Gameweek Thirty-Eight: The Final Day

Scores to be settled, trophies to be won and records to be broken; for the Gentlemen, this is their final chance to make this season a success. With eleven personal bests achieved and many records set last season, anything is possible on the Final Day.

​15:30
After thirty-seven long gameweeks, three cup competitions, a record number of Hundred Club entries and a season which guarantees a first-time League of Gentlemen champion to dethrone King Ding, we have made it to the Final Day. All the trials and tribulations, the torments and the triumphs, and the dreams and the FPL Nightmares have brought us to Gameweek Thirty-Eight, the last hurrah of the 2020/21 FPL season. We’ll be following the League of Gentlemen live, as the remaining issues are determined and the medal positions are decided. Dan the Dragon is almost-unassailable at the top, with a 77-point advantage over his nearest rival, Big Steve ‘the Butcher’ Allison, meaning the primary focus is on who seals the Silver Medal. The Butcher has the upper hand, with a 28-point lead over Grinchy Vogt, with outside chancers Ginger Ben and Jockin’ Jeeves a further 22 and 31 points behind respectively. In his chase for Silver, the Grinch must ensure the Bronze Medal does not slip away, much as it did last season when Jockin’ Jeeves launched a remarkable Final Day fightback to steal the Bronze at the last. He will certainly hope history repeats itself this time out; if it doesn’t, it will be the first time in the eight-year history of the division that he has finished outside of the medal positions.
 
We will also be keeping track on the race to escape ending the season with complete Irrelevants, as Flash Funk, Hitman Hodgson, Lord Geord, Sirloin Sean, King Ding and Red Hot Rob all vying for three spaces in the Chasing Pack. With just 28 points separating Flash Funk in fifth from Red Hot Rob in eleventh, it really is all to play for. We will also be looking at who can seal the final automatic qualification spot for next season’s Gentlemen’s Classic, with The Ox thirteen points ahead of Iceman Newton as it stands. Deadly Daz had also been in the running, but will need a Final Day miracle to overcome the 46-point deficit that has opened up in the last two gameweeks, as missed deadlines and the Ox’s Bench Boost key factors in his slip. Key to keeping up to everything is the fantastic LiveFPL.net, which features a dynamic league table based on the events as they happen. It always crashes in the second half, something that only adds to the drama.
 
15:45
With fifteen minutes until every match in the gameweek begins, let’s look at some of the decisions managers have taken this gameweek.
 
Salah is the most popular captain, with nine managers opting for the Egyptian enigma, including all of the top four. This gives Jockin’ Jeeves an opening, having chanced Mane with the armband.
 
Big Steve, Grinchy Vogt and Ginger Ben have all taken a four-point hit: Big Steve and Ginger Ben have both brought in Harrison and Robertson, while Grinchy Vogt has opted for Mane, Alexander-Arnold and Raphinha. Jockin’ Jeeves has took a massive twelve-point hit, replacing Son, Dias, Greenwood and Coleman with Mane, Tierney, Raphinha and Reece James. He’s throwing it all on the line; if he is going down, he’s going down fighting.
 
In the race to escape Irrelevants, only Sirloin Sean and Red Hot Rob have taken transfer hits, while neither The Ox, Iceman Newton nor Deadly Daz have made any transfers.
 
16:08
Harrison has the ball in the net, but it’s ruled out, much to the chagrin of his new owners. That would’ve been the hit paid off early doors. No returns in the whole division as of yet, with Bamford’s benching a frustration to his owners.
 
16:13
Goals for both Manchester teams at the same time! Kevin de Bruyne puts it in the net for the champions, while for Manchester United – who have fielded almost a complete reserve team – Elanga gets the goal. Clean sheets wiped out for those who still have Everton and Wolves defenders, including Grinchy Vogt who, as it stands, has Coady replacing Bamford in his team. He’ll be hoping the Leeds striker gets on the field as soon as possible. First blood goes to the Iceman in the race for twelfth, with his man Mahrez grabbing the assist.
 
16:17
It’s two for Manchester City, Gabriel Jesus with the goal. Meanwhile, Vardy has won and scored a penalty for Leicester, wiping out clean sheets for the Ox, the Iceman and Flash Funk. For Red Hot Rob and King Ding, Digne has already lost a point for goals conceded.
 
16:18
Leeds score through Bamford’s replacement, Rodrigo, causing frustration for some. Not for others, though – Raphinha grabs the assist! Grinchy Vogt, Jockin’ Jeeves, Flash Funk and Red Hot Rob all own him, while Hitman Hodgson has given him the captaincy, aiding his top-eight chances.
 
16:23
Willock scores for Newcastle! That’s seven in seven for the on-loan midfielder, matching Papiss Cisse’s Premier League record for Newcastle. Only time will tell if he gets the chance to beat it next season, but today is all about today’s FPL points, and the Geordie goal-getter has secured five points for the Dragon and Big Steve. That could seal the deal for the Silver Medal.
 
