Interview

Interview – Simon March – Fantasy Premier League Winner

Our series of summer interviews kicks off with Simon March, aka “Dufflinks”, who was crowned the overall winner of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game last Sunday.

A long-standing member of the Fantasy Football Scout community, Simon clinched the title by 21 points, pipping fellow community member, “Jinswick”, who staged a dramatic late surge to push for the crown having finished in the top 6k in each of the final three Gameweeks.

Simon talks us through his highs, lows and the tactics used in a season that saw him replace Tom Fenley as the reigning FPL champion.

Congratulations on your victory. After going into the final day with a 34-point lead, did you really expect the final day to be as tense?

Thank you!

I expected it to be tense but probably not as tense as it eventually was. The rational part of me was thinking; “34 points is surely too much to make up in one Gameweek…” but the FPL manager in me knew that anything can happen, especially on the final day! So, even with a solid point buffer and having been number one for 14 weeks, I wasn’t taking anything for granted. There was always a fear that somebody could ‘Whigfield’ me. And they nearly did!

Where did you spend the final fateful hours? What kind of emotions were you going through as the matches unfolded?

The plan right up until Sunday had been to watch the final matches in the pub but, as it got closer and the tension grew, that felt like tempting fate. I ended up watching at home, glued to FFS and the live text and experiencing probably every emotion you could imagine! Looking back, I think if I’d gone through that in a crowded pub with a sketchy internet connection… I might actually have lost it! I’d love to say I was totally cool about the whole thing, but I wasn’t.

The next day was, of course, a different story and it was time to celebrate! Now also armed with “a lifetime supply of pub banter” as one friend described it!

What made you decide on drafting in Yannick Bolasie as your final transfer of the season? Did you even consider Theo Walcott as a threat?

That was actually one of the hardest transfers of the season. I had originally planned to bring Hazard back in but, with the “wisdom-teeth saga” ongoing, I decided instead to add some depth to my attack. I needed a nailed-on, low/mid-priced midfielder, on form and ideally playing at home. Bolasie ticked all those boxes and the fact that my nearest competitor had him was ultimately the clincher. In the end, I think Bolasie might have scored the least out of anyone I’d considered. However, his inclusion meant that I’d finally owned a player from each Premier League team over the season. So there was that.

Embarrassingly, since I know all too well what Walcott is capable of, he hadn’t registered with me as a major threat. After all, he hadn’t been starting and had shown no real FPL form. I should have known better.

The “danger men” in my mind were Hazard, Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku and Jamie Vardy. Looking back, Walcott was an inspired differential punt by both Jinswick and Stuart Greenacre, and one that very nearly paid off.

At what point did you begin to realise that the title could be at risk?

As soon as that first Walcott goal went in on four minutes I started to think; “Uh-oh…”. Then, all within the few minutes just before half time, Walcott completed his hat-trick. With Diego Costa and Marc Albrighton both also scoring for Jinswick and a Jeffrey Schlupp assist thrown in for good measure, I knew then that I was definitely in trouble. It was the nightmare scenario playing out in front of me. And there was still the second half to go.

Fortunately for me, things then started to swing back in my favour, with Wes Morgan fetching an unlikely assist, Charlie Austin scoring to wipe out Jinswick’s double Leicester clean sheet and then, finally, my captain Sergio Aguero scoring a late goal. That’s when I knew I’d probably won it. I don’t think anyone in the world celebrated that goal like I did.

You were sitting on top spot since Gameweek 24 – do you think that was an advantage? How did being out in front hinder or benefit your methods?

I think it probably seemed like more of an advantage than it actually was. There’s a perception that, if you have a decent lead, then you can just “play it safe” while others have to take risks to catch you. The latter part is true but, with a few Gameweeks to go, there are no real “safe” moves available. In fact, it feels like the advantage shifts to the chasers, if not individually then collectively. Chasing managers can differentiate their teams specifically against yours whereas it’s impossible for you to cover all the potentially explosive differentials featured among the 100-odd teams that could theoretically catch you in the run-in. You basically watch every match from behind the sofa.

