Fantasy Premier League 2025-6. We’re back!

Yes, FC Clowder City is  back this season to repeat our field experiment exploring the impact of the feline factor on the beautiful game. Replication is essential to ensure accurate and reliable results.

I've got a refreshed squad, with some exciting new players, selected using the same cat-based criteria as last season 

• verified ailurophobia 
• players with cat names
• players with names of famous cat lovers
• players whose names describe typical cat actions
• players from cat-loving countries
• players from countries where cats are properly respected. 

Who’s out?

Joao Felix, the player with the most cat credentials, has behaved  exactly like a cat, and walked away with no thought for his team mates to play for All Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where it is always warm and there is lots of  cream. As did Darwin  Núñez, who as gone to Al Hilal. 

Nicholas Jackson is in the middle of being rehomed as he did not settle.  Thomas Partey has been, it seems, a very bad cat off the field. Neither of the  Johnsons, Ben or Brennan, made enough of a mark, although co-manager Roger and I will always reconsider. Poor Radu Dargusin  is still injured.   

Who’s In?

Giorgi Mamardashvili - from Tbilisi,  Georgia - absolute star of the Georgian National Side in the Euros and now finally  in the game as the Anfield netminder 

Issa Diop – slightly irascible but solid centre back for Fulham. French, but eligible via Senegalese father. has Senegalese father  

Granit Xhaka - dear old unstoppable Granit , now captain of Sunderland, aka The Black Cats

Simon Adingra –Ivorian midfielder, ex-Brighton, now plays for Sunderland  

Viktor Einar Gyökeres– much hyped newly signed Swedish striker for Arsenal, eligible via Hungarian grandfather

Marc Guiu  – Spanish striker , on loan from Chelsea to Sunderland  

El Hadji Malick Diouf -goal scoring  Senegalese wingback just signed to West Ham 

On Our Watchlist 

Bukayo Saka, Arsenal hero, whose name means cat in Malagasy. We love him dearly, but he is still not back in the mighty form of last year post injury

Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s chance-making, goal-scoring midfielder, captain of Hungarian National team     

Insight from 2024/5 

As we joined late, in GW 11,  we played only 27 of the 38 games, achieving 1253 points. 

This is roughly 48  points per game week, slightly higher than the average 44.25, but does not reach FPL “good” level, which is 60-70. 

What does this say about the feline factor hypothesis?

I deduce that the only cat-based parameter that has made any real difference is having a connection to Bast, the Egyptian cat goddess. 

Here’s why. The outstanding player of the season by miles was our Captain, Mohamed Salah  Do not take my word for it, the figures are verified by the stat supremos of FPL themselves. 

Mo Salah, Liverpool’s pharaoh of the goalmouth, earned 344 FPL points, 41 above the previous record. Salah is both Egyptian and a cat lover and we conclude that Bast was doubly pleased and rewarded him generously. 

So we play again, to test and verify our results.  Let’s hope Bast smiles upon us. 

Go Clowder!