The Monday Tip (8)

Well we have reached week 8 of 'The Monday Tip' and after last week's tip, I have taken a long hard look at myself. To say I was embarrassed with my Real Madrid tip would be a massive understatement.

Look on the bright side though, it can't get any worse than last week, can it?

So what do I have for you this week? Well, the live Monday night football on Sky Sports comes from Anfield where Roy Hodgson's Liverpool take on Gerard Houllier's Aston Villa.

It is bound to be an emotional evening for Houllier as he returns to the club where he spent many years as manager. However, I don't think Liverpool will be handing out any favours this evening as they look to get their season firmly back on track.

I can see Liverpool winning this one fairly comfortably and that's why this week's tip is for the Merseyside club to win minus a goal (so basically, they win by 2 goals or more). It is priced at around the 15/8 mark and for me, that's a great bet.

So that's the tip for this week. Despite the fact we no longer have to run these blogs as part of our college course, I should be back next week with another Monday tip.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Liverpool 3-0 Aston Villa. Back to winning ways, thank god! How bad were Villa tonight? At that rate, they could get dragged into a relegation fight. Looking forward to next Monday!

Another Special Victory For G-Mac

What a way to end 2010 for Graeme McDowell!

G-Mac claimed his 4th title of the season (his 5th title if you count his Ryder Cup victory with Europe) as he saw off Tiger Woods in a dramatic play-off at the Chevron World Challenge.

McDowell, 31, holed a magnificent 15-foot putt to make it into the play-off and then holed a putt of a similar length to upset the odds at the stunning Sherwood Country Club in southern California.

This latest victory is just one of many highlights in a season which has seen the man from Portrush win his first major title in the shape of the US Open at Pebble Beach.

I'm simply over the moon for McDowell right now. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Graeme is one of the most genuine golfers on the tour and I know that because one of my good friends in college knows the man.

Well done G-Mac! Lets hope there are many more special victories to come in 2011.

Disaster for England as FIFA hand Russia World Cup 2018

England just didn't Putin enough effort into their bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Poor joke, I know!

I really can't believe the decisions made by FIFA this afternoon, but never mind. These things happen.

Congratulations Russia.

Breaking News - Cricket is the most boring sport to watch

What a surprise, eh?

According to a poll run on 'The Bright Side Of Sport', cricket is the most boring sport to watch. Cricket received 40% of the vote.

It's a massive blow for the game of cricket. Speaking after the first Ashes test, which incidentally ended in a draw between England and Australia, star batsman, Kevin Pietersen had this to say:

"I simply couldn't believe it when I saw the result of the poll on 'The Bright Side Of Sport'. There is no doubt in my mind that snooker is a far more boring sport to watch. I don't think I have ever sat through a whole game of snooker. It's sh*t, simple as that."

However, Pietersen did also acknowledge that cricket is fairly boring too.

I would just like to thank everyone who voted in the poll. I would really appreciate it if you could take the time (roughly two seconds) to vote in the latest poll, which can be found on the top right of the site.

The Monday Tip (7)

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but 'The Monday Tip' is just so delightful.

It's now week 7 of 'The Monday Tip' and I plan on making it 4 from 7 tonight with a winning tip from El Clasico, Barcelona v Real Madrid.

We are just minutes from kick-off now (sorry for the delay, my Internet was acting the maggot) and I just can't wait for it to start.

I have watched a lot of Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid this season and I must say, I've been impressed with what I have seen. That's the reason why my tip this week is for Real Madrid to win this evening's game.

You can back Real at around the 11/4 mark, which in my opinion is superb value. So that's it for this week. Lets hope Ronaldo and co can do the business at the Camp Nou tonight!

Visit the site each and every Monday for your weekly betting tip.

Hmmmmmmm.......

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid. Fairly shocking tip this week. However, next week's tip will be a whole lot better, don't you worry!

Barcelona v Real Madrid - Predictions Please

We are now only hours away from the big one, El Clasico.

Barcelona take on Real Madrid tonight in one of the most eagerly awaited fixtures in world football and like most years, it has all the ingredients for a classic.

Arguably the two best players in world football (Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi) will be on show as well as two of the best managers in the business (Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho).

I simply can't wait for the game at the magnificent Camp Nou to get underway and I for one am predicting a win for the men in white.

Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid. That's my prediction, but what about yours? Tell me your prediction for the game by leaving a comment below. Just click the 'Open ID' option and type your prediction into the comment box!

