FA Cup Final 2

Interesting afternoon for Louis Van Gaal, wins the Cup then gets the sack?

The game itself was a bit of a non event until Puncheon scored for Palace late in the game, which finally woke United up. Mata scored 3 minutes later after a great run by Rooney which left it at 1-1 at 90 Mins.
Extra time seemed pretty even until Smalling rugby tackled Bolassie to get sent off, that should have seen Palace get on top but they had run out of ideas.
Nice goal by Lingaard to win it, and it finished 2-1.

Then the news comes through that Mourinho is taking over and Van Gaal is gone.
I sort of expected this in January, but I can't believe it happened today after LVG finally won something.
Considering the serial whinger was a disaster this season for Chelsea, it seems an odd move considering virtually every top manager in the world would jump at the chance of managing Man Utd?
I've always had a soft spot for the Mancs but they're going to be hard to like next season.

FA Cup Final

Just watching the pre match build up and for the first time in years I haven't a clue who to support?
A Man Utd win means West Ham get into the early stages of the Europa League again, also most of my fantasy football teams have a selection of Man Utd players so I need them to score a few points.
Palace are the under dogs, but I still really like Alan Pardew and would be great if Palace could grab their first major Trophy,
So probably hoping for a high scoring match going to penalties? :)

Predictions 2015-16

Congratulations to John for winning this year's competition.

7 players this year, although Gobby seems to have left us after a couple of weeks :(

It looked like Paulo would be running away with it after a 3 week winning run earlier in the season, but John came back with a 4 week winning run in weeks 19-22 meaning we were all playing catch up.
John grabbed another double in weeks 33-34 and sadly for Paulo the last 3 weeks were all drawn with me being the main culprit.

Anyway it's time to award the NBTF virtual trophy :)

Hopefully one day I will get my name on it?

John's record this season was 8 outright wins, and 1 shared win. With a total of 228 points from 371 games predicted.
Although only the 3rd best total overall he put together 8 really good weeks.




The Minor Trophies

Outright Wins - John 8
Most 3 Pointers - Paulo 43
Most 1 Pointers - Lee 136
Highest Week Score - Lee 15
Most Points - Lee 256
Best Points Per Game - Lee 0.661
Most Games Predicted - Lee and Paulo 387

The Final Table

Thanks Everyone for playing, and hopefully you will all be back to do it again next season :)

Farewell Films

Lots of videos around from the last game, think this is my favourite one.

England Squad

Woy has named 26 for his Euro squad, and surprise surprise no West Ham players?

Goalies - Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton.
Defenders - Nathaniel Clyne, Kyle Walker, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Ryan Bertrand, Danny Rose.
Midfield - Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Fabian Delph, Eric Dier, Danny Drinkwater, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Raheem Sterling, Andros Townsend, Jack Wilshere.
Forwards - Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Jamie Vardy.

Even the most biased fan surely is wondering how players like Delph, Henderson, Milner and the always injured Wilshere are considered better than Mark Noble, and Antonio has had a far bigger impact this season than Sterling and Townsend. Plus Bertrand and Rose in front of Cresswell??
Rashford is promising but can't believe he gets an England shout so soon.

Theo Walcott is finally dropped despite being fit for the first time in years, maybe the rumoured transfer to West Ham affected Hodgson's thinking?

Nice tweet from David Gold :)

Premier Predictions (Week 38)

Here we go the final Premier League predictions competition of the 2015/16 season ... sad isn't it :)
The relegation battle is done and dusted before the final week meaning Villa, Norwich and Newcastle are only playing for pride, and this will be a last game for a handful of managers .
The only thing left to play for is the European positions. Leicester, Tottenham and Arsenal have all qualified for the Champions League and it's between Man City, Man Utd and West Ham (if they score 15) for the final spot. Basically the top 8 still have something to play for and West Ham, Southampton and possibly Liverpool might need a Man Utd Cup win to make Europe next season?

Arsenal v Aston Villa
Chelsea v Leicester
Everton v Norwich
Man Utd v Bournemouth
Newcastle v Tottenham
Southampton v C Palace
Stoke v West Ham
Swansea v Man City
Watford v Sunderland
West Brom v Liverpool

** Just for the sake of completion here is the Cup final (not part of this weeks predictions)**
Post a prediction if you want as Biopunk cannot be caught :)
C Palace v Man Utd - (90 Minute score)

Good Luck All :)
Do it all again next season if anyone is up for it, and will probably do a Euro special by the first week in June.

