[FM10] Level 11? Why not?

[MikhailM]

Well, I've been playing FM since the CM days, but somehow never got into a serious career... most of my playing time has been with "cheat" careers (you know, create a team full of great players, etc.), so I'm pretty much still an FM noob. Anyway, I figured it's long past time for a more serious challenge. Saw Super Bladesman's English National League System thread, and just had to give it a try...

For this save, I'm using patch 10.3 with build 097, extended version, of Super Bladesman's file (yeah, couldn't wait long enough for the final version ). Got the English system loaded all the way down to level 11, plus a number of European top divisions loaded as view-only (they are: Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Holland, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine), large database size with all players from England loaded, as well as a few others (I don't remember exactly, but I believe it was all current internationals, plus players from top clubs in Europe).

Made myself a manager with Sunday League reputation, Russian with US as second nationality (being a Russian living in the States, seemed logical enough... it did have the effect of me being able to speak Spanish in-game... wish I could edit that, as I barely know a few words of Spanish IRL but oh well). Changed age to my proper one using FMRTE as well (almost managed without any in-game edits... but this one I had to do, just for realism). And then it was off to picking a club to manage...

Not knowing much of anything in English football, the selection process was pretty much random... and the winner (or loser, depending on how you look at it) was... Westerfield United from the Suffolk & Ipswich League Senior Division. At the time of this writing, I'm already in my second season, so a recap of my first will follow.

[Lenzar]

Heh, my wedding reception will be in Westerfield. Do the team play anywhere near the Swan?

[Scoham]

Good to see another level 11 career

[MikhailM]

Season 2009/10

Right, so the first order of business was to get rid of my existing staff, as they were pretty awful, and replace them with new, half-decent ones. I somehow managed to grab a scout with Continental reputation, even... not being a great manager myself, I would be relying on my coaches heavily for things like tactics and team selection, while I would be trying to strengthen my squad (which was as awful as my staff) in the transfer market.

Tactically, I created a fairly simple 4-4-2 with the Tactics Creator, and have done very little tinkering with it since.

Despite a media prediction of 15th place (I think the predictions were in alphabetical order, though), my initial squad didn't seem too bad in the pre-season friendlies, drawing with a level 9 side (Needham Market), as well as with the GH Academy. But as the season got underway, I quickly realized they need some improvement. Having drawn my first three games, two of them 0-0, the first thing to do was to get a reasonable striker, so I got this guy (screenshot is from 2nd season) from Eastbourne Boro Reserves, and to this day he is one of my best players. Things went a bit better from there, as I became a contender for the title, and thus a spot in the promotion playoff, early on.

My cup participation was limited to the Suffolk County FA Senior Challenge Cup, where for my first match I played this game... sadly, it was to be my only cup match that season (I lost despite Crane Sports being down to 9 men at the end). Oh well, back to the league. (EDIT: Crane Sports went on to win that cup)

I secured a centerback in October, and signed a left-back and a right winger from my greyed-out players in the youth squad (the winger didn't end up staying in the first team for long), and that was more or less it for transfers for the first half of the season. Around Christmas, I bid on another midfielder who my coaches and scouts said would be a star player. Well, I got him... only to find out he was ineligible to play for the rest of the season, as he already played for two teams that year. Granted, I knew this when I was signing him, but for some reason thought 1.7.2010 meant January 7th instead of July 1st... doh!

Despite that little setback, I continued to do well in the league... on a couple of occasions, I rose to the very top of the table, but it was always a tight race. One more signing in February didn't really help my team a whole lot (it was another striker, but he ended up playing better at left wing... even so, was pretty disappointing). Toward the end of the season, two teams separated themselves from the rest - Capel Plough, and my Westerfield Utd squad. At the beginning of April, the two teams met at Rushmere Sports Club (my team's home stadium in Ipswich), with the league lead going to the winner. 69 minutes in, with the score still 0-0, my star forward Barr gets injured, which ended up being more important than the result itself. The match ended 0-0, keeping it a tight race... but Barr was out for the rest of the season (I was hoping he may be able to come back for the last match, but that didn't happen). From there, my squad didn't do all that well offensively... the last 6 results were: 0-0 (this was the Capel Plough game), 0-0, 0-0, 1-0, 0-0, and 0-0, giving Capel Plough the title by 3 points despite the fact that we hadn't conceded in the last 11 games of the season.

Final League Standings

Given the reasonably good performance, plus the fact that I had signed another centerback toward the end of the season, and that my ineligible right winger would be eligible for next season, I had planned to keep my squad more or less the same during the offseason. Well, near the end of June, I got my welcome to amateur football - 15 of my players left on free transfers (thankfully, not too many from the first team, but I did lose my starting goalkeeper and had no suitable backup, so had to get one from the transfer market)! On the positive side, though, I got a very good group of youngsters come in, including this right winger, who seems like he could be a superstar (my other right winger went to the center of midfield... he's a versatile one, can play almost every position on the field, as can be seen here), and a few others good enough for the first team.

The net effect is that practically all of my original team has now been replaced - I have one right back who starts on occasion, and a couple of midfielders who come off the bench now and again, but that's basically all that's left. A whole new team for a whole new season... going for promotion in the 2010/11 season, and hoping to do a bit better in the cups this time around as well. That's right, cups (plural) - my league position was good enough to qualify for the FA Vase in addition to the Suffolk County FA Cup.

Oh, and that scout with Continental reputation was pinched by Sunderland in the off-season (who were relegated to the Championship in 09/10 in my game... still, must be pretty nice to go from level 11 to level 2 all at once )... ah well, he wasn't all that great anyway.

[MikhailM]

Heh, my wedding reception will be in Westerfield. Do the team play anywhere near the Swan?

They play in Ipswich as I understand it...

[Lenzar]

Heh, didn't realise you're not a local boy (neither am I, but my fianceé is from Suffolk). It seems that Westerfield, a small village on the outskirts of Ipswich have a team that plays a good few miles away in Rushmere St Andrew.

[MikhailM]

Heh, didn't realise you're not a local boy (neither am I, but my fianceé is from Suffolk). It seems that Westerfield, a small village on the outskirts of Ipswich have a team that plays a good few miles away in Rushmere St Andrew.

LOL, yeah, not local to the area at all (actually, that's quite the understatement closest place I've ever lived is over 1000 miles away ). Looked it up on Google Maps when I was first starting out, found Westerfield but not the ground they play on... went back and found it now that you mentioned Rushmere St Andrew (really, might've guessed it by the stadium name in-game).

[MikhailM]

Decided to do updates after each quarter of the season (roughly)... I'm watching full matches, so any fewer updates, and it may be a week or so between them. First, though, a bit of a closer look at my squad (all screenshots as of Oct. 1 2010, unless already posted above). As said earlier, I used the Tactics Creator to set up my tactics, so here are the settings used:

Team Settings

Formation: 4-4-2

Philosophy: Fluid

Passing Style: More Direct

Creative Freedom: More Expressive

Closing Down: Press More

Tackling: Default

Marking: Default

Crossing: Drill Crosses

Roaming: More Roaming

Individual Settings

1. GK - Sweeper Keeper/Defend

2. D L - Full Back/Attack

3. D LC - Central Defender/Defend

4. D RC - Central Defender/Defend

5. D R - Full Back/Attack

6. M L - Wide Midfielder/Attack

7. M LC - Advanced Playmaker/Support

8. M RC - Ball Winning Midfielder/Defend

9. M R - Wide Midfielder/Attack

10. F LC - Advanced Forward/Attack

11. F RC - Complete Forward/Support

And now, the players themselves...

