Preamble

The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 1

I sometimes wonder if this is a young man’s game.

If, at my stage in life, my wits and abilities are dulled to the extent that I’ll be found out. Scrambling around like a desperate Harry Redknapp, searching for his outdated little black book on Transfer deadline day.

I’ve only got myself to blame. I’ve turned Fantasy Football into something far more than a hobby or a mild distraction.

I eat, sleep and breathe Fantasy Football at times and yet, as I grow older and my responsibilities weigh down on me, I wonder if I can continue to carry the “burden” and hold my own.

A fiancé. Two children. A day job. A dog. Two cats and a Columbo habit.

It’s a lot to take on and, at times, I’m limited to tinkering in my head whilst emptying the dishwasher, contemplating the merits of Branislav Ivanovic whilst taking the bins out. Something has got to give.

I thought long and hard on this whilst watching Columbo and tweaking my FPL lineup at 1am.

As my family lay restless upstairs – my four-week-old daughter clamped to my sleep-starved partner for a ninth feed, I sat in my own discomfort in the lounge, wondering if I’d done the right thing overlooking Eden Hazard.

At some point I’ll have to reassess my priorities. Some Saturday mornings I may not be about to deliver on my pre-amble promise.

However, the fact is, Fantasy Football has become a big part of my life and my family and the crumpled detective have had to learn to live with it.

Two hundred thousand Fantasy managers visited these pages in the last 24 hours. Last night Simon March, the current FPL champion, gave advice to Alan Shearer on his Fantasy line-up live on the radio.

Something’s happening.

Fantasy Football isn’t going anywhere. In fact, with every passing season it seems destined to keep a new army of people up beyond 1am contemplating their budget midfielder.

After enjoying my best ever campaign, I doubt I’ll hit those heights again. I may make mistakes, I may even miss a trick whilst out gallivanting with my toddler. I will have to make sacrifices.

But I’m not going anywhere. As new blood get gripped by this Fantasy Football thing, I need to stick around and be part of it.

We’re all part of it. Whatever commitment we can afford to spend, let’s have a good time doing it.

Enjoy the season.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

3,470 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Bielsa's Blue Bucket
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    What price is the untied keeper?

    1. Optimus.
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      I do knot know

    2. 11bigboy11
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      5m

  2. Yaw9
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    WALCOTT WALCOTT WALCOTT WALCOTT WALCOTT

    1. Manamongst
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Gooner supporter here; don´t feel he will get a start today. He might not even be the 12th player in the game.

      1. Bolt-on
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Giroud?

        1. Manamongst
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          Yes. He´s got like 5 goals in 5 against WHU.

        2. Manamongst
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          As well, we know Bilic well from his CL exploits, although Reid & Ogb are well rested, I just can´t see him pushing them too high up the pitch. Keep Payet wide so his head isn´t spinning.

  3. *sigh*
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Captain Tekkers!!! Good luck everyone

  4. Your Mum's Athletic
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    #mufc team: Romero, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Shaw, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Mata, Memphis, Young, Rooney

    #THFC v #MUFC: Vorm, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Bentaleb, Eriksen, Demeble, Chadli, Kane #EPL
    0 retweets 0 favorites

    #mufc subs: Johnstone, Valencia, McNair, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Pereira, Chicharito.

    #THFC subs: Lloris, Trippier, Wimmer, Alli, Carroll, Lamela, Mason

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      We know, ok

    2. Lord Flashheart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Lamela is still alive?

  5. Tiki-Taka
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Ruddy
    PVA / Bellerin / Targett
    Hazard / Walcott / Ozil / Depay
    Rooney (C) / Benteke / Pelle

    Lets go!

  6. Optimus.
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Well I stayed strong..

    Walcott (c) it is

    1. Lord Flashheart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      We can start the group hug now...

      1. Manamongst
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Or the support group. I´m thinking Ox should have gotten that armband.

    2. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Gl

    3. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Good man.

    4. facer
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      me too Optimus

    5. sminkypinky
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Yep

  7. HappyMonday
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Ok...now that's it updating...I also play a different fantasy league and need to decide between Milner and Chadli this week. Any thoughts guys?

    1. Tiki-Taka
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Milner

    2. Bolt-on
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Chadli

  8. Costa in Wengerland
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Ritchie Captain !! FTW

    1. Lord Flashheart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Great balls of fire.

      1. Brian (Not the Messiah)
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        shouldn't use deep heat. EVER.

  9. Gunners n' Roses
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Darmian bandwagon surely? 😛

    1. @BigChrisso
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Im driving

  10. Thick Of It
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    That Spurs lineup looks very average. I fear for your season Spuds fans.

