[FM11] Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen...

[AK22]

Welcome to my FM11 Journeyman Career Thread!

Here's my game setup, starting in January 2011. 20 leagues in 10 nations. Large database on 11.3. 50000 players.

Leagues Loaded

England - The Home of Football. I will look to build my career up in the lower leagues early on.

Spain - A country also known for its football heritage, I've enjoyed managing here in previous games.

Italy - Even though it can be quite low scoring at time, these leagues have a history of big rivalries which I would like to experience.

France - As a rule I don't particularly like the French, but I do like their cheese and pastries so would consider going here at some point.

Germany - I will do almost anything for a Currywurst, so would definitely manage here!

Brazil - Exciting football, even though the league structure is bonkers, would be exciting to manage here at some point.

Argentina - Never managed here before, but always thought it could be a challenge.

The Wildcards

Mexico, South Korea and Russia - Having Mexico and South Korea loaded will give me opportunities to manage in other continental competitions that I don't normally play in. Russia is chosen as an alternative European league, and with it running Mar-Nov, it provides a different perspective to European football.

Manager Ambitions

Here's my starting manager profile, unemployed with Sunday League experience.


- As a Liverpool supporter, I would want to take charge and restore them to their former glory as the biggest team in England. If I get to destroy Man Utd in the process, even better!

- My 2 local teams are Southampton and Portsmouth, so I would like an opportunity to manage at least one of these clubs at some point.

- With leagues on 4 continents loaded, I would like to win the Champions League (or equivalent) on all the different continents if the opportunities arrise.

I will be updating 4/5 times a season including a pre-season and end-of-season update, with a couple of updates in the middle.

And so it begins...

[AK22]

Career History

Club Career

Season    Team            League          Finish  Cups            
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010/11   Thurrock F.C.   BSS             15th    N/A             
2011/12   Thurrock F.C.   BSS             2nd     FA Cup 2nd Rd, FA Trophy 1st Rd
2012/13   Thurrock F.C.   BSP             1st     FA Cup 1st Rd, FA Trophy 3rd Rd
2013/14   Thurrock F.C.   League 2        5th     FA Cup 1st Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2014/15   Thurrock F.C    League 2        6th     FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2015/16   Thurrock F.C    League 2        6th     FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd, JPT 1st Rd
2016/17   Nottm Forest    League 1        3rd     FA Cup 3rd Rd
2017/18   Nottm Forest    League 1        1st     FA Cup 2nd Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2018/19   Southampton     Championship    5th     FA Cup 3rd Rd
2019/20   Southampton     Championship    4th     FA Cup 5th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21   Southampton     Premier League  7th     FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd
2021/22   Southampton     Premier League  8th     FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup 3rd
2022/23   Lazio           Serie A         1st     Europa League RU, Coppa Italia TIM SF
2023/24   Lazio           Serie A         1st     Champions League Last 16, Coppa Italia TIM RU
2024/25   Lazio           Serie A         1st     Champions League QF, Coppa Italia TIM Winner
2025/26   Lazio           Serie A         1st     Champions League Last 16, Coppa Italia TIM Winner
2026      Cruzeiro EC     Brasileirao     1st     Copa Sudamericana Winner
2027      Cruzeiro EC     Brasileirao     1st     Campeonato Mineiro Winner, Copa Libertadores QF, Copa Sudamericana SF
2028      Cruzeiro EC     Brasileirao     N/A     Campeonato Mineira Winner, Copa Libertadores RU, RESIGNED 11/07/2028
2028      Spartak Moscow  Prem'er Liga    1st     Champions League Group Stage
2029      Spartak Moscow  Prem'er Liga    2nd     Champions League Group Stage, Europa League 1st KO Rd, Kubok Russii SF
2030      Spartak Moscow  Prem'er Liga    1st     Champions League Group Stage, Europa League 2nd KO Rd, Kubok Russii Winner
2031      Spartak Moscow  Prem'er Liga    1st     Champions League Group Stage, Europa League 1st KO Rd, Kubok Russii QF
2031/32   At. Madrid      La Liga         4th     Champions League Winner
2032/33   At. Madrid      La Liga         2nd     Champions League Last 16, Club World Cup Winners, Copa del Rey QF
2033/34   At. Madrid      La Liga         1st     Champions League Last 16, Copa del Rey RU
2034/35   At. Madrid      La Liga         2nd     Champions League QF, Copa del Rey Winner
2035/36   At. Madrid      La Liga         1st     Champions League Winner, Copa del Rey QF
2036/37   1.FC Köln       Bundesliga      7th     N/A
2037/38   1.FC Köln       Bundesliga      8th     DFB-Pokal Runner-Up
2038/39   1.FC Köln       Bundesliga      3rd     DFB-Pokal Winners, Europa League QF
2039/40   1.FC Köln       Bundesliga      3rd     DFB-Pokal Runner-Up, Champions League Group Stage, Europa League SF
2040/41   1.FC Köln       Bundesliga      1st     Champions League Last 16, DFB-Pokal Semi-Final

International Career

Season    Team                Achievements               
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010         
2011         
2012         
2013         
2014          
2015          
2016          
2017          
2018           
2019           
2020           
2021           
2022      Russia U21s         Qualified for U21s European Championship via Playoff.  
2023      Russia U21s         Finished 4th in Group B at U21s Euros. Resigned.  
2024      Belgium           
2025      Belgium             Finished 1st in Group 4. Qualified for World Cup. 
2026      Belgium/England     Reached 2nd Round at World Cup. Resigned.
2027      England
2028      England             Reached Semi-Final at European Championship.
2029      England             Finished 1st in Group 3. Qualified for World Cup.    
2030      England             Reached Quarter-Final at World Cup
2031      England             Finished 1st in Group B. Qualified for European Championship.
2032      England             European Championship Winner
2033      England             Finished 1st in Group 5. Qualified for World Cup.
2034      England             3rd Place at World Cup
2035
2036      France 
2037      France              Finished 1st in Group 8. Qualified for World Cup.
2038      France              World Cup Winner
2039      France              Finished 1st in Group F. Qualified for European Championship.
2040      France              Reached Quarter-Final at European Championship. Resigned.

Manager Awards

2010/11 : None
2011/12 : Blue Square South Manager of the Month x 3 (February, March, April)
2012/13 : Blue Square Premier Manager of the Year
2013/14 : npower League 2 Manager of the Month (October)
2014/15 : npower League 2 Manager of the Month (March)
2015/16 : npower League 2 Manager of the Year, npower League 2 Manager of the Month (October)
2016/17 : None
2017/18 : npower League 1 Manager of the Month (August, October)
2018/19 : None
2019/20 : npower Championship Manager of the Month (December, February)
2020/21 : Barclays Premier League Manager of the Year
2021/22 : Barclays Premier League Manager of the Year (2nd Place)
2022/23 : None
2023/24 : Associazione Italiana Calciatori Miglior Allenatore
2024/25 : Associazione Italiana Calciatori Miglior Allenatore
2025/26 : Associazione Italiana Calciatori Miglior Allenatore (2nd Place)
2026 : None
2027 : None
2028 : None
2029 : Russian Manager of the Year (2nd Place)
2030 : Russian Manager of the Year
2031 : Russian Manager of the Year (2nd Place)
2031/32 : None
2032/33 : Premio Don Balon Mejor entrenador del ano (2nd Place)
2033/34 : Premio Don Balon Mejor entrenador del ano (2nd Place)
2034/35 : None
2035/36 : Premio Don Balon Mejor entrenador del ano (2nd Place)
2036/37 : None
2037/38 : None
2038/39 : Fußballtrainer des Jahres, Spielers Fußball-Trainer des Jahres
2039/40 : None
2040/41 : Fußballtrainer des Jahres, Spielers Fußball-Trainer des Jahres

[AK22]

