SOUL SURMISE

HOW NOT TO PLAY YOUR FANTASY LEAGUE CAPTAIN - AND FL UPDATES!!!

There are five big decisions for the Fantasy League manager during the season. 

We have two opportunities to change our entire team in what are called WILDCARDs. We get one before and one after New Year's Day.

There is also a FREE HIT that changes your team for only one week before you revert to what you have.

Then there is a BENCH BOOST where you get the points of your entire squad not just the 11 you choose.

Finally there is a TRIPLE CAPTAIN where your captain doesn't just double but trebles his score.

It is all about the nouse to know when to play these.

I decided that the right time for my TRIPLE CAPTAIN was this past week. I had signed Ollie Watkins and boy was he in form as the striker of an Aston Villa team that were banging in goals for fun. At home to Luton Town. They were sure to get 3 or 4 and if he got even 2 and an assist the points were great!

Well of course Villa did get 3 but not as much as an assist for Watkins. 

As if that wasn't bad enough it was the first time this season that I had taken the captain away from Erling Haaland and he scored 2 and had an assist at Old Trafford. It would have been 30 more points had I TRIPLE CAPTAINED Haaland! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Be careful with your precious cards, managers. One lost to me!

Even with this I did ok but 30 points more would have out me in the fray... That's the luck of this game!

 

UPDATES in my MAIN 3 LEAGUES

 

FITZROY

In my Church League my daughter is back on top, level with the perennial winner John McMullen but on top all the same. 

I sit 3rd but not far enough ahead of 4th that I could lose my TRIPLE CAPTAIN.

 

ONLY AN EXCUSE - HEAD TO HEAD

In my very competitive Head-To-Head league I had another comfortable win though when Haaland got his second on Sunday afternoon I wondered if not captaining him might cost me.

My daughter Jasmine leads again and is actually 6 points ahead of me in 3rd with Tim, Janice's cousin who lives with us sitting a point ahead of me. Where are all you Scots!!!???!!!

 

FACEBOOK PUNDITS

A competitive wee league that James Hume has risen like cream above us all, even Jasmine and McMullen, in second place. Go James!

 

Can I say that Jasmine is more interested in her Reading University Women's Team League and she is not at the top of that league. The women are slaying! 

LUKE DONALD'S INTELLIGENCE WINS THE RYDER CUP

On Thursday night as I watched the Opening Ceremony of the Ryder Cup I immediately felt confident that Europe might win. A ball had not been teed up yet but if you ask me the Cup was won and lost in the Captain's speeches.

Zac Johnston did nothing wrong but his attempt to speak Italian and his speech in general lost 10 & 8 to the speech of European captain Luke Donald.

There was a real intelligence about Donald's speech. This is a very clever man. There was also a deep sense of being orientated to the place. His Italian was longer and seemed more fluid and much more than a gesture. Donald also mentioned the caddies and I had a sense that he knew his team, his wider staff and all of those that would support his twelve players.

That intelligence was immediately proven in the pairings for foursomes and four balls. 

Lots has been said about the American players taking 5 or 6 weeks rest before the event. What I liked more was how Donald had used those weeks.

Keeping his players competitive was one thing but pairing them up in the BMW PGA, using a competitive tournament two weeks before the Cup to bond the team in a competitive atmosphere. This was a well thought through build up. That intelligence again.

If I thought this over Friday and Saturday it became even clearer on Sunday. As I looked at the pairings for the singles on Sunday morning I actually wondered where Europe might win four points. I was concerned. 

Now why would that be after having won three out of the first four sessions. It was because when you see the American team lined out they have world beaters. How could they have been 5 points down? How could Scottie Scheffler have lost 9&7 in the Saturday Foursomes? He slugged it out down the 18th to a half match with John Rham on Sunday.

There is a thing that you hear about in Belfast schools. It is called added value. Basically if you come to our school we can add a valuable increase to your expected results from what you have attained up to then.

