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JoseRR's FM08 Small Club to Big Club From a Big European Nation Challenge


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Introduction

Well with so many ‘Small club to big club challenges’; it is amazing to find that no ‘big European Nations’ are involved (Other than England and Scotland). This challenge is all about taking one of those bigger nation small clubs to glory.

The Aim

To take a small club who were previously unplayable in the game from the lower divisions of a nation outlined below, leading them to success in their national top division and ultimately to achieve Champions League glory.

The Possible Countries

The available countries have been deemed ‘too big’ for previous challenges of this type, and have not been used in such challenges for FM08 thus far.

Holland

France

Spain

Italy

Portugal

Germany

The finalised list of league re-set dates.

France     -   19th June
Germany    -   19th June
Italy      -   29th June
Portugal   -   27th June
Spain      -   9th July

The Rules – Playing

Load a game with all the available divisions within the nation you selected only (only one nation is allowed).

A large database should be ticked (although you are free to choose a medium or small database option if you wish). Any official SI patch may be used, but no other edited databases can be used for this challenge.

Attribute masking should be enabled, with no additional players from any nation loaded.

The extra levels of detail that you can change while in the game are up to you, as they shouldn't make a difference.

Add yourself as an unemployed manager, the details are not important at all, as you ill not use this man to manage your club.

Go on holiday until the reset date of your chosen nation, this shouldn't take that long, perhaps about an hour. Saving on the day before this date may give you a better choice of teams by reloading the game then going on holiday for one day, I would strongly recommend trying this.

Retire your unemployed manager. Add a new manager, the options are up to you but 'past experience' must be set to the lowest possible which is 'Sunday league footballer'. I understand that choosing different nationalities may have an effect later on, but I trust people will be sensible with this. I would expect people to use their own true nationalities.

Then choose to take over any club which has been promoted to the bottom playable league of your nation.

You must now manage this club to the national top division title, then progress to be champions of Europe. This doesn’t have to occur in the same season, just with the same club. Should you be sacked at any point during the game, you may either re-start the challenge with a new team and a new save game, or you may wish to continue on your current save game, taking over a club at the end of the season under the same rules as before.

There are no restrictions on parent and feeder clubs, and you must e able to scout a player before you buy them – you don’t have to actually scout them, just that the option is available.

The use of any external utilities and editors (Such as Genie Scout or FMM) are prohibited.

The Rules – Posting

Player naming is allowed. (This is a warning for those of you who do not wish to see this)

Discussion on tactics is allowed. (This is another warning for those of you who do not wish to see this)

Pleas use screenshots for any aspect of your game you wish to share – this is actively encouraged!

When you join the challenge, could you post a screenshot of your manager's profile as soon as you join your club.

Progress of your club should be documented using this thread, we want to hear the story of your club all the way through. Please keep us updated, even if you are doing really badly.

At the end of every season, could everyone post some kind of season review, including at least a screenshot of a league table and the clubs transfer page. If you give this a title in bold it makes it a bit easier to pick out.

How to Post a Screenshot

• While in FM, press the 'Prt Sc' button (usually next to F12 on your keyboard).

• Open an image editing program such as Paint and paste the image

• Save the file as a JPEG

• Upload the image to an image hosting website such as Photobucket or Imageshack

• Post the direct Url to the image here.

I would like to wish everyone taking on this challenge the best of luck on a long and hard journey to footballing success! Let the challenge commence!

I hope everything has been covered in the opening post, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

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I was thinking of making this challenge too, the not quite so rubbish but not English challenge :p

I might have to change things around a little from the official rules so I can play with something else I was thinking of. I had this idea of trying to get players in from countries that were part of the empires of these nations. It would work quite well with Portugal with Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and of course Brazil with it being a bit tricky to find a good player from East Timor for example. Holland would work nicely too but Italy and Germany would be a bit too limited and Spain is mostly just South America and France has too many.

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Well let's get it started than.

Meet USC Paloma (sounds very Spanish for a team from Northern Germany) and me

no staff, no players, no future??

I holidayed till 2009 to get new teams promoted into the restructured German leagues.

Only problem I can see so far is that there is no promotion into the Dutch league. Does this mean that Holland is not playable in this challenge, or should there be an exception made? (something like holiday 'till 2008 and take over the team that finished last.)

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Originally posted by freek_teek:

Well let's get it started than.

Meet USC Paloma (sounds very Spanish for a team from Northern Germany) and me

no staff, no players, no future??

I holidayed till 2009 to get new teams promoted into the restructured German leagues.

Only problem I can see so far is that there is no promotion into the Dutch league. Does this mean that Holland is not playable in this challenge, or should there be an exception made? (something like holiday 'till 2008 and take over the team that finished last.)

