SO THE SKY HEROES FLY
The first domestic trophy of the WSFFL season has gone to You Know Your Boston Rock FC, who won the Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy final against Final Fantasy XI. True to this season’s form, the “Sky Heroes” saved their best form for this competition, and duly ran out 5-2 winners in a highly competitive final. So well done me, but congratulations and commiserations to Final Fantasy XI’s Ceri, who achieved the impressive feat of getting to a Cup Final in her debut season.
A full report is in this newsletter’s results section. Enjoy – I will!
EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE COOL THIS CHRISTMAS
A cool cool time was had by your humble co-ordinator this Christmas, and I hope you and yours enjoyed the Festive season as well. In the league, the 2 back-to-back fixtures shaped the league somewhat, so there are now 3 teams making a run for the sun at the top, mirroring this season’s Premiership.
At the top, inevitably, are Aardvark Abacus, who scored 2 wins and 10 goals over a very productive Yuletide. They lead by 2 points from Claymore Athletic FC, who also scored 2 wins over Christmas, a 3-1 win over Nil Satis in the Toffee Derby, and 5-1 tonking of title rivals Final Fantasy XI. San Dimas are 2 points further back, having also notched wins over Final Fantasy and Nil Satis. Leading the chasing pack in 4th is now a resurgent 22 Legged Groove Machine, with Saha and Iversen propelling them to 2 wins over Chrimbo. Final Fantasy lost ground with the aforementioned 2 defeats, and a loss in the PCMT Final. Not a great Fantasy Chrimbo for Ceri, but possibly topped only by my title tip Trusted By Millions; they lost 6-1 to Aardvark and 6-2 to Boston Rock over a disastrous Yuletide!
It’s getting tight at the bottom as well – Prettier Than You closed up on 15th placed Nil Satis by virtue of an impressive 3-1 win over Kylie Bumcheeks, and Nil Satis’ 2 Xmas defeats. Thommo’s Titans only picked up 1 point over Christmas, and Yorks none at all (and no goals either), and are also in the shake-up at the bottom now.
League POTWs went to Aardvark Abacus, for their 6-1 demolition of Trusted By Millions in Fixture Week 15, and to Prettier Than You, whose revival hopefully starts with their Week 16 3-1 win over Rich “Dave” Smith’s Kylie Bumcheeks. Well done Ady and Rachel, you’re both £100,000 richer as a result.
NOT SIX, NOT SEVEN, NOT EIGHT
In a fun WSFFL FA Cup 1st Round weekend where the goals flew in by the bucketful, the game of the weekend was the incredible Aardvark Abacus-Nil Satis 9-goal thriller, which despite Nil Satis’ best performance of the season, the Abacus won by 5-4. Doubles for Nil Satis’ Ferguson and Dyer weren’t enough, as Anelka and Scholes replied with doubles for the Abacus, then sub Eidur Gudjonsson scored the winner for Ady’s lot.
You Know Your Boston Rock FC also continued their great cup form, following up their PCMT Final triumph by knocking out title challengers Claymore Athletic FC 2-1 thanks to a last-gasp Robert Pires goal. See, I said I’d cause an upset, didn’t I? I nearly gave myself POTW for that, but decided that Real Muppets’ 4-2 win over Final Fantasy XI, courtesy of Woodgate, Southgate, Robertgate and Vidukagate goals, should get the £100,000 instead. So well done Ryangate!
In a Co-ordinator’s dream 1st Round (no replays, you see), there were also wins for Elland Road (a good 3-2 win over San Dimas, who must be cursing leaving Freddie Kanoute on the bench for this one!), Mega Buck Bandits (who beat Prettier Than You, despite being called Dave), Trusted, The Groove Machine and Yorks. Well done to all – I’ll do the draw for the Quarter Finals before the next Newsletter.
