[FM10] Greenwich - the long road to the top

Database Used : 10.1.0

Database Edits : a whole bunch of custom activated leagues, including English league system down to level 10.

Leagues Running : many, all top world leagues in full detail but will only be playing in England with one team.

Note: I'm already two seasons into this as I start this Career thread so the info on the start may be a bit sparse.

Goal: To stay at one club and take them from lower league obscurity to as much success as I can.

I started with Sunday League footballer reputation, as that seemed fair at this level.

The club I chose was Greenwich Borough FC, in the 9th level. Based on the fact that I like name and its in a densely populated area which may mean it will have more support later.

Note: I created the logo, as I didn't like the current one (yes, I have that much time on my hands)

founded in 1928

Value $20k

2000 capacity stadium (Oakley Road, shared with Holmesdale)

media prediction 2nd

Semi-Professional

Reputation: Obscure

History

Greenwich are based in London, according to the club's history a young Ian Wright once played there. Their achievements include winning the Kent Premier Division (9th level) 2 times and being promoted out of it 5 times in their history. Their biggest cup feat is reaching the 5th round of the FA Vase.

2009/10 Season - Kent Premier Division (lvl9)

I take over the managing of the club half way through the season, at the break in December, the media prediction of 2nd place doesn't seem likely as the team currently sit in 10th place. The current squad doesn't look of the quality to be able to challenge for the promotion. The current key players according to my assistant, Chris Wilcox, are:

Orhan Kaya - 27 - AMR, MRL, AMC, MC, - Versatile right winger, according to Wilcox the best player in the team. He's fast but apparently not very intelligent. From the looks of it he posses no skill at all aside from pace and sheer determination.

Courtney Ide - 27 - DC - Our top defender. From observation he seems a little smarter tactically then the rest of the players and has minimum defensive abilities. He is also fast enough for a defender, meaning he may be useful if I try to play a high defensive line.

Roy Richardson - 17 - ST - Our most talented striker according to Wilcox's report. He's fast and has passable finishing. Aside from that, there is not much else to him, He can't pass the ball to save his life and he has about 10 minutes worth of stamina.

Tony Wilson - 24 - MC, DMC - The proffered central midfielder in the squad. Adequate passing and tackling ability and looks to have some amount of intelligence compared to the rest of the players. There are a lot of clubs nosing around him as he seems to be one of our star prospects.

Nathan Ochan - 27 - AMC, MCLR, AMRL - Our top playmaker. He's from Uganda and like the rest of the team his greatest ability is heart and physicality with a bare minimum of skill.

Michael Moore - 22 - DL - A left fullback that is even more determined and gritty then the rest of the players. No skill, no speed, but his influence and heart may keep him on the team as I plan to make some changes in the coming weeks.

Considering the squad, my first real action is to make some mid season signings. I invite about a dozen free agents for a trial and make 7 new signings, some from the trial and some as scouted recommendations.

New Signings

Sylvain Legwinski - 36 - DMC, MC, AMC - A true coup for our club and probably the biggest name to play for Greenwich since the rumored Ian Wright played here as a boy. A product of AC Monaco, his career spans 20 years at the likes of Monaco, Bordeaux, Fulham and Ipswitch. At 36 he doesn't have the speed he once did but he still has the brains. He joined from another cross town lower league team where he was playing part-time. We've signed him to a coaching/playing contract so he looks to become very useful to us in the future. His ability is still miles above any of the players on our team and in this league. We just hope that he takes this level of football seriously enough to put in the effort.

Stefan Jolovic - 23 - GK - A Serbian goalkeeper, who played for OFK Beograd but never made it into the first team. He isn't especially athletic but he's a disciplined keeper with no real weaknesses. He's still young, especially for a goalkeeper so there is hope he will be of use to us for a while.

Jacob Guy - 23 - DC - Quality defender that is a product of Swansea, spent some time playing in the lower leagues. He looked like a superior player in the trial, currently the best defender on the team.

Michael McColl - 29 - DC - South African who quit playing professionally years ago in South Africa. He seems out of shape and is on the slow side but he reads the game well, has solid all around ability and is a decent threat in the air.

Mario Watler - 31 - MC, MLR - Impressed at the tryout, Cayman Islands luckily is British territory and thereby no work permit was at issue. He's not young but he is an overall skilled player. Good technique, Good ability to pick out passes. Could be faster but isn't slow. No real weaknesses but not expecting fireworks from him either. Will help us get through 1 or 2 seasons. Has 6 caps for Cayman Islands.

