Inter-forum FA Cup Upsets Game (3rd Rd) One-off Weekend Game Happy new year guys and lasses! Have fun on the FA Cup Upsets game - this is now becoming a well-loved feature! For the 2nd Round we had over 120 entries, and 21 forums finally took part – amazing, but let’s beat that this time! And it’s dead easy to play, and it’s open absolutely to all … Have a look at the paired teams for the 3rd Round on the following post - there are Premier, championship, League 1, League 2, Conference (Blue Square) Premier and even lower included on the list below. I'd like to invite you to call for FIVE matches where you see a possible upset on the cards! By upset, it must obviously be a lower league side winning (or at least drawing) against a higher league side. You haven't got to give any score at all or call a draw or win, simply guess which will be the successful 'lower tier club' or ‘minnow’ teams on the day! If you get it wrong doesn’t matter at all, you simply don’t get awarded points for that game or games – and will surely apply to all of us in some of the games. So … how do you get points? If in your selected games a lower league side does indeed win you have 3 points. If the lower league side force a replay then it is 1 point (doesn’t matter if they later lose the replay, just the initial game is taken into account). But ... bonus - if you choose a real ‘upset’ – a team from a league TWO tiers OR MORE lower than their opponents (according to the levels below) then those points are DOUBLED. This is the real betting man's stuff - the more you risk with tier difference the more points you get, but there again, an upset is much less likely!! So you need to weigh things up!! To help you, see the leagues written in after each team (in next post) to make an easier selection: PR = premier league CH = championship L1 = League Division 1 L2 = League Division 2 CPr = Conference Premier C-Lwr = lower than Conference premier level ** as an extra help, two tier (or more) differences are shown with double asterisks. THE GAMES TO CHOOSE FROM: Sat 5 Jan 2013 Brighton (CH) V Newcastle (PR) Aldershot (L2) V Rotherham (L2) (prediction not valid; two teams from same league!) Aston Villa (PR) V Ipswich (CH) Barnsley (CH) V Burnley (CH) (prediction not valid; two teams from same league!) ** Macclesfield (CPr) V Cardiff (CH) Blackburn (CH) V Bristol City (CH) (prediction not valid; two teams from same league!) Bolton (CH) V Sunderland (PR) Charlton (CH) V Huddersfield (CH) (prediction not valid; two teams from same league!) ** Crawley (L1) V Reading (PR) Crystal Palace (CH) V Stoke (PR) Derby (CH) V Tranmere (L1) Fulham (PR) V Blackpool (CH) Hull (CH) V Leyton Orient (L1) Leeds United (CH) V Birmingham (CH) (prediction not valid; two teams from same league!) Leicester (CH) V Burton Albion (L2) ** Luton (CPr) V Wolves (CH) Man City (PR) V Watford (CH) ** Middlesbrough (CH) V Hastings Utd (C-Lwr) Millwall (CH) V Preston (L1) Nottm Forest (CH) V Oldham (L1) Oxford Utd (L2) V Sheff Utd (L1) Peterborough (CH) V Norwich (PR) QPR (PR) V West Brom (PR) (prediction not valid; two teams from same league!) Sheff Wed (CH) V MK Dons (L1) Southampton (PR) V Chelsea (PR) (prediction not valid; two teams from same league!) Southend (L2) V Brentford (L1) ** Tottenham (PR) V Coventry (L1) ** Wigan (PR) V Bournemouth (L1) West Ham (PR) V Man Utd (PR) (prediction not valid; two teams from same league!) Sunday 6th January 2013 Swansea (PR) V Arsenal (PR) (prediction not valid; two teams from same league!) ** Mansfield (CPr) V Liverpool (PR) Monday 7th