So as the Mrs was painting her nails last night flicking between Emmerdale & Eastenders It suddenly came to me that the London Trader Meet was going to be screened live on facebook… Excited to hear the agenda I raced to my bedside cabinet at 8pm to get my headphones and plugged them into my mobile phone to give it a watch…

After a few unsuccessful checks to see if the live stream had started I eventually got in around 8:15pm where I sat down in my bath robe with a lemon & ginger tea to find a couple of blokes chatting in a pub with the backdrop board to suggest that I’m in the right place.

The camera was offset, the microphones were low, the noise in the Nordic Bar where the meet was hosted was growing and the more they talked the louder it got… The host (apologies for not knowing his name) asked some bloke who worked for Opta about Neymar… “Yeah he’s a good player… Said the statistician who backed his answer without any stats”… ”If he moves to Real Madrid he’ll do even better”.. Well thanks Einstein!!!

Amidst the drowned out drivel of time wasting talking to a man that clearly has no invested interest and no idea about the dynamics of football index I began to laugh at the growing numbers comments on facebook… hitting over 500 viewers most saying “I can’t hear a bloody thing” whilst others said “If I wanted a chat about football I would have gone to the pub” one comment mentioned “I’m off to watch paint dry”… Another stated “Buy Pogba” I’m sitting their giggling to myself at the sideshow but as the Nordic bar noise increased I simply had to cut my losses.. This bloke being interviewed is not telling me anything I don’t know.

I log out and attempt to interact with the Mrs who’s now well in to Eastenders, some young lad has dumped a decent looking young bird to have an affair with Sharon (remember her) who by the way now is about 19 stone and in her fifties… What is he doing??? I log back on to the facebook feed and see Adam Cole (who I’m growing to like) in a dodgy looking shirt being ‘put on the spot’ about a share split.

Cole answers in a way that suggests he’s done some revision and more importantly states that “any decision will be done in a board meeting and not down the pub spontaneously over a pint” which got me thinking… Has he been reading this forum??

As I’m enjoying the feed and what Adam has to say his host decides to get close in thus both microphones becoming too near and a horrible squealing noise is heard everytime he asks a question… “Move your microphones you idiot” comments one facebook user… “Sit further apart” says another.. Really the best part of the night for me was the comments on the live feed, some genius, some simple, but most very funny.

The host wraps up the evening because of ‘sound issues’ after around half an hour before Adam babbles on about Cheltenham and the start of the raffle… I log off having heard enough but get a few plusses out of the event, although I’m glad I didn’t take the 4 hour commute paying £££’s on trains and hotels for that!!!

So what did we learn?

That Football Index is healthy and the market is good. A share split will happen (on March 26th) but the finer details are not decided (these will be decided on March 18th). Adam (who I get the impression would prefer a 10 way but might be outvoted to a 4 way split) wants more of the same and the longevity in the product is essential.. The dividends may take a slight hit initially but you’ll get more shares for your pound and you’ll be able to buy more… Exciting times ahead.

What did I learn?

That football index is new to all this too… Adam praised his staff and stated he’s applied to get FI in the Times top 100 list for growing businesses (which should certainly put a few worried punters minds at ease on the financial side of the company) whilst we need to remember that this is still a young company and they will make mistakes along the way, but they have listened to us before and will continue to do so in order to grow the business and become a predominant player in the fantasy sports/betting culture of this country. I think as long as we keep piping up we’ll be in good hands!!

One thing I would like to see on the next trader meet though…

A proper camera, a proper microphone, a quiet more formal location and please no more OPTA people, Gary Newbon’s or retired footballers that don’t understand the dynamics of the index!!! I would much rather have an experienced trader or two opening the show (maybe even Noir with a slideshow) with a quick presentation on what works for their portfolio… Before Adam or Mike tell us what’s going off in their world and perhaps a Q&A’s at the end before the raffle, vol-au-vents & celebrity selfies…

I'm off to have a nespresso and mid morning pork pie!!!

Have a great day!!!

I'll tell you why this 'trial' hasn't been a good thing...

Hazard down 0.28 in 24 hours... Ronaldo down 0.18... Messi down 0.18... KDB down 0.18... Pogba down 0.17... Mbappe down 0.11... Neymar down 0.11.... Suarez down 0.11

These are some of the best players in the world, the biggest names we have and the leading lights when it comes to FI investments... If these are down then it either suggests the whole market is down (which it is) or other people are putting their investments into other players that aren't quite as good (which they are)...

So thinking logically... If the best players in the market are at a loss... what does that mean for the rest of the market??

Now the form players in Europe, Alcacar is down 0.16 in 24H... Piatek down 0.11 in 24H... Jovic down 0.09 in the last day...

And there's more.. Dybala down, Ramos down, Suso down, Insigne down, Bale down, Aguero down, Kroos down, Lewandowski down, Reus down, Mane down, Sane down.. all over 5p per share!!!

So if we can't invest in the best players because they are falling... and we can't invest in the form players because they are falling... Who do we invest in??? Chancers? Flippers? Average Joes up against weak opposition??? Can a market really survive on that??

