[FM11] Ommersons journeyman career

Just to get my messy thread ("my difficult journeyman career") cleaned up a bit and in style with the rest of the threads I start this new one:

I'm a dutch manager and started out unemployed with automatic experience and Uncle Ron's english lower league-, a german- and a dutch lower league expansion.

Countries playable (to tier): England (8), Germany (4), Holland (4), Scotland (4), Belgium (3), France (3), Italy (3), Spain (2), Portugal (2), Austria (2), Switzerland (2), Denmark (3), Sweden (3), Norway (3), Finland (2).

My aim is to get a realistic journeyman career, so start at the bottom of dutch football and work my way up, hopefully managing a lot of clubs in as many different countries as possible and getting to the top at some point in the future. The real updates start in the 18/19 season, my second season at AFC'34, the reports previous to that are more like a short review in hindsight as I didn't start this thread at that time..

So here it goes:

vv DTS '35

Season 2010/11 : Review

After a month of holiday the first club to offer me a job are DTS '35 of the dutch Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B, 4th tier of dutch football and purely amateur as far as I know.

vv DTS '35 (voetbalvereniging Door Training Sterk: football club Strong Through Training) is a Dutch amateur football club from Ede (Gelderland). The club colours are blue and white (like Blackburn). The club was founded on march 12th 1935. DTS '35 play their games at Sportpark Inschoten. The main pitch has a stand that was built in 2010, capacity 200. The pitch is made of artificial grass. Due to promotion from the Eerste Klasse DTS '35 play in the Hoofdklasse from season 2010/11.

The first season of my career went pretty well, considering the rubbish I had to work with at DTS'35. Mostly youth players available so I quickly went out te attract some unattatched players. By the time the team was a good mix of talent and experience it was februari and prizes were out of the question (only prize to be won is the championship in this league, only 1st place gets promoted to the Topklasse). Best 'buy' for sure was Benjamin Martha, a Netherlands Antilles left winger previously at NAC Breda. Brilliant player for this level and instantly my top scorer. Season ended in 11th place after a good finish..

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  

vv DTS '35

Season 2011/12 : Review

The second season at DTS'34 the players I brought to the club the previous season showed that once fit they were a force to be reckoned with. Despite me losing Martha in winter to Derby County I won the league relatively easily, and also won the Dutch Amateur Cup (featuring teams from 3rd tier downwards). So it has been a very successfull season and I guess this team is ready for a step up, and have the quality to stay there.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.

But the ambitious manager in me told me I might have a chance at a bigger club now that my rep was Regional and I had won something. Dumb perhaps, I decided to quit DTS '35 after the last game of the season to look elsewhere. Not much luck though, and after a summer full of showing interest and applying to jobs and getting no offers, I finally got an offer from a club, Thatcham Town of the English Southern League First Division South and West (8th tier). Not the level I was hoping for, but decided to take it considering the utter lack of interest of other clubs and laughs I got.

THATCHAM TOWN FC

Season 2012/13 : Review

Thatcham Town Football Club are a football club based in Thatcham, Berkshire, England. Currently they are members of the Southern League Division One South and West (8th tier). Thatcham Town Football Club was founded in 1894 and play their matches at Waterside Park, a ground with a capacity of 1,500. They play in a blue/white striped kit with blue shorts and socks and are known as The Kingfishers.

Probably the best known player to have played for Thatcham is Lawrie Sanchez. Sanchez was born in London to a Northern Irish mother and an Ecuadorian father, but when it came to selecting which country to represent at international level in his playing career, he chose Northern Ireland. He only played for Thatcham three times before moving on to Reading.

My stay at Thatcham wasn't meant to be a succesfull one from the start. I got in just before the season was off and I didn't manage to get a decent squad together. We were staring at relegation for most of the season but with some additions and loanies in the winter transfer window we managed to end just above the relegation spots. I didn't get a click with the club though, had some issues with the board and when I showed interest in a swedish 3rd tier job the board instantly sacked me, no warnings what so ever..

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.

So the search for another job was on the cards again. And this time another club offered me a job within a few weeks. Same level though unfortunately. Burgess Hill Town of the Isthmian League First Division South.

BURGESS HILL TOWN FC

Season 2013/14 : Review

Burgess Hill Town Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Isthmian League First Division South, the eighth tier of English football. The club plays its home games at Leylands Park in Burgess Hill, cap. 2,000. They are affectionately known as The Hillians and play in yellow/black blocked shirts, black shorts and yellow socks.

Burgess Hill Football Club was founded in 1882 and was a founder member of the Sussex County Football Association. The club attained the unique achievement of winning the Sussex Senior Cup three years running thus retaining it permanently in the process. The cup is on display in the trophy cabinet in the club boardroom. The current trophy was presented to the S.C.F.A. by Burgess Hill Town Football Club. In 1998 the club reached the Senior Cup final for the first time in 110 years but were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Hastings Town In the club's formative years they were also founder members of the Mid-Sussex Football League, and won the League Championship in its inaugural season.

