Anyone interested in joining the Guardian Fantasy Football League?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/fantasyfootball

It is free and the Guardian provide £50,000 in prizes.

Once you have registered online you can arrange to join your own private league. I thought we could start a Forum League:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/ju...antasyfootball1

I'd be definitely up for that. Does your contract with the Guardian permit us to use other FF leagues?

I had a private league in Football 365 which was decent. You had 20 subs for the year at maximum of 3 per month. This maintained interest as no-one felt out of it due to injuries etc. which can normally ruin most leagues.

If we'd enough interest perhaps someone could perform escrow services for a nominal entrance and prize fund.

Team Name: Spartacus

Squad

Rob Green (5.3)
David James (6.8)
Joleon Lescott (7.9)
Rio Ferdinand (9.5)
Martin Laursen (7.7)
Michah Richards (5.7)
Ryan Nelsen (4.6)
Michael Johnson (6.0)
Michael Carrick (7.7)
Steve Sidwell (5.4)
Ashley Young (7.9)
Joe Cole (7.5)
Daniel Alves (5.6)
Dean Ashton (6.0)
Craig Bellamy (4.8)

Total (98.7m)

You can find out how to enter below, and here are three reasons why you should:

1. It's free
2. There's a prize fund of £50k
3. Your friend's face will be a treat if you do better than them

Let's face it, winning (or at least beating your mates) is even sweeter when the game's so realistic. And ours is the most realistic fantasy football game in the world.

Why? Well, instead of picking 11 players, you get to pick 15, from which you choose your side each week. There are 10 different formations to choose from and scoring's more realistic too: there are points for saves, accurate crosses and shots on target as well as the usual goals, assists and clean sheets.

The £50k prize fund is divided into £25,000 for the winner, £10,000 for the runner-up and £3,000 for the third-placed player. We've also got £1,000 for each monthly winner and a weekly prize draw of a signed Premier League shirt.

Here's what to do to join in:

1: Go to www.guardian.co.uk/fantasyfootball

2: Click on 'Play Now' to go to the squad selection page. Once you've picked your players click Save Team to register - its free to enter.

3: Once you're on your team line-up page, click on Friends' Leagues and type the following in the Join a Friends' League boxes:

I've signed up with a team called Arsenal (I didn't realise that you couldn't change your name after submitting otherwise I would have something more interesting!). My team is:

Peter Cech
Gael Clichy
Martyn Skrtel
John Terry
Jonathon Woodgate
Michael Ballack
Nigel Reo Coker
Stephen Pienaar
Cesc Fabregas
Peter Crouch
Fernando Torres

Reserves
Ben Foster
John Spector
Nigel Quashie
David Connolly

Total Cost 100 million.

Interesting names on the bench. I would think it is unlikely that any of them will get many games this season. Is this a tactical decision based on the transfer system?

I will definitely be entering a team and will wait until closer to kick-off to do so.

Other folk who've entered a team may or maynot be aware that the team can be changed up unitl 16ht August 08.

More like a complete lack of funds left having blown it all on the first team! I have to play the long game as I won't have many opportunities to play about when I am in deepest India!

Latest league member: Alex Davies

Team Name: Worthing Wonders
Squad Value: 95.80m


E Van der Sar 7.70m
R Green 5.30m
G Cahill 4.40m
J Pantsil 3.50m
J Terry 9.10m
A Ferdinand 4.20m
M Richards 5.70m
N Reo-Coker 6m
P Scholes 6.50m
S Gerrard 10m
C Fabregas 9.50m
C Bellamy 4.80m
P Crouch 6.50m
D Whitehead 5.30m
M Owen 7.30m

PSV Hangover have entered the fray

Sporting a 4 - 1 - 3 - 2 formation

Van Der Sar

Kaboul
Upson
Vidic
Lescott

Barry

Babel
Gerrard
Deco

Ashton
Torres

On the bench

Pantsil
Tugay
Bellamy
Given

No point changing your team now to match the awesome strength in this squad!!!!

Where's Turner - has he bottled a real challenge which doesn't involve simple future predictions

He has said he will field a team. But he might be getting second thoughts when he discovered that you can only have three members of the Manchester United team in the squad.

Andy Walker has also been slow to join in.

