Keeping Lower League Teams Out of the Red??

[Clarky323]

hi guys, I have just started a new save doing Anderlecht and Alfreton Town! Not to do with my question but Anderlecht have only got 200k transfer budget, very low for the #1 team in Belgium, only bought me a 14-year old future star!!

Anyway, on to the question, Alfreton Town had a balance of about 20k I think and a transfer budget of 0 (which is fine as I've bought about 5 top players on a free), I am now on the 23rd August, all Alfreton friendlies were at home and two of our 5 league games so far have been at home but the balance is -11k, two questions, 1. can the board sack me based on poor finances? 2. How I can get a stable bank balance and keep it out of the red?

[Jay96]

To try and answer your questions...

1. That depends on your transfer/wage outgoings. If your wage bill is not over budget, but the club is still losing money then no, I don't think you'll be sacked.

2. It borders on impossible. I took over Truro City and they were -£200,000. Three years later we are at about +£10,000. This only happened becasue I got promoted into the BSP and my home gates tripled. On another point, it is very irritating when you are losing money as there is only the wage budget you have control of. Other than that you can't really alter the finances. The first thing people do when they realise they are losing money by the bucket load is check the 'Finacnes' page and select 'Expenditure'. There, the majority of outgoings are 'Non-football costs' or 'Other'. Very annoying as nothing can be done to reduce any of those. In short, you need to be successful. If you get promoted into League 2 within 2 season you should be okay; with the higher gates and more TV money. The other 'solution' often cited is to arrange friendlies at home against very big clubs. This packs out your ground and brings money in. However this is not sustainable, and although brings in money, does not reduce your outgoings. The answer? There really isn't one.

[Barside]

I've not come across any managers being sacked in recent FM's for leading a club into debt, if indeed you have been culpable in stretching the finances.

As for clubs being in debt it is a fact of life that most professional clubs in England operate in their overdraft & struggle to make any sort annual profit.

[Gorando]

I had no transfer budget when I started a game with Anderlecht. Then after 6 months I got 6 million... at the start of season 2 I got like 15 million.

[sjm]

2 words

CUP RUN

[eXistenZ]

it has to be said that belgium clubs dont have big finances, compared to for example the dutch clubs. thats because the small market, and because of none of the clubs ever make it in the group stage of the CL. Which means they cant buy talents and sell them on (like for example Ajax does). Once in a while a young player gets sold to to other big leagues (Lukaku, Courtois, de Bruyne, but they are very exceptional.

On top of that, the license rules are very strict, prohibitting clubs go into the red (a lot like germany)

But for LLM in england, yeah you need to get to professional football as fast as possible. Loan players, and try to get free talents and sell them on later. But its indeed very frustrating that you cant do anything about the "other/non football" costs, i hope its a bit altered in FM13

[StormenDK]

Anyway, on to the question, Alfreton Town had a balance of about 20k I think and a transfer budget of 0 (which is fine as I've bought about 5 top players on a free), I am now on the 23rd August, all Alfreton friendlies were at home and two of our 5 league games so far have been at home but the balance is -11k, two questions, 1. can the board sack me based on poor finances? 2. How I can get a stable bank balance and keep it out of the red?

2. Arrange friendlies against large reputation teams, these can generate between 20k and 60k depending on the opposing team and the size of your grounds. You will get beaten to a pulp playing against a Championship side, but the money is good.

I often play as Bath in the BSP, and arrange one or two such games against the likes of Cardiff, Bristol City or Wolverhampton.

Cup runs (in all the cups, except the small local one) can be a good source of income. But of course it can be hard to get far enough to get some decent cup money and/or getting a lucky draw at home against a big side.

I found that in my first season, even though I did manage some good cup runs and a very good season (ended 2nd.) with good pre-season friendlies, I only just broke even. But then I managed to get to Wembley for the Playoff final ... now THAT was a great boost of income. Sadly I lost it (stupid keeper fumbled the ball) 2-1. But it did give me a much better position for my second season.