That speech by Luke Donald, his preparation before and his influence during the week, added a value to almost every European player.

Robert McIntyre might say it himself. It was a huge step up in his levels of golf pressure. At times he looked like a wee boy among men. Yet, Robert McIntyre came out of his debut Ryder Cup with 2 wins and a half match, one a singles win against the US Open champion. Now, that is added value. 

This was in the end a hard fought win, though the final score looks very decisive. With a 5 point lead going into the final day the Europeans needed their final three players to fight hard to bring the Cup home. Overall, this was a huge win, against the seemingly stronger American players on paper. 

Do not underestimate how much a captain's intelligence won Europe this Cup. My hope is that he'll take on a brash New York crowd and see if we could possibly win again in two years time on American soil. Lead us again Luke!

ZOMBIE AT THE RUGBY WORLD CUP... I SURMISE THE ROW!

I was immediately surprised. As the whistle blew, to bring relief and joy at Ireland’s narrow win over South Africa in the Rugby World Cup, I could hear Zombie, a well know international hit for The Cranberries pumping out across the Stade de France and on into the Paris night. 

I was intrigued. Who chose that song? I immediately had images of Saracen tanks on Belfast streets. I had never sensed it as a celebratory song for a sports event. Mind you who heard Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline as a sports anthem!

I suppose, as you are all expecting, I was expecting U2’s Beautiful Day or something. At least Zombie hadn’t been the obvious.

I then woke up on Monday morning and Zombie was the raging row on social media. It seems that Republicans are not happy that a song of protest against the IRA should be seen as a song of unity. 

It got a little laughable for me when I read post after post that described The Cranberries as West Brits. I lived in Dublin for a few years and knew a few West Brits but none of them had names like Dolores O Riordan. 

If anyone who was against the bombs and bullets tactics of the IRA were called West Brits, then a great number of people of the Republic were West Brits in 1993.

It was in March 1993 that the IRA exploded a bomb in Warrington, England. Three-year-old Johnathan Ball was killed and twelve year-old Tim Parry  had his life support machine turned off just five days later. 

There was an out pouring of horror in Dublin at the time. I was living there and felt that something different was happening. Dublin mother Susan McHugh brought 20,000 on the Dublin streets to protest the murder of children in the name of Irish freedom. It was a stepping stone through more horror as we stumbled our way to an IRA ceasefire eighteen months later.

The Cranberries were riding this same horror and asking question about the violence of the northern Troubles. It was 1993 that they wrote Zombie.

After I posted this blog I got a little more info about the song's original use at sporting events. It seems that those "West Brits" known as Limerick GAA started using it before the Munster Rugby crowd took it board. A song as born in Limerick as You'll Never Walk Alone was in Liverpool. It makes sense and is now sneaking out from Munster to the entire island.

So, I am not sure that the vehemency of those against the Irish Rugby team celebrating to Zombie has much robustness of argument. It is certainly not as offensive as a moment a couple of months ago when in a mid Ulster pub, the only other punters sharing the bar with us, came back in after they had left to shout “Up the Ra!” at what could only have been us.

It is however a reminder of how sensitive we are to songs and chants in certain situations and how much they still reach deep into our souls and offend and hurt us. We need to find songs that unite instead of divide, no matter what the sensitivity of our feelings.

I have been a fan of Snow Patrol’s Run. Is it too Northern? Why does that matter? It is some anthem in a stadium when Gary Lightbody fires the crowd. Staying north we could offer Teenage Kicks an utter punk rock classic.

There are also Thin Lizzy classics. What about Whiskey In the Jar or The Boys Are Back in Town. The thumping Horslips song The Power and the Glory is maybe not well enough known. The Sawdoctors’ To Win Just Once seems appropriate. Or… how would it be, should Ireland actually win this World Cup, if 30,000 Irish are heard singing No One Compares To You, so close to Sinead’s sad passing. There is also Beautiful Day!

STOCKI'S FANTASY LEAGUE SURMISE #4

Oh it was a week of utter drama, frustration and deep deep disappointment. A Fantasy League storm. 

