FM/CM memories: First signing, game?

Always get nostalgic before a new release...

Anyone remember? The first iteration of the series I played was CM3, although I subsequently played CM Italia amongst others. My first signings (for Crystal Palace) were Charlie Nicholas and Stuart Rimmer, both of whom were ancient by then. I was chronically short of strikers and signed them simultaneously. Can't remember how they did,.

My first game was the home leg of an Intertoto Cup tie in Eastern Europe. I didn't have a clue what I was doing and my squad was in no condition to play, but I fought my way to an aggregate draw before going out on penalties. At that point, I was hooked and years of my life went down the plughole.

Hah, I can even remember the first bid I received. It was a £650,000 offer from Aberdeen for Simon Rodger, which I rejected.

Anyone else got a similar Rainman-like memory and care to share their first signing/game in the series?

cm 00-01 wasn't my first, but i played so many seasons on it in spain that i all but ignored any other CM game till fm05 (although i bought all of them since cm2).

i went through 3 generations of players on cm 00-01, my proudest acheivement was being offered the China job just before the world cup 20something, and taking them to third place. i also turned valladolid and alaves into contenders for the title.

i couldnt honestly tell you which was my first game, mainly because im not sure! 01-02 is the first one i got really addicted to... earlier ones thanthat though, i always remember managing in Sctoland, at Rangers (i dunno why) in the heady days when they still had Hately playing!!

edit: forgot about the signing... one of the earliest i remember is Sergey Shmatovalenko.. ukranian dl.wbl...

My firstgame was championship manager 99/00. Previously i'd played pretty arcade football manager games like 'premier manager' (i was oyung a nieve! about 12 if i recall) and i'll shamefully admit i loved them at the time and was sceptical at first about my friend insisting i played this game i'd never heaard of called football manager which looked like a glorified version of microsoft excel. I never looked back, I was hooked. My team was Nottm Forest, I was young and nieve thinking it would be easy like premier manager, put out far too many youngsters and lost 3-1 to Birmingham, what a noob I was back then. If i recall corectly a young and promising 19 year old striker called andrew johnson scored a hattrick against me. The same one who progressedi n real life andis now at fulham. I dont recall what happened to him on the game! Thats whats so great about the game though, ive played each one since then and im still learning new ways to play, I'm an ok player but I wouldn't say great, i just love the challenge and I'm so glad i was reccomended to play it back then. If i hadn't *shudders at the thought* i'd be playing fifa manager (the shame )

My first game was Championship Manager Italia, and the first team i controlled was AC Milan. The first player i bought was Alan Shearer, think i paid £5 million for him. Think that game lasted ten seasons, and after that i lost interest because all the players were regens. Milan's squad was really strong back then, with Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta, Papin, Albertini, Eranio, Donadoni, Gullit, Lentini. Its hard not to dominate the league with that squad!

The first CM/FM I played was CM3. I remember starting off at Arsenal but I can't remember how I did.

I remember my first game in 00-01 though. I led Leeds to a second place finish in the first season.

Oh, wow. No idea of the first game, but my first FM was CM4, I bought it for sale at a retail store i used to work for. I bought it just out of curiosity, didn't even know what it was or if it was good...all of this after years and years of playing Manager in Playstation 1...so I bought it and loved it, i couldn't stop playing! I do remember i would always buy this brazilian, Anderson Polga, for Villarreal when his contract expired in the middle of Christmas.

Good times.

My first signings were on CM2 and the lucky gents were Kevin Gallen and Matt Holland. Both of whom were up and coming young pups at the time.

I went on to sign these two guys nearly every new save I started.

Ahhhh, memories!

I cant remember the exact game, (roughly 1998 or 1999).

Played as Rangers and my first ever signing was Ally McCoist.

Though i lost touch with football managment games shortly after and didnt touch them again till FM2007.

Been addicted ever since.

I think my earliest game was in 1998, I was Sunderland and I remember being really chuffed with my purchase of Rolf Landerl

1st game was with wolves. 1st signing was Armand One, still one of the best players I ever signed. That was on 01/02

Always get nostalgic before a new release...

Anyone remember? EDITED

Anyone else got a similar Rainman-like memory and care to share their first signing/game in the series?

CM98 St Etienne. Dont remember starting the game but remember....

Printing each players stats on A4 paper & laying them out on the floor trying to work out my best XI....

Signing a 15 yo Argentinian unknown who was fantastic - name of Estaban Cambiasso (when he scored the goal of WC2006 I felt a little responsible LOL....

