Alex Duff
@duffofbrentford.bsky.social
Author of Smart Money (Brentford FC), Le Fric (Tour de France) & Football's Secret Trade (Player transfers).
He bets on football - just not his own club or league.
Bloom's syndicate has probably the most sophisticated mathematical modelling of football players / teams of any professional gambling operation.
That's part of the reason Brighton is 5th in the Premier League.
Bloom's syndicate has probably the most sophisticated mathematical modelling of football players / teams of any professional gambling operation.
That's part of the reason Brighton is 5th in the Premier League.
December 3, 2025 at 7:38 PM
He bets on football - just not his own club or league.
Bloom's syndicate has probably the most sophisticated mathematical modelling of football players / teams of any professional gambling operation.
That's part of the reason Brighton is 5th in the Premier League.
Bloom's syndicate has probably the most sophisticated mathematical modelling of football players / teams of any professional gambling operation.
That's part of the reason Brighton is 5th in the Premier League.
Bizarrely, those 2014 rules are secretive and unpublished but give the right for English football authorities to audit Bloom's (and Benham's) syndicates
www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/b...
www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/b...
England Bans Betting in Soccer, but Not for ‘The Lizard’ (Published 2017)
www.nytimes.com
December 3, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Bizarrely, those 2014 rules are secretive and unpublished but give the right for English football authorities to audit Bloom's (and Benham's) syndicates
www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/b...
www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/b...
I'm pretty sure Tony Bloom has not broken any rules, far too smart for that.
1. There were no specific rules for owners in English football pre-2014
2. The 2014 rules were agreed to take into account Bloom's (and Matthew Benham's) profession as gamblers
1. There were no specific rules for owners in English football pre-2014
2. The 2014 rules were agreed to take into account Bloom's (and Matthew Benham's) profession as gamblers
December 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
I'm pretty sure Tony Bloom has not broken any rules, far too smart for that.
1. There were no specific rules for owners in English football pre-2014
2. The 2014 rules were agreed to take into account Bloom's (and Matthew Benham's) profession as gamblers
1. There were no specific rules for owners in English football pre-2014
2. The 2014 rules were agreed to take into account Bloom's (and Matthew Benham's) profession as gamblers
Another option not sold out:
the audio book.
The narrator Simon Shepherd is 🔝
the audio book.
The narrator Simon Shepherd is 🔝
November 7, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Another option not sold out:
the audio book.
The narrator Simon Shepherd is 🔝
the audio book.
The narrator Simon Shepherd is 🔝
Full review here: www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...
Rosalía: Lux review – a demanding, distinctive clash of classical and chaos that couldn’t be by anyone else
The Catalan star’s monumental fourth LP features lyrics in 13 languages, references to female saints, the London Symphony Orchestra – and Björk on ‘divine intervention’
www.theguardian.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Full review here: www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...
In other football / Central Line nostalgia:
Stan Bowles used to take the Central Line to training at Orient when he lived at Lancaster Gate.
Stan also took public transport to his first Brentford match in 1981, carrying his boots in a plastic bag.
Stan Bowles used to take the Central Line to training at Orient when he lived at Lancaster Gate.
Stan also took public transport to his first Brentford match in 1981, carrying his boots in a plastic bag.
October 20, 2025 at 10:20 AM
In other football / Central Line nostalgia:
Stan Bowles used to take the Central Line to training at Orient when he lived at Lancaster Gate.
Stan also took public transport to his first Brentford match in 1981, carrying his boots in a plastic bag.
Stan Bowles used to take the Central Line to training at Orient when he lived at Lancaster Gate.
Stan also took public transport to his first Brentford match in 1981, carrying his boots in a plastic bag.
Greenwood covered the trophy in cloth to avoid attention.
Asked by a passenger what was underneath, he said: Sweet FA.
He captained Brentford before becoming West Ham manager.
🐝⚒️
Asked by a passenger what was underneath, he said: Sweet FA.
He captained Brentford before becoming West Ham manager.
🐝⚒️
October 20, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Greenwood covered the trophy in cloth to avoid attention.
Asked by a passenger what was underneath, he said: Sweet FA.
He captained Brentford before becoming West Ham manager.
🐝⚒️
Asked by a passenger what was underneath, he said: Sweet FA.
He captained Brentford before becoming West Ham manager.
🐝⚒️
More from @publico.es including the nugget that the 4 grandchildren of Tour de France matriarch Marie-Odile Amaury, 85, are now shareholders in the family business.
Looks like TdF (family-owned since 1947) will not be for sale for another couple of generations.
www.publico.es/politica/inv...
Looks like TdF (family-owned since 1947) will not be for sale for another couple of generations.
www.publico.es/politica/inv...
El negocio de Amaury en España es mucho más que La Vuelta: 22 millones por la salida del Tour en Bilbao y Barcelona y 17 años de maratones
La matriz francesa de Unipublic creó dos UTE para conseguir adjudicaciones públicas y fue durante cuatro años coorganizador de las Titan World Series.
www.publico.es
September 23, 2025 at 9:46 AM
More from @publico.es including the nugget that the 4 grandchildren of Tour de France matriarch Marie-Odile Amaury, 85, are now shareholders in the family business.
Looks like TdF (family-owned since 1947) will not be for sale for another couple of generations.
www.publico.es/politica/inv...
Looks like TdF (family-owned since 1947) will not be for sale for another couple of generations.
www.publico.es/politica/inv...
C. 1995
1. Get the story.
2. File to the copy taker.
3. Go to the pub.
1. Get the story.
2. File to the copy taker.
3. Go to the pub.
September 22, 2025 at 8:37 PM
C. 1995
1. Get the story.
2. File to the copy taker.
3. Go to the pub.
1. Get the story.
2. File to the copy taker.
3. Go to the pub.
More scrutiny on Amaury family than usual in Spain following La Vuelta protests and criticism of Spanish government.
When they bought La Vuelta there was barely a murmur.
Now Publico story links the family receiving public money including subsidies with investing offshore.
When they bought La Vuelta there was barely a murmur.
Now Publico story links the family receiving public money including subsidies with investing offshore.
September 18, 2025 at 9:27 AM
More scrutiny on Amaury family than usual in Spain following La Vuelta protests and criticism of Spanish government.
When they bought La Vuelta there was barely a murmur.
Now Publico story links the family receiving public money including subsidies with investing offshore.
When they bought La Vuelta there was barely a murmur.
Now Publico story links the family receiving public money including subsidies with investing offshore.
More details here: football-observatory.com/WeeklyPost513
Costliest squads: Chelsea at the top - CIES Football Observatory
Issue number 513 of the CIES Football Observatory's Weekly Post presents the 100 clubs worldwide having committed the most money in transfer fees (...)
football-observatory.com
September 17, 2025 at 4:55 PM
More details here: football-observatory.com/WeeklyPost513