[FM09] A Corking Team to Manage - The Cork City Story

[i]Version: FM09 - db 9.0.3 - 10/07/09 Weegie Update
Leagues Loaded: All Ireland and England to League Two[/i]

2008 - Cork City - Irish Premier Division

Predicted - 4th

Finished - 3rd

FAI Cup - Qtr Final

Eircom Cup - Winners

Munster Senior Cup - Winners

Setanta Cup - Winners

Europa League - 1st Round

Transfers - We only signed 2 players this season. First was David Connolly, the ex Sunderland and Fulham forward. Although he is 30 years old the 700p/w wages were easily justified as he scored some important goals throughout the season. Jude Stirling was the other signing, a defender who is able to play anywhere across the back four. Both were signed on frees. We let one player go, Neal Horgan was the first choice left back but I had other players capable of filling in. Valued at 10k, Huddersfield came in with a 50k bid, I renegotiated to see what I could get and they came back with 100k. Too good to refuse.

League - We started at a modest rate in the league, sitting around 4th or 5th at the beginning before a early season slump saw us drop to a measly ninth. Amongst all the cup competitions we played in we managed to win a few league games and move back up to 4th. We soon had a little run going, along with winning the Munster cup we opened a small gap up over fourth place as we moved up to third. We soon had to play in the Irish Cup, Setanta Cup and Europa League leaving us 4 games behind other teams and dropping us to fourth in the league. After unluckily loosing in extra time to Nurnberg and winning the Setanta Cup we managed to win 3 of our 4 games in hand, drawing the other. A win over league leaders Bohemians ensured we had third for ourselves with a couple of games in hand.

Squad/Stats

Top Scorer - Kuduzovic, 28

Best Player - Kuduzovic

Finances - really improved through cup wins and Europe. We dabbled with debt at a time, the player sale helped.

Club Affiliates - really want to get an English feeder club now.

Aims for Next Season

• Improve Key positions
  
• Equal or Pass 1st Round of Europa League
  

Season | Team         | Finished | Cup Wins | Europe                    | Achievements
2008   | Cork City    | 3rd      | x3       | Europa League 1st Round   | Eircom, Setanta, Munster Cup Wins

This save will run along side Nep's Youth Player Project for FM09. I will post in both that thread and this about my progress with my youth players.

2009 Youth Player Update - Cork City - Ireland

YP1 - Luke Winterton - AMR

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Reasonable) Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - NONE

Pretty poor all round. Will need vast improvement over the season to get a new contract. At 15 though he does have a few years ahead of him.

You Sold Hoggy /o\

You Sold Hoggy /o\

100k was too good to refuse. This is a win/lose situation, if i had rejected he would have become unhappy and performances would have slipped.

Nice read I forward to more.

Do you think the gap in class between the you and top 2 ( especially Bohemians) is a big one?

Nice read I forward to more.

Do you think the gap in class between the you and top 2 ( especially Bohemians) is a big one?

First season yes, after the first 11 games i was about a dozen points behind already. Derry were around 6 points ahead in 2nd. This season, after a couple of decent signings it has swung in our favour. I'm top by 3 points, was 6 but i just lost to Bohemians 1-0 at theirs.

I have the better head to head record against Bohemians at the moment. All i need to do is find a goalscoring centre midfielder.

As the Irish season runs, February to November, Europe starts in June, halway through my season. That has a positive effect on my team i feel.

The European Rankings have just been announced and Cork City have moved up 28 places to 285th now. Well apparently, i just looked at the co-efficients and we're 290th :/ Cork = 290th = 3.991 and Northern Ireland = 47th = 2.165

2009 - Cork City - Irish Premier Division

Predicted - 2nd

Finished - 1st - WINNERS

FAI Cup - Semi Final

Eircom Cup - Winners

Munster Senior Cup - Winners

Setanta Cup - Semi Final

Europa League - 1st Round

Transfers - Nine players in this season, we had a more telling budget this year as we used it to buy some decent up and coming players. For instance, Spencer Harris a young centre half who was at Aberdeen. Another decent player to come in was Darragh McNamara who excelled in the second half of the season. Other notable players to come in were Tom Heaton, Richard Duffy and Sean Doherty.

