just as importantly other teams didn’t. At one stage I was regretting not being bolder and going for top 4, however they came up shy on that but finished comfortably in 5th place. Think they owed us that after the complete blow out last season.

Championship – QPR Top 6 3/1 = LOSER

At one stage this position was trading at 1/5 as QPR looked to be challenging for automatic promotion. However, they flattered to deceive. They had a shocking end of season and tumbled out of the top 6 eventually finishing in 11th, 9 points off 6th place.  Unsurprisingly they are changing manager for next season. Very Disappointing.

 League One – Ipswich Town Promotion 5/2 - LOSER

The Tractor Boys underperformed. I honestly expected them to be in the mix for automatic promotion and sitting comfortably in a play-off berth. There was some improvement once they changed manager and new boss Kieran McKenna looked like he might make a late charge for a play off spot. It was all too little too late and they finished a distant 11th.  I will keep an eye on them pre-season as they have the potential to be contenders.    

League Two – Bradford City Promotion 3/1 - LOSER

Bradford have had a rubbish season. My expectations were the same as Ipswich (above) They started well and then spectacularly fell away. Ended in 14th 19 points adrift of a play off place.

National League – Wrexham Promotion 5/2 – LOSER

FC Hollywood had a slow start to the season, and this ultimately cost them promotion. They improved in the latter half and chased down the leaders Stockport to ensure it came down to the wire on the last day. However, they come up short. They entered the play offs as favorites but were beaten in a semi-final. So no fairy tale ending to the inevitable Ryan Reynolds documentary. Unlike some of the other selections Wrexham pretty much run to form and were unlucky to lose out. 

Scottish Premiership Celtic 3/1 – WINNER WINNER WINNER

I am a Celtic Supporter and in recent years they have been virtually unbackable to win the title as Rangers were so far off the pace, Last year Celtic imploded and Rangers took advantage to win the title. This year was supposed to be a year of transition for Celtic under new manager Ange Postecogllou and my initial reaction was to sit this one out. This looked the right approach as Celtic made a shaky start and drifted to 3/1. I had noticed Ange had recruited well and there were signs of improvement, so I got involved just after the defeat by Rangers and without being all Captain Hindsight I genuinely believed Celtic had the scope to push on. Celtic won the title with a 4-point margin. So, a great win from a supporters perspective but also a game changer as regards the performance of the fund as this 3/1 winner made a big contribution to plugging the deficit on the English league.

Scottish Championship – Dunfermline each way 9/1 (first 3 places 1/5th odds) - LOSER

One of my worst trades ever and I have had some shockers. Dunfermline were actually relegated, nuff said.

Scottish League One – Cove Rangers 3/1 - WINNER

Very pleasing result this one, Cove were competitive and in amongst it all season. Running out impressive Champions with a handy 7-point margin.        

Scottish League Two - Kelty Hearts 8/11) - WINNER

Ok it was a skinny price, but it was the proverbial ‘buying money’ bet and they won the league with 21 points to spare. Job done.

Italy – AC Milan Top 4 at 5/4 - WINNER

So, this was a bit of a shortie, but this position always looked more of an odds on shot to me. In fact, I should have been more ambitious as they actually won the Serie A title.    

Spain - Barcelona 31/20 LOSER

No sooner had I struck this bet than Messi left for PSG and things got worse from there. Barca were never at the races. There was improvement and they came 2nd but a distant 13 points behind Real Madrid.

Seville -Champions League 66/1 EW LOSER

At 66/1 this was throwing a dart at it; however I was confident they could make the knockout stages and give a trade out opportunity. Disappointed as they failed to make it out of the group.

Europa League Real Sociedad 20/1   LOSER

Was hoping that they would run deep in this competition. They qualified from the group then lost a very winnable tie versus Leipzig. Not impressed.

NFL – Super Bowl Cleveland Browns 16/1 EW

Ok I know nothing about NFL, I have never watched a game of NFL but each year I read a few previews and throw a dart at this competition and have had a decent run for my money. (Not this year) This team lost loads of games which surprisingly does not automatically knock you out. Eventually they lost one too many and never made the play-offs. Suppose I should stick to what I know.

Horse Racing 2000 Guineas Native Trail 4/1 LOSER

This was a long-held ante post position that looked set to land the goods. The Horse had good prep races and started the race as 5/4 favourite, however he finished second.      

 World Cup 2022 Spain 8.5/1 - Ukraine 150/1 EW = STILL IN PLAY

When I placed this bet Spain had not achieved qualification, so I am surprised that 8/1 is still widely available. I do really fancy this talented young squad to make a big impression in this tournament.   

I backed Ukraine for the last Euros at 150 and had forgotten I took the same price for the World Cup. They face a play off against Wales to even qualify but think they now trade at 100/1. Look, this one is now not really about the football or betting angle. Good luck to them.  

Ok that is us all caught up. I will be back soon with all the new investments for season 2022-23.  

Solidarity to all Anti Fascists

IceMan Investments – It’s All Priced In. 

[icemaninvestments]

The Good, The Bad and The Dunfermline.

Quick update as unlike a Tory MP I need to pay attention to my day job. First, I will look at the pre-season Football positions and then check out investments made since the last post.

IceMan is in good spirits the Johnson (not Boris, he ain’t my mate) clusterfuck of sleaze and corruption is getting  some traction only the Daily Torygraph is protecting him. Don’t get me wrong I am enjoying the moment but fully expect Johnson to throw the proverbial dead cat on the table, have an almighty row with EU about Northern Ireland and the circus to mover on.  Still Johnson getting a decent kicking is something you love to see.  

Every year one of my selections has a stinker. Dunfermline though are stinking the place out on an epic scale. This is the smelliest performance of any stinky team I have backed before. Hard to believe that a German investment group took this bunch of stinkers on at the start of the season. They are currently bottom of the League and already in the loss column. They now trade at 275/1 A totally ShitePrice I am moving on as I can’t get that stench out of my nostrils. 

Premiership - Arsenal Top 6 5/4

Obviously, I never doubted the wisdom of this bet even after they lost their first three games. Haha. Suddenly this position looks ok as they sit in 5th place with a 3point cushion. They now trade at 4/6 IcePrice. Right, to be honest they ain’t been that good, however none of the other top 6 contenders look all that either, so game on.

Championship – QPR Top 6 3/1 

This is a bit like the Arsenal one where I wish they could stop the season now. QPR are currently sitting in 6th place. This division looks very competitive, and I am expecting a few twists and turns between now and seasons end. Now trading 2/1 (IcePrice).

