From BSN/BSS to the Premier

Wondered if anyone else has taken a team from the Blue Square South/North all the way to the top flight and beyond?

I chose Gateshead for this challenge as they were newly promoted to the BSN but also had a massive 11,000 seater stadium which I thought would be decent even in the Championship.

My record is as follows:

2008/09 - Won Blue Square North

2009/10 - Won Blue Square Premier

2010/11 - Won League 2

2011/12 - 2nd in League 1

2012/13 - 2nd in Championship

2013/14 - 11th in Premier League

2014/15 - 7th in Premier League (and UEFA Cup Qualification)

2015/16 - 1st in Premier League

I am now regarded a Legend at the club (bypassed Icon completely).

My stadium has been expanded to 12,975 which is the limit and I am currently trying to save up enough funds so the board will build a new stadium (and hopefully name it after me).

This is by far the most rewarding way to play the game in my opinion. I have been playing since CM 97/98 and this is my favourite save. The club really feels like my own and bringing on players is very rewarding.

I have an English left back regen who has been with me since L2, he is now the 1st choice England left back aged 23. I have bought low and sold high in order to help the club progress, a young Spanish forward I bought for £400k and held for 2 seasons (hardly played) recently went for £11m.

Anyone else had this sort of immediate success flying up through the divisions? Or of building a club that feels like their own?

I'm managing Bromley - currently in my fourth season in league 2. How did you manage all those back to back promotions? What kind of tactics did you use?

Yo. Have you checked Dafuge's Challenge in the Challenges forum? A few people have completed it.

What kind of tactics did you use?

Cheating one's obviously.

If you was to stick to LLM rules i dont think you would have as much success.

Well done on though

I checked the challenge, but effectively this is what I have done apart from the fact I have started with a newly promoted team rather than waiting for the game to newly promote a team. All that is left now is the Champions League, which my team is definitely capable of winning. Once I have won that I will resign.

Kahran - I play a 4-4-2, attacking, high tempo, short passing game. I use 'proper' wingers who are fast and can dribble and cross. I have 1 defensive midfielder (who can also pass) and 1 attacking midfielder (who can also tackle). Strikers are easy to pick up - pace, acceleration, finishing and composure or height, heading, jumping. Centre backs are important - tackling, marking, heading and full backs need to be quick and strong with a good tackle.

To be honest, I don't know how it was so easy, I surprised myself - each season my media prediction was bottom but we played well and got promoted.

FM mad, cheating how? I have played the hell out of every game since CM97/98 and this has stood me in good stead.

FM mad - what are these LLM rules you speak of? I can't imagine I've done anything untoward that wouldn't occur in the real world.

LLM guidelines;

The ideology behind playing LLM is to play a game as realistic as FM allows.

This means doing it yourself, using your own mettle, succeeding or failing, but using no outside help.

Outside help means anything not included in the game. This specifically includes "real life" knowledge. Just because "Wullie Hackum" is good in real life doesn't mean he'll be good in FM.

For this reason we rely heavily on the Scouts.

We trust them. They may be rubbish, but they're all we've got for "first hand" experience.

Players may be identified from media reports...and scouted, from games played against us...and scouted.

No-one will be banned for scouring the transfer list, but it's generally frowned upon by LLM players. Players found that way would be scouted or trialled by the club, no manager in their right mind would sign a player based on a name on a list.

LLM doesn't mean leaving a team just because it's been promoted. A career should be followed like a real life one. Would a manager leave a club just because he's got it promoted? Maybe because another club comes in for him, but not because he's reached the Football League.

Lower League Managers means, by definition, that players start in the lowest possible division in any given Nation.

That can mean the only division in the game (like Wales), but doesn't mean The Championship, League 1 or League 2 in England...it means The Conference, Premier, North or South, but preferably North or South.

There's an adage in LLM, "If you have to ask if you're cheating, then you very probably are".

This is a good way to judge yourself whether what you're doing is LLM, just ask that question (regarding "cheating", signing players, scouting, looking at other teams) and think about what a real-life manager would or could do.

Keep it real, keep it LLM, and you won't go far wrong.

Good luck.

The Lower League Management subforum on this forum has its own set of rules for play. If you were posting your account of your game in the LLM subforum, you would be expected to conform to that forum's rules. As you are not, don't worry about them.

