Dear All,

You can talk about internationals, champions league, etc but there's nothing to beat the excitement of the DITB League.

Scores over the weekend ranged from a snigger-worthy 14 points to an appreciative-head-nodding 55 (you can also add a furrowed brow and protruding bottom lip if you wish) - more on the scores later.

Yes, Fat Frank finally produced the goods with Liverpool at last keeping a clean sheet in their comfortable win over United, not to mention a third consecutive red card for Vidic

And an 80% fit Fernando Torres scored his 276th goal in just 45 league games at Anfield - surely a must-have for the season ahead!!!

Thankfull Liverpool managed to hold on to their 2-0 lead, unlike rivals Arsenal and Man City - much to the annoyance of FF managers all over the country.

But now it's time to look at the tops and bottoms of the tables.

Flexysmidniterunners still lead the way in the Premiership by a comfortable 28 points, despite losing 17 points to second placed Grapes of Raff.

Even at this early stage, fans and pundits alike are asking can Kelly hold his nerve for a season long campaign?

The answer is usually 'no' in these cases but even if he does bottle it, it's another notch on the bedpost of FF experience.

Not that we're writing off his chances mind you - it's just difficult to cope with the pressure when everyone else in the league is watching your performance and hoping that you slip up.

In fact, the further ahead you get, the worse it is as there's more potential humiliation at the end for losing such a big lead.

Cheeko's fall from grace, Brad's infamous 'Michael Owen' transfer, Shieldsy's "I'll win it" Christmas prediction... these historic calamities live long in the memory.

Anyway, I'm sure that Flexy will be okay.

The Chairman continues about his steady way while getting a nosebleed in third place is Gazza's Piping Hots - still reeling from Michael Owen's dive to try and get old pal Jamie Carragher sent off on Sunday!!!

Vidic's foul on Kuty was far worse Gaz and he got a yellow card too - just unfortunate that he had already been booked. At least the referee was consistent!

Probably The Best, last season's Conference winner jumps into 4th position with the week's highest score (the aforementioned 55) and is followed by the ominous Ibiza Town, managed as always by 'The Professor' Festraerts and his magic calculator. Now starting to look a major threat - or will he too fade like newly-promoted teams of the past (Hull, Sunderland, Ipswich, etc). All have enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame in the Premiership until they remember how crap they are and revert to type.

A good week for Chelsea means a good week for the Blue Monkeys who jump into 6th with another 50 point total, while self-proclaimed-football-guru Walls is also challenging for Europe on 360.

Then we have a gap of 17 points to a host of managers who don't deserve mention at this early stage of the season.

At the bottom of the table we surprisingly see Brother Johnston's Minus Three FC sandwiched between perennial strugglers Cherry United and True Blue Strikers.

Brother Johnston's season usually starts near the top before he soils his pants and goes into freefall. On that basis, he's doomed!!!!

He should really talk to Brother McCauley for some advice on how to stay up (without Viagra!) - and how to keep his keks clean until May (assuming that Geoff indeed wears underpants and does not adopt a 'commando' approach)!

The Busted Sofas bust clear of the drop zone with 50 points also, while defending champion Harpic Amsterdam makes slow but steady progress up the table after a poor start.

Turning our attentions to the Conference ('do we have to?' I hear you ask), we have a new leader in the shape of Conference League stalwart Joey's Monsters. Feels good doesn't it Andy?

Brother McCabe is just two points ahead of the Prince of Darkness, followed closely by Hoofers UTD, making a rare appearance near the top of the table.

Maybe it was indeed a case of beginners luck for debutant and early leader Arnie Thom's Inshallah team but he's still in with a shout in fourth place - unless he panics at the first sign of danger (which we've seen happen to so many new boys).

At the bottom of the Conference and indeed the entire DITB universe are Red Cherry Devils (like father like son?), Con Villa and Minibabybelle FC (a sad fall from grace indeed).

This week's highest scorers are Probably the Best on 55, followed by Gulladuff FF on 53, with the Blue Monkeys and Busted Sofas each scoring a round half century.

Most likely candidates to have Vidic and Mascherano in their teams are Con Villa on 14, Minus Three FC on 17 and Sofa King Easy (18).

So that's it for this week folks. Remember that barely 100 points separate top from bottom in each division and I've always said that if you'ew within 100 points of the top, you're still in with a chance. Unless it's the final week of course.

As Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush advised a conference of FF managers lately... "Don't Give Up... We Still Have Time".