League One – Ipswich Town Promotion 5/2

The Tractor Boys have been a major disappointment. They drop far too many points from winning positions. I expected them to be challenging for automatic promotion, but their underwhelming start sees them in 9th place and 4 points shy of the play offs. Now trade at 9/2 ShitePrice. Still in with a shout but now a big ask.

League Two – Bradford City Promotion 3/1

The Bantams are just drawing too many games. They had a cracking start but slipped back to 12th place. This is not as bad as it appears, as they are only 2 points off a play-off position. Surprisingly they are currently trading shorter at 11/4 which is an IcePrice though not sure it is merited. All to play for.

National League – Wrexham Promotion 5/2

Expecting better from the Hollywood Team, thought they would be challenging for top spot, instead they sit in 9th place , 5 points shy of a play off , albeit with a game in hand. I do think they will improve and move into a comfortable play off slot as the season unfolds. Seems the bookies share my optimism as they are now priced at 2/1 IcePrice. They will be in the mix.

Scottish Championship – Dunfermline each way 9/1 (first 3 places 1/5th odds).

Every year one of my selections has a stinker. Dunfermline though are stinking the place out on an epic scale. This is the smelliest performance of any stinky team I have backed before. Hard to believe that a German investment group took this bunch of stinkers on at the start of the season. They are currently bottom of the League and already in the loss column. They now trade at 275/1 A totally ShitePrice I am moving on as I can’t get that stench out of my nostrils.     

Scottish League One – Cove Rangers 3/1

I had this league down as a two-horse race between Cove Rangers and Queens Park. Things are working out a bit more complicated as only 2 points cover the top 4. Cove are third place one point behind  leaders Airdrie. Cove now priced at 7/2 which is a drifter. Think this one will go to the wire.           

Scottish League Two - Kelty Hearts 8/11

As I hoped Kelty the odds on shots are proving too good for this division. They are top of the table with a 7-point cushion. Could put this in the Win column right now. Trading at 4/7 (IcePrice).

Italy – AC Milan Top 4 at 5/4

Ok 5/4 was a skinny price but all things are relative. The Rossoneri sit nicely in 2nd place and check out the margin of 11 points to 5th place. As current trading price of 1/5 IcePrice suggests this will be a pickup.       

Spain - Barcelona 31/20

I had barely taken this position before Barcelona’s finances imploded and they had to release Messi. Things then got worse. They are 9th and 11 points from top place. Recent managerial change looks a positive, but this is a massive deficit to claw back. This is a loser and now priced accordingly 22/1 ShitePrice.

New Stuff

Seville Champions League 66/1 EW

I know it’s a long shot, but I am still disappointed with this. Looks like they will be eliminated at the Group Stage. I totally expected them to make the knockout stages and go deep in this tournament. Even more frustrating is the fact they are going so well in La Liga but have been rubbish in the CL. Massive ShitePrice 300/1.

World Cup 2022 Spain 8.5/1

Have a great young squad who will have benefitted from good performances at Euro 2020 and the Olympics. I would have liked them to be heading their qualifying group, but they should have little trouble getting through and now trading at 7/1 IcePrice.

Europa League Real Sociedad 20/1   

Always dangerous to get involved with this competition prior to some Champions League Teams dropping in later, however this Basque side from San Sebastian look too good to miss. They are currently league leaders in Spain, admittedly that league seems weaker than previous years. Anyways they seem decent value though the concern would be that like Seville they find it difficult to campaign on the domestic and European front. No change in price yet.

Scottish Premiership Celtic 3/1

Ok last time I said no way would I emotionally back Celtic to win the League and I haven’t. I placed this bet after Rangers beat Celtic. It was no secret Celtic had a new manager trying to integrate new signings with more reinforcements on the way. So Celtic would improve and once the price touched 3/1 that seemed good value in a two-horse race. That price does reflect the fact Celtic have conceded a lot of ground. The Celts have moved up the table and have reduced Rangers lead to 4 points. That is still a lot to claw back but it is priced in. Now trading 2/1 IcePrice. C’mon The Hoops.  

NFL – Super Bowl Cleveland Browns 16/1 EW

Ok I know nothing about NFL, I have never watched a game of NFL but each year I read a few previews and throw a dart at this competition. Remarkably I have had some lively outsiders run very deep in the knockout stages. This year I selected Cleveland and they can’t be doing all that great as they now 33/1 ShitePrice . I don’t even know how this competition works as they seem to win one week and lose the next, but they have not been knocked out (yet). Anything could happen, or it might not.    

Horse Racing 2000 Guineas Native Trail 4/1

I have not got much form on the ante post horses in recent times so hoping this one gives me a welcome change of fortune. Even getting a horse that lines up for this race next April in decent form is itself an achievement and the prices reflect that. There is no better feeling than putting down the money now and having this 4/1 chance turn up on the day as an odds-on favourite. FWIW this horse had one outing after my bet and the odds makers were impressed enough to clip the price to 3/1 IcePrice   

Ok that is us all caught up.  

Solidarity to all Anti Fascists.

IceMan Investments – It’s All Priced In.   

[icemaninvestments]

IceMan New Season 2021/22 – Be Woke Not Broke

Football betting tips with an anti - fascist, anti – conspiracy crank attitude. You know you want it. IceMan has invested our funds in a diverse range of markets {different football leagues) as we pursue exciting growth opportunities (we like a bet).

Joking aside we now have a good track record of winning year on year and the badge of honour of being restricted by a major bookmaker. So once again here is the IceMan philosophy. The positions are ante post singles in the outright markets. No accumulators and no coupons, cos Bookies love that shit. All selections have been made based on an amalgamation of previous season form, betting market moves, pre-season friendlies, transfer activity and let us be honest other people’s predictions. Not much politics today as loads of football to get through. One happy thought though, Congratulations GB News [AKA Gammon News ) on your excellent launch HAHAHAHA.

Here we go...

Premiership - Arsenal Top 6 5/4 I know, I know this was the biggest losing bet of last season and here I am doubling down. Anything to do with Arsenal involves a leap of faith but their improvement over the second half of last season was genuine. In addition, they have no distractions with European football, every cloud and that. Ben White looks a good addition at centre back and they have a lot of young talent on an upward curve. I have talked myself into a dangerous level of confidence about this one, never a sensible thing with Arsenal.

Championship – QPR Top 6 3/1 The promotion market in this Division has been a happy hunting ground in recent years. This season I am struggling to narrow it down to a single choice. I seriously considered Fulham and West Brom for promotion, but I have decided to go in a different direction and back a team to hit the top 6. As with Arsenal above I am keeping it London hoping QPR can maintain their second half season form which eventually landed them in 9th place. Getting Charlie Austin in a permanent deal looks a good bit of business as he is a proven goal scorer at this level. If they maintain the incremental progress of recent seasons then a top 6 finish is within their grasp.

