Be honest, we could all do with a bit more cash, but there's allus a few a tad worse off than us, so it's time to support our fave charidees again
Once more unto the breach in our continuing mission to raise funds for hungry school kids and the Big Yellow Choppers that are saving lives all over Yorkshire - plus a few in Lancashire, and a few quid for The Jordan Sinnott Foundation too.
£180 was our total last season, only £31 down on our run at the play-off's the season before, thanks in a great part to ritchiebaby's £65 contribution, more than double his sterling effort the season before. Town having found themselves in the bottom 3 for most of the season finished up with almost the best form in the division over the last 10 games to er, comfortably (?) avoid relegation.
Oh, for a season of mid-table mediocrity. We are Town, we don't do that.
So we've now got six regulars on here and we'd really love to welcome some more on board. I realise money is tighter than ever this year and it's only going to get harder when the price of everything keeps going up again. Still, there's far worse off than me and thee and we can do a lot worse than put a decent breakfast in a kids belly before they start their school day.
So how does it work?
Send a reply to the thread and name a player or players, a team or teams, matches between certain teams or any combination you like and what you are willing to pay for each time they score, win, draw, lose, get a red/yellow card, score/save a penalty, get an international cap, anything, Town related or not. It doesn't even have to be football related as long as I can find the result to record it. Have a look at how we've mixed up the bag last season - http://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=11558 - and pick your own choice(s).
Thanks jjamez for joining in part way through last season, looking forward to you joining in again.
The totals are updated after almost every match (if I don't fall asleep for a couple of games or there's just nowt to report). At the end of the season we pay the money we've pledged per point into donation pages for the above charidees. Town Foundation have moved on from Just Giving but If requested I'll set them up by Christmas so the strain on your wallet/contactless card is spread a tad more thinly. Set your own limit if you wish. You know you won't win owt for trying but at least you know where your brass is going. If you'd prefer to donate to another charidee - throw it in there, it's your brass not mine.
So what's not to like? New playaz? Old playaz? 6 different clubs to play against again this season? New shirts too, wow. Such a novelty, you'd think we did that every season.
Can we make it past the 1st Round of the EFL Cup this season? Don't hold your breath on that one.
You can also have a pop at the World Cup qualifiers if you like, or the later stages of the Women's World Cup being played Darn Unda and in The Land of the Long White Cloud. You pick'em, I'll stick 'em in the totals somewhere.
Let's do it.
Just Giving Links - get your debit/credit cards ready folks.
All the donation pages are on JustGiving this year, which makes it easier. Thanks again for taking part, don't forget to donate, enjoy the Summer and see you all again in July/August when we go again.
2 points for each correct scorer
Correct joker doubles your score
Wrong joker result gives you minus 2
Correct Random Badger gives you 2 points
The random badger is used for any random prediction used once in each matchday sequence. For instance, a scorer at a particular match, the number of red cards in the matches or yellow cards or own goals or owt you want really within reason, I do need to be able to check whether it's correct or not. Please don't put stuff like....."Commentator says...."
The joker is played for one match in each sequence and if correct you get double points. So if you've predicted 1-0 and it finishes 2-0, you get 4 pts, but if you've predicted 2-0, that's 8 pts. But if you get it wrong, it's minus 2.
Jokers and badgers are optional. You don't have to play one if you don't want.
The prize for winning the league is one rep point.
Cup games: In the event of a draw, it's half the points if you've predicted a draw when it gets to 90 mins and the full points if it's still a draw after extra time. Half the points will be awarded for correctly predicting the winner of the match if it goes to penalties. Similarly with the badger, if your random prediction is affected by this, it'll be half the points.
Random score generator: I will be using the random score generator again for those who miss predicting, so we shouldn't get some people too far behind that after missing a couple of weeks they lose all interest, because I know it's not easy getting on here every week.
To be fair to everybody, this is going to be like, say if three people in one week miss their predictions, the first one in the table will be given all 0-0, the second one down the line will get 1-0 and the third will get 0-1 and so on, like if there's four missing the 4th will get 1-1, then 5th 2-1, 6th 1-2. and if there are so many missing, might as well pack in.
And if you miss two weeks on the trot, I'll stop until you come back on again. Not doing it for half a season like I did t'other year.