Internationale Milton have joined the Forum League.

In time-honoured tradition, the squad is announced here:

Keeper Almunia Arsenal 6.4
Keeper Cavalieri Liverpool 3.9
Def S Campbell Portsmouth 4.8
Def P Senderos Arsenal 5
Def J O'Shea Manyoo 4.4
Def G Bale Tottenham 5.1
Def J Terry Chelsea 9.1
Def-Mid V Diaby Arsenal 6.4
Def-Mid J Mascherano Liverpool 8.3
Mid Bentley Blackburn 7.7
Mid Modric Tottenham 7.2
Mid Giggs Manyoo 6.5
For Tevez Manyoo 9.7
For Berbatov Tottenham 9
For D Kuyt Liverpool 6.3

Initial subs (3-2-3-2) Cavaleri, O'Shea, Cambell, Kuyt.

Player Value £99.8

Colours (as Inter) Blue/Black Stripes, Black, Black.
Home Venue: Sands Here No Stadium, Southsea.

We have so far got seven teams in the league

1 Bryncoch Dafydd
2 Arsenal danlyndon
3 Worthing Wonders Alex Davies
4 Cypriot Gooners United V. Vassiliou
5 Spartacus John Simkin
6 PSV Hangover Gary Loughran
7 Internationale Milton Ed Waller

Mr Walker seems to be hedging bets until the very last!

This is your last chance to register a team. After 12.00 you will be unable to enter our forum league. Also, make sure your team are all capable of scoring points. For example, Fabregas, Drogba, Essien, Owen, Viduka, Hutton, Arca, Mascherano, Bellamy, Dyer, McCartney, Gabbidon, etc. are not playing today.

Table after the first game of the season

1 Gary Loughran (132)
2 John Simkin (120)
3 Vas Vassiliou (107)
4 Alex Davies (100)
5 James Turner (97)
6 Dafydd Humphries (93)
7 Paul Cockerham (92)
8 Dan Lyndon (87)
9 Ben Turner (75)
10 Ed Waller (42)

I'd like to apologise to all the fans for the poor start Inter have made to the season.

You see, being a Spurs fan (masochist) it's just the way we have to start these days...

But I'm sure we still have the potential to break into the to 4...

Don't take it too badly. The main problem is that some members of the league fielded players who did not play from the start. For example, players like Senderos, O'Shea, Bale, Mascherano, Tevez, Berbatov, etc.

If I was you I would transfer Berbatov. He will not perform while he wants to get away. I am not sure that he will end up at Manchester United either.

When I picked the b******, it seemed a move to Manyoo was hours if not minutes away... And i felt that Tevez and Berba would make a good combo while Rooney was injured and/or suspended, and when Manyoo decided to go three up front!

Best laid plans and football... not necessarily a good mix.

Some of the newspapers today are suggesting that Spurs will be buying Anton Ferdinand. What is your opinion on Ferdinand?

1 Gary Loughran 216
2 John Simkin 202
3 danlyndon 172
4 Alex Davies 172
5 V. Vassiliou 167
6 Paul Cockerham 165
7 James Turner 161
8 Dafydd 149
9 Ben Turner 111
10 Ed Waller 78

Well, as he appears to have gone to Sunderland...

Hadn't been that impressed, but has seemed competent, although to say he's an improvement on Dawson, or some of our other defensive players isn't necessarily a lot of praise...

It looks as though Berba could end up in Spurs' reserves I'm sure he'll be focused enough to do well there!!

This does not include the Man Utd v Portsmouth game.

I think Dawson is better than Ferdinand. I don't think Ferdinand is very keen on living in the North East or being managed by Roy Keane. Maybe Keane can do for Anton what Ferguson did for Rio?

But without the drugs tests...?

And you must have a very low opinion of him if you think Dawson is better! Marking ability of an octogenarian with zimmer frame.

I have to agree with Ed on Dawson...poor player.

And John on Ferdinand...well the bit about the North East and Keane - however it seems that he is up in Makem land for a medical this morning. I think Keane will make him a better player and maximise his potential. Like Ferguson did with Rio, Keane will not accept loss of concentration during 90 minutes, which to me was the biggest problem with both players. Although Rio is probably the best defender 1v1 in the world. Harry Redknapp says in his book he has never seen Rio done 1 on 1 ever.

