AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

BETTING ODDITIES: No Words

BETTING ODDITIES: In his latest weekly blog, DAVID STEWART takes a sideways look at some of the stories making the news in the betting world and beyond.

NO WORDS

Will let tweets, videos and pics do the talking in this, the most horrible of weeks.

HEROES OF THE WEEK

😊 MAJORCA POLICE

Didn’t expect this …

😊 TESCO AND NHS

If forecasts are to be proved right, things will get even tougher for the NHS in the weeks ahead – so this was heartwarming from a Tesco store in Belfast. And a big shout out too to the supermarket workers and delivery drivers doing their level best in unprecedented times. Never forgetting they all have their own health and families to worry about too.

😊 SIR ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

A composer (and guest) in isolation. Doing nothing more than playing a song but interacting with a wide base of fans and, for just a few minutes, taking their minds away from grim news.

😊 GARY NEVILLE

Announcing his hotels will have no redundancies, no staff will be asked to take unpaid leave and both his hotels will be given over to the NHS immediately.

VILLAINS OF THE WEEK

Dead-heat between Richard Branson and Tim Martin.

😡 Branson moved at Mach 1 speed to tell his 8,500 staff they won’t be paid for 8 weeks… Richard Branson is worth $4.1bn. Business is business but his decision was disgracefully made prior to the government’s rescue package for businesses.

😡 Martin of Wetherspoons idiotically encouraging punters to ‘keep going’ to pubs during a pandemic. His pubs, presumably.

In the end, when it’s over, the public might well have their say on the businesses that have behaved responsibly and honourably.

SPORTING IMMUNITY

I’m sure we’ve all now developed an immunity to sporting events being cancelled.

It was major eye-opening news when a Six Nations game was called off in Italy but since then it’s just one major sporting event falling after the other.

The only shock about the Dubai World Cup being called off next weekend was that it hadn’t already been called off.

Sadly, I’m beginning to think the same way about the Olympics. Is it just that 2020 has now been cancelled?

RULES THERE TO BE BROKEN

We are in un-chartered waters. Maybe it’s time to relax Sunday trading laws to allow under pressure supermarkets to make up ground? But even more importantly – let’s get an army of support staff in to help and take the pressure off.

AND FINALLY …

In times of adversity music and humour can still bring much needed respite and hope.

It helped during wartime and when it comes to satirical humour Private Eye are always odds-on to bring a wry smile.

The latest issue …..

Please take care. I wish you, your loved ones and friends all the best. There’s just no way, yet, of predicting how this story ends. But please, STAY AT HOME.

David

DAVID STEWART is a freelance digital betting producer and journalist. His CV includes: The Sun, The Sporting Life, Racing Post, At The Races, The Sportsman, lead feature writer for Sky’s Betview magazine and senior producer Timeform Radio.

Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

[td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_1″]

SHARE VIA

    Most Read