YES, it's back, the great Fantasy Non-League challenge – and it's still costing you just £5 to enter. With a prize fund of some £5,000 that's worth testing your skill.
The entry deadline for this season is Wednesday, August 31, 2016. If you enter the competition before it starts on Saturday, August 6, 2016, you will receive an early entry bonus of 500pts. (This 500pt bonus will not count towards the first Manager of the Month award).
If you are entering the competition to finish bottom and don't want the 500pts please indicate that on the entry form.
The winner will receive £2,000, runner-up £750, third place £300 and fourth place £100. Bottom club will receive £150 so why not enter two teams – one to win and one to lose?
Manager of the Month awards are £100 for winner, £50 for runner-up and £50 for bottom club.
There will be three awards each month: Manager of the Month, runner-up and the bottom team. (The first Manager of the Month will be a joint one taking in both August and September 2016). In total, there will be eight Manager of the Month awards with the last one in April 2017.
I have made a total of three changes this season.
- If a team concedes four or more goals they will be deducted five points. This does not apply to drawn games.
- I have altered the bonus points for the Mixture League. At the end of each month and at the end of the season there will be only one league leader and one bottom team. That will be worked out based on the 24 teams' positions in their respective leagues.
- In the Manager of the Month section I am bringing back the 25pt and minus 25pt bonuses each month. These will be awarded for the best and worst team in the respective leagues each month.
Rules for FNL 2016/17:
- You must choose three teams from each of the six leagues, with one from each of the three sub sections, giving you a total of 18 teams. Then you need to pick two teams from each of the three sub sections in The Mixture League. Finally pick one wildcard from each of the seven leagues. So your entry for the FNL 2016/17 Season must have 31 teams on it.If you wish you can pick five substitute teams and out of those five substitutes you can use up to three. There will be only one substitution window – during December 2016 with your selected changes taking effect from Sunday, January 1, 2017. More details nearer the time.
- Points allocation, in all seven leagues:- League & Cup games: Home win = 10pts + goals; Away win = 20pts + goals; Home Draw = 2pt + goals; Away Draw = 4pts + goals; Every goal scored = 1pt (only if your team wins or draws). Goal Bonus Points = 5pts (If your teams score four or more); Clean Sheet Bonus = 5pts (Only awarded if game is won). Concede four goals = minus 5pts (This does not apply to drawn games).Two legged ties count as two separate games. Cup replays that go to penalties: The penalties are used only to decide the winner. No points are awarded for the penalties scored.Bonus points for reaching various rounds in each Cup competition: The FA Cup 1st round proper and each round beyond = 25pts. The Quarter-Finals and each round beyond in all the other cups that are involved in the competition which are listed below = 25pts.League Leaders and Bottom Club bonus: At the end of each month, up to and including April 2017, the team leading each of the seven leagues will be awarded 25pts. The team at the bottom of each of the seven leagues will be awarded minus 25pts. These will only count towards the main season total and not the Manager of the Month.Play-Off Games: The Play-Off games themselves will be awarded points as if they were league games. The Play-Off Final winners will be awarded 50pts for gaining promotion (awarded at the end of the season).End of Season Bonus Points: All League champions will receive 250pts. The bottom team in each league will be awarded minus 100 bonus points. Cup Winners will receive 150pts for the FA Trophy and 100pts for the other Cups. Play-Off Winners who gain promotion will receive 50pts. Substituted teams will be awarded half the End of Season bonus points.
- The following Leagues and Cup competitions are involved in this season's Fantasy Non-League: National Premier: FA Cup and FA Trophy. National North: FA Cup and FA Trophy. National South: FA Cup and FA Trophy. Evo-Stik Northern Premier: FA Cup, FA Trophy and League Cup. Ryman Premier: FA Cup, FA Trophy and League Cup. Evo-Stik Southern Premier: FA Cup, FA Trophy and League Cup. The Mixture: FA Cup, FA Trophy and Evo-Stik, Ryman and Red Insure League Cups.
