Fantasy Football League was a British television programme hosted by Frank Skinner and David Baddiel. It began on BBC Radio Five before transferring to BBC 2 from 1994 to 1996. The show is occasionally still broadcast on ITV during major international tournaments such as the World Cup and European Championship.

The format was originally heavily reliant on an actual fantasy football league, made up of teams picked by celebrities. Each week, one or more of the celebrities would appear on the show and chat about football. As the show progressed on television, however, the fantasy league was pushed to the background and was eventually dropped altogether, although each show still had guest appearances.

The television set was designed as a mock-up flat, where Frank and David were purported to live (the two did indeed share a flat for some years). In the kitchen area stood the third regular on the show, Angus Loughran, known only as "Statto". Clad only in a dressing gown and pyjamas, he would dispense footballing facts and statistics on demand, particularly in the early shows when the fantasy league element was strongest. He was the butt of many of Frank and David's jokes, and was often made fun of for being apparently dull and naive, but quickly became an audience favourite (chants of "Statto! Statto!" becoming omnipresent later in the run).

Other recurring moments in the show included:

• Phoenix from the Flames - David and Frank recreate a famous moment from footballing history, usually with a retired pro or other famous footballing figure.
• Jeff Astle Sings - former West Bromwich Albion player (and Frank's idol) Jeff Astle would come in at the end of the show and lead the guests in an improbable rendition of a classic song over the credits.

The show's theme song consisted of the words "Fantasy Football League" sung over and over to the tune of "Back Home", the England national football team's official song from the 1970 World Cup.

External links

• IMDb listing
• TVTome index