Money still outstanding

Some of you may have noticed that I have yet to announce the season's prize fund. There is a reason for this - I am still waiting on quite a lot of money from people. Now I like doing this N&R FL thing but not at a loss of money. I sent e-mails tonight to all the people that owe me entry money. PLEASE send a cheque to my parents house, made out to me. Their address is in on the e-mail.

Once I get all the money in I will announce the prizes, otherwise the funds will be a lot less this year.

Thank you, I appreciate your help.

Nobs

France fried

Breaking news 8888 Week 25 scores
Francey's must be running low on Keep(ing) the faith this season as his beloved Seagulls struggle against relegation but in week 25 he ran out a winner with 42 weekly points.

It was the lowest best weekly score of the season, which was a surprise as there were midweek games as well as a full league weekend programme. The previous worst best weekly score was 43 by Tony Murray in week 12.

Francey climbed 2 places into 19th, the 2nd best score was Sweaty's PK blue lagooners who rattled in 39. Sweats stays a place ahead of Francey. Ken Bates beard got 38 and maintain their challenge in 4th, 14 points behind Californication who scored 29.

Roffey Rejects managed 37, Repka (now back in the Czech Republic) is Innocent scored 36 as did Flighty Feet and Christian Dailly Football Genuis.

In one of the lowest scoring weeks of the campaign there was very little movement in the table. Steve Lee's I hate Gerrard being the biggest climber, up 3 to 29th.

The only change in the top 7 was Sodding window cleaners and Lamb to the slaughter swapping places. The weeks biggest news at the top was the sight of Christian Dailly Football Genuis moving into the top 10 for the first time this season. Davids v Goliath dropped out.

Rutts, Beere and Oakers go low again

Breaking news 8888 Week 25 scores
After Oakers fine effort last week, managers had another crack at the season's worst weekly score. Goonersmoan nabbed a nice round 0 and Dark Whorses and RIP Viera both hit just 5. Oakers -1 point still takes the biscuit and at the moment the 25 quid.

Season's lowest weekly score:
1. Alan Oakley, -1 point, week 24
2. Tim Feldbruegge, 1 point, week 7
3. Tim Feldbruegge, 1 point, week 8
4. Brian Rutter, 0 points, week 25
5. Rob Beere, 5 points, week 25
5. Alan Oakley, 5 points, week 25
7. Tim Feldbruegge, 6 points, week 5
7. Brian Rutter, 6 points, week 18
7. Rob Beere, 6 points, week 24
7. Peter Doyle, 7 points, week 6
7. Liz Keiller, 7 points, week 23
7. Danny Matthews,7 points, week 19
7. Nigel Tatlock, 7 points, week 23

World's richest clubs

The recent list of the worlds richest club's saw Real Madrid replace Man U, who had headed the list for the past 8 years.

The Deloitte review does not include the cost of transfer fees or player wages and concentrates solely on day-to-day income from football business such as ticket sales, merchandising and broadcast revenues and not the wealth of club owners, hence Chelsea's place at 5th.

This is the top 20:

1(2) Real Madrid £186.2m
2(1) Man Utd £166.4m
3(3) AC Milan £158m
4(5) Juventus £154.9m
5(4) Chelsea £149.1m
6(7) Barcelona £140.4m
7(9) Bayern Munich £128m
8(10) Liverpool £122.4m
9(8) Inter Milan £119.7m
10(6) Arsenal £115.7m
11(12) Roma £89m
12(11) Newcastle £87.1m
13(14) Spurs £70.6m
14(17) Schalke £65.8m
15(-) Lyon £62.7m
16(13) Celtic £62.6m
17(16) Man City £60.9m
18(-) Everton £60m
19(-) Valencia £57.2m
20(15) Lazio £56.1m
Source: Deloitte (Previous season's positions in brackets)

Road to Wembley - Preston North End FC

Our Preston correspondent Martin Singleton will cover the 5th Round tie between Preston and Middlesbrough on Sunday. A full report to follow.

For the uninitiated these are some facts that only Martin probably knows:

- Formed in 1881, although it's origins can be traced back to the 1860's.
- In 1888, they became one of the founder members of the Football League. Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton, Burnley, Derby, Everton, Nots County, Stoke, West Brom and Wolves were the others.
- Preston actually scored the first ever goal
- And they won the first League title and then did the double by beating Wolves 3-0 in the FA Cup Final.
- In that first season PNE went through the whole campaign undefeated. This feat took 116 to be done again. Arsenal in 2003-04.
- They also hold the record English win. They beat Hyde 26-0 in the FA Cup.
- The National Football Museum is at Deepdale
- Deepdale is the oldest, continuously used League ground in the world, with the first game being played in 1878.
- Deepdale had an infamous plastic pitch during the mid 80's.
- As recent at 1986 PNE had to apply for re-election, they survived. The next season the rule changed that the bottom team would be automatically relegated. Who knows what would have happened to the club if they got relegated?
- They were last at Wembley for the 3rd Div play-off final in 1994, when they lost to Wycombe 4-2 after being 2-1 up.
- David Beckham played 5 games, while on loan from Man Utd in 1995.
- Legend Tom Finney, known as the 'Preston Plummer' scored 187 league goals for the club.
- Tom Finney and Bill Shankly have stands named after them and the seats encompass likenesses of two of the greatest ever Lilywhite's.
- So does goalkeeper Alan Kelly, who played 447 times between 1961 and 1975.
- Tommy Docherty, Sam Allardyce, Bobby Charlton, Nobby Stiles, Howard Kendall, Archie Gemmill and Mark Lawrenson have all played for Preston
- Billy Davies will be the next Charlton manager!