There isn't much to tell about my first season in charge of Burgess Hill Town. It seemed a nice enough club and I got some decent players in. But the season proved to be a bit too long as our chances of a playoff spot deminished quickly after christmas and we actually finished in a disappointing 13th place in the league.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 

BURGESS HILL TOWN FC

Season 2014/15 : Review

The second season at Burgess Hill we stayed in the promotion battle untill the final game of the season. Again it seemed the season was a bit too long for the players. Some injuries made it difficult to keep the playoff spot we were in all season, and we eventually missed out on it by 2 points. we did win the Isthmian league cup, which is quite an achievement as we had to eliminate a number of Isthmian Premier (one league up from ours) clubs along the way.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.

I decided to stall accepting a new contract untill the final day of my running contract, see if any other club would want me. So I rejected the offer they made me two weeks before my contract ran out, expecting the board to come back to me with an offer on the final day of my contract . Unfortunately they didn't...

So with hardly any rep left I had to find myself another job again. It took me a full season of 'apply to all holiday' to get the first job offer. So I decided to take it. Back to the basements of dutch football with AFC '34..

AFC '34

Season 2016/17 : Review

Alkmaarse Football Club '34 is a club from Alkmaar (Noord-Holland) and plays their matches at Gemeentelijk Sportpark in Alkmaar. The club is founded on June 1st 1934 and currently plays in the Zondag Hoofdklasse, the second amateur level in Holland (4th tier). The club colours are Blue and yellow (broad yellow band).

First seasons at a new club are often not very interesting, and so was my first one at AFC '34. In fact, in the end we might count ourselves lucky no clubs can relegate from dutch 4th tier, as we finished one place from bottom (13th). Brought in new staff and a load of new players but that didn't quite help yet. A very dissapointing season in all..

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th

AFC '34

Season 2018/19 : Review

Finished my 2nd season at AFC'34 in 6th place, which was disappointing as I thought I had a chance at the title (the only promotion spot) until 5 games before the end. I was trailing by only 4 points until that time. Unfortunately all went wrong and I only managed to get 2 points out of the last 5 matches. I don't know what happened, a couple of key players got low morale after not scoring for a while, but that seemed quite harmless. No serious injuries and such. A sudden dip in form apparently.

A big change happened at the start of the new transfer-window: my club went semi-pro (from amateur) and that served some problems. Players of whom I could extend their amateur-contracts before, and always accepted, now wanted to see some serious cash. No problem in such, but the wage budget I got is far from sufficient to please all my important players. Now I have one half of the team on amateur contracts (the ones with no interest from other clubs) and the rest on semi-pro contracts, which might result in some angry faces. Mine for one: I asked the board for a new contract (for money, as I'm also an amateur at the moment), but they didn't think my achievements deserved a new one. Silly that the manager makes no money while his players do... O well, maybe when I get some succes in the new season I might get paid at last.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.

AFC '34

Season 2018/19 : Review

It's been a rather disappointing 3rd season at AFC'34. For some unclear reason the team is (or I am) failing at the last hurdle (again). I've managed to keep the gap with the promotion-place (1st) under 4 points, so a good run at the end of the season could mean I might have a challenge at the title. But again, about 6 games before the end, a losing streak came along, so I finished in 6th position). But with the pre season expectation that I would finish close to bottom (3 years in a row), we've done quite well (but it doesn't feel like that).

Still, I'm getting a bit bored at this club, I don't seem to make any progress, and now that the semi-pro problem has set in I expect to loose half my starting line up in summer, making it even harder to challenge for the title (the only way to get promoted). Furthermore I'd rather manage a foreign club for some reason. One reason would be more promotion spots. It's hard to challenge last years relegated club, last two years these clubs promoted straight back the same season.

But still no rep what so ever so I guess I'm not likely to get a job with another (preferably foreign) club. I tried to save the game and show interest in the rather tricky job at FC Svendborg, bottom of danish 3rd tier (the lowest I got loaded, so a really tricky time to step in, relegation means exit club and manager), but even they laughed at me. And I'm not sure if danish 3rd is of higher rep than dutch 4th.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.
18/19  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th    

Well, I'll see what happens in summer. I'm not sure what the board has in store for me (amateur contracts running out? semi-pro contract? wage budget increase?) or if any clubs will offer me a job (which seems highly unlikely). I suppose I will still be managing AFC'34 in the forseeable future as no club would ever want me, or I'd have to resign agian and end up at the lowest of levels. And I'm at the lowest level already so that would be of no real use, although three years at one club is pretty much my maximum. Biggest problem with this league is that you cannot relegate and only the champion gets promoted. The last stages of a season are therefore pretty boring once the chamionship is out of sight..

AFC '34

Season 2019/20 : Review

I'm very sad to say this won't be a season in which I'm finally going to win some prices. Out of both cups, in 2nd position and trailing by 6 points to the only promotion spot in the league, 3 games from the end (Hollandia are going to be champions). Somehow the team has choked again in the final third of the competition, with three losses in the last 5 games our chances are gone. In februari we were actually top of the table for a couple of weeks, but it wouldnt last unfortunately. Still, we've had a good season considering the expectations (bottom), but I felt we had the squad to get promoted.