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

No I won't actually!

Until next week........

READ 'EM AND WEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael R.

Diving in the Box FF League Chairman

http://divinginthebox.blogspot.com/

DITB PREMIER LEAGUE

Pos	C	Manager	Team	Week 11 Pts.	Month 2 Pts.	Total Pts.	League Pos
1		Mr Brendan Kelly	flexysmidniterunners	21	107	406	3853
2	*	Mr Michael Rafferty	The Grapes of Raff	38	92	378	14937
3		Mr Gary McDonald	Gazzas Piping Hots	41	81	366	23916
4		Mr Mark Stevenson	Probably the best	55	92	363	26568
4		Mr Kurt Festraerts	Ibiza Town FC	31	110	363	26568
6		Mr Brian Shields	The Blue Monkeys	50	115	361	28492
7		Mr Conor Walls	Support your own LFC	32	74	360	29504
8		Mr Paul Brogan	Diaby Does Dallas	42	69	343	48941
8		Mr Andy Kirby	Kirbs Crawlers	40	106	343	48941
8		Mr Declan Crudden	Bleedin Red	45	96	343	48941
11		Mr Brendan Devlin	Brendys Bruisers	37	69	341	51622
12		Dr Owen McNally	Maclacticos	34	94	338	55669
13		Mr John McDermott	Sofa King Easy	18	57	333	62646
14		Mr Kevin McCauley	KFC Academical	37	77	330	67000
15		Mr Mark Molloy	Harpic Amsterdam	35	79	321	80461
15		Mr Francis Jones	Yer Mas Athletic	25	81	321	80461
17		Mr Conor Donnelly	The Busted Sofas	50	95	320	81998
18		Mr William Cherry	Cherry United	35	66	302	108520
19		Mr Geoff Johnston	Minus Three FC	17	57	301	109926
20		Mr Jules Eilledge	True Blue Strikers	26	83	292	122154

League Average	League Position
375.20	2042

DITB CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Pos	C	Manager	Team	Week 11 Pts.	Month 2 Pts.	Total Pts.	League Pos
1		Mr Andrew McCabe	Joeys Monsters	49	113	377	15591
2		Mr Gavin Sheehy	Prince of Darkness	25	101	375	16904
3		Mr Gareth Bradley	Hoofers UTD	42	103	371	19794
4		Mr Arnold Thom	Inshallah	36	89	366	23916
5		Mr Brendan Henry	SOMEMAN4ONEMAN	41	93	360	29504
6		Mr Andrew Jenkins	The Rio Chargers	27	89	354	35794
7		Mr Simon Jenkins	Stickshifter United	30	81	348	42667
7		Mr Barry Corr	bazkinginglory	26	82	348	42667
9		Mr Colm Mckenna	mugsys barber	49	117	347	43935
10		Mr Philip Risley	LIQUIDATOR FC	45	91	342	50257
11	*	Mr Conor Nugent	the well hungarians	46	80	340	52988
12		Mr Barry Jones	Gunning For Glory	24	82	336	58403
13		Mr Alan McCabe	Dirty Dubs XI	32	106	334	61216
14		Mr Brendan Henry	GULLADUFF FF	53	88	322	78968
15		Mr Austin McGinley	Boys Of Summer	33	67	313	92419
16		Mr S P O'Sullivan	LICENCE TO ROAM	31	100	304	105620
17		Mrs Claire McCabe	Minibabybelle FC	33	90	301	109926
18		Mr Connell McGinley	Con Villa	14	81	297	115423
19		Mr Christopher Cherry	Red Cherry Devils	25	60	267	149453

League Average	League Position
369.80	2599

Dear All,

At last, the international break is over and managers will be checking their team news to see if any of their star players have picked up a dreaded injury whilst on duty for their country.

It's the bane of a FF manager's life- after all who pays these bloody players' wages!!!

Anyway, as we prepare to get back to battle, with just eight weeks gone, we have one team making all the running at the top of the Premiership.

flexysmidniterunners are definitely on a roll and a 46 point haul before the break took their overall lead to 27 points - with the chairman and Guru Walls in second and third place.

Defending champ Harpic Amsterdam hasn;t had the best of starts and lies in 16th position but with less than 100 points separating the top 18 there's no point in getting hung up on positions at this early stage.

Still, I wouldn't like to be the Busted Sofas or True Blue Strikers would you?