End of season Play Offs: The one who finishes top of the league will still be champion, but after the season finishes there will be Play Offs between the top 4, with 1st v 4th and 2nd v 3rd. This will take in stuff like the EFL Play Offs, FA Cup Final, final day of Prima Donna League, European Finals etc. It will be one matchday for the semis and one for the Final. It will be the individual scores for each matchday against the allotted opponent, with some kind of tie breaker for a drawn match.
The prize for winning will be enormous. Another rep point.
So we have a new format for this season, which I put forward as an idea at the end of last season. Nobody offered any objections so here it is explained......
Firstly, I thought it was getting a bit boring towards the end with the league format as it was with the champion being so far ahead and everybody else not much to play for apart from the push for a play off spot, which was a bit of an anticlimax anyway. The most exciting bit was the tussle for 8th, 9th and 10th positions with Shep, Ritchie and Amelia.
So I'm splitting the group up into two groups with the top six from last season in the top group and the bottom six in group 2. At the end of the season, the winner of group 2 and the bottom of group 1 will swap places in what is commonly known as "promotion" and "relegation". It's something that most football fans will be familiar with, unless you're a fan of Liverpool or Arsenal or one of those other fashionable clubs.
The second placed player in group 2 will then have a play off with the player who finishes second from the bottom in group 1 to decide whether they will be going up, down or staying where they are.
We're going to have two seasons in one though, just to try and make it a bit more interesting and not so long drawn out. The first season will end on the Boxing Day fixtures, with the play offs being on the dates of the New Years Day games and the FA Cup 3rd round weekend.
The second season will start the following week, finishing on the last game of the Championship season. Then another period of relegation/promotion play off games, taking in such fixtures as the EFL play offs, FA Cup Final, UEFA finals and such like.
Each group will have it's own set of fixtures. Both groups will have the Town games, with scorers to predict as before. Then it will be a split of Championship fixtures and bonus matches. And not as many fixtures to go at. Hopefully around ten, eleven or twelve games per Matchday.
The rest of the rules will be the same as before apart from the which will still be in use, but I'm going to get arsey about it. Sometimes in the past, I've been able to just award two points immediately because it was such a nailed on thing to happen. Not accusing anyone of cheating. Far from it. I didn't put any boundaries on it, so anything was alright. So now I'm restricting it to three goal scorers in any of the games in your group. Sorry to all our more adventurous badgerers.
Here's how that will appear at the end of the fixture list. All you have to do is fill in the blanks.......
*** scores for *** *** scores for *** *** scores for ***
Any of those will score two points if correct. No minus points for getting it wrong.
The joker will still be the same as before, ie doubling your points for a correct prediction or minus 2 for getting it wrong.
Division One:
jjamez
Baggiebob(BBB)
themaclad
theo_luddite
St Charles Owl
neonfoxinthebox
Friday 4th August:
Sheffield Wednesday v Southampton
Saturday 5th August:
Plymouth v Town
Town scorers:
Plymouth scorers:
Blackburn Rovers v West Bromwich Albion
Bristol City v Preston North End
Stoke City v Rotherham United
Sunday 6th August:
Sunderland v Ipswich Town (17:00)
Carabooboo Cup rd1:
Tuesday 8th August:
Town v Middlesbrough (19:00)
Town scorers:
Boro scorers:
Derby County v Blackpool
Harrogate Town v Carlisle United
Wrexham v Wigan Athletic
Millwall v Reading
Wednesday 9th August:
Burton Albion v Leicester City
Bonus match:
Sunday 6th August:
Community Shield:
Manchester City v Arsenal (16:00)
*** scores for *** *** scores for *** *** scores for ***
Division Two:
Lord Snooty
ritchiebaby
SHEP_HTAFC
Amelia Chaffinch
Devongone
WakeyTerrier
Saturday 5th August:
Plymouth v Town
Town scorers:
Plymouth scorers:
Middlesbrough v Millwall
Norwich City v Hull City
Swansea City v Birmingham City
Watford v Queens Park Rangers
Sunday 6th August:
Leicester City v Coventry City (12:00)
Leeds United v Cardiff City (14:30)
Carabooboo Cup rd1:
Tuesday 8th August:
Town v Middlesbrough (19:00)
Town scorers:
Boro scorers:
Accrington Stanley v Bradford City
Notts County v Lincoln City
Sheffield Wednesday v Stockport County
Stoke City v West Bromwich Albion
Bonus match:
Sunday 6th August:
Community Shield:
Manchester City v Arsenal (16:00)
*** scores for *** *** scores for *** *** scores for ***
This will be an intriguing first Euro match in Andorra and observing how Hibs take on this Euro quali cup-tie that they should be able to win without "busting a gut". However, one must raise an element of caution as players' fitness levels are still being gradually trained up for the start of the new Scottish footie season and the art of goal scoring in this Hibs side is still "open to question" for many Hibs fans.