St Etienne started in the 2nd div, with 1 game to go I was 3 points from a promotion spot but 6 goals Goal Diff adrift of 3rd place (the last promotion spot - no play offs!). I won 4-0 but the team above also collected points. Was amazed when I checked the end of season table to see I was 3rd! The team in 2nd before kick offs was the team I played (I hadnt realised) they had been 3 pts better off with a +7 goal diff over me. My 4 goal (8 effectively) reversal had promoted me, and I hadnt realised!

Awesome.

CM1 on the amiga was my first game and Mark Collis (a total legend) was and always will be my best ever signing.

I have no memories as such but the first game I played was CM2.

Long, long time ago.

My first management game was CM97-98 (Italian leagues) and I chose Fiorentina - have no idea why, just remember watching Serie A on Channel 4 most Sundays and quite liked the look of them.

Anyway, being the complete noob that I was, I went straight into the transfer market and went for Del Piero as I knew he'd be awesome. I was shocked to discover my way-too-low bid of £5m was accepted, particularly seeing as he was valued at twice that. But when I got him into my squad I realised he was out injured for 9 months with a broken leg! Bad times. However, when he recovered it took him 6 months to get back into the groove and then he tore up defences all over the place and I won the league twice in a row. Good times!

First game was on CM97/98, playing as Ajax and I signed Philippe Albert

First Game was CM94, and Julian Joachim with his 20 in flair was always the signing for me!!

Also remember some obscure afganian or azerbayan player in cm3 who had some 20's (can't remember name)

my first game was on CM97/98, bought it because i'd heard my younger brother banging on about it, because he'd played it at a friends house. Unfortunately we didn't own a computer, and it wasn't until I went to Uni that I got one.

I didn't let my education get in the way of playing tho

My first game was Celtic, and remember being dissapointed with Henrik Larsson's stats, although Jorge Cadete was class!

I don't remember my first signing unfortunatly.

My first game was on CM4, managing Liverpool and I think it was a friendly against FC Haka in pre-season. Won the match by a country mile IIRC.

I think my first competitive match was against Spurs in the league, and with Spurs being pretty good back then we only beat them 3-0

My first game was CM93/94 on the Amiga, and couldn't honestly tell you who my first signing was as it was 15 years ago and there's no way I can remember something as trivial as that!

By best ever signing on any of the CM/FM series was a on CM01/02, I was playing as Sunderland and wanted a striker, my scout recommended a guy from an Italian Serie C2 side called Gubbio, the fella was called Stefano Stefanelli and I signed him for something like £25,000. By the end of the season he was in my first team banging in goals in the Premierhship and his value and stats soared. Over the next 5-6 seasons or so I was guaranteed to get at least 25-30 goals out him. At his peak he was playing and scoring for Italy regularly and was at one point worth £40,000,000! With him in my side I won the Premiership 8 times in a row, won the ECL, World Club Cup the lot, and I near enough made Sunderland unbeatable.

That is why CM01/02 is/was one of the best football management games ever made!

first game was CM3, and i signed the unknown random legend that was Demis Ohandjanian, and he blasted them in, Bakayoko CM97/98 esq

CM2 was my first, I'd always spend large amounts of cash on Brian Laudrup

Hmmm well I was Spurs, and my signing was probably that Norwich striker. Mark Robins(?). First signing I can definitely remember was Roberto Baggio for Palermo in CM Italia and Nii Lamptey in CM94EOS.

CM2 was my first venture into football management games; the first game must have been MU, and Rio Ferdinand was an 18 year old up and comer. i used to buy him and Duberry, and a few of the Leeds youngsters, was ace.

i wish i could play CM2 on my XP Laptop

CM 97/98 - Liverpool 1st Signings Ivan Zamorano (Big targetman Long hair what more could you want).

1 Season done finished 18th but won the FA cup. I was more of cup manager back then. I was 11

My first CM was the 01/02 demo which i got free in a pack of cereal haha. They were giving away the quiz versions and the demo and i was overjoyed when i got the demo in my Frosties. My first proper game was FM 2005 though. I don't know why i never bought any from 02-05 because i loved 01/02 demo and never came off it.

cm3. can't remember who my first signing was though as it was 10 years ago.

My first CM was CM2. My first game would have probably been Liverpool, but I do remember I used to be Rangers alot back then. No idea why.

My first CM was CM 2 (95/96 season was it?).

It was winter time, and I stayed home from school (I was about 11, and now I am 24).

I had enough from FIFA 96, and decided to try something new.

