Quarter of a million pounds gamble on the World Cup

QUARTER-MILLION WORLD CUP GAMBLE.....A William Hill customer stunned staff in a Blackpool betting shop when he walked in and staked a ten thousand pound bet on Brazil to win both next year's World Cup, and the same competition in 2014. His bet was struck at odds of 24/1 and if he is successful he will collect a quarter of a million pounds. 'Staff had never seen the middle-aged man before - perhaps he was a member of the Tory Party whose Conference is currently taking place there - and he asked for this massive bet, the largest yet struck on the World Cup.He didn't explain why he felt they would win the current and the next but one World Cups but not the one in between' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.WHAT PRICE CROUCH TO START UP FRONT?......William Hill make Peter Crouch odds-on favourite to get the nod to start up front alongside Michael Owen for England on Saturday, at odds of 4/7, while Jermain Defoe is a 7/4 shot to start and Darren Bent 7/1. And Hills have opened a book on England's central defence pairing, offering 1/2 that it will be Ferdinand-Terry; 5/2 Campbell-Terry; 7/1 Ferdinand-Campbell; 16/1 any other combination.ENGLAND 80/1 TO DRAW WORLD CUP BLANK- SCOTLAND 10/1.....England are quoted at 80/1 by William Hill to lose both of their imminent World Cup qualifying games against Austria and Poland. Hils make England 1/5 favourites to beat Austria, who are 10/1, with the draw a 4/1 shot. And England are 8/11 to win both of the matches; 15/8 to take four points from the two games; 6/1 to get three; 16/1 two and 25/1 just one.Hills make Scotland 7/2 to pick up six points from their two qualifiers against Belarus and Slovenia - they are 10/1 to lose both; 17/10 to take three points; 3/1 four; 9/2 one; 12/1 two.Further information.....Graham Sharpe...0208 918 3731