nutty nigel 7,351 Posted August 2, 2017 Well PUPs it’s great to be back for the eleventh season of Rays Funds. That’s a long time! And a lot has happened for us City fans. Just thinking about it our beloved club has had eight permanent managers in that time. We’ve also seen three promotions and three relegations. And throughout it all Rays Funds has gone from strength to strength to the great credit of everyone involved. Ray would be so proud of you all. We had a quiet summer with no World Cup or Euros but still you wonderful PUPs managed to add to the pot. Special thanks to Lessingham for the Josh Murphy shirt initiative that raised £250. So we go into this season with £712 already in the presentation pot. All raised since we presented £2,000 to the CSF and our brilliant Downes Synmdrome boys and girls last March. Let’s see what we can get that to by March 2018. If you’re looking at this and wondering about joining this season just jump in and take part. It’s not pay to play. Those that can afford send me a tenner to see us through the season. My paypal is canaryeddie@aol.com or I’ll be in the Nelson opposite the train station after the Sunderland game. Thanks to everyone who sent a tenner via paypal. I got yours today Hoola and Molly. As is customary our reigning champion is in charge on the first week. So we have the brilliant Cosmic Twin picking the six results. Winning the PUPs league is the latest in such a long list of Rays Funds achievements for Cosmic. Besides being our champion she has 5 winning weeks when making these final selections as well as two winning weeks when selecting for the Norwich game. Picking on the first week can be a lottery at times but if anyone can turn that into a winning week Cosmic can.We can help her by with our very best selection from the games played on Saturday, Sunday and Monday of this weekend that are listed on the Bill Hill or Bet 365 web site. Thanks to our generous anonymous benefactor the Norwich game stakes are once again covered for the season. And for this first week we have Chip20 making the final selections. We had a little bit of fun in the summer with a thread to guess our first game. Chip correctly said Fulham away and the prize was top make the final selections from the Norwich picks for that first game. Chip kindly accepted the prize and will need all your help with your usual high standard of suggestions. You have a tenner to spend Chip and can divide it how you like between the PUPs suggestions and your own. If you’re not sure about anything just ask. All the PUPs will be only too happy to help. You’ll see we now have our own logo at the top of the page (hopefully). This was the design you PUPs voted on from the two that the talented Mason47 kindly did for us. Thanks buddy. Just a reminder that Kathy needs your Canary Challenge entries by this Friday don’t forget she said we could BOGOF again and any money won on the free entry goes into our presentation pot. http://www.canariestrust.org/CanaryChallenge We have longer for the NCFSC Prediction Competition where all proceeds go to the CSF. http://www.ncfsc.co.uk/competition/17-18-prediction-competition Hissing Sid has kindly opened the PUPs league again on Sky Sports Super Six. This is loads of fun. Sid tells me if you were in it last season, you''re automatically back this year. If you want to join us, please feel free, the league code is 2KTVZ2 Finally (I think) here’s the rota for the rest of August : - Final Six Results 05 Aug - Cosmic Twin - confirmed 12 Aug - Platonic - confirmed 19 Aug - Anthony - confirmed 26 Aug - ZLF - confirmed Norwich Game 05 Aug - Chip 20 - confirmed 12 Aug - Duncan - confirmed 19 Aug - Crabby - confirmed 26 Aug – Jellytot - confirmed So now I’ll hand the thread over to Cosmic Twin and Chip20. Remember there’s no pressure because we are all going to be doing our best to help you to success. We all stand together with the single aim of raising money for the Community Sports Foundation and our fabulous Downes Syndrome boys and girls.. Good luck all you PUPs... take it away Lynda and Chip... the thread is yours.......[:)]..... