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May
WEDNESDAY, 23RD MAY, 2001

Bayern Munich have triumphed 5 - 4 on penalties against Valencia in tonight's UEFA Champions League Final at Milan's San Siro following a 1 - 1 draw after extra time. This means that Phil's First Wives Club have won the first Football Dreams Champion Fives competition 31 - 16 against my team, League of Nations. Congratulations to Phil, who takes the fourth and final spot for next season's event.

All matches affecting Football Dreams have now been played and so it's time to reflect on the season. While my impending AS exams mean that I'll have to postpone a full review until the site's relaunch over the summer, I would like to express my thanks to all the managers who played this year. I have immensely enjoyed running the fantasy league this year because of the competitiveness generated by your teams' performances and your (sometimes futile) attempts to improve them. Here's a quick rundown of this season's honours and prize money allocation:

FOOTBALL DREAMS LEAGUE Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes (Thom)
FOOTBALL DREAMS CUP Bjorn and the Warnerbirds (Daniel)
FOOTBALL DREAMS LEAGUE CUP The Island of Sodor and Pontypandy Reapers (Olly)
FOOTBALL DREAMS CHAMPION FIVES First Wives Club (Phil)
FOOTBALL DREAMS SUPER CUP Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes (Thom)

ME £9.50 (league runner-up, cup semi-finalist, league cup finalist, Champion Fives finalist, 3 manager of the month awards)
THOM £9.00 (league champion, 2 manager of the month awards)
DANIEL £7.50 (fourth in league, cup winner, league cup semi-finalist)
PHIL £6.00 (Champion Fives winner, 3 manager of the month awards)
CHRIS M £5.00 (third in league, cup finalist, 1 manager of the month award)
OLLY £4.50 (league cup winner)
ADRIAN £1.50 (cup semi-finalist, league cup semi-finalist)
CHRIS F £1.00 (1 manager of the month award)

The season is ended, go in peace.   

SATURDAY, 19TH MAY, 2001

There were few things left to play for on the final day of both the Premiership and the Football Dreams League today. Liverpool have joined Manchester United and Arsenal in the Champions League next season, or rather they will do no doubt once they have overcome some Slovenian team in the qualifying round. Leeds, Ipswich and Chelsea will participate in the UEFA Cup, possibly to be joined by Villa who will play in the Intertoto Cup that probably starts a week on Monday. In the Football Dreams League, Thom completed the formality of retaining his league title. His winning margin of 58 points from Abbzonspor is the smallest in Football Dreams history but, strangely, also the largest end-of-month lead of the season. Furthermore, Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes' final total of 597 points is the lowest winning score ever too. With Abbzonspor and Morgsomniacs second and third, respectively, Chris Morgan and I will join Thom in next season's Football Dreams Champion Fives. The final spot is likely to go to Phil if he wins this year's competition on Wednesday night, meaning that Cup-winner Daniel (fourth) will miss out.

The final Football Dreams Manager of the Month award goes to Phil. Robin Hood and His Merry Men amassed 59 points in May, which was also enough to move them above Olly's team into fifth. This is Phil's third such prize of the season following the two he won in August and September before his team plummeted down the league table.

The Football Dreams season is not over yet, though. On Wednesday night, the UEFA Champions League Final takes place at the San Siro in Milan and so the outcome of the Champion Fives between Phil and I will be settled too.  

WEDNESDAY, 16TH MAY, 2001

UEFA Cup Final (Dortmund):

CD Alaves 4 - 5 Liverpool FC

(AET - Golden Goal) (FT 4 - 4)

What can you say? Simply one of the most exciting and absorbing cup finals ever, played out by two teams determined to attack their opponents' bumbling defences. Each goal seemed not decisive but instead like another twist in the tale. Liverpool complete their Treble and now appear, after many false dawns, to actually be 'back'. Amazing.  

SATURDAY, 12TH MAY, 2001

F.A. Cup Final (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff):

Arsenal 1 - 2 Liverpool

After a tepid first half notable only for Arsenal's penalty appeal from Henchoz's blatant handball being turned down, we were treated to a classic final twenty minutes. Fredrik Ljungberg's opener for Arsenal beat Westerveld but this time also the covering defenders, after Arsenal had managed to squander several other chances. However, there was a certain sense of inevitability in the way that Liverpool bounced back. Two of Liverpools's three shots in the final came in that climatic seven-minute spell and both were converted by Michael Owen. The equaliser was instinctive but the second, as much as it troubles me to say it as I'm not a fan of Owen or Liverpool, was clinically despatched and gave the Liverpool striker his eighth goal in four games.

Liverpool, then, have become the first team since Arsenal in 1993 to win both domestic cups in one season. I can't seem them losing against Alaves in Wednesday night's UEFA Cup Final and so the treble of cups will be theirs. Nonetheless, if they throw it away next weekend in the league and miss out on the Champions League then they will still have fallen short. Here's hoping, eh?  

WEDNESDAY, 9TH MAY, 2001

The season is ending on a high note for Phil. After losing the league lead in mid-October and slipping as low as seventh, he is now back up to fifth and on course for a third manager of the month award. Phil also has the inaugural Football Dreams Champion Fives more or less sown up, with just the UEFA Champions League Final to come (my commiserations to Leeds; it's always sad how months of work can be undone by two quick goals). With the Tractor Boys flying high too, Football Dreams' very own (occasional) pundit has even more reason to be even more cheerful than he usually is!  

MONDAY, 7TH MAY, 2001

Daniel has triumphed over Chris in the Cup Final. The match finished Bjorn and the Warnerbirds 20 - 11 Morgsomniacs, despite Daniel missing out on goals from Hasselbaink (2) and Shaun Goater. Daniel wins the pride and the £3.50, making his total winnings £6.50 for the whole competition.

TUESDAY, 1ST MAY, 2001

As London riots, the Football Dreams season approaches its conclusion and, with Thom destined to retain his league title, we turn to this weekend's Football Dreams Cup Final for excitement. Bjorn and the Warnerbirds, managed by Daniel in his debut year, are to be pitted against Chris Morgan's Morgsomniacs, who had a long spell at the top of the league earlier on in the season.

