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.

Waiting for Christmas

Has anyone missed me?

As I'm sure you have noticed the Footy Naps results have continued ticking over this season, but without the accompanying rambling from me. Since switching to Google Docs it hardly seemed worth it as it's now so easy to check the table, and no bugger seemed to read this anyway!

Typically one week wonder Ian Dell was straight in touch this week looking to find out when the 1st Half competition ends. You're not going to win Ian, but for reference it is Week 21.  The final weeks of this part of the competition are as follows:

• Week 17 - Dec 8th/9th/10th
• Week 18 - Dec 15th/16th/17th
• Week 19 - Dec 22nd/23rd
• Week 20 - Dec 26th
• Week 21 - Dec 29th/30th

Best of luck getting that win % into double figures Jon, and best of luck to the Grants in trying to overcome the early Reeve lead.

Losers

I was pretty confident that the trimmed down group of participants was going to produce a quality season of top notch tipping action.  However with 2 weeks gone, half the players have managed a double blank!

To be fair we're only -£2.85 overall from 24 selections, but will need to be upping our game if we can call ourselves pro footy punters by the end of the season :)

At this early stage Chris (& Jo) are topping the table comfortably having already bagged a couple of nice results, with Nigel in behind as the only other with a 100% record still in tact.  Technically Ryan is also still in the same spot as he ended up with a void selection this week, but I can't be arsed to work out how to amend the formula!

New Process

The Footy Naps admin has been a bit of a mission the past couple of years, but I think I've finally cracked it with the help of the awesome Google Docs software.

You may have noticed that the Jotform link doesn't have a week specific URL any more, which is because we will be using the same one every week and the selections should be fed automatically into a fancy new document I have created.  This will be the link every week:

http://www.jotformeu.com/reevio/footynaps

It will still need a bit of manual intervention in order to prevent revealing all the tips until Saturday - and to plug in the results - but generally will all be quite neat and more automated.  Typical that we have a lower turnout this year then!  You can access the latest tips list and table via the top "sticky info link" on the left of this page.

A couple of things that will help me out when completing the form each week:

1. Remember to put the correct week number on the form (although i'll try and autopopulate it with the right number each week)
2. Enter the odds in the correct format - so [number] / [number].  Evens is 1/1

Once I've checked out my account for the monies and chased up any stragglers (Brookes brothers?) I'll let you know what the payouts will be.  If you know anyone else who wants to get involved then they can still join on -£1 which I don't think is much of a handicap (as half the field are in that spot already anyway!)

Good luck!

Roll Up for Week 1

So tomorrow it all starts again.  I've seen some cash come trickling into the Footy Naps account this week so will confirm who's involved over the weekend.  You can join in late if you like, you'll just get a losing first week.  But seeing as most of us will do that anyway it shouldn't be too big a handicap!

For those that are in and paid up, here is the submission link:

http://www.jotformeu.com/reevio/footynaps

Good luck!

Who's Excited?

If you didn't pull this face at the first mention of Footy Naps 2012/13 then you don't deserve to be part of it.

Updated rules and entry instructions are available via the sticky link on the left of this page.  You know what to do.

Let's all turn a profit this year and bash up the bookies at the same time as making this the closest competition yet.

So this is it

The final weekend of action is here and there could well be a few more twists before the prizes get awarded.

Long shots are definitely the order of the day with both Jon and Chris going for QPR against Man City at 20/1+ while plenty of others are on prices of 5/1 or bigger to try and sneak into cash positions either overall or on the 2nd half table.

The sheet on the left is updated with all the selections for the week so you can work out your fate as Jeff updates you on the latest scores from around the country.  Make sure you celebrate as enthusiastically as him if you get the winner you want.

Good luck!

Final Week

So the final week is now upon us.  Time to get swotting up on all the weekend action, or hunting for that elusive outsider to storm to the top of the table.

Spanish Dave is now in clear 2nd place in the overall table, as well as having taken the lead for the 2nd half - so looking like a pretty decent payday for him if he can hang on for one more week.  It would be just reward for consistency having only just missed out on a money finish in the 1st half of the season.

Dan, Ashley, and Phil are all within reasonable distance for a last gasp overtaking manoeuvre in the main table though - with potentially half a dozen in with a chance for the 2nd half title with a healthy winner.

Below is the current table with just one more set of result to add.  Good luck!