Here's the current Predictions league full table with one week to go, 3rd place is still up for grabs for Longy, Biopunk and myself :)

A Bit of Nostalgia

The 1974/75 season was when I got the bug, I had seen West Ham a couple of times when I was about 10 going with my Dad and uncle, but by this season I'd finally persauded my Mum that I could be trusted to go with some mates from school. I can't remember the exact cost of the train from Grays to Upton Park and I think the West side admission was about a pound? so the day cost about £3 which I had to save up.
5th October 1974 at home to Derby (who went on to win the league that season) the first time I was allowed to be part of the terrace crowd and it was brilliant :)
We had just had a run of 4 games where we looked like world beaters - Tranmere (LC) 6-0, Leicester 6-2, Birmingham 3-0, Burnley 5-3 so we were all hoping for another big victory, but it ended 2-2 with goals from Billy Bonds and Keith Robson but I enjoyed it anyway.
About a month later went to my next game and we beat Wolves 5-2 to prove I wasn't a jinx.
In May of that season we won the FA Cup so in my mind I had brought them good luck that season.

Obviously a lot of people are saying they will miss Upton Park and I'm one of them, but to be honest I've been missing the Old Upton Park for the last 20 years.
I loved the terraces and being so close to the pitch, for me when they made it all seater it killed most of the atmosphere.
I just couldn't get that same feeling in a row of plastic seats that I used to get when you scored and ended up 10 rows away from where you started, and the singing became patchy instead of the whole stadium singing as one. Also never really got used to buying a ticket beforehand, always preferred paying on the gate especially with away games as it was sometimes only decided we would go on the day.

... and the plastic castles are just tacky:)

Anyway farewell Upton Park :(

Fantasy Football Update

Current standings on the various NBTF leagues.

FPL - I can't seem to catch son Gary, guessing Paul and Longy have given up?
TFF - Ryan has led since week 6, I'm getting closer but need something inspired from my few remaing transfers?
TFF Europe - Ray leading the way, he also has the 1st place overall with a different team. So good to attract a top player into my league.
TFF Lee League - Just me so I will win :) just gutted that the rule change this season means I'm sitting in 9,585th place? under last years rules (and this seasons TFFE rules) I should be in 5th place.

Self promotion time (it's my blog hehe).
Having a really good season in the Telegraph Fantasy Footie, my best ever in 15 seasons before this year was 308th and have only had a handful of Top 1000 finishes. As it was the first time I didn't have a works league to compete in I didn't think I would be winning any medals this year.
As it stands I'm on for 4 medals and very close to 6 more, and if I can stay in the top 5 of either of the top 2 leagues I might actually win some money as well?
So just 2 weeks to go and I've got 11 teams in the top 1000, and 3 in the top 100 so barring a disaster it will be my best ever season :)

Up And Down

Current Standings

Premier League (First Division)
Champions - Leicester City
Relegated - Aston Villa (plus 2 from Norwich, Newcastle or Sunderland)

Championship (Second Division)
Champions - Burnley
Promoted - Middlesbrough
Play Offs - * Brighton, Hull, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday
Relegated - Charlton, MK Dons, Bolton

League One (Third Division)
Champions - Wigan Athletic
Promoted - Burton Albion
Play Offs - * Walsall, Millwall, Bradford, Barnsley
Relegated - Doncaster, Blackpool, Colchester, Crewe

League Two (Fourth Division)
Champions - Northampton
Promoted - Oxford Utd, Bristol Rovers
Play Offs - * Accrington Stanley, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Wimbledon
Relegated - York, Dagenham And Redbridge

National League (Fifth Division, Conference, Whatever??)
Champions - Cheltenham
Play Offs - * Forest Green v Grimsby
Relegated - Halifax, Altrincham, Kidderminster, Welling

Premier Predictions (Week 37)

Sorry had a busy week and nearly forgot?
Mega week with 14 games spread over 4 days.
7 on Saturday, 3 on Sunday, 1 on Tuesday and 3 on Wednesday.

Some really big games this week starting on Saturday lunchtime where both Norwich and Man Utd will be desperate for 3 points.
At the bottom Newcastle look more likely than Sunderland to get a win, but Chelsea's season is probably over so who knows?
West Ham need 3 points to put the pressure on the 2 Manchester clubs.

