THEN SHE TURNED TO WHERE HE LIES AND FINISHED OFF THE JOB
Congratulations to Kylie Bumcheeks, the 2002/2003 WSFFL Fantasy League Champions! Rich Smith’s team finished off the job in style, clinching the Championship with a 2-1 win over the Groove Machine. For once, it was Malcolm Christie, rather than Shearer or Beattie, who set them on their way to their first title, but it can’t be underestimated how crucial young James and old Alan have been to Kylie’s title this year. A thoroughly deserved title, this, however, as Rich has won it from the front, having topped the table from week 4.
Aardvark Abacus and You Know Your Boston Rock FC, the only 2 teams to realistically offer a challenge to the Bumcheeks, will finish second and third respectively, Aardvark beating the “Sky Heroes” 3-2 this weekend thanks to a controversial Ian Harte winner. Surely an Ashley Cole own goal, Soccernet???? Despite Real Muppets beating Trusted 1-0 this weekend thanks to a last-gasp Viduka goal to move within 3 points of them in 4th, Trusted are likely to hold on to that 4th slot thanks to a +11 goal difference.
Elsewhere, Fred West continued their end of season flourish with a 7-3 win over Prettier Than You; a hat-trick from Van Nistelrooy and 2 from Maccarone featuring in this win which gave Fred the POTW £100,000. Well done, you old bugger. At the bottom, Viola’s Pier beat Yorks Returning Glory 2-0 but remain 10 point adrift of them in last place, whilst San Dimas are back in trouble thanks to a 4-1 tupping by Claymore Athletic.
THIS TIME AROUND
Congratulations to Aardvark Abacus, the 2002/2003 WSFFL FA Cup winners! Ady emphatically won the Cup replay, beating Trusted 3-0, following a rather astonishing 5-5 draw in the first game. Ady’s win therefore ensured the following 2 things are avoided; firstly, Ady doesn’t collect 3 runners-up plaques at the AGM, and secondly, Beef doesn’t need to take his camera along to said AGM!
Full reports on both the Cup Final and the replay are included in this newsletter. Enjoy!
TRANSFER NEWS
All change at the Groove Machine…
Player From To Fee
Darren Moore (D) 22 Legged Groove Machine Pool £250,000
Guillaume Warmuz (G) 22 Legged Groove Machine Pool £250,000
Pierre-Yves Andre (A) Pool 22 Legged Groove Machine £500,000
Ian Bennett (G) Pool 22 Legged Groove Machine £500,000
Sean Thornton (M) Claymore Athletic FC Pool £250,000
Leon Osman (M) Pool Claymore Athletic FC £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 12 May 2003, after which time they go into the pool proper and are readily available.
THE FF£100,000 QUESTION
Last one for this season…
Which Premiership player and manager, both at the same club, share the same birthday albeit 50 years apart?
One guess per person to me by close of play on Saturday 10 May 2003.
The sequence Don, Johnny, Ronnie, Ron, Ronnie, Ron, Johnny, Ron, Ron are the West Bromwich Albion managers from 1971 to 1988, and the next name in the sequence is Brian. Here’s the full list; Don Howe (71-75), Johnny Giles (75-77), Ronnie Allen (77), Ron Atkinson (78-81), Ronnie Allen – again (81-82), Ron Wylie (82-84), Johnny Giles – again (84-85), Ron Saunders (86-87), Ron Atkinson – again (87-88), and Brian Talbot (88-91).
No guesses at all, so we have another rollover! £200,000 up for grabs for the correct answer this week.
SHORTS
· Recats: Nil Satis’ Ronnie Wallwork has been made a defender for his last couple of games in the Premiership – this time round, anyway – and, for what it’s worth, Sunderland’s Michael Gray (pool) is also back in defence…
· April 2003 Manager of the Month time, and it’s nice to see it’s gone to someone other than the front runners this time around. Step forward Short Straw Rovers, the only team with a 100% record in April. Andrew wins £250,000 for his efforts, so well done to him. See, it does pay to change your team once in a while!
