Deltablue Rising: From Blyth to Barcelona.

Nations (all leagues unless specified): Mexico (Top Div), Austria, Belgium. Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Rep, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Holland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden (except 2nd Div), Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Argentina (Top Div), Brazil (Top Div), Uruguay (Top Div).

OK, about time I made a thread here (aside from one I gave up on too quickly due to lack of comments, this time last year) after becoming more of a regular around these parts, so with a new FM I have a new career that I can write on from the start.

The idea is simple and well-used, start as low as possible and work my way up, having mostly been a European club manager for me the CL has always been the ‘big prize’ and represents the goal to work (probably for a long time) towards. Recently getting into international management more, the World Cup makes an obvious second goal but my focus will be on the club side of things. Plus there’s the Libertadores, though the decision to play a few Latin American leagues for the first time in years was only made recently, so for the sake of keeping the original aim, from the bottom to the top of Europe is it. When I finish that, I'll probably simply try and win the title in as many nations as possible, with a rule that I can only sign players 21 or under.

As far as a career path goes, I’ll be following a couple of rules, not leaving a club within a year of arriving, and not managing in the same division twice in succession (I’ve long had a rule applying to nations but especially early on, that might get in the way too much). I’ll generally stay at a club until relegated I’m getting close to being fired or I’m being linked with somewhere I’d like to go, in fact partly due to this career concept, and being more consistent generally, moving clubs voluntarily, and deciding when has been difficult to adjust to as someone who prizes loyalty and continuity, and thankfully a lot was learned in my summer test runs about not going too far the other way in resigning and seeking too early, or expecting too much about potential job levels, so I don’t have to worry about abandoning that too much.

In terms of clubs, I’ll definitely stop at Ipswich at some point (while unlikely, I may even win the CL with them, which I’ve done before, including going all the way from League 1 on 11), even if it means taking a bit of a step down, and Barcelona is a dream top job, though I’ve never been them in a career, just a couple of ‘Barca’ saves on older versions. Arch-rivals of clubs I’ve been at are generally no-go clubs, though where there are multiple rivals, it’ll be the local one that’ll apply, especially in Italy where otherwise being Juve (or Verona) would rule out half the league, instead of just Torino. Real Madrid and Norwich will always be chucked out by security, or Uncle Phil.

In the past couple of years, I’ve settled into being pretty consistent, slow and steady, with few large leaps in fortunes either good or bad, so it’ll probably be a slow rise over at least a few months. However at the same time I seem to start off FM’s rather badly for the first month or 2 (which doesn’t affect new saves started afterwards) so if it starts off that way, that’s why, I’m genuinely better than that normally.

Without further ado, it was time to choose a club to start my very long journey with, I was looking for a mid-table side, which ruled out Dover, the closest thing to a local club, eventually settling on Blyth Spartans...

History

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[font=monospace] 
2011-12, Blyth Spartans, BSN: 3rd. Playoffs, Promoted
2012-13, Blyth Spartans, BSP: 24th. Left after 26 games
2012-13, Messina, C2/A: 18th. Joined in Jan, Relegated.
2013-14, Airdrie Utd, SD2: 6th.
2014-15, Airdrie Utd, SD2, 2nd. Playoffs, Promoted.
2015-16, Airdrie Utd, SD1, 7th.
2016-17, Airdrie Utd, SD1, 8th. Left in December.
2016-17, West Brom, L1, 2nd, arrived (13th) in December , Promoted.
2017-18, West Brom, CH, 7th.
2018-19, West Brom, CH, 5th, Playoffs Promoted.
2019-20, West Brom, PRM, 18th, relegated.
2020-21, Danubio, A, 2nd, Sacked at end of season.
2021-22, MTK Budapest, Div 1, 5th, League cup finalists.
2022-23, MTK Budapest, Div 1, 1st, Champions!
2023-24, MTK Budapest, Div 1, 1st, Domestic Treble!
2024-25, MTK Budapest, Div 1, 1st, left in Jan.
2024-25, Lazio, Serie A, 8th, arrived in Jan
2025-26, Lazio, Serie A, 9th, Left in Mar
2025-26, Dortmund, Div 1, 3rd, Arrived in Mar, Cup winners.
2026-27, Dortmund, Div 1, 1st, Double winners!
2027-28, Dortmund, Div 1, 4th, Cup winners.
2028-29, Dortmund, Div 1, 1st, Europa League winners!
2029-30, Dortmund, Div 1, 2nd, Cup and CL winners! Resigned.
2030-31, Ipswich, Championship, 20th, fired in Nov.
2030-31, Malaga, La Liga, 5th, arrived in Nov. Cup finalists.


Trophy Cabinet
MTK
League title: 2 (2023, 2024)
Cup: 1 (2024)
League Cup 1: (2024)

Dortmund
League title: 2 (2027, 2029)
German Cup: 4 (2026, 2027, 2028, 2030)
Europa League: 1 (2029)
European Super Cup: 1 (2029)
Champions League:1 (2030)

England
European Championships: 1 (2028)
Confederations Cup: 1 (2029)
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Good luck with Blyth

Welcome back, deltablue Enjoy the BSN.

Thanks guys, wasn't sure how it's go at first, but a few games into the season, it's been going well.

Pre-season

The expectation for the season was 13th/Mid-table, so there wouldn’t be much pressure to start off with. Just starting out, I just was happy to see how things went, maybe hoping for top half. We had a 4.8kpw wage budget (using 3.4kpw), a 3k budget, and starting off with 191k in the bank, which was ok. The squad was actually a very strong one, at least when potential was taken into account, with a very large group of players who either already were or would be excellent and for once it looked like I wouldn’t be bringing in a large amount of players to start off with, keeping faith with the potential of a lot of the younger players, though it was a bit of a gamble, we only really needed as second DM (which wasn’t as strong as some other areas), plus a few senior players to compensate for the undeveloped nature of the youngsters. A free-agent Finn, Andeele Martins, was there only newcomer (as an anchor man, but also a strong defender) before the opening game, though new players up front, at left back, and on the right wing were brought in after. In the future I’ll probably highlight key players/signings/young prospects but there’s no one to really stand out as any of those at the moment.

August 2011

Blyth 3-0 Hinckley (BSN)

The first game was at home to Hinckley, who were expected to struggle, so I was hoping to grab three points. It took just 8 minutes for our goal to come from one of the front men, Taylor. This encouraged the players to push on, but leaving us a bit exposed at the back, and there were plenty of chances at both ends. They gave us a scare early in the second half, but then we were awarded a penalty, that left-back Cave converted to give us a lot more breathing space. That knocked the wind out of our opponents, and our inexperienced (even by the squad’s standards) winger Hutchings knocked in a third just after the hour mark, becoming the club’s youngest ever scorer, as well as youngest ever player, and the match was quiet from the point. It was a promising start, though tougher challenges would come.

Halifax 0-3 Blyth (BSN)

Indeed the next match was at Halifax, one of the favourites. We started very brightly, and after a couple of efforts, star forward Armstrong gave us the lead within 5 minutes. They thought they equalized right after that but it was disallowed. They admittedly deserved to have levelled it by the time defender Rathbone headed us a second goal shortly before half time, where a 2-0 lead was a bit misleading. The second half was much quieter, Taylor giving us a third late on as we grabbed another 3-0 win.

Blyth 2-2 Eastwood (BSN)

Armstrong gave us the lead in the first minute at home to Eastwood in the next game. Taylor added a second after 16 minutes. We were pretty comfortable after that, then Eastwood grabbed a couple of quick goals to level it in the middle of the second half, as we had to settle for a 2-2 draw as punishment for not bothering after the second goal, but it was still a great start to the season.

