Thanks to everyone who made it to the January Transfer Window/ Social Evening, held on 9 February around Dave and Ceri’s place. It was a very successful evening, with lots of good grub (laid on by our fine hosts), good debate and hot auction action. The full list of players bought at this gathering has already been e-mailed out, but appears elsewhere in this newsletter for your information.
The following was also discussed/ decided at the Social Evening;
1. Feedback for the new Recat Process, with players being assessed for recategorisation in December; Feedback was generally positive regarding the process itself. Managers liked the stability of knowing where a player would play throughout the season. However the source – www.premierleague.com - threw up some dubious recats, e.g. Wright-Phillips as a striker, Carragher as a midfielder etc. Potential other sources of info were mentioned, e.g. www.forthegame.com, to use as a basis for the recat. Otherwise it may be possible for an appeals process to be introduced, with the executive committee deciding on where an appealed player should be categorised. More discussion, no doubt, at the AGM!
2. Reduced Squad Size Proposal; I raised a proposal which I was considering bringing forward to vote on at the AGM, i.e. to reduce squad sizes to 25. I outlined my thoughts and reasoning, but the general feedback from the evening was against this proposal. Valid points against it were raised, e.g. managers even less willing to transfer players, managers not wanting to take a chance on a young player, increased usage of squads in the Premiership. I think I’ll park this for now.
3 WSFFL FA Cup Semi Final Draw; This was made during the evening, and is as follows. Games to be played on w/e 13 March 2004, doubled up with the League fixtures.
Mega Buck Bandits v Trusted By Millions
22 Legged Groove Machine v Aardvark Abacus
4. WSFFL Table Football Tournament; The Inaugural WSFFL Table Football Tournament was held after the auction, for a bit of Fantasy Cash, with results going as follows;
Quarter Finals;
Thommo’s Titans 1-3 Trusted by Millions
Final Fantasy XI 2-3 Mega Buck Bandits
22 Legged Groove Machine 2-3 You Know Your Boston Rock FC
Prettier Than You 2-3 Aardvark Abacus
Semi Finals;
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 3-2 Mega Buck Bandits
Aardvark Abacus 2-3 Trusted by Millions
3rd Place Play-Off
Mega Buck Bandits 3-2 Aardvark Abacus
(the first time in living memory that MBB have won a Bevan Derby!)
Final
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 5-1 Trusted by Millions
So Boston Rock FC are still saving their best form for the Cups this year, although the winning goal was a spectacular own goal bank shot from Trusted’s defender. Cheers Beef!
POTW £100,000 for this week goes to
TRANSFER NEWS
Lots to report! The following players were bought under auction at the Social Evening;
Player From To Fee
Jose Antonio Reyes (M) Auction Nil Satis Nisi Optimum £18m
Michael Brown (M) Auction Aardvark Abacus £5.75m
Brian McBride (A) Auction Thommo’s Titans £5.75m
Ricardinho (M) Auction 22 Legged Groove Machine £5m
Michael Gray (D) Auction Trusted By Millions £3.5m
Carlos Bocanegra (D) Auction Thommo’s Titans £5.25m
Daniel Van Buyten (D) Auction Kylie Bumcheeks £3.25m
Jonathan Stead (A) Auction Mega Buck Bandits £4.5m
Collins John (A) Auction Fred West LG XI £500K
Arni Gauter Arason (G) Auction Nil Satis Nisi Optimum £1m
Paul Smith (G) Auction 22 Legged Groove Machine £1.25m
Subsequent to the above, the following transactions were also made at the Social Evening. Where players were dumped into the pool, they are not subject to a “cooling down” period as the Social Evening was an “Open Pool” night. They are therefore available now on a first come, first served basis;
Steve Stone (M) Thommo’s Titans Pool £250K
El Hadji Diouf (A) Kylie Bumcheeks Pool £5.75m
Graham Stack (G) Pool Final Fantasy XI £500K
Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard (G) Final Fantasy XI Pool £250K
Steffen Iversen (A) Pool Thommo’s Titans £500K
Darren Anderton (M) Nil Satis Nisi Optimum Pool £1m
Martin Keown (D) Thommo’s Titans Pool £1.55m
El Hadji Diouf (A) Pool Fred West LG XI £500K
Milenko Acimovic (M) Aardvark Abacus Pool £2.75m
Joleon Lescott (D) Trusted By Millions Pool £2.75m
Jurgen Macho (G) 22 Legged Groove Machine Pool £500K
No bids were received for the following players, who were available under auction. These players were therefore put straight in the pool, and are still there now, available on a first come, first served basis;
Javi Moreno (A) Bolton Wanderers
Dwight Pezzarossi (A) Fulham
Lee Morris (A) Leicester City
Fangzhou Dong (A) Manchester United
Ivica Mornar (A) Portsmouth
Sebastian Olszar (A) Portsmouth
Martin Andresen (M) Blackburn Rovers
Bobby Petta (M) Fulham
Steve Guppy (M) Leicester City
Steffen Freund (M) Leicester City
Peter Canero (D) Leicester City
Richard Duffy (D) Portsmouth
Igor Mitrevski (D) Portsmouth
Petri Pasanen (D) Portsmouth
Donovan Ricketts (G) Bolton Wanderers
The following transactions have been made since the Social Evening;
Vio Ganea (A) Pool Fred West LGXI £500k
Stephen Crainey (D) Pool Elland Road Big Boys £500k
Zoumana Camara (D) Elland Road Big Boys Pool £250k
Zatyiah Knight (D) San Dimas High School YKY Boston Rock FC £4m
Alain Goma (D) YKY Boston Rock FC San Dimas High School £2.5m
Don’t forget that the players highlighted are now subject to the pool “cooling off” period. Any managers interested in buying them can bid until close of play Saturday 28 February 2004, after which time they go into the pool proper and are readily available. All bids to me please.
THE FF£100,000 QUESTION
During his tenure as owner of Oxford FC, the late Robert Maxwell proposed a merger between Oxford and Reading FC. What was the merged club to be called?
Guesses by close of play on Saturday 28 February 2004. First correct one out of the hat after that date gets the dosh!
The celebrity petrol pump attendant was none other than Francesco Totti. Apparently one customer asked if he really was Roma’s celebrated Italian international, and Totti replied “If I was Francesco Totti, do you really think I’d be working in a petrol station??”
£100,000 goes to Dean, Ryan
SHORTS
· A whoopsie to report (a rare one I hope!). Of course Carlo Cudicini didn’t have the clean sheet for Elland Road in the last newsletter, as he didn’t play for Chelsea in their 1-0 win over Charlton. The clean sheet should have been credited to David James. The errant otter has been shot. I thank you.
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