Whether looking for motivational and inspirational soccer quotes, or controversial and critical words about the beautiful game of football, then you should find something of interest in the following 50 quotes by famous people, soccer lovers or otherwise…

Image: Luis Louro (Shutterstock)

For the purist, football is “football”, but for our American friends, the term “soccer” is equally as acceptable and interchangeable.

To everyone, we hope you enjoy our feast of football/soccer quotes!

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.

This compilation contains some of the best quotes we could find related to gambling, luck and money.

Since humans have existed they have gambled away their fortunes, and it is probably the fate of man to continue gambling so long as there is anything left to bet on…

Photo: Steve Punter (Wikimedia Commons)

Gambling and Luck Quotations

These quotations are sorted chronologically and appear quite representative of gambling as it has developed over the last 2,000 years or more…

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!

If you type into Google the exact phrase, “how to get rich in a short time” you will find around 37.5 million search results. That’s 37.5 million web pages tackling the topic of finding wealth. In comparison, the expression, “how to live a happy married life” produces only 4 million results.

Mathematically speaking this equates to just 1 in every 10 websites writing about a “happy life” whilst the other 9 are trying to show a route to riches! This is certainly an indicator of which is more important to the public!

Collage of Shutterstock images; Foreground: stocknadia, Background: Nuno Monteiro

As Soccerwidow focuses on gambling, finances, and football betting in particular, we have compiled a list of advisory tips on the subject of how do you get rich with football betting (around 580k Google results). Of course, the following elements can be applied to any form of betting or gambling.

Top 10 Tips on How to Get Rich with Betting

1. What is your Perception of being Rich?

What is your acceptable level of wealth before you consider yourself rich? Without knowing the answer to this question, you will be unable to set wealth targets or plan for how much money you wish to earn over the time period you have set yourself. Obviously, the answers are different for everyone but the question is relevant to us all.

2. “SMART” Targets

Success with online football betting should be planned for as thoroughly as setting-up a business. It requires a well-thought out and methodical approach. There is no get-rich-quick scheme or system and commitment to your chosen strategy must be applied long-term. Targets have to be ‘SMART’: Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic; Timed.

3. Identify your Target Leagues and do your Homework

At Soccerwidow, we only analyse and bet on league games with plenty of historical statistics as cup matches tend to be one-off events, are more volatile, and include too many upsets or giant-killing episodes.

Which leagues do you want to research? Do your homework; is there liquidity with the bookmakers or betting exchanges for your chosen markets to allow the size of bets you wish to make?

4. Understand the Different types of Bets

Absolute clarity and a firm grasp of the differences between back and lay bets is needed. This is especially the case when trading or hedging for a profit with little or no intended risk of loss involved.

5. Excel Spreadsheet Competence

A strong knowledge of Excel spreadsheets is also needed to save time calculating formulas, staking plans, net winnings, effects of betting exchange commissions (i.e. their slice of your winnings), and also to record your results for full control and continued focus on how well the ‘business’ is performing.

How do you get rich with a business? You become rich by constantly monitoring and evaluating performance, fine-tuning trading areas that require improvement, and cutting away the loss-making areas. What is going right; what is going wrong? Without a spreadsheet or copious written records, you will have no idea and the question, “how do you get rich?” will have had no chance of a solution from the outset.

6. Enough Knowledge to Recognise a ‘Value’ Bet

Absolute knowledge of what a ‘value’ bet is and how to calculate value bets using statistics is paramount in order to add the ‘edge’ that you will need in order to compete with the bookmakers on level ground. It is a myth that people ever become rich gambling on gut-feeling alone. The Soccerwidow course teaching you about statistics and value bets is a good starting point.

7. Staking Plans

These are an essential element of any successful betting strategy. Without a staking plan, your betting will be directionless, unreliable, and unrewarding. The staking plan will also help minimise losses and keep your betting bank trading for as long as possible (with a stop-loss mechanism in place), seeing out the losing streaks you will undoubtedly have to endure.

Equally important is the ratchet mechanism, to increase staking levels when you have achieved desired betting bank targets. Ratcheting stakes down again (i.e. stop-loss) is required if the bank drops back to previous target levels.

Ratcheting your stakes in this way will ensure you achieve the most reward for your money when things are going well, but retain full control when you hit troughs of losses. “How do you get rich” will be a roller-coaster ride, full of highs and lows.

Image: Pikoso.kz (Shutterstock)

3. Start-up Capital and Money Management

Like a business, money is needed to bankroll the venture and we suggest a starting betting bank of no less than 1,000 currency units if you are serious. You will need to open accounts with at least one of the major betting exchanges, Betfair or Betdaq, in order to place ‘lay’ bets, and perhaps up to 20 bookmakers (or more) to achieve the best possible price when placing ‘back’ bets.

You can easily convert many bookmaker bonuses (free bets) into cash without risk using matched betting techniques to boost the size of your war chest, and this is where we would recommend you begin.

