The Pre-Match Preamble- Gameweek 10

Events like “Cedricgate” can often be enlightening. They can act as handy barometers on just how far the pursuit of Fantasy Football has progressed – or not.

While many of us have voiced gripes and groans on these pages or even via Twitter, it’s rare for a “ruling rant” to make it far beyond that – to actually break onto “mainstream” news sites.

Typically, however, the angle of approach to the Cedricgate story was scornful, almost mocking of the concept that someone would care, with such passion, about a few points for their Fantasy Football team.

The articles offered a reminder that there is a good way to go before the act of actually “caring” about Fantasy Football, investing time, money and effort in the “hobby”, is actually acknowledged as worthwhile.

As a site dedicated to those who want to take things beyond the twenty minutes spent on an August tea-break, it was disappointing to see the lack of awareness and appreciation for Fantasy Football and those who play it.

However, we can all take comfort from the fact that a change is on the way. The Premier League’s own reaction to “Cedricgate” confirms this.

Friday’s statement, painstakingly confirming their rules surrounding the events of Cedric Soares’ substitution, laughs in the face of the articles and attitudes published earlier in the week.

It demonstrated that the Premier League do care about the intricacies of their game. More significantly, it showed that they also care what we think and feel about their game.

They really have to.

The 3.5 million players have to be looked after. We are a valuable commodity who deserve respect for the level of obsession and attention we pay to our Fantasy Football teams.

It tells me that, while there is still a degree of mocking aimed in the direction of those who invest in this hobby, those actually involved in Fantasy Football see things differently.

There’s a realisation that, as money is pumped into bigger and bigger prize pots, as Fantasy Football grows and grows in popularity, bringing more traffic and more revenue to those who supply the games, so the attitude on those who play it has to change.

Those of us who have the time, the knowledge, the tools and the enthusiasm to exploit the opportunities that Fantasy Football presents, will be seen differently.

The folk mocking now will wonder how they get in on the action. What they have to do to compete.

At that point, they’ll be left wondering just how they lost points from their Southampton full-back, and we’ll be the ones laughing.