Colwyn Bay 0-0 Blyth (BSN)

Traveling to Colwyn Bay, who had also had a pretty good start, we had a bit more of a challenge. A goal-less and even first half saw them slightly more deserving of a goal. The second half was more of the same, and I was reasonably happy with a 0-0 draw that took us to 5th after 4 games.

Blyth 2-1 Guiseley (BSN)

Guiseley at home was a good opportunity to get another win. We didn’t race out of the blocks by any means but an own goal midway through the first half gave us the lead. After a couple of Guiseley chances, Hutchings extended the lead on the half hour mark. They got a goal back on 68 minutes after injuring Hutchings, but despite having to face a lot of chances, we managed to avoid dropping points like against Eastwood, winning 2-1.

September 2011

Harrogate 4-2 Blyth (BSN)

We crashed badly at Harrogate, going 3-0 down within 15 minutes, before Hutchings got a goal back. Armstrong closed it to 3-2 before half-time. After a poor first half, we came at them hard in search of a point or three, but the damage had already been done, and the only goal in the second half was from Harrogate making it 4-2 near the end.

Blyth 0-2 Histon (BSN)

We were better against high-flying Histon (which wasn’t difficult) at home but still let them through too easily to have the lead at the break. They converted a free-kick early in the second half, and had a potential third disallowed in stoppage time, in what was a quiet and efficient 2-0 win for them, in which we were average rather than that bad, and after 2 defeats we only dropped 2 places to 6th.

Vauxhall Motors 3-2 Blyth (BSN)

This was not our month, more defeats would see us fall a lot faster, and when we went to Vauxhall Motors and went behind, that didn’t cheer me up, not did Taylor having an equalizer disallowed, followed by our hosts extending their lead. Armstrong did pull one back. In the second half, there was finally some joy, when our right winger signing Coleman (making his debut in place of a faded Hutchings) delivered the ball for defender Jones to convert for an equalizer just before the hour mark, the first time for a few games that we looked on course for a point which as things stood would put us back in the top 5. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, as with a few minutes to go, Jones turned from hero to villain by getting into a mess when dealing with a Vauxhall attack and turning the ball past Knight in goal (who hadn’t been great himself) for a 3-2 defeat. However we were definitely improving.

Blyth 3-1 Stalybridge (BSN)

Before the next game, at home to high-flying Stalybridge, we had a team meeting. I wasn’t too worried, about our position and our capabilities, and calmly telling everyone the latter, backed up by captain Armstrong, really resonated well with the squad. With a bit more confidence restored, the lack of pressure helped the side. After surviving a couple of early attacks, Coleman gave us the first lead we’d seen all month after 20 minutes. We were immediately good value for a second, and Armstrong set up Taylor as we got one not long after. They got one back after an hour, and briefly threatened, but for once we were able to hold firm, then really let them have it, Jones eventually heading in for 3-1 with 15 minutes to go, and we were able to claim a win again. I was pleased not only with the team, but with the new options that enabled me to help them, from the meeting to the full time talk, they pretty much all responded well, and that boost was clear to see in the match.

October 2011

Blyth 5-2 Stocksbridge (FA cup)

We had a break from league action as we faced Stocksbridge in the FA cup. I knew that if we didn’t beat Stalybridge, that would be our morale-boosting opportunity. The result would never be in doubt. We pushed forward at leisure, Rathbone eventually opening the scoring, heading in a corner after half an hour, Coleman made it 2-0 just before half-time. We let them back in early in the second half, and they took advantage to grab 2 goals to draw level, but then Coleman set up Taylor to restore the lead, then he did the same to his left wing counterpart Philips, and Taylor’s second gave us a 5-2 win.

Blyth 3-0 Margate (FA cup)

A couple of weeks later, we hosted Margate in the next round. Armstrong gave us the lead in the first minute. We had to wait until the second half for midfielder Vipond to extend it. Armstrong scored a stunning strike with 15 minutes to go to wrap up a 3-0 win.

Droylsden 3-4 Blyth (BSN)

We returned to league action with a visit to Droylsden. We weren’t fancied at all, and went behind early on. Coleman equalized but they took the lead just as I was sorting out a defensive mess before half time. They extended their lead after the break, and it did not look good, but sub forward Mason pulled one back on the hour, then equalized a few minutes later. Goalkeeper Knight was clearly planning his Halloween costume by the way he was playing, so I didn’t hold out much hope, but Mason struck again to complete his hat-trick with 5 minutes to go. He had to go off injured in stoppage time but he’d done his job and we carried off an epic 4-3 victory that seemed so unlikely.

Blyth 1-0 Concord Rangers (FA cup)

It was back to the cup again, at home to Concord Rangers. Taylor gave us a first half lead, and it was almost as if we knew we didn’t need to do anything else, as we casually went forward without getting any more goals.

It was a very good start, despite the September defeats. It remains to be seen how things go but playoffs are looking realistic, though simply not being too far off would be a reasonable season.

Good luck - what formation are you using at this level?

My usual, a sort of 4-4-2 with wingers except with one of the midfielders as a DM (preferably an anchor man, like now). Annoying about the screenshots, they seem to be on the 'small' side of borderline.

Really solid start deltablue, good luck for the rest of the season

You've got some pretty strong (and admirable) principals in relation to club loyalty and rivalries, so will be interesting to see if you have to revoke any of these later on in the save.

Thanks AK22, I probably won't as I've had them for a long time (though the 'not being at rivals of clubs I've been at' thing has hardly ever come up, so aside from the most obvious ones isn't something that would matter much otherwise), plus despite this sort of save requiring a more opportunistic mentality, I broke off my FM 11 career in the spring to have a good long test run which was useful in a number of ways, including teaching me not to abandon patience, and not jump until I have something solid to jump to, though I certainly will if there is now, which is a big change from before. The one-year thing is pretty much just to avoid the situation where I'm at a lower rep club than I could be at, and taking an offer from a better one within a few months, which would seem a bit silly, I can still do a 'jump before I'm pushed'. It's not like I'll ever be short on options.

Very nice start you've made . Good luck for the remainder of the season

Good luck with Blyth.

Good start, looks like you're finding form.

Nov 2011

Nuneaton 2-1 Blyth (BSN)

Nuneaton away looked like a very tough game. We had a good early couple of chances, but they struck to take the lead. The second half started the same way as we went 2-0 behind. We didn’t let it get to us too much, just before the hour mark, Mason managed to set Coleman up, I had a feeling he’d score, and he did. We had a few chances to equalize but these soon dried up, and the last minutes were focussed on keeping it at just 2-1.

Blyth 0-2 Altrincham (BSN)

Expecting to beat Altrincham at home, we were in for a shock as they took an early lead, and were unlucky not to grab one or two more before half-time. After an hour, they got their second goal, then had a third disallowed, and we deserved a bigger defeat than 2-0. This was probably going to be one of those months.

Blyth 4-1 Hyde (BSN)

We were hoping to avoid another slip up when we hosted Hyde, and after a good start, Vipond gave us the lead within 10 minutes. Mason set him up for a second after half an hour. In the second half, Rathbone headed in Philip’s corner for a third. They gone one back but Jones made it 4-1 with 10 minutes to go to wrap up a great win.

Blyth 0-1 Brentford (FA cup_

A third home game on the trot saw us host League 1 Brentford in the FA cup. Despite being severe underdogs, we had some very bright chances in the first half, and defended really well at the other end. After a quieter second half, they finally scored near the end to go through, but could still feel proud.

Solihull 1-2 Blyth (BSN)

A trip to second bottom Solihull was rather less exciting, but at least we could expect a result. In the first half it looked like one of those days where one or 2 slipups cost rather than being that poor, and that was the story behind Solihull having the lead at half time. We improved afterwards, not wanting yet more points slipping away, with Altrincham fresh in the memory, and Jones levelled it after 58 minutes. For the most part, the 2 sides seemed to settle for a draw, but sub Smith came out of nowhere as we countered after an attack, giving us a 2-1 win.

