London, UK -- (SBWire) -- 05/11/2012 --The FA Cup final’s early evening kick-off may have traditionalists up in arms, but it played into the hands of spread betting firm Sporting Index and their clients, with more time to bet on a record-breaking number of markets offered on the highly anticipated clash between Chelsea and Liverpool.

With around 500 markets already available on the Sporting Index site, and new spread bets added right up until kick-off at 5.15pm, when the number of different spread bets available on the match totaled around 700. Up to 300 of which are in-play, which is more than the firm have ever offered on a football match before. Punters can challenge predictions on a number of match occurrences, both pre-event and in-play, by betting higher or lower.

In addition to the ever-popular match outcome markets such as Chelsea/Liverpool supremacy (0.15-0.35) and total match goals (2.35-2.55), Sporting Index have got into the festival spirit of the final with a range of entertaining specials. In reference to Chelsea’s mega-rich owner Roman Abramovich, ‘Roman’s Empire’ is an index based on events in the match given a Roman theme. Five points are added every time two or more Chelsea players form a wall to defend a Liverpool free-kick (aka ‘Hadrian’s Wall’), 50 points are added for any Chelsea player sent off to enjoy an early ‘Roman Bath’ and 50 points are awarded for a goal scored by Chelsea’s ‘Gladiators’ John Terry and Frank Lampard. A similar aggregate index market focuses on Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool, inspired by the Beatles.

The ‘Kenny Lane’ Beatles special sees points awarded for a ‘Yellow Submarine’ – every time a Liverpool player is booked for simulation – or ‘Luis in the Sky with Diamonds’ – a headed goal by Luis Suarez – and more. “Every year our football traders outdo themselves with the number of markets made available on the FA Cup final,” comments Wayne Lincoln, Sporting Index spokesman. “Just like everyone else looking forward to the match, they can’t wait to take on punters in what is likely to be one of the busiest football matches in Sporting Index’s 20-year history.”

FA Cup Final – Chelsea v Liverpool – Selected markets Chelsea/Liverpool 0.15 - 0.35 Total Goals 0.35 - 2.55 Chelsea Win Index 12 - 13.5 Liverpool Win Index 10 - 11.5 Selected FA Cup Final Specials WEMBLEY SPECIAL 63-68 Points added for the following: - Won on penalties (50 points if the game is settled by a penalty shoot out) - Extra time goals (25 points per goal scored in Extra Time) - Multiple Injuries (1st half injury minutes x 2nd half injury minutes, defined by minutes held up by 4th official, normal time only) - Bottle job (100 points if a penalty is not converted, penalty shoot out not included) - Leap (25 pts per headed goal, Extra time included) - Extra time corners (10pts per Corner in Extra Time) - Yellow cards (2 points per Yellow Card, Extra time included) ROMAN'S EMPIRE 70-75 Points added for the following: - CENTURION - Chelsea team Goal minute ton ups. (1 point per minute over 100,ie Chelsea goal mins = 154, Ton ups = 54. Min make up 0) - HADRIAN’S WALL - 5 Points every time a Chelsea wall is formed when defending a free kick (2 players minimum, have to be linked) - ROMAN BATH - 50 points per Chelsea player that gets sent from the pitch by the referee. - COLE-ESSEUM - 5 points every time Cole is seen in Liverpool's penalty area. (Must leave area and re-enter for additional points) - GLADIATORS - 50 points per Terry or Lampard goal. - D'AGGER THROUGH THE HEART - 100 points if Daniel Agger scores the winning goal in normal time. GERRARD AND THE PACEMAKERS 40-45 Points added for the following: - HOW DO YOU DO IT - 25 points if Gerrard scores all of Liverpool's goals. - I LIKE IT - 25 points per Gerrard goal scored. - YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE - 10 points per Liverpool substitute used. - I'M THE ONE - 50 points if Gerrard wins Man of the match (ITV adjudicated) KENNY LANE - BEATLES SPECIALS 48-53 Points added for the following: - MAGICAL MYSTERY FOUR - 25 points per Gerrard, Suarez, Downing or Agger goal. - YELLOW SUBMARINE - 25 points if a Liverpool player is booked for simulation. - JAY TRIPPER - 5 points per Jay Spearing foul. - LUIS IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - 50 points if Luis Suarez scores a header. - SERGEANT PEPE'S CLUB HAND - 10 points per Pepe Reina punch (must be with a clenched fist, see 'Dodgy keepers' in match specials).

The Sporting Index Group
The Sporting Index Group is best known as the world’s largest sports spread betting business, offering the widest range of markets and taking some of the largest bets on sporting events around the world. Markets include rugby spread betting, cricket spread betting and football spread betting. The Group has 180 staff, all based at its London HQ. It is privately owned and is the undisputed world leader in sports spread betting, dominating the global market with an estimated 80% market share. Today it makes thousands of markets on upwards of 500 events every week, offering the sports fan the opportunity to bet on a wide variety of sports, political and showbiz events, as well as on a portfolio of unique virtual games. Clients transact via its websites, award winning mobile phone applications, and a 24/7 voice telephony service. Sporting Index’s B2C business continues to grow in the face of a fiercely competitive online betting market. At the heart of the business is a world class trading, modelling and liability management capability that is widely acknowledged as amongst the best in the global betting market. The Group combines the latest technology with unrivalled trader expertise to service its core sports spread betting clients as well as an increasing number of wholesale customers who rely on the company’s fixed-odds in-play pricing data to underpin their own sportsbook operations via the Sporting Solutions brand. This has quickly established itself as a leading data provider with a number of flagship betting brands signed up.