    1. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Uniteds centerbacks look pretty average...

      1. Odikostar
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        United centerbacks look like fullbacks

        1. SuperDunny - Used to be goo…
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          Spurs centrehalves ARE fullbacks.... for Belgium!

  11. Valar(Keith)
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Now that we cant change our drafts a hundred times.. who actually managed to fit in
    Rooney/Hazard/Aguero/and a non-Ox Arsenal mid

    1. RyanC
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Me!

    2. ihateramsey2
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      see below

    3. Mauro Boselli
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      yep. with Cazorla

    4. Seamy
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Nope. Hazard fell by the wayside. But managed 2 non Ox Arsenal mids

  12. ihateramsey2
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    ...............................Ruddy.............................
    ............PVA.........Janmaat.......Bacuna...........
    Hazard(c)....Cazorla.....Henderson.....Ritchie
    ..........Aguero......Rooney.....Deeney

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Nice, very nice...

  13. Woy of the Wovers
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Good luck everyone.

  14. Lord Flashheart
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Wc activated.

    Or not.

  15. davies
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    😎

    Ruddy
    Azpi - Bellerin - Huth
    Hazard (C) - Walcott - Sterling - Chadli
    Rooney - Pelle - Sakho

    😎

  16. Siva Mohan
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Ben Dinnery ‏@BenDinnery
    No Danny Rose in the #THFC squad .... Reports that the full-back picked up a knock in training yesterday. Vorm gets the nod over Lloris

  17. Gorgles
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Good luck everyone! May the best man/woman win

  18. mipola
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    A goal from Bentaleb will send this site bonkers.

  19. rohan
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    REPOST

    Post your Gw 1 teams below

    Panti

    Huth/ Mert/ Bassong

    Hazard (C)/ Mane/ Ozil/ Silva

    Rooney/ Wilson/ Kane

    1. Jebiga
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Courtois - Hennessey
      Mertesacker - Baker - Morgan - Coates - Saylor
      Ozil vc - Fabregas - Tadic - Chadli - Wanayama
      Aguero - Rooney c - Benteke

    2. Jax
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      pages going too fast mate.

  20. Syd.
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Did anyone play any of their chips???

    1. Jax
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      nope.

  21. PlayON
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Only 1 hour left to pick your teams and enter games for GW1 on PlayON - Daily Fantasy Football

    Over £2,000 in Guaranteed Pots on offer in GW1 - view all games in the lobby below:
    https://playon.co/#/enter-games

  22. Jay_
      8 years, 10 months ago

      I made defensive and Gk transfers, pressed confirm at 11.44, clock ticked over to 11.45 as blue bar was loading top of page, it didn't take me to pick team page, just got stuck for a while then went to 'game is updating ' page, did these transfers go through ?

      1. Les Bleus
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        You should quit FPL

      2. The Suspended One
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        You'll find out in an hour

    • Jebiga
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Pens down

      Courtois - Hennessey
      Mertesacker - Baker - Morgan - Coates - Saylor
      Ozil - Fabregas - Tadic - Chadli - Wanayama
      Aguero - Rooney - Benteke

      Good luck all.

    • martymcfarty123
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      It's been emotional. Good luck everyone. Not really... I hope you all do terribly.

    • Saniul
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Januzaj not even on the bench.Looks like he is off to Everton, indeed...

      1. Reedy
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Oh I thought he was linked with Sunderland

      2. Ryan
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Pedro's arriving so it makes sense.

      3. Bolt-on
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Sunderland

    • Chris_White
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Vorm over Lloris. Good for Rooney captainers.

      1. PB-THE-VET
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Vorm better keeper

        1. il Brutto
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          Go and see a real doctor.

    • Gooner Kebab
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      remeber to pick your captains!

    • Ninja Škrtel
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      There are 3 things on earth visible from space:

      The Great Wall

      Bingham Canyon Mine

      This Site before deadline

    • Gunners n' Roses
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Why isn't Lamela starting?

      1. The Suspended One
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Bad overrated

    • SweeSwee
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Will the new BPS system favour an OoP Eric Dier?

      1. The Suspended One
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        No, but set pieces will. Toby just got a lot less interesting