I'm seriously considering leaving for other/greener pastures as I don't think I can find the motivation to enter another season in the bottom league of my native Holland. I would be happy to take AFC'34 into 3rd tier, but that isnt to be (or a miracle should happen). Only problem is, who would want me?

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.
18/19  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th
19/20  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       2nd

AFC '34

Season 2020/21 : Review

No job offers what so ever off course, and I still havent got the semi-pro contract the board promisedme a year earlier either. I could ask for one again 1st of july (as if they totally forgot about their 'shortly'-promise of a year earlier) and again my request was granted, but still no contract offer. I guess the board are not best pleased with me applying for other jobs, as I was sacked immediately after trying to apply in norwegian 3rd level (just to see what would happen, saved first and reloaded afterwards).

This was a very bad season for AFC'34 and I finished in fitting fashion (three losses in a row and dropping to a very disappointing 11th position). After 5 years at the club and this miserable season in which I thought I could win the title (because the team with which I just missed out on promotion the year previous was intact) I couldn't bare facing another season in the Hoofdklasse A. So I resigned immediately after the last match, although they offerd me a new contract a couple of days earlier, which I rejected. The fear of a long unemployed period was not enough to stop me quitting AFC'34. And after a desastrous season such as this one (finishing 3rd from bottom after being runners-up for the title the year previous), it's only logical the responsible manager leaves. The progress over a 5 year period was next to nothing in the end (except for a runner up position and the club turning semi pro). Most notable players were strikers Steven Bakker and Michael Rijna, who I got in in my first season and played all games they were available in my 5 year spell at AFC'34.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.
18/19  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th
19/20  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       2nd
20/21  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       11th      Resigned.

I immediately applied to some available jobs and also showed interest in a variety of clubs form different countries and stature, out of boredom really, expecting only laughter. But to my utter surprise, clicking away a dozen "is not considered to have any chance...smells of sheer desperation"-messages, there was one that said "is considered by many to be the ideal candidate". And it wasn't even a club in the deepest dungeon of football (english 8th level or dutch 4th level) but Brechin City FC who just survived the relegation battle in the Scottish Second Division (a dungeon in itself maybe, but it could have been much worse). Not even the lowest league loaded of that country and even a club I had actually heard of (DTS'35, Thatcham, Burgess Hill and AFC'34 were pretty much unknown to me before).

And what do you know, the next day they sack their manager and offer me a 1 year contract.. I took it, gladly.

BRECHIN CITY FC

Season 2021/22 : Review

Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Brechin, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the Second Division in the 2010–11 season. The club was founded in 1906 through the amalgamation of two comparatively successful local junior sides - Brechin Harp and Brechin Hearts. A deputation from the Forfarshire Football Association had met with representatives of the local game at the Temperance Hall in City Road and managed to persuade them that Brechin would benefit from having a single senior club. The club won their first important local honour, the Forfarshire Cup, in the 1909–10 season with a side that featured nine players from the city. The club moved to their Glebe Park home in 1919, a stadium which currently has a capacity of 3,960 (1,519 seated) and is famous for the hedge that runs alongside one side of the pitch (hence the nickname The Hedgemen). Club colours are all red with a bit of white.

Brechin City is not a club where my interest would normally lie. It seems to be kind of a bleak club at first glance, red is not my favourite colour and I spent ages in Scottish leagues in past FM's already (Annan, Elgin, Cowdenbeath, QotS, St.Johnstone), so Scotland was definately not my first choice of a destination abroad (in real life it definately is, I love to spend holidays there).

But considering the circumstances I guess I should feel really lucky to get this opportunity. And I do. This club is a big step up from AFC'34, and not just because of the salary (€ 1000 pw, unthinkable in dutch 4th tier where € 300 pw is a fortune) or the attandance (44 season tickets sold at AFC'34, 700 expected at Brechin). The league itself is much better also, 10 clubs, 2 relegation spots, and promotion playoffs. So there's always something to play for. It's funny how FM makes you almost instantly love a club that didn't appeal to you at all. And let's be honest, who wouldn't want Glebe Park as a background picture? Isn't this what FM is all about?

My first season in charge of Brechin City started somewhat inconsistant and in december I found myself in 4th position (a playoff spot). After a disappointing January, where we dropped to 5th position (and even 6th for a week) we bounced back with a fantastic February and March. I got a new AM/ST in on loan from Hibs (Mark Young) and with a 4-2-3-1 system I got 7 wins and 1 draw out of 8 games. I won the manager of the month title two months in a row and was only one point from league leaders Ayr United going into my home clash with them, 4 games from end of season. We won 2-1 and went top of the league. But then we chocked. We drew at home agains bottom club Airdrie, and then drew again away to Stirling Albion. Ayr was in the lead again by 1 point, but with a worse goal difference, when the last round of the season was on the menu. They were away to number 3 Forfar, and we played number 8 Dumbarton at home. In a horrible match in which we weren't able to create a lot of chances and conceded the few Dumbarton got we lost by a flattering 1-3 ('overload'-tactic for the last half hour, resulting in the 1-3 instead of the 2-2). I was disappointed with that result, but was pretty happy with our unexpected runner up postion and playoff spot, but when I saw the Forfar-Ayr result I was quite distraught, 1-0 to Forfar... Can you believe it..

