This is launching a brand new style competition. The principle is fairly simple, but it does take a bit of working out. On this occassion it is a closed thread, but when I get back from Portugal I will post the thread straight away. It will probably be on the Thursday evening of the 17th. Just in nice time for the match against Newton Heath. Get your thinking caps on.

ROUTE 66 COMPETITION

The Route 66 competition is very easy to play but be warned, it is not as simple as it first seems.

At the beginning of the season each player is allocated a squad number. Now assume that Bobby Robson named a side where the players all line up as 1 - 11 then sum total of the shirt numbers on the pitch at the start of the game would be 66.

The aim of the game is to guess the total shirt value of the eleven players lining up at the START of each game. You can post your suggestion to the BBS and it will automatically go through to the Hotmail address, or, if you dont want people copying your suggestion (perish the thought) then you can E Mail directly to the address: toon66comp@hotmail.com.

Thats easy I hear you say. Well, bearing in mind that Carl Cort is number 16, Cordone is number 17, Big Yin is number 20 and Kevin Gallagher is number 32, if those four were named in the same starting line up, the value thus far adds up to 85, before you add the other 7 players. Not so easy now is it?

The cut off point for entries is three hours before the match starting. This is 12.00 (noon) for a Saturday 3.00pm kick off and 4.45pm for an evening 7.45pm kick off. The Sunday Sky Matches will be 1.00pm for a 4.00pm kick off. The time stamp on the hotmail E Mail address will dictate the timing.

20 points will be won for an exact guess and each point away from an exact guess, in either direction, will deduct one point. So for example, if Bobby named the above team and you had said 66, then you get 20 points, but if you had said the total would be 67, then you would get 19 points, a guess of 68 would return 18 points etc etc etc, on the other hand, if Bobby Robson named a team that added up to say 84, you can get the points for being either above or below.

As a guide, at the start of the 2000/20001season, the squad numbers are allocated as:

1	Shay Given
2	Warren Barton
3	Elena Marcelino
4	Didier Domi
5	Alain Goma
6	Steve Howey
7	Rob Lee
8	Kieron Dyer
9	Alan Shearer
10	Christian Bassedas
11	Gary Speed
12	Andy Griffin
13	Steve Harper
14	Temuri Ketsbaia
15	Nolberto Solano
16	Carl Cort
17	Daniel Cordone
18	Aaron Hughes
19	Stephen Glass
20	Duncan Ferguson
21	Diego Gavilan
22	Jamie Mclen
23
24	Gary Brady
25	Brian Kerr
26	James Coppinger
27	David Beharall
28
29	John Karelse
30	Steven Caldwell
31	Stuart Green
32	Kevin Gallacher
33	Des Hamilton
34	Nikos Dabizas
35
36	Gary Caldwell
37	Laurent Charvet
38
39	David MacMahon
40	Carl Serrant

I know that some of the players listed are on the list for transfer, but at the time of posting, they all have squad numbers so are therefore eligible. Any further additions to the squad will be taken into account when the squad number has been allocated.

I will periodically post the squad list with the numbers just to keep you up to date with them.

An copy of these rules can be found on the Daily Toon website, and electronic versions can be obtained by E Mailing me at: dailytoon@hotmail.com However as I am off to Portugal this week and not back until the 17th, I wont be able to send them out until the Friday before the Newton Heath game (the 18th).

