Picking a team name for your fantasy team can be a tricky business, and getting it right can often take longer than actually selecting your team players. There can be big pressure on to be clever and witty, especially if you’re in a league with your mates, whilst not coming across as desperate for a laugh or trying too hard.
We’ve seen a lot of team names here at Fantasy Club Cricket over the years and having sifted through them all I’ve managed to come up with five main categories:
Old Classic Pun
This is a safe option; a dull 20 from 40 balls. The team manager neither has the time nor inclination to come up with something original and has thus stuck with a tried and tested team name that has been around since fantasy leagues were invented. You’ll know the sort of team names I’m talking about - they crop up far too frequently and tend to involve distinctly average puns: ‘Norfolk N’ Chance’, ‘Multiple Scorgasms’ ‘Brokebat Mountain’, ‘Scared Shotless’, ‘Got the Runs’ etc etc. I could go on but you get the picture.
Name Related
A very popular option, this type of team name can be relevant to either a local or famous cricketer so therefore requires a bit of thought. It can be pun-related such as ‘Jurassic Starc’ or ‘Bryan Munich’, plain old offensive: ‘Dave’s a twat’ and ‘Well bowled Snowy… said no-one EVER!’, or just plain, such as ‘Tim’s XI’ or ‘Whiteys Wanderers’.
Current Affairs
Again this is something requiring a bit of thought as it cannot be recycled. It’s unlikely that anyone will remember what your team name is all about a year on, so you’ll constantly need a new team name if you’re a regular fantasy league manager. Recent examples include ‘Wenger Out’, ‘Seamus Coleman’s Leg Stump’, ‘Hunty McHuntface’ and ‘Mexico will pay for the wall’.
At least it proves you read the news.
Inside Joke
Tricky to balance as it has the potential to be hilarious to those in the know but will always be a flop to those on the outside and should anyone ask for an explanation you might end up telling the same story multiple times by which time it’s just not that funny anymore. ‘Actually, I’ll have a Heineken’ is by far the funniest team name I’ve ever come across, but presumably to those who weren’t on the U15 tour to Cape Town in 2004, it’s not in the slightest bit amusing.
Cricket Badgery
The final category is for those people who just love cricket a bit too much: ‘Yes, No, Sorry’, ‘Specialist fine leg’, ‘Bowling Shane’, and ‘Spin it to win it’
So there you go, you’re probably no less decided on what your team name should be but if you’ve learnt anything from reading this then please be unique, be original and above all don’t offend the tea lady.