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Well, Kylie was always going to come out on top in the Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy Final replay, and thus it proved, with Kylie Bumcheeks overcoming favourites San Dimas High School, managed by Sunday league team “Kylie Minogue’s Love Children” goalie Peej. Rich Smith thus achieves the notable feat of winning a major trophy in his first season of WSFFL Fantasy League.
A full report on the final replay is included in this newsletter.
I’VE HIT THE WALL, I’M ABOUT TO FALL
The New Year’s Day league fixtures produced some topsy-turvy results, with the top 2 teams slipping up big-style. Struggling Short Straw Rovers beat a shell-shocked Claymore Athletic FC 1-0, with a Kevin Nolan goal, but even this performance was eclipsed by second-bottom club Elland Road Big Boys shocking San Dimas 2-0, with goals from Fowler and a Carbonari OG producing a major upset and winning Dean the POTW £100,000 this week.
So the big winners at the top were Trusted By Millions, who gain ground in 3rd after beating bottom club Nil Satis 4-0. This result leaves Paul’s team 5 points adrift at the bottom, and shipping goals at an alarming rate. Real Muppets also profited from the big guns’ defeats, beating the Groove Machine 3-1 with a Mark Viduka brace to move to within 4 points of the lead, and leave the Big Man’s title aspirations beached in mid-table. Aardvark Abacus, however, missed out on the chance to gain ground as they were held 3-3 by a battling Boston Rock, with 2 late goals from England’s Paul Scholes hauling the “Sky Heroes” level.
Elsewhere, Kylie Bumcheeks continued their mini-revival with a 3-0 win over Prettier Than You. Mega Buck also pull clear of the bottom-feeders after beating Viola’s Pier 2-0, and York’s Returning Glory get back to their drawing ways – a 1-1 stalemate with Fred West being their 6th of the season!
WELL, THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTENING…
But the Fantasy FA Cup First Round games all survived, despite 5 Cup games being postponed which affected Premiership teams. I guess that’s why we’ve got squads!
The shock of the round was Kylie Bumcheeks, fresh from winning the Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy, continuing their cup form by knocking out Trusted 3-1, with their strike force of Shearer and Ravanelli both on target, and earning Rich Smith the POTW £100,000.
Joining Rich in the Quarter Finals are in-form Real Muppets, who easily overcame York’s 4-0; The Groove Machine, who knocked out Short Straw 2-1 and must be regarding this Cup as their best chance for silverware this season; Viola’s Pier who beat bottom team Nil Satis 2-0; and Mega Buck Bandits, who wisely dropped Phil Neville to the bench, then beat Prettier Than You 2-0 with an Alan Stubbs double.
Elsewhere, a late double from Van Nistelrooy gave Fred a last-gasp draw with Claymore. Another double salvo, this time from sub Jermain Defoe, kept holders Boston Rock alive as they drew 2-2 with San Dimas. And finally, Aardvark returned from their long away trip “down under” to Elland Road Big Boys, with a 1-1 draw, new boy Nicolas Anelka breaking his duck with the opener, which was then cancelled out by Ian Taylor’s equaliser. These 3 ties replay this forthcoming weekend, 12 January 2002, doubling up with the league fixtures.
I’M HALFWAY TO THE PLACE WHERE WE WILL MEET
I’ve had some interesting debates over the last couple of weeks with Messrs Garratt, Saleh and Timms raising a few pertinent WSFFL issues, which I reckon can be best served by getting as many managers as possible together for a few beers and a chat about them. I don’t want to do anything as poncey as calling an EGM, so the best way to do this would be to organise a Fantasy League Social Evening. So let’s do it!
So, I’d like to organise a gathering of managers for mid-late January, e.g. Monday 21st, to discuss and canvas views on the following issues;
- The recategorisation process, and more specifically whether wing-backs should be defenders or midfielders, and whether a “common-sense” approach should be taken,
- How to add value to non-scoring midfielders,
- The loan rule and whose squad/s the loaned player should count against.
If anyone has any other burning issues they wish to discuss, please let me know.
So, 21st January OK for people? Please let me know, along with suggestions for a suitable (central) venue (the Dunbar Club now being a pile of rubble)!
“STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THIS DECISION IS NOT READY YET!”
I was amazed to read Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s idea for “video interventions “on Soccernet. Check this out and see what you think;
“Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has called for managers to be allowed to use three “jokers” to challenge refereeing decisions during each game with on-the-spot video replays. Wenger believes the off-beat idea could help to cut out diving.
“Maybe in future we will have three video interventions possible during the game that you can use tactically,” he declared. “Each team would have those three moments where they could say “stop, we challenge the decision of the referee and want the video panel to have a look at it”.”
Sounds a bit too much like the Grolsch advertisements to me!
HERE COMES THE FLOOR, DON’T LOOK DOWN
Does anyone know how the relevant football team’s badges always appear in the grass, just before Sky’s coverage of their “live” games, then mysteriously disappear just before kick-off? I had a great theory for this; namely that specially coloured dye was injected into the pipes, which carry the undersoil heating at the appropriate places, which is then absorbed by the blades of grass on the pitch via osmosis. However, the same effect appeared before the Fulham – Manchester United game at Craven Cottage last weekend, and Craven Cottage doesn’t have undersoil heating!
So I’m stumped, and not a little spooked. Anyone else got any wild theories for this phenomenon, or should we blame visiting footy-loving aliens? Let me know… please!
