Weeks 14 and 15 Round Ups

THAT'S how you do a Cruyff turn, Artur, you plank...
So, a double round up this week due to circumstances outside our control. There was a minor hiccough in Week 14 when one of our fixture panel failed to realise that there would be no European fixtures as it was the International break. They have been duly reprimanded, fret not.
Week 14 turned into a good week for Penny who made up a bit of ground with 7 points, Port Vale doing the business for her. Helping her out was Darren managing only 3 whilst Ronan continued his steady progress with a 5.
Week 15 saw Penny score 3 points in Germany to go with a couple of singles so that she didn't waste the good performance of the week before. It's not officially a come back yet but, she has to hope that she has picked up a bit of momentum at last. Darren upped his game after the poor performance in Week 14 and scored an improved 5, cleaning up in the Skrill at Hyde. Ronan was back in fine form on 7, with a brace at FC Luzern and in Germany. He really is the Manchester United of the Egg Plant Totally Skill League. Well, not the CURRENT Man Utd, of course, or he'd be crap...


Week 15 Table

Ronan 89 pts
Darren 80pts
Penny  77 pts

Totally Round Up Week 13

Belated greetings from Totally Skill Central; in recompense, here's a nice picture of Totally Skill hero John Parr.
Right, so where were we?
Week 13 and Penny continues her terrible form as Darren gets into his stride and outs a bit more distance between himself and last place, as well as eating into Ronan's lead. Both Ronan and Darren scored three pointers, getting 7 and 4 respectively, whilst Penny could only rustle up 3 in total which leaves her languishing in third.

Week 13 Table

Ronan  77 pts
Darren  72 pts
Penny   65 pts

Totally Round Up Week 12

Clearly goal of the week was Asmir Begovic's against Southampton, although he did have the grace to look a bit sheepish afterwards. That it makes him joint top goalscorer for Stoke this season has to be a bit of a worry for Sparky though!
Back to matters Totally Skill and everyone had a quiet week this week, much to Penny's relief. She could only muster 3 again, for the second week running but fortunately, neither Ronan nor Darren could score more than 5. Darren topped the week with Ronan close behind on 4. So no change in the placings, but Penny is going to have to work hard over the next few weeks to make sure the boys don't pull out of sight.

Week 12 Table

Ronan    73 pts
Darren    66 pts
Penny     62 pts

Story of the Week

Thanks to our east coast correspondent for the goal of the season contender at Peamount United; what a cracker!
For our story of the week we go to Burnley as mascot Bertie the Bee was sensationally sent off in their match against QPR at the weekend. He jokingly handed the assistant referee a pair of glasses following a contentious decision, but the officials failed to see the funny side and he was sent to the stands. This picture of him in the cells was taken at half time by the assistant manager.

Totally Round Up Week 11

So, after a look at the worst haircut currently in the Premiership, courtesy of My Little Pony, we move on to the serious business of Week 11. And it was Darren and Ronan who came good this week, seeing Darren get the only three-pointer of the round at Leicester and take 9 points, overtaking Penny to go into second place in the process. Ronan kept his lead intact with a close 8 points but Penny had a disastrous week managing a measly 3. She's going to have to put in some extra training if she's going to avoid getting the wooden spoon again this year. (Almost) predictable result of the week was the Norwich - Cardiff game which saw everyone predict as 1-1. It may have been 0-0 in the end but it clearly had draw written all over it...

Week 11 Table

Ronan   69 pts
Darren   61 pts
Penny    59 pts

Totally Skill Goal Of The Week/Month/Season?

Now THIS is pretty much the epitome of 'Totally Skill'. Stephanie Roche of Peamount Utd in the Irish Women's National League.....take a bow. Wowzer!

Quote of the Week

This award has to go to the cheeky person who told the BBC website, "If Southampton are going to challenge for a Champions League place, they really need to be beating mid-table teams like this..."
Class...

Totally Round Up Week 10

So, Week 10, and surprise surprise, Chelsea cheat their way to a victory. Pah! All of our Totally Skill players were above reproach however in what must be surely the most uncorrupt league in the world?
So how did they do this week?
Well, it was Ronan who pipped everyone to the highest score this time out but only just; his 8 just beat  Darren's 7 and Penny's 6 so it is still incredibly and wonderfully tight at the top. Darren's two 3 pointers from Spain and the A!F!C! meant he stopped Ronan running away with the week; Ronan may have only scored one 3 pointer, but he was consistent and racked up singles all over the place.
It's all very, very tense...
In other news, A!F!C! are having a bit of a lull after their amazing start; let'shope they haven't lost momentum. And alas, Runcorn Linnets lost again, this time to Worksop...