The Monday Tip (6)

Well it's Monday again, but it's pretty miserable weather outside and Ireland is in a mess to put it bluntly. The lads from the IMF are here and it looks as though they are here to stay, but not to worry because 'The Monday Tip' is back!

Last week was a successful tip and this week, I am pretty confident it will be yet another winning tip to bring the tally for 'The Monday Tip' to a rather impressive (if I say so myself) 4 out of 6.

So what's the tip for week 6 then?

Well it comes from the Premier League encounter between Sunderland and Everton at the Stadium of Light this evening. Both Steve Bruce and David Moyes will no doubt be keen to claim all three points as they look to put themselves in a decent position ahead of the busy winter period.

Sunderland provided possibly the biggest shock of the season so far as they travelled to Stamford Bridge last weekend and beat Chelsea 3-0. You would think they could easily beat a side like Everton considering they managed to hammer the current Premier League champions, but I reckon it will be incredibly close this evening.

Anyway, my tip is for the 2nd half to have more goals than the 1st half at a price of 11/10. Everton's Aussie midfielder Tim Cahill seems to think it's a good bet.

And that's that for this week. Make sure to tune in each and every Monday for your weekly tip!

Unlucky

Well that was very close. The game finished 2-2 with two goals being scored either side of half-time which means it's a losing tip this week. What makes it worse is that Jermaine Beckford should have made it 3-2 to Everton right at the end which would have made it a winning tip. Better luck next week let's hope!

The Most Bizzare Horse Race Ever?

I don't think I have ever seen a more bizzare horse race in my life.

The eventual winner, Family Business, became the first ever horse to win a race after drifiting to 999/1 in-running on Betfair.

The jockey on board is possibly the greatest national hunt jockey of our era, Tony McCoy. A truely incredible race and if you haven't seen it, I can guarentee you'll enjoy watching it!

The Monday Tip (5)

It's Monday already, can you believe it?

I don't know about you, but that week flew by for me, especially the weekend. I was over in England to see Manchester City and Birmingham play out a 0-0 draw. I bet you're jealous?

Anyway, where was I?

Oh yes, of course, it's time for 'The Monday Tip.'

It was a losing tip last week unfortunately, but fear not my friends because this week, touch wood, it will be a return to winning ways.

I'm going to change sports altogether this week and I have a tip for you in the darts. Paul Nicholson and Ronnie Baxter go head-to-head in the Grand Slam of Darts this evening. Nicholson, who is the bloke in picture, is best priced 11/8 to beat Baxter and personally, I think that is a cracking bet.

When Nicholson is on form, there are few better than him in the game (apart from Phil Taylor, who is simply in a different league to any other player) and I can see 'the bad boy of darts' as he is more commonly known, winning tonight.

Make sure to check the site every single Monday for your weekly betting tip.

GOOD DARTS!

Paul Nicholson did indeed beat Ronnie Baxter so it is, as I hoped, a return to winning ways for 'The Monday Tip'. Nicholson ran out the 5-3 winner over Baxter to make 'The Monday Tip' 3 from 5, which isn't too bad in my view. As I always remind you, make sure to check back every Monday for your weekly betting tip.

I Don't Like Cricket ..... But I Love The Ashes

For most people, including my fine self, the only time I take a keen interest in cricket (which incidently is leading our current poll which asks you the readers 'Which is the most boring sport to watch?') is when The Ashes arrives.

In case you don't know what The Ashes is, here is a very brief explination. Australia and England play each other in five test matches (each of which is scheduled to last five days) and the side who wins the more test matches wins The Ashes. It's a simple as that.

It can be rather boring and when I say boring, I mean there's a fair chance you'll fall asleep watching it. But, when it gets down to the last day or two of each test and if it's close in anyway, it really can get quite exciting.

The 2010/2011 Ashes Series gets underway in just under two weeks time in beautitful Brisbane. Australia go into the series as odds-on favourites, but there is a growing belief that England can defeat the Aussies on their own patch for the first time since 1987.

If you're not a cricket fan at all, just watch this clip (with the sound on)!

Robbie Savage has the X Factor!

Derby County captain Robbie Savage gets in the mood ahead of last Saturday's Championship clash with Portsmouth which the Rams won 2-0.

I'm simply lost for words. It really is one of the most bizzare YouTube clips I have ever watched.

The Monday Tip (4)

I've got some great news for you lot .... it's Monday!

I have to say, I've been itching for this day to arrive after last week's winning tip and I am very confident I have another winning tip for you this time around.

So what's the tip for this week, I hear you cry.

Well, I am sticking with football for the third week running and the tip comes from the La Liga encounter between Sevilla and Valencia, which has all the makings of a cracker.

