Dear All,

There is still a third of the season left but my how the year has flown so far!

We’ll soon be approaching the business end of the season where dodgy decisions could cost you a title, a promotion, indeed league survival itself.

Not just dodgy transfer decisions but dodgy refereeing decisions as well. Believe me, a booking for Patrice Evra in the cup final cost me the league one year!

Looking at the Premier League, the lead seems to be shifting from one day to the next between The Chairman’s Grapes and The Professor’s Ibiza Town FC.

The incumbent at present is yours truly, having built up a 23 point cushion at the weekend, but Brother Festraerts is in his favourite position, sitting on the shoulder waiting to pounce – like Steve Ovett, or Steve Cram. Or Seb Coe.

Why don’t we remember runners now like we did then? Or is it just me?

Anyway, it’s shaping up for a ruthless run-in for the title and Flexy isn;t giving up without a fight either, scoring his way back into contention in recent weeks.

Gazza’s Piping Hots are showing surprising durability to remain in touch with the leaders while Brother Brogan is always dangerous.

These are our top five teams at present but European qualification is certainly not beyond Probably The Best in 6^th, who showed last year that they have game intelligence and teh right mentality – winning the FFA Cup and Conference League in their debut season – a feat that Rio Chargers are trying to repeat this year!

Minus Three FC’s recent form has also been a revelation. Frombeing a relegation candidate not so long ago, Brother Johnston is now on the brink of Europe and he should have the experience to make a good stab at it.

However, he’s just back from his honeymoon and take my word for it, he’s carrying a few excess pounds around the old gut and waistline. Marriage could be the death of him – or at least his season!

Outside of the top seven, there are still plenty of teams within touching distance and plenty who will be disappointed with how their season has gone (you’d think it was a safe move to choose the entire Chelsea defence but not so!).

Noone will be more disappointed however than ‘champ turned chump’ Harpic Amsterdam as Brother Molloy threatens to perform the biggest fall from grace in DITB league history.

And he’s in deep trouble! Not only is he 50 odd points behind perennial under achievers Cherry United and True Blue Strikers, the closest team to him (Kirbs Crawlers) is ‘too good to go down’ so he needs a minor miracle at this stage.

To be honest, all teams in the bottom half of the table are playing a dangerous game, within 30 points of relegation to the Conference League.

Did you hear that??? I said RELEGATION TO THE CONFERENCE LEAGUE!!!!!! Going down, never to return. Now get your fingers out before it’s too late.

I’m knackered now and I want to go home but I suppose I’ll have to give the lower league a quick look.

The Rio Chargers are still charging ahead although an excellent week for the Prince of Darkness has closed the gap to 28 points.

Joeys Monsters are still well in touch, with Inshallah and Liquidator FC still eyeing up a place in the Premiership.

Licence To Roam is hanging in there also while the Hoofers’ promotion challenge looks like it’s starting to fade.

At the bottom, Con Villa and the Well Hungarians (no sniggering please) look doomed while the Red Cherry Devils could escape the drop zone with a few good weeks under his belt.

Fair play to Brother McGinley the Elder who has managed to escape the relegation zone and restore some pride to the family name.

So that’s about it folks. We could be in for one of the most exciting title races to date.

Don’t forget that anything can happen.......

......... and it usually does.

READ ‘EM AND WEEP MY FRIENDS, 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 29 Pts.	Points	Overall Pos.
1	*	Mr Michael Rafferty	The Grapes of Raff	61	1230	3240
2		Mr Kurt Festraerts	Ibiza Town FC	53	1207	6004
3		Mr Brendan Kelly	flexysmidniterunners	74	1189	9341
4		Mr Gary McDonald	Gazzas Piping Hots	49	1170	14014
5		Mr Paul Brogan	Diaby Does Dallas	46	1161	16696
6		Mr Mark Stevenson	Probably the best	52	1152	19666
7		Mr Geoff Johnston	Minus Three FC	47	1134	26348
8		Mr Declan Crudden	Bleedin Red	61	1104	40277
9		Mr Brian Shields	The Blue Monkeys	28	1091	46971
10		Mr John McDermott	Sofa King Easy	47	1085	50166
11		Mr Conor Walls	Support your own LFC	46	1084	50696
12		Mr Kevin McCauley	KFC Academical	67	1081	52427
13		Dr Owen McNally	Maclacticos	45	1074	56389
14		Mr Francis Jones	Yer Mas Athletic	59	1065	61406
15		Mr Conor Donnelly	The Busted Sofas	56	1062	63164
15		Mr Brendan Devlin	Brendys Bruisers	50	1062	63164
17		Mr William Cherry	Cherry United	50	1052	69023
17		Mr Jules Eilledge	True Blue Strikers	59	1052	69023
19		Mr Andy Kirby	Kirbs Crawlers	67	1004	96986
20		Mr Mark Molloy	Harpic Amsterdam	52	1001	98603

DITB CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Pos.	C	Manager	Team	Week 29 Pts.	Points	Overall Pos.
1		Mr Andrew Jenkins	The Rio Chargers	47	1202	6858
2		Mr Gavin Sheehy	Prince of Darkness	75	1174	12898
3		Mr Andrew McCabe	Joeys Monsters	53	1157	17996
4		Mr Arnold Thom	Inshallah	56	1129	28490
5		Mr Philip Risley	LIQUIDATOR FC	26	1122	31494
6		Mr S P O'Sullivan	LICENCE TO ROAM	48	1106	39274
7		Mr Gareth Bradley	Hoofers UTD	54	1082	51845
8		Mr Barry Corr	bazkinginglory	48	1079	53539
9		Mr Alan McCabe	Dirty Dubs XI	34	1078	54084
9		Mrs Claire McCabe	Minibabybelle FC	49	1078	54084
11		Mr Brendan Henry	SOMEMAN4ONEMAN	41	1070	58666
12		Mr Simon Jenkins	Stickshifter United	46	1062	63164
13		Mr Brendan Henry	GULLADUFF FF	51	1059	64883
14		Mr Barry Jones	Gunning For Glory	54	1030	82042
14		Mr Austin McGinley	Boys Of Summer	61	1030	82042
16		Mr Colm Mckenna	mugsys barber	40	1021	87228
17		Mr Christopher Cherry	Red Cherry Devils	45	1009	94184
18	*	Mr Conor Nugent	the well hungarians	33	935	129921
19		Mr Connell McGinley	Con Villa	34	906	140507