OH! YOU PRETTY THINGS
Thought I’d start with a David Bowie reference after seeing the man in action at the Birmingham NEC last Thursday. And an appropriate one too, as Prettier Than You beat league leaders Claymore Athletic FC by 2-0, with goals from Ameobi and a rare one from Kilbane (Ha! An Everton player putting one over the Clivester!!) to dump Clive’s team off the top and earn Rachel the POTW £100,000. Well done girl!
Champions Kylie Bumcheeks therefore take over again at the top, Assistant Manager John picking the team for the vacationing Rich Smith, and doing a good job of it, with Emerton and Shearer goals securing a 3-1 win over Final Fantasy. Aardvark Abacus go back up to 3rd, just behind Claymore, after a spawny Robbie Keane sub goal gave him a 1-0 win in the Bevan Derby. San Dimas drop to 4th, after going down 2-1 to Fred West, who climb to 6th in the process.
At the bottom, Real Muppets gain their first win of the season with a 3-0 spanking of Thommo’s Titans, but remain bottom after PTY’s victory and Elland Road’s win over stuttering Boston Rock FC. Sheriff needs a striker in the January transfer window – please please, some Premiership club buy Jermain DeFoe!!
CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES
Continuing the Bowie theme…
Don’t forget that in December, the recat process takes place! Recat King God Emperor Peej and myself will be reviewing the position of every single Premiership player, as according to their positions on www.premierleague.com, and will be advising the Fantasy Managers in question if any of their players are recategorised as a result. Any such recat will apply from 1 January 2004, so you should know what positions you want to strengthen in the January transfer window!
If any pool players are recategorised into a more advantageous position, e.g. striker recatted to midfield, or midfielder recatted into defence, then they will be listed in a forthcoming newsletter. The “pool cooling down” process will then apply, i.e. any managers interested in buying them can provide me with a single sealed bid until 8 p.m. on the Monday following publication of the newsletter, after which time they go into the pool proper and are readily available.
YOU’RE FACE TO FACE WITH THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD
Talking about the January transfer window, which I touched on briefly in the previous article, there’s been some question as to how we should arrange the sale of any new players signed into the Premiership (and therefore our game) during this window. Last year, due to my hospitalisation circumstances, we ran an auction of new players after the window had closed, rather than applying the 48 hour rule when any signed players made their debuts, and that seemed to work well, at least for the managers who attended.
So, I’d like to do something like that again, in, say, early February, rather than do new players via the 48 hour rule which could be messy and admin-heavy. Any strong views out there either way? Let me know!
VIVE LE ROCK
Finally, the Rock has come back to a semblance of form! In the PCMT Quarter Finals a couple of weekends ago, You Know Your Boston Rock FC finally showed some of last season’s form, by staging a scintillating comeback to snatch a semi-final slot in a 4-3 win over high-flying San Dimas High School. Goals from Smith, Kewell, Lampard and Glen Johnson secured a win over da School, after Peej’s team had raced into a half-time lead with goals from Ricketts and Yakubu. The best performance of the “Sky Heroes” season to date earned them the POTW £100,000, so well done me. Shame I spoilt it by capitulating to Elland Road last weekend.
Anyway, joining Boston Rock in the semis are Fred West, who easily disposed of an out-of-sorts Kylie shorn of their talisman Alan Shearer; Final Fantasy, who beat then-league leaders Claymore 3-1, with Foxe, Berger and Dodd getting the goals; and lucky Aardvark Abacus, who squeaked a 1-0 win against Prettier Than You with a late late Eidur Gudjonsson header.
The draw for the semi-finals has already been made, and is as follows;
You Know Your Boston Rock FC v Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
Aardvark Abacus v Final Fantasy XI
This draw ensures a Bevan will contest the final this year, one semi pitting last year’s beaten finalist Ady against his sister-in-law Ceri, who, let’s not forget, has already beaten him in the league this season. Underdogs Boston Rock take on free-scoring Fred West in the other semi.
