Season 9 - Week 6

 

First off, apologies for the lack of analysis last week, apparently being a father and work is more important that writing analysis.... bah.

With David Rosser falling off the pace, an 8th different winner in 9 seasons looks on the cards.  Steven Baker leads the way, with a cracking pick of Wolves away at Preston reinforcing his already impressive season.  Chris Roberts also picked an away winner, and Jimmy Smith in 3rd a draw, showing that home bankers may save you from relegation, but they won't win you the title.

Everyone has now picked at least one winner, leaving David Pilkington nailed to the bottom of the league with -£4.80.  It's hard to believe that this guy once won the title.

The Pele League

Jimmy Smith's great call on the Chelsea/Man U draw, propels him into the lead (and was the pick of the week), and gives him a great chance to win the Pele league.  Rosser slips into second, but still remains in the hunt, less than £2 adrift.  Shakespeare (last years winner of the top flight) and Noyce lurk ominously.

Gibbons Jr stops the rot and banks his way out of the relegation zone, thanks to Arsenal and the losses of Cornwall, Kelly and Clare.  Ben Gould goes save to avoid the ignomity of a perfectly imperfect season, but needs many more winners to avoid the drop.  Lines Jr's loss means that his perfect top flight record is under threat, being the only member of the founding dozen to have never been relegated.

The Maradona League

Out of the darkest night shines the brightest stars, and with only four winners picked this week in the Maradona league Rodgers is shining like Rudolph's red nose after a lifetime of boozing.  £4.10 clear of second and £5.73 of 4th place.  You might as well start planning that open-topped bus ride now Rodgers.

Gurd and Gibbons sr remain in the promotion zone, despite their losses, although their lead has been slashed (by 4p), thanks to Lloyd finding some form.  Both Lines sr and Britcliffe (a 2.25 winner) remain in the mix.

At the bottom Drury, Bailey and Lewis miss the opportunity to escape the clutches of relegation and allow Ingham to close he gap dramatically (another to spot the Wolves away win).  As these four look to duke it out for the one safety spot, those above must remember that they are far from clear of safety.

The Gary Lineker League

Continuing the trend of one player being impressively clear in a league, Stapleton should also be planning his open-top bus ride, again £3+ clear of second and £4.67 clear of fourth.  A couple more winner should see him home.  Behind him Jake Jones and Booth opted to go safe in a bid to cement their promotion spots, but they hadn't banked on Dunk spotting a Bury away win to close the gap, although he remains £1.24 adrift of promotion, Jones and Booth cannot afford a slip... that does of course assume that Dunk has the ability to pick another winner!

Southworth & Kinsella either ease their relegation worries or start a late promotion charge, both picking evens+ winners, to leave the bottom four (without a win between them) looking increasingly at threat.  Pilkington and Chadbourne in particular look destined for Dickov.

The Paul Dickov League

An unusually poor week for the Dickov league, with only a 50% success rate, has allowed Roberts to pull well clear.  He has booked his bus, the conductor and also ordered a 10,000 strong print run of his new book "Dickov you losers - How I won the league".

Fields leapfrogs Holland and Ross Jones into 2nd with a scintillating away winner (Bury again) and winners for Haywood and Willshire mean that it is a five-way struggle for the remaining two promotion spots.

Malone, Hughes, Lowe and Callan are separate by a mere 76p and their performances (by no means disgraceful) mean that they are far from doomed.  In many other leagues they would be mid-table!

The Jason Lee League

The worst league is currently being led by Ricky Jones, and with only 3 in positive figures, he must feel comfortable about his promotion chances.  Ono, Wrigley and Jamie Jones banked their way into promotion contention.  Below them Simms, Ingham and Andrew Jones needed big winners to get back into contention and they found them, leaving it hugely open at the top.

Lewis, Drury and Bradley chose the wrong time to have a bad week and now find themselves needing a good end to the season to have any chance of escaping relegation.

The Ali Dia League

Oh what a league, the top 9 are all above -£1, the leader (Baker) is showing the way with a massive £7.67 at the top and a couple more winners to secure promotion will give him a chance at a last week dart at the overall highest ever season score (£13.55 - Nik Simms).  Conduit and A occupy the other promotion spots, but with many others within striking distance they are far from secure.

Hickey is in the wrong league at the wrong time, his -£2.62 isn't great but he would be in touch in many other leagues.  On the positive side, he won't be in the wronf league much longer!

The Boogers League

Another tight league is led by Elder, who had a rapid start, a rapid fall and is now consolidating at the top.  Preston and Glenn Jones picked winner..... which is more than could be said for most!  With 3rd to 7th separated by a whisker, the promotion battle is again going to be tight.

Owen, Crunkhorn and Ball lost again, and need to find a winner, any winner, from somewhere to stop the rot.

Simon Guest (who I presume is called Simon Guest rather than, Simon, Guest) suffered his first loss in the Holdsworth League, but still looks a formidable force when his promotion to the real leagues occurs.

 

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