O well, I was pretty confident for the playoffs, although we hadn't won a game in 3 weeks. We got local rivals Forfar (who were on a winning streak) in the PO semi's. In the away game it was evident that we had trouble coping with their airforce at corner kicks, but we managed to scrape a 2-3 win at their ground. In the process I unfortunately lost my best DC with an injury and my two wing backs were sent off. So with a defence full of inferior back-up players we went into the home tie, and sadly lost by a staggering 1-4, in which the first 3 forfar goals came from headers from corner kicks... My record attendance (1.650) going home very sad as we lost the chance to get promoted, but also lost heavily by the hands of our fierest rivals (who eventually won the PO final beating Alloa Athletic).

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.
18/19  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th
19/20  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       2nd
20/21  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       11th      Resigned.
21/22  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      2nd       Lost in play off semi final.

Heading into next season I have to let a couple of contracts run out to make investments in new players possible. I hope my wage-budgets will increase, cause the 2k I got this season isn't enough to strengthen the side so we can challenge for the title next season also. Three loanies leave (of which one is my top scorer of last season John Ross and runner up Mark Young) and some benchwarmers' salaries are just too high. I scouted some good unattached players already, but they won't come to Brechin for the €30 pw I am alowed to offer at the moment.. I need some better defenders, that's what became clear against Forfar. And with my forwards gone, I need some strikers aswell.

It's going to be an interesting summer. First positive thing is that I got an improved one-year contract extension (€1.100 pw). Now let's see what new players I can afford. So far I only got an experienced central midfielder (Chris Dunne, 32) in on a free.

BRECHIN CITY FC

Season 2022/23 : Review

Pre season:Season expectations are I win the league. A bit on the positive side in my opinion, but possible. Budgets increased slightly (8k transfer, 2.6k wage), but unfortunaly the new wages were announced a couple of weeks too late to bring the good players in that I wasn't able to lure in a few weeks/days earlier. In the meantime they all found clubs willing to pay the €150 pw that I wasnt allowed to at that time, but which I can easily pay now. I did manage to get a striker in on loan from St.Johnstone and also signed talented striker Byron Goddard who was released by ManCity. But if this 18-year old can produce the magic right away is to be seen. I also signed a young serb DC with good heading and some potential (released from french club Arles) and 'splashed the cash' for a swedish goalkeeper with good aerial abilities (to avoid another Forfar-corner-kick-debacle). I had to pay Hässleholms BK a staggering €6k for the lad.

Update: This season isn't going te be as easy as expected. After losing friendlies to Port Vale, Kilmarnock res. and Leicester (and a win to Burscough), losing the first round of the challenge cup 1-0 to Raith and winning by 1-0 in injury time in the league cup to Peterhead I started the season off with three straight losses (0-3, 3-1 and 0-4). In each game I actually had more posession and shots, but didn't convert the chances and conceded the few opportunities the opponents had. Very frustrating. But then I beat Hibernian of the SPL at Easter Road in the 2nd round of the league cup (1-3) and I was certain this was the turnaround.. But it wasn't, with twelve games played I've only managed to win 1 and draw 4 games, which means I'm bottom of the league, same amount of points as Peterhead, and 7 points clear of a safe spot. I've tried different players and tweaked my tactics, but nothing seems to work. We have plenty of possession and shots but I concede far to easily and scoring is difficult (only 10 goals in 12 games). And when I do go in front it's as if it's predetermined that the next chance of the opposition goes in aswell (as my goalkeeper, for example, refuses to leave the penalty area to intercept a (way too long) long pass and lets their striker get to the ball (and score) where he would have beaten him to it with ease had he not stopped in his tracks at the edge of the penalty area).

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.
18/19  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th
19/20  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       2nd
20/21  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       11th      Resigned.
21/22  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      2nd       Lost in play off semi final.
22/23  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      7th 

I have good players, the team isn't that much different from the team that almost became champions last season.. I can't imagine the two loanies I had made such a difference. Morale is and stays low, and that downward circle is hard to break it seems. Morale seems to be the key factor in FM so I guess I'm in trouble. I'm still confident that I will turn things around in the 24 games that remain. But something positive's got to happen quickly or I fear it's off with my head in the not so distant future. And that would be really dissapointing now my career has finally turned the right direction..

