How it works:
Everybody submits their team prior to the start of the season.
Each weekend you will play another manager.
It will be your points against his points.
Winner (manager with the most points) gets 3 points, draw 1 point (and obviously the loser gets none).
Points scored will count as your goal difference (both for and against).
Only the weekend scores will count.
For the purposes of this competition, Saturday to Monday (inc) will count as the weekend.
This is so we are playing on a level footing and everybody should have a chance of having all their team available (subject to injury and selection).

Fixtures
Fixtures will be decided prior to the season starting.
Fixtures will be arranged to avoid cup weekends etc
Should any games get cancelled, then that's the luck of the draw, so tough.

I have avoided some weekend's which are earmarked for FA Cup, except 3rd round where all Prem teams are involved. I have also included the semi final weekend as the chances are that the 4 semi-finalists are Prem teams anyway.

Format

Phase 1
Qualifying/Preliminary Round
Teams drawn at random into 3 divisions of 10 teams.
Everyone plays each other once.
= 9 games each, played over 9 game weeks.

Phase 2
Season Proper
At the end of the Preliminary round
1-3 from each division will go into the Premiership
& the best 4th placed team.
The next 3 teams from each division will go into the Championship
& the best 7th placed team (from the two groups that didn't have the best 4th placed team).
Remaining teams go into Division 1.

= 10 teams in each division.
Playing each other manager home and away.
= 18 games

Points
Points will be taken from the Sun website.

Team Entry
Your team should be selected according to the Sun rules, budget etc.
If you decide to enter, you will need to send me your team and e-mail address via PM.

Preliminary Groups

Group Kozma
CarlisleTillIDie
Gazwood
Birchy (poster formerly known as Justboy)
mrs bell
qadesh
Rainycat
red_dog
the doc
Zimmerman
Zita

Group Piecnic
Alchemist
Crompton
Faruge
jackarmy
Kid Kongo
Miles_T
pa102aw
sdhough
Takeshi Kovacs
TheTonArmy

Group Jean Marc-Ferri
Andi_Jones
Arsenal4EvERr
Dermogoth
Doggfazsha
dr bell
Hairybear
Karrde
Madchester
Mistercuts
Suzykins

Fixtures

Group Kozma

Week 1 - 11/08

Gazwood - red_dog
Rainycat - CarlisleTillIDie
Zita - the doc
mrs bell - qadesh
Birchy - Zimmerman

Week 2 - 18/08

red_dog - Zimmerman
qadesh - Birchy
the doc - mrs bell
CarlisleTillIDie - Zita
Gazwood - Rainycat

Week 3 - 25/08

Rainycat - red_dog
Zita - Gazwood
mrs bell - CarlisleTillIDie
Birchy - the doc
Zimmerman - qadesh

Week 4 - 01/09

red_dog - qadesh
the doc - Zimmerman
CarlisleTillIDie - Birchy
Gazwood - mrs bell
Rainycat - Zita

Week 5 - 15/09

Zita - red_dog
mrs bell - Rainycat
Birchy - Gazwood
Zimmerman - CarlisleTillIDie
qadesh - the doc

Week 6 - 22/09

red_dog - the doc
CarlisleTillIDie - qadesh
Gazwood - Zimmerman
Rainycat - Birchy
Zita - mrs bell

Week 7 - 29/09

mrs bell - red_dog
Birchy - Zita
Zimmerman - Rainycat
qadesh - Gazwood
the doc - CarlisleTillIDie

Week 8 - 06/10

red_dog - CarlisleTillIDie
Gazwood - the doc
Rainycat - qadesh
Zita - Zimmerman
mrs bell - Birchy

Week 9 - 27/10

Birchy - red_dog
Zimmerman - mrs bell
qadesh - Zita
the doc - Rainycat
CarlisleTillIDie - Gazwood

NOTE: Sun Transfer window is open until 20th Oct.

Fixtures

Group Piecnic

Week 1 - 11/08

pa102aw - Takeshi Kovacs
Faruge - sdhough
Kid Kongo - Alchemist
jackarmy - Crompton
TheTonArmy - Miles_T

Week 2 - 18/08

Takeshi Kovacs - Miles_T
Crompton - TheTonArmy
Alchemist - jackarmy
sdhough - Kid Kongo
pa102aw - Faruge

Week 3 - 25/08

Faruge - Takeshi Kovacs
Kid Kongo - pa102aw
jackarmy - sdhough
TheTonArmy - Alchemist
Miles_T - Crompton

Week 4 - 01/09

Takeshi Kovacs - Crompton
Alchemist - Miles_T
sdhough - TheTonArmy
pa102aw - jackarmy
Faruge - Kid Kongo

Week 5 - 15/09

Kid Kongo - Takeshi Kovacs
jackarmy - Faruge
TheTonArmy - pa102aw
Miles_T - sdhough
Crompton - Alchemist

