The opening month of the 2020/21 Premier League season was one of the most entertaining in living memory.

Round two, spanning the 19th-21st of September, was particularly outstanding with 44 goals scored across ten fixtures – for the fans it could only be described as pure entertainment.

This tally broke the existing record from February 2011 for the most goals scored in a single Premier League weekend under the 20-team format (number of goals that weekend: 43).

With such a high quantity of matches making an impact on the ‘Over/Under’ sportsbook, there is inevitably a ripple-effect on other staples of Premier League wagering, such as HT/FT, handicap markets and BTTS (Both Teams to Score).

Feet Up, For the Big Match! (photo courtesy of www.pxfuel.com)

It almost seems that the absence of fans from Premier League games may lead to a shift in several key markets… Really?

Here are a few thoughts. Feel free to share yours in the comment section.

Will Over/Under 2.5 Goals ‘Benchmark’ Become Less Focal?

As can be seen from the wide variety of live sportsbook betting markets out there, there is now ample opportunity to explore a number of niche markets related purely to goal scoring.

Given the normal average of goals per week across previous seasons, it is widely accepted that using 2.5 goals as a division between ‘high’ and ‘low’ scoring encounters provides an optimal, and easy-to-negotiate meridian.

But perhaps further weekends of high scoring games with questionable defending from once-reliable teams may lead to Over/Under 3.5 goals becoming the new baseline in goal betting?

Naturally, the coming months will see player stamina impacted by European involvement for last season’s high-flyers and, for the newcomers, the continuing culture shock and adjustment needed to survive the rarified atmosphere of the Premier League.

With the glut of games ahead the use of the ‘2.5’ figure to make vital decisions in the total goals market may return to a balance.

What does seem certain is another boom in people backing both teams to score within Premier League multiples, accumulators and proposition bets. So too will there be a greater scrutiny upon teams that are often involved in such matches, such as Leeds United, who found themselves at both ends of two 4-3 scorelines, in consecutive games at the start of this campaign:

Can a Change in Underdog Results lead to HT/FT Impact?

Again, this depends on continued shock results, such as Crystal Palace and Leicester winning by multiple-goal margins at Manchester clubs United and City respectively.

The absence of home-biased crowds, whether complete or partial shutouts, has undeniably played its part. When using last season as a source of information for future betting decisions, it has become common practice for many punters to split leagues into before and after the lockdown began.

Last season, there was little fluctuation in the Premier League, except for away underdogs drawing less often and winning or losing more without a hostile home crowd to face. The hosts’ lack of a ‘twelfth man’ (the crowd) seems to be a leveller, helping unfancied away teams achieve unlikely results at normally difficult venues.

A more attacking-style of play is now evident and it is becoming rarer to see away underdogs defending deep and attempting to play on the counter-attack. This sea change will undoubtedly be significant for the HT/FT and Goal Time markets, though public opinion will continue to play its part.

Backing goals earlier in live play can only become more of a phenomenon if underdogs continue to be adventurous from the start. And so too will backing late goals, as the effects of an energetic start are felt more amongst squads less accustomed to the rigors of Premier League action.

Is this the same Across Europe?

On early evidence, the unprecedented inflation of importance on the ‘Over 3.5’ threshold will certainly transfer to other major European leagues. For example, Bayern Munich’s opening two Bundesliga games illustrated this newfound sense of unpredictability in the Over/Under market. The two games produced a total of 13 goals – an 8-0 win and a shock 4-1 defeat.

Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena (photo courtesy of www.pxfuel.com)

Both games paid out for anyone backing Over 5.5 goals, which represents the point at which the goal odds begin to surge upwards, regardless of how good the favourite is compared to the underdog.

The opening Saturday of Serie A also produced a number of high scores, with three of the four matches producing over 4.5 goals, and threatening the long-held stereotype that Italian football is focused more on defence.

Last season, the Bundesliga was also notable for seeing a decline in favourites losing away from home, with only 12.2% of teams losing to home underdogs between May and August.

Other leagues have seen a similar trend, albeit less drastically, and this certainly provides an opportunity for bettors. With or without fans, home advantage is usually observed as a factor for travelling favourites in many odds starting off longer than they otherwise would be. In turn, away favourites will perhaps become more of a staple than ever when it comes to placing the bets.

The World Cup, like the quadrennial Olympic Games, brings with it an almost endless barrage of media coverage which, is particularly frenzied during the initial group stages where countries battle it out for a place in the second phase of the tournament.

