So, the World Cup finishes, we have a couple of fairly clear weeks, everything starts to pick back up nicely, and along comes the Premier League season again. Very exciting, but not great for business…….
LEAGUE NEWS
Here’s the current league spaces we have for an immediate start:
MONDAY LEAGUE – CHAMPIONSHIP – ONE SPACE
WEDNESDAY LEAGUE – ONE SPACE
The NEW SUNDAY LEAGUE kicks off on 2nd September, and while the 4 divisions are currently full, we are still inviting applications from new teams as we look at our options for adding to our biggest league night. We could add a 5th division, we could make each current division 7/8 teams, all of these decisions can be made once we know how many teams we’ve got! Friendlies are available for any new or returning teams over the next three weeks, so to book in a one off trial game, get in touch.
We’ve got our FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE on the go for the 2018/19 season, so to get involved head over to https://fantasy.premierleague.com and either register your team or renew it for the season, then join the league using the code 399157-84853. We had 104 teams last season, and we’re already up to 91 for this season with a week still to go, so we should be beating last season’s total. A free weekly game for the individual who gets the highest weekly score, and a prize at the end of the season for the overall winner, all for NOTHING!
After nearly two straight years of running leagues, at the end of August we are having a break. We will be having one week off, where no games will be played, with the last games being played on Wednesday 22nd August, and returning for the start of the Sunday league on 2nd September. We hope you understand that after two solid years of doing this week in and week out, we just need a little break to refresh ourselves to go again.
For any information on any of our league nights, head to the homepage and fill in a ‘Join A League’ form, or call or text 07809252658.
SUNDAY LEAGUE
The summer still has quite a tight grip on one or two teams, but this was a much better week in the Sunday league than we’ve seen recently. Not so much in the top division, where Kinky Slipper, Insole and El Caliente were absent for another week, leaving Duno and Bangers & Pash as the only Premiership representatives this week. After an impressive win last week, Bangers might have fancied themselves to give the leaders a difficult evening, but three first half Liam Watson goals saw the champs into the break with a 3-0 lead. It didn’t get any better for Bangers in the second period as they went 4 behind early on through Calvin Alexander’s goal, and as the half wore on the champs tightened their grip, as Watson and Alexander scored two more each, with Ray Donnelly and an own goal finishing things off on a convincing night for the team who are looking to retain their title.
After a Championship season that can best be described as ‘frustrating,’ with previously reliable teams enduring a season of struggle, we had a FULL HOUSE OF GAMES this week! New team Murder On Zidane’s Floor’s first purpose was to try and derail the Stockport Eagles title charge, and they held their own in a first half that saw the leaders go into the break one up through Ryan McAndrew’s 5th minute goal. They doubled the lead through Ray Donnelly’s penalty three minutes into the second half, as the Eagles ‘keeper looked to have the honour of being (probably) the first ‘keeper to score a goal and keep a clean sheet! Dan Evans scored Murder’s first Ballers goal 15 minutes from time to ruin that plan, but an own goal and Paul Waugh’s finish half way through the period ensured Eagles finished their 10 game season with 9 wins. It now falls to Kipsta Cobras to see if they can overhaul Eagles on goal difference by winning their last three games, the first of which was against Wellspring this week. They were comfortable at the break as Warren Yeo’s opener was added to by a pair of Connor Harding strikes, and even more comfortable by the end as Harding added 4 more to his personal tally in the second period, with no Wellspring goals to write about. After running the team since he was three years old, Tom of Team Tom is facing a power struggle to maintain the good Tom name, as the reins have been handed over to Liam to sort the side out in recent weeks. They even picked up a win this week in a ridiculously tight game against the returning Pat’s Giants, who have had their struggles this season. Sam Collicott and Scott Doherty scored the only goals of the game in the first half to help them pick up their first actual competitive win this season.
A win for Ladzio over second placed Inter Your Sister this week would be enough to give them the League One title with a couple of games to spare, and it looked like an inevitability at the break as three from George Cox and a rocket (just missed by the camera) from Jack Shepherd saw them lead 4-0 at the break. Inter were better in the second half, and had chances to get back into it before Cox added three more to make it 7-0 with 17 minutes still to play. Craig Johnson got Inter on the board a couple of minutes later, and when he got his second just after Simon Steel had scored a goal on his return, there was an outside chance they could launch an incredible comeback. There were no more goals though, and Ladzio become the first team to secure one of the 4 Sunday titles for the season! The McMuffin Men and Step Brothers are another couple of teams who have struggled for numbers throughout this season, and they ended up playing 5 on 5 this week after McMuffin’s were let down late by one of their players at the last minute. In a game that was mostly about League One survival, we McMuffin’s lead 4-3 at the break as three goals from Joe Murphy and one from Logan Sherer helped McMuffin Men recover after Dom Cioffi had scored two and Chris Murray one for the Brotherhood. The second half was similarly close, but three goals in close succession saw both teams leave with a point. Charley Eyre’s goal, sandwiched in between goals from Tom Cioffi and Murray, meant we ended up all square at 5-5.