All you can really do in that position is to try and minimise the risks where possible and hope that the most objectively “sensible” options pay off consistently enough. The longer your lead, the greater the risks people seem willing to take to catch you, so I assumed that there would be something to play for right up until the end. For that reason, I avoided the temptation to try and “kill it off” in the final weeks with one massive differential Captaincy punt or by going too heavy with my Wildcard for double Gameweek 34. I wasn’t looking to break any points records, I just wanted to make sure I was set up for the long-haul.

We noticed in the opening Gameweek, you left Gylfi Sigurdsson on the bench and watched him score 13 points. Do you remember that opening week? You surely could not have envisaged how things would pan out from that point?

Yes, I benched him for Bojan! I guess that goes to show that you can make costly mistakes and still recover from them. Traditionally I have a poor first Gameweek so I was just glad to get a respectable 65 points. And, for anyone who believes in omens, 65 was my exact average score over the season…

Did memories of that Sigurdsson bench haul guide your decision in Gameweek 20, when you played him over 18-point Harry Kane? It almost seems that the Swansea man was determined to break your season!

It was even worse than that, as in Gameweek 19, I’d played Kane ahead of Sigurdsson. Kane blanked and Sigurdsson scored a goal! It did feel like a conspiracy at the time…

I’d gone into that Christmas period thinking that “strength in depth” was the way to go with all the uncertainty that the fixture congestion creates. It ended up not paying off at all but it had worked at other unpredictable points in the season such as around international breaks when I received some valuable auto-sub points.

It’s painful to have points on the bench but, in my view, it’s still better than not having had that player at all. Though it rarely feels that way at the time.

You had as many United players as your beloved Chelsea over the season. You also backed Wayne Rooney with the captaincy in five of the first six Gameweeks – a soft spot for United? Are you sure you’re not Granville in disguise?

I was surprised to read that actually. I think United had a seemingly good run of fixtures to start the season and Rooney is, of course, a proven Fantasy asset so that was probably me “channelling my inner casual”. Looking back he didn’t do too badly for me.

I suppose it helps to underline how, if you want your FPL team to be successful, you have to check your real-world allegiances at the door.

One unique aspect of your campaign is that you seem determined not to take point hits for transfers. Presumably, that was a strict policy – can you explain that? Have you applied the same tactic in previous seasons?

Yes I’ve taken about four hits in all the six seasons I’ve been playing. I’m not totally against them, there are times when a hit is necessary or potentially advantageous such as when you need to get in a vital player immediately, can’t field a full team or around double Gameweeks. Some players seem to have a real skill around taking hits.

Personally, I find it very easy to talk myself out of taking point hits, so generally don’t go through with them even when I am considering one. A potential benefit of that mindset is that it forces me into a more measured approach to transfers, so I don’t suffer too many knee-jerk transfer disasters.

How did your Wildcard strategy differ this season? You played it very late in the season – do you think that proved pivotal to your victory?

I think this is the first time my Wildcard has made it past Gameweek 4. Historically my initial team selections have often been too imbalanced or inflexible to take advantage of form players or to adapt to shifts in fixture difficulty so Wildcarding early became a necessity. Other times I used it tactically to build team value.

This season my initial team was well-balanced and, with price-rises slower than in the past, I didn’t see an advantage in wildcarding early. Wherever possible, I banked my free transfers and, since I was doing quite well, I sometimes found myself struggling to even use those.

In the end, keeping the Wildcard did prove crucial not, as it turned out, because it was a massive points success when I used it in double Gameweek 34 (thanks Raheem…), but mainly because it forced many rivals to spend four, eight or even 12 points on hits to get a team that I was able get for free. It also helped me set my team up for the run-in, including the double Gameweek 37.

The best time to use your Wildcard is, of course, whenever you need it most, but I think there’s definitely an advantage to keeping it late.

You’ve had strong FPL campaigns before, finishing 3833 in 2012/13 but you then slipped to 114293 the season after. What were the factors that made the difference to your hike in rank this season?

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there was a huge amount of luck involved. I think you need a certain degree in order to win this game.