Image: Danilo Borges (Wikimedia Commons)

Since its inaugural 1930 tournament, the World Cup has delivered a multitude of fantastic moments but, some are above and beyond the others when it comes to drama or brilliance.

The following list contains ten unforgettable moments from World Cup history…

(1) zidane’s headbutt in 2006 final

The 2006 World Cup was full of drama, but nothing really topped French footballer Zinedine Zidane’s actions during the final itself. In the second half of extra time, Zidane headbutted Italian Marco Materazzi and received his marching orders. His actions were more akin to a street ‘assault’ than behaviour befitting the world’s most important soccer match, and Zidane’s moment of madness ended both his tournament and international career. It also cost his country who went on to lose 5-3 to Italy in a penalty shoot-out, but the midfielder’s actions were arguably the bigger story, making headlines across the globe.

(2) senegal upsets france in 2002

Picture the scene. Defending champions France playing the opener of the 2002 World Cup tournament against tiny Senegal, who were playing in their first ever World Cup Finals match. And against the odds, David slew Goliath as Papa Bouba Diop became an instant celebrity by scoring the game’s only goal. France, the reigning world champions, shocked by the nature of this defeat, were unceremoniously dethroned without scoring a single goal in their three group matches: The worst performance by a defending champion in FIFA World Cup history.

(3) the ‘original’ ronaldo and brazil’s 2002 world cup win

Four years after he suffered an epileptic seizure before the World Cup final against France, Ronaldo returned a hero, winning the tournament’s Golden Boot. He topped the standings with eight goals, including two in the final against gallant Germany. His performance is still cherished years later as nothing less than brilliant.

(4) Croatia beats Germany in 1998

The result that changed a nation’s thinking. In 1998 Croatia, playing in their first ever World Cup, beat the heavily favoured Germany 3-0 with a first half stoppage time goal and a dominant second half display. The defeat was such a shock for ‘Die Mannschaft’ that they immediately set about reforming their entire football programme, culminating in a runner’s up spot at the following FIFA World Cup and a victorious showing at the 2014 competition.

(5) rossi returns from ban to win world cup, 1982

Paolo Rossi was serving a three-year match fixing ban, but was reinstated after two, allowing him the opportunity to return to international football as the hero of the 1982 World Cup. His predatory hat-trick against Brazil is remembered by all who saw it, and in the final against West Germany, he scored the first goal in a 3-1 victory, which also handed him the Golden Boot award for top scorer in the tournament. A true assassin.

(6) kuwaiti sheik’s antics in 1982

During the World Cup in 1982, Kuwaiti Sheik and Football Association President, Fahad al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, ordered his team off the pitch in disgust believing they had heard the referee’s whistle to halt play. Their opponents, the french, had continued playing despite the apparent whistle and, as Kuwait hesitated, France scored. After a ten minute hiatus the referee eventually disallowed the goal, but France scored again shortly after the re-start. The theatrical protest and end result is one World Cup moment that has been replayed many times since.

(7) brazil and italy in 1970 final

In Mexico City during the 1970 World Cup, the world witnessed one of the most beautiful goals of all time. During the build-up to Brazil’s fourth goal, eight different players masterminded the move which saw Carlos Alberto rifle the ball home. This picturebook goal is so well known that it is replayed time and time again, even some five decades later.

(8) pele tears it up, 1958

During the 1958 World Cup finals a 17-year-old Brazilian named Pelé burst onto the world stage, scoring a hat-trick in the semi-final against France. Playing against Sweden in the final, Pelé scored twice, including an insanely imaginative goal that belied his youth. The celebrations after the final win with the teenage hero crying with his team mates is the stuff of legend.

(9) the miracle of bern, 1954

At the time, Hungary were the number one ranked team and by far the most dominant side in the world, led by the inspirational Ferenc Puskás. In the six months leading up to the 1954 World Cup finals Hungary had demolished England 3-6 away (only their second home defeat ever) and 7-1 at home. No-one gave West Germany a chance in the final, especially after Hungary had raced into a two gaol lead inside eight minutes. The rest is history, with West Germany grabbing an 84th minute winner in a game dubbed ‘The Miracle of Bern’. Even a feature film has been made about this match.

