The many moves of Jermaine Pennant (updated Oct 2012)

Jermaine Pennant's a much-travelled player isn't he?

In light of his recent move to Claymore Athletic I thought I'd look back at his WSFFL transfers. I'm starting at July 2006 where the bank balance records start...

30.7.06 - Left Nil Satis to join Boston Rock for £2.2m
5.8.07 - Moved to Trusted for £2.1m
3.11.07 - Dumped to the pool by Beef (after less than three months!)
10.11.07 - Back to Boston Rock, out of the pool for 500k
12.2.09 - Returned to the pool by Sheriff
25.2.09 - Joins Claymore from the pool
15.7.09 - Moves to Real Zaragoza on a free
8.9.10 - Joins the CFJs at the September auction for 500k
5.8.11 - Moves to the Fabulous Artisans in a swap deal for Richard Dunne
21.10.12 - Dumped to the pool by Ben.

Now I could read every newsletter since the turn of the century to find out what's gone before but it alternatively you could write and let me know if he's ever been on your books.

Week 19 Results

22 Legged Groove Machine 1 v 1 Dynamo Kev
Claymore Athletic FC 4 v 0 York’s Returning Glory
Real Muppets 1 v 2 The Cow-Faced Juniors
San Dimas High School 0 v 2 Aardvark Abacus
The Dead Parrots 4 v 0 Mega Buck Bandits
The Fabulous Artisans 1 v 1 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Trusted By Millions 3 v 1 Final Fantasy XI
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 3 v 2 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI

Aardvark's lead is eight points with just 10 games remaining.
Boston Rock now the closest challengers.

Clean Sheet Question Clarified

Another brief talking point at the get-together was around clean sheets and how long it should be before a player can earn one. Beef has had a long-standing bee in his bonnet about the 15 minute rule and would like to see that increased.

I suggested that most clean sheets in our game are for the full 90 minutes and with some spare time I've been able to back up my thinking. Here are the details of the counting* clean sheets over the last three weeks.

Week 17 - 20 clean sheets, 18 of those were full match cleans
Week 18 - 34 clean sheets, 31 of those were full match cleans
Week 19 - 46 clean sheets, 42 of those were full match cleans

I don't know what counts as a full statistical sample but 100 clean sheets and 10% of the season is as far as I'm going.

So 91 out of the last 100 counting clean sheets were achieved over the whole match. I think a result in excess of 90% is pretty clear.

Of those that weren't 90 minutes they were timed at 26, 36, 44, 45 (x2), 56, 78, 82 and 87.

I think that firmly suggests that nothing is wrong with the rule as it stands and there's nothing to be gained from tinkering with it. Release the bee Beef, release the bee.

*There were a few sub cleans that didn't count as the player didn't get on the WSFFL pitch.

The Story So Far - Top Performers

With a break in the action at the moment I thought I'd take a look at the league's top performers so far.

The totals listed for each player include goals and (where applicable) scoring cleans, cancelled cleans and saved penalties and include every competition.

18 - Edwin van der Sar (CFJs)
17 - Nemanja Vidic (Fred West)
16 - own goals!
13 - Nicolas Anelka (CFJs)
13 - Rio Ferdinand (Boston Rock)
12 - Jose Bosingwa (Claymore)
12 - Jose Reina (Muppets)
11 - Manuel Almunia (York's)
11 - John Terry (San Dimas)
11 - Gael Clichy (Claymore)
11 - John O'Shea (Nil Satis)
10 - Gabriel Agbonlahor (Muppets)
10 - Alex (Aardvark)
10 - Jamie Carragher (Trusted)
10 - Frank Lampard (Boston Rock)

WSFFL Player of the season and golden boot very much up for grabs but the Muppets' Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have work to do if he's to retain those trophies.

The Big Four?

Among the discussions at the get-together on Monday was a brief reference to WSFFL's 'Big Four'. They weren't named which got me thinking, is there a big four and if so who are they?

I've been through the WSFFL archives since we went to a 16 team league in 2001. I've awarded four points for a league win, three for second place, two for third and a point for fourth. On top of that there's two points for a Cup win and a point for runner-up.

Here's how the points totted up...

31- Aardvark Abacus
19 - You Know Your Boston Rock FC
12 - Real Muppets
12 - Trusted By Millions
11 - San Dimas High School
10 - Claymore Athletic FC
10 - The Cow-Faced Juniors*
4 - Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
3 - The Fabulous Artisans**
1 - Final Fantasy XI
1 - Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
1 - York's Returning Glory

* eight points as Kylie Bumcheeks, two as Eleven Imaginary Boys
** points earned under the Prettier Than You banner

So my reading is, Big Two definitely - Big Four I don't think so. If you have any opinions on who you think the WSFFL Big Four might be and why then please get in touch and we'll continue the debate.

Week 19 Results

Aardvark Abacus 2 v 1 You Know Your Boston Rock FC
Dynamo Kev 1 v 0 Claymore Athletic FC
Mega Buck Bandits 0 v 2 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 1 v 0 San Dimas High School
The Cow-Faced Juniors 1 v 2 The Dead Parrots
The Fabulous Artisans 1 v 1 Real Muppets
Trusted By Millions 3 v 0 22 Legged Groove Machine
York’s Returning Glory 0 v 0 Final Fantasy XI

Ady gets some PCMT revenge and stretches his lead to six points.

Week 18 Results

Aardvark Abacus 1 v 0 Dynamo Kev
Final Fantasy XI 1 v 4 Real Muppets
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 1 v 0 22 Legged Groove Machine
Mega Buck Bandits 0 v 6 The Fabulous Artisans
The Cow-Faced Juniors 1 v 2 Trusted By Millions
The Dead Parrots 2 v 0 Claymore Athletic FC
York’s Returning Glory 0 v 0 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 4 v 0 San Dimas High School

The top three keep on winning...