In terms of what I did do, the key single principle I worked towards throughout the season was to maintain flexibility. In my initial selection I made sure that I chose players with a range of prices so that I could easily swap in any form players that emerged without the need for major surgery.

I carried over my free transfer wherever possible because you can make a far bigger difference to your team using two transfers compared to just one and I made transfers as late as possible to take into account as much team news as I could.

With the slower price rises, this was a more viable tactic this season, but I was still ready to trade team value for flexibility in most instances.

Finally, I kept both my Wildcards as late as possible which, as mentioned, allowed me to take advantage of double Gameweeks and set up my team for the run-in.

What was your best decision made over the course of season? And what was your worst? Were there any unsung heroes?

The worst was definitely the decision to bench Harry Kane in Gameweek 20. I can laugh about it now but it was so hard to take at the time that I think my girlfriend actually had to console me. Oh, and then there was Loic Remy…

I think all my best decisions involved keeping faith with players a little bit longer than their FPL form at the time perhaps merited. This was definitely true of Dusan Tadic ahead of his 23 points in Gameweek 8 and, later on in the season, of Alexis Sanchez, David Silva and even Aguero. It’s surprising how quickly these proven players can become differentials if you remain patient.

I think bringing in John Terry, who wasn’t very widely-owned at the time, for his three goals in four matches over Christmas was vital for climbing the rankings, as was getting onto the Kane and Charlie Austin bandwagons quickly. The Terry transfer was a classic FPL manager; “Well, he’s due…” selection!

I’ll also happily buy my new cult heroes Wes Morgan and Paul McShane pints should I ever run into them!

You’ve been contributing to the Fantasy Football Scout since 2011. How difficult was it to participate in the community while you were contesting for the top ranks?

Very difficult. I knew that some rivals were following my posts so getting a “Rate My Team” was obviously out of the question. I realised though that I couldn’t even offer views or advice without potentially giving away clues to my own plans. So I more or less went quiet for the last few weeks. I’m looking forward to getting involved again next season now I have nothing to hide and, hopefully, some good experience to share.

Like the previous winner, Tom Fenley, you were signed up as one of our members. Did you use any of the tools to guide your progress over the season?

Yes, definitely. I used the Season Ticker, Comparison Tool and Rate My Team in particular throughout the season and especially to guide my initial selection and Wildcards. The Comparison Tool is a great arbiter for choosing between players and the Rate My Team tool came in very handy when trying to identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of my team when compared to those of my rivals.

Unlike Tom, you watched very few live matches, why do you think this worked for you when, for Tom, watching matches proved so important to his win?

Yes, largely due to the time zone here in Singapore, which is seven-to-eight hours ahead of the UK, I saw maybe four live matches over the course of the season. If there is any advantage to this, then it’s that good performances in the real world don’t always translate into FPL points. I’ve often watched matches in the past and thought that a certain player looked good and transferred them in on that basis, only for them to do nothing except waste another transfer when I had to get them back out. Meanwhile, players that seem to barely touch the ball are somehow racking up the points.

There obviously are advantages to watching matches, though, but not being able to can force you to think about players differently and, perhaps, in terms closer to how FPL is scored. And adopting that mindset can definitely work to your favour.

How did being in a different timezone affect your season. Did you really sleep whilst matches were being played and tables calculated? Surely that must have been tortuous at times?

Early on, I slept through the evening kick-offs no problem but, towards the end, I would often wake up in the middle of the night knowing that a crucial match was going on and I’d have no choice but to check the scores. If I was lucky, the match was almost over but I remember for the recent Arsenal vs Swansea match, I was sat up in bed at about 3am following the live text from about 20 minutes in. So much was riding on that match that there was no chance of going back to sleep until it was over. It was ‘refresh… refresh… refresh’ for what seemed like an eternity.

The time difference did have some advantages though. The biggest, I think, was that, with prices changes happening at about 9:40am / 10:40am Singapore time, I usually had until the very last moment to make transfer decisions where price was a factor. A ‘Deadzone privilege’ perhaps!