I received the game from a friend, and decided to try it out.

I only had the English and Scottish leagues. I started a game with Rangers.

IRL Rangers were dominating the SPL at the time, and their squad on CM was also incredible.

I had Gazza, and Brian Laudrup, Ally McCoist Gordon Durie, as well as Jorg Albertz.

I Dont remember who I have signed first, but I do remember that I was looking for a central midfielder, so I signed Demetrio Albertini. Later I found out, and I dont know if any of you old CM fans remember this, that Albertini was a big CM fan himself.

I played for hours, and never stopped since.

Today, its diffrent, and the passion for the game is not the same as it was when I was a kid, although I wish it was, but the game is still enjoyable, and there are still times you get excited and thrilled like it was 1996.

Football Manager 2005 was my first game as that was the year I brought my first computer. Played as Millwall first and I took 7 seasons to get out of the Championship. My first signing was Brett Ormerod If I remember correctly or it was these two Scottish players I signed from Morton.

CM2 was my first game, cant remember exactly whom I signed first, but I rememeber I always tend to signe the Laudrup brothers and Summer (the German DC/SW/DM, I could have got his name wrong)

cm97/98 was my first game. I was always Rangers because we had an awesome squad. I have no idea who my first signing was but I was always a big fan of Joseba Etxeberria but i Dont remember if he was even on that game. Addicted ever since Cm01/02 almost ruined my life.

CM2 was my first game, cant remember exactly whom I signed first, but I rememeber I always tend to signe the Laudrup brothers and Summer (the German DC/SW/DM, I could have got his name wrong)

sammer (10)

I cant remember which version it was but I got a PC one xmas and my cousin let me borrow some random games and a CM was in their. Since then i've been hooked.

I don't know who my first signing was but I know Ian Wright was still in the Arsenal team.

i remember the first CM games when Platt and Gascoigne were still abroad. Signed them for man utd when the game only had a limited foreign players database.

i remember back at cm00/01 demo or the final game can't recall it now but my first ever team was valencia fc i dunno why but i picked them and the played a couple of games and i was stunned that before that i could not dream of a manager game

then i took went on with man utd winning everything

hmmm my first signing must be alex notman (or he was at MU i can't recall it) man world class striker back then

First game as Brann Bergen in cm00/00 , first transfers Aki Riihilahti & Alex Aas , i am always play few seasons with Brann with every new fm game i buy since then.

My first game was cm2. I remember the tactics screen was a lot different then too.

I was mostly Liverpool and Hull city, with Liverpool I won like 4-0 each game and with city the transfer budget was about 5 grand. Te good old players aswell like gary brabin from the early games too, best tackler in the west . ahh good times.

My first game was the original Championship Manager when it was first released all those years ago. Cant remember who the first signing would've been but I would have certainly been playing as Liverpook

First game was CM1 which didn't even have real players so can't remember my first signing. Do remember signing an ageing striker called Cyril Eustace for York who bagged 20+ goals for me then promptly retired. I was gutted.

First one I played was CM3 in I believe 2000 or so, I don't remember anything about that...I know I played with Man Utd quite a few times back then bout doubtful that my first go was with them.

my first signing was darren caskey from spurs (legend) for liverpool on the very first cm on my amiga 1200. He was closely followed by alan shearer from blackburn. I also remember I used to sign paul warhurst from blackburn cos he was a utility player and could play lots of different positions. Good times.

On that game you only had about 25-30 spaces on your team screen and when you had that many players you couldnt sign anymore.

I used to play 4-3-3. all 3 centre mids and all 3 strikers - a guaranteed winning formula. If I remember correctly the european cup was the hardest thing in the world to win (it was ridiculously hard) you had 1 or 2 qualifying rounds then 2 groups of 5 teams (i think) and the top 1 from each group would play each other in the final. Red star were the dons. I managed to win a fair share everyso often.

The worst thing was that after every season a player would not sign a new contratc and state that he will be moving to a foreign country at the end of the season. You couldnt reject bids because there were none. What happened was at the end of the season different things would be loading up like new season fixtures and player histories etc then all of a sudden it would flash up in a box "alan shearer has joined juventus for £5,800,000" then you pressed the mouse to continue and it would flash up again "lee jones has signed for marseille for £6,200,000"

Only the best players would leave and there wasnt a single thing you could do about it and it was some sort of lottery as to the fee you would get. Mostly it was derogatory.

I loved that game and played about 40 seasons on it until it died on me.