John Kelly - 24 - MR - Also from the Cayman Islands, also very impressive at the trial. He has a good cross and dribbles well, can occasionally pull of something brilliant. Actually has 5 caps for Cayman Islands which I can't imagine is really saying much, but its something. May be useful for several seasons to come.

Chamal Fenelon - 26 - ST - Has been drifting around in the English leagues, probably realizing he isn't a top footballer. He looks to be good enough to be top in League 9 however, A very physically strong striker, not exceptionally skilled but has decent finishing. He's 6'3 and considering his height, his heading is weak. Our hope is that he will be able to fight off weaker defenders to make up for his lack of skill. Currently our top striker.

The rest of the season plays out disappointingly, with the team finishing 9th. Considering there was only a few points difference between us and the 2nd place team when I took over, it is disappointing that we weren't able to close the gap any more even with our new signings. Most games have played out with Greenwich in control of possession and scoring chances, but Fenelon has been injured and in poor form when he plays, scoring has not come easily. Next season will be the more serious push for promotion.

The club is now in some fairly serious debt, about $60k in the red. There is no money to make new signings and it looks like the board are starting to doubt my ability to manage the team. They've stated that they are expecting promotion next season or my future as manager will be under consideration.

2010 World Cup

Final: Argentina 3-2 USA - A real surprise to see USA in the final. A game in which they held Argentina at 1-1 until Extra time where 3 goals were scored, the final goal coming from Walter Samuel in the dying minutes of the game. Despite the loss, a truly magnificent effort from the Americans, they were drawn against some easier opponents in the knockout, Honduras then Slovenia, but also defeating France and Brazil and only narrowly losing the one game to Argentina.

World Cup Best Player

Michael Bradley - USA - scored 5 goals and created 3 to lead the underdogs to a second place finish.

World Cup Golden Boot

5 goal draw between

Thomas Khalenberg, Fernando Torres, Alessandro Del Piero and Michael Bradley

England lost in the quarter final.

That's Greenwich for you. Always looking for the next Ian Wright to fire them top the top.

That's Greenwich for you. Always looking for the next Ian Wright to fire them top the top.

He may also have been about 4 years old when he played there, making the fact that he captained the senior team even more impressive.

Really, I haven't a clue though, but I do hope a good player pops up soon.

Season Summary

A season that was about as successful in the league as one could hope for. We finished champions of the Kent Premier League in my first full season in charge and won promotion into level 8. No new players were brought in as a result of a tight wage budget but the seven new players from last season all performed up to expectations. We won the league comfortably with a record of 21 wins 7 draws and 2 losses in 30 matches. We failed to find any success in any of the cup competitions but the league win and promotion make up for it.

Key Players

ST - Chamal Fenelon - really started to shine in the second half, finished with 17 goals 8 assists in 34 games. Was the top scorer in the league by a wide margin.

MC - Sylvain Legwinski - Injured many times. Only played 21 games but scored 10 goals and created 7. Top rated player in the league and our best player. Unfortunately his injuries and his age, 37, means he is set on retiring, a replacement will be hard to find.

DC - Michael McColl, Jacob Guy - Our central defense partnership that has been solid, McColl has been a danger from set pieces, scoring 5 goals. Both have been solid, allowing us to play all out attack while conceding very few goals.

AMR - John Kelly - The right winger has scored 5 and set up 10 this season. He's 25 so he hopefully has a little bit of room to improve and step it up a level next season.

MC - Mario Watler - Was solid in midfield throughout the season, started almost every game, 39 games, 10 goals. Also set to retire, I can't understand why though, as he's only 31 and hasn't had too many injuries but I can't seem to change his mind so a replacement will need to be found for him as well.

Next Season Plans

More players will need to be brought in, hopefully the board will loosen the wage budget and with the retirements of Legwinski and Watler, our highest earners, we should have some room to sign some younger players with lower wage demands. I don't think that staying up should be a problem, as we've spent so much more money on players then the rest of the teams that we should be comfortable playing the higher division come next season.

Reserving Post for Club Records

Season Summary

The season started out with what I thought were high expectations from the board, a minimum of a mid table finish is what they were expecting. About a quarter of the way through things were looking good, just under the promotion playoff spots in the league, then looking to secure a playoff spot going into December. Then, about half way into the season, our striker Fenelon comes back from injury and we go on a 10 game win streak, loosing only one game in the second half. Before long we are comfortably on top of the table and the very unlikely occurance of winning a consecutive league title and promotion is a possibility and then a reality. Excellent year for Greenwich.

Notable Matches

17.12.2011

Greenwich 0 - 1 Thameshead

One the most frustrating games of the season. Going into it as favourites, we easily controlled possession and moved the ball around while preventing Thameshead from having virtually any chances. 20 minutes from the end we concede a corner and Thameshead score the one goal of the match. Very frustrating, but we remained in second place after the loss.