Winter-update: Things are going slightly better, we even won three in a row, but still we score far to few, only 14 goals in 20 games. Every goal against is almost certain defeat as we have so much trouble scoring. The last two games were lost, but we are still out of the relegation zone, 4 points clear. I'm still trying to find the ideal formation and starting line-up and the press is suggesting I might get sacked if I don't turn things around quickly..

Almost end of season update: This is turning out to be a very bizarre season. After the above update we only got 2 points out of the next 7 games (which makes 9 without a win). We were facing a relegation battle of epic proportions, same amount of points as East Stirlingshire and Peterhead, only a slight goal difference advantage kept me above the feared spots. I signed two promising spaniards (ST and MC) and a quick english striker on a free but it didn't help much. Morale hit rockbottom and the players lacked so much confifdence that even the easiest chances were missed as if it were 5 year olds. We only scored 19 goals in 29 games! As a last resort I decided to arrange a friendly agianst a very low rep club (Felixstowe) in a free weekend in an attempt to let the players know what it's like to score again. And it worked. We beat Felixstowe 0-6 and won the next league game away to nr.2 Alloa 1-2, after going behind. Then we beat East Stirlingshire away (with some difficulty, but still) 1-2 and I arranged another friendly (Leatherhead, 0-5). Then we won two more league games at home (2-0 and 3-0) and I even won the MotM for March. Morale is skyhigh and we climbed above Raith Rovers to 7th position. We are, with 3 games left to play, 9 points clear of the relegation spots with a much better goal difference (we don't score a lot, but luckily we don't concede very much this season either, 3rd place for fewest goals against). So it's fair to say we are safe, and that is a huge relief. I must say there were times when I feared the worst, but in the end we managed to keep the damage of this terrible season to a minimum. There's even a chance we climb above Annan aswell in the final games, although I have some injuries to deal with.

End of season update: We didn't catch up with Annan and finished 7th (same amount of points, worse goaldifference). We actually won 6 of our final 7 games (and drew the 7th to champions Dumbarton) and finished 15 points clear of relegation. Pretty good as it was looking pretty bleak before this winning streak. Key factor were free kicks from the side and corners, many goals from headers (my central defender Dicks, the one I sort of blamed for the lost PO-semi of last season, scored one with his head in each of the seven games). I'm glad this season is over and ended well. I had my doubts if it would work out well more than once this season..

Very nice layout!!

I agree with Pezza.

I hate the 'keeper doesn't rush out' thing too - have you tried setting him to be a sweeper keeper?

I'll try that, thanx

BRECHIN CITY FC

Season 2023/24 : Review

Pre season: I'll have to reduce the wages a bit this season. It's hard to offer even my own 19-year old talents a senior contract because of wage restrictions. I'll let some high earners, that only play sporadically, leave at end of contract. I did get a great AMC/ST in form 3rd division Stirling (Mike Smith) and just hád to sign another good 28 year old (capped) welsh striker Callum Maxwell who agreed on a €50 pw deal. I have enough strikers now, so I rejected the loanie from parent club St.Johnstone. A fine player, but I have no use for another striker. I do like to add an experienced defender to my team as my squad is the youngest in the league, but untill the high-earning backups are gone I can't do business. I'm expected to finish in the top half and maybe snatch promotion via the playoffs (5-1 by the bookies). My € 1.100 pw contract was extended for a year. I'm pleased with that, I would have accepted anything they'd offer me as I really like my stay at Brechin City.

Update: Things are looking up. We lost to 3rd division Arbroath (on penalties, pretty disappointing) in the challenge cup and went out at SPL's Dundee Utd in the League Cup (3-1, good efford), but the team is playing pretty well. I found the experienced defender I wanted in 30 year-old dutchman Wouter van den Ent and he fitted into the team smoothly, winning a couple of MotM's already. We create many chances but it still seems actually scoring is a problem, we need a lot of chances to score. Luckily it's far less of a problem than last season as we create more opportunities and morale is high. We're top of the league at the moment with 6 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss (15 goals scored, 5 conceded), 2 points in front of newcomers Cowdenbeath, our next fixture. St.Jonstone have just loaned me a good MC in 20 year old Mike Roberts, which completes my midfield nicely for a title challenge.

winter update:Although we don't play great lately, drew and even lost a few, we are still in pole position, and even 5 points clear of Elgin. I don't win many games with ease and we actually struggle in most. But somehow the other clubs can't get a unbeaten run on track either.There are games in which you feel things will go bad. Dominate the first half but miss several easy scoring opportunities and you can count on it the opposition will score in the second half and things will go bad. A game later I win comfortably, and the next is a struggle agian. Weird. But I guess we are pretty lucky that the other teams lose a lot too. 32 points from 19 games is not a lot for the league leaders (that's 15 points lost), but then again, 27 for number 2 isn't a lot either.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.
18/19  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th
19/20  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       2nd
20/21  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       11th      Resigned.
21/22  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      2nd       Lost in play off semi final.
22/23  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      7th 
23/24  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      1st       Champions, promotion to 1st division

