Football First provide daily betting recommendations for the main European leagues, UEFA and domestic cup matches.
The tips are advised to be bet at Betfair Exchange in liquid markets such as Match Odds, Asian Handicap, Both Teams to Score and Over/Under 2.5 Goals.
Results date back to January 2021 and show 403.45 points profit at an ROI of 13.2% with a 54.6% strike rate.
The service is run by Andrew Clarke, a professional trader who has consulted for the past fifteen years for some of the top financial institutions and investment banks. After discovering Betfair he was able to transfer his skill set to football trading.
Full detailed analysis is provided with every selection, explaining the reasoning behind it. This includes information like current form and head-to-head details and a summary of exactly why it was selected.
The tips are sent out via email or they can be accessed via a private Telegram group.
We tracked our own results from these bets over several months with hope to be able to achieve similar results.
Before you continue...
Our Football First review ended with a fail rating.
Please feel free to continue reading the full review below, though we recommend checking out some of the betting system reviews which ended in a pass instead. There's a small selection below or you can click here for the full list.
Month One Update
It was a disappointing start to our Football First review having started out with a 50 point bank and being left with 23.35 points at the end of the first month. That was a 53.3% decrease in a short space of time, which was quite worrying.
The stakes that were advised were high at 4 points per bet, so effectively we were working with a 12.5 point bank. That just seemed far too low to be able to handle any variance and was why we were already in a dangerous position.
We decided to carry on regardless to see how results would go during the following month, and if they improved, perhaps it would just be a case of changing the starting bank amount in order to follow the service safely.
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 29 | 29 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 108.00 | 108.00 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | -26.43 | -26.65 |
| Profit/Loss (£10 stakes) | (£264.30) | (£266.50) |
| Strike Rate | 46.4% | 46.4% |
| ROI | -24.5% | -24.7% |
| Overall Bank Growth | -52.9% | -53.3% |
| Bank (50pt starting) | 23.57 | 23.35 |
Results
| Date | Match | Bet | Stake | Available Odds | P/L | Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/12/2023 | RAYO VALLECANO v CELTA VIGO | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.86 | -4.00 | 46.00 |
| 12/12/2023 | MANCHESTER UNITED v BAYERN MUNICH | Under 3.5 Goals | 4.00 | 1.78 | 3.06 | 49.06 |
| 13/12/2023 | BORUSSIA DORTMUND v PSG | Under 3.5 Goals | 4.00 | 1.86 | 3.37 | 52.43 |
| 14/12/2023 | WEST HAM UNITED v SC FREIBURG | West Ham | 4.00 | 1.97 | 3.80 | 56.23 |