League - Obviously overall a much better season. Last season we had a poor start and a decent run in, this season was the other way round. We started extremely well and then lost the will to score goals. Although it took seven games to hit the top, we built a 22 games unbeaten run, including cups. We did however lose our top of the league status as we fell behind when cups took over again week in week out. We soon won those games in hand and regained top spot where we never left again. Derry City were the main contenders for a title challenge, as were Bohemians to a point, until we played them 3 times in the league in 6 games.

Squad/Stats

Top Scorer - Connolly & Kuduzovic, 35

Best Player - Kuduzovic

Finances - improved slightly over the course of the season. We made 650k in the month we played Real Madrid twice in Europe.

Club Affiliates - we managed to gain Halesowen as a feeder club and without asking the Board linked us with Newcastle as a Parent Club.

Aims for Next Season

• Find a goalscoring centre midfielder
  
• Equal or Pass 1st Round of Europa League
  

Season | Team         | Finished | Cup Wins | Europe                    | Achievements
2008   | Cork City    | 3rd      | x3       | Europa League 1st Round   | Eircom, Setanta, Munster Cup Wins
2009   | Cork City    | 1st      | x2       | Europa League 1st Round   | Eircom, Munster Cup Winners

Youth Player Update - Cork City - Ireland

YP1 - Luke Winterton - AMR

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Reasonable) Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - NONE

2009

Season | Squad         | Apps | Goals | Assists | MOM | Ave Rating
2009    | Under 20s    | 7(3)  | 1      | 1         | 0      | 6.77

Drastic improvement needed for Winterton if he wants any chance of renewing his contract. Was outshone by Cunningham on the left hand side.

YP2 - Matt Bull - DC

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Reasonable) - Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - None

A much better youth intake this season and proved with Matt Bull. Our new Assman thinks he will become better than Dan Murray. With 7 star potential i think he should have a decent career with Cork City.

Good Season and good luck in the champions league.

Suprised at Connolly's scoring rate due to his (no offense) very average attributes and age.

Good Season and good luck in the champions league.

Suprised at Connolly's scoring rate due to his (no offense) very average attributes and age.

I am too, though his Physical stats did deteriorate quite a bit during the course of this season. 32 isn't exactly old mind, so he has another season in him. I am looking for a replacement as we speak anyway.

Let us know if you find anyone good.

(I'm part irish and have been to cork alot so this thread interests me)

Let us know if you find anyone good.

(I'm part irish and have been to cork alot so this thread interests me)

Well i promoted a youngster, Cunningham from the U20s and brought in Luke Rodgers on a short term basis, only giving him a one year contract, he will provide good back up for injuries etc.

Also pre arranged the free transfer for Roy O'Donovan who will be arriving 1st July from Sunderland. Steep wages of 2.9k but will either be first choise left mid or striker.

That is so weird! My second name is Cunningham!

(although it's a fairly common irish name)

Season  | Cork  | CoEff  | Moved   || Ireland    | CoEff   | Moved
2008/09 | 290th | 3.991  | [color=Green]+28[/color]     || 27th       | 14.152  | -
2009/10 | 278th | 6.062  | [color=Green]+12[/color]     || 26th       | 14.666  | [color=Green]+1[/color]

Moved up 12 places this season, pretty ok beings we only played 2 rounds of Europa League.

Contracts are up in Decemeber and i looked resigned to losing Kuduzovic on a free. His value has plummeted so will just let him see out his contract. Burnley have offered him a contract. Newcastle have sent me Fabio Zamblera and i've brought in a couple of new freebies from Sunderland and Wolves.

