Pools tips and best bets for weekend of September 3-4

Ten draws: Gillingham v Sheffield United, Northampton v MK Dons, Oldham v Shrewsbury, Notts County v Grimsby, Stevenage v Hartlepool, Yeovil v Blackpool, Guiseley v Braintree, Maidstone v Wrexham, Torquay v Lincoln, Worcester v Gainsborough.

Best draws: Northampton v MK Dons, Stevenage v Hartlepool, Yeovil v Blackpool, Torquay v Lincoln, Guiseley v Braintree.

Best weekend away bets: Chesterfield, Doncaster, Barnet, Tranmere, Forest Green, St Mirren.

Best weekend home bets: Bolton, Bury, Peterborough, Colchester, Luton, Plymouth, Eastleigh, Macclesfield, York, Queen's Park.


Pick of the draws: Northampton have drawn all five League One matches this season and I don't put it past them to add to that tally against inconsistent MK Dons in a game that has been switched to Sunday. Hartlepool's 2-2 home draw with Newport last Saturday was a better League Two result than it appeared because they played nearly the whole match with 10 men. They have also come back from 3-1 down to force a 3-3 draw at Crewe and seem well capable of taking a point at Stevenage, who have concerns at both ends of the pitch. Blackpool have been disappointing so far but sharing the spoils at Yeovil should not be beyond them. Torquay have picked up recently in the National League and their improvement could be reflected in their result against Lincoln, who are among the early promotion contenders. Guiseley are without a point after seven matches in the same division but I believe it will come against ailing Braintree.

Away days: Promoted Wimbledon, bottom of League One, are struggling to adapt to a higher division and I fancy Chesterfield's chances of increasing their misery on Saturday. In League Two, Doncaster are beginning to find top gear after a stumbling start to the season and Darren Ferguson's side are a confident selection at mid-table Crewe. Barnet had a disappointing result against Carlisle last weekend but I expect them to recover at Newport, who have yet to get off the mark at home. Tranmere dropped their first points of the season in a 1-1 draw at Southport last Saturday but they are topping the National League on merit and are worth a punt at Aldershot. Free-scoring Forest Green, regular promotion contenders, are hot on Tranmere's heels and are recommended at Chester. St Mirren, of the Scottish Championship, are a good bet to prevail at League One Albion in the Irn-Bru Cup.

Homes sweet homes: Bury will be in good heart after recovering from 3-0 behind against Walsall to force a 3-3 away draw in League One and are worth backing against the higher-placed Port Vale. Although York lost away to Wrexham on Bank Holiday Monday, I think they are on the upgrade and will see off the challenge of National League newcomers Solihull Moors. If you are looking for an upset in the Irn-Bru Cup then League One Queen's Park could provide one when they host an out-of-sorts Morton, of the Championship.


Pools info: Bristol Rovers v Walsall (No 3 on coupon), Scunthorpe v Charlton (12), Darlington v Kidderminster (40) and Telford v Halifax (46) will be judged by the pool panel.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of August 27-28

Ten draws: Tottenham v Liverpool, Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield v Wolves, Newcastle v Brighton, Chesterfield v Millwall, Coventry v Northampton, Southend v Fleetwood, Walsall v Bury, Accrington v Morecambe, Crawley v Notts County.

Best draws: Huddersfield v Wolves, Newcastle v Brighton, Coventry v Northampton, Southend v Fleetwood, Crawley v Notts County.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds, Portsmouth, Rangers (Friday), Hearts.

Best weekend home bets: Everton, Manchester City, Barnsley, Cardiff, Bradford City, Charlton, Sheffield United, Grimsby, Celtic, Hibernian.


Pick of the draws: Unbeaten Huddersfield are the unexpected leaders of the Championship after four matches but Wolves, also unbeaten, are hot on their heels in third place. I believe they'll cancel each other out and a draw is the likeliest result. Newcastle have put a shaky start behind them, having won their last three games (two in the Championship, one in the League Cup) but they will be hard-pushed to defeat second-placed Brighton, who are determined to make up for last season's promotion near miss. Brighton have already drawn twice away and it wouldn't surprise me to see them make it three in a row at St James's Park. Coventry are a club in crisis, no wins in League One, fourth from bottom and thrashed 6-1 at Norwich in the League Cup in midweek. Confidence is so low at the moment that I can't see them beating promoted Northampton. The Cobblers will be in good spirits as well after knocking West Bromwich Albion out of the League Cup. Fleetwood seem to be thriving under Uwe Seeler's management and look good for a point at Southend. Notts County at last got their League Two show on the road with victory at Hartlepool last Saturday and they can check Crawley's early progress.

