X11 season 45 - de rigueur Mortis

[Sits]

Yes good effort VA and HO.

This week my head has been turned somewhat. by Cycling Simulator and I’ve not been giving X11 much attention.

[Various Artist]

Random observation: my Royal Atlantis squad in the Heineken League once hit about 80m in valuation, but has mostly settled around the 50 to 60-something million mark for the longest time. After a good CR though recently and getting a couple of moderate academy youths through it shot up to an extraordinary 100 million, by far a club record and equal to Vita Mortis' best ever (from a couple of years ago), which is surely the best I've had for any team in a 'regular' league.

With the departure of 17/3 youth defender Hans Munkby for a rock-bottom fee some way below his estimated valuation, the total's dipped below 9 figures again but now sits on a quite pleasing 99 999 482 econ.

Edit: The likes of 18/6 D Erik Bloodaxe and the midfield '1066' trio of Harald Hardrada, William Conqueror and Harald Godwinson are all worth a pretty penny, but I think I've just found the main culprit – 19/8 GK Magnus Barnlock is spiking that record valuation almost single-handedly, as he's now rated at a barmy 20 million econs. He's a Moody one too!

[delicatemoth]

I'd put up a couple of my Viking South Utsira youths for sale if I thought I'd get a decent price for them. Unfortunately it's only the bargain-fishers like AE who are lurking around a still overstocked pond chock-full of unwanted players, so I think I'd better try to hang onto them until after the Change Report when I might get a decent price if I'm lucky!

Glad I sold off 4 last close-season, as we were running with a greatly oversized squad so the training fees were ruinous. Naturally all the windfall was frittered away again in short order, though, and a trickle of decent new academy products this term has brought us back up to 20 again already, so I'll definitely need to offload some again soon.

Recent 17/5 arrival Cordelia Austrheim is a Moody goalie, which is always an 'interesting' combination, so I'll be particularly interested to see how she does as we go along...

Given how successful Renate has been in Ullapool I would always be happy to look at further Klovnings.

[Hot Orange]

OTF Season 57 Round 3 Round-up

OTF
Dandy Town, leaders at the start of the day, found themselves 2-0 down after just quarter of an hour at Berkshire Swine, but pulled a goal back almost immediately and eventually secured a 2-2 draw. It was not enough to hang on to top spot, though, with Season 52 champs Vita Mortis moving to the summit with a comfortable 3-0 win at Turd Division, Rene Vanden Borre scoring twice. AFC Csiki Monkeys join Mortis and the Dandies on seven points after they beat Four Candles 2-1, despite passing up a bucket-load of chances. Defending champions Croesoswallt Dragons moved up to 4th with their first win of the season, a 2-0 success at Zeugmaspor, who slipped to 7th. The day's other winners were Great Ouse Town, who got off the mark for the season with a 2-0 win at Rock City Ferrets, a game that kept the stretcher-bearers busy. Ouse climb to 6th, just behind Four Candles. The bottom three is filled with Turds, Swine and Ferrets.

Division 1
A stoppage-time strike from Whoft Fluffopolis skipper Colm Dinamoe gave his side a hard-fought 2-1 win at Saltney Drawers and maintained their place at the top of the table. The Drawers, unfortunate to lose this one, sit just above the relegation zone. Hideous Towns are level on points with Fluffopolis in 2nd place but made hard work of seeing off the Nieuwegein Kneebiters youth club, leading by just a single goal until in-form striker Arnold van Aerle came off the bench to score twice late on. Half the division remain unbeaten, with Eriskay Expression, Wensleydale Blues and Rejects Redux close behind the top two on five points after a win and two draws so far. Kyle Stuart's late goal gave Expression a 2-1 win at Lokomotiv Noj that manager Bill Bones admitted was "daylight robbery". Noj remain 9th. It took 83 minutes for Wensleydale to create a chance at Kernow Kensa, but that opportunity - converted by Billy Mallerstang - was enough to clinch the points, leaving Kernow unmoved in 8th. The Rejects and Banik Roystonov sit next to each other in 5th and 6th after a goalless draw. Three rounds into the season, Division 1 has yet to see a home victory.

