ALL THE YOUNG DUDES CARRY THE NEWS
A very successful January Transfer Window Auction/ Social evening was held last Monday night; thanks very much to all that attended. Splashing out on young players was definitely the order of the day, with £9million being spent on Greek prospect Georgios Samaras, £10.5 million on Arsenal youngster Emmanuel Adebayor, £12 million on young defender Daniel Agger, and a whopping £13 million on 16 year old striker Theo Walcott! Peej, the purchaser of young Walcott, sidled up to me after the auction and said “I hope this means that you’re going to carry doing the Fantasy League for a good while yet!” No worries on that score, Peej!
In addition, the WSFFL FA Cup Semi Final draw was made. Clive drew the “home” teams and Beef the “away” (although Semi Finals of course take place on neutral grounds), and the draw came out of the hat as follows;
You Know Your Boston Rock FC v Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
Aardvark Abacus v Prettier Than You
So, a husband vs. wife final is a possibility…! Aardvark vs. Fred is more likely though…
Also, the usual quiz followed, which gave managers the chance to claw back some of their hasty outlay. Peej maintained his reputation for extreme cleverness, top-scoring with 18, Rich came second with 15½ and Beef third with 15, although Pete must win the most improved player award, scoring 11½ points, after only getting 2 right in the Summer!
A full list of transfers follows in the “Transfers” section of this here newsletter, folks.
YOU HAVE DESTROYED MY FLOWER-LIKE LIFE, NOT ONCE – TWICE
You Know Your Boston Rock FC faced their “bogey” team this weekend, and the outcome was sadly inevitable. The Dead Parrots duly ran out 4-1 winners, inflicting Boston Rock’s biggest league defeat this season – ouchie! Marlon Harewood again proved to be the undoing of the “The Sky Heroes”, as his double meant Dean did the double over Boston Rock! This is the thanks I get for doing your proxy bidding, eh, Cobber…
Despite this loss, Boston Rock remain 4 points clear at the top, as both Trusted By Millions and Aardvark Abacus were held to draws this weekend by opposition they’d expect to beat.
Ady’s Aardvark drew 1-1 with brother Dave’s Mega Buck Bandits in the Bevan Derby, Ady’s Robbie Keane equalising an earlier Finnan strike. Trusted were also held 1-1, by York’s Returning Glory, Jamie Carragher salvaging a draw for Beef after Thomas Radzinski had given Yorks’ real hopes of another astonishing win over title contenders. So Real Muppets took the opportunity to re-enter the title picture, with a 5-1 defeat of Thommo’s Titans to move within 2 points of 3rd placed Aardvark and only 9 points off top slot. Cristiano Ronaldo continued his recent hot streak with a brace for Ryan.
Fred West also arrested their recent slide, winning 4-2 over San Dimas High School with a double for Collins John, to move above their opponents to 5th. Sliding in the wrong direction this weekend was Nil Satis, a Chris Riggott goal giving the Groove Machine a 1-0 win over Pauls’ Blues. Eleven Imaginary Boys consolidated their 8th place, beating Final Fantasy XI with a Sami Hyypia double. And Prettier Than You continued their recent good run, moving to level on points with their weekend opponents Claymore Athletic FC, after beating Clive 3-2 with goals from N’Zogbia, Luke Moore (again!) and an unexpected strike from Richard Dunne – in the right net for once! Rachel continues to have the upper hand over Clive in the league…
So, POTW was difficult with a lot of deserving performances. Never one to shirk controversy, I’m going to ignore The Groovers and the Parrots’ quite legitimate claims, and give it to a drawing team. That’s right, a brave performance from our bottom club, cruelly denied 3 points by a Bevan dodge (Boo! Hiss!) from Beef, deserves some reward, so York’s Returning Glory get the £500,000 this week. Well done Julian.
TRANSFER NEWS
New players to the Premiership (and therefore also new to this wonderful game of ours) went “under the hammer” at the January Transfer Window Auction. This lot were promptly snapped up by those present, or by myself, gleefully throwing away other managers’ cash, and no doubt abusing my position as proxy bidder;
Player To Fee
Theo Walcott (A) San Dimas High School £13m
Nemanja Vidic (D) Fred West Landscape Gardening XI £7m
Patrice Evra (D) Fred West Landscape Gardening XI £6.25m
Georgios Samaras (A) You Know Your Boston Rock FC £9m
Nuno Maniche (M) Thommo’s Titans £4.5m
Antti Niemi (G) Thommo’s Titans £1m (bargain!!)