Can you describe how your season has affected your relationship with friends and family? To what extent did your campaign take over your life?

My friends and family have been amazingly supportive throughout, I honestly can’t thank them enough. It was obviously never far from my thoughts but, towards the end, I think FPL started to take over their lives a bit too and they were kicking every ball along with me. Literally the first thing friends would ask me when I saw them would be; “How’s your Fantasy team doing?”.

I think my family knew my team about as well as I did as I’d often get random texts like; “Hazard penalty!” from them. A couple of friends told me that, at their workplaces, people I hadn’t even met were following my progress and cheering me on. It was the most humbling but surreal thing I think I’ll ever experience.

How do you approach next season? Do you still have Fantasy Football ambitions? Will you now consider some of the “money games”?

Right now I’m just thrilled to have won it and relieved that I can go back to following football like a normal person without constantly thinking things like; “Okay, well, I need Terry to score but Ivanovic to blank. How could that work…?”. Going forward, I’ll still try and be competitive with FPL but also have a bit more fun with it. And I’m looking forward to being able to discuss ideas and strategies with the FFS community again.

That said, there is still the league and cup double left to win….

Finally, do you have any shout-outs to any of the FFS or Fantasy Football Community?

I was honestly blown away by the huge level of support I received from the FFS community. Their reaction when I was climbing the ranks and when I finally won it was, again, truly humbling. I’m so, so grateful for it all. Thanks to all of them for this and for all their advice, this season and in seasons past.

Thanks to all those players who were in or around the top 10 over the last few weeks for making it such a great competition and well played to Jinswick especially for making me a nervous wreck with some legendary final Gameweek punts.

Of course, huge thanks to Mark, Jonty, Paul, Granville and the whole team of contributors at Fantasy Football Scout. I sincerely couldn’t have done it without this site and the excellent resources and community you’ve built.

Finally, I’d like to dedicate this win to the memory of Simon Humber aka “Absinthe”; a much-missed member of the FFS community who many will know passed away recently after a long and brave battle with cancer. A too-small gesture for a real champion.

J0E Podcaster and writer. Tweets stats and stuff via @FFScout_Joe Follow them on Twitter

890 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Optimus.
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Graham Norton is sporting a good beard I have to say..

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

      *No I'm not sorry for fluking top of the page post

    2. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Excellent start to the page. Would read again.

    3. The Machine
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      At least apologize for being top. Jeez

    4. Ruth_NZ
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Is "sporting" what they call it now?

  2. Cheeseoid
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    OK let's play Numberwang. Go!

    1. Licky
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      49

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        No

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

        63-0

        1. Cheeseoid
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          No

          1. Licky
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            400 by carrot

            1. Cheeseoid
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              that's Numberwang!

    2. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      7penis

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        No

    3. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      4willy

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        No

    4. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      8todger

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        No

  3. Epic Fail
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Optimus needs to provide some decent entertainment on this page now to make up for what he's done.

    Over to you.

      1. Epic Fail
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Took off a sock for nothing.

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

          😀

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

          That caught out so many lurkers that like to believe

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

            Whatever that means 😎

  4. Leaf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    This is a strange page so far

    1. Licky
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      U feckin wot m8!? I'll feckin fight ye...

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Leaf him alone

  5. Cheeseoid
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Ok round 2 of Numberwang. We are now playing for the toaster. Go!

    1. Licky
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Can we play that weird post apocalyptic gameshow after?? ... and 630 divided by blue multiplied by 0.243 = the square root of x

      1. Licky
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        I don't understand. :'(

        1. Cheeseoid
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          That's Numberwang!

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

      26...

      That's Wangernumb!!!

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        That is Wangernumb!

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

          🙁

  6. The Machine
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Guess the footballer

    Anagram

    Solons

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

      David Beckham

      1. The Machine
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Close but no

    2. Cheeseoid
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Snools?

      1. The Machine
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        No

    3. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Djemba Djemba?

