[Nogrod]

Before the rosters are revealed the rumours are at their hottest - and here are some the journalists of the AKM have heard lately...


~*~

The oddest rumour the AKM has heard of this pre-season is the one which claims that Arien is leaving Real Valinor! Now she has played a few seasons with Miriel and Nerdanel – and the last year especially was the three were performing just outstandingly. And as the winners of the last year’s tournament it shouldn’t be a matter of money either as it would seem Real Valinor could easily pay her salaries comparable to what players like Fëanor or Túrin make – and it would only be fair (says the AKM).

So they formed the most fearsome female trio in the attack last year and it’s not money… so what is it?

---

Some of the other wildest speculations before the new season have been centered around the last year’s surprising quarterfinalists Shire-Bree United. It is whispered that Strider is leaving the team to play as Aragorn somewhere just for the sake of it… or to play with Arwen for a specific reason for leaving the Breelanders. There has also been talk about the two Nazgûl’s being unhappy with the team and to top that: others argue that the Barrow-Wight has felt a bit dull lately and will be off to have more fun somewhere.

But what has taken everyone by surprise has been the announcement that Tom Bombadill will not be playing for Shire-Bree any more. And this is known as a fact as Tom himself announced it.

So are we going to see a totally new team this year and where are they going to get their finances from?

---

Third big news we hear concerns the Wilderland team. Now despite some of the murkier characters in the line-up it was clearly an elven-led and –financed team last year. But now it seems there has been a coup in there when the elves have backed off after the losses taken last year - and who else but Sauron seems to be steppin g forwards. Some whisper Sauron’s Amon Lanc Properties has bought a majority of the tam and filled it with his orcs and other creatures of the darkness while the elves have withdrawn completely.

Be that as it may… it will be hard to see Galadriel playing for a majority-owner Sauron – not to talk of Elwë or Oromë to that matter. So unless the news are a total hoax, there is something considerably big going on with Wilderland for this season.

---

One interesting issue is the situation with Erebor… they gained a nice profit last year with their nice results but it seems they are more likely to tighten their purse this year than opening it up for more glory. It seems the dwarves and Mr. Moneybags have reached an agreement on budget policy: pile the money, pile the money… The football fans will not like it.

Where they will cut their expenses will be crucial for the chances of their success this year.

---

It looks like the Hador House Holdings took quite a damage last year (26 million in total!) when Hithlum didn’t even qualify – not to talk of the rage Túrin vented after the group phase. Túrin swore he would never again play in a team that would not qualify… and the rumour has it he has invested quite heavily himself this year (through Hador House Holdings of course). It seems Hithlum is coming to this season with more bite and sting – and a budget from another planet.

The top news of course is the rumour of Beleg coming to the aid of his old friend. Others have it that there has been a considerably strong wind blowing in the team and that they have tried to get rid of all the mediocre or weaker players from last year. And it seems relatively certain Hador’s sons Galdor (father of Húrin and Huor) and Gundor will leave Anfaughlith and replace the elven escorts Grithnir and Gethron in the defence.

So Doriath seems to be losing Beleg, but the rumours have it that they are losing Lúthien as well. It looks grim for the last year’s qualifier this year – unless they are able to grab some real talent with decent prices to replace the rumoured losses. The fact that Thingol and Melian seem to be quite unwilling to open the team-ownership to any outsiders surely makes pressure to their budget.

---

We have heard relatively little of Eriador (except the signing of NogWight) but that both major owners of the team Elrond and Norbury Sport have been busy investing the money they made last year to other teams of their alignment. But the rumours have it that they are not intending to weaken their team this year either but aim for the top once again.