First up was that I had transferred out Elanga to bring in the star of the weekend before -Raheem Sterling. Elanga hadn't started for Forest in the first 3 games and Sterling looked like he was fizzing. Elanga scores. Sterling doesn't! Oh if that was all.

I hadn't done well on Saturday afternoon. Silva didn't start for City and after he came on got booked! Haaland did his hat trick business but about 90% have him too. I went off to a gig on the north coast and found myself out of wifi range. When wifi kicked in I discover that my striker Evan Ferguson had scored a hit trick... but he hadn't started any game this season... so I had him on my bench! AAAHHH!!!

So Sunday, particularly in my head-to head league I needed points. Alexander Arnold have me some hope with his first expensive contribution of the season BUT two minutes in the United/Arsenal match cost me two clean sheets. Of course one of the scorers was my man Rashford BUT... you guessed it... I had put him on the bench at the last minute on Friday evening.

So without those 24 points that I left on the bench, I needed a miracle. It was a Declan Rice miracle, the assist from Saka enough to defeat Adela, last year's champion by 2 points!

FITZROY LEAGUE

The perennial winner John McMullan eventually rises to the top but my daughter Jasmine is still there, level with him. After Bowen's goal on Friday night, Jasmine was at the dizzy heights of 75,000th over all. WoW! Jonny Fitch, Stephen Orr and Ryan Kee are the chasers, every year competitive, all three!

FACEBOOK LEAGUE

Rev Haydon Spenceley over takes Jasmine to stay at the top. Haydon was Chaplain at Northampton town and made a stunning record this year called Ruthless Trust. Good at Fantasy League too. What a guy!

HEAD-TO-HEAD LEAGUE

Fortunately for me Adela chanced a -4. It cost her so I am one of the 4 with 9 points. Leader on Friday lost his game to Stevie Hay. Pretty hard to lose to Stevie. He still has Tierney and Mitrovic still in his team and Haaland 3rd sub!!! He did have Ferguson as captain and Haaland obviously came off his bench. There is luck involved too. 

Now it is the International Break. The transfer window is closed. Time for a Wildcard anyone!

 

WEEK 3 FANTASY LEAGUE - My Surmise

It was one of those awful Fantasy League weeks where as the weekend goes on you realise that it getting worse instead of the better you are hoeing against hope for. 

I should have noticed on Saturday. I heading to a wedding at 3pm and check the scores early on to find that Onana, my keeper, has no points. I check to see if he’s not playing and discover that United have conceded twice in the first four minutes at home to Nottingham Forest. Maybe United cleans sheets should not be hoped for! 

By Sunday afternoon I am needing Berardo Silva and Trent Alexander Arnold to do something spectacular. Before Bernardo can, and he doesn’t, my captain Haaland has doubled his -2 for a missed penalty! That is not so bad as 91% have Erling and most as captain.

Alexander Arnold thought. Booked in the opening minutes for letting go of the ball. Was he meant to hold on to it. Bizarre decision. Even more bizarre was his not being sent off a minute later for what WAS a yellow card offence! From there - nothing!

The Weekend result is that I free fall down my leagues. 

My excuse is that Saturday was the first time `I had watched a match this season. I learned a lot. Gusto? Who is he? £4m! Wow. These little things that cannot be learned on vacation, away from good wifi will hopefully be fixed in the next few weeks.

 

MY LEAGUES

FITZROY LEAGUE.

My daughter Jasmine and her Earps, I Did It Agian remains on top. She had an average week but had enough of a lead. Up further than I fell and into second is Ryan Kee and his Jubious Bandits (his team name referencing his beloved Juba in South Sudan). The Bandits scored 87 points, just short of twice as many as Jasmine. Over half of those were on Friday night. Ryan captained Raheem Sterling as well as scoring with Jackson and clean sheeting with Chilwell. Visionary work. Deserved the points!

