Batley 32 Swinton 16
Dewsbury 24 Leigh 18
Fev 44 Barrow 22
Sheffield 20 Rochdale 20

Bbq-48

Don't thank me, the League Leaders' Shield is yours by merit - and should have been awarded a coupla months ago.

Well done & Bravo. After your accounts of your times in Blackpool, here is the clap you so richly deserve (apologies to Sir Les Patterson):

[uCHAMPIONSHIP PLAY- OFFS ROUND-UP[/u

Only two games and a Slimcea Girl scoring system. Bongser knew that he had a lot on his plate (though he didn’t realise just how much!) and so he adopted the Special K approach (for “Grown-Ups that haven’t and who’d rather not grow any more!”)

Tools 44-6 York

Wanderer was conspicuous by his absence. All others went for a Crapaud victory for five points apiece.

Leigh 18-34 Fev

Eight of the faithful remained so and zilched. Budge proffered his apologies and collected 5 pieces of silver. The now present Wanderer made a not so poor tactical decision and also collected the five.

WWB? Zillers for doubling everybody else’s score with a breathtaking TEN points. A further 25 to him.

All of which means:

RANKINGS:

Vandaman 2,324
Wanderer 2,110
Bongser 1,802
Zools 1,777
Chazzer 1,716
EVVO 1,648
Pubbers 1,642
Chayders 1,618
‘Tommers 1,244
Zillers 371

A disappointing end to the season for Leigh and a great big anticlimax on WPL. Apart from the two remaining time capsules there would be nothing left to score, Bongser thought.

6 Cats out of 10 preferred it didn't end there......

[uWHISKAS ROUND ROUND-UP:[/u

[url=https://imgbb.com/[/url

Even though Bongser was not in the herd, he is running with it – democracy in action. General Election on the 12th of next month. The way things have been, were Bongser to be a returning officer, a local MP would take his/her seat in around March.

Two Semi-Finals to deal with and readers, after this extended advert break, may need a reminder of the outcomes:

York 4-30 Fev
Trannies 40-24 Tools

Of the six cats present, Zools & Budge called one correct winner (5 points apiece), Vanners & EVVO called the twain (10pts), a feat matched by Pubbers & Wanderer that furthermore both nailed the margin in the Trannies/Tools dust-up (20pts). A further 25 point WWB to each of the latter-mentioned pair.





Let’s see how that affects the swingometer:

Vandaman 2,334
Wanderer 2,155
Bongser 1,802
Zools 1,782
Chazzer 1,716
Pubbers 1,687
EVVO 1,658
Chayders 1,618
‘Tommers 1,244
Zillers 376

With a lead of 179 points, but with the final time capsules still offering 330 possible points, it is not yet time for Vanners to take a plane to Buck House and to ask HM ERII to allow an ex-pat to become her new Champion.

It would seem that, in Hong Kong, the Chinese have just held an election.



More later......

Bongser has today (off work with busted slats) been roaming through all our yesterdays on this thread. There he read that someone called Bongser (who he?) had stated that the play-offs would be a whole distinct comp. Too late - the results stand. The low scoring in the one and a half rounds doesn't change anybody positionally. But this is for Budge.

Joint First on 50 points were The Publican & Wanderer
Bronze medal (he by now knows it's not real) on 40 points was Budgiezilla.








Bongser was one of a few to share the imaginary 'Spoons voucher

[uFINAL TIME CAPSULES:[/u

Nearly there!

On the 31st of January you were all (save Budge who was not at that point participating) cordially invited to predict:

e) Which team will win The Grand Final? (100pts)
f) Who will be Man of Steel 2019? (100pts)

The same questions were posed just before Easter, this time for 50 & 80 points respectively.

Initially nobody foresaw Jackson Hastings being awarded Man of Steel* and one hundred points went up the Suwannee for all. So the defending Champion’s title now had a Donnyclesian sword hanging above it by a single human hair. Dum...dum...dooooom!

(* Apart from two Salford lads – do William Hill have a PR department? £23G is a paltry amount to that company. Bongser hopes that they lose a thousand times that in revenue for the bad publicity they invited by welching on the bet. They’ll get away with their technicality legally, but morally, no. Commercially, hopefully not.)

Easter came and the late, less than great, Mike Reid introduced us to a retro game of Runaround. Many changed their choice of Man of Steel. Everybody still zilched out.

That means that with a game to spare we have a new Champion Elect!

Saints won the GF. A January 100 points to six (Chayders, Atomic & Wanderer opting for Warrington).

Easter saw only CL playing Runaround by switching to the even more Scousers. Thus 50 points for seven of us.

And (never start a sentence with “And”) so, without further ado but with full Sunday names we go to the Final

[uJOSEPH ARTHUR BARON RANK[/u-INGS:

Vancouver Leyther 2,484
Wanderer 2,155
Bent & Bongser 1,912
Zulu01 1,932
Charlie Caroli 1,866
The Publican 1,837
EVVO 1,808
Cheadle Leyther 1,668
Atomic 1,244
Budgiezilla 376

Thanks to all that competed and kept Bongser entertained whilst he, hopefully, kept you entertained until he ran into a brick wall – those dashed builders.

Special mention should go to Budge. He joined in in the latter stages knowing that he could only win at best the wooden spoon. Very sporting! Sorry Zillers, the wooden spoon is as imaginary as the heritage badge.

Also a mention in dispatches to Wanderer who put up a spirited and valiant defence of his title but just fell short and slipped into second place. They say (who are these bloody people that say “these” things) that back-to-back Championships are the hardest. Bravo!



This year’s Champion (as those of you that can read a league table already may surmise) is therefooooore......