My Life & Times - Martin Singleton

The first of this season N&R Q&A belongs to Martin Singleton. The full document is attached to the Latest Table email.

Amongst other things Martin puts us straight on pies, Carmen, Marc Bolan and fiddling with one's pastie! Yum-yum!

Please take time out to complete My Life & Times. I will happily re-send a blank one if you want me too.

Nobs

Whores draws!

Breaking news 8888 Week 24 scores
It is exceptionally hard to do, but Alan Oakley joined a exclusive club in week 24 by scoring less than 0!

Al's Dark Whorses have slowly been slipping down the table and his -1 point takes him periously close to the re-election zone. However for some reason I give a prize for the week's worst score and previous 1st placed incumbent Tim Feldbruegge, who holds the 2nd, 3rd and 4th worst scores for the season, clearly must try harder!

The seasons worst weekly scores:
1. Alan Oakley, -1 point, week 24
2. Tim Feldbruegge, 1 point, week 7
3. Tim Feldbruegge, 1 point, week 8
4. Tim Feldbruegge, 6 points, week 5
4. Brian Rutter, 6 points, week 18
4. Rob Beere, 6 points, week 24
7. Peter Doyle, 7 points, week 6
7. Liz Keiller, 7 points, week 23
7. Danny Matthews,7 points, week 19
7. Nigel Tatlock, 7 points, week 23

Follow the Bears

Breaking news 8888 Week 24 scores
A 2nd MoW for Alex Boswell in 5 weeks. 68 points for Meg & Hannah's bears, a whole 26 more than the 2nd placed weekly team He's not the messiah.

Alex leapt a further 8 places to the relative safety of the mid table pprized place. Ian Kennett is probably another manager with his sights on bigger things (although most things Ian looks at are probably bigger than him!). 42 points take Ian to within 14 points of the top 10.

Last season's Champ, my that seems like a long time ago doesn't it Pete?, had a good week. 40 points for Rapid Ginger and a bit of breathing space now between re-election and safety.

This is a name I have not typed for a while.... Nzogbiapongolledezee United. Johnny Mc squeezed 39 points out of week 24 and also climbs further away from danger. John's team-mate Kirsty Baillie also did well in week 24. Glasgow kiss smooched 38 and renew their attack on the top 10.

Flighty Feet are just 3 points off the top 10 after scoring 35, a point more than both Hilary Ryan and Glenn Francis.

London Irish celebrate their 3rd consecutive week in the pink zone, whilst Lamb to the slaughter celebrate their 4th. Keep the faith and US Eagles were only separated by a point in week 24. Thankfully an ocean separates their bickeing.

Francey scored 33 to move into 21st, whilst Barry scored 32, but drops to 16th.

My kinda town

Christmas decoration update: I got in the lift today in the building that I live in and a bloke got in after me dragging a Christmas tree to take to the tip!

Road to Wembley - Why are Palarse hated so much?

Our N&R Road to Wembley correspondent Martin Singleton popped into Sainsbury's Tuesday night to buy some pies but whilst he was there he also took in the FA Cup 4th Round replay between Preston and Palarse.

Martin was well chuffed of course, not only with his pies but he also witnessed his beloved Preston North End booking their FA Cup fifth-round ticket after beating 'our team' Crystal Palarse 2-1 thanks to ex-Millwall striker DANNY DICHIO's late winner.

Here is Martin's report after the game:

"Dichio Dichio Danny Dichio
He's got no hair
But we don't care
Danny Dichio"

I could hear the cheering all around London as we knocked Palarse out of the FA Cup last night to become the Fantasy League's latest FA Cup heros. Why are they hated so much by all the other London teams? Suspect its the arrogance of their fans (all 7000 who bothered turning up last night) rather than the average team itself.

I thought Preston's 488 following was pretty good for a mid-week London away match.

Nice to see Dichio getting the goals - his first since August (tee hee!) He is the most immobile player I have ever seen and must be the slowest too and he just a big nuisance but now he's in goals..........................

With a home tie against Coventry or Middlesborough in the 5th round, we must have our first decent chance of getting to the quarter finals since the 1960's. Famous last words of course.

Could be on the verge of another double - promotion and FA Cup glory?? Well probably not but its good while it lasts.

Will give you a truthful run down of the PNE team prior to the 5th round"

Well there you go, 7,000 disheartened 'Cheeserolls' but Martin does raise a good point about Palarse and other fan's apathy with them. Palarse fans of course bang on about how they only hate Brighton, but the fact is loads of clubs hate them.

Interesting debate, so if you have any thoughts on this, then email me at simon_newport@ars.aon.com

Suzie sits on top

Breaking news 8888 Week 23 scores
After 20 weeks with one team sitting on top of the table - Godders' I *ucking hate Chelsea, we have now had 3 teams in 3 weeks!

Chris Waterman's Californication stole top spot last week but 7 days later they dropped back to third and Suzie's Ping Pong Yo-Yo take over at the top after being in 5th last week.

It is a great achievement by the lovely Suzie,who after coming from nowhere, has put an inspiring run together, including 6 MoW's, to fly into first place after the week 23 scores.

Suzie whacked 90 points in week 23, a full 22 more than the next best, fellow Arse (not as tidy though), Brian Rutter.

It was a weird scoring week because it was Arsenal players who dominated the scoring after they hammered Middlesbrough 7-0. There was also a ton of bookings and four sendings off, so the scores fluctuated a lot.

For example just 7 points for White wine and water, and only 10 for Chicago Addick but great scores from Goonersmoan (68), Repka is Innocent (67) and PK Blue Lagooners (55).

It wasn't only Rutts who stirred into action at the bottom of the table but Rogering Daisy Wright had another good week with 53 points and Sweaty plays the banjo got 49.