14.01.2012

Ramsgate 0 - 0 Greenwich

The toughest league match of season for us. Ramsgate at this point were the first placed team in the league, 4 points ahead of Greenwich in 2nd place. To make matters worse, we had just played a cup match two days before and four of our key players were either injured or suspended and the rest were tired. The match was cagey to say the least, but we did a good job of limiting Ramsgate's chances and a draw was about as good as a win considering the circumstances.

28.01.2012

Chipstead 0 - 2 Greenwich

This win moved us into first place with a one point lead over Ramsgate, with 13 games left to play in the season we find ourselves in the surprising position of challenging for the league title. Despite the slow start the team seems to have adapted to my tactics and is playing above expectations.

7.04.2012

Greenwich 1 - 0 Sittingbourne

The fourth to last match of the league and the championship winner. After an excellent run in the second half of the season this win against Sittingbourne gave us the unexpected League win. Dale Fulton scored the only goal of the match.

11.04.2012

Kent County FA Senior Trophy Final

Erith Town 0 - 3 Greenwich

Our first cup competition win, the Kent Senior Trophy isn't much but the $16,500 prize is most definitely welcome, even though it all went to squad bonuses. We were 1-33 odds on favourites to win the match so the result could have even been better but all in all it was the cherry on top of an excellent season.

Key Players

First Team

GK - Stefan Jolovic - Will be good for another season as he has saved us many times this year and made a big contribution.

DR - Stewart Whittingham - at 17, he's very young but not skilled, his performances weren't anything special, but may remain for another year if a better option isn't found.

DL - Lewis Toshney - 20 year old Scottish left back, one of our best players and at a young age, most definitely will be in the team for a while to come.

DC - Jacob Guy - Another solid season, partnered with McColl their partnership has been the best in the league.

DC - Michael McColl - Our best player this season, often times the man of the match and a rock in defense. However, he has slowed down a lot as he is hitting his older years and he may have a hard time adapting to a higher level.

DMC - Joseph Smith - Another Cayman Islander, signed half way through the season, extremely versatile and all round good. A major factor in our performance increase in the second half.

MC - Dale Fulton - Best player after McColl and Fenelon, at 19 he will hopefully only be better in the future. The creativity in our midfield.

AMR - John Kelly - Stepped it up and performed as well this season as last. Provided many assists.

AML - Paul McManus - 3rd top scorer on the team, major contributor to our success.

ST - Gielmo Santos - A late signing, somewhat disappointing as he scored very few goals and generally had a hard time, will need to be replaced as soon as possible.

ST - Chamal Fenelon - Our star striker, was sorely missed for several months on injury but on return may have alone been the difference between a promotion playoff and a league win. Scored 16 goals in 37 games.

Other Notable Players

Tony Wilson - DMC, MC - One of few player from the original squad that has made it into my plans for this season. He provided good cover for Smith and Fulton in midfield.

Jacob Bone - DR - Also original and the captain when he plays, unfortunately not as good as Wittingham and will be replaced as soon as I can find better cover.

Oliver Stein - AMRLC - A versatile young attacking midfield player that started many games and provided good cover.

Courtney Ide - DC - Reliable defensive cover.

Joe Finlay - ST - Signed near the end of the season on a free, only made two appearances but looked very sharp in the last match as he bagged a hat trick. May well prove to be better than Santos.

Next Season Plan

• Relay the pitch, the current condition is described as 'terrible', which even for lowly Greenwich is... well, terrible.
  
• Sign players for extra depth in the squad, 42 league matches and several cup competitions mean matches often fall with 2-4 days of each other and extra depth will be needed to be competitive. A central defender and a versatile winger would be ideal.
  
• Consider signing some key players to full time contracts to allow for full time time training for players who are younger and may develop.
  

Season Summary

After requesting the terrible pitch to be relayed I was reminded that we do not own the terrible pitch and that if it were to be relayed it would be Holmesdale's responsibility to do so. In retrospect that terrible pitch may have been the difference between a promotion playoff and a third consecutive league title and promotion. As that waterlogged mud bath of a field meant several of our mid season matches were, to our advantage, postponed.

With 42 league matches and three cup competitions one of the biggest threats to our success was bound to be fatigue and lack of depth. Failing to find decent prospects at the start of the season, it was only about half way through that I brought in some new players to bolster the team. Five new players came in, some made instant impacts and some were disappointing.

