How time flies! Another 12 weeks, another eight sumptuous selections to choose from.

Please vote for your favourite prediction of weeks 13-24 by leaving a reply to this post. The three predictions with the most votes will go through to the Prediction of the Season final, featuring approximately 10 selections made during the whole of the 2006-2007 season. Only six of you signed up last time, so let’s have a lot more votes this time round!

Your choices are …

1. MAZIAR SATTARI: FULHAM 0-1 READING (WEEK 14)
Back in August, nobody could have foretold the random havoc Reading have wreaked on the Premiership, but a 1-0 away win at Fulham - even after two comfortable home successes against Tottenham and Charlton - was thought to be beyond the realms of possibility for all but one perceptive predictor - and a confident team from Berkshire.

2. MARK YOUNG: BOLTON WANDERERS 4-0 WEST HAM UNITED (WEEK 16)
Mark, our first two-time nominee (following his much-admired Scotland 6-0 Faroe Islands gem in week 2) continued his winning streak with another spot on home rout. In the very same week, John Collins and Haresh Mirani both dished up a tasty 4-0 win for Liverpool at home to Fulham, but their predictions are sadly ineligible for this competition. Read on to find out why …

3. HARESH MIRANI: WEST HAM UNITED 1-0 MANCHESTER UNITED (WEEK 17)
After narrowly missing out on a week 16 nomination, Haresh was back for more, and in mighty fine style. The Hammers came into the game having lost their last three games, with eight goals conceded and none scored; Manchester United had won their last three, scoring eight goals in the process. Football, as we all know, is a funny old game.

4. DAVID ROBERTS: CHELSEA 4-0 WIGAN ATHLETIC (WEEK 19)
If we knew what we know now - that Wigan are more pathetic than Athletic - this prediction wouldn’t have raised more than a handful of eyebrows. In fact, the pathetic ones were on a five-match losing streak when they went to Chelsea. It takes a man of great skill and courage to nail down a Chelsea result, and that man was David - and David alone - in week 19.

5. ROB MOLLOY: READING 3-1 SHEFFIELD UNITED (WEEK 20)
Staunch Royal Rob had no problem predicting a Reading win, but a divine moment of inspiration led his fingers to the numbers 3 and 1 on his keyboard and the rest is history. The man is inconsolable after Manchester United’s six-minute molesting of his boys in the FA Cup this week, so we hope this result reminds him of happier times.

6. PAUL BENTLEY: BRISTOL CITY 2-2 MIDDLESBROUGH (WEEK 21)
Bingo! On paper, this Cup clash was tough to predict: League 1 high-flyers playing host to Premiership under-achievers, with a generous helping of Cup magic sprinkled on top. Paul’s four-goal thriller was the sign of a predictor on top of his game. Well sort of.

7. JODIE KEMP: BIRMINGHAM CITY 2-3 READING (WEEK 21)
Could a 3-2 scoreline become the nation’s favourite again? Jodie - whose inspiring predicting would have netted her another Prediction of the Season nomination for Manchester City 0-2 Reading just a week later (but we have to give others a chance) - had not taken leave of her senses with this bold prediction. There’s something eerie going on in West Bergholt.

8. ROB DIMERY: WEST HAM UNITED 0-1 WATFORD (WEEK 23)
The writing had already been scribbled on the wall. January 27, FA Cup Round 4: West Ham 0-1 Watford. February 10, Premiership (and week 23 of the Predictorship): West Ham 0-1 Watford. Were we all too blind to see the bleedin’ obvious? Not Rob, whose eyes were in perfect working order. A trip to an optician for the rest of us.

Note: Only unique predictions are eligible for this competition. All of the above were the only correct score predictions for the games shown. So, to avoid disappointment, when you predict Liverpool 9 Manchester United 0 this weekend, make sure nobody else has done the same.

Players: 40 out of 49. Points scored: 263. Highest score: 12 (Christine Butters - surprise, surprise). Average score: 6.57. Total correct scores: 48. Prediction of the Week: Mark “Baggies Boy” Young (Liverpool 4-0 Sheffield United).

Results: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea (17); Charlton Athletic 4-0 West Ham United (0); Fulham 1-2 Manchester United (12); Liverpool 4-0 Sheffield United (1); Middlesbrough 2-1 Reading (6); Watford 0-3 Everton (0); Blackburn Rovers 3-0 Portsmouth (0); Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Bolton Wanderers (0); Wigan Athletic 1-0 Newcastle United (4); Sunderland 2-1 Derby County (8).