With the likes of Luis Fabiano, Fredric Kanoute and Roberto Saldado likely to feature, I can't envisage there being a lack of goals at the Ramon Sanchez tonight and that is why I have gone for there to be 4 or more goals at a tasty price of 2/1.

So that's it for this week. Let's hope Sevilla and Valencia are in the mood for goals tonight and don't forget to check back every Monday for your weekly tip.

Close but not cigar

Well Sevilla could only manage a 2-0 win over ten-man Valencia and unfortunately, that means a losing tip this week. That now makes it 2 out of 4 for 'The Monday Tip' which isn't terrible but it isn't great either. Don't worry though, I will do everything in my power to make sure I pick a winning tip for next week.

So near but yet so far for the great Zenyatta

She went into the race as one of the greatest racehorses we have ever seen and she came out of the race as one of the greatest racehorses we have ever seen.

It was emotional stuff at Churchill Downs on Saturday night as Zenyatta came so close to making it a perfect 20 wins from 20 starts.

The 6-year old mare, who cost just $60,000, went into the Breeders' Cup Classic unbeaten in 19 starts and was fancied to make it a perfect 20 in what many expect to be her last ever race.

Zenyatta started the race very slowly, as she usually does and was dead last for the first couple of furlongs. However, there was a big difference between this race and the majority of races she has won in her career. This was a race packed with quality and the 30-lengths jockey Mike Smith allowed Zenyatta to fall behind the leaders proved just too much in the end.

By the time the field turned into the straight at Churchill Downs, it was a miracle that Zenyatta was still even in contention to win the race after a such a poor opening few furlongs. As Zenyatta did her very best to catch the eventual winner, Blame, it seemed all of the 72,000 in attendance and indeed anyone watching around the world was cheering her on the victory but it simply wasn't to be.

Smith, to his credit, came out after the race and accepted responsibility for Zenyatta not winning the race. "If you have to blame anyone today, it would be me." said the teary-eyed jockey. "It’s my fault. She should have won and it hurts."

It was an incredible race to watch and I for one would loved to have seen Zenyatta win. She really is an amazing horse and it's such a shame that things didn't work out on the night, but that's horse racing.

Cheer up Andy!

Oh no, poor Andy Murray.

In case you didn't already know, the Scottish tennis player (or British tennis player when he is winning) was today knocked out of the Valencia Open in just the 2nd round of the tournament.

Murray, who strikes me as quite a depressing shite (to put it bluntly), was the top seed for the tournament in sunny Spain. However, he was beaten in three sets, 6-2 3-6 6-2 by some Argentinian bloke called Juan Monaco and as a result is now out of the tournament he won last year.

Anyway, cheer up Andy. We all know you are going to win Wimbeldon next year, or if not next year the year after that or possibly even the year after that.

A Super Special Victory for G-Mac

It really was a super special day for Graeme McDowell yesterday as the man from Portrush wrapped up his 3rd title of the season.

G-Mac, as he is now more commonly known, managed to see off a competitive field in the Andalucian Masters to claim a two-shot victory ahead of fellow contryman Gareth Maybin, Damien McGrane and Soren Kjeldsen.

The man with the rather strange but amusing Northern Irish/American accent was visibly thrilled to have won on the difficult Valderama course, which he later described as one of his favourite courses on the planet.

I was personally delighted to see McDowell hold out for victory yesterday afternoon. He is without doubt one of, if not my favourite, golfer and from what I have heard from a good friend of mine, he is a sound bloke off the course so I couldn't be happier for him.

It really has been an incredible year for Graeme, with the US Open victory in Pebble Beach clearly being the highlight and I for one hope he goes on to achieve special things throughout the rest of his career.

The Monday Tip (3)

Hooray, it's Monday. And when Monday comes around on The Bright Side Of Sport that means, it's time for 'The Monday Tip'.

First of all, apologies for last week's shocker of a tip. It really was quite embarrassing.

I have decided to stick with football this week and the glamour tie in the Premier League between Blackpool and West Brom is the game I have opted to go with.

Roberto Di Matteo's West Brom are in superb form of late and a win at Bloomfield Road tonight will see them overtake Manchester City and Tottenham into 4th place in the table.

Meanwhile, after a bright start to the season, Ian Holloway's Blackpool now find themselves dangerously close to the relegation zone so a win would be a welcome boost for the Tangerines.

It looks a pretty tough one to call and to be honest, I really don't know which way it will go. However, I do have a bet which I think is a great price and well worth a few quid.

