Not sure Soccer AM will be calling up many of these guys very soon but thanks to everyone for entering into the spirit of the night and giving us a good laugh.

Get ready to cringe or cheer

Balfour International Group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyBpROkM3C0

Clear Channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0duyWCOluI

Doubleclick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF3gnjAHOMw

ids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mka70Ufnz00

Loot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpHl9sW1fUU

Milkround Online

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_V-p798j_I

Newsquest Media Sales

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zM8TpL-4TA

Telegraph Media Group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRp6y9DWk5c

Think Publishing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtIoAuiTmxw

Times Online

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mron3LBS6Jk

Titan Outdoor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d2hBxEtid4

Yahoo! UK & Ireland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBbYcvmxnq0

Cramp

The Smiles…

…the thinking faces…

…and the Frowns!

Better luck next year!

Times Online – The Media Sales Cup Champions 2009

The Telegraph – The Media Sales Cup Runners Up 2009

Milkround Online – The Media Sales Plate Winners 2009

Think Publishing – The Media Sales Plate Runners Up 2009

Other trophy winners…

Balfour  (Top Goalkeeper)

Titan  (Winner of Penalty Shootout)

JCDecaux  (Top Goal Scorer)

And the rest…

Clear Channel  (2008 Champions)

Doubleclick

IDS

Loot

Newsquest

Yahoo! UK & Ireland

THE GROUP STAGE

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

THE CUP: QUARTERS, SEMIS & FINAL

Quarter finals

• Clear Channel vs Newsquest : 2-0
• Times Online vs Loot : 3-0
• JCDecaux vs Doubleclick : 4-1
• Telegraph vs Balfour : 2-0

Semi finals

• Clear Channel vs The Telegraph : 1-1  (1-3 penalties)
  
• Times Online vs JCDecaux : 0-0  (2-0 penalties)
  

The Final

• The Telegraph vs Times Online : 1-2

THE PLATE: SEMIS & FINAL

Semi finals

• IDS vs Milkround Online : 1-2
• Titan Outdoor vs Think Publishing : 0-1

The Final

• Milkround Online vs Think Publishing : 1-0

Wooden Spoon

• Yahoo!

OTHER AWARDS

Winner of the Penalty Shootout

• Andrew Atherton – Titan Outdoor

Top Goalkeeper

• Murray Ross – Balfour
  

Golden Boot (Top Scorer)

• Ollie Newton – JCDecaux

ids: “…experts in applying brand, consumer and commercial intelligence across a unique portfolio of platforms, channels and sites.”

But can they tackle? Can they dribble? And most importantly can they hit the back of the net?

Our scout sees promise in these young ambitious chaps (as the sales house for Setanta Sports, football is in their blood) but the final line-up shows stiff competition – what do the ids squad have to say for themselves?

1. What famous or professional team are you most reminiscent of?

Scotland 1978. We are small, talented but liable to be hammered by Peru. The crowd pleasers. Fast and jinky and that’s just getting to the bar. If we don’t win we will be the fan favourites.

2. What’s your team’s celebratory drink?

Pint of strong continental lager with an Irn Bru chaser

3. The score’s tied and there are 2 minutes left, what’s your plan?

Boot the ball over the fence and on to the railway track and force the penalty shoot out.

4. Apart from entering The Media Sales Cup, why does your company rock?

We have good health insurance that will cover Friday’s heart attacks, astro turf burns and pulled hammys.

5. Describe your fans and how they’ll show their support:

Due to our lack of fitness our fans are of the traditional electric hand variety. They will support us by blowing cold air into our faces when we are inevitably exhausted.

6. Player to watch and why?

Dan “Longdog” Long. Up there with Lionel Messi for trickery, Alan Shearer for strength and Ronaldo for explosive finishing.

Smooth, confident, courageous and of French origins… are we talking about Zidane?  Cantona?  Deschamps?  Nope, Decaux.

Late entrants and newbies to the 2009 tournament, JCDecaux appear to show a level of promise but only time will tell if the final team in our Outdoor line-up can hold their own against their more experienced competitors.

2008 was Clear Channel’s year – can the JCDecaux team stop the champions doing it again?

1. What famous or professional team are you most reminiscent of?

South Korea in the 2002 World Cup, we want someone to watch us in the Semi’s and think ‘How the f@ck did they get there??’

2. What’s your team’s celebratory drink?

Jaigerbombs mixed with Berocca

3. The score’s tied and there are 2 minutes left, what’s your plan?

To score, preferably off a deflection

4. Apart from entering The Media Sales Cup, why does your company rock?

Apart from the free private health, onsite gym, a beer tap by the printer, 11am – 2pm office hours and the 5th floor doubling up as a strip club?

Just the people.

5. Describe your fans and how they’ll show their support:

Unless there is free alcohol on offer I don’t think you need to worry about building a second tier.