Week 10 Table

Ronan    61 pts
Penny     56 pts
Darren    52 pts

Story of the Week

So they may have been a bit pants at the Confederations Cup this summer, but we might now have found out why...when asked by ESPN Brazil why their league system awards 4 points for a win, two for a draw and one for a loss, Tahiti Fa director Charles Ariiotima said "We just don't want anyone to be sad."
Guessing that doesn't help them hone a competitive streak...

Totally Round UpWeek 9

A bad week all round this week; A!F!C! could only draw at home to the worst team in all four divisions, Accrington Stanley (oo are dey?), Runcorn Linnets, a new team on the Totally Skill radar, are out of the FA Cup, losing 2-0 to the mighty North Ferriby United, and all our Skillers did pretty poorly too in this international break week. Darren did best but still only managed 4 to Ronan and Penny's, quite frankly, rubbish 3 each. This means that not a lot has changed except that Darren has inched closer to Penny who still lies in third. Let's hope normal service is resumed next week...

Week 9 Table

Ronan   53 pts
Penny    50 pts
Darren   45 pts

Totally Round-Up Weeks 7 and 8

So, you all know I'm not Sam Alladyce's biggest fan, but I'll suspend my loathing for this week only and rejoice in Sunday's result. A wonder to behold...
Right, so belated greetings; your correspondent has been at training camp at an island retreat and we have two weeks to catch up on.
Week 7 was another high-scoring week with Darren and Penny in particular doing well, Darren getting 8 and Penny 9. Ronan stumbled a bit on 5 and this meant that even though he took Week 8 with a solid 6, his lead at the top of the table was eroded away a little bit more. He is the first to hit the 50 point mark though. Penny and Darren only managed 4 and 3 respectively but it all remains fairly tight at the top.
The international break this week means there should be some spicy fixtures for Week 9 for everyone to get their teeth into; how will the table look this time next week?

Week 8 Table

Ronan   50 pts
Penny    47 pts
Darren   41 pts

Totally Round Up Week 6

We might all dislike Man City now almost as much as United, but it was impossible not to find huge joy in United's complete demolition at the weekend. Even if Sami Nasri scored too. Manuel Pelligrini, we salute you... The only downside was that if Howard Webb hadn't been reffing, Rooney would have been sure to have been sent off which would have been the icing on the cake.

But now to matters Totally Skill and what an amazing high-scoring week it was! Darren tried out a new formation and it played huge dividends straight away as both he and Penny racked up a stonking 12 points each. Ronan wasn't left out and totalled 11 as well so it may be that not much has changed in the league, but if our Skillers keep scoring like this, it could be our highest scoring season ever.
Remarkably, the tie of the round was Keith v Buckie as all our players scored 2 points from it. Elsewhere, Penny did well in Germany, Ronan in the A!F!C! tie and Darren in League One.

Week 6 Table

Ronan   39 pts
Penny    34 pts
Darren   30 pts

Totally Round Up Week 5

Oh dear; red faces at the Egg Plant Totally Skill League this week as somehow fixtures from a completely different week were used in the international games. This means that we only had 6 games rather than 10 to get points from. Obviously there will be a long and very expensive enquiry and we will find the perpetrator who'll probably get a promotion if it follows the usual path of these things.
But what of the 6 fixtures we did have? Well, Penny managed a three pointer at Huddersfield, to go with two single pointers elsewhere and Ronan kept up some momentum of sorts by getting two points in the Fraserburgh v Strollers game along with in the Skrill match. Darren was on international duty in Greece and his skeleton squad could only manage two points so he will be desperate to return and gets some much needed points next week.

Week 5 Table

Ronan  28 pts
Penny  22 pts
Darren 18 pts

Fact of the Week

This has to be one of the best facts of all time, only marred by the uncertainty on tinkernet as to whether the establishment is actually still open or not, but hey, here goes:
Arsenal legend runs (or ran) a bar near the main station in Stockholm called the Anders Limp Bar. Who would not want to pay homage at said establishment, if it is indeed still open? Price. Less.

Totally Round Up Week 4

A quick mention of the very successful Non-League Day that aimed to get people out to their local non-league clubs to get a taste of football away from the Sky box. A worthy mission and hopefully many of those who went to matches will return even when it isn't an international weekend.

