Paddy's Fantasy League - AGM

[Paddy Flower]

It’s been a pleasing start to the league this year and I hope you’re all enjoying a bit of fun competition. What is vitally important to me though is YOUR feedback so I’m putting this thread in as suggestion box and discussion forum for how the league evolves in the long term and what if any changes we’re going to make for the start of 2011.

My vision - where I’d like to see the league going – is to have as many individual players as there are brass bands out there competing (and that’s a lot as you know) and these players filling all FIVE grades from Championship to Fourth Section with competitive promotion and relegation to keep everyone’s interest.

I’d also like for the league to be based on it’s own independent website. The more players we have the more time it takes me to administrate so once a site is up, running and over any initial teething problems it would make my life much easier. I’m confident in saying Paddy having his own site would in no way disadvantage this excellent forum. I have at least one prominent mod already playing in the league and I can assure them all that tMP would be guaranteed a FREE LINK AND ADVERTISING SPACE FOREVER, there, I’ve said it now.

The league’s players provide welcome opinions in the form of their bets which help me keep my markets on future contests both active and interesting and I hope that continues with more and more brassbanders getting involved.

As you can see I’ve opened up a few topics in additional posts on matters that I’m looking for opinions on and I’ll add a few more discussion topics as and when I think of them. So without any further ado, I declare this meeting open. Do I have a volunteer to take the minutes?

 

[Paddy Flower]

Changes to payout percentages

I’m thinking of making the number of pay-out places smaller and I would base this on how each-way betting is paid out for horse racing, so it would be payout on win only for anything up to 4 bands in a section, 2 places paying on 5-7, 3 places on 8-11 and so on.

Or are you all happy with how it is now, should I leave it alone?

 

[Paddy Flower]

Promotion/Relegation and section sizes for 2011

I’m thinking 40 players in each grade until we have 200+ members and then increase the grade sizes. 10 up, 10 down.

Any thoughts?

 

[Paddy Flower]

Recruitment

A new poster has been e-mailed to all members, but are there any graphic design geniuses that could help improve it for me?, I’d be very grateful

Any other suggestions to help with FREE publicity would be greatly appreciated too

 

[Paddy Flower]

Looking for a webmaster, Can you help?

As I stated in the opening post I’m keen to get the league onto it’s own site for TWO reasons, it would make my life easier as I have to individually log all bets and respond to league players, plus I think it would be an easier game to play and more people would be inclined to join if all they had to do was login to a site where they could make their bets immediately.

I’m fairly handy with spreadsheets and administration but I haven’t the first clue when it comes to domain names, site design and game design so I’m looking for help if anyone can offer it (PM or e-mail me if you like). I’m sure we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement, FREE advertising space and links for you business perhaps, or just get in-touch and let me know your terms.

 

[Paddy Flower]

Any other Business

Feedback and suggestions please on any aspect of the league not already covered in the other points

 

[sbandsman]

Feedback and suggestions please on any aspect of the league not already covered in the other points

This year has been an enjoyable way to have fun with contesting. Not taking anything away from this forums prediction centre it has in fact enhanced the way I look at the brass world:clap:

 

[COOL CORNET CAVE]

A new poster has been e-mailed to all members, but are there any graphic design geniuses that could help improve it for me?, I’d be very grateful

Any other suggestions to help with FREE publicity would be greatly appreciated too

I'll hav a go

 

[MoominDave]

As I stated in the opening post I’m keen to get the league onto it’s own site.

I wonder if it might be possible for you to stay under the tMP umbrella - to have your own subsection of the site? That way you'd avoid your concern about diverting traffic from tMP entirely.

 

[Kjata]

I’m thinking of making the number of pay-out places smaller and I would base this on how each-way betting is paid out for horse racing, so it would be payout on win only for anything up to 4 bands in a section, 2 places paying on 5-7, 3 places on 8-11 and so on.

Or are you all happy with how it is now, should I leave it alone?

That would make it more realistic right? Now that we have a couple of clear leaders maybe a more realistic set of odds would make it even more enjoyable?

I’m thinking 40 players in each grade until we have 200+ members and then increase the grade sizes. 10 up, 10 down.

Any thoughts?

How many members are we up to now?

Feedback and suggestions please on any aspect of the league not already covered in the other points

All I can say is fantastic!! :clap:
Nice one Paddy.

 

[Paddy Flower]

I'll hav a go

your a gent Rhys

 

[Paddy Flower]

This year has been an enjoyable way to have fun with contesting. Not taking anything away from this forums prediction centre it has in fact enhanced the way I look at the brass world:clap:

All I can say is fantastic!! :clap:
Nice one Paddy.

Thanks to you both, I aim to please

 

[Paddy Flower]

I wonder if it might be possible for you to stay under the tMP umbrella - to have your own subsection of the site? That way you'd avoid your concern about diverting traffic from tMP entirely.

I would always be open to this idea although I know it would place additional stress and work on tMP's games writer. I also wouldn't want this to replace the existing predictions competition which is also useful as a guide to opnion when updating my odds

Maybe one of the mods might like to comment but I wouldn't want to put tMP on the spot

How many members are we up to now?

quote]

46 entered Pontins. With the 7 newbies this weekend officially 57 but one or two of those haven't played for some months now

 

[Paddy Flower]

An Internation regional area

I knew there was something I forgot.

