Friendly League interview: Peter Armstrong

Peter is playing this game in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and he gave us maybe te best interview until now. He hasn't played in many leagues like this one, but looking at his results since he joined Smokey, i think he could have a good surprise in the end of his group.
He is 59 years old and has arrived from Oscar, Chelsea and Newcastle servers. Dalkeith FC(herrqlys) is the name of his team and you can find him on group C.

What servers have you played on before you joined Smokey?
Oscar (23 seasons as Haltwhistle Harriers, then Dalkeith FC)
Newcastle (22 seasons as Windy Nook FC)
Chelsea (19 seasons as Three Lions)
The team names all have some ancestral significance, however obliquely. I was born in Gateshead, England, emigrating to Canada in 1957 (I didn’t do this all on my own, though). My father’s family originated in the central Borders. My mother’s came from Midlothian: Musselburgh to Newtongrange, and places in between.

Have you played in any league like this in the past? What results did you get?
The World Cups on Oscar were the only competitions I’ve ever played that had a format even closely resembling this Smokey Friendly League setup. And the rabid types on Oscar only let me get out of the group stage once, briefly.
I've never really played a lot of competitions outside of divisional play for most of my time on Sunday League. To my earlier understanding of things, friendlies meant games for experimenting with new players, or different formations, and to obtain extra training. I’d never thought of the term "friendly" as meaning anything vitally competitive (unless I just really wanted to try and win against a particular team).

What are your expectations for this first season of the Friendly League, and for the coming seasons?
I'd like to preface my answer with some context. My stage of development at Sunday League is well below where it should be for the 3½ years I've been on, as I've been a casual participant for a lot of my time. It's been only in the last 15 months that I've become more a student of the game, and I've had to unlearn some very wrong assumptions. I want to know how much progress I've made.
I'm really excited about the current Friendly League format, and doubly so because of the apparent calibre of teams entered. The chance to play some very, very good teams in serious competition will let me know where I stand at the moment.
Currently I'm in 4-1-3 for my inaugural season on Smokey, and there are only 3 of us that seem to be giving it a real go for the division, so it's hard to know what that means in the larger arena.
I expect to learn a lot about my individual players from the upcoming Friendly League round, and how successful my approach to tactics is at the moment. I'm in Group C, and the other teams are run by experienced, ambitious managers. There'll be no such thing as an easy game. EVERY game will be like a cup final.
As the Friendly League extends into more seasons, there'll be more current history available about the teams entered. Everybody will know lots more about the other teams and their style. No surprises; no ambushes. It will be WAR.

Do you think this could be the most competitive league ever?
Absolutely. Smokey is now home to all the avid managers from around the old SL network of servers. It's a melting pot of styles, formations, tactics and everything else. If you don't learn something new about the game from playing this lot, you're simply not paying attention.
In theory, the Smokey Friendly League may be THE toughest competition ever staged on Sunday League. It will feature most of the crème de la crème of managers. It's a pity that not everyone became aware of it sooner, and that there are only 5 starting divisions because then ALL the best would be in. For example, there are some excellent teams on the Substitutes roster.
As it stands, there are 80 entrants from something like 3,500 available managers (I had to guess at the server population). That's just over 2% of Smokey's managers. Most managers wouldn't have entered unless they felt somewhat worthy. And none of them want to lose.

Who do you fear most in your group?
Oh, man...all of them. I've already played some of the teams in my group, I know others by reputation, I've noticed many other names from various table standings and Private League results, and I’ve come to know some personalities through Forum posts. This is a tough, tough group and I really start from scratch in getting a book on many of the teams. The additional wild card in things is that many managers are still building their teams. A good team can become a great team with only 2 or 3 key player additions.

Who are the favourites in your group?
Sydney FC Hammers, Spartak, YourHavingaLaff F.C, The Rods. They're all in the Managers Table top 64 at the moment. But as I mentioned, this could all drastically change as managers continue to develop their new squads. I'll be happy with a mid-table finish, though, given what I'm up against. And I can dream! Carpe diem.

How many teams do you think will join in the future?
I predict that the current Friendly League competition will get a tremendous amount of attention. The Forum posts about league standings and goings-on will be widely read. As play develops with what I expect to be fierce competition and new rivalries, anyone not in the competition this time will be salivating to get in next time.

Anything else you want to say about this?
I would just like to extend my personal thanks to you, Chico, and all the others who got this league to where it is. There’s a real spirit of community to this competition, as well. Your energy and commitment in making this possible is greatly appreciated.
I can’t wait until kick-off.

The best luck Peter. You deserve it.