Season 9 - Finale

Overall League

Ben Drury won the overall title with +£10.45, the third highest winning total of all time and the 8th different winner in 9 years. David Rosser remains the only person to have won the title twice. Congratulations to Ben, who ended £3.70 clear of his nearest rival, Jimmy Smith. Stapleton, Rodgers and Baker were all there or thereabouts, but Ben's 17.00 pick of Hull to triumph at Arsenal clinched the title with some ease.

At the other end Pilkinton, Lewis and Ingham comprised the bottom 3, all these players adopt a high risk high return strategy, which obviously (by dint of it being called high risk!!!) can sometimes go spectacularly wrong. Pilkington's only winners came via the autopick.... which is pretty poor.

The Pele League

Jimmy Smith becomes the 8th different top league winner in nine seasons, taking advantage of David Rosser shooting for the overall title, to come in on the rail, with a quite sensational Hoffenheim away winner at 2.80!

Despite low priced slips from Noyce & Kelly the bottom three could not find the low-priced winners they would have required to escape relegation, so Cornwall, Gibbons (Jr) & Clare must bid farewell to the top flight. Gibbons (Jr) in particular must be aggrieved to be replaced by his oh-so-smug father.

The Maradona League

Rodgers, Gibbons (Sr) and Gurd had this league sewn up weeks ago and stroll merrily into the top flight. For the first two it is their first foray into Pele territory and they are welcome fresh blood. Gurd is a previous top league winner and will be eager to make his mark once again.

Bailey, Ingham and Lewis go down, the latter two failing with their miracle escape bids, the former appears to have give up the ghost somewhat and his pick, even if it wasn't abandoned would never have been enough to get him safe. Poor picking all around.

The Gary Lineker League

Stapleton's ascent was, to all and sundry, assured, but he felt it necessary to make sure with a banker in week 10.... he need not have feared as those in 2nd-4th all failed. It must be particularly galling to Southworth who, in retrospect, could have picked the abandoned Rangers game to guarantee himself a 0.00 score and promotion... hindsight is of course 20-20.

At the other end Wickett escaped relegation as Kinsella contrived to shoot himself in the foot and pick the loser that consigns him to the Dickov league. Joining him is Chadbourne and Pilkington, who were long since resigned to relegation.

The Paul Dickov League

Roberts was well up, a while ago, and the fight for the other two places was insipid at best. A bolder pick from Holland may have caught either Hughes or Fields, but his weakness (maybe concerned with the outside chance of relegation) allowed the two above him to go safe and guarantee promotion.

At the bottom, Ross Jones escaped relegation with a wonder pick (Stoke to beat Tottenham) and with Malone and Willshire also picking winners it is the unfortunate Callan and Haywood, who join the pre-doomed Lowe in waving goodbye to Dickov's delights.

The Jason Lee League

Drury was long since safe in his top spot, so the battle was on between Ingham, Ricky Jones and Nik Simms, the former managed to find the winner that the other two missed and consequently picked up second, Simms failure handed the final promotion spot to Jones.

Andrew Jones didn't quite do the maths, so despite a solid 2.60 pick he still joins Lewis (who did do the maths bit failed on the picking a winner bit) and Bradley, who just gave up the ghost in the descent into madness (Dia).

The Ali Dia League

Baker secured promotion with some ease, allowing us to focus on an intense and exciting battle behind him. Yasmine's 0.4 gain was enough to take her up, as was Niukradze's abandoned game. But behind them is a tale of missed opportunities and broken hearts as 4th to 7th are separated by a mere 14p and weer all within striking distance of the 3rd promotion spot, woe betide Heseltine and Conduit, who picked losers in a week when any winner would have done!

McComish, Racic and Hickey were the only players to end in negative figures and face the ignomy of relegation consequentially.

Boogers League

Elders, Wickham and Preston bank their way to promotion, the latter by the slenderest margin from Jones and Crunkhorn who both escaped relegation and nearly got promotion in the same week with 2.50+ picks.

In a week with 8/10 winners Charlton picked the wrong time to lose, and he joins Owen and Ball in going down.

Well done to Simon Guest who enjoyed a fine season in the holding league, let's see if he can repeat it when it matters.

They'll be a few extra promotions as we remove those who no longer wish to play and add in the Holding players, so hold tight for Season 10 starting..... now!

Subscribe to Weekend Predictor Analysis

Invite your friends to play Weekend Predictor