In the Football Dreams Cup, it's purely a case of collecting as many points as possible over one round of Premiership games. Both teams have had consistent league form and so the tie should be very even. Although Bjorn and the Warnerbirds thrashed the then league leaders Robin Hood and His Merry Men 4 - 0 in the League Cup First Round, their Football Dreams Cup tie, also in the first round, went to a replay which Daniel won 15 - 3. Chris Morgan progressed at the expense of Chris Ferry with a narrow 7 - 6 victory in what we shall euphemistically call the 'tie of the round'. In the semis, it was Daniel's turn to succeed by 1 point, this time 15 - 14 against me to end my aspirations of a domestic double. Chris beat Adrian 25 - 15, meaning that Adrian lost in the semis of both cups. Ouch.

Bjorn and the Warnerbirds and Morgsomniacs have both been in the top half of the league all season and are currently third and fourth, respectively, while they have never met in either cup before. Chris can, of course, boast Thierry Henry in his team, who is both the top goalscorer (17) and point scorer (103) in the league. However, out of their current squads, Daniel seems to possess the more even team in terms of point gathering. Steven Gerrard in midfield has scored 60 points already, while having two Leeds defenders could be an advantage on their current form. Of course, Daniel can't call on the cup-tied Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink from the bench, a player he finally prised from Chris after lengthy negotiations. Chris will be hoping that Alan Smith can regain his form this weekend, while Dwight Yorke is also cup-tied following his earlier participation for The Island of Sodor and Pontypandy Reapers.

I predict a high scoring but close result between these two. To go with the hope of success, there's £3.50, currently burning a hole in the Football Dreams treasury, at stake here.

  April
  MONDAY, 30TH APRIL, 2001

My sympathies go to Phil tonight following Ipswich's defeat at Charlton that leaves their Champions League aspirations deflated. With all April matches now completed, Thom is the Football Dreams Manager of the Month with an impressive 109 points. This is one more than when he won his other monthly award back in December and Thom also scored 16 goals over the month, a new Football Dreams record.  

WEDNESDAY, 18TH APRIL, 2001

I know that this sounds drastic and conceited but I think it's the end of an era at Old Trafford. We simply weren't good enough tonight and Bayern deserved the win. The frustrating thing is that, on paper, our team is short only of top notch full backs and yet, while the Premiership was won at a trot, the spark of two years ago has been extinguished and we are simply not as good a team as back then. It could be a case of wholesale changes, similar to the sale of Ince, Hughes and Kanchelskis in the summer of 1995, that is needed. Peter Ridsdale said in the Sunday Times at the weekend that teams only dominate for around 10 years before it's someone else's turn to do so. That team could be Leeds.  

TUESDAY, 17TH APRIL, 2001

I think that we are resigned to Thom retaining his league title now. After a exciting few months of battling for the lead between Thom, me and Chris Morgan, Thom has now opened up a 45-point lead and scored a whopping 15 goals so far this month. I think that 15 goals in one month is a Football Dreams record and means that Thom has scored in 17 days over half the amount of goals that Adrian has taken 8 and a half months to amass. Bless.

Congratulations to Leeds on going through to the semis of the Champions League tonight. There progress and mentality is reminiscent of Denmark at Euro 92 and we all know how that tale ended. Arsenal, however, are still a couple of players short of being world class and that showed in how they were despatched by a clinical Valencia team.  

SATURDAY, 14TH APRIL, 2001

Yes! I am delighted by Man United's clinching of the Premiership title today. Seven out of nine is, obviously, a phenomenal record and there can be no doubt that, in terms of consistency and will to win, United are as far apart from the rest in England as their 16 point lead suggests. However, I would be lying to you if I did not admit that failure on Wednesday night in Munich is unthinkable and would leave the Premiership win as a silver lining on a dark cloud.

You may have noticed that the league tables and squads are slightly smaller and not so clear on the site. I will tackle this problem when I redesign the site over the summer.  

SUNDAY, 8TH APRIL, 2001

In one five minute spell, the romance in this season's F.A. Cup was extinguished, when Wycombe conceded two late goals against Liverpool. Even when they got one back, could you see them getting another? Invention was not their strongpoint. Following Arsenal's 2 - 1 defeat of Spurs, then, we are left with a battle of good versus evil in the final. The Gallic flair of the Gunners in combat with the arrogance of Liverpool. Who wouldn't want Henry, Vieira or Pires in their side's team?

In the Football Dreams League, Thom has reasserted his supremacy and now leads by 25 points. With Easter approaching, there are many points to be won over this weekend.  

WEDNESDAY, 4TH APRIL, 2001

A miserable footballing week for me was compounded last night by the result at Old Trafford but well done to Leeds and Arsenal tonight. I do hold a 2 point lead in the Champion Fives, though.  

MONDAY, 2ND APRIL, 2001

There will be no Treble for me this season. Daniel's team, Bjorn and the Warnerbirds, have dumped Abbzonspor out of the Football Dreams Cup by a solitary point. They will meet Morgsomniacs, who eased past Unknown. Just to underline how this has been the most competitive Football Dreams season ever, then, no team was strong enough to reach both cup finals. View the Football Dreams Cup page here.

Nin Huugen and the Huugen also regained top spot in the league tonight following Marcus Stewart's hat trick for Ipswich against Southampton. Stewart becomes the first Town player to score 20 goals in a season since the legendary John Wark.

  March
  SATURDAY, 31ST MARCH, 2001

Chris Ferry has clinched the Football Dreams Manager of the Month award for March after Escosse United racked up 55 points. Not bad for a team second from last in the league, while Chris' lucrative £1 prize also means that all 8 managers have won some cash this season.  

WEDNESDAY, 28TH MARCH, 2001

I'm not going to dissect England's 3 - 1 victory over Albania because we won and, after the Keegan era, that's fine by me. I will add something to the Andrew Cole debate, however. Firstly, the Cole-Owen partnership has started each of Sven's 3 games in charge and all 3 matches have ended in an England victory. Secondly, in those 3 games Michael Owen has scored twice and Cole once, but Cole also set up two goals in the two matches this week. Thirdly, it took Cole ages to settle at United but because faith was shown in him he found his feet and is now an excellent all-round player, not just a goalscorer. Eriksson has not chopped and changed up front and so this faith at international level could see Cole repeat his club form for his country. Why change it now we're winning?

Does anyone else think that Hoddle is making a mistake in going to Spurs? Apart from the fact that Southampton are about to move to a new stadium and could even qualify for Europe, he has, in the blink of an eye, ungratefully turned his back on the club who resurrected his shattered reputation. Keegan did the same to Fulham and look how that turned out.   

