*****New Football Thread*****
-
Welcome to the new football trading main thread!
Keep all of your football trading discussion in here!
Not sure where to start with football trading? Take a look at our beginners guide: https://betfairtradingcommunity.com/en/blog/football-trading-ultimate-trading-start-guide
We have written a guide on what to consider before following any trades, this is a must read before following any trades below: https://betfairtradingcommunity.com/en/blog/football-trading-betfair-essentials
FHG = First Half Goal
SHG = Second Half Goal
LTD = Lay The Draw
LCS = Lay Current Score -
Question for footy traders who bet pre-match:
What's the earliest you would ever generally enter a trade or place a pre-match bet?
As soon as the match appears on Betfair?
As soon as liquidity is decent (e.g. small spread or certain amount traded)?
1 day before the match?
When the squad is announced?
Just before kick-off?Let me know
-
@james-everard I have been using the stats a lot more to get an idea of first goal times which then drives whether or not I put the full stake on from the start. I usually try to put a half stake on at a sensible time (from the stats) and then set up two quarter stakes to drip in shortly after.
I'm certainly no expert but I got tired of putting the whole stake on at KO only to find that the first goal comes in 20 mins later and I could have got a much better price. It doesn't always work of course but I reckon that I am getting a higher overall average price by drip feeding. The stats are key though - as @martin keeps saying!
-
@Alastair-Todd said in *****New Football Thread*****:
@james-everard I have been mostly sticking to my O1.5 goal strategy as my FHG filter was losing me money consistently so I binned it! I may try the back over 2.5 goals with a view to trading out as odds decay.
However, full disclosure, I have been 'taking action' and doing a little matched betting on the side with the bookies that I never opened the first time round. There are also a surprisingly high number of price boosts which allow some small and consistent profits.
Need to stay grounded though, and yesterday's three losing trades did that with a big fat 'red' for the first day of 2026.
Good luck this year.
HI Alastair i was trading an over 1.5 fh goal strategy at one point , what i always seem to find you have months of paper trading with consistent profits then you start trading it is a disaster. So far this month i started a new system after 6 months of profit paper trading ( BTTS ) and guess what 5 losses out of 5 so far very annoying!
That's a good idea with regards to the match betting something i could potential look at in the future.
What over 1.5 goal strategy are you doing is it at kick off or a split stake ? -
@james-everard I have been mostly sticking to my O1.5 goal strategy as my FHG filter was losing me money consistently so I binned it! I may try the back over 2.5 goals with a view to trading out as odds decay.
However, full disclosure, I have been 'taking action' and doing a little matched betting on the side with the bookies that I never opened the first time round. There are also a surprisingly high number of price boosts which allow some small and consistent profits.
Need to stay grounded though, and yesterday's three losing trades did that with a big fat 'red' for the first day of 2026.
Good luck this year.
-
@Alastair-Todd Congratulations on your successful increase in your bank in such a short space of time that is tremendous work.
I started my back BTTS yesterday 4 trades all 4 lost! Although my two back the homes won so just a small loss for the start of the month.
What systems are you trading mate ? -
-
@Alastair-Todd worse day i have had on LTD for a while...
-
Happy New Year all. Having increased my Bank from £300 at the start of September to £1900 at the end of December, I thought things were going reasonably well.
Welcome to 2026 - three of my five trades lost today which was a pretty big kick in the teeth! The PL teams must have had a hangover. Oh well, the only way is up!
-
Merry Christmas all!
-
-
@Martin said in *****New Football Thread*****:
@Alastair-Todd quite interesting that 'match me' anyone been using it?
Not me, that's for sure. It always seems to want to give you a lower back price than you can get if you wait.
-
@Alastair-Todd quite interesting that 'match me' anyone been using it?
-
Does anyone know if Betfair Exchange has changed their backing procedure for some reason? I can change the lay odds up and down as usual but the back odds seem to be set at what they are at the moment. In other words I don’t seem to have the ability to ‘stage’ my entry into the market as the odds increase and I have to settle for what the odds are at this minute?
I now realise it's all about the 'Match Me' toggle switch...I'll get my coat!
-