First off, good luck mate icon14.gif First in, i'll be joining you shortly - currently on holiday now!

About the Holland leahues - I think that due to the small amout of leagues in the game, the suggested exception will be made - In Holland, you must holiday to the 08/09 season as per the rules, then take over the bottom team in the bottom league!

Thanks for the info mate, hope you enjoy the challenge and good luck icon14.gif.

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I seem to have picked up a rather good team, I think, the name swayed it for me so I will be managing this bunch of llamas.

In order to try and get some players from former Portuguese colonies I have loaded all players from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome & Principe. It'll be a while since I can actually scout them but there seems to be loads based in Portugal already.

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União Lamas 2008/09 Micro Update

Having just about managed to patch together enough players on free transfers with a transfer embargo for about 5 days in the middle and the board expecting us to win the league we set to our task. Its clear this highly ambitious nature in not limited to the board on this team as experienced central defender Marco (33) showed. I've never seen anyone with the strength to volley it clean over the bar from there let alone even try it.

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I will start his challenge when a few things happen.

1. I complete Gundo's challenge or Paul Wallace retires (If the latter is first, I will end Gundo's game there)

2. I complete the fantasy football sign-up.

3. I begin and end Dafuges Challenge.

then, and only then will I embark on this challenge. icon14.gif though.

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Quacky I have to say I love the team name icon_biggrin.gif. Your defender certainly does look powerful, good luck in your quest icon14.gif.

NepentheZ sounds good to me, thanks for posting! Looking forward to your fantasy sign-up and best of luck with the other challenges.

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I guess you didn't look further up the ideas thread yeterday to see that I put this forward yesterday morning (or maybe you did icon_wink.gif) a few hours before you. I didn't set it up immediately as I was running through tests to see what the restart dates for the various leagues are (which I note you have not included). But nevermind, you set it up first. Good luck anyway icon14.gif I may throw my hat in once I'm done with the San Marino Double icon_cool.gif

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DodgeeD - sorry I didn't realise you were serious about developing the idea. It has been under discussion for a few weeks now (You have probably realised, and may well have been involved in that discussion). I believed from what I read that no-one was going to set it up, so decided to try and start it myself. My apologies!

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Originally posted by JoseRR:

DodgeeD - sorry I didn't realise you were serious about developing the idea. It has been under discussion for a few weeks now (You have probably realised, and may well have been involved in that discussion). I believed from what I read that no-one was going to set it up, so decided to try and start it myself. My apologies!

No worries mate, I was pulling your leg a bit icon_wink.gif Seriously though, I'll pitch in when I'm done with San Marino (that's why I didn't start up straight away - too much on my plate!!). I believe the reset date for Italy is early in July - I will check when I get back home later. It will be good if you can get dafuge to insert those dates to the opening post.

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There seems to be a bug in Portuguese league icon_frown.gif

After the season you get the second phase promotion stage thing which is 10 games between the top 6 in the first phase. In 2nd division group B though they don't get scheduled for ages so you end up with 10 games scheduled and about 25 days to play them all in.

Its been reported in bugs forum but I doubt they'll change anything now after 8.0.2

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União Lamas 2008/09

A long season with sky-high ambitions from the board to win the league and a league system the confidence system is completely inadequate to show anything on. Into stage 1 of the league, there are 4 groups of 14 teams, the top 6 goto promotion playoffs and everyone else to relegation playoffs, the highlight being an 8-0 thumping of rivals Lourosa leading us to 5th in the league which greatly annoyed the board despite qualifying for the next stage comfortably.

As I posted earlier there is a bug in group B meaning your fixtures look like this but with a good amount of resting my players and the AI clearly not we strolled through to victory and the board was most pleased and delighted that we had won the league.

The season does not end yet since only 2 teams are promoted from the 4 league winners and we managed to get through in extra time in the home leg with fantastic play from miss-of-the-century striker Ailton (in a previous game 15 metres clear of the defence he rounded the keeper only to miss the wide open goal). With this win we were promoted and the board were ecstatic.

Just for completeness there is a final game between the two promoted teams for the overall king of division two which happened to be against the team that knocked me out of the cup in the 4th round (also disappointing the board). We fought bravely but lost in this final pointless game of the season leaving the board annoyed and disappointed that I hadn't won the league even though I had won group B and been promoted. It seems that even though I go down on the history as winning the league this final game is shown as the final deciding game for all groups so overrides who actually won each one.

All that is left is to praise the mighty Carlos Pinto and prepare to be spanked in the Liga Vitalis next season.

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União Lamas 2009/10

Following promotion in the first season we would be in for a tricky task to keep the side up, survival being my big plan this season. We enhanced the squad with free transfers (still no money anywhere around here) such as French defender Jean-Claude Guillou and exciting Andorran midfielder José Ignacio Polo.