Manchester City’s Christine Butters is rewriting the Predictorship record book faster than a Shabani Nonda goal at Ewood Park.

Another chunk of rainforest will have to be felled somewhere in the world to provide the paper for the next sizeable chapter in the fascinating tale of the Predictorship 2006-2007. For the third time this season - and the second time in three weeks - Christine racks up 12 points and now owns 75% of the 12-pointers this season. That’s “neatier” (David Pleat’s fabricated word of the week).

Like third-placed Dave Taylor (Chelsea), who is now 10 points off the pace, Christine recorded nine correct results at the weekend and failed only to predict a Wigan win against Newcastle. More importantly, she now enjoys a four-point lead over Manchester rival Hope Arnold, who might have expected to steal a march on Christine after bagging eight points. It wasn’t to be.

Analysts and statisticians across the globe have been scratching their heads in disbelief at Christine’s purple patch. They’ve ruled out any possibility she’s been secretly submitting her scores after 5pm on Saturday afternoons or slipping Premiership referees and/or players small brown envelopes stuffed with cash, and they don’t believe she’s suddenly adopted Russell Grant-like psychic powers or is simply pressing the wrong numbered keys on her computer keyboard. No, they’ve put it down to a lethal and undiluted concoction of skill and luck. For the sake of some end-of-season shenanigans at the top of the Predictorship, we’d all better hope she overdoses soon.

Three cheers for Wendy Nathan, manager of the hapless West Ham United, who notches up her second 11-point week (not bad for a mid-tabler), and two cheers and a video of Abou Diaby’s foot connecting with John Terry’s head in Sunday’s Carling Cup final (plus exclusive footage of Wayne Bridge throwing himself to the ground like a wet blanket) to Steven Dunlop (Benfica) and Matthew White (Ankaragücü), who both bag 10 points to move into contention - whatever that might be.

Keeley, Monday’s Page 3 “stunna” in The Sun newspaper, is “delighted” Terry has recovered from his sickening, face-mashing incident. I couldn’t have put it much better myself.

The Predictorship Cup …

Home advantage was the crucial factor in last weekend’s two outstanding Round 2 replays. Clapton F.C. (Cathryn Harker) defeated Peterborough United (Steve McHugh) 7-5 and Watford (David Roberts) marched on with a 9-6 win over Tottenham Hotspur (Simon Gold).

Therefore, Clapton F.C. and Watford join Bengal Mumbai F.C. (Haresh Mirani), DC Adunited (Patrick Bevilacqua), Living the Dream (Paul Bentley), Manchester United (Hope Arnold), Sheffield Wednesday (Janet Jones) and West Bergholt Wanderers (Jodie Kemp) in the quarter-finals of the Predictorship Cup, with the ties to be played on March 10-11.

Eight teams left, and only two - Manchester United and Watford - are eyeing the Predictorship and FA Cup double. Or is the Cup heading to Clapton, India, DC, Sheffield or West Bergholt? And can Paul Bentley’s Living the Dream - the lowest ranked team still in the draw - continue to do just that? Questions, questions, questions. And no answers until the final at Wembley - maybe - on May 19.

Quotes of the Week …

As a once in a lifetime treat for our Stateside predictors, here begineth a new series of quotes from the US soccer team’s much-maligned interim coach, the right honourable Bob Bradley.

Let it be said right from the first whistle that this man is no fool (despite our best efforts to make him appear one in the coming weeks). Even though the US have slipped down the FIFA world rankings to a shameful 28th (behind Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Poland and even Scotland), Uncle Bob is the head coach with the most wins in Major League Soccer history. His charges were Chicago Fire, MetroStars and Chivas USA.

(A rhetorical question, unless anyone knows the/cares to answer: Could Chivas USA be the only team in world football whose name includes the country they play in? It might catch on: Milton Keynes Dons England, Inverness Caledonian Thistle Scotland, FK Habit Pharm Javor Ivanjica Serbia and Montenegro. Anyway, I digress.)

Here are three Bob beauties to set the ball rolling …

Poetic Bob: “A sea of humanity. What a wonderful sight to see at the start”.

Social commentary Bob: “Our people’s standard of living has gone way up. People have been able to buy washers and dryers and cars. They’ve put new roofs on their homes. We’ve been able to buy more Christmas gifts than ever before”.

Come again Bob?: “We don’t have to, but we’re always looking everywhere”.