      1. The Machine
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Good attempt but no

    4. The Machine
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Premier league

    5. Cheeseoid
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Jan Age Fjortoft?

    6. The Machine
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Its olsson. You guys are useless

    7. MARVELLUS
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Xabi Olonso...

  7. Cheeseoid
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Ok we are now entering double jeopardy which means we are playing for double points! Go!

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

      Hole in the ring..

      http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/5-03-2015/YBeTw6.gif

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        I might just kill myself. With petril

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

      6

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        That's Numberwang

        1. Licky
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          No its not...

          1. Cheeseoid
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            I stand corrected. Said the mean in the orthopaedic shoes

            1. Licky
              • 11 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              Now that's Numberwang. B)

              1. Licky
                • 11 Years
                8 years, 10 months ago

                Damn it, this is why I don't chance it with emotes.

                1. Cheeseoid
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 11 Years
                  8 years, 10 months ago

                  I don't understand emotes. I only know 2 that work at best

                  1. Licky
                    • 11 Years
                    8 years, 10 months ago

                    I wish we could still use the shrug one. :/

                    1. Cheeseoid
                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                      • 11 Years
                      8 years, 10 months ago

                      :-p

  8. Cheeseoid
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    I really am surprised about the number of people here who recognise the origin of the name Cheeseoid. Here I was thinking it was obscure.

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

      Rasist!

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Do you want me to put a little moustache on Dizzy or something?

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

          No,I have fantastic beard growth

          1. Cheeseoid
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            That is useful to know. Is it on your face?

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

        *Racist 🙂

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

    7 month beard growth here and I'ts look fantastic cool:

    1. Licky
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Keep telling yourself that Optimus... 😉

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

        grin:

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

          *gin

          1. Licky
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            straight?

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

              3 kids say total cover up

              1. Licky
                • 11 Years
                8 years, 10 months ago

                Not what I meant but you said it not me.

              2. Cheeseoid
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 11 Years
                8 years, 10 months ago

                Homophobe!

              3. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 14 Years
                8 years, 10 months ago

                Plymouth or Tanqueray? 😉

        1. Licky
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          😀

  10. Kasper
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28927162

    loving the Brodge's quotes

    🙂

  11. Jay_
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Christmas day as child
      The due date of my little girl
      Upcoming holidays
      The fixtures list being released

      Am I a full blown FPL addict that the last one fills with more excitement than any of the above 3 did/ does ? 😀

      This time last year I couldn't a feck about the fixtures except the usual first, last and boxing day fixtures for West ham, now I'm wishing my life away until next week waiting to see how Villa and West Brom rotate till Christmas etc ....

      1. Cheeseoid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        If you were a proper addict then the day the site goes live would be up there

        1. Jay_
            8 years, 10 months ago

            9th July I've heard a whisper

            1. Cheeseoid
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              Did it whisper a time

              1. Jay_
                  8 years, 10 months ago

                  4 am 😀

                  1. Cheeseoid
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 11 Years
                    8 years, 10 months ago

                    I will stay up

          • Epic Fail
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            The only thing I'm concerned with over the summer is FPL opening. I don't do any planning whatsoever beforehand.

            1. Cheeseoid
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              I don't see how you can tbh. How can you anything with so many unknowns?

              1. Epic Fail
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 13 Years
                8 years, 10 months ago

                Have you not seen the RMTs that contain nothing but potential prices? 😀

                1. Cheeseoid
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 11 Years
                  8 years, 10 months ago

                  It is a bit daft. Also there will be tonnes of transfers in and out of the league and between clubs that we know nothing about yet.

            2. In Like Flynn.
              • Has Moderation Rights
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              SKY opening far more important. 😉

              1. Epic Fail
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 13 Years
                8 years, 10 months ago

                I plan to win both 😎

                Though have you seen the prize money in the Sun game? And I thought Sky had a high prize.

                1. In Like Flynn.
                  • Has Moderation Rights
                  • 13 Years
                  8 years, 10 months ago

                  The Sun is about as pants as a FF game gets imo. Unless you get off to a flyer you are in very deep doo doo.

                  1. Epic Fail
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 13 Years
                    8 years, 10 months ago

                    Aye the game itself is terrible. Requires more luck than any other game too.