Back to Egg Plant Totally Skill matters though and Ronan it appears was well and truly distracted by the internationals. Some of his players were called up to international duty and boy did it show. He managed just two single points this weekend, Fraserburgh and Bo's sparing his blushes and saving him from a pointless weekend. Darren and Penny both scored 5, which in any other week might seem a bit meh, but with Ronan dropping points, really help eat into that early lead of his. They got a three-pointer apiece; Darren also helped out by Bo's and Penny coming up trumps in the A!F!C! game.
And what a difference a season makes to A!F!C! ; third in the league! Fingers crossed the boys can keep this momentum up.


Week 4 Table

Ronan    24 pts
Penny    17 pts
Daren     16 pts

Sergio The Scribe

Not long to wait now..........

Stats of the Weeks

Two this week; Jermaine Pennant's goal against West Ham at the weekend was his first goal for 846 days. Better late than ever.

Kevin Lisbie's winner for Leyton Orient at Colchester meant that they've won their first five games of the season for the first time. EVER.

Totally Round Up Week 3

That's more like it! After making a couple of signings each over the last week, Penny and Darren have finally woken up and both put in decent performances this weekend. Darren took the day with 7, a very useful 3 pointer from the battle of the Spors in Turkey. Penny was close behind with 6, the Skrill Conference bringing her 3 points. Ronan retained his lead with 5. The season is finally taking off.
Whether anyone will make any last minute big-name signings before the transfer window closes tonight remains to be seen; rumours that Penny is trying coax Henrik Larsson out of retirement remain unconfirmed at going to press.
In other news:
1. A!F!C! carry on their brilliant start to the season and after a 2-0 win over Fleetwood Town (AKA League 2's Arsenal) are 4th in the league; champion!
2. Poor Sergio was an unused sub again at the weekend.
3. Glen Johnson (a man who has yet to fulfill his potential) won't be able to win us over in Moldova again as he's injured. Curses; what a missed opportunity.

Week 3 Table

Ronan    22 pts
Penny    12 pts
Darren    11 pts

Totally Didi Day!!!!!!

Happy 40th Birthday Didi!!!!

Stat of the Week

This has to be the fact that Newcastle United didn't manage a single shot on target at the weekend in their game against West Ham. Priceless. More proof of Alan Pardew's Arctic Spoof Monkey status.

Totally Round Up Week 2

Ok, this is getting embarrassing now. Arsenal may have turned things around after a disastrous start to the season but Darren and Penny are still being completely humiliated by last year's champion. Are both still on their holidays? Is it the lack of big money signings? Will they be able to turn things around soon before Ronan's lead gets ridiculous. We know Ronan conquered after having a massive deficit last year but that surely isn't a situation to aspire to. This week, to add to his 8 from last week Ronan scored a huge 9 points, with  a 3 pointer coming from the Italian fixture, whilst Penny managed to eek out 4 and Darren repeated last week's score of 2. Shocking. As we speak, Paddy Power are taking bets on who will be the first manager sacked this season...
Massive congratulations to A!F!C! though for coming from 2 goals down to beat Scunthorpe 3-2 at the weekend. Can Penny and Darren take some inspiration from their heroes?

Week 2 Table

Ronan     17 pts
Penny      6 pts
Darren     4 pts

Stat of the Week

Ricky van Wolfswinkel, whose arrival in England Totally Skill has been eagerly awaiting since he appeared on our radar a couple of years ago, scored his debut on Saturday for Norwich. Great, but he did this having only completed 7 passes (one of those the kick-off) and had only 12 touches. I suppose if you're going to score a peach of a header with one of those touches, it matters not. And Dennis would disappear for whole games sometimes...

Totally Round Up Week 1

Well, at the end of this first week of fixtures in the Egg Plant Totally Skill League, both Darren and Penny will be subject to the same sort of abuse as Monsieur Wenger is getting from his supporters today. Where are their big money signings? Yes, you may have tinkered with your Christmas Tree formation Darren, but what strength and depth have you added to your squad? And Penny; yes you may have culled a lot of dead wood and wages from your team but are you going to add a centre half and defensive midfielder before the transfer window closes? Because the fact is Ronan has come straight out of the blocks and scored a massive 8 points to Darren and Penny's summer hangover 2 points each. Shocking. No three pointers for anyone but Ronan scored 3 two pointers including the tie of the round, AFC Wulfrunians v Earlswood Town.

