Tomorrow the 2013 TTFE Team Picker Cup will officially begin with the opening Qualifying Round match between Gareth Jenkins and Gareth O’Neill. Mentioning of the TPC is a delight to some, but to others the acronym has confused the hell out of them. So for those of you who are not acquainted with the competition here is a FAQ post which should answer those burning questions…
What does TPC actually mean?
TPC is short for the Team Picker Cup. The competition’s full acronym is actually TTFE IKMS TPC, which stands for ‘The Thursday Football Experience I Know My Shit Team Picker Cup’ in full. You can see why it is shorted to the less jargonistic TPC.
What is it all about?
The TPC was trialled last year as away of adding more spice into regular games by injecting some friendly competition and enocuraging more player interest, but without changing the TTFE game format too drastically. Chris devised the idea of a tournament which mixed TTFE, FIFA, Championship Manager and Poolmania, which gave TTFE members the chance to compete in a knockout style competition where they would lead teams that they have picked in a bid to win a trophy. Last year 8 players took part in the first ever TPC tournament and was eventually won by Jon Ridout when he defeated Billy Collins in the final.
How does it work?
Once the tournament entrants have been established and the tournament structure is finalised, competitors will be pitted off against each other according to draw on a typical TTFE night. Prior to the game the two opposing competitors will stand in front of the rest of players and will take turns to pick their players to be on their team. Think – schoolyard playtime! The first picker is decided by coin toss, while the second picker has two picks after the first pick has been chosen. The competitors then join their teams as captains and they play against each other as normal, with the winning team’s captain going through as the victor of the tie and progressing to the next round.
So what does that mean for me if I’m player on a TPC game night?
The level of involvement is up to the player; you could be flying the flag for your captain or you could be letting off steam playing football on a typical TTFE night. It’s up to you! However with that said please remember that your captain will be aiming to win, so we encourage everyone to get into the spirit of the competition and do their best for their respective captain. But then again, none of us are short on conviction when it comes to winning, are we?
Great. That means I’ll have someone shouting at me all game won’t it…
Not really. The jury’s out on how to unlock success as a captain in the TPC but it’s been proven that the hair-dryer treatment doesn’t go down very well. That’s not in the spirit of the tournament nor TTFE itself. Successful captains are more likely to be direct, effective communicators and also aware of his team’s strengths. Or just plain lucky of course! Either way, shouting and screaming don’t win games and it isn’t recommended – I know from my own experience.
So how long will this last?
The TPC consists of 12 games in total – 4 Qualifying Round games, followed by 4 Quarter Final games, 2 Semi Finals, Third Place Playoff and a Final, played in that order. If all goes to plan the Final will take place on December 12. However we have encountered problems in the past with ensuring players are playing on a designated night, i.e. non-regular competitor not being invited to play. Therefore we hope that the competition will finish this side of Christmas, but it cannot be guaranteed.
I also heard about a night out too…
Ahh the most important bit. To celebrate the victory of the TPC champ we have a night out, or as we affectionately call it a SLOBDN (Stay Late Or Don’t Bother Night), in their honour. That means all players present gather around and buy the champ a drink while he wears his glamorous prize – a specially made T-Shirt to mark the occasion! Sadly Jon wasn’t able to join us last year, but we really cut the rug and had a ball – just see the pictures as proof… Our Social Manager James Pugh really knows how to celebrate!
Wow a T-shirt and a pissup? That’s great – where do I sign up?
Ahem. Didn’t you see the constant flow of humourous pictures in the TTFE Facebook Group? How did you NOT see them?! I’m afraid you’ve missed the boat as the final ten entrants have now been chosen. Maybe next year, but you’re welcome to come to the SLODBN! Details to follow….
How do I follow the progress of the tournament?
Stay tuned to www.thursdayfootball.co.uk, the home of the Team Picker Cup. Match reports, special analysis, details of the draw and all other information will be placed on the TTFE website. We’ll be using Facebook too to make sure that you don’t miss out and you’ll be sure to find all the general banter on there too. No doubt Chris has already started to stake his claim to the crown…
Use Google Calendar? Click on the fixture list above to add the TPC 2013 calendar now!