SATURDAY, 24TH MARCH, 2001

Beating Finland 2 - 1 at home is nothing to shout about but it's still 3 points and, under Sven, it's still played 2 won 2. I only got in from work in time to see the second half, but there definitely seemed more passion about the team, especially during that goalmouth scramble when Litmanen had two shots blocked.

Elsewhere, you should remember back in November that the Football Dreams Cup First Round was played. After four months, the semi-finals are now coming up for next weekend and the draw has been made.  

THURSDAY, 22ND MARCH, 2001

At 5 pm this evening, the transfer window for English football closed and so did that of Football Dreams. From now until the end of the season, managers may only make compulsory changes to their squads. There were no last minute deals today, but there were a few transfers earlier on in the week in the build-up to today.

SATURDAY, 17TH MARCH, 2001

Due to the F.A. Cup Semi-Finals on 8th April, the Football Dreams Cup Semi-Finals have been brought forward a week so that they will now be played from Saturday 31st March to Monday 2nd April. Therefore, the draw will also be a week earlier and is to take place next Saturday.

In the league, there are now 20 points of daylight between Abbzonspor and Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes after I went top again. A few teams have or are now experiencing Everton-like injury problems, though. Olly has Kieron Dyer out for the rest of the season, Adrian's duo of Fowler and Shearer have had their fitness troubles this year, and I currently have Trevor Sinclair, Niall Quinn, Nick Barmby and Kevin Campbell out of action. I think that transfer deadline day is this Friday, so that will be the last chance this season to change your team's personnel.  

FRIDAY, 16TH MARCH, 2001

The Champions League and UEFA Cup draws today both turned out into mainly England v Spain affairs. Only Man United face non-Spanish opposition in Bayern Munich, as Leeds meet Deportivo la Coruna and Arsenal clash with Valencia, while Liverpool do battle with Barca in the UEFA Cup. Good luck to all teams flying the flag for Blighty!  

WEDNESDAY, 14TH MARCH, 2001

After tonight's conclusion of the second group stage of the Champions League, League of Nations and First Wives Club, managed by me and Phil respectively, have qualified from the Champion Fives group, with Olly's Camden Town and Thom's Asterix Goes to Europe both eliminated. Both teams' scores are now reset to 0 and the managers may change their players. The winner is the team that gains the most points over the Champions League knockout stages, with all three English teams still in.  

SUNDAY, 11TH MARCH, 2001

Four games played and a perfectly balanced F.A. Cup Quarter-Final stage completed. Wycombe rightly stole the headlines with a classic Cup tie win over Leicester. Roy Essandoh, who scored the winner, is an Irish-born Ghanaian who had responded to Wycombe's advert for a striker on their Web site and on Ceefax. Arsenal also showed their class in beating Blackburn, with Robert Pires showing by the way he took his goal why France are World and European champions. Today, we were treated to two titanic and quintessentially English matches as Liverpool and Spurs fought off the brave efforts of Tranmere and West Ham, respectively, to reach the semis.  

WEDNESDAY, 7TH MARCH, 2001

Thom is back on top in the league but, ha ha, remains last in the Champion Fives. With only one round of matches remaining, it really is now or never next week, with the top two qualifying.

Man United were shocking tonight and we were very, very fortunate to get a point. However, although it sounds obvious, the trick in Europe is not to lose group games. United qualified from their group in the Treble year with just 2 wins and 4 draws because if you get a lucky equaliser in the 92nd minute you still get 1 point just like the other team, as opposed to them being 3 points better off. Leeds are already in the quarter-finals and, with the distinct possibility that Milan will be the fourth and last Italian side to be knocked out of the competition, England could have 3 representatives by this time next week, the same number that Spain are heading for.

  February
  WEDNESDAY, 28TH FEBRUARY, 2001

Well done to Sven and England tonight. A 3 - 0 opening win over Spain is a great result to build on and there were some good individual performances, notably from Michael Ball and Nick Barmby. Let's not get carried away, though, as there are two World Cup qualifiers coming up next month and Keegan also won his first game in charge.  

SUNDAY, 25TH FEBRUARY, 2001

An awesome day of football today saw Man United totally and utterly overwhelm Arsenal 6 - 1 (wow!) before Liverpool overcame Birmingham on penalties in the Worthington Cup Final. Both sets of supporters created a fantastic noise and the Millennium Stadium seemed far more intimate than Wembley.

In the Football Dreams League, Abbzonspor went top again and I've also clinched my third Football Dreams Manager of the Month award, this time with a season low tally of 49 points. Chris Morgan has also offloaded Teddy Sheringham for Dwight Yorke, despite taking months to get Sheringham from Bjorn and the Warnerbirds.  

SATURDAY, 24TH FEBRUARY, 2001

Thom's Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes have reclaimed the league lead on goal difference from Abbzonspor. A mention should also go to the purchase of Rory Delap by Phil to replace Abel 'Old Father Time' Xavier. Derby may be sixteenth in the Premiership but the arrivals of Colin Todd and Taribo West have done wonders for their defence.  

FRIDAY, 23RD FEBRUARY, 2001

In case you haven't heard, this is the 31-man England squad that Sven-Goran Eriksson has picked to face Spain on Wednesday:

Goalkeepers: David Seaman (ARS), Nigel Martyn (LEE), David James (AV), Richard Wright (IPS); Defenders: Gary Neville (MU), Philip Neville (MU), Wes Brown (MU), Rio Ferdinand (LEE), Sol Campbell (TOT), Michael Ball (EVE), Ashley Cole (ARS), Ugo Ehiogu (MID), Chris Powell (CHA), Jamie Carragher (LIV); Midfielders: Kieron Dyer (NEW), Paul Scholes (MU), David Beckham (MU), Steve McManaman (Real Madrid), Michael Carrick (WH), Joe Cole (WH), Frank Lampard (WH), Nicky Butt (MU), Ray Parlour (ARS), Nick Barmby (LIV), Gavin McCann (SUN); Strikers: Teddy Sheringham (MU), Kevin Phillips (SUN), Andrew Cole (MU), Robbie Fowler (LIV), Michael Owen (LIV), Emile Heskey (LIV)

Do you think that Sven has left anyone out? Should we play 3 or 4 at the back? Chris Powell? A squad of 31 seems a bit excessive to me as players like Powell and Ehiogu appear to be there just to make up the numbers. Nevertheless, on paper England have a very talented squad and Eriksson has picked well, although I fear that the same problems remain. We are spoilt for choice at centre half and in the centre of midfield but there is a dearth of quality wingers, full backs and holding players and we need to find a settled formation. England also need a striker to score prolifically for the national side. I just hope that Eriksson doesn't go with Seaman in goal or Sheringham up front as any England side from now onwards must be building towards the next five years. Going with experience, as in old players, got us embarrassed at Euro 2000 and in Group 9, so let's make some changes and remember that players like Gary Neville, Beckham and Campbell already have World Cup, European Championship and European club experience.  