Ha ha just remembered if you left a team they would continue to always use the tactics youleft them with. crazy times

My first game was CM 93/94 when I got it in 1998ish. However my biggest 'past' memory is that Alexandros Popadopolous was a GOAL MACHINE in CM 01/02, but I have never heard of him from real life.

Tommy Svindal-Larsen. Must've been CM96/97 or something. Legendary.

When i was ten or eleven i bought CM 01/02 because it was a fiver when i got a pc off my older cousin. I think i started as Liverpool because Michael Owen was my favourite player and i was rubbish at tactics and the lark i just picked the ten best players that i had and placed them in the default tactic.

I think i must have bought a young Cisse as my first player or it could have been Eto'o all i properly remember though is that Owen and my other striker would bang 50 goals between them for the fist couple of seasons before i started again with someone else.

I also remember signing Van der Gun and Robben a lot on that game.

First game was CM1 which didn't even have real players so can't remember my first signing. Do remember signing an ageing striker called Cyril Eustace for York who bagged 20+ goals for me then promptly retired. I was gutted.

As far as i can i remeber the cm now fm series has always ahd real names,

I had the first ever edition when middlesbrough and derby were amazing boro had craig hignett was a legend back then.

Craig Lawton at Man United always remeber that one and Danny Wallace too!!!

Lee Sharpe and the young Ryan Giggs i do believe anyway i`m pretty sure cm was first out in the first year of the premiership !

First siging WOW i really dont know i rmemeber loving Niall Quinn which is wierd as i`m a united fan once bought for my Everton team was klass back then.

was the version of fm where u could only go as high as £9,999,999 for a any one player like i say before im sure that was the first ever cm

CM 00/01 was my first... unbelievable game with Blackburn (in Division One then)

If anyone remembers Alex Notman and Chupa Lopez, htey were sick for me, scoring 80 league goals between them in an unbeaten season (except the last game which pi55ed me off ever so slightly...)

I also remember some other manager game on my Playstation that the save game took a whole memory card to save a game. I left the thing on for a month and got Sunderland promoted to the EPL, with Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn up front... Those were the days

i can remeber what version it was but was about 13 14 so 1999 ish, i used to stay over me mates and play it all night and go to school after no sleep at all, was great, those were the days.

buying fat ronaldo, rivaldo, learnado

brilliant

I guess I must be a real oldie on here, but the first football management sim i ever played was the original Football Manager (not by SI Games) on the rubber key Sinclair Spectrum!!!!

It was made by a company aptly know as Addictive Games and had a picture of a fat bearded guy on the box who was the programmer. His name was Kevin Thoms if memory serves me right.

The 8 bit match graphics were basicaly stick men who kicked a square ball and the TV gave out a jingly tune when anyone scored.

I remember being extatic when I won the FA cup for the first time and was suitably rewarded when the TV screen revealed a blocky picture of the trophy.

Many countless hours of my life were given up to this blissfull addiction!!

I wonder how much of an inspirationion it was to the Collyer brothers?

As for the SI versions, I had CM 1 on the Amiga which was marketed by Domark Games and had a picture of a guy who looked like Barry Fry on the box cover. All the players were generated fictional players and the one who really sticks in my mind was a central midfielder called Scott Scott who scored 30+ goals a season from midfield.

The next version was it CM93? - I played Man Utd and the team had all the legends from back then like Hughes, Robson, McClair etc. Best signings were always the brits abroad e.g. David Platt, Paul Gasgcoigne etc, and best tactic was 1-4-5 formation!!!

The addiction levels shot through the roof for me though when I bought my first Windows PC (a super fast Pentium 75!) which had a bundled copy of CM2.

Of course this was the first one that had the Scottish leagues and low & behold it also had my home town team Montrose in the lowly 2nd Division. I remember being amazed at the accuracy of the data on the club and the players and the fact that most were rubbish as in real life. I know for a fact that many of the players at the club bought a copy of the game because they were in it.

My best signing ever was a lad you may have heard of who was called Marco Viduka in the game, after he was freed by a Croatian club. He then went on to score 100+ goals in 2 seasons before being snapped up by liverpool for £2M.

I also remember when Celtic signed him in real life and felt that I knew he would go on to be a class player after seing what he could do in the game!

Of course I have played every version of the game since then, but I always think back to the earliest versions with fondness.

Oh happy days!

As far as i can i remeber the cm now fm series has always ahd real names,

I had the first ever edition when middlesbrough and derby were amazing boro had craig hignett was a legend back then.

The first CM indeed had no real players.