BILLY BUNTER

Weblog: The football punter

Small Robins bet suffices before tasty big kick-off

IT'S a difficult time to be a footballer.

The population seem to have washed their hands of the national game. They all look up to those lovely cyclists and athletics types and hoist them up as angels while pig's-bladder kickers are painted as overpaid louts who don't deserve a crumb of our affections.

Well all I can say if that I've never had much time for footballers. The only ones I love are those who earn me money.

The league season cannot get here quickly enough. Please hurry before I've done my bankroll on the Scottish Challenge Cup.

And I might have to see if I can get a credit card from the new sponsors of the Capital One Cup if I can't hold my horses before Saturday's big kick-off.

It's going to hit us all at once this year with the Football and Premier Leagues all starting on the same day. We're going to have to pace ourselves.

So I'll be keeping stakes on the small side for Tuesday's live offering between Swindon and Brighton.

The Robins stormed to League Two last season and Paolo Di Canio has them in great mood.

Brighton may have bigger fish to fry this term because a good start could see them force their way into the promotion picture.

So they may take their foot off the gas a bit.

I'll be looking to do the same.