Roll of Honour

World Cup

Year      Winners      Runner-Up      3rd Place      Hosts
-------------------------------------------------------------------
2014      Croatia      Brazil         Spain          Brazil
2018      Brazil       Russia         Belgium        Russia
2022      France       Spain          Portugal       Qatar  
2026      Brazil       Spain          Portugal       Mexico
2030      Spain        Brazil         Italy          Portugal
2034      Spain        Argentina      England        China
2038      France       Spain          England        USA

European Championship

Year      Winners      Runner-Up          Hosts
----------------------------------------------------------
2012      England      Scotland           Poland/Ukraine
2016      France       Serbia             France
2020      Germany      England            Spain
2024      Czech Rep    Portugal           Italy
2028      Spain        Portugal           England
2032      England      Spain              Germany
2036      Italy        Turkey             France
2040      Italy        Portugal           Spain

Champions League

Year      Winners       Runner-Up          Hosts
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2011      Barcelona     Real Madrid        Wembley, London
2012      Inter Milan   AC Milan           Allianz-Arena, Munich
2013      Real Madrid   Roma               San Nicola, Bari
2014      Napoli        Chelsea            Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2015      Man Utd       Chelsea            Guiseppe Meazza, Milan
2016      Man Utd       Chelsea            Olympiastadion, Berlin
2017      Real Madrid   Arsenal            Izmir Ataturk, Izmir
2018      Real Madrid   Tottenham          Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow
2019      Barcelona     Stuttgart          San Marnes Barria, Bilbao
2020      Sampdoria     Inter Milan        Swedbank Arena, Stockholm
2021      Man Utd       Barcelona          Delle Alpi, Turin
2022      Lyon          Zenit              Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels
2023      Man Utd       Valencia           Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
2024      At. Madrid    Man Utd            Old Trafford, Manchester
2025      Tottenham     Sampdoria          Estadio de Madrid, Madrid
2026      At. Madrid    Man City           Stade Felix Bollaert, Lens
2027      Man Utd       Lazio              Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
2028      At. Madrid    Zenit              Sukru Saracoglu, Istanbul
2029      Real Madrid   Man Utd            Luzhniki, Moscow
2030      Lazio         Marseille          OAKA Spyros Louis, Athens
2031      Marseille     Barcelona          Estadio do Dragao, Porto
2032      At. Madrid    Barcelona          Aviva Stadium, Dublin
2033      Man Utd       Marseille          Hassler Arena, Koln
2034      Lyon          Man Utd            San Nicola, Bari
2035      Man Utd       Arsenal            Nuevo Mestalla, Valencia
2036      At. Madrid    Man Utd            Artemio Franchi, Florence
2037      Lazio         Marseille          Izmir Atatürk
2038      Man Utd       Lazio              Rostov-na-Donu, Rostov-na-Donu
2039      At. Madrid    Marseille          Emirates Stadium, London
2040      Marseille     Man Utd            Estadio Nacional, Lisbon
2041      Real Madrid   Tottenham          La Cartuja, Sevilla

Europa League

Year      Winners       Runner-Up          Hosts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011      Palermo       CSKA Moscow        Aviva Stadium, Dublin
2012      At. Madrid    Monaco             National Arena, Bucharest
2013      AC Milan      Monaco             Gelredome, Arnham
2014      Sevilla       Liverpool          St. Jakobspark, Basel
2015      Villarreal    Liverpool          Camp Nou, Barcelona
2016      Inter Milan   Tottenham          Estadio Nacional, Lisbon
2017      Lazio         Aston Villa        Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund 
2018      Lille         St. Etienne        San Paolo, Naples
2019      Liverpool     Lazio              St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton
2020      Man City      Chelsea            Bulgarska, Poznan
2021      AC Milan      Inter Milan        La Cartuja, Sevilla
2022      At. Madrid    Schalke            Victor Prokopenko Stadium, Odesa
2023      Sunderland    Lazio              Panathinaikos Arena, Athens
2024      Lyon          Liverpool          Saransk, Saransk 
2025      Inter Milan   Benfica            Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul
2026      Chelsea       Malaga             Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus
2027      Dortmund      Chelsea            Delle Alpi, Turin
2028      Fiorentina    Man Utd            Stade Velodrome, Marseille
2029      Bari          Palermo            Cluj Arena, Cluj Napoca
2030      Tottenham     Malaga             ESPIRIT arena, Dusseldorf
2031      Chelsea       Porto              Turk Telekom Arena, Istanbul
2032      Man City      Inter Milan        Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2033      Leverkusen    Valencia           Stade de France, Saint-Denis
2034      Chelsea       Schalke            FC Krasnodar, Krasnodar
2035      Malaga        Fiorentina         Parken, Copenhagen
2036      Liverpool     Palermo            Anfield, Liverpool
2037      Lyon          Dortmund           Yaroslavi, Yaroslavi
2038      Malaga        Schalke            De Kuip, Rotterdam
2039      Fiorentina    Sunderland         Villa Park, Birmingham
2040      Chelsea       Lazio              VELTINS-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
2041      Palermo       FC Bayern          Cassano Park, Genova

[letissierandhenryaregreat]

- My 2 local teams are Southampton and Portsmouth, so I would like an opportunity to manage at least one of these clubs at some point.

Whatever you do, wherever you go, make sure you don't manage Portsmouth.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen...Go To Thurrock

Mid-Season 2010/11

Thurrock F.C. are a semi-professional club playing in the Blue Square South. They were formed as Purfleet in 1985 but changed their name in 2003. Their best season saw them finish 3rd in the BSS in 2004/05. Home games are played at Ship Lane which has a capacity of 4500 (300 seated) and has basic corporate and training facilities, basic youth recruitment and minimal youth facilities. Currently there is only 27 season ticket holders.

Here's the link for more detailed information about the club.

After applying for all the available jobs on 01/01/2011, I received offers back from Thurrock and Solihull Moors. After the real life death of the Solihull manager, it didn't seem right to go there so I plumped for Thurrock instead and signed a 6-month PT contract on £475 p/w. Naturally there is no transfer budget and we are spending £2691 of our £2700 wage budget so there's not much flex there either.

I take over a club who are sitting comfortably in mid-table, 10 points adrift of the playoffs and 9 points clear of the relegation zone. They had have already been knocked out of the cups prior to my appointment. My initial impressions are that mid-table is just about right for the club in its current state.

My objectives for the rest of the season are:

- Consolidate our position in the league, mid-table will do just fine for now.

- Sort out the backroom staff. We currently have 2 assistants but no scouts.

- Get the new scouts scouting for some talent.

- Try to bring in a couple of frees to help shore up the defence that is currently the 2nd worse in the league.


First game is at home to Dover on January 3rd so very little preparation time unfortunately.

[Luton Town]

Good luck with Thurrock.

[AK22]

Whatever you do, wherever you go, make sure you don't manage Portsmouth.

Well, I can't guarantee that, even though it would be unlikely I would manage both (we all know how it worked out with Harry!)

Good luck with Thurrock.

Thanks

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

January/February 2011 Update

After a spectacular start against Dover, we went through a very sticky patch with 0 wins in 5 games which included a 4-0 drubbing at home to Eastleigh. My initial impressions of the team were severely questioned after these results and part of me thought we could be dragged into the relegation dog fight. A tweak in tactics and my fears were alleviated after wins against Boreham Wood and promotion candidates Bromley. This left us back in 11th place, where we were when I started, still 11 points off the playoffs but now 13 points away from relegation. My record reads 4-2-3 after 9 games. Defence still wobbly too!

Transfer wise, I have brought in 4 players on free transfers; a decent centre back, a full back who can play on both flanks, a versatile midfielder and tall striker. Finances are extremely tight, not helped by average gate of only 219.

[offen94]

A solid start, keep it up!

And I see you lost to Welling, I'm managing them in my Journeyman career, it's a pretty fun league to manage in.

