Premier League Fantasy Football 2023-24

[Neil Graham]

Week 28

Southgate picks England squad 25 players named for two friendlies in March prior to naming 23 for Euros.

Wot? No Kalvin Phillips - but Jordan Henderson is included. Three teams in a race for the League title - Liverpool draw with City and leave the gate open for Arsenal to jump into first place. No such shenanigans in Premier Chess where there is little change although Thomas Evans makes his first appearance of the season in the top five. Richard Beach was top scorer and unsurprisingly Neil Pennock again set a season's low score.

1 Aimless Wanderers John Peters 72 1784
2 Mostly Clevedon David Egginton 58 1780
3 Rice Rice Baby Cameron Henry 73 1778
4 What means this? Kaia Means 74 1777
5 Cunha Feel It? Thomas Evans 78 1770

It is now Dax Bale - our last surviving Overall Cup survivor is out going down 52-62 to a Scottish side Kroos Control. Never mind our own Cup starts in two or three weeks time.

[Neil Graham]

Week 29

“An independent commission has applied an immediate four-point deduction to Nottingham Forest FC" Premier League statement

Forest are now in deep trouble with the deduction for breaking profitability and sustainability rules in 2022/23. They have appealed against this decision. Week 29 consisted of four matches because of a clash with the FA Cup quarter-finals. Many managers played their "Free Hit" chip but this, in most cases, turned out to be something of a disaster as matches didn't go to form with unlikely heroes and poor performing villains (Tottenham). Noah Poot suddenly reappeared to top Premier Chess whilst there were two contrasting scores elsewhere. Paul Spiller with 75 points was the 3rd highest national scorer of the week whilst Chris Goodall did a James Newman impression to finish with "nul points".

1 Oh Bartje Verbruggen Noah Poot 37 1803
2 Aimless Wanderers John Peters 16 1800
3 Mostly Clevedon David Egginton 16 1796
4 Rice Rice Baby Cameron Henry 15 1793
5 What means this? Kaia Means 14 1791

Finally Sundeep Jaswal leads overall for the 7th successive week. With 1,975 points he'll be through the 2,000 barrier next game week

[Neil Graham]

Quarter Three Report - Weeks 20-29

This season has been notable in that the challengers to our leaders have never dropped off - there have always been 14 or15 teams within 50 points of the first place. In addition long time leaders Stuart Iles and Mike Garland have dropped out of the top five and been replaced by others who have emerged from the pack, notably John Peters and Noah Poot. In the 10 weeks covering this quarter we have had six different leaders and 11 different managers have featured in the top five. Apart from this we had a season's best performance from Paul Spiller whilst at the foot of the table Neil Pennock was again a regular low scorer.

Here are the usual stats (10 weeks - number shown in brackets - 5 points for 1st place down to 1 point for 5th - two weeks qualification)

1. David Egginton 30 pts (9)
2. Mike Garland 27 pts (7)
3. Stuart Iles 25 pts (6)
4. Cameron Henry 22 pts (9)
5 John Peters 20 pts (5)
6. Noah Poot 10 pts (4)
7= Kaia Means 7 pts (5)
Blair Connell 7 pts (2)

[Neil Graham]

Week 30

“Always who is first is favourite,” Pep Guardiola assesses Liverpool's title chances.

We're into the final run-in to the Premier League title with nothing settled. Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City battle it out at the top whilst at the foot of the table there is a similar scenario for clubs wishing to avoid the drop. A contrasting situation in Premier Chess where, for once, there were few changes at the top. Scores were concentrated with no outstanding performances; Chris Rice was the best of the week with Richard Dineley the last of the rearguard. Another series of midweek matches starts tonight.

1 Oh Bartje Verbruggen Noah Poot 71 1874
2 Aimless Wanderers John Peters 66 1866
3 Mostly Clevedon David Egginton 55 1851
4 Rice Rice Baby Cameron Henry 57 1850
5 efc1985 dax bale 67 1845

Premier Chess Cup Round One commences in Week 31. A score of 55 or above in Week 30 ensures a bye into the Week 32 draw.

[Neil Graham]

Week 31

August 2023 - Bournemouth to be relegated The Full 90 youtube channel. One of many wrong predictions for 2023/4.

I thought we ought to mention the Cherries who have reached 41 points with eight matches remaining - a remarkable achievement. In Premier Chess the closeness is underlined by the reappearance of Nathan Talbot who has been absent from the top five since Week 15 There are still a dozen managers challenging for top spot - so we may be no nearer when I write this report in a few Game Weeks time. Neil Pennock resumed his position in last place whilst Adam Cranston & James Toon were joint top scorers.