League One – Ipswich Town Promotion 5/2 I have given up on my usual pick Portsmouth and have turned my gaze elsewhere. It is easy to overlook the perennial underachievers Sunderland and that made me consider second favourites Ipswich. Initially I was underwhelmed by the price for a side who finished 9th last time. However, the story behind the Tractor Boys market move is a club takeover that has bought in more investment allowing a lot of transfer activity. As usual with these situations the money can talk loudly and this level.

There are however obvious dangers with new recruits taking time to gel. This will not be the last mention of relatively large financial backing at a lower level having a major impact on the market reaction to a Team’s chances of success.

League Two – Bradford City Promotion 3/1 This is a tricky league as you can find negatives against all the leading sides. I was close to leaving this one well alone. However, I am taking a chance on Bradford who finished 15th last year, in what was a shocker of a season. The reason for giving them a look is related to the appointment of new manager

Derek Adams who has been very successful in this division. He has recruited well, and they look set for a good campaign. I think 3/1 is a fair price but there is no doubt we are staking a lot on Adams reputation. In addition, there is a Bradford premium as they are a big fish in a small pond. I will shut up before I talk myself out of this one.

National League – Wrexham Promotion 5/2 Firstly, Wrexham have been on my radar for a while. In fact, I tipped them a couple of seasons ago (full disclosure they had a stinker). So why the revisit, well impossible to avoid the Hollywood angle the actor Ryan Reynolds who I feel obliged to describe in tabloidese style as a ‘heart throb’ has invested in the club with a mate who nobody knows or cares about. As mentioned earlier financial backing at this level can make a difference and it has. Wrexham have secured the services of Paul Mullin who scored 32 goals at a higher-level Last season. Wrexham have been scoring for fun in pre-season friendlies.

Scottish Championship – Dunfermline each way 9/1 (first 3 places 1/5th odds).

It is hard to oppose short- priced favourites Kilmarnock but they were relegated from the SPL for a reason and the reason was that they were shite. So, I am happy to look elsewhere for a pick and like the look of Dunfermline who claimed 4th place last season. The difference this year is that they have been taken over by a German investment group and to repeat the fact financial backing at this level can make a massive impact. It might not be enough to offset the strength of the Kilmarnock squad, but they appear nailed on for a top 3 finish.

Scottish League One – Cove Rangers 3/1 This year I am deserting Falkirk who have twice flattered to deceive in recent seasons, having said that they will be in the mix again this year. This has the look of a three horse race as I expect newly promoted Queens Park (a winner for us last season ) to put in a big showing , however my selection is the ultra consistent Cove Rangers. They only missed out on the title last year by 2 points and have strengthened their squad for this season.

Scottish League Two - Kelty Hearts 8/11 I must admit I am a bit late to this one and have missed the early Even money. I can’t say I knew a lot about this team, and it was the market moves that alerted me to them. They are spending relatively big and that could go a long way at this level (again). There is no doubt it is a skinny price, but a winner is a winner.

Italy – AC Milan Top 4 at 5/4 I am getting involved in Serie A this year. I am backing last years runners up AC Milan to make the top 4. They have lost the Italian keeper Donnarumma but have added Oliver Giroud upfront. This should be a competitive division and it is a case of perming 4 from 6 as Juventus, Inter, Atalanta, Napoli and Mourinho’s Roma will all be serious challengers.

Spain - Barcelona 31/20 Haha full disclosure and all that. This position was obviously taken prior to the Messi announcement. Had I been aware he was leaving; I would have kept my powder dry. One of the downsides of ante post betting.

No SPL bets for me this year. I was looking forward to putting up Celtic against Rangers, however, the Bhoys pre=season form has been shocking, so I am happy to let them go unbacked. I can’t see any other SPL angle so will leave it alone. Big IceMan principle is not to force a bet or let emotion get involved.

Loose Ends - In the last post I mentioned I was holding a 125/1 ticket on Ukraine in the Euro’s; they had reduced to 40/1 prior to England game. Trade out opportunity missed.

Finally. That is the money down, let it play out. In a nod to the Anti-Fascist stance, I will donate some of the profits to Anti-Racist/Fascist charity Hope not Hate and Rojava Kurdish Solidarity. I will update throughout the season and post some tips for various cup competitions.

IceMan Investment Portfolio - We know the score

[icemaninvestments]

Another Season put to bed with the IceMan still ahead

Ok here we go a sweep up of end of season positions as not too long before we go again. Good news is there have been enough winners to produce another year of growth for the portfolio.   

I am leaving politics aside for now as recent polls and results are too depressing. Seems at the moment that if Boris Johnson was found in bed with a 14-year-old boy, smoking a crack pipe and shitting on a Union Jack his lead in the polls would actually increase.  

Premiership Arsenal top 6 at 4/7 and top 4 at 11/4  

A rare venture into the Premier League and a massive disappointment, the top 6 was the proverbial 'cert' and I then doubled down with a tickle on the top 4. Arsenal did improve after Christmas but too little too late.  Big Loser.

Championship Norwich Promotion 23/10 

The canaries have had a fantastic season and absolutely romped this Division. They had a 10-point margin over the third placed side. This one delivered much more easily than anticipated. Winner  

League One Portsmouth Promotion 3/1 

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I should have taken the advice but no I rolled the dice again on Portsmouth and just like last year they came up short. even worse as last year they made the play offs, this year they somehow contrived to drop out of a play-off slot on the last day of the season. Disappointed as was expecting a minimum of a play off and an outside shot at automatic promotion. Loser

League Two Bolton Promotion 5/4 

HaHaHa the great escape. I went big on Bolton, and this looked down the drain until a brilliant end of season run saw the Trotters capture an automatic promotion place. Really relieved at this coming home as after the Arsenal debacle I could not afford two 'shorties ' being turned over. Winner

National League Notts County Promotion 3/1 

I know I sound like a stuck record, but this is genuinely the toughest league to get out of with only one automatic promotion place and a convoluted play off to decide the other promotion place.  So, you cannot be that put out if a Team comes up a bit shy, having said that I did have high hopes for County.  I expected them to be competitive in challenging for top slot which never happened. They did comfortably make the play offs and won their first tie but then exited before the finals.  Loser   

Scottish Premiership Hibs in the without Celtic/Rangers market 13/5

To be honest this Hibs pick up was small financial compensation for the huge emotional loss of Celtic failing epically to achieve an historic 10 in a row league titles.  Well done to the Irish connected Edinburgh side who held off a decent challenge from Aberdeen. Winner

Scottish League One Falkirk 2/1 

Falkirk were a side I backed last year and felt cheated as the League was curtailed (rightly) for Covid reasons just when Falkirk had hit a rich seam of form. So, I decided to go again and this year prior to this year’s Covid disruption they were 2 points clear at the top and sitting pretty. When games resumed their form collapsed and they slipped down the table eventually finishing 5th. Loser

Scottish League Two Queens Park 1/2 

Yeah, I know it is a long- odds on shot but a winner is a winner, and I did go in suitably large. As expected, this lot were a different class to the other teams in this division and totally pissed this by a margin of 16 points.  Winner

Champions League Seville 66/1 Each Way 

Despite Seville being 66/1 I was hoping they would go a bit deeper in this tournament especially given a winnable tie in the last 16 which they narrowly lost. Still, they performed about par so no real complaints. Loser.     