We managed to finish comfortably ahead of the relegation zone pointwise but in terms of position just one place above in 14th. More impressively we reached the semi final of the Portuguese Cup before being dumped out by Porto having already been premier league opponents, Nacional da Maderia and Estrela da Amadora in a fantastic 4-1 display at home.

Plans for next season are to finish mid table or fight for promotion if I'm lucky as well to bump this topic up a bit higher on the forum so some more people take up this challenge icon_smile.gif

2008/09 2nd Division B - 1st

2009/10 1st Division - 14th

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Looks like a good season there Quacky! Staying up and getting past a decent side in the cup.

I have started my challenge (In Spain) and will be posting my screenshots soon, but progress will be slow with lots of schoolwork to do atm.

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União Lamas 2010/11

Looking to build on league and cup results from the previous year we faced some early set backs with our star striker being snapped up by Gil Vicente. Looking for replacements we signed T&T international Terrance David who filled in superbly. With upgrades to both full backs the team was set to go and face huge disappointment by being slapped out of the cup in the 3rd round (1st round I had to play in) by a non-league amateur team and their 80th minute penalty.

Thankfully we were doing much better in the league battling for the promotion spot behind runaway leading Belenenses. Things took a turn for the worse at Christmas when last years star, Andorran midfielder José Ignacio Polo tore his calf and would miss 5 months prompting the rapid signing of exciting Angolan youngster Didi. After a fine run of play we were left on the last game of the season lying 2nd, 1 point above 3rd needing a win to be sure of promotion or for them not to win. We lost but they could only draw and we take promotion on goal difference.

Promotion secured, finances secured (for now), training facilities are still rubbish, right back needed, thread successfully bumped icon_smile.gif

2008/09 2nd Division B - 1st

2009/10 1st Division - 14th

2010/11 1st Division - 2nd

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Originally posted by rlipscombe:

Quacky, are you still doing this challenge?? how's life in Portugese top flight??

shame this challenge doesn't seem to be taking off - it's a good idea i reckon...

It is a shame - maybe too many people are already fully absorbed in dafuge's and gundo's challenges... I would like to do it but I already have too many games on the go. I think if this challenge is repeated for FM09 and it starts early, it will take off. icon14.gif

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I'll post a quick thing of how things have gone since the last update

2011/12 - 14th Premier League

2012/13 - 13th Premier League

2013/14 - 5th Premier League UEFA Cup

2014/15 - 6th Premier League Intertoto Cup

2015/16 - 3rd Premier League UEFA Cup

2016/17 - Currently 3rd after 21 games

Portuguese Cup Semi Final x3, Final once.

UEFA Cup lost in 2nd knockout both times with Newcastle still to play this season in it.

Some of my key players (and why this shouldn't be part of Gundo's)

Alejandro Bernal

Terrance David

Naby Diallo

Alin Luca

José Núñez

Ebrima Sohna

Alain Traoré

Boris Sagredo Doesn't play for me anymore but my first really big signing

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Originally posted by DodgeeD:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by rlipscombe:

Quacky, are you still doing this challenge?? how's life in Portugese top flight??

shame this challenge doesn't seem to be taking off - it's a good idea i reckon...

It is a shame - maybe too many people are already fully absorbed in dafuge's and gundo's challenges... I would like to do it but I already have too many games on the go. I think if this challenge is repeated for FM09 and it starts early, it will take off. icon14.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That is what I've assumed. Hopefully I can get it out early after the release of FM09 (Depending on if I get the game on realase or at christmas like this year) as I aim to sim through and get dates for resets etc. to make the op more informative! Still, people are more than welcome to take up the challenge, and I will be following the progress of any posters!

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  • 2 weeks later...

right, so i have decided, as a side game to my career and Gundo games, to try and get this thread moving again, as i feel it is a good challenge that needs recognition.

i have decided to play in Spain, and am the new manager at Club Polideportivo Cacereño. i will post the screenshots later when i get home.

the sqaud was empty except for half a dozen 16 year olds, so alot of work to do. i have already begun bringing in players though, and will post the squad once i have completed it.

hopefully one or two others fancy giving this a go.... the choice is yours!!

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Originally posted by rlipscombe:

As promised, my profile and information page.

Profile

Information

Oh God I really do not like the green, I think I will follow along here while I play my NZ Challenge game. I like the idea of this one, I just struggle to find time to play 1 or 2 games without picking up a third, but I will post in here to follow things and may do it if I ever complete my NZ Challenge, or find an end to my Career game.

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Originally posted by Des Tiny:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by rlipscombe:

As promised, my profile and information page.

