For anyone building up a small club

Hi all,

I am currently taking AFC Wimbledon up through the leagues. I have spent two seasons in each league as I've gone up - one to consolidate, second for promotion.

I am now in League 1, and in my second season, might just make a playoff.

My ground has gone from 4,500 to 5,000 after I deliberately sold all my best players to raise cash, and ditched anyone with big wages. Strangely after two seasons selling out at 4,500, my average has dropped to 4,200... Weird.

Questions:

- Has anyone taken AFC to the top yet?

- Is it worth improving facilities (from adequate)?

- Is it worth improving youth facilities?

- How important are getting good coaches in? (This could wipe out my finances as I cant seem to acheive above 4* ratings with free transfers)

- What has been the key ingredient - star midfield? Striker? (I have found having a creative centre mid is crucial)

- How can I raise more cash? I currently arrange cups in friendlies with big teams, and keep wages low and try to do well in cups and am not scared of selling players for big offers

After much initial frustration, I am finally now really enjoying FM09. I think its running faster on my computer now - not sure if this is due to me cleaning stuff up or the patches - anyway, speed is still slower than I'd like but better than it was!

Thanks in advance for your comments and tips,

GHT

You're enjoying the game, you found ways to raise cash, you made your own mind about what part of your team is of more importance, so I don't think any advice is needed, as it may spoil the fan. Of course other guys may help you more:) Imo, just KUTGW

I too am not very happy in regard to attendances; I really can't understand it. Had the same in many different games.

Happy AFC Wimbledon gaming

Attacking is more important in lower leagues, defence in premiership. Spend on players till you are certain you can stay in the premiership, then start improving infrastructure.

I wish I was that succesful

Im on the verge of taking Bradford City back to the premiership from League 2 within 5 seasons if this counts. It has reaffirmed my love of Football Manager.

Im just starting a new game with 19 leagues selected! Cant decide to do a BS North or South team....

Any reccomendations?

Im just starting a new game with 19 leagues selected! Cant decide to do a BS North or South team....

Any reccomendations?

AFC has been good for me.

Eastleigh seem to have loads of money in my game - they have some guy on £0000s a week when I struggled with my guys only on £000s.

I'd also recommend NOT to quickly splash any transfer money. I foolishly bought a pacey striker, who 1) took all my money 2) took up all my wage budget 3) put my in financial trouble for my first few years. He also didn't contribute that much.

Enoch Showumni single handedly got me promoted to League 2.

I am doing this with FC United. I am in the Championship just now.

I would reccomend looking through all the players that have been released from Premiership clubs down to League 2. It takes a while but you will be able to get a brilliant squad. That is how I got so far up the leagues and spent very little money.

I am doing this with FC United. I am in the Championship just now.

I would reccomend looking through all the players that have been released from Premiership clubs down to League 2. It takes a while but you will be able to get a brilliant squad. That is how I got so far up the leagues and spent very little money.

Yes thats very good advice. I also picked up a few in this way.

I also loaned at least 3 premiership players, usually central players strikers or defence, and a link with QPR through up a few loan players over the years of exceptional tallent.

For some reason the Irish leagues throw up loads of good cheap players too.

Questions:

- Has anyone taken AFC to the top yet?

- Is it worth improving facilities (from adequate)?

- Is it worth improving youth facilities?

- How important are getting good coaches in? (This could wipe out my finances as I cant seem to acheive above 4* ratings with free transfers)

- What has been the key ingredient - star midfield? Striker? (I have found having a creative centre mid is crucial)

- How can I raise more cash? I currently arrange cups in friendlies with big teams, and keep wages low and try to do well in cups and am not scared of selling players for big offers

- Haven't done it with AFC, but have a career game with Tadworth currently running.

- Adequate, imo, should still be okay for League 1. Promotion to the CCC would most likely require an improvement if you are to be successful. Older players will do fine, but younger players won't improve as much.

- I believe that as long as young have a couple of very hard working players in midfield, 1 can be as lazy and lightweight as you like as long as he has talent. 1 skillful, creative player can make all the difference at LL.

- A fast striker generally does well in LL, as defenders are generally slow, but has to fit in to you're already successful tactics.

- Raising more cash can be difficult. You are doing most things right. Might be useful loaning instead of buying. As you've touched on, I'd always sell my better players for good money, at LL they are generally easy to replace cheaply or by loaning. This usually reduces your wages spent too. Bosmans are a dream at this level too. Loads to chose from.