January 2013 ** Cheltenham (L2) V Everton (PR) Honorary prizes: gold medal/s, silver medal/s, bronze medal/s and diploma/s of honour, for all those on the highest points totals. You play at both an individual level – for personal glory! – and for your forum; forums will be also be classed according to the average mark of its posters (but a minimum of 5 entries is required of each forum to make this a fair average). How did the 2nd Round go? – the overall winner was Disorganised1 of the Coventry – Sky Blue Talk (incredible, scooping maximum points available as well!), with the runners-ups Royal Crisp (Reading - Royals Rendezvous) and Rhys Lighting 63 (Fulham – Friends of Fulham) also doing excellently. There were quite a group in the bronze position … Top team forum boards were the Hemel Hempstead – Tudor Talk, followed by runners-up Barnet – The Beehive, 3rd Manchester City – MCFC Forum, 4th Swansea – Planet Swans and then in 5th spot my own board Royals Rendezvous. Have fun - answers on this thread please – remember to simply name FIVE games where an upset might occur in your opinion (and please you all five options up, it’s in your and your forum’s interest!). CAREFUL closing time: 11.59am SATURDAY mid-day - that's because the Brighton v Newcastle game kicks off at 12.30 pm, and I need over half-an-hour of checking grace. Points and placings for this one-off weekend game will be published within 48 hours of the last game of the round to be played (Wednesday latest). In case of postponement, sorry, bad luck, you lose that game – but in case of abandonment we take the score at stopping moment as valid … A complete record of everyone entering from every forum will be found here, and later every score total and break-down too: http://royalsrendezvous.co.uk/topic/9794689/1 daib0
My 5 choices to get the ball rolling: ** Crawley (L1) V Reading (PR) (no, I’m not a traitor; we gotta concentrate on the league!) Crystal Palace (CH) V Stoke (PR) ** Luton (CPr) V Wolves (CH) Sheff Wed (CH) V MK Dons (L1) Southend (L2) V Brentford (L1) That’s all you have to do! – just copy and paste your 5 potential upsets. We’ll do the rest. Updates will be made daily or almost daily on each forum…
Brighton (CH) V Newcastle (PR) ** Luton (CPr) V Wolves (CH) ** Middlesbrough (CH) V Hastings Utd (C-Lwr) Sheff Wed (CH) V MK Dons (L1) ** Tottenham (PR) V Coventry (L1) Some long shots there, but that's the gambler in me...
Aston Villa (PR) V Ipswich (CH) Derby (CH) V Tranmere (L1) Man City (PR) V Watford (CH) Sheff Wed (CH) V MK Dons (L1) ** Wigan (PR) V Bournemouth (L1)
Aston Villa (PR) V Ipswich (CH) ** Crawley (L1) V Reading (PR) Crystal Palace (CH) V Stoke (PR) Derby (CH) V Tranmere (L1) ** Luton (CPr) V Wolves (CH) Ta.
Great response first day, guys ... so well past 5 minimum to count as forum entry, apart from individual efforts. Mind you, Newcastle's Toon Forum is already in double figures, but you're far better than most ...
Aston Villa (PR) V Ipswich (CH) ** Mansfield (CPr) V Liverpool (PR) Peterborough (CH) V Norwich (PR) Sheff Wed (CH) V MK Dons (L1) ** Crawley (L1) V Reading (PR)
