This is the third year of our annual 5-a-side football tournament for advertising sales teams, cited as the best annual sporting tournament in the media industry.

The date is set for Friday 21st May and this year promises to be even bigger and even better than the last.

We are proud to welcome on board our new sponsors – Media Week – and hope that they enjoy the event as much as we do, and everyone else does.

If you’ve not played before, click here for some background info…

We are also pleased to confirm that we are keeping our prices the same as last year: just £400 for a team of 7 players.  Our unique package includes all you need to turn up and play, plus food and drinks throughout the night… click here for the full package details.

To reserve your team or ask a question email us at lee@themediasalescup.co.uk or call Lee on 07984 133 008.

Entrants are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Looking forward to seeing you on the night!!

Congratulations to Times Online - winners in 2009

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

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

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

Dom Pérignon 1993 vintage

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

Celebrate that we are still drawing with 2 minutes remaining.

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

The company is growing at a rapid pace and we all work together to ensure that our green credentials and high standards are met. Today we are the industry leader in environmental, charity and membership magazines.

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

Distinctly average. They will probably support the team we are playing.

5. Player to watch and why?

Tom ‘I’m amazing at everything I do’ Fountain because apparently he’s amazing at everything he does.  Apparently.

Losing out in the semi-finals to Clear Channel who went on to take the cup; winners of the Penalty Shootout and Top Goalkeeper awards… what do Milkround have to say for themselves?

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

If we get a penalty, let the penalty king take it, not the star player…

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

Whatever is cheap and plentiful

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

Go all out attack and probably concede

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

Young, vibrant and up for the fight against the recession.  That and being the official number 1 graduate recruitment website

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

They will show their support by not turning up and embarrassing us

6.  Player to watch and why?

Adam, because he always manages to smash the ball into his own face

Although we would aim to remain neutral, credits go out as follows:

Times Online – humour in the face of defeat

Primesight – sheer boisterous exuberance so late in the day…

Milkround Online – proving that tons of (illegal) practice doesn’t make that much difference