Division 2
The three 100%-ers extended their perfect starts, each winning 2-1. Leaders Heffron Hendecagon had to work mighty hard to overcome OWC Albion, coming from a goal down to pinch the win with Ken Råberg's 90th-minute header. That kept them just ahead of Brian Munchingflapjack, who were victorious at Veni Vici Vigata despite their team bus apparently only having room for less than half of their 23-man squad. Like Heffron, who they meet next, Athletico Deva were also beneficiaries of an injury-time winner, Øyvind Hasselgård's second of the game frustrating hosts Pinewood Passers. Three points behind the leaders in fourth are Great Northern Railway, convincing 4-0 victors at Steaua Bridge, who drop to 7th, with defender Tommy McConville on target twice. Wednesday de la Zouch move up to 5th with their first goals of the season coming in a 3-0 win at bottom-placed youngsters Wharfedale Generals. The Generals, along with VVV and Pinewood, await their first points.

Division 3
Hampshire Deers took the lead three times at Llandudno Jet Set, their perseverance eventually being enough to secure the win that maintained their perfect start to the season and took them to the top of the table. Deers forward Wesley Greaves converted two penalties, the first time in my - cripes - almost seven years in X11 that I've known a team be awarded two spot kicks in a game. While Jet Set remain pointless in 8th, the Deers move two points clear of New Dresden and The Blomstrands, who both surrendered their 100% records with home draws. René Hacker scored twice for Dresden, but they were pegged back by Cods Of War, who bounced back impressively from their thrashing on Monday to move up to 6th. The Blomstrands struggled to a goalless stalemate with Richmond P&P, for whom this was a first point that lifted them to 7th. Die Ambosse, with two wins from two so far, slipped to 4th on their day off. Eintracht Midwest are in 5th after their debut win, a 2-0 victory at Poplar Massive Crew, who drop to the bottom.

[lambers]

The bottom three is filled with Turds, Swine and Ferrets.

My new favourite factually correct sentence, can't stop chuckling.

[Sean of the Shed]

I find myself pleasantly surprised at Dandy Town's start to the season, particularly as we are notoriously slow starters normally. Despite our lofty position after three games, though, our sole aim this season is to try and reach whatever the OTF equivalent of the magic 40 points is as soon as possible and treat anything else as a bonus.

[Sits]

Hot Orange love your work.

[Janik]

X11 Ladies Season 57 Matchday 11 report.

Division 2b

Gastele                 3 - 2   November Revolution
Diarra 5'                       Vagnati 19', 48'
McRenton 82'
Luengo 86'

Stoke City FC           2 - 1   Drakaina
Shearer 19'                     Heggarty 76'
Carnell 23'


Division 3e

Careerwomen Blues       2 - 0   Viking South Utsira
Fleetwood 20'
Toufiq 55'


Division 4i

Championettes           3 - 3   Coxy Ladies Wulpen
Ganter 12'                      van Sttenberghe 32'
Passinhas 38'                   Gerniers 43'
Groven 40'                      Leclercq 54'


Division 5:1

Bombay Green Rockets    2 - 1   S.L. Balelas
Azanha 18'                      Ahlberg 81'
Ferrante 31'

AK Heartbreakerz        0 - 4   Allstar 002
                                Bello 57', 60', 82'
                                Ashcroft 91'


Division 5:16

LNWR Locomotive         1 - 0   Wælcyrie Girls
Nixon 23'


Division 5:19

Ullapool Northern Star  0 - 1   The Sibley Squad
                                Oh 77'


Division 5:21

Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC  0 - 2   Söderbönerna
                                Lidgren 88'
                                Hedegärd 93'


