Managers, blow by blow - Part One

Peter Doyle
By my reckoning Doyley first joined our fantasy league in 1998 and apart from the odd peripheral prize he has never made it to the big time. He showed what was coming last season when he was up amongst the challengers for most of the season only to drop out of the top 10 on the last day.

This time around the Ginger rabbit only spent 5 weeks outside of the top 10 including 20 on top of the table. It was an excellent championship season and Pete becomes a worthy 8th name on the esteemed N&R Champions trophy.

Mark Wenman
Wenners has set himself high fantasy standards and he would have been disappointed with last season’s 18th. This year though he was challenging from the off, finding himself in 6th after week 2 and then 4th in week 5. He never left the top 4 again showing remarkable steadiness. His problem was that he was so consistent that he never really had any scoring peaks, which may have thrust him into top place.

Ben Graves
What a season from the debutant. A fantasy unknown before August, he had a slow start but built his points gradually gaining confidence as he overtook some of the seasoned pro’s to reach the top 10 in November. And then there was no looking back. He even climbed to the summit in February for 7 weeks. However he ran out of gas and transfers but still finished in a superb 3rd.

Mark Simmons
Mark has this knack of winning a prize every year, whether it’s the penultimate, or the mid-table award he won last season or a more important top prized place. During the last 6 weeks Mark was the league best manager. 248 points were gained in those 6 weeks and Mark went from 8th to 4th.

Mark alongside Doyley also regained the Team Challenge Trophy they won last year, smashing last season’s average score by xx points.

Barry Paull
Barry will be kicking himself that he slipped out of 4th place in the final week of the season, especially after he had occupied the position since the turn of the year. He has finished 4th twice before and over the years has probably been one of the top 5 managers but the title still eludes him.

Carl Dillaway
Last year the boy Dillaway blew it by falling away during the past few weeks of the season but it was a different story this time. True he started well again and then faded and then bounced back and then slipped out of the top 10 in week 35 but he reserved his energy and some transfers xx to surge into a 6th place finish.

Carl, I haven’t forgotten about your Memories are made of this! Take your time.

Rob Munden
Rob is very hard to predict, bit like what he’s going to say when he’s drunk, he has had finishes all over the board. He started down in the wrong end of the table, quickly changed it around and then appeared without much of a fanfare in the top 10 come Christmas. And he stayed, unusual according to his missus but he did. He even made 5th in January but he will be happy with his xx best ever finish.

Barry Plummer
8th? Pretty crap eh, Bazza? You know last year runner up, the year before Champion. 8th? What’s going on? Truth is it was still a good season for Barry. He also was in the bottom half of the table until the Christmas carols started to play in the shops and hit the top 10 around about the same time as Rob.

Barry’s best place was 5th but he was in 7th two weeks ago and will disappointed to slip out of the serious prize money so late in the game. Nevertheless, still a fantasy force to be reckoned with.

Lee Day
He was out of the blocks like a chicken with no head (probably one he ate earlier!). Top for 9 of the first 10 weeks, he was heading towards mid-table in January but he arrested the slide and was back in 7th just a couple of weeks later. His best finish since 2001 / 02.

Nigel Tatlock
I understand that old Tatters has fully enjoyed his debut N&R FL season, and we are glad because that is what it is all about. Nothing else. But if you can pick up some cash too, well that is a nice bonus and Nige did. It was a pleasure to have you Tatters, come back soon.

Glenn Francis
For the 2nd consecutive season Glenn quite frankly flunked. Last year he should have walked away with some prize money and this time he was there or thereabouts for the majority of the season but once again he was the bridesmaid and not the bride as he finished in 11th place. Last year he won the weeks worst score award, this year x2.50. Don’t spend it all at once Glenn.

John McGowan
Another manager who set the league on fire in the first half of the season. Not out of the prize money up until Christmas, including being joint top after week 1 and 2nd in week 5, he lost his way after the New Year and despite a sudden spurt in the last couple of weeks ended the season with just a fiver to his name.

Suzie Syrett
The season’s first winner picking up the cash after Ready’s Benfleet Bet, Suzie had a good season by most standards but after 3 top 10 finishes in 4 years, last years 14th and this season’s 13th will disappoint the lovely Suzie Syrup.

Ian France
The man with the spreadsheet, the man who chases me for the weekly player points, the man who questions his scores, the man who studies the fantasy form, the man with no prize money. Meet Ian France.

Ian Kennett
I always have high hopes for Ian, even though he only stands 5ft 2” in his broking shoes. Last year he was 6th and I had money on him doing even better this time around but he didn’t. Now he’s got a real job, he probably struggles for quality FL time but he will be saddened that apart from week 26 when he hit a phenomenal 93 points he didn’t make any impact at all on the table.

Danny Rose
Dan started the season where he left off the last one (5th). He spent a fair number of weeks in the top 10 before the year-end but then faded, and although he was always in touching distance I think a change of jobs and a loss of focus meant he missed out on making transfers at crucial times. 2nd year on the trot though he has finished above Godders.

Paul Kelleher
A poor season from Lupo really. He had a slow start, mounted a bit of a run in the new year but unlike last season he never managed to get himself in there, which for PK isn't normally a problem. Trouble is, in this league his boyhood charm, wit, and outright damn cheek doesn't get the job done, unlike some welsh lassses we could name (that's if she had a name?).

Neil Cryer
Our favourite Rochdale Cowboy, Neil had a classic mid-table season. He was never in any re-election danger, and apart from touching 11th place a couple of times, he never threatened the prize kitty either. Maybe he should have made better use of his transfers, but it was a tougher league than last season when he finished 10th.

Kirstie Baillie
I am very upset that the late night booty calls have dried up from our Glasgow loverly. I know I used to take the piss but those calls used to keep me occupied on cold nights, if you know what I mean? Kirstie improved on last season by 6 places but unfortunately didn't win a bean. Been to Romford lately Kirstie?

Mike Robertson
Robbo was a welcome addition back into the N&R fold. The first couple of weeks were like he had never been away but then he drifted to midtable. In fact a few decent weeks just before the league split left him in the Premiership, whereas a drop into the Championship may have given him some prize winning opportunities.

Keith Read
Ready's homecoming year was one of fantasy disappointment for my partner. After last season's title winning season, this one was the first in 6 years that he has not finished in the top 10. There were of course glimpes of magic from the Thai king pin but it ended like so many other managers before him with pressures of work taking over as he settled into his new job back in the city.

Ready was one of only 6 managers who led the table. He was on top in week 6 and was a feature in the top 6 until the end of November but then it was a gradual slip back to midtable. A bit like Robbo, Ready may have ended up in the Championship come week 30 but pride made him make some changes as he insisted on looking up and not down.

Martin Singleton
Disappointed but proud Preston fan Martin had a bloody awful start to the campaign and the fact that he made the Premiership after the cut was an achievement in itself. Bottom 6 going into December last season's 7th place was a long way off. A complete overhaul was carried out and then we saw an incredible 3 MoW's in 6 weeks as Martin put together a terrific run to clear re-election and head up the table. He too was also only points away from contesting the Championship and may have provided a bit more competition for Barwick & DuToit.

Simon Bond
We used to call Bondy the Southampton of the N&R FL. Every season he scraped away from re-election but after 3 consecutive top-half finishes, we can only think that either Bondy has got better or other managers have got worse. One thing is for certain Bondy is still here, but where are the Saints, eh?