West Ham manager betting

I've observed this in the past: bookies love the "next manager" markets as it allows them to put out a load of speculation at short odds.  Don't know if the next manager will come from this lot, I know some of these have no chance!

Sunday 15 May 7.00pm (1 hr after Avram has gone): Chris Hughton 4/1, Sam Allardyce 5/1, Paolo di Canio 5/1 (please God no), Martin O'Neill 6/1, Roberto di Matteo 6/1, Alan Curbishley 7/1, Slaven Bilic 7/1, 12/1 bar.  (Including Paul Ince at 50/1, fanciful).

Monday 16 May 9.15am: Talksport reporting that the job has been offered to Steve McClaren and he will accept. He's now 1/3 so a lot of money going on him. Chris Hughton 8/1, Sam Allardyce 10/1, Kevin Keen 14/1, O'Neill, di Matteo and Bilic 16/1.

Monday 16 May 8.00pm: After the press reports that West Ham haven't made a decision yet, Steve McClaren has drifted to 6/1. Chris Hughton has gone back to 3/1 favourite, with Martin O'Neill and ex-hammer Malky Mackay at 8/1, Neil Warnock at 10/1 and Sam Allardyce and Gus Poyet at 12/1.

Tuesday 17 May 11.00am: As A West Ham fan I can only sigh an almighty "thank God" as Steve McClaren goes out to 20/1, having said he doesn't want the job - the feeling is more than mutual. Still, well done to Talksport for that coup. Chris Hughton still favourite at 2/1, Big Sam at 5/1, Alex McLeish now from nowhere to 8/1, Malky Mackay and Neil Warnock 9/1 and Martin O'Neill 12/1.

Tuesday 17 May 4.00pm: A poll on West Ham Till I Die ranks fans' choices as follows: 1. Martin O’Neill 41%; 2. Chris Hughton 12%; 3. Slaven Bilic 9%; 4. Paolo Di Canio 6%; 5. Alan Curbishley 6%. The managers marked "unacceptable" by West Ham fans were: 1. Neil Warnock 59%; 2. Sam Allardyce 55%; 3. Steve McLaren 52%; 4. Alex McLeish 34%; 5. Claudio Ranieri 35%; 6. Malky Mackay 32%; 7. Dave Jones 30%. Think there might be some rounding errors with that last one, or people could choose more than one as it doesn't add up to 100%!

Wednesday 18 May 8.00am: Not a lot of change, Chris Hughton still favourite at 5/4 now, Big Sam 6/1 but Dave Jones is now 8/1 along with Malky Mackay and Neil Warnock 9/1. Punters obviously looking at the above list of people that West Ham fans don't want.

Thursday 19 May 9.00am: Not much has changed now. Chris Hughton 13/8, Warnock 7/1, Big Sam and Alex McLeish 8/1, Martin O'Neill 9/1, Paul Lambert at 10/1 although you can't imagine why he'd want to leave Norwich after two successive promotions.

Thursday 19 May 3.00pm: Jesus, what's happened now? Neil Warnock is suddenly 7/4 favourite. Chris Hughton a valueless 2/1, Paul Lambert 10/1 and the usual suspects after that.

Saturday 21 May 10.00am: Seems to have settled down, with Chris Hughton 15/8, Neil Warnock 9/2 and Alex McLeish 7/1. Someone's put some money on Kevin Keegan as he's down to 20/1 - I would LOVE IT!

Sunday 22 May 2011 11.00am: Something's happened as Chris Hughton is now odds-on at 1/2, Alex McLeish 5/1 and Neil Warnock thankfully drifting to 10/1. McLeish and Warnock already have jobs of course - like Carlo Ancelotti, who is now at 16/1 after telling Sky this morning he wouldn't mind managing West Ham if he finds himself looking for a job! Surely not ...

Monday 23 May 11.00am: Hughton still favourite at 6/4, Alex McLeish now 3/1 after Birmingham's relegation yesterday. Big Sam 7/1 and Ancelotti as low as 8/1. Who do we really want as manager, another guy who got his team relegated or a Chelsea manager who won 6% fewer games than Avram Grant? I suppose Ancelotti did win the double in 2009/10 which redeems him a little bit. Plus of course the fact that it just ain't going to happen ... The Star today is saying that McLeish is the board's favourite, oh wunderbar.

Monday 23 May 2.30pm: A lot of money has gone on Sam Allardyce this morning and he's now 2/1 joint favourite with Chris Hughton.

Monday 23 May 6.30pm: Another favourite for the job. Dave Jones hasn't left Cardiff yet but he's suddenly gone to 4/7 favourite. Chris Hughton at 5/1 now, Sam Allardyce at 6/1 and Alex McLeish at 14/1 despite Birmingham's board saying he is confirmed for another season there.

For the first time there are some odds too for the Championship winner next season, although a bit pointless since neither Swansea nor Reading are quoted and one of them will be there in August. West Ham and Leicester are joint 7/1 favourites.

Tuesday 24 May 12.30pm: Nothing much changed, Dave Jones still favourite but now 6/5, Hughton 4/1, Allardyce 5/1, McLeish 10/1 and O'Neill 14/1. After that everyone is at least 25/1 including some names that haven't been floating around until now, including Ian Holloway, Steve Coppell and Walter Smith. Really?

Wednesday 25 May 3.30pm: JESUS, Sam Allardyce is now 2/1 favourite, Dave Jones drifting to 3/1. There are a lot of reports in the papers today that the board has spoken to Jones, but David Gold has just denied this. Chris Hughton is no longer one of the top two favourites and is now 4/1, Martin O'Neill 6/1 and Alan Curbishley 10/1.

Thursday 26 May 9.00am: Little bits of movement, only four serious contenders at the moment. Martin O'Neill, who has sorted out his legal problems with Aston Villa and is now "looking for a Premier League job" is 10/3 favourite (sssh, no one tell him), Allardyce 7/2, Jones 4/1 and Hughton drifting further to 11/2. Tony Carr now as low as 25/1.

Friday 27 May 6.00am: A lot of rumours last night that Billy Davies was leaving Nottingham Forest and coming to Upton Park, something that seemed to upset both sets of fans. From nowhere he is now third favourite at 4/1. Allardyce at 3/1 and O'Neill at 7/2 with Jones and Hughton at 6/1 and Malky Mackay at 8/1. Doesn't look like anyone really has a clue at this stage.

Friday 27 May 4.00pm: A clear favourite in Sam Allardyce now, 1/3. Rumours are that O'Neill was offered the job and rejected it, but Big Sam is talking terms. Hughton second favourite at 8/1 so it shows what the bookies think. Jones at 9/1, O'Neill and Davies at 10/1.

Friday 27 May 4.30pm: Allardyce now 1/12. Announcement rumoured at 6pm.

Sunday 29 May: No announcement of course. All gone very quiet. Can't put a bet on any more so it looks like it's going to happen. 10 weeks until the start of the football season, what am I going to write about now?

Tuesday 31 May: NOW they tell us. BFS's Claret and Blue Army!