Division 5:32

Csiki Girls             3 - 2   Queens in Uniforms
Birch 18', 41'                  Jameson 12', 91'
Igreja 72'


Division 6:20

Solent Sirens           2 - 1   Razzgirls 013
Agra 14'                        Ylioja 40'
Stieglecker 25'


Division 6:34

Invisible Ladies        2 - 0   Dynamo Dynamite
Parks 14',28'


Division 6:43

Hazeldean Inchmistress  3 - 1   Ipswich Town Ladies
Dekoninck 18'                   Quist 24'
Barnes 22'
Christersson 70'


Division 6:53

Vendetta Team           0 - 2   Zeugma Dostluk Spor
                                Neil 77'
                                Kurt 92'


Division 6:56

The Valkyries           2 - 1   Menywod Maeshafn
Opper 84', 87'                  Smythe 34'

Gastele faced a tricky looking match in their battle against the drop as they took on promotion-chasers November Revolution at The Lemon Grove.
Jdsx’s side seemed more than up for the challenge however as they started fast and were rewarded by going 1-0 up in the 5th minute when Odette Diarra headed home. The hosts continued to have the better of the play for the rest of the first-half only to be hit by a sucker punch breakaway goal on 19 minutes to be level at the break.
Things went from bad to worse early in the second half as Gastele somehow found themselves behind in a match where they had been the better team. The good news was there was a long while, 42 minutes, to do something about it. The hosts slowly turned up the wick until a deserved equaliser arrived in the 82nd minute, Lisa McRenton staying cool to finish. Inspired and with the crowd roaring them on Gastele pushed again, winning a free-kick in the 86th minute which Fernanda Perdao teed up for Veta Luengo to smash the winner.
Elsewhere in this league, specifically the Potteries, we find Drakaina visiting bottom of the table outfit Stoke City FC.
The home side belied their status with a quick-fire brace midway through the first half to give The Dragons a challenging deficit to claw back. Etienne’s side fought to do so and did halve the gap with a Gael Heggarty header on 76 minutes, they didn’t create enough to close, let alone overturn, it. Not that Stoke fashioned any more chances but their two goals, mind; it was very much a smash-grab-and cling on type of win for the Potters.
Usually a defeat for a leading team would have a major negative consequence to the league table. But not this time in this league, as Matchday 11 was rather an odd one in Division 2b. Only three sides picked up wins… and they started the afternoon in 6th, 7th and 8th respectively! So Drakaina remain second, now two points behind the leaders and still one clear of third. Gastele, meanwhile, gained a place to move up to fifth in the standings, two points clear of danger.

I’ve not got much to say about Viking South Utsira’s trip to the side I call Careerwomen Blues, because it really wasn’t a good day for The Blood Eagles and I can’t get past the name of their opponents when considering that club.
Which makes the game, one-way traffic not in the direction of Velvet Android’s side, one to immediately forget. Suffice to say that only losing 2-0 was actually rather a success for Viking given the balance of play in the match. To make matters worse the sides had started the day level on points in the Division 3e table; VSU didn’t drop any places with the loss, they are still seventh, but they are also now three points from safety.

Coxy Ladies Wulpen were looking for a win to maintain their promotion push at a Championettes side mired in the Division 4i relegation zone.
Or at least that was the theory. In practice Janik’s team were in a battle from the outset and 1-0 down by the 12th minute. Eva van Sttenberghe levelled after 32 minutes, but that was followed fairly swiftly by two goals for the hosts in a three minute period. At this point it looked like The Waders aims for the day had changed simply to not being embarrassed, but the scoring wasn’t done yet in a wild first half as Sandrine Gerniers swirled in a direct free-kick on 43 minutes to give her side fresh impetus.
That was further boosted when Alicia Leclercq made it 3-3 nine minutes after the break. Now Coxy Ladies had the momentum they would surely go on to win? Well, no, because the goals suddenly dried up and the match remained locked all square until it’s conclusion.
Two points drop for sure, but fortunately for Wulpen the sides in third and fourth drew 0-0 with each other, meaning the Flanders side stay second. They have dropped to four points behind the leaders though.

