Season 5 - Week 3

I would like a transfer please, to the lowest league possible, as it would appear that the lower you go the better you get.  If you take the overall performance of the leagues, the Pele league (that pinnacle of predicting) is -£2.97.  A poor position indeed, but surely only reflective of the bookies inbuilt margin.. but that doesn't explain why when we drop to the Maradona league (+£0.32)   the trend is reversed, indeed the further we drop (Lineker +£1.60) the better we get (Dickov +£2.52) until we reach the best performing league, the remarkable Lee League (+£7.57).  This is of course helped by the wonderous picking of Paul Kinsella who leads the overall league by £2.57 and stands at an impressive +£6.70 after only 3 weeks.

Credit must also go to David Rosser +£4.13, Martin Malone +£3.36 and Tim Hughes +£3.01 all of whom have started impressively well.  At the other end there are four people yet to get off the mark Paul Drury, Tony Southworth, Ian Booth and Jamie Jones are all desperately seeking salvation.  It is a tough world when you start that badly, do you pick a banker to stop the rot or try to pick a long-shot to make up for lost ground?  If there is any consolation it may be that a break-even season from here on in could well still be enough to save them as the bottom two often lose more than £3 and sometimes lose in excess of £5.  Panic not my (currently) poor pickers.

The Pele League

Potential winnings: £1598 each
Result: 3/9

Nick Kelly may well have benefitted from his game being called off as his main rivals all lost.  Although his lead at the top remains relatively slender, his lead over Nick Lines (seemingly perennial champion) is beginning to resemble that of Chelsea over Man U...... worrying times for Lines Sr.

At the bottom both Paul Drury and Tony Southworth need to find a winner as unlike most leagues their nearest rival is a massive £2.20 away already.

The Maradona League

Potential winnings: £4511 each
Result: 5/10

Cracking away wins for David Rosser and James Holland illuminated an otherwise poor week for the Maradona league.  However, whereas James' pick has recovered an otherwise poor season (and pulled him right up to third from bottom!) David Rosser's pick only emphasised his pre-eminence in the second tier and pushed him a huge £3.22 up on his nearest rival.

Everyone has picked at least one winner in this league, meaning that the bottom of the league is a tight affair, and although Dunk and Gurd (who sound a little like an American donut company) currently occupy the relegation spots, only Rosser can really only be concentrating on promotion.

The Gary Lineker League

Potential winnings: £991 each
Result: 5/10

The tightest league by far, with only £3.47 separating top from bottom, Shakespeare and Virdi currently lead, following David "rollercoaster" Pilkington's failure.  Credit to Ross Jones who picked Leeds away at Notts Forest, another similar pick would see him challenging for promotion.

Rogers and Simms remain in the danger zone but the proximity of Gibbons sr (tut tut) and Gary Lewis will give them hope.

The Paul Dickov League

Potential winnings: £344 each
Result: 7/10

With a  plethora of Joneses in the league, you'd think I'd have been able to roll out the "keeping up with the Joneses" cliche at least once, but only Jake is in the top half.  Despite this the Dickov league is again the most competitive league with Malone, Hughes and Hickey all above +£2.50 and Jake Jones and Britcliffe also above £1.

Jones (Jamie) and Booth have picked nary a winner between them and remain planted on the bottom, but still within reach of the singularly successful (as in they've been successful once each) Wickett and Jones (Andrew)

The Jason 'pineapple' Lee League

Potential winnings: £515 each
Result: 4/8

With the failures of Daniel (Day) Lewis and Ben (better than bro) Drury, Paul Kinsella has opened up a commanding £5.30 lead and looks set for instant promotion.

In a hugely impressive lead, only Tim Cutler has lost twice, but even he is only £3 from promotion, so with everything to play for, roll on week 4.

 

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