FANTASY FOOTBALL SCOUT CUP VIII – FIRST ROUND DRAW REMINDER

Last weekend, we announced the draw for the First Round of the Fantasy Football Scout Cup VIII, as sponsored by Paddy Power. If you entered and have yet to discover whether you qualified, a score of 56 points (after hits) in Gameweek 11 was enough to clinch a place in the knockouts – though a few qualified on 55 points thanks to their high overall ranking.

The ties get underway this weekend in a Gameweek that stretches over three days, starting with a Saturday lunchtime Merseyside derby at Goodison Park and ending on Monday night, as West Brom entertain midlands rivals Villa at the Hawthorns.

With a new Cup system now in place thanks to behind-the-scenes work from our site developer Ed, we can monitor how the ties are shaping up as the Gameweek progresses. This gives us the chance to roll out updates after the final match of each day to show who is closing in on a place in the next round and who is facing elimination.

Later in the tournament we’ll even be considering live draws on the podcast, giving a name-check to those closing in on the prize. Once again, click here for a full rundown of the First Round Draw.

As the schedule begins to pick up pace over the winter, here’s a reminder of the relevant dates:

What is the Gameweek Schedule

Each round of the Paddy Power Cup will be played out over the following schedule:

• Round 1 – 1024 teams – Gameweek 12
• Round 2 – 512 teams – Gameweek 13
• Gameweek 14 – Break
• Round 3 – 256 teams – Gameweek 15
• Round 4 – 128 teams – Gameweek 16
• Round 5 – 64 teams – Gameweek 17
• Gameweek 18 – Break
• Round 6 – 32 teams – Gameweek 19
• Gameweek 20 – Break
• Round 7 – 16 teams – Gameweek 21
• Quarter-Final – 8 teams – Gameweek 22
• Semi-Finals – 4 teams – Gameweek 23
• Final – 2 teams – Gameweek 24

When are the fixtures released?

The fixture list for each round will be published a day or two before each Gameweek deadline.

Are there prizes?

Sponsors Paddy Power are supplying the competition with some great prizes and we’re supplementing these with Amazon Vouchers. The prizes break down as follows:

Winner – £100 worth of free bets. £100 Amazon Voucher
Runner-up – £50 worth of free bets. £50 Amazon Voucher
3rd Place – £50 worth of free bets. £25 Amazon Voucher

In addition, the top scoring manager from each round will win a £25 free bet from Paddy Power on supply of their Paddy Power username.

Cup Entrants will need a Paddy Power account and be aged 18 or over to be eligible for some of the above prizes. Prizes are also subject to Paddy Power’s terms and conditions. You can, of course, enter without being over 18 and without a Paddy Power account but will not be eligible for the free bet prizes.