Falling into the bottom three last week put extra pressure on Bombay Green Rockets when they hosted promotion chasers S.L. Balelas. Fortunately, pressure helps rockets work…
HKS3’s side took a counter-attacking approach to the game as the manager reasoned that Balelas would be looking to press for the win. This worked wonders in a first half where Bombay had less than half the ball, and precisely all of the chances. And both the goals as well, Musa Azanha heading in an 18th minute cross and Amalea Ferrante turning home from close range on 31 minutes. Both assists came from defensive stalwart Clara Michels on what was an inspired day of creativity for the veteran, who had previously managed a single assist all season.
The Green Rockets monopoly on chances was broken with 81 on the clock as Balelas created, and scored, their only chance of the day. But that was not enough to earn them a point as Bombay secured a massive win.
The importance of Bombay’s win was increased by events elsewhere as AK Heartbreakerz took on the Rockets relegation rivals Allstar 002.
As we have already observed, Mortal Joe’s new side have already been relegated and are looking far into the future. There is no expectation of them getting anything from games. However, there is a new found resilience now the side have someone to play for and this was evident in the best 45 minutes the Heartbreakerz have turned in this season. In all previous games the side have reached half-time behind, often, such as their first meeting with the Allstar team, being out of the game already by the 10th minute (that one was 2-0 by that stage). This time around it was goalless at the interval… and that only because mentor signing Bertha Wang-Nøstvold had been denied a first ever goal for her new club by killjoy ref Tony Nolan.
The hopes of the beaten-down home fans of an unlikely result were eventually snuffed out by two goals just before the hour mark for the visitors, who went on to net four. However it was a start, a small promising start. And from tiny acorns mighty oaks do grow…
What did those results do for the Division 5:1 table? Well, Bombay climb a place from sixth to fifth, i.e. from the wrong side of the line to the right one. They are only five points adrift of second, in fact, though the one point advantage on sixth remains much more in the forefront of collective minds. The Heartbreakerz are still where they have been all campaign, bottom, pointless and goalless.

Crunch games don’t come much crunchier than when LNWR Locomotive welcomed Wælcyrie Girls to Mollington Street.
Three points separated the sides before kick-off, but more importantly the relegation line was also between them. Below Locomotive was a five point gap, above Wælcyrie a three point one. It looked like one from these two for the drop. And if Wælcyrie won the match, one from LNWR. And no-one else as a six point gap with three games left was going to be nigh on impossible to recover.
So that was what was at stake for Viktor Boskovic’s side. They set about their task with diligence, but also caution. The first half had just one scoring opportunity in it, almost precisely halfway through. It came when The Steamers were awarded a free-kick that was in Charlotte Nixon’s range. She struck it sweetly and in it went.
The second period had a few more chances, but not many. And no more goals as Locomotive held on for a massive victory greeted with immense cheers by the home fans. It was one that lifted them above their vanquished foes on goal difference. But only just, +1 better (or more accurately -1 less bad) and with The Steamers having scored fewer goals as well. That final drop spot from Division 5:16 is likely to go to the wire.

[Janik]

Two of the teams battling for the Division 5:19 play-off place went head to head at Minchview as Ullapool Northern Star welcomed The Sibley Squad to the remote north-west coast.
Star spent the first half chasing shadows as Sibley Squad hogged the ball. However the Scots were doing a good job of breaking up the attacks, with ‘keeper Helen Hess remaining a spectator albeit one very close to the action. Things changed for delicatemoth’s side in the opening minute of the second half. In a negative way. Key forward Sonia Menashi picked up a 25-day horror injury just seconds after the restart, and this appeared to affect Ullapool as they began shipping a steady stream of chances. This was unsustainable and the inevitable happened on 77 minutes as a long range shot flashed by Hess.
That was all she wrote, Northern Star falling to defeat and dropping one place down the Division 5:19 table as a consequence. They are still only one point adrift of second though as the side that began the day there, Angelic Upstarts, also lost. Just two points now separates second from fifth in the table with Ullapool holding fourth.