6. Player to watch and why?

Barry Whelan – he’s the missing link

Newsquest Media Group: the 2nd largest regional media group in the UK …so one would think that it shouldn’t be hard to find 7 football players of some reasonable standard.  Our scout reckons that this team could be the dark horse of the competition, hiding behind humour and nonchalance, there was a distinct buzz in the air and it wasn’t the photocopier.

Are the Newsquest boys as passionate about the beautiful game as they are about delivering to their 4,000+ advertisers?

1. What famous or professional team are you most reminiscent of?

You know those charity matches where they get old legends of the game to show they still have it, well……we’re nothing like that.  Our MD (Chris White-Smith) and Head of Sales (Graham Ellis) would like to think we are like Stoke City but surely that means we are just awful players, that rely on our quarter back and lump it forward but on a positive note get the job done.

2. What’s your team’s celebratory drink?

We tend to drink whatever the hospital recommends when we collapse not only from exhaustion but surprise if we actually win.

3. The score’s tied and there are 2 minutes left, what’s your plan?

Play boring and dirty – soak up the pressure and get a break away goal leaving no time for a reply, using our secret weapon – the fat cat.

4. Apart from entering The Media Sales Cup, why does your company rock?

Because we have a very famous ex band member of the Filth.

5. Describe your fans and how they’ll show their support:

They are invisible and will show their support through silence.  As our other fan couldn’t make it as his dog was sick.

6. Player to watch and why?

We all are highly entertaining in a comical sense.  But look out for Crazy Legs Blake Seabrook – if he turns up.  He reckons he can bang goals in for fun – we’ll see and hope it does – but won’t be sticking around to listen to his annoying voice describing his goal.

Last year’s triumphant winners, Clear Channel are looking strong and ready to give the rest of the pack a run for their money.  Will the confident headless chicken strategy do them justice a second year running?

1. What did you learn from last year’s tournament that will help you this year?

Form is temporary…class is permanent.  Having played terribly in the group we went on to win!

2. What’s your team’s celebratory drink?

Pints of lager straight afterwards seemed to be the theme in the photos last year

3. The score’s tied and there are 2 minutes left, what’s your plan?

Game plan never changes regardless of the score…we all continue to run round like headless chickens.

4. Apart from entering The Media Sales Cup, why does your company rock?

We get an hour and a half lunch break….so plenty of time to go to the pub…I mean workout at the gym and talk team tactics.

5. Describe your fans and how they’ll show their support:

We have no fans.  But we do rate ourselves a bit too much so that seems to address the balance.

6. Player to watch and why?

Alan (striker)… He’s had 8 million leg operations but he’ll still score 40 goals.

A solid team last year, but with shaky luck on the day, losing in the Plate final to BBC Magazines – their battle cry was “Remember the Titans!” – will they perform more memorably this year?

1. What did you learn from last year’s tournament that will help you this year?

That asking ringers from other companies to play is a far better strategy than pressurising maybes from here!

2. What’s your team’s celebratory drink?

Champagne out of the cup

3. The score’s tied and there are 2 minutes left, what’s your plan?

[captain] Take myself off and shout loudly at the rest to work harder

4. Apart from entering The Media Sales Cup, why does your company rock?

One word, posters.

5. Describe your fans and how they’ll show their support:

Supportive emails on a Friday explaining their absence

6. Player to watch and why?

One of our ringers… Farhan “coming atcha” Cachra.  Pace, power and a smile that turns any man.

New to this year’s tournament are the self-professed Yahooligans from Yahoo! – confident and courageous it seems – is this an indication of their talent or is it simply because they’ve not met the competition before?

Four of the squad kindly took the time to answer our questions to give you a full picture of what they’re all about…

1. What’s your team’s celebratory drink?

• Snake bite boat race
• Sambuca
• Cassis – Purple and fruity (little like Rich Curtis after a few hours in the sun)
• Absinthe

2. The score’s tied and there are 2 minutes left, what’s your plan?

• Kick lumps out of the opposition
• All out attack!
• Play for the draw. Keep the point in the bag. (or swap the keeper for a striker – in the words of the great Dave Benson Phillips – Run the Risk)
• Fire at will

3. Apart from entering The Media Sales Cup, why does your company rock?

• Great canteen and free soft drinks 24/7!
• We love lamp!
• hmmmm
• Yahooligans in and outside of work.

4. Describe your fans and how they’ll show their support:

• I have an oscillating fan on my desk- it will probably support me by moving from side to side and keeping me cool during the summer months
• All women, pole dance…
• Streakers.  Men, Women and Engineers.
• By playing football drinking games at the side of the pitch…. “Treasure to Padmore… DRINK!”

5. Player to watch and why?

• Me (Lorcan McCoy).  I play prison rules
• Dan Moggs (he will be wearing a mask to protest his fragile face), can’t see him as a footballer, it is going to be hilarious!
• Matt Treasure. The name says it all.
• Richard Curtis… if his performance is anything like the team he supports then viewing should be hilarious