The Blackwell Legacy

That's a wrap for another season.

As early as week 3 there was much grumbling in the camp when Ryan binked a 20/1 Stoke away win to surge into an unlikely lead. Most thought the competition was over before it had started, especially when he followed up with additional picks to sit at +£31 after week 7.

However fellow Footy Naps newbie Andy soon gave chase with a couple of big wins of his own, including a massive 28/1 shot to start the 2nd half of the season and shoot into the lead after a dry patch from Ryan.

But the early leader stuck to his guns and plugged away with the longshots, managing to find a couple more in the final weeks to win by a neck after a tense final week shootout. I'll arrange for the prize money and trophy to be delivered in due course.

A shout out is also due to Tom who after debuting last season had a very solid year and managed to pick up no less than £90 in prize money for the lesser spots in the 2nd half and overall table.

Phil should also get a mention for what must be a record losing streak for someone who actually kept picking each week. 24 weeks had been and gone (including the entire 1st half) before he finally picked up a winner. Fair play for persistence though as he actually came good in the 2nd half with a respectable profit.

Formerly reliable high finishers Chris (& Jo) and Ashley both had surprisingly unsuccessful seasons, but stalwart Spanish Dave was unlucky to miss out on some prize money for once after being squeezed out on the final week of the 1st half and ending up 4th overall.

Now it's time to have a breather and work on your tactics for next season. I'll be in touch.

Here we go again

I was very lazy last season and failed to do a wrap up post, although it would have been a bit self congratulatory.

Having picked up the trophy for the 3rd time in 5 years with a record winning total, you'll be glad to know I won't be posting a photo of me holding it aloft. Mainly because I haven't got round to sorting the engraving yet.

It was an odd year where the Top 3 positions were all filled by players who had one barnstorming half. In fact not a single one of the 22 participants managed to turn a profit both before and after the New Year for the first time ever. Even perpetual solid performers such as Spanish Dave, Ashley, and the Chris/Jo double act found themselves languishing much lower than usual in the final table.

Anyway, it's time to leave all that in the past and look forward to the 2014/15 season. We kick off in just over 2 weeks so time to start firing money my way and reserving your spot. Same details as always but it's in the rules if you've changed accounts, and i'll send it to anyone who needs it by email.

Good luck!

Footy Naps Christmas Schedule

A couple of reasons for the update here.

Firstly, several people have mentioned that they are sick and tired of seeing Ashley's smug face every time they load this page.  Well he should now be bumped down out of the way so consider that one solved.

Secondly, it is the busiest time of the year in the naps schedule with a couple of double weeks back to back around Christmas and New Year. Therefore I just wanted to reiterate how it all works so no one misses out getting their selections in on time.

So, the 1st Half of the competition ends with Week 21 and the fixtures on the weekend of December 28th/29th.  Then the 2nd Half kicks off with a double week including New Years Day and FA Cup 3rd Round weekend.  Details below:

Week 20 - December 26th
Week 21 - December 28th/29th
Week 22 - January 1st
Week 23 - January 4th/5th

For the two "special" weeks on Boxing Day and New Years Day I'll extend the entry deadline to give the late night revellers a chance to get involved on the morning of the matches. Therefore 10am will be the submission cut off on those days.

Obviously if you want to submit a couple of tips in advance then just switch the Week # when filling in the form and that will be fine as odds should be there ahead of time.

Good luck!

Record Field

So here we go again.

A bumper field of 22 players have ponied up the cash this season for a tilt at the title and coveted Footy Naps Shield.  On the right you can see 2012/13 winner Ashley proudly showing off the fruits of his top tippage last season.

For those new to the game (and I spy 7 of them) you will find a new link in the left-hand column now which takes you to a sheet showing the selections for the week and info on league table and prizes.

Let me know if you have any queries.

Good luck!

Mr Consistency

So another year has come and gone in the world of Footy Naps, and a familiar name finally gets his deserved place on the trophy.

After two podium finishes Ashley only narrowly failed to complete the clean sweep and win both 1st and 2nd half competitions along with the overall title.  He actually finished with a lower final profit than his 3rd spot in 2011/12, but this year +£14.56 was over £6 clear of 2nd place in what was a weak showing from the group as a whole.

Spanish Dave also proved himself yet again as an expert in the format with a repeat runners up performance, and Nigel was solid as a rock in the 2nd half to secure the cash for that contest and eke his way into 3rd place overall.

Special mention goes to Jon Raab who managed a mere 2% of winning tips this season for a total score of -£34.50.  Don't give up the day job mate.

I hope everyone enjoyed the format again and is already looking forward to starting afresh next season to try and overhaul the Foulkes & Orrock show!

(P.S Does anyone have the final results of our inaugural 2009/10 season?  I seem to have mislaid the file on my computer)

Winner Winner, Turkey Dinner

1st Half over and some drama to end 2012! Having been pretty confident of nabbing a few quid out of the pot myself, the spoils ended up being shared between Ashley and Dave.

Ashley maintained his solid form with a tidy Spurs away victory, while Dave shot up the table when rock bottom Hartlepool ran out 10/1 winners against the league leaders to claim £25 for 2nd place.

January 1st sees a full fixture list and the 2nd Half of the competition starts there with Week 22, followed swiftly by Week 23 on the weekend.  Plenty of chance for those lagging behind to make a fresh start of it and compete for the 2nd Half prize money even if the overall prizes look a bit distant with a £20 deficit to make up.

Good luck!

To The Wire

So after the traditional Christmas double header there has been a bit of a scuffle at the top of the table with both Ashley and I sharing big priced winners for hat-tricks of wins worth £12.03 and £15.50 respectively, catapulting us up top with less than a quid between us going to the final batch of matches.

It looks like a two horse race to decide how the first £65 of 2012/13 prize money is going to be shared, but I'm sure there are one or two in behind us thinking about trying to pull off a double figure odds miracle to cause an upset.

Good luck!

P.S If anyone I haven't contacted yet fancies joining the 2013 Death Pool then give me a shout.