I was expecting this league to be tough, but after winning two promotions in a row I also began to realize that the lower leagues were forgiving if you had a few decent players. The media predicted us to finish 20th and the Greenwich board was expecting at minimum for us to avoid relegation. After starting the season very strong, fifteen league matches without defeat, we forgot all about relegation and started to concentrate on winning the title. In the end, our perseverance and ability to grind out victories against tough teams lead us to a third straight league victory and promotion.

Notable Matches

4.10.2012

Ramsgate 0 - 1 Greenwich

Another League, another season, Greenwich is head to head with Ramsgate once again. Tied near the top of the table with 6 games each, 4 wins, 2 draws, this game marks the first decisive match of the season. Ramsgate, despite also being newly promoted remain one of the toughest sides for us to beat even in this league. The match starts off with our regular attacking tactics but it is quickly clear to me that we are being pushed back into our own half, we proceed to play the rest of the match in extreme defence and caution. Luck shines our way as a through ball finds Fenelon in a good position and he scores with 20 minutes left in the match. We manage to hold off the Ramsgate barrage and find ourselves in 2nd place on the league table.

7.10.2012

Kingstonian 0 - 1 Greenwich

Another decisive match, directly following the Ramsgate one, Kingstonian were top of the table but with two more matches played then us. This one was just as tough to hold out on as Ramsgate. Once again, Fenelon gave us a goal and the rest was just pure defending and time wasting as they kept attempting to break us down. This win continues our run in the league of 8 matches unbeaten and 9 wins and 2 draws in the first part of the season so far.

16.10.2012

FA Cup 1st Round Replay

Greenwich 2 - 1 Merthyr

After playing well through the qualifying rounds of the FA cup and for the first time making it to the first round we were drawn against Merthyr, a club playing in the Blue Square South, one level above us. Their club valuation of $1m, compared to our own $40k valuation, is a frightening comparison.

The first match ended in a 0 - 0 draw with us playing as defensively as possible, a draw meant we were to play the replay at our home ground. In the replay, playing defensively failed as we conceded a longe range strike from Merthyr within the first half. At this point the only option was attacking. Luckily for us, Merthyr sat back and let my players come at them. After winning several corners, Michael Lee, our new defender, finally managed to convert one into a goal in the 82nd minute. The game went into extra time and we continued our attack, boosted by the goal, Fenelon once again became the hero as he scored in extra time to put us in the lead. Our hopes of a victory were nearly destroyed when Lewis Toshneys poor challenge earned him a red card and conceded a penalty. Luckily the Merthyr player missed and Greenwich were through to the second round of the FA cup for the first time in their history.

2.11.2012

FA Cup 2nd Round

Altrincham 6 - 1 Greenwich

Our FA cup dreams were brutally torn to pieces in this match against Blue Square Premier side Altrincham. Going into the match we were distinct underdogs and I expected a tough battle, however I made the mistake of sticking to my standard tactics and not respecting Altrincham enough to start out defensively. Quickly the game turned into a disaster, with 3 goals conceded in the first half, one of our players sent off, and then an own goal in the second half. All in all, an expected loss but also a reality check of just how much we'll have to improve as a club to compete at a higher level.

1.12.2012

Thurrock 0 - 0 Greenwich

At this point in the season, it was becoming clear that the two teams competing for the title were going to be Thurrock and Greenwich. Thurrock have stronger players and greater squad depth, we were predicted to lose this match easily and sink back down the table but we managed an important draw to maintain a challenge for the title.

16.1.2013

Greenwich 4 - 0 Tooting & Mitcham

A high point in the season. After coming through a congested schedule of matches the team managed our biggest league win of the season, a confident performance in which we dominated and gave few chances to a team with the worst discipline rating in the league.

20.2.2013

Greenwich 3 - 2 Ramsgate

Ramsgate came to haunt us again in a home fixture in which at this point we expected to win with ease. Ramsgate managed to score two against us and the match was looking like it would be our third league loss of the season until our new signing, Anthony Malbon proved his worth and miraculously found the net in the closing two minutes of the game.

13.4.2013

Greenwich 0 - 1 Thurrock

A massively disappointing match, third to last of the season, that could have decided the league champion. With this match being decisive and possibly league winning, I was hoping to capitalize and go into it attacking but that failed as Thurrock seemed to dominate my team. Newly loaned right back Luke Gerrard further complicated matters by being sent off for a sloppy challenge. Forced to defend, we lost any hope of having a league trophy on that night.