Paul Scharner (D) San Dimas High School £8.5m
Daniel Agger (D) Real Muppets £12m
Emmanuel Adebayor (A) Aardvark Abacus £10.5m
Lionel Scaloni (D) Dead Parrots £6m
Vassiriki (Abu) Diaby (M) Thommo’s Titans £500K
Dudley (DJ) Campbell (A) Nil Satis Nisi Optimum £500K
Chris Sutton (A) Dead Parrots £500K
Benjani Mwaruwari (A) 22 Legged Groove Machine £2m
(somewhat inevitably, given the Big Man’s predilection for stupidly-named players)
TRANSFER NEWS (continued)
Player To Fee
Emmanuel Olisadebe (A) Mega Buck Bandits £500K
Yaniv Katan (A) 22 Legged Groove Machine £3.5m
Oscar Perez (M) Eleven Imaginary Boys £500K
Simon Elliott (M) Mega Buck Bandits £500K
Paul Anderson (M) Fred West Landscape Gardening XI £500K
Albert Riera (M) Dead Parrots £3m
Andres D’Alessandro (M) Trusted By Millions £6.6m
Hossam Ghali (M) San Dimas High School £500K
Martin Latka (D) Final Fantasy XI £500K
Martin Olsson (D) 22 Legged Groove Machine £500K
Matthew Mills (D) Eleven Imaginary Boys £1m
Ali Al-Habsi (G) San Dimas High School £1m
This means the following players went straight in the pool and are still available;
Kevin Smith (A), Sunderland
Ingi Hojsted (M), Birmingham City
Tuomas Haapala (M), Manchester City
Ognijen Koroman (M), Portsmouth
Rory Delap (M), Sunderland
Jan Kozak (M), West Bromwich Albion
Nigel Quashie (M), West Bromwich Albion
And the following pool-related action took place to make way for the above purchases, or otherwise (remember, as an official WSFFL event, this was an “open pool” night);
Player From To Fee
Aaron Mokoena (D) 22 Legged Groove Machine Pool £2m
Claus Jensen (M) 22 Legged Groove Machine Pool £1.6m
Mark Noble (M) Mega Buck Bandits Pool £1.375m
John Viafara (M) San Dimas High School Pool £250K
Felipe Olivera (A) Fred West LGXI Pool £250K
Paul Robinson (D) San Dimas High School Pool £250K
(Paul Robinson the West Bromwich Albion defender, not the Spurs goalkeeper)
Jason Euell (A) Aardvark Abacus Pool £250K
Kasper Schmeichel (G) Thommo’s Titans Pool £250K
Matt Jansen (A) Fred West LGXI Pool £250K
Ben Thatcher (D) Trusted By Millions Pool £250K
Amdy Faye (M) San Dimas High School Pool £250K
Nico Vaesen (G) San Dimas High School Pool £250K
Dario Silva (A) 22 Legged Groove Machine Pool £250K
(since released by Portsmouth so not available under the pool cooling down rule)
Kenny Cunningham (D) 22 Legged Groove Machine Pool £250K
Liam Rosenior (D) Pool 22 Legged Groove Machine £500K
TRANSFER NEWS (continued)
Player From To Fee
Mark Pembridge (M) Mega Buck Bandits Pool £250K
Lee Cattermole (M) Pool Mega Buck Bandits £500K
Philippe Christanval (D) Final Fantasy XI Pool £250K
Ivan Campo (M) Final Fantasy XI Pool £500K
Matt Jansen (A) Pool Final Fantasy XI £500K
Andrew Davis (D) Pool Final Fantasy XI £500K
Matt Jackson (D) Pool Claymore Athletic FC £500K
Kasper Schmeichel (G) Pool San Dimas High School £500K
Stephen Elliott (A) San Dimas High School Pool £1.75m
And subsequent transfers have been as follows;
Colin Cooper (D) Real Muppets Pool £250K
David Martin (G) Pool Real Muppets £500K
Stephen Wright (D) Nil Satis Nisi Optimum Pool £250K
Williams Martinez (D) Pool Nil Satis Nisi Optimum £500K
Robert Huth (D) YKY Boston Rock FC Prettier Than You £1m
Kelvin Davis (G) Prettier Than You Pool £1.5m
Micah Richards (D) Pool YKY Boston Rock FC £500K
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 18 February 2006, after which time they go into the pool proper and are readily available. All bids to me please.
THE FF£100,000 QUESTION
Okay, then, last one in the Premiership goals quiz series. You’ve got to cast your mind back for this one…
Following Dalian Atkinson’s wondergoal for Aston Villa against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park, in 1992/93, the first season of the Premiership (you know the one, he dribbled practically the full length of the pitch before lobbing the keeper), he was greeted by a celebrating supporter carrying what?
Answers to me by close of play Saturday 18 February 2006 As usual, first correct one out of the metaphorical hat gets the dosh.
