h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A large group is forming behind the top two now - all on 80 points or thereabouts. Top scorer this week is Skankyrich with 17, so well done.

Right, now that most of you have remoulded your squads, it's time to test them with a cup competition. First prize in this cup is £5m, second prize £3m.

The full draw for the first round, chosen randomly, is:

Los Champignones (Skankyrich) v Dickie Hart & The Pacemakers (SBE)
Slap Up My Team (McKay) v Unreal Madrid (Andy G)
Bye v Seventeen (GreyDesk)
Sven Produces Losses (DD) v Toilet Rabbit Albion (Trin)
Double Trouble (Sprout) v Real Losers United FC (Nirvanite)
Athletico Aardvark (Magwitch) v FC Ragazza Della Torta (Psycorp)
Lord Rockingham's XI (Egon) v The Terranic Knights (Terran)
Limited Resources (Bubba) v Organcheese Academicals (MT)

So congratulations to GreyDesk on his first achievement of the season: getting through to the second round.

Let the punditry begin.

B

When is the first round, B?

All matches between Man City-Middlesbrough tonight and Spurs-Chelsea next Sunday.

B

Nice one - thanks B

Trout Montague, Club Organcheese: Obviously Brian, the match of the round is 1st v 3rd. You'd have to say the draw has been kind to the Resources outfit. Scousers hosting the lacklustre Reading who're suddenly out of their depth despite Madjeski's millions and Chelski away to an, let's face it Brian, off-colour Tottingham: I've said it before Brian and I'll say it again, the first rule of fotball is that Chelsea don't lose at White Hart Lane. That all said though, that's it. If Liverpool or Chelsea concede next weekend, we've clearly got the goods up front to go through.

A quadtet of dullish thuds each imbued with the resonant pneumatic smack of rubber on asphalt pavement ensued, causing the XV League Managers to look around sharply.

"What the was that?" inquired the sheepskin-clad cigar-toking Demon Drawer.

"That", responded Trout Montague knowingly, "was the sound the wheels falling off your season ..."

Non-smoking Mr Drawer was bemused to find that a cigar had been thrust into his hand, but realised that the jacket clearly wasn't his. Reaching for his D and G black overcoat her returned the moth eaten-sheepskin to Mr Trout he said:

"Having recently made an acquisition that will put the spark back into SPL is clearly something you overconfidence is overlooking. Overhere we'd put down anything weasring something resembling your overcoat"