Profile

Information

Oh God I really do not like the green, I think I will follow along here while I play my NZ Challenge game. I like the idea of this one, I just struggle to find time to play 1 or 2 games without picking up a third, but I will post in here to follow things and may do it if I ever complete my NZ Challenge, or find an end to my Career game. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ha ha. the green was actually one of the things that drew me to them.... icon_biggrin.gif bit different to red, blue or white......

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Originally posted by rlipscombe:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Des Tiny:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by rlipscombe:

As promised, my profile and information page.

Profile

Information

Oh God I really do not like the green, I think I will follow along here while I play my NZ Challenge game. I like the idea of this one, I just struggle to find time to play 1 or 2 games without picking up a third, but I will post in here to follow things and may do it if I ever complete my NZ Challenge, or find an end to my Career game. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ha ha. the green was actually one of the things that drew me to them.... icon_biggrin.gif bit different to red, blue or white...... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I suppose that is something I use to choose teams, as well, something different in the colour is cool, but I have to say that one is a little hard on the eyes... But I will be following your progress with interest.

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the betting has been released for the championship and i am... 500-1 to win!! icon_eek.gif got a challenge on my hands me thinks.

the squad is coming together now, with reasonable quality, and pre-season is beginning to improve. A 1-1 draw with Barcelona U-19s has improved my confidence a bit. even though they were kids, they weren't half talented!!

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figured i'd give this a shot, looking for something to get me back into the game, and a challenge usually works!! holidayed until 2009 so the regional leagues were re-structured, and found myself a club...

me

my chosen team

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I've decided to put my spanish game on hold, and have made the move to Italy. i am the new manager of Como. A little bit of background info:

Calcio Como is an Italian football club, based in Como. The club was founded in 1907. Como currently plays in Serie D, having last been in Serie A in 2003. The team's colors are blue and white.

The club, relegated in Serie C2 at the end of the season 2004/05 after having lost a playoff (2-1 on aggregate) to Novara Calcio, was then cancelled from Italian professional football because of bankruptcy, before being admitted to Serie D, that is the top level of non-professional football in Italy.

i will post profile pic and information later. suffice to say the squad was very poor and i have a lot of work building. i have a link with AC Milan now, and have a number of young loanees from AC and Inter in so far. also made a number of permanent signings, including Paolo Di Canio (my first signing, was more for nostalgia being a Sheff Wed Fan... icon_wink.gif )

will post my squad, transfers etc once i have completed pre-season

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i do think it's an under-played challenge tbh. deserves it's place alongside Dafuge's and Gundo's, albeit a potentially easier challenge. i was going to do a game in ltaly, so just thought i might as well do this.

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I wouldn't say its really any easier than Dafuge's theres still plenty to do to escape the leagues multiple regional leagues in Spain and Italy and the other countries are harder to get a champions league winning team to than England. Of course in its ultimate goal it is simpler than Gundo's but with generally more divisions to climb and higher quality needed to be nationally dominant its harder in that respect. (exceptions, Netherlands, Sweden etc..)

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Profile

Club Information

fair way through pre-season now. although i don't like doing it, i have filled quite a lot of my squad with loan signings from the 'big' clubs (inter, milan, juventus, fiorentina...). i have signed some free transfers as well to support the squad, but it looks like i'll be trying to win with kids this year...

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Well After having completed Stage 1 of my New Zealand Challenge, I have decided I want a change for a bit so here I am heading into Italy to make myself a name icon_smile.gif Going to start this tonight and hopefully have a team before I go to sleep icon_wink.gif

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Originally posted by Des Tiny:

Well After having completed Stage 1 of my New Zealand Challenge, I have decided I want a change for a bit so here I am heading into Italy to make myself a name icon_smile.gif Going to start this tonight and hopefully have a team before I go to sleep icon_wink.gif

Welcome Des. did you pick a team in the end? i've just got back from a weekend away (well last night really) and am ready to get really stuck into Como. played a couple of Serie C cup games, which were both draws against Serie C1 teams, which is positive icon_smile.gif

also won my first league game 4-1. fingers crossed for a decent season!

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I went to sleep with it on Holiday and woke up to have 9 teams to choose from, decided on Domegliara, the smallest Stadium I have ever seen and also I thought about Como, but decided as you had them I would go elsewhere. Well Now I am alternating a night on NZ Challenge, a night editing my database for a planned game I have, and a night playing this. So tomorrow should be my night on this one unless I get stuck into either of the others when I finish work at 3 icon_smile.gif

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good luck with them. if you are a man who like to have all of the graphics, you can find them over at sortitoutsi.com forums. i've got kits and logos, and have just had a background picture of the stadium made... icon_cool.gif

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