Beercalona are on the brink of becoming another first time league winner, and took on League Two ‘spare’ team Droylsden’s Finest this week (this 7th team in a league thing has worked really well, we might roll it out across the board for the new season…..). Liam Mercer gave the newer boys the lead, but by the time Owen Shemeld scored again on 16 minutes that goal was only to reduce the deficit as Ste Bowler, Craig Scanlon and Martin Bell had all scored for Beercalona in the meantime. Bell scored again to make it 4-2 at the break, and the leaders took control in the second period as Scanlon scored three, Bell, Dave Watson and Scott Williams one each to give them a 10-3 win with Nathan Daly grabbing Droylsden’s only second half goal. A defeat for Deportivo Lack Of Talent against the recently improved FC AOTS would hand Beercalona the title, and it looked like a possibility at half time as we went into the break at 3-3. Rob Parker, Brad Peet and debutant Alex Babcock helped Deportivo recover after Eoghan Scott had scored two and Adam Duty the other for AOTS. AOTS were back in front with 15 minutes left as Scott got his third, but Babcock quickly leveled up again for Deportivo, before the same player scored the winner 6 minutes from time.
SK Dons returned with a friendly this week against potential opposition for next season in the shape of Rooneytunes. It might take a little while for them to get back up to speed, as a 4-2 half time deficit turned into a 14-2 defeat, with Ashley Taylor getting 4, Jack Hodkinson and Josh Borthwick three each.
THE SUNDAY LEAGUE IS CURRENTLY FULLER THAN FULL! WE ARE LOOKING AT OPTIONS FOR THE NEW SEASON WHICH KICKS OFF ON 2ND SEPTEMBER, SO IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP, GET IN TOUCH, AND MAYBE EVEN BOOK YOURSELVES A ONE OFF FRIENDLY IN THE MEANTIME!
MONDAY LEAGUE
There was a tingle of excitement in the air as a new Ballers Monday night league kicked off with a couple of games in each division, and a lot of change in the top flight. AC Milmanchester started off their title defence with a game against J Stands Barmy Army who came in late last season, and the only previous game between the two teams was a cracker. Jason Singleton gave the champs the lead on 3 minutes, and Chris Singleton restored their lead on 10 minutes after Aaron Collins had leveled up for J Stands. Jason gave ACM a two goal lead on the stroke of half time, and the game looked over when Reece Nevins added two more in the earl stages of the second period. Ben Rose pulled one back for the Army with his first Ballers goal on debut, but any thoughts of a recovery were ended by two Jimmy Leeson goals and another from Jason Singleton. J Stands did end strongly though, and goals from Reece Nuttall, Jamie Stokes, Jay Willingham and Rose in the final few minutes made us wonder what could have happened if they’d had 5 more minutes. Ruud van Nipplerooy are back in the Ballers top flight, and started against promoted Diva Fever. Inside the opening 12 minutes, Diva were three up through three John Brookes goals, but a couple of own goals got The Nips back into it before Rob Cresswell made it 3-3 at the break. Jordan Hutchinson put Nipplerooy ahead for the first time three minutes after the break, but we looked set for a draw when Brookes got his 4th 5 minutes from time. We were only level for a minute though, as Hutchinson grabbed the winner to give The Nips a successful first league game since rejoining.
Pathetico Madrid had ended the season much more encouragingly than they started it, and went up against a Nice Buns team that had a solid first full Ballers season. Buns hit the front early through two Paul Cheetham goals in the opening 5 minutes, but Pathetico turned this one on it’s head in the final 15 minutes of the half as Liam Needham scored three, Ethan Kaye and Nathan Thomson one each to give them a 5-2 half time lead. Needham got the first goal of the second half to increase their lead, but Cheetham kept Buns in the contest by halving the deficit with 19 minutes to play. Pathetico killed the game off though as Kaye added two more, meaning Cheetham’s 4th of the game was only a consolation. Could Pathetico be on for a return to the top flight next season……?! Ok, so where do we start with this next game? It has it’s positives, it was a highly competitive game, between two decent teams in Netsix & Chill and Phantom Brazilians, two teams who can expect to be amongst the promotion fight come the end of the season, but the key thing is that both teams goalkeepers ended the night with their names on the Golden Gloves board after our first ever 0-0 draw!