Have to say that the re-occuring LOLZ YOU CHEATZOR posts get pretty boring! This challenge has been completed many times without cheating, check the dafuge challenge thread..

Good work though, I'm farnborough in the championship at the moment and enjoying it

Ticking every single box, that's the idea, I wanted a 'realistic career game' although it didn't turn out so realistic

still a fantastic achievement whether he played by LLM rules or not

1 tip I would have is try and sign players you will be comfortable with in the next league up, but at the same time don't be afraid to ditch your former player of the year/captain if you don't think he is up to the new standard required. Young players propelled me, often cast offs from Premier League clubs. Obviously do everything else you can to make your club as professional as possible - set up training (I favour a simple Attack/Defence system) get in decent coaches and take care of the finances - buy low sell high.

Someone I know has done just that and I am trying to do that at the moment too, am currently in league 2

Same with Gateshead although im just about to start my first season in the championship. Successive promotions from BSN to where i am now though, so to all the cheat sayers, it can be done! And as were not in the lower league forum i say pfft to their rules! Generally speaking, if you dont support or follow a lower league team in real life then you wont know many players anyway. I certainly havnt known many of them at all, however a Bradford fan friend of mine has.

I found the Championship pretty tough going, comparitively speaking. I only beat 3rd place by a single point, and the playoffs were brutal. I was expecting a consolidation season in the CCC but managed to scrape up. I thought I'd be lucky to stay in the Prem but was most pleased with a debut 11th. Now it's jsut like managing any of the other top clubs in the league - except for the fact I got them there.

What about winning the World Club Championship?

Congrats, well done on this great achievement!

I found the Championship pretty tough going, comparitively speaking. I only beat 3rd place by a single point, and the playoffs were brutal. I was expecting a consolidation season in the CCC but managed to scrape up. I thought I'd be lucky to stay in the Prem but was most pleased with a debut 11th. Now it's jsut like managing any of the other top clubs in the league - except for the fact I got them there.

Yeah, im not looking forward to the championship TBH. I think its going to be tough, but if i do go down again i will be much better of financially at trying to get back up again. I think one of the most rewrding things is building the club infrastructure up from scratch, building your scouting network and hiring coaches and youth coaches. Financial control is also rewarding, i always like to try and make a profit. The only problem i find is that the board seem to be to cautious. They have only just upgraded my basic youth facilities and as a result i have yet to have any player of note come through the ranks.

I know the name suggests otherwise, but I consider the FA Cup, League Cup, Premier League, Champions League all to be bigger than the World Club Championship. Man Utd didn't go up in anyones estimation when they won it this year did they?

The Champions League is my aim, and once achieved I can leave for sunnier climes knowing I will always and forever be a Gateshead legend.

When I took over the side I am managing, there was around 5 or 6 in my first team so I think I am doing well.

I didn't get my facilities upgraded until the Prem, now they are Top and Excellent and I have had 1 or 2 players come through who I sold for ~£5m.

The main problem is the 12,000 capacity stadium, i constantly get refused planning permission so will have to build a ground but unsure of how much this will cost, and even if I have the money, I am not sure if the board will suggest it.

I know the name suggests otherwise, but I consider the FA Cup, League Cup, Premier League, Champions League all to be bigger than the World Club Championship. Man Utd didn't go up in anyones estimation when they won it this year did they?

The Champions League is my aim, and once achieved I can leave for sunnier climes knowing I will always and forever be a Gateshead legend.

They wouldn't have/didn't go up in mine by winning the others either.

The World Club Championship is when you can claim to be the best in the world and not belittle anybody.

On other saves, I have treated it how Arsenal treat the League Cup, although I always win it.

Who knows, maybe I won't be able to leave Gateshead... until FM10

Congrats on winning the PL

The CWC means a lot more when you're not a European team, for me winning it was more important than winning the Asian CL.

congrats on all the Back to back promotions. no matter how you did it it's still a big achievement

4th season in the Prem, after 8 games I'm 3 points clear of Arsenal. Only 1 of my 5 strikers has scored - Macheda, hes got 4. My top goalscorer is a right wing regen with 5 and 5 assists. I'm calling him the Dutch Ronaldo. He was a big money buy at £4m start of 2nd prem season and now worth £10.5

Also, top of my Champions League group after 3 games on 7 points, which included an away 2-2 draw at current holders.... Zaragoza.

I made a post about being bored with my world conquering Man City side, and was asking what I could do next.. I think this is it.