Almost end of season update: Still, we seldomly win a game confidently, and there are some hickups along the way with unexpected losses and some draws, but as the rivals for the championship also spill points here and there and even more than us, we are still top of the league and it looks like it will stay that way. After a good period just after newyear we were 10 points clear of number two Elgin, but with the season nearing its end I got a bit nervous when Elgin closed the gap to 5 points after we didn't win some games in a row (starting with the Scottish Cup exit to Celtic (0-3) which I thought was a pretty decent result, but killed morale in the dressingroom). But now that Elgin lost their last game and I won two in a row it's looking really good. 8 points clear with only 4 games left to play, of which 3 are at home. The next fixture is Elgin at home, so if we win that one we're there. A draw means we need only one point in the three final games. A loss would make the gap 5 points again, but even then I'm confident we will manage to get 4 points from the 3 games that remain to be played. And our goal difference is much better than Elgins is.

End of season update: We won the Elgin game! Went down 0-1, equalised, lost midfielder Jorge with two yellows and still managed to snatch it in a counter (goal Goddard). So three games from the end we were crowned champions. The last three games I send them on the field to "enjoy the match" and the scores were 4-4, 6-4 and 0-0. In the end we were 15 points clear of number 2 Elgin who lost all games after the dissilusionment of my championship and eventually even lost the PO's to Alloa.

Brechin's going up!

Nice journeyman save, the really low level of football and the really slow rate of progress/success makes it all the most interesting.

BRECHIN CITY FC

Season 2024/25 : Review

pre season:First year in the 1st division will probably be about staying safe from relegation. I got a new 1 year € 1.300 pw contract, so that's nice. I don't plan to get a lot of new players to the club as I feel my youthfull players will be able to do the job. They finished in first place 15 point clear so they are able to play at a higher level I presume. I ám trying to loan MC Robinson for another year, but I'm afraid he won't come. That means I'm in need of a good MC. The rest of the team will pretty much stay the same, although a backup AMR would be a nice addition. If I can strengthen a position with a transfer free player that is really better than the player I already have I will off course, but apart from the MC position there is no direct need.

pre-season update: I didn't find a AMR but did sign a good Hungarian striker (Daniel Egérvary), an Argentinian AML (Sergio Romero), an english DMC/R (Nick Sykes) and two dutchmen (a DC (De Jong) and M/AMCL Robert Wijngaarde). I also got a duch goalkeeper in (Mark Voss) as Linus Müller injured himself badly. And in the end MC Robinson did want to spend another year in Brechin. So plenty of players. The friendlies went well and we actually won against PL West Brom (3-1) and drew to PL West Ham (2-2). Won in two cup first rounds and the only setback so far was elimination in the League Challenge Cup by the hands of 2nd division Annan on penalties (0-3 behind after 30 minutes, 4-4 after 90 minutes), which resulted in an argument between Robinson and myself. He didn't think I said the right things in the dressing room, the 20 year old brat. He's not getting into the starting line-up for a while that's for sure..

Start of season: The first few games have gone pretty well. We won the first home tie to QotS (3-1) and drew away to Ross County (2-2) after going down to 10 men in the 40th minute. Drew away to Dundee (1-1), lost at home to Hamilton (1-2) and won to Aberdeen at Pittodrie (1-2). So 3rd after five games. A pretty good start.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.
18/19  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th
19/20  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       2nd
20/21  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       11th      Resigned.
21/22  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      2nd       Lost in play off semi final.
22/23  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      7th 
23/24  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      1st       Champions, promotion to Scottish First Division.
24/25  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 1st Division (2)      1st       Champions, promotion to Scottish Premier League.

winter update: It's halfway december and it's going rediculously well in our first season in the first division. We only just dropped from pole position last week after a undeserved loss away to Dundee (2-1, we missed a penalty among many chances). I'm starting to wonder if morale isn't too big a factor in FM. What promoted team in real life challenges for promotion again in the next season at a higher level? I'm sure there are some (like Bristol City who lost the PO-final to Hull a couple of years ago) but surely not many. It seems we took the high morale of the championship into this season and prospered on it. Big teams like Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Dundee, Partick, Hamilton, all at least 5 points behind me as only Ayr United seem to be able to stay in pace with us and just took first place by two points. Young lad Byron Goddard (who still gets my confidence over Egérvary although he seems to miss a lot of chances (but creates loads too)) leads my topscorer table with my dutch air-force (defendig duo Van der Ent and De Jong) and left winger Ramos just behind him (they score a lot from corner kicks and dead ball situations). Mike Smith not only scores, but leads the SD1-assist table aswell. A fine player, I just knew signing him was a blessing for Brechin.

end of season update: We won it! Unbelievable really, and a bit unrealistic also in my opinion but we/I managed to get Brechin promoted in two consequetive seasons and are the newest addition to the Scottish Premier League next season. It didn't go all that well after the winter break, we even slipped to 4th position only 8 games from the end. Aberdeen, Ayr and Dundee seemed more stable than us. But they f*cked up bigtime when the season ended. I managed to win all our last four matches, including (and eliminating) Ayr, and the competition won none. So in the end I secured the championship on the last day, only needing a point, but with Dundee losing to relegated Partick I could have lost 20-0 and still be crowned champions. But we beat Alloa 2-1 after going 0-1 down (resulting in the Glebe Park pitch-invation below).

