Merry Christmas!

Keith and I would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.

Thanks for playing the N&R FL and we look forward to more fun and frolics in 2013.

Nobby & Ready xx

RIP Sir Patrick Moore

To a generation he was the only reason why we were interested in the moon and the stars. It certainly wasn't my very strict Science teacher at school.

Sir Patrick Moore died last week aged 89, and did more than anyone, with the possible exception of Arthur C Clarke, to educate the British public about astronomy and space travel.

And in the days before clever television effects his TV show The Sky at Night - where Moore’s extended tenure made him the world’s longest-running presenter of a single television show - was must-watch telly as a child because he made Space real.

RIP Sir Patrick.

Daily Telegrah obituary.

Big Brox

Week 17 - MoW

Chris Wright collected his 2nd MoW in Week 17. 63 points was enough for Chris to win a fiver, and he was just 2 points ahead of Alastair Bigg.

John Hardiman had another good week as did Neville White and Ben Guarino.

Other notable scores were Danny Rose 50, Alex Boswell 45, John McGowan 43, Greg Foulger 42, Mark Sterry 39, Brett Davey 35, James Stiff 33, Paul Keaveney 29 and James Down 23. Oh and Doyley and Sarah Sheron with the week's lowest score of 20.

9 points separate the top 5

N&R Division 1 - Week 17
We are the Darts still ahead in the title race. But it's close with To Elland Back in 2nd, Ollympic Games in 3rd, Woody's Round Up 4th and Gooner Win League all in touching distance.

Hardly far away are Brox Banditos, Paris Eagles, Boys on tour, Guinness & eggs and Back in the Big Time.

Looking further down OJ's Red & White Army, The Magnificent Eleven, Pure Irish, Hannoi Utd and Loads of Roubles are only 45 points or less behind the leader.

Very close as we approach the important Christmas period....

Interesting....

Interesting to see 6 of last season's promoted sides in the Div 1 relegation zone as of Week 17. This includes last season's Div 2 champion Rosie Dalton and 3rd placed Daniel Weeks, which tells us something about the strength of the top division of the N&R FL.

Out of the promoted sides Geoff McCormack is doing the best, well better than that in fact, as he is currently leading Div 1, after finishing 10th in Div 2 last season.

From last season's top Div 1 sides, Lee Horne is struggling the most to recreate the form that saw him finish 6th last season.

Conversely, only Ian Kennett of the relegated managers is challenging for promotion back to the big time, although Mark Simmons is very much in contention.

Kiwi fruit

N&R Division 2 - Week 17

Moral Hazard showing good morals still and ahead of the pack by 27 points at the week 17 stage. Monster Smash are in his tail wind with Anfield Second XI in 3rd and Addington Bears in 4th. These four have pretty much dominated proceedings this season so far, although another Div 2 leader Aniseed Twists sits comfortably in 5th.

Kiwislop are brand new into the promotion race and jump to 9th but we lost Bardzo lubię nie musieć nic, who slip to 13th, just ahead of Leave Myarselona.

Further down Norfolk 'n' chance made good ground and Roger Melly is my hero also moved up the table.

Forest Green Gingers remain rooted to the bottom.

N&R Weekly Predictions

Week 17

Nobby

Newcastle v QPR v AWAY No

West Ham v Everton AWAY Yes

Swansea v Man U AWAY No

Stake £2

Potential Winnings £26.00

Balance £-16.13

Ready

Liverpool v Fulham HOME Yes

Swansea v Man U AWAY No

Chelsea v Aston V HOME Yes

Stake: £2

Potential Winnings £6.78

Balance £-15.12

N&R Weekly Predictions

Week 16 and another shut out.

Nobby

QPR v Fulham DRAW No
Newcastle v Man C AWAY Yes

Liverpool v Aston V HOME No

Stake £2

Potential Winnings £14.75

Balance £-16.13

Ready
Liverpool v Aston V HOME No
Man U v Sunderland HOME Yes
Norwich v Wigan HOME Yes
Stake: £2
Potential Winnings £7.52
Balance £-15.12

New game: Famous look-a-likes

 Marouane Fellaini

As those of you that know us will know, Ready and I do our best work late at night when half baked.

We were out and about in London Town recently when we came across Marouane Fellaini stood in Leadenhall Market.

We have no idea why the Evertonian was there. He did attempt to headbut an ugly but pretty harmless glass collector from The New Moon as she walked past, but otherwise he was happy to have his photo taken with the far more famous Nobby & Ready.

Upon sobriety and on second looks this may have been someone impersonating Marouane Fellaini. How bloody dare they?

Anyway, it has given Ready & I an idea.