16.25
McGoldrick scores for Sheffield United, denying King Ding a second clean sheet. It’s been a season to forget for the back-to-back league champion, who will be more ready than most for the season to be over. After the intensity of the last two seasons, he will be in need of the rest more than anyone else.
 
16:33
Two goals in quick succession for Fornals, who is owned by nobody. The assister for the first, Antonio, gets points for the Grinch, Ginger Ben, Jockin’ Jeeves and Flash Funk, the latter of whom has captained him. Coufal, the assister of the second, is owned by Vogt, Flash, the Hitman and Red Hot Rob. It’s a disaster for Lord Geord, though, who has left him on the bench with Dias, starting Alioski ahead of both in a Leeds defensive double-up.
 
16:36
Mane scores! That could be huge for Jockin’ Jeeves, who has him as his captain and needs a massive performance. Unfortunately for him, Grinchy Vogt, the man he is trying to catch, also brought in the Mane man.
 
16:38
Ederson saves a penalty! That moves Jeeves up to fourth in the live rankings, displacing Ginger Ben, who topped the table for so long. In many ways, it would be cruel for him to finish outside the medals. In many other ways, however, you get exactly what you deserve in this game. Meanwhile, the gap to the Silver Medal has closed by ten points for Grinchy Vogt, currently on thirty points to the Butcher’s twenty. He needs to find another nineteen extra points, though, with the Butcher holding the Transfer Tiebreaker advantage.
 
16:40
A massive moment for Lord Geord, as his midfielder – Son – sets up his striker, Kane, for a Spurs equaliser. Whether the assist will stand, however, remains to be seen. If it doesn’t, the only advantage gained is over Sirloin Sean, with his four other rivals also owning Kane, and with King Ding having him as captain. Meanwhile, Hitman Hodgson and Sirloin Sean have seen their goalkeeper’s clean sheet wiped out.
 
16:43
Targett assists Traore for Villa, giving Deadly Daz the slimmest of hopes and wiping out clean sheets for Jeeves, Ginger Ben, Red Hot Rob and two clean sheets for Iceman Newton. That could be huge for The Ox, with the Iceman presently level on points and having the advantage on the Transfer Tiebreaker.
 
16:50
A Mata penalty for Manchester United, as the half-time whistle blows on the Final Day. A frenetic opening half saw plenty of action, and it’s only going to get wilder in the final forty-five minutes. The key positions, as they stand:
 
Big Steve is still in second, but Grinchy Vogt has outscored him by fifteen points, meaning he needs just fourteen more to steal the Silver Medal at the death. A repeat of the first half will bring it home.
 
Jockin’ Jeeves is up to fourth, with a monster 46-point half overcoming that twelve-point deficit. His 34-point gameweek total thus far dwarves Ginger Ben’s dismal seven points, and has seen him move eighteen points clear in fourth. However, he remains 31 points off the medal places, and needs to produce something special.
 
No change in the teams currently escaping Irrelevants, though King Ding has climbed a place in the table to ninth. His score is identical to Lord Geord, keeping the gap at thirteen points. The Hitman is fourteen points clear in seventh, with another six points to Flash.
 
The Ox and Iceman Newton are dead level in the race for twelfth place, the final automatic qualifying spot for the Gentlemen’s Classic. The Iceman holds the Transfer Tiebreaker advantage, so The Ox needs to find an extra point.
 
Also – and this will probably end up meaning nothing – Private Parvesh has made up fifteen points on Wildman Whitfield. He needs to find another 37 points to overtake him, but if he can find them, it’ll be the most remarkable last-place escape we’ve ever known.
 
17:04
The second half is underway, and Bamford is on the field for Leeds. That could yet prove massive for Grinchy Vogt, as it prevents Coady, who has lost a point for conceding two goals, coming off his bench. Meanwhile, Mendy has failed to emerge for the second half for Chelsea, meaning Red Hot Rob and Iceman Newton’s goalkeeper’s day is over. Could the lost appearance point for failing to make sixty minutes be what wins it for The Ox?
 
17:05
The first goal of the second half comes immediately, and it’s Pepe for Arsenal. The goal itself means little for points gained, with nobody owning him or the assister, Chambers. However, it wipes out a clean sheet for Brighton and, more pertinently, King Ding.
 
17:10
2-1 to Leicester, and it’s a second penalty won and converted by Vardy! While nobody in the situations we are following own the Leicester legend, it means the Iceman and The Ox both lose a point for defensive players. It also takes a point off Flash Funk, who has Meslier starting and Lloris on the bench, but has played his Bench Boost.
 
17:13
Penalty scored for Villa, meaning Ginger Ben and Jockin’ Jeeves lose a defensive point. The Iceman also does, for Chilwell, but Mendy’s total is set – a minor relief for the Classic qualification challenger.
 
