They are the ones that you look to for inspiration - on and off the park. Men that are born leaders, that will fight for the team, lift heads when they are down and think second place is for wimps. They are the football captains who carry the dreams and glory of thousands upon their shoulders.

We’re delighted to pick our favourite Top 10 great football captains for all our football betting readers. I’m sure you’ll feel that we have missed someone out so please use the comments to let us know who you feel should be in our Top 10 great football captains list.

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Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken and when SAF speaks, football listens, and this time is no exception. He says he doesn’t rate Chelsea’s chances next season because the team is old, unchanged and already running at peak. He can’t see what Scolari can bring to that situation. Premiership betting fans, mulling over these musings, will be balancing the Scolari effect at Chelsea against SAF’s approach to juggling Wayne Rooney with either Dimitar Berbatov or Roque Santa Cruz, depending who he gets, for the role of sole striker in their successful 4-1-4-1 and 4-5-1 formats of last season. He can’t exclude Wayne yet he doesn’t want to disturb a winning formula.

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With the countdown to the new season getting ever closer we thought it best to wet the appetites of all the regular football betting readers who tune into the Free Bets Blog with a selection of some of the finest football goal celebrations down the years.

Each celebration holds its own tale and in the shadows of the new 08 / 09 premiership betting season we hope it gives some inspiration to the world class talent on display on how best and best not to celebrate a goal.

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A recent injection of rumour in the close-season transfer market has at last sparked some movement in which has been a very quiet affair - Roanldo of Man Unt and Lampard of Chelsea aside. Perhaps it’s the current economic climate that is playing its part but for your average football betting punter scanning the back pages of the newspaper or online sports channels looking for some transfer gossip has been hard work as of late.

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Its been a turbulent summer off the park for Cristiano Ronaldo as he debates his football future – Real Madrid or Manchester United? The press have been loving the will-he-wont-he debate filling up sports column inches in which has been a surprising quiet transfer market this summer. Now, big Luiz Felipe Scolari, the new Chelsea boss and Ronaldo’s former international manager has been caught up in the hulabaloo. Rumours have started that he was dishing out ‘career advise’ to Ronaldo about taking his trade to the spanish giants Real Madrid while he was still gaffer at Portugal knowing full well he had Chelsea courting him at this years Euro 2008. Now, who would bet big Phil would do such a thing?

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Tonight hosts the second semi-final of the Euro 2008 Championship with Germany just squeezing past Turkey last night in a gripping 3 – 2 encounter. Latest Euro 2008 Betting for the Spain vs Russia match has it in the favour of the spanish giants.

Both teams met in their first group match and Spain thumped Russia that day 4 : 1. However, Russia has since gone on to beat Greece, Sweden and Holland. Spain won their group with ease then were held by the Italians 0 : 0 and proceeded from the quarters in a 4 – 2 penalty shoot-out win.

Spain vs Russia Team Analysis

You can still great great deals for the remaining matches at our Euro 2008 betting page where you can pick from a whole host of free online betting offers.

The Euros have not failed to deliver and for football fans everywhere we have witnessed some great games and fantastic goals. Online betting has been in full swing for the Euro 2008 Championships and keeping with the momentum here is a quick run-down on the latest quarter final matches and their betting odds.

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One of the fantastic things that is currently happening concerning the Euro 2008 Championships is the great free bet updates from the top on-line bookies. Signing up for these free Euro 2008 betting offers is as straight forward as they come and it also adds that personal interest to get more involved with the matches still to play considering none of the home nations made it to the final.

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Euro 2008 betting is well under way now and who would have thought? The sheer luxury of neutrality for English Football betting enthusiasts now able to sit back and watch without the emotional grind of England persistently underachieving and then performing fabulously and then finally blowing it is something I for one certainly didn’t expect. In my new, laid-back state, all of a sudden I’m an expert on every aspect of team selection and tactics and look on managerial and player incompetence with the scorn they deserve.

Of course, a wager or two helps to promote interest and there’s been no shortage of those. In fact, I’ve been banging on for ages about how online betting has totally transformed our approach to betting on a match but it’s only just now that I’ve fully realised the possibilities. There are just such a vast amount of things you can bet on now. I won’t ramble on about the range – just go to any of the many online betting sites and you’ll see for yourself. Right now I’m dead keen on predicting who’s in the lead at half time and full time and, if I get it wrong at any point in the game, I can compensate by going for a score prediction based on what I’ve seen of the teams so far. It’s worked for me so far.

Let’s say, for example, you reckon France will beat Romania but won’t score until the second half. Romania have never beaten France in a competitive match nor have they ever won their opening match in the Euros. Admittedly, half the French team are injured but there’s plenty to draw on including Anelka if Henry is crocked for the duration of the game. So, you’d go Draw/France on the match and, if France scores in the first half then go for a score prediction of 2-0 after 90 minutes. Welcome back, adrenalin!

The other match this evening, Netherlands v. Italy is harder to call. The Dutch have a good range of players to choose from but have yet to gel as a team. The Italians are beginning a return to form after a period in the doldrums but it’s mostly happening in mid-field and their defensive strength is doubtful. Then again, they are Italy and you never know what they’ve got up their sleeve. This will be an interesting match and very revealing for the group and the latter stages of the competition.

It’s almost upon us, The Euro 2008 Championship and for the first time in a long time none of the home nations will be represented at one of footballs most spectacular events. This year we’ll all be watching the 22 day extravaganza from the comfort of our armchairs. So another way to get involved is by having a hand in the Euro 2008 Betting.

We thought here at the free betting blog we would give you a run down of the nations participating and their chances of qualifying from their prospective groups.

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