After their relentless march towards the Blue Square South title, league sponsors and bookmakers Blue Square have decided to wave the white flag and pay out all bets on Newport County for the title.
The Exiles beat one of their nearest challengers Braintree Town 1-0 on Saturday. Dean Holdsworth’s team have showed amazing consistency throughout the campaign and because it’s not over mathematically yet they are throwing down the challenge to all their pursuers to make them pay out twice.
At the start of the season County were 7/1 third favourites to win the division and had actually drifted to 10/1 in August following three draws in their first four matches.
Staines Town are so far the only team to have beaten them and only four more draws followed those in the summer.
Blue Square spokesman Alan Alger said that paying out their backers early will cost Blue Square £20,000 and on the market overall the firm will lose half of that amount.
Blue Square also make Holdsworth’s side 14/1 to take the Blue Square Premier title next season and just 7/1 to be promoted by any means and regain their place in the Football League lost under their former guise.