You may be right. According to today's Guardian, Spurs have rejected the £25m offer and are determined to wait for £30m. Don't worry, according to the report, Spurs have a master plan, they intend to buy Emile Heskey.

I fear that Ferguson will end up buying Dean Ashton instead. It is said Spurs are willing to pay 15m for Ashton. However, there will be uproar if our best player goes to the Spurs.



But do you think Anton is better than Dawson?




I am not convinced that Anton will respond to Keane's approach. I am not sure concentration can be taught at this stage. Concentration depends to a large extent on intellect. Rio is far brighter than Anton and was able to change.

I agree about Rio being the best defender in the world. From what I have read he plays in a similar way to Neil Franklin, England's centre-half after the war, who was banned after signing for play for Independiente Santa Fe club in Colombia in 1950. This is what Stanley Matthews had to say about Franklin: "Neil won everything in the air, tackled with superb timing and when the ball was at his feet possessed the nous to pass it will all the guile and intelligence of the most cerebral of inside-forwards. An erect physique belied tremendous mobility and breathtaking speed over four or five yards."

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/STOKEfranklinN.htm

Yes. Even though I have Dawson in one of my fantasy teams That's doing even better than this one. I picked up another 2 clean sheets last night for Vidic and Van De Sar - how much does the winner get again?




I must get around to posting the stuff I have on my Uncle, Frank 'Francie' Loughran who sadly passed away a few months back. He played football in the Olympics for Australia, and was somewhat of a pioneer. Carried the Olympic torch at Sydney. Matthews toured Australia in the 50's and said my Uncle was a great player and tried to get him back to England to play with Matthews. I have some photos of them together - they becam a bit pally thereafter, allegedly

Have you seen the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Loughran

League after two games. It seems Ed has too many Spurs players in his team.

1 Gary Loughran (257)
2 John Simkin (212)
3 Alex Davies (204)
4 Vas Vassiliou (196)
5 Dan Lyndon (178)
6 James Turner (173)
7 Paul Cockerham (171)
8 Dafydd Humphres (166)
9 Ben Turner (143)
10 Ed Waller (94)

I fear this is true.. well one too many anyway, who has now departed my team...

Now I've replaced him, he's bound to score a hat-trick, make 100 tackles and blocks, successfully deliver 50 crosses...

And whether this is in my dreams or his dreams is a matter of debate!

My grandson, Alex Davies, who is currently in 3rd place, has problems. He has several players from Manchester United (Van der Sar and Scholes) and Fulham (Zamora and Pansil) in his team (both don't play in the league this week). He has has two players suspended (Noble and Cahill) and four players injured (Gerard, Fabregas, Bellamy and Anton Ferdinand) with long-term injuries. This would not be a serious problem but he has used up all his transfers this month. He is beginning to feel like Alan Curbishley.

Though without the multi-million pound contract to balance things

Ed, you support Spurs...it's not like you have a history of good decision making

I brought in Cech and Terry for Van De Saar and Vidic. As well as replacing the injured Gerrard with Arteta. Think I still have a few million in change. 5 New transfers become available on Monday!!!

Latest league table:

Gary Loughran 408
John Simkin 402
Vas Vassiliou 397
Dan Lyndon 379
James Turner 376
Alex Davies 375
Paul Cockerham 360
Ben Turner 331
Dafydd Humphres 320
Ed Waller 314

What is the difference between Spurs and a cocktail stick? A cocktail stick has got two points.

James Turner (493)
Vas Vassiliou (491)
Dan Lyndon (474)
Gary Loughran (474)
John Simkin (470)
Alex Davies (465)
Paul Cockerham (455)
Ben Turner (427)
Ed Waller (405)
Dafydd Humphres (377)

We are now very much like a cocktail stick... 2 points with limited nourishment potential!

Vas Vassiliou (604)
James Turner (581)
Dan Lyndon (570)
Gary Loughran (570)
Alex Davies (562)
John Simkin (554)
Ben Turner (553)
Paul Cockerham (547)
Ed Waller (494)
Dafydd Humphres (453)

Positively racing up the table...

Can't see Spurs doing that in the near future... Ramos and Poyet for Newcastle? Odds of 45/1, just like their favourite formation??