Snooker Loopy

A bit slow off the mark again this weekend having spent countless hours watching those men in Sheffield trying to ruin my spread bets.

Below you'll find the table as it was before this weekend, although I've also updated the sheet on the left with all the matches that have been played so far this weekend.  It's getting very interesting with both Spanish Dave and Ashley picking up wins while Dan dropped his £1.

I make it 2 weeks left to go now so going to quite a tight finish I think - especially in the 2nd Half table where a bunch of us are still in with a good shout for some cash.

Good luck!

The End is Near

Below is the up-to-date table.  Hadn't noticed how close it was getting up the top!

Half the gang seem to have given up entirely but there is still a total of £340 up for grabs between the overall table and the separate 2nd half prizes.  Not too shabby...

The 2nd half competition is wide open with a good 7 people still in with a shout.  I believe there are still 5 weeks to go so plenty of time to win or lose the cash.

Good luck!

The Masters Weekend

I'll briefly pretend to be interested in the football, before getting back to the real sporting action of the weekend in Augusta.

Dan, Ian, and Phil are all still miles clear of everyone else for the 2nd Half contest, with Dan picking up another nice score last week with Newcastle.  That's 4 in a row for combined profit of over £9!

Jon is almost matching that performance in the form stakes though with a 4 win streak worth £7 that has got him back into the black for the first time in a while.

Best of luck with the naps and enjoy the golfing action.

Who's the Fool?

The weekend of the Fool, so probably not a good time to be backing up your selections with any real cash wagers.  Especially if you were born on April 1st like one of our esteemed members!

Last week stood out for another big priced winner for Ian who has shot into profit and also to the top of the 2nd Half table at the same time.  Additionally three shrewd players spotted the value in taking on ropey QPR with Sunderland and scored a solid 11/10 shot.

This week i'm surprised Ryan is the only one taking on flaky Man City with 14/1 shots Sunderland, and would expect that one to be a lot closer than the odds suggest.

Good luck!

BBQ Weather

It looks like the sun has come out to play this week.  With the clocks going forward tonight that should mean the first dinner of the summer being cooked in the garden next week if it holds up.  Fingers crossed!

Last week it was all about Ashley again, picking Swansea to win away at Fulham for nearly £4 profit on the week.  A couple of others were looking in with a shout of a nice result in the Spurs game but one of the Bolton players rudely got that one abandoned meaning they got stuck with the losing home favourite.

A few people in long shot mood as we approach the final weeks of the season, although no fewer than 3 people have picked reinvigorated Sunderland to smash the (not so) Super Hoops up north this afternoon.  A nice 11/10 banker for the coupon maybe?

Good luck!

FA Cup Quarter Final

We seem to have a couple of wannabe comeback kids this week trying to take on Spurs in the FA Cup quarter finals.  To be fair no one can really be expecting an easy game in the competition this weekend, so 11/1 for Bolton to take out a fellow Premiership team is probably quite generous.

The cup action means that the top flight action is limited, although most people have still stuck with what they (and the bookies) know best.  Ian has ventured to Spain trying to pick up a second big price on the bounce and get back into the contest - but he's relying on Barcelona getting turned over which is a big ask nowadays.

Good luck!

Behind yet Ahead

I was away at the end of last week and so didn't get chance to do the usual round-up and posting of selections.  However I've attempted to make up for it by providing a glimpse into the future.

Below in all it's glory is the latest table including all results from this weekend, that you wouldn't usually see (in a blog post anyway) until next Saturday.

Amazingly it was actually a profitable week for those still taking part with a couple of nice home wins from unfancied Premiership teams coming in.  There could be some drama to come yet as even a Grant is edging his way towards the payout positions.  Unforseeable stuff!

Airport Security

Thankfully managed to escape the least pleasant side of airport security this week despite being up against the odds travelling in and out of Israel.  Got seriously grilled at several points during the journey though which is quite fascinating - they take everyone aside separately and try to force you into saying something out of sync.

I got "but your colleague said you are staying in xxx hotel".  He didn't seem amused when I replied "well he's a muppet then, we're all in the same place."  Turns out he'd said nothing of the sort and they were just trying to catch us out.  Sneaky beaky.

Back to the naps and Phil picked up another good result last week to solidify his 2nd place position.  I notice a couple of people are trying to "do a reevio" and bag a 22/1 shot this week.  To be fair that does look too big a price so may well have a few real pounds on it myself.

Good luck!

