The Telegraph Throw Their Hat In

While most of us are still deliberating our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) lineups, it nonetheless falls upon me to alert you to the fact that there are other games out there; some of which are even worthy of your attention. The Daily Telegraph’s game certainly falls within that category.

Their 2010/11 effort is now open for registrations and team selections and you can even get yourself a bargain if you sign up now. The “early bird” deal may sound like something that would crop up in conversation with John Terry whilst hanging around Chinawhites but it is in fact the Telegraph’s attempt to seduce you into entering multiple teams. You can get no less than four entries for a tenner right now, giving yourself endless plate-spinning pain for a cheap-ish price. That particular offer ends at midnight tomorrow night so get in now if you’re feeling smug about your FPL lineup and need four more teams to juggle.

Once the clock has chimed midnight tomorrow the Telegraph will charge you £6 per team or offer you three teams for £10. Of course all this entry fee money can potentially came straight back at you with interest should you claim the top spot; there is a £50,000 top prize and a string of cash prizes also on offer…

The Telegraph rules have been pretty sound for several seasons. Having said that, personally I don’t like the fact that FA Cup matches are included – I just wish this game would focus purely on the Premier League scoring and give us those Cup weekend’s off. It’s just a nightmare with FA Cup rotation amongst the big sides. That aside, things are pretty solid around these parts – perhaps even improved.

The rules have been tweaked this season to rule out the dubious Man of the Match bonus – surely a step in the right direction. They’ve also attempted to balance the scoring for defenders and keepers by allowing both to concede the first goal without a point deduction. The aforementioned John Terry was the only defender to rank in the top 30 last season – this time around the Telegraph are hoping that this little tweak will bring defenders back into the reckoning.

The game organisers have also made the decision to rule out Assists and replace them with “Key Contributions”. We’ve seen this stat used in games previously and I’m not too keen. Effectively it allows points to be awarded to more than one player when it comes to the assists for each goal. So, in the case of a cross flicked on for a striker to tap in both the player crossing the ball and the player flicking the ball on could be awarded a “Key Contribution”. It all seems like an unnecessary complication to me and one that’s likely to open them up to some frustrated emails once the race for prize money hots up.

Despite that fuzzy new addition, this game will always be in the reckoning for those mini-league organisers looking for an alternative to the Fantasy Premier League game. Managers need only pick 11 players for their team making it an easier proposition for the casual Fantasy Manager. The budget of £50 million is also less intimidating and the game offers you a “Percentage Selected” stat to guide those new to Fantasy Football. In a nutshell then it looks ideal if you’re trying to tempt a few newbies into a mini-league at the office.

A first glance at the player list reveals some notable headlines. Gareth Bale is classed as a defender and has duly been picked by more managers than any other back four player. Martin Olsson is also a defender although he has proved a far less attractive proposition so far. A handy differential right there.

We’re still scratching around for a second game to get behind for the forthcoming season and the Telegraph may just be the distraction we need. I for one will take a look at the player list and possibly take them up on the “early bird” deal.

Whether we’ll support the game with an official Fantasy Football Scout League is another proposition entirely. By all means let us know your thoughts on this one. I’ve set up a poll to canvas your opinion so cast your vote once you’ve taken a look around.