I am back in profit. But more of that later.
I am off work for a couple of weeks, mainly to do jobs around the house and garden. So far I have built a radiator cover and painted a door. It could be going better.
On the last day of my recent holiday to Northumberland, I visited Barter Books in Alnwick. As the name suggests, it is a second-hand bookshop but unlike most second-hand bookshops it is one which people queue up to enter. One of the reasons for the popularity of Barter Books is that it occupies a Victorian railway station from which it takes its theme; there are model trains running along the tops of the bookshelves and “buffet” refreshments are served in the former waiting rooms. A more obvious reason is that it does have a ton of books for sale and I was delighted to pick up a near-mint third edition printing of (Peter) Braddock’s Complete Guide to Horse Race Selection & Betting (Longman 1990) for £6.60 to add to my betting library. I love books about gamblers and gambling and this blog derives from that love and one treatise in particular: Words From The Wise by Fenman (Racing Ahead Ltd 2010).
The pseudonymous Fenman was a horse racing columnist and Words From The Wise comprises “His collected works from Racing Ahead Magazine 2004-2010.” In 2004 when he began his column, “the man from the Wolds” would have been seventy-eight (so hope for us all) and there is a genteel quality to his writing that makes him a unique voice in the betting genre. It is a book I revisit often, as much for the reassuring anecdotes as for the thirty betting systems also included. There may be better books on the subject but none that include a short break to Ravenscar with the Probus Club. Sadly Fenman is no longer with us, but his book is a reminder that betting can be joyful and not the inevitable road to ruin it is increasingly being portrayed as. I heartily recommend it.
Hurrah! Last week’s double was a winner and I am now £11.89 up since the start of the blog (£120 on, £131.89 back). My sincere thanks to Juventus (3-1) and Exeter City (1-0) for reading the script and sticking to it, although the Grecians did have me sweating for a time. Unfortunately the Nottinghamshire treble failed to pay with Mansfield and Forest both drawing 1-1.
The teams making up last weekend’s winning double were both playing at home and as that appears to have worked the oracle I am going to see if this precondition will do the same this weekend. Backing odds on home sides in a double is about as basic a system as you can get, but if it proves to be a winning one I’m sure Fenman would have approved.
This weekend’s winning double is Notts County (4/9) and Chesterfield F.C. (2/5) who both kick off at three pm on Saturday. Notts are scoring for fun at the moment and did their bit for the Nottinghamshire treble last weekend by beating Salford City 0-2. That was an away win and this weekend Notts are back at home which for them is like having an extra player on the pitch. They take on Forest Green Rovers who are twenty-first in League Two and unlikely to be relishing their trip to Meadow Lane. Chesterfield currently occupy top spot in the National League and will want to stay there. The Spireites welcome Wealdstone F.C. who are mid-table having won three league games out of ten (none away from home) compared to Chesterfield’s eight. My “hypothetical” £20 win double currently returns £40.44 at combined odds of 1.02/1 for a profit of £20.44 with Sky Bet. Fingers crossed for two winning weeks on the bounce.
You never know. I hope to see you next week.
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