Regular Starters - Really, there's only competition for two of the 11 positions (yeah, my depth is pretty poor)... here are the 9 regulars:

Mel Wisdom - Goalkeeper, signed after my old one left at the end of the first season.

Dave Pejic - Right back (or left back, depending on who else is selected at fullback). Came through youth system after the first season, coaches seem to think he can be one of the best players at my club. Only worry is that my coach thinks he's an inconsistent performer...

Brett Johnston - Center back, captain of the squad (yeah, at 17... he complained when I appointed him, but really, he was the best choice for it IMO). Signed early last season, has been solid for us since.

Danny Barker - The other center back. Also came through youth system after the first season.

Dominic Jones - Right winger. Also came through youth system after the first season, coaches think he's the best one of that group (if not the best of the whole squad). With that pace and dribbling ability, he can make some dangerous runs down the wing, so I've set him to "run with ball often"... only tweak I've made to the tactics so far since creating them.

Chris Lewis - Left winger... this is the guy I originally signed to play at striker (#11 slot above) last season, but he was disappointing there, so I've moved him to left wing. Still not great, but I've learned he can have some very good games from time to time.

Ryan Cancellara - Central midfielder (#7 slot above). Originally signed in the middle of last season to play on the right wing, but was ineligible to play last season, and with Jones coming to the squad, I needed to find another place for Cancellara, so he ended up being the playmaker.

Jazz Rose (Jazz? Seriously?) - Central midfielder (#8 slot above). Yet another guy playing in a position other than what he was originally signed for. I signed him late last season to play center back, but Barker came in during the offseason, and both my former defensive midfielders left, so the hole had to be filled. If you couldn't tell by now, I try to sign players who can play in multiple positions... with only 5 subs available in competitive matches, and injuries running rampant, versatility is nice to have. Also, at 24, this guy is the oldest player in my first team...

Alex Barr - Forward (#10 slot above). Think I've said enough about this guy in my last post... the team basically seem incapable of scoring when he's not around.

Fighting for a starting 11 spot - Got two fullbacks and a whole bunch of strikers to choose from for the last two spots:

Jake Harris - Left back (also very rarely left winger). Was a "grey" player on my youth squad, then I signed him early last season, and he went on to be the fans' player of the year. Still has to fight for a starting spot, though, now that I've got Pejic...

Keith Brierley - Right back. One of the few remaining members of the original squad.

Ashley Long - The coaches' pick of the strikers. Came through the youth system like so many others here...

Liam Comer - ...such as this kid. My assistant manager only gives him two stars for current ability, but says he's got good potential...

Ray Smith - Another member of the original squad, played first on the youth squad, then (after I realized my other strikers were no good) had a decent run in the first team last season, scoring 5 goals in 24 appearances.

Philip Wright - Yet another player who just came through the youth system (really, are there that many youngsters wishing to play for a level 11 side? ). Best position is right winger, so admittedly, I didn't give him much of a chance, especially as I had quite a few others to pick from at striker.

Backups to the first team - With plenty of fullbacks and forwards, and Rose able to cover at centerback if needed, the only backups I really need are in midfield:

Jon Green - Usually comes in at the #7 spot (central midfield/playmaker), occasionally left wing. Member of the original squad and a regular starter last season, got pushed out by the new boys this year...

Shaun Anderson - Can play at either of the central midfield positions or left wing (though I prefer Green in the playmaker role). Also a member of the original squad and was a regular starter last season.

Phew, that took way too long... (probably will take as long to read, too... sorry about that). And I've still got the 1st quarter update to come... oops.

[MikhailM]

Season 2010/11 - First Quarter

Well, first, there was the preseason, which consisted of three friendlies against level 9 sides and one against the reserves/youth squad. We won the first match against Debenham, 1-0, Long scoring the lone goal after a nice run down the wing by Jones. The other three were all draws - not bad results against level 9 sides, but 0-0 against my own reserve side? That was a bit disappointing. Despite scoring the goal in the first match, Long was pretty awful, so I experimented with some of the other possibilities at striker - even more so after Barr got a slight injury. Smith looked good in one game, but pretty average in the others; Comer seemed decent as well. Wright didn't get much of a chance as noted earlier, but looked OK when he did play... nothing special though. Jones looked very good in midfield, picking up a goal in addition to his assist. Pejic was also excellent, with a goal and two assists, not to mention countless won headers in the back. And so off it was with the start of the season...

Crane Sports were given the best odds to win promotion from the league, followed by us and Fulbourn. Well no matter, I thought, I'll show them... Barr got hurt yet again in the last preseason game, so the first match would be without him... and sure enough, ended 0-0, with Comer and Long particularly awful up front. The second game was away against Fulbourn, a very important match already, if media predictions are anything to go by. Still no Barr, so it would be Smith and Long up front. 0-0 at the half, with Long awful yet again, so I lost my patience with him and put Comer out there. Then Smith got injured... I was out of strikers on the bench, so I put Lewis up front... still nothing until the 90th minute, when Rose found Lewis with a through ball down the middle, and Lewis blasted it into the top corner. Phew, finally I manage to score. It got even better at 90'+5 with Comer scoring off Brierley's cross... not that it mattered much by then, but still quite satisfying.

Barr returned, but Wisdom got hurt for the next match, so I figured I'd need lots of scoring, with my backup keeper totally inadequate. Not a problem - two more goals by Lewis (from his usual left wing spot this time), and we win 2-1. Comer's goal in the previous match earned him the start alongside Barr, and both were pretty good, Comer picking up an assist. Wisdom returned for the next match.

Then came the FA Vase draw... 310 teams, mostly from level 10 divisions, with a few level 11 teams sprinkled in there. The board expected me to at least get to the second qualifying round, so I was hoping for a favorable draw. Didn't turn out too bad - I drew Shepton Mallet of the Western League Division 1 (level 10) at home. My league match got moved up due to the clash with the cup match, though, so the schedule got a bit tough there with 3 games in 8 days (not good for a team with limited depth like mine). Still, we beat Woodbridge Athletic, who started quite well (were 2nd coming into our match), 2-0 on goals by Barr and Comer. I tried to rest some of my key players for the cup match, so Barr, Pejic, and Cancellara were on the bench for the next league game, away against Melton St Audrys, a very average team. Despite my best efforts, though, Rose and Jones got hurt in that match, Barr and Cancellara had to play to cover for them (and for Lewis who had an awful game when I tried to put him up front), and only a late goal by Harris gave us the win in a match we didn't play too well in. Still, a win is a win... on to the cup.

Jones' injury turned out to be negligible (no physio report after the match), and Rose's could be managed by injections... since it was a fairly important game coming up, with a two week break following, that's the option I chose. We completely dominated the game, but failed to get our shots on target, and the match ended 0-0 (a bit of my own mistake here, too... I did not use my subs early enough, thinking the game would go to extra time if it stayed scoreless... was quite surprised when the commentary said "full time" at 90 minutes). Replay in 3 days away from home... and my squad is already exhausted. Great. To add to that, Jones got injured yet again, this time ruling him out of the replay. I decided to leave Rose to the physio this time, as he was exhausted anyway - to my surprise, he was already back in training by the time of the replay (although at a very low level of fitness, so I left him on the bench for this one).

