I hope you get some changes Wakey.

Don't hold your breath though, the education authorities have known about this DOB issue for decades and done nothing to change it.

My Birhday is 26/8 was the youngest in the school for first year but from the second year I got to play in my year and year below, not sure if that was legal or not. Luckily I was never that small but a couple of teammates were.

Very interesting.
It does highlight a very poor state of the game at that age where physical stature is so important, it seems almost medieval and archaic approach to scouting that's being reflected in your stats.

it reminds me of watching england schoolboys when we seemed to just put the biggest lads in the team. they then got given the runaround by the smaller younger technical continentals. to be honest not much has changed in that respect since hungary battered us 3-6 at wembley and showed us how to play the game. 66 aside - a cup won by true english grit and heart - we have been behind the times ever since.

My school used to have a category called Bantams, based on a weight limit.

That was for rugger, but could weight categories perhaps also be possible for junior football?

Most sports have problems like this. As a cyclist I was always the youngest in my age category, if I was born 2 days later I'd have been treated as if I was a whole year younger.

Instead of racing against people a few days or weeks younger than me, I was up against people 11 months older. It's a lottery.

This is a common feature in most sports I think and is robust against all kinds of cut-offs (school year, calender year etc...). I remember reading studies about this for football, baseball etc.

One important issue is what you highlight, with the scouting, and how kids born "at the right time" are more likely to be picked up into PL academies, but an often forgotten side is the motivation for kids to keep competing. When kids are grouped according to a date cut-off instead of Bio banding, the younger, smaller kids often lose motivation after a few years of not being able to compete with the best in their group, and drop out even before they have a chance of being scouted in the first place.

I completely support Bio banding both to stimulate the development and also the motivation of kids in their early years as an athlete.

It doesn't remove any skill. Not blocking a rivals team just for the sake of having different players is poor strategy, IMO, and therefore little skill.

If money is involved, mimicking is a good option. 🙂

win your ml by any means necessary!

The dullness went through the roof at that point.

The thing about matching a rivals good players is that it helps you to win the game - which is to come top of mini-leagues for many. Of course you can't just do that - the real test is making sure you have differentials in place that your rivals don't own.

So for example this weekend if I was chasing someone and they already had Alli, TobyA and Kane I'd get Eriksen in as I know they can't get him and he could do really well.

Matching good players, getting in differentials are both equally important to mini-league victory. I've won both my cash ones every year for the last five years by using this tactic - which is around £150 to £200 a year. When I spent my winnings one year on a new Fender telecaster - now that was fun. 🙂

You want to play nice and fun, by all means. But don't hit someone for playing to win, because if it involves money then all the more it's important to win rather than have fun.

It is a wonderful tactic as long as it helps in winning. Full stop. Don't add all this rubbish about having fun. FPL is about winning first, then having fun second.

It's like running the ball into the corner when you're one goal up. Dismal, mean spirited and not sexy. But it helps you win stuff. So depends if your priority is winning or being sexy.

This tactic is like a resignation that you have no skill of picking the right players, and that you got lucky to be at the top. I refuse to do this 😀

Here's a crazy idea...how about picking the players that you think will score the most points irrespective of whether you rival has them or not?

this is what the 'weak' say. i'm out to win, not have fun. that's what it's all about

So many posts here saying "I'm out to win, not have fun", I'm baffled by those comments..!

It's an online GAME that we all voluntarily play. Why do we play? Because it's a fun way to spend our time. Something to chat about at the pub. Something to rib your friends over. Competition yes, but just like any game/sport it was invented as a fun way to spend time as well as learn a few new skills along the way.

Regardless of if you think this tactic sucks the fun out of FPL or not (personally I know a couple of friends who love doing this to other people in our ML and torturing them), I certainly think that people who are saying that FPL "Is about winning, not having fun" are missing the point big time. What an over-serious way to look it 😛 !

Or you could be like me: 120 point lead, start blocking out, get bored, started taking hits to even out, and now chasing.

Picture this: You're first in the world, i.e. OR is 1, in gameweek 37. You're ahead of 2nd place by 20 pts. You know he has your exact squad but has Sanchez whereas you have Ozil. You also have enough in the bank to do Ozil to Sanchez.
If you can tell me that you won't block by getting Sanchez, then you're either lying to me or yourself. It's a strategy that is a part of the game and it does require skill. It definitely does not take away from the fun aspect

Have not led in my ML for years, always been 2nd or 3rd and chased. Play my own game till GW 34/35 after which take differential risks.

First time this year have led since GW 13/15. And havent looked at my league once, been doing my own thing, getting a decent OR.

Its my rivals headache to choose a good player who will score well at the same time not be in my team.