WEDNESDAY, 21ST FEBRUARY, 2001

With only two rounds of the first stage of the Football Dreams Champion Fives to go, I would like to make clear that for next season's competition the holders will qualify automatically and will be joined by the top three in the Football Dreams League. The team finishing fourth will qualify if the Champion Fives winners also come in the top three in the league.  

FRIDAY, 16TH FEBRUARY, 2001

Please can you send in any ideas or thoughts on the forthcoming England squad to be announced next week for the friendly against Spain, the first match under Sven's tutelage. I'm very bad at keeping a consistent opinion on England, but this would be my 22:

Goalkeepers: Richard Wright (IPS), Nigel Martyn (LEE), Paul Robinson (LEE); Defenders: Ashley Cole (ARS), Gareth Southgate (AV), Rio Ferdinand (LEE), Wes Brown (MU), Gary Neville (MU), Michael Gray (SUN), Sol Campbell (TOT); Midfielders: Nick Barmby (LIV), Steven Gerrard (LIV), David Beckham (MU), Paul Scholes (MU), Kieron Dyer (NEW), Steve McManaman (Real Madrid), Joe Cole (WH), Frank Lampard (WH); Strikers: Emile Heskey (LIV), Michael Owen (LIV), Andrew Cole (MU), Kevin Phillips (SUN)

This would be my starting line-up:

(4-4-1-1): Wright; G Neville, Brown, Campbell (captain), Ashley Cole; Beckham, Dyer, Gerrard, Barmby; Scholes; Heskey

Finally, my apologies to Brian a.k.a. Chris, our resident Scot, for all this England talk. Just remember, you're doing a lot better than us at the moment.   

WEDNESDAY, 14TH FEBRUARY, 2001

The Football Dreams Champion Fives resumed this week with a fine performance from the English teams in the UEFA Champions League. League of Nations remain top, meaning that I still lead in both the domestic and European leagues, but the close battle for second and the final qualification spot took a dramatic turn.  

MONDAY, 12TH FEBRUARY, 2001

Joe Cole bagged his first goal for Abbzonspor tonight to put my team top of the Football Dreams League. This is the first time that I've led in the league since winning the Double in 1998/1999 and, interestingly, Abbzonspor now join Unknown in having been both top and bottom at some stage this season.   

WEDNESDAY, 7TH FEBRUARY, 2001

Kevin Campbell's goal for the Toffees tonight has put my team joint top with Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes on 382 points. Morgsomniacs are only five points adrift, too.  

SUNDAY, 4TH FEBRUARY, 2001

Newcastle versus Charlton may have been postponed but it would have made no difference to the outcome. The Island of Sodor and Pontypandy Reapers have claimed the League Cup with a 2 - 1 victory over Abbzonspor. Mark Venus scored at both ends for Ipswich yesterday and, if I'd thought of counting own goals in the competition, then it would have been 2 - 2. That's something to rectify for next season.  

SATURDAY, 3RD FEBRUARY, 2001

This season just gets better and better! After the previous two Football Dreams league campaigns ended in one-horse races after the first two months of the season, we have had a lead change in early February. Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes have dislodged Morgsomniacs and have certainly surprised me over the last two months in their progression from mid-table obscurity. Interestingly, Chris took the lead back in October under similar circumstances. Goals, you understand, count for a lot if teams draw their defenders from the same teams.

To explain, Michael Owen's dip in form for Robin Hood and His Merry Men coincided with a purple patch for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, putting Chris above Phil, the leader since mid-August. This time, with Hasselbaink now at Bjorn and the Warnerbirds, the goals have been harder to come by for Morgsomniacs, while Marcus Stewart and James Beattie filled the void left by an injured Andrew Cole for Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes. Furthermore, with Chris now lying third, Abbzonspor were able to move above them because of the scoring runs of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Robbie Keane, which followed on from each other almost seamlessly. Whether Morgsomniacs, who have a much-changed starting eleven since October, drop as swiftly as Phil's team (who are now sixth) remains to be seen.   

FRIDAY, 2ND FEBRUARY, 2001

With two thirds of the season over, it is time for the Football Dreams League Cup to be decided. This weekend, my Abbzonspor side will do battle with Olly's The Island of Sodor and Pontypandy Reapers.

League Cup ties are decided on goals scored and this format has already produced several interesting results. The first round back in September saw Bjorn and the Warnerbirds annihilate the then league leaders, Robin Hood and His Merry Men, 4 - 0, while Abbzonspor managed to overcome Morgsomniacs 2 - 0 after scoring a whopping 1 goal in August. The Island of Sodor and Pontypandy Reapers progressed with a 2 - 1 victory at Escosse United. In the semis, Olly drew with Daniel over two legs but won the replay to complete a trio of 2 - 1 away wins in the tie. Abbzonspor beat Unknown, as Adrian's teams continue to belie their poor league form with good cup performances, 3 - 1 on aggregate.

Abbzonspor and The Island of Sodor and Pontypandy Reapers lie third and fifth respectively in the league. They also met in the Football Dreams Cup First Round, where Abbzonspor won 22 - 10. As it's goals that matter in this competition, though, the key players are likely to be an in form Robbie Keane for my team and Emile Heskey for Olly. Both teams' midfielders also weigh in with goals, and so Don Hutchison for Abbzonspor and Lee Bowyer for Olly could score that vital goal.

Honour, pride, dignity, £2.50. All are up for grabs this weekend. I can't really predict a score when I'm playing but it should be close.

  January 2001
  WEDNESDAY, 31ST JANUARY, 2001

Tonight saw the conclusion of a great month of league action in Football Dreams. The big news is that Morgsomniacs, the leaders since October, have had their 49-point lead from the end of November cut to 0 points, but with a superior goal difference, from Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes. Thom's team trailed Chris' by a whopping 67 points at the end of November. On that same logic, Phil, currently sixth on 299 points, could be top again by the end of March. In fact, all eight teams are separated by just 130 points, compared to 211 at this time last season.

