"Throwing" a promotion

Anyone ever done it?

I am considering it in my game. I am managing in the french third tier. Team I managing is the smallest in the league, smallest wage budget, smallest stadium and were predicted bottom. Season aim was to fight bravely against relegation. With 5 games to go we are currently 2nd and 5 points clear of the chasing pack.

The problem is we are massively over achieving, the squad isnt that good and to top it all I am playing under the youth rules so only using players that come through my academy, so even if we do go up the only new signings I can make are to promote a few 16 year olds.

Originally when I started I thought a few seasons building the squad up in this division then go for promotion. I think if we go up now we will get stuffed every week in the 2nd division against the likes of Monaco etc and then get relegated which will almost kill my game abit.

So seriously considering throwing a couple of games so we drop out of the promotion spots. What do you think?

I wouldn't do it personally, but can understand why somebody would. Have been badly caught out before by getting promoted 'too quickly'.

Go for promotion. Surely the extra money can be re-invested in youth and even if you get relegated the infrastructure that remains should be helpful for the future yeah? Even if you can't invest, it's more money for the coffers and future investment?

Just like the guys above me said... I don't think I'd do it although I too have been promoted too quickly and struggled, although surely the money and experience will help in the long run?

You never know, you might not get near promotion for another five seasons, especially if you're doing it as an academy challenge.

Try and get the promotion and deal with it after that, you never know how your players may respond to the step up.

Go for promotion. Surely the extra money can be re-invested in youth and even if you get relegated the infrastructure that remains should be helpful for the future yeah? Even if you can't invest, it's more money for the coffers and future investment?

You never know, you might not get near promotion for another five seasons, especially if you're doing it as an academy challenge.

Try and get the promotion and deal with it after that, you never know how your players may respond to the step up.

What these guys said.

Thanks guys, will keep going and see what happens. My only concern is getting the sack and ruining what I hope to be a long term game if I get them promoted, then we struggle the next season and get relegated.

After all this we will probably choke anyway!

I updated my DB to reflect all promotions and relegations and was enjoying life in the Championship with Bolton so much that I threw promotion so I could have another season in that league

Good luck mate. gotta go for the promotion whatever happens.

Right decision, even if it looks near-impossible you never know.

Pros of a promotion:

-cash

-higher rep, which will lead to attrating better youngsters

Cons:

-possible low squad morale due to consistent losses

-risk of being sacked

I say the pros outweigh the cons. The pros are definite, the cons are just possibilities.

I'd go for promotion. It'll improve your reputation anyway and you can appeal to the board etc for more investment to the youth or more time if do get a pasting every game!!

Pros of a promotion:

-cash

-higher rep, which will lead to attrating better youngsters

Cons:

-possible low squad morale due to consistent losses

-risk of being sacked

I say the pros outweigh the cons. The pros are definite, the cons are just possibilities.

he would never sacked ever, if his rep and squad are that low he will be given the "enjoy experience tab"

never throw promotion as its all about the long term project. Go up attract slightly better players/youth stay up/get relegated squad, for following season is slightly enhanced. If you are relegated you will come back up again with slightly better squad rinse and repeat.

If your worried about being sacked, go get a new 5 year contract once this promotion winning season is over , therefore it would not be financially viable to sack you

Well we did it so lets see what Ligue 2 brings!

Unless you sign absolutely rubbish players you'll have no problems staying up and even ending in a respectable position...

Even if you had a bad season you'd still get the cash and you could upgrade the facilities. That alone is worth the promotion.

Well I wish I had thrown it now...........

It appears that there is some kind of 10k minimum stadium capacity for ligue 2, as we have had to extend our stadium from 2k to 10k - This now means we have gone from having £100k in the bank to being £7 million in debt!!

There goes any chance of improving my basic youth facilities which are kind of important in a youth only challenge!

And to top it all the boards minimum requirement is avoid relegation!

Unless you sign absolutely rubbish players you'll have no problems staying up and even ending in a respectable position...

Im playing youth only so can only sign players who come through my youth academy

Well I wish I had thrown it now...........

It appears that there is some kind of 10k minimum stadium capacity for ligue 2, as we have had to extend our stadium from 2k to 10k - This now means we have gone from having £100k in the bank to being £7 million in debt!!

There goes any chance of improving my basic youth facilities which are kind of important in a youth only challenge!

And to top it all the boards minimum requirement is avoid relegation!

think of the extra money you can make through filling up your stadium! As well as you'll have more people visiting your stadium coz of a higher league. Luckily it's not like you have to take a loan out to cover your losses and pay interest on it. Being in debt is annoying but it's not the end of the world, especially as it's not like you were gonna buy players. I understand it's annoying as you can't increase facilities but give it time, the benefits will come

I was just about to tell you about that, well, blame the Euros.

I've thrown promotions before when playing youth rules. It might seem illogical, but if you really think you'll struggle in the next league up, it's better to not be promoted, consolidate, and keep developing your players until the point where you think they'll be ready for the next step up. Otherwise in two year, you'll be exactly where you are now but with the momentum against you rather than with you.

I also find that players will develop better winning in a lower league than they would losing in higher league.

Congrats on the promotion.

You took the right decision imo. You may well get relegated but even if you are, the club will still be in a better state which it could not reach without the promotion.

And should you be sacked in the higher div, you still have your reputation boosted for winning promotion.

Congrats on the promotion.

You took the right decision imo. You may well get relegated but even if you are, the club will still be in a better state which it could not reach without the promotion.

And should you be sacked in the higher div, you still have your reputation boosted for winning promotion.

I always get too emotionally involved in one club to move to another if I get sacked, especailly when I am playing a youth only challenge, so I get sacked its game over......

There is no single reason not to win promotion.

I also find that players will develop better winning in a lower league than they would losing in higher league.

Aye this be true. I always bear it in mind when looking to loan out my youngsters.

As far as the OP is concerned though, this may be offest by a better quality intake with greater potential long term.

I threw promotion from League 1 to Championship before because I was going for the clean sweep of all English (football+premier) League trophies and hadn't got my hands on the Johnstones paint trophy (or whatever its called now!). Sad really.

I did this once on 2011(I actually made a thread about it).

My team had won promotion from the BSN>BSP>Div2 in a row,In division 2 we were overachieving and sat in the play off's,it was a very young team and I weighed up if it would benefit them to have another season in division 2 instead of yet another promotion.

I decided not to totally throw in the towel but I did start to use players that had not seen much football that season,we ended up 10th but the following year we ran away with the league and kept going to the Premiership.

I had the same thing on 2012 with my Nuneaton save but I had a couple of real class youngsters in the team and kept pushing on and won promotion every single year until I hit the Premiership,I think it really depends on how your team will handle the promotion.

I knew my first team would not do well but had full faith in my 2nd team to keep going and going.