The replay was a much more closely contested match than the first one (was to be expected, given that it was away this time), with both sides having plenty of chances - but as is usual at this level, neither side could capitalize on them, and it stayed 0-0 once again for a very long time. Barr and Smith started for me up front, but I subbed Smith for Comer on the 67th minute, as Comer was a better penalty taker - yup, I was quite prepared for it to go to penalties, as both teams were totally exhausted out there (mine especially), and didn't look like they were able to score. To my surprise, the effect was considerably better - Pejic found Comer with a good pass into space to the corner of the penalty area, then Comer snuck past his defender, and another defender coming back ran him over from behind... penalty. Anderson converted the penalty on the 83rd minute... finally, some relief for my exhausted squad (poor Barr was at 36% fitness by this point... I finally subbed him out after the goal, having kept him out there because he was still somehow playing well). We hung on for the remaining few minutes - mission accomplished, we're into the 2nd qualifying round (with even more teams than in the first - 512, including a whole lot of level 9 sides). By this time, we already knew whom we were going to face - Billingham Town, of the Northern League Div. 1 (level 9), away from home... tough draw - the bookmakers gave them 1-8 odds to win (our odds: 12-1), and the pre-match comment was "there will be goals."

Well, no matter - anything beyond this point was extra as far as I was concerned. My squad were back to full fitness, so I felt I had a decent chance. After an early period of dominance by Billingham, my side started playing a bit better, and soon it was us who were attacking quite a bit more than the home side. Finally, my two big stars connected for the breakthrough goal late in the first half - Jones made an excellent run down the right wing, skipping past a defender's challenge, then found Barr at the top of the penalty area, who took a couple of touches, then blasted it into the top corner. We didn't get to celebrate long, though... two minutes later, a defensive lapse (the centerback closest to the ball decided to leave it for another defender to chase) led to Billingham's equalizer. We kept fighting in the second half, but another through ball beat our defense on the 64th minute, giving Billingham the 2-1 lead, and their keeper made a couple of saves to keep it that way and knock us out of the FA Vase. Well, at least it wasn't a rout like was expected pre-match, right? Well, so I thought, but for some reason, this was one of the news items following our defeat: "Swans were expected to be among the challengers for the FA Vase and their exit may well have taken many by surprise." Huh? Challengers against all those level 9 clubs? Oh well, at least the players weren't too downhearted.

My next game was 4 days later at home against title favorites Crane Sports. I thought I'd give Comer (who had become a regular starter by this point alongside Barr) a rest, and give Long another chance to redeem himself (the coaches were still putting him into the starting 11 every time I asked them to pick my squad, despite 4 straight sub-6.0 ratings, and that's without him even playing full matches). Big mistake, as Long was terrible yet again. He wasn't the only one this time, though, as my whole team were largely outplayed. A dubious goal (looked ever so slightly offside on the replay) at the very start of the 2nd half gave Crane the lead, then Wisdom dropped a simple ball 3 minutes later, straight to an opposition striker. 2-0. I brought Comer back out, replacing Long, a few minutes after that, and the offense played a little bit better from there, but short of a shot off the bar late, couldn't manage any real chances. With that, Crane Sports took the league lead, with us just a point behind.

The Suffolk Senior Cup 1st Round draw pit us against Cornard Utd of the Eastern Counties League Div. 1 (level 10), again away from home, to be played on Oct. 9th. Not the best of draws, but I think we've got a decent chance to get through. Bookmakers even have us as favorites, 4-5 to win. But that's later (next update). Last game in September was an away game to 5th-placed Coplestonians before another week and a half-long break. We dominated the first half of that game, Jones scoring an early goal, but couldn't put it away. Coplestonians looked better early in the second half, but couldn't get any shots off. I got a couple worries with Johnston injured on the 61st minute, then Lewis 12 minutes after that (this right as my 3rd sub was preparing to come on... wish I could cancel subs before they're actually made)... had no one left that could play on the right wing, so finished the game with 10 men and quite a large hole on that side of the field... no matter, as they still couldn't even test my keeper. 1-0 the final result, Johnston could be out for the next match. Combined with Crane Sports' draw at home to West Wratting (another team that's been doing quite well early), that's put my Westerfield United side back on top of the league (where they belong! ).

League Standings

Fixtures

[MikhailM]

Hmm... is it just me or do I write too much?

[RichG]

Hmm... is it just me or do I write too much?

Use the text formatting tools more and use less text and more data. i.e. Lists and Code to break it down.

[Scoham]

Bit surprised your tactics are working so well, complete forwards and playmakers with loads of creative freedom at level 11. Didn't realise that could work so well with such poor players.

Is easy to write too much, like Rich said split it up where you can with formatting, lists and code.

Good start so far

[MikhailM]

Bit surprised your tactics are working so well, complete forwards and playmakers with loads of creative freedom at level 11. Didn't realise that could work so well with such poor players.

Is easy to write too much, like Rich said split it up where you can with formatting, lists and code.

Good start so far

Like I said, I basically don't know what I'm doing. Maybe they aren't working all that well, and my players are just that much better than the other teams at this level? Not wanting to change anything at the moment, though...

[MikhailM]

Well, to help avoid writing too much, will be doing monthly updates instead of quarterly.

October 2010

Westerfield Utd vs. Ransomes Sports (League)

No Johnston for this one, but it didn't end up being a big deal. Green scored with a good shot from outside the area early on, Lewis added one on the 29th minute (Barr with both of the assists). I tried to give my players some rest for the cup tie in three days' time, but Comer ended up injured, out for three weeks. 2-0 the final score, and it was on to the cup.

Cornard Utd vs. Westerfield Utd (Suffolk Senior Cup 1st round)

Conditions were awful for this one (downpour... not good for players who just played 3 days before). Johnston returned from injury the day before the match, but I decided to play him anyway... didn't turn out that well. Not that we were completely outplayed in this one, but our defense got sliced open quite often, which led to the shot count being 19-4 against us. Still, a good save by Wisdom kept it 0-0 early, then Pejic's header off a throw-in found Cancellara in space inside the penalty area, and he gave us the 1-0 lead on 26 minutes. Johnston continued to make mistakes, though, and 3 minutes into stoppage time in the first half, we finally paid the price, as he let an opposition striker by him, who was left with an extremely easy finish. 1-1. Wisdom continued to be tested in the second half, and had to stop another one-on-one attempt to keep it level. 67 minutes in, I finally decided to sub Johnston out and move Rose to centerback... from there, the defense got considerably better (Johnston's partner Barker ended up with an 8.5 rating), but our offense (without Comer, I had Lewis up front with Barr) was still struggling to get any shots off. With neither team being able to score again in the 90 minutes, the match went to extra time.

During the break, I put in Smith to replace Lewis up front (Lewis moved back to left wing), hoping that he could outrun the opposition's tired defenders. The impact was almost immediate - on the 93rd minute, Barr found Smith with a through ball, and he put it away into the bottom corner. Our exhausted squad somehow managed to hang on for the rest of extra time, and despite the shot count, won the game 2-1 (Barr and Cancellara were at 31% at the end of the match ).

The second round draw pits us against fellow Suffolk & Ipswich Premier team Stowupland, again away from home. Funnily enough, my next match was...

Stowupland vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

A day prior to this match, another team made a contract offer to Rose, but he was still available for this match. Green was not - he was injured in that cup match, out for 5-6 weeks. The match itself was fairly even, maybe we were slightly better... but neither side could score, until 70 minutes in, when off a corner, Johnston headed it across goal, and fellow centerback Barker headed it in from just a couple yards out - not a combination I was particularly expecting my first goal from. I thought victory was in the bag, but on the 83rd minute, Wisdom made a save, but the rebound fell right to the other striker for an easy equalizer. Then, just 3 minutes later, they scored again, off a cross that replays showed was clearly offside - but the goal was given, and complaining about the referee after the game never really helps much... a very disappointing 2-1 defeat, and we were ousted from the top of the league table by Crane Sports, who've just been looking unbeatable.

