Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The transfer window has now closed and Premiership squads have been finalised meaning one thing - greater certainty for all those fantasy football managers out there.
Numerous versions of this worldwide phenomenon exist - on the Premier League's own site there are approximately 2.5 million users. You can play in the general leagues or you can establish your own, participating weekly against friends and/or colleagues.
It is estimated that, since its origins 50 years ago, fantasy football has grown to include approximately 35 million users worldwide and is believed to be worth a staggering $4 billion to the sports industry.
Lordie, Smalls and Lucky are busy collecting Premier League predictions from footy fans in Bahrain but that's another 'Storey'.
The very first fantasy sports league was created in 1962 by the part-owner of Oakland Raiders (American Football team), Wilfred Winkenbach. His original idea was based around the game of golf, before switching to baseball and, ultimately, devising the final version on gridiron. The Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognasticators League was formed - it spread like wildfire with friends and colleagues in offices and social establishments getting hooked.
The first prominent national fantasy league came in the 1992-3 season when the Fantasy League was licensed, at which point in time teams had to be phoned in or even posted. Last minute injuries in training could ruin a fantasy manager's chances for the week
For the uninitiated, how does it work? Essentially you are allocated a set amount of money from which you have to select a squad of players. While you are allowed to pick any player and formation, there are generally a set number of positions for defence, midfield and attack.
The players most likely to score the most points for you, generally the most prolific strikers, have the highest values, meaning it is impossible to pick your dream team. Last season's highest points scorer was Frank Lampard and his price reflects this, even though he plays in midfield.
Each player scores points in a variety of ways, from simply being picked in the starting 11 through to scoring goals or providing assists. Players can also have points deducted for conceding goals or picking up a booking.
Bookings can be a vital component of your selection later in the season. These can lead to suspensions and fewer opportunities to score points in subsequent weeks.
You are not stuck with the same team throughout the season - you are generally allowed to make transfers throughout the season, although you can forfeit points for making too many in a given week.
There are those who dedicate their life to finding out the finest detail of a footballer's life that may provide an indication of their success on the fantasy football field. There have been stories of sackings and divorce for those addicts who spend almost every waking hour scouring different sources for that elusive snippet of information that will make the difference between defeat and victory.
There are now sites dedicated to providing this information - try www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk or www.fiso.co.uk
These can help you look ahead and predict players likely to be missing for international tournaments, particularly those in South America where players have long distances to travel, through to researching the wives and girlfriends of players to see who is due to give birth the following week!
So what is it about fantasy football that gets so many involved? At one level it is pure competition, the chance to beat your mates. However, there is also a sense that you are pitting your wits against the managers themselves. Success somehow promotes the sense that you yourself are good enough to take charge at a Premier League club and ultimately lift the title!
Yet, entering a team into the fantasy football leagues can leave you with divided loyalties. Would, for example, an Arsenal fan dare to pick Gareth Bale from arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, or, in reverse, would a Spurs fan be putting Theo Walcott into his starting line-up.
My star signings this season have been Hart (goal), Cole (defence), Bale (midfield) and Carroll (forward). I'm already learning from some early mistakes so here's some tips!
Load your team with high-scoring forwards and midfielders. You will have to make up the rest of your squad with low ranking defenders but they will lose you fewer points than the others will gain
When picking these defenders look for teams that are generally strong defensively or strong at home
Change your squad weekly and pick players that are against weaker opposition or are at home
Change your captain weekly (he scores double points), again based on the upcoming games
Look at the fixture list a month ahead and plan your squad for those teams with the most matches
However, my final recommendation is to ensure that, the next time your missus asks you to tell her your favourite fantasy, you don't reply 'signing Didier Drogba'.
If you do, it might be time to admit you're spending too much time on the laptop!