[Bababui]

2

Cup runs (in all the cups, except the small local one) can be a good source of income. But of course it can be hard to get far enough to get some decent cup money and/or getting a lucky draw at home against a big side.

The luckier draw is away at a big side....especially if you can luck into the first round where EPL teams are entered.

[sjm]

The luckier draw is away at a big side....especially if you can luck into the first round where EPL teams are entered.

That is exactly what you want, not to play at home. You get far more gate receipts if you play in front of 30,000 at Old Trafford than in front of 3,000 at Old Rundown Stadium.

[Clarky323]

Thanks for all the help guys

Right now, I'm top of the league with Anderlecht and despite only having 36k left in transfer budget, I have managed to secure a couple of youngsters with high Potential!! we were given 3million being in the Champions League so the finances are good and we should get a bigger transfer budget in January so this bit is sorted!!

Alfreton are bottom of the league, we have not won yet but have drew half of our games, we bought 8 players on a free in the end, all ''twice the player'' of the next best player but still hasn't done my team much good, is that statement true btw? if I hadn't signed them players I probably would have lost every game if it is true!!

[markyosullivan]

Also if you find some other club offering money for one of your good players and you got a youth player who plays in the same position as him and has the potential to be just as good as him if not better, sell the senior player and play the youth player instead. Developing your youth team players can be very helpful in keeping wages low and quite possibly getting money by selling them.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Finances are always a struggle in the lower leagues. You need either to get lucky in cups as has been mentioned or find and/or develop great youth players and sell them on.

[underwater sunlight]

last time i did a minnow team game i ended up playing over 100 friendlies a season. not in the slightest bit realistic and you need a really large squad to rotate but it can bring in a fair bit of money

[BroxBorough]

Finances are always a struggle in the lower leagues. You need either to get lucky in cups as has been mentioned or find and/or develop great youth players and sell them on.

Exactly, on my Vauxhall save I stuck to the small budget set, in fact apart from the first season where my budget was a tiny £250 p/w, I was always well under budget, and I was still losing money month after month. It was only the signing of a ridiculously good 15 year old who I eventually sold to Arsenal for £2M that helped me get and stay out of the red.

[lonestar190]

I have found that holding preseason cup tournaments with several high reputation teams works really well.

[eXistenZ]

I have found that holding preseason cup tournaments with several high reputation teams works really well.

True, ive only played the demo, (to see whats it like for when i buy FM13), and i went to chelmsford (BSS), with a budget of 120k. a preseason tournament with bolton, another PL and a belgian club gave 35k. thats 25%

[j'accuse]

It was only the signing of a ridiculously good 15 year old who I eventually sold to Arsenal for £2M that helped me get and stay out of the red.

It's generally one off bumper payloads like this that will keep the finances in the good colour.

A decent away day in a big cup, winning the crap cups, or winning playoffs can get good attendance and prize money.

Very difficult, if not impossible to break even by budgeting alone.

[Clarky323]

I like the idea about the friendlies against higher reputation teams but the problem with that is we are likely to get thrashed which doesn't bother me but could put my job more at risk

[eXistenZ]

I like the idea about the friendlies against higher reputation teams but the problem with that is we are likely to get thrashed which doesn't bother me but could put my job more at risk

it are only friendlies. As long as you do fine in the competition and cup you dont have to worry. Besides, you can always organise friendlies against lower teams (aside from the big cash tournament), to boost up morale.

[Nobby_McDonald]

I like the idea about the friendlies against higher reputation teams but the problem with that is we are likely to get thrashed which doesn't bother me but could put my job more at risk

Job at risk because of a friendly?

[Clarky323]

Job at risk because of a friendly?

if I get thrashed in many friendlies, the ''Matches'' section on the confidence page will go right down and it will lower morale of the players and it could effect the league performance

anyway, I have decided to play a mix of the big teams and little teams, against the big teams I just play ''contain'', I lost 1-0 at home to Norwich, 2-0 to Southampton and drew 1-1 with Portsmouth like this, not bad at all considering they are far better than us!