More zaniness from the good-for-a-quote interimer next week …

So right, earlier in the week Liverpool’s Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise made the papers for getting into an alleged karaoke-fueled golf club fight (you can’t make that up) that involved the “hot-tempered” Bellamy swinging an iron in Riise’s direction. And then, in the Nou Camp against Barcelona in the highest-profile matchup in the Champions Leage Round of 16, Bellamy scores one and sets up Riise for the winner. And then swung an imaginary golf club to celebrate.

For the record, this is officially “Very 1986 Mets” of Liverpool. Getting a big win in the wake of ridiculous tabloid debauchery? And having the most ridiculous guys be the heroes? Yeah. That sounds about right.

Also, I am officially back from my imaginary leave of absence and watching a bit more soccer. Hmmm, what is it that just ended? I wonder. Anyway, I watched Arsenal yesterday and the Chelsea game today. In re: Arsenal, yeah, um, they weren’t very good. In re: Chelsea, I thought Sheva was good and feisty today, that Ballack was only occasionally in the game, that Obi Mikel is going to be really good, and that Essien is already really good.

Links:

Bellamy swings it as Barcelona are stunned
Liverpool face blanket fines for fracas from Benitez

Says here that not only has Beckham forced himself back onto the pitch for Madrid, he’s playing so well that he may get back on the England national side. Would be cool if an MLS Beckham were an impact player in Euro 2008.

McClaren admits Beckham headache

Players: 43 out of 49. Points scored: 255. Highest score: 9 (Hope Arnold, James Bradley and Neil Hayes). Average score: 5.93. Total correct scores: 48. Predictions of the Week: James Bradley, Janet Jones and Nicola Savage (Preston North End 1-3 Manchester City); Hope Arnold and Jill Taylor (Plymouth Argyle 2-0 Derby County); Paul Bentley, Simon Gold, Ronan L’Heveder and Michael Whitty (Middlesbrough 2-2 West Bromwich Albion); Norman No Mates (Arsenal 0-0 Blackburn Rovers).

Results: Arsenal 0-0 Blackburn Rovers (1); Chelsea 4-0 Norwich City (5); Watford 1-0 Ipswich Town (11); Preston North End 1-3 Manchester City (3); Plymouth Argyle 2-0 Derby County (2); Manchester United 1-1 Reading (0); Middlesbrough 2-2 West Bromwich Albion (4); Fulham 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur (0); Aberdeen 1-2 Celtic (14); Rangers 2-1 Falkirk (8).

If you’ve been distracted by Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson co-piloting Rangers to their UEFA Cup encounter in Tel Aviv, a cheeky Bolivian footballer getting the sack for turning up at a press conference stark naked or the Queen having tea with the Arsenal, you’ll be surprised to learn the race for the Predictorship title has taken a new, exciting and indeed unexpected twist.

A remarkable week for the red half of Manchester (except for the Reading result, of course) sees Hope Arnold devour Christine Butters’ erstwhile five-point lead with an additional dollop of relish. All that now remains of the lead is a correct score difference of +3 and a few crumbs on the plate.

So how did it happen? Hope scored nine points in week 24 - hitting the jackpot with the encounters at Watford, Plymouth and Rangers - while Christine brought her ‘B’ game to a pitch littered with bobbles and divots and only delivered a rather pathetic four points.

The weekend’s action leaves the title on a knife-edge with both contenders on 161 points and, perhaps more significantly, seven points clear of John Collins and Dave Taylor (both 154 points), who are themselves five points better off than fifth-placed Baggies fan Mark Young (149).

After shamefully consigning Hope’s chances of lifting the coveted Predictorship trophy to the trash can of runner-updom last week, I will sink my teeth into some humble pie, but not before uttering five words, which you can arrange in any order you see fit: “horse”, “two”, “a”, “race”, “definitely”.

But hang on, who’s this coming up on the rails …

After 19 weeks in the footballing wilderness (think of the wilderness as a 300-mile round trip to Grimsby Town on a wet and windy Monday evening for a first round Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie), Stuart Claxton has decided to make a late bid for the title. Stuart’s third week of predicting this season yields seven points and condemns Norman No Mates to a third week at the bottom of the pile. Next week: Stuart storms into mid-table.

The Predictorship Cup …

Bitten nails and jangled nerves were features of Round 2 of the Predictorship Cup, which saw Bengal Mumbai F.C. (Haresh Mirani), DC Adunited (Patrick Bevilacqua), Living the Dream (Paul Bentley), Manchester United (Hope Arnold), Sheffield Wednesday (Janet Jones) and West Bergholt Wanderers (Jodie Kemp) progress to the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Clapton F.C. (Cathryn Harker) host Peterborough United (Steve McHugh) and Watford (David Roberts) take on Tottenham Hotspur (Simon Gold) next weekend in the two replays.