| 15/12/2023 | NOTTINGHAM FOREST v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.68 | -4.00 | 52.23 |
| 16/12/2023 | BOURNEMOUTH v LUTON TOWN | Luton +1.5 | 4.00 | 1.68 | 0.00 | 52.23 |
| 17/12/2023 | LIVERPOOL v MANCHESTER UNITED | Liverpool -1.0 & -1.5 | 4.00 | 1.80 | -4.00 | 48.23 |
| 18/12/2023 | BIRMINGHAM CITY v LEICESTER CITY | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.96 | 3.84 | 52.07 |
| 19/12/2023 | RAYO VALLECANO v VALENCIA | Draw or Away | 4.00 | 1.78 | 3.12 | 55.19 |
| 20/12/2023 | LIVERPOOL v WEST HAM UNITED | Under 3.5 Goals | 4.00 | 1.79 | -4.00 | 51.19 |
| 21/12/2023 | CRYSTAL PALACE v BRIGHTON | Crystal Palace +0.5 | 4.00 | 1.72 | 2.88 | 54.07 |
| 22/12/2023 | ASTON VILLA v SHEFFIELD UNITED | Aston Villa -1.5 & -2.0 | 4.00 | 1.94 | -4.00 | 50.07 |
| 23/12/2023 | LUTON TOWN v NEWCASTLE UNITED | Luton +1 | 4.00 | 1.80 | 3.20 | 53.27 |
| 26/12/2023 | SHEFFIELD UNITED v LUTON TOWN | Under 2.5 Goals | 4.00 | 1.68 | -4.00 | 49.27 |
| 27/12/2023 | BRENTFORD v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS | Brentford | 4.00 | 2.14 | -4.00 | 45.27 |
| 28/12/2023 | ARSENAL v WEST HAM UNITED | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.94 | -4.00 | 41.27 |
| 29/12/2023 | COVENTRY CITY V SWANSEA CITY | Coventry City | 4.00 | 1.77 | -4.00 | 37.27 |
| 30/12/2023 | WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS v EVERTON | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.79 | -4.00 | 33.27 |
| 31/12/2023 | FULHAM v ARSENAL | Arsenal -1.0 | 4.00 | 1.87 | -4.00 | 29.27 |
| 01/01/2024 | LIVERPOOL v NEWCASTLE UNITED | Liverpool -1.0 | 4.00 | 1.71 | 2.84 | 32.11 |
| 03/01/2024 | GIRONA v ATLETICO MADRID | Under 2.5 Goals | 4.00 | 2.28 | -4.00 | 28.11 |
| 04/01/2024 | CRYSTAL PALACE v EVERTON | Crystal Palace 0 & +0.5 | 4.00 | 1.66 | 1.32 | 29.43 |
| 05/01/2024 | TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR v BURNLEY | Tottenham -1 | 4.00 | 1.63 | 0.00 | 29.43 |
| 06/01/2024 | MIDDLESBOROUGH v ASTON VILLA | Aston Villa -1 | 4.00 | 1.83 | 0.00 | 29.43 |
| 07/01/2024 | ARSENAL v LIVERPOOL | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.66 | -4.00 | 25.43 |
| 08/01/2024 | WIGAN ATHLETIC v MANCHESTER UNITED | Under 3.5 Goals | 4.00 | 1.66 | 2.64 | 28.07 |
| 09/01/2024 | MIDDLESBROUGH v CHELSEA | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.81 | -4.00 | 24.07 |
| 10/01/2024 | LIVERPOOL v FULHAM | Under 3.5 Goals | 2.00 | 1.64 | 1.28 | 25.35 |
| 10/01/2024 | LIVERPOOL v FULHAM | Under 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 2.62 | -2.00 | 23.35 |
Month Two Update
Although the results had looked more promising in the second part of our Football First review, with 20+ points gained in the first week, things quickly took a turn for the worse.
We finished the month with a 9.49 point loss, which meant we had lost 36.14 points since starting our review.
As we were following the advice of a 50 point starting bank, this worked out as a 72.3% total decrease to our bank.
It was not looking good!