Sunday's big game is City v Arsenal, whoever wins probably guarantees Top 4 and Arsenal could still overtake Tottenham depending on the earlier result.

Tuesday nights West Ham v Man U game could be really big if results go their way over the weekend.
Wednesday is big for the bottom 3 where both Norwich and Sunderland need to take advantage of the extra home game.

Norwich v Man Utd
Aston Villa v Newcastle
Bournemouth v West Brom
C Palace v Stoke
Sunderland v Chelsea
West Ham v Swansea
Leicester v Everton

Tottenham v Southampton
Liverpool v Watford
Man City v Arsenal

West Ham v Man Utd

Norwich v Watford
Sunderland v Everton
Liverpool v Chelsea

Good Luck All :)

Leicester Champions

Congratulations to Leicester for winning the Premier League :)
Gives hope to all the others after years of just Chelsea, Arsenal and the Manchester clubs dominating.

Also John Terry helped out at the end :)

Premier Predictions (Week 36)

Back to a normal 10 game week this time, played over 3 days.
The top 2 both have tough games, Man Utd still need the points to try to catch Arsenal and City so won't roll over for Leicester. Chelsea owe it to the fans to give Tottenham a good game. At the bottom Norwich need the performance of their season away to Arsenal.
Stoke have gone to pot so Sunderland might get a win, and Newcastle really need to win all of their last 3 to have any chance.

Everton v Bournemouth
Newcastle v C Palace
Stoke v Sunderland
Watford v Aston Villa
West Brom v West Ham
Arsenal v Norwich

Swansea v Liverpool
Man Utd v Leicester
Southampton v Man City

Chelsea v Tottenham

Good Luck All :)

Gossip and 2017 Predictions?

I'm wondering if I can get a job at the school of lazy journalism?
Here goes :)

Mourinho to Man Utd, he claims they will be fighting for the Championship in 2 years (because they will get relegated next season after the Moronic one gets rid of all the promising youngsters and Mata, and replaces them with overrated, overpaid, and over the hill foreign "stars").

Pochettino goes to Real Madrid (this might actually be a world scoop hehe) takes Alli, Kane, Lloris and Alderweird with him :)

Arsenal try to get rid of Wenger but he just buys the club instead and makes himself manager. "I aim to take this club into the top 4" he says in a press conference.

Liverpool bid mega money for Messi, Gotze, Bale, Lewandowski, Neymar, Neuer, Benzema but end up with Newcastle reject Hatem Ben Arfa and Marouane Fellaini on a free transfer.

Antonio Conte gives John Terry a new contract and makes him the key part of his revolutionary 9-1-0 formation. Chelsea set new records after 38 x 0-0 draws.

Pep Guardiola attempts to buy all the leading players of his rivals.

Bournemouth do a "Leicester" and win the league.

Noble, Cresswell, Antonio, Tomkins, Carroll all make it to the PFA's team of the season but none of them gets an England call.
A young Tottenham reserve plays 5 minutes in a Carling Cup tie against Accrington and immediately gets called into the England squad, Hodgson says "he's had a great season and deserves the chance".

Premier Predictions (Week 35)

Week 34 still on for one more night, but here's the next one.
After last weeks mega 15 game competition this week is just 9 games padded out with the 2 Cup semi finals.
So for the cup games the rule is 90 minutes (+ Fergie time?) only.
5 Games on Saturday, 4 on Sunday and Tottenham play on Monday again.

Man City v Stoke
Aston Villa v Southampton
Bournemouth v Chelsea
Liverpool v Newcastle
Everton v Man Utd (FAC)

Sunderland v Arsenal
C Palace v Watford (FAC)
Leicester v Swansea

Tottenham v West Brom

Good Luck All :)

Euro 2016

Got my Panini Euro 2016 sticker album today :)
Free at most supermarkets so don't pay money for one on e-bay.
Comes with 6 stickers which is the amount I usually end up with :)

It makes me laugh that people are selling the stickers on Amazon / e-bay at well over the cost price when nearly every newsagent and supermarket have loads at 50p a pack.
You could buy 25 packs for only £15.95 on the net, or pay £12.50 for the same amount in any shop, suppose someone falls for it.

Just checked their England line up.
Goalies - Hart
Defenders - Cahill, Smalling, Jones, Stones, Baines, Shaw, Clyne
Midfield - Milner, Henderson, Wilshere, Banana, Barkley, Oxtail, Walcott, Sterling
Forwards - Rooney, Wellbeck, Vardy, Kane
I reckon Hodgson is going to need a full team of doctors and physios if he takes that lot

What Should've Happened?

