Barely a week after deciding to pay out on Manchester United winning the Premiership, independent bookmaker Fred Done is beginning to fear the worst.
With United six points clear, United fanatic Done declared Alex Ferguson's boys home and hosed and instructed all 220 of his shops to pay out on any singles placed on or before Saturday, February 5.
Yet United's 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Newcastle on Saturday has thrown the title race wide open, with Super Soccer prepared to lay 1-2 the Reds.
"I need someone to say a prayer for me," said Done, who freely admits he has been getting it in the neck from his better half all weekend.
"The wife is hardly speaking to me. She says why do I bother causing myself all this heartache." But much more worrying for Done is Liverpool's emergence as genuine contenders after Sunday's 1-0 win at Highbury.
If you are a United fan, one side you definitely do not want winning is Liverpool and, as usual, Done has backed up his bias with hard cash.
"When the best trade price was 12-1 at the start of the season, I went 20-1," he said.
"And I also said I would give back any place stakes if they finished fourth. A place in the top four looks guaranteed now. If they win, it costs me the thick end of £500,000."
As a result, Done is only offering 6-1 Liverpool (cut from 16-1 to 12-1 by Ladbrokes yesterday), with only the Tote shorter, although his quote of 1-4 United suggests he is still pretty confident.
"Sunday's game with Leeds is massive, but the boys can do it," said Done, whose firm makes Leeds stand-out 11-2 chances for the title.
Done has also been backed up by Alan Shearer, the man who helped give him such a weekend headache by scoring twice for Newcastle.
"I think United will still win," he said. "They have the team, the manager and are sitting where everyone else wants to be - at the top." by Racing Post 15/02/1999 BACK TO TOP ^ |