Week 6 - 22/09

Takeshi Kovacs - Alchemist
sdhough - Crompton
pa102aw - Miles_T
Faruge - TheTonArmy
Kid Kongo - jackarmy

Week 7 - 29/09

jackarmy - Takeshi Kovacs
TheTonArmy - Kid Kongo
Miles_T - Faruge
Crompton - pa102aw
Alchemist - sdhough

Week 8 - 06/10

Takeshi Kovacs - sdhough
pa102aw - Alchemist
Faruge - Crompton
Kid Kongo - Miles_T
jackarmy - TheTonArmy

Week 9 - 27/10

TheTonArmy - Takeshi Kovacs
Miles_T - jackarmy
Crompton - Kid Kongo
Alchemist - Faruge
sdhough - pa102aw

NOTE: Sun Transfer window is open until 20th Oct.

Fixtures

Group Jean Marc-Ferri

Week 1 - 11/08

Madchester - Doggfazsha
andi_jones - dr bell
Mistercuts - Karrde
Suzykins - Dermogoth
Hairybear - Arsenal4EvERr

Week 2 - 18/08

Doggfazsha - Arsenal4EvERr
Dermogoth - Hairybear
Karrde - Suzykins
dr bell - Mistercuts
Madchester - andi_jones

Week 3 - 25/08

andi_jones - Doggfazsha
Mistercuts - Madchester
Suzykins - dr bell
Hairybear - Karrde
Arsenal4EvERr - Dermogoth

Week 4 - 01/09

Doggfazsha - Dermogoth
Karrde - Arsenal4EvERr
dr bell - Hairybear
Madchester - Suzykins
andi_jones - Mistercuts

Week 5 - 15/09

Mistercuts - Doggfazsha
Suzykins - andi_jones
Hairybear - Madchester
Arsenal4EvERr - dr bell
Dermogoth - Karrde

Week 6 - 22/09

Doggfazsha - Karrde
dr bell - Dermogoth
Madchester - Arsenal4EvERr
andi_jones - Hairybear
Mistercuts - Suzykins

Week 7 - 29/09

Suzykins - Doggfazsha
Hairybear - Mistercuts
Arsenal4EvERr - andi_jones
Dermogoth - Madchester
Karrde - dr bell

Week 8 - 06/10

Doggfazsha - dr bell
Madchester - Karrde
andi_jones - Dermogoth
Mistercuts - Arsenal4EvERr
Suzykins - Hairybear

Week 9 - 27/10

Hairybear - Doggfazsha
Arsenal4EvERr - Suzykins
Dermogoth - Mistercuts
Karrde - andi_jones
dr bell - Madchester

NOTE: Sun Transfer window is open until 20th Oct.

Stats

Only 6 managers have gone for 4-4-2 (= 20%).

Despite us needing 330 players to populate our 30 teams, we used a grand total of 73 players.

10 Goalkeepers
28 Defenders
21 Midfielders
14 Attackers.

Most Popular Picks
GK
T Howard - 15 managers

Defenders
Evra - 16
Agger - 13
Ashley Cole - 12
Baines - 12
Riise - 12

Midfielders
Ronaldo - 25
Gerrard - 14
Lampard - 9
Arteta - 8
Koumas - 8

Attackers
Ashton - 16
Van Persie - 16
Rooney - 13
D Bent - 9
Andy Johnson - 5
Bellamy - 5

Mr. FISO Average
Howard
Evra
Agger
Ashley Cole
Baines
Ronaldo
Gerrard
Arteta
Ashton
Van Persie
D Bent

After each game I will be comparing Mr Average to our performances.

Spot on with mr average......7/11 players in my team.

Once the preliminary round is over, I guess each division will be extremely tight with managers having the same nucleus of players.

So our first game was yesterday? Is there anyway i could know prior to the weekend, what the team im up against consists of?? I supose pm swaps between the two managers is the best option.

here is my team - nothing to hide, seeing as we can't transfer for a while - I'm here for the fun and to learn - not had such a good start though

Howard 034
Baines 439
Lescott 223
Agger 253
Sagna 111

Petrov 528
Lampard 590
Ronaldo 669

Ashton 968
Van Persie 810
Teves 907

6 out of the Mr Average Team included

Regards,

Gwyn

I have asked Andi Jones to make a spreadsheet of our teams available (like he does for his spreadsheets). So later on this week, a link will be posted: then a spreadsheet of all teams will be there for your viewing.

Thats easier than me e-mailing it out to everyone.
I had originally intended to do so, but seeing as only about 5 people provided an e-mail address, I cant be bothered trying to round up 30 addresses, so we'll go down the link route.