SPL, here we come!

So.. Now what? I was pretty sure we wouldn't make it and I had rejected a new contract already as I was convinced this was my last season in Scotland (as 4 seasons at a club is a lot in my opinion). Time for another challenge and such. But this promotion to the SPL... It changes things doesn't it. Well, I just finished the championship match, so now it's time to ponder over my next move.. Should I stay or should I go? Funny how songs can appeal to you at certain times ;-)

There should be some nice clubs interested in this miracle worker I guess. Still no 'slightly interested' in my profile though..

Yeah, morale is absolutely vital and may be a little over the top in FM - but that's been the same for many versions of the game now. Hence why you need to take every chance to be optimistic on team talks, unless morale's superb already and fighting against complacency is a bigger worry. Getting a few friendlies against minor teams in the pre-season helps too, it keeps morale momentum into the competitive matches.

Good to see that you're finally climbing up the ladder with some speed, 2 or 3 years more and you'll be managing Barcelona, eh?

BRECHIN CITY FC

Season 2025/26 : Review

pre season: I have decided to stay for another year. The challenge of taking this team to Ibrox and such is something I probably won't get if I jump ship now. I experimented a bit showing interest in jobs (after saving) and most top-flight teams are still not interested. At some interesting clubs I have an outside chance (Rapid Wien for example), but only 2nd tier of lesser countries are really keen on my services, not an option at this point. That fact and the appreciation I got from the board with a €700 pw salary increase (€2.000 pw) and the expansion plans of the stadium make another year at Brechin worth the challenge. The board announced they will install under soil heating, but when I check my facilities it says in 9 months the capacity of Glebe Park will be 7250 (it's 2250 now). That's the first time ever in whatever FM that a stadium is expanded during my reign. We move to neighbouring Links Park (Montrose) untill it is finished. I wonder if the fans will like to go to their rivals' stadium (o well, rivals of two tiers down are not really rivals anymore, are they?).

Most of our home games this 1st SPL-season take place here

I'm curious how the expanded stadium will look but it seems the investment has limited the expenditure on new players somewhat. My scouts come up with unattached players that are interesting enough, but who want thrice what I can offer them (a mere €900 pw max). So strenghtening the squad hasn't happened yet. I did renew nearly the complete staff, signing former Aston Villa and Dutch international Wilfred Bouma as my assistant, but haven't been able to attract any new players that can add something to the side. Interesting to see how the old squad holds up in the top flight. We've only played 5 friendlies 'till now: won 2-0 at Shotts Bon Accord, lost 3-0 at AC Ajaccio, beaten TeBe Berlin away by 7-0 (2 red cards for them), won at home to QPR (2-1) and beaten Bradford away (0-2), so it's hard to say where we stand at the moment.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.
18/19  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th
19/20  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       2nd
20/21  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       11th      Resigned.
21/22  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      2nd       Lost in play off semi final.
22/23  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      7th 
23/24  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      1st       Champions, promotion to Scottish First Division.
24/25  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 1st Division (2)      1st       Champions, promotion to Scottish Premier League.
25/26  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish Premier League (1)    12th    Relegated and resigned

End of season update: As was expected this season would be a struggle. No big signings and pretty much the SD1-team intact to storm the SPL. We started out pretty well and were halfway up the table in autumn, but then things got worse. Drew giants Rangers and Celtic in the first rounds of two cup tournaments, which we lost heavily and morale sank, and deep. For a long time we were in the bottom three with Hibernian, Inverness and St. Johnstone but four games from the end it we dropped to the only relegation spot and two games from the end we were 7 points from Inverness Caley Thistle, so I resigned. I was planning to leave Brechin at the end of the season already so these two useless games wouldn't make much difference. In the end it turned out there was still some sort of playdown to be played that I wasn't aware of, but Brechin still went down.

Another goal against...

DR Congo: In winter I decided to give showing interest in national management a try, and to my surprise I was offered a lot of international jobs: Scotland-19's, Finland-19's, Sweden-19's and Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo all offered me a contract. I took the Congo job, but now, a half season and 3 games (all won) further I feel this is not the thing for me. I think I'll finish what I started (we are qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations) but when the tournament is over I'll quit international management.

Brechin spell review: I guess I can look back on a successful period in Scotland despite the relegation. I put Brechin on the map and had the capacity of the stadium trippled. My 'discovery' Byron Goddard is actually transferred to Dundee Utd since I've left for a record fee of 300k. Nice to see the lad I brought in at 18 in my SD2-side is making a career for himself.

My reputation must have increased nicely in the past 5 seasons. So I applied and shown interest in jobs again with confidence. The interest in my services was not as high as I expected though, so I took a job that was at least at the highest level of that particular country: KAS Eupen of the Belgian Pro League.