                2. In Like Flynn.
                  • Has Moderation Rights
                  • 13 Years
                  8 years, 10 months ago

                  It is a lot of money though I'll grant you. I wonder if anyone outside the firm ever won it?

            3. Jay_
                8 years, 10 months ago

                I'm most looking forward to who has the strongest opening fixtures

          • Zasa
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            "I'm sick of following my dreams—I'm just going to ask them where they are going and hook up with them later."

          • Cheeseoid
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            I wonder if I could get a job working for FIFA? It seems like a cushy number

            1. In Like Flynn.
              • Has Moderation Rights
              • 13 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              Can you change a nine bob note into two fours and a two?

              1. Cheeseoid
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 11 Years
                8 years, 10 months ago

                yes I probably could

                1. In Like Flynn.
                  • Has Moderation Rights
                  • 13 Years
                  8 years, 10 months ago

                  You're in then.

            1. Cheeseoid
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              Good Evening Badger. Not got the Sheikhs any more?

              1. BeachBadger
                • 10 Years
                8 years, 10 months ago

                Left it too late to do a final chapter so thought it best to switch back to normal 😆 How are you mate?

                1. Cheeseoid
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 11 Years
                  8 years, 10 months ago

                  Seem to be spending to much of the night on here. Still got plenty of work to do in the next 2 hours. Damn this infantile chit chat

                  1. Cheeseoid
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 11 Years
                    8 years, 10 months ago

                    I miss FPL

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

                    Lol I dont know what I expect when I come on here and theres still like 2 months til GW1 😆 but its nice to see that people are still about

                    1. Cheeseoid
                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                      • 11 Years
                      8 years, 10 months ago

                      Eaten any good dogs recently?

                      1. BeachBadger
                        • 10 Years
                        8 years, 10 months ago

                        Nah just a few street curs. Need a proper pedigree soon 😀

                        1. Cheeseoid
                          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                          • 11 Years
                          8 years, 10 months ago

                          I went a little overboard on that book order. I think it should keep me going for the rest of the year. Some quite hefty volumes turned up in the post

                          1. BeachBadger
                            • 10 Years
                            8 years, 10 months ago

                            Haha nice one. Let me know if you find anything particularly good.

                            1. Cheeseoid
                              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                              • 11 Years
                              8 years, 10 months ago

                              Well the Jury is still out on the first one. A David Mitchell novel but I suspect it will get going.

                              1. BeachBadger
                                • 10 Years
                                8 years, 10 months ago

                                Nice. Enjoy that mate.

          • BantamPhil
            • 10 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            Shola Ameobi was the key to Palace's resurgence and Newcastle's failure

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

            Always a good pre-season read: http://www.fiso.co.uk/viewarticle.php?id=535

            1. BeachBadger
              • 10 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              Seems madness to play a WC GW2 but it worked 😆

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

            If you haven't grown a beard yet you should seriously consider your career in fantasy football.

            1. Cheeseoid
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              not so much a beard as unkempt

            2. sinik
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 10 Years
              8 years, 10 months ago

              I grew a beard last year (a kempt one that's trimmed short) and I'll be damned if I ever am cleanshaven again!

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

            This page is rubbish. We can't have it survive for the entire DZ

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

            Comment 19. 11 to go.

            We can do this!

          • Jay_
              8 years, 10 months ago

              104,385 minutes until gw1 deadline, just saying 😀

              1. Ziro Becomes One
                • 9 Years
                8 years, 10 months ago

                104,380 now. 😉

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

              I think...I think, we have finally run out of things to talk about. 10 hour DZ pages await 🙁

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

              No wait! there is an U20 WC game on at the moment. NZ vs Ukrain 0-0 at HT. Its really boring.

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

                The missing e represents Crimea

                1. BeachBadger
                  • 10 Years
                  8 years, 10 months ago

                  Its moved over to Russiea

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

              Comment 23

            • Jay_
                8 years, 10 months ago

                Name a premier league footballer ( past or present) with these initials ...