Entry Stats by Overall Forums A) Forums who have passed the minimum 5 entries needed to have a forum entry besides the individual scores ... NEWCASTLE - The Toon Forum 12 BARNSLEY - Talk of the Tarn 11 BRIGHTON - North Stand Chat 9 DONCASTER - Viking Chat 8 BARNET - The Beehive 6 READING – Royals Rendezvous 6 BLACKPOOL - Back Henry Street 5 LEICESTER - Foxes Chat 5 B) Entries with replies, but not yet 5 entries for group entry COVENTRY - Sky Blue Talk 4 MAN UTD - United Lounge 4 LEEDS UTD - LUFC Talk 3 HEMEL HEMPSTEAD - Tudor Talk 3 STEVENAGE - Boro Chat 2 FULHAM - Friends of Fulham 2 LIVERPOOL - Kopworld 2 QPR - Loft for Words 2 WEST HAM - Cockney Boys 2 CARDIFF - The Cardiff City Forum 2 SUNDERLAND - Black Cat Chat 1 GILLINGHAM - Gills Connect 1 HEREFORD - Bulls Banter 1 CHELSEA - Chelsea FC Forums 1 EVERTON - Toffee Talk 1 QPR - Not 606 QPR board 1 WBA - BaggiesZone 1 CRYSTAL PALACE - Holmesdale 1 WATFORD - WFC Forums 1 WOLVES - Molineux Mix 1 Individual Fans Stevenage - 1
Update - Entry Stats by Overall Forums – Wednesday evening A) Forums who have passed the minimum 5 entries needed to have a forum entry besides the individual scores ... NEWCASTLE - The Toon Forum 19 BRIGHTON - North Stand Chat 17 BLACKPOOL - Back Henry Street 12 BARNSLEY - Talk of the Tarn 11 READING – Royals Rendezvous 11 LEICESTER - Foxes Talk 10 LEEDS UTD - LUFC Talk 10 QPR - Not 606 QPR board 8 DONCASTER - Viking Chat 8 BARNET - The Beehive 7 DERBY - DCFC Fans Forum 7 MAN UTD - United Lounge 7 LIVERPOOL - Kopworld 7 STEVENAGE - Boro Chat 6 BURNLEY - The Longside 6 CARDIFF - The Cardiff City Forum 6 WATFORD - WFC Forums 5 MAN CITY - MCFC Forum 5 COVENTRY - Sky Blue Talk 5 B) Entries with individual replies, but not yet 5 entries for the forum averages EVERTON - Toffee Talk 4 CRYSTAL PALACE - Holmesdale 4 SUNDERLAND - Black Cat Chat 4 FULHAM - Friends of Fulham 4 WEST HAM - Cockney Boys 4 NOTTM FOREST - The A Block 4 WBA - BaggiesZone 3 QPR - Loft for Words 3 GILLINGHAM - Gills Connect 3 WOLVES - Molineux Mix 3 HEMEL HEMPSTEAD - Tudor Talk 3 PETERBOROUGH - The Posh Forum 3 WIGAN - This Northern Soul 2 CHELSEA - Chelsea FC Forums 2 TOTTENHAM - Tottenham Hotspur Unofficial Supporters Site 2 NORWICH - Not 606 Norwich board 3 HEREFORD - Bulls Banter 1 HUDDERSFIELD - Down at the Mac 1 Individual Fans without a Forum connection Stevenage – 1 TOTAL entries: 218 Next Update Friday night ...
TEAM FORUM STATS Update - Entry Stats by Overall Forums – Friday evening A) Forums who have passed the minimum 5 entries needed to have a forum entry besides the individual scores ... BRIGHTON - North Stand Chat 20 DONCASTER - Viking Chat 20 NEWCASTLE - The Toon Forum 19 BLACKPOOL - Back Henry Street 13 READING – Royals Rendezvous 13 FULHAM - Friends of Fulham 11 BARNSLEY - Talk of the Tarn 11 LEICESTER - Foxes Talk 10 LEEDS UTD - LUFC Talk 10 MAN UTD - United Lounge 10 WATFORD - WFC Forums 10 CARDIFF - The Cardiff City Forum 9 QPR - Not 606 QPR board 8 WOLVES - Molineux Mix 7 BARNET - The Beehive 7 DERBY - DCFC Fans Forum 7 LIVERPOOL - Kopworld 8 WBA - BaggiesZone 6 STEVENAGE - Boro Chat 6 BURNLEY - The Longside 6 CRYSTAL PALACE - Holmesdale 6 PETERBOROUGH - The Posh Forum 5 WEST HAM - Cockney Boys 5 EVERTON - Toffee Talk 5 SUNDERLAND - Black Cat Chat 5 NORWICH - Not 606 Norwich board 5 MAN CITY - MCFC Forum 5 COVENTRY - Sky Blue Talk 5 WIGAN - This Northern Soul 5 B) Entries with individual replies which of course all count, but not yet 5 entries for the forum averages NOTTM FOREST - The A Block 4 QPR - Loft for Words 3 GILLINGHAM - Gills Connect 3 HEMEL HEMPSTEAD - Tudor Talk 3 CHELSEA - Chelsea FC Forums 2 TOTTENHAM - Tottenham Hotspur Unofficial Supporters Site 3 HEREFORD - Bulls Banter 1 HUDDERSFIELD - Down at the Mac 1 Individual Fans or those without Forum invite connection Stevenage – 1 Liverpool – 1 TOTAL entries: 274 Deadline for entries: 12.00 noon TOMORROW (Saturday). Remember that the first cup game - Brighton v Newcastle kicks-off at 12.30pm, so no asking me please to accept late entries!!