BILLY BUNTER

Weblog: The football punter

Forget Cup romance and back hot Spurs for glory

I MAINTAIN that flowers once a year - even if I did only remember the day after Valentine's - is as big a romantic gesture as a woman can expect when every penny must be saved for war with the bookies.

Mrs Bunter, on the other hand, would tell anyone bothered to listen - and frequently does - that I'm not the most romantic soul out there.

And one subject where I can't really argue with her is when it comes to betting on the FA Cup.

There are those who will say the competition is a great leveller in which anyone can beat anyone, and the succession of major upsets in league action over the festive period will only encourage these foolish ways.

But if the FA Cup is such a great leveller how come it has been won in all but one of the last 16 years by Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City?

Poor old Portsmouth are the only club to have broken the dominance of the big guns, and that was achieved with a financial policy that would make Fred The Shred seem shrewd.

This year you can surely add in-form Tottenham to that list, giving you six clubs from which to pick a winner, and I'm actually backing Spurs to win the trophy.

Harry Redknapp has assembled a massive squad which gives them far more depth than the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, while they are also much superior to ailing Chelsea these days, and unlike the Manchester clubs they don't have the distraction of Europe.

And if all goes to plan maybe Mrs Bunter will even get a box of
chocolates this year.