Blyth 3-0 Boston (BSN)

We were expected to build on that at home to Boston, whose manager was in trouble, though they were still top half which suggested they were still a potentially strong side. We just about had the better of an even and dull first half, just failing to make a breakthrough. Coleman scored just a couple of minutes into the second half. Jones made it 2 just 10 minutes later, and Armstrong wrapped it up with a 3rd with 15 minutes to go. It was another really positive performance, and one that took us back to 4th, after a long spell outside the top 5.

Stamford 2-4 Blyth (FA Trophy)

It was back to cup action after that, this time in the FA Trophy at Stamford. The Lincolnshire side were expected to be beaten easily, with an Armstrong penalty and a Jones goal giving us a 2-0 lead before half an hour had passed. Coleman added a third early in the second half. Things got a bit interesting when they pulled 2 goals back, but another Coleman goal settled a comfortable 4-2 victory.

Dec 2011

Worcester 0-4 Blyth (BSN)

Hoping to keep the good form up, we went to Worcester, and took the lead after 14 minutes from Jones. Taylor made it 2-0 just a few minutes later, then 3-0 just after half an hour. Jones heading in a Philips corner before half time gave us a 4-0 lead! They had a few second half chances, but we were comfortable and knew it enough not to even have to bother to get anything else, as we got a fantastic win, our 4th in a row in the league.

Frickley 2-5 Blyth (FA Trophy)

We returned to the FA trophy to go to Frickley, and despite good early pressure, which included a penalty claim turned down, it took until the 34th minute for Armstrong to give us the lead, and he followed it up with another before the break. An interesting first half was Frickley get a goal back, then young playmaker Forster (in for an injured Vipond) restoring the 2 goal advantage. A penalty took it back to 3-2, then Armstrong finished his hat-trick, and Taylor rounded off a 5-2 win.

Blyth 3-3 Gloucester (BSN)

It looked like we were keeping up our excellent league form when we hosted Gloucester, as we went on the attack an forced an own goal after 6 minutes. However we switched off at the back (yet again) and they took the lead before half-time. Not wanting to fall back into zig-zagging up and down the top half like we’d been doing so far, we pushed back in the second half, Jones giving us an early leveller. Taylor gave us the lead again after 65 minutes, however it was their turn to hit back to get a 3-3 draw, which was a fair result.

Workington 1-0 Blyth (BSN)

What was a record 6 match unbeaten run seemed unlikely to last with a visit to Workington, who were in the playoff mix with us. It was the last match before Christmas, and it showed as an otherwise poor game (at least from us) was livened up by an admittedly excellent goal that won the game for the Cumbrians.

Blyth 2-1 Corby (BSN)

Boxing day and a home game against second-bottom Corby promised more festive cheer. It took until the beginning of the second half for anything to happen, thankfully that thing being Mason giving us the lead. After a few brief scares, Armstrong made it safer by scoring after an hour. They did get a late goal back, and there was a bit of hanging on involved, but the points (and provisional 3rd place) were ours.

Bishops Stortford 3-2 Blyth (BSN)

Just a couple of days later we went to Bishops Stortford. We did have a tendency to have some very poor first halves, and going in 2-0 down at the break, this was definitely one of them, though Bishops Stortford were having a good season, getting close to the playoffs so they were good in and of themselves. They needed a bit of a kick, and having given them one, it seemed to do the trick as Armstrong made it 2-1, seconds after the restart. It was just a brief respite, they got a third, then Rathbone was a very silly boy, getting my first red of the career with over half an hour still to play. A few minutes later, Jones went off injured (for the rest of the season), leaving us with half a defence, with all subs used up after the first half shambles. Surprisingly they were gentle, and even let us makes some good pushes forward, resulting in a consolation from Smith, 5 minutes from time.

Blyth 0-1 Gainsborough (BSN)

We greeted Gainsborough on new year’s eve. Some good chances came to nothing, again we went in a goal down at half time. We made a reasonable effort in the second half, but rarely came close to getting an equalizer, and this boring way of going down, combined with the fact that Gainsborough were just above the relegation zone, made for an very unsatisfactory way to end the calendar year.

Jan 2012

Hinckley 3-1 Blyth (BSN)

The new year didn’t get off to a great start at Hinckley. They had been bottom for some time but had risen up quite a few places recently, and a they won and scored a penalty after 8 minutes, extending the lead after 12, after they got a third after half an hour, I wondered why on earth my players bothered to turn up. Mason did give us a second half goal but we couldn’t avoid a 3-1 defeat. Another team meeting did not go well as the players thought we were doing as well as we could, though I was saying otherwise in relation to current form.

Blyth 3-1 Halifax (BSN)

We actually looked pretty bright at home to Halifax, even after going behind, despite morale starting to dip a bit. Our pressure finally paid dividends, with a few minutes to go, very young left winger Leach (only playing in place of Philips for morale reasons), grabbed an equalizer, then young defender Collett (the replacement for the injured Jones) headed in a winner that really cheered us all up, and not a moment too soon. We hoped to build on it at struggling Eastwood, and it took just 2 minutes for Coleman to fire us into the lead. They equalized before half-time, which was no longer a surprise. Armstrong quickly restored the lead, and we were able to keep them at bay this time, Taylor adding a final goal in stoppage time for a 3-1 win.

Darlington 3-4 Blyth (FA Trophy)

We had a tough journey in the FA Trophy to holders Darlington. It seemed like an impossible mission, but Mason’s goal after half an hour showed he disagreed with that. As predictable, as death and taxes, they equalized (though given how much stronger they are, it wasn’t as disappointing as most of the time this happens). At the break, I encouraged them to go for it, never being one for being cautious in the face of strong opposition. They responded, as Armstrong made it 2-1 in the 54th minute. We had a penalty claim turned down, and were good value for another goal, but they got another equalizer after 67 minutes, which admittedly they’d been good value for as well. They took the lead just afterwards, but just a few minutes after that, Mason drew us level again. They thought they regained the lead (which would have been the 4th goal in 10 minutes), though the referee didn’t agree, then Philips (back in the lineup on the left) gave us the lead with 12 minutes to play. Darlington tried hard but couldn’t stop us claiming a 4-3 win in what was an excellent tie that both sides could be proud of being a part of.

Blyth 3-0 Colwyn Bay (BSN)

Being a few points off the playoffs in the league, we were hoping to string a few wins together to make a push on there. Colwyn Bay at home was a good opportunity for that, and Mason gave us a 9th minute lead. For once, the tradition of conceding an equalizer was averted as he extended the lead after 28 minutes. This was a rare strong collective performance, and Armstrong capped it off with 15 minutes to go to make it 3-0.

Guiseley 1-5 Blyth (BSN)

As we kept the pressure up, anchor man Martins headed us into a first half lead at Guiseley. Taylor and Coleman added to it within 15 minutes of the second half, then the latter got a second one 5 minutes later. They got one back but Armstrong made it a 5-1 win.

Feb 2012

Blyth 3-1 Harrogate (BSN)

Harrogate at home was another game we’d expect a win out of. Taylor gave us an early lead, Collett adding a second before the break. Being consistently strong/solid was taking some getting used to. Taylor got another a few minutes into the second half, however soon afterwards, the visitors got one back to make things a bit more interesting, but there we little need to worry, as we cruised to a 3-1 win, our record 6th on the bounce (including Darlington, but still 5 without) that took us to 3rd again, though admittedly as part of a tight pack of playoff challengers.

Histon 2-0 Blyth (FA Trophy)

In the FA trophy we had the first of 2 away games against leaders Histon. First luck was on our side as they had a goal disallowed, then against us as goalkeeper Johnson put the ball in his own net. They showed precisely why they had been comfortable leaders for most of the season, getting another after 25 minutes, then easing off to settle for a 2-0 win as there wasn’t much we could do against them.