We are asking our N&R FL managers to send in their best photos of famous football look-a-likes, ideally with you stood next to them.

Please email photos to either simon.newport@aon.com or keithyread@hotmail.com. We look forward to your photos.

Nobby & Ready

Week 17 overview

A fiery derby in Manchester that ended with Rio 2p richer and a little upstart lucky not to get a right hander of Joe Hart.

Jonjo Shelvey enjoyed his first game at Upton Park where he "began his career" before leaving when he was 10 to a much better club.

Martin O'Neil took over at the top of the Sack Race.
Week 17:

Monday 10th December 2012
Fulham 2-1 Newcastle

Sunday 9th December 2012
West Ham 2-3 Liverpool
Everton 2-1 Tottenham
Man City 2-3 Man Utd

Saturday 8th December 2012
Arsenal 2-0 West Brom
Aston Villa 0-0 Stoke
Southampton 1-0 Reading
Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea
Swansea 3-4 Norwich
Wigan 2-2 QPR

12/12/12

The last sequential date of the century and I suppose my life time, so a very appropriate day to go and have a few drinks.

I’m taking the team out for Christmas lunch today for a few pops and the first turkey of the season. We always back our lunch into a particular cocktail party that we get invited to. They hate us turning up a bit worse for wear, but if they didn’t make it so obvious then it wouldn’t be half as much the fun!

In between we have another date with another drinks party and it will be a full day, although hopefully I won’t be as bad as I was last Friday, which is another story.

We have been trying to finalise our plans for our Christmas trip home. We leave next Friday for London and will be schlepping around the M25 dropping off to see family and friends.

One of the younger members of my group decided that is was Christmas sweater day today. It’s early yet but so far I have been disappointed with the quality and it looks like mines going to win!

N&R weekly Predictions

And we have a winner. Nobby! Nobby! Nobby!

Week 15:

Nobby

Arsenal v WBA HOME Yes

Wigan v QPR DRAW Yes

Sunderland v Chelsea AWAY Yes

Stake £2
Potential Winnings £17.87

Balance £-14.13

Ready

Aston V v Stoke DRAW Yes

Southampton v Reading DRAW No
Swansea v Norwich HOME No

Stake: £2

Potential Winnings £35.70
Balance £-13.12

Safe standing

I was pleased to see the agreement of 13 clubs to back a pilot scheme for the reintroduction of safe standing at English football grounds.

Aston Villa were the only Premier League club to back the trial although West Ham have intimated that they would consider it for the Olympic Stadium. The Premier League themselves released a statement opposing the idea.

Other clubs backing the FSF's Safe Standing Campaign are Brentford, Bristol City, Burnley, Cardiff City, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Doncaster Rovers, Hull City, Peterborough United, Watford and AFC Wimbledon as well as the Scottish Premier League.

All-seater stadiums have been compulsory since 1994, although there are still grounds that have terraces in The Championship such as Peterborough's London Road.

The FSF aims to persuade the Government, football authorities and clubs to accept the case for introducing, on a trial basis, limited sections for standing at selected grounds in the stadiums of Premier League and Championship football clubs.

So far 52 MPs have backed an early day motion (EDM) tabled by Roger Godsiff, the MP for Birmingham Hall Green, on October 15 2012.

It calls for the introduction of a pilot of new standing technology - called rail seats - at football grounds.

Rail seats, which are widely used in Germany, are robust metal seats with a high back including a sturdy rail that fans can hold. The seats can fold up flush and be locked between the uprights creating wider clearways than along rows of normal seats.

Aston Villa and Peterborough United have already agreed to a small scale trial of the technology.

This is a safer option than what is currently happening at football grounds where swathes of fans choose to stand during matches, campaigners argue.

It could be a safer way to help manage crowds when spectators do not listen to calls by ground staff and stewards to sit down, they claim.

Football clubs, safety experts, police officers, academics and football supporters came to Westminster today to meet MPs and ask them to support a small-scale trial of safe standing areas in the Premier League and Championship.

Margaret Aspinall is chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group and her son James, 18, was among the 96 people who died at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium in April 1989,

She believes standing should be unthinkable despite the growing campaign spearheaded by the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) for safe standing.

The Taylor Report might have made all-seater stadiums compulsory but it did not say that standing was unsafe. I remember leaning against a rail on the old East Terrace at The Valley and technology has moved on a hell of a lot since those days.

While standing is officially banned throughout the Premier League and Championship, the reality is very different.

Week in, week out football supporters stand in their thousands at top level English football, all of them in accommodation that is unfit for purpose and usually to the detriment of other fans who prefer, or are forced, to sit.