Sad day for football.
Trevor Francis a midlands legend has departed.
Although a blue nose, I had great respect for Trevor and what he gave us all.
WBA fans being a class above can show respect when it's deserved.
Thank you Trevor for so many great memories. RIP.
The new season is nearly upon us so it's time to turn your thoughts to the All New 2023/24 Prediction League!
When I say "All New' what I really mean is "Slightly Changed" but that doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
So, after some detailed statistical analysis of last season's scores, we are making some alterations to this season's scoring (which means I've got 2 weeks to change and check my spreadsheet) but we're keeping those lovely balls. For 2023/24 the scoring system will be:
Gamball - still optional - Correct Score 8 pts; Correct Result 4pts; Incorrect result -1pt.
Bonus Ball - compulsory - Correct Score 6pts; Correct Result 3pts; Incorrect Result -3pts
Other Games - Correct Score 4pts; Correct Result 2pts; Incorrect Result 0pts.
Score Ball - compulsory - Both teams score 1pt; Neither team scores (0-0) -1pt.
Leagues:
Premier - Derby, Minizin, Zinman, Stairs, Blue Baggie, Dingle Dingle, Lady Jane, BBB.
Championship - Sanjay, SCO, Snooty, BaggieOne, AAA, Themaclad, Twerton, Amelia.
I know there are several of you out there who frequent this board but don't participate in this fun contest - please consider joining in, I promise we'll be gentle with you! If we do get any new players we may juggle the divisions to get equal numbers.
Looks like a good night for a game of footie at ER Stadium although the more serious Euro stuff to come at the end of the month v Andorran opponents, Inter Club d'Escaldes.
The Women's World Cup starts on Thursday in Aukland with the Group A game at Eden Park between New Zealand and Norway.
England are in Group D alongside Haiti, Denmark and China. And it's against the Haititians that the Lionesses start on Saturday at Lang Park in Brisbane with a 19:30 kick off time, which is half past nine in the morning here, ten hours behind. The match is live on ITV1. TV coverage being shared between ITV and the BBC.
England squad:
1 GK Mary Earps - Manchester United
2 DF Lucy Bronze - Barcelona
3 DF Niamh Charles - Chelsea
4 MF Keira Walsh - Barcelona
5 DF Alex Greenwood - Manchester City
6 DF Millie Bright (captain) - Chelsea
7 FW Lauren James - Chelsea
8 MF Georgia Stanway - Bayern Munich
9 FW Rachel Daly - Aston Villa
10 MF Ella Toone - Manchester United
11 FW Lauren Hemp - Manchester City
12 MF Jordan Nobbs - Aston Villa
13 GK Hannah Hampton - Aston Villa
14 DF Lotte Wubben-Moy - Arsenal
15 DF Esme Morgan - Manchester City
16 DF Jess Carter - Chelsea
17 MF Laura Coombs - Manchester City
18 FW Chloe Kelly - Manchester City
19 FW Bethany England - Tottenham Hotspur
20 MF Katie Zelem - Manchester United
21 GK Ellie Roebuck - Manchester City
22 FW Katie Robinson - Brighton & Hove Albion
23 FW Alessia Russo - Manchester United
Want to read more? It's all here on Wikipedia........
England are second favourites to win the tournament, behind the USA, with Spain and Germany close behind. Co hosts Australia are next, with France just behind. Co hosts New Zealand are unfancied at 250/1 with the bookies.
![[Image: LWXCrqW.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/LWXCrqW.jpg)
Town having found themselves in the bottom 3 for most of the season finished up with almost the best form in the division over the last 10 games to er, comfortably (?) avoid relegation. 
![[Image: KgwDdun.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/KgwDdun.jpg)
![[Image: YdVkkvJ.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/YdVkkvJ.jpeg)
![[Image: JEgw28F.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/JEgw28F.jpeg)
![[Image: 9BQcXsQ.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/9BQcXsQ.jpg)