Although Abbzonspor slipped to third tonight, I can announce that I am the Football Dreams League Manager of the Month for January with 78 points. Now that Olly has paid his contribution to the prize fund, I can also confirm that I'm the first manager to win back his £5 domestic stake (although I am not yet certain of qualifying from the group stage of the Football Dreams Champion Fives). However, this month's race for the £1 monthly prize was very tight. Olly scored 77 points, with seven of the eight managers being separated by a mere 18 points.  

SUNDAY, 28TH JANUARY, 2001

After another F.A. Cup weekend, I must mention the big upset of the 4th Round. Credit must go to Kingstonian, you see, for their gallant display against Bristol City in gaining a 1 - 1 draw. What's that? "What about Manchester United," I hear you cry. Well, we lost. Teams do that sometimes, so why make excuses?  

SATURDAY, 27TH JANUARY, 2001

You may have noticed that the hit counter on the home page has been on the blink for weeks now. It's starting to annoy me as I keep trying to reset it but the change never works on the Web site. I will try again next week but getting a new hit counter will be in my thoughts when I redesign the site in the summer.  

WEDNESDAY, 24TH JANUARY, 2001

I don't mean to gloat but Abbzonspor are now second and trail Morgsomniacs by only 12 points following tonight's Villa-Leeds game.

FRIDAY, 19TH JANUARY, 2001

Chris has tinkered with his Morgsomniacs side again. Mark Bosnich, Gilles Grimandi and Graham Stuart have all been shown the door, to be replaced, respectively, by Richard Wright, Ronny Johnsen (another one of Daniel's old players) and Edu. That makes it 13 players sold so far this season!  

SUNDAY, 14TH JANUARY, 2001

It took a two leg cup tie and a replay but Olly's team, The Island of Sodor and Pontypandy Reapers (don't ask), are in the Football Dreams League Cup Final and will face Abbzonspor. Bjorn and the Warnerbirds were the unfortunate semi-final losers. Click here for more.  

MONDAY, 8TH JANUARY, 2001

F.A. Cup 3rd Round weekend concluded tonight and there have not been too many upsets. Congratulations to Kingstonian, though, and commiserations to Dagenham & Redbridge, who so nearly embarrassed Charlton.  

SATURDAY, 6TH JANUARY, 2001

He may have been top for over two months but Chris Morgan isn't complacent. Morgsomniacs' lead has been halved to 22 points since the league went into December, and with Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes now being the highest goalscorers in the Football Dreams League, he thought that it was time to reorganise his squad. In a Barry Fry-esque move, Dietmar Hamann, Hassan Kachloul and Dominic Matteo have all been sold to make way for Jari Litmanen, Olivier Dacourt and Jermaine Wright. Furthermore, Teddy Sheringham, who Chris strived to attain the services of for months, has been dropped to the bench for Litmanen (even though Sheringham is now back from injury). All this means that Chris has now sold ten players this season who together have amassed over a third of his league points. What's that I hear you cry about 'only the best will do'?  

THURSDAY, 4TH JANUARY, 2001

Have you heard of Jari Litmanen? If not, then you have now. He is an exceptionally talented Finnish striker with experience at Ajax and Barca and I reckon he'll do very well indeed at Liverpool.  

MONDAY, 1ST JANUARY, 2001

Happy New Year! We're roughly halfway through the season and so I've got the statistics page up-to-date. Click here if you want to see who's scoring the most goals, which keepers breach the Trade Descriptions Act and much more.

  December 2000
  SATURDAY, 30TH DECEMBER, 2000

On the final day of football in 2000, Thom pipped me for the manager of the month award. Helped by a Marcus Stewart goal and another one from that guy Beattie (how?), Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes finished with an impressive 108 points for December, this season's second biggest monthly haul behind Morgsomniacs' 125 points in October.

Happy New Year, and see you in 2001!  

WEDNESDAY, 27TH DECEMBER, 2000

James Beattie's goal for Southampton tonight was enough for Thom to reclaim third at the expense of my team. I laughed at my brother when he bought him, but that's Beattie's fourth goal for Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes.  

TUESDAY, 26TH DECEMBER, 2000

Merry Christmas, everyone! The Boxing Day fixtures have certainly resulted in some exciting developments in the Football Dreams League. Firstly, you may remember that Robin Hood and His Merry Men were top at the start of October and that they were second at the start of this month. However, Phil's team's recent slump now sees them languishing in seventh, one off the foot of the table, which is still propped up by Unknown, managed by Adrian. As well as this, Bjorn and the Warnerbirds' six goals saw them swap places with Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes to move back into second, having slipped to fourth at the weekend. Finally, I don't want to boast, but Abbzonspor are still third (having taken the place on Saturday) after being eighth and last for some periods this season.  

THURSDAY, 21ST DECEMBER, 2000

It doesn't really surprise me that Robbie Keane's £12m move to Internazionale has failed so soon. He'd had one season of top flight experience in England, and although he is a Republic of Ireland international and has phenomenal talent, he was always going to struggle behind Vieri and co for a regular place. Marcello Lippi leaving the club can't have helped, either. Nonetheless, I have swooped to add him to my team (beating Adrian by two hours) to replace Wiltord (Arsenal's expensive flop, who will also probably be leaving soon).

Leeds were definitely the best team to join from Keane's perspective. Chelsea are a sinking ship, while coming to West Ham or Charlton would have been a step back. Furthermore, although he will have Alan Smith and Mark Viduka to compete with for a place, this should relieve the pressure and the onus to score on Keane, and give him time to regain his confidence.

Keane's return to the Premiership after barely six months also brings up the old topic of whether British players should go to the continent and why so many fail. Personally, I think that players often leave too early on in their careers (like Keane). However, now that our style of play has become more continental, players like Beckham and Scholes should flourish in Italy or Spain. Even as a Man United fan, I think that it would be for the good of the national side if these two went abroad at some time. Finally, I would like to congratulate Macca for regaining his place at Real after being treated despicably, and add that he is a big favourite of their fans. If you have any thoughts on this topic, why not e-mail me?  

MONDAY, 18TH DECEMBER, 2000

Click here to view the Football Dreams League Cup progress. After the semis, only one team is sure of a place in the final, with the other tie set for a replay in mid-January.  

SUNDAY, 17TH DECEMBER, 2000

From Saturday, 19th December, 1998 to Sunday, 17th December, 2000, Man United were unbeaten at home in the Premiership. I'm gutted, especially as it was Liverpool. It's worth remembering the old cliché about records and the breaking of them, though. This unbeaten span of 36 home matches is still one short of the club record, set between April 1966 and March 1968. Today was also the first time in 41 home league games that we failed to score. I remember how, after 40 years, Fenerbahce became the first team to beat us at home in Europe. There was also that five month period of seeming invincibility in 1999 that included twice turning around 1 - 0 deficits in injury time, last minute equalisers and fluffed penalties when Arsenal, Inter, Juve and Bayern Munich all tried and failed to beat us. That glorious run also came to an end.