FA Cup Everton 20/1 Each way 

Everton made the quarters and had the luck of the draw been with them they might have gone further. As it is they ran into Man City and held out for 80 mins before conceding two late goals. Cannot grumble y as there was a trade out opportunity for a small profit that went untaken. Loser.   

Others 

2021 has been a total shocker on the Horses the old expression I could not tip a waiter comes to mind. Some nice ante post positions at Cheltenham, Aintree and Newmarket all went awry. Reading the market and beating the starting price on the day is well and good but means nothing unless the Horse wins or is at placed. All the horse racing positions could have been traded out on the day but tbh with the exception of one Grand National pick I really fancied their chances. Losers.

New   

Euro 2020 Ukraine 125/1 Each Way 

This is really me chucking a dart on this one and looking for a long shot in a tournament that can throw up some surprises. Ukraine qualified for this by winning a group in front of Portugal. They also recently beat France in a world cup qualifying game so that is the positive case. On the other hand, their first-round performances in this competition have been shite but then again, they have made the last 16 where they will be underdogs against not exactly formidable Sweden. They are also in the kinder side of the draw so knock out football anything could happen.  

That's it. Selections for the new season will follow in due course. 

I am so pleased to be double vaxxed and have good protection against Covid. shame it is less effective against cranks and conspiracy theorists.  

Solidarity to all those who fight for justice in particular Hope not Hate and the Kurds of Rojava. Feck Off to all the Hate Mongers (especially that total bollix Lozza Fox.

IceMan the NiceMan (unless you are a Fascist or a Bookie).   

[icemaninvestments]

Got strong positions but you can't relax, in COVID times it is all about the Vax!

Counting my blessings as IceMan and the portfolio and are both enjoying good health.

Review of Sports investments to follow but first politics, I have been impressed with the campaigning work Hope not Hate are doing in exposing links that the far right are cultivating with conspiracy theorists and C0VID crackpots. Talking of crackpots, I just have to say Trump lost, not because it is news but just because it can’t be said often enough.

So here we go with the Sports. Football matches are coming at us so fast I can only promise these facts and figures were correct at time of writing. IcePrice denotes where the price that bet placed at is higher than current trading price.

Premiership Arsenal top 6 at 4/7 and top 4 at 11/4. What can I say, it seemed a good idea at the time. Despite recent improvement it is too little, too late, the Gunners are lingering in 10th place and I cannot see them getting past the pack in front of them. This bet has been absolute toilet and it is time to pull the chain. Top 6 now trading at 7/2 (ShitePrice) which still seems plenty short. One for the loss column.

Championship Norwich Promotion 23/10 This is going better than expected as they sit at top of the table with a 10-point margin for automatic promotion. Admittedly it is a bit flattering as Swansea have played less games but a bird in the hand and all that. As you would expect from the hometown of Colman's this lot are really cutting the mustard. Now quoted at a ridiculous 1/12 (IcePrice) . I am not as confident as the revised price suggests but I do expect Mrs IceMan to be heading to TKMaxx (should they ever re-open) to spend some winnings.

League One Portsmouth Promotion 3/1 When you back Portsmouth, you can't be surprised when they act like, well Portsmouth. Gloriously inconsistent, they have flirted with automatic promotion but are now clinging on to a playoff berth. Think the automatic promotion place is now a stretch too far so I will be happy to see them consolidate a playoff position and we can take it from there. They are still outrunning their original trading price as now 9/4 (IcePrice). Pompey are still very much in play.

League Two Bolton Promotion 5/4 When you take a price like 5/4 you would be expecting the team to be sitting in or at least seriously competing for automatic promotion. Bolton had a disastrous start to the season as the massive churn of players from the previous campaign did not settle. However, a change of manager has led to a change of fortune and they have been a charging up the table. Bolton have now scrambled into a playoff place. They still have a lot to do but I feel cautiously optimistic. Obviously, I am on the wrong side of this pricewise as they now trade at 5/2 which is a (ShitePrice) for me but a fair price for anyone getting involved at this stage.

National League Notts County 3/ 1 Promotion Notts Co currently are sitting comfortably in the playoff positions, their slow start has cost them the chance of securing the one automatic promotion place. I would hope that they can finish the season strongly as there is a real advantage in finishing second or third as they will have less playoff games. They are still priced at 3/1 but that might shorten if they can win their games in hand and break the top 3. Still in the Mix.

Scottish Premiership Hibs without Celtic/Rangers 13/5 This position has moved in a positive direction. Hibs have now moved 4 points clear of Aberdeen and have a game in hand. Hibs have now shortened to 2/7 (IcePrice). Aberdeen have had some financial problems and had to ship out some talent in the January transfer window. Expect to collect.

Scottish League One Falkirk to win 2/1 The Scottish weather has made the lower divisions a whiteout. Falkirk were sitting 2 points clear at the top before games stopped. One of the reasons for backing them was their strength in depth at this level, so I am hoping that might be a telling factor when the league resumes with an extremely busy fixture schedule. Falkirk now Evens (IcePrice) and should have enough about them to stay ahead of dangerous rivals Cove Rangers.

Scottish League Two Queens Park to win 1/2 Yes, it was a very skinny price but the disparity in resources between Queens Park and the rest made this the proverbial ��buying money’ opportunity. So far, so good as they top the Division with 5 points to spare. Queens Park now trade 1/5 (IcePrice) and we look set to collect.

Champions League Seville E/W 66/1 At these odds you are hoping that your selection can make the quarter finals which gives a trade out opportunity or just stick with it as anything could happen at that stage. Seville looked on par to achieve this as they made last 16 landing a winnable tie but are 0-1 from the first leg against Dortmund. This has sent the price spiralling to 150/1 (ShitePrice). It ain’t over until the Fat Lady sings but she is clearing her throat.