1 Mostly Clevedon David Egginton 77 1928
2 Oh Bartje Verbruggen Noah Poot 52 1926
3 Cunha Feel It? Thomas Evans 79 1921
4 Odegaarden Partey ** Nathan Talbot 84 1914
5= Rice Rice Baby Cameron Henry 66 1912
5= Aimless Wanderers John Peters 46 1912

Premier Cup 128 teams battle for the Premier Chess Cup after last week's elimination round; we'll now report when numbers are down to a manageable level.

[NickFaulks]

Meanwhile, the English county cricket season started yesterday. You can tell by the weather.

[Mick Norris]

Meanwhile, the English county cricket season started yesterday. You can tell by the weather.

No play yet at Derby or Chester-Le-Street, or Old Trafford with a pitch inspection due 12:15; they played yesterday at Headingley but not today

The schedule isn't optimal of course

It's my daughter's birthday today; in the past on her birthday we have been warm and sunny 1 year , and under snow the next; it's difficult, but there's more wet weather than there used to be

The football isn't good either; both Colne and Charnock Richard are being asked to play 4 nights on the trot, not easy when the players all have jobs

[NickFaulks]

It's my daughter's birthday today

I hope you have a wonderful day, even if the marquee does get blown away.

We've probably hijacked this thread long enough. Man City are about to take on the mighty Crystal Palace.

[Matt Mackenzie]

No play at Old Trafford on the opening day of the county championship season?

Well and truly shocked i am and no mistake

[Mick Norris]

It's my daughter's birthday today

I hope you have a wonderful day, even if the marquee does get blown away.

We've probably hijacked this thread long enough. Man City are about to take on the mighty Crystal Palace.

Thanks Nick

I have dropped her back at Hull this afternoon, they're going into town for the first time since they arrived in September!

[Neil Graham]

Week 32

We deserved to lose - we played into their hands. Jurgen Klopp comments after Liverpool's 3-0 loss in the Europa League.

There were faltering performances from all our remaining European teams and in Premier Chess player rotation didn't assist a number of managers. There was an unexpected entry into the top five as Sam Herring appears for the first time. Special chips will now play a key part in the remaining weeks. Although leader David Egginton broke the 2,000 point barrier it was Nico Lubina who became surprising top scorer for the week - almost inevitably Neil Pennock was last.

1 Mostly Clevedon David Egginton 79 2007
2 Oh Bartje Verbruggen Noah Poot 65 1991
3 Cunha Feel It? Thomas Evans 68 1989
4 Rice Rice Baby Cameron Henry 74 1986
5 Slumdog Mignolet Sam Herring 65 1976

Finally Overall leader for a second week is Tom Hadley with 2,172 points.

[Neil Graham]

Week 33

"We can still do something very special." Martin Odegaard. Arsenal fail in both Europe & the Premier League.

It's been a disastrous week for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City. At least City have gained ground in the Premier League at the expense of their rivals. In Europe it coud be a clean sweep of English club dismissals - but as I write this Villa win on penalties. My wife's team scored 108 points last week and has overtaken me in the family league - no-one in Premier Chess could reach three figures; the closest was Adam Hunt on 99 whilst AksHay Kilambi posted the low score of the season. Still no suggestion on the winner with Mike Garland back in contention with his 96 point haul

1 Mostly Clevedon David Egginton 70 2077
2 EASY TIGER Mike Garland 96 2067
3 Oh Bartje Verbruggen Noah Poot 73 2064
4 Rice Rice Baby Cameron Henry 76 2062
5 Cunha Feel It? Thomas Evans 68 2057

Premier Chess Cup Are your team still in? We'll start coverage next week.

[NickFaulks]

It's been a disastrous week for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.

Also Tottenham, according to local partisans. I understand they have been relying on English success in Europe to secure the fifth place in next season's Premier League.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

It's been a disastrous week for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.

Also Tottenham, according to local partisans. I understand they have been relying on English success in Europe to secure the fifth place in next season's Premier League.

Freudian slip? Nick must have meant "Next season's UEFA Champions League".

[LawrenceCooper]

It's been a disastrous week for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.

Also Tottenham, according to local partisans. I understand they have been relying on English success in Europe to secure the fifth place in next season's Premier League.

Freudian slip? Nick must have meant "Next season's UEFA Champions League".

or fifth place in this season's Premier League.