I'm not bitter. I just want Roma to annihilate Liverpool in the UEFA Cup, that's all. I'm more worried about the visit of Ipswich (or the Tractor Boys) next Saturday, winners at Anfield and who are ahead of Liverpool in the league.  

SATURDAY, 9TH DECEMBER, 2000

More drama in the Football Dreams League! After being top at the start of October, Phil's Robin Hood and His Merry Men have slumped to fifth place, with Abbzonspor being the latest team to go ahead of them. Meanwhile, after getting off to a slow start in the league and crashing out of both cups, Thom's Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes are up to second. Thom won the Double last term and has assured me that he is confident of retaining his league title. Watch out Morgsomniacs!  

FRIDAY, 8TH DECEMBER, 2000

After weeks of negotiations and what seemed like a break down in the deal, I can announce that Chris Morgan's offer of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has been successful in acquiring Teddy Sheringham from Daniel's Bjorn and the Warnerbirds. I have enjoyed following the progress of this transfer and I hope that there will be more swap deals in the future. However, Daniel has also bluntly turned down my bid for Patrick Vieira in return for Sylvain Wiltord!  

WEDNESDAY, 6TH DECEMBER, 2000

The Champions League now takes a break until February, so in the meantime head on over to the Champion Fives pages.  

MONDAY, 4TH DECEMBER, 2000

See who is in control of the League Cup semi-final ties (and if any vital away goals have been scored) after the first legs.

  November
  SUNDAY, 26TH NOVEMBER, 2000

Daniel's Bjorn and the Warnerbirds have triumphed over Phil's Robin Hood and His Merry Men in their Football Dreams Cup First Round Replay. Click here for more info. I am also pleased to announce that I am November's Football Dreams Manager of the Month, with Abbzonspor accumulating 63 points over the month.

Today was also the day that Rio Ferdinand was unveiled as Leeds' new £18m centre half, a British transfer record and a world record for a defender. Personally, I think that £18m is a hugely inflated price for a defender who, really, is by no means the best defender in the Premiership.   

SATURDAY, 25TH NOVEMBER, 2000

Head on over to the League Cup page to see the draw for the semi-finals. The ties will be played over two legs next month.

Here's a nice bit of trivia, too: Iran 19 - 0 Guam was the score in a recent 2002 World Cup qualifier.  

TUESDAY, 21ST NOVEMBER, 2000

Football Dreams commenced its European adventure tonight as the Champions League entered the second group stage. Visit the Champion Fives page and take a look.  

MONDAY, 20TH NOVEMBER, 2000

Tonight's Coventry-Ipswich game (congratulations, Phil) rounded off the Football Dreams Cup First Round. Adrian may be last by some distance in the league but Unknown are in the semis of both cups now after completing a remarkable double success over Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes, managed by Thom. To see who won the grudge match (you know what I mean) and which tie has gone to a replay, click here.  

SUNDAY, 19TH NOVEMBER, 2000

Having sold Michael Bridges and Stephen McPhail for Niall Quinn and Ian Taylor respectively, I have also placed Sylvain Wiltord on the transfer list. Remember, if there are any players in your team that you want to sell but can't find a replacement for, then putting them on the transfer list is a good move. Click here if you would like to use this feature of the game, or here if you would like to buy Sylvain Wiltord.

I have also added a link to the UEFA Cup Web site in the Real Life section.  

SATURDAY, 18TH NOVEMBER, 2000

United rode their luck and squandered chances but we beat City 1 - 0 in the end. Strangely, the after match music at Maine Road was 'I'm Still Standing' by Sir Elton John. I'm sure that Olly would have approved. What a match the Northeast derby was as well!  

SATURDAY, 11TH NOVEMBER, 2000

The draw for the Football Dreams Cup First Round has been made. The draw is entirely random and there are no keeping apart of teams (as with the Champions League) but two ties are repeats of League Cup games. Both games had shock results previously and so revenge will be the order of the day. There is, however, one grudge match. Click here to see the draw in full.  

WEDNESDAY, 8TH NOVEMBER, 2000

As I recover from that heart stopping moment when the Dynamo Kyiv player missed from six yards, I would like to announce the beginning of the Football Dreams Champion Fives competition. Thom, Phil, Olly and I are competing (due to last season's league standings). The basic idea is to pick a five-a-side team from the following teams that are through to the last sixteen of Europe's wealthiest club competition:  

Arsenal FC (ARS) Eng
Deportivo la Coruna (DLC) Spa
FC Bayern Munchen (BM) Ger
Galatasaray SK (GAL) Tur
Leeds United AFC (LEE) Eng
Manchester United FC (MU) Eng
Milan AC (MIL) Ita
Olympique Lyonnais (OL) Fra
Panathinaikos FC (PAN) Gre
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Fra
Real Madrid CF (RM) Spa
RSC Anderlecht (AND) Bel
S.S. Lazio (LAZ) Ita
SK Sturm Graz (GRA) Aut
Spartak Moscow (SM) Rus
Valencia CF (VAL) Spa

  October
  TUESDAY, 31ST OCTOBER, 2000

I want to congratulate the Football Association for getting Sven-Goran Eriksson as England coach. I heard Gordon Taylor of the PFA say that 'it smacked of desperation' to appoint a foreign coach ahead of an English one. That's exactly the trouble! England are a diminishing force in world football and our coaches are, in the vast majority, un qualified, inexperienced and, most significantly, useless. In my opinion, those who said that only English coaches should have been considered obviously either do not realise how bad England are or want us to fail for the sake of pride. Eriksson has proven himself in Sweden, Portugal and Italy, winning countless trophies, and should turn England around.

I'd also like to add what a pleasant experience it is, as a Man United fan, to be in the Worthington Cup Fourth Round!  

SUNDAY, 29TH OCTOBER, 2000

To go with the talk about the new England manager on the site, I am proud to present Phil's new column. Go and have a read. Where else can you read about feet, pencils and the Swahili nation in one place? The column is out of date in one way, though - Phil is no longer top of the Football Dreams League, Chris Morgan is. In fact, Morgsomniacs have amassed 125 points this month and so Chris Morgan is the Football Dreams Manager of the Month for October.  

