“Le Bris”:
So, who won?
Well…it’s a PASer who is, let’s say, very much from a good stock PAS family!
Letting the “this-is-how-to-win-a-league-title” weekly performances do the talking “on the pitch” whilst staying “humble” (anyone seen Pep around?!) & pitching in on our What’s App group (erm, the rest of youse are all on there, aren’t you?!) paid more than dividends.
Despite eventually winning by a decent margin, it became apparent quite early in the season that this was the closest season we’ve ever had…
And it was a close & very compacted season that included a raft of bizarre results, more post 90th minute goals than ever before & yet more tirades of abuse aimed at the much maligned & now handicapped Mr 2-0 <coughs> (So harsh!)
And, whilst the Gunners grind their way to the title (it will happen!!!) with their trust in the (Set Piece FC) process very much ensconced in the real world, our champion pretty much opted to emulate that same blueprint for their PAS victory!
Remember, this was a season where the whole Top Ten threatened to win it, but…
After all was said & done, no one really got that close to a tally that now goes into the Top Twenty (ermmm, with a bullet?), as the 12th “best winning score” ever!
To be perfectly frank, it was never really happening right up to the last Sunday of the season!
Our “Winter” champ started the season off at an “encouraging” 5th place with 30 points (a place behind me, btw!), before dropping to 14th in Week 2, only to leap 11 places to 3rd the next week with a season best score of 47 (5).
Week 4 saw a move up to 2nd secured – with Weeks 5 & 6 consolidating a berth in 3rd.
Week 7 heralded top slot for the first time!
However, after pride comes a fall – a season low of 17 (2) saw a drop to 3rd in Week 8, and further drama in Week 9 brought a slump to 7th.
Resilience kicked in for a weekly win in Week 10 – and also brought back pole position.
With the “determination” of a seasoned PAS pro, when really it mattered, all challengers were brushed aside in a remarkable performance of concentrated consistency!
Cos that’s where they stayed!
So, lords, ladies & gents, please be upstanding and doff your caps to our man in Norn Iron, Neil Templeton 372 (52) – He. Is. A. Winner!
After having to wrestle with the thought of his teenage daughter emulating her mum in winning the title, he overcame all the odds to secure his very first league trophy (well, an icon next to his name, innit!)
Whether some sort of leprechaun charm was deployed or it was just pure good fortune with bizarre scores thrown in, it will forever remain a mystery…
But there’ll be dancing on the streets of Belfast in the New Year – no doubt Ulster Frys washed down with lashings of the Black Stuff!
I get the feeling his Man Yoo bredren isn’t going to hear the end of this…(Olly O, turn your phone off fella!)
Fair play to ye Mr T, you can stand proud with David Holmes, C S Lewis, Katie Melua, Van Morrsion, Ruby Murray, Frank Carson, Colin Murray, Mary McAleese, George Best, David Healey, Norman Whitside & Alex Higgins for repping Linenopolis well : )
Slainte!
Neil won by a comprehensive 22 points from a vastly improved Lee Taylor in second place.
The other Mr T finished two points ahead of a Premier League stunned(?), Pete Britton, who nestled nicely into third spot.
PAS mirroring real life P?
Rich Lee was another mere 2 points behind in the not-too-shabby 4th berth (making him the toast of The Wirral!), with the oft Top Ten botherer Ben Hogwood 1 point shy in 5th.
Two points further back, proudly flying the “I’m A Championship Team Supporter Too” banner, Jonathas Moitas returned a fine finish in sixth spot.
QPR are gonna be in the play-offs, right, J?!
Just a single point back, Paul Vinson can reflect on a season finish near enough the same as last season, finishing in seventh, whilst in eighth place (only 2 points back) was the man from “Google Search Land”, Stefan Perry.
And, just one whole point behind him in 9th, across the seas (a lot of them) and into the southern hemisphere, was one of our loyal Aussie-dwelling contingent, Paul Carter!
Much closer to home (Woking in fact!), we find Simon Lindquist who just nicked it from the Stockport following Harry Hopper to finish 10th – courtesy of seven correct scores…that’s us southerners for ya H!
“El Maresca”:
Ermm, 30 points(!), and 98 places, separated our new champion from our wooden spoon “champion”, Leo Clarke 214 (19) in Week 1!
Ooof…
Starting in 103rd, the poor lad never really recovered.
Like a role model to rubbish rallying, it was up to 99th, then up again with a season best 27(2) to 97th , climbing & adding momentum to get to 91st (a season high!) before falling back to 96th.
Week 6, and it was as you are.
Week 7, it was 98th.
A drop to 99th happened next…where he stayed for two weeks
A brief rally up to 97th followed…
Week 11 saw him sink to the bottom thanks to a season low of 6(0) to match Week 1…
And there he stayed.
Week 13 capped off a miserable season, securing the wooden spoon by 13 points.
Dan H, Simon T, Dave N, & Mr 2-0 (ha!) made gallant efforts over the season to save young Leo’s blushes, but…
Spot Prizers
Ok, YOU have finished in these positions AND you HAVE WON those prizes!
Simon Lindsay on 13th, Olly Osmond on 17th, Norman Lee on 23rd, Darren McCarthy on 27th, Justin Corliss on 33rd, Andy Kelly on 39th, Neil Osborne on 42nd, David Murray on 45th, Ryan Graves on 57th, Danny Ashworth on 60th, Kate Slee on 65th, Stephen Peaston on 71st, Tim Payne on 78th, Graham Smith on 83rd, Anthony Ramadan on 89th, and Stuart Fitzsimon on 93rd – small victories, kids!
click here to view the full table & to see how much you won!
*** all prize money (less your entry fee!) will be winging its way over later this week– promise! Look out for that Monzo link notification on email/text/WA!***
PAS Champions League Knockout Stages 2025/26:
Congrats to our qualifiers, you got through tough group stages and now you have a chance to win some money!
Last Sixteen draw coming your way soon!
Dates for your (next year) diaries – PAS CL Weeks
Last 16 1st leg – Week 2
Last 16 2nd leg – Week 4
Quarter Finals 1st leg – Week 6
Quarter Finals 2nd leg – Week 8
Semi Finals 1st leg – Week 10
Semi Finals 2nd leg – Week 12
Final – the merry month of May (‘26)
PAS Cup 2026:
Congrats if you finished in the Top 32 (* hangs head in shame as “bottler” stigma sticks once again *) – you’re in the Cup. Magic!
Draw to follow…
Dates for your (next year) diaries – PAS Cup Weeks
1st Round – Week 3
Last 16 – Week 7
Quarter Finals – Week 9
Semi Finals – Week 13
Final – the merry month of May (‘26)
Other little bits
Pete Britton picks up £10 for getting the Best Weekly Score of the Season in Week 3 – 55 (6)
Mike Krasnowski picked up £10 for getting the Best Correct Score of the Season – Kazakhstan 1 Belgium 1.
And Another Thing:
Songs of 2025 have not been forgotten – I just can’t remember them all at the moment!
Remember, Spotify is the devil…
Plaudits
Thanks again to all for taking the time and bothering to play, we couldn’t do it without you!
And a final big thank you to Dave N & Dan H for providing all the behind-the-scenes tech stuff to enable another great (relatively glitch-free!) season…
Dan! You can go back to green on the site now – that team colour experiment didn’t really work, did it?!
See you in a few weeks PASers. (Actually, we go again on the weekend of February 6/7/8th 2026!)
Farewell then 2025…
Slainte & feliz ano novo!
Pab