Seven points clear with four matches to go meant claiming the title was a possibility for Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC at the end of their game with Söderbönerna. That would depend on other results. Oh, and winning this match as well, of course.
The Sea Spirits would have been very confident of doing that, having won 9 of their previous 10 games in Division 5:21. But this one was different from the opening whistle as SeanoftheShed’s charges struggled. Was it stage fright? We will probably never know, but for whatever reason it was the visitors rather than The Sea Goddesses who looked the stronger side in the first half.
As long as the game stayed goalless there was a chance that Kanjeng could pull out of their funk and take the lead, however unmerited that might have been. And on 74 minutes it looked like precisely this had happened as Jennifer Willockx found the target. However incompetent ref Charlie Fender wasn’t having it and disallowed the goal. That gave Söderbönerna a lift which they rode to take the lead themselves on 88 minutes. The Indonesians were then caught leaving players upfield at an injury-time corner in the hope of recovering something and lost 2-0.
So the unbeaten record ends. However the side in second, The Temptation Within, were held so the lead remains at six points and their form remains ropey. Kanjeng will have another chance to get over the line this week, though again it will need a combination of a positive result for themselves and a favourable one elsewhere to secure the crown.

Stumbling with the line approaching is also a sensation familiar to Csiki Girls after being held to a shock draw by the bottom side last week. That result had left Ad hoc’s side three points adrift of leaders Queens in Uniforms, but The Csiki’s had an immediate chance to put it behind them as they hosted their rivals in a second vs first encounter on Matchday 11.
The hosts appeared determined not to slip up again, and made the running for nearly the entire first half. ‘Nearly’ because, utterly against the run of play it was Queens in Uniforms who struck first on 12 minutes! The Transylvanians responded swiftly, Georgia Birch bursting through the Queens defence to level on 18 minutes. The same player struck again from a corner four minutes before the break to make the scoreline more reflective of the game it was supposed to be representing.
Csiki Girls continued to dominate the match after the break, and got further reward when Carlota Igreja put them 3-1 ahead on 72 minutes. That effectively killed the game apart from a brief late scare lasting only a few seconds when QiU scored deep into stoppage time to bring it back to 3-2.
That late goal did have the consequence of keeping Queens goal difference +5 better than The Csiki’s. And that is all that separates the teams in the table. Both are four points ahead of third.

How will Solent Sirens go under the guiding hand of Kevin S/Captain Flack? We would have a better idea of the answer to that after 90 minutes against third-in-the-table Razzgirls 013.
That said, we already had a fair idea within half-an-hour as by then Solent already led 2-0 thanks to strikes from front pair Brígida Agra (14 mins) and Marlene Stieglecker (25). Razzgirls pulled one back towards the later stages of the opening half, but that was as close as they got as the Solent defence, led by skipper and Man-of-the-Match Ann-Sofie Sander, held their visitors at arm’s length denying them any second half sights of goal.
Defeat practically ended Razzgirls faint hopes of a play-off spot, which gives an indication of the level of The Sirens victory. It was a win that carried up to sixth in the Division 6:20 table.

Invisible Ladies were very much expected to win against zombies and basement dwellers Dynamo Dynamite.
And that was exactly what Pebblethefish’s side did on the back of a brace of strikes from Sandie Parks on 14 and 28 minutes. There is nothing much else to say about this game apart from that as those goals aside The See-Throughs didn’t actually offer all that much. Yes, they dominated possession, but from approximately two-thirds of the ball only six chances were created.
The win actually saw Invisible lose ground in the ‘race’ for the minor places in Division 6:34 as the side they are level with points with in fourth/fifth spots won their match 6-0. The see-Throughs remain fifth therefore.