TRANSFER NEWS
Boston Rock and Nil Satis do the transfer deal of the season to date…
Player From To Fee
Bosko Balaban (A) Fred West LGXI Released £0
Luciano Figueroa (A) Fred West LGXI Released £0
James McFadden (A) YKY Boston Rock FC Nil Satis Nisi Optimum £6.1m
Francis Jeffers (A) YKY Boston Rock FC Nil Satis Nisi Optimum £500K
Robert Pires (M) Nil Satis Nisi Optimum YKY Boston Rock FC £11.6m
(above deal = Jeffers+McFadden+£5m for Pires)
Stefan Moore (A) Pool YKY Boston Rock FC £500K
Martin Djetou (D) Pool Cooling Down Prettier Than You £1.1m
Callum Davidson (D) Prettier Than You Pool £250K
Nils-Eric Johanson (M) Trusted By Millions Pool £1.8m
Johnnie Jackson (M) Pool Trusted By Millions £500K
Don’t forget that the players highlighted are subject to the pool “cooling off” period. Any managers interested in buying them can bid until close of play on Saturday 10 January 2004, after which time they go into the pool proper and are readily available. All bids to me please.
THE FF£100,000 QUESTION
Who, up until Boxing Day, had been the most used substitute in this season’s Premiership? Clue – he’s a striker with a West London club.
Guesses by close of play on Saturday 10 January 2004. First correct one out of the hat after that date gets the dosh!
Christiano Ronaldo is partly named after Ronald Reagan!!! Amazing, eh?
Only 2 correct guesses, from Pete and Ceri, and first-time guesser Mr. Thompson wins the £100,000 for Thommo’s Titans on the coin toss. Well done Pete.
SHORTS
· I’m very pleased to announce that the December 2003 Manager of the Month award goes to Dean Watts of Elland Road Big Boys. Dean was the only team with a complete 100% record in a tough month – 5 wins out of 5 – which lifted the Big Boys from 15th place at the end of November to their current lofty 6th slot. Well done Deano, you’re £250,000 richer!
· Just who is the Bobby referred to in the Renault ad, when Thierry Henry asks, “Hey Bobby, what’s the French for “va va voom”?” After his cute pass to set up Robert Pires for Arsenal’s third earlier today, I reckon Pires is the Bobby in question. Anyone else have any other ideas out there?
WSFFL RESULTS;
Week 15, Friday 26 December 2003
Kylie Bumcheeks 3-0 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
Hyypia
Kelly
Lehmann 38,513
Mega Buck Bandits 1-0 York’s Returning Glory
Kleberson 32,148
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 1-3 Claymore Athletic FC
Duncan Ferguson Cygan
Henry 2 38,003
Prettier Than You 1-3 22 Legged Groove Machine
Bellion (1) Saha 2
Dickov 25,452
San Dimas High School 3-2 Final Fantasy XI
Holland (1) Berger 2
Terry
Samuel 67,642
Thommo’s Titans 0-4 Elland Road Big Boys
Tuore
Craddock (OG)
De Zeeuw
Fowler 26,768
Trusted By Millions 1-6 Aardvark Abacus
Euell (1) Babbel 2
Harte
Smicer
Juninho 2 42,987
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 1-1 Real Muppets
Gary Neville (OG) (1) Duberry 29,520
Performance of the Week: Aardvark Abacus
The PAUL CARTMELL MEMORIAL TROPHY 2003/04 FINAL
Sunday 28 December 2003
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 5
Otsemobor 28, Pires 35, Delaney 62, Lampard 73, Ferdinand 90
Vs (1)
Final Fantasy XI 2
Smith (OG) 18, Campo 54
At the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Attendance 78,592
You Know Your Boston Rock FC Team:
Martyn
Ferdinand, Otsemobor, Delaney, Goma
Pires, Lampard, Parker, Dunn
Smith, Kewell
Subs:Robinson, King (on 28 for Otsemobor), Jenas (on 1 for Dunn), Sinama-Pongolle
Final Fantasy XI Team:
Howard
Fortune, Harley, Campo, Scimeca
Berger, McManaman, Inamoto, Nolan
Bergkamp, Djorkaeff
Subs: Ellegaard, Dodd (on 1 for Fortune), Hitzlsperger (on 69 for Inamoto), Heskey (on 73 for Bergkamp)
You Know Your Boston Rock FC won this year’s Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy Final 5-2 over Final Fantasy XI, in a highly competitive and thrilling final. So the “Sky Heroes” now have the “full set” of trophies, having previously won the League Title (1995/96, under their previous guise of Athletico Sheriff IV) and FA Cup (1999/00 and 2000/01), thereby becoming only the second team (after the inevitable Aardvark Abacus) to do so.