(10) USA defeats england 1-0, 1950

Lastly, another giant-killing act featuring the best team in the world against lowly outsiders. In 1950 America’s mostly amateur squad of players upset the professionals from England, with janitor and Haitian citizen Joe Gaetjens scoring the game’s only goal in the 38th minute. It’s a game still talked about today and has also been the subject of a movie. After the match Gaetjens returned to his native Haiti where he was allegedly murdered by the Tonton Macoutes secret police in 1964. His legacy of scoring the lone goal in a huge upset continues to be the highlight of US football to this day.

In 1998, William Hill were the first bookmaker to accept wagers via the Internet, and their online betting platform is one of the most sophisticated in the market. (For sports betting alternatives check out this list).

Their online betting platform is one of the most sophisticated in the market.

Hill also have a tongue-in-cheek reputation for offering odds on literally anything you can think of.

Here is a compilation of our ten favourite left field bets they have accepted, and some notable payouts they have honoured:

Whatever your betting requirements, William Hill has just about every online option you can imagine but if you can think of something weird, wonderful, and original you are encouraged to contact them for consideration and pricing of your proposition. You never know, you might even get some publicity!

How about buying a funny, weird, or eclectic novelty bet from Hill for a family member, or even a colleague during the Office Secret Santa gift giving season?

It would certainly create a topic for debate in the pub, and it doesn’t have to be too expensive. The choice is yours and limited only by your own imagination!

Little wonder, therefore, that bookmakers see great potential in mobile devices…

Collage of Shutterstock images; Foreground: PathDoc, Background: Maxx-Studio

Thus, bets can now be placed from anywhere, not only from home or the betting shop around the corner. You can now even place a bet on the way to a sports event. This is where sports betting mobile apps come in very handy.

Simply pick up your phone and place your bet!

Where do I find a Good Overview of Available Apps?

Of course, many bookmakers already have free apps to download but identifying them can be difficult. Why should this be?

Simply that Google doesn’t allow gambling apps in its Play Store, and Android dominates the market with a 78.0% share (1st quarter 2015). The discerning bettor who is pretty likely be using an Android mobile device therefore has little choice but to search from bookmaker to bookmaker to find an app he or she feels comfortable with.

Do all Bookies offer Apps? (Information as per June 2015)

Today’s sports betting apps usually involve the complete betting program of that particular bookmaker, with all the features and betting options corresponding to the home pages of their desktop version. However, a good app not only has a betting program, but also includes an extensive earnings and statistics section.

The operation of apps is solved by the providers differently. In many cases, it’s enough to go to the website of the sports betting provider via an Internet browser on your smartphone, and often no download is required. The website usually adapts to the technical requirements of your device.

This has the vital advantage that customers can switch from iPhone to Android without changing the on-screen appearance of their favourite sports betting provider. These mobile versions are hardly distinguishable from the desktop appearance and many people may therefore prefer this option.

And people are creatures of habit. It is already challenging to switch from one device to another but, if the programs on the devices are different, headaches may ensue!

Other betting providers have developed apps that can be downloaded either from their websites or in the iPhone Store but, unfortunately, not from the Google Play Store.

The research and development (R&D)departments of most sports betting providers are busy working on apps but you can be sure there are still many betting providers who defy the mobile trend and restrict themselves to the desktop market.

Is Live Betting Possible via Apps?

Live betting is an important part of all apps, if not the key point. Sports betting fans watch games from anywhere: at home; in bars; in the stadium. For many people the fun and excitement of gambling lies in live betting whilst watching the event in question. Bookies would be foolish not to develop apps specifically for this purpose.

Most bookmakers’ apps are therefore equipped with a complete live, in-play facility including extensive special betting markets.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Betting?

The advantages of mobile apps are obvious. You can bet or manage your betting accounts at any time whilst separated from your computer. No need to sit in front of a home PC or laptop, or find the nearest Internet café.

Those days are over. Mobile bets can be placed quickly and easily at any time, in your lunch break, on the way to work, at the bus station, or at the stadium.

Another plus, of course, are the special bonus programs, which guarantee a completely risk-free gaming experience, at least for the first few bets.

With every upside there are also downsides; some people call them ‘negative side effects’, such as spending too much time glued to the phone, placing bets without thinking about them beforehand, running out of battery power in mid transaction, and so on. Just be careful.

Can I Register with a Bookmaker via the App?

Mobile apps offer all the functions provided by the bookmakers for their desktop PC and Mac customers.

This means that new clients can of course register directly via the app and open betting accounts. If you are lucky, then there are often two bonus options to choose from, the regular bonus and the premium bonus for your first mobile bet.

Without question, you can manage your entire account using just mobile apps. You can make deposits and withdrawals, contact customer service, and everything else you would normally access via a traditional website.