Hazeldean Inchmistress went into their game with fourth-in-the-table Ipswich Town Ladies knowing that a win would secure their play-off spot and also do what they could to keep the pressure on runaway leaders Fuego Eagles.
The Imperials adopted a shoot-on-sight policy as their visitors had a new goalie they were looking to settle in. This worked swimmingly, Jessica Dekoninck and Kelli Barnes efforts from range on 18 and 22 minutes respectively both finding the back of the net. Ipswich responded on 24 minutes, and the shock of that out-of-the-blue goal slowed Hazeldean down a little.
The Framleyshire side were still the better side after the goal, but an open second-half with chances at either end were causing a few flutters in the Kofi Annan Avenue stands until Göta Christersson headed home in the 70th minute to give Foxy265’s side a comforting cushion.
The play-offs still look like the only route to promotion for Inchmistress as Fuego also won again without conceding. The gap to the leaders stays at five points with three games to go. But those do include a top-of-the-table clash in two rounds time…

If Zeugma Dostluk Spor are to go on and win the Division 6:53 title, manager Antepli Ejderha will likely look back on certain games as key staging points on that road. And when he does, his sides visit to Vendetta Team is likely to be close to the top of the list.
The hosts still had promotion ambitions of their own and if a first half strike of theirs had stood there might have been a different story. Big word ‘if’. Because the strike was chalked off and it was Zeugma who came on strong instead after the break, taking the lead on 77 minutes when Rosaleen Neil let fly. Latife Kurt headed a second in stoppage time to make sure the points were secure as the Anatolian side consolidated their hold on top spot. The gap to second is just three points, but such is Zeugma’s goal difference advantage it is effectively 3.5 points.

I was expecting to end this report on a high as I told you about how Menywod Maeshafn had cruised to victory at strugglers The Valkyries and thereby sealed the Division 6:56 title.
Except it didn’t quite happen that way. IsThatcherDeadYet’s charges did strike first, whippersnapper forward Meredith Smythe (16/3) heading home in the 34th minute, but that was against the run of play at the time. Maeshafn seemed to settle from the goal and picked things up after the break, but they didn’t make the game safe and then paid for that when The Valkyries equalised on 84 minutes. Now there was panic in the Welsh ranks and things went from disappointing to actually a little embarrassing when the hosts scored again on 87 minutes to record their first win of the campaign not against a zombie.
The two goals shipped were just the second and third Maeshafn have conceded all season, and the defeat put pay to their 100% record. It can only have been complacency from the players, the result hopefully ensuring it doesn’t happen again and the three little points that are still needed can be collected in the next match.

[Hot Orange]

Five OTFers in MLX C this coming 25th season, so that'll be nice, although they're calling it the Group of Death in the Scribble. Three of us - the Malouins, Csiki Chappies and Pulau Pinang - were founder members, while Zeugma joined in Season 3. jdsx's Quisquiliae went through a couple of identities before he took over in Season 14.

We haven't played each other as much as I'd expected. We'd only met Zeugma in two seasons before Season 23, but this will be our third consecutive season in the same division. Our record in competitive matches against the other teams in the division is:

                          Home             Away             Neutral          Total
                     P |  W  D  L  F  A |  W  D  L  F  A |  W  D  L  F  A |  W  D  L  F  A   %
Csiki Chappies      12 |  3  1  1  7  4 |  4  2  1 10  7 |  0  0  0  0  0 |  7  3  2 17 11 | 70.83
Gotham City FC       9 |  1  1  1  4  4 |  1  0  2  2  7 |  0  1  2  4  8 |  2  2  5 10 19 | 33.33
Pinnochios Players   3 |  2  0  0  4  0 |  0  1  0  0  0 |  0  0  0  0  0 |  2  1  0  4  0 | 83.33
Pulau Pinang        10 |  2  2  1  7  4 |  1  0  3  4  8 |  0  0  1  2  4 |  3  2  5 13 16 | 40.00
Quisquiliae XI       0 |  0  0  0  0  0 |  0  0  0  0  0 |  0  0  0  0  0 |  0  0  0  0  0 |  0.00
Wisconsin Wizards*   4 |  2  0  0  7  0 |  1  1  0  4  3 |  0  0  0  0  0 |  3  1  0 11  3 | 87.50
Zeugma Zurafalar     9 |  1  3  0  2  0 |  2  1  1  7  4 |  0  0  1  1  2 |  3  4  2 10  6 | 55.55