Here are the full results:

1. PETERBOROUGH UNITED (Steve McHugh) 5-5 CLAPTON F.C. (Cathryn Harker)
2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (Gabe Bevilacqua) 6-8 WEST BERGHOLT WANDERERS (Jodie Kemp)
3. MANCHESTER UNITED (Hope Arnold) 9-8 BUNCH OF LOSERS (Michael Whitty)
4. SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (Janet Jones) 8-6 HORNETS FOREVER (Mark Davies)
5. MANCHESTER CITY (Christine Butters) 4-7 LIVING THE DREAM (Paul Bentley)
6. NEWCASTLE UNITED (Basil Bradley) 4-5 BENGAL MUMBAI F.C. (Haresh Mirani)
7. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (Simon Gold) 8-8 WATFORD (David Roberts)
8. WEST BROMWICH ALBION (Mark Young) 3-6 DC ADUNITED (Patrick Bevilacqua)

Quote of the Week …

“It was a continuance of what we have seen most of the season - that is, various clubs beating each other” - Ron Noades, the former chairman of Wimbledon (the club he led into the Football League in 1977), Crystal Palace and Brentford and multiple golf course owner.

Players: 39 out of 49. Points scored: 277. Highest score: 12 (Christine Butters). Average score: 7.10. Prediction of the Week: Rob Dimery (West Ham United 0-1 Watford).

Results: Chelsea 3-0 Middlesbrough (6); Everton 1-0 Blackburn Rovers (8); Manchester United 2-0 Charlton Athletic (4); Newcastle United 2-1 Liverpool (3); Portsmouth 2-1 Manchester City (8); Reading 2-0 Aston Villa (4); Sheffield United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (4); West Ham United 0-1 Watford (1); Arsenal 2-1 Wigan Athletic (2); Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Fulham (10).

“Can Butters be beaten?,” asked Predictorship chairman David Roberts last week. “Looks like she’s in for the long haul at the top of the Predictorship,” noted the Watford man with a tinge of resignation. “No-one has ever won the league in February,” continued the fact-filled mid-tabler.

Just like your thankful granny after her cataract operation, the haze has lifted and everything is crystal clear: Manchester City’s Christine Butters is unstoppable. Her stupendous 12-point haul, beautifully adorned with four correct scores, makes the rest of us predictors look nothing short of average by comparison. Not even Michael Whitty’s 11 points or double-figure action from the inappropriately-named Hope Arnold (who may soon have to abandon her quest for silverware), can disguise the cold hard truth: Christine is now five points clear and odds-on favourite for the title.

For the record, 12 points is the joint top score in this season’s Predictorship: Haresh Mirani did it in week 11 and Christine makes it a dozen at the double after racking up 12 points in week 8.

It also shouldn’t escape your notice that there’s a Manchester 1-2 at the top of the table. Sport, music, trams, crime, Las Vegas-style super casinos. Is there anything Manchester isn’t good at?

Anyway, to cut a long story short, answer “no”, “yes” and “no, but let’s rewrite history” to David’s aforementioned missive and be done with it. It looks like we’re all fighting for the runner-up spot.

Five 2-1 home wins, a solitary away win and not a single draw made predicting a much more rewarding experience last weekend, so much so that the average score rose to a shade more than seven for the first time since records began (which wasn’t that long ago, actually).

The Predictorship Cup Round 2 … The Predictorship Cup Round 2 … The Predictorship Cup Round 2 …

Nick Watson’s universally-admired Drawomatic Randomizer 16 whirred and fizzed back into action this week, giving us the draw for Round 2 of the Predictorship Cup - a draw shorn of last season’s winners, Millwall, and two of its semi-finalists, Crystal Palace and Liverpool. Here’s how DR16 plucked the “balls” out of the “hat”:

1. Peterborough United (Steve McHugh) (9) v Clapton F.C. (Cathryn Harker) (13)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (Gabe Bevilacqua) (14) v West Bergholt Wanderers (Jodie Kemp) (26)
3. Manchester United (Hope Arnold) (2) v Bunch of Losers (Michael Whitty) (24)
4. Sheffield Wednesday (Janet Jones) (29) v Hornets Forever (Mark Davies) (42)
5. Manchester City (Christine Butters) (1) v Living the Dream (Paul Bentley) (37)
6. Newcastle United (Basil Bradley) (28) v Bengal Mumbai F.C. (Haresh Mirani) (6)
7. Tottenham Hotspur (Simon Gold) (34) v Watford (David Roberts) (20)
8. West Bromwich Albion (Mark Young) (5) v DC Adunited (Patrick Bevilacqua) (23)

* Current league positions in brackets

The ties take place this weekend - February 17-18.

