We play catch up on what's been happening in the newly formed Premiership in the Electronic Sports League's fifth season of Team Fortress 2 action

What do you mean ESL Season V has already started three weeks ago? Whoops! No doubt about it, yours truly dropped the ball on that one, and after giving it all that wellie in the hype department last month; what a sorry excuse for a coverage writer I am.

Have mercy on me, oh mighty Robin Walker, thy will be done!

Yet, like the Irish student moocher I am, I won't take full responsibility for this coverage blackout. Any of you who have tried to navigate the ESL website can attest that it is a farce in comparison to the delightful offerings from ETF2L, ESH et al. If you are reading this ESL admins, give me filters by division, let me see fixture details without have to click on every single goddamn one, and don't just give me a wall of information; sex those spreadsheets up you tedious bastards.

Clearly though, these functional foibles are the least of the ESL's problems as they seem to be systematically alienating every top team in Europe. Team Dignitas baulked at the suggestion that they would sign up for the Premiership after their shoddy treatment in the previous ESL Major Series, which saw them miss the playoffs due to a torrent of penalty points. Now more recently The Last Resort have dropped from the competition, now in its third week, citing a lack of time for the league and a dispute with the ESL on a matter of principle regarding a stolen account.

However, the powers that be have been quick to react, plugging the German shaped hole in the Premiership with the impressive newcomers 7 brothers who aren't brothers AKA broder. Although, as I have ranted before, I would much have preferred a playoff between potential candidates, this has been a timely move to maintain confidence in the competition.

The Premiership may not be entirely representative of the six best teams in European Team Fortress 2, but it's not far off it. I'll stick a sock in it for now on the moaning front, and whack out some fixtures and results from the first three weeks of play.

The cogs are turning in my cavernous head; I've got a few ideas to spice things up for next week and I may even cover a selection of Division 1 games. So consider this a commitment for future coverage of ESL Season V and tell me what you want to see!

Check out this amazing article and the marvellous match ticker for the latest fixture details and results.

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