FA Cup Everton e/w 20/1 No complaints about this one which I took on after the last posting. Everton have acquitted themselves well and have made the quarter finals. Normally you would expect these odds to have tumbled, however next up is Man City so there is a ceiling on the price of 14/1(IcePrice). Everton still in with a shout but will be a proper bonus if we collect on this one.

Horses Cheltenham is coming up and in the interests of full disclosure I have already taken a loss on my original Gold Cup pick Cyrname who was completely out of sorts in recent outings and has been withdrawn. So, I have revisited the race and can’t get pass the fact that Al Boum Photo looks decent value at 3/1. He is going for a hat trick of wins in this event, ran a decent prep race and his trainer has indicated he is sharper than last year. He is now available at 11/4 (IcePrice) which is still fair value. I am also getting involved in the Queen Mother Champion Chase (another right-wing crackpot btw). Chacun Pour Soi at 6/5 looks like the banker of the meeting. I backed this one just prior to its impressive recent warm up, this horse can’t stop winning. It has now gone a shade of odds on at 10/11 (IcePrice).

My favourite Sports event of the year is the Grand National and I am going in double handed with two each way bets. I got some 66/1 about Lord Du Mesnil who looks a proper National sort and has a decent weight. He ran a brilliant trial race in recent weeks which has taken the price down to 40/1 (IcePrice) still represents good value in IMHO. The other pick is Discorama at 50/1 now 40/1 (IcePrice) he is an out and out stayer who should be doing his best work at the finish. Downside is he rarely gets his nose in front and often finds one or two that are too good for him, however that is priced in and he has the potential to be involved in the shake up and secure a place.

Other stuff I still hold a ticket for Battleground at 8/1 for the 2000 Guineas in May. There has been no market movement and this will be one to watch once the flat season kicks off. Finally, Green Bay Packers come up just short in the Super Bowl they made the semi finals at 22/1 e/w just one game away from a pickup so no real complaints.

As usual we hope to make an end of season donation to Hope not Hate and  Rojava Solidarity. That is it, let it play.

IceMan Investments – Against the Odds.

[icemaninvestments]

From Norwich City Going Far to Donald Trump Hahaha

Ok let's get straight in and the best place to start is Trump's defeat in the US election . This is obviously great news for the US and the planet but also a nice bonus is we had Biden at 5/1 so a good bit of business for the investment portfolio. I know the Pussy Grabber is still claiming he won but my bookie has paid out. It's over.  

As ever the investment fund will be hoping to achieve some growth that enables us to make donations to the anti racism charity Hope not Hate and Kurdish Solidarity in Rojava.  

So what are the prospects?  

English Premiership Arsenal Top 6 at 4/7 and Top 4 at 11/4.

Wow the top 6 part of this was supposed to be a banker as the ultra skinny 4/7suggested. I really did buy the Arteta hype thinking Arsenal would kick on from the progress of last season. Arsenal though are having a miserable time and are sitting in 15th position 6 points shy of 6th place they now trade at 11/4 (ShitePrice). The top 4 was always going to be more of a stretch but at 11/4 it looked good value, well it ain't now. They have been pushed out to 12/1 (ShitePrice) and this small part of the bet looks already destined for the loss column.

Championship  Norwich City Promotion 23/10  

Early days but The Canaries sit top of an ultra competitive division and now trade at Even money (IcePrice). Will not get ahead of things as only four points cover the top 7 but expect Norwich to be in the mix for automatic promotion and a certainty for a play off place. Optimistic about collecting.

League One Portsmouth Promotion 3/1

Pompey sit in 4th place and look good for a play-off berth. They are 4 points off an automatic promotion place but will need to really push on to be in with a shout.Currently trading at 17/10 (IcePrice) . Would love to believe they can get among the automatic positions but the play offs offer a harder though more realistic route. Cautiously optimistic.  

LeagueTwo Bolton Promotion 5/4

Once again one of the short priced selections are massively underperforming. Bolton invested heavily (for this level) pre-season in an exciting new manager and 15 new players. You might expect that it might take a while for all that to gel and they had a shocker of a start losing 7 games. Things have improved and they started to climb the table but have had a couple of recent set backs.They sit 8 points adrift of the play offs and are now priced at 5/1 ShitePrice. I still feel they could hit a decent run and make the play offs and from there anything can happen. It ain't over.

National League Notts County Promotion 3/1  

This league is the toughest to get out of with only one automatic place . It has however been very kind to me over the years. County were slow starters and have gradually improved trading now at 5/2 (NicePrice). Would have hoped that they would be vying for automatic promotion but they trail the leaders by 8 points. Nailed on for a play-off place and I aim cautiously optimistic that they can gain promotion.  

Scottish Premiership Hibernian w/o Celtic/Rangers 13/5

This was intended as very much a side bet as my main interest in the SPL was watching Celtic march to an historic ten in a row league championships. They are having a nightmare and looks like Rangers will win the title. Trust me any pick up on Hibs will be meagre consolation. As it happens Hibs do sit in 3rd place with a point advantage over Aberdeen though the Sheep have a game in hand, Hibs trade at 5/4 (IcePrice). This will go to the wire.

Scottish League One Falkirk to win 2/1  

On a recovery mission with this one. Falkirk were finishing strongly last term when the League was curtailed due to Covid. I am sure that if all all the fixtures had been completed then Falkirk would have won. I am happy to go again and so far so good as they are lead the division by 4 points and have shortened to 11/10 (IcePrice).  Expect to collect.

Scottish League Two Queens Park Win 1/2

Ok so that is a very short price but it still represents rock solid value. Queens Park owned the national Scottish national stadium which they have sold and the proceeds of £5 million will make a massive difference at this tier. They have started strongly and sit top with a 4 point advantage . Best priced now at 3/10 (IcePrice) . This is money in the bank.

Champions League Seville each way 66/1

Seville are an an excellent cup side and have made it out of the group stages . They are now 50/1(IcePrice). You can't get too carried away at these prices but reckon they can go deep and give a decent run for our money with a possible trade out opportunity.  

Super Bowl Green Bay Packers 22/1

Don't like or follow NFL so can only assume they are doing ok as trading at 17/2(IcePrice). This bet is purely for conversational purposes with the NFL Sadsacks at my work.

Finally Horses  

Got two ante post positions Battleground 8/1 in the 2000 Guineas which has drifted slightly to 10/1 (ShitePrice) and Cyrname 16/1 in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. I am looking forward to this one running a cracker over Christmas and then watching them Gold Cup odds tumble.  

