20 steps

What a Day… and TRotSS - Bet 4

1536 - Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII is beheaded for adultery, treason and incest.

1962 - Marilyn Monroe, performs ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ for JFK at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The 19th May is a date steeped in more than it’s fair share of history, both modern and ancient. Take a look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_19th

…if you don’t believe me.

And today the earth may shift, the stars will perhaps align as another cataclysmic occurrence adds itself to the cluttered chronicle above. First West Ham and Blackpool will thrash it out in the Championship Playoff Final, the winners set to become the first relegated side to make an immediate return to the top flight via the Playoffs. Then, this evening, once the Wembley dust has settled The Allianz Arena in Munich will bounce to the beat of the Champions League Final. A fifth win for Bayern will see them tie Liverpool for third place in the all-time list of European Cup Wins. Whilst victory for Chelsea will give the city of London it’s first ever European Champions.

But these are not the historic occasions of which I speak, no. Today more than a year since it’s inception, probably, and after more attempts than I can be bothered to count, 20steps will sweat over the first ever bet 4 in it’s history.

Back under the arch at Wembley the action promises to be as tense as usual, but sadly for West Ham I think Blackpool will go through this afternoon. Ian Holloway’s side won the 2010 final and that experience could prove vital today, particularly with the Hammers having the heavy tag of favouritism hanging from their necks.

So bet 4 is Blackpool to win in the ‘Draw No Bet’ market this afternoon, that’s £10.74 going on at 2/1 with bet365.

Follow me on Twitter @marcusbraeburn

Find Marcus Braeburn on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002762478968

TRotSS bet 1 - £1 on Justin Rose at 11/8 - WON - £2.38

TRotSS bet 2 - £2.38 on Barca v Chelsea - OVER 50 bookings points at Evens - WON - £4.88

TRotSS bet 3 - £4.88 on Liverpool to beat Chelsea at 6/5 - WON - £10.74

TRotSS bet 4 - £10.74 on Blackpool to beat West Ham (Draw No Bet) at 2/1 with bet365

Reds Oblige and so on to Bet 4.

A giant well done and thank you to Liverpool who, as predicted, vanquished a distracted Chelsea to claim 4 goals and three points last night. More importantly the win means that we move to Bet 4 (for the very first time!) with £10.74 in the bank, just 17 more steps to go…

Follow me on Twitter @marcusbraeburn

Find Marcus Braeburn on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002762478968

TRotSS bet 1 - £1 on Justin Rose at 11/8 - WON - £2.38

TRotSS bet 2 - £2.38 on Barca v Chelsea - OVER 50 bookings points at Evens - WON - £4.88

TRotSS bet 3 - £4.88 on Liverpool to beat Chelsea at 6/5 - WON - £10.74

Liverpool in Home Win Shocker & Bet 3 (TRotSS)

Backing Liverpool to win at home this season has been just about as successful as a Conservative party local election campaign. Tonight however, the Reds should buck the trend by beating Chelsea, and there are many reasons for believing this.

Firstly, Liverpool will be smarting from Saturdays FA Cup Final defeat. Impotent for the first 60 minutes, Andy Carroll changed the game when he came on, and in the end his team will feel slightly aggrieved at not forcing extra time. Those painful Wembley memories will be fresh in the minds of Carroll, Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and co, and the chance to gain revenge so soon is definately sweet.

Secondly, Chelsea know that fourth place and a champions league qualifying birth is beyond them, witness the defeat at home to Newcastle six days ago as evidence. Roberto Di Matteo’s team will now be fully focused on May 19th, the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich and the chance to make history as the first London team to be crowned champions of Europe.

Liverpool also have a great league record against Chelsea, losing only two of the last ten games. That run includes victory in five of the last seven, while 3 points tonight would be their fourth maximum on the bounce. The Reds will be desperate not to lose three in a row at home and so will welcome a team with Chelsea’s poor recent away form.

Lastly a win would lift Kenny Dalgish’s team to 8th in the premier league, just one point behind Everton with a single game to go. With Newcastle visiting Goodison Park on the last day, Liverpool know that victory tonight and away in Swansea might just take them above their local rivals.

7th place in the league, local bragging rights and a Carling Cup on the shelf might not be seen as a vintage season at Anfield; but it might just be good enough for all Liverpool’s connections to summer holiday with confidence for the future.

So 20steps will take our £4.88 from that memorable, stormy night in Barcelona and lump it on Liverpool to beat Chelsea tonight at 6/5 with Paddy Power.