The 2002/03 WSFFL FA CUP FINAL
W/E of 26 April 2003
Aardvark Abacus 5 – 5 Trusted By Millions
Solano (41) (pen) (1) Owen (14, 48, 60, 66)
Baros (46, 84) Djorkaeff (73)
Scholes (68)
Upson (90)
At the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Attendance 72,500
Aardvark Abacus Team:
Kasey Keller
Sol Campbell, William Gallas, Jon Aarne Riise, Matthew Upson
Nolberto Solano, Paul Scholes, Vladimir Smicer, Sylvain Legwinski
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Milan Baros
Subs: Neil Sullivan, Bisan Lauren (on 71 min for Gallas), David Prutton (on 1 min for Smicer), Nicolas Anelka
Trusted By Millions Team:
Mark Schwarzer
Nils-Eric Johansson, Dominic Matteo, Jody Craddock, Jamie Carragher
Jay-Jay Okocha, Jason Euell, Sean Davis, Steven Gerrard
Michael Owen, Kevin Phillips
Subs: Juusi Jaaskaleinen, Martin Taylor, Jamie Redknapp, Youri Djorkaeff (on 1 min for Phillips)
The 2002/2003 WSFFL FA Cup Final ended in an astonishing 5-5 draw, with Michael Owen claiming 4 goals and the Man Of The Match award for Trusted By Millions. The match was an open, end-to-end struggle throughout, and its’ competitive nature was set immediately when a crunching tackle put paid to both Trusted’s Phillips and Aardvark’s Smicer in the first minute. Trusted opened the scoring on 14, Michael Owen finishing a move started by the flamboyant Okocha. Aardvark levelled before the break, however, Solano netting a penalty after Legwinski was upended in the box.
The floodgates really opened after the break; Baros put Aardvark ahead one minute after the restart, only for Owen to equalise 2 minutes later. Owen scored again on the hour to complete his hat-trick, and on 66 to put Trusted 4-2 up. Aardvark struck back on 68 through a neat Scholes header to make it 4-3, only for Trusted’s substitute Djorkaeff to net an Okocha rebound with 17 minutes to go, to put Trusted 5-3 up and the game seemingly beyond the Abacus. Ady’s men are made of sterner stuff, however, and their resiliency paid off with 2 late goals, from Baros on 84 and a towering Upson header in injury time to level the game. Let’s hope the replay is as exciting as this game!
The 2002/03 WSFFL FA CUP FINAL REPLAY
W/E of 3 May 2003
Aardvark Abacus 3-0 Trusted By Millions
Juninho (25) (pen) (1)
Harte (47)
Baros (58)
At the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Attendance 72,500
Aardvark Abacus Team:
Kasey Keller
Ian Harte, William Gallas, Jon Aarne Riise, Michael Svensson
Nolberto Solano, Juninho, Vladimir Smicer, Sylvain Legwinski
Eidur Gudjonsson, Milan Baros
Subs: Neil Sullivan, Matthew Upson, Paul Scholes (on 1 min for Smicer), Dwight Yorke (on 71 mins for Gudjonsson)
Trusted By Millions Team:
Mark Schwarzer
Martin Taylor, Florent Laville, Jody Craddock, Jamie Carragher
Jay-Jay Okocha, Jason Euell, Sean Davis, Steven Gerrard
Michael Owen, Andrew Cole
Subs: Juusi Jaaskaleinen, Nils-Eric Johansson, James Milner (on 77 for Euell), Kevin Phillips
Aardvark Abacus made no mistake second time around, and duly won the 2002/2003 WSFFL FA Cup Final Replay by a comfortable 3-0 margin, over a tired-looking Trusted By Millions, perhaps sapped by their efforts in the first game. So Ady wins the FA Cup for the second time, having previously won it in 1998/99.
Both managers made changes from the first game; Beef shuffled his defence around and brought in Andrew Cole in attack to replace Phillips, whilst Ady replaced the disappointing Hasselbaink with the lively Eidur Gudjonson, and surprisingly dropped Paul Scholes to the bench, preferring the Brazilian wizard Juninho. And it was this move which proved the inspiration behind Ady’s win: Juninho pulled off a Man-of-the-Match performance in midfield, scoring the first goal after 25 minutes from a penalty, after he himself had been fouled by Craddock, and proving instrumental throughout.
Ady’s lead doubled 2 minutes after the break with a bizarre goal which was eventually credited to Ian Harte, and 11 minutes later Milan Baros added to his 2 goals in the first game with a cool finish from a Juninho through ball. Trusted were frankly not at the races today, and Ady’s team deservedly cantered home 3-0 winners, just reward for another magnificent season from the Abacus!
WSFFL RESULTS
League Week 29, W/E 3 May 2003
Kylie Bumcheeks 2-1 22 Legged Groove Machine
Christie Jensen
Caldwell 52,146
Mega Buck Bandits 0-2 Elland Road Big Boys
(1) Duff
Stubbs (OG) 36,963
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 0-1 Short Straw Rovers
(1) Wright (OG) 30,951
Prettier Than You 3-7 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
Johnsen (1) Van Nistelrooy (3)
Hughes Beckham
Melville Maccarone (2)
Viana 38,127
San Dimas High School 1-4 Claymore Athletic FC
Bergkamp (1) Koumas
Bernard
Bridge
Henry 35,042
Trusted By Millions 0-1 Real Muppets
(1) Viduka 44,220
Viola’s Pier 2-0 York’s Returning Glory
Brevett
Staunton 30,230
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 2-3 Aardvark Abacus
Kewell (1) Baros
Johnson Juninho
Harte 67,221
Performance of the Week: Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
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