Football clubs can find a way of justifying cash from any source in their quest to shovel ever-larger sums at players and agents.

But it all leaves a rather nasty taste in the mouth when the cash-desperate people of Newcastle are subsidising multi-millionaire footballers.

Bookmakers and casinos are now commonplace on shirts so it can’t be long until the cigarette companies start making noises about lifting advertising restrictions.

It’s not as if the old argument that sport and smoking don’t mix still holds when burger chains and fizzy drinks makers were headline sponsors of the Olympics.

The football bandwagon shows no signs of slowing down as TV cash increases and players get an ever-growing sense of their own value.

The party will only stop when the public find something new to entertain them.

But that doesn’t look like happening anytime soon as 90,000 people prepare to fill Wembley on Friday to watch England take on San Marino – the worst team in the world.

I mean worst international team obviously. I’m sure there’s a few pub sides who the mighty Marino could roll over.

The game is a foregone conclusion – even for England – but Roy Hodgson’s boys face a stiffer task in Poland next week.

The bookies make us strong favourites but the Poles boast a decent strike force and I can see this finishing a draw at a tempting 9/4.

Friday also sees Wales take on Scotland and Ireland face Germany.

The Welsh camp looks an unhappy one at the moment so let’s take a chance on Scotland and double them up with Germany who should prove too strong in Dublin.

The double is available at a shade under 3/1 and could keep those Wonga wolves from the door if you’ve decided to unwisely invest your payday loan.

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Running Total for all 2012 bets to a £10 stake:   +£241.00