[433tom]

Nice job getting things back to steady state. How many points are you off from a playoff spot now?

[AK22]

A solid start, keep it up!

And I see you lost to Welling, I'm managing them in my Journeyman career, it's a pretty fun league to manage in.

Welling have done pretty well this season. They beat us twice on their way to 6th, missing out on the playoffs by a point.

Nice job getting things back to steady state. How many points are you off from a playoff spot now?

Miles off the playoffs, never really on the horizon tbh. Closest I ever got was 11 points away, improvements needed!

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

March/April 2011 Update

The season run-in turned into a damp squib. Only 2 wins in 10 games is not impressive at all. I didn't expect much from the last 3 matches as they were against top 6 teams, but even still, the performances were poor and I am starting to question my team's commitment. Our home form is a big cause for concern as I have only won 2 games at Ship Lane since taking over.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Season 2010/11 Review

Blue Square South - 15th League Table Position Graph Season Summary

FA Cup - Knocked out before my arrival

FA Carlsberg Trophy - Knocked out before my arrival

After taking over a club in 11th position, I managed to make them worse and with a terrible run of results in April, 15th was probably as good as it was going to get. We finished 9 points clear of relegation but a considerable 17 points off the playoffs. Farnborough and Braintree were the teams who celebrated promotion, whereas Boreham Wood, St. Albans and Weston-Super-Mare were relegated.

Finances- In summary, we're broke and losing money! Average Attendance - 231

Transfer Summary- 4 in, 5 out, all on frees. No specular purchases.

Key Players - None. All equally average at the moment.

Team of the Year

Fans Player of the Year - Adam Gross (DL). His average rating of 7.03 says it all really!

Review of Season Objectives

- Consolidate our position in the league, mid-table will do just fine for now.

Achieved. Even though we were never in danger of going down, our form was quite alarming towards the end of the season

- Sort out the backroom staff. We currently have 2 assistants but no scouts.

Achieved. Brought in 2 scouts but more work to do in the summer.

- Get the new scouts scouting for some talent.

Achieved. The 2 scouts have been scouring for talent across the UK and France, so can strengthen the team in the summer.

- Try to bring in a couple of frees to help shore up the defence that is currently the 2nd worse in the league.

Not Achieved. Brought in 2 defenders but still leaking goals when we shouldn't be. 5th worse defence is an improvement on the 2nd worse defence I inherited.

The board seem reasonably happy and my job status is 'stable', so I've signed a 1 year extension on my contract still on £475 p/w.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Reasonable enough start.

What's happened to the Berwick save?

[AK22]

Reasonable enough start.

What's happened to the Berwick save?

Having a little break from the Berwick save as my enjoyment was starting to wane after 16 seasons. Normally, I would change clubs when this happens, but that isn't really an option in this case.

Will still do an odd season/update now and again though but the progress will be slower.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Pre Season 2011/12

Board Expectations

Blue Square South - Safe mid-table position Media Prediction - 17th Title Odds - 40-1

FA Cup - 4th Qualifying Round

FA Carlsberg Trophy - 1st Round

Transfer Budget: £0 Wage Budget: £2.7k p/w (currently £2681 p/w)

Facilities - Unchanged on last season Season Ticket Sales - 27 (Down 1)

Youth Intake - Cack!

Transfer Summary 11 transfer in, 12 out, all on frees. Backroom staff also shaken up with a new Ass Man coming in, a new coach, a scout and a physio.

Notable Transfers

- Eugene Kangulungu - Former DR Congo international, at 35 is now past his back but I hope his experience will be invaluable as I try to shore up our defence. Should be a threat at set-pieces too.

- Matias Chiacchio - Argentine striker with a bit of a bad injury record. If I can keep him fit, he should be a class act in this league.

- Cristian Peruchini - Another Argentine who plays in the hole. Another player who is more than decent for this level.

- Ryan Doble - Versatile young Welshman. Has good physical stats for his age. Should improve over a couple of seasons and will probably play league football at some stage.

- Karim Chatilla - Has 1 cap for Canada, this strong MC should help strengthen the core of the team.

My objectives for the season:

- Consolidate our status in the BSS, a top half position would be very satisfactory. With the media predicting us to finish 17th, we will do well to avoid being drawn into the relegation dogfight.

- Tighten the defence. I'd prefer to win matches 1-0 rather than 4-2. A change in formation to 4-4-1-1 should make us harder to break down.

- A decent cup run would really help the finances which are seriously in the red now.

- Continue to look for bargains in the transfer market. Will only buy players that majorly improve upon what I've already got as wage budget is near enough maxed-out.

[Luton Town]

Good luck this season

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Autumn 2011 Update

We started shakily with 3 games without a win but then the new players and new formation started to gel and we started to pick up results against teams of a higher standing. Confidence in the team started to grow and we find ourselves in a good position going into the winter period. The league is very congested at the top of the table and we are only a couple of wins off the playoffs, so things are looking positive at the moment. We've also made it to the 1st Round of the FA Cup where we will face Gillingham at home. This will generate some much needed income.

On a downside, our strength in depth is worryingly lacking. My concerns about Chiacchio's fitness were proven as it appears he is made of cheese, having only started 4 games since his arrival having suffered with a sprained ankle, groin strain and brusied thigh. Also, my new ML, Aziz Mady-Mogne, played 5 games before breaking his foot and will miss 5-6 months of action. Apart from these two, the new signings have all settled quite well so far!

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Winter 2011/12 Update

Despite December being a rocky month, we came out the other side in a very respectable position and right in the mix to fight for a play-off place. The weeks of playing Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday are virtually over, which will be a great relief to my squad, as their fitness is in serious decline. Even with 2 days rest after a game, I was starting players on 85% fitness which meant they would be knackered by half time. A couple of new signings joined us in January, a DC and a FC, who both signed on for cheap wages and will provide me with a first team squad of 21 players for the run-in.

The highlight of this period was the remarkable 1-0 win over Gillingham in the FA Cup 1st Round. We really shouldn't have had a chance against the League 1 opposition, however, they didn't play very well and we managed to knick a goal on the counter attack and then clung on for dear life! Luton put pay to us in the next round but this was enough to improve the bank balance slightly and increase my reputation up to 'regional'.

It is also worth noting that the 52 points we have already this season is the same amount that we finished the previous season on. Hopefully this, and the cup run, will be enough for the board to extend my contract which is due to expire at the end of the season. I've been dropping hints!

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Spring 2012 Update

An unbelievable run of games saw us go unbeaten from the 2nd of January, which included a league and club record of 16 wins in a row. Everything just seemed to click at the right time with every player contributing to the team's performance, and this was good enough to win me Manager of the Month for both February and March. This run of form catapulted us up into the title race along side Dover. However, they were unstoppable too, and having scored over 100 goals, they deserved to secure automatic promotion more than we did. So we're off to the playoffs and I'm feeling quietly confident. If we can continue our run of form, we will certainly have a good chance of going up, and even if we don't, it's still been an amazing season for the club.

A point of note is that last season 76 points was enough to guarantee promotion as champions. This year 76 points would have been only good enough for 7th place.

[rjfreeman]

Nice run. GL in the playoffs.

[MattSpurs94]

If you'd beaten Hampton and Richmond, you would of won the league by one point

Good luck in the play-offs

[AK22]

Nice run. GL in the playoffs.

If you'd beaten Hampton and Richmond, you would of won the league by one point

Good luck in the play-offs

Cheers Playoff update coming up...

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

BSS Playoffs 2012 Update

We did it!

In the semi-final we completely battered Bishop's Stortford in the first leg to take a 4 goal advantage back to Ship Lane. We played out a meaningless 1-1 draw but my dopey left back decided to get himself sent-off and would miss the final.