Erm, slight problem here, I've just found out I can only access the FTP server with an NTL IP address, and due to me being in Ireland, again, that's not possible. Is everyone prepared to wait until Friday ? If not PM me or Zim with your email address and we'll forward the teams.



You'd better PM me then.

Andy

Wait till Friday Andy. By that time the Sun's Website may be up and running again.

The only reason I started my own game was so I could be as tardy and lazy as I like. The last thing I want to become is accurate, consiencious and attentive

Seriously though, if anyone wants the spreadsheet, PM me with your e-mail address.

Right folks, sorry for the delay in getting the scores out to you - website frailties held me up

So after much anticipation, it was all a bit of an anti-climax.
Bent was on the bench, Baines didnt make it and Rooney's foot crumbled.

Only consolation is that 13 other managers are without Rooney for the next two months!

Rainycat (58), CarlisleTillIDie (48), Qadesh (45) and ArsenalForever (42) had no trouble finding their feet this weekend. They were the top 4 in our band of know-it-alls. The average for all of us was just 31 - so pretty impressive stuff from Rainycat in almost doubling that.

Sadly for CarlisleTillIDie, he was up against Rainycat this weekend! The only manager who could have beat him.... and did (58 - 48):cry:

At the other end of the scale, those still on pre-season in Aya Napa, Alchemist, Zita, Doggfazsha, Zimmerman and Madchester all failing to hit 20 points. Now this might be well trodden ground for the likes of Doggfazsha - but yours truly and Mad are not used to these relegation dog fights!

However, could the boot be on the other foot? In a pre-cursor to next weekend's manchester derby - Dogg has taken first blood with the scalp of Madchester. A typical dull low scoring derby (16-13).

With the loss of Rooney, SDT newbie Mad could be scrapping for his life.

Mr FISO Average
He managed 42 this weekend - enough to beat 26 of us.

Results

Week 1

Group Piecnic
pa102aw 34 - 36 Takeshi Kovacs
Faruge 30 - 38 sdhough
Kid Kongo 33 - 19 Alchemist
jackarmy 40 - 21 Crompton
TheTonArmy 28 - 26 Miles_T

Group Kozma
Gazwood 26 - 39 red_dog
Rainycat 58 - 48 CarlisleTillIDie
Zita 18 - 27 the doc
mrs bell 38 - 45 qadesh
Birchy 38 - 13 Zimmerman

Group JM Ferri
Madchester 11 - 16 Doggfazsha
andi_jones 23 - 37 dr bell
Mistercuts 24 - 20 Karrde
Suzykins 38 - 31 Dermogoth
Hairybear 20 - 42 Arsenal4EvERr

Don't panic , nice though it is to be top of the pile for this week ; this team has Rooney in it . I expect the next few weeks to be very mediocre. I got lucky with Hanneman playing a blinder. I'm gonna be relying on Bianchi and Robbie Keane to get me goals while Waynes off

Sorry Mad. hehe...

oooh zim what happened to you mate?

sorry Crompton, but im glad that ive won a game

Mad vs Dog looks like it must've been a right classic!!

Took a bit of a pasting myself, but then, so did all my teams across the board

had a total mare this week! 2 defenders and a goalkeeper concede in the last 10 minutes, another doesnt play One midfielder failing to play. Big guns may as well not have bothered putting the boots on

The one positive, I dont have Rooney!

The only way is up eh
(10 teams and only 1 scored above 50 )

You would all cry fix if I stormed away at the start. What better way to lure you in than purposely lose to a Man U fan

Its a marathon not a sprint, so we'l see.



In fact it is a sprint! No one wants to end up in Division 1!!

My decidedly unambitious plan to finish best 4th place looks like it could happen....although unfortunately I won't be playing the Alchemist every week!

Well done to rainy....great start and gotta say comiserations to CTD ~ luck of the draw and all that!

Will it be compulsory to change your Avatar Zim if you end up in Div 1?!

How bad is that.!!! Imagine losing to someone who's more of a horse flesh aficianado.

Group Piecnic
pa102aw 34 - 36 Takeshi Kovacs
Faruge 30 - 38 sdhough
Kid Kongo 33 - 19 Alchemist
jackarmy 40 - 21 Crompton
TheTonArmy 28 - 26 Miles_T

Got a tad fortunate didnt i !!

And your up against Crompton next week you jammy so and so.

I dont expect to win. I got lucky. I would only have beaten two other teams. Hopefully ill squeeze into the prem in time to change Rooney, and use the 1m spare i didnt even realise i had to vastly improve my team!!

Group Kozma looks like the group of death to me.

With 6 managers getting 38pts +, including the the overall top 3 points for the week, and with Rooney in my team...div 3 here we come

It was a lucky week for all as it seems most of the 'pros' had an indifferent weekend so it should be business as usual for me and Zimm come the 18th

he says more in hope than in realism