As I mentioned already, the site that will be running our Fantasy Football competition will be www.premierleague.com.
Last season's teams and stats are still available in their respective pages.
For those of you who find it difficult to navigate yourself to the site, you can click here. It is very important that you put your real name down, or I will simply delete your team later.
Simply follow the onscreen instructions and register your details.
You must agree to the terms and conditions, before selecting a team strip (I know, it's pointless) and a team name (keep rude thoughts to yourselves, please).
Then, and only then, you can begin to choose your team. Read the Rules for more details as to point scoring, transfer systems, and general tips before choosing your squad if you want.
You can then join the mini-league that has been created by Yours Truly. The code will be given to you as soon as you have paid your £2 entry fee to myself.
And then that's it! It's time to pray that your strikers don't enjoy a Heskey-style drought, or your defenders to be as instinctive as Pascal Cygan. May the best man win.
RULES
1. Picking your team:
You have to pick a 15 men squad. This MUST consist of 2 goalkeepers, 5 defenders, 5 midfielders and 3 forwards.
You then have to select an 11 men team. This team can consist any combination of positions, with the only obligation being the single goalkeeper.
Players can only play in their designated positions. So Dave, Bjornebye can't be a striker, not that he plays for Blackburn still anyway.
If you don't choose a team the computer will automatically choose one from the players you have selected for your squad.
You cannot choose more than 3 players from the same team.
2. Captain:
You will have to select a captain, who will score double points for your team.
3. Deadlines:
You will have to enter your team by, usually, 30 minutes before the first game on Saturday. The team will then be unchanged for the rest of the week. You do not have to enter the team every week, because if you do not change the team, the team last week will automatically be entered.
4. Scoring:
Points are scored as follows: All players:
For any appearance +1
For any appearance more than 60 minutes +2 (includes forementioned points)
For each assist +3
For each penalty save +5
For each penalty miss -2
For making 'an excellent performance' (according to Opta Stats) +3
For each booking -1
For each sending off -2 Goalkeepers:
For making 3 saves +1 Goalkeepers and defenders:
For scoring a goal +6
For not conceding a goal and playing for 60 minutes +4
For every 2 goals condeded -1 Midfielders:
For scoring a goal +5
For not conceding a goal and playing for 60 minutes +2 Forwards:
For scoring a goal +4
4. Transfers:
Each week you can make 1 transfer for free. Every transfer after that is made at the cost of 4 points.
Players prizes can fluctuate throughout the season. So you can potentially lose money on a player (aka Stan Collymore syndrome) or make a profit (aka how Wimbledon has survived up to now tactics).
However, when you make a profit, there is a 'selling on fee', whereby you only receive half the profits. For example, if you buy a player at £3.0m and you sell him eventually at £4.0m, you will only receive £3.5m when you sell him.
All figures are rounded to the nearest tenth.
5. Miscellenous
A player will only score points in FA Barclaycard Premiership matches.
If a player is transferred from a Premiership club to another Premiership club, and that exceeds your quota of 3 from the same club, you must make transfers in order to fulfil that rule.
If a player leaves the Premiership he will cease scoring for you. (duh!)
Automatic substitutions are in place whereby a player on the bench will automatically come on if one of your team does not make any part of an appearance that week. You can change the substitute order if you wish.
6. Fees and Prizes:
The entry fee to this competition is £2.
The money generated will be put forward for prizes at the end of the season. There will be a prize for the first few places. Details will be released as soon as numbers for the competition are finalised.
There will be a trophy for the winner of this season's competition.