The BSS Playoff Final is not played at a neutral ground, it is hosted by the highest finishing team. This played out in our favour as we had finish 2nd, however I was not going to take Ebsfleet for granted as they had finish 3rd. The media were backing Ebsfleet too, so I expected a tight game.

We completely dominated from the whistle, so I was extremely angry when we gifted them a goal after 38 mins. Chatilla redeemed himself for his own goal, as he was the player who won the penalty which provided us the equaliser. We scored within 5 minutes of the break and survived a nervy final half hour where Ebsfleet never really got close to equalising but we couldn't kill off the game with a 3rd goal. For the first time in history, Thurrock F.C. will be in the Blue Square Premier next season!

[uncle ron]

Well done on the play-offs victory. A great end to your first season at Thurrock

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Season 2011/12 Review

Blue Square South - 2nd (Promoted via Playoffs). A club record high. League Table Position Graph Season Summary

FA Cup - 2nd Round

FA Carlsberg Trophy - 1st Round

A great season in which we achieved more than I could have ever hoped for. Getting promoted was never on the cards at the beginning of the season but once we started gathering momentum, we grew stronger and stronger. 23 games in a row unbeaten is a big achievement for a club of this stature and the players must be credited for pulling together and driving forward as a unit. The cup victory over Gillingham proved what a plucky side I am building and the board have recognised the achievement by extending my contract for another season. Meanwhile, it was heartache for Sutton Utd, Tiverton and Kingstonian as they were relegated out of the BSS.

Finances - Only made a small loss this season helped by the cup run but still a mess!
Average Attendance - 560 (A club record 2709 saw the playoff final)

Transfer Summary - Major activity over the season with 16 coming in and 18 players leaving us. Once again all free transfers.

Key Players -

- Cristian Peruchini - Played in 'the hole' and had an excellent season. 13 assists and 17 goals showed how well he linked up with compatriot Chiacchio.

- Matias Chiacchio - 'Mr Sicknote' proved his worth when he wasn't on the treatment table. Our league topscorer with 17 goals in 34 games.

- David Hutton - Great performances from the right side of midfield. 24 assists and 11 goals from our set-piece specialist.

Team of the Year- Couldn't have chosen better myself!

Fans Player of the Year - Cristian Peruchini

Review of Season Objectives

- Consolidate our status in the BSS, a top half position would be very satisfactory. With the media predicting us to finish 17th, we will do well to avoid being drawn into the relegation dogfight.

Achieved. More than surpassed this objective with an unexpected promotion.

- Tighten the defence. I'd prefer to win matches 1-0 rather than 4-2. A change in formation to 4-4-1-1 should make us harder to break down.

Achieved. 34 goals conceded in the league meant we had the second tightest defence behind Dover. Surely will be tested further in the BSP.

- A decent cup run would really help the finances which are seriously in the red now.

Achieved. The cup run happened, but we still didn't quite breakeven over the course of the season. I'm not sure what else I can do here!

- Continue to look for bargains in the transfer market. Will only buy players that majorly improve upon what I've already got as wage budget is near enough maxed-out.

Achieved. My scouts did a great job and uncovered a few gems who could and should play at a higher level. The team feels like 'my team' now as the first choice 11 are all players I have signed.

[AK22]

Well done on the play-offs victory. A great end to your first season at Thurrock

Thanks uncle ron Really satisfying to see the progress we made this season, hope we can hack in the BSP!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Well done cheap man's AK47.

[AK22]

Euro 2012 Update

Hosts: Poland & Ukraine

Holders: Spain

In what was a tremendous tournament for the Home Nations, England went on to beat Scotland 4-1 in the final, with Wayne Rooney getting a hat-trick (we can only dream it will happen IRL ). Even Ireland made it to the QF too!

Shock results saw Serbia knockout Spain in the Quarter-Finals, and France and Holland fail to make it out of their respective groups.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Pre Season 2012/13

Board Expectations

Blue Square Premier - Fight bravely against relegation Media Prediction - 24th Title Odds - 33-1

FA Cup - 1st Round

FA Carlsberg Trophy - 2nd Round

Transfer Budget: £0 Wage Budget: £3.8k p/w (currently £2883 p/w)

Facilities - No improvements, the pitch is getting worse though! Season Ticket Sales - 52 (+26)

Youth Intake - No-one of note

Transfer Summary - All free transfer, 8 come in, 4 leave us. 4 new scouts join us too.

Notable Transfers

- Junior Miranda - An experience Brazilian midfielder. Great physical stats and my scouts think he's good enough for League One. Hopefully will adapt to life in Thurrock.

- Chris Holroyd - Will be Chiacchio back-up. Released from Brighton but is good enough for this level.

- Joan Angel Roman - 19 year old centre midfielder, released from Man City. Once again good physical stats so should do well in this league.

- Kuami Agboh - I needed a back-up left back and this former Togo international was going for a free. He's 34 now but I won't expect him to play every game anyway.

My objectives for the season:

- Survival! I hope we don't find ourselves completely out of our depth but we are a very small club in comparison with the other teams in the league. If we can do well against some of the other small clubs we may do well enough to get a lower mid-table finish.

- Keep improving the squad. My scouts can now scout the whole of Europe so I've sent them off to see what they can find. Any player who can improve matters will be brought in as long as their wage demands are realistic.

- Improve the finances. Still in the red. Might have to consider robbing a bank if we don't get some investment from somewhere.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Autumn 2012 Update

We started well with 4 wins in our first 6 matches which included a convincing 4-1 win over Altrincham. Then of course, my 38 year old first choice goalkeeper, Joel Eboue, gets injured in training and will miss 5/6 months with a broken pelvis (he has since announced his pending retirement at the end of the season too). His back-up, Joe Woolley, came in for the game against Newport County and concedes six! I went out in a panic and signed the first half-decent 'keeper my scouts recommended. Jamal Blackman was the lucky man, released from Chelsea and only 19 but has kept a couple of clean sheets since. Needless to say, Woolley is now very much transfer-listed and is fourth choice now behind Eboue, Blackman and my Mum.

League-wise it is quite close, 4 points off the play-offs, 8 points clear of the relegation zone. I'd be happy to stay around the mid-table point for the rest of the season and try and sort out our leaky defence. It could be worse considering bottom side Kidderminster only have 1 point from their 17 games so far

No cup giant-killing this season either but we did make a game of it against Crewe at least.

[Luton Town]

Well done on your start in the Blue Square Prem

[AK22]

Cheers Luton Town

Still doing ok but just had this pop up. (Game date: 03/01/2013)



Stockport are a much bigger club. They are professional and have a wage budget 4 times bigger than what I can spend at Thurrock. They were predicted to finish 2nd in the BSP this season but are having a shocker and currently sit 18th, only 4 points above the relegation zone and 12 points behind Thurrock at the moment, where we're sitting 10th but just 1 point off 5th and the playoffs.

Not sure what to do at the moment, saved the game and going to think about it while I have my lunch! I'm doing well at Thurrock still but I can see a bigger long term future at Stockport if I can keep them up which is possible as we have 20 league matches still to play.

[AK22]

Decided to stay put with Thurrock for the time being. Stockport is a good opportunity but I think I owe to Thurrock to at least see out the season and guarentee them BSP status for another year. I'm being linked with a few other League 2/BSP teams so might have to make further decisions in the summer.

My loyalty has been rewarded with a 5-2 win over Crawley in the first match since rejecting Stockport!

[Luton Town]

Im my opinion a good decision. In real life if Stockport do down i can't see them going back into the league any time soon.

[rjfreeman]

I'm glad you decided to stay Thurrock.

[AK22]

Thanks guys, hopefully I won't live to regret it!

Stockport ended up appointing some bloke called Mike Walsh who's last managerial post was with Barrow in 1996! Scraping the 'Barrow' springs to mind... groan

[433tom]

Stockport ended up appointing some bloke called Mike Walsh who's last managerial post was with Barrow in 1996! Scraping the 'Barrow' springs to mind... groan

And you were his competition.