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 52 | 52 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 133.5 | 133.5 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | -8.96 | -9.49 |
| Profit/Loss (£10 stakes) | -£89.60 | -£94.90 |
| Strike Rate | 48.1% | 48.1% |
| ROI | -6.7% | -7.1% |
| Overall Bank Growth | -70.8% | -72.3% |
| Bank (50pt starting) | 14.62 | 13.86 |
Results
| Date | Match | Bet | Stake | Available Odds | Available P/L | Available Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/01/2024 | BARCELONA v OSASUNA | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.84 | -4.00 | 19.35 |
| 12/01/2024 | BURNLEY v LUTON TOWN | Draw or Away | 4.00 | 1.89 | 3.56 | 22.91 |
| 13/01/2024 | CHELSEA v FULHAM | Chelsea | 4.00 | 1.67 | 2.68 | 25.59 |
| 14/01/2024 | EVERTON v ASTON VILLA | Everton 0 & +0.5 | 4.00 | 1.73 | 1.46 | 27.05 |
| 14/01/2024 | MANCHESTER UNITED v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR | Draw or Away | 4.00 | 1.82 | 3.28 | 30.33 |
| 15/01/2024 | ATALANTA v FROSINONE | Atalanta -1.5 | 4.00 | 2.26 | 5.04 | 35.37 |
| 16/01/2024 | JUVENTUS v SASSUOLO | Over 2.5 Goals | 4.00 | 1.78 | 3.12 | 38.49 |
| 17/01/2024 | BLACKPOOL v NOTTINGHAM FOREST | Under 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 2.16 | -2.00 | 36.49 |
| 17/01/2024 | BLACKPOOL v NOTTINGHAM FOREST | Blackpool +0.5 | 2.00 | 1.94 | 1.88 | 38.37 |
| 18/01/2024 | ATLETICO MADRID v REAL MADRID | Over 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 1.71 | 1.42 | 39.79 |
| 18/01/2024 | ATLETICO MADRID v REAL MADRID | To Qualify | 2.00 | 2.12 | 2.24 | 42.03 |
| 19/01/2024 | DEPORTIVO ALAVES v CADIZ | Alaves | 3.00 | 1.79 | 2.37 | 44.40 |
| 19/01/2024 | DEPORTIVO ALAVES v CADIZ | Alaves / Under 2.5 Goals | 1.00 | 3.35 | 2.35 | 46.75 |
| 20/01/2024 | ARSENAL v CRYSTAL PALACE | Under 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 2.26 | -2.00 | 44.75 |
| 20/01/2024 | ARSENAL v CRYSTAL PALACE | Crystal Palace +1.5 & +2.0 | 2.00 | 1.84 | -2.00 | 42.75 |
| 20/01/2024 | BRENTFORD v NOTTINGHAM FOREST | Brentford / Over 2.5 Goals | 1.50 | 3.05 | 3.08 | 45.83 |
| 21/01/2024 | SHEFFIELD UNITED v WEST HAM UNITED | Under 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 1.80 | -2.00 | 43.83 |
| 21/01/2024 | SHEFFIELD UNITED v WEST HAM UNITED | Sheffield Utd.0 | 2.00 | 2.32 | 0.00 | 43.83 |
| 21/01/2024 | BOURNEMOUTH v LIVERPOOL | Under 3.5 Goals | 2.00 | 1.81 | -2.00 | 41.83 |
| 22/01/2024 | BRIGHTON v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.68 | -4.00 | 37.83 |
| 23/01/2024 | CHELSEA v MIDDLESBROUGH | Both Teams To Score | 1.50 | 1.94 | 1.41 | 39.24 |
| 23/01/2024 | CHELSEA v MIDDLESBROUGH | Chelsea -1.5 | 2.50 | 1.75 | 1.88 | 41.11 |
| 24/01/2024 | FULHAM v LIVERPOOL | Under 2.5 Goals | 1.50 | 2.38 | 2.07 | 43.18 |
| 24/01/2024 | FULHAM v LIVERPOOL | Half Time Draw | 1.50 | 2.50 | -1.50 | 41.68 |
| 25/01/2024 | BOURNEMOUTH v SWANSEA CITY | Both Teams To Score | 3.00 | 2.00 | -3.00 | 38.68 |
