FM11 Big Euro Nation: Small Club to Big Club Challenge

[Ohanzee]

Good luck to everyone that's started their journey already.

I'm gonna hit the sack and hopefully when I wake my mind will magically have decided on a nation

[Twellman24]

I'm going to bed too, it's almost 2am in Chicago

Yikes, Scotland just lost a CL spot in the 11/12. Right now Hearts will be the only one in the Champions League; the country is going through a crisis. Hopefully I can fix that within, say, 30 years?

[Lower Leagues Rule]

Only 7:30pm here in New Zealand, so a few more hours for me, maybe I can advance 2-3 more days overnight while you lot sleep.

[Almondo]

Ah the joys of working nights here in the UK it's 6:45am

[dr p wigwam]

I am not sure, but I think maybe we can go for ones that are offered by their agents. And say no to those with the same agents, if they have the same agent we must scout them

any chance this could be added to the opening post?

[Mushtaq]

Keen to try this challenge, but I am a bit put off by the weird lower league set-up of the likes of Italy, Spain etc. with split leagues and B teams. Could anyone explain these formats to me? Or is Russia/Germany straight forward leagues like England, if so that could be the place for me to try. Who can recommend me a league?

[LennyBernstein]

"The extra levels of detail that you can change while in the game are up to you, as they shouldn't make a difference. It is advised that you select ‘Load all Players’ for the country you are in. (This has been proven to provide you with over 50% more players in some countries!)"

Where do I do this?

Cheers!

Lenny

PS Really looking forward to this challenge. Going for France I think...

[duccio]

If anyone else can create save games on the day prior to the reset date in leagues this would be great as well. I am running with the below set-up

Large Database

All Players based in *Nation*

Players at Top Clubs in Europe

I believe this is the best way to have both a large number of players and a good spread across the top of Europe when we eventually get there.

Edit: As a side, Italy gets 9 teams at the end of season 1 as only 4 teams are relegated from the Serie C2 after sooo many teams were put out of the league in administration this year. Then the leagues are filled back to 18 teams each from the 15 they have been relegated down to.

So it is definitely allowed, in this challenge, to choose all players from the nation you are managing in?

[duccio]

So it is definitely allowed, in this challenge, to choose all players from the nation you are managing in?

Oh I notice its even adviced! I thought last year it was basically forbidden.

[Lower Leagues Rule]

The split lower leagues are generally just by location, so northern teams together, and southern teams together, similar to Blue Square in England. B-teams are an interesting entry in the competitions, they are generally a bunch of senior reserves, but they play as a separate team in a lower division. They cannot be promoted to the same division as their senior squad, and if they gain that level of promotion their spot drops to the next highest team, also if their senior team gets relegated into their division the B team is auto relegated saving the best of the currently relegated teams.

Russia and Germany are just a straight up and down league, but also have less levels.

[duccio]

"The extra levels of detail that you can change while in the game are up to you, as they shouldn't make a difference. It is advised that you select ‘Load all Players’ for the country you are in. (This has been proven to provide you with over 50% more players in some countries!)"

Where do I do this?

When you are creating a new game, select custon db size and add the "load all players" (or whatever it is called) option from the dropdown menu.

[Lower Leagues Rule]

Encouraged/Advised to load all players based in the nation, admittedly in Italy it gives you a bucketload more players, like 18,000 of them, but sooo many of them are terrible.

[LennyBernstein]

When you are creating a new game, select custon db size and add the "load all players" (or whatever it is called) option from the dropdown menu.

Brilliant, thanks. I was getting confused because the first sentence referred to details "you can change while in the game" which made me think it was something you could alter once the game was loaded.

Right, now I can load up a France game and get that holiday going. Cheers!

[Lower Leagues Rule]

Good Luck Lenny, seems to be a fair few contenders in France already this season.

[LennyBernstein]

Good Luck Lenny, seems to be a fair few contenders in France already this season.

Cheers LLR. It's not mentioned explicitly it the rules, but can I assume we're not allowed to import tactics?

[Lower Leagues Rule]

Creating your own tactic would be the preferred method, but no it is not explicitly forbidden.

[LennyBernstein]

Creating your own tactic would be the preferred method, but no it is not explicitly forbidden.

Cool. I prefer to do that anyway, as importing tactics feels like cheating, even though I'm not a tactics man. On holiday in France as we speak. Will post up my team and manager details once I'm under way...

[rlipscombe]

This thread has taken off overnight!! \o/ As for the Venezia save LLR, i MIGHT be going for someone else in Italy...

[Lower Leagues Rule]

My game is only just really getting underway as I crank into the July friendlies in an attempt to get a team together. Interested to see who you go with, though I am sitting hoping that the fact my scouts are not accepting assignments is a minor issue...