Perennial heavy hitters McMullen, Fitch and Orr are waiting to pounce. I have it all to do.

 

FACEBOOK LEAGUE

Again, it is Jasmine. McMullen and James Hume the closest chasers!

 

ONLY AN EXCUSE - HEAD To HEAD

I had a local derby with my mate Tim, who is currently living with us. Tim is a quiet gracious man but I knew he had his heart and soul grinning away that he thumped me from the off. I still had a chance on Sunday but as I hoped for Silva to save me, it came up on the screen that Matty Cash had scored for Villa. WHAATTT?! A Timmy defender not in our equations and then… Cash scores again and my Weekend is Ker Plunk! I mean Matty Cash twice in one game… when!!!

This league looks so exciting. It has everyone nudging for position. In a league of 16, 2nd to 8th all have 6 points with Timmy’s sin against me moving him one ahead on 7pts. No one with 100% records after 3 games. Heavy hitters are finding it tough though Ross Coulter found his feet to defeat Jasmine’s strong start. 

 

ME AGAIN

Big decisions needed to strengthen as I try to strengthen the MBEs… It is that stage where we are all seeing what our teams could be with a few weeks of transfers. Far too early for a WILD CARD though another week like this one and I’ll be under that pressure!

SURMISING FANTASY LEAGUE (AND MY LEAGUES) WEEK 3

It was one of those awful Fantasy League weeks where as the weekend goes on you realise that it getting worse instead of the better you are hoeing against hope for. 

I should have noticed on Saturday. I heading to a wedding at 3pm and check the scores early on to find that Onana, my keeper, has no points. I check to see if he’s not playing and discover that United have conceded twice in the first four minutes at home to Nottingham Forest. Maybe United cleans sheets should not be hoped for! 

By Sunday afternoon I am needing Berardo Silva and Trent Alexander Arnold to do something spectacular. Before Bernardo can, and he doesn’t, my captain Haaland has doubled his -2 for a missed penalty! That is not so bad as 91% have Erling and most as captain.

Alexander Arnold though. Booked in the opening minutes for letting go of the ball. Was he meant to hold on to it. Bizarre decision but even more bizarre was his not being sent off a minute later for what WAS a yellow card offence! From there - nothing!

The Weekend result is that I free fall down my leagues. 

My excuse is that Saturday was the first time `I had watched a match this season. I learned a lot. Gusto? Who is he? £4m! Wow. These little things that cannot be learned on vacation, away from good wifi will hopefully be fixed in the next few weeks.

 

MY LEAGUES

FITZROY.

My daughter Jasmine and her Earps, I Did It Agian remains on top. She had an average week but had enough of a lead. Up further than I fell and into second is Ryan Kee and his Jubious Bandits (his team name referencing his beloved Juba in South Sudan). The Bandits scored 87 points, just short of twice as many as Jasmine. Over half of those were on Friday night. Ryan captained Raheem Sterling as well as scoring with Jackson and clean sheeting with Chilwell. Visionary work. Deserved the points!

Perennial heavy hitters McMullen, Fitch and Orr are waiting to pounce. I have it all to do.

 

FACEBOOK.

Again, it is Jasmine. McMullen and James Hume the closest chasers!

 

ONLY AN EXCUSE - HEAD To HEAD

I had a local derby with my mate Tim, who is currently living with us. Tim is a quiet gracious man but I knew he had his heart and soul grinning away that he thumped me from the off. I still had a chance on Sunday but as I hoped for Silva to save me, it came up on the screen that Matty Cash had scored for Villa. WHAATTT?! A Timmy defender not in our equations and then… Cash scores again and my Weekend is Ker Plunk! I mean Matty Cash twice in one game… when!!!

This league looks so exciting. It has everyone nudging for position. In a league of 16, 2nd to 8th all have 6 points with Timmy’s sin against me moving him one ahead on 7pts. No one with 100% records after 3 games. Heavy hitters are finding it tough though Ross Coulter found his feet to defeat Jasmine’s strong start. 