17:14
Foden scores for Manchester City, assisted by Sterling. Only Big Steve owns Raheem the Dream, who has greatly underperformed this season. He won’t care about past performances if he seals the Silver Medal today. Ginger Ben and Red Hot Rob both own Foden, and hope his goal lights the fuse for some Final Day fireworks.
 
17:17
Foden has been subbed-off, meaning the hoped-for explosions turned out to be duds. Still, those five parting points could end up being massive. Meanwhile, Pepe has scored again, meaning Sanchez loses a point for King Ding.
 
17:21
As provisional clean sheet points get added to running totals, Grinchy Vogt is fourteen points behind Big Steve, while Red Hot Rob overtakes King Ding into ninth and the Ox moves seven points clear of Iceman Newton. Meanwhile, Saint-Maximin is subbed-off, taking away an offensive weapon for Lord Geord. What a disaster that signing was. Since the Lord brought in the Saint, he has no goals and no assists. Meanwhile, the man he decided against, Willock, has six goals in six since that transfer. Fourteen points instead of thirty-eight, with half an hour for Willock to add more. He would be in seventh place if he’d opted for Willock; now, it may end up leaving him stranded in Irrelevants. If Southampton don’t find a goal, those eleven points of Coufal he left on his bench could also haunt him over the summer.
 
17:24
Aguero is on for his farewell cameo, and Red Hot Rob’s eyes light up. The Appleby Assassin was the only one who opted for the sentimental signing today; could Super-Scorer Sergio be his difference-maker? The Masterchef also brought in Aguero, but he is just playing for pride at this point.
 
17:30
The Iceman is back in it as Chilwell scores! Six huge points!
 
17:31
Aguerooooooooooo! Red Hot Rob is back in the fight! He won’t care that it costs Digne another point, but one man who will is King Ding, who has seen three of four potential clean sheets wiped-out. However, we cannot see how it affects the standings, as LiveFPL has crashed. This is when the tension hits its peak, when we have no way of seeing the live table.
 
17:34
Oh my word. Leicester seem intent of throwing their Champions League hopes away, as Kasper Schmeichel scores an own-goal! Disaster for the Hitman and Sirloin Sean, but joy for Lord Geord, who now has the Son assist that was denied earlier on. And for Jeeves, Mane has done it! A second goal! Surely, surely, surely he cannot pull of a miracle medal for the second-successive season. Most likely not, but he’s giving it a real go. It’s a Salah assist, though, which does hinder him with so many managers having the Egyptian Enigma as captain.
 
17:37
Aguerooooooo! Red Hot Rob is right back in the running! And Bamford has scored from the bench, assisted by Harrison! The points are flying in for the Gentlemen, and we have no idea how it affects the standings. Why the official FPL site haven’t employed Mr. LiveFPL is completely beyond me; it would improve the official site immeasurably to incorporate livefpl.net into its structure.
 
17:43
LiveFPL is back up, and Grinchy Vogt is now just ten points away from Big Steve. A massive final ten minutes ahead. Meanwhile, Ginger Ben is back up to fourth, and Lord Geord is up to seventh. The Ox’s advantage over the Iceman is down to four points. So much still up in the air, however, as a few stray goals wiping out clean sheets could see all these points totals slashed.
 
17:44
Gareth Bale scores for Spurs, to little relevance in the League of Gentlemen. What is important, however, is that the assist belongs to Kane! Could King Ding escape the Irrelevants at the death? We don’t know, because LiveFPL is down again. Meanwhile, Schar has scored a penalty for Newcastle.
 
17:47
Robson-Kanu scores for West Brom, wiping out Leeds clean sheets. It’s a disaster for Lord Geord, who doubled-up instead of playing it safe and starting Coufal, and now has missed out on nine crucial points in the closing moments of the season!
 
17:49
Full-time whistles at Craven Cottage and the Emirates, but the rest of the games – where the vast majority of League of Gentlemen players are participating – are still going on. Will we see any last-gasp drama?
 
17:51
There’ll be no more points from West Ham and Southampton this season, with the match concluding with a three-nil West Ham win. Those missed Coufal points could yet prove costly for Lord Geord. Scant consolation is that his total is down to ten points, as it stands. It won’t even help if Greenwood fails to feature, with three-point Lingard blocking Coufal’s path to the team.
 
17:54
The whistle has gone at the Etihad, with Aguero’s brace sealing a 5-0 win. Meanwhile, Spurs have scored again. Who could it be? This could change everything.
 
17:55
It’s Gareth Bale again. It doesn’t affect the critical situations in the League of Gentlemen, as he assisted himself, scoring the rebound after his first shot hit the post. Full-time whistles blowing all over the place, with only Villa - Chelsea and Wolves - Man Utd still playing.
 