Follow me on Twitter @marcusbraeburn

Find Marcus Braeburn on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002762478968

TRotSS bet 1 - £1 on Justin Rose at 11/8 - WON - £2.38

TRotSS bet 2 - £2.38 on Barca v Chelsea - OVER 50 bookings points at Evens - WON - £4.88

TRotSS bet 3 - £4.88 on Liverpool to beat Chelsea at 6/5 with Paddy Power

Bet 2 - The Return Of The Stepper Stream (TRotSS)

Tempers will be frayed, nerves will be on edge, finger nails will be bitten. Tonight’s big game is the Champions League semi-final 2nd leg between Barcelona and Chelsea, and it promises to be an absolute hum-dinger of an evening. 90,000 fans in the (Camp) (The) Nou (Camp) and zillions of armchair spectators around the globe (20steps included) will watch a match perfectly poised to provide drama and excitement.

Chelsea have a 1-0 lead courtesy of Didier Drogdive’s 2nd half goal at Stamford Bridge, meaning that Barcelona must come out and attack, attack, attack. Such a policy may well leave gaps at the back for Chelsea to exploit, goals tonight will not be in short supply. Such occasions also tend to produce highly charged atmosphere’s and so yellow and red cards should be plentiful also.

In the 2009 edition of this semi-final the first leg at (Camp) (The) Nou (Camp), produced a healthy 4 yellow cards, whilst the second leg at Stamford Bridge yielded a gigantic 7 yellows and one straight red. Last weeks first leg in London also featured 4 yellow cards, and with so much at stake tonight, I am banking on tempers to fray and history to repeat itself.

So bet 2 of ‘TRotSS’ is for the total bookings points tonight to be over 50* with Blue Square at even money. Fingers crossed for a lively encounter.

*(10 points are awarded for every yellow card shown, 25 points for a red)

Follow the game with me tonight on Twitter @marcusbraeburn

Find Marcus Braeburn on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002762478968

TRotSS bet 1 - £1 on Justin Rose at 11/8 - WON - £2.38

TRotSS bet 2 - £2.38 on Barca v Chelsea - OVER 50 bookings points - Evens with Blue Sq.

The Augusta Masters & 20steps: The Return Of The Stepper Stream (TRotSS)

“I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one” - Mark Twain.

The fairways are lush, the greens are trimmed, the birds are singing at Amen Corner. It can only be the beginning of the 76th edition of the Masters, the first golf major of the year. And what an event it promises to be. But for two golfers in particular, this weeks competition has extra significance. Since October 2010, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald have topped the world rankings for all but 10 weeks between them, yet neither man has troubled the engraver on a major Sunday.

Since Tiger Woods picked up his last biggie at the 2008 US Open there have been 14 major golf tournaments. These 14 tournaments have provided 10 golfers with their first major success, 3 each from Northern Ireland and the USA, 2 from South Africa and one from Germany. Luke Donald’s best performances in that time are a fourth at Augusta last year and 5th at the 2009 US Open. Westwood meanwhile has done a little better, with a couple of runner’s up spots, one of which came at the Masters in 2010, the other at the Open of the same year (although by some distance).

And so today, as things get serious for the first time in 2012, both men must be thinking that they may have missed a trick. Not only does Rory McIlroy sit between them in the world rankings, he stands firmly in their way at this Masters tournament, an event he led for 52 holes last time out. More disconcertingly Tiger Woods can be seen peering over the horizon. Having slowly moved back into the top 10 he won his first tournament since 2009 last month. Since Woods’ decline golfers everywhere have taken the opportunity to grab one of the big prizes in his absence. Lee Westwood and Luke Donald may regret not having made better use of this opportunity, because now both Tiger and Rory stand in the way of their ambitions.

Also returning after a long absence is my friend and yours, 20steps, this correspondents attempt to become a millionaire by simply doubling up a £1 stake 20 times. While last time around I was as successful as a certain pair of English golfers looking to win a certain major golf tournament, this will not stop me from trying again. As Westwood and Donald have taken all the attention, Justin Rose has slowly climbed the world rankings and currently sits in 9th place, so if you’re going to risk money backing an Englishman this week then Justin could be the man. With 2 big wins in the US in the last seven months, Rose is worth an each way punt at 30/1 with bet365, Victor and Hills.

More importantly though here is the first bet in ‘The Return Of The Stepper Stream’ (TROTSS). Take Justin Rose at 11/8 to win his 3-ball today versus Rickie Fowler and Trevor Immelman, generally available all over the place.

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