Does seem you have a good grasp on what you're doing, not sure about the attendance thing though, maybe ticket prices have gone up? Maybe fans will turn out more to see a winning L2 side than an okay L1 side? I dunno:confused:

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Maybe attendences drop due to you selling your top players?

Im just starting a new game with 19 leagues selected! Cant decide to do a BS North or South team....

Any reccomendations?

I had a Chelmsford City game running, got 2 promotions in 2 seasons to get into league 2. Made play-offs in 1st season in League 2 but lost, went up as champions next season. Started 5th season in league 1 but then my computer decided to get a virus and i just got someone from work to clear everything off of my computer as i couldnt b bothered with the fuss of picking things to keep.

Annoying i no, but now i have my laptop back will try this again but with a different team

- Haven't done it with AFC, but have a career game with Tadworth currently running.

- Adequate, imo, should still be okay for League 1. Promotion to the CCC would most likely require an improvement if you are to be successful. Older players will do fine, but younger players won't improve as much.

- I believe that as long as young have a couple of very hard working players in midfield, 1 can be as lazy and lightweight as you like as long as he has talent. 1 skillful, creative player can make all the difference at LL.

- A fast striker generally does well in LL, as defenders are generally slow, but has to fit in to you're already successful tactics.

- Raising more cash can be difficult. You are doing most things right. Might be useful loaning instead of buying. As you've touched on, I'd always sell my better players for good money, at LL they are generally easy to replace cheaply or by loaning. This usually reduces your wages spent too. Bosmans are a dream at this level too. Loads to chose from.

Does seem you have a good grasp on what you're doing, not sure about the attendance thing though, maybe ticket prices have gone up? Maybe fans will turn out more to see a winning L2 side than an okay L1 side? I dunno:confused:

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In your Tadworth game, how did your ground improvements/size etc. develop? I have only had the one increase of 500 seats, and absolutely nothing else from the directors.

Loans - love them when I get them, but never seem to get any decent ones til well into the season, and by then I have usually picked up someone for free who is adequate. My situation now is typical - 1 star striker, 2 adequates brought in on a free, and one young guy who will be brilliant. Parent club (QPR in prem) have loaned me fast striker for rest of season. Now have to deal with 2 adequate ones. May sell one or both.

Attendance seems bonkers to me. Just did Paint Pot final with 2,000 attendance??? Weird.

With attendances, I suspect fans are more likely to turn out if the opponents reputation is much higher than yours, so when you go up and that's true of everyone you get good crowds for relatively lowly league positions, then the next year your reputation has improved so with less of a differential the crowd is lower for the same sort of league spot.

I took over Watford, bought a top striker (18 yr old regen who has since moved to the EPL and is a wonderkid) and after trying to play defensive, slow paced passing - I did poorly and got sacked (14th place).

I am now with Stuttgart, took them from 2nd last in German League to 5th place.

I am building on local players, all youth prospects. I even gave a debut to a superb 15 year old prospect.

It is a bit difficult in the German League to build a Champions League winning team, as most of the other leagues try to poach my players!

I tend to begin with hiring staff from day 1, then make sure we have a good youth setup. I have had 2-3 very good youth players coming up, so I am excited about my future at the club!

Yes thats very good advice. I also picked up a few in this way.

I also loaned at least 3 premiership players, usually central players strikers or defence, and a link with QPR through up a few loan players over the years of exceptional tallent.

For some reason the Irish leagues throw up loads of good cheap players too.

I'm also in the position of trying to take AFC Wimbledon through the leagues. As ndebergerac says, you seem to have a good grasp on what you're doing already so there's not really much more advice i can think of giving you. He gives good advice about having hard working players and a pacey striker which are a must in LL. I also try and get some loan signings in from my parent club (QPR) and look for players released from big clubs (it can take a while) but it seems to help a lot. I started my career in Northern Ireland and agree with you that N.Irish/Irish leagues throw up a load of good, cheap players. It helped me managing there for a while as i got to know which players were good, enabling me to try and bring those players to AFC Wimbledon. As for the attendance issues, i've only been at AFC Wimbledon for 2 seasons so am unable to help with ground/facilities improvements but have also noticed that cup final attendances are smaller than league attendances, not sure why.

How are you're attandances looking now you're in League 1? I've just finished the BSP managing to win it to go up to League 2. My attendances were around 3000 so i'm hoping that facing bigger opponents each week will increase the attendances - i need the money!