FM16 - Digging Around In The Lower Reaches Of English Football - The Challenge Of Level 23

Hello Everyone,

Ive decided to undertake a final save before FM17 comes along and i have though about something quite challenging,managing a team within the more lower reaches of English football,that being the level 23 database.I dont usually make career threads but i thought this might be quite challenging and interesting and hopefully find a decent youn player or two on my journey through the lower stages.

There are some rather very obscure and a lot of amateur teams within this.so that being said i decided to start off unemployed and see where i would end up,i applied for a few jobs and the opportunity came up at Wellingborough Town who are a semi professional team plying there trade in the not so lavish United Counties Premier League which is the tenth tier of English Football.

I have literally no idea about this team or the league so it is a total unknown quantity to say the very least.So Wellingborough Town lets find out a bit about them...

HISTORY

The current club, Wellingborough Town 2004, was reformed in 2004 after the previous club bearing the name had folded.

The club was originally formed in 1867. It is claimed that this makes it not only the oldest club in Northamptonshire, but also the sixth-oldest in the country. The club played originally under the part-handling code, until becoming a genuine soccer club in 1869, playing at Broad Green, wearing an old gold and black strip. In 1879 Wellingborough Town became the first club to play under floodlights, when they entertained Bedford at the Bassett's Close, using lights powered by generators either end of the pitch.

The club joined Division One of the Southern League in 1901–02, moving to their current ground at the Dog & Duck in London Road. In 1905 the club changed name to Wellingborough Redwell but resigned at the end of the season after finishing bottom of Division One, continuing to be called Wellingborough Redwell until reverting to Wellingborough Town in 1919.

Wellingborough joined the Metropolitan League in 1968–69, finishing seventh. They won the title the following season and joined the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division, finishing third. In 1971–72, they joined the Southern League Division One North. A reorganisation of the league saw it split into Southern and Midland Divisions, with Wellingborough playing in the Midland Division. However, they struggled, until in 1988–89 they were relegated to the United Counties League.

The club struggled for thirteen seasons in the UCL, narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier Division in a number of seasons. However, they could hold out no longer than 2001–02 when the club folded and they resigned from the League.

THE REBIRTH OF THE CLUB

Wellingborough had been without a senior football team for two years when three friends got together to set about re-establishing a football club. Together they assembled a group of twenty-four people who worked to get a new club up and running. Included among the number was World Champion snooker player Peter Ebdon, a local man. The Dog & Duck ground had substantially survived, despite becoming the site of a Travelodge motel. Laurie Owen played a huge part in reforming the club and still plays an active part on the club's committee today.

The Doughboys spent their comeback campaign in the Northamptonshire Senior Youth League. Their application for re-admission to the UCL was approved by the FA. The club finished runners-up in Division One for the loss of just one game in 2005–06 and were promoted back to the Premier Division. Improvements to the ground have seen it graded as suitable for Southern League football.

Under the leadership of chairman Martin Goode, the club ended the 2007/08 season in 10th position, having been on the fringes of promotion throughout the season until a poor run of defeats saw them fall away. Goode resigned in May 2008 with local businessman David Clingo taking over the role. Manager Jason Burnham left in October 2008 to be replaced by Joe Smyth. Clingo, however, stepped down in November 2008 with former Doughboy Manager and Chairman Martin Potton taking over the helm with the club in extreme danger of going out of business due to the lack of sponsorship from local businesses. Also departing the club at the time was Director of Football Steve Whitney, the Reserve Team Manager Simon Anderson and a number of players meaning that new recruits Joe Smyth and his assistant Kevin Fox had to recruit new players for both teams.

In December 2008 the club signed former Premier League striker and Jamaica international Trevor Benjamin arguably one of the most experienced and famous players who has played for the club.

Smyth and his management team kept the club in the Premier Division of the UCL and played a big part in stabilising the club during a rocky financial period in early 2009 before stepping down for personal reasons in May 2009. The club then appointed former Northampton Town player Rob Gould as first team manager and assistant Nick Verity.

Verity left due to personal reasons at the start of the 2012–13 season.

After a disappointing start to the 2012–13 season Rob Gould resigned as manager on 10 September 2012[1][2] and was replaced by former Woodford United boss, Phil Mason.

