Promise of new contract: What is the definition of 'shortly'?

As my club went from amateur to semi-pro I asked the board for a new (semi-pro) contract. At first they wouldnt have it, as the budgets were very low and I committed some key players first which ate up all the budget. But in summer the transferbudgets skyrocketed, so I could offer every useful player and staffmember a semi-pro contract. The only one without a paid contract was me, the manager of the bunch. So I asked the board for a new contract again (reason: the succes I had brought to the club). Although the successes I brought weren't that great (a couple of seasons far above expectations, but no prizes) the board granted my request and said "they'd offer me a new contract shortly".

So I was happy. Not that it makes any difference to the game, it seemed a bit odd that everyone at the club made money now, except the one who made it all possible, me.

So I waited...and waited...and waited, but still no contract-offer. After a month I checked if I could request a new contract again, but it was greyed out. So I waited again (what could I do), and afer two months still nothing, and after three still nothing, and the option to ask for a new contract still greyed out.

Now I'm halfway december (request was granted in july) and I'm still on a N/A contract with no possibilities to interact with the board about this issue. In the meantime we are top of the league where relegation was expected.. I have been pondering to apply for other jobs to put on the pressure, but I'm afraid the board won't be pleased and forget about the contract alltogether.

Anyone else have this problem? Am I interpreting the word 'shortly' wrong or is something amiss? Is it normal for a granted contract request to take this long to be 'finalised'?

When I asked for contract at Napoli, where I finished close 2nd to Inter in 1st season, they responded me with the same phrase, and I was offered a new 4-year-deal the same day, just after one continue click.

Maybe the board is evading you

Hmm, that is not very reassuring. It seems logical to get an offer the next 'continue' like you did.

Me not getting one after 5 months after it was granted starts to reek of bug.. I fear the offer may never come and I'll be on this N/A contract untill one day I leave the club..

I hoped there would be some folks that also had to wait for a while..

anyone had the same experience?

going from Amateur to semi pro i did the same as you and was concerned i had no offer, It took them untill the day after the last league game of the season was played before i got an offer so id hang in there yet.

if your on a pro deal already it seems to happen pretty much straight away when asking for a new deal.

Ok, thanx acidmonkey.

I was wondering if it might come to the 1st of january, the end of the season or the start of the new season.. Pretty odd it's like this, and very strange they announce it as 'shortly' then.

Already in my fourth season at this club it might be too late for them to offer me a cotract, I might be off to another club come end of season, If anyone wants me..

I would raise it in the bugs forum.

Let us know how this ends up for you. I'm curious to see of this works itself out or not.

I would raise it in the bugs forum.

I will, and I'll also post the outcome of this wait.

More fundamentally, however, does it affect the game that your contract is amateur? Clearly, amateur and part-time staff contracts have an effect in the system (due to them having less time to coach) but does that effect extend to the manager too?

No auberius, it doesn't affect the game what so ever. I say so in my first post. What I earn or don't earn as a manager doesn't change a thing, I just reported this cuase it's pretty silly in my eyes that everyone at the club earns money, exept me. And the fact that I was promised a contract 'shortly' and it seams I have to wait at least till end of season for the offer to come through is odd also.

That's maybe something SI should think about. I hear people go for a €1 contract to increase the available wage budget, that is absurd in real life offcourse. What can you do to make earning money more important to the game (as it does in real life). A tough one I suspect, I for one have no idea.

i get the message of they may fear i might leave continuously I'm managing in Sweden and to be fair the teams shocking i finished 8th last season after being bottom and now I'm 7th with 4 games to go i have a feeling they will offer me another 1 year deal after the last game of the season but to be honest i might start looking elsewhere..

Thats another thing streety. I've actually been offered a new contract always, no exeptions.

Only when I finished 17th once in english 8th level I got the sack, but come end of season I did always get an new contract offer, no matter how badly I did (I never got relegated by the way). But since I'm on an amateur contact now (N/A with no expiery date) the club don't have to offer me a contract as my contract will continue like it is into eternity. And as my rep is pretty low (I get laughed at by every club I show interest, no matter how worthless) there's no pressure that I might leave for greener pastures. I did let my contact ran out in FM11 once with another club (rejected all offers untill no more offers came (but I expected one more on the last day of contract)) and as a result I was clubless for a whole season, only to get a job at the same mediocre level I was at before (the lowest possible), so I'm not eager to try that again.