In the days following the match, contract offers began to pour in from all over the place, and my chances of keeping him were practically nonexistent. He was eventually signed by Lymington Town, a level 10 semi-pro team that gave him £20/week - not much I could do about that. My search for a replacement took a few days, and I eventually offered a contract to this guy, but he didn't make up his mind until after my next match, which was:

Westerfield Utd vs. Eaton Socon (League)

Comer was back for this one, so he started alongside Barr. To cover for Rose's absence (with Green still out for some time), I brought a midfielder from my U18 squad, Chris Woodcraft, up to the senior squad and put him on the bench, just in case. I wasn't, however, prepared for the twist thrown at me in this one: less than 6 minutes in, Barker went down injured and could not continue... and without Rose, I had no one who could play at centerback. Rather than risk putting in someone who couldn't play the position, I went a different route, leaving Johnston as the lone centerback, and replacing Barker with Woodcraft, whom I put as an attacking midfielder. It was asking a lot of Johnston, but worked out quite well, as Eaton Socon couldn't even get near our goal in this match.

Just 4 minutes after the injury, one of Jones' trademark runs down the wing resulted in a cross to the far post, which found the head of Comer. 1-0. Woodcraft rounded the keeper and made it 2-0 on the 27th minute, then near the end of the half, Comer returned Jones' earlier favor by finding him with a cross, which looked like it would make it 3-0, but it was ruled out for a foul by Jones (harshly according to the commentary). No matter - we continued to dominate, and though couldn't score again, got the easy victory. Final shot count: 15-1 (the 1 by our opponents was blocked). Crane Sports also won again, though, so we're still 2nd in the league.

Duncan accepted our contract offer, and Barker's injury only had him out for a couple of days, so all's basically back to normal now. Still would like to get a decent backup centerback, though. On to November...

League Table

[bobatwal]

great stuff mate keep going

[MikhailM]

November 2010

Ipswich Ath vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

Nothing like a good beating to ruin a decent run of form. We were thoroughly outplayed in this one. The first Ipswich Ath goal came on the 7th minute, and it was fairly comfortable for them since. We've had our chances to equalize, Jones even put one into the back of the net, but it was ruled offside. Barker came closest to equalizing, when his shot hit the crossbar off a corner in the middle of the second half... but on the ensuing possession, Ipswich were able to put the game beyond doubt. I tried to go to a more attacking formation (3-4-1-2) after its success in the previous game, but just ended up conceding one more goal a few minutes later - 3-0 the final score.

Westerfield Utd vs. Grundisburgh (League)

We really needed to bounce back in this one, with the cup tie just 3 days away... and we did so splendidly. Comer opened the scoring on the 13th minute, then Jones' pass near the end of the half found Barr in the penalty area thanks to a defender's missed interception, and Barr scored his first goal in quite a long while to make it 2-0. We had chances to score plenty more in the second half - Comer blasted one against the bar, then Anderson had a penalty saved, then it was Comer through behind the defence, but hit it right at the keeper, and put the rebound over. Finally, Comer got his second in stoppage time on a beautiful first-time shot off the pass from Smith (who'd replaced Barr earlier as I was trying to rest my key players for the next match). Final shot count was 16-2 in our favor.

With Crane Sports finally being handed a loss as well, I was back in the title hunt, just 2 points behind them.

Stowupland vs. Westerfield Utd (Suffolk Senior Cup 2nd round)

Despite the win in the last league match, I wasn't very confident for this one... we'd lost our last 2 away games, the first of those against this same Stowupland team (who also were one of only 3 teams to beat us in the league last season). As has often been the case, we were largely better in the midfield, but struggled to get shots off (and on target). We got lucky early on, though, as Barr's cross found the far corner of the net instead of whomever he was looking to cross to. I'll certainly take any luck I can get. The rest of the first half was fairly uneventful, but Stowupland came out of halftime looking much more dangerous then they had been in the first half. After a few decent chances early on, they got a break on the 54th minute when Cancellara ran over one of their forwards inside the penalty area; the penalty was converted, and I was beginning to fear that I may be in for another cup match that goes to extra time, or worse, that Stowupland were going to pull off yet another comeback like they did in the league match against us just a few weeks before. Thankfully, my worries didn't have to last long - not two minutes after the equalizer, a free kick from near the halfway line was taken by Lewis, who put the ball perfectly into the path of Comer, who then headed it in.

The referee for this match seemed quite eager to book players, and by the hour mark, my team had already collected 5 yellow cards (it would end up being 6 at the end), but eventually, things worked out in my favor as Stowupland substitute striker Jenkinson, who was already on a yellow card, was booked again for diving on the 72nd minute. This basically put the match away - with 10 men and only 1 forward left, they never really threatened to score again. 2-1 the final score, and I'm on to the quarterfinal. The quarterfinal draw the next day pit me against level 10 side Brantham Athletic in January... yet again away from home (my 5th away cup match this season to only 1 at home). Seems like yet another tough game... but at the very least, I've fulfilled by board's expectations for this cup.

My physio was signed by Tranmere in League Two, so I had to sign a slightly worse one to replace him... shouldn't be a big deal, I guess... but what's up with the (reasonably) big clubs going after my staff?

Westerfield Utd vs. Cambridge Univ. Press (League)

These home games are beginning to be far too easy for us... I hope the players don't start getting complacent. Less than 10 minutes in, Barr dribbled his way right through the defense to score the opener, then in the second half, he found Jones with a wonderful pass, and Jones' finish didn't disappoint - 2-0. They had a player sent off a bit later, which sealed the deal, but the scoring wasn't quite over yet, as substitutes Smith and Green (Green making his first appearance after returning from his injury which had him out for a month and a half) combined for our third goal. If only we could do this away from home...

Only two matches in December, so the next update should be a short one.

League Table

Fixtures

[MikhailM]

December 2010

West Wratting vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

Yet another frustrating away game. Barr was the first to score, but he was offside and it was ruled out; immediately afterwards, West Wratting took the lead off a corner. Then Barr scored again only to again have it chalked off, this time for a foul... again West Wratting come right back and score, thanks to a mistake by Barker. 2-0 at the half. With us being able to create very few chances in this match, it was the most unlikely of providers who finally allowed us to get one back - keeper Mel Wisdom hit a long ball past the defense, and Comer was first to the ball and converted the chance. Even so, the game didn't turn around for us, and on the 58th minute, yet another mistake by Barker (who had an awful day) allowed West Wratting to take a 3-1 lead. I subbed Barker off then, but it didn't really help, and with all our efforts going to offense late in the game, they managed to score a fourth goal on a counterattack. Our dreadful away form in the league continues - 3 straight defeats now. With this loss, we have now conceded more goals in 14 matches this season (12) than we had all of last season (10). Not looking great for promotion now.

Cancellara received several contract offers from semi-pro teams at levels 9 and 10 (I never figured there'd be so many semi-pro teams at those levels...), so I figured I had no chance of keeping him, and began looking for a replacement. Cancellara also got ill, and so was out for our next match even though he hadn't made up his mind on the contract offers yet.

