“We turn now to events in the Kenna League where a cabal of managers has threatened to overthrow the established power of the league. Our political editor Nick Robinson is outside Kenna HQ.”
“Thanks, Hugh. As you can see I’m standing outside Kenna HQ, the epicentre of events today where an attempted coup d’etat was made on the league leadership of London’s leading pub-based fantasy football competition.
“From the outside it just looks like a building on a normal London street, but inside the wheels of administration are just about still turning after a small group of managers led by the Young Boys of Vauxhall boss moved for a vote of no confidence in the league chairman.
“It’s understood that discontent has been bubbling away under the surface of the Kenna for some time.
“Critics of the chairman say his rule over the league has become ever more authoritarian in recent months.
“They say that while in appearance the Kenna governing body has maintained the bureaucracy that so frustrates managers trying to get a reprieve from the Titus Bramble forfeit process, the chairman has been stripping back the checks and balances of the apparatus and placing more and more power in the notoriously ruthless manager experiences department.
“On the face of it, this shadowy arm of the Kenna is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the league, but stories of abductions, beatings, blackmail and even torture are all too commonplace.
“It is thought the department is increasingly bypassing league rules and regulations to ensure swift actions against malcontents, on orders thought to come straight from the chairman’s office.
“In particular, the department’s archive of compromising social media photos of managers has become a tool of terror.
“Today’s attempted coup was sparked by disillusionment amongst a small group of managers unhappy at those who did not attend the pre-season auction in August, or to be more specific at their remaining budgets ahead of next month’s first transfer window.
“Here’s the statement released by the Young Boys manager today, which explains the origins of the conflict:
With the first transfer window nearly upon is quite clear that mangers who did not attend the first auction will have a distinct advantage with a much larger transfer budget, whilst those who did attend will be punished for turning up, getting drunk and making ludicrous bids on average players (which is basically the point of the Kenna) adding to the feeling of growing disillusionment of the hard working mangers towards Kenna HQ. Furthermore, the problem has been exacerbated by the ever increasing authoritarian Kenna HQ’s decision not to return the full amount paid for a player when they are released for transfer. This is just another example of Kenna HQ becoming more and more removed from the needs of the normal, everyday, Kenna manager.
“How did the league respond? Well, earlier this afternoon the chairman did address members of the press outside Kenna HQ.
“He dismissed the Young Boys manager and ‘his pernicious little band conspirators and Charlie Chesters’ as troublemakers. He assured the media he was in full control of the league and that this was ‘yet another pathetic attempt by the Young Boys manager to wrest power’. He pointed out that under ‘the gentle teasing of my firm hand the league has grown to become a towering feature of the fantasy football landscape’.
“The chairman then went on to utterly dismiss any notion that he had lost touch with the everyday Kenna manager. He pointedly said, and I quote ‘we are dealing with the issue of remaining budgets. This is complicated, sports administration and far too complex to go into here. We’ll sort it out and send our resolution to Ceefax for distribution’, although he made no indication of how the issue would be addressed.
“Of course, there is another angle here. It is widely known in the Kenna that the Young Boys manager has been obsessed with taking power at Kenna HQ for some time and maintains that his origins as a Welshman are keeping him from the chair. Most moderates consider the issue of remaining transfer budgets a smokescreen for the Young Boys manager’s true ambitions.
“With only four weeks to go until the transfer window, the bout looks far from over, but after this round the chairman still has the upper hand.
“This Nick Robinson, for BBC News, outside Kenna HQ. Back to you in the studio, Hugh.”
“Thank you, Nick.
“And finally, as the serious business of the Kenna League is played out, one manager is taking an alternative view of the matter. We now join BBC News reporter Alice Bandherkravi in south London.”
“Thank you, Hugh. I’m here in Wandsworth where Kenna League member the Still Don’t Know Yet manager has barricaded himself in his flat.
“It appears that when he heard news of the attempted boardroom rebellion he took it to mean a full-scale civil one.
“Neighbours have reported seeing the Teesider dressed in a tinfoil hat roaming around the premises claiming that, and I quote, ‘as a temporary measure during this time of unrest my side are now top of the Kenna’.
“Of course, he’s currently mid table and even the non-football fan could tell you that he’s not going to get much higher than that.
“Police were attending the scene, but have since stood down when it was decided the manager remained intent on locking himself in his house and occasionally shouting ‘Stay in your homes. Do not panic’ from a first floor window.
“This is Alice Bandherkravi, for BBC News, outside a deranged Northerner’s house. Back to you, Hugh.”
Kenna table – full scores available from The Rub
Weekly scores
| Manager | Points | Goals | ||
| 1 | Cowley Casuals | Stu | 36 | 3 |
| 2 | Still Don’t Know Yet | Pete | 31 | 2 |
| 3 | Pikey Scum | Jack | 29 | 1 |
| 4 | Lokomotiv Leeds | Ben S | 28 | 1 |
| 5 | Fat Ladies | Ted | 23 | 0 |
| 6 | Hairy Fadjeetas | Aiden | 22 | 1 |
| 7 | Young Boys | Denney | 21 | 1 |
| 8 | Piedmonte | Phil | 21 | 0 |
| 9 | St Reatham FC | Mike | 20 | 1 |
| 10 | FC Tescticuladew | James N | 19 | 2 |
| 11 | Headless Chickens | John N | 19 | 0 |
| 12 | Bala Rinas | Lewis | 18 | 0 |
| 13 | Sporting Lesbian | Ben M | 16 | 1 |
| 14 | Judean People’s Front | Sholto | 16 | 0 |
| 15 | Walthamstow Reds | Dudley | 14 | 0 |
| 16 | Hoxton Pirates | Abdi | 12 | 1 |
| 17 | Team Panda Rules OK | George | 11 | 1 |
| 18 | Dynamo Charlton | Alex | 9 | 0 |
| 19 | KS West Green | Stix | 9 | 0 |
| 20 | Just Put Carles | Carles | 9 | 0 |
| Points | Player | |||
| Player of the week | 19 | Vardy, J – LEI – STR | ||
| Club | Unsigned |