1	SHAY GIVEN: Goalkeeper Born in Lifford, Donegal. 20 April 1976 Height 6'1" Signed June 1997 from Blackburn Rovers for #1.5m NUFC debut: Aug 1997 - Sheffield Wednesday (h) (won 2-1)International honours: Rep. of Ireland Full/Youth/U21 Previous Clubs: Glasgow Celtic, Swindon Town, Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers
2	WARREN BARTON: Defender Born in London. 19th March 1969 Height: 5'11" Signed: July 1995 from Wimbledon for #4m NUFC debut: Aug 1995 - Coventry City (h) (Won 3-0)International honours: England Previous Clubs: Orient, Leystone/Ilford, Maidstone, Wimbledon
3	ELENA MARCELINO: Defender Born in Gijon, Spain. September 26th 1971 Height 6'2" Signed July 1999 from Real Mallorca for #5m NUFC debut: Aug 199 - Aston Villa (h) (Lost 0-1)International honours: 5 caps for Spain Previous Clubs: Sporting Gijon, Real Mallorca
4	DIDIER DOMI: Defender Born in Sarcelles, France. 2nd May 1978 Height 5'9" Signed December 1998 from PSG for #3.25m (initial fee) NUFC debut: Jan 1999 - Chelsea (h)  (Lost 0-1)International honours: FranceU21 Previous Clubs: PSG
5	ALAIN GOMA: Defender Born in Sault, S France. October 5th 1972. Height 6' Signed July 1999 from Paris Saint-Germain for #4.47m NUFC debut: Aug 1999 - Aston Villa (h) (Lost 0-1)International honours: 2 caps for France Previous Clubs: Auxerre, Paris Saint Germa
6	STEVE HOWEY: Defender Born in Sunderland. 26th October 1971 Height 6'2" Signed December 1989 from School NUFC debut: May 1989 - Manchester United (a) (Lost 0-2)International honours: England Previous Clubs: None
7	ROB LEE: Midfield Born in Plaistow, London. 1st Feburary 1966. Height 5'11" Signed September 1992 from Charlton Athletic for #700,000 NUFC debut: Sep 1992 v Middlesbrough (h) (Draw 0-0)International honours: England Previous Clubs: Pegasus Soveregin Hornchurch Charlton Athletic
8	KIERON DYER: Midfield Born in Ipswich. 29th December 1978 Height: 5'7" Signed: July 1999 from Ipswich for #6M NUFC debut: July 1999 - Tottenham Hotspur (Lost 1-3) International honours: 2 England Under-21 caps Previous Clubs: Ipswich Town
9	ALAN SHEARER: Striker Born in Newcastle. 13th August 1970 Height: 5'11" Signed July 1996 from Blackburn Rovers for #15m NUFC debut: Aug 1996 v Everton (a) (Lost 0-2)International honours: England Previous Clubs: Southampton Blackburn Rovers
10	CHRISTIAN BASSEDAS: Midfield Born in Buenos Aires. 16 February 1973 Height: 1.74m Signed: May 2000 from Athletico Velez Sarsfeld for #3.5m NUFC Debut: International honours: Argentina full and under 23 caps Previous Clubs: Athletico Velez Sarsfeld
11	GARY SPEED: Midfield Born in Mancot, Wales, 8th September 1969Height: 5'11" Signed: February 1998 from Everton for #5.5m NUFC debut: Feb 1998 v West Ham Utd (h) (Lost 0-1)International honours: Wales Full/U21 Previous Clubs: Everton Leeds United
12	ANDY GRIFFIN: Defender Born in Wigan. 7th March 1979 Height: 5'8" Signed: January 1998 from Stoke City for #15m NUFC debut: Feb 1998 v West Ham United (h) (Lost 0-1)International honours: England U18 Previous Clubs: Stoke City
13	STEVE HARPER: Goalkeeper Born in Easington. 14th March 1975 Height: 6'2" Signed from: Seaham Red Star for nil NUFC debut: Nov 1998 v Wimbledon (h) (Won 3-1) International honours: None Previous Clubs: Seaham Red Star Bradford Stockport Hartlepool Huddersfield
14	TEMURI KETSBAIA: Striker Born in Gale, Georgia. 18th March 1968 Height: 5'8" Signed June 1997 from AEK Athens (Freedom of contract) NUFC debut: Aug 1997 v Sheff Wed (h) (Won 2-1)International honours: Georgia Previous Clubs: Dinamo Sukhumi (USSR) Dinamo Tbilisi (USSR) Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus) AEK Athens (Greece)
15	NOLBERTO SOLANO: Midfield Born in Lima, Peru. 12th December 1974. Height: 5'8"Signed July 1998 from Boca Juniors for #2.5m NUFC debut: August 98 v Chelsea (a) (Draw 1-1)International honours: Peru Previous Clubs: Alianza Lima, Sporting Crystal, Boca Juniors
16	CARL CORT: Striker Born in Southwark, London. 1 November 1977 Height: 6'4" Signed: July 2000 from Wimbledon for #7m NUFC Debut: International honours: England U21 Previous Clubs: Wimbledon Lincoln City
17	DANIEL CORDONE: Striker Born in Buenos Aries, Argentina, 6th November 1974 Singed: July 2000 from Racing club (Argentina) #500,000 (Loan option to buy at #2 million) NUFC debut: International honours: Argentina U 23 Previous Clubs: Racing Club Argentina