Westerfield Utd vs. Hundon (League)

Ah, I do like the home games, though. Comer started us off with a beautiful strike at the top corner from the edge of the area just 5 minutes into the match, then Green's long ball from our own half found Barr behind the defense later in the half, and Barr made it 2-0. Just a few minutes later, Hundon got a player sent off, and the win was all but guaranteed from there. I was a bit disappointed that we couldn't add to our lead for a very long time, but we did finally get one on 86 minutes in what looked almost like a replay of Barr's goal, only this time between Pejic and Comer. The 3-0 win keeps us within 3 points of Crane Sports, who also went through a rough patch of games, but were able to overturn a 1-0 deficit in their last game to win 2-1.

Cancellara signed for level 9 side Brockenhurst (even though he was "sad to part with me"), and to replace him, I signed Russell Pond, far less versatile than Cancellara, but the stats are largely better. Also, with Green injured again in the last match, and Anderson getting hurt in training toward the end of the month, I also signed Matthew Vincent for extra depth in the midfield (Lewis may have some competition for his left winger spot now ).

League Table Midway through the Season

[hrbfcrule]

Good Luck with this:thup:

I love reading other level 10/11 stories

[bobatwal]

So do i and i hope there are some more coming soon

[MikhailM]

January 2011

What a crazy month this one turned out to be... started on New Year's Day with this game:

Westerfield Utd vs. Fulbourn (League)

Touted as promotion contenders in the preseason, Fulbourn were winless in their last 10 games, and I wasn't about to end that streak of theirs at home... they did hit the bar about 30 seconds into the match, but that'd be as close as they could come. The downpour, and a few of our players showing up to the match thinking we could win without trying, made it a bit difficult for us to play our game, and it took a while to break down the Fulbourn defense, but Pejic's cross found the head of Comer at the very end of the first half, and Comer's 10th goal of the season finally did give us the lead. Midway through the second half, Comer's ball found Jones behind the defense with about 40 yards of open space ahead of him, and Jones converted the chance to double our lead. A comfortable 2-0 win for us in the end, and a solid debut for Pond, who earned a 7.5 rating.

Leiston St Margarets vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

This one did not start off well for us. Despite largely outplaying our opponents, we missed no fewer than four clear cut chances in the first half, including Comer hitting the post after getting through on goal; meanwhile, Leiston SM got really just one decent chance on the 32nd minute, and did not fail to convert it. I was just about ready to call it another away defeat, but the team came out much better after halftime, and 56 minutes into the match, Pond's corner found Barker in the box, and Barker headed it down and into the back of the net for the equalizer - the first goal we've scored off a corner all season, and Pond is already looking like a very good signing for us. Leiston SM pushed forward after that goal and managed to give us a few scares, but for the most part, we continued to dominate. Comer hit the woodwork once more, then a few minutes later, Pond got his second assist, finding Barr on the edge of the six-yard box, and leaving him with the easiest of finishes. Leiston SM didn't manage to threaten our goal again, and so the game ended 2-1 in our favor - quite a good comeback by our side. With Crane Sports suffering two consecutive defeats, we were all of a sudden 3 points clear at the top of the league... but for now, my attention was focused on the upcoming cup match...

Brantham Ath vs. Westerfield Utd (Suffolk Senior Cup Quarterfinal)

The craziness began here... again we dominated our opponents, and again we missed chance after chance - a very familiar type of game for us after last season's 10 0-0 games. Early on, Lewis had a cross deflected by a defender onto the crossbar, then Pejic blasted one inches wide of the post, and then it was Lewis again hitting the crossbar, and Jones wasted two chances when he was through on goal - all in the first 15 minutes. The chances kept coming the rest of the half, but we kept hitting our shots off target (Barr got one on target - the only one we would get all match, out of 15 shots - but it was saved well by their keeper). Brantham Ath did manage to hit the crossbar once as well, but that would be their only chance of the half. Then in the second half, my heart sank as a harmless-looking cross off a Brantham corner resulted in a penalty after Duncan knocked over one of the opposition players. Griffin stepped up for Brantham... but Wisdom saved it, to my great relief! The rest of the second half was uneventful, and the match went to extra time. I brought on Smith and later Woodcraft to try to get some offense going, but it was in vain. Then on the 102nd minute, Pond got injured and was unable to continue, and so I had to finish the match with 10 men.

Brantham Ath came alive at this point, most of their 8 shots in this match coming in these last 18 minutes, but like us, they couldn't get them on target either. And so it went to penalties, with Brantham Ath going first. Baddeley and Jones traded goals, then the same went for Griffin (who missed the penalty in normal time) and Woodcraft. Next up was Moss for Brantham... but he blasted it wide, and Barr made no mistake in giving us the 3-2 lead. Allen was next for the home side... but he hit the bar! It was only fitting that our keeper Mel Wisdom would be given the chance to be the hero after saving a penalty to keep it scoreless in normal time... and he put it into the bottom corner, sending us through to the semis. All 7 of our supporters (I counted ) were ecstatic, as was I.

The semifinal draw was the next day, and we got drawn against Beccles Town of the Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division (Level 11)... away, of course; since the final will be played at a neutral ground, my only home cup match all season was the 1st qual. round of the FA Vase, which went to a replay and was settled away anyway. Oh well... . The other semi is Woodbridge Athletic vs. Ransomes Sports, both from the Suffolk & Ipswich Premier.

Westerfield Utd vs. Achilles (League)

Achilles were bottom of the league; we were top. Should be easy, right? And it would probably have been, except... just 11 minutes into the match, Barr got injured and could not continue - and I'm quite familiar with how poor we could be without Barr in the lineup. I put Lewis up front alongside Comer, but that proved quite ineffective, and by the end of the first half, almost my entire squad were "playing nervously," unable to create any real chances. Things got worse on the 59th minute, as Pond also got injured... I moved Lewis back to the midfield to cover Pond's absence, and brought Smith on to try and generate some offense, and it did finally prove successful about 10 minutes later, when Jones crossed into the box and Smith made a late run to get on the end of it and headed it in to give us the lead. The win seemed in the bag as Achilles hadn't looked able to generate any chances... but a moment of total stupidity changed that with 5 minutes left. Brierley took a throw-in in our opponents' half, and threw it back toward Duncan on the halfway line. Duncan danced around it for a bit, long enough to allow Achilles striker Heagney to take the ball, with lots of space to run into. Brierley chased Heagney a long way, finally catching up to him as he entered the penalty area... and proceeded to hack him down from behind - penalty, and I was surprised that Brierley escaped without a booking, let alone a sending off. Achilles converted the penalty, though, and it looked like it would end in a disappointing draw, but the game wasn't over yet... Lewis nearly gave us the lead back on 88 minutes with a header that was just inches wide, but it was Smith who'd turn out the hero again, blasting one into the top corner from just outside the area as time was running out. 2-1 was the final score in front of a record home crowd (217 - can one even call that a crowd? ).

Relief didn't last long, though, as after the game, I got the physio report on Barr - broken ankle, has to see a specialist, out for 3 months. That'll put a big dent into our promotion hopes... Pond would also miss the next game through injury, and centerback Johnston got a virus the day after the match, and he was ruled out as well - but the top priority was finding a striker who could come even close to replacing Barr. I was hoping to get someone on loan, as Comer had been excellent for us, and I didn't want him to have to fight for a spot after Barr's return, but wasn't able to find anyone good enough willing to join the club on loan, so it would have to be a transfer. After some searching, I was able to sign Robert McCormick, from FC Belize of all places. Had to pay £500 for him (maybe for the airfare from Belize? ), but I didn't care too much at this point. McCormick signed for us less than an hour before our next match... just in time as far as I was concerned. Oddly, he said he was "keen to rise to the challenge of playing for such an illustrious club"... I hope he didn't have us confused with some other club.