2010 - Cork City - Irish Premier Division

Predicted - 1st

Finished - 1st - WINNERS

FAI Cup - 3rd Round

Eircom Cup - Semi Final

Munster Senior Cup - WINNERS

Setanta Cup - WINNERS

Champions League - 4th in Group E

Transfers - Even with a big budget of 425k for transfers, i felt we didn't need it and only spent a fraction of that. It was the case of finding the players good enough or better than my current crop. Daniel Jones came in from Wolves, as either first choice left back or left midfield. David Vaughn was with Crewe, before joining Sociedad and Blackpool, he was released by the latter and i snapped him up for free. Other signings are for the future, with only Lithuanian centre half Vytautas Normantas and Roy O'Donovan in the first team. I let a few dead wood players leave for free to various clubs in Britain. Kevin Thorntan, Kuduzovic and Threlfall have since all left on frees, not renewing their contracts.

League - A lot tighter season for Cork. Cups and Europe let us slip up to 6 games behind the likes of Derry, Bohemians and surprise title contenders Sligo Rovers. During the long season, which ended with 59 games being played, fatigue set in at times and form dipped, we were only 5 points behind with 5 games in hand, but struggled and drew level with Bohemians with one game to go, that being against Bohemians. We won 2-0 thankfully and claimed a second successive title. Success has given me chances to move away frm Cork, with Watford, Sheff Weds and West Ham declaring interest and Birmingham offering me their hot seat, 21mil transfer budget was tempting, but i rejected.

Squad/Stats

Top Scorer - Kuduzovic,44

Best Player - Kuduzovic

Best Young Player - Cunningham

Finances - fantastic improvement due to the Champions League money coming in. Helps towards the development of the training facilities.

Club Affiliates - we added Ballyclare and Rhyl as feeder clubs, giving us a club from each Home Nation.

Aims for Next Season

• Replace Kuduzovic with similar striker
  
• Win the FAI Cup
  

Season | Team         | Finished | Cup Wins | Europe                    | Achievements
2008   | Cork City    | 3rd      | x3       | Europa League 1st Round   | Eircom, Setanta, Munster Cup Wins
2009   | Cork City    | 1st      | x2       | Europa League 1st Round   | Eircom, Munster Cup Winners
2010   | Cork City    | 1st      | x2       | ChampLeague Group Stage   | Munster Cup, Setanta Cup Winners

Youth Player Update - Cork City - Ireland

YP1 - Luke Winterton - AMR

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Reasonable) Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - NONE

2009

2010

Season | Squad         | Apps | Goals | Assists | MOM | Ave Rating
2009   | Under 20s     | 7(3) | 1     | 1       | 0   | 6.77
2010   | Under 20s     | 3(5) | 0     | 1       | 0   | 6.73

No improvement for Winterton, only a handful of U20 games. Released

YP2 - Matt Bull - DC

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Reasonable) Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - None

2010

Season | Squad         | Apps | Goals | Assists | MOM | Ave Rating
2010   | Under 20s     | 19   | 2     | 1       | 0   | 7.16
2010   | First XI      | 4    | 0     | 0       | 0   | 6.95

Some improvement for Bull but nothing to say i'm in contention for a first team place. I would like to use him a bit more this coming season in the cups, more preferably the Munster Cup.

YP3 - Simon Heard - DR

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Reasonable) Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - None

Has the basis to improve, unlikely to feature in the first team, Assman reckons he has 3 star potential, a defending based coach reckons 4 stars. Will keep him for his contract duration.

Season  | Cork  | CoEff  | Moved   || Ireland    | CoEff   | Moved
2008/09 | 290th | 3.991  | [color=Green]+28[/color]     || 27th       | 14.152  | -
2009/10 | 278th | 6.062  | [color=Green]+12[/color]     || 26th       | 14.666  | [color=Green]+1[/color]
2010/11 | 162nd | 14.827 | [color=Green]+126[/color]    || 25th       | 16.208  | [color=Green]+1[/color]

A fantastic improvement this season, brought all about by the season in the Champions League. Reaching the group stages was an over-achievement which i can hopefully match this coming season.

