I would like to try and organise a trip for about 12 FISO members to The Sun's Dream Team's HQ at News International in Wapping, London for Friday 31st July.

The trip would involve:

- guided tour including seeing a few of the behind-the-scenes stuff at Dream Team and editorial.
- presentation from DreamTeam with 'large-sized' cheque for FISO Mini-League win(s).
- meal and drinks afterwards (paid for by Dream Team )
- chat with Dream Team's manager and boss about the game (including ratings! ).

Please either post here or PM me if you would like to come.

All you have to do is arrange your own transport (or share with others going).

It would be good to in particular see some of the winners from within FISO's mini-league, the other FISO winning mini-league chairmen (and their winners) and contributors to the FISO Dream Team forum.

From what I remember, News International HQ is about a 10 to 15 minute walk from Tower Hill tube by the Tower of London.

(If you guys want to find a pub with Sky Sports afterwards for a FISO chat then there would be the 3rd Ashes test on TV.)

Chris - I'd love to do this, but appreciate that there are certainly others on here with greater credentials. Happy to fill a spot though, if the 'main men' can't make it.

I think this is a great offer by Dream Team and a big recognition of FISO.
A perfect opportunity for the stars of the Dream Team forum to give input to the game

Will you get to see the random number generator they use for player marks?

I hear Nathalie has already booked the day as leave in case Dot turns up!

Would it include Weekend Dream Team at all? as both are run by the same guys.. I think i'll just leave my place to Dot.

Maybe Nathalie arranged it to get Dot there

I'm interested if there's a free place - didn't do much in the sun game, but was in the 1st and 3rd superleagues in the times and wouldn't mind a free drink at news international's expense!

Even though Natalie (no doubt) will be all over me like a cheap suit, i would like to be one of the dirty dozen please Chris.
I am a prize-winner this year(albeit tiny, although previously finished 4th overall) and feel i have contributed alot on the Sun FF forum without once being sent to the sin bin(over 23,000 hits on my -'tuck into your notw ratings')for a sun thread.
i will voice my twopeneth if chosen, i am what i am and will put my point of view across, constructively.

If chosen could you aarrange for Phil Blue Thomas to be in attendance so i could meet him outside.
Nice one Mate.


Looking forward to meeting Mystic Deauville.

Dorothy

I think the FISO Elite league winner certainly deserves a place Edmo

Anyway, you said 'main men', so i suppose myself and Gaz need to be there (and maybe Zim )

Nothing like bigging up your ego now is there Ton

Someone has to do it

I hope Zarch spots this, along with all the other regulars,(including Rick and Nick)for all the invaluable work he's done in producing ML stats/tables all season,even though he wasn't running them.

Whoever ends up going to see the boffins, try getting answers to these mysteries....

1) Why is there no monthly mini-league tables for the ML's you are in?
2) Which pillocks do the NOTW scores? Either get the house in order, or my favourite.... scrap em.
3) Why aren't both historical and real-time stats available? I love the way both the Telegraph and YTM allow you see breakdowns of scoring (7's, MOM, goals, CS etc) and allow you sort the tables on each categories.

Granted, if they fix points 1 & 3 it will probably put me out of a job on here, but it would be better for everyone to get them fixed/added.

Oh, i'd love to hear how Dot's lays into them with his plethora of gripes! LOL! Are you sure a day is going to be long enough??

Its only up the road from me too, as i come into Fenchurch street( Tower Hill) and work at Cannon St.



'which is nice'

If I can get the day off work and there's still space I'll come along Chris.

If not I'll still meet up for a beer after work if you're all still around.

Good questions from Zarch.

Can we create a list of questions and ideas for improving DreamTeam for those attending this trip to submit on the forums behalf, or is it not that sort of event?

I hope Zarch gets to ask those questions in person! If I lived closer I would be looking to pop along for this, but its a squillion miles away

PLEASE whoever does go, take a video camera to record the look on their faces as they get both barrels from Dorothy

is the sun ready for a face to face with dot

He first needs to be one of my 'chosen 11 man team' . When I select my Fantasy FISO team, preference will be given to those who have shared in FISO's M/L win. (This is something I've arranged off the back of winning the mini-league).

Good point, and i was waiting for that.

Suppose you ought to re-word it then Chris not being funny like.

It would be good to in particular seeSOME of the winners from within FISO's mini-league, the other FISO winning mini-league chairmen (AND THEIR WINNERS) andCONTRIBUTORS to the FISO Dream Team forum.

Do think i fall into 2/3 of your 3 categories. Not to mention i shall be putting many if not most of the questions to them that the Forum DEMANDS!!



I hope my wishing to go, is not putting others off wanting to go.

Finally in the pub afterwards, me, you , 14 pints of Lager every 5 minutes until i say speed up.

can you please do a live DOT webcast from HQ ?

This wouldve been something i'd love to do, but as others have said i will leave it to the pros.
I have played the SUN for years and enjoy the banter on Dots NOTW thread in particular and hope people can address some of the issues with the game.

Also get the price list for next season when they are not looking, and add GK Hart BIRM in for say 1mil
( one bargain sorted )

Having finished 9th in the Fiso M/L I would happily give my place to Dot if that helps

I would like to go but feel there are more deserved contributors to the forum (and opinionated ) It would also be awkward for me to attend anyway

I've just re-read some snippets from the interview given to Chris by head of SDT:

"The merits of any points scoring system will always be open to debate and particular examples can be shown highlight the positives and negatives. A game based purely on ‘hard stats’ similarly on occasion won’t always reflect an individual’s picture of a player’s performance. There’s also a danger that the ratings would be skewed by bias if votes were used from fan sites. The overriding factor here is that the ratings are based on how The Sun (and News of the World) highly experienced football reporters see the game."

I really hope we can pin him down this time, and not get that sort of wishy washy response. There are several issues to the ratings, ranging from the utterly ridiculous (as often highlighted on here) to the inconsistencies, to the general lazy / haphazard looking marking. Not good enough to brush all these off as 'will always be open to debate'.

Hoping i do get on the trip, maybe my Elite League win will be enough, or will my small share of the monthly fiso prize do it.....failing this I can always dig out a few contributions on the forum, from earlier in season, touting the likes of Bale and Gordon as 'must haves'....

Kinell i'm going red.



Thats not a machine gun thats yards of lager.

Don't get to overwhelmed Dot. I only agree with most of your Sun DT comments the rest of the tosh you talk about on here is forgetable

Think the visit is a very good idea & a good recognition of FISO & look forward to hearing how it goes but if the Sun were interested in listening to suggestions they would organise the trip for late June not 31st July when the 2009/10 game is already launched.

Best of luck anyway & maybe miracle of miracles they will get rid of the thing most people hate ie. SUBJECTIVE SCORING (& biast in the case of Bramble, Turner etc). DOT if you achieve that you will have hero status on FISO.

LOL Edmondson, oh yes, Gareth Bale!! Now who could you be on about there??

Hell, I championed Baines all pre-season.... but he and Everton started so badly I ditched him in most sides..... pity really, as he turned out not a bad pick in the end for £2.0m.

Prepare to have your photo in the sun guys

That see's Dot out then...