Histon 4-2 Blyth (BSN)

We were hoping for better in the league encounter, but when they took the lead, it looked like heading the same way. This time Taylor struck back with an equalizer just a few minutes later, and it looked like we’d give them a game this time. However they struck back with 2 goals before the half-hour mark. Despite the worst collective defensive showing yet, Taylor got a second, so at 3-2 we were still in it at the break, but a 4th Histon goal finished us off.

Stalybridge 1-1 Blyth (BSN)

We stayed on the road to go to Stalybridge. We were very much the underdogs, but we still came forward repeatedly and confidently, Collett finally heading us into the lead with seconds remaining in the first half. After a far tenser second half, Stalybridge pulled the same ‘last minute’ trick on us to equalize, which was a bit annoying but 1-1 wasn’t a bad result. We kept up similar pressure at home to Droylsden, who were just above us, not as intense, but more consistent across both halves, and were rewarded very late on when Vipond struck to give us an important 1-0 win in an otherwise unmemorable match.

Vauxhall 1-4 Blyth (BSN)

We were in the playoff places, with a game in hand and 12 games to go, so hoping a win over Vauxhall would give us a bit of space. They took the lead, which wasn’t a great start, but thankfully it wasn’t long before Hutchings (back on the wing as Coleman was injured early on against Droylsden) levelled it. The guilty defenders were executed at half-time, and on the other wing, Philips gave us the lead within a minute of the second half. One of the defenders who benefited from the half-time Klingon promotion, Smith, headed in a cross to make it 3-1. At the end, Taylor broke away for 4-1, putting us in 4th, with a 4 point gap over 6th, which didn’t mean too much yet with our record and still 11 games left but was definitely a positive.

March 2012

Blyth 1-3 Nuneaton (BSN)

Nuneaton were fellow-challengers, so we had to be careful not to slip up at home against them. Smith heading in a corner in the 7th minute was a great start, however 20 minutes later, they equalized in the same way. They had by far the better of the second half, taking the lead, then after having a 3rd disallowed, they grabbed it anyway in the last minute.

Hyde 2-0 Blyth (BSN)

There was more disappointment at Hyde. Hutchings thought he had given us the lead, only for it to be ruled out. Then they calmly picked us off with a goal in each half.

Altrincham 1-5 Blyth (BSN)

We were still in the playoff places, and eager to keep it that way, Taylor scored early on at Altrincham. After a few scares, Armstrong extended the lead before they got one back. They threatened a lot in the second half, but we caught them on the break, Vipond putting the ball through to Taylor who made it 3-1 and a lot easier to breathe. While they attacked more, Taylor grabbed his 3rd and 4th goals as we swiped them aside 5-1.

Blyth 2-2 Solihull (BSN)

With our inconsistent nature we were looking to grab whatever we could at this point in case a few poor performances set in. Solihull was a ‘should win’ home game, and Taylor’s early goal set us up nicely. Vipond’s second gave us more breathing space. However it wasn’t enough. They got one back before the break, but after a lot of pushing, equalized in the 58th minute. Other results were working in our favour. While we had the lead we had a 6 point margin, even now we were maintaining it at 4, but wanted the extra 2 points, and we certainly attacked a lot late on, though without success as we had to settle for 2-2.

Boston 1-5 Blyth (BSN)

We fancied another go, at Boston. Philips giving us the lead after 20 minutes. Vipond set Taylor up for the second, a few minutes before half-time. Smith headed a third early on after the break. They got one back right afterwards, but didn’t do anything else until a very late second goal, which didn’t worry me as I knew they had too little time left to have much chance of an equalizer, and I was right as we held on to the 3-2 scoreline. We seemed eager to try and throw it away when going behind at home to Worcester, but the excellent Taylor quickly levelled it, so we could relax a bit easier. A foul on Philips allowed Hutchings to score a penalty to give us a 2-1 lead after half an hour, an own goal made it 3-1, and Armstrong 4-1 before the break. Armstrong got a second after 68 minutes which gave us a 5-1 win, though annoyingly a late Stalybridge winner means our gap remained at 5 points instead of increasing to 7, we weren’t quite home and dry in the playoffs with 5 games to go, but we were looking good for it.

League Table

Will be off for a short while, up to London on the way to visiting friends for a couple of days from tomorrow, when I wasn't going to take my laptop anyway, but just got up to find my charger's broken. I have a spare but I'll have to wait until I'm back home properly on Thurs to use it so there'll be a longer gap then expected.

Apr 2012

Gloucester 0-2 Blyth (BSN)

A trip to Gloucester was a potential banana skin, but we sprinted out of the blocks, Purvis heading in an opening goal within 10 minutes. We kept pushing but found ourselves on the defensive just as much, and were relieved to still be 1-0 up at the break. 8 minutes into the second half, Vipond’s curling shot found the net, extending the lead, much to everyone’s relief. They weren’t as much of a threat after that as we grabbed a great win, going 7 points clear of Hinckley in 6th and with 4 games to go, looking like being in the playoffs. Securing it would prove tricky as the next couple of games were against the teams on either side of us, starting with Workington.

Blyth 4-2 Workington (BSN)

We had the best of quiet early stages and Armstrong gave us an 18th minute lead. A few minutes later he pounced on to a rebound from a Coleman shot and made it 2-0. 10 minutes later, Philips added a third. The winger made it 4-0 just a minute after half-time, and though they got one back a few minutes later, followed by another, they couldn’t stop us race to a 4-2 victory, with only a massive goal-difference swing preventing mathematical qualification. It was a great sign of the season that I had 3 of the 10 players on the player of the season shortlist, Vipond, Taylor, and Philips, who in order were also the top 3 of the 10 in terms of average rating.

Blyth 0-2 Bishops Stortford (BSN)

We mathematically secured it in another home game, against Bishops Stortford, despite going behind after 18 minutes, never looking like coming back, and conceding a later second. To add a bit more spice, the 2 of us looked like getting 3rd and 4th (though it was up in the air as to in which order) so would play in the playoff semis.

Corby 1-4 Blyth (BSN)

We seemed a bit knocked back by that, and it took time to get going in the penultimate league game, at relegation-threatened Corby. After half an hour, Smith headed us into the lead. Armstrong got a second, just before the break, and that finally woke us up, as without the team impressing much that far, he made it 3-0 in the second half. Right-back Pearson was sent off with 15 minutes to go, and Corby got one back, but Martins headed another for a 4-1 win that relegated the hosts (The first of what may be quite a few teams I doom to relegation), and put us ahead of Bishops Stortford on what was otherwise a meaningless ‘race’ for 3rd.

Gainsborough 1-3 Blyth

We looked to secure that at least, as ‘top 3’ doesn’t sound bad, and had to go to Gainsborough to do it. We didn’t look like it really mattered. Gainsborough were free to come at us and take the lead in the first half. Smith equalized in the second, but we didn’t look capable of more than that, and we needed to win to overhaul Bishops Stortford. However we finally stepped up a few gears, Armstrong giving us a 70th minute lead, and Smith securing a 3-1 win, 11 minutes later.

Playoffs

Bishops Stortford 0-1 Blyth (Playoff Semi 1st Leg)

I wasn’t too confident about facing Bishops Stortford again, as they’d beaten us in both league matches. Still, law of averages and all that... We were away first, which wasn’t good as contrary to the usual theory, I prefer being at home first, to (hopefully) build up a margin and/or head in to the second leg with more confidence than we would from a less favourable away result, which in a way sort of proves that there isn’t an advantage either way due to the differing theories, but it’s still how I prefer to do things, and I have had great triumphs from ties where my side has been home first. We actually started pretty well, but neither side could get a first-half breakthrough. The second half was much the same, a few chances for either side, nothing too exciting, but then late on, one of our chances was deflected off a Stortford defender into his own net, and suddenly things were looking very bright indeed, taking a 1-0 lead home.

