Football Betting: Beckham to reach 100 caps?

Although David Beckham is desperate to reach 100 caps, William Hill believe he is likely to end up short on 99, and are offering a tempting 6/4 for the football bettor that he manages to reach the ton, but make him 1/2 to miss out. Beckham needs just three more caps to reach his century and he will be hoping to move on to 99 following the next two games, away to Austria in a friendly on Friday and the Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia next Wednesday. "If England fail to qualify for Euro 2008, Beckham can forget about 100 caps - unless the FA stage a game specifically for that purpose - and you wouldn't put that past them," said William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe. William Hill make Beckham 1/6 to start the possibly vital Euro qualifier against Croatia, and 7/2 not to. Under-fire keeper Paul Robinson is 1/7 to start in goal against Croatia with Hills who make David James 7/2 with Scott Carson 16/1. Hills also make England 1/2 to beat Croatia who are 9/2 with the draw 13/5 and offer 11/10 that Frank Lampard will start the game against Croatia, but make him 4/6 not to do so after the midfielder lost his place to Gareth Barry. Beckham's old team Manchester United will one day be looking for a new boss and With Sir Alex Ferguson celebrating 21 years as United boss, William Hill have opened a book on who will eventually succeed him as permanent manager of the club, and make former Old Trafford striker Mark Hughes the 9/2 favourite. "Even Sir Alex cannot go on forever, but he will be a tough act to follow and there will be no shortage of world-class candidates," said Sharpe. Hills make another old boy, Roy Keane and current No 2 Carlos Queiroz 11/2 joint second favourites and also offer 8/1 Martin O'Neill, 9/1 Jose Mourinho; 20/1 Marcello Lippi and Sven-Goran Eriksson. Yet another old boy features on the list as Eric Cantona is offered at 100/1. Ferguson doesn't have to worry about the sack but Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is now 5/4 favourite with William Hill to be the next Premier League boss out of the door this season. Hills make Derby manager Billy Davies 2/1 second favourite and also offer 9/2 on Birmingham boss Steve Bruce; 5/1 Gareth Southgate and 10/1 Steve Coppell. The bookmaker will be looking to make some money back after a William Hill client landed the biggest football accumulator bet payout of the season so far, collecting £122,123.08 after staking £240 on a midweek Champions League five-timer. The man, a regular football punter in his thirties, placed the bet in a Hill's branch in Hendon, North London: "This is a magnificent bet, the biggest winning acca we have seen this season - and we very much hope it will remain a record until the end of the campaign!" said Sharpe.