18	AARON HUGHES: Defender Born in Belfast 8th November 1977 Height: 6'0" Signed as a trainee NUFC debut: Nov 1997 v Barcelona (a) (Lost 0-1) International honours: N.Ireland Youth/U21 Previous Clubs: None
19	STEPHEN GLASS: Midfielder Born in Dundee. 23th May 1976 Height: 5'9" Signed: July 1998 from Aberdeen for #650,000 NUFC debut: Aug 1998 v Liverpool (Lost 1-4) International honours: Scotland full/u21 Previous Clubs: Aberdeen
20	DUNCAN FERGUSON: Striker Born in Stirling. 27th December 1971 Height: 6'4" Signed November 1998 from Everton for #7m NUFC debut: Nov 1998 - Wimbledon (h) (Won 3-1)International honours: Scotland Full/U21 Previous Clubs: Everton, Glasgow Rangers, Dundee Utd
21	DIEGO GAVILAN: Midfield Born in Paraguay. 1st March 1980 Height: 5'8" Signed January 28th 2000 from Cerro Porteno Paraguay for #1m NUFC debut: Feb 2000  Sunderland (a) (Draw 2-2)International honours: Paraguay  Full/U17 & U20 Previous Clubs: Cerro Porteno
22	JAMIE MCCLEN: Midfielder Born in Newcastle 13th May 1979 Height: 5'9" Date Signed: November 1993 from: Schoolboy NUFC debut: April 1999 v Spurs (h) (Won 2-0) International honours: Previous Clubs: None
23
24	GARRY BRADY: Midfielder Born in Glasgow. 7th September 1976 Height: 5'10" Signed July 1998 from Spurs for #650,000 NUFC debut: Nov 1998 v Everton (a) (Lost 0-1) International honours: Scotland under-18 Previous Clubs: Tottenham
25	BRIAN KERR: MidfieldBorn in Motherwell, Scotland 12th October 1981. Height: NUFC debut: International honours: None Previous Clubs: None
26	JAMES COPPINGER: Forward Born in Middlesbrough. 18th January 1981 Height: 5ft 7 Signed March 1998 from Darlington for free NUFC debut: International honours: None Previous Clubs: Darlington
27	DAVID BEHARALL: Defender Born in Newcastle. 8th March 1979 Height: 6' Signed from: Schoolboy NUFC debut: April 1999 v Everton (h) (Lost 1-3)International honours: None Previous Clubs: None
28
29	JOHN KARELSE: Goalkeeper Born in Breda. Holland: 1970 Height: 6' Signed: 13th August 1999 from: NAC Breda for #750 000 NUFC debut: Aug 1999 - Southampton (Lost 2-4) International honours: None Previous Clubs: Wemeldigen, NAC Breda
30	STEVEN CALDWELL: Defender Born in Stirling, Scotland. 12th September 1980 Height: 6'0" Signed: 1999 from Trainee NUFC debut: International honours: Scotland U21 Previous Clubs:
31	STUART GREEN: Midfield Born in Whitehaven 15th June 1981 Height: Signed from trainee NUFC debut: International honours: None Previous Clubs: None
32	KEVIN GALLACHER: Striker Born in Clydebank. 23rd November 1966 Height: 5'8" Signed: 1st October 1999 from Blackburn Rovers for #500 000 NUFC debut: Oct 1999 - Middlesbrough (h) (Won 2-1) International honours: 43 caps for Scotland Previous Clubs: Dundee United, Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers
33	DES HAMILTON: Defender/Midfield Born in Bradford. 15th August 1976 Height: 5'10" signed: March 1997 from Bradford City for #1.4m NUFC debut: Sept 1997 v Chelsea (a) (Lost 0-1)International honours: None Previous Clubs: Bradford City
34	NIKOS DABIZAS: Defender Born in Arnypeo, Greece. 3rd August 1973. Height: 61 Signed: March 1998 from Olympiakos for #2m NUFC debut: Mar 1998 v Coventry City (h) (Draw 0-0)International honours: Greece Previous Clubs: Olympiakos
35
36	GARY CALDWELL: Defender Born in Stirling, Scotland.12th April 1982 Height: 5'11" Signed: August 1999 from the Intermediates NUFC debut: International honours: None Previous Clubs: None
37	LAURENT CHARVET: Defender/Midfielder Born in Beziers, France. May 8th, 1973 Height: 5'11" Signed July 1998 from: Cannes for #520,000 NUFC debut: August 1998 v Charlton (h) (Draw 0-0)International honours: Previous Clubs: Cannes, Chelsea (loan)
38
39	DAVID MACMAHON: Striker Born in Dublin 17th January 1981 Height: Signed NUFC debut: International honours: None Previous Clubs: None
40	CARL SERRANT: Defender Born in Bradford. 12th September 1975 Height: 5'11" Signed: July 1998 from Oldham for #500,000 NUFC debut: August 1998 v Liverpool (h) (Lost 1-4) International honours: England B/U21 Previous Clubs: Oldham

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2000