So overall the fund looks in good shape.

IceMan Investment Portfolio - Winning.

[icemaninvestments]

IceMan  - Let's Go Round Again

Ok quick turnaround on the IceMan Portfolio having just signed off on the disrupted but profitable 2019-20 season it is time to again. As ever the fund objective is not to get rich quick but to provide a seasons worth of interest with a 'decent little earner.

In non Covid times we get a leisurely build up to the new season and I can monitor the markets and keep an eye on pre-season friendlies and transfer activity. This year, life comes at you fast but we are more than ready. So these are the plays....

Premiership

Arsenal 3/1 Top 4 and 8/13 Top 6

I have swerved this league for the past 4 seasons as i was getting tired of the hype and circus that surrounds it and to be brutally honest I was struggling to find a betting angle. this year it is 'Back to the Future' as I revisit what used to be a very obliging staple of this blog Arsenal top 4. Ok we know Liverpool and Man City occupy two of those berths so seems like a three horse race for the other two places between Spurs, Man Utd and Arsenal. I think at 3/1 Arsenal are worth a small touch to maintain the progress made under Arteta. However, top 4 will be a challenge so I am hedging and going large at 8/13 for top 6, yeah it is a proper skinny price but it is 'buying money' 60% plus return on stake with minimal downside.      

Championship 

Norwich City promotion 23/10

There are a lot of negatives against all the market leaders and i was hoping to come up with a lively 'dark horse ' ,however all roads seemed to lead back to Norwich which is a tad worrying because as any motorist knows all roads to Norwich are shit. The downside with Norwich is that they had a torrid time in the premiership last season. Getting beat every week must dent morale and confidence and there is a danger that the hangover from that impacts this season. On the other hand Norwich knew their fate early on and have recruited and retained players to help them bounce back on the first time of asking. On paper they have a stronger squad than the one that won this league in 2018/19 so at 23/10 for promotion I am getting involved.  

League One 

Portsmouth promotion 3/1

So I am going back in again with Portsmouth. I backed them last year as I thought they would challenge for automatic promotion and definitely make the play offs and expect the same again .They finished last  season strongly and I reckon they would have made an automatic place had the season not been curtailed. They did disappoint in the play offs but with a similarly strong outfit as last year I am happy to give the Pompey another chance.

League Two 

Bolton promotion 5/4

Ok it is a short price and they were relegated last year so why the optimism? Well basically they are too good for this Division. They will be playing at a lower level and there has been a lot of new investment with 15 new faces crucially Eoin Doyle leading score scorer in this division last year. They have appointed a young ambitious manager and I think they are well set for an automatic play off spot.

National League 

Notts County promotion 3/1  

This is a very difficult division to get out of with only one automatic promotion place but there are 6 play off slots. I am backing Notts County to rebound from last terms play off final loss and seal a return to the football league proper. I expect them to challenge for the the League title and at worse secure a comfortable play off position.

Other Stuff    

As posted last time I have Hibs 13/5 to be best of the rest in the Scottish Premiership without Celtic/Rangers. Think this will be a close run battle with Aberdeen.  

The other Scottish Divisions kick off in October so will post any selections nearer the time.

As previously advised I have Joe Biden 5/1 for next US President . Trump and Brexit have been doing my head in since 2016 I will pick up on the politics in next update.

[icemaninvestments]

He bets. He wins.

Ok I’m back with end of season update. To say it has been a season like no other would be a massive understatement. We are still living in Covid -19 times and even talking about sports betting seems somewhat flippant but as they say life goes on . Some good news on the investment portfolio front is that it has been yet another year of growth. As ever some of the investment profits will be sent to anti-racist charity Hope not Hate and Kurdish/ Rojava Charity Heyva Sor .Mrs IceMan will also receive her annual dividend.

As you know IceMan does have a political side but I have not got the heart today to revisit the government Covid performance. The only politics today is to confirm that I have a small investment on Joe Biden to win US election at 5/1 he now trades at 4/6 so IcePrice ,however, I did miss the 40/1 that was available early in the Democrat primaries. I will updating again soon with new positions for 2020/2021 football season but this is what happened last season. Championship Fulham Promotion 9/4 . Winner Fulham return to the premiership the hard way via the play offs. Been a roller coaster ride but they got over the line. League One Portsmouth Promotion 9/4 - loss Hard luck story as they were finishing the season strongly and had a good chance of automatic promotion prior to season being curtailed due to Covid lockdown . They were favourites for the play offs but come up short . League Two Mansfield Promotion 9/4 - Loss HaHa given that these were well fancied it has to rank as one of my worse ever selections. They ended up almost relegated. National League Wrexham 5/1 - Loss Shocker of a season a terrible pick. Scottish Premiership Aberdeen best of rest without Celtic/Rangers 21/20 - Void Had the season been completed in full I think Aberdeen with their strong squad would have secured 3rd place and we would have collected. As season finished early this bet was voided. Scottish League One Dundee United 9/4 to win. Winner The Tangerines smashed it . Winning it by 14 points . If only it was always this easy. Scottish League One Falkirk 4/7 to win - Loss Annoyed about this one . Backed Falkirk as they had a larger and more experienced squad than other teams in the league which should have been a vital factor in the run in . However they were a point adrift when Covid finished the season. So we was robbed but to be fair a 4/7 shot should have already been out of sight at that stage. Scottish league Two Edinburgh City 4/1 to win - Loss This side were always going to be up against it as Cove Rangers were a very smart outfit and worthy favourites. Edinburgh were competitive all season and finished second . No complaints. Champions League Athletico Madrid 20/1 to win - Loss Ok when a 20/1 shot gets beat in quarter final you don’t normally complain as that is an above par performance . Athletico though were enjoying a cracking second half of the season and looked in top form . Some big teams had been eliminated and the draw opened up kindly for them . Feels like one that got away. FA Cup West Ham 40/1 and Leicester 14/1 . Loss I love a cup bet and West Ham looked lively outsiders but they were rubbish and fell at first hurdle . Leicester done ok and made the quarters at 14/1 so about par. Europa League  Seville 14/1 each way - Winner Ok Seville had won this tournament 5 times since 2005 and are always competitive. 14/1 was a decent price so very pleased that this landed. A 14/1 winner will always be a game changer and put the book into profit for this season.  Need to point out though that Seville were the underdogs in the final as Inter Milan started favourites. So after a sixth win they may have to rename this the ‘Seville Cup’ . Other Stuff No luck on the Horses as 2000 Guineas ante post pick Pinatubo arrived at Newmarket an odds on shot but finished a disappointing third. The 1000 Guineas selection Summer Romance ended up 8th but annoyingly won next time out. I had a really good run for my money in the NFL with Tennessee Titans at 66/1 each way making the semi final of the Super Bowl one game away from  a good payout even if they had lost the final. Finally a couple of early positions that I have recently taken . I have Hibs at 13/5 to be best of the rest in Scottish Premiership without Celtic/Rangers. They have in fact made a lively start . Despite an appalling track record I am having another go at an ante post bet on the 2021 200O Guineas(next May )  and gone with Battleground 8/1 . Lots of new stuff and some politics to follow in the next update. IceMan Investments Staying Strong by Playing Long.