How many Bets are completed on Bookmaker Apps?

The numbers of bets placed via apps is eye opening. More than 30% of worldwide gambling revenue is generated through mobile betting.

Some betting apps have three-digit percentage rate growth per annum. Some providers already make 40% of their sales via mobile apps. The number of bets is even higher and often reaches the magical 50% mark from mobile devices.

In-play or live betting produces even greater trends. Around 80% of all sales for real-time bets are now placed from mobile devices.

And this is an upward trend. It is very likely that in the near future all savvy bookmakers will receive most of their revenue through mobile applications.

How Will Mobile Gambling Develop in the Next Few Years?

The numbers speak for themselves. The trend is clearly favouring mobile betting. The new generation is unlikely to sit for too long on their home computer, preferring instead to glue themselves to mobile online devices such as smartphones.

It can be expected that annual growth rates are likely to continue to stay in triple digits for sometime into the future.

Since R&D departments are always working on new app versions and variants, the development of the mobile sports betting market should continue to be exciting for some time to come. There will be Apps which work by entering your desired odds and/or winnings. Apps will automatically pick your games to bet on. The ‘Shake-A-Bet’ app by William Hill is a technical pioneer in this area.

Shake-A-Bet went live in December 2010 and was created to help acquire and retain new gamers and gamblers. By simply picking how much users want to bet and how much they aim to win, the app finds popular selections in relevant events taking place in the next couple of days. Due to territorial restrictions and gambling laws, the app utilises GeoLocation to ensure users are based in the UK.

A Little Tip

Some bookmakers also offer generous extra bonuses to existing customers who opt for their sports betting app. Please don’t forget to claim them as they are often only granted immediately after the installation of the application, and not necessary advertised.

Definitions of Gambling, Betting

In short, gambling is wagering on slots, table games and card games. These are available in brick-and-mortar casinos and online. Gambling includes poker games.

Image: Hannamariah (Shutterstock)

Betting is placing money on the outcome of events based on odds given by bookmakers. Horse racing, sports games, political events, TV shows, etc., are examples of bet types offered by bookmakers. Horse racing and soccer are traditionally their highest turnover sports.

However, gambling and betting definitions are much more complicated than the simple definition would suggest. According to the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Austria, a bet is “the desire to risk money against another person on the result of an event about the outcome of which we know only so much as can be known.

Thus, people can bet on a wide diversification of events from a general election to a tennis match. Or people might bet on who has the correct answer to a question.

Gambling is the desire to risk money against another person or company on the result of an event that we do not know anything more than is known. Thus, people gamble on services. Many times, gambling and betting are combined. For example, in horse racing, the owner is knowledgeable about the horse and the industry, so he can gamble, but the owner also has to make a bet based on the odds given by bookmakers”, the institute said.

Also, the culture surrounding gambling and betting is expanding and getting more intertwined as more is available online. Soccer betting is popular in Europe and is growing in popularity in the United States. “It works like any other sports gambling options”, said SportsGambling.com.

Historical Context

“Gambling has a long history in the world because outcomes are uncertain”, said Differencebetween.com. “Mankind is interested in knowing the future outcomes whether they are about events in one’s life or games. They put a value on something in the hope of getting more.”

Today, people gamble by betting on sports, playing casino games, betting on horses or visiting an online casino site, such as Harrahscasino.com, ClubWorldCasinos.com and slotter.com.

Historically, gambling is a generic word to describe placing wagers on particular outcomes or events, whilst betting is used to refer to an agreement between two people on whether a prediction will come true.

Governments have tried to regulate gambling to reduce the number of people who are adversely affected by gambling. Today, governments continue to regulate gambling and betting, Differencebetween.com reported.

Lines Blurring With Online Games

As more regions and states allow online gambling to take place legally, the lines between the definitions are fusing together. When people visit gambling sites, they deposit a certain amount into a pot. They can either play slots or table games. In some cases, online gambling sites allow the central pot of money to be used to place bets on sports events. Slot machine games online are programmed to look like real games.

For example, Harrahscasino offers customers the chance to play Euro Reels, an online slot game modeled after betting on real soccer games.

According to the site, the game features nine play lines. Three or more scatter icons activate free spins, and scatters can appear anywhere on the game. Customers can win free spins, obtain wild cards that substitute for any symbol and bonus rounds. Players compete against goalkeepers during the bonus Cash Cup with a chance to win the Euro Cash Cup by winning five goals in a row. Every ball kicked into the net is a winner.