                PN

                1. Now I'm Panicking
                  • 9 Years
                  8 years, 10 months ago

                  Peter Ndlovu

                  1. Jay_
                      8 years, 10 months ago

                      Nice that was quick

                  2. Now I'm Panicking
                    • 9 Years
                    8 years, 10 months ago

                    Phil Neville

                    1. Jay_
                        8 years, 10 months ago

                        Ndlovu was who I had but Neville good answer too 🙂

                    2. Cheeseoid
                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                      • 11 Years
                      8 years, 10 months ago

                      Paul Nince

                    3. Now I'm Panicking
                      • 9 Years
                      8 years, 10 months ago

                      Sure there are more but it is 3am :S

                  3. Jay_
                      8 years, 10 months ago

                      PA

                      1. Cheeseoid
                        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                        • 11 Years
                        8 years, 10 months ago

                        Patrick Aanholt

                        1. Jay_
                            8 years, 10 months ago

                            That don't count it's missing the 'V' lol

                            1. Cheeseoid
                              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                              • 11 Years
                              8 years, 10 months ago

                              Dammit

                        2. Now I'm Panicking
                          • 9 Years
                          8 years, 10 months ago

                          Phillipe (sp?) Albert

                          1. Jay_
                              8 years, 10 months ago

                              Nice ! That's who I had in mind

                        3. Jay_
                            8 years, 10 months ago

                            HK

                            1. Jay_
                                8 years, 10 months ago

                                *will stop when page new page starts 🙂

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

                                  Just don't make them too hard, otherwise we'd be stuck on it for ages 😉

                                  1. Jay_
                                      8 years, 10 months ago

                                      Ok lol, will give clues if that happens

                                2. Cheeseoid
                                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                                  • 11 Years
                                  8 years, 10 months ago

                                  Harry Kewell

                                  1. Jay_
                                      8 years, 10 months ago

                                      Yep 🙂

                                  2. Cheeseoid
                                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                                    • 11 Years
                                    8 years, 10 months ago

                                    Harry Kane

                                    1. Jay_
                                        8 years, 10 months ago

                                        Didn't even think of him lol

                                    2. Cheeseoid
                                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                                      • 11 Years
                                      8 years, 10 months ago

                                      Hong Kong

                                  3. Jay_
                                      8 years, 10 months ago

                                      HS

                                      1. Cheeseoid
                                        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                                        • 11 Years
                                        8 years, 10 months ago

                                        Hakan Sukur

                                        1. Jay_
                                            8 years, 10 months ago

                                            Nice ! Hans Segers was who I had in mind, great answer there

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

                                        Sorry but I'm hopeless at turning initials into names. I'm also really bad at unscrambling anagrams and obviously not very good at scrabble. There must be a name for this limitation.

                                        1. Jay_
                                            8 years, 10 months ago

                                            🙂 I think we are nearly at the end of the page now

                                          • sinik
                                            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                                            • 10 Years
                                            8 years, 10 months ago

                                            ReallY AppalliNg

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

                                              Really appalling 😀 Do I win?

                                          • Get up ya bum
                                            • 14 Years
                                            8 years, 10 months ago

                                            the technical term is stupid 😛

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

                                              Haha

                                        2. Jay_
                                            8 years, 10 months ago

                                            DU

                                            1. Jay_
                                                8 years, 10 months ago

                                                *not sure if he was around when FPL was going but if he was he would have been FPL gold

                                              • Cheeseoid
                                                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                                                • 11 Years
                                                8 years, 10 months ago

                                                David Unsworth

                                                1. Jay_
                                                    8 years, 10 months ago

                                                    Bingo 🙂

                                                    1. Cheeseoid
                                                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                                                      • 11 Years
                                                      8 years, 10 months ago

                                                      Finally I have found something I am good at

                                                      1. Jay_
                                                          8 years, 10 months ago

                                                          Ha ha 😀 there is a new page that's the last one from me I don't want to spam, well done though

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

                                                  U20 WC update

                                                  68mins gone

                                                  Ukrain 0 NZ 0