*As DSV1900 and Bude Brambles

[Various Artist]

Stats! I love it HO.

Truth be told, almost any of the upper-tier groups tends to look like a 'Group of Death' these days as there's so many strong teams jostling for glory. Dominant side of recent seasons Valyrian Vipers' megastars have finally aged to the point where they're having to rebuild, which has opened up a gap. MLX Kevchenko Cup winners Gotham (City) are very strong again and probably favourites for silverware once more, but got upended in the Grand Final just gone, by Titans Ten who have come from nowhere in the last six months having been revitalised beyond recognition by SocC's fine stewardship. Whether the latter can do it again remains to be seen, of course.

I'd like to think that United Underground can continue to contend, as we've got some very good players still, but the best of them are ageing and last season's chronic lack of funds wrecked our academy and halted the production line of good youths, so I really need an improvement there very quickly.


Speaking of which HO, I also love that your new youth at Hideous today is called Tobias Mild. Wonderful. An 18/5 with a nice stack of SQs means we'll hopefully see him stick around at the Waveney Bowl for the foreseeable future...?

[Various Artist]

The bottom three is filled with Turds, Swine and Ferrets.

[...]

Three rounds into the season, Division 1 has yet to see a home victory.

I've only just caught up with the thread as hadn't looked at the boards for a few days, but have to concur with lambers that that first sentence there is a world-beater. Talk about throwing down the gauntlet for the rest of the season's roundups.

The second sentence I've quoted there is almost equally arresting, though, I thought. What's the chances of that scenario unfolding? Surely it can't continue like that beyond this evening.


Edit: Just screengrabbed it for posterity!

I notice that by a fortunate quirk of the fixtures computer, the one side to have had all three games at home so far – and hence the one with most chances to upset the pattern – is Nieuwegein Kneebiters Youth, who have admirably kept that unblemished column of '0's intact.

[Hot Orange]

I was fortunate, really, that the "Turds..." line virtually presented itself to me as I was doing the write-up. Only a minor tweak was required to make the most of it. Still, I'm glad people have enjoyed it and thanks for the kind words.

The Kneebiters are away this evening, so the Division 1 home-win drought should end.

Tobias Mild will be sticking around. I had a plan to make the next decent Hideous youth an Ahlund, but Tobias' name is too pleasing to change.

[Various Artist]

I had a plan to make the next decent Hideous youth an Ahlund, but Tobias' name is too pleasing to change.

Ah, are you creating junior generations of Hideous dynasties via deed-poll, then? I have Mortis midfield legends Gregor Crompton and Seymour Buckley's nephews on the books right now, but Ernest Crompton actually came spontaneously from the youth academy, so I had to keep him. Robin Buckley meanwhile I bought on the strength of his name, which was a pretty ballsy move I thought given that there really ought to be no room for such sentiment at the upper end of OTF football and he's frankly not all that.

[Various Artist]

Gregor and Seymour's respective nephews, I mean. They had a career-long partnership in the heart of our team but have never actually married, so far as I know.

[Sits]

A bit of notice, for those in the XPert Zone and J4GL that these will be my last seasons in those leagues. Also the Golden League. I just can’t be arsed any more, certainly with eight teams. So I’ll bring it down to the OTF-run five of OTF, Heineken, MLX, Human and Brythonnic and see how that feels. I’ll let the two private admins know, hope RichardSP will be OK as he’s a Human Leaguer.