Gambling, Betting in Business

Regardless of what term is used, gambling is big business. For example, it represents 1 percent of the gross domestic product of the United States or $14.5 trillion. Economists expect the casino industry to continue growing and supporting the economy. These figures come from betting on sporting events and gambling in casinos or online.

Economists have also compared gambling and betting to investing in the stock market. Investing and gambling both involve risk and choices, reported Investopedia.com. Placing bets is making a choice also. Gamblers and investors have to consider how much to risk on the possible outcome whether it’s a table game or the stock market. Gamblers weigh how much capital is in play or how much money to call a bet versus how much is in the pot. Investors do a similar calculation when determining how possible earning potential of a stock or fund.

Isn’t this delightful?

A few reasons why women should like football more than sex:

Image: Andresr (Shutterstock)

• Because it takes 90 minutes
• Because there are plenty of two-footed tackles
• Because tired men are substituted
• Because there are 22 men to select from
• Because after 45 minutes men are ready to go again for another 45 minutes
• Because there is no scoring without dribbling first
• Because losers have to come from behind
• Because the calorie consumption is higher

Image: OLJ Studio (Shutterstock)

• Because after the final whistle no-one snores
• Because it doesn’t matter if the children watch
• Because leather feels much better than rubber
• Because you cannot get pregnant
• Because one can switch off if it’s boring
• Because the first time doesn’t hurt
• Because there are plenty of box-to-box players
• Because men have to apologise for poor performances afterwards

Image: Andreas Meyer (Shutterstock)

• Because there is always hope for extra time
• Because shooting and scoring outside the box is common
• Because no-one looks funny at you if you scream or shout during the action

…and why men find football better than sex:

• Because cup sizes are always large
• Because everyone cheers if it’s in
• Because you do not have to call anybody afterwards

Image: Zametalov (Shutterstock)

• Because a penalty shootout involves at least another five shots at the box
• Because it is easier to get the ball in the goal than a woman into bed
• Because you can score more than once in 90 minutes
• Because striking doesn’t lead to a divorce
• Because positions constantly change
• Because instant replays are available
• Because you can have it daily

Image: Jason Stitt (Shutterstock)

• Because it is possible to attack from the right or left and not only through the centre
• Because there are so many wonderful passes
• Because one can also score with the head
• Because the box is peppered with shots
• Because you can watch it in a crowd without getting embarrassed
• Because no numbers are exchanged afterwards only shirts
• Because nobody complains if you keep your socks on
• Because it keeps the wife constantly moaning

Is there anyone out there who still says that football is not better than sex?

The images we use for illustration purposes throughout this website are often stock photos, purchased from outstanding libraries such as Shutterstock.

Image: alexkatkov (Shutterstock)

We sometimes modify these images and/or combine them to visualise messages, and it is then that they become our own “derivative” works.

Only where our visualisations are significantly different to the originals does our derivative work become subject to copyright itself. You will then need our permission to use any of these illustrations.

Otherwise, should you wish to use any of the images displayed on this website in your project(s) then you will need to purchase the image and its rights from the respective legal owner.

Our licences permit us to use images for our own projects, which includes the display on our sites, as well as modifications, but the artists and/or the stock photo providers continue to own the original images.

For example, the featured image for this post is owned by Shutterstock contributor ‘alexkatkov’. (The young lady opening the empty wallet).

We have purchased this image and used it to illustrate our content but, by doing so, the image does not by default become public property for everybody else to use for free.

Four Different Examples of Image Rights…

(1) The Stock Photo Provider and/or the Artist clearly own the Image

The following image is an unadulterated Shutterstock photo and you do not need to obtain permission from us to use it. Instead, you will need to visit Shutterstock (just follow the link in the byline displayed under the image) and purchase this stock photo yourself:

Image: Luis Louro (Shutterstock)

Of course, we are always happy to be mentioned as the source of your idea, but legally this is not required.

(2) Soccerwidow owns the Rights for the Derivative Work but not for the Image

Below is a quotation illustrated by a Shutterstock image:

Image: Stephane Bidouze (Shutterstock)

The image can easily be cut away from the quote and used on its own. Again, you will need to purchase the image rights from Shutterstock should you wish to use this photo.

However, if you choose to use the full visualisation of the quote then in certain circumstances obtaining permission from us alone should be enough. We have given the image a ‘new spin’ by combining it with a quote; the resultant work is deemed to be an “original work of authorship”, and therefore Soccerwidow owns the copyright.

