Winning a Fantasy Football league is not easy, but it's a feat Chumpions League founder Martin 'Martini' Ward has achieved on numerous occasions.

It takes dedication, passion and a deep knowledge of the game to reach the level Martini has over his short, yet illustrious career. Here are ten little-known facts* about the man himself:

1. Like a chess master, Martini's success comes from thinking a few moves in advance. Rumour has it he actually starts looking at the fixtures in Gameweek 38 and works backwards!

2. A superstitious man, Martini eats a KFC Variety Bucket before the kick-offs in every gameweek. He has been spotted trying out different formations using the drumsticks as subbuteo style footballers and the lemon-fresh towelettes as goal nets.  Finger-flicking good.

3. Martini once drove all the way to Aberdeen on a Tuesday evening to watch one of his fantasy transfer prospects in a pre-season friendly, only to find he'd forgotten his notepad and biro. Luckily there was a late-night McColls Newsagent open near the stadium.

4. Martini can recite the entire Northampton Town squad that lost in the 1998 play-off final.

5. Martini got the idea for the name of the Fantasy League whilst supping a can of Heinz Mushroom Soup. The french translation for Mushroom Soup is 'Le Potage aux champignons', which has become 'The Chumpions League' over time.

6. Martini Ward's football nickname was 'Hospital Ward' after the crunching tackles he used to dish-out as a school-boy.

7. If Martini ever wins the Fantasy League overall, his dad stands to win £3000 after Ladbrokes offered odds of 6000/1 against him achieving such a feat.

8. Martini was relieved of his job as Paper-Boy at Whitehills Post-Office after he was caught thumbing a 'Racing and Football Outlook' in the penny-chew aisle.

9. Martini ranks presenting 'The Friday Night Project' with former Cobblers Boss Graham Carr's son Alan Carr as one of his long-term ambitions.

10. His favourite tipple isn't actually Martini, but Sainsbury's own-brand Vermouth!



*Facts mentioned are made up.