Away days: Jose Mourinho has had an instant impact at Manchester United with a Community Shield triumph and maximum points from their first two Premier League fixtures. You have to fancy their chances at Hull, although the promoted side have also made a fine start to the season and are responding to the coaching of Mike Phelan, once of Old Trafford. Arsenal should have all their Euro players back for the visit to Watford and ought to repeat last season's win at Vicarage Road. Watford's morale will surely have been damaged by their League Cup defeat to League One Gillingham. Manager Garry Monk seems to be turning things around at Leeds. Consecutive wins at Sheffield Wednesday (Championship) and Luton (League Cup) have put the team in better heart and they are worth a punt at mid-table Nottingham Forest. I feel that League Two promotion favourites Portsmouth have to click sometime and it could be on Saturday at lowly Exeter. In the Scottish Premiership, table-topping Rangers look a good thing at Kilmarnock on Friday and Hearts are expected to have the edge on Partick.

Homes sweet homes: Bolton are the only side in the Football League with maximum points from four matches but I predict their winning streak in League One will end on Saturday. Relegated Charlton, their hosts, have woken up recently and manager Russell Slade says there is more to come. Nobody would have predicted Sheffield United to be rock bottom but the table doesn't lie. However, I'm taking them to start putting things right against Oxford. League Two Grimsby have hit the wall after their success against Morecambe on the opening day of the season and they will want to cash in on home advantage against Stevenage.


Pools info: Burton v Derby (match No 16 on coupon) is being played on Friday and is therefore void.

Six of my 10 draw selections came up last weekend - the matches at Leicester, Blackburn, Derby, Ipswich, Cambridge and Newport. Three of my five best draws were also correct: Leicester v Arsenal, Blackburn v Burton and Newport v Crewe.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of August 20-21

Ten draws: Leicester v Arsenal, Blackburn v Burton, Derby v Aston Villa, Ipswich v Norwich, Scunthorpe v Gillingham, Swindon v Port Vale, Cambridge v Carlisle, Newport v Crewe, Yeovil v Morecambe, Braintree v Aldershot.

Best draws: Leicester v Arsenal, Blackburn v Burton, Scunthorpe v Gillingham, Newport v Crewe, Yeovil v Morecambe.

Best weekend away bets: Liverpool, Chelsea, Wigan, Brighton, Chesterfield, Luton.

Best weekend home bets: Tottenham, West Bromwich Albion, Queens Park Rangers, Bolton, Bury, Northampton, Accrington, Cheltenham, Hartlepool, Plymouth.


Pick of the draws: Leicester, the Premier League champions, and Arsenal, the runners-up, flopped on the opening weekend of the season, Leicester losing to relegation favourites Hull and Arsenal going down at home to Liverpool. Early indications are that Leicester will find life more difficult this season but the same can be said for Arsenal and stalemate is the likeliest outcome on Saturday. Promoted Burton gained their first points of the campaign in the Championship with an impressive
3-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in midweek and a journey to troubled Blackburn should hold no fears. Scunthorpe and Gillingham are among the early front-runners in League One and there's a good chance that neither side will gain the upper hand here. By all accounts, Newport, of League Two, were unlucky to lose at table-topping Luton in midweek and, judged on their early form, are capable of holding relegated Crewe to a draw. Three consecutive wins (two in League Two, one in League Cup) have put Morecambe in great heart and they can take a point off Yeovil, who have also started well.

Away days: Liverpool were sensational at times when beating Arsenal 4-3 at the Emirates last Sunday and will fancy their chances at promoted Burnley. Chelsea, under a new manager, are bound to be a more formidable proposition this season and will be confident of taking maximum points at Watford. Wigan look as if they will adjust to life in a higher division, in this case the Championship, and are well worth a punt at Nottingham Forest, who don't inspire confidence. Early leaders Brighton have yet to concede a goal this season and they will no doubt relish a trip to Reading, who were feeble when losing 2-0 at Wolves last Saturday. League One Chesterfield are thriving under manager Danny Wilson and should be backed at Shrewsbury, who have only one point from three games. League Two leaders Luton must be confident of success at Stevenage, who may have a long, hard winter ahead of them.

Homes sweet homes: West Bromwich Albion got their Premier League season up and running by beating Crystal Palace away last weekend. Everton will be trickier opponents on Saturday but new manager Ronald Koeman is still settling in and I'm going for a home win. Cheltenham seem to be taking League Two in their stride after winning promotion from the National League as champions and I'm taking them to send Doncaster, relegated from League One, home pointless. Plymouth will be feeling better, having moved off the bottom of the table with a 2-1 midweek victory at Notts County.  It gives them a fighting chance of defeating Mansfield, who are so far unbeaten in League Two.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of August 13-14

Ten draws: Burnley v Swansea, Brentford v Ipswich, Burton v Bristol City, Wolves v Reading, Bristol Rovers v Oxford, Chesterfield v Swindon, MK Dons v Millwall, Barnet v Accrington, Notts County v Stevenage, Dundee v Rangers.

Best draws: Burnley v Swansea, Burton v Bristol City, Wolves v Reading, MK Dons v Millwall, Dundee v Rangers.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester United, Leicester, Derby, Queens Park Rangers, Blackpool, Dundee United.

Best weekend home bets: Arsenal, Manchester City, Southampton, Aston Villa, Norwich, Leeds, Gillingham, Doncaster, Luton, Forfar.