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As always I leave you with Ray’s signature which now reads :- Carve their names with pride.Yankee,5,Fellas,3,P''boro,2,Mr Chops,2,NewYork,2, Inch High,5, Blahblahblah, NCFC_Shaun, 1st Wazzock,3, Fonejacker,3, Norfolkbroadslim,3, Norfolkchance1,2, Scooby,3, Trent Canary,3, Cosmic Twin,5, Graham Humphrey, Leedscanary,3, NcfcStar, Herman, Delia’s Devonshire Dirtbox,2, Lappinitup, Statto, Mandie Moo,2, Mr Bump, Kathy,2, Til1010, Snake-eyes, Vindo,2, NWC, Hughesy, Gregt, GMF,3, SwindonCanary, Twidio, Hector Brockelbank, Lake District Canary,2, Bor Bor Bor, Yellowfuture, Chellecity, Diesel Doris, Lessingham Canary, Molly Windley, Parma Ham’s gone mouldy, Feedthewolf, AJ, JB, PurpleCanary, Hoola Han Solo, yes Norfolkchance1 £2038 for the Academy, and £2019 for the Community Sports Foundation. And with the Norwich match bet. Splutcho, jb,2, Redders Right Foot,2, Hector Brockelbank, Blahblahblah,2, Can u sit down please, Til1010, Mandie Moo’s Mear Kat,2, Crabbycanary,2, Paul, Stewfil, Parma Ham’s gone mouldy, Bor Bor Bor, Mr Apples, Woostercanary,2, City-til-I-die, The Great Drinkell,2, nutty,3, Feedthewolf,2, Lappinitup,3, NWC, Hoola Han Solo,2, Twidio, Ray, PUPanon,2, Molly Windley, 93vintage,2, ClareW, Van Wink,2, Cityangel, AJ,2, Norfolkchance1,Yellowfuture, Graham Humphrey, Diesel Doris, Duncan Edwards, Legend Iwan, YorkshirePudding, Kathy, Platonic,2, Cosmic Twin,2, Mr Jenkins, Reggie, Snake-eyes,2, I’m A Banana, ZLF, Lake District Canary, norfolkngood, Syteanric, Felixfan, TeamPUPs, yes PUPs £1035 for the Community Sports Foundation. And with £2625 for the CSF from the Pink Un Pledges, Euro 16 and donations we now have a total of £7717 since we began of which £712 is already banked for the next presentation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hissing Sid 146 Posted August 2, 2017 And we begin again. Is it really our 11th year? Huge thanks for getting it all up and running again Nutty.And so, to begin, it''s a Sunday offering from Switzerland for me...Young Boys v Lausanne Sports - Home WinFor the match bet, nice and simple. This is the year the hoodoo ends. Norwich to win (11/4 on bet365).Best of luck Cosmic, Chip and all you PUPs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Feedthewolf 4,789 Posted August 2, 2017 How lovely to be posting on a PUPs thread again! Many thanks as ever to Nutty for being such a star in organising all this, and to PUPanon for their generosity in covering the free bets. Very best of luck of, Cosmic and Chip – hope you both, and Norwich of course, can get off to a winning start!I''ll go for Club Brugge to beat KAS Eupen in the Belgian top flight. KAS lost 5-0 at home to Waregem in their first match last week, while Brugge won 4-0 at Lokeren. Odds are 2/9.For the Norwich match, I''ll go for a very optimistic Norwich to win and both teams to score at around 5/1. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
splutcho 160 Posted August 2, 2017 I feel like it''s been a while!I''ll go for Portsmouth to open their League 1 campaign strong and beat Rochdale at home at 3/4.I''m feeling positive for the Norwich game, I think we''ll be a lot more resilient than last year which is why I''m tipping us to win from behind at 14/1.Best of luck to the pickers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Platonic 1 Posted August 2, 2017 Finally football is back!Unlike most PUPs my knowledge is purely limited to England, so I''m having to plump for a Championship fixture which feels little more than a dart thrown at the fixture list. Middlesbrough are a good price away to Wolves, but I think the safest bet I can see is Bristol City at home to Barnsley - apparently Barnsley have an even worse opening day record than us, and in their last pre-season got spanked 4-0 by the mighty Rotherham, so I''m backing Bristol City here.This table that I found whilst researching Barnsely (http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/which-of-our-teams-has-the-best-opening-day-record-from-the-last-10-years-sheffield-wednesday-sheffield-united-barnsley-rotherham-united-doncaster-rovers-and-chesterfield-stats-1-8680714)makes grim reading for us. I''d love to back us to beat Fulham, but they''re a bogey team and we are usually not the team to back on opening day at the best of times, so for the Norwich bet I go back to my old reliable over 2.5 goals. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PurpleCanary 5,530 Posted August 2, 2017 The Norwegian 1. Division.Bodo/Glimt to win at home against Arendal.Bodo/Glimt, with a 7-1-0 and 26/11 home record, are top, but there is a long way to go yet in the league. Arendal are bottom, with a so-so 1-3-4 and 10/14 away record. In the reverse fixture in June Bodo/Glimt won 3-1 at Arendal. The current odds are a resonably atttractive 2/9.