 

ME AGAIN

Big decisions needed to strengthen as I try to strengthen the MBEs… It is that stage where we are all seeing what our teams could be with a few weeks of transfers. Far too early for a WILD CARD though another week like this one and I’ll be under that pressure!

FANTASY LEAGUE WEEK 1 - THE SURMISE

So the first weekend of Fantasy League is over and I am happy with a very solid start. My daughter Jasmine on the other hand leads almost all of the leagues she is in. apart from the Fitzroy League. More of that.

What to do now is the question? Every year I scream “No Quick Reactions”. Give it a week or two for everything to settle. A look at this week’s stats would have everybody rubbing to sign City’s Rodri. A goal and an assist but he is £5.5 for a reason. He is a defensive midfielder. Mind you he scored in the Champions League Final too.

An injury to John Stones was a big disappointed to many including myself BUT again be careful of quick over reactions. 

I have my own issues. I got “lucky”. Two of my strikers started on the bench but came off that bench to score. I immediately wonder if Brighton’s Ferguson should be changed to team mate Pedro and Callum Wilson should give way to Isak. I am going to show patience and wait and see…

So what is happening across my main 3 Leagues.

 

FITZROY LEAGUE

Stephen Orr has not threatened for a year or two though I always watch him as I rate him highly. A dormant volcano like his precious Arsenal. Orr takes the an early 7 point lead with 91points, a little lucky because his first choice keeper Verbruggen didn’t start for Brighton and Leno his substitute was the highest scoring keeper with 12 points. 

My opinion is that subs should only score half their points because Stephen shouldn’t be awarded for a bad judgement in his first choice team BUT that’s only me and a statistical nightmare!

Just behind Orr’s team, Old Havertz Kai Hard (nice), there is another Orr, his teenage son Isaac in 6th, two Stockies, Jasmine and my fortunate self. As expected John McMullan, perennial winner and Jonny Fitch after an atrocious season are the rest of the Top 6 with steady starts.

 

FACEBOOK PUNTERS

My daughter Jasmine with a team name on the cutting edge of the Women’s World Cup, Earps, I Did It Again, has a 4 point lead with 84 points. An impressive start, she leads Neil Sedgewick and Steve Pointon by 4. 

McMullan, Andrew Patterson and I are another point back and the dangerous Dave Magee just one off us. 

 

ONLY AN EXCUSE HEAD TO HEAD LEAGUE

The head to head league is a whole other skill. I even wondered about playing a different team in this one. The biggest issue for me is do I risk two transfers in one week to lose 4 points. I can kind of justify that in a points league but in head to head those 4 points could be crucial.

Head to Head is also about luck in that you might have the second best score in the league and lose your game having 40 points more than the second worst team who beat the worst team and end up 3 points better than you.

There wasn't much drama in my friend Stuart’s Head To Head. This is a league of 15 teams from Scotland, Nepal, New Zealand, Czech and Northern Ireland. A steady start with wins for all the expected clubs on the statistics for the past few years. However, newcomer Jasmine again sits at the top of the pile, on points difference.

The only shock was Ross, who is usually hard to beat, taking an early defeat, his Sporting Esemi losing to Naveen’s Kathmandu FC 78-77. Ouch! Naveen did have Rodri!!! Ross would have taken the points had he played Chilwell instead of Shaw. These are the breaks.

 

So on wee all move. Changes? Oh they will be needed but I’ll be taking my time to see who plays every week, who gets transferred to who, where the cheap points scorers appear from and will Liverpool’s defence make Alexander-Arnold more valuable than Salah.

Blessed providence in the weekend ahead everyone! 

 

FANTASY LEAGUE EVE

It is a big and stressful day for millions of us. Teams need picked for the opening day of a new season of Fantasy League.

