The Return Of Scottish Bell Cup 30th July

[kompressaur]

odds from bet365

Ok no prices yet but its got me all excited so we might as well get it in early

Raith Rovers v Elgin City
Raith will be about 4/6 but i could fancy Elgin at about 4/1. Be 2 young sides playing each other and if i aint wrong Elgin done ok in cups last season.

Peterhead v Berwick Rangers
Peterhead going up to Div 2 and Berwick going down to Div 3. Peterhead will be favs but again if Berwick are 7/4+ i could be interested. Infact Peterhead were murder in cups last year wernt they?

Brechin City v Clyde
All 1st Div encounter with the bookies probably slightly fancying Clyde on last seasons performance. All change at clyde again i believe and probably not a game i would get involved in.

Morton v Gretna
Whey hey this is what we want. Infact i might go to this one if all goes to plan over the next few weeks. Hard one to bet on but a cracker on paper and be interesting to see how this one effects the Div 2 outright odds for the week after. I reckon Gretna be 5/4 fav in this and you know i can always be talked into a bit of Morton. Nah i aint getting involved.

Ayr United v Stirling Albion
Another good cup tie it hard to split the pair. The bookies could make Stirling slight favs as Ayr aint expected to offer much this season but i dunno. Ayr have an ok record v Stirling and its early doors. One thing i do know is i wont be betting on this one.

Dundee v East Stirlingshire
Dundee will be 1/8 and East Stirlingshire look to be possibly worse than last year. Need to read up but i dont give ES a hope in hell here.

Ross County v Montrose
Interesting and a possible shocker. I like both these teams this season and i think they'll price Ross to unbackable odds on this one. I think its gonna be tighter than the odds will suggest but i think Ross will still win. I dont know if i can take them odds that dont exist though

Arbroath v Stranraer
Stranrear leaving Div 2 to go up and Arbroath going down to the 3rd. Can see Stranraer grinding out a result but i'd love to get involved in the home. I'd take 2/1+ on the home poss

St Johnstone v Alloa Athletic
Alloa won 3-0 up at St Johnstone im 90% sure last season. I thin kthe same rules apply as last year and St J are never one to trust. Need to wait on this but i cant see me getting involved.

East Fife v Stenhousemuir
Corker of a derby from the off here and you all know who'll i'll be on. I reckon Stenny will be about 5/4 and i'll be praying for them to have gelled from the off.

St Mirren v Forfar Athletic
Again didnt Forfar win 5-2 down at St Mirren in this very same trophy last year? Hard one to get involved with but the odds could help

Queen's Park v Hamilton Academical
This looks a corker of a tie to get into. Hamilton be 4/6 but QP had some great cup performances last year. Id go for the draw myself then sick my neck out and say QP will win the replay up there

Partick Thistle v Cowdenbeath
Another 2 teams who met last year. Shit i was on this game errr aye Beath were 9/2 and Partick won 4-2 i think but Beath were ok on the night. Need to check. Differant at Firhill though poss.

Queen of the South v Albion Rovers
Albion were the cup team of last year (relatively so) but going to QOS is never easy. Give me massive 9/1 odds though and i'll take em.

[FC Basher]

Things not looking to good for the Jags at the mo
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/sport/6019642.html#

[crowie]

Not one for betting much on friendlies but you would have to fancy Sheff Wed on Wednesday night at Partick. Wonder what sort of price they will go up at?

[Beanie]

Especially as Wednesday now have Burton O Brien. He's the potential to be a real star, and is added to an already decent squad.

[A.M.P]

Crowie, I've just come across this article on Partick Thistle on the mad website and I'll be keeping an eye on opposing them in the cup and against Wednesday = if there's any prices available for the friendly......

AMP

Dick Campbell known's that he'll have a limited squad the campaign, but with just 12 days until the start of the season(being the bells cup tie with Cowdenbeath), he is worried about lack of depth.

Speaking after the 4-0 loss at Brechin; the latest in a run of demoralising defeats in pre-season, Campbell is bemoaning their injury woes and having to reply on youth players. He told the Evening Times: "You can see we are very weak in depth and I had four players sitting in the stand (Billy Gibson, Jimmy Gibson, Marc Smyth and Derek Fleming) who would have started the season. But we had to go with what was left and again I had to pitch the young laddies in. It is now abundantly clear the young lads aren't up to it yet.

"The bottom line is we just can't do without our experienced players as there just isn't the depth there to cover for that. The other thing is I don't see any of the injured ones being back for Sheffield Wednesday in a couple of days and that is worrying."

[kompressaur]

Oi gerrof moi land!!!! talking about friendly games when the Challenge Cup is here at us i dunno

1st Round
Saturday 31st July 2004

Alloa Athletic 2 - 0 Elgin City
Partick Thistle 3 - 0 Brechin City
East Fife 0 - 0 Cowdenbeath [3 - 4 Penalties]
Airdrie United 0 - 2 Queen of the South
St Johnstone 2 - 0 Hamilton Accies
Ross County 2 - 1 St Mirren
East Stirling 1 - 2 Berwick Rangers
Gretna 3 - 0 Montrose
Ayr United 0 - 3 Falkirk
Forfar Athletic 3 - 1 Morton
Dumbarton 1 - 2 Stirling Albion
Raith Rovers 0 - 2 Albion Rovers
Queen’s Park 1 - 1 Stenhousemuir [4 - 2 Penalties]
Arbroath 2 - 4 Peterhead