[AK22]

Never thought of it like that!

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Winter 2012/13 Update

After resisting the alluring advances from Stockport, I'm pretty certain I've made the right decision to stay at Ship Lane. We've continued our steady progress throughout the season and sit in the pounds seat as the season run-in starts. The table is mighty close, so any slip-ups could drop us back into mid-table which would still be acceptable by the board but I think we could do better than that. Newport look like running away with the league and I reckon Lincoln will take 2nd but 3rd-5th are certainly up for grabs. In Kidderminster news, they are now up and running with wins over Barrow and AFC Telford, but alas, it looks like they've left it too late as they are 25 points away from safety!!

Defensively we are still looking frail at times, and we're not particularly competant at defending set-pieces either. A slight concern that I will look to address in the summer. Our star turn so far has to be Junior Miranda. He's got 20 goals and 13 assists and everytime he plays well, we win. Unfortunately, we may have turned into a 1 man team, he's that good (or the rest are that bad!)

[B.W.G]

Looking good so far, hope your loyalty to Thurrock rewards you

[Luton Town]

Good luck hope you make the playoffs

[AK22]

Looking good so far, hope your loyalty to Thurrock rewards you

Fingers crossed. Definitely staying until the end of season even though my name's being banded around for sorts of jobs at the moment.

Good luck hope you make the playoffs

Hopefully, but it's too close to call at the moment. Even if we do make it, it won't be as straightforwards as last season's was.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Spring 2013 Update

An absolutely amazing end to the season. We hit a great run of form through February and into March which catapulted us on to the back of Lincoln and runaway leaders Newport County. I thought the defeat against relegation-troubled Barrow would rule us of the race for automatic promotion and we would have to face the roulette wheel of the playoffs, but Newport and Lincoln had other ideas.

Lincoln only won 9 points from their last 5 games and Newport completely bottled-it when it mattered most. At one stage they had an eight point advantage at the top but their last 5 matches saw them only earn 2 points (the 2nd worst record in the league) and surely their morale has been damaged so much that a playoff victory will now be unlikely.

I'm not sure if we deserved to win the league, 11 defeats and 60 goals conceded showed we weren't infallible, and in the previous 2 seasons, 90+ points were needed to go up automatically. However, the table doesn't lie, and even though we didn't lead the table until after 45 games, we were in the right place at the right time.

Remember Stockport? No? Neither do I ....

[Luton Town]

Loyalty is the key

[rjfreeman]

Congratulations

[B.W.G]

Congrats on promotion

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Season 2012/13 Review

Blue Square Premier - 1st Champions. A club record high. League Table Position Graph Season Summary

FA Cup - 1st Round

FA Carlsberg Trophy - 3rd Round

A great achievement by the team to earn a totally unexpected promotion. Clinching it on the final day made it an even sweeter but I'm still not quite sure how we did it! However, it was enough to ensure I picked up Manager of the Year, even though I never won any of the monthly awards this season. Lincoln won the playoffs and will join us in League 2, whereas Alfreton, Dover, Braintree and Kidderminster all got relegated. The Harriers finished bottom with 23 points so they made a slight recovery, it could have been a lot worse for them! No cup runs for us this season but I'm not bothered, I'm much more satisfied with the BSP Trophy!

Finances - Brassic! Made a loss of £41k this year.
Average Attendance - 605 (up 45)

Transfer Summary - A fair bit of activity over the season but still no money spent or received.

Key Players -

Junior Miranda - One of the best buys I have ever made on any FM. I'm always a bit dubious of bringing Brazilian's to the UK as they don't always settle but this guy was different! He made an instant impact and tore away the opposition in most matches. He plays in the hole and is equally adept at linking midfield and attack as he is at bombing forward to arrive late in the box. Quite rightly won BSP Player of the Year with 28 goals and 16 assists, and I think I might love him a bit! Unfortunately, he's just turned 31 so his playing days are numbered but I'm sure he'll become a club legend in the years to come.

Joe Jones - A big presence in defence. Still has a lot of learning and improving to do but I reckon he'll make the step up to League 2. He's only 20 and showing great potential so some clubs might start sniffing around soon.

Team of the Year - Dominated by Junior Miranda, but that's the way it was!

Overall Best XI - Karim Chatilla stands out as he has made 100 appearances for the club now.

Fans Player of the Year - Junior Miranda (obviously!)

Review of Season Objectives

My objectives for the season:

- Survival! I hope we don't find ourselves completely out of our depth but we are a very small club in comparison with the other teams in the league. If we can do well against some of the other small clubs we may do well enough to get a lower mid-table finish.

Achieved. We did better than survive! There were times that I couldn't believe how well we were playing but I'm sure it'll be a lot tougher in League 2.

- Keep improving the squad. My scouts can now scout the whole of Europe so I've sent them off to see what they can find. Any player who can improve matters will be brought in as long as their wage demands are realistic.

Achieved. The scouts excelled themselves this season. Unearthing a player like Junior Miranda made the difference this season as he carried the team by himself at times. Will need to continue this talent-spotting over the summer.

- Improve the finances. Still in the red. Might have to consider robbing a bank if we don't get some investment from somewhere.

Not achieved. Getting worse! All I can hope for is bigger attendance next season.

I've signed a 2 year contract extension on £700 p/w but I know that I have probably taken Thurrock as far as they can go, so I will be looking to leave after a season or two. However, my chairman is ecstatic and I've got great job security, so I'm definitely going to give League 2 a good go as I owe it to the fans and I really want to see if Junior Miranda can have the same effect in a higher division.

Season     Team             League              League Finish    Cups            
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
2010/11    Thurrock F.C.    Blue Square South   15th             N/A             
2011/12    Thurrock F.C.    Blue Square South   2nd              FA Cup 2nd Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2012/13    Thurrock F.C.    Blue Square Premier 1st              FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 3rd Round

[Luton Town]

Must be the lowest average attendance to win the BSP

[AK22]

Loyalty is the key

Thankfully it paid off and I made the right decision. Stockport recovered well though, and nearly made the playoffs.

Congratulations

Congrats on promotion

Thanks for the comments. Back-to-back promotions was unlikely. I can't see back-to-back-to-back happening though

Must be the lowest average attendance to win the BSP

That's what I thought too. We had the lowest average attendance in the league as some of the mid-table teams were getting over 2000 a game (Cambridge, Wrexham, Mansfield). Hopefully we will get some more bums on seats next season

[uncle ron]

Back to back promotions...impressive.

Are you now going for 3 in a row?

[AK22]

Back to back promotions...impressive.

Are you now going for 3 in a row?

It's highly unlikely. Mind you, I thought back-to-back promotions were unlikely too.

I think the gap in talent is quite small between the BSP and the BSS/BSN, whereas it's a bigger step up to League 2 from the BSP. Will have to wait and see I suppose, looking forward to the challenge though!

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Pre Season 2013/14

Board Expectations

npower Football League 2 - Fight bravely against relegation Media Prediction - 24th Title Odds - 16-1

FA Cup - First Round

Carling Cup - Learn from the experience

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - Learn from the experience

Transfer Budget: £0 Wage Budget: £5.5k p/w (currently £4378 p/w)

Facilities - Still shocking but we should fill the stadium this season Season Ticket Sales - 208 (+156)

Youth Intake - More cack!

Transfer Summary - 7 join us all on free transfers, 20 players released.

Notable Transfers

- David Jansen - This beanpole of a striker will give Chiacchio's some competition for his starting place. Hopefully he will chip in with a few goals to boot.

- Denis-Danso Weidlich - A decent right-sided midfielder who should do well at this level. Originally a product from the Arsenal youth academy.

- Steven Ruprecht - Another German to join the club (my scout has earned his crust!), he will fill the problem left-back position.