Today millions will be working out who they can buy for their £100 million budget. How many big players can we afford. Is Haaland who we know will score just too much money. What are the cheap players that are going to come through? Should I skimp on my defence for big goal scorers? Some seasons defenders do better. After a bad season is Alexander-Arnold worth 8 million. Will new signings fit in quickly? What about players from promoted teams? Do you go for players with easy opening games or get ready for the long haul?

Of course it is a marathon not a sprint and for most Fantasy League managers their teams will bear little resemblance even in October to the team they choose tomorrow evening. 

However, there still be some panic. A good start is better than a bad one though it is amazing how quickly the team at the top of your particular league on Sunday night might drop away within a few weeks.

With one free transfer per week and then every additional transfer per week costing 4 valuable points it is best to have a good steady team at the outset. You do not want to have to play your Wildcard too soon. Is Week 3 too soon!?!

Of course, there is some luck in this game. One of the biggest factors is choosing the right captain every week as their points double. It might be luck that my player scores a hat trick and yours doesn’t score at all. That might happen week after week!

BUT let me say that as I have followed this game for some 15 years and been involved in a Fitzroy league for 10 that the winner at the start of May will have little to do with luck.

As I look at our league I know that reigning champion John will be there as sure as Pep rarely has a trophy less season. Will Alastair compete like he did last season? In my friend's Head To Head league it'll be Stuart, Adela and Ross as sure as our beloved Strathspey Thistle won't win a game in the Highland League! The cream they say always comes to the top. I’ve watched it season after season.

I had an alright season last time BUT ended up winning 3 cups on the last day, two that I didn't know about until hey were won. Like the real game cups whether Carabao, FA or Champions League are tin pot. Luck is needed. Too much depends on freak 90 minute games, some freak injury time minutes. So, it is the league I want. 

So as a religious practice, I am going to start with a solid spine. Big names who have proven themselves, at the core. No new whizz players. They might take time though Haaland only needed a pass from Kevin last season! 

Then who will be the differentials as we call them. The surprise big scorer at 5 million. That usually takes time to know. 

If you can spot those cheap big scorers by tomorrow night then you’ll give yourself a great start! Anthony Elanga or James McAtee anyone?!

THOUGHTS ON A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

I am up with a little excitement this morning. Champions League Final.

Now, we’ve been here before. Only two years ago. BUT the only thing I remember about that entire night is checking the team sheet and knowing that Pep’s over thinking had cost us our first Champions League. Everything else, including my pain - blank!

Pep is a genius but he had a weakness - over thinking. Gladly I think it is gone. Gone because I think he now believes in his team as they are. That first half against Real Madrid showed just how good.

So, I am excited. Maybe, if we could win this big European trinket, it would get all the “you need to win the Champions League to be great” off our backs. 

Here’s the thing. Five Premier Leagues in six years is a statement of greatness. Champions Leagues are knock out games. I have watched Liverpool win it in a year that they didn’t even finish in the top 4 of their own league. I have watched City out play Real Madrid for 180 minutes and two minutes of Madrid madness knock us out.

It can all be done on a little luck on the right night. A ball into the box that ricochets back and touches Jack Grealish’s fingertips has a chance of deciding where the cup goes. So though it is the strongest knock out cup, that is what it is. Give me the Premiership every time.

Now, there is a way for it to still be special. Not by winning it when you finish 5th in your league. The best way to win the Champions League is when you are clearly champions of your own league and throw an FA Cup in too. United have won this treble. It is an ‘icing on the top of the cake’ Cup. So, this is the year to win it.

Surely, with this team, this is our time. Let’s hope there’s no luck involved.

Some will then bring up middle eastern money and fair play rules. Oh I wish they were not always hanging over us. I could talk about how it is everywhere. Check the golf this week. Or check all our UK economic systems and Saudi money will not talk but swear as Dylan once said. Football like our western society is run with unaccountable capitalism. I wish other wise. 

Yes, I wish we were back in the innocent 60s and 70s and everybody had the same chance. We are not. These are different days. Massive investment is needed from somewhere. So, I will say yes that I struggle with the money BUT I do not believe that we have bought any trophies. Other clubs have spent billions and failed. 

