THERE are two types of players of fantasy league games, according to cleverGames boss Peter Sakal – those who want to win the big prizes and those who want to beat their mates.

“The formula is quite simple,”

he said.

“It has to be complicated enough for people who are serious about the games and if it is too simple then you will lose them.

“But if the game is too complicated then people will not bother trying to beat their friends.”

Colchester-based business GFM has recently merged with clever TV to make the largest network of fantasy and prediction games in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The business already creates and hosts games for the Sun, the Telegraph, SkyBet, UEFA and MSN and has a number of new projects and services in the pipeline.

“We are the number one provider in this field and have merged with the number two to create the biggest gaming company in Europe,” said Mr Sakal.

“I believe it will significantly enhance our ability to deliver great work to our trusted partners.

“We are also looking to branch into something called Daily Play – which doesn’t really exist in the UK or Europe but is huge in America – which gives fantasy gamers something to play which gives them an outcome on the same day.”

The company employs 320 local people at their office in Hawkins Road, in the Hythe, where they also run promotional marketing which includes the Sun’s £9.50 holiday deals and marketing services.

The merger will mean ten more jobs are created with two more at their satellite office in London.

GFM first ran a fantasy league competition in the Today newspaper in 1991 and the company now runs prediction and dream team competitions in sports including horse racing, cricket and darts and even produces a game where players can build their own ideal business portfolio.

Now their four million users are able to tweak and tinker with their teams right up to kick off online thanks to their huge internet servers, but in the early Nineties players had to post their changes manually.

“It used to be that people would cut their coupons out of the newspaper and they would have to be with us by 9am on the Tuesday before the games which would take place that week,” said Mr Sakal.

“People would then obviously try and leave it as late as possible in case one of their players got injured which would lead to a rush on the last post.”

So what is the secret to picking a successful fantasy football team?

“Some of the most successful players have never seen a football match – there are 150 people in our GFM league and in the top 25 per cent there will be some who don’t know anything about football,”

said Mr Sakal.

“You have to take all of your allegiances out of the equation and even though I amahuge West Ham supporter and can’t stand Tottenham Hotspur I should have Harry Kane in my team.”