Various Artist a particular apology for the end of me using your lovely design work on those teams. I’m eternally grateful, gave them a decent run but nothing lasts forever.

[Wouter D]

The Kneebiters are away this evening, so the Division 1 home-win drought should end.

Well, we gave it a good go, but the final quarter proved too much for the baby teeth squad.

[Janik]

I clean forgot to pick Banik's team and tactics this morning. Banik then promptly won (and scored) for the first time in three games. Not sure quite how to react to that...

[ad hoc]

Hmmm. Just when i thought the announcements had improved...

Miguel Satonho has a new baby, which makes him very proud. Unfortunately, his wife has been reading books on feminism lately and has insisted that he do more of the night feeds. As a result, he is losing a good deal of sleep, is not in the best shape for training, and loses some form.

[Various Artist]

A bit of notice, for those in the XPert Zone and J4GL that these will be my last seasons in those leagues. Also the Golden League. I just can’t be arsed any more, certainly with eight teams. So I’ll bring it down to the OTF-run five of OTF, Heineken, MLX, Human and Brythonnic and see how that feels. I’ll let the two private admins know, hope RichardSP will be OK as he’s a Human Leaguer.

Various Artist a particular apology for the end of me using your lovely design work on those teams. I’m eternally grateful, gave them a decent run but nothing lasts forever.

Damn shame Sits – I know for instance you've had Noirs de Bigorre in the Xpert Zone since about a month before I joined X11. But it's best to find a level where it's not feeling like a chore, so cutting back can certainly help as we know.

It's a pity we're in different Pro Zones this season after relegation from the top flight where we briefly had a great quartet with ourselves, Etienne and Sean – though I see after those two's 'derby' at the weekend Sans Culottes' defeat to Traktor Volgograd has left them 0-0-5 and looking set to come down as well. Noirs are certainly doing a heck of a lot better in PZ-B than Tiree are in PZ-A – Automatic have lost four on the bounce and frankly haven't adapted at all yet since relegation.

[Various Artist]

I clean forgot to pick Banik's team and tactics this morning. Banik then promptly won (and scored) for the first time in three games. Not sure quite how to react to that...

There's a moral there somewhere, indeed...

[Various Artist]

Hmmm. Just when i thought the announcements had improved...

Yeah, if it were even
"Miguel Satonho has a new baby, which makes him very proud. Unfortunately, his wife has been reading books on feminism lately and has insisted that he do more of the night feeds. As a result, he is losing a good deal of sleep, is not in the best shape for training, and loses some form."
...it would read less objectionably.


But frankly
"Miguel Satonho has a new baby, which makes him very proud. Unfortunately, his wife has been reading books on feminism lately and has insisted that he do more of the night feeds. as a result, he is losing a good deal of sleep, is not in the best shape for training, and loses some form."
...would say all that needs to be said.

[ad hoc]

Precisely

[Foot of Astaire's]

I clean forgot to pick Banik's team and tactics this morning. Banik then promptly won (and scored) for the first time in three games. Not sure quite how to react to that...

I did the same this week. Went on line looking through my fingers but still hoping for a similar outcome to yours. Alas no. A first and very painful heavy home defeat for New Dresden

[Sits]

Damn shame Sits – I know for instance you've had Noirs de Bigorre in the Xpert Zone since about a month before I joined X11. But it's best to find a level where it's not feeling like a chore, so cutting back can certainly help as we know.

It's a pity we're in different Pro Zones this season after relegation from the top flight where we briefly had a great quartet with ourselves, Etienne and Sean – though I see after those two's 'derby' at the weekend Sans Culottes' defeat to Traktor Volgograd has left them 0-0-5 and looking set to come down as well. Noirs are certainly doing a heck of a lot better in PZ-B than Tiree are in PZ-A – Automatic are winless ourselves after 5 and frankly haven't adapted at all yet since relegation.

Cue NdB losing at home to a team (a) in the relegation zone (b) names after a real team.