I'm not trying to be negative (just recording facts) because IF i was a new investor looking into the game... I would be thinking on who to invest in... and I would be thinking 'WHY?' are all the best players on the game falling whilst the absolute cream of the crap like Sandro Tonelli and Matt O'Reilly are leading the way in the rises??

FI needs to reflect real life football... if it doesn't it simply becomes a farce!!!

@FCIM1908 to be honest I think 'any newbie' should remain positive as its all those older (or mid-term) 'gamblers' who've enjoyed years of our balls being tickled, who are used to getting greedy that now does not have it all our own way.

The new era will take over with a new game and a new philosophy, people like me have to 'adjust' whilst anyone new can simply, buy in, with strategy, to benefit from dividends and slower than previous growth.

I think today is a good day for the future investors of the platform, although it is a bad day for anyone that's invested money into the platform and is currently sitting at a loss! I think the 'game' will remodel itself and the dividends on offer will speak for themselves in the long run.

I just hope FI can stop twatting around with the product now for a couple of years at least!

I would much prefer it on say Hawksbee and Jacobs tbf, both football writers involved in the early days of fantasy football and the fools panel etc and would probably be more welcoming to it???

But i would suggest that we 'stop' explaining how it all works!!! the coral boys don't explain how betting works... they just lay the odds... lets start now coming on and saying something like........ The football stockmarket is up 39.73 today and the biggest movers overnight include Donny van der Beek who's up 32p to £1.82 per share overnight largely due to new links with Real Madrid.. Also up overnight is Paulo Dybala up 15p to £3.99 a share following links to Manchester United... Harry Maguire is down 5p to 2.28 but he continues to dominate the media dividends and has returned X amount this month so looks like a great time to get in on him ahead of a potential move to Manchester United....

30 seconds a day or a minute slot explaining who's up and who's down and why would appeal to far more people with passive football interest and once they start hearing how and why players go up and down (which is not rocket science) then these 10p movements might start sounding more attractive then the guys on radio are making them out to not be!!!

I'll certainly stick around... I do believe the first few years are about jumping on the crest of the wave and riding it out whilst enjoying some profits on the back of the index's growing popularity alone... Right now everyone wants a bit, they all think its easy money and they want to jump on board the train and have a slice of the cake... (i've ran out of puns for now)...

I do think further afield once prices 'settle' that it will be more difficult to make money and folk will need to trade 'better'... ie based on football performances and getting in at the right time (ie ahead of transfers/news stories) and more importantly selling at the right time ie when prices are highest?

People keep going on about the top ten falling right now.. This is simply down to them being highly inflated initially... then after sub-standard performances (especially the likes of Pogba/Salah/Kane etc and with injuries to Neymar/Messi/Mbappe) those new up coming stars (Sensi, Haaland, Malen etc) are simply closing the gap down to performance!!! This is how the market 'should' be!!!

@Chris-J the problem I have with Greenwood is that i've never seen him play so can't really bring myself to whacking more money on him than say someone like Sadio Mane who is world class, playing week in week out and scoring regularly...

I get the hype and I get that with youngsters growth can be bolstered by apps, goals, recognition, international caps etc so plenty of upward movement proposed 'IF' the lad goes on to become what many hope... But for me.. at this present time he could just be another Will Keane... another Matty Willock... another James Wilson or Joe Rothwell.. another Ryan Tunnicliffe or Larnell Cole... another Nicky Ajose... another Giuliano Maiorana or Deniol Graham.... you get my point???

Be good to actually see him play and see if he has the ability like a Sancho or CHO before I make that judgement call... otherwise it's just 'gambling'.

this is like when you get a bag of sweets and end up making yourself sick because you've had too many....

I look at the stock market daily and see huge increases in stocks/shares so 'trading' is still there.... Don't be put off by a bit of flu... Investors 'will' put into something if they 'believe' in the product and 'if' they think it 'will' make them money...

Issue is do people believe in FI???? perhaps not?? Will it make people money??? perhaps not??

I actually think there is money to be earned but it has gone from a very simple buy/sell/small spread to a very complicated system that confuses the 'passive' punter into thinking... 'I'll give this a miss'.... I really don't like the current buy/sell system so from that perspective, my actions will be minimal, but i 'love' the over exuberant dividends they offer because it brings in 'big returns' which I would argue are 'too big'...

So now rather than weighing up.. Can i buy X for price A and make price B.... I'm buying Z for price A... trying to sell back for price A.... but in the mean time making Y through dividends....

Confusing??? I did say it might now be too complicated!!!!

the top five MB players today reads...

1 Serge Gnabry
2 Ronaldo
3 Harry Kane
4 Paul Pogba
5 Marcus Rashford...

Ok so the top player on that list scored four goals last night and deserves completely to be there for a remarkable 'one off' achievement... the four below are just big names that the press like talking about.... No real change??????????

I don't see anything significant with MB tweaks...the biggest and best players will always be those talked about the most and we will always see more investment in them because they offer more value then those not as big or as good whether it be on the pitch or off it!!!!

