Season 6 - Week 6

 

Form is temporary, class is.... temporary?  There have been 7 winners of major awards - five people have won the overall league, and a further two people have one the Pele League (excluding the two who have also won the overall league).  Let's review their current seasons.

Matthew Gibbons - the first winner, and a remarkable +£6.32 in the inaugural 31 week first season - now a shadow of his former self, having suffered the ignominy of relegation, he fought his way back to Pele predicting but has been mid-table ever since.

David Pilkington - A record-breaking +£7.59 in Season 2 - Now bottom of the 3rd Division and well into negative figures overall, the achetypal one season wonder

Nick Lines - Pele League winner in Seasons 2&4 - the only dual winner - Bottom of the Pele League, facing relegation, double shame as his brother is top of the Pele League!

Tony Southworth - Pele League and Overall League winner in Season 3 - relegated in Season 5 - barely scraping positive figures in Season 6, faring reasonably though in comparison to those above, but still miles from his previous glorified heights.

Ross Jones - A record breaking +£7.71 in Season 4 - Mediocre follow up season and stuck in mid-table in the 3rd division - at least he hasn't plummeted like some.

David Rosser - A sensational and perhaps unbeatable + £10.73 in Season 5 - struggling on -£1 in Season 6 - 4th in the top flight but only because everyone else is so dire!

Nick Kelly - Pele League winner in Season 5 - Was bottom of the Pele League before this week, still in relegation trouble on -£3.70.

So Gary Lewis (still leading despite a loss) and Simon Gurd (closing the gap in second) and Tim Lines (top of the Pele League, 4th overall) - how much do you really want to win the titles?  It seems to just bring misery and derision...

All 100% records gone (including 100% losses) following Nick Kelly's win, which has left John Fields propping up the rest!

The Pele League

Potential winnings: £1453 each
Result: 4/10

Tim Lines continue to dominate a poor league, over £3 clear at the top (and £7.44 clear of his brother), he's on a street so easy it makes Abi Titmus look like a nun.  Rob's blip is now looking like a return to (rubbish) form as he picks his second loser of the season (dirty Leeds).  David Lloyd is the only other positive figured punter, he obviously recognises that Gareth Southgate is a rubbish manager, even if Steve Gibson can't.

Nick Kelly spots Birmingham's strife and capitalised accordingly, leaving Nick Lines in deep East Fife (that's Scottish rhyming slang for strife) following his faulty East Fife pick.  It must have hurt Jimmy to have been forced to back the evil Mancunians, but not as much as when Bolton rolled them over, dropping him into the second relegation spot.  There may be trouble ahead.....

The Maradona League

Potential winnings: £470 each
Result: 5/10

Gary Lewis falters (although you can't fault his pick of the league leaders), leaving Simon Gurd to close the gap, albeit he was made to suffer before Man City seized the points late doors.  A stuttering Corwall c c c couldn't find the win that would have kept the pressure on the top two. 

Sometimes a banker can be worth more than the meagre return it gives, and nowhere is this better shown than in the Maradona league where Gould, Wrigley and Shakespeare all pull away from the relegation zone, despite picking low odds teams, Finch and Haywood slipping up (and sliding down) as we enter the crucial time of the year.

The Gary Lineker League

Potential winnings: £7126 each
Result: 5/10

Jake Jones takes a huge step in the battle against Ross Jones (gaining £2.60 on Ross this week) and also in the league title battle, another picker spotting Southgate's ineptitude.  The 2.60 pick was enough to seize the lead from Darren Clare, whose bold draw pick for Alloa led to him saying goodbya to the lead.  James Holland's resurgence continues and he continues to hold on to a promotion spot.  In a tight league, Rodgers  has put himself back in contention with a worthy away winner.

Dunk's solid winner pulls him away from the relegation zone, and despite Virdi's loss it looks as if Reeve, Wickett and Pilkington are battling it out for the one safe spot in the bottom three.

The Paul Dickov League

Potential winnings: £3671 each
Result: 4/10

Martin Malone is not letting up at the top and another even priced winner is enough to secure him top spot and second in the overall league.  After three relatively disappointing seasons Matt Britcliffe has found his picking pen (as opposed to shooting boots) and climbs to second following Kinsella's failure.  Hughes and Gibbons continue to hang around the upper echelons of the table (like a bad smell?)following safe picks, but having presumably avoided relegation, they now need to take a chance if they are to threaten the promotion hopefuls.

John Fields is marooned at the bottom of the league (and the overall league).  If only he'd put a "Man" in from of his Chester City pick he would be in a far better position.  Failures for Jones, Lowe and Hickey lead to a tense end to the season.

The Jason Lee League

Potential winnings: £35359 each
Result: 5/12

Cowabunga, £35k each would have been nice I suspect.  Sadly less than half came through and this league remains intriguingly close.  On the basis that one week can easily bring a £2 swing in your position (if someone loses a £1 and somone picks an even priced winner) the gap of £6.35 from top to bottom (over £7.70 in all other leagues) means that promotion and relegation canditates can rapidly find themselves relegation and promotion candidates...

As it stands though Matt Bailey leads the way, and if he continues his banker policy he should at least avoid relegation!  Lewis got the pick of the week (mighty O's), but a relatively low 2.90 shows how difficult long-shot picking was this week.  Hanvey clings on to second despite his loss (how cruel that last minute winner must have seemed, the Man City v Reading draw would have practically sealed promotion).

A good winner for Ingham has pulled her clear(ish) of relegation, leaving Drury and Booth the task of reeling in Roberts to avoid the ignomy of relegation to the Scott Carson league.

 

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