Ultimately, a wide range of bookmaker accounts is also needed to dilute and spread your success. You will need to consciously minimise the risks of account closure for being too successful with some bookmakers. Perhaps withdraw winnings via matched betting into your betting exchange account rather than withdrawing directly from the bookmakers.

8. Be Disciplined, Unemotional, and Patient

If you are gambling because you are desperate to earn money then you are doing it for the wrong reasons. You are already too emotionally attached to the task ahead.

If you enjoy the buzz and have decided to adopt a business-like approach to securing a regular income then you have a chance of succeeding.

Start by stop asking “how do you get rich?”. There is an established theory that if you put 10,000 hours of time into a project and really apply yourself to it, then success will invariably follow.

Keep financial records, just in case the taxman needs answers as to how you became rich! (We are being serious here!).

10. Never Gamble Tired or Drunk and Never Chase Losses

A fool and his money are easily parted. Casinos ply customers with free alcohol because they know it is a surefire way of unhinging your discipline and sense of reality.

“Never gamble more than you can afford to lose” is a mantra you will see repeated many times over in this blog.

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.

Image: Lario Tus (Shutterstock)

Soccerwidow has put together a list of 20 questions which may help you decide whether you are perhaps a little too ‘involved’ in your fascination with football.

Please count how many of the following questions you answer with a “yes”, and enter this number in the poll at the end of the article (allocate half a “yes” where you feel the statement is only partially correct).

The first 10 questions

Continue to the next (and last) 10 questions

“I would like to open an account with your bank.” she says to the bank clerk.

He smiles and replies, “Why of course, Madam, how much would you like to deposit?”…

Image: Anton Brand (Shutterstock)

…“One million pounds!”, says the old lady.

The astonished clerk smiles again but decides to proceed with caution.

“That’s a sizeable sum, Madam, where did you get so much money from?”

The lady is understandably reluctant to answer with so many other bank customers within earshot.

Finally, the clerk decides upon discretion and arranges a private meeting between the lady and the manager of the bank.

After the introductions are over, the bank manager asks the lady, “Madam, where did you get so much money from?”

“It’s the profits from all the winning bets I have placed recently”, she smiles.

The bank manager cannot begin to imagine who this woman is or how she can be such a successful gambler, old and frail as she looks. He contemplates the situation for a few seconds before she looks him in the eye and speaks again…

Image: Anton Brand (Shutterstock)

“I bet you ten thousand pounds that your crown jewels are square shaped!”

Caught completely by surprise, the bank manager almost chokes before replying, “That is quite a ridiculous suggestion, Madam. My gonads are as normal as any other man’s!”

Again, the old lady grins before declaring, “Well, if you’re so sure, then you won’t mind putting your money where your mouth is!”

After a few minutes of discussion with this odd woman the bank manager agrees to the wager, and she promises to return the following day at 10am.

That night, the bank manager is in bed and decides to be on the safe side. He slowly snakes his hand towards his crotch and has a good rummage around. Everything is very normal down there he thinks, not in the least bit square! The old lady cannot possibly win. Reassured, he falls asleep.


The next morning the little old lady reappears at the bank with a smart dressed man in tow. They are ushered together into the manager’s office. She explains to the manager that she has brought her lawyer with her to act as a witness to the financial transaction.

As soon as the formalities are out of the way she exclaims, “Well come on then, let’s see them…both!”

Obligingly, the bank manager drops his trousers and whips out his wedding tackle.

Triumphantly he cries, “There, Madam, as you can see, everything is absolutely normal!”

The woman’s eyes narrow as if to focus more fully on the situation before she says with a playful look on her face,

“Well, they look a little lumpy to me!”

The bank manager’s patience is by now a little stretched and he immediately emphasizes that his meat and two veg are perfectly normal for him.

The old lady counters by saying, “Well, as there is the small matter of ten thousand pounds on the line, I need to be absolutely sure – will you let me feel them, please?”

Image: Anton Brand (Shutterstock)

Aghast at such a suggestion the bank manager considers long and hard what to do.

His children’s school fees are due soon and he could really do with the money.

At last, he reluctantly agrees to the lady’s request.

The elderly woman kneels before him and cradles his balls, yanking them this way and that, leaving him feeling weak at the knees.

Just as she stops, satisfied that nothing more can be done, her lawyer collapses onto his knees and begins to howl and cry, beating the floor with a fist.

“What’s the matter with your lawyer?” the bank manager asks.

“Well…”, says the old woman, “You may have won our bet because your testicles are not square at all, but I bet twenty thousand pounds with my lawyer here that I’d have my local bank manager firmly by the balls today..!”

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?

Today was a quiet day and no “important” games to be watched and followed by my husband. This meant that we had a free Sunday and time to visit the botanical garden in Entebbe, where the original 1930’s & 40’s Tarzan movies were shot starring Johnny Weissmuller.

The following pictures are of some of the Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus Pygerythrus) we encountered there.

Their blue testicles really are bright turquoise in colour and I didn’t have to assist with Photoshop – Really pretty, aren’t they!?

My husband thinks it might be a good idea to tattoo his eggs the same colour as he thinks it is quite attractive…