One of my overseas players has asked if we could open a ninth region for international players.

I'm pretty sure there's 4 or 5 players who are either based outside the UK or are no-brits so how many players would be interested in jumping into this ninth area?

 

[Di B]

How would international work? The area wouldn't apply to them as such would it? What competition would be the alternative?

Apart from the withdrawals adding annoying admin to your job, I think the league is fun and running well.

I would like the option of showing off/saying we were robbed/the adjudicators deaf etc to certain other bands, so if we had a thread on tmp it might create some friendly rivalry!

I think a list of contests used should be drawn up if possible so people know (or have an idea) what will be going on in the year. This is important for smaller contests as only locals will know when they are and the format of the contest.

I don't know if all results are reset at the end of the year (I know it is your best 10 at the moment I think?).
It would be good to have a number of prizes at the end of the year. Promotions/relegations yes, but you could have other minor awards e.g. the biggest 'win' from betting, possible the most consistent betting and the outsider betting (where someone has put all money on outsider to win and it has)

All are just thoughts and ideas - I don't really mind as I am just enjoying participating :-D

 

[Paddy Flower]

How would international work? The area wouldn't apply to them as such would it? What competition would be the alternative?

I would like the option of showing off/saying we were robbed/the adjudicators deaf etc to certain other bands, so if we had a thread on tmp it might create some friendly rivalry!

I think a list of contests used should be drawn up if possible so people know (or have an idea) what will be going on in the year. This is important for smaller contests as only locals will know when they are and the format of the contest.

I don't know if all results are reset at the end of the year (I know it is your best 10 at the moment I think?).
It would be good to have a number of prizes at the end of the year. Promotions/relegations yes, but you could have other minor awards e.g. the biggest 'win' from betting, possible the most consistent betting and the outsider betting (where someone has put all money on outsider to win and it has)

Some great feedback here Di B, thanks

For next year's areas my plan is for each member to bet on ALL eight regions even thou they will only be competing against players from their own region for the league points and qualification spots.
Betting on their HOME region will be trebled (so 10.00 per section for the other 7 areas, 30.00 per section for their own), this will help my odds as well as local opinions will count for higher.
The 9th international region? Not sure yet if we're even going to do this, nobody else has expressed an interest. Perhaps they can play a 'joker' region and have their bets trebled on the region of their choice. Opinions please?

Well I do have another thread specifically for the league.

http://www.themouthpiece.com/vb/showthread.php?t=40865

It started off with some good banter but now only I seem to post on it. So please people, crow about your good results and complain about adjudicators knobbling your chances there to your hearts content

That would be hard to do as I never now when (if ever) a full line-up is going to be released by the organisers. What I do now is keep an eagle on tMP thread, 4 barsrest and others for the line-ups then put it out to the league.

League points are reset at the start of January and there will effectively be 2 divisions (Champ and 1st) in 2011 with a 2nd section being added once we pass 80 members or so. I like the idea of bonus points for biggest win and biggest gamble, I won't include it this year as i've already taken angry stick about launching a best name competition AFTER people chose those names

 

[Di B]

[Betting on their HOME region will be trebled (so 10.00 per section for the other 7 areas, 30.00 per section for their own), this will help my odds as well as local opinions will count for higher.

I assume you are on about the 'band' region not the players actual region?
Problems here are that not everyone chose their own area as their band area (this helped make up numbers for the national finals too)
My band is in Yorkshire, but I know most (allegedly!) about the Midlands. I'm not too fussed, as Yorks is probably the next best region for me, but if I had picked the West of England as an area I would be stuck.

 

[MoominDave]

I think some people picked L&SC as they thought it would somehow be a soft touch...

 

[Paddy Flower]

I assume you are on about the 'band' region not the players actual region?
Problems here are that not everyone chose their own area as their band area (this helped make up numbers for the national finals too)
My band is in Yorkshire, but I know most (allegedly!) about the Midlands. I'm not too fussed, as Yorks is probably the next best region for me, but if I had picked the West of England as an area I would be stuck.

I guess that's a decision you have to take.

Here's a dilemna for you, say you live in the North-West area, have played for NW bands all of your life but you chose Midlands or Scotland for you fantasy area on the basis that there are fewer players and thus would increase your chance of qualifying. But now your bets are trebled on an area you know less about.

So you have a choice, go for your actual home area and lessen your chances as there are so many players, or plumb for a less subscribed one, that's the gamble.

I know what some will say 'We didn't know about trebling home regions before we joined', fine, switch regions then, Paddy's OK with that as long as it's done before the end of November (I think that's fair)

 

[tubaminstrel]

As I stated in the opening post I’m keen to get the league onto it’s own site for TWO reasons, it would make my life easier as I have to individually log all bets and respond to league players, plus I think it would be an easier game to play and more people would be inclined to join if all they had to do was login to a site where they could make their bets immediately.

I’m fairly handy with spreadsheets and administration but I haven’t the first clue when it comes to domain names, site design and game design so I’m looking for help if anyone can offer it (PM or e-mail me if you like). I’m sure we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement, FREE advertising space and links for you business perhaps, or just get in-touch and let me know your terms.

I'd love a website for this Paddy but like you I know next to nothing about web-hosting and stuff. There must be someone out there that can help with this though