Blyth 2-1 (3-1) Bishops Stortford (Playoff Semi 2nd Leg)

They came close to levelling the tie early on, then Vipond set up Armstrong to give us the lead. When Smith grabbed another, 10 minutes into the second half, that seemed to be that. They got one back after a few chances but we completed a playoff double over them, just as they had done to us in the regular season, having stepped up when it mattered. Nuneaton easily overcame a first leg deficit against Workington, who I’d rather have faced, to be our opponents in the final.

Nuneaton 2-3 Blyth (Playoff Final)

They had also beaten us twice in the league, but that didn’t help Bishops Stortford so I wasn’t worrying too much about that, already being clear underdogs and playing at their place. The players certainly weren’t, Vipond shooting us into a surprise early lead, but it didn’t take much pressure for them to equalize after 25 minutes. The game was rather quiet as they didn’t go for us anywhere near as much as I feared, and we were able to make a few chances. Less than half a minute into extra-time, Armstrong set Mason up to give us the lead. Just a couple of minutes later, Collett headed in a Philips corner for 3-1. Then they started attacking a lot more, getting a goal back right before the break, but that was all they could manage.

PlayoffFinal

Final League Table

Summary

I just was not expecting that. Had we lost to Nuneaton I wouldn’t have minded a bit, and after a strong but slightly inconsistent season, a playoff defeat seemed about right, and we had done well to be there in the first place. However even with a reasonable core to the squad, there were still weaknesses, especially with so much of the squad being promising youngsters. I was going to go for a few more senior players in the summer anyway, and that seemed pretty much a necessity now. Clearly we had a tough challenge in the BSP, but survival was possible and even doing it comfortably was not impossible. 3rd in the BSN was a record high league position for the club, and with an early promotion in the bag, the pressure was off for now.

Squad

Great job to get promoted, hope you can strengthen sufficiently to avoid relegation from the BSP!

Well done on the promotion

I really hate the playoffs though. Far too dramatic for my liking! Three goals in extra time too

Thanks, I feel that I have quite a few players who'll manage fine, but also that there are quite a few areas that'll can be a lot stronger, and if I can do that I'll be reasonably confident we'll manage.

Cracking start to your career mate

Cracking read, congrats on the promotion. Blyth Spartans and Ashington AFC are my local sides

Congrats on the promotion

Thanks guys, just about to play the first match of the season (though will only do some sort of pre-season thing this evening) so interesting to see how we do.

Good luck for the upcoming season.

well done on the promotion. hope you can stay up next year

Pre-season

We had a pretty good setup, though the amount of youth in the squad did lead to potential weak spots, especially in defence. The budget (and indeed balance) was 6k, though 1.4k extra in the wage budget (a large percentage) meant I could increase that quite a bit, and probably would in order to get the most out of the summer as possible to get a BSP-capable side. The main area that needed work was defence, especially in the centre and on the right, as the lack of senior depth had been a problem last season, especially early on, but most positions could use some strengthening, even if it was just in depth to avoid an injury/suspension away from carrying a weak spot we might not be able to afford. Scotland was the first port of call as a good source of bargain players, pointedly the first player, sorted even before the transfer window opened, was a D C/R. After a couple more players from north of the border, a new scout’s recommendation of a forward led to a chase for a few freebees, though sometimes it took some searching to find a player for a particular position, right wing especially. We ended up with a very large squad, a lot of younger players moving down the pecking order, and I was able to demote a number of them while leaving the best ones there in a squad that remained large (though not overly so), and balanced both in terms of position and CA/PA. There were 9 new players in all, covering all positions, here are a selection...

Whittall

Smith

Gates

Brister

The objective, as would almost always be the case with me after a promotion, was survival, which was also the board aim, though with a secondary aim to avoid trouble altogether, though that wasn’t as likely this time with a club in their first ever season at this level and predicted bottom. I felt we’d be up against it, but still pull through.

Transfers

Aug 2012

Ebbsfleet 3-2 Blyth (BSP)

I had everything I needed to get by the first game, though was still looking to get a couple more in. Most games would be a challenge, starting with Ebbsfleet (18th last time) away, a useful test against the sort of opposition we’d be aiming and hoping to beat regularly to survive. We played 6 of the 7 new players we had at the time. The first attack was theirs, but we pushed a couple of times and new winger Gates got his debut goal in just the 7th minute of the game, which is not a bad way to start at your new club. We kept going for a bit, but they came back and equalized after half an hour, then took the lead a few minutes later, and a third not long after that. An own goal early in the second half gave us more of a chance but we only made limited chances to equalize, and it wasn’t surprising but we didn’t, though despite the defeat we weren’t all bad so there was hope.

Blyth 0-2 Luton (BSP)

The first home game was against Luton, predicted for the title. They scored after just a few minutes. We still had occasional chances but were clearly second best, and new DM Bayley’s own goal made it 2-0 to them in the middle of the half. In the second half, we came out with a bit more spirit, but on balance were lucky not to concede any more.

Wrexham 3-1 (BSP)

I wasn’t too optimistic going to Wrexham, who had won both games so far. They took the lead in the 6th minute, but an Armstrong penalty in the 10th levelled it for us. We were lucky to hold on in the first half, but early in the second, they regained the lead and clinched a 3-1 win late on.

Blyth 2-1 Kidderminster (BSP)

We didn’t wake up at home to Kidderminster, another strong starting side, who got another early goal against us, followed by a second, though Gates got one back for us just before half-time with our first shot of the game. We had a couple more chances in the second half but otherwise they easily out played us and it was a surprise that they didn’t get more.

Sept 2012

Woking 5-3 Blyth (BSP)

It only took a few matches to be the only side without a point, and going to BSS champions Woking was chance to fix that. We didn’t seem capable of taking it as their 18th minute goal was well deserved, however 8 minutes later we were able to break and our goalscoring hero of last season, Taylor, managed to make it level. 10 minutes before half-time, they retook the lead, and had time for a 3rd as well in the half. As depressing as it was, we weren’t done yet, 2 quick goals from Taylor either side of the hour mark made it 3-3. It wasn’t enough as they took the lead for good just as quickly as they lost it, then got 2 penalties in quick succession in the last few minutes, the first was saved but the second condemned us to a 5-3 defeat.

Blyth 0-1 Histon (BSP)

Having been outclassed so far, I made a few slight tweaks, becoming more rigid and defensive, also reminding the players that there was still a long way to go, which went well. I decided to do this partly due to the situation, but also because we were up against fellow BSN promotees Histon at home next, and we had enough of a chance to be worth trying something out. There was an immediate difference, as a goalless first half was far more open and even then what had gone before. We started the second half looking like we could win, and that’s the first time I’ve written that this season, but we weren’t that much better than Histon and eventually they got the only goal of the game, but it could genuinely have gone either way. I immediately set to work on a potential Plan C if the new setup failed to change anything.

Burton 3-1 Blyth (BSP)

There wasn’t too much chance of that at Burton, relegated from League 2 last year. We were actually more solid, especially in the first half, but they were still too good, taking the lead, then getting second right after the break, though we managed to keep them at bay despite a lot of pressure until they got a very late 3rd, which I guess is really clutching at straws, but at least Taylor got a consolation in the last seconds.

Blyth 1-0 Mansfield (BSP)

Like against Histon, we managed to keep it tight against a far tougher Mansfield, going into the break with the score still goalless, though we had to resist a lot of pressure to do it. In the second half we were a bit more adventurous, and came close to scoring a few times. After quietening down, our new Scottish forward McKenna popped up in stoppage time to give us a win, and points on the board at last. We were still bottom, and 5 points from safely.

