The first evidence of WAFFL in Kuwait was the World Cup Challenge '97 (WCC97) which was based around the final Asian qualifying rounds for the 1998 World Cup. The competition involved 13 British Ex-Pats living in Kuwait and the basic object of the exercise was to predict the scores in all 40 matches played during that phase of the qualifiers. The challenge was won by Phil "Mystic Meg" Robinson, so-called because he entered all 40 predictions before a ball was even kicked!. From small acorns ....

Six months or so later it was time for the real thing - no, not France '98, World Cup Challenge '98! By now the numbers had grown somewhat to a total of 32, some of whom were no longer living in Kuwait - another important step on the evolutionary ladder. Running alongside WCC98 was WCCM98 - the World Cup Coffee Morning '98 which was exclusively for the ladies. Again, contestants had to predict the scores of all 32 matches played and the eventual winners were Peter Wood and Margaret Caldow respectively.

The punters were hooked - it was time to roll out the Kuwait Fantasy League. The inaugural season (1998/99) consisted of two divisions, each of twelve teams, with the two winners playing off at the end of the season to determine the Champion of Champions, and a knock-out cup tournament also running during the season. Most of the contestants were still Brits living in Kuwait - hence the name of the league.

Top winners during the season were Super League Champions The International Team Salwa (TITS) and Absolutely Fabulous League Champions Degsie's Demons. Demons went on to claim the Champion of Champions title as well and only failed to lift an historic treble when they were defeated in the KFL Cup Final by Pathetico Jabriya.

By now word was beginning to spread around Kuwait about the Fantasy League, almost as fast as the British Ex-Pats were beginning to spread to other parts of the globe.

The 1999/2000 season saw an increase to 36 teams and a change in format. As it was clear that Fantasy Football was now fully resident in Kuwait I felt it was time to build in some continuity in the form of promotion and relegation. The 36 were thus split into three divisions, the top flight taking the 12 teams with the best overall record from the previous season. The remaining founder members formed Division Two with a couple of newcomers to make up the numbers while the rest of the new teams formed Division Three. Again, a cup tournament was also contested.

After a long and exciting seven and a half months the final day of the season arrived with two of the league titles still up for grabs, including Division One where any one of three teams still had a chance of glory. At the end of the day it was a case of familiar faces as TITS lifted their second consecutive championship title. The Divisions Two and Three titles went to Philbert & Wanderus and PC Plodders respectively, Plodders also leaving their triumph to the last day of the season. A spot of fixture congestion meant that the Cup Final also took place on the last day of the league season and the triumphant winners were Division Two outfit Ibrox Reserves who completed a bizarre Cup and relegation double.

Another innovation during 1999/200 was the introduction of the Loads-A-Money Champions And All Their Mates League, mercifully abbreviated to LAM almost immediately. Using the same basic format as the regular KFL, LAM was based on the European Champions League. The inaugural season saw 16 entrants paying KD20/- each with a first prize of KD100/- - hence the Loads-A-Money tag. Again, familiar faces took the top two prizes with the final being contested by Degsie's Demons and my own Lokomotiv Lesbia with Demons lifting the title only after extra time in the final.

Euro Challenge 2000 was next up on the agenda as we returned to the predict-the-score format of the two previous challenges. This time the ladies joined the men as a total of 35 contestants attempted to forecast the scores of all 31 matches played during the Euro2000 Championships. This tournament also saw the birth of this web-site - the final step towards the Kuwait Fantasy League going global.

At the end of a hectic three weeks, the top money seemed destined to go to Paul Wigham. Clear at the top of the table, Italy 1-0 up against France and four minutes into injury time - the fat lady was surely about to burst into song when France fired home a dramatic equaliser and handed the cash to Mel Anderson instead. Paul had to be satisfied with joint third spot and a considerably reduced take-home pay.

The 2000/2001 season saw further expansion with the newly renamed WAFFL expanded to four divisions of twelve teams each. TITS went for three-in-a-row - but flopped dismally to leave Russell Hogg's Salwa Knackeredemicals as Divison One champions for the first time ahead of Steve Reid's Spanish Villains on goal difference. Other divisional title winners were Mel Anderson (Manilla Magic), Jim Fiddy (Charlton Apathetic) and Billy O'Reilly (Lesboze Love It). Meanwhile, in Loads-A-Money 16 teams once again battled it out to the tune of the UEFA Champions' League and it was Steve Reid who lifted the grand prize as his Spanish Villains thrashed Weddell's Wanderers in the final.

Throughout this, W.A.F.F.L. in general has continued to spread across the globe - and further expansion of all types are planned for 2001/2002. Plans are already in place for WAFFL to increase to 64 teams divided into four divisions of 16 and for the first time the season will kick off on the same date as the Premier League. LAM will also be expanding, although it is not expected to reach it's limit of 32 teams just yet. Geographically, contestants for 2001/2002 have already registered from U.A.E., Turkey, Kuwait, Australia, Taiwan, Phillipines, Saudi Arabia, USA, Egypt and, of course, UK - and there are still more to come.