anyone know what automatic means

on past experience "automatic" means ?

It picks a level suitable to the playable leagues selected, to ensure you can get a job if you start unemployed. Or become unemployed quickly.

Past Playing Experience

Select your level of experience. By default, the ‘Automatic’ choice is selected, meaning you are entering the football world with no prior experience. However, for whatever purposes you like, you can select that you have been a Professional or an International Footballer. This will increase your starting reputation and potentially allow you more leeway with the Board than an inexperienced manager in the short term, but long-term your reputation and standing in the game may come under pressure sooner than someone of lesser stature.

http://www.footballmanager.com/manual/fm2012/2.3.

So Sunday league footaller is not the lowest leavel of the game?

No. Apparently not.

I don't think that's quite right. It's more like the lowest realistic level. For example, in real life, there is no way a Sunday League clogger would walk into Man United's hot seat. I managed United on auto in the demo. The prima donnas such as Nani and Rooney wouldn't respect me, but most of the players were okay. If I'd given myself a Sunday League rep I think I'd have fared far worse. Actually, I don't think you can start at that level, hence auto.

Therefore, let's say it's the lowest rep level you can start at in any given league.

I don't think that's quite right. It's more like the lowest realistic level. For example, in real life, there is no way a Sunday League clogger would walk into Man United's hot seat. I managed United on auto in the demo. The prima donnas such as Nani and Rooney wouldn't respect me, but most of the players were okay. If I'd given myself a Sunday League rep I think I'd have fared far worse. Actually, I don't think you can start at that level, hence auto.

Therefore, let's say it's the lowest rep level you can start at in any given league.

Like I said, with less words, you mean?

Automatic is the lowest as you "are entering the football world with no prior experience." Whereas you have some experience of the football world if you have played Sunday League football.

I got Regional reputation both starting at Bradford and at Roma, when selecting Automatic. Sunday-league footballer may end up lower than that if you go into leagues like for instance BSN/S. I have seen Local or even Obscure there.

Automatic must have some sort of variable experience level. Otherwise the past experience would just be 'None' as apposed to 'Automatic'...right?

I think if you have it on automatic it sets your starting rep high enough to get you a job in the lowest reputation league you have loaded up so you don't end up forever unemployed if you start that way.

I never use automatic. I like to reflect myself as accurately as possible in the game, and so I make myself a semi-professional footballer. I usually start in the second or third tier leagues and just work my way up. I've gotten national reputation after only one year at Avellino and one year at Empoli. Got a job at Brescia for one year and somehow got a job at Fiorentina. Basically, by 2014 without ever managing clubs for no more than a year each, I got to manage a team that was continuously getting in the top five teams at Serie B.