---For the NCFC bet I suggest a 2-2 draw, at 12/1.Good luck to all! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cosmic Twin 180 Posted August 2, 2017 Thanks Nutty for the very kind introduction! I''m very honoured to be doing the first pick of the new season. Even though it can be somewhat of a lottery as there are always some strange results, I know you fantastic PUPs will find me some great picks!I''ll post the final six some time Friday evening so you''ve got plenty of time!For the Norwich Bet, I''m going for Watkins to score anytime! Good Luck, Chip 20! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony 0 Posted August 2, 2017 Its good to be back My pick is Bristol City home win, for Norwich Oliveira to score anytimeGood Luck to all pupsEddie I owe you money which I ll get to you, will also give you £1 per penalty scored by Norwich again this season Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
First Wazzock 863 Posted August 2, 2017 Many thanks to that ''Lovely old boy'' Ray, for having the courage to set this whole thing off, and to you Eddie to keeping it going - from strength to strength I hasten to add! Many Thanks also to Pupanon for their generosity.National League for me...Sutton United v Leyton Orient - Away WinNorwich BetDraw Half Time and Full Time Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diane 498 Posted August 2, 2017 I love this thread and all those pups that post their picks regularly throughout the whole season.I often think of Ray, his funny moments and his tasty sausages, I loved them all and as Eddie knows, I think he''s great to carry it on to help the CSF which is very close to my heartMy pick this week is Wolves v M''boro DrawFor our team, Im not sure, its a tough start but will also go for a drawGood Luck to the lovely Cosmic this week and to Chip, hope you get us off to a good start. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Parma Ham's gone mouldy 2,204 Posted August 2, 2017 Thank you for another brilliant new Pups season Ray, Nutella and PupAnon....by far the best and most uplifting thread of his and any year. Long may it live, thrive and survive as a wise man once said...(well a very charming fat, crazed, drug addict....but all are welcome to the Pups!) 😂👌💪👍🕺😊❤️I find the early weeks a little difficult, bit of a bumpy ride until the patterns establish...I agree with Lupo 🐕 that Club Brugge vs Eupen looks attractive, so I''m going to endorse that one for the excellent Cosmic:Club Brugge vs Eupen - Home winAs for Chip''s Norwich bet who really knows? Opening day hoodoos, Fulham away, new team, new philosophy, new everything, pretty good opposition, good approach themselves... Coaches control the controllable and Farke knows how to defend. First refuge of the structural coach is to focus on how not to concede, then to free that up in certain areas into something gradually more fluid and potent.The aim will be a clean sheet. We could go tight and make the odd mistake and lose, or we could do it well and nick a set piece goal, or moment of magic and win. Don''t see expansive (nor do I much wish to), so: Nil-nil draw. Unbeaten start. No drama. Suits all.Parma 👍😂☀️🍾🥂🕺🌊🌊☀️🇮🇹ps: Nutella will come and find you at Sunderland and/or QPR with a few million Lira....😂👌💰💵💶 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Indy_Bones 441 Posted August 2, 2017 As politely requested by Lapps and Lessingham, please find my first ever suggestions for the PUP''s [:D]I''d be looking at Paderborn vs Sonnenhof Grobaspach as a home win for my choice (nod to Farke with this one).Think for our game vs Fulham I reckon we can just scrape a 2-1 win as they are in a bit of disarray at the minute whereas we''re going in on the back of a good pre-season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diesel Doris 122 Posted August 2, 2017 Great to have this back. Hope you''ve all had a good summer. Special thanks to NN and PUPanon. For my first pick this year I''m going over the Channel and:MARSEILLE v Dijon HOME WINGood Luck Cosmic and all you Lovely PUPsFor the Norwich bet H/T Draw F/TNorwich. Best of luck Chip Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SwindonCanary 455 Posted August 2, 2017 Back to the League again !Hartlepool home win against Dover Norwich pick - for a change a win at Fulham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crabbycanary3 994 Posted August 2, 2017 Best of everything to the PuPsI''m going for Luton to beat YeovilI think a draw for us wouldn''t be a bad shout. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AJ 1,218 Posted August 2, 2017 Hi all, welcome back! Celtic to open their campaign with a home win for me. For the match bet Norwich to win and Watkins to score Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TIL 1010 4,656 Posted August 2, 2017 A very good evening to you Nutty and wishing good luck as we start the long haul again to Cosmic, Chip together with all you other lovely PUPs out there.France for me and a HOME WIN for PSG v Amiens.For the Norwich bet Oliveira to score the last goal of the game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nutty nigel 7,351 Posted August 2, 2017 Thanks for taking part Indy_Bones. I think you''ll be a great asset to our brilliant team of PUPs. And good to see Splutcho back in the game[Y] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nutty nigel 7,351 Posted August 2, 2017 Always difficult in the first weeks so I''ve gone to Russia where they''ve played 3 games and if the form stands up it should be a home win for Lokomotiv Moskva.Lokomotiv Moskva v SKA Khabarovsk Home WinFulham!! Can we get something there? I''m going to suggest very timidly a 0-0 Draw. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gregt 66 Posted August 3, 2017 Good morning everyone,It''s great to be back isn''t it.The first week is always really tough but I''m going for LUTON v Yeovil HOME WINGood luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Statto28 0 Posted August 3, 2017 Fantastic to be back Celtic win for me please And as always, heres hoping for both a PUPS and City win Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Molly Windley 76 Posted August 3, 2017 Hi to all PuP`s, seems like an absolute age since the end of last season.Big shout out and thanks to Nutty for all his time, effort and enthusiasm and to Pup Anon for their fantastic continued generosity.Bit of an edgy bet but this team have been flying in the League Cup and I watched St Mirren get hammered by Partick, so an away win for FALKIRK at St MirrenVrancic first goal scorer for the City bet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jb 0 Posted August 3, 2017 Welcome back PUPs! I''ll go for PSG to beat Amiens on Saturday, and a score draw at the cottage. Good luck Pups and OTBC! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lessingham Canary 99 Posted August 3, 2017 Missed this, seems so long since we had football and the "picks" to get excited about.Celtic Home win for me, [:(]And a sneaky 2-1 win for City with Nelson on the sheet.Good luck all, especially our champion pickers, going to be a bit like kissing a girl in the dark this week, anything could happen ! have a great week all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yellowfuture 71 Posted August 3, 2017 Hi PUPs. Home win for Perugia in the Italian Coppa Italia on Sunday for me please.Nelson to score anytime for City.Good luck everyone! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Great Drinkell 50 Posted August 3, 2017 It''s great to be back on this thread and thanks to Nutty for all his hard work in keeping this goingMy offer for cosmic is Oxford to beat Oldham (away win)For the Match bet sorry but I can only see a home win and at even money I think it''s very good value too.Good luck to both pickers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hoola Han Solo 448 Posted August 3, 2017 Hi everybody and good luck.Pleased to be a part of this great thread again.For week one, I''ll go for Villa to beat Hull.And for the Norwich bet, Nelson anytime goal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
twidio 39 Posted August 3, 2017 My pick for the first week is Bradford to beat Blackpool 😀 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cosmic Twin 180 Posted August 3, 2017 Thanks for all your picks so far. Keep picking! Planning to post the final six around 8ish tomorrow evening. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duncan Edwards 2,188 Posted August 3, 2017 STEVENAGE to beat Newport for me. CompleteStab in the dark but Newport were pretty pants last season. For the Norwich bet I''ll go for 1-1. And I''d take it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites