Hello, I’m Julia Monaghan, and today I have the honour of speaking to Sheldon Muchmore, a legendary tipster and betting expert with BetInIreland. Sheldon has many years of experience under his belt, and in this interview, I hope to give you an insight into how he got into sports, how he manages to get plenty of predictions correct, and whether he has any betting tips for those of you who are new to the world of sports betting. Let’s get cracking.
JM: Welcome to Sportda, Sheldon, it’s a pleasure to have you here with us today.
SM: You’re welcome, it’s a pleasure to be here. I’m always happy to speak about anything sports-related.
JM: I’m glad to hear it, and that actually leads nicely onto my first question of the day – How was it that you got into sports?
SM: Well, I’ve got my parents to thank for that as they were very sporty. My father used to play rugby and do a bit of boxing, while my mother is a keen table tennis player and swimmer, although she doesn’t do the former much nowadays due to her age. They are both closing in on their 60s, but they are still very active and enjoy going for hikes and cycling. From an early age they instilled in me a love for sports, and while my father wanted us to play rugby, my mother wasn’t too keen, so we settled on football. Me and my brothers, of which I have two, started playing football from an early age.
JM: So, would you say that football is your favourite sport?
SM: Well, it is my favourite sport to play, but I wouldn’t say that it is my favourite sport to watch. I’m an Aston Villa fan, you see, so you can understand why I prefer playing it to watching it – it’s nerve-racking more often than not. Although with Unai Emery at the helm now, we are playing some decent football now, and we are making our way up the Premier League table which is good to see. Long may it continue.
JM: So, what is your favourite sport to watch?
SM: Mmmm, it is a tricky one. I probably really couldn’t choose between rugby, cricket, or horse racing. Also, if a big event is on, I will sit down and watch darts, snooker, tennis, golf, or boxing.
JM: Wow, you really are sports made. I knew horse racing would pop up, it just had to. After all, you donโt become a popular horse racing tipster if you donโt love watching the sport. I donโt know an awful lot about cricket or rugby, but Iโm a big horse racing fan myself. What do you love most about horse racing?
SM: Itโs got to be the excitement that is on offer, no matter what the race is. Horse races are over pretty quickly, and this is something that leads to plenty of entertainment. Another good thing about horse racing is the fact that the odds on offer are usually pretty good. For example, if you are betting on Cheltenham, you will see that even the favourite in each race will often have enticing odds.
SM: Oh, yes, I also enjoy watching and keeping up to date with Gaelic football.
JM: Ahh yes, youโre also well-known for your GAA sports predictions. How did that interest come about?
SM: Well, to keep a long story short, I lived in Ireland for a number of years as a child, and I played for my schoolโs Gaelic football team. It is a really fun sport to play and watch, so I enjoy keeping up to date with whatโs happening in the Gaelic football world. The more I know about what is happening, the better my predictions will be.
JM: Thatโs intriguing. I read your predictions quite often, and Iโm surprised by your success rate. How do you get so many predictions right?
SM: I wish I got more right in all honesty as I enjoy the feeling of helping others win money. I think the key to being successful when it comes to predictions and betting is to do plenty of research. It is imperative that you do not rush in and make your prediction since this will usually lead to an incorrect prediction and a loss of money.
JM: Awesome, great bit of advice there for our readers. So, I have another question for you. I know it must be hard to remember all the predictions that you have made, but do you have any that stand out?
SM: Mmm, that is a great question. Well, recently I wrote a prediction for the big boxing fight between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury and I got it spot on. I predicted that the fight would go the distance and Fury would end up winning on points, which he did. I hope a good number of people made some money off that prediction.
JM: Iโm sure they did. What about any recent horse racing predictions that you remember fondly?
SM: Well, last year at the Galway Races I predicted both the winner of the Galway Hurdle and the Galway Plate – Tudor City won the former at odds of 17.00, if I remember correctly, while Hewick won the latter at odds of 14.00. I even put a tenner on them both to win and ended up with some pretty nice winnings.
JM: Lovely. Do you bet on your own predictions often?
SM: To be honest, not as often as I probably should. But as long as others are making a profit off of my predictions, I donโt mind if I miss out.
JM: One final question โ Do you have any betting advice for novice bettors?
SM: Yes, read the predictions on BetInIreland. Apart from myself, there are other talented tipsters there such as Lewis Humphries and Steven Brown. The former usually focuses on football predictions, while the latter knows his rugby. Some other betting advice, apart from doing plenty of research before placing your bet, is to always come up with a budget that you can afford to potentially lose and stick to it. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of responsible gambling.
JM: Some great tips there. I could speak to you for hours more, but I think itโs time to let you get on. Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me โ it has been a pleasure.
SM: Youโre welcome. Feel free to ask me back anytime.JM: I might have to take you up on that offer.