After Thierry Henry scored his wonder goal against Manchester United, he ran over to the Arsenal dugout and imitated the then-current Budweiser “whazzup!” advertisement. A slightly more subtle beer connection than former Highbury favourite Paul Merson’s famous swigging pints celebration…
One correct reply again, and again it’s from Rachel! So Prettier Than You get the £100,000 for the second week in a row, so well done to Rachel! Now, I’m quite happy to continue to add £100,000 a week onto my missus’ WSFFL balance, but it’s up to the rest of you guys to have a guess! C’mon out there, as Delia would say, let’s be having you!
One wrong ‘un, from Ceri (“kiss Barthez on his bald head”, that was Laurent Blanc’s job!).
SHORTS
· It looks as if You Know Your Boston Rock FC’s new boy Georgios Samaras has joined the right team; with his lank, shoulder length hair, blank expression and hunched shoulders, the tall striker looks like he might have stepped out of an early 90’s post-grunge US rock band. I wonder what he looks like in ripped jeans, flannel shirt and “Devo” t-shirt…
· The recent sad passing of former England manager Ron Greenwood reminded me of an old Brian Clough quote, in which “Ol’ Big ‘ead” blamed his failure and Greenwood’s success in getting the England post, on the prominence of the letter “R” in his name. Clough’s quote went something like, “Ramsey, Revie, Greenwood; maybe I should change my name to Rory Rararar”. Well, if that’s still the main qualification for the England job, then look no further for Sven’s successor – Prettier Than You boss Rachel Rose!
WSFFL RESULTS;
Week 19, W/E 11 February 2006
Aardvark Abacus 1-1 Mega Buck Bandits
Keane (1) Finnan 41,347
Claymore Athletic FC 2-3 Prettier Than You
Pogatetz (1) N’Zogbia
Valente Luke Moore
Dunne 25,023
The Dead Parrots 4-1 You Know Your Boston Rock FC
Harewood 2 Darren Bent
Scaloni
Konchesky 37,140
Final Fantasy XI 1-3 Eleven Imaginary Boys
Nolan Hyypia 2
Barton 34,700
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 4-2 San Dimas High School
Given Yakubu
Van Nistelrooy Ashton
John 2 38,193
Real Muppets 5-1 Thommo’s Titans
Ronaldo 2 Rochemback
Dudek
Southgate
Abdoulaye Faye 35,615
22 Legged Groove Machine 1-0 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Riggott (1) 31,294
York’s Returning Glory 1-1 Trusted By Millions
Radzinski Carragher 31,037
Performance of the Week: York’s Returning Glory
THE WSFFL LEAGUE TABLE, Season 2005/06
| ||||||||||
As at 13 February 2006
| ||||||||||
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Diff
|
Pts
| ||
1
|
You Know Your Boston Rock FC
|
19
|
13
|
2
|
4
|
56
|
21
|
35
|
41
| |
2
|
Trusted By Millions
|
19
|
11
|
4
|
4
|
45
|
25
|
20
|
37
| |
3
|
Aardvark Abacus
|
19
|
10
|
4
|
5
|
49
|
27
|
22
|
34
| |
4
|
Real Muppets
|
19
|
10
|
2
|
7
|
37
|
30
|
7
|
32
| |
5
|
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
|
19
|
9
|
4
|
6
|
46
|
36
|
10
|
31
| |
6
|
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
|
19
|
9
|
2
|
8
|
30
|
32
|
-2
|
29
| |
7
|
San Dimas High School
|
19
|
8
|
4
|
7
|
39
|
31
|
8
|
28
| |
8
|
Eleven Imaginary Boys
|
19
|
8
|
3
|
8
|
25
|
30
|
-5
|
27
| |
9
|
The Dead Parrots
|
19
|
7
|
5
|
7
|
37
|
30
|
7
|
26
| |
10
|
Mega Buck Bandits
|
19
|
6
|
6
|
7
|
24
|
30
|
-6
|
24
| |
11
|
Claymore Athletic FC
|
19
|
5
|
8
|
6
|
30
|
32
|
-2
|
23
| |
12
|
Final Fantasy XI
|
19
|
5
|
8
|
6
|
28
|
31
|
-3
|
23
| |
13
|
Prettier Than You
|
19
|
6
|
5
|
8
|
26
|
37
|
-11
|
23
| |
14
|
22 Legged Groove Machine
|
19
|
6
|
3
|
10
|
20
|
46
|
-26
|
21
| |
15
|
Thommo's Titans
|
19
|
4
|
2
|
13
|
14
|
41
|
-27
|
14
| |
16
|
York's Returning Glory
|
19
|
1
|
6
|
12
|
16
|
43
|
-27
|
9
| |
TOTAL
|
304
|
118
|
68
|
118
|
522
|
522
|
0
|
422
| ||
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