Whinge time :)
One (slightly) biased fans view of the last few weeks.

5th March - West Ham sit 5th after win at Everton (49 pts)

13th March - West Ham lead Man Utd 1-0 in the FA Cup with minutes left, when Schweinsteiger pushes our goalie into the net allowing Martial to equalise. Ref Atkison doesn't give foul?
Unnecessary replay needed.

19th March - West Ham lead chelsea 2-1 in last minute when Loftus Cheek dives outside the box, Ref Madely falls for it and gives penalty? (should be up to 4th with 52 pts)

2nd April - West Ham lead Palace 2-1 late in the game when Ref Clattenburg gives Kouyate a straight red wrongly (later rescinded) allowing Palace back into the game. (should be up to 4th with 55 pts)

9th April - Draw 3-3 with Arsenal after Ref Pawson disallows Lanzini goal for offside despite being 2 yards onside? Carroll might have been lucky not to get sent off after his 3rd goal, but former ref Webb says Gabriel should also have been sent off. (should be up to 3rd with 58 pts)

13th April - Unnecessary Replay against Man Utd, lose 2-1 and no complaints except the game shouldn't have taken place.

17th April - Lead Leicester 2-1 in the 95th minute when Ref Moss falls for the latest Leicester dive and gives a penalty?
So should be 3rd with 61 pts and in the Cup Semi final, actually 6th with 53 pts and out of the cup.

Conspiracy? well it certainly looks like someone doesn't want us at the top table.

Premier Predictions (Week 34)

Gutted after tonight's cup game where we didn't really turn up for most of it :(
A little bit happier after watching the end of Athletico v Barcelona :)

Anyway on with the show.
This week is a mega week with 15 games spread over 6 days.
6 on Saturday, 3 on Sunday, 1 on Monday, 1 on Tuesday, 3 on Wednesday and 1 on Thursday.

Only 5 weeks left and John has gone back in front, although most of us can still win if we have a good run? :)

Norwich v Sunderland
Everton v Southampton
Man Utd v Aston Villa
Newcastle v Swansea
West Brom v Watford
Chelsea v Man City

Bournemouth v Liverpool
Leicester v West Ham
Arsenal v C Palace

Stoke v Tottenham

Newcastle v Man City

West Ham v Watford
Liverpool v Everton
Man Utd v C Palace

Arsenal v West Brom

Good Luck All :)

(The week after is a 9 game week including Cup ties, will post about Wednesday)

Bobby Moore

Premier Predictions (Week 33)

Extended week this time with 7 games on Saturday, 3 on Sunday and a bonus game on Wednesday.
Saturday's early game is a big one as West Ham really need another win over Arsenal to stay in touch of the top 4, although dodgy refereeing has cost us victory in the last 3 games, so looks like the FA don't want us there?
Villa might be relegated this week if they lose again or Norwich win.
On Sunday Leicester have the chance to go 10 points clear before Tottenham play, although Sunderland are desperate for the points as well.

West Ham v Arsenal
Aston Villa v Bournemouth
C Palace v Norwich
Southampton v Newcastle
Swansea v Chelsea
Watford v Everton
Man City v West Brom

Sunderland v Leicester
Liverpool v Stoke
Tottenham v Man Utd

C Palace v Everton

Good Luck All :)

(Next week will be even more confusing as there are 15 games over 6 days, so will probably post that before this week is over).

Champions League

Champions League Quarter Finals this week.

Barcelona v Athletico Madrid (2-1)
Bayern Munich v Benfica (1-0)
Paris St Germain v Man City
Wolfsburg v Real Madrid

Barcelona beat Athletico Madrid after Fernando Torres did a 10 minute Hero to Villain routine, Barca should be favourites but Simeone's Madrid are horrible to play against. I should dislike them with the miserable moaning Simeone in charge and a team that displays all the dark arts but I like the way they upset the mega-money pair in Spain.
Bayern Munich struggled to beat Benfica 1-0 and will have to perform better at the real Stadium of Light.

Tonight sees City taking on Zlatan and his Paris supporting cast, shame City don't have a defence so they just need to score more goals than Paris? should be good :)
Real Madrid should be able to overcome Wolfsburg  assuming Ronaldo plays.