Telford 2-0 Blyth (BSP)

The good feeling lasted as long as almost heading an opener within a couple of minutes at Telford, then they took the lead but we were not without our chances after that as we weren’t outplayed. We did drop a bit in the second half, and a little over 10 minutes into the half they got their second goal, but it was ‘efficient’ rather than dominant on their part.

Blyth 0-2 Gateshead (BSP)

We faced a local derby at home to Gateshead. They were 17 places ahead, which isn’t promising ahead of my first derby. The only surprise about the fact that they were 1-0 ahead at half-time was that it took so long and it was just the one goal. With all subs used (and I wish I could use more) trying to turn things around, things got worse when right-back (our only one due to the dropping to reserves of so many young players) Rennie was injured just 5 minutes after the break. It wasn’t until the last minute that they got another goal, and I was expecting at least a goal or 2 worse, but another loss, and to rivals at that, meant that it didn’t feel any better.

Blyth 2-3 Lincoln (BSP)

What felt even worse was Lincoln, as at home, we were down 2-0 within 10 minutes. However instead of conceding a load more, Armstrong scored after 25 minutes to make it 2-1 at the break. There was great joy when after a few second half chances, Vipond broke free and set up Taylor who equalized. However Stern John got his second of the game with 20 minutes to go as his side won 3-2. It was so frustrating, no longer outplayed most of the time, we were now simply just falling short each time.

Oct 2012

Forest Green 1-1 Blyth (BSP)

Simply the fact that Forest Green (admittedly away) was considered an impossible task was depressing, and they were only 5th. As strange as it sounds, we actually had the better of the first half, and with a little less wastefulness could have taken the lead. Normal service seemed to be restored as they went ahead just a couple of minutes into the second half, but Taylor equalized on the hour, which was a shock even to me. Admitedly they had more chances to get a winner than we had, but that wasn’t a game I’d have imagined getting a point from the way things were going, but 8 points from safety was still the harsh reality.

Blyth 2-4 Newport (BSP)

We still had another tough ask at home to Newport, who had replaced Forest Green in 5th. Again we weren’t fazed, and after 15 minutes Taylor chipped the keeper to give us an extremely rare lead. Alas it was only a brief triumph, as they equalized, then took the lead when young defender Smith messed a clearance up and put the ball in our net. We were also lucky that they had a potential third goal disallowed. It took just 20 seconds after the break for them to get a legitimate 3rd, and despite our entire defence clearly busy playing the FM 13 demo, they didn’t feel the need to do any more. That almost cost them as after Philips got one back, Taylor almost equalized and they felt the need to seal it with a late 4th. With better finishing we’d have got something.

Braintree 1-6 Blyth (BSP)

The one consistent comfort was that Braintree were only marginally better and with a far worse defence (and even slightly worse attack), and we got the chance to move off bottom by beating them in Essex. It was good to be the better team for once, and a penalty from young midfielder Elliot gave us a deserved lead after 18 minutes, Armstrong added a second just 4 minutes later. We were good value for more, and after they had a player sent off early in the second half, Armstrong gave us a third. Taylor made it 4 just after the hour. Jones headed in a corner for 5-0 with 12 minutes to go. They got one back with a few minutes to go, but Armstrong finished his hat-trick as we won 6-1, and with that we moved 1 point ahead of them and off bottom. But given how poorly we’re struggling, Braintree were strikingly awful, and it says it all that during a great rare win, I was thinking of that almost as much. Unsurprisingly they sacked their manager after that.

Blyth 0-0 Darlington (BSP)

We followed this up by hosting Darlington, with January’s FA Trophy upset fresh in the memory. We actually had the chances to take the lead in an otherwise uneventful first half. They were reduced to 10 men after an hour, but we failed to take advantage and get a winner, though it was another point in the bag.

Blyth 5-2 Carshalton (FA Cup)

We took a break from the league and played out first cup game of the season, at home to Carshalton. Embarassingly, the BSS side took the lead in the 36th minute, but Armstrong replied instantly. 10 minutes into the second half, he got another to give us the lead. An own goal midway through the second half made it 3-1 to us, and after they got one back, Taylor and Gates scored late on to give us a 5-2 win.

Nov 2012

Blyth 1-4 Cambridge (BSP)

We started well when we welcomed Cambridge, but our attacking initiative fell apart and when they took the lead, we started crumbling, and they got a second before half-time. They took us apart at will, running up a 4-0 lead before an Armstrong consolation, but we sunk back down to bottom.

Hayes and Yeading 0-1 Blyth (BSP)

Hayes and Yeading were ‘leading’ the relegation zone but probably wouldn’t be as easy as Braintree, especially as scoring hero Taylor had been lost to Bromley due to being on a non-contract deal, which I’d had a lot from both signings and existing players, but thankfully rarely had lost players due to that, though this was a blow. Hayes definitely deserved to take the lead, and we were lucky they hadn’t. Very much against the run of play, Vipond fired us into the lead a few minutes into the second half. That definitely knocked the wind out of their sails and they didn’t make anywhere near as much of an effort to equalized as I feared, as we got another important win. That actually took us past Chelmsford as well as Hayes and Braintree, as the 4 of us made for a pretty awful collective bottom 4, but 6 points adrift of Kettering in the last safe spot.

Tamworth 1-1 Blyth (BSP)

Going to Tamworth, they had a goal disallowed after 90 seconds, and deserved to finally get a goal in the 17th minute. With only a short while left in the half, Armstrong scored, after a few chances. We rode our luck in the second half, but came away with a point, closing more on Kettering.

Blyth 0-2 Doncaster (FA cup)

Like last year, we faced a tough home FA cup 1st round tie, to Doncaster this time. Unlike last year, we didn’t hold out for long, Hayter giving them the lead in the 9th minute, and getting numerous chances to add to that. However they didn’t until Bayley’s red card in the 50th minute, even then taking until the 73rd minute to get their only other goal.

Blyth 0-3 Kettering (BSP)

After that we could turn our attentions to the key Kettering game, a win would put us within 2 points of them, and a survival place. Unfortunately they dominated us from the first whistle, getting an early goal, and should have had more by the time we had an unsuccessful pre-half-time rally. They quickly extended the lead after the break and won 3-0, putting us 7 points behind Grimsby and 8 behind them in the survival calculations. Oddly that was a rare game we were expected to win.

Grimsby 2-1 Blyth (BSP)

As it happened, we travelled to Grimsby next, and would remain in serious trouble if we blew that one. Armstrong let fly with his 10th goal of the season after 5 minutes, which was a much better start. We looked comfortable for the remainder of the half, but in the second half they equalized just seconds in, then they kept pushing until we collapsed and they grabbed a controversial winner

League Table

Dec 2012

With the recent twin blows of Kettering and Grimsby, hosting promotion chasing Cheltenham didn’t build much confidence. That seemed to affect our keeper, Barclay, of whom it could easily be said that our early defeats would have been a lot worse without him. He fumbled the ball into his own net after a couple of minutes. Whittall got an equalizer 10 minutes later but they kept pushing to regain the lead and did so in the 22nd minute. We thought we’d get away with that, but a late goal for them secured a 3-1 defeat. Going to table-topping Stockport wasn’t going to bring me much joy either. They were expected to tear us apart, but we managed to resist them pretty well until Vipond struck to give us a surprise lead just before half-time. We couldn’t keep it tight for long, they equalized almost immediately in the second half, later taking the lead in the 65th minute. However we made a late rally for a point and Armstrong scored with a few minutes to go to give us one. We turned our attentions to visiting Lowestoft, BSN strugglers in the FA Trophy. They took the lead, but Jones equalized, and quickfire goals from McKenna and Armstrong put us 3-1 up by 25 minutes. Vipond made it 4 in the 2nd half, followed 7 minutes later by Armstrong as we won 5-1. We also expected to beat at home Chelmsford, the last fellow-strugglers we hadn’t played. We struggled to gain the upper hand. With 6 minutes to go, they won a penalty, which they scored, going above us and leaving just Braintree below us.

