Stay away from that trap door vol 2: an English lower league adventure

Evening all.

Some of you may have seen my Italian career under the same name and wonder what's going on here. If so, don't worry, the Italian thread is going to run alongside this one, but after speaking to a mate about his career (and feeling quite envious!) I have a craving once again to start in the English non-leagues. However, in my careers gone by I've always moved from club to club as I move up the ladder. This time I want to take a BSS/N club all the way to the Premier League, something I've never achieved in any FM career.

So I've got a couple of ambitions in this career, which are listed below in order of importance:

Take a BSS/N club to the Premier League.

Win a major domestic trophy with that club

Manage Celtic

As a Notts County fan, it'd be nice to manage Juventus (but I'd be happy to take any huge Italian/ Spanish/ French club)

Manage in either the World Cup or the Euros

Now I'm normally pretty decent at the lower levels, but once I get into League One and above I can find things pretty tricky. As a result, this career could take me til the end of time, but there's plenty there to keep me interested, so onto the technical stuff:

11.3 with no edits, but using the original data-base

Loaded all leagues from England, Scotland, France, Italy and Spain

Large database, 41,000 players.

English manager with Scottish roots, with a Sunday-League reputation

Right then, I'll hit the random button until it finds me a BSS/N club that's predicted to finish in the bottom half of the table, and then away I go.

Updates to follow:

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Nuneaton Town FC

(from Wikipedia)

Nuneaton Town Football Club is an English football club from the town of Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The team compete in the Conference North. This is the 2nd level of Non League Football. In the 2007–08 season they competed in the Conference North division, but due to a liquidation they were demoted to the Southern Football League Division One Midlands. In 1889 Nuneaton St. Nicholas were the first team to play senior football within Nuneaton. Five years later they changed their name to Nuneaton Town, and played until 1937 when the club was disbanded. However, two days later Nuneaton Borough F.C. were founded but in 1992, the club was renamed Nuneaton Borough AFC.

In 2008 they ran out of money again, and were reformed as Nuneaton Town - suffering a two division demotion. The club is still known as Boro to those who support the team, but they are again on the verge of bankruptcy. The club play their home fixtures at Liberty Way in their home kit of blue & white vertical stripes, and their main rivals are Hinckley United, Tamworth, Leamington and Bedworth United.

Did you know?

The club's record attendance is huge for a side of their stature. More than 22,000 attended their Third Round FA Cup tie at home to Rotherham in 1967.

First impressions

A club with a reasonable amount of potential. More than 200 season ticket holders and a squad that has no fewer than 7 players on non-contract terms, which provides an easy release to create extra cash for my own squad. However, on the downside, the club don't own their stadium, so encouraging the board to buy it has to be a priority further on down the line.

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After releasing all of my non-contract players, I'm left with nearly £2,000 a week in wages. Plenty of money to build a squad at this level. On to the transfer market, then...

Good luck with this interesting adventure.

Good luck with this interesting adventure.

Cheers, man.

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As ever when I first take over, it's been a busy few weeks as I attempt to put my own mark on the team. No fewer than 17 players have come in, while 12 have gone the other way. No fees at all either way, but I'm currently £550 a week under my wage budget, spending less than £3,400 a week. Anyway, here are the players in (readers of my Italian thread might just recognise a couple of names)

26 yo ENG/NZ GK Phil Imray

29 yo ENG RB David Cowan

35 yo FRA CB Xavier Meride

18 yo KOR CB Kim Won-Sik

29 yo FRA LB/CB Arnaud Faget

32 yo TOG CM Kuami Agboh

29 yo FRA CM Aimane El Gueribi

18 yo FRA/DRC CM Gauthier Mahoto

24 yo ENG AM James Ashmore

35 yo FRA ST Guilhere Mauricio

22 yo DRC ST Thierry Makengo

19 yo ENG GK Chris Oldfield

34 yo DRC CB Eugene Kangulungu

18 yo IRE CB Laurence Gaughan

22 yo CAM CM Ibrahim Sissoko

32 yo MAL CM/AM Kaourou Diallo

29 yo TOG ST Badawassi Lorie

With the extra cash I have left over, I'm looking at finding a full back who can play on both sides as cover, and a fourth striker. I'm more than happy with the three I have, but I'm inevitably going to suffer with injuries up top at some point, so 3 isn't quite enough.