- Jorge Pulido - This guy played a handful of games at Atletico Madrid before being released. Highly rated by my scouts, this centre-back should go on to bigger things.

My objectives for the season:

- Give a good account of ourselves in League 2. I'm under no illusions here, it is likely we will struggle at times as we are completely out of our depth. Back-to-back promotions on a shoestring budget is a great achievement, but we are lacking quality compared to other teams in the league so I just don't want to be battered on a weekly basis! Whoever did the title odds must have been on drugs! 16-1, do me a favour!

- Maintain professional status. The club turned pro over the summer. If we stay up, we'll stay professional, if we go straight back down, it will be down to the board to make a decision on this.

- Break even. We will receive £250k in TV revenue over the season, so with working within a tight wage budget, I would hope we would clear the club debt of £120k.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Autumn 2013 Update

We've made an encouraging start to life in League 2 and find ourselves in 7th place after 15 games. A few scruffy performances, including the embarrassing 6-0 defeat at home to Hartlepool, proves that we may have rode our luck at times. We could quite easily find ourselves in a worse position pretty quickly if things start to go wrong as the table is pretty tight at this stage. A big concern is that both our goalkeepers are not good enough for this league, both having made a few howlers already. I'm also concerned about the lack of goals we are scoring; we are creating chances but the strikers can't find the net on a regular basis. I'm also maxing out my wage budget so its unlikely I can make any improvements this season.

Our fine performance in October was enough to earn me Manager of the Month and showed that we could put together a decent run of results when we put our mind to it. I must say though, on this patch, it does seem easier to go on a good run of form and record back-to-back results, even as underdogs, as long as morale is good.

The results in the cup competitions have also been spirited performances. Knocking Watford out on penalties in the Carling Cup was nailbiting to watch, as was our defeat to Premier League Fulham. We led 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, so were extremely unfortunate to get knocked-out 4-3. We also put on a good show in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, beating Luton away in the first round and then being knocked-out 5-4 on penalties against Bristol Rovers. These little cameo cup-runs have really improved the club finances, and we are now out of the black at last!

In other news, my beloved Liverpool find themselves bottom of the Premier League. With only 5 points from their first 10 games, King Kenny's magic has seemed to have worn off! Also, England needed a play-off to qualify for the 2014 World Cup after finishing second in a group containing France, Bulgaria, Norway, Georgia and Kazakhstan. This nearly cost 'Arry his job too!

[Luton Town]

Maybe you will get back to back to back promotions

[AK22]

Maybe you will get back to back to back promotions

It's true, we've made a good start, but I still consider us long-shots. Apologies for knocking Luton out of the JPT!

[AK22]

Just had another job offer...



I've delayed for a week to consider things.

My Uncle was actually banned by the Oxford board back in the early 90's when they played at the Manor Ground. He made some derogatory remarks about how the club was being run, so they banned him from all home matches even though he was a season ticket holder!

[AK22]

I've decided to stay put with Thurrock. Even though Oxford are a much bigger club (last season they were relegated from League 1), I want to guarantee Thurrock's survival in League 2 before moving on. They've appointed some new-gen manager now who was previously manager of Wealdstone and Bradford PA!

King Kenny's been sacked too as Liverpool are still bottom (behind Peterborough) and he's been replaced by Owen Coyle.

[433tom]

I've decided to stay put with Thurrock. Even though Oxford are a much bigger club (last season they were relegated from League 1), I want to guarantee Thurrock's survival in League 2 before moving on. They've appointed some new-gen manager now who was previously manager of Wealdstone and Bradford PA!

King Kenny's been sacked too as Liverpool are still bottom (behind Peterborough) and he's been replaced by Owen Coyle.

lLoks like you got a good thing going with Thurrock, though Oxford was as you said, tempting.

Liverpool bottom of table.. I luv it.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Winter 2013/14 Update

This game never ceases to amaze me. 33 games into the season, and having lost 9 games already, we find ourselves right in the mix for a shot at promotion. I honestly thought the quality of players would be higher in this league, but it appears my team, of mainly good BSP players, can maintain their competitiveness at the higher level.

At the beginning of the season, I had a points total of 50 in my head which would guarantee league football for another season. We've achieved this already so anything else is a bonus now. If we sneak a play-off/promotion place it would be great but I won't be downhearted with a mid-table finish. However, going on last season's table, 74 points would be enough for automatic promotion and I think that should be a realistic points target to aim for with 13 games to go.

A few concerns wages wise. I'm maxing out the budget at a hefty £5455 p/w but I have 7 first team players all with contract expiring at the end of the season. It will cost me an arm and a leg to renew their contracts now and tip the balance finances wise. I'm hoping to hold off to the summer and get the business done then, but clubs are sniffing around and it must be only a matter of time before they start offering terms to my players.

In other news, Liverpool have made a miraculous recovery under Owen Coyle's management. They are back up to 7th in Premier League and only 9 points off 4th. Also, Man City got knocked-out of the Champions League after only finishing 3rd in their group, behind Rangers!

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Spring 2014 Update

Going into the final game, all promotion spots were still up for grabs in a very close table. The live league table was working ten-to-the-dozen to keep up with all the results. Shrewsbury would have been disappointed to miss out on the title having lead since Christmas. Luton, on the other hand, were never top until the final whistle on the last day of the season. Exciting stuff!

We were inches away from automatic promotion, however, due to our poor end of season form, we will need to fight our way through the playoffs. Finishing 5th is a great achievement once again, surpassing all my expectations of what we could achieve. Only 3 wins in our last 8 matches cost us dear though, and I hope that we don't continue this slump in the playoffs otherwise Southend will see us off without problem. I will also have to manage without my 2 best players who got carried off injured in the final game of the season against Yeovil.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

League 2 Playoffs 2014 Update

Playoff heartbreak! The Semi-Final 2nd leg against Southend was edge of seat stuff. Going 1-0 down, them having a player sent off, and us scoring twice in the last 5 minutes was enough to take it to extra time and penalties (away goals do not count in the playoffs). We kept our nerve and converted all our spot-kicks to set up a trip to Wembley against Morecambe.

In an evenly matched final, we found ourselves unlucky to be going in at the break a goal behind. Kevin getting sent off just after an hour made our task that little bit harder. Evidently, we couldn't do enough to break through the Morcambe defence, so we miss out on promotion this season which is no bad thing, we would have struggled in League 1. The financial benefits of getting to Wembley will be a great help to the club, though I'm surprised that we managed to attract a crowd of 51574 for the final tbh.

[Luton Town]

if only you had of won one of your final 2 games of the season and there would have been no need for the playoffs. Are you planning on leaving at the end of the season or going into next season with Thurrock?

[AK22]

A couple points of interests that have occurred over the course of the season...



It appears that this wage cap in only enforced in League 2. This will make it difficult for the small clubs, such as Thurrock, to attract decent players and keep them over several seasons. However, it is refreshing to see something in place to insure the clubs don't pile themselves in debt and attempt to buy promotion.



We never received this in the BSP or BSS. I assume this has something to do with parachute payments for clubs relegated from the Premier League who got promoted back the following season (?). Well for whatever reason, we'll take the money thank you very much!

[AK22]

if only you had of won one of your final 2 games of the season and there would have been no need for the playoffs. Are you planning on leaving at the end of the season or going into next season with Thurrock?

Tell me about it! We really should have beaten Bury.

I've got a season left to run on my contract at Thurrock but I'm not going to renew it at this stage. I'll be keeping my eye out for any decent opportunities if/when they arise but I'd only consider clubs that are a step-up from Thurrock.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Season 2013/14 Review

npower League 2 - 5th League Table Position Graph Season Summary

FA Cup - 1st Round

Carling Cup - 2nd Round

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - 2nd Round

A great season overall, tinged slightly by the playoff final defeat. That being said, I'm thrilled we finished 5th in the league and I hope to be in a better position to contend for promotion again next season. Port Vale and Lincoln are the team that will drop into the BSP and sacrifice their league status. Our cup performances were respectable, with the highlight being our 4-3 defeat against Fulham. I'm pleased we gave a good account of ourselves against fairly strong Premier League opposition.