@Andy-M probably because you are the only Swedish customer they have and you're a complete nightmare!!!!!!!!! ;-)

10 PB starts 6 sub (out of 24 games Juve have played) 3 goals 2 assists...

Behind Ronaldo, Morata and Chiesa as the most productive FWDs at the club (this limits his Juve PB opps let alone his overall ones)... and he's 27 now... no longer the next young superstar on the block!!!

I still think he's a cheap snip and a talented 'prospect' but Chiesa at a similar price has four more years on him and is more likely to start at Juventus, with more goals and assists...

Its a fine balance when finding a player as no doubt he is cheaper than his real life market value, but until he gets some 'interest' from elsewhere or as said above, Ronaldo retires, I don't see his value soaring any time soon, but for a remarkable one off performance in the UCL next month? Which he is more than capable of!

I don't like him at Juve... But if he moved to a Atalanta or Sampdoria where they played through him I would certainly be interested!

@Dan-The-Man I would call them the best ran worse ran club i know!!!

Roman's been doing it for years... trying to get the 'perfect' balance of 'super coach, super squad, super success and super football which has never happened... they have had super coaches, super success, super squads and super football, just not all at the same time (ok bar one year with Mourinho)... As you say, the biggest prize of all, the hardest to win, the one they'll remember in 50 years time when they're struggling in the third tier with not a pot to piss in... That one was won by the worse coach they have ever had!!!!

I bet Ian Porterfield is turning in his grave thinking 'If I had that money I could have done that' :-/

I actually think the snow has helped... everybody 'supposed' to be at work with a day off.., getting more important things done like investing in FI... but a couple of other reasons perhaps.... Mbappe Friday night.... Bruno winning MB yesterday... Kimmich scoring big for PB... the market settling into its new regime ahead??? NOW is a great time to get in on those 'market leaders' whilst prices are still relatively low... fact they all did well this weekend perhaps triggered a few pulses and purses!

from an FI perspective it completely changes the dynamics of Chelsea now and the 'new man' probably Tuchel... will give everyone a blank canvass to start from which might do the likes of Werner (who i feel so sorry for right now) and Havertz some good... but not so perhaps the likes of Mount, Tammy, Reece James etc...

I'm a bit old skool so i'm never a fan of sacking managers unless absolutely drastic measures means they should go... I dont think Lampard's situation at Chelsea, 9th in the table five points behind Liverpool in fourth, in the cup, in the champions league, was that dramatic..,. but modern day football needs instant success, so good luck to Tuchel who will probably get off to a flyer before finding things tough and getting the same treatment in another 12-24 months time?

@howsthebacon lets just hope they have a competent new apprentice to manually count up all those scores correctly!!!!

bit of fun this, i couldn't work out how to do it last week as the landing page i got sent to had a log in at the top, so as soon i logged in i got completely lost and missed out! Didn't realise i just had to scroll down and enter...

Maybe a 'league' competition would be fun and let us pick XI players to make it more authentic? Be great if we had an email reminder too, and not just a link on twitter, but kudos that they are 'thinking' right now about re-inventing themselves, and whilst i think this is a bit fantasy football twenty five year old and under market it is at least a giveaway that we can all have a go at!

Still think they need to get their own house in order before they try all this silly extra bullsh*t though!

@dannypea actually apologies!!! that's not you!!!!

It was NewUser89068 who is the beneficiary of my great uncles money!!!

I always make that mistake!!!!

give me your login and i'll do it for you!!! Also, i have good news as you have become the beneficiary for my great uncle Robert S Ugbuluwuwuwuwu after he sadly passed away with no relatives and I would like to donate a personal sum of $19,200,000,000 to your account.

:-/

i think it's good for goalkeepers, and in particular, Ederson, Neuer, Bounou, Mendy, Alisson, Ter Stegen... those that pass out from the back and tot up the points whilst keeping clean sheets for the big clubs... They should all see rises but other than 10/20 at the top most will be irrelevant so be interesting to see the weeks when others outside those do well, whether they hit any spikes in value too.

@Valhalla it really could bring back those punters who used to analyse and look at fixtures for the week ahead to see where their PB opportunity lies? The obvious ones yes will win a fair share and dominate the market, Kimmich, Kroos, Messi etc (if they play twice a week) but a couple of gimmies at home for Real Betis and suddenly Nabil Fekir at 0.63 looks a bargain.. (i say him as i've held for a while now and he won his first PB this week since i purchased)...

The old favourites, like Fekir, like Thauvan, Banega are suddenly valuable assets, where before the game 'suited' certain types of footballer but that's good too... those ball playing goalkeepers and centre halves or midfielders that take everything will be worth their weight... its up to us to find them, which brings back the skill in investing!

I really hope this kicks things back into action, FI then stop tinkering and we all live happily ever after, because it's needed! nobody should be debating the finances or mechanisms on a form gambling platform... we should all instead be asking whos best to buy and why... enjoying a much more simple life of winning and losing money entirely down to our own decisions!!!!