Neath Neath Neath

Hi Gents,

I am using FM 2012 full patched. I am managing Neath FC in the Welsh Premiership and the aim is to see how far I can take them in Europe - ultimately to see if I can win a European Trophy from the Welsh Premiership.

MAIN CLUB HONOURS

Welsh Football League Champions 2006/07

West Wales Senior Cup Winners 2008; 2007; 1995; 1996

HISTORY

Neath Athletic have only existed in their current form since 2005, when neighbouring Welsh League outfits Skewen Athletic and Neath decided it was in both clubs' best interests to merge. It was an instant success as Athletic powered their way to runners-up spot in the First Division and, with champions Goytre United declining a step-up to the Welsh Premier, would have been promoted at the first attempt but for problems meeting ground criteria.

However, the following season Neath had ironed out those problems and won a place in the top flight as undisputed champions with a league record 92 points.

Both of the clubs in the merger have parallel histories and have played each other many times in the past. Skewen Athletic can trace their history back to the 1920s when they played as Garthmoor FC in the Swansea Gwalia League. In 1934/5 they won the Neath League Championship and Open Cup, reaching the final of the West Wales Amateur Cup in 1939. They joined the Welsh League Division 2 (West) after the war, moving to Cwrt Herbert. This was followed by a change of name to Neath Athletic but it was not until 1967/8 that they finally reached the top flight of the Welsh League. In order to meet the ground criteria they were forced to move to the Greyhound Stadium in Skewen and changed their name to Skewen Athletic

But after struggling to survive in the First Division and to finance the rent for the stadium, they moved to Tennant Park, their home until the merger. Their last three years before linking-up with their neighbours were their most successful, winning successive promotions from Division 3 to Division 1.

Neath AFC is a recent incarnation of a club that can trace its origins back to 1922 when the UK's first oil refinery was opened at Llandarcy. They also played in the Gwalia League before becoming a founder member of the Neath League in 1931. Playing as National Oil Refineries, they appeared in the first two West Wales Amateur Cup Finals but lost on both occasions. However, they finally triumphed in 1951 by beating Plasmarl and won the trophy again four years later. By the late 1940s, NOR were also playing in Welsh League Division 2 (West) and there were plenty of derby games against their eventual partners.

Following the acquisition of the refinery, the club became BP Llandarcy and stayed so for the next 45 years. In 1958 they left the Welsh League, returning in 1971 and won promotion in 1977 as Abacus League Division 1 champions to make it to the top flight for the first time.

In 1996 and 1997, the club beat Swansea City to lift the West Wales Senior Cup with both games being played at the Swans' former Vetch Field home.

In May 2008, the club announced it would ground-share at The Gnoll, the home of Neath Rugby Club, with effect from the start of season 2008/9.

Good luck with Neath. To get to the Champions League in Wales, all the other teams have to be be-Neath you in the league...Ok, I'll get my coat.

There is very little quality in the Neath squad, so the majority are released on free transfers - and I have a good look at a range of players to bring in - budgets are tight - only £13.5K per week in the wage budget. A number of deals later the squad looks like this:

Goalkeepers

Diogo Rocha - Brazilian signed for £9k from Esposito. Only 23 so should be with us for a while.

Defenders

Matty Collins - An experienced full-back who can also play in midfield, he has been at Neath for the past two seasons.

Gustave Bahoken - Versatile Cameroonian defender signed on a free transfer - will probably start at right back but can play all along the backline.

Emanuel - Brazilian left back who is very good on the ball and takes a mean free kick, signed on a free transfer.

Leandro Silva - Brazilian centre back signed for £55K from Ponte Preta - looks worth the big outlay and at 31 has a few seasons left in him.

Rodrigo de Lazzari - Another Brazilian centre back - will for a good partnership with Silva, signed for £14K from Chapecoense.

Callum O'Connor - Young English defender signed on a season-long loan from Blackburn - will provide cover.

Midfielders

Kristian O'Leary - Club captain and veteran midfielder who has been at Neath for the past two seasons.

Jonas - Brazilian central midfielder signed for £55K from Brasil de Pelotas. Will add some real class in the centre of the park.

Anderson Silva - Former Barnsley midfielder signed for £18K from Nacional - will partner Jonas in central midfield.

Leandro Depetris - Former Brescia Argentinian midfielder who has joined on a free transfer. Can play wide left or through the middle.

Dide - Another Brazilian, he can play out wide on the right or through the middle and joins on a free transfer.

Daniele Conti - Former Palermo Italian midfielder who can also play wide or central.

Samir Carruthers - Irish midfielder on loan from Aston Villa - will provide cover.

Strikers

Lee Trundle - Lower league legend - has played at Swansea, Bristol City, Leeds and Wrexham. Now 34 but still has a lot to offer.

Enzo Scorza - Uruguayan striker joins on a free transfer - is very pacy and should cause some damage.

Kerry Morgan - Homegrown Neath youngster who will provide cover.

As you can see, 17 players is not a huge amount, so managing the fixture list this season is going to be a challenge. I have lined up a range of friendlies to test the boys out before our real fixtures begin with the EUROPA Cup 1st Qualifying Round.

Going South American I see.

All the best

Trundle used to get plenty of stick at Huish Park when he came here with Swansea. Yeovil legend Terry Skiverton always had him in his back pocket.

Nice skin too.

In terms of tactics we will be using a 4-2-3-1 formation with two central midfielders who sit, and then two wingers who keep wide, with an attacking midfielder in behind the lone striker.

Our first competitive match saw us drawn against Siroki Brijeg from Bosnia in the Europa League 1st Qualifying Round.We lined up with Scorza up front on his own, with Conti on the left, Dide on the right, Depetris in the hole behind Scorza, Anderson Silva and Jonas as the two holding in central midfield, Collins at right back and Emanuel at left back, with de Lazzari and Leandro Silva at centre back.

Things didn't start too well as we were 2-0 down at half time, but second half strikes from Dide and Leandro Silva saw us claim a 2-2 draw. The second leg came a week later and we were much sharper having played two more friendly games in the meantime. We really clicked and ran out 6-2 winners on the night, 8-4 on aggregate, with Scorza grabbing 4 goals.

Round Two looked much trickier, as we were drawn against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. They traveled to Wales for the first leg, in which two set piece goals early in the second half put us in the driving seat. A third just after the hour gave us breathing space, but Nivaldo pulled one back for them one minute from time to give them hope going into the second leg.

We headed to Israel intent on playing a more defensive game, and this worked well as we made it to half-time still at 0-0. Scorza scored twice in the second half and the Israeli heads went down after his first, and we ran out 3-0 winners in the end.

The Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round drew us against Dinamo Bucharest. The first leg was in Romania and two goals from Scorza gave us a narrow 2-1 advantage to bring back to Wales. The return leg was a real topsy-turvy affair as we went 1-0 up, then 2-1 down, then 3-2 down before a late Conti strike rescued us from an away goals defeat.

The final stage of Europa League qualifying was the 4th round, where victory would send us through to the Group Stages, which would be the first time in Welsh history a club has made this stage. We were drawn against Clube Brugge of Belgium. We travelled to Belgium in good spirits and an early Brugge goal looked in keeping with our massive underdog status. But Dide equalised after 16 minutes, and then two goals in the last 30 minutes from Leandro Silva gave us a remarkable victory.

We were then 90 minutes away from qualifying for the group stages and remarkably the second leg went our way as well, with another two goals from Leandro Silva gave us the win. Admittedly we were fortunate to benefit from playing against 10 men for the second half but on the balance of play we probably deserved it.

Congratulations on the qualification to the Europa League

That's very well done.