2011 - Cork City - Irish Premier Division

Predicted - 1st

Finished - 1st - WINNERS

FAI Cup - Qtr Final

Eircom Cup - WINNERS

Munster Senior Cup - WINNERS

Setanta Cup - WINNERS

Champions League - 3rd In Group F into Europa League 1st KO Round.

Transfers - given a massive 4mil to spend this season, we stuggled to find players good enough that wanted to come play for us. South African Colin Davids, was brought in for 250k as our highest transfer fee paid, joining from Polish outfit Lechia Gdansk. Jordan Robertson was a fantastic signing for such a cheap fee, 26 goals in total for only 24k spent, ended up being the Golden Boot winner for the league. Scott Stansfield was another great signing, a much higher fee plus a player exchange but well worth it. Signing of the Season for me has to be Simon Cox, the ex Swindon and West Brom striker, nothing paid and 28 goals in 37 games gained. A lot of players out this season including, Kuduzovic and Thornton. Got 4 squad players leaving on 1st January, including star goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who kept an amazing 43 clean sheets in 68 games in all competitions.

League - Went straight to the top and hardly left, we did draw a couple of games and fell a couple of games behind but soon made up with winning those in hand. We stayed top for the remaining 24 games of the season, winning with a huge margin of 22 points ahead of Bohemians, a further 13 ahead of St Pats in third.

Squad/Stats

Top Scorer - Cunnigham, 34

Finances - another 4mil+ in the bank, thanks to the Champions League. Hardly any expenditure has helped.

Club Affiliates - are the same, did apply for new ones, but the Board could not find any suitable candidates.

Aims for Next Season

• Find 2 new centre midfielders.
  
• Win the FAI Cup
  

Season | Team         | Finished | Cup Wins | Europe                      | Achievements
2008   | Cork City    | 3rd      | x3       | Europa League 1st Round     | Eircom, Setanta, Munster Cup Wins
2009   | Cork City    | 1st      | x2       | Europa League 1st Round     | Eircom, Munster Cup Winners
2010   | Cork City    | 1st      | x2       | ChampLeague Group Stage     | Munster Cup, Setanta Cup Winners
2011   | Cork City    | 1st      | x3       | 3rd in Group F (into Europa)| Munster Cup, Setanta Cup and Eircom Cup Winners

Youth Player Update - Cork City - Ireland

YP1 - Luke Winterton - AMR

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Reasonable) Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - NONE

2009

2010

Released

2011 - Cammel Laird

Season | Squad         | Apps | Goals | Assists | MOM | Ave Rating
2009   | Under 20s     | 7(3) | 1     | 1       | 0   | 6.77
2010   | Under 20s     | 3(5) | 0     | 1       | 0   | 6.73
2011   | Cammel Laird  | 17   | 0     | 0       | 0   | 5.97

For some reason, Cammel Laird risked it for a biscuit and gave Winterton a contract. They didn't know how much of a stale biscuit he was.

YP2 - Matt Bull - DC

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Reasonable) Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - None

2010

2011 (Note: Was injured for 3 months with Torn Calf Muscle)

Season | Squad         | Apps | Goals | Assists | MOM | Ave Rating
2010   | Under 20s     | 19   | 2     | 1       | 0   | 7.16
2010   | First XI      | 4    | 0     | 0       | 0   | 6.95
2011   | Under 20s     | 8    | 1     | 1       | 1   | 7.25
2011   | First XI      | 23(2)| 0     | 0       | 1   | 6.93

Given plenty of oppurtunity in the first team, he didn't disappoint in his 20+ games. He got his first taste of Champions League football. He figured frequently in the Ireland U21 squad. His stats have not improved that much. Needs to improve more, first team football should help. He was subject to bids from a host of Scottish clubs including; Celtic, Motherwell, Inverness and Hearts.

YP3 - Simon Heard - DR

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Reasonable) Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - None

2011

Season | Squad         | Apps | Goals | Assists | MOM | Ave Rating
2011   | Under 20s      | 7   | 0     | 1       | 0   | 7.09    

Made a handful of appearances for the U20s. Will need some more improvement over the course of the season to grab a U20 RB spot.