Woodbridge Ath vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

McCormick looked decent on his debut, but it wasn't enough to overcome another frustrating afternoon. Woodbridge got an early goal with a 25-yard strike into the top corner on just 6 minutes, and we played quite poorly the rest of the game, giving away possession, picking up quite a few bookings, failing to create many chances, and not getting our shots on target - not exactly the recipe for a win. Woodbridge had a few more chances to put it away, but the second goal wasn't really needed anyway, and we lost 1-0. Hopefully the return of Pond and Johnston for the next match will improve things, else we won't remain on top of the league much longer.

League Table

Remaining Fixtures

[MikhailM]

Just found out McCormick is on the Belize national team... and has a couple of friendlies to play in the next two months... this should be interesting.

[MikhailM]

Just curious... has anyone seen anything like this before? 9 managers in less than a full season!

EDIT: Make that 10, Paul David lasted all of 5 days... didn't even stay there for a single match.

[MikhailM]

February 2011

McCormick scored on his international debut for Belize (against Cuba)... looking promising...

Westerfield Utd vs. Melton St Audrys (League)

Disaster... we played very poorly the whole match, squandering the few chances we managed to create; McCormick was particularly wasteful, and midway through the second half, got one-on-one with the Melton SA keeper, but hit the shot wide. Things went from bad to worse on the 86th minute, when Melton SA took a corner; we won the initial header, which went to the far post with no Melton SA players around, but Lewis for some reason headed it back across the face of goal, allowing Melton to score easily. 0-1, a very disappointing defeat. Crane Sports only managed a draw in their match, so we were still top of the table by a point, with West Wratting just another point back in 3rd, going into a very important game...

Crane Sports vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

We played pretty well defensively in this one (much like the last match aside from the lapse that cost us the game), restricting them to long shots, but our offense struggled yet again, failing to generate many chances. An hour into the match, one of Crane Sports' long shots paid off, as it was hit from the edge of the area with very little power, but dipped perfectly into the top corner. As badly as our offense had played to that point, I didn't figure we had much of a chance to get back into the game. Comer was less than impressive, so I subbed him out in favor of Ray Smith, and also brought Lewis (who was left off in favor of Vincent) and later Green into the match. The subs played better than the first 11, and on 80 minutes, Smith found Lewis with a bit of space, and Lewis converted the chance to level the match. I was happy enough with 1-1, but the players went forward and we started looking much more dangerous. With time running out (on 90'+3 with 3 minutes having been added), Green hit a ball forward, which found Smith in the six-yard box, and he blasted it in the back of the net to give us the 2-1 win, which had me literally jumping around the room. :o

Comer injured in the match, out for 3-4 weeks. Looks like it'll be Smith's time in the starting lineup for the next few games.

Beccles Town vs. Westerfield Utd (Suffolk Senior Cup Semifinal)

This time around, we played much better, dominating possession and creating plenty of chances. Converting the chances was a problem, though, as Smith (twice) and then McCormick missed easy chances in the first half. With time running out in the half, McCormick took the ball down the right wing, and his cross found Duncan completely by himself (he even had Lewis behind him, just in case), and Duncan's header was right on target to give us the 1-0 lead into the break, his first ever goal for us, and McCormick's first real contribution of any sort. We continued to play better in the second half, but I got quite a scare on the 87th minute, when a long ball found a Beccles Town striker in acres of space behind the defense... he put the ball away, but it was called back, as it was clearly offside. With no other chances to speak of, we won fairly comfortably 1-0, in front of a grand total of 0 traveling supporters.

Woodbridge Athletic beat Ransomes Sports in the other semi, so I'll be playing them in the final in May on a neutral ground (sure beats playing away again ).

League Table - 4 points in the clear with 9 games to play... promotion still well within reach; I just hope we can keep scoring.

[MikhailM]

March 2011

Westerfield Utd vs. Coplestonians (League)

We dominated again throughout. Midway through the first half, McCormick floated a free kick into the box, and Johnston headed it in. Coplestonians managed a couple of chances to equalize, but couldn't hit the target, and substitute Vincent finally put the game away in injury time by blasting it in from 30 yards or so.

Ransomes Sports vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

Yet again we completely outplayed our opponents, but as often happens, the finishing was again poor. Comer returned from injury for this game, but was unimpressive. The first hour or so of the match was quite dull, with neither team able to create much. I brought on Smith, Green, and Anderson (a very rare appearance for him these days), and the offense went better, but we still couldn't convert. But it seems my players like late drama, and 93 minutes in, Anderson laid it off to Smith, who got his shot blocked... Anderson then got to the rebound ahead of the defenders, and put it in the back of the net to give us our third late winner in seven matches.

Westerfield Utd vs. Stowupland (League)

McCormick was unavailable for this one (international call-up, though as it turned out he wasn't even selected for the Belize squad in the match... what a waste), so Smith and Comer started up front. The pouring rain made this an even duller game than it probably would have been otherwise, but at least there was no late heroics needed. Green got the start over Pond for this one, and it worked out quite well - just 16 minutes in, Comer took the ball to the corner flag, then laid it off to Green at the top of the penalty area, and Green powered one in to give us the 1-0 lead. Stowupland were dreadful in this one, so though we never managed to extend our lead, we never looked like losing it either, and the game ended 1-0.

All in all a very good month for us, especially considering Barr is still out (his recovery is going quite well, though, and he should just miss one more match)... but West Wratting also won all 3 matches in March, and so our lead is still just 4 points.

League Table - looks like it's just us and West Wratting for a spot in the promotion playoff, as Crane Sports have completely fallen off... We play West Wratting at home in the second to last match of the season... could be a very important game.

[RichG]

Nice game and good layout

You certainly know how to write a match report. Mine are a little short and to the point.

[MikhailM]

Thanks! First one of these I'd done, so I just picked what seemed reasonable at the time.

[MikhailM]

April 2011

Eaton Socon vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

This was considerably more competitive than my last few matches had been. A few chances by both teams in the first half came to nothing (including McCormick missing one from inside the six-yard box near the end of the half), until 3 minutes into stoppage time, when Jones' ball across the area found Lewis completely unmarked, and Lewis converted, giving us the 1-0 lead heading into the break. A good save by Wisdom and a goalline clearance by Harris early in the second kept us in the lead, and despite creating very little offensively since taking the lead, we hung on to win 1-0. West Wratting also won, keeping our lead at 4 points.

Westerfield Utd vs. Ipswich Ath (League)

Barr finally returned for this one, albeit not at full fitness, and I was expecting an easy victory, but this ended up being an exercise in frustration. We started off extremely well, and it looked set to be a very one-sided game, but less than 10 minutes in, Duncan had himself sent off for a two-footed challenge. It was more even from there, but even so, we managed to create plenty of good chances... but failed to put them away. Jones in particular was woeful as he got behind the defense three times and missed on each occasion. Our opponents were not as wasteful as we were, though, and after 76 minutes, their first real chance resulted in a 1-0 lead (this after I had brought off one of my centerbacks for a midfielder to try to create more offense). Our players seemed to wake up a bit after that, and in a very familiar dramatic fashion, Jones somewhat redeemed himself on the 90th minute by finding McCormick with a good through ball, and McCormick finally scored his first goal for Westerfield. Comer then nearly gave us the win in the dying seconds of added time, but waited too long to shoot, allowing a defender to get back and block it. 1-1 the final score, and with West Wratting getting yet another win, our league lead was down to just 2 points, with 3 of our last 4 games being away from home, and the other game against West Wratting themselves.

