Can Chris clubber Callum The Barbarian?

It doesn't take long for Phillips to wind up a crowd...

It has been a long time coming but finally Chris Phillips will take centre stage in the final Quarter Final of the first ever Team Picker Cup. As architect of the competition and after weeks of convincing players that it could ever happen, he will now make his mark against Callum Gigg in what will be a tricky fixture. And not to mention a real contrast in volume between them!

This week will signal the end of what has been an exciting round so far - full of goals, guile and the occasional goading. It has also been tinged with the odd bit of controversy too, with goal line scrambles and handball calls. It would be naive to think that will end here - especially with Phillips involved.

• TPC Fact: Experience is the key. Each player that has been eliminated so far has only picked once according to the Team Picking list; the victor having picked twice or more. This week this trend will come to an end as both players have picked teams at least twice (Phillips 4 times, Gigg twice).  

If you believe the hype and all the fighting talk, this tie is merely a formality for Phillips on his path to T-shirt-covered glory. The calibre of his opponent is irrelevant as his name is already written on the trophy, he claims.  Respected legends of the game have lambasted "Plasmo" for his utter lack of respect for not just his Quarter Final opponent, but anyone who will face. Former 5-a-side football professional Willie Maykit is among those who feel Phillips has taken his arrogance to a whole new level. "He may be brimming with confidence, but the field is littered with worthy knights who want to claim the throne" he said. "I bloody hope Gigg gives him a good kicking! Go Barbarian!"

Has Gigg been pillaging a bit too much?

With the media whirlwind surrounding Phillips, one would forget the more modest challenger known in TTFE circles as the 'Barbarian'. Callum Gigg, fiercely patriotic and known for his reflective demeanour, will surely be quietly plotting the downfall of TTFE's most famous extrovert. However some aides in his camp have started to worry about Gigg, feeling that he's taking his adopted nickname way too seriously. Our insider told us: "He's flipped his lid. I mean seriously. He watched Conan The Barbarian non stop all week and you can see the blood lust in his eyes. I asked him about his strategy and he told me bluntly  that it is 'to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women' - I would not want to be Plasmo right about now".

Meanwhile TPC organisers have been criticised by players and fans alike for the length of last week's opening ceremony. Intended on adding glamour and glitz to the competition and to bring in viewers from the Olympics, it was widely slammed on social media website Twitter as being too cheap and too long. One tweet said, "Do the TPC think we're stupid? Fake Michael Buffer and less game time #TPCFail"., whilst another said "Crap TPC game and ceremony last week. Mr Loverman was a fat white guy and superman didn't even fly."

TPC organisers are yet to comment on the matter and no ceremony has been planned for this week's game or any of the semi finals.