| 26/01/2024 | CHELSEA v ASTON VILLA | Chelsea | 4.00 | 2.00 | -4.00 | 34.68 |
| 27/01/2024 | EVERTON v LUTON TOWN | Under 2.5 Goals | 3.00 | 2.14 | -3.00 | 31.68 |
| 27/01/2024 | MALLORCA v REAL BETIS | Draw or Away | 3.00 | 1.79 | 2.37 | 34.05 |
| 28/01/2024 | WATFORD v SOUTHAMPTON | Southampton | 3.00 | 2.06 | -3.00 | 31.05 |
| 29/01/2024 | SALERNITANA v ROMA | Over 2.5 Goals | 3.00 | 2.18 | 3.54 | 34.59 |
| 29/01/2024 | SALERNITANA v ROMA | Over 3.5 Goals | 1.00 | 4.10 | -1.00 | 33.59 |
| 30/01/2024 | ASTON VILLA v NEWCASTLE UNITED | Aston Villa | 2.00 | 1.92 | -2.00 | 31.59 |
| 30/01/2024 | ASTON VILLA v NEWCASTLE UNITED | Aston Villa Over 1.5 Goals | 2.00 | 1.67 | -2.00 | 29.59 |
| 31/01/2024 | TOTTENHAM v BRENTFORD UNITED | Under 3.5 Goals | 2.00 | 1.72 | -2.00 | 27.59 |
| 31/01/2024 | TOTTENHAM v BRENTFORD UNITED | Brentford +1 | 2.00 | 1.82 | 0.00 | 27.59 |
| 01/02/2024 | WEST HAM v BOURNEMOUTH UNITED | Over 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 1.70 | -2.00 | 25.59 |
| 01/02/2024 | WEST HAM v BOURNEMOUTH UNITED | West Ham 0 | 2.00 | 1.89 | 0.00 | 25.59 |
| 02/02/2024 | ATHLETIC CLUB BILBAO v MALLORCA | Athletic Bilbao -1.0 | 4.00 | 2.04 | 4.16 | 29.75 |
| 03/02/2024 | SHEFFIELD UNITED v ASTON VILLA | Both Teams To Score | 4.00 | 1.71 | -4.00 | 25.75 |
| 03/02/2024 | GIRONA v REAL SOCIEDAD | Over 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 2.06 | -2.00 | 23.75 |
| 04/02/2024 | MANCHESTER UNITED v WEST HAM UNITED | West Ham +1 | 4.00 | 1.91 | -4.00 | 19.75 |
| 05/02/2024 | BRENTFORD v MANCHESTER CITY | Both Teams To Score | 3.00 | 1.85 | 2.55 | 22.30 |
| 05/02/2024 | BRENTFORD v MANCHESTER CITY | Over 3.5 Goals | 1.00 | 2.42 | 1.42 | 23.72 |
| 06/02/2024 | PLYMOUTH ARGYLE v LEEDS UNITED | Both Teams To Score | 3.00 | 1.70 | -3.00 | 20.72 |
| 06/02/2024 | MALLORCA v REAL SOCIEDAD | Both Teams To Score | 2.00 | 2.50 | -2.00 | 18.72 |
| 07/02/2024 | ASTON VILLA v CHELSEA | Aston Villa | 3.00 | 2.10 | -3.00 | 15.72 |
| 07/02/2024 | ASTON VILLA v CHELSEA | Under 2.5 Goals | 1.00 | 2.46 | -1.00 | 14.72 |
| 15/02/2024 | FEYENOORD v ROMA | Over 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 2.06 | -2.00 | 12.72 |
| 15/02/2024 | FEYENOORD v ROMA | Both Teams To Score | 2.00 | 1.81 | 1.62 | 14.34 |
| 16/02/2024 | TORINO v LECCE | Torino | 4.00 | 1.88 | 3.52 | 17.86 |
| 17/02/2024 | BRENTFORD v LIVERPOOL | Under 3.5 Goals | 2.00 | 1.76 | -2.00 | 15.86 |
| 17/02/2024 | BRENTFORD v LIVERPOOL | Brentford +1 | 2.00 | 1.87 | -2.00 | 13.86 |
Please note: The reviewer was on holiday 8th-14th February, so seven days of bets were added on to the end of the month's results to cover the period missed.
Month Three Update
We were unable to complete month three of our Football First review as results had continued to be poor and we ended up busting our 50 point bank.
We actually went on recording results for another week after busting, as we hadn't tallied up results yet. After realising we were in the negative, we decided to swiftly wrap the review up.