1st Round
Saturday 2nd Aug 2003
Airdrie United 2 - 0 Montrose
Albion Rovers 1 - 0 East Fife
Alloa Athletic 1 - 2 Clyde
Ayr United 1 - 2 Stirling Albion
Brechin City 1 - 0 Falkirk
Cowdenbeath 1 - 2 Ross County
East Stirlingshire 2 - 5 Raith Rovers
Forfar Athletic 4 - 0 Elgin City
Gretna 0 - 5 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Hamilton Academical 2 - 3 St Johnstone
Morton 4 - 3 Arbroath
St Mirren 3 - 2 Queen's Park
Stenhousemuir 0 - 3 Peterhead
Stranraer 2 - 1 Queen of the South
Byes: Berwick Rangers and Dumbarton

I'm sure they met. Bet you tt was the league cup

CIS INSURANCE CUP 10th AUG 04
Stenhousemuir 2 - 1 Arbroath
Airdrie Utd 3 - 0 East Fife
Dumbarton 1 - 3 Ross County
Queen of South 1 - 2 Albion
Stranraer 2 - 1 Raith
Peterhead 3 - 2 East Stirling
Brechin 5 - 2 Cowdenbeath [AET]
Stirling v Queen's Park
Morton 1 - 0 Gretna
Falkirk 4 - 1 Montrose
Berwick 3 - 2 Elgin
St Johnstone 2 - 3 Alloa
Hamilton 4 - 1 Ayr
St Mirren 2 - 5 Forfar

Bollocks i must be going mad :loon

[Mr Chips]

I canna wait for this! And the added of excitement of possibly getting odds on Aberdeen of around 7/4 at Tannadice, it could be some day!

[kompressaur]

Aye Mr C your so exited your on the Bells thread

Talk about excitment. Here we go.

Straight away Stranny. That the sort of tie your looking for. Sranraer done ok at Arbroath last year abeit getting some hard games. Arbroath have lost a lot of good players and they aint favourites for div 3 in my book. Stranraer will enjoy te cup again this season and will enjoy anything that aint a league match as its gonna be a long hard season. Bet 365's 4/5 looks good already. I dare someone to go evens?

Ayr v Strilring - Odds as tight as youd expect. Could be a case for being on the away as Striling wont mind a trip to Ayr. Ayr have got a lot of junior players in and lost some of their better ones of last season. Thing is with these juniors though their out to impress in their first senior games so i dunno. One to avoid this early imo.

Brechin v Clyde - Another game involving some unknown quantities. Well Clyde will be relatively so. Got to like the home here but i'll pass for now.

East Fife v Stenhousemuir - Reading that East Fife have lost Steve Nichlos and to me that was their only real threat up front. Stenhousemuir have got a few experienced players in to shore up the back which leaked some goals in games last season. Add Frankie Carrol and a few more (need to read up again sport) and Stenny having a not bad record last couple of seasons i think v their near neighbours and i'll be on the away here. Looks good alread.

Morton v Gretna - Woh hooo the big one. The bookies cant split them and i dunno if i want to try either. Some game but i think i might totally sit this one out. Then again Morton at home, Lilley an co..nope i vaint going there. Next!

Partick v Cowdenbeath - I actually rate Beath's chances but it's hard to see them winning it. Then again that price differance is big for 2 teams that aint that fa\r apart. Nah i reckon Partick are gonna learn from their mistakes etc. I would like to fancy the away still could but too much doubt all in.

Peterhead v Berwick - Another match i dont see too much between the 2 sides. Berwick have shown their best form away and Peterhead turned a bit unpredictable at home last season. One to look at with pre-season stuff etc but i think there could be a case for the home and the away

QOS v Hamilton - Errrr is that a bookies error? Surely it must be? It has to be? Bet365 probably have Hamilton shorter in the betting than QOS for the league. Nah that has to be wrong. I would have made Hamilton no more than 7/4 for this one. 6/1 their having a laugh. If you can get on that and its no mistake then i would. I actually fancy Hamilton to come away with a 1-0 win. 6/1 away and pump

Bollox it is a mistake. Look at their Queens Pk v Albion prices. QP should be 5/6 for that not 7/2. Be worth trying to take the prices and see if you get away with it. Elgin, Montrose, Alloa and Forfar could all be considered at big prices imo.

[kompressaur]

Just noticed theyve got Queen Of The South and Queens Park mixed up

Ive went off Arbroath since reading up on them after my first look.

[Beanie]

Not much to add Komp apart from Livi's two friendlies this weekend.

Beat Berwick 4-0, then the same team lost to Stenny 1-0. Didn't make either match, but apparently Stenny were impressive, and even though the Livi team were a bit weary from the Berwick game the day before, it sounded like Stenny outplayed us all over the pitch. Big season in prospect for them poss?

[MickeyPaul]

Forfar, Queens Park, Hamilton treble for me @ 189.00

[crowie]

Anyone tell me why Albion Rovers are 1.57 at Queens Park? Have they signed Ronaldo in the summer? Has Queens Park decided to field their U14 team?

Likewise the last time I looked QOTS and Hamilton were still in the same league and not that much difference in class. Fair enough QOTS are at home but 1.33??

It seems very strange that they should be shorter than Ross County (1.44) who are at home to a team 2 leagues below them. Or Partick Thistle (1.50) who went down from Div 1 last year and are facing a Div 3 side in Cowdenbeath.

Is it just me or are those odds a bag of shite?

[crowie]

Ahh hah. Just noticed Bet365 have made an arse of it.

The ties are actually

QOTS v Albion and Queens Park v Hamilton, not as on their site

Edit: Just also read Komps post a couple above these ones

I'll get me coat

[kompressaur]

Well done Inspector Crowie. What was is that lead you to solving the crime?

Mickeypaul, what kind of post was that? Waiting 9 weeks for it and thats all you have to say

[MickeyPaul]

Soz, I was all excited about the yacht I was gonna get.