I considered giving Duncan an extended rest from the first team even after his suspension, but a contract offer from 9th-level semi-pro side Tring made my decision for me. This would be my third center midfielder poached by another team this season, though... getting kind of old, really. Duncan was then suspended for an extra 2 games after he already left our team, so it doesn't look like Tring will be getting much benefit from him this season.

Grundisburgh vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

Needed a good win in this one, but Grundisburgh were no pushovers. Barr still not fully fit, but got the start anyway. Both teams created plenty of chances in this one, but it was us who converted first midway through the opening half, Green finding McCormick with a good pass, and McCormick put it past the keeper at the near post. Jones looked like he put it away with 15 minutes to play in the match, but it was ruled out for offside, and we had to keep hanging on defensively... but we managed to do just that, and I was reasonably satisfied with 1-0 in this one. Meanwhile, West Wratting finally lost a game, extending our league lead to 5 points with just 3 matches left.

Jason Turley was the man I signed to replace Duncan, for £95 from Leatherhead of the Isthmian League Div. 1 South (level 8)... not a bad signing, as I later got a news item that he got 2nd place in player of the month voting in his old league. Not sure why they would have wanted to part with him, but I'm certainly not going to complain.

League Table - so close to the league win now, but I've still got a few tough games remaining... also, the Suffolk Senior Cup final is in May (will be our next match, actually)... should be a very exciting month coming up.

[RichG]

Only 1 team goes up? and no play off's. That is a harsh league and one that could become a death trap

Hope you make it

[MikhailM]

No, it's even worse than that. Of the 39 level 11 league winners, only 18 go up. So winning the league isn't enough, it's a promotion playoff after that.

[RichG]

:eek: :eek:

LOL

Thats mental. Are you at Sunday league level or something.

Do you go into another league after this or a cup knock out?

[RichG]

Jason Turley = Currently undergoing treatment for concussion.

At your level is that on the NHS LOL

[MikhailM]

LOL

Thats mental. Are you at Sunday league level or something.

Do you go into another league after this or a cup knock out?

It's a knockout... 6 unlucky league winners go into a semi-final first (based on what criteria, I don't have a clue), then the 3 winners join the other 33 teams in the final round, with the winners gaining promotion to level 10.

Jason Turley = Currently undergoing treatment for concussion.

At your level is that on the NHS LOL

Had to look up what NHS was, LOL... :o

[RichG]

36 teams in the final round? hows that gonna work two leagues of 18 playing another 34 games?

Very confusing setup and looking forward to some screenshots and explanation

[Nobby_McDonald]

What a stupid thought. It's a one off or a two legged match, winner goes up. Why on earth would they play another 34 games?

[MikhailM]

Final round is just one knockout match. Can post some screenshots once I get that far.

[RichG]

I don't know Nobby that's why I asked LOL. Not got the level 11 database additions. Just 36 teams did not add up to a knock out format so assumed a league may be in place. After that i do not know where the 18 teams are sent to.

[MikhailM]

The 18 winners gain promotion to level 10, the losers have to stay at level 11 for at least another season.

[RichG]

well it will all become clear eventually.

Good luck on the playoffs

[MikhailM]

May 2011

Woodbridge Ath vs. Westerfield Utd (Suffolk Senior Cup Final - played at neutral venue)

For some reason, I expected the pitch at this neutral ground to be of good quality... it wasn't - it was quite terrible, actually - and that undoubtedly contributed to what turned out a dull match. Neither team was able to create much offensively, and it therefore seemed to come out of nowhere when 19 minutes in, Barr found Jones on the edge of the six-yard box, and Jones put it away to give us the lead. The match returned to its dull state afterwards, though. Woodbridge's best chance to equalize came right after halftime off a corner, but the header struck the top of the crossbar. They would not come so close again, though, especially after having a player injured on the 70th minute - well after they made all of their substitutions. Lewis finally put it away late in stoppage time off a pass by Jones - 2-0, and the Cup was ours! Quite a run - 4 away wins followed by this one at a neutral ground.

Cambridge Univ. Press vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

We would clinch the league title if we win and West Wratting fail to - and we got off to quite a good start, as less than 4 minutes in, Harris' chip forward found the run of McCormick inside the six-yard box, and McCormick beat the keeper to the ball and headed it in for the 1-0 lead. Cambridge weren't looking that great offensively, and it seemed comfortable for us, but again we failed to put the game away, and eventually it cost us. Shortly after halftime, a harmless looking chip towards goal took a deflection off Johnston, and Wisdom could not react quickly enough - own goal for Johnston, and it was all level again. 75 minutes in, it looked like Barr had given us the lead... but it was ruled out for offside. The 1-1 score would stand, and with West Wratting also drawing 1-1, our lead stayed at 5 points. Only fitting that the clash between 1st and 2nd would decide the title.

A few days after the match, I got a new item stating that Turley won the Isthmian League D1S player of the season award - certainly a player of the season at level 8 can do well at level 11, right?

Westerfield Utd vs. West Wratting (League)

A draw in this one was good enough to give us the title. It started out fairly even, West Wratting threatening on a few occasions, but they failed to test Wisdom. Then, on the 30th minute, we struck first - Jones' through ball found McCormick, who calmly put it away to give us the 1-0 lead. That seemed to provide us with some inspiration - Lewis had a great chance a few minutes later, but wasted it, and shortly after that, Pond hit a rocket from 25 yards out that had the opposition keeper just watching in awe as it went into the top corner. 2-0. We weren't quite done yet, though - just before halftime, a shot by Jones was deflected, and Lewis pounced on it and put it away to make it 3-0. The league win was pretty much in the bag at the break. There'd be no consolation for West Wratting in the second half, and really, they were lucky that we could not score a fourth. 3-0 was the final score, suitable payback for the 4-1 thrashing they handed us in the first meeting between the two clubs this season, and the league title was ours... but not yet the promotion, as we'd have to go through a playoff for that first.

Right after the match, I saw that the board extended the coach and scout limits at the club, from one of each to 5 and 3, respectively, so I went out and hired a few more coaches and two more scouts. Then, it was time to prepare for the promotion playoffs in early June - but there'd be one more twist to this season before that. The evening before my last league match against Hundon, 10 of my players decided to leave the club! The four most notable departures were first team players Pejic, Barker, and Jones, and the club's top goalscorer this season (although he hadn't been starting lately) Comer. Harris and Brierley both played well this season, so losing Pejic isn't a huge blow, and Comer had already been edged out of the starting lineup by McCormick, but Barker and Jones are both huge losses for the club. With no time to sign replacements, reserve player Matthew Moore got the start at centerback in Barker's place, and Lewis moved over to the right wing to replace Jones, allowing Vincent to start at the left wing.

Hundon vs. Westerfield Utd (League)

A meaningless game, but one that allowed me to gauge how well the team can play given the lineup changes. They didn't disappoint - just 40 seconds into the match, Pond found McCormick unmarked in the area, and the latter scored to give us the lead. The two combined again just after the 10 minute mark, as McCormick was brought down inside the area, and Pond converted the penalty to make it 2-0. McCormick got injured later in the first half, but was able to continue - hope it's not too serious. We continued to dominate, and had plenty of chances to add to our lead, but good play by the Hundon keeper kept the scoreline from becoming too embarrassing for their side. Nonetheless, I was quite pleased with 2-0 away from home, and with that, the league was over with.

Final League Table

Promotion Playoff Semifinal Draw - We're not in there, and that's a good thing - means we're going straight on to the final.

The news on McCormick wasn't good, though - out for 2 weeks. With the playoff match in 10 days, it looks like he'll miss it. Guess it'll be Barr and Smith up front for that one.