WE HAVE ONE SPACE IN OUR MONDAY LEAGUE, IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP. IF YOU SIGN UP THIS WEEK YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CATCH UP THE FIRST MISSED GAME, SO GET ONTO US FOR DETAILS!
TUESDAY LEAGUE
The two teams with 100% records went head to head in the Premiership as Michu At De Gea Ba looked to make it three out of three against Gangs Of Dwight Yorke, who were only playing their second game.The deadlock was broken on 10 minutes as Paul Mazzitelli gave Michu the lead, and they doubled that when Matt Barton scored two minutes later. Gangs hit back, and after Jake Dean scored two in a minute to bring us level, Jason Singleton, Josh Morrissey and Chris Singleton all scored after Barton had restored the Michu lead, to give Gangs a 5-3 lead at the break. Dean’s third gave them a three goal lead, but Barton quickly reduced that, and he did the same again after Morrissey had grabbed his second. Gangs finished the stronger, and Jason Singleton added two more, Chris Singleton and Callum Jones one each to give them the win, with an Michael Jennison grabbing a late consolation for Michu. Both Stroke Titty and Shaka were looking for their first league win, and Stroke struck early with Jay Willingham’s first minute goal. He grabbed a second before Andrew Cadwallader pulled one back for Shaka, and Tom Hannan did the same a minute after Joe Lailey had increased Stroke’s lead again. Willingham’s second made it 4-2 at the break, but Shaka wouldn’t be shaken off, and Krisstian Ebanks-Perrin made it a one goal game again early in the second period. Lailey and Cadwallader scored in quick succession and it was as you were, before Stroke pulled clear with two goals from Sam Tattersall, two more from Lailey and one from Conor Dolan secured the win with Hannan’s second in the final minute doing nothing to help Shaka’s cause.
The only league game in the Championship this week took place between Wellspring and Black Jack, with Wellspring looking to make it two wins from two. Jack Roberts gave Black Jack the lead on 4 minutes, but Jay Berrisford struck two goals to give them lead 9 minutes before the break. Roberts second of the game sent us into the break all square, and Harri Budd put them back in front with 20 minutes left, but Wellspring finished the game strongly and once Berrisford and Mike Devitt had scored in the space of a minute with 10 minutes left they ran away with it. Berrisford and George Qyuale added another two for Wellspring to give them a victory that looks much more comfortable than it actually was.
A couple of friendlies took place too, with Total Bala picking up a comfortable 9-3 win over Championship side Rooneytunes with Paul Thornton scoring three, and Kelly’s Matt and Rick scoring two apiece, while Cameron Higginbottom scored all three of Rooneytunes late replies. New boys Europeans seem to be a little unsure as to the cancellation period, but fortunately most Gangs Of Dwight Yorke were able to get down early to give Beercalona a game. The top division side won a fairly competitive game 8-4 with Callum Jones scoring three of their goals.
THE TUESDAY LEAGUE MIGHT JUST BE FULL YOU KNOW! FROM WAKING UP ON WEDNESDAY MORNING THINKING WE MIGHT HAVE THREE SPACES TO FILL, IT LOOKS LIKE WE’VE FILLED THEM! IN CASE WE HAVEN’T, FEEL FREE TO ASK…..
WEDNESDAY LEAGUE
With a couple of teams parting company with us over the past few days, we had the two games on this week, but they were both good ones! Ajax Treesdown were heavy favourites to maintain their 100% record in the league against a pointless Exeter Gently (as in, they have no points…..). The match ref has had a minor ‘mare with the scorecard on this one, as the times of the goals seem a little skew-wiff, but a close match went into the latter stages of the game with Ajax leading 5-4, with Sam Cawthra having got three and Daniel Kitchingham two of their goals, the Exeter goals coming from Tom Harrison, Mo Torkian, Mehrad Torkian and Mike Belshaw. Exeter looked to have turned things in their favour with quickfire goals from Mehrad and Harrison in the final couple of minutes, but they couldn’t hold on as Kitchingham ensured a share of the points with a goal just seconds later. That gave Stockport Eagles the chance to close the gap at the top of the table to just a point if they could beat Magpie, but Magpie started the better, going two up in the first 16 minutes as David and Grzesiek Tkaczyk got their goals. In those final 9 minutes of the half the Eagles turned things around, with Liam Watson adding two goals to Ray Warburton’s opener. They edged clear in the second period as Watson, Donnelly and Michael Winn added to their tally, with a goal from Marcin 5 minutes from time the only response from Magpie in the second half.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A SPACE IN OUR WEDNESDAY LEAGUE FOR ANY NEW TEAMS. GET IN TOUCH FOR DETAILS