Nevertheless, in cases like this, proper linking to us and recognition of our authorship, as well as referencing to the particular Shutterstock image(s) from your site, will be required to acknowledge the artist(s) concerned.

(3) Soccerwidow owns the sole Rights for the Derivative Work

Below, to visualise a famous quote, we have used a combination of two Shutterstock photos:

Collage of Shutterstock images; Foreground: Warren Goldswain, Background: Sam.C

This collage is therefore our own derivative work, for which we hold the intellectual design copyright, but again I stress that we do not own the images.

If you wish to use the underlying images for your own creative project then you will need to purchase them from Shutterstock.

However, if you only wish to use the collage, then obtaining permission from us will be enough.

(4) We (Soccerwidow) own the Full Rights

The following illustration employs just one of our own personal photographs.

We hold the full intellectual rights for the photo as well as the visualisation of the quote. Only our permission is required to use pictures of this nature:

Photo: Elena Schälike (Soccerwidow)

How to get our Permission

1. Please email (support[at]soccerwidow[dot]com) your request to us and provide a link to the sub-page where you found the image; if the page contains more than one visualisation then please describe which you are referring to
2. Send us a link to the website where you wish to use the illustration
3. If you intend to use our work in connection with a new article you have not yet written, then briefly describe in which context our picture will be used
4. We will consider your request and usually reply to you (including byline code) within 24 hours
5. That’s it. We do not charge for access to our own works, but depending on which visualisation you are intending to use, a Shutterstock licence purchase may be necessary. However, don’t worry about this yet. We will communicate this to you in our reply email.

Unfortunately, this is a manual procedure at the time of writing. We are using hundreds of different pictures and visualisations on the site and each requires different byline coding if used somewhere else.

Why Obtaining Our Permission is Necessary

The examples we have outlined above are not exhaustive.

Whether you need just to obtain permission from us to use a particular illustration from this site, or purchase the actual copyright licence for it from the provider, depends on the individual circumstances of each image and/or visualisation, as well as the licence terms and conditions for the underlying image(s).

Pictures used without permission violate international copyrights, not only Soccerwidow’s rights, but also the rights of the stock photo providers and/or artist(s) involved.

Uploading our images to your website using a method called “hotlinking” (calling the image direct from our server) is bandwidth theft, which is a serious crime!

Therefore, please play fair and contact us to obtain permission to use a picture. We will send you detailed information on how to implement it together with all the necessary byline and link codes.

Permission from Us is Free of Charge!

We will not charge you for our work, whether you are interested in our own photographs or, in any derivative work we have created based on photos we have the rights to use.

Copyright & Licence Issues

For your own protection, please note that no licence we have purchased will extend to cover you if you choose to copy and display images from our site without proper permission or, acquiring your own user licence.

Without any doubt, your website is not owned by us and can never legally be covered by any of our licences. We cannot be held responsible if any stock photo provider or artist decides to legally enforce their rights against you.

Therefore, in addition to linking back to us as the source of the visualisation where necessary, in many cases (e.g. example number (2) above), you may also need to purchase the image rights from the stock photo provider, for example, Shutterstock, and obtain your own licence for that particular image.

I must stress that it is absolutely crucial to ensure that you have full rights to use an image before displaying it on your site. This applies not only to our illustrations, or stock photos in general, but to every single image you include within your own website.

Further Reading on Image Licencing

Thank you for your understanding and helping to make the Internet a more fair and transparent place. After all, the Internet is all about sharing information and helping one another. By referencing to each other’s work, legality is maintained and the time, effort and creativity of contributors is fully recognised and compensated.

We are all very grateful to have the Internet around. There is a multitude of talented people who produce great images for websites and, like you and I, these people also have to pay their bills. Please respect their image rights.

Read more…

UK Copyright Law on Derivative Work
US Copyright Law in Derivative Works and Compilations

If you are going to bet on matches that you cannot ordinarily watch live on terrestrial or satellite TV, then bookmaker or betting exchange live video streaming services are invaluable. Several betting firms offer live streaming of football matches via their sites and this updated article will investigate nine of the best.

All live streaming services are invariably restricted to signed-up and logged-in customers of each site and most require a positive balance in the account before games can be accessed. This is of course a small sacrifice in order to watch the action, especially before committing to an in-play wager.