To add insult to injury, Ronan also tonked Penny 31 to 18 in the Walnut Whip Charity Shield. Is this season his again or will he regret this strong start when we get to those cold January Monday night fixtures at Hull?

Week 1 Table:

Ronan    8 pts
Darren    2 pts
Penny     2 pts

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Egg Plant Totaly Skill Season 2013-2014 is Nigh!!!

Yes, folks, after a long, tedious summer full of even more outlandish transfer shenanigans than usual (no mean feat), it is only a little under two weeks until the Egg Plant Totally Skill Season for 2013-2014 gets underway. Apologies for the blog silence; our correspondents have been right busy, but rest assured that things will be up and running in proper order in no time. This particular correspondent did some light pre-season training today by watching Derby v Blackburn Rovers; a salve to the football-starved soul. The Confederations Cup feels like an eternity ago so even Monday evening's Capital One Cup first round fixture of Preston v Blackpool looks quite enticing at the moment...
Sadly, our hero Sergio only warmed the bench for Crawley yesterday in their season opener. Let's hope his season sees more action on the pitch than last year.

And...

Neymar and...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

You're welcome

More Lookey Likeys..

Jesus Navas and ...

um, Jesus

Appeal of the Week

This is an urgent appeal to Rte's top names; Miriam O'Callaghan, Ryan Tubridy, Pat Kenny, Marian Finucane, Joe Duffy: can you live with yourselves if the above is never to be seen on a regular basis ever again? No? So do the right thing, take half your more than ample salaries and donate to the Save Premier Soccer Saturday Appeal now and the €1.3 Rte say they can't stump up will be more than covered.
Just think of the children!!! And the fact that Kenny's eyebrows will no longer have gainful employment.
And that we will be forced to watch the horror show that is Match of the Day which doesn't even have the mitigating presence of Lee Dixon on any more. And I won't be able to gaze longingly at Richie of a Saturday evening.
Thank you

Looky Likeys......The Return!

Pointy ear donning Spocktastic American actor Zachary Quinto and............................

Cesc Fabregas. Beam me up, Xavi.

Extended Cake Metaphor!!!

In honour of the phrase being soon to be emblazoned on the front of the winners t-shirt, and well, because the book is out in paperback, we present to you, Egg Plant Totally Skill fans, the full, unedited extended cake metaphor as featured in Gilesy's rather fetching read 'The Great & The Good'. And it will save us having to always try and remember wherabouts in the book it is when we want to have a chuckle.
In this passage, Gilsey is talking about Rodney Marsh signing for Man Cityin 1972 when he gets a tad distracted, but he manages to go full circle by the end. Prepare yourselves........

" Marsh was signed for £200,000, supposedly as the icing on the cake. Unfortunately, that particular cake collapsed, and City ended up in fourth that season.
Not that the idea of the icing on the cake is always a bad one. But it can get a bit complicated."
(Indeed it can, John!).....deep breath.........
"At Tottenham you could say that Jimmy Graves was the icing on the cake, but Dave Mackay was the cake. 
At Leeds in my time, Allan Clarke was the icing on the cake when he arrived from Leicester City. At Liverpool, you couldn't really say that vital signings such as Kevin Keegan or Kenny Dalglish were the icing on the cake - they were probably a bit of both.
But when Alex Ferguson signed Eric Cantona, he was all icing, Roy Keane was the cake. And Keane would have been the cake in any other team, but Cantona would not necessarily have been the icing in another team.
George best was probably the icing - but very good icing - on a cake made by Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles. At Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp was the icing on a Bruce Rioch cake - but it was a pretty dull cake.
Some say that Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard were the icing on the cake made by Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi for AC Milan, though in fact they all helped to make that particular cake.
Real players, on the whole, tend to be part icing, part cake. And yet players who are all icing, like Cantona, can be just what a team needs and they can play a huge part in the team's success - especially if they are finishers.
Sadly the icing that was Rodney Marsh on the cake that was Manchester City was never going to be a success."


Genius.

End of a Slightly Rubbish Era

And lo, it came to pass that the inscrutable Russian half-pint finally ends his distinctly odd Arsenal career. Having veered wildly from humiliating the Swedes, amongst others, in the 2008 Euros, and THOSE four goals against Liverpool, to standing on a pitch occasionally doing feck all and the rest of the time sitting on his arse in the reserves, the powers that be have decided not to renew his contract. There were many who'd assumed he'd already left an age ago, but no; he was apparently still employed by the Gunners. Farewell then, to a man who promised much and delivered....um...not sure really.
Also released, Sebastien Squillaci, another player many had thought gone already and, sadly, Sanchez Watt, hero of the iconic hit "I Waited and Waited and All I Got Was Sanchez Watt".
It remains to be seen whether anyone is going to finally take the not-so-great Dane Bendtner off our hands; one can only hope someone is daft enough. PSG, anyone?