Meanwhile technology has moved on apace and we see fans across the globe - in Germany, Norway, Sweden and the USA - standing safely in properly designed and managed areas, paying lower prices and generating better atmospheres. In short, England and Wales are being left behind.

Ollympic effort

N&R Division 1 - Week 16
It's still We are the Darts top for the 5th week. 6 points behind are Ollympic Games up to a season-high spot. In joint 3rd are Gooner win league and Paris Eagles.

Current champ Woody are on the rise and now into 5th. To Elland Back are still very much in the picture at 6th.

Bingo is 7th and Guinness & eggs 8th.

There wasn't an awful lot of movement in Div 1 as everyone benefited from a high scoring week.

In the relegation scrap Brighton Blues move out of the bottom 12 but Full Metal Jackett slump to 30th from 21st. No Hopers remain bottom with the Penultimate Score, with Keep the faith 37 points ahead of them.

High morals

N&R Division 2 - Week 16
Moral Hazard remains top but opened his legs and sped away from Monster Smash in 2nd. Addington are 3rd with Anfield Second XI in 4th now.

Aniseed Twists slip to 5th alongside Sloan Ranger, A little back are Jager Bombers and Mobotinho.

Stwike him centuwion vewy woughly, DTF FC, From SE6 to SB04 and Bardzo lubię nie musieć nic make up the promotion places.

Leave Myarsealona fell out of the top 12 and Kiwislop, Mark Hughes is @@@@ and FC Song Roi are all poised nicely after good weeks.

Bottom remain Forest Green Gingers.

Blue is the colour

Week 16 - MoW

A bumper Premier League games week gives Brett Davey our season's best weekly score so far. 84 is the number now to hit with Wardy next up with 82.

Ricky Wood continued his good run with 78, same as John Hardiman, another on a rich vein of form. Tim Harris also knocked in a 78.

Then there was a host of managers of 77 - Dewbs, Richard II, Razor, Paul Hodges and Ian Kennett.

Another 14 managers scored in excess of 70 with mid-60's being the average.

The week's lowest score was owned by Doyley.

Photograph of the week

Bradford City pulled off one of the great League Cup shocks with a penalty shoot-out victory over Arsenal in front of an ecstatic home crowd, the Bantams biggest for 49 years.

The League Two side prevailed 3-2 on spot-kicks, to the delight of a capacity Coral Windows Stadium.

Gunners skipper Thomas Vermaelen missed the crucial penalty on a difficult night for the Premier League side, who have won only once in the last six matches in all competitions. The pressure piles on Arsene.

Best weekly score

After a big scoring week time to update the top 10 best weekly scores:

A little bit early but I thought we would have a look at the best weekly scores so far. I prize for the best one over the season. Here are the best 10 so far:

1. Brett Davey, week 16, 84 points
2. Simon Ward, week 16, 82 points
3= Paul Hodges, week 2, 78 points
3= Ricky Wood, week 16, 78 points
3= John Hardiman, week 16, 78 points
3= Tim Harris, week 16, 78 points
7= Mark Dewberry, week 16, 77 points
7= Richard Richards, week 16, 77 points
7= Richard Nathan, week 16, 77 points
7= Paul Hodges, week 16, 77 points
7= Ian Kennett, week 16, 77 points

Upto week 16

Week 16 overview

A bumper points week reflected in the scores. The sack Rafa brigade are in good voice but the Sack AVB choir are a little quieter. It's a bit early for the sack 'arry mob mind.

Week 16:
Monday 3rd December 2012
Newcastle 3-0 Wigan

Sunday 2nd December 2012
Norwich 2-1 Sunderland

Saturday 1st December 2012
Reading 3-4 Man Utd
Arsenal 0-2 Swansea
Fulham 0-3 Tottenham
Liverpool 1-0 Southampton
Man City 1-1 Everton
QPR 1-1 Aston Villa
West Brom 0-1 Stoke
West Ham 3-1 Chelsea

Wednesday 28th November 2012
Man Utd 1-0 West Ham
Wigan 0-2 Man City
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
Southampton 1-1 Norwich
Stoke 2-1 Newcastle
Swansea 3-1 West Brom
Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool

Tuesday 27th November 2012
Aston Villa 1-0 Reading
Sunderland 0-0 QPR

Week 15 overview

Harry Redknapp took QPR to Old Trafford and put up a decent performance, took the lead but still lost. At Chelsea fans booed Rafa's arrival, who then tried to send everyone asleep as Chelsea prevented City winning at The Bridge.