Jan 2013

We had our couple of festive games postponed, so resumed in new year at home to Wrexham. Somehow we had an own goal after a few minutes disallowed, which was a bit lucky. Then after 8 minutes, McKenna scored a goal that Wrexham protested loudly about, probably feeling a bit hard done by so far. They only took 5 minutes to level it. Armstrong fired off a goal in the 27th minute to restore the lead for us. We parted like the red sea to give them 2 quick goals, leaving us 3-2 behind at the break. We managed to avoid conceding any more, and a late Smith goal gave us a very undeserved 3-3 draw. We were far more deserving of the lead we got at Kidderminster, considered to be another mission impossible, and Philips scored in the 12th minute. That woke them up, and they equalized after some chances in the 32nd minute. We were a good match for them, and exchanged blows in the second half until they took the lead. We didn’t let it break us, and Brister, often criticised as a flop by the fans, secured another point. We had another postponed game, and looked very rusty at Histon going behind early, and being lucky not to concede more before half time, which included Barclay being called on to save a penalty. We didn’t improve and they comfortable grabbed a second. We went to Sutton in the FA Trophy. It took a while for us to get going, and even when we did, a goal eluded us. When Tim Smith (as it’s taken me a while to realize that I need to differentiate the 2 defenders I have called ‘Smith’) finally gave us the lead in the second half, they equalized. We failed to do anything about it, and they got a late winner to knock us out.

For me, that was pretty much it. Since the 5th defeat, against Woking, it had seemed a case of ‘when’ not ‘if’ I resigned, and how close to relegation I’d last, while technically not in that big a danger of being fired, being bottom at all, especially for so much of the season and poor competition confidence qualified, and I’d left far earlier in struggling situations, and had at least been rewarded by getting some positive results. I was thinking of staying a little longer but the writing was looming large on the wall and Sutton sapped away any motivation that was left.

Blyth League Table

It wasn’t all bad, I’d still got an early promotion, the first of the many small steps this journey will probably be, given Blyth their first appearance at this level, and while being considerably smaller then nearly all the other sides didn’t mean we couldn’t survive, it also meant there wasn’t a big disgrace in failing to. Plus for me going abroad early would broaden my options whenever I was able to attract interest, whereas being successful in England would limit opportunities (when not being unemployed) to there for a while until I had already outgrown a lot of leagues, which I didn’t want, liking to travel around abroad a lot.

While I was hardly expecting much in the way of offers, it didn’t take long for one to come, from Messina, in Serie C2/A. The downside was that they were also in a relegation battle, which otherwise I’d avoid, but there was plenty of time to climb out of trouble. Plus if things went well, doing it in Italy would probably make more impact than in a smaller nation. However for now it was all about trying to avoid relegation, and anything else would be thought about in the summer if we did.

Messina League Table

Good luck with my old club

Tough break on the BSP. I'm just about to head into it with my Staines side after promotion from the BSS. Better luck in Italy

Unlucky with Blyth but good luck with Messina!

Good luck with my old club

Thanks, I actually thought of your career when I had the offer.

It did feel tough the way things turned out at Blyth, and it won't be easy to start off with at Messina, but starting to claw things back and hoping to keep it up enough to be make it to safety.

Welcome to Italy mate, alot of young players floating around

Unlucky with Blyth but the best if luck to you with Messina

It's unfortunate how things turned out with Blyth. Considering you beat Braintree 6-1, it seems that your players could perform well at times, just not consistently enough to get on a good run of form and push up the table.

It's going to be tough with Messina too, but hopefully you'll reach safety and get a full season with them

unlucky with Blyth. Hopefully you can save Messina

Thanks guys, it looked promising but sadly it doesn't look likely now.

Jan/Feb 2013

Messina 3-4 Lecco (C2A)

My Messina debut was at home to Lecco in 7th. There was plenty of potential in the side, as well as a few players retiring, and with a demoralized squad of regulars I thought I’d throw some in. We had a couple of bright early chances, but they took the lead. Shortly afterwards, one youngster, D’Adamo, still unfit from a previous injury, equalized. They retook the lead, then D’Adamo set up one of the forwards, Perez. He then laid the ball off to playmaker Mangnanelli who assisted Perez’s second in the 39th minute. They got a penalty in first half stoppage time, but thankfully missed. Lecco were a little rough in the second half, first we lost a central defender, with no more on the bench and having to improvise with an extra anchor man instead, then D’Adamo had to go off with no subs left, and well over half an hour to try and maintain the lead. We failed to do so as they clawed back to win 4-3, so close to a good start, ‘close but not good enough’ being clearly the theme for the season. From the unlucky to the awful.

Casale 4-0 Messina (C2A)

The trip to Casale was a depressingly familiar story as they went 3-0 up after half an hour and 4-0 at the break with another disallowed. We only occasionally managed to relieve the pressure as they were generous enough not to get any more, and being 6 points behind the playout places we’d need points soon. I was also being questioned for playing a 20yr old too soon.

Messina 2-0 Salerno (C2A)

Salerno were just a few places above us and we’d be kicking ourselves if we didn’t beat them at home. A second minute penalty from Conte (at 16 becoming our youngest goalscorer) got us off to a strong start. I could barely watch as they came close to equalizing quite a few times in the rest of the half. Thankfully they eased off in the second half, and we went on the offensive, a diving header from right-winger Gemelli on the hour extended our lead, for a good and badly needed 2-0 win.

Ravenna 1-1 Messina (C2A)

Annoyingly a search for staff (as we needed coaches and scouts) was fruitless as we couldn’t offer any applicant what they wanted, but on the plus side we next went to Ravenna, the side right below us. I was worried that we’d struggle in the snow, but we came out of the blocks fighting, and after applying quite a bit of pressure, they got frustrated enough that they had a player sent off after 15 minutes. I was really disappointed at not scoring in the first half, even more so when Ravenna struck to take the lead early in the second half. Thankfully it was just a few minutes before sub forward Addazii got his first goal to equalize. However they kept up their pressure, missing a penalty, but we had a late wasted flurry to get a winner. However the draw allowed us to gain an extra point on Salerno, now 4 points ahead. It was keeping track of the table that I first noticed bottom side Viterbese were winning their 4th point of the season, with no wins, makes me feel a bit better about Blyth now.

Messina 1-1 Santarcangello (C2A)

We hosted Santarcangello next, and they were the other side in the playout places along with Salerno. Most of the game was uneventful, we pushed a bit better but didn’t look like getting anything. With a couple of minutes left, young defender Deci headed us into the lead. But they truck back instantly and we had to share the points and only get within 3 points of Salerno, not 1, which would have been great.

March 2013

Mantova 3-1 Messina (C2A)

I wasn’t that confident about a trip to Mantova. We were on the back foot from early on but managed to survive a goalless first half. However the second half went far better, and 10 minutes in, Deci headed us the first goal. As things stood, we’d overtake Salerno into the playout places, though I was hoping to get a definite survival place, even though that was a far harder task. Just a few minutes later, Deci had a very different experience, panicing and sending the ball past Cattaneo in goal as he scored the other end. They quickly followed that up by taking the lead, and we collapsed as they got a third and final goal in the 74th minute.

Messina 0-0 Trapani (C2A)

I expected even less from our home game with table-toppers Trapani. They weren’t actually much of a threat, then again neither were we. In the 73rd minute, Gemelli headed in a corner, only to see the goal disallowed. They we had to survive a late push from Trapani, which we did, edging a point closer (2 now) to Salerno.