Finances - The cup prize money, the trip to Wembley and the Premier League windfall has made a big difference here. We've got over half a million in the coffers now!

Average Attendance - 2862 (up 2257)

Transfer Summary - No further activity since August due to financial constraints.

Key Players -

Matias Chiacchio - Spent a fair bit of the season being injured at crucial times but still chipped in with 21 goals and was our top scorer by a distance, the nearest only scoring 8.

Cristian Peruchini - Chiacchio's wingman regained his form this season and assisted 14 goals. It is no coincidence that our form dropped when he got injured towards the end of the season.

Team of the Year - In reality Chatilla played MC in the majority of matches.

Overall Best XI - Unchanged this year.

Fans Player of the Year - Mathias Chiacchio

Review of Season Objectives

- Give a good account of ourselves in League 2. I'm under no illusions here, it is likely we will struggle at times as we are completely out of our depth. Back-to-back promotions on a shoestring budget is a great achievement, but we are lacking quality compared to other teams in the league so I just don't want to be battered on a weekly basis! Whoever did the title odds must have been on drugs! 16-1, do me a favour!

Achieved. It couldn't have much better. Apart from the 6-0 defeat against Hartlepool, we didn't concede any more than 3 goals in a match. At the end of the day, team spirit won over talent.

- Maintain professional status. The club turned pro over the summer. If we stay up, we'll stay professional, if we go straight back down, it will be down to the board to make a decision on this.

Achieved. Due to the fact we didn't get relegated, we will remain a professional club.

- Break even. We will receive £250k in TV revenue over the season, so with working within a tight wage budget, I would hope we would clear the club debt of £120k.

Achieved. Made a profit of £800k this season so the deficit has gone and hopefully I'll have a bigger budget next season.

Career History

Season     Team             League    League Finish    Cups            
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
2010/11    Thurrock F.C.    BSS       15th             N/A             
2011/12    Thurrock F.C.    BSS       2nd              FA Cup 2nd Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2012/13    Thurrock F.C.    BSP       1st              FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 3rd Round
2013/14    Thurrock F.C.    League 2  5th              FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round, JPT 2nd Round

[rjfreeman]

Good season, all in all.

[433tom]

Very nice season. And your going to jump ship?

[AK22]

And your going to jump ship?

Not sure at the moment. Even though things are going well at Thurrock, I see it as a stepping-stone to bigger things. I've rejected the contract extension that was offered, as there was no pay increase, so that leaves me with 1 season left on it.

I'm hoping that a League 1 might take a punt on me as they won't need to pay much compensation. But if nothing turns up, I'll sign on for another season. I'm in no rush to leave but don't want to stay forever.

[Gizmo7]

Nice job your doing with Thurrock there mate. KUTGW.
Also, your centre-back Joe Jones, is that the lad from Leicester City's academy by any chance? If so, glad to see him doing well

[acidmonkey]

Its a good run with Thurrock, this is a hard one im not sure if i would stay or go, so hopefully a league 1 side will take a punt though and you can move on to bigger and better things

[B.W.G]

Doing well with Thurrock although you were very unlucky with the playoff final, quite surprised noone has come in for you.

[AK22]

Nice job your doing with Thurrock there mate. KUTGW.
Also, your centre-back Joe Jones, is that the lad from Leicester City's academy by any chance? If so, glad to see him doing well

Its a good run with Thurrock, this is a hard one im not sure if i would stay or go, so hopefully a league 1 side will take a punt though and you can move on to bigger and better things

Doing well with Thurrock although you were very unlucky with the playoff final, quite surprised noone has come in for you.

Thanks guys Had a few solid job offers from Oxford, Bury and Stockport so far. Perhaps should have gone to Oxford, but it didn't feel right to move mid-season when we were doing so well. I'm hoping for a decent offer from someone next season.

Joe Jones is the same guy who's at Leicester IRL. According to his player history he started at Arsenal, then moved to Leicester. He didn't make any appearances for either club but has made 66 appearances for Thurrock since moving to us on a free transfer. At 21 now, he's starting to mature into a solid centre-back good enough for League 1 at least

[Nobby_McDonald]

Excellent progress despite the playoff final defeat.

[jaycar]

Some good reading, very good work getting to league 1 so early!

[SRL88]

Some good reading here mate!!! I miss being the lower teams. I might have to start a career game tonight.

[AK22]

Excellent progress despite the playoff final defeat.

Some good reading, very good work getting to league 1 so early!

Thanks guys Not quite in League 1 yet i'm afraid but that's the plan. Whether I get there with Thurrock or not will depend on how the season pans out.

Some good reading here mate!!! I miss being the lower teams. I might have to start a career game tonight.

Do it! I thoroughly recommend starting at the bottom and working your way up. You get a great sense of achievement doing it this way, and as the quality is pretty bad at the bottom, a few decent signings will make a big difference.

[SRL88]

I tried last night, but just never got into it. I struggle to get into games which I dont set my mind being a certain team to be honest. It doesnt help that I am well into my Hoffe game at the moment but will try again at some point.

[AK22]

World Cup 2014 Update

Hosts: Brazil

Holders: Spain

Unfortunately England couldn't follow up their Euro's victory with a decent performance in the World Cup. They were knocked-out by Brazil in the Quarter-Final (again ). The hosts made it all the way to final, only to lose to Croatia of all teams after extra time! A strange tournament, with the QFs comprising only 3 European nations, and somehow, Costa Rica!

[Luton Town]

Croatia winning the World Cup deary me

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Pre Season 2014/15

Board Expectations

npower Football League 2 - Safe mid-table Media Prediction - 15th Title Odds - 33-1

FA Cup - First Round

Carling Cup - Learn from the experience

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - Learn from the experience

Transfer Budget: £100k Wage Budget: £7k p/w (currently £5450 p/w)

Facilities - The mudbath has gone! The board has relaid the pitch and new training facilities are being planned Season Ticket Sales - 217 (+9)

Youth Intake - Still no potential.

Transfer Summary - 7 join us all for a total of £10k, 8 leave for a handsome £55k. Bit of a gut-wrencher to lose Pulido, however, his contract would have been due-up at the end of the season and there's no way we could have met his wage demands.

Notable Transfers

Daniel Nagy - The scouts rated this young Hungarian highly. I'm slightly dubious due to his poor determination and workrate. However, I'm willing to be proved wrong but on £575 p/w is a bit of a risk.

David Field - Young striker taken on loan from Arsenal for the season. Will be third choice but will play a few games. Good physical stats for his age.

Mark Stewart - Another loan signing but from Fulham this time. Good pace to burn but very little other ability. Will be back-up left midfield.

My objectives for the season:

- Consolidation in League 2. I feel we may struggle more this season as we've lost of bit of momentum following our playoff defeat. I don't think we'll be in the relegation battle but I think high mid-table is the most likely result.

- Get a League 1 job. Purely a selfish objective. I feel this will be my last season with Thurrock as I don't think we can go much further. I will need to put myself in the shop window this season to find myself a club of the calibre I desire.

[AK22]

Now with links . I may, or may not, have been drinking...

[B.W.G]

The links work fine,good luck for the new season

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Autumn 2014 Update

We started the season in great form, with 6 wins in the first 8 games. These victories included 2 amazing performances away to Ipswich and Aston Villa in the Carling Cup. The result at Villa Park was quite remarkable, considering the Premier League side completely outplayed us. We managed to sneak a goal on the break and clung on for dear life for over an hour's worth of football. Giant-killing at its best!