When Mason was forced to stand down due to person reasons he was replaced by Craig Adams. The club had endured a poor start to the 12/13 season but a superb unbeaten run in the New Year saw them ensure survival. A winner from Todd Sawko in the 2–1 home win against Spalding on 25 April made it mathematically certain and the team left the field to the tune of "The Great Escape" booming over the tannoy and was also used in WTFC TV Videos by Jack Patmore.

The 2013/14 season saw the return of former goalscoring hero Jason Turner, who left the club for spells with King's Lynn and Holbeach. He scored prolifically once again as the club enjoyed a much better campaign and posted an attendance of 850 for the Boxing Day clash with AFC Rushden and Diamonds. Manager Craig Adams left for Bedford Town towards the end of the season and was replaced by Ben Watts. With several players having departed during the summer (including Turner to Diamonds) Watts had a difficult job in rebuilding the team and left the club after suffering 4 defeats from the opening 4 games. He was replaced by the joint pairing of Steve Herring and Joe Smyth, assisted by Steve's brother Mark.

On 1 April 2015, it was announced that joint managers Steve Herring and Joe Smyth were to step down at the end of the season due to a reduction on playing budget. It was also decided later that week that Jamie Wright, former assistant manager under Craig Adams, would take the position of first team manager for the 2015/16 season.In September 2015, Wright and his assistant Colin Cooper, both resigned with Craig Adams returning as Interim First Team Manager.

In November 2015, local management team Jon Mitchell and Stuart Goosey were handed the roles of First Team and Assistant Manager as the Doughboys look to the future with local players making up the majority of the squad. The duo's first result was a 3-1 victory away at Rothwell Corinthians.

SOME NOTABLE PAST PLAYERS WHO HAVE PLAYED FOR THE CLUB

.Phil Neal the former Liverpool and England player . Neal started his career at the club before moving to Northampton Town and on to Liverpool.

.Vic Watson, who left the club to join Premier League side West Ham United for just £50. Watson went on to become West Ham's all-time record goalscorer, with 326 goals in 15 years at Upton Park.

.Trevor Benjamin, who had previously played for several Football League clubs, most notably Leicester City.

.Septimus Atterbury, who is best remembered for thirty years of service that he gave to Plymouth Argyle as a player and then a coach.

WTFC TV

Quite interestingly and surprisingly so,Wellingborough Town FC had their own internet television station from February 2010 and were one of the first Non-League clubs in the country to do so.[7]

The station was originally set up by local fan Jack Patmore who later became the press officer of the club. In 2012 Patmore was joined by co-presenter Matthew Howe another local fan. The two boys grew the channel throughout the years and as of 2015 have over 32,000 views and have broadcast live several times. Jack Patmore later recruited Joshua Mayo as cameraman as well as part-time pundits and cameramen Joshua Bean and Joseph Bellamy.

WTFCTV also produced two DVD's which were sold in the club shop helping the coffers along the way - not bad for a lower league team eh?

Have a look at the team in action below!!!

[video=youtube;BQnXDrFana0]

STADIUM

The team play at the 2,500 Dog and Duck Ground as its aptly named.A very small ground,pretty much standard for this level in all honesty.

SQUAD

Finances are very tight indeed and will have to be managed with close scrutiny,although the squad could be doing with a few players to be honest,where and how this is going to happen i never know i have a wage budget of about sixty quid!!!!

reserved for update

reserved

I will be following this. Seems like a different journey! Best of luck mate!

Cannot wait to see how you do on the database!

Cannot wait to see how you do on the database!

Cheers mate,looks a right tough challenge dunno how its gonna go but i'll give it my all!!! - Update coming soon..

Looks good. I just started unemployed got a job with Bishop Sturtford. The league is hard mate and enjoy.

Looks good. I just started unemployed got a job with Bishop Sturtford. The league is hard mate and enjoy.

Yeh it does m8 especially with the financial restrictions - seems a bit cut throat if you ask me..

Yeh it does m8 especially with the financial restrictions - seems a bit cut throat if you ask me..

It's a hit or miss ain't it. I'm gonna start a thread myself for this save.