We’re almost at another month end, so as far as figures and progress is concerned, I’m putting that to one side today and will provide a full review early next week.
The BBC’s Royal Charter – which is effectively the longest mission statement you have ever not read – lays out the aims of the Corporation as “serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain”.*
I can’t help but think that it’s a shame that whoever the person was that penned such lofty ambitions, worked for the BBC and not the SBC! Because frankly, that bit above in italics kinda does, to my mind at least, sum up what the SBC is constantly seeking to do. And you know what? I think the SBC achieves and hits those KPIs very well.**
From my own experience of writing SBC Reviews, I can tell you that impartiality is right at the forefront of what is produced. It would be a little big-headed of me to claim the next two qualities can be attached to my output, but having read my colleague Josh’s excellent analysis and review of the free Betfair SP-focused service that was released earlier this week, I can unashamedly say that there is right there, one fine example of a review that ticks the “high quality and distinctive output” boxes.
And you know what, Josh’s review demonstrates just how much the SBC strives to “inform, educate and entertain”. With new metrics and angles of analysis introduced to the Review structure, you are without any vestige of doubt informed and educated. And so, “ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?!” (Russell Crowe, 2000).
But look. This isn’t an advert for the SBC. What it is however, is a personalised note of appreciation to the SBC for what it does and the positive impact it has had on me and my betting. And the reason I felt like writing about this today is rooted in some comments I’ve read this week within a Discord channel that alarmed me in the level of naivety they showed, but also reminded me that I was once as naive.
The comments that raised my eyebrows were around a pronounced desire to – and I’m paraphrasing – “just find winners”. I actually feel that the poster, from other posts, does understand the essential ingredient in the recipe that bakes the cake of profit from the heat of the oven that is the bookmaker (Christ, that’s a desperate reach for a suitable analogy – forgive me!) but still, it made me cringe (in the same way that last analogy made you, I would imagine). Is it a coincidence to find such a comment within a Channel run by a service that provides bets that are very high variance by nature? I don’t know, but you see where I’m coming from.
What really made me shudder though was it brought memories flooding back of my own, pre-SBC efforts to bet profitably, which basically consisted of going for one newspaper Racing Correspondent’s nap, seeing the nag was about 11/10 or 5/4 in the betting, and being convinced that if a paid journalist was tipping it and the horse was at that price, well then it simply had to win. I imagine the likes of *cough* Tom Brownlee *cough* and *cough* Kieran Ward *cough* started along very similar lines.***
And then I was found by the SBC, as it were, and my betting life was spun right round baby, spun round like a record baby (click on the link – that’s me with the hair! As you can see, I was quite the mover).
And that’s what I want all people who bet to do. Be informed, be educated, and perhaps be entertained. But most of all get a bit savvy and hit those dastardly bookmakers where it hurts. There’s so much great information out there nowadays that there is no reason why anyone who wants to take their betting seriously shouldn’t be able to do so profitably. It’ll never be easy. The mental challenges, the difficulties in getting on over an extended period of time, and I suppose nowadays actually getting paid out can mean jumping over a number of unfair and unjust obstacles and through some hoops that in any just world wouldn’t exist…but it is all possible.
And there endeth the sermon.
Right then. Have a great weekend, folks. November review next week. See you then.
*Not sure how having Robbie Savage and Chris Sutton on 606 fits in with this, but still.
**As Pete has stated on more than one occasion, I have full editorial freedom on what I write in these pages, so this isn’t me aiming for a rise! If I wasn’t at liberty to write what I wanted, I’m not sure I’d get away with so many gratuitous references to The Arsenal!
***I’m one million percent sure that actually, they didn’t!