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 19 | 19 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 56 | 56 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | -16.72 | -16.89 |
| Profit/Loss (£10 stakes) | -£167.20 | -£168.90 |
| Strike Rate | 36.8% | 36.8% |
| ROI | -29.9% | -30.2% |
| Overall Bank Growth | -104.2% | -106.1% |
| Bank (50pt starting) | -2.11 | -3.03 |
Results
| Date | Match | Bet | Stake | Available Odds | P/L | Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18/02/2024 | LUTON TOWN v MANCHESTER UNITED | Manchester United | 3.00 | 1.87 | 2.61 | 16.47 |
| 18/02/2024 | LUTON TOWN v MANCHESTER UNITED | Over 3.5 Goals | 1.00 | 2.62 | -1.00 | 15.47 |
| 19/02/2024 | EVERTON v CRYSTAL PALACE | Everton | 4.00 | 1.77 | -4.00 | 11.47 |
| 20/02/2024 | INTER MILAN v ATLETICO MADRID | Inter | 3.00 | 1.77 | 2.31 | 13.78 |
| 20/02/2024 | INTER MILAN v ATLETICO MADRID | Under 2.5 Goals | 1.00 | 1.87 | 0.87 | 14.65 |
| 21/02/2024 | PORTO v ARSENAL | Arsenal | 2.00 | 1.71 | -2.00 | 12.65 |
| 21/02/2024 | PORTO v ARSENAL | Both Teams To Score - No | 2.00 | 1.96 | 1.92 | 14.57 |
| 22/02/2024 | ROMA v FEYENOORD | Under 2.5 Goals | 4.00 | 2.00 | -4.00 | 10.57 |
| 23/02/2024 | REAL SOCIEDAD v VILLARREAL | Real Sociedad | 2.00 | 1.79 | -2.00 | 8.57 |
| 23/02/2024 | REAL SOCIEDAD v VILLARREAL | Under 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 1.93 | -2.00 | 6.57 |
| 24/02/2024 | CRYSTAL PALACE v BURNLEY | Crystal Palace | 4.00 | 2.04 | 4.16 | 10.73 |
| 25/02/2024 | CHELSEA v LIVERPOOL | Liverpool | 4.00 | 2.42 | -4.00 | 6.73 |
| 26/02/2024 | WEST HAM UNITED v BRENTFORD | Under 2.5 Goals | 4.00 | 2.14 | -4.00 | 2.73 |
| 27/02/2024 | LUTON TOWN v MANCHESTER CITY | Under 2.5 Goals | 4.00 | 2.90 | -4.00 | -1.27 |
| 28/02/2024 | NOTTINGHAM FOREST v MANCHESTER UNITED | Home or Draw | 3.00 | 1.69 | -3.00 | -4.27 |
| 28/02/2024 | NOTTINGHAM FOREST v MANCHESTER UNITED | Nottingham Forest | 1.00 | 3.05 | -1.00 | -5.27 |
| 01/03/2024 | LAZIO v AC MILAN | Under 2.5 Goals | 4.00 | 1.81 | 3.24 | -2.03 |
| 02/03/2024 | LUTON TOWN v ASTON VILLA | Aston Villa | 4.00 | 1.75 | 3.00 | 0.97 |
| 03/03/2024 | MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED | Under 3.5 Goals | 4.00 | 2.00 | -4.00 | -3.03 |
Review Summary
Our Football First review didn't get off to a good start and the results got worse as it went on. The service demonstrated poor bank management, which ultimately led to us losing our 50 point bank in less than 100 bets.
Most bets were staked at 4 points each, or split into multiple bets on the same match, still using a total 4 point stake.
That was 8% of the bank at risk at one time, so it's easy to see how things could quickly go wrong with a losing run.
Other aspects of the service were good and we were impressed with the amount of analysis the tipster provided each day, but unfortunately, it didn't translate to profit.
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 99 | 99 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 297.5 | 297.5 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | -52.11 | -53.03 |
| Profit/Loss (£10 stakes) | -£521.10 | -£530.30 |
| Strike Rate | 45.5% | 45.5% |
| ROI | -17.5% | -17.8% |
| Overall Bank Growth | -104.2% | -106.1% |
| Bank (50pt starting) | -2.11 | -3.03 |
Perhaps with better bank management, we would have been able to stick around longer to see results turn around. Sadly, it's a clear fail for Football First.
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