Post from the Countryside

It turns out that to get any money out of the Grants you have to travel all the way out to the Essex countryside. Nice round here though!  The fresh full english fry up is on the go as I type...

Mixed bag of results last week but the big Blackpool tip that everyone seemed to be on failed miserably so no big changes to the table.  Phil managed to pick a loser for once so has lost a bit of ground on me at the top.

We're missing one result from Spanish Dave as I have it on my phone following the messy submission process last week so will fill in when I get chance this week.

Good luck!

Government Crackdown

Bizarrely we have had a few problems this week due to the Secret Service shutting down the Jotform domain.  Rumour has it they were offended by how much wasted man hours has been going into picking losing football tips this season.

It claims to be back up now, and a few tips did still come through the form last night - although I've been having problems again this morning.  There is a workaround though so all should be well for next week.

More heroics from Phil last week means the gap at the top has shrunk and he is now miles clear on the 2nd Half leaderboard.  FA Cup action this week with a few people pinning their hopes on Blackpool to give them a boost.

Latest overall table below with full details on the sheet via the usual link in the top left.

Good luck!

6 Nations

Is anyone still interested in the football?  The Ireland/Wales match last week was awesome so hoping for some more of the same this week.  Depressingly the England match in Italy looks like being the closest though!

Back to the football then and Ashley has returned to form with a result last week and reclaims 2nd place overall in the table, with Phil still well clear in the 2nd Half standings.

There was some Grant collusion last week also that saw them both bag a nice away win with rejuvenated Sunderland.  There may be time yet to win back the 1st Half loss in the Reeve/Grant side bet!

Here is the latest overall table - more detail as usual can be found via the link to the sheet on the left.

Clash of the Titans

Some big matches this weekend; Chelsea v Man Utd, Liverpool v Spurs, Wycombe v Tranmere....

An unknown quantity also wanted their tip to be on another huge game in the up and coming Greek League but accidentally entered it under my name.  As it happens, that division is not one of those covered in the rules so a double whammy of errors will leave them on the home favourite instead!

"Each weekend every player may choose one selection from the win/draw/win market of any match from the UK down to Blue Square Premier, or from a major European league (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, or Holland)."

It's time for everyone to improve their research as only Phil and Spanish Dave are even in the black for the second half of the season, so unless we act fast they'll be fighting for the £60 2nd Half prize on their own!

Latest table below:



Good luck!

FA Cup Round 4

Onto the FA Cup where people were looking for some giant killing heroics for tasty priced winners.

It doesn't look like anyone got the result of the round in Crawley though, and Mike is still AWOL so didn't pick the Scouse victory at home to Utd.

The table is updated below and the form men of the year so far are Spanish Dave and Phil who can apparently do no wrong.  Might be time to follow their selections and nick some money off the bookies.

Super Sunday

A couple of cracking matches this weekend focused around the top of the table, and probably not too surprising that the majority have swerved both matches as they're so hard to call.  Pretty sure the bookies will be merrily counting their profits come Sunday evening.

Last week was quite poor overall, except for a couple of people picking up the 2/1 Blackburn win, and Phil jumping from the pack into 2nd place with the Swansea prediction.  That's 5 right in the last 7 for him and a profit of over £10 in that time - not bad!

Even Woolfy made an appearance this week to try and make some waves with an 11/1 shot, picking a team to overturn Barcelona.  Good luck with that...

Back to Normality

Ok we're back up and running with a fully updated sheet on the usual link opposite, and the latest snapshot of the table can be found below.

Remember there is another set of prizes available for the Top 2 in the Second Half, regardless of the overall positions - so those near the bottom can still bag some cash without requiring crazy long shots.

Recommended tips not been doing so well recently, but we have another couple today:


Blackburn v Fulham (Home Win @ 2/1)

Liverpool v Stoke (Away Win @ 17/2)

Good luck!

New Year Catch-Up

Footy Naps Selection Form - Week 23

So I'm still playing catch-up a bit here. Below is the updated table after the final week of the 1st Half, including my crazy 28/1 shot on the final weekend.



Will update the first results of the 2nd Half tomorrow at the same time as loading up the new tips for Week 23.

A New Beginning

Footy Naps Selection Form - Week 22

Ok so I'm currently in hiding on west coast USA trying to avoid a malevolent Ashley!

Tip link above should work ok for next week and will get everything updated (and pay myself...) at the weekend.