In a fine example of mixing business with pleasure, I’ve been helping devise Guardian.co.uk’s new Fantasy Football game, which launched last night. In the hope this blog’s reader will join in the fun, I’ve set up a Completetosh.com league - The League of Scoundrels. Joining details are below. Go on! Do it now! So much more fun than work!
First, the sales pitch… we looked around the market and saw quite a few rather dull games which people were charging for. So we’ve worked with one of the leading fantasy game makers - Clever.tv - to build a free game that is… well, hopefully a little smarter than your average fantasy football game.
Obviously, the central idea is still to assemble a team with your £100m budget, and win points based on the players’ real performances in the Premier League. But, instead of just getting points for an assist, or a goal, or a clean sheet, there are a bunch of other ways to score points - tackles, shots on target, interceptions, and more - which should make this a much more interesting and nuanced play than you might get elsewhere. We think it’ll mean that managers who take a punt on some of the Premiership’s less lauded names may well be rewarded.
Then we added choices of formations, a squad system, stuck on a gorgeous interface, and club supporter and national leagues that your team can all be part of. Best of all, the game’s free. And there’s a £50k prize fund.
We think it’s going to be a scream.
I’m thrilled with how it’s turned out, yet - despite my involvement - it’s still guaranteed that I’ll be rubbish at actually playing it. So now’s your chance to humiliate me (in some cases, again). Better still, your one team can be part of many leagues, meaning you don’t need to have multiple teams, which would be a fiddle.
To sign up: first go to Fantasy Football, pick your team and save it. Then click on Friends’ Leagues. You’ll need to enter the league name: League of Scoundrels. And the password: Completetosh.
You’ll see my team - Cristal Palace - is already there, and ready for its heroic plummet to the foot of the table. Your glory is assured.
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COMMENTS / 12 COMMENTS
The big kick-off | Completetosh.com, by Neil McIntosh added these pithy words on Aug 10 08 at 7:01 pm[...] the official Completetosh Fantasy Football league, already sports a mighty 15 teams after my earlier plug here. Welcome, one and [...]
Why fantasy football may hold the key to the future of news | Online Journalism Blog added these pithy words on Sep 17 08 at 3:32 pm[...] of player data now available to newspapers - not just goals scored, clean sheets and assists, but also clearances, interceptions, tackles, shots on target, and so on, making for a very different challenge [...]
An injury table for the English Premier League | Completetosh.com, by Neil McIntosh added these pithy words on Sep 26 08 at 12:13 pm[...] odd to everyone who didn’t sign up for the Completetosh.com fantasy football league, League of Scoundrels, this [...]
Nick Miners added these pithy words on Jul 22 08 at 11:51 amRight, I’ve picked my team, joined the league, and received my confirmation email, but I can’t log in to see my team again. When I click on ‘Sign in’ I get a blank teamsheet again, and no obvious link to view my team. Is this a known problem, or should I contact tech support?
Paul Bradshaw added these pithy words on Jul 22 08 at 2:00 pmWonderful. Perhaps this will finally stop me playing the C4 version. Have signed up and look forward to finding out what went wrong with my best laid plans.
Neil Mc added these pithy words on Jul 22 08 at 3:10 pmNick - we had a launch-day glitch that affected everyone. It’s working again now. Ahem. Sorry.
mark rustigini added these pithy words on Jul 22 08 at 8:39 pmhi 2 all.
just joined your league.looking forward to the game and the season.
all the best
chris added these pithy words on Jul 22 08 at 10:06 pmAlas, this is something for which I am completely unqualified. Failure.
mort added these pithy words on Jul 24 08 at 5:32 pmI understand non Uk residents can’t win any of the prizes. But are they able to play for fun? It looks really good.
Neil McIntosh added these pithy words on Jul 24 08 at 8:02 pmHi Mort - without referring to m’legal friends, I think the competition - prizes and the rest - is open only to UK residents. But, so long as you’re not in a place that says such things are illegal, you can play for fun.
Dave added these pithy words on Jul 28 08 at 2:41 amHi, any advice on which is the best fantasy format?? Currently on the Premier League one, but my experience with fantasy Australian Rules is that the newspaper competition is usually better then the one organised by the official site.
Neil McIntosh added these pithy words on Jul 28 08 at 11:48 amDave - I’m biased, and would clearly say the Guardian’s game is best…
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