We hit a ropey bit of form in the middle of September, which continued into early October. I put this down to the fact that all four of my centre-midfield players were out injured/on international duty in this period and we lost stability to the core of the team. However, this league is ultra-competitive this season, with no team being particularly dominant so far, so we're still in a good position after 15 games. At this stage, it is quite conceivable that any team in the top half can push for promotion if they have a good run, as only 7 points separate the entire top half.

I also received another job offer, for Chesterfield this time. However, they sit 3rd from bottom of League 2 so this really wouldn't be a step up, and I don't want to work for someone who spells their name Barrie instead of Barry!

[AcidBurn]

Croatia always seem to be very good on FM. Good idea to not go to Chesterfield and what a great result against Villa, good luck in the league dude.

[Lenzar]

Notice AFC Wimbledon got in League 2 in your game. Any big shocks in terms of EPL relegations?

KUTGW.

[AK22]

Croatia always seem to be very good on FM. Good idea to not go to Chesterfield and what a great result against Villa, good luck in the league dude.

Thanks I agree, Croatia have been more than decent for several editions now. Probably a bit overrated too IMO, can't see them being a WC contender IRL for 2014.

Notice AFC Wimbledon got in League 2 in your game. Any big shocks in terms of EPL relegations?

KUTGW.

AFC Wimbledon got promoted to the football league at the end of 2010/11 (they might replicate this IRL too), and have stayed there ever since.

In terms of EPL shocks, Newcastle got relegated in 2010/11 and have languished in the Championship ever since. I raised an eyebrow when Peterborough made to the top too, however, they only lasted 1 season. Man Utd and Chelsea are still the dominant forces

[AK22]

Found a couple of nice(ish!) pics of Ship Lane today. Plenty of room for development!

[433tom]

In terms of EPL shocks, Newcastle got relegated in 2010/11 and have languished in the Championship ever since.

Ypu obviously have a low shock tolerance. And nice win over the Villians.

[ManUTactician247]

Found a couple of nice(ish!) pics of Ship Lane today. Plenty of room for development!

It should be "proud members of League 2" in the 2nd pic

[AK22]

I doubt we could afford a new sign. Someone will have to get the marker pen out

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Winter 2014/15 Update

We're still making good progress in the league but too many home draws for my liking this season. We've dropped 13 points at Ship Lane (out of a possible 48). I know it's not a shocking record, but my mentality has always been that you win your home games no matter what; any points picked up on the road are a bonus. Perhaps I'm being too picky, considering we've got the 2nd best home record in the league! Our defence seems a lot more solid this season too. 10 clean sheets and the 3rd best defensive record, so I'm pleased with this at least!

A nice little FA Cup run has seen us draw Everton away in the 4th Round. I'll be happy if we don't get masacred, I think our giant-killing days are behind us now this season, even though it would please me immensly to beat them.

Still no decent job offers on the horizon. I'm undecided what I'm going to do at the end of the season. 4/5 key players are all going to leave on frees at the end of the season as we can't afford their pay demands, so a bit of rebuilding will be required. I suppose this may be no bad thing if we do end up getting promoted, as this will free up some of the budget to bring in League 1 quality players. However, if promotion doesn't materialise, it will be heartbreaking to lose a big chunk of the team I have built-up at Thurrock.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Spring 2015 Update

A dismal run through February completely derailed our promotion push, as we lost to rivals Rotherham and Wycombe. We did well to recover in March, and this form was enough to keep us in contention and earn me another League 2 Manager of the Month trophy.

We managed to climb up into 3rd, and the automatic promotion places, with 4 games to go. We had a tough run-in, having to play fellow promotion contenders Cheltenham and Southend, however, we were still in the hunt with a game to go. In a tricky match against mid-table Accrington, we could only scrape a draw, so we'll have to contend the play-offs again this season. In contrast, Dagenham & Redbridge timed their run to perfection and finished their campaign with a 13 game unbeaten streak. This was enough to pip Yeovil to one of the automatic promotion spots on the final day of the season.

In other news, Liverpool have won their first League title for 25 years. Well done Owen Coyle!

[Luton Town]

Good luck for the playoffs

[rjfreeman]

My money's on Thurrock.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

League 2 Playoffs 2015 Update

Flipping bleeding playoffs! Heartbreak again this season!

Played well in the first leg against Wycombe and was confident we could defend our lead in the return leg. However, a penalty shootout would be our downfall with Steven Ruprecht, my German leftback (he's German he should be good at penalties!!!!), missed the crucial penalty.

The cheeky git then demanded a contract extension and pay increase the day later. You just cost us a place in League 1 (potentially) you muppet, get stuffed! He will most likely be departing the club at the end of the season after this outburst. RAGE!

[AK22]

Good luck for the playoffs

My money's on Thurrock.

Not to be unfortunately. I've finally recovered from my rage

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Season 2014/15 Review

npower League 2 - 6th League Table Position Graph Season Summary

FA Cup - 3rd Round

Carling Cup - 3rd Round

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - 2nd Round

In hindsight it has been a more than respectable season for us. Another top 6 finish and some decent cup runs are excellent performances considering where this Thurrock team has come from. Financially we are looking sound, with no debt, and enough money to do a bit of investment if the board sees fit. I do, however, have a tinge of disappointment as we were in contention for promotion all season but seemed to lose our bottle just when we needed it the most. Burton and Hereford were the teams that were relegated from League 2.

Finances - We're doing well, still over £1m in the account. I anticipate money to spend next season.

Average Attendance - 2672 (down 190)

Transfer Summary - No winter signings this season.

Key Players

Matias Chiacchio - Still able to score goals consistently whichever league he plays in. 22 goals this season was enough to be top scorer once again, however, his contract is due up and I don't want to break the bank to keep him, so he may have played his last game for the club.

Junior Miranda - Recovered his form after a poor previous season. 12 goals and 12 assists was a good return, however, at 33 now, he is no longer first choice as his legs are going.

Joe Jones - Another solid season in the back 4. I'm hoping for big things from him next season, a few more goals at set-pieces wouldn't go amiss too.

Team of the Year - Just about right. It was a shame Roman only played 19 games in midfield, he missed far too many games through injuries this year.

Overall Best XI - Jeff Henderson is the notable inclusion here. Chiacchio has now passed 150 games.

Fans Player of the Year - Junior Miranda

Review of Season Objectives

- Consolidation in League 2. I feel we may struggle more this season as we've lost of bit of momentum following our playoff defeat. I don't think we'll be in the relegation battle but I think high mid-table is the most likely result.

Achieved. Was never really in doubt but should give us a good foundation to build for next season on.

- Get a League 1 job. Purely a selfish objective. I feel this will be my last season with Thurrock as I don't think we can go much further. I will need to put myself in the shop window this season to find myself a club of the calibre I desire.

Not Achieved. The only job offers I received over the season were for Chesterfield and Carlisle, neither of which would have been a step-up from where I'm at at the moment with Thurrock. I left it to the end of the season, but I've signed a year extension to my contract (£825 p/w), so I'm now committed to setting them up for another year of League 2 action.

Career History

Season     Team             League    League Finish    Cups            
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
2010/11    Thurrock F.C.    BSS       15th             N/A             
2011/12    Thurrock F.C.    BSS       2nd              FA Cup 2nd Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2012/13    Thurrock F.C.    BSP       1st              FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 3rd Round
2013/14    Thurrock F.C.    League 2  5th              FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round, JPT 2nd Round
2014/15    Thurrock F.C     League 2  6th              FA Cup 3rd Round, Carling Cup 3rd Round, JPT 2nd Round

[jaycar]

A solid season, you never know, finish higher next year and the job offers could come flooding

[Gizmo7]

Good season on the whole. I reckon you need to let your contract run out before the offers will come flooding in. The compensation may put some clubs off recruiting you imo. Good luck for next season