It seems that once you're in clubs always seem to want you to stay, no matter how badly you perform, although I havent experienced relegation yet.

Strange really. I can imagine many clubs like stability (Ferguson/Wenger-like), but in real life managers are also sacked after 4 or five seasons simply because "it's time for a fresh breeze".

I took over halfway through the season and the team was bottom got them to 8th and got 1 year extension now we are back where i finished previously going on your point of a new contract no matter how badly you do i think it might need looking at

Update: The season is over and I finished 2nd in the league, which unfortunately is not enough to get promoted.

I expected the 'acidmonkey-scenario' in which I would be offered my promised contract after the last game of the season, but it didnt come. I waited till the 1st of july, but still no offer.

Then I got a message saying the improvement of my trainig-facilities had started. That seemed strange as I got that message also a year earlier (after my request to upgrade was granted) and I saw the progress beam a couple of times through the season (when I checked for the 'new contract' option) being halfway an two-thirds through the build. Now the beam is back at the start of the build again!

So while I was at the board request page I checked to see if the 'new contact' option was still greyed out and to my surprise it wasn't. So the club completely forgot about granting me a new contract a year earlier! I tried to ask for one again, they refused, but after I stressed how important I thought this to be they did grant me a contact. Well, they say they do. No 'shortly' this time though.

I went to bed straight after that (there was a friendly to be played before I could cointinue), so I'll know this evening if I get it or not.

I must admit that after my failure to get the club promoted I started applying to other jobs (to no avail, not even at the lowes of the lowest levels), but that shouldnt make a difference in my opinion though (a promise is a promise). FM just f*cked it up it seems.

im suprised at that to be fair, sounds like it may be a bug this time, or its a bug everytime and i got lucky, hope you get your contract man

Yeah, so was I.

I don't really care anymore if I get the contract or not. Its interesting bug-wise, but after failing to get promoted I'd rather be at anonther club in anonther country as soon as possible.

But I'm beginning to fear that the whole rep and getting jobs branch of FM hasnt been fixed in 11.3. I have regional rep by now, but I get laughed at by all (also the lowest of rep clubs), and it has been like that for 10 seasons (since I play FM11). Issues with the automatic starting rep or something, frustrating as hell. My gut tells me to resingn and go on a 'apply to all' holiday again (the only way I could get a new job untill now), but to start all over at a club in the league I'm already in or in english 8th level again is not so appealing either.. And quitting a 10 season savegame isnt a real option either is it?

Nah I'd keep bugging them for a new contract and stay to try and build your rep up some more

I know that is probably the wizer thing to do, but when you get bored at a club after 4 seasons ít's hard to stay motivated. Once the season starts and I'm in the title-challenge (which I ought to be in) the feeling I had with this club will probably come back. But if the title is out of reach the motivation will evaporate quickly (and that is possible in een league where no-one is relegated and only the champions get promoted).

O well, I'll just keep on playing and keep applying to jobs. They can't/won't fire me apparently with my N/A contract (just as I actively have to release useless N/A players or they'll stick around forever). I've applied to some 20 jobs and showed interest in 10 (and laughed at by all), the board say they're disappointed at my lack of loyalty, but no ultimatums or boot whatsoever. They are still pleased with my management. That might change when I eventually get my contract though...

Well, still no contract offer after their second promise, halfway through july (so a couple of weeks after the second promise). I played two friendlies and applied some more (without success of course), but then they finally díd give me the boot out of the blue (no ultimatiums). Luckily I saved my game just before the sacking. I'm in no mood to be unemployd for a year to end up at the very bottom again so I'll load my the old save today and stop applying. Against my priciples really (whatever happens in the game, I won't reload a game is my credo), but in this case "emergencies break laws" as we say in holland.

It's apparently very important to build rep if you want interest from other clubs, and the only way that seems to be possible is to get a team promoted a couple of times (in my case championships). Not very realistic IMO, but it seems to be the case...

I checked the trainingfacility improvement-build to be sure what was going on in that respect, and it did really start when I got the message a couple of days a go (it says it will be finished end of this season). So FM completely forgot about the build that was already going on (and was probably about to be finished) and dicided to start it again for some reason.

Ór they started additional improvements (I'm not sure if that is possible), but I'd have to check the current state of the facilities. Unfortunately I havent checked what the state of the trainigfacilities were before the improvementbuild started last year..