[FM10] Underground, Overground, Wimbo-ling free... of points

[Super Bladesman]

So I thought, since I've spent the last six months creating and testing this blasted English National League System editor file that extends the English leagues down as low as Level 11 I'd best actually get round to playing FM10. And since I've gone to all that effort, it's only right that I use my file and chronicle how my career progresses...

So. Lower league football then. A confession. This is a new one for me, in FM. I'm a Blades fan. I always manage the Blades. I'm a real life fan of non-league footie though, and a long term follower of Mangotsfield United, having grown up in Bristol a stone's throw from their ground.

For this career, I'm using Build 097 of my file, which is pretty close to the finished product. I'm also running Cadijk's alternate Scotland league structure, in full, and I believe I'm also running the top flights in Italy and Spain. I'm using a large database, with all current internationals and all English players retained. The last retention is necessary for FM10 to load up all the Level 11 clubs. I'm a Sunday League reputed manager, and this career is part of the extended Small Club to Big Club Challenge.

I decided, since there are 39 Level 11 leagues (i.e. in excess of 500 clubs I guess) to choose from, I ought to pick one at random to manage... and that club is...

Wimblington FC

Peterborough & District Premier (Level 11)

The initial media prediction is for me to finish bottom of the 16 team division. This is going to be a challenge, alright.

The town

Wimblington is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 1700 as of the 2001 census. Sport in Wimblington is prominent in comparison to the size of the village. Wimblington boasts a football club which now consists of three teams. The village also has a cricket team and archery is also performed in the village. Wimblington has two sports pitches, of which Parkfield is the main one with space for two football pitches, a cricket pitch, basketball court also used for five a side football, and a pub. The other sports field in Wimblington is solely a football pitch but has a playground for younger members of the community. The other pub in the village is The Anchor and is a central meeting point for all in Wimblington and outsiders are also welcome. The village also had another two pubs, the oldest being the Carpenters Arms which was built in the early 17th century. [Wikipedia]

The team

The Wimbos, as they appear to be affectionately known, play in all red at home, and all black away. We're plying our trade at the 1000-capacity Parkfield Sports & Social Club.

The initial squad

...is woeful. Most of the players are rated 1 for most of their Technical attributes. I immediately send out my scout and within weeks I've signed 7 players. As an amateur club, I don't have a penny to spend and can only offer amateur contracts - but that doesn't get in my way. If I see a player who looks like he can do a job, I get him in - after all, I don't have to pay him. A total of 11 players have arrived by the time my first league game arrives. I figure an unsettled team of poor players has to be better than a settled team of dreadful ones.

The pick of the new signings is allegedly Joe Dingwall, the new left back.

Pre-season

Pre-season is mostly about raising funds at this level, so I hit the road and rake in as much money as I can, whilst trying not to destroy the confidence of my team. I win one match, 2-0 away at Hanover Park and get a footballing lesson from the Glenn Hoddle Academy - though the 4-1 scoreline wasn't so bad, and we missed a penalty. Three draws and two more defeats (Bunillidh, 2-1 away, and Wadebridge 2-0 away) complete the warm-up.

I also realise that my staff are as bad as the original players, so get rid of all (apart from one coach) and bring in my own team. Scouting for players continues apace.

The Thread

I'm quite chatty, but I will try to restrict myself to half-season updates.

[Super Bladesman]

I got off to a flying start - I've heard lots of comments from people about it being hard to score in the lower leagues in FM10, and so I grabbed the bull by the horns from the off: a very attacking flat 4-3-3 formation that utilises my best players. All my new players, that is.

In this build, I hadn't added many Level 11 cups - I've added a lot more since. For this career, season 1 in the Peterborough & District Premier won't feature any cup games for Wimblington - it's just a straight 30 game stretch to the final promotion playoff. That's right - no automatic promotion place; it's going to be tough.

The results of my first 15 league games (and a couple of mid-season friendlies to fill the gaps and try formations) can be seen here. It started so well - a 1-0 away win against Whittlesey United was followed up with a 9-0 home thrashing of Leverington, more amazing as I had a player sent off in the 47th minute when the score was 3-0.

This seems to send alarm bells ringing at grounds across the division though, and my clearly superior squad soon find themselves playing against 11 men and the team bus every week. Every game I dominate; every game I struggle to break through. At the half way stage, I haven't won in 8 league games.

Still, it's pretty tight across the division and I'm still in with a chance of that playoff spot - if things improve drastically, and soon...

Left-back Dingwall has, as predicted, been the man to watch so far; midfielder Adam Wiltshire and striker Stewart Ingram also inspire some degree of confidence...

Two other star players - a striker, and my midfield rock/captain, were pinched by other clubs - the striker, Delton Francis, by Mangotsfield of all clubs.

[hrbfcrule]

Good luck, good to see you're finally getting some playing time on your database

[Scoham]

Good luck, about time you got a chance to use your own file.

What made you decide to pick a random club, and not a local one (or one with a funny name)?

[Super Bladesman]

I don't know - it seemed the right thing to do. I thought I'd struggle to get into it, to be honest, but I wanted to do it. So the best way was to go in at the deep end

[Nobby_McDonald]

Most importantly... is there a golf club nearby?

[Paggioram]

Looking forward to see how you get on with this Super Bladesman

[acidmonkey]

Looking forward to see what you can do with your own file

[Leto2626]

I'll be following your career closely ! I might start a second game with only England and your file loaded for this nice challenge. I'm not from England so I'll pick one funny name with nice colors

[bobatwal]

keep this going SB

[ITFColbear]

whats the best way to get your scout to find good players??? i sent my scout out but hes not reported back and im now at end of july? im playing in the suffolk and ipswich senior league

[edgar555]

Good work SB. Not a fan of lower leagues myself but this low could be a different matter altogether. Good luck.

[bobatwal]

I hope he continues with this, SB is a very busy man though

[Blanchflower1]

His wife is due to give birth anytime soon! I wish him all the best!

[FMDownloader]

I'm gonna try a level 11 team.

[h4r1]

I decided, since there are 39 Level 11 leagues (i.e. in excess of 500 clubs I guess) to choose from, I ought to pick one at random to manage... and that club is...

Wimblington FC

Peterborough & District Premier (Level 11)

The initial media prediction is for me to finish bottom of the 16 team division. This is going to be a challenge, alright.

The media prediction in this level isn't based on how good a club is, it's determined alphabetically. I guess it's because all clubs have the same reputation, so the game engine assume they all the same, and it randomly generates the same 'rubbish' players for every club.

Btw, nice work on this database Super Bladesman, I love it!