Pilkington fantasy football

If you haven’t signed up for the Pilkington Fantasy Football League 2006/07 yet then here’s your reminder to get in on the action. The Premiership kicks off on August 19 so time is running out for you to register your dream team

Pilkington Building Products – UK and Glass Age have teamed up again to launch the 2006/07 Fantasy Football competition. Transfer talk is rife and with the World Cup over, Premiership managers are getting out their cheque books to sign some of the best players the game has to offer. The league may see some World Cup winners gracing the pitch, with managers buying up players from the Italian league to save them playing in Serie B. And you will have the chance to pick from a bunch of new faces at a fraction of the price.

The competition is completely free to play and is an exclusive and fun game for all those who work in the glass and glazing industry. Are you more of a head coach or a manager? Do you model yourself on Arsene Wenger or more like hairdryer Ferguson? Controlled like Mourinho or animated like Manchester City’s Stuart Pearce? Now’s the time to find out – and put your managerial expertise up against colleagues, customers and suppliers.

If the transfers passed you by in a hub of World Cup madness, make sure you do your research and pick wisely. Jose Mourinho’s shopping list seems long but that hasn’t bothered Uncle Abramovich, and the Chelsea manager has been working his way through it like a kid in a sweet shop. As well as German captain Michael Ballack and striker supremo Andriy Sheveckenko, he has also invested in Solomon Kalou and is trying to ditch Robert Huth.

Fellow Londoners Tottenham Hotspur have snapped up Dimitar Berbatov from Bayer Leverkusen and Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora. Liverpool have signed Welsh bad-boy Craig Bellamy, Everton have taken Andy Johnson and Emile Heskey has traded in Birmingham for Wigan Athletic. New boys Reading have signed Seol Ki-Hyeon from Wolves and Blackburn Rovers have strengthened their strike force with Francis Jeffers and Jason Roberts. The transfers will continue to come thick and fast though, so keep an eye on their movements over the coming weeks, not just Peter Crouch’s robot dance.

Points mean prizes

Remember, points mean prizes. The top manager with the most points throughout the season will win a trip for two to any sporting event of their choice*, and who knows maybe Wembley Stadium will finally be finished by then. The top dog will be treated to a corporate hospitality package courtesy of Pilkington, but it doesn’t stop there. Pilkington has sorted out eight monthly prizes, so even though you may be a way off the league leaders, if you rake in the most points that month you could be walking off with the coveted manager of the month award, and Marriott Hotel vouchers to the value of £300**.

To keep the competition fierce players can set up their own mini-leagues as well as competing in the main game. Invite your colleagues and networks of customers to play and challenge them to a battle of wits and managerial expertise. It’s quick and easy to do but remember pride is at stake and Monday mornings may never be the same again. To make things even more interesting you could decide on some internal prizes to make sure everyone is in it until the end. Challenge work mates in your office or branches throughout the country.

Decision time

So it’s decision time. All you have to do is pick your dream players and a manager that will pull in the points for you week on week. But the money doesn’t stretch as far as you think and you’ll have to be ruthless. Of course formations will need to be looked at. Are you a classic 4-4-2 kind of person or are three strikers more your cup of tea? There’s time to mull it over before August 19. From then on you’ll have five transfers a month.

So pick carefully and log onto www.pilkington.co.uk/fantasyfootball or call the fantasy football hotline on 01744 692000 for more details. Good luck and remember to challenge your workmates for manager of the company.