Pick your team to take you to the World Cup Finals

When the new league season opens on August 9th a vast array of footballing talent will be on parade for the first time.

Arsenal and Chelsea have been the busiest clubs in the overseas market, with Marc Overmars the most expensive recruit. The two London clubs can be expected to mount a strong challenge. Liverpool and Newcastle United will also be fighting for the title.

However, Alex Ferguson's men will again be the team to beat. With the signings of Teddy Sheringham and Celio Silva from Brazil they are again the bookmakers' favourites to win the title.

Can you keep up with the changes? The Independent and Independent on Sunday are giving you the chance. With a budget of pounds 40 million, can you come up with a team to top them all in the Premiership this season?

HOW TO ENTER.

Firstly you will need to pick your team formation, of course there's your goalkeeper plus you have a choice of four formations for the others in your team.

FORMATION A. 4-4-2

4 Defenders, 4 Midfielders, 2 Strikers

FORMATION B. 4-3-3

4 Defenders, 3 Midfielders, 3 Strikers

FORMATION C. 5-3-2

5 Defenders, 3 Midfielders, 2 Strikers

FORMATION D. 3-5-2

3 Defenders, 5 Midfielders, 2 Strikers

Once you have chosen your formation and team name pick your team of 11 players and 1 manager from the list below. Players can only play in the positions that they are listed under and their total value must not go over pounds 40million. Having made a note of your team dial our registration hotline. Please try to use a tone telephone - one which makes tone noises when you dial, although pulse telephones can be used to register your team.

THE ULTIMATE PRIZE

The overall winner, the manager who at the end of the season accrues more points than any other will win a trip to the 1998 World Cup in France. With a companion, they will see all the action of a quarter-final and semi-final of their choice, plus the final. In addition, the highest scoring team each month will win a pair of tickets to one of England's home internationals at Wembley.

Every time one of your players score you get four points. There are four points for a keeper or a defender every time their team keeps a clean sheet. If a player scores the winning goal, i.e.: if there is a one goal difference in the scoreline, the player scoring the final goal for the winning team is awarded 1 bonus point awarded in addition to standard goal related points. Each successful Assist, a pass judged by our experts to lead directly to a goal, will give a player 3 points. The opinion of our experts on the matter is final. Each player selected and starting a game will be awarded one point.

If a player is given a Yellow Card they lose 1 point, if a player is given a Red Card they lose 3 points. Own goals, either scored or conceded, do not count.

The Premiership Manager that you choose will be awarded 3 points if their real-life team wins, 1 point is awarded if they draw and no points are given if they lose.

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Only entries made on the Independent/Independent on Sunday Fantasy Football official registration phonelines will be valid

2. For your Fantasy Football team selection you may only use the players published in the official lists in the Independent/Independent on Sunday.

3. Entries must comprise of 11 players and one manager. The players must consist of a goalkeeper plus one of the four team formations listed. The total cost of the team, including the manager, must not exceed pounds 40 million.

4. FA Carling Premiership footballers have been assigned a fictional transfer value by our experts which represent current ability. There will be no correspondence relating to players or their fictional value.

5. Independent Fantasy Football results are calculated on all matches in the FA Carling Premiership. Points are awarded according to the scoring system described in. How to Score.

6. In the event that a goalkeeper or a defender is substituted, the player substituted and the substitute are both deemed to have played in the match in question. Therefore, if there is a clean sheet both players shall be credited.

7. The Independent and Independent on Sunday overall prize of a trip to the World Cup in France will go to the team manager whose total score exceeds that of any other manager. If there is a tie, a simple draw will take place.

8. One pair of tickets to see England play at Wembley will be awarded to the manager whose team's points exceed that of any other manager on a monthly basis, each month running between the dates specified below. In the event of a tie a simple draw will take place. The monthly games shall run: Month 1: 09/08/97 to 07/09/97 Month 2: 08/09/97 to 05/10/97 Month 3: 06/10/97 to 02/11/97 Month 4: 03/11/97 to 30/11/97 Month 5: 01/12/97 to 28/12/97 Month 6: 29/12/97 to 25/01/98 Month 7: 26/01/98 to 22/02/98 Month 8: 23/02/98 to 22/03/98 Month 9: 23/03/98 to 19/04/98 Month 10: 20/04/98 to 10/05/98.

9. Only FA Carling Premiership matches apply. If a player is transferred out of the Premier Division or is unable to play for any other reason, that player will not score within this game from that point on until he resumes playing in the Premier League.

10. All points scored during all Premiership matches count towards the team managers total score for the season and the final top prize. No cup or International matches count

11. Team selections once made, cannot be altered until such time as a transfer list may be published in connection with Fantasy Football. There is no limit to number of entries any person or household may make by individual entry. One PIN claim number will be issued for each valid team registration. You must keep your PIN claim number safe.

12. Closing date for telephone entries is midnight on 20th August, 1997.

13. The competition is open to residents of the UK and Republic of Ireland only. Entrants under 18 must be able to provide written permission from parent or guardian if requested and ask permission from the person who pays the telephone charges before phoning their entry.

14. Inaudible, incomplete, incorrect or those entries considered obscene will not be accepted. Independent/Independent on Sunday are not responsible for entries lost or delayed in transfer. Proof of magnetic transcript not accepted as proof of entry.

15. Employees of Newspaper Publishing, Europrint Promotions Ltd, TIM, agents and families are not allowed to enter. Normal Mirror Group rules apply.

16. Calls cost 50p per minute at all times. Entries made by pay phone will cost approximately double that of a normal phone. Your call should not last more than 6.5 minutes. Make sure your team selection is correct before dialling so that your call is for the minimum duration. Republic of Ireland calls will cost 58p per minute including VAT at all times.

17. The Independent/Independent on Sunday reserve the right to stop the game at any time and change the conditions. The editor's decisions are final in all matters relating to the game. No correspondence, either in writing or by telephone, will be entered into. No refunds will be made.

18. You may receive future offers or information from Newspaper Publishing Plc or approved companies. If you do not wish to receive these please write to: Independent Fantasy Football, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL.

19. Should you have any difficulty registering your team please call our helpline on 0990 800 243. Please note before you ring the helpline the most common problem encountered is that of managers going over budget.