Here's a couple of screen shots:

Friendlies

Nuneaton 2-0 Rushden

A goal in either half from Mauricio and Ashmore set up a solid win against the BSP side.

Nuneaton 3-0 Altrincham

A top performance against another BSP side. Two goals from Makengo and another Mauricio tap in set up a second win and a second clean sheet.

Nuneaton U20s 0-2 Nuneaton

Another pair of goals from Mauricio, and a third pre-season win was secured.

Right then, three games and three wins. Ready for the season to get underway.

Incidentally, I signed my fourth striker in the shape of youngster Tim Hopkinson. 19 years of age, looks like a talent.

A hell of a lot of foreigners for a part time club.

A hell of a lot of foreigners for a part time club.

Undoubtedly, but I don't mind going down the Wenger route. I had two players on more than £400 a week when I arrived, and both were awful. I've found players who are 2 or 3 times better for £200 a week instead, and when your budget is £3,900, going the Wenger route simply makes sense.

August 2010

BSN Guisely 1-2 Nuneaton

Two first half goals from Makengo and Mauricio set us on our way. A poor second half, but a win in the first competitive match.

BSN Nuneaton 2-0 Droylsden

Same two players again, Makengo and Mauricio with a goal apiece gives us 6 points out of 6.

BSN Boston United 2-4 Nuneaton

A stunning hat-trick from Thierry Makengo before we let Boston back into it for 3-2. Luckily, a late Meride header sealed the points.

BSN Nuneaton 3-0 Stalybridge Celtic

A brace from Mauricio and another Meride header set up a fourth win in a row.

BSN AFC Telford 1-4 Nuneaton

The score doesn't really tell the story, here. I seemed to only have 4 attacks, but took every one of them. Another double for Thierry Makengo, along with Badawassi Lorie and Aimane El Gueribi scoring their first goals for the club gave us the perfect start to the season. 5 wins in 5, but a 5 week injury to key defender Xavier Meride picked up in this game could put the skids under that perfect start.

September 2010

BSN Worcester 0-2 Nuneaton

Peruchini, Lorie

BSN Nuneaton 3-0 Alfreton

El Gueribi (2) Mauricio

BSN Nuneaton 2-1 Harrogate

El Gueribi, Ashmore

FA Cup 2nd QR Banbury 2-4 Nuneaton

Mauricio (2) Makengo (2)

Don't think I've ever had a start quite like this. I just wish it was more interesting for those reading!

Sigh.

OK, I'm bored. 10 wins out of 10, 30 goals scored and 8 conceded. And if I'm bored playing it, you must be more so reading about it! Now, do I ditch this career and delete the thread, with the intention of starting in a weaker league and turning a semi-pro club into European contenders, or do I just fly through this season?

Erm, I don't know. I was going to wish you good luck and everything, but I wouldn't read this as I don't like English-based threads.

Sigh.

OK, I'm bored. 10 wins out of 10, 30 goals scored and 8 conceded. And if I'm bored playing it, you must be more so reading about it! Now, do I ditch this career and delete the thread, with the intention of starting in a weaker league and turning a semi-pro club into European contenders, or do I just fly through this season?

You may be flying now, but as you want to take the to the very top, it won't be long before you won't be and it'll be more interesting.

You may be flying now, but as you want to take the to the very top, it won't be long before you won't be and it'll be more interesting.

Nah, I think I'm done with English football for a long while. It was just jealousy of a friend's career which tempted me into it, but I can do the same in Italy. I was fine until I left Trapani, so I might just have to go back....

Going to get this thread deleted I think. My apologies for wasting people's time.