I am however less exuberant about our victories. The Premiership and the FA Cup went by. Even people in Church were thrown by my not mentioning it. On social media I will not over do celebrations. I will not poke fun at other teams. A simple photo of the team with the trophy is all I have been doing. Part of that is to do with the financial tainting. Part of it is that I hate all that so called bragging fun!

So, I am never confident in a knock out match but tonight I am. We seem unbeatable just now. It is surely our time to get this one done before they say that we need five or six of them to be great. It would be that icing on another great season. 

If it is not to be I hope I lose my disappointment as quickly as 2021 and I’ll be more than happy with a fifth title in six and an FA Cup Double. 

The truth is… that Aguero moment in 2012. That was enough. The Sawdoctors have a song called To Win Just Once. It would have been enough for a team that waited so long. Ask West Ham fans! BUT… ask them if they’d like a treble and they’d not turn you down. 

Come on City!

FANTASY LEAGUE - SUNDAY GLORIOUS SUDAY

Sunday saw my most successful Fantasy League day in almost twenty five years of effort. The way the day unfolded says as much about how Fantasy League works.

Let me take you back three weeks. One of the leagues I prioritised in the 5 leagues I was involved with was the Only And Excuse head to head league. Though there was only 11 FL points between the top 4, I was 26 head to head points behind Adela the League Champion. I actually ended the season with more points than Adela but in head to head… luck?!?!

Well, luck I say. Three games from the end of the season something strange happened. We were not being told who our next opponent was… and then… then the league suddenly broke into a Play Off tournament between the top 8 clubs. Stuart pressed a wrong button somewhere at the start. He wasn’t pleased. I was delighted!

Now I had a chance to win from 26 points back. Quarter Final win, good draw in the Semi and last Sunday I am playing my good mate Tim, Janice’s cousin who lives with us, in the Final. 

My favourite real life manager Pep caused me to feel that I needed to concede at kick off when he rested my 3 City players including my captain Haaland. Our mate Stuart, admin of the league, pointed out on Whatsapp that Tim had seven players not playing and me, only five. I suddenly realised that Tim had players rested too and that subs would now be vital.

All my subs started but getting clean sheets from Tarkowski and Pinnock seemed slim. With 15 minutes to go it was all to play for but I had concluded that I needed City to draw 0-0 to give 6 points for both Raya and Pinnock in Brentford’s goal and defence. 

Then Kane scored, as my vice captain I’d double that. Tim was Triple captaining Salah who somehow was only grabbing an assist as Liverpool scored 4! Just as it was looking good and I was dreading a City goal (we’ve won the league!!!) Pinnock scores!!! It is mine! 82-52 in the end. My first ever silverware!

BUT… wait. On the morning of the last day I got a message from James Hume. James is part of my Facebook Pundits League. I was 5th overall in that league, James finishing 20 points ahead of me in 3rd. His message was that never mind the United-City FA Cup Final next week, we were head to head in the Facebook Pundits Cup Final. I knew nothing about this. What Cup? Two Cup Finals in one day and you’ve guessed it Harry Kane and Ethan Pinnock give me an 82-34 win. 

So, if these leagues had cups maybe the MK HitARyan Dons League had one too. They did and I won that 82-42 against Richard Armitage.

One Sunday - 3 Cup wins. A Stocki Treble. Treble? Who said Treble!

To be fair my 82 points was the highest score in any league that I was entered in. My last few weeks were strong to win Semis and Quarters BUT the skill that I do believe you need also needs a huge lump of luck. Who’d have thought that City resting players would allow my subs to play and that my third sub would score against City and that goal with a clean sheet would give me 15 points. 

That’s Fantasy League. I’ll miss it for three months. I love that luck, the signings, watching what my mates do and adding points over the weekend. I need to congratulate John McMullen who won the Fitzroy League and Cup double and the Facebook Pundit League a distance ahead of runner up Rodney McCain. Also well done Constantin Albot in the MK HitARyan Dons league beating me by over a 100 into second place.