New game, Blue Square North, Vauxhall (media prediction: last.).

Wooo

Take a look at this thread: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=62170

Lots of managers take their newly-promoted BSN/BSS team to the Premiership and beyond using very basic tactics.

I know the name suggests otherwise, but I consider the FA Cup, League Cup, Premier League, Champions League all to be bigger than the World Club Championship. Man Utd didn't go up in anyones estimation when they won it this year did they?

The Champions League is my aim, and once achieved I can leave for sunnier climes knowing I will always and forever be a Gateshead legend.

Well done on this mate, But if you leave the club I think I've seen somewhere that you then wont be a legend, which is rubbish. (can anyone confirm this?)

Well done on this mate, But if you leave the club I think I've seen somewhere that you then wont be a legend, which is rubbish. (can anyone confirm this?)

Yes, unfortunately this is true, as soon as you leave you are removed from the legend list.

Yes, unfortunately this is true, as soon as you leave you are removed from the legend list.

Thanks for that, Thought so but was not 100%

Im going for this at the moment. Had consecutive promotions from the BSS every year and I'm now in League 1.

However, we're losing hundreds of thousands every season Rubbish money coming from match day tickets, we have about 2800 season ticket holders with a stadium of 3000 with 300 seated. No money = no stadium expansion. No stadium expansion = no money.

I honestly don't know if I can keep going as it will be without any money. The only was I can see us going forwards is to keep going and get into debt, meaning that someone with some real money will take over the club.

What ever happened to all the FM09 is too hard threads? Sortitoutsi.

Im going for this at the moment. Had consecutive promotions from the BSS every year and I'm now in League 1.

I've had the same, although League 1 was where I got stuck. I suffered two successive playoff final defeats which was completely gutting although I managed promotion the season after (although I lost the title on the last day). Currently in the Championship and struggling.

Only done it with tycoon backing. Still, an achievement I reckon. Consecutive promotions every year.

Haven't managed to do it yet. Well done on doing it though

So I won the League with Gateshead, and then retained the title in the following season while also picking up the Champions League. I then asked the board to build a new stadium which they agreed to so I resigned as a 'Legend'

Took the Brazil job and the Juventus job within a couple of weeks. Won the World cup with Brazil and the Serie A and Champions League with Juve before applying for the Burton Albion job (BSP). The next day I was offered the Burton job and my second stage of building up a club began.

I hate to say it, but sucessive promotions again all the way up to the Prem while also winning the FA Cup in the CCC without ever playing a Prem side. I am currently 19th after 4 games with 2 points, but Man Utd are bottom with 0. Their squad consists of about 12 players aged either in their teens or over 30. The debt finally seems to be catching up with them. Their finances are 'Okay' but I suspect this will be the year they go down and the adminstration penalties take ahold. Maybe I will have to rescue them from non league footy.

My aim is to create a premier league mostly of teams I have promoted. This is not simply getting them promoted, I also have the desire to ensure they don't get relegated for some years (my Gateshead team are still top 4 even though I left 5 seasons ago). I also like to leave them with a new stadium.

Running Histon as one of my 3 saves. Promoted from BSN first season (Champions)! Promoted to League 2 Second Season (Champions! 98 points and scored 102 goals ). Currently in Season 3 and 4th in League 2 around November. Think I may load that game now actually...

So I won the League with Gateshead, and then retained the title in the following season while also picking up the Champions League. I then asked the board to build a new stadium which they agreed to so I resigned as a 'Legend'

Took the Brazil job and the Juventus job within a couple of weeks. Won the World cup with Brazil and the Serie A and Champions League with Juve before applying for the Burton Albion job (BSP). The next day I was offered the Burton job and my second stage of building up a club began.

I hate to say it, but sucessive promotions again all the way up to the Prem while also winning the FA Cup in the CCC without ever playing a Prem side. I am currently 19th after 4 games with 2 points, but Man Utd are bottom with 0. Their squad consists of about 12 players aged either in their teens or over 30. The debt finally seems to be catching up with them. Their finances are 'Okay' but I suspect this will be the year they go down and the adminstration penalties take ahold. Maybe I will have to rescue them from non league footy.

My aim is to create a premier league mostly of teams I have promoted. This is not simply getting them promoted, I also have the desire to ensure they don't get relegated for some years (my Gateshead team are still top 4 even though I left 5 seasons ago). I also like to leave them with a new stadium.