Effectively, you could have an annual subscription to matches from around the world purely for the cost of your initial deposit. In some cases this can be as little as £5 or £10 GBP (or your equivalent currency), which is far better value than all of the satellite packages available!

Top Betting Sites for Live Streaming Football Matches

1. Bet365

Bet365 offers a mixture of audio only and audio/visual live coverage of several football matches on a daily basis.

Being a UK based company, it has no access to any broadcasting rights to show live UK domestic football matches and all of the games it shows live are foreign feeds. However, matches involving UK clubs are regularly transmitted as audio only to UK customers. Bet365 uses your IP address to determine which events are available to you (for using a proxy server located in a foreign country to get around these restrictions see our article How Do I Hide or Disguise My IP Address?).

You can watch different matches being broadcast simultaneously by opening up the Bet365 site again in a separate window (multiple streams will play subject to the speed of your computer processor and the strength/speed of your internet connection). Each match begins two minutes before its scheduled start time.

In the ‘Sports’ tab of the site click on ‘Live Streaming’ at the top of the page (see red arrow in the screenshot below). A pop-up window opens showing the schedule of live events being broadcasted on the site and also a handy FAQ’s tab – scroll down this to answer all of your technical queries (see yellow arrow). Click on the image below to enlarge it in a new tab:

Bet365 Live Streaming Service

The live streaming service relies only on the viewer/listener being logged into his or her Bet365 account, which either shows a positive balance or has been used to place a bet within the 24-hour period leading up to kick-off of the desired stream.

Minimum system requirements are: Windows 2000, XP, Vista or Mac OSX; Web browser IE6 or above, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Opera; Broadband internet speed of at least 512 kbp/s; Adobe Flash Player version 9.0.115 or later.

The following journey will take you through the realms of amazing tricks and feats, bizarre real game situations, hilarious goal celebrations, penalty kick melodramas in the Twilight Zone of football, and a deal of black humour thrown in for good measure.

Image: Sergey Peterman (Shutterstock)

Please use the comments section at the bottom of the article to tell us which are your personal favourites. If you have seen any others worthy of mention we would also love to hear your recommendations.

To watch the videos again (and we are sure some will warrant repeated viewings), just refresh the play arrow in the bottom left hand corner of each (otherwise you will have to reload the page).

Enjoy!

Video Notes: Adjust the picture quality at the bottom of the screen above by clicking on the button (to the left of the YouTube logo), then click on ‘Quality’ and choose a higher resolution as desired. Go to full screen mode by clicking on the box symbol (to the right of the YouTube logo).

Part A: Ultimate Penalties

1) For The Only Time in History: The Successful Blindfolded Rabona Penalty

This is a guy named Pekka Sihvola who plays for HIFK in the Finnish top-flight. It’s an easy goal as the goalkeeper even acknowledges Pekka’s “ready?” signal by raising his own arm (to a blindfolded man). Let’s be honest, a ‘keeper with this little appreciation for the situation has no chance of saving anything, let alone a soft Rabona.

Anyway, you shouldn’t try this at home without medical supervision close to hand or close to…whatever. We don’t believe that anyone has yet told Pekka Sihvola that the Rabona technique is actually nicknamed the ‘pecker shriveller’ or, ‘no boner’! Believe us, if you thought getting your knickers in a twist was bad enough, then imagine what if…no, let’s not even go there.

2) Better than Le Tissier

This looks like an ordinary penalty when you first see it but you know there is something not quite right when the goalkeeper immediately gets up and starts whinging to the referee about some element of foul play. Sorry mate, “you wuz gubbed!”.

Excellent technique from Ezequiel Calvente, a spaniard currently plying his trade with Debrecen in the Hungarian top flight.

3) Saw this coming

Theyab Awana telegraphs his intentions to an equally useless goalkeeper so everyone thinks, but little do we realise that the poor fellow between the sticks is a triskaidekaphobia sufferer and has been for years…

Part B: Things to tell your Grandchildren about…

4) “My left foot” by Shunsuke Nakamura

Nakamura is now approaching the end of a long career in his second spell with J-League team Yokohama. You will probably remember him from World Cup appearances for Japan and several seasons at Celtic where his free-kick technique was lauded. Do you remember that special goal in the Champions League against Manchester United at Old Trafford? In short, his left foot is golden and here he is asked to prove it.

It is relatively easy to hit a moving target in clay pigeon or skeet shooting with a scattergun (if you have any ability with firearms). Here, Nakamura’s shooting skill requires the absolute precision of a footballing sniper, especially so as time is a factor.