Quote of the Week …

“Most football teams are temperamental. That’s 90% temper and 10% mental” - Doug Plank, Chicago Bears, 1975-1982. For “football teams” read “American football teams”, but he might as well have been talking about the beautiful round-balled game, so we’ll allow it just this once.

Players: 40 out of 49. Points scored: 230. Highest score: 11 (Mark Young). Average score: 5.75. Prediction of the Week: Jodie Kemp (Manchester City 0-2 Reading).

Results: Aston Villa 1-0 West Ham United (5); Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Sheffield United (11); Charlton Athletic 0-1 Chelsea (2); Fulham 2-1 Newcastle United (7); Liverpool 0-0 Everton (1); Manchester City 0-2 Reading (1); Middlesbrough 1-1 Arsenal (5); Watford 0-1 Bolton Wanderers (12); Wigan Athletic 1-0 Portsmouth (2); Tottenham Hotspur 0-4 Manchester United (0).

Christine Butters (nine points, 1st) piles on the pressure, Dave Taylor (nine points, 4th) wallows in 1-0 heaven and Mark Young (11 points, 5th) thrusts himself into title contention. It could only be The Predictorship.

A rampant Christine eeks out a three-point lead at the summit (145 points) with John Collins, courtesy of three correct scores, and Hope Arnold (both 142 points) keeping the Manchester City starlet honest. Dave (140), who correctly predicted three of last weekend’s four 1-0 scorelines (what a dull weekend it was for net-busting action), and Mark (138), the ninth player to reach 11 points this season, both sneak into the title shake-up. Could it all boil down to a five-horse race?

In the absence of an interesting headline this week, we salute Stewart Newport (eight points, 18th) and the 800 million viewers around the globe who tuned into the Stew-per Bowl, which saw the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears lock horns (metaphorically-speaking).

The game, won 29-17 by the Colts, caused barely a flutter of excitement here in the UK, where football is a sport played with a round ball, no shoulder pads and two nets and it’s acceptable to neither win nor lose. However, insomniacs and anyone unperturbed by the stop-start nature of the beast that is American Football (all three of you know who you are) lapped up the televised “spectacle”.

Before I alienate the entire population of America (but you know I didn’t mean it, right?), here’s some important news about the Predictorship Cup …

There was the small matter of five Round 1 replays to be decided at the weekend, as follows:

* WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (Pete Yoder) 6-7 CLAPTON F.C. (Cathryn Harker)
* PETERBOROUGH UNITED (Steve McHugh) 6-3 BLACKBURN ROVERS (Sally Moon)
* SOUTHAMPTON (Tom Palmer) 3-4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (Simon Gold)
* PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (Gabe Bevilacqua) 7-2 CRYSTAL PALACE (Dave McAleer)
* WEST BROMWICH ALBION (Mark Young) 11-6 ANKARAGÜCÜ (Matthew White)

Congratulations to Clapton F.C., Peterborough United, Philadelphia Eagles, Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion, who all go into the proverbial hat for Round 2 (February 17-18).

In alphabetical order, the 16 teams still in with a shout of Cup glory in 2007 are: Bengal Mumbai F.C. (Haresh Mirani), Bunch of Losers (Michael Whitty), Clapton F.C. (Cathryn Harker), DC Adunited (Patrick Bevilacqua), Hornets Forever (Mark Davies), Living the Dream (Paul Bentley), Manchester City (Christine Butters), Manchester United (Hope Arnold), Newcastle United (Basil Bradley), Peterborough United (Steve McHugh), Philadelphia Eagles (Gabe Bevilacqua), Sheffield Wednesday (Janet Jones), Tottenham Hotspur (Simon Gold), Watford (David Roberts), West Bergholt Wanderers (Jodie Kemp) and West Bromwich Albion (Mark Young).

Expect some more magic from Nick Watson’s re-christened Drawomatic Randomizer 16 soon …

Quote of the Week …

Gary Lineker on Match of the Day: “Reading’s staggering form continues”. Mark Lawrenson: “Yep. I think Stevie Coppell (is an) early contender for manager of the year. And they’re doing their bit for global warming: you don’t need a big car, you just need a two Lita”. (They say a good joke never needs an explanation, but for anyone who doesn’t follow the fortunes of Premiership new boys Reading, striker Leroy Lita scored both goals in their 2-0 win at Manchester City at the weekend.)