TRANSFER NEWS
Zat returns to Boston, whilst Rachel proves it is possible to find goalscoring midfielders in the pool…
Player From To Fee
Mark Wilson Trusted By Millions Middlesbrough £250,000
Kasey Keller Tottenham Hotspur Trusted By Millions £500,000
Luciano Zavagno Mega Buck Bandits Derby County £250,000
Fabrice Fernandes Rennes Mega Buck Bandits £500,000
(48 hour rule sole bid)
Curtis Fleming Viola’s Pier Crystal Palace £100,000
Lee Marshall YKY Boston Rock FC Leicester City £250,000
Zatyiah Knight Fulham YKY Boston Rock FC £500,000
Jo Tessem Prettier Than You Southampton £175,000
Sixto Peralta Ipswich Town Prettier Than You £500,000
Don’t forget that the players highlighted are subject to the pool “cooling off” period. Any managers interested in buying them can bid until 8 p.m. on Monday 14 January 2002, after which time they go into the pool proper and are readily available.
THE FF£100,000 QUESTION
Easy!
Who scored the 9,999th Premiership goal?
One entry per person as usual please, to me by close of play on Saturday 12 January 2002.
Jean Tigana always chews on a toothpick. I have no idea why; perhaps they don’t have gum in France.
A solitary correct guess, once again from Ryan, who has now won 3 weeks on the bounce! Who said it was only Peej who won this cash? Another £100,000 swells the coffers of Real Muppets.
SHORTS
The Fantasy League midfield quota is filling up nicely; Peej has reported that Keiron Dyer (Nil Satis), Luis Boa Morte (York’s) and Mauricio Taricco (Groove Machine) have all been recategorised into midfield…
The PAUL CARTMELL MEMORIAL TROPHY 2001/02; FINAL REPLAY
W/C of 1 January 2002
Kylie Bumcheeks 4
Shearer 69
Carbonari (OG) 72
Kelly 90
Perry 90
Vs (1)
San Dimas High School 0
At the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Attendance 78,592
Kylie Bumcheeks Team:
Edwin Van der Sar
Robbie Elliott, Sami Hyypia, Chris Perry, Gary Kelly
Allan Johnston, Robbie Savage, Jermaine Wright, Matthew Oakley
Alan Shearer, Fabrizio Ravanelli
Subs: Ian Walker, Craig Short, Robbie Mustoe, James Beattie
San Dimas High School Team:
Thomas Sorensen
Franck Queudrue, John Terry, Jorge Costa, J Lloyd Samuel
Trevor Sinclair, Martijn Reuser, Anders Svensson, Christian Ziege
Michael Ricketts, Freddie Kanoute
Subs: Steve Harper, Horatio Carbonari, Abdelslam Ouaddou, Deon Burton
The Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy final replay was a rather one-sided affair, with underdogs Kylie Bumcheeks easily defeating an off-colour San Dimas High School 4-0 to win the first silverware of the season. Rich Smith therefore achieves the notable feat of winning a major trophy in his first full season of WSFFL Fantasy League.
Rich elected to stick with the same line-up as the first game. Peej, however, tinkered with his defence, recalling Franck Queudrue and giving youngster J Lloyd Samuel a chance on the big stage. However after a largely forgettable first half, Kylie Bumcheeks exploited the hesitant San Dimas defence, with Shearer going close before finally breaking the deadlock on 69, with a trademark header from a Gary Kelly cross. Kylie then doubled their lead 3 minutes later, San Dimas’ sub Carbonari deflecting another dangerous Kelly cross into his own net.
San Dimas’ defence then crumbled, and man-of-the-match Kelly grabbed a late goal for himself, before Chris Perry sealed the win for Kylie Bumcheeks in injury time.
WSFFL RESULTS; Week 17, W/C 1 January 2002
Kylie Bumcheeks 3-0 Prettier Than You
Perry (1)
Kelly
Shearer 35,156
Elland Road Big Boys 2-0 San Dimas High School
Fowler (1)
Carbonari (OG) 35,131
22 Legged Groove Machine 1-3 Real Muppets
Thome Viduka 2
Woodgate 43,710
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 1-1 York’s Returning Glory
Van Nistelrooy Mills 28,165
Aardvark Abacus 3-3 You Know Your Boston Rock FC
Hasselbaink (1) Pahars
Gudjonsson Scholes 2
Harte 45,324
Trusted By Millions 4-0 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Richards 2
Gerrard
Keller 39,320
Viola’s Pier 0-2 Mega Buck Bandits
Stockdale
Finnan 27,463
Claymore Athletic FC 0-1 Short Straw Rovers
Nolan 67,646
Performance of the week: Elland Road Big Boys
WSFFL FA Cup First Round; W/E 5 January 2002
Trusted By Millions 1-3 Kylie Bumcheeks
Phillips (1) Shearer
Ravanelli
Hyypia 38,089
Mega Buck Bandits 2-0 Prettier Than You
Stubbs 2 (1) 29,133
Claymore Athletic FC 3-3 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
Henry (2) Ljungberg
Weir Van Nistelrooy 2
Unsworth 40,875
Short Straw Rovers 1-2 22 Legged Groove Machine
Stewart Solskjaer
Melchiot 28,218
York’s Returning Glory 0-4 Real Muppets
Joe Cole
Viduka
Dabizas
Dudek 21,581
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 2-2 San Dimas High School
Defoe 2 Bergkamp
Distin 38,444
Elland Road Big Boys 1-1 Aardvark Abacus
Taylor (2) Anelka 2,009
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 0-2 Viola’s Pier
Magilton
Winterburn 21,017
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