2021/22 Prediction League - Happy Anniversary

[Div3North]

The Accrington Stanley Prediction League

2021/22 Prediction League Game 5

Believe it or believe it not, this week's game represents the 500th League match played by the Stanley during Chimer's and my tenure as compiler and recorder of the World-Famous Prediction League

If that sound like a lot, it is; I've lost count of the times I've fallen asleep over my keyboard at silly o-clock in the morning trying to finish the opener so that I could start the match thread while people still had time to enter before kick off (and some of you - you know who you are - have tried to enter a prediction during the half time oranges!)

The first game we posted (put up 1st August 2010, played 7th August 2010) was Accie at home to Aldershot ............ we had 61 entries ............ the opening post (my bit of all this) extended to 293 words, mentioned who the opponents had signed, how we'd done against them in the past, and had no Characters (Hereward the Wake Up it's 4.30 hadn't been unearthed then, nor You Fat Bastard, nor dozens of others, recurring or transient) and not a single joke .............. The game finished as a Goalless Desmond, by the way, but that designation wasn't invented for a few seasons ........... Boring? You'd better believe ........ no whimsy, no flights of nonsensical fantasy, no characters (real or otherwise), no running gags, no leg-pulls

Ten full seasons at 46 games; one Covid season at 35 games; and Game 5 of season 12 ............. 500. Hands up if you can claim to have read all the openers, because if you have, you could pass an exam in Historical Facts and Bits of Nonsense, some songs, the odd poem ............ one day (when I'm terminally bored) I'll go back and make a list of all the people who've had a mention in the threads - and it's a very lot!

61 entries back then, 28 players so far this season ........ but of those 28, a Magnificent 17 played in our first season and are still with us (or back again); actually, it would have been 29 players and 18 from Day One had we not, so sadly, lost Bernard (Revived Red), because he was in Series One Episode One as well ............ and so, a Roll of Honour for those who span Game 1 to Game 500

Roll of Honour

Chimer
Me
Stanleyhouse
Leylandii
Nige B
Tommy McQueen
Football 19
DaveInGermany
Valairian
AccyMad
Outback Ozzy
Cashman
mab
Ossy Kid
Mike A
Shurm
LongLostSon
and Revived Red

Thank you for your continuing support, your company, and your input - without you, it would just have been two Sad Bast*rds at opposite ends of the country who Need To Get Out More ... and Long May the Prediction League Reign; I bet no-one's got a better one than ours!

Jeff
pp Chris

[Exile on Spencer St]

Thanks to both you, Jeff, and Chris.
I’m not a regular player, unless the VGofF demand, but always read and enjoy your openers and Chimer’s summary of the results.
Lang may yer lum reek, or not if you’re in a smokeless zone.

[cashman]

its real good craic and interesting also in my opinion ta very much fellas.

[VALAIRIAN]

I think both of you know my feeling on this

Thanks for all the great opening and the results/table ending

It is a real pity that the entries are down by 50%, as - like Cashy says - it makes great reading and is loads of fun

Take care Gents

[Outback Ozzy]

Thank you both for continuing to challenge us with your little starters for 10. I didn't realise I had made this prestigious Role of Honour, but proud to be a member of it.
Once again thanks for running this again.

[Div3North]

Originally Posted by Outback Ozzy

Thank you both for continuing to challenge us with your little starters for 10. I didn't realise I had made this prestigious Role of Honour, but proud to be a member of it.
Once again thanks for running this again.

You predicted a 4-2 win for Stanley

[DaveinGermany]

Cheers lads, appreciate the time & effort you put into it all week after week, season for season, especially the dodgy humour & dubious facts!

[Shurm]

Thanks for taking the time to do it all

[Chimer]

Well I'll take your Roll of Honour and add Kiwi John and Tom D ........

and being pedantic , Mab didn't play in 10/11, we haven't seen Football19 for the last two seasons, Valairian took a few seasons off classing himself as too closely related to the club to "bet", Stanleyhouse was missing from 13/14 to 19/20 inclusive, and Shurm from 12/13 to last season, apart from a cameo 8 goes in 15/16.

But I'm sure the real reason you started this thread was so some sucker would look back through the figures and announce that the person who has played the most games out of the 499 to date was .......

you

with 496, followed by the other Men (and AccyMad ) for all Seasons as follows:

Nige B (492), Outback Ozzy (491), Mike A (490), Cashman (489), Ossy Kid (487), Me (486), Leylandii (481), Kiwi John (479), Revived Red (RIP, 476), DaveinGermany (462), Tom D (442), AccyMad (420), LongLostSon (399) and Tommy McQueen (394).

More silly stats will doubtless follow when our reign comes to an end

[Div3North]

Hi Chris

I’m delighted to add Kiwi and Tom D to the Roll. I think you’ve taken Season 1, whereas I took Season 1 Game 1

And I had no idea I was the most common entrant

[Chimer]

Originally Posted by Div3North

Hi Chris

I’m delighted to add Kiwi and Tom D to the Roll. I think you’ve taken Season 1, whereas I took Season 1 Game 1

And I had no idea I was the most common entrant

Ahhh - you started at the very beginning, a very good place to start ...

[Div3North]

Originally Posted by Chimer

and being pedantic , Mab didn't play in 10/11, we haven't seen Football19 for the last two seasons, Valairian took a few seasons off classing himself as too closely related to the club to "bet", Stanleyhouse was missing from 13/14 to 19/20 inclusive, and Shurm from 12/13 to last season, apart from a cameo 8 goes in 15/16.

I agree with all that (I knew people had dropped out and come back) and you’re right about F19; who hasn’t played this year ... sorry, F

But mab entered a 2-1 win prediction (there’s a surprise) v Aldershot in 2010: page 200, five threads up from the bottom, post number 8

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by Div3North

And I had no idea I was the most common entrant

Indubitably, Common as Muck ...... or so I've heard (plus I've actually met you too! )

[Chimer]

Originally Posted by Div3North

But mab entered a 2-1 win prediction (there’s a surprise) v Aldershot in 2010: page 200, five threads up from the bottom, post number 8

And 43 further entries that season - no idea how I missed seeing him first time around. Which contributes to a revised grand total of 481 entries and lifts him to equal 8th with Leylandii on my list.

As you've frequently said, you just can't get the staff ......