In the Conferene League, it looks like the Prince of Darkness could be in for another eventful season. One minute he's struggling, the next he's at the top of the table. How did that happen???

The race for promotion gets tougher every year and this year promises to be an absolute bloodfest.

The Prince will be dying to get straight back up, and newcomers Inshallah will want to prove that their lofty position is not purely beginners' luck.

Some have tried, come close and failed to get out of this division, including Bazking, License to Roam, Joey's Monsters, Boys of Summer, etc.

Others have enjoyed the sweet taste of success in the elite Premier League and would cut off their right arms, and more besides, to get back to the promised land.

Anyway, I must head off now for a night's hob nobbing at the NI Travel & Tourism Awards.

Before I go, this week's top scorer was Dirty Dubs XI (53) followed by flexysmidniterunners (46) and Joey's Monsters (44).

In the 'piss poor pants' category this week are Gulladuff FF (12) alongside Minus Three FC and The Busted Sofas (each scoring 13 points).

So that's it for now. Hopefully, with the internationals over, we can settle into the season proper.

There's a long long way to go.

Until next week............

.............. READ 'EM AND WEEP!!!

Michael R.

Diving in the Box FF League Chairman

http://divinginthebox.blogspot.com/

DITB PREMIER LEAGUE

Pos		Manager	Team	Week 8 Pts.	Total Pts.	League Pos
1		Mr Brendan Kelly	flexysmidniterunners	46	345	3288
2	*	Mr Michael Rafferty	The Grapes of Raff	32	318	14090
3		Mr Conor Walls	Support your own LFC	27	313	17730
4		Mr Gary McDonald	Gazzas Piping Hots	19	304	25875
5		Mr John McDermott	Sofa King Easy	26	302	27898
6		Mr Mark Stevenson	Probably the best	27	298	32341
7		Mr Paul Brogan	Diaby Does Dallas	16	290	42344
8		Mr Kurt Festraerts	Ibiza Town FC	37	290	42344
9		Mr Brendan Devlin	Brendys Bruisers	17	289	43700
10		Mr Brian Shields	The Blue Monkeys	42	288	45093
11		Dr Owen McNally	Maclacticos	39	283	52323
12		Mr Kevin McCauley	KFC Academical	25	278	60072
13		Mr Francis Jones	Yer Mas Athletic	37	277	61680
14		Mr Declan Crudden	Bleedin Red	28	275	64836
15		Mr Andy Kirby	Kirbs Crawlers	31	268	76367
16		Mr Mark Molloy	Harpic Amsterdam	18	260	89814
17		Mr Geoff Johnston	Minus Three FC	13	257	94834
18		Mr William Cherry	Cherry United	14	250	106233
19		Mr Jules Eilledge	True Blue Strikers	29	238	124632
20		Mr Conor Donnelly	The Busted Sofas	13	238	124632

League Average	League Position
316.40	1810

DITB CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Pos	C	Manager	Team	Week 8 Pts.	Total Pts.	League Pos
1		Mr Gavin Sheehy	Prince of Darkness	43	317	14779
2		Mr Arnold Thom	Inshallah	39	316	15505
3		Mr Andrew McCabe	Joeys Monsters	44	308	21940
4		Mr Andrew Jenkins	The Rio Chargers	40	305	24829
5		Mr Barry Corr	bazkinginglory	37	303	26847
6		Mr Barry Jones	Gunning For Glory	46	300	30063
7		Mr Brendan Henry	SOMEMAN4ONEMAN	29	296	34755
8		Mr Gareth Bradley	Hoofers UTD	25	293	38444
9		Mr Simon Jenkins	Stickshifter United	24	291	41016
10		Mr Alan McCabe	Dirty Dubs XI	53	281	55367
11		Mr Philip Risley	LIQUIDATOR FC	26	277	61680
12	*	Mr Conor Nugent	the well hungarians	15	275	64836
13		Mr Austin McGinley	Boys Of Summer	16	262	86503
14		Mr Colm Mckenna	mugsys barber	30	260	89814
15		Mr Connell McGinley	Con Villa	33	249	107804
16		Mr Brendan Henry	GULLADUFF FF	12	246	112600
17		Mr S P O'Sullivan	LICENCE TO ROAM	40	244	115705
18		Mrs Claire McCabe	Minibabybelle FC	30	241	120158
19		Mr Christopher Cherry	Red Cherry Devils	18	225	141592

League Average	League Position
309.80	2580