[PRDH]

This thread has taken off overnight!! \o/ As for the Venezia save LLR, i MIGHT be going for someone else in Italy...

Yeah. Great uptake already. I'm putting it down to LLR and his excellent introduction which is up before the other challenges.

Not going well in Spain.

[dr p wigwam]

bloody hell...

if it isn't Lenny Bernstein

OK, so here goes for Russia

I reckon I've taken the easiest team I had the option of with FC Chernomorets Novorossiysk

They come with a 12500 all seater stadium, and acyually competed in the Euro Cup back in 2001, where they lost to Valencia.

You cant have Sunday League Footbaler in Russia, so I took the next one, which was Semi-Pro i think.

I also added a second nationality of Russian, to get around the language issues which i assume is ok

Will be back in 2 minutes with my first proper post

[Lower Leagues Rule]

Has anyone else had a problem with scouting?!

[maztheplaya]

Started my attempt with Rovigo in Italy C2/A. My manager profile

Rovigo was founded in 1916 in the city with the same name, situated in the region of Veneto in the north west of Italy and with a population of 50.000 people, the stadium has a capacity of 3200. The club is a professional one with adequate training facilities, minimal youth facilities and basic youth recruitment with okay finances, offering me 16k for transfers and 11k per week for wages. They won Serie D group D in 2006 and reached 3rd place in 2003 and 2004. The media predicts we will finish 7th.

[ToMexico!!]

US Raon-l'Etape - French National Division

Founded in 1921, Union Sportive Raonnaise have been promoted from the CFA-B by finishing 2nd in the league. L'USR are a semi-professional club based in the heart the region of Lorraine, not far from the border of Germany. They play their home games at Stade Paul Gasser which has a capacity of 4500 (1133 seats). They also possess adequate training and minimal youth facilities but do have a youth academy.

The man given the opportunity to take the club forward is Jacques Clemente, a French national with regional reputation. He has been given a 2 year contract worth 1.1k p/w. He has also been given a transfer budget of 30k and 11k p/w to spend on wages, believing he can avoid relegation from the National division. Finances are healthy with 323k sitting in the bank.

Looking at the squad, we have a few decent players, RB Saad Ichalalene, ML Romain Chouleur and former Newcastle youth product Wesley Ngo Baheng have the quality to build around. We are affiliated with the likes of Nancy and Metz who I can utilise to bring in some loan players.

[dr p wigwam]

Dr P Wigwam joins The Seamen

Chemomorets celebrate 50 years in football with the appointment of rookie manager Dr P Wigwam.

Dr P dabbled in football at a low level in England, and is of Russian decent so there are not expected to be any issues with language.

With expectations low the team will have to fight hard to simply avoid relegation, and it is reported that the club have offered Wigwam a transfer budget around the £1m mark, and the ability to double the current wage bill.

At his first press conference Dr P said he was pleased the chairman had entrusted him with this position.

[dr p wigwam]

great, i'm offered a player by an agent. i cant scout him and i cant see any attributes. i'm thinking no...

[LennyBernstein]

L'Aventure de Lenny Bernstein a Red Star Football Club 93

The Beginnings

Bonjour la classe! Red Star Football Club 93 have unveiled English manager Lenny Bernstein as their newest manager. Red Star 93 play in the French National League after achieving promotion from the CFA with a second place in 2010/11.

They have a rich heritage behind them, despite their current lowly position. Founded in 1897, Red Star 93 won the French Cup as far back as 1918. They have won the competition a further five times since. However, the trophy cabinet has been bear for 37 years now, and Lenny Bernstein will have a big challenge on his hands to reach his ambitious goal of making the club the best team in Europe. The media predict the club will finish 14th (of 20) this season, whilst the board will just be happy if Lenny can keep the club clear of relegation.

The club play their home games at the Stade Bauer - a pretty nifty 10,000 all-seater staidum built back in 1909 - and possess fairly basic training facilities and a basic youth set up. The club also possess a youth academy and a fairly basic youth recruitment network. The club is affectionately know as L'Etoile Rouge de Paris (the red star of Paris) and has a fierce rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain.

The board has given the manager a wage budget of £12.5k a week and a £40k transfer budget.

L'aventure begins...

[Gilbster]

Being an impatient sort of person, I have decided to start my first FM attempt in thsi challenge (purely cos its up already!)

Introducing the new manager of KSV Hessen Kassel in Germany. They are a club found in 1998 with very little history.

I have been given a transer budget of 16k to try and save the club from relegation this season.

We are a professional club with a 24000 capacity stadium, so hopefully within a few seasons I will get some fans coming and watching as we are hopefully sucessful.