[icemaninvestments]

2020 From Winning a Lump to Dump the Trump

Ok it’s been a while and a lot has happened. Update on the Investment Portfolio to follow but first let’s catch up with the politics. Given the fact Boris the Bullshitter was running a Brexshit election against ‘The Magic Grandpa’ I was not surprised he won but did not honestly see him winning so many seats. Anyways he owns it now so let him get on with it. As we know Johnson like Trump is a pathological liar and over the coming year, we will find out which part of the electorate he was actually lying to.  

Let’s hope 2020 sees the end of l Donald Trump’s Presidency but sadly it is far from certain. I just can’t imagine another 4 years of the poison that oozes from his syphilis addled brain.

If all that what was not cheery enough, we have also had Turkish autocrat (NATO ally) Erdogan invade Rojava and British International YPG volunteers being arrested on their return to the UK. Total disgrace. I did manage to combine an anti-Trump/anti Erdogan protest when I marched with the Kurdish Bloc during the recent NATO summit in London.  

Right then. So what about the Sports betting.                        

CHAMPIONSHIP - Fulham 9/4 Promotion now 9/4  

At start of season I was torn between Fulham and Stoke, Luckily, I went Fulham as Stoke are having a shocker. I am surprised the price has held on this position as I have gone a little bit cold on them. I expected The Cottagers’ to be challenging for automatic promotion however they have become detached from the front two but do sit in a playoff berth. ‘The Cottagers’ are named after their Ground Craven Cottage one of the finest venues in the Country (not any other reason). They do need to find more consistency to stay competitive for the play offs. Still in the Mix        

LEAGUE ONE - Portsmouth 9/4 Promotion now 3/1 (Shite(ish) Price)

This was another dilemma as I was tempted by Peterborough and a month ago, I would have gladly changed horses. However, Peterborough have started to come off the boil in recent weeks whereas ‘Pompey’ have started to creep up the table and now sit only a point away from a playoff spot. As the price indicates this one is a bit below par as they were fancied to be vying for automatic promotion (6 points adrift). Portsmouth are improving and this one is a very live prospect  

LEAGUE TWO - Mansfield 9/4 Promotion 28/1 (ShitePrice)

I believed The Stags were a solid bet to make the play offs and be in the running for automatic promotion. I could not have been more wrong they sit a distant 12 points shy of a play off place. A recent change of manager has not produced any change of fortune and this one looks destined for the lose column  

NATIONAL LEAGUE – Wrexham 5/1 Promotion 150/1 (Proper ShitePrice)

Ok there is always one and this year it is ‘The Red Dragons’ who are not firing at all. This League has been quite kind to us in recent seasons but Wrexham have really stunk the place out. They are nearer a relegation place than promotion. Still serves them right for voting Tory. This bet is down the Toilet      

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP – ABERDEEN 21/20 w/o Celtic and Rangers now 1/2 (IcePrice)

The ‘Auld Firm’ Celtic and Rangers are in a league of their own chasing the Title (C’mon the Hoops . 9 in a row). So, this position was always about coming third. Their current odds do not betray it but ‘The Sheep’ are making hard work of this. They sit in 4th place one point behind Motherwell. Aberdeen do have a better and deeper squad so hopes this makes a difference at the business end of the season. Expect to collect      

SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP– Dundee United 9/4 Winners now 1/12 (IceIceIcePrice)

In contrast to some of the selections The Tangerines are proper on it. These guys are 14 yes fourteen points clear at the top of the table. Have a soft spot for Dundee United as they have an historical Irish connection and were formerly known as Dundee Hibernian so emotional and financial appeal. So yes, I can have my cake and eat it (Dundee cake obviously) This is a winner. Money in the bank (or would be if Mrs IceMan had not spent it)

SCOTTISH LEAGUE ONE – Falkirk 4/7 Winners now 5/6 (Shite(ish)Price)

I was convinced pre-season that The Bairns would be romping this and have a 10-point margin at this stage. They are in 3rd place 3 points off Raith Rovers. The fact they are still trading at odds on suggests that the markets still believe that their experienced squad and strength in depth will allow them to gain the upper hand. Expect to collect      

SCOTTISH LEAGUE TWO – Edinburgh City 4/1 Winners now 9/4 (IcePrice)

I said in last post that this one could go to the wire and that is looking to be the case The Citizens are in second place 2 points away from leaders Cove Rangers. I am hoping that as this is Cove Rangers first year at this level they might run out of steam towards end of season but at the minute both teams are winning every week. Will go Close    

New Stuff

Football Cup Competitions

Champions League - Atletico Madrid 20/1 now 33/1 (ShitePrice) so this team have qualified for the knockout stages yet the price has drifted. There are two reasons firstly they were a distant 2nd to in their qualifying group to Juventus and as a direct consequence they get a harder knock out tie and they don’t come any harder than Liverpool. Expect to fall at next hurdle.

Europa League - Seville 14/1 now 7/1 (IcePrice) have a great record in this tournament and are going well in the Spanish league. Cautiously optimistic

FA Cup Unusually I am backing two sides in this. First up Leicester at 14/1 as unlike Liverpool and Man City they do have any Champions League distractions. They have a 14-point cushion in achieving a top 4 Premier League spot, so I think they are well placed to give this a proper lash. My second team is West Ham at 40/1 each way as I like to have outsider in the portfolio. I am trusting new Manager David Moyes can improve these massive under achievers and be able to go deep in this competition. I am aware that Premiership security is their priority and they will need to avoid the big guns in the draw but that is priced in.      

