Season 5 - Week 4

For David Rosser, Paul Kinsella and Paul Hickey this game is a bit like meeting three girls from Basildon (easy, easy, easy).  Averaging over £1 a week Ross Jones record of £7.71 for a season is surely under threat.  Their ability to pick draws and away wins has been (to date) remarkable.  For every big winner though, there is a big loser and there are three people who have yet to pick a winner, and I think it is time to focus on them.  Tony Southworth (a Blackburn fan) was surely more betting with his heart rather than his head when he picked Colchester to beat the hated Burnley.  I don't know much about you Jamie Jones, but picking the diametric opposite of the unstoppable David Rosser must go down as naive and finally Paul Drury is there any excuse for betting on Plymouth?  Time to chalk up a win boys, no one has ever lost 10 times in a season, and once it happens no-one will ever do worse??

The Pele League

Potential winnings: £423 each
Result: 5/10

In a poor (embarrassing?) league, there are two standout performers, with Nick Kelly opting for safety first, Matt Gibbons has managed to close the gap to a mere 13p.  In a league traditionally won by a performance of £4-6 there is still time for the Lines brothers to mount an assault and if the David Lloyd can pull himself away from gnawing for long enough to pick sensibly (Reading were one-season wonders, stop betting on them people) and Jimmy Smith finds his normal late season form then this league could still be an open affair.

At the bottom it would appear that Matt Haywood just needs to pick sensibly to avoid being dragged into a relegation zone which is performing so poorly that Pele has found himself a grave just so he can start turning in it.

The Maradona League

Potential winnings: £2037 each
Result: 6/10

From here to the moon and back ? My answer when my niece asked me how far clear David Rosser is at the top of the Maradona league (she's only young and can't grasp monetary concepts, but still maintains a firm interest in WP).  Ben Gould seems to have a good grasp on second as the others in positive figures are hanging on by their fingertips.  Credit goes to Dunking and Gurd who have both got off the bottom with solid and exceptional picks respectively (Gurd's pick of Everton away was exceptional following Bolton's good win last week).

Richard Ingham has never quite recaptured his form of season 2 and now drops into the relegation zone, along with newly married Chris Cornwall, who must be otherwise distracted??

The Gary Lineker League

Potential winnings: £6629 each
Result: 5/10

This league is turning into a cracker, I can only imagine songs will be written about it in time.  Oh what a league, Early September back in 2007.. Maybe not.  There are 7 (count 'em seven) people in positive figures ranging from the sublime (Sohail Virdi Newcastle home win) to the Ridiculous (David Pilkington Man U - Sunderland draw).  Having been so critical of Gibbons sr in the past, I must mention his cracking 2.62 away pick of Southampton, which has put him back in the hunt.

A triumvirate of failures for the Lewis, Rodgers (finding it tough after a good first season) and Simms leaves them adrift at the bottom and facing a tense 2 from 3 relegation battle.  Still plenty of time though to make positive figures and maybe even a cheeky cheeky promotion charge.

The Paul Dickov League

Potential winnings: £775 each
Result: 7/10

Easily the best performing league, for the second season in succession, last year £4 wasn't enough to get you out of this league, and on current form you'd need to get over £8.78 just to secure promotion!!!  Of course this calibre of picking cannot continue and some will drop off, but you have to feel sorry for Martin Malone and Jake Jones who would be in the promotion zone in almost every other season.  Nevertheless credit must go to Paul Hickey and Tim Hughes for setting a pace so hot you need a carbon fibre keyboard just to access their results.

Jamie Jones remains planted on the bottom, winless and alone now that Ian Booth has picked his first winner of the season.  Although this was not enough to pull him out of the relegation zone, the proximity of Andrew Jones and Craig Lowe must give him hope.

The Jason 'Pineapple' Lee League

Potential winnings: £195 each
Result: 4/8

With only £2.18 separating second from bottom this remains the hardest league to judge.  Paul Kinsella's first defeat in WP may cause him to hunker down and secure promotion before picking any more wild results, although given the result the Villa Chelsea draw can be consider a trifle unlucky.

Julia Ingham must be considered unlucky to be bottom, given that her -£1.13 would not even be in the relegation zone in any other league.. apart from the Maradona league where a (presumably related) Richard Ingham also has -£1.13.

A final mention in this league to Daniel Lewis who after 4 weeks of playing is.. right back where he started on £0 - a commendable effort, presumably you're a bit shy and thought you could hide mid-table!

 

Finally a warning to those who are currently winning, over time bookies make money of the 9 people who have been picking since week 1, 6 of them are in the bottom ten of the all-time league, losing a combined £58.44 between them.  Tony Southworth's poor start to the season has dragged him into losses for the first time.  Only David Lloyd +£3.65 and one other (mwa ha ha) +£7.02 have consistently beaten the bookie.  Although it must be noted that the Lines brothers (who joined after week 2 and week 8) are also in positive figures.

 

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