The bet is for Blackpool's Charlie Adam to be booked and it is priced at a very tempting 2/1. So that's my tip. Make sure to check back every Monday for your weekly tip.

Now that's better, eh?

In case you didn't know, Charlie Adam was booked as Blackpool ran out 2-1 winners over nine-man West Brom so that means that it's a winning tip this week. That now makes it two out of three for 'The Monday Tip' and restores a bit of much needed confidence after last week's embarrassing Leeds tip. Don't forget to check out the site each and every Monday for your weekly betting tip.

Enough Football, Time for some Golf

I've realised today that all I have been blogging about is football over the last few weeks (bar the one post about horse racing) so I thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice to show you, the readers, a creepy looking man taking a few golf trick shots.

Brad Ewart, who is the creepy looking man I was referring to in the opening paragraph, opens with the line: "This week, we're in China and I couldn't be happier because there's an unlimited supply of chopsticks .... and that's the way I like to tee the ball up." Great stuff from B-dog as he is more commonly known amongst his golfing mates.

I don't know about you, but I reckon Brad needs to get out more and I don't mean for more time on the golf course!

Carlos Tevez stars in bizzare Pepsi ad

Strange to say the least!

Your comments are, as always, very welcome.

The Monday Tip (2)

It's that time of the week again. Yes, It's Monday so that can only mean one thing. The Monday Tip is back!

So remember last week I gave you a winning tip? Well I am going to try and do the same again this week surprisingly enough.

There is a bit of a change though. Instead of horse racing we have decided to give you a football tip this week.

I strongly believe Leeds will beat Cardiff tonight at Elland Road and at a price of 7/4, I think they are worth a bet.

Cardiff are currently second in the Championship with Leeds all the way back in 16th. However, with the backing of the Leeds faithful, Simon Grayson's men have a great chance of upsetting their Welsh opponents.

That's it for this week. Don't forget to visit the site every Monday for your weekly tip!

You win some, you lose some

Well that wasn't great, was it? Leeds were comfortably beaten 4-0 against an impressive Cardiff side so unfortunately, it means a losing tip this Monday. Not to worry though, things can only get better next week!

Unlucky Edwin!

Big mistake from the lanky Dutchman.

The Monday Tip

It's Monday and you will all be delighted to know that we have a new feature. Hooray!

It is called 'The Monday Tip' and basically what I am going to do is (hopefully) give you a winning tip to start each and every week on a positive note.

So today, we have a tip for you. The horse is called Sean Og and he (or it could be a she, not really sure but I would imagine it is a he) is running in the 5:20 in Plumpton this evening. Quite a short price at around 10/11 but you know what they say, a win is a win.

Here's hoping Sean Og does the business anyway. And also, make sure to check back every Monday afternoon for your weekly tip.

Winner alright, winner alright!

Delighted to say that Sean Og did indeed do the business and as a result, 'The Monday Tip' is off to a winning start. It was a comfortable victory in the end after a farely dodgy jumping performance from the 8-year old grey horse. I would like to say that I put a load of money on the horse myself but unfortunately, I didn't.

Another Week, Another Premier League Defeat for Liverpool

A look at the Premier League table really doesn't make for pleasant viewing for Liverpool fans.

Following today's 2-0 defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Everton, Roy Hodgson's men now sit in 19th place in the Premier League table, level on points with bottom club West Ham.

The name of the blog is 'The Bright Side Of Sport' so I have decided to, as you can guess, look on the bright side of the situation.

Things can only get better really, or can they?

Well, I think the majority of you will agree with me when I say that Liverpool are simply too good to go down. A squad which boasts players such as Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard simply can't, in my eyes anyway, be relegated.

I am really keen to find out what you have to say on the matter. Your comments are very welcome.

Greetings

Well here we go!

My name is Cathal Breathnach (not a name that really slips off the tongue, I know) and over the coming months I will be running this blog which I hope you will enjoy and visit on a regular basis.

Sport is a huge part of my life. Since leaving the womb, I don't think I have gone a whole day without watching a bit of sport.

I have a particular love for the game of football (as in soccer, not GAA .... I hate GAA) and I like to think I know a thing or two about it. Other sports which I will also be writing about include the likes of golf, horse racing, maybe a bit of tennis, outside chance I will throw in a bit of rugby and a very slim chance that you will be reading about cricket.

One thing I hope you will all enjoy about the blog is that I won't be taking sport too seriously. I will try to make different sporting occasions as interesting and fun as I can. Anyway, if you have any questions or suggestions, just leave a comment in the section provided.