Pick of the draws: Burnley, promoted to the Premier League as champions last season, have had a more settled summer than Swansea, who have lost key players in Ayew and Ashley Williams and may take a while to gel. Bristol City have won their opening two matches in the Championship and League Cup but promoted Burton, under Nigel Clough, will be no pushover and were unlucky to lose a seven-goal thriller at Nottingham Forest last Saturday. A change of manager at Molineux may not bring immediate benefit to Wolves. They host Reading, who have started well under their new manager Jaap Stam. One suspects that MK Dons and Millwall will be among the front-runners in League One and I think this fixture on Saturday is as near a banker draw as you can get. Dundee's fine 3-1 win at Ross in the Scottish Premiership last weekend has increased the chances of them holding promoted Rangers.

Away days: FA Cup winners Manchester United have spent big during the summer and it's impossible to ignore their claims at Bournemouth on Sunday. Leicester, the Premier League champions, are strongly fancied to prevail at Hull, who have been weakened by the loss of manager Steve Bruce and numerous close-season injuries. Derby are worth following at Barnsley, who have begun this season with two defeats (Ipswich in the Championship, Northampton in the League Cup). Queens Park Rangers looked impressive when defeating Leeds 3-0 in the Championship last weekend and I believe they'll carry on the good work at Cardiff on Sunday. Relegated Blackpool are determined to go straight back to League One and a visit to nearby Morecambe gives them another chance to gain maximum points. Dundee United, another relegated team, are tipped to beat Dumbarton in the Scottish Championship.

Homes sweet homes: The lack of big-name signings is hindering Arsenal but Liverpool have had problems of their own in the summer and will also have key players missing through injury at the Emirates on Sunday. Take a punt on a home win. Leeds manager Garry Monk criticised his team after they crashed at QPR and I'm expecting a response when they host Birmingham on Saturday, especially as the Midlanders have started none too convincingly (no goals in games against Cardiff in the Championship and Oxford in the League Cup). Although Doncaster have lost their first two matches, I still rate their chances of promotion in League Two and think they will break their duck against Crawley.


Pools info: Chelsea v West Ham (No 4 on coupon) is being played on Monday and will be judged by the pools panel. Brighton v Nottingham Forest (14) is void as it will take place on Friday.

Pools tips and best bets for weekend of August 6-7

Ten draws: Bristol City v Wigan, Derby v Brighton, Sheffield Wednesday v Aston Villa, Bolton v Sheffield United, Cheltenham v Leyton Orient, Plymouth v Luton, Yeovil v Notts County, Hearts v Celtic, St Johnstone v Aberdeen, Falkirk v Hibernian.

Best draws: Bristol City v Wigan, Derby v Brighton, Cheltenham v Leyton Orient, Plymouth v Luton, Falkirk v Hibernian.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester United, Newcastle (playing on Friday), Charlton, Wycombe, Mansfield, Motherwell.

Best weekend home bets: Blackburn, Ipswich, Rotherham, Bradford City, Millwall, Walsall, Blackpool, Grimsby, Portsmouth, Rangers.

Pick of the draws: Wigan won League One impressively last season and I believe they'll take that form into the Championship. They have a tough opening game at Bristol City but they are good enough to get something from it. Chris Hughton's Brighton were unlucky not to be promoted to the Premier League and they are capable of holding Derby, whose challenge faded alarmingly last season. Cheltenham are back in League Two after topping last season's National League. I think the feel-good factor will enable them to share the spoils with Leyton Orient. Plymouth failed to do themselves justice in last season's League Two play-off final against AFC Wimbledon and I wouldn't be surprised to see them drop points against Luton. Falkirk and Hibernian were very well matched in last season's Scottish Championship and it's difficult to separate them now.

Away days: Manchester United, now managed by serial winner Jose Mourinho, will be eager to make a statement of intent in Sunday's FA Community Shield. Boosted by big-name signings in the summer, United will probably be too strong for Leicester, unexpected but deserved winners of last season's Premier League. Newcastle are favourites for an automatic return to the Premier League and Rafa Benitez's players should make no mistake when visiting Fulham on Friday. Relegated Charlton are expected to be among the League One front-runners and a trip to Bury should hold no fears. In League Two, Wycombe's prospects look brighter than Saturday's opponents, Crawley, and I'm backing Mansfield to kick off with three points at Newport, who only just avoided relegation. In the Scottish Premiership, Motherwell are a confident selection at Kilmarnock, who were embarrassingly beaten by Albion, of Division One, in the Betfred Cup.

Homes sweet homes: Owen Coyle has returned to management at Blackburn, who have a fighting chance against Norwich, who may still have a hangover from last season's relegation from the Premier League. Rotherham can take advantage of the recent upheaval at Wolves and gain maximum Championship points. The surprising dismissal of manager Kenny Jackett so close to the start of the season has not gone down well with Wolves fans. Grimsby are back in the Football League and I expect them to celebrate by beating Morecambe in their League Two clash. Rangers are also back where they belong - in the Scottish Premiership. Put your money on them defeating Hamilton at Ibrox.