SATURDAY, 21ST OCTOBER, 2000

Chris Morgan's Morgsomniacs have sensationally taken the league lead today with a lot of help from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's four goals against Coventry. After Thom literally led from the first to the last weekend last season, and I led from early September onwards in 1998/1999, this is the latest change of lead in Football Dreams history! Olly is now up to fifth and is challenging Thom for fourth position, despite being last this time last week, and Adrian now props up the league table after leading it after the first weekend back in August. Amazing!  

SUNDAY, 15TH OCTOBER, 2000

Chris Morgan has e-mailed me to say that he thinks that the England team should be run by an English manager and that Terry Venables is the only man for the job.

I'd like to add that, although I would still give the job to Arsene Wenger, as it seems that he's out of the running, I would offer the post to Roy Hodgson, who proved himself with Switzerland, Internazionale and Blackburn Rovers (he did get them into Europe, remember).  

WEDNESDAY, 11TH OCTOBER, 2000

Finland, FINLAND I SAY! They may have quality players like Hyypia and Litmanen but they're not world beaters, are they? This 0 - 0 draw should at least prove to the F.A. that England are on a severe downward spiral, and save us from Wilkinson and his bizarre substitutions (or lack of, in the case of Owen), but it also means we're probably looking at the play-offs at best.

Please note that I have put Michael Bridges on the Transfer List.  

TUESDAY, 10TH OCTOBER, 2000

Chris Morgan has asked me to express my views on who should be the new England manager:

Firstly, I can honestly say that I never thought that Keegan should have been given the job and I said at the time that I would give it to Peter Taylor because of his good work with the U-21s. Where was the logic in appointing Keegan as England boss anyway? He has never won a major trophy and has no coaching qualifications. Now that Taylor is at Leicester, however, the F.A. have missed their chance and, in my opinion, there are no obvious candidates to take over. Terry Venables and Bobby Robson have coached England before and we need to look to the future, while Howard Wilkinson, Brian Robson and John Gregory are unsuitable for various reasons. This is why I would give the job to Arsene Wenger (Arsenal are willing to let the F.A. talk to him). I disagree with Bobby Charlton's thoughts on foreign coaches because it's about time we realised that we have a mediocre national side and that pride is a pathetic excuse for not considering someone who could rebuild our side. Wenger has a vast knowledge of football and the English game, has won the Double with Arsenal and commands respect within the sport. He could turn England around like he turned the Gunners around when they were flagging. The English Peter Taylor could then take the reigns for the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. We can't afford to waste talents like Beckham, Scholes, Joe Cole and Sol Campbell because of naive coaching.

Now you've read my rant, if you'd like to make a comment yourself on this subject e-mail me here and I will be happy to put your ideas in the news section.  

SATURDAY, 7TH OCTOBER, 2000

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. England's national team must surely be going through one of its worst periods ever now. Losing to Germany in Wembley's swansong is bad enough, but the gutless performance was terrifying. Now we stumble on to Finland without a coach. Disgraceful.

  September
  SATURDAY, 30TH SEPTEMBER, 2000

Unfortunately, I still can't publish the site. I apologise for the inconvenience but, don't worry, I will go elsewhere to publish the site if Tripod's service does not improve. Football Dreams will carry on!

Phil has also clinched the £1 prize for the Football Dreams Manager of the Month for September with 64 points.  

SUNDAY, 17TH SEPTEMBER, 2000

The Football Dreams League Cup First Round concluded today with interesting results. Phil, the league leader, was thrashed by Daniel's Bjorn and the Warnerbirds, while last season's Double winner, Thom, fell again at the first hurdle in the League Cup, this time being defeated by Unknown, managed by last season's last placed manager in the league, Adrian. My team, Abbzonspor, beat Morgsomniacs despite being last in the league, and Olly must be congratulated for beating Chris Ferry's Escosse United, meaning that he has now won some prize money after winning nothing last term. View the results in full here to see how the 50p winnings were won or lost. The semi-final draw is on Saturday, 25th November.  

SATURDAY, 9TH SEPTEMBER, 2000

The Football Dreams League Cup gets under way next weekend and the first round draw has been made. View it here to see who you will have to pit your team's goalscoring prowess against.  

SATURDAY, 2ND SEPTEMBER, 2000

England gained a creditable 1 - 1 draw against France tonight. Credit must be given to Keegan for experimenting with a player just behind a lone striker. I honestly said before the line-up was announced that I would play Cole up front with Scholes just behind. In my opinion, Paul Scholes could become one of the world's best ever players, and he started off as a striker. As well as this, teams like Portugal also play 4-5-1, as that player between midfield and attack produces the dilemma of whether a midfielder or defender should mark him. Successful examples of players in this position include Eric Cantona for Man United and Teddy Sheringham for England.

  August
  THURSDAY, 31ST AUGUST, 2000

Following the Bellamygate Scandal, I have decided that no manager may have first refusal on a player so as to prevent this sort of confusing incident from happening again. See the team changes rules.  

WEDNESDAY, 30TH AUGUST, 2000

Olly found out today that Thom has bought Craig Bellamy. At the time, he was still not trying to buy Bellamy and he was not too annoyed. I imagine that the incidents of the last few days could be christened the 'Bellamygate Scandal'.   

SUNDAY, 27TH AUGUST, 2000

Craig Bellamy has been snapped up by Thom today for his Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes team. Olly had asked for first refusal on Bellamy when he signed for Coventry during the week before the first weekend of the Premiership. However, the only reason that I accepted was because Bellamy still had to pass a medical when he inquired about him, but after three games and two goals, Olly had yet to confirm whether he would or would not buy Bellamy. I thought that it was unfair to prolong this situation so when Thom said he definitely wanted Bellamy, I accepted his bid.

With no more Premiership games this month, Phil has made up for losing the Super Cup Final by leading the Football Dreams League after August's games and so collecting the first £1 Football Dreams Manager of the Month prize for Robin Hood and His Merry Men's 59 points. Congratulations, Phil!

Finally, I have placed Stephen McPhail on the Transfer List following my team's embarrassingly slow start to the season.  

SUNDAY, 20TH AUGUST, 2000

The Football Dreams Super Cup Final was decided today because, although Arsenal and Liverpool play tomorrow, they both played on Saturday. Therefore, the first honour of the season goes to last season's Double winner, Thom, with Nin Huugen and the Huugen Notes beating Phil's Robin Hood and His Merry Men 23 - 12.  