YP4 - Karl Porter - ST

Coach Report

Positions

Feet - Left(Weak) Right(Very Strong)

PPMs - Shoots With Power

Assman (JP 18) reckons that Karl Porter has 6 star potential and isn't far from being as good as Cunningham, anything 3/4 of Cunningham's ability will be a good player.

Nice season ToMexico!! Porter looks like a good prospect, really good physical stats for a 15 y/o!

Cheers yeh, Porter does have some good physical stats, his technical stats have started to improve already. Which bodes well for the future.

Pre arranged a few signings for the end of the English season, some good players are coming. Made a few signings for the mean time and looking to the future trying to snap up what prospects i can. Also rearranging my back room staff and bringing some new ones in.

Wish i'd loaded this game with more leagues. Getting offers from a host of English teams, i feel i could make this into a very good career save. I don;t think i can take Cork any further but i will plug on.

Cork City finally bow out of Europe

We beat Besiktas somehow in the first KO Round of the Europa League which set up a battle with a strong Man City.

Results

Season  | Cork  | CoEff  | Moved   || Ireland    | CoEff   | Moved
2008/09 | 290th | 3.991  | [color=Green]+28[/color]     || 27th       | 14.152  | -
2009/10 | 278th | 6.062  | [color=Green]+12[/color]     || 26th       | 14.666  | [color=Green]+1[/color]
2010/11 | 162nd | 14.827 | [color=Green]+126[/color]    || 25th       | 16.208  | [color=Green]+1[/color]
2011/12 | 79th  | 33.656 | [color=Green]+83[/color]     || 24th       | 16.875  | [color=Green]+1[/color]

Another vast improvement, helped by another Group Stage appearance and finishing 3rd. Meaning i made it into the KO rounds of the Europa League.

2012 - Cork City - Irish Premier Division

Predicted - 1st

Finished - 1st - WINNERS

FAI Cup - WINNERS

Eircom Cup - Runners Up

Munster Senior Cup - WINNERS

Setanta Cup - WINNERS

Champions League - 4th in Group D

Transfers - some decent signings in this window, including Stearman who arrived for a club record 2mil but was then sold to Dinamo for 3mil. 1mil profit in less than 6 months. Craig Gardner was released by Aston Villa and we snapped him up. Robert Snodgrass wasn't offered a new deal at Elland Road, we stuck a cheeky offer in and he signed. The other notable fee payed was 1mil for promosing Newcaslte left back, Aaron Buckley.

League - Won easily in the end, Bohemians pushed hard but never came close. We stuttered a little, drawing a couple, we lost our first and last games of the season.

Squad/Stats

Top Scorer - Cunnigham, 65 - just awesome this season.

Other Good Players - Robertson | Cox

Finances - recouped most of our transfer money from the sale of a single player. Board have announced the expansion of Turner Cross by 3650 seats.

Club Affiliates - same again, keep asking, they keep rejecting.

Aims for Next Season

• Find Talented Young Keeper
  
• Domestic Clean Sweep
  

Season | Team         | Finished | Cup Wins | Europe                      | Achievements
2008   | Cork City    | 3rd      | x3       | Europa League 1st Round     | Eircom, Setanta, Munster Cup Wins
2009   | Cork City    | 1st      | x2       | Europa League 1st Round     | Eircom, Munster Cup Winners
2010   | Cork City    | 1st      | x2       | ChampLeague Group Stage     | Munster Cup, Setanta Cup Winners
2011   | Cork City    | 1st      | x3       | 3rd in Group F (into Europa)| Munster Cup, Setanta Cup and Eircom Cup Winners
2012   | Cork City    | 1st      | x3       | 4th in Group D              | Munster Cup, FAI Cup and Setanta Cup Winners

I've lost motivation to play this save, keep holidaying the games now. This is something i don't want to be doing. I think i've mustered all i can from Cork in Europe, group stages are far too hard to get out of for a club that can't attract the players to compete at that level. Will definitely come back to this though.