Egg Plant Totally Skill Season 2013-2013 Is Over!!!!

WHAT A FINALE!!!! Many apologies for the delay in getting final results in; this was partly because one of our vidi-printer operators decided to feck off to cover the little watched Azorean League, and partly because of a fixture error that meant the final game, Sligo v Dundalk, only played last night.
But if you are going to drag out the tension, then this was the season to do it. All eyes were on the fight for second and after some very cagy performances over preceding weeks, Penny and Darren realised just how high the stakes were and finally went for broke. Both scored 10 points and Penny must have been sure this was enough to grab second but it was not to be. As it was, Ronan again emulated Manchester United by finishing the season with a whimper not a bang and seemed happy with 3 points. Enough to win the title but the final gap closed to just 4 points in our closest season close ever. That he again won the double by winning the Billy Bragg Cup (albeit it in a truely pathetic manner by all our competitors, it has to be said), makes him the most successful Egg Plant Totally Skiller of all time. Rumours that he is to retire during this close season are premature, however.
So many congratulations to Ronan for his historic double, to Darren for heroically avoiding the wooden spoon, and for Penny for turning up even for those rainy, cold midweek fixtures at Wigan.
All that remains to be played for is the least prestigeous of our Cups, the Contingency Cup 2013. Results to follow this Friday and dates for the season's official awards ceremony to be confirmed.

Egg Plant
2012-2013 Final Table

Ronan    375 pts
Darren    371 pts
Penny     368 pts

Unlikely Hero of the Week

The one and only Manuel Almunia (remember him?) now on loan to Watford. Leicester get a penalty in the Championship Play-off Semi Final 2nd leg which could put them on 2-2 with Watford. But after Almunia makes a double save, Watford head straight up the other end and score a third to finish the game 3-1. And all this from the man who allegedly once left training early to comfort his wife because she thought their house was haunted...

Week 39 Round Up

Well, basically, that's how Penny's feeling this Monday after a disastrous penultimate weekend. She has well and truely bottled it and scraped 1 point. ONE POINT!!!! darren has knocked her into third for the first time this season, but crucially at exactly the right time. His Christmas tree formation looks like it's going to pay off bigtime. Ronan decided to stop fannying about and finish in style but topping the week's scores with 6 to Darren's 4. At 11 points in the lead, it looks like after a disastrous start to the season, Ronan is going to retain his title. The battle for that second European place isn't over yet but it's going to be a big ask for Penny to pick herself up mentally for the big final weekend...

Week 39 Table

Ronan   372 pts
Darren  361 pts
Penny   358 pts

Week 38 Round Up

You thought it was tense last week? That was nothing, people. It's becoming a stumble to the finish for everyone and even a Totally Unskill distraction in the Billy Bragg Cup could shake things up as much as Darren and Penny might have hoped. Ronan's nerves seemed all over the place as he limped through the weekend with three single points. Penny kept her dream alive with an average 5, the Highland League getting her out of real trouble, but Darren was the week's big winner with 6 points that put him in joint second place with Penny. With Ronan's lead cut to 9 points and two weekends left, the title is ANYONE's! I'm back to watching from behind the sofa...

Week 38 Table

Ronan   366 pts
Darren   357 pts
Penny    357 pts

Week 37 Round Up

Well, this particular correspondent is going to be watching the remainder of the season through her fingers, or even from behind the sofa as it really has got unbearably tense. This week, Darren decided to channel Wigan and put in a barnstorming nine point performance to bring him within a point of Penny. Her season looks like it could well be going completely tits up as she mustered a shocking 3 single points; it was like having to live through the entire Arsenal-Everton game from the other week to be honest. Torture. There seems a distinct possibility she has let herself get distracted by thoughts of the Billy Bragg Milk Cup too early and could well pay the price. Ronan didn't exactly set the world alight with his five points but it was enough to bring his lead back to eleven. Is it now too late for the early season leaders to catch him? Or will Ronan do the league and cup double again? And will Jerome Flynn survive until the end of season 3 of Game of Thrones? (Sorry; felt Robson was getting far too much attention there for a while...)