Racing

I do like an ante post bet on the Horses and have got involved in the 1000 and 2000 Guineas. 1000 prospect Summer Romance 10/1 now 25/1 (Shiteprice) has had two bad runs since I backed her and has drifted in price. In contrast Pinatubo was already unbeaten in 5 when I took 5/4, he now trades at 11/10 (Ice(ish)Price) as he is now 6/6. Optimistic about Pinatubo    

NFL Superbowl Tennessee Titans 66/1 now 50/1 (IcePrice) . I have no interest in this sport and if the Super bowl was held in my garden, I would draw the curtains. However, somebody did tell me that TT would make the play offs at a big price and that got my attention. Sadly, I missed the 80/1 anyways idea was if they made play offs (which they have) and land a favorable draw (which they haven’t) then there would be a good trade out opportunity. As it happens, they are matched with New England Patriots which ain’t considered a good thing hence the price move is not massive. Expect to fall at next hurdle    

Regrets I have a few but only ones I need mention here are two good winners that were not posted due to big gap in between last updates so trust me on this but I was on South Africa at 9/2 to win the Egg Chasing World Cup and even better had Logician at 12/1 each way to win the Doncaster St Leger    

So that is it for now. Let’s see how the second half of the season plays out and hope we can donate some profits to Hope not Hate and Rojava Solidarity

IceMan Investments - Siamo Tutti Antifascisti

[icemaninvestments]

New Season  Tips - Click and Collect

Ok Kidz, this is it IceMan has been studiously analysing pre-season form, transfer activity and movements in the betting markets to ensure optimisation of return on investment for the IceMan Portfolio. it's time to 'Click' to put the investments down in the expectation of being able to 'Collect' in May (as we always do). Usual rules all the English bets are for promotion giving us a chance to get up via the play offs which is a route that has been kind to us on many occasions. The bets are singles no accumulators which increases the initial outlay but means one underperforming team cannot sabotage returns. This is no tracker fund; it is an actively managed portfolio.

Before I give the football tips just a quick bit of politics. Bullshitter Boris Johnson is now PM. I can’t say anymore as I am still trying to get my nut around that fact. In USA the racist Trump keeps saying racist things. In London on Saturday 3rd August the Stephen Yaxley Lennon aka Tommy Knobinson fan boys are having a Free Tommy event. This will be countered by Anti – Fascists, Anti Racists, Feminists, trade unionists and many Solidarity Groups. I will be there. No Pasaran.

Ok Football and as is traditional I am ignoring the Premiership, as entertaining as it is I can't see any betting angles so I ain't getting involved.

CHAMPIONSHIP - Fulham 9/4 Promotion

This looks well competitive and I could make a case for twelve teams. I narrowed it down to two which was Fulham 9/4 and Stoke City 4/1 before a serious injury to Stoke's influential captain nudged me towards the Cottagers from West London.  This means overlooking the favorites Leeds and abandoning last year’s pick Derby who have lost a lot of talent that they had on loan last season. The case for Fulham rests on the fact that they have a good squad and look like they will score bucketloads of goals having retained star striker Mitrovic and added Cavaleiro and Knockaert on loans.

LEAGUE ONE - Portsmouth 9/4 Promotion

Once again torn between two teams Portsmouth who narrowly missed automatic promotion last season and Peterborough who have spent a bit of money and were knocking on the door of the play offs last year. I have gone for Portsmouth despite the fact they are likely to lose Jamal Clarke they invested well in other positions. Kenny Jackett is a good manager at this level, and I will be hoping for an automatic promotion slot this time.

LEAGUE TWO - Mansfield 9/4 Promotion

This one was easy as I am sticking with last year’s selection Mansfield who disappointingly missed out on promotion by losing on the final day of last season and then lost a play- off semi -final on penalties. Hoping luck improves under new rookie manager John Dempster. The Stags will be without last year’s loan star Tyler Walker but they have recruited well and have a well-balanced squad who should get over the line this season.

NATIONAL LEAGUE – Wrexham 5/1 Promotion

Always a tricky contest with just the one automatic promotion place to claim so Wrexham may need to negotiate a route via the play offs. Finished fourth last season and have strengthened the squad pre-season. Will be an ultra-competitive league which includes Notts County who were one of founders of the football league in 1888 and are playing for the first time at this level.  

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP – ABERDEEN 21/20 w/o Celtic and Rangers

Regrettably my team Celtic are unbackable at long odds on, so I am returning to a bet that has been kind to us over the years that is Aberdeen to come best of the rest without Celtic. It pains me to say but Rangers are more of a force these days, so I being extremely cautious and excluding Rangers as well. Kilmarnock filled third place year but the departure of Manager Steve Clarke and recent loss to welsh minnows Connah’s Quay suggests they have gone backwards. I am confident Aberdeen will have enough about them to secure third place.      

SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP– Dundee United 9/4 Winners ( Trust me it is pure coincidence that so many picks this year are priced at 9/4)

As I know from personal experience Dundee United are massive underachievers at this level and always seem to find one or two too good for them. United have cost us on a couple of occasions in recent seasons so it is with a heavy heart that I go again. It looks like a tight Division and city rivals Dundee are likely to be their main rivals. The reason I have not given this league a pass is because United have completed a great bit of business in signing Lawrence Shankland from Ayr. This man is a goal machine and has tempted me to roll the dice again.             

SCOTTISH LEAGUE ONE – Falkirk 4/7 Winners

Another league I could have passed over but Falkirk ‘The Bairns’ look like the proverbial sure thing. The squad is markedly superior to their rivals and contains lots of players with Premiership experience. They were relegated from League One last season, but I expect them to make a comfortable return. The price is very skinny but this is  ‘buying money’.

SCOTTISH LEAGUE TWO – Edinburgh City 4/1 Winners

Taking a bit of a poke at this one as with most Scottish leagues there is little value in the promotion or each way markets, so all Scottish bets are to win. The Citizens came third last year behind two strong teams in Peterhead and Clyde. I am hoping they can kick on from that experience and get their nose in front this time. Cove Rangers who romped through a lower division last season are installed as market leaders so I expect this one will be a close call.      

OLD STUFF

Gaelic Football Well Mayo 8/1 my Dad’s County are still in the mix and in an effective quarter final game against my Mum’s County Donegal. No split loyalties from IceMan as the money is down for Mayo and like the rest of Ireland I just want Mayo to win their first Championship since 1951 so that we can all get on with our lives. Donegal have been more recent winners btw. Mayo now trading at 16/1 which suggests they have a mountain as large as Croagh Patrick to climb. HURLING sadly my outside pick Dublin were eliminated without making much impression on the competition.          

CRICKET Had a small pick up on New Zealand 10/1 each way who somehow contrived to lose an epic World Cup final to England.

Copa America Football = Venezuela at 40/1each way long shots started promisingly but lost out to Argentina in the quarter finals which was about par at that price  to be fair.

Ok so all caught up and set for the new season . Let the games commence .

IceMan Investments

Be Woke. Not Broke.