This vid features the over-dubbed voice of a Rab C. Nesbitt sound-a-like and we apologise to all non-UK viewers who will not have a clue what is being said. However, if the video had been left unadulterated in its original Japanese form then none of us would have any idea. Banzai! Betting ends.

5) “My right foot” by David Beckham

Golden balls is just the coolest of cucumbers and United fans definitely regret he did not stay longer at Old Trafford.

Here he is on a US beach, barefoot, teaching the Americans how to play ‘football’, not ‘soccer’. (Well, footballwidow.com was already taken…by an American ‘football’ site!).

The first time you watch this one you can be forgiven for also thinking “woah” and “no freakin’ way!” To be honest we are still not 100% sure whether this video is authentic as what he does here is surely…impossible…isn’t it? Are we talking 3-balls or G-balls here?

Whatever already. This one is more about Becks’ modesty afterwards and the feeling you get that he is uncomfortable in the presence of Americans. I mean he only went over there for the big bucks right?

Part C: Paying the Ultimate Penalty

6) Agony

You’ve seen it all before. Vital penalty in the shootout to decide the match. Up comes the striker and…useless…he misses! To attract sympathy he goes down like he’s been shot whilst the goalie runs to the touchline in true Tardelli fashion to celebrate with his manager.

But hang on just one goddamn minute there, boy..!

Even if you understand not a single word of Italian, you will be able to decipher exactly what is being said in the subtitles during the action replay. This is a piece of slow-mo genius guaranteed to inflict simultaneous pain and pleasure on the watcher!

7) Ecstacy

You just have to watch this one – we can’t explain it without giving the game away but rest assured, a team always has a tendency to be vulnerable when they have just scored a goal.

At least his team-mates were philosophical about it afterwards!

This one had us laughing dirty as a drain like Sid James!!!

In early January 2011, this article was one of the first ever written in the Soccerwidow blog. I remember it clearly; another hot, sunny day on the verandah of our residence in Lugala, towards the end of our 2-year stay in beautiful Uganda…

Photo: u.g. boy (Skyscrapercity)

There is hardly a Ugandan male who is not fanatical about the English Premier League. Arsenal is the most popular team closely followed by Manchester United, and then smaller support for teams like Chelsea and Liverpool.

Many, many of the local ‘Matatu’ mini-bus and ‘Boda-Boda’ motorcycle taxis are adorned with club logos, team or player names splashed across the windscreen sun-shield vinyls, let alone the number of people walking the streets wearing replica shirts (mostly Chinese fakes).

This is not a Ugandan phenomenon either; I am told that in former times the boda-boda stage outside AIG’s office in Nairobi, Kenya (AIG being a previous Manchester United shirt sponsor) was simply known by everyone as ‘Man U’. If you wanted to reach AIG’s office, one simply had to say, “go to Man U”. However, it is amusing that not many of the Ugandans I asked actually know where England is or that England is in Europe or even where Europe is.

Arsenal is apparently the most popular EPL team simply because of its recent history of fielding more African players than any other team. Also, they were the most successful and glamorous club in England when satellite TV was introduced into Uganda and people began to follow football for the first time.

Many people jumped on the Arsenal bandwagon as they completed their unbeaten league season in 2003-04.

As I mentioned, football club logos are seen everywhere from buildings to vehicles and in most cases have been carefully painted by hand. A lot of time and effort goes into parading support for a football team they are only ever likely to watch on TV and which plays football in a country that they are never likely to visit.

In Uganda, EPL games are broadcast via the South African satellite service, DSTV, via their Super Sports channels. These live feeds are also watched by radio stations who then give commentaries in the local Lugandan language only.

Photo: u.g. boy (Skyscrapercity)

On a Saturday afternoon, up to three EPL games are shown simultaneously, whereas in England it is not possible to watch a 15.00 hrs Saturday kick-off at all. Therefore, for my (English) husband, Uganda, apart from the constantly beautiful weather, is simply a football paradise. If you support Arsenal or Manchester United especially, you have live TV access to literally every game they play whichever competition they are playing in.

Ugandan league games are seldom shown even on the local UBC (Uganda Broadcasting Company) networks, but there is intense support for the national team, which is currently managed by a Scotsman, Bobby Williamson.

If the national side is playing an international match not too far away from home, there is a tribal away support that travels to watch the game.

Recently, Uganda played Kenya in Nairobi and the border was absolutely clogged for a couple of days with people trying to get into and then back out of Kenya.