John McMullen is the other side of FL. This man is not lucky to win the Fitzroy Double after winning the league last year too. He finished 11,814 overall. In a league of 11 million that is extraordinary. I was happy jumping in til the top 500,000! To win year after year shows that skill over hauls luck in some quarters. Shout out too to Alastair Beacom for finishing runner up in the Fitzroy League. Nearly caught you bro. Well done!

Now… how much Haaland next season?!  

 

Sunday saw my most successful Fantasy League day in almost twenty five years of effort. The way the day unfolded says as much about how Fantasy League works.

Let me take you back three weeks. One of the leagues I prioritised in the 5 leagues I was involved with was the Only And Excuse head to head league. Though there was only 11 FL points between the top 4, I was 26 head to head points behind Adela the League Champion. I actually ended the season with more points than Adela but in head to head… luck?!?!

Well, luck I say. Three games from the end of the season something strange happened. We were not being told who our next opponent was… and then… then the league suddenly broke into a Play Off tournament between the top 8 clubs. Stuart pressed a wrong button somewhere at the start. He wasn’t pleased. I was delighted!

Now I had a chance to win from 26 points back. Quarter Final win, good draw in the Semi and last Sunday I am playing my good mate Tim, Janice’s cousin who lives with us, in the Final. 

My favourite real life manager Pep caused me to feel that I needed to concede at kick off when he rested my 3 City players including my captain Haaland. Our mate Stuart, admin of the league, pointed out on Whatsapp that Tim had seven players not playing and me, only five. I suddenly realised that Tim had players rested too and that subs would now be vital.

All my subs started but getting clean sheets from Tarkowski and Pinnock seemed slim. With 15 minutes to go it was all to play for but I had concluded that I needed City to draw 0-0 to give 6 points for both Raya and Pinnock in Brentford’s goal and defence. 

Then Kane scored, as my vice captain I’d double that. Tim was Triple captaining Salah who somehow was only grabbing an assist as Liverpool scored 4! Just as it was looking good and I was dreading a City goal (we’ve won the league!!!) Pinnock scores!!! It is mine! 82-52 in the end. My first ever silverware!

BUT… wait. On the morning of the last day I got a message from James Hume. James is part of my Facebook Pundits League. I was 5th overall in that league, James finishing 20 points ahead of me in 3rd. His message was that never mind the United-City FA Cup Final next week, we were head to head in the Facebook Pundits Cup Final. I knew nothing about this. What Cup? Two Cup Finals in one day and you’ve guessed it Harry Kane and Ethan Pinnock give me an 82-34 win. 

So, if these leagues had cups maybe the MK HitARyan Dons League had one too. They did and I won that 82-42 against Richard Armitage.

One Sunday - 3 Cup wins. A Stocki Treble. Treble? Who said Treble!

To be fair my 82 points was the highest score in any league that I was entered in. My last few weeks were strong to win Semis and Quarters BUT the skill that I do believe you need also needs a huge lump of luck. Who’d have thought that City resting players would allow my subs to play and that my third sub would score against City and that goal with a clean sheet would give me 15 points. 

That’s Fantasy League. I’ll miss it for three months. I love that luck, the signings, watching what my mates do and adding points over the weekend. I need to congratulate John McMullen who won the Fitzroy League and Cup double and the Facebook Pundit League a distance ahead of runner up Rodney McCain. Also well done Constantin Albot in the MK HitARyan Dons league beating me by over a 100 into second place.

John McMullen is the other side of FL. This man is not lucky to win the Fitzroy Double after winning the league last year too. He finished 11,814 overall. In a league of 11 million that is extraordinary. I was happy jumping in til the top 500,000! To win year after year shows that skill over hauls luck in some quarters. Shout out too to Alastair Beacom for finishing runner up in the Fitzroy League. Nearly caught you bro. Well done!

Now… how much Haaland next season?!