Blues Back In The Pot

	Why keep taking bets and offer the best price (1/14) anywhere in the UK?

Paddy Power has reopened the book on Chelsea’s title hunt – even though they’ve only recently paid out early to all their Chelsea-backing punters. So sure were they that manager Jose Mourinho’s dream team had done enough to secure their second consecutive title, that they paid out at the end of September – barely a quarter of the way into the 2005-06 season.

‘All we did was (respond to) what the other bookies, people in pubs and football pundits were thinking – that Chelsea are that good,’ said Power’s Darren Haines, though the firm hasn’t revealed how much the move cost them.

True enough, Mr Haines, but if the title race is mathematically all but over, why keep taking bets and offer the best price (1/14) anywhere in the UK? And, as anyone who has backed the Blues to win in the weeks since the payout will be wondering, with Chelsea’s lead becoming all the more unassailable, why haven’t they been paid off early too?

Pay it again, Paddy

All of which must have left a few punters suspecting the payout was more a stab at grabbing headlines rather than a rare case of bookie altruism. ‘We never intended to pay out early,’ retorted Haines, ‘and we haven’t ruled out another payout in the future – say if Chelsea went 25 or 30 points ahead.’

Ladbrokes’ David Williams has his own view on the subject. ‘They can pay out because they don’t have big liabilities like we do. We’d lose a lot of money if there was a major upset and Chelsea somehow didn’t do it,’ he said, revealing that in recent weeks Ladbrokes had accepted a £50,000 bet at 1/9 on Chelsea.

Here at InsideEdge, we’re not that greedy though. We just want to know if Mr Power is prepared to accept £50 at 1/14 on last season’s Premiership winner. It’s a sure thing, you know.