FM13 - Making the shift from semi-pro to pro

This has been a fascinating save for me and certainly one of the most enjoyable. I don't want to be too self indulgent so if I've not included what that is.

Here is the point of interest and my question. At the moment I'm at the wage maximum, about 8k/week. That's on semi pro. The club have now moved to pro and most of my players have 12 months left on their contract. The income for the club will be the same for this season as I wasn't promoted. The club have 700k in the bank which I got through gate receipts from the league campaign and the playoff final.

Even if I could convince the board to allow that to be used for wages I doubt it'll cover the wages as most players want double what I currently pay them.

You can only have four loans per season so next season is going to be very interesting indeed.

Suggestions?

Only sign key players and hot prospects to full time deals, and focus on getting a better quality of player in with the lure of full time football.

I assume you are in the Conference and if so, use your scouts to try and find cheaper prospects in Ireland/Wales, Northern Ireland, who will be prepared to listen to you now.

I know the board says all players will be required to move to full time contracts, but I've kept players on part time and they haven't said anything. Not worth overpaying players you're not going to keep long term anyway just to make them professional.

Only sign key players and hot prospects to full time deals, and focus on getting a better quality of player in with the lure of full time football.

Sure, sounds like good advice.

I assume you are in the Conference and if so, use your scouts to try and find cheaper prospects in Ireland/Wales, Northern Ireland, who will be prepared to listen to you now.

well I only have the English leagues loaded so the availablity of the other nations will be limited. I did notice that I could attract a better standard of player now. In regards to loans, this is self-evident.

I know the board says all players will be required to move to full time contracts, but I've kept players on part time and they haven't said anything. Not worth overpaying players you're not going to keep long term anyway just to make them professional.

Yeah, I came to that conclusion myself. I simply cannot afford to offer pro-term wages to players at the minute. I'm already at the wage maximum. My hope is I can get promotion to L2 this year. I need to because I simply won't be able to afford pro term wages to my senior players without driving the club into deficit.

My hope is to get promotion to L2 and with that will come another spike in attendances. It's proven to be the case so far, for example:

BSN - 1500 average attendance

BSP - 2500 average attendance

I expect league 2 to be somewhere from 3-4k per home game which would be brilliant and enable me to hopefully secure a L2 position. I also need to remember I don't need a big squad to stay in the league. I only need a bigger squad if I want to push for promotion so - as I say - if I can get promoted this year then I can really cut back the squad size. I only need a small squad to survive, imo.

Thanks for your advice btw.

Another thing is if you've made enough to turn pro, it's likely your board will agree to increase the wage budget when the option stops being greyed out.

Another thing is if you've made enough to turn pro, it's likely your board will agree to increase the wage budget when the option stops being greyed out.

Thanks man. I don't think that would be good for the club in the club in the long run though. The wage budget now is pretty much on the limit. Wage budget this season is about 9k (after I converted transfer budget to wage) and I don't plan on going over it.

The club made an extra 400k last season because I got beat in the playoff final.

I just need to be careful like the other chap said. I picked up this Man City reject on a pro contract on 250/w which I am really chuffed with. That's cheaper than I'd expect to pay, I just need to keep doing business like that. I also need to accept this season might be transitional and I may lose players

Thanks for the suggestion though. It'll come in handy at some point

Search for 16 year old players, they will sign for 70 quid a week, you may have to search for a while but there are quite a few talented youngsters you can pick up for free and could even make your starting 11, at the very least they will be good enough for back up players.

If you manage to get 4 or 5 of of those players that will leave enough in the bank to sign your key players and hot prospects on full time contracts.

It is a bit of a slug going from part time to fulltime but if you spend a few hours getting those youngsters in it will help a lot.

Search for 16 year old players, they will sign for 70 quid a week, you may have to search for a while but there are quite a few talented youngsters you can pick up for free and could even make your starting 11, at the very least they will be good enough for back up players.

If you manage to get 4 or 5 of of those players that will leave enough in the bank to sign your key players and hot prospects on full time contracts.

It is a bit of a slug going from part time to fulltime but if you spend a few hours getting those youngsters in it will help a lot.

Yeah. I'll set my filter to 'nub' and see where that takes me

But all joking aside, yeah, that's what I'll do. It's just a shame I'm going to lose my club favourites this season. That's why I'm so desperate to get to L2 this season. L2 will be a better league to consolidate than BSP, just because of the money.

Thanks again.