Right, we’re well into the championship now so it’s time to provide an update on how things are progressing with dish ear’s mini-league, hosted as ever by those kind people at FaceTheBall.com.  As was the case with the NFL variant in the spring, there’s nothing ‘mini’ about the total number of hopefuls involved – 44 went to post for the championship variant.  So, like the Eurovision, everyone can’t get to the party and, as a result, the table opposite comprises just the top twenty at the minute.

As you can see, we’ve a clear leader already with Ballyvary’s finest well out in front, followed by Ruanejos and the imaginatively named Mayo in third.  I’m the defending champion in this here competition but I had a complete mare the weekend before last, which means that I’m puffing and panting back in fourteenth.  Maybe I’ll be like the Kerrymen and come steaming through the way they often do in the qualifiers; maybe, though, I’ll be like us when we find ourselves having to take that route.

At least I’m in good company, sandwiched between Yew Tree (who won this year’s NFL mini-league: I’ll be posting you out your prize for that before the week is out, by the way) and Yengae, who always tends to be there or thereabouts where it comes to the mini-league.  So I wouldn’t get too comfortable up at the top just yet, lads – the crack is only warming up.