KAS EUPEN

Season 2026/27 : Ongoing season report

Königliche Allgemeine Sportvereinigung Eupen is a Belgian football club from the town of Eupen, in the small German speaking part of the country. Eupen play their home matches in the Kehrweg Stadium. The club-colours are black and white and accordngly their nickname is The Panda's. In the 2010/2011 season they played in the belgian top division for the first time in their history, being the first ever club from "German" Belgium to reach this level.

pre season: I didn't expect it to, but the media at my first press-conderence were right: this really is a big step up from Brechin City. KAS Eupen was pretty much an unknown club to me. And I think I'm kinda familiar with football in Belgium, it being a neighbouring country and all. It's a small club (they had to rebuild their whole stadium to be allowed into the top flight and they sadly relegated straight back to 2nd tier IRL) so my expectations weren't very high. I expected something like Brechin in my last year there, but it seems KAS Eupen have done well in FM. I have a good wage budget, a 1.7mln transfer budget and my own salary more than doubled to €4.700 pw. Expectations are mid-table and the players I have at my disposal are way better than those at Brechin. The players I can attract have actually been capped by countries of very reasonable standard and I can offer key players salaries of over 400k py. I've attracted 5 transfer-free players with whom I would easily have gotten Brechin into europe. The Belgian Pro League is also half a star higher in rep than the SPL.

With all my friendlies won very easily (all at least 3 goals difference and against some pretty tough opposition) and my first two league games won (Dender away (1-3) and Anderlecht at home (1-0)) I've started off my Eupen-days very promising indeed.

autumn update: After the fine start we've only managed to win two more games, drawn some and lost 4. So now we are 8th after 11 games. A bit of a setback is the hamstring-injury of my best new signing Rafael Delgado, a Puerto Rican AMC/ST. I will surely miss him as he plays a central role in my 4-2-3-1 system and I don't have an AMC of his quality as a backup. So I probably need to alter the system we play in. Luckily my best striker (Raveglia) is fit again after a similar injury, so I'll probably start with him and my new Argentinian striker Chagas up front the coming 3 months and see what happens.

DR Congo update: We've qualified for the African Cup of Nations with ease, so thats's nice. Benin, Chad and Eritrea were no match, so 3 games before the end of the qualifying group matches we were in already. One draw (before my reign) and won the rest by at least 3 goals difference. I must say the team has some great players. I've seen some very smooth attacking play and great goals so far. Far better than what I'm used to in Eupen and Brechin. I wonder how this team will hold up against real opposition, 'cause the teams of our qualifying group are probably not the best this continent has to offer.

Season Team               Country    League (tier)                  Finish    Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/11  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     11th  
11/12  DTS '35            Holland    Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B (4)     1st       Champions and Dutch Amateur Cup winners, resigned.
12/13  Thatcham Town      England    Southern League 1st Div SW (8) 17th      Got sacked end of season.
13/14  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  13th 
14/15  Burgess Hill Town  England    Isthmian League 1st Div S (8)  6th       Isthmian League Cup winners, let contract run out.
15/16  Unemployed         
16/17  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       13th
17/18  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th       Club turned semi-pro.
18/19  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       6th
19/20  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       2nd
20/21  AFC '34            Holland    Zondag Hoofdklasse A (4)       11th      Resigned.
21/22  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      2nd       Lost in play off semi final.
22/23  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      7th 
23/24  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 2nd Division (3)      1st       Champions, promotion to Scottish First Division.
24/25  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish 1st Division (2)      1st       Champions, promotion to Scottish Premier League.
25/26  Brechin City       Scotland   Scottish Premier League (1)    12th      Relegated and resigned.
26/27  KAS Eupen          Belgium    Belgian Pro League (1)         8th after 11 games.

reserved for update

Sucks that Brechin crashed out in the top level, you'd been doing very well with them.. made for an anti-climatic goodbye to the club. Good luck in Belgium.

Thanx, unfortunately there's something else that sucks even more...

MY SAVEGAME WON"T LOAD ANYMORE!!!

I've asked Neil Brock if there's anything that can be done, but if not this career gets a sudden end. My last back-up is from the Thatcham days, so restarting there is no option.. I hope it can be fixed but my hopes aren't high..

"Ommerson dies!

A shock goes through the footballing community as renowned manager Ommerson suddenly dies at age 52. The reason for his death is unknown, but Ommerson will be sadly missed. Especially in Brechin where Glebe Park will go on as Ommerson Park in remembrance of the hero that set The Hedgemen on the footballing map."

Or maybe this one is better:

"Eupen apalled at Ommersons disloyalty!

Manager Ommerson has left KAS Eupen with no warning what so ever. Rumour goes that he took a flight to the Bahama's with the 23 year old busty girlfriend of one of his players. She got a billions worth of inheritance when her father died last week, and she and Ommerson decided that work is for fools and that living in the Bahama's beats living in Eupen by far."

Sucks about your save after such a long career, hope this gets fixed.