27.4.2013

FC Halifax 0 - 2 Greenwich

Despite the loss to Thurrock, their own poor performances meant we were still three points in the lead on the final match of the season. Thurrock's superior goal difference meant we would need a draw or a win in order to maintain our point lead. Luckily for us FC Halifax were a mid table team that was lucky to not be relegated. Guielmo Santos scored twice in the first half and we played confidently through the rest of the match to secure the league title and an automatic promotion in what was a tense season.

Key Players

First Team

GK - Stefan Jolovic - Another good season for the goalkeeper, started the most games, managed 23 clean sheets in 50 games. At a season rating of 6.84 he isn't the most impressive player on the team but he is consistent and gives nothing to complain about.

DR - Stewart Whittingham - Despite my desire to replace him last season I failed to find a decent replacement and he was still the choice right back throughout the year. At 18 he hasn't really improved as much as I would like, considering the experience he has been given. His pace is his most useful asset and at this level it was enough to allow him to perform well. He is a player that doesn't look to have a future playing at a higher level.

DL - Lewis Toshney - His lack of discipline has weakened us to say the least. As one of the more talented players on the squad he has performed well in many games but has also been infuriatingly stupid during important matches. Seven yellow and three red cards has led him to be suspended from 10 matches altogether. Despite this he has still captained the team on occasion and is one of our more talented players.

DC - Jacob Guy - Another good season for the defender, no complaints, partnered well with Lee or McColl and helped maintain a defence that conceded the second least amount of goals in the league.

DC - Michael Lee - Our best central defender, didn't utilize his heading and jumping ability to score any goals but did manage to keep a lot out of our penalty area. Will be useful in the new league.

DMC - Michael McColl - Sometimes played as a DC but as he's now older, 32, and slower, he was more useful as an anchor man in midfield. Technically and mentally still our strongest player. Didn't quite light things up in his midfield role as I would have expected. Next season he may be moved into a backup role as his lack of pace is starting to hinder his effectiveness.

MC - Dale Fulton - Extremely impressive at the start of the season but after being injured for two months he never seemed to return to form. New signings Dan Gardner and Dean Heasley may challenge his first team spot next season unless he shows signs of improvement.

AMR - John Kelly - Made the most appearances of any outfield player. Unfortunately this was as a result of not having a decent backup for his position, he still managed to put in good performances despite being tired and overplayed.

AML - Paul McManus - Hasn't improved as much as I would have liked, but is still one of our best wingers. Does a good job of dribbling and creating some opportunities for others but doesn't look like he has the potential to succeed at a higher level. Will be given a chance next season but new signing Rene Carter may overtake his spot.

ST - Gielmo Santos - Despite my disappointment with him last year he managed to improve a lot and perform very well this season. Finishing with 16 league goals and 8 assists, he often performed in the big matches and scored twice in the last match of the season to win the league.

ST - Chamal Fenelon - Once again, our top scorer, 20 goals in all competitions. Like Santos, he managed to come through in important matches and in the less important ones also. At 29 he isn't likely to improve in the future and despite his good goalscoring record this season he will be secondary to Santos and newly signed Anthony Malbon next season.

Other Notable Players

Anthony Malbon - ST - A big new signing as he is currently our highest earner. Luckily, his salary seems to be justified as he scored some impressive goals in the second half of the season. Has already established himself as the strongest striker in the team.

Joseph Smith - DL, DC, DMC, MC, ML - A versatile backup that started many games this season. Not so impressive as he collected more cards than any other player. Will not be playing as much next season.

Tony Wilson - DMC, MC - Only player from the original squad that still saw a decent amount of starts this season. Appeared in 17 games in total and provided some much needed depth.

Dean Heasley - MC - Signed as a replacement for the then injured Fulton. Played 14 matches in total and was not as impressive as was expected. Will most likely be a backup player next season.

Luke Gerrard - D/WBR - A very disappointing loan player from AFC Wimbledon. Managed to collect 3 yellow card and 2 reds in only 7 games. Got himself sent off in the most important match of the season. I only wish I could have fined him for his dismissal but its not possible with loan players. Will be happy to see him go back to Wimbledon.

Next Season Plan

• Bring in a new right sided attacking winger so at the very least to provide cover for John Kelly, who often times was too tired to play certain matches.
  
• Get rid of dead weight players who don't seem to be making it up the first team any time soon.
  

Living near to Greenwich myself, this is a very inspiring thread Ibaltax. Keep up the good managerial work and you will be playing Madrid in the CL final in a few seasons

Where are Cray in your save?

Unfortunately my save on this is crashing at a specific date and it doesn't look like it there will be any way to continue it. I'm probably just gonna wait until the new patch to play FM again.

wandsfan: Cray last finished 4th in the Isthmian First Division South, in the year 2012/13, they didn't win promotion.

great thread mate keep it up