User:MrMarkBGregory/LeagueOfGentlemen

The League of Gentlemen (often referred to as LoG, and occasionally the League of Gentlemen 2.0) is a series of organised competitive league divisions revolving around the concept of Fantasy Premier League. The league has been in existence since the 2011–12 season, when league administrator Mark Gregory brought together a group of eleven friends, predominantly from the University of St Andrews, for the inaugural edition of the competition. The league currently consists of five head-to-head divisions of twenty managers each, with promotion and relegation across all five divisions. The league also organises an Overall Championship, a cup competition (the LoG Cup), a Last Man Standing competition, and a Champions Cup competition.

League of Gentlemen 1.0
The first five seasons of the League of Gentlemen followed a similar, 'classic' format to most other organised Fantasy Football leagues – each manager would score points each week, and the manager with the most points at the end of the season was crowned the Champion.

Three of the first five editions of the competition were won by Fraser McIntosh, while he came second and third in the other two editions. The other two editions were won by Michael Pinder (in 2013–14) and Tom Mackley (in 2015–16). Meanwhile, Harry Glasspool finished last in three of the first five editions, only avoiding last place in the 2012–13 season by not competing.

The 2015–16 season was the only 'unofficial' season in League of Gentlemen history, as league admin Gregory was too busy sailing the high seas to organise a league that year; standings were assessed at the beginning of the 2016–17 season, when the League of Gentlemen was relaunched as the League of Gentlemen 2.0.

The highest number of managers during this period of LoG history was 21, in the 2014–15 season. This was also the only season in which league admin Mark Gregory finished last.

League of Gentlemen 2.0
Following Gregory's return from an FPL-less existence, he gathered together 24 managers and relaunched the league as the League of Gentlemen 2.0 ahead of the 2016–17 Premier League season. This was the final season to consist of solely one Classic League, or Overall Championship; Michael Pinder won his second championship.

For the 2017–18 season, Gregory decided to launch two head-to-head leagues to run alongside the Overall Championship: the Premier Division, and the Second Division. The league expanded to 40 members, with 20 in each division, and managers were sorted based on the previous season's placing, as well as their history within the LoG.

The fourteen highest-placed managers from the 2016–17 season went into the Premier Division, while any other managers who had historically finished in the top three also qualified – with Mark Gregory and Peter Liddiard fulfilling that criteria. The remaining four Premier Division managers were the four highest-scoring newcomers from the previous season: Jack Barratt, Laurens Peene, Ozzy Hulmes, and Dan Pinder. Everyone else entered the Second Division.

Four managers from each division would be automatically promoted or relegated into the division above or below, while managers in 15th and 16th in the Premier Division, and managers in 5th and 6th in the Second Division, would enter the playoffs, with the two managers with the highest Overall Scores taking their place in the following season's Premier Division. This format has been retained to this day.

Since the inaugural head-to-head divisions, the league has grown to incorporate a further three divisions. Ahead of the 2022–23 season, the league was extended from 60 to 100 managers, with two new divisions, the Fourth Division A (4A) and Fourth Division B (4B) running in parallel to each other, somewhat like the National League North and South. For the 2023–24 season, the bottom ten managers in 4A and 4B will form the new Fifth Division.

Records
Most Championships:


 * 1) 4 – Fraser McIntosh (2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2020-21)
 * 2) 2 – Michael Pinder (2013–14, 2016–17), Jack Barratt (2018–19, 2019–20)

Most Top Three Finishes:


 * 1) 7 – Fraser McIntosh (2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2020–21)
 * 2) 3 – Michael Pinder (2013–14, 2016–17, 2019–20), Richard Mason (2014–15, 2017–18, 2020–21)
 * 3) 2 – Jack Barratt (2018–19, 2019–20), Tom Mackley (2011–12, 2015–16), Ollie Boesen (2017–18, 2020–21), Sean Carey (2012–13, 2021–22), Laurens Peene (2017–18, 2019–20), Rory Curran (2011–12, 2016–17)

Most Last-Place Finishes


 * 1) 3 – Harry Glasspool (2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16)
 * 2) 2 – Liam Boden (2018–19, 2021–22)

Season History

 * 1.Rory Curran finished in the automatic relegation zone in the 2020–21 season, but was reprieved from relegation after complaining constantly about it.