SATURDAY, 19TH AUGUST, 2000

It's back! Yes, the Premiership started today and so did the new Football Dreams season. In the Premiership, Charlton thumped Man City and Arsenal lost their way at Sunderland but, for me, the biggest surprise of the opening day was Alen Boksic's two goals for Middlesbrough against Coventry. Those goals just about doubled the number of league goals that he's got over the past two seasons, but will he prove to be worth £63,000 a week? As for Football Dreams, I won't spoil the first league table and squad info of the new season for you, but there's a major shock in the team that is top at the moment.  

SUNDAY, 13TH AUGUST, 2000

For the third time running now, Man United have lost the Charity Shield and so I'm a bit annoyed, especially as De Goey had no serious saves to make. Anyway, the last two seasons went on to be fantastic after losing the season curtain raiser, and the Premiership starts on Saturday.

  Close Season
  WEDNESDAY, 9TH AUGUST, 2000

What an auction! In three hours of shouting, mocking and deception, all eight managers filled their 16-man squads with the players that they think will give them the points needed to succeed. Chris Morgan paid a Football Dreams record fee of £20m for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, while other interesting prices included the £12m that Thom paid for Ade Akinbiyi and the meagre £1m that Phil had to shell out for David Beckham. Now everything is ready for 19th August and the start of the season and the squads can be viewed on the site. However, there can be no substitutions or transfers until the first game of the season.  

SATURDAY, 5TH AUGUST, 2000

The auction is nearly here and, as the tension mounts, the auction preview that I talked about is ready and waiting to be read. It's got some info on the players to look out for and some tactical tips as well.  

THURSDAY, 3RD AUGUST, 2000

Thanks to the 2000/2001 Season Preview in the September issue of FourFourTwo, the Real Life page now has links to nearly all of the 92 English league clubs' official Web sites. Why not the whole 92? Some still don't have official sites. Amazingly, though, Nationwide new boys Kidderminster Harriers do have an official site and there's a link on the page.  

MONDAY, 31ST JULY, 2000

Behold Phil's Punditry! As promised, Phil has written a column for the Web site which, here's hoping, will be the first of several this season if he can spare the time. Go and have a read.  

SUNDAY, 30TH JULY, 2000

Sorry, but the Player List has been radically altered again and a lot of players have moved positions, been added or been deleted. This is because today's edition of The Sunday Times had a list of the players available for its fantasy football game that it runs with Fantasy League. This is what I needed so as to be sure of the Player List's accuracy and means that there should be no more overhauls of the list. I recommend that you take a look at the Player List and print out a copy some time to take to the auction on Wednesday 9th August. E-mail me at footballdreams@another.com to let me know that you can go.  

THURSDAY, 27TH JULY, 2000

The Transfer List page is now ready. There's been a lot of work on the site this week and the only major thing missing now is Phil's page, which should be appearing soon. There will also be an auction preview to come.  

WEDNESDAY, 26TH JULY, 2000

Don't laugh, but the new season is now fast approaching - Scotland start at the weekend, and we've already got the Intertoto Cup going on. We start on 19th August when the Premiership starts so you may want to view the season calendar that I've just finished for the dates of the cup draws and so on. When I know of other dates (such as concerning the Champions League), I will put them on the calendar - keep checking!  

TUESDAY, 25TH JULY, 2000

As with the pages on the Football Dreams competitions, the framework of the squads pages is now finished, although these pages will not be published until we have had the auction.  

MONDAY, 24TH JULY, 2000

The links page is finished and contains links to my favourite Web sites. I've heard that it's rude not to put a links page on a site, so that's why I've included one, not because my site's rubbish or that I want you to leave! Anyway, after exploring all that the Football Dreams Web site has to offer, you can now stroll over to the Links section and continue your surfing.   

SUNDAY, 23RD JULY, 2000

After I uploaded the site earlier today, I completed the frame for the pages on the Football Dreams competitions and also tweaked the competition rules. The main development in the rules is the possibility of cup-tied players in the two cups and the Champion Fives - click the link and all will be revealed.  

SUNDAY, 23RD JULY, 2000

The site was published again today and so the developments of the past week can now be viewed in all their glory. The rules are finished and are on the site, while the Player List was revised as well.  

TUESDAY, 18TH JULY, 2000

The Player List has been changed quite a bit today after I compared the original Premiership squads that I got from CarlingNet with those that I got from the official Web sites of the Premiership clubs (incidentally, there is now a link to every Premiership team's official Web site on the Real Life page). Head on over to the Player List to see the changes - I recommend that you do this quite regularly anyway on your visits as I aim to keep the list up-to-date and so it will change regularly.  

MONDAY, 17TH JULY, 2000

I finished the rules section today. Please look at it at some stage - remember that you can save money on your phone bill by just downloading the page and then reading it offline later on. Having a Football Dreams Web site means that everyone can have easy access to the rules and so can understand how the game works a bit better. View the rules here or click the link on the navigation bar at the top of the page.  

SUNDAY, 16TH JULY, 2000

AN APOLOGY: I've updated the site today but not much has changed because I'm in the process of building different parts of the site, of which most are unfinished. For example, the rules section is partly done but I want to publish it when it's finished. The Real Life section has changed the most and there are more links. Expect more, though.

However, Football Dreams managers, a preliminary date for the auction has been set for WEDNESDAY 9TH AUGUST AT 10:30 A.M.. This is quite a way off as yet but please e-mail me here to tell me if you can or can not make it so that I can revise the date if need be. The auction will be at the same place as it has always been but is now in the morning instead of the afternoon. This earlier start means that we should not have to rush and frees up the rest of the day. Contact me, though, if it's too early. Finally, look out for my auction preview that is to be on the site soon.  

SUNDAY, 9TH JULY, 2000

Here, as promised, is the Football Dreams Web site! Unfortunately, the site is not finished but there is enough to make your stay worthwhile in the build-up to the season's start on 19th August. Please explore the site fully (it won't take long) so that you know where everything will be when it is added (keep checking here to keep up to date with the site's development). When the site is finished and the season is underway, expect comprehensive coverage of Football Dreams III in terms of competitions, squads, rules and much more, even the views of our very own pundit.

The date for the player auction has still to be confirmed but managers can head over to the Player List to get some ideas for the players they will be interested in buying. Watch this space for the auction date.

The main thing about this site is that it will make the game better and more enjoyable to play for the Football Dreams managers. I hope that it will be a total success but I need your help by visiting the site regularly, please.