Week 37 Table

Ronan    363 pts
Penny     352 pts
Darren    351 pts

Egg Plant Totally Skill Awards 2013

Nominations now welcome for some random Totally Skill awards. For me, man of the year has to be Edgar. What other player of his stature would decide the place to learn his new trade in management would be at relegation-threatened Barnet in League Two, and with no bells and whistles, nearly saving them from the drop to the Conference. Alas, his arrival in October was too late and Barnet were relegated yesterday, but what a dude. AND before the Barnet deal, he was managing a Sunday League team in London.
Team of the season can only be A!F!C! It proved a difficult second season in the League and they flirted with disaster, spending periods of the season rooted to the bottom of League 2, but came up trumps when it mattered, getting a 2-2 draw with champions elect Gillingham last week and, as our Dublin correspondent reported, beating Fleetwood Town yesterday to ensure survival. Next year hopefully there'll be less colly-wobbles and we can go onwards and upwards.

As to Plank of the Season, can't really think of many other candidates.... Although his performance as left-back in the first half against Arsenal a few weeks ago was a sight to behold.

GO A!F!C!......UPDATE

Yesssssssssssss!!! The mighty Jack Midson scored from the spot to win the game today and thus secured A!F!C!'s League Two status, and in doing so, ensures that everything remains Totally Skill.

GO A!F!C!

Three points today against Fleetwood will guarantee A!F!C! staying in the English League. Not since the momumental play off against Luton have we at Totally Skill HQ been biting so much nail. Come on Wimbledon!

Week 36 Round Up

You know you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel for half-time entertainment when all you can muster is Luis Boa Morte and some bloke from JLS. Shame on you Fulham. Even Robson Green would have been better than this...
Anyhoo, this week we have to ask: are the nerves getting to Ronan? He could only manage 4 points this week and whilst top scorer Penny wasn't exactly piling on the pressure, it cuts his lead back down to single figures. Darren's tactics were distinctly upset by injuries, meaning he couldn't go for his trademark bottom-up formation and he suffered for it, also managing only 4 points.
This is going to go right to the wire folks.

Week 36 Table

Ronan      358 pts
Penny      349 pts
Darren     342 pts

Week 35 Round Up

Just to prove poor old Robson gets a look into...

So, incredibly, Ronan really has turned his season around. Despite Penny's 3 points from the Arsenal game she could only muster 5 to his 8 and poor Darren's battle for second was severly hampered by a measly 3, although he isn't out of the running yet.  Ronan now has an 11 point lead, unimaginable just 6 weeks ago and Penny and Darren must surely rue not taking their chances to leave him too far behind earlier in the year. It's all gone a bit Spurs for them...

Week 35 Table

Ronan   354  pts
Penny   343 pts
Darren  338 pts

Week 34 Round up

Well, bit of an anti-climax after Whaley-Bee, it has to be said, and not the highest scoring round either of all time, but it all counts as we inch ever closer to season's end. Once again, Ronan took the lion's share of the spoils and extended his new lead over Darren and Penny. Penny scored a disastrous 2 points; has she bottled it? Darren's solid 5 means he is still very much in contention too. If this ain't squeaky bum time, then I don't know what is...

Week 34 Table

Ronan   346 pts
Penny   338 pts
Darren  335 pts

Hero of the week

Ok, so he's not a footballer, but Jerome Flynn has been on the Totally Skill radar before and it is surely time to salute him properly because:

1. After years in the wilderness, by returning in first Game of Thrones and then Ripper Street, he has a gazillion more times credibility than erstwhile companion Robson(who's Extreme Fishing had the misfortune to go up against the series 3 opener of Game of Thrones on Monday night).

2. He's so far managed to survive in afore mentioned Game of Thrones until at least series 3; no mean feat. Just ask Sean Bean and Mark Addy. And he gets some of the best lines.

3. He may not look it, but he's a vegetarian.

Whaley Bee!!!!!!!!

And what a Whaley Bee it was! Darren and Penny somehow managed to score exactly the same 82 points over the course of the weekend which must be well nigh impossible. But it was the man they call the Little Seal who took the weekend. What a season turnaround he has produced; from languishing in a distant third for much of this third Egg Plant Totally Skill season, he slowly started eating into the deficit after Christmas and a stonking 94 points this Whale Bee means he now leads with just a few weeks to go. It is still all anyone's title though as we close on the season's end. Nail-biting stuff!

Post Whaley Bee table:

Ronan   339 pts

Penny   336 pts

Darren  330 pts