Jump to content

The Sympathy Signing


Recommended Posts

Ok, it's not hugely realistic, but when i've had a journeyman career that has taken me from bottom of leagues to the top, I sometimes sign old names who were good for me back in the day as emergency emergency backup and let them end their careers there.

An example - I managed Leganes for about 8 or 9 years i think and scraped into Liga Adelante in my last year before leaving, mostly thanks to a striker called Juanjo who was my only good player, scoring hatfuls at a lower level. 5 years later, with him still plodding around the lower Spanish leagues doing a job for anyone who'll ask, I decided to sign him for 3k as my 6th choice striker, more out of sympathy than anything else for Spurs.

I played him in a cup match, then around christmas 4 of my strikers got injured so he started a game, played badly as expected but netted a penalty.

I was so chuffed for the little bundle of pixels. His career stats show a Premier League goal! Hurrah.

Dare I ask... anyone else?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Not so much a sympathy signing but a sympathy contract extension.

When gunning for promotion from the lower tiers of Italy, I picked up a versatile Romanian centre back/defensive mid/central midfielder who was Mr Supremely Average with the bulk of his attributes 10-12. He was a star for me in Serie B in both the season I barely avoided relegation and finished in mid-table but started to look out of his depth even as I was pushing for promotion at the third attempt. He is now well out of his league in Serie A but as one of the more senior members of my squad, he has stuck around and, despite playing (at most) 5 games last season, has just picked up two caps for Romania in the offseason. Think I might keep him for life. Shame there is no reserve league for him to ply his trade in.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I had a journeyman career on fm10 I joined Wellington Phoeniand they had a Brazilian striker called Wisner. In my two years there he scored over a goal a game. I moved on and always signed him I took him to Mexico at America(MEX), then to Real Madrid, Velez, Seattle and during my time as Brazil coach I also capped him 3 times.

The guy was not good enough for Madrid but he did score a goal every other game. I also hired him as my assman at Egyptian club Ismaily. The only sympathy signing was taking him to Madrid and capping him. He must surely be the player to score in four different continental competitions.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Kind of... I have also done a lower league Italian save and i just got to the end of my 8th season... And i noticed my old Striker (who was on the clubs fave personnel list) had had his contract run down(in the same way it did when he left me - demanded too much money) He got me promoted to Serie B in immense fashion, and helped me establish myself as a mid-table team in Serie B, but it was time to let him go to make way for some new signing who could help me push for Promotion to the top flight. So although i havent re-signed him(got better players would never get in now) I did give him a 4 week trial as not really sympathy but just to bring a club legend(in my eyes - 2nd highest scorer ever for me with 140 odd goals i think) back to train and just to have his influence around the place(kind of like beckham at spurs or sol campbell at Arsenal?) :D Was fun... Unfortunately 2 weeks into it somebody gave him a contract and he left!

Link to post
Share on other sites

On FM08, I had a few youngsters who had got me promoted from Lge2 to Lge 1 with Chester, then many years later, when I was in the Premier League with Blackburn, I signed a few of them up.

James Chester was definitely one, I think I might've got le Fondre in a coaching role. Was there a Man Utd defender called Kenny Strickland? I might've got him as well.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Not so much a signing, but with Pro Vercelli took one of my strikers from Serie C2 to Serie A, and last night he scored his first Serie A goal \o/

In our company we once did a 'network World Cup' and Johan (a massive Huddersfield fan) had Andy Booth score the winner in the World Cup final. Now that's dedication to one player :)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Not so much a signing, but with Pro Vercelli took one of my strikers from Serie C2 to Serie A, and last night he scored his first Serie A goal \o/

In our company we once did a 'network World Cup' and Johan (a massive Huddersfield fan) had Andy Booth score the winner in the World Cup final. Now that's dedication to one player :)

Legend!

"Boothy, Boothy" *bows*

Link to post
Share on other sites

I do this quite a lot, i had Chris Maguire at my club for years before i let him go down south as i had better regens, after 5 years he is now 33 and was on a free so i took him back to the club, he will only play cup matches but at least he will finish his career with his hometown club.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I generally do this with youngsters, with half decent potential, in obscure countries where they have no chance to develop and/or no chance of being seen by decent clubs.

Club legends always get extensions, even if they have little chance of playing.

I can't bring myself to get rid of someone who the fans adore.

lol I sold rooney and the fans were upset with me. Thats the only time such a thing has ever happened.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...