17:57
And that’s it! The 2020-21 League of Gentlemen season is completed! Now we play the waiting game to see the final standings, with bonus points still being determined and LiveFPL still down. It’ll be a nervous wait for so many managers. Even when the table comes in, the drama may not be over. Last season saw the FPL World Number One kicked out of the game days after Gameweek Thirty-Eight finished, for a racially-insensitive text message he sent to a friend. Rumour has it Grinchy Vogt has called in the hackers to break into the Dragon and Big Steve’s mobile phones and fabricate false evidence, in one last desperate attempt at glory, but those rumours cannot be substantiated by Jez Messing.
 
18:20
LiveFPL is back online, and the questions we had at the beginning of the day have been answered. Private Parvesh smashed Wildman Whitfield by 31 points, but he finds himself rooted to the bottom by twenty-two. A great fightback having been over a hundred points away at one stage, but time ran out on his desperate attempts. It’s an agonising near-miss for the Iceman, who has been pipped for the final Gentlemen’s Classic qualification place by just two points. If Mendy had stayed on the pitch, would he have saved the penalty? Having saved one just fifteen days ago, he may well have done, but we will never know. The Iceman now faces the lottery of the preliminary rounds in the opening gameweeks of next season, when engagement in the game is highest and results are the most random.
 
The six teams vying for the three places that would ensure finishing the season outside of the Irrelevants saw the most movement of all the division, with five of the six teams changing places. Flash Funk was the only non-mover, sealing sixth place by ten points. Climbing a place to seventh was Lord Geord, a one-place fall from last season but a strong result given the context of his season. Taking a twenty-point hit to reshape his team in Gameweek Thirty-One saw the Lords drop to twelfth, but proved critical in his late-season charge up the table. The three teams lost in Irrelevants are Red Hot Rob, Sirloin Sean and King Ding, with last season’s champion suffering a crushing fall from grace, with the two men Big Steve brought into the division to help exact vengeance on the King forcing him outside of the season’s top ten teams. Jockin’ Jeeves hit the Final Day’s highest score, even after a twelve-point hit, with the captaincy of Mane firing him to a 72-point gameweek total. It lifted him above Ginger Ben, but it wasn’t enough to get him into the medal places. In the race for the Silver Medal, it all hung on one decision. Had Grinchy Vogt captained Mane, he would have pinched it at the last. Alas, the renowned risk-taker played it safe right at the time he needed to roll the dice, and ended up missing out by just eight points. His Bronze Medal still represents a great achievement, considering he was nineteenth at Christmas, and that rise will give hope to everyone who has a poor start next time out. For the winner of the Silver Medal, Big Steve, there is an element of redemption. His final point total of 2,378 beats that of King Ding from last season; it’s not enough to secure the title, but it does show that the Butcher recovered from his Final Day heartbreak to come back stronger, and to achieve a personal victory, if not a league title success. The question is whether he can build on back-to-back Silver medals to finally take the title next season. With a summer to relax and refresh, you can only imagine he’ll come back stronger.
 
However, this season will be remembered for one man’s outstanding performance. That man is Dan ‘the Dragon’ Hodgson, who has romped home to the title in his debut season. It’s been a masterful performance to dethrone King Ding, and to take his League of Gentlemen Total Points Record in the process. All he needs to know now is his final overall ranking. He was 27 points off the top ten thousand in the world at the start of play. We’ll have to wait until the Season Review and Honour Roll to see if he has managed a dramatic four-figure finish, and if he can surpass King Ding’s Final Overall Ranking record. One suspects not, having only secured 62 points this week, but you just never know. In many ways, it doesn’t even matter. When it comes to the World’s Greatest Mini-League, with its three unique cup competitions, it’s wide range of characters, the chronicles of the epic stories within each gameweek and the intense white-hot pressure that comes with it, completely unrivalled in FPL, winning the League of Gentlemen is more impressive than winning the wider game, with none of these additional factors. This year, the League of Gentlemen champion is Dan the Dragon, and it’s a triumph that the FPL Gods themselves will be smiling down on. Fantastic stuff.
 
 
That concludes the final review of the season for the League of Gentlemen, one which saw the King dethroned, Ginger Ben win the Eliminator, the Hitman win the Gentlemen’s Classic, Jockin’ Jeeves win the Gentlemen’s Trophy and the debutante Dragon set a new benchmark of quality in a sensational title win. Next season will see the Gentlemen regather, ready to give it another crack at glory. Whether they can emulate and exceed the Dragon, only time will tell. To those that compete in the Euro 2020 La Ligue de Gentlemen, may all your transfers be successes, may all your arrows be green, and may the EuroFPL Gods be in your favour. Most importantly, whether you compete in the European Championships or take a rest, I wish you all a great summer. It’s been a wonderful season, Gentlemen. Thank you for taking part.