TRANSFER NEWS
Player From To Fee
Liam Ridgewell (D) YKY Boston Rock FC Pool £250,000
Radostin Kishishev (M) Pool YKY Boston Rock FC £500,000
Carlos Marinelli (M) Aardvark Abacus Released £0
Gary O’Neil (M) Pool Aardvark Abacus £500,000
TRANSFER NEWS (continued)
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 1 December 2003, after which time they go into the pool proper and are readily available. All bids to me please.
THE FF£100,000 QUESTION
What was Phil Neville’s excuse for Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton, on 30 August 2003?
Guesses by close of play on Saturday 29 November 2003. First correct one out of the hat after that date gets the dosh!
Serie A’s only Englishman is former Arsenal, Coventry, Boston Rock and Trusted By Millions frontman Jay Bothroyd. He plies his trade for Perugia, whose eccentric President Luciano Gaucci also signed Saadi Gadaffi, the son of the Libyan Dictator, in June. Gaucci was also the man who sacked South Korean Ahn Jung Hwan for scoring against Italy in the 2002 World Cup, believing his goal to be an insult against all Italians. His latest crazy idea is trying to sign a woman, although so far Swedish stars Hanna Ljunberg and Viktoria Svensson have both resisted his overtures to play in Serie A. I hear Mia Hamm is without a club after the collapse of the US Women’s league…
I received correct guesses from MC, Ceri, Clive, Peej and Dean, who all summed up Gaucci’s madness quite succinctly, and another one from Ryan, who instead sang me a little song (believe that, player!). The Triceratops landed face-up, so Mega Bucks wins the £100,000. Well done Dave, and thanks to everyone else for their research.
SHORTS
· We had an absolute dead-heat tie for October 2003’s Manager of the Month, so instead of trying to adjudicate on who had the toughest opponents during that month, I’ve decided to chuck a quarter of a mill to both candidates! So, step forward Clive Fenwick of Claymore Athletic FC and Rich Smith of Kylie Bumcheeks; for your 100% records in the month, you both get £250,000 and the right to call yourselves top managers. At least for awhile.
· Have I got you all wondering about the song Ryan sang to me? Well, I’m going to print the words right here;
“I’m an Englishman in Serie A,
Oh O, I’m an Englishman
I’m the solitary Englishman
I’m an Englishman in Serie A”
“As sung by Jay Bothroyd - sent to Perugia by Coventry”
Evocative stuff, you’ll agree… should we rename Real Muppets “Sting’s Superstars”?
WSFFL Results; Paul Cartmell Memorial Cup
Quarter Finals
W/E 8 November 2003
Prettier Than You 0-1 Aardvark Abacus
(1) Eidur Gudjonsson 38,101
Claymore Athletic FC 1-3 Final Fantasy XI
Crespo (1) Foxe
Dodd
Berger 46,966
San Dimas High School 3-4 You Know Your Boston Rock FC
Ricketts (1) Smith
Yakubu Lampard
Queudrue Kewell
Glen Johnson 41,332
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 4-0 Kylie Bumcheeks
Giggs 2
Lundekvam
Ljungberg 44,159
Performance of the Week: You Know Your Boston Rock FC
WSFFL RESULTS;
Week 10, W/E 22 November 2003
Aardvark Abacus 1-0 Mega Buck Bandits
Robbie Keane (3) 40,190
Claymore Athletic FC 0-2 Prettier Than You
(3) Kilbane
Ameobi 36,558
Elland Road Big Boys 1-0 You Know Your Boston Rock FC
Tuore (1) 32,149
Final Fantasy XI 1-3 Kylie Bumcheeks
Bergkamp (2) Emerton
Shearer 2 67,748
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 2-1 San Dimas High School
Ljungberg (2) Terry
Van Nistelrooy 52,159
Real Muppets 3-0 Thommo’s Titans
Ashley Cole
Woodgate
Southgate 30,242
22 Legged Groove Machine 4-1 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Melchiot (2) Pires
Saha 2
Giannakopoulos 34,268
York’s Returning Glory 1-2 Trusted By Millions
Radzinski (1) Bramble
Nils-Eric Johansson 33,140
Performance of the Week: Prettier Than You
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