In ref. to your final paragraph sire you'll be playing FM for a long time to get all lower leagues up there! Plus waiting for jobs to come up, could be a while!

Any chance you can upload this game mate?

So I won the League with Gateshead, and then retained the title in the following season while also picking up the Champions League. I then asked the board to build a new stadium which they agreed to so I resigned as a 'Legend'

Took the Brazil job and the Juventus job within a couple of weeks. Won the World cup with Brazil and the Serie A and Champions League with Juve before applying for the Burton Albion job (BSP). The next day I was offered the Burton job and my second stage of building up a club began.

I hate to say it, but sucessive promotions again all the way up to the Prem while also winning the FA Cup in the CCC without ever playing a Prem side. I am currently 19th after 4 games with 2 points, but Man Utd are bottom with 0. Their squad consists of about 12 players aged either in their teens or over 30. The debt finally seems to be catching up with them. Their finances are 'Okay' but I suspect this will be the year they go down and the adminstration penalties take ahold. Maybe I will have to rescue them from non league footy.

My aim is to create a premier league mostly of teams I have promoted. This is not simply getting them promoted, I also have the desire to ensure they don't get relegated for some years (my Gateshead team are still top 4 even though I left 5 seasons ago). I also like to leave them with a new stadium.

What I tended to find with older versions (don't know with newer ones) was that once you took a lower league team to the highest level and left them they'd within a few years drop back down to their original level.

im wrexham in the championship at the moment

Anyone done this for the Scottish Leagues??

I hear lots of examples of BSN/BSS to Premiership, but no SD3 to Scottish Premier League Success, or any success in Europe! Would love to see an example of Annan Athletic lifting the European Cup!

I've taken King's Lynn from the BSN to the Prem. I've qualified for the UEFA Cup, next aim to qualify for CL. I haven't done it in successive seasons though. I had a few years in the Championship, which i found tough to get out of.

Anyone done this for the Scottish Leagues??

I hear lots of examples of BSN/BSS to Premiership, but no SD3 to Scottish Premier League Success, or any success in Europe! Would love to see an example of Annan Athletic lifting the European Cup!

I was actually thinking of starting a new save with Stenhousemuir this weekend!

Ive done this twice in 2 different saves and I had the same pattern both times. Firstly with AFC Wimbledon:

08/09 - BSS Winners

09/10 - BSN Play off winners

10/11 - League 2 Play off winners

11/12 - Consolodation in League 1

12/13 - League 1 winners

13/14 - Consolodation in The Championship

14/15 - Lost in The Championship Play off Semi Finals

15/16 - Finished 2nd in the Championship

16/17 - Finished 10th in The Premiership

17/18 - Finished 5th in The Premiership

18/19 - Finished 3rd in The Premiership

19/20 - Premiership Winners

20/21 - Premiership and Champions League winners

Im currently on a new save with Gateshead and Ive just got promoted to the Premiership in exactly the same way as I did with AFC Wimbledon. But I am also having problems with the stadium not being able to be expanded. I had a new 35,000 stadium built for me with AFC Wimbledon when I reached the prem even though I had no money and easily covered the loan repayments but its not happened this time

i got the 28,000 seater for Gateshead after winning the champions league and premier league. maybe the reason you are refused it is cash? i had about 40 mill in the bank.

i also found that with older versions the clubs dropped down, but this version seems to be ok if you leave them in a good state, when i left they were 'rich' and had a 28,000 seater stadium they filled every week. its now 6 seasons later and they still have the world class youngsters i left them with. in actual fact my next game for Burton is against Gateshead and i am dreading the result...

i started one with southport the other week and this is how i've done so far: -

08/09 - BSN 1st 103pts

09/10 - BSP 1st 112pts, winners of FA Trophy

10/11 - L2 1st 116pts, runner up in JPT

11/12 - L1 1st 103 pts, winners of JPT

i've drawn my first couple of games in the championship. i haven't spent a single penny on transfers so far

Only managed to do this once, in 08 with Southport, there was loads of Dutch players who were quality available on frees, that along with a few loans and I was in the PL by 2013, took me 8 years to win it though

I got Nantwich from BSN to the Prem but got promoted from league one at the 2nd attempt. In prem I have finished 17th, 10th and 9th. Hoping for european football within the next 2 seasons or so.

Well done to the OP for winning the prem so quickly.