Right Said Fred: Talking betting with Betfred boss Fred Done

I'm hoping you Manchester City fans in particular out there got the champagne out and had a smashing start to the New Year.

I paid out early on the Blues retaining the Premier League title last week.

And with Liverpool and Chelsea sharing the points in that blockbuster of a game in London that left City well clear at the top only reinforces my view that 2022 will be Pep Guardiola's year.

It’s going to cost me at least £750,000, but I’m absolutely convinced the title is theirs this season.

It’s not the first time I’ve done this. In fact, I was the first bookie in 1998 to pay out early on the title – and that was when I got it wrong and Arsenal pipped my beloved United.

I was wrong again in 2012, when that little Argentine Sergio Aguero did the business for City against QPR despite us winning at Sunderland.

But let me tell you, I’m not wrong this time. With all the gloom and doom around the country at the minute, at least City fans are have something big to celebrate now they have got down to the Betfred shop to pick up their winnings.

When Liverpool slipped up against Leicester, it convinced me to give you Blues a chance to party.

Jurgen Klopp’s men just aren’t playing well at the minute, and have lost their best attacking players to the African Cup of Nations.

As for the rest of them – Chelsea, Spurs and Chelsea are just too inconsistent, while United are going through a huge transitional period.

City are going great guns, with goals coming from all parts of the team – even without a recognised centre-forward.

If they’d signed Harry Kane or Erling Haaland then the Premier League title would have been sorted and I’d have been paying out even earlier than now.

If you backed City  either at your local Betfred shop or online – and I know hundreds of you have – then pick up your winnings and bring in the New Year with a glass of champagne on me. We've had lots of tenners on City - and one big Blue in Oldham who put on £6,000 for City to retain the title back in July at 4/6.

My team United were, believe it or not, 5/1 for the title in the summer. As an indication of how poor we’ve been, even with the impact of Cristiano Ronaldo, we’re now as big as 100/1 for the title!

At Old Trafford, we’re already resigned to going for a top-four finish, which we’re 7/4 at Betfred the same price as Arsenal who did so well before losing to City.

Anyway, let’s not bang on about United. It’s you Blues who should be celebrating especially as at Arsenal they won despite being the worst team...a true sign of champions. So cheers to Pep's winning machine that's ten points clear at the top - and let’s hope for a happy and prosperous 2022 for all.

It's back driving the tractor today and everyday for a farm hand who won £83,509 with a 10p each way  Lucky 15 virtual horse racing wager at Betfred.

He may be 65 and a grandad but the lucky punter from south Manchester who works dawn until dusk on a Cheshire farm has no plans to put his wellies away.

He's been working for 33 years at the same farm and his biggest ever win won't mean any change in his routine.

"Why should it...I love my job because every day is different, " said the Betfted regular who took "about a minute" to select all the outsiders for four races at Sprintvalley, Portman Park and Steepledowns on Christmas Eve.

He then went to his local pub - and on Christmas Day thought he was dreaming of Santa when he checked the results with all four first past the post within 16 minutes of each other.

Christmas lunch was special when he told the family of his good fortune. " I must have checked the results four times...I just couldn't believe it, " added the divorced father of five who has five grandchildren.

He plans to give his eldest daughter a loan to pay off her mortgage, gifts for the rest of his family and a very modest reward for himself...an upgraded Ford Focus .

Congratulations to this down to earth very hard working customer. He's following in the finest traditions of Betfred in that he's won big from a tiny stake. His prize has been boosted substantially by our promotion with us paying a 50 per cent bonus on four winners on this fella's favourite virtual bet.

So to one of my favourite times of the sporting calendar...the FA Cup third round weekend.

It may be great for the fans but a nightmare for the top bosses who know defeat against a so called minnow can cost them their jobs. They have a huge dilemma whether to put out squad players and risk an upset or risk injury to their star men. Good luck with that one,fellas!

The world's greatest and oldest knock out competition has taken a bashing in terms of prestige in recent years but it is still going strong...and rightly so.

There will be no replays this time round -  thanks to the impact of Covid on fixture pile-ups - which as far as I'm concerned just adds to the drama.

No prizes for guessing the Betfred favourites to lift the cup at Wembley in May...yes, the runaway Premier League leaders City!

We have them 10/3 to be outright winners ahead of their game at Swindon on Friday in the first of the ties while United, who host Aston Villa on Monday at Old Trafford, are at 7/1 at Betfred to lift the cup.

United are odds on to beat Villa despite the horror show against another very plucky Midlands team Wolves in the Premier League. The visitors on Monday were first out of the blocks and stayed there to chalk a fully deserved 1-0 win. The bottom line is that Wolves played as a team while we played like a bunch of talented individuals who didn't want to put in the hard miles.