Fancy a flutter? Then let Declan Danaher mark your card as he previews the weekend’s sporting action


I hope everyone had a fantastic summer? A lot has certainly happened since my last column for the final home game of the 2011/12 season – not least me joining Twitter!

Having sworn never to go near it, I finally gave in and @Declan_Danaher has been up and running since the middle of July. I have to say, I love it.

There’s plenty of opportunity for banter, with lots of our boys signed up, including the new ones. @Tomas_OLeary, was on there the minute he got to London and one of the most prolific tweeters has to be @CaiGriffiths who’s at nearly 8,000 followers. Another of our recent arrivals, @Shane_Geraghty, has even more followers and is determined to get #oneteam trending.

But there is a serious side to it too. It is a fantastic way to interact with all of our fans and I will continue to do that as often as I can.

After the disappointment of last weekend’s game against Saracens, I was delighted to see Arsenal get their first win of the season the following day, but they won’t be able to build on it this weekend.

That’s because it’s an international weekend as the road to the next World Cup starts. After beginning their Brazil 2014 campaign last night in Moldova, England face Ukraine at Wembley on Tuesday.

The sides met just a couple of months ago, at Euro 2012, when a Wayne Rooney goal saw England win 1-0. Rooney’s out for the re-match, but I don’t think Roy Hodgson will miss the Manchester United striker all that much after seeing how sluggish he looked before getting injured.

As hosts, the Three Lions are a short price for victory and I think that they will be fairly comfortable. The 2-0 correct score looks a decent bet, at 6.2 on BETDAQ, and I’ll have half of my £25 stake on that outcome.

The remainder is going on the Formula 1, with the Italian GP taking place before the football, tomorrow afternoon.

I thoroughly enjoyed Jenson Button’s domination in Belgium last weekend, but I can’t see the McLaren man taking back-to-back chequered flags.

Lewis Hamilton is the pre-race favourite and he will be desperate to make his mark after not even getting round the first bend at Spa, but the same applies to Fernando Alonso, who is a two-time winner at Monza.

It’s also Ferrari’s home race, and no constructor has won the Italian GP more often, so I’m backing Alonso at 6.6.

Dec’s best bet on BETDAQ
Our betting and gaming partner, BETDAQ, is giving Dec a £25 bet each home game. All winnings will go to Concern Worldwide at the end of the season

Tip of the week:
England 2-0 Ukraine @ 6.2 on BETDAQ (£12.50) AND Fernando Alonso to win Italian GP @ 6.6 (£12.50)

Reckon Dec’s on to a winner? Bet now on your mobile or online at www.betdaq.com*.

*Prices appear as decimal odds and are correct at time of going to press. For more information see www.betdaq.com. The views expressed in this column are the personal opinions of Declan Danaher. Please gamble responsibly and only with money you can afford to lose. www.gambleaware.co.uk


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