Week 15's scores in the Premiership:

Sunday 25th November 2012
Chelsea 0-0 Man City
Tottenham 3-1 West Ham
Southampton 2-0 Newcastle
Swansea 0-0 Liverpool

Saturday 24th November 2012
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
Everton 1-1 Norwich
Man Utd 3-1 QPR
Stoke 1-0 Fulham
Wigan 3-2 Reading
Sunderland 2-4 West Brom

Road to Wembley - Crawl on

Crawley breezed into the FA Cup third round at the expense of Chelmsford. It was a very one-sided match with Crawley having efforts on goal to non-league Chelmsford's 1!


Reds midfielder NICKY ADAMS opened the scoring when his cross-shot crept in at the near post.

Blue Square Bet South side Chelmsford were reduced to 10 men when Donovan Simmonds picked up his second yellow, and Billy Clarke's volley made it 2-0 before half-time.

GARY ALEXANDER'S late penalty - awarded after Anthony Cook brought down Sergio Torres - put the result beyond doubt.

The visitors had keeper Stuart Searle to thank for keeping the score down, the former Crawley man saving well from Hope Akpan and Alexander in the second half.

Crawley: Jones, Sadler, Connolly, Hunt, Davis, Akpan (Bulman - 82' ), Clarke (Akinde - 71' ), Torres, Simpson, Adams (Jones - 80' ), Alexander,
Substitutes: Kuipers, Walsh, Byrne, Wassmer, Bulman, Jones, Akinde.
Att: 3,012

Crawley were drawn to Premier League Reading in the 3rd Round.

N&R League Cups 4th Rd Results.

The games for the 4th Round of the League Cup's were over week 15. Here's the results:

Div 1 League Cup 4th Rd Results
2Infinity & beyond 17-35 Bingo FC
Too Big to Fail 22-33 Brox Banditos
Ollympic Games 36-25 RVP's Red Army
We are the Darts 26-41 The Jager Squad

Four pretty one-sided games as both the Wards get through to the semi's. Simon beat Barry Plummer and Graham won convincingly at league leader Geoff. Ryan saw off Godders and finally Chris beat Alastair. 

Div 2 League Cup 4th Rd Results
Monster Smash 31-40 Kiwislop
Bardzo lubię nie musieć nic 30-29 Addington Bears
Dan's Dribblers 30-33 Moral Hazard
Leave Myarsealona 34-31 Mobotinho

A couple of close ties there. Mark beat Neil by a point and only 3 separated Ben who beat Dan and Andi who beat Razor. In the final game John won away at Aaron's. 

The semi-finals will be drawn before Christmas.

Feeling Wood

N&R Division 1 - Week 15

Another week on top for We are The Darts. Geoff is 18 ahead of Gooner win league. Paris Eagles are up to 3rd.

In 4th Ollympic Games, 5th To Elland Back and 6th Guinness & eggs. In 7th appears Woody's Round Up, the first time we have seen him in the top 8 for 9 weeks.

The Jager Squad and Blue Euro Champs depart the relegation zone but Brighton Blues slip into it.

Hazard out ahead

N&R Division 2 - Week 15
Moral Hazard stepped out on his own to lead Div 2 by two points over Monster Smash. Addington Bears and Aniseed Twists are joint 3rd in a very tight top of the table.

There's a little gap to The Sloan Ranger but Anfield Second XI, Jager Bombers, DTF FC and Mobotinho for a close knit chasing pack.

At the bottom Preston Pie Muncher closed the gap on Forest Green Gingers to 3 points.

On paper, Mark wins

Week 15 - MoW
Mark Gregory swept to the week 15 MoW with a score of 48, Neil Bixby was a point behind and Mark's colleague and current N&R champ Ricky Wood was another point back in 3rd.

Barry Paull scored 43 and then Wardy G and Stiffy J both snatched a 41. New Zealand bound John Hardiman hit 40, Brett 39 and Rosie 38.

Other notables were Richard II 36, Paul Hodges 31, Neil Addington 29, Oakers 28, Andrew Shepherd 22 and Ian Kennett 21. Lastly we had the Ginger Rabbit with 14.

Photograph of the week

Lionel Messi last night beat Gerd Muller's 40-year-old record of goals scored in one calendar year.

Muller scored 85 goals in 60 games in 1972 but Messi now has 86 in 66 matches after Barcelona's 2-1 win at Real Betis.

Messi opened the scoring on 15 minutes from an Andres Iniesta pass to draw level with the German striker and went one better when again set up by Iniesta.

N&R Weekly Predictions

Week 14, another blank.

Nobby

QPR v Aston V HOME No
West Ham v Chelsea AWAY No
Man C v Everton DRAW Yes

Stake £2
Potential Winnings £31.16
Balance £-28

Ready

Liverpool v Southampton HOME Yes
Reading v Man U AWAY Yes
West Ham v Chelsea AWAY No
Stake: £2

Potential Winnings £8.34

Balance £-11.12