The tone for this competitive encounter was set in the first minute, with a bone-crunching tackle between Boston Rock’s Dunn and FF’s Fortune, leading to the early departure of both players. Final Fantasy held sway in the early exchanges, and led on 18, after Boston Rock’s Smith sliced into his own net under pressure from Bergkamp. Otsemobor levelled on 28 with his final touch before being substituted, and recent signing Robert Pires put the “Sky Heroes” into the lead for the first time, coolly slotting home a sliderule pass from Scott Parker.
The second half burst into life after a thundering 20-yard shot from FF defender Ivan Campo, which levelled matters at 2-2. Thereafter Boston Rock took charge; Mark Delaney overlapped with Pires and shot home on 62 to give Boston Rock the lead again; Parker set up the impressive Lampard on the edge of the box for 4-2, and the mercurial Pires capped a Man of the Match performance with a last-minute cross for Rio Ferdinand to head home and secure the Cup for Boston Rock!
WSFFL RESULTS;
Week 16, Sunday 28 December 2003
Aardvark Abacus 4-2 Real Muppets
Smicer (1) Duberry
Anelka Hamann
Gallas
Hreidarsson 47,201
Claymore Athletic FC 5-1 Final Fantasy XI
Bridge 2 (1) Campo
Unsworth
Clichy
Cygan 51,648
Elland Road Big Boys 3-0 York’s Returning Glory
Mills (OG) (1)
Tuore
Fowler 35,617
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 0-1 22 Legged Groove Machine
(1) Iversen 39,631
Mega Buck Bandits 2-2 Thommo’s Titans
Stubbs Les Ferdinand
Geremi Bent 34,534
Prettier Than You 3-1 Kylie Bumcheeks
N’Gotty (1) Perry
Vassell 2 32,151
San Dimas High School 2-0 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Terry (1)
Samuel 41,552
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 6-2 Trusted By Millions
Martyn Smith (OG)
Rio Ferdinand Angel
Otsemobor
Delaney
Pires
Lampard 34,738
Performance of the Week: Prettier Than You
WSFFL RESULTS;
FA Cup 1st Round, W/E 3 January 2004
Aardvark Abacus 5-4 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Scholes 2 (1) Duncan Ferguson 2
Anelka 2 Dyer 2
Eidur Gudjonsson 32,340
Claymore Athletic FC 1-2 You Know Your Boston Rock FC
Henry (1) Lampard
Pires 40,816
Elland Road Big Boys 3-2 San Dimas High School
Tuore (1) Edu
Murphy Yakubu
Gardner 40,371
Final Fantasy XI 2-4 Real Muppets
Nolan (1) Woodgate
Heskey Southgate
Robert
Viduka 31,207
Prettier Than You 1-3 Mega Buck Bandits
Kilbane Hunt
Henchoz
Doherty 21,121
Trusted By Millions 2-1 Kylie Bumcheeks
Barry (1) Taricco
Forssell 29,955
22 Legged Groove Machine 4-3 Thommo’s Titans
Ehiogu Schemmel
Saha 2 Zenden
Cunningham Bryan Hughes 30,617
York’s Returning Glory 1-0 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
Morrison (1) 28,456
Performance of the Week: Real Muppets
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