Tensixty Walk It!

by Paul Price, SPFA Times Chief Football Reporter.

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So season 9 of the Lineker Gameworld comes to a close and it's Daz Hargreaves' FC Tensixty who take the honour of winning the extremely difficult SPFA Premiership. In a league that boasts four top ten sides, Tensixty won the league comfortably, with last seasons winners Emerson Park F.C. their closest challengers a full 15 points behind. The key to the great success Hargreaves has achieved this season is to be put down to the sides excellent team effort, with everyone from the goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to the 40 goal partnership of Bojan and Maxim Choupo-Moting contributing consistently to the cause. Although finishing behind only one side, fans of Emerson Park will be blaming their sides lack of a title challenge on the sale of two of their stars. Erik Noorlander and Mamadou Sakho both departed the club in the first half of the season, and although the club received a total of £7m from the transfers, fans will be wondering why no replacements were signed. The final Gold Cup place goes to Atletico Beer Barrel, who actually won the competition this season after an agonisingly close game against Firefly Athletic. After missing out on the league title for two seasons running now Dan Taylor is said to be shaking up his squad during pre season and signing some fresh faces, which could mean an end to Philippe Mexes' six season stint at the club.

The Tangerine Candyfloss will be disappointed with their finishing position, their lowest ever in the Premiership since joining the SPFA. Despite pre season signings they struggled to keep up with the front runners. Beating Rob Barker's side to the three Silver Cup spots are Kev Kennedy's Mutt Ring Racers, Harry Woods' Parkside Renegades and Mark Benson's Viking Raiders.One of the stars of the Racers' campaign was striker Nilmar, who Kennedy has since placed on the transfer list. Although his best years are behind him, Nilmar will still be an excellent signing for most teams.

All the last day excitement this season was to be seen at the foot of the table, with no fewer than seven teams not knowing their fate at the start of play. The greatest achievement was to come from Kevin Morsley's White Riots, who at one point were deep in the relegation zone with just three games to play. They then went on to take seven points from those three games - all against fellow relegation rivals - and finish an unlikely tenth. With manager Matt Bennett on holiday, Blue Brigade FC were left in the hands of his assistant for their remaining eight games. Although only taking nine points from those fixtures, it was enough to see his side safe for another season in the top flight. With no remaining fixtures to play on the final day, Edible Flowers were forced to sit and watch everything unfold around them. Luckily for Phil Anderson FC Ballaghkeen went on an eight match losing streak and finished just one point behind the Flowers. Anderson will be looking for some new faces in pre season and has wasted no time in selling off some of his dead-weight.Also surviving on the final day was Steve Greens Greenking FC. Although looking fairly safe at the start of the day with three games to play, they finished up in 13th position after gaining just one point from those three games.After narrowly surviving the drop in the previous campaign, it was to be an unfortunately different ending this time around for Turnbullham Hotspurs. Many had them down as the favourites for survival, but it wasn't to be after gaining just six points from their final five games.