Pavol Vavrik was signed at the end of the month as the replacement for Barker. I decided not to sign a replacement for Jones, as there weren't any players of his caliber on the market, and Lewis and Vincent were doing a good enough job on the wings anyway. Then on the same day, Moore signed for a level 10 team, University of Essex, which left me with just two centerbacks again.

I've just about had enough fun in one month now - moving on to June.

[MikhailM]

Just a small addendum...

Promotion Playoff Final Draw

We've been drawn against Northern Football Alliance Premier Division champions Easington Colliery (their league record: 32 GP, 20 W, 7 D, 5 L).

[MikhailM]

2010/11 Season - Final Update (I'll probably just do a single one for the offseason, depending on how it goes)

Time for the biggest game of the season...

Westerfield Utd vs. Easington Colliery (Level 11 Promotion Playoff Final - played at neutral venue)

We were given 1-2 odds to win - a bit generous, I thought, given all the lineup changes at the last minute, but oh well. The game started off fairly even, but through the first half hour, neither team were able to create any real chances. We took a bit of an advantage around that time, and started to look a lot more dangerous toward the end of the half. About 42 minutes in we got our first good chance to score - Pond's corner somehow curled in and hit the bar, then in the ensuing scramble, Barr found himself in a good shooting position just outside the area... he hit the bar as well, then got yet another chance on the rebound, but it was tackled away at the last moment by a defender. Still 0-0 at the half.

The second half started out in the exactly opposite way from the end of the first - Easington Colliery began to dominate, while we could barely get the ball out of our own half. They managed a good chance early on in the half, also off a corner. Wisdom went for the ball, but missed it, leaving him on the ground well out of position as the ball deflected off Turley and fell to one of Easington's strikers... but his shot deflected off Lewis, just inches wide. Not long afterward, Lewis at the other end got on the end of Barr's through ball, and he put it away to give us the 1-0 lead! Easington's players complained about offside, and the commentary agreed (I looked at the replay and really couldn't tell one way or the other) - but it stood, and I'll take the goals any way I can. Easington pushed forward again, but their best chance was a chip that hit the top of the crossbar (looked like Wisdom had it covered anyway), and we hung on to win, 1-0.

Not exactly the way I would've liked to win, but with that, we're up to level 10 for next season! One promotion down, 9 to go...

[MikhailM]

For anyone interested, Tranmere finished the season having gone through 12 managers.

[RichG]

Grats on going up

I need to speed up i think I am only half way through season one

[paperclips]

Well done.. a good read.

[ism-scfc]

Well done on getting out of a ridiculously hard league to escape. Good effort in the Vase too, but beaten by a better side. Level 10 will be harder, and you'll either be up there all season, or be fighting relegation back to where you started. Probably, and hopefully, the former!

[pnefc22]

Great read mate

Congratulations on the promotion! And Tranmere are the new QPR with that number of managers

[Nobby_McDonald]

For anyone interested, Tranmere finished the season having gone through 12 managers.

Sweet Jesus.

[MikhailM]

Thanks all! The offseason is already presenting some challenges... curious to see what the actual season will bring.

[bobatwal]

great stuff mate

What League are you in now?

[MikhailM]

2011 Offseason Summary

Near the end of June, I got the news that the board have decided to turn Westerfield United into a semi-pro club. Yeah, finally a little stability for the squad! Four more of my players left at this point, but none of them had been making regular appearances for the club anyway. Also around the same time, the board have announced a link between us and Ipswich Town, who just got promoted to the Championship. £4.7K each year from that link should help the financial situation at the club... I was also hoping that they'd send me a player or two on loan, but that hasn't happened... at least, not yet.

I was shortly thereafter informed that we got promoted to the Eastern Counties League Division One, joining the previous season's Suffolk & Ipswich Premier league champions Capel Plough, among others. A bit easier to promote from than the level 11 leagues - there's an automatic promotion spot for the winner, and 10 of the 18 second-placed teams across level 10 will also go up through a playoff process similar to the one at level 11 (although it's a bit weird - from what I can tell, two teams will actually get a second chance at promotion even after losing a playoff match).

The promotion odds, as well as a media prediction of 4th place, are already putting considerable pressure on the squad to do well right away. The squad could do with some strengthening, though - with the departures of Pejic and Barker, our defense is very weak, and our wingers aren't quite up to the higher level of competition either. Another group of youngsters joined the club, with two among them of a fairly decent level already:

Nick Clarke - should do a reasonable job at right-back, although he's not too much better than Brierley. At least I have a bit of depth at that position now.

John Neville - the best of the youngsters, but unfortunately, playing in a position where I don't need as much help - Pond and Turley have the center of midfield well covered. Still, with more league matches to be played this season and two more cups to be entered into as well, the three of them could rotate in and out.

Speaking of cups, we're in four of them now, and the board has rather high expectations of the squad in those as well. Well, the squad isn't going to build itself, so it was off to the transfer market...

Players Out

Just one - goalkeeper Mel Wisdom signed for another level 10 side, Basildon United, just after our first friendly. I was thinking I'd need a goalkeeper anyway, and I certainly do now, with my remaining keepers being quite awful.

Players In

Alex Kenyon (free) - a solid left-back, will definitely be a regular first-team player.

Ben Mills (free) - I was hoping to get a decent backup striker to replace Comer, but got one better than that - this guy should be able to play on a higher level than even Barr, according to my coaching staff... the one problem at the moment is the extremely low morale.

Dan Cotton (free) - my scout recommended this guy a few months ago, but seeing as I had Jones in the squad at the time, there was no need to sign him... well, there is now. Not quite as good as Jones (who, incidentally, signed for Boston Utd in the Blue Square North... quite a jump for him), but is nonetheless a very good player for this level. I signed him fairly late in the off-season, so he only got to play in one friendly... but made a contribution already anyway with an assist in that one.

No keeper? Yup, my pre-season friendlies ended without me signing a keeper. My scouts apparently can hardly find any keepers at all in England, let alone good ones. I finally sent one out to just search for goalkeepers...

The assistant manager scheduled a whopping 8 friendlies for my squad... should get them in shape nicely. Here are the results. Ramsgate and Margate are level 7 teams, Ware are level 8, Godmanchester and Fleet Leisure level 9. Not a bad run of results, I'd say, especially with a very bad goalkeeper in all but the first match.

With two weeks left until the season begins, the goalkeeper situation really needed to get resolved as soon as possible... finally, my scout did find a suitable one - Dave Thornton, in the Stevenage Borough (League Two) under 18s squad... with the limitations the board put on wages, it was a struggle getting him to accept a contract offer from a level 10 side (can't say I blame him ), but finally, I managed, with 6 days to spare - here are his stats, and it seems like his potential is quite a bit greater still. Cost me £1K... not too bad, I guess.

Squad

The squad now is:

GK: Thornton - no real backup, though... hopefully, I won't need one.

DL: Kenyon (Harris and youngster Worthington to provide backup)

DC: Vavrik and Johnston (Clarke backing up if needed... Johnston isn't very good for this level, but I needed a captain, and he's the only decent one I've got)

DR: Clarke/Brierley

ML: Lewis/Vincent (Green as backup)

MC: Pond/Turley/Neville in rotation (Green and possibly Vincent as backups)

MR: Cotton (Lewis is the only real backup here, which is why Vincent will probably see more starts at left wing)

ST: McCormick, Barr/Mills rotating (Smith is also still around, although will be used only in case of injuries or McCormick getting called up for international duty)