Best English club to take to the top???

Just throwing this out there but does anyone know of the best english club (and by best i mean patient chairman, decent finances and support, good youth set up) to take over and guide to the top of the english game! Preferable based in the bottom 2 football leagues! I've tried before and i've either had impatient chairmen, dodgy finances or simply put the club just couldnt match my own ambitions!!! Any stories of other users journeys to the top would be welcome!

Crewe maybe? They have brilliant youths and facilities.

Truro seems to be the 'easy go to' team on most FM fan sites.

If you want a really difficult game though, I'd advise Hampton and Richmond. They have a 3k stadium that's "maxed" out, so usually if you get promoted from the Blue Square South to the Premier they end up having to take out 50million quid loans to buy a new stadium. Oh and they start with no sponsors or shirt sponsors etc, predicted relegation and they over pay (250quid a week) for players who wouldn't get in the team in the Ishmarian. I think the researchers really hated on these guys for some reason.

Crewe are always a great option but dario gradi is the main man there, hard to overshadow him! Would they have the capability to grow into a dominant team in england?!

I have got Peterborough into the Premiership & knocking on the door for Euro qualification. We finished 7th. last year. I have been in charge for 8 years & had lots of support, funds, etc. from the board.

Only setback is they won't build a new stadium despite being very secure financially.

Good team to make a long save with though.

Blyth Spartans just because of their name.

Yeah Peterborough is another great option, london based so maybe attract a few stars down to the bright lights

Since when was Peterborough in London?

Not familiar wit that area mate, thought it was!

Any team with forefront sugar daddy. Does Notts County still have one of those?

Or - for a easy way to the top, pick any club in the editor and give it sugar. You should be at the top of the PL table within 1-5 or 6 seasons, depending on starting point. If not, you're a terrible FM player.

Crewe are always a great option but dario gradi is the main man there, hard to overshadow him! Would they have the capability to grow into a dominant team in england?!

I am listed as a Crewe legend having won the EPL 4 times in a row and the CL 3 times in a row. We now play in a 55,000 all seater stadium creatively named The Crewe Stadium.

The chairman is great when it comes to allowing the club to grow, I asked for a new stadium when we got to the EPL and they built it, once it was complete he has expanded it several times without me asking. He has also improved the youth and training facilities 3 times each of his own accord and agreed twice more to each being improved when I requested it. As long as you can get generate cash through success or player sales the board are always willing to improve the club.

Peterborough is a good choice. Currently in my eight season there and doing very well in Europe. As AcidBurn said about Crewe, the chairman is very good in terms of getting things and gives you what you want whenever you want it.

I got Chester to the top in FM12, with the level 8 editor. Currently having a go with Vauxhall Motors (BSN) and its the biggest challenge I have had in the English pyramid, you start with an allowed wage budget of £500 a week for the squad and the players are already on £600 overall. Vauxhall's best players are on non-contract terms and are wanted by bigger clubs, they average 150 crowds, and the board do nothing to improve the club at all. Despite all this I have got promoted to league 1 in 4 seasons, mostly with youth contracts of £5 a week and non contract players and loans. Now I am in league 1 I am allowed a wage budget of £12k a week, massive!!! I am currently spending just under £9k a week, very small squad and apart from 2 players on £1k a week, my biggest wage is £400pw. Also my oldest player is 22 because no one wants to sign for me, the clubs reputation is still below some conf clubs like Luton.

Back to your original question, Truro give you an easy game, as do AFC Telford. Halifax is pretty easy too when starting from right at the bottom. If you want a relative challenge try Vauxhall, Blackpool are also relatively tough, Bradford is a challenge, but if you want a REALLY hard go, download the level 8 patch and try to get Salford City up to the prem!!!!!

Blackpool, that teams difficulty has changed dramatically since the patch as that massive transfer budget is gone

try Luton or swindon.

Rest of the suggestions are good but the crewe option seems the best! Off i go to guide crewe to the top.... I hope!

After seeing a couple of you advise Crewe I've decided to have a go at managing them. I've been struggling to get into FM since I left my 18 year Swansea game but I think managing Crewe could be what gets me really back into the game.

Cheers.

For those of you who are managing Crewe i've done a page on the FM wiki for each version since FM08 which you can access from here - http://footballmanagerwiki.co.uk/index.php?title=Crewe_Alexandra with the FM12 page here - http://footballmanagerwiki.co.uk/index.php?title=Crewe_Alexandra_FM12

Anyone who wants to help with any of the page can PM me on here or sign up to the wiki and all help is appreciated.

wrexham ... decent stadium.. excellent team... giant slayers

not technically an english club but still .. in the english league

Lincoln City is a good option too. I played them for 10 years & got to be a legend. They have a terrific Chairman!

The only problem with Wrexham are all their fans have 6 fingers....

I'm going okay with Crewe, played 24 games currently sat 5th in the league. Made it to the 3rd round of the cup and managed to beat Chelsea, the dream was over in the next round though after getting destroyed 6-0 at St James Park.

I would play as Crewe but I'm a Dagger so I would play as them Gateshead would of been another choice because they have quite a large stadium and shrewsbury have a few of those underated players

I woulnd't choose Wrexham because as far as I believe they can't qualify for europe

Bradford. They have a large stadium, so when you reach the Premier League and can build a new one, that stadium can be in the 60-70 000 range, which is sufficient. If you choose Crewe or other clubs with stadiums in the 10k or less range, when you build a new one it is likely to be in the 20-30k range, maybe 40k if you're lucky. When that happens you are still a medium-sized club instead of a large one, and it will take 20 years before you can have another new stadium.

Since reaching the top is a matter of -when- not -if-, unless you plan to play that save for 50+ seasons I recommend finding a lower-leauge club with a rather big stadium.

Bradford. They have a large stadium, so when you reach the Premier League and can build a new one, that stadium can be in the 60-70 000 range, which is sufficient. If you choose Crewe or other clubs with stadiums in the 10k or less range, when you build a new one it is likely to be in the 20-30k range, maybe 40k if you're lucky. When that happens you are still a medium-sized club instead of a large one, and it will take 20 years before you can have another new stadium.

Since reaching the top is a matter of -when- not -if-, unless you plan to play that save for 50+ seasons I recommend finding a lower-leauge club with a rather big stadium.

My Crewe stadium was 28,000 when it was first built and now at 55,000 cannot have any more seats added to it.

How long did it take you to get to the Premier League AcidBurn?

I've set myself a 6 year target after failing to gain promotion in the first season, we lost in the play off semis to Cheltenham.

I started my career off at Notts Co gaining promotion in the first season, after reading this thread the crewe job came up so I applied and got it, got promoted first season as league champs and Johnstone paints winners, second season flying in the league with some great signings and an affiliate status with Arsenal (lots of good young players) 17 points clear at the top in February, in the 4th round of the FA cup, final of the Johnstones Paint trophy and most surprisingly in the final of the League cup against Chelsea, had a cracker of a draw untill the semis where a beat Man Utd 6-5 on aggregate but in fairness the only first team players in the squad where De Gea and Rooney...think thats a bit unrealistic but hey....hoping my Crewe save takes me all the way...little concerned that we are bleeding money though....oh well part and parcel!!!! Definetly recommend CREWE!!!!