Savona 4-0 Messina (C2A)

Going to Savona, we kept it even until they took the lead after half an hour. However they freely overran us in the second half, winning 4-0, while Salerno won.

Renate 3-2 Messina (C2A)

Our next trip, to Renate, didn’t start much better, as they took a 7th minute lead. However with 10 minutes left in the half, Venturi managed to fire us level, though they headed themselves back into the lead before the break. We appeared to collapse as they took an early second half goal to lead 3-1, but then we much improved. Perez got one back, as both forwards ended long goal droughts, but that was all we could manage.

Messina 2-5 Rimini (C2A)

What looked like a recovery had certainly long ended as we welcomed Rimini, who took an early lead, then after Venturi equalized, raced into a 3-1 half time lead. The players were told in no uncertain terms to sort it out, and in a brighter second half, Addazii got one back in the 58th minute, however 10 minutes later, the advantage was theirs again and they raced to a 5-2 win. That left us 8 points adrift of the playout places with 7 games to go. We had another strong bunch of youths, including a 16yr old midfielder who was already excellent, and he was thrown in the team as a late roll of the dice.

Monza 3-0 Messina (C2A)

Monza were considered an impossible opponent, and they were merely 13th. It was one of those games where you’re not that terrible but they’re just that much better, as the first half was mostly one-way traffic in their favour, and they had a 2-0 lead, which would have been more had we been as sloppy as we had been recently. The second half was quieter, but they still managed a 3rd goal. The 16yr old, Di Candillo, had a pretty good debut at least, but Blyth’s relegation being confirmed topped off a rubbish day.

April 2013

Messina 3-3 Alto Adige (C2A)

There was still a spark of something left. 4th placed Alto Adige came to Sicily and found themselves down to a Perez goal within a couple of minutes. After pushing more, Perez converted D’Adamo’s cross for 2-0. They pulled one back, 5 minutes before half-time, and equalized a couple of minutes into the second half. After having to deal with a lot of pressure, Librezzi restored the lead, but we’d still have had 8 points to make up in 5 games even if Alto Adige hadn’t broken away late on to make it 3-3.

Alessandria 0-1 Messina (C2A)

We felt as good as down when we went to face Alessandria, but despite looking shaky we took a first-half lead. We actually kept things up in the second half, chasing more goals and holding firm against their attacks to won 1-0, but that and Alto Adige, both against teams in the playoff places, were good performances coming far too late, and gave me a strong sense of ‘why on earth weren’t you doing that for ages before!’.

Messina 1-0 Ancona (C2A)

We were also good at home to Ancona, for a lot of the game, it didn’t look like we were really doing enough to grab a win, then Addazii scored with just a few minutes to go to give us a 1-0 win that took us within 4 points of Salerno, having been 10 adrift just a couple of games before. With just 3 games to go, getting out of automatic relegation was unlikely but now possible again. The penultimate game was at home to Viterbese, a near-sure 3 points, so if we were in contention then, a playout spot was within our grasp, while that wouldn’t mean survival, the way things were it would feel as good as getting it.

Cuneo 5-0 Messina (C2A)

First we went to Cuneo, and unfortunately we found ourselves besieged from the start. They raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half, though the first goal took a bit of time to come considering the pressure, and we were powerless as they hammered us 5-0. Salerno drew so we needed to win both and hope they got nothing.

May 2013

Messina 3-1 Viterbese (C2A)

Viterbese weren’t quite as easy as I’d hoped, but at best they were keeping the game even, and late in the first half, Venturi gave us the lead, while Salerno were doing their bit by losing. We couldn’t hold it, as they equalized, as did Salerno, but Venturi forced an own goal, then set up D’Adamo, as we won 3-1.

Lumezzane 0-0 Messina (C2A)

We needed to beat 2nd placed Lumezzane and hope Salerno lost to Ravenna, whose relegation had been confirmed, but that didn’t seem likely to happen. It was a rather poor time to have my 100th career game. While we faced heavy pressure, we also came at them hard ourselves as well. Ravenna were beating Salerno so a (admittedly really unlikely winner) would see us in the playout after all. They were more likely to score however, so under any other circumstances, the 0-0 would have been a very good result, as it was, we were down.

Final League Table

It wasn’t all bad, it looked like we were gradually creeping towards survival, so the collapse was really depressing, then the last hurrah restored my spirits considerably, despite taking 2 teams to relegation this season. In many Blyth games, we were only just falling short and would have had more results had things gone our way just a little more, but that’s the way things go, aside from Lecco, no so many complaints about Messina’s sudden falling away, and a few of our late results were a little lucky, if not by much. However I was getting interest from League 2 Macclesfield before the Lumezzane game, admittedly they were bottom but the only interest when at Blyth was from Grimsby and Lincoln, who weren’t far above relegation trouble, though still would have been a step up if it wasn’t for the ‘no being in same league twice in a row’ thing, so there was a bit of a positive, despite it being a season to forget generally, things were definitely bad at Messina to the point that while normally there’d be some staff I’d be able to get, not only couldn’t I give any applicant what I wanted, but could only be able to retain the Ass Man from the current staff.

It only took a few days to get a new job, as I hoped to make a fresh start at Airdrie United, who had just finished 7th in the Scottish Division 2. They looked fairly strong, had been predicted 4th, I probably wouldn’t struggle and maybe a promotion back to the First Division (and staying there) before too long was on the cards, I had a good feeling about this one.

Unlucky with the relegation - so close to finding a way to survive! Oh well, I'm looking forward to seeing how you get on with Airdrie!

Good luck at Airdrie delta, you've had an up and down time of it so far. Shame about Messina but I trust you'll find success in Scotland

Cheers guys, Messina proved why otherwise I've always avoided clubs in relegation trouble, especially as they weren't predicted much better than avoiding the playouts, and I've often found that underachieving clubs I arrive at midseason don't often manage to improve that much until they get a fresh start the following season. Airdrie are are far better prospect in terms if what I can do which is why I'm feeling good about it, there isn't really a difficult situation to fail to get out of this time, Airdrie have only recently dropped out of the first division (last season was their lowest ever position), and it wouldn't be a stretch to do what I couldn't at Blyth.

Pre-season

Airdrie was seen as a bit of a step up by the media. The board wanted a top-half finish, which seemed simple enough, though I had a promotion challenge in mind. This was a side that was capable of being in the First Division, plus a new scout delivered a list of very strong free agents that I dipped into at will, although I couldn’t get a couple of the best, I had the luxury to being able to offload some otherwise strong players in order to trim the squad down from almost 35. If we looked good before, we looked even better by the time July rolled around. Despite a couple more players coming after the trialists game, I managed to get it down to 27, not wanting to get rid of any more experienced players from a squad mostly of teens and players in their early 20’s, or anyone with considerable potential, and were particularly well-stocked in defence. Here are a couple of our best players at the moment, and most promising youngsters.

Dawkin

Ashcroft

Campbell

Brown

Financially we were slightly in the red when I arrived, but were up to almost 100k at the start of the season. Wage-wise we were using just over 3k of a 3.8kpw budget. With new tactics, a lot of new players, and plenty of potential still to be realized, I wouldn’t be too worried if we weren’t racing out of the blocks as I knew that if things could really come together before too long we’d be in great shape. Slightly worried about one chap that seems to be talking to himself though.

Lovering

Transfers

Unlucky with Messina,hope you can find success with Airdre

Unlucky with Messina mate, nice to see rimni in playoffs (does that mean im doing a bad job:confused:) Good luck with Aidrie mate

Three jobs already? You are certainly moving around a bit!

Hopefully you get a chance to prove your worth with Airdrie. Should be able to get them back to Division One

Slow start so far, as I felt might happen, but hopefully it'll pick up, had 3 cup games so far, all won on penalties!

Wow I am going to start following your career.You have got some airmiles built up already.