Wish me luck, as I have barely managed in Germany ever, and didnt even touch the demo for FM11 this year.

[Guest]

Here is the save for Spain (7th July), just holiday 3 days.

http://www.fileserve.com/file/QD7GyFH

Have not decided what team to play, il post again when i have decided.

[LennyBernstein]

bloody hell...

if it isn't Lenny Bernstein

'Ello Doc! Yup, I'm back. Well at least on FM. Good luck with the challenge dude...

[DennisIran]

one question do i pick a team that has been promoted to the lowest leauge or do i start unemployed and hope for one of them to sign me?

[Jaffa]

OK I could wait no longer for Daf to put up his challenge, so it looks like I'll be here for the forseeable instead!!

I've taken control of SVW Mannheim, worst squad and financial status, but biggest stadium with no rental

Manager shot: http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/Jaffak/Manager.jpg - sorry I dont know how to add the text links :o

SVW Mannheim: http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/Jaffak/Mannheim.jpg

I've been given a transfer budget of 12k and a wage budget of 28k, though like LLR I think the transfer budget will all go into wages.

(if anyone could advise me on how to link images with a text link I'd be grateful by the way)

[Guest]

one question do i pick a team that has been promoted to the lowest leauge or do i start unemployed and hope for one of them to sign me?

pick a team that just got promoted

(if anyone could advise me on how to link images with a text link I'd be grateful by the way)

[Almondo]

OK I could wait no longer for Daf to put up his challenge, so it looks like I'll be here for the forseeable instead!!

I've taken control of SVW Mannheim, worst squad and financial status, but biggest stadium with no rental

Manager shot: http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/Jaffak/Manager.jpg - sorry I dont know how to add the text links :o

SVW Mannheim: http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/Jaffak/Mannheim.jpg

I've been given a transfer budget of 12k and a wage budget of 28k, though like LLR I think the transfer budget will all go into wages.

(if anyone could advise me on how to link images with a text link I'd be grateful by the way)

try putting them like this [*url=]your text here[/url*] without the stars

Good luck in Germany Jaffa it's fun but the players in the 3rd division seem to like kicking lumps out of each other

[DennisIran]

Is there any fast way to see what teams got promoted to the lowest division ?

[maztheplaya]

@DennisIran go to the any of the clubs from the the division you will play in and in the History tab select League Positions and then click on the left of the right of the club's logo to go through all of the clubs from that division and the clubs that didn't play in 2010/2011 section a newly promoted, takes about 1 minute to go through all clubs, good luck.

[DizzyIzzyB13]

Voghera appoint Bianchi

Newly promoted A.C. Voghera marked the end of their 12 year exile from the Italian professional ranks by appointing Isabella Bianchi as their new manager. The appointment has caused some controversy amongst fans, with many questioning whether Bianchi's youth, inexperience and gender made her an appropriate appointment. The 25 year old Sammarinese manager was unfazed by criticism, stating that she expected her abilities as a manager would overcome any initial prejudice and promising fans that her team would play attractive, attacking football.

Founded in 1912, A.C. Voghera last played In Serie C in the 1998/1999 season and last played in Serie B in 1948. They play at Comunale "Giovanni Parisi", a 4,000 capacity stadium in the town of Voghera in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. They maintain rivalries with local rivals Allessandria, Derthona and Pavia. Their best period of success came in the 1990s when the club won two Serie D titles, and although they haven't won a trophy in 15 years, their new manager vowed to change that as soon as possible.

[rlipscombe]

OK I could wait no longer for Daf to put up his challenge, so it looks like I'll be here for the forseeable instead!!

I've taken control of SVW Mannheim, worst squad and financial status, but biggest stadium with no rental

Manager shot: http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/Jaffak/Manager.jpg - sorry I dont know how to add the text links :o

SVW Mannheim: http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/Jaffak/Mannheim.jpg

I've been given a transfer budget of 12k and a wage budget of 28k, though like LLR I think the transfer budget will all go into wages.

(if anyone could advise me on how to link images with a text link I'd be grateful by the way)

Are Mannheim available then?? i had read on wikipedia that they had been demoted further down the pyramid in germany for financial irregularities..... interesting.....

[Jaffa]

Are Mannheim available then?? i had read on wikipedia that they had been demoted further down the pyramid in germany for financial irregularities..... interesting.....

I've no idea about that Rlipscombe, I simply picked from the 3 that got promoted :o

[DennisIran]

The Turkish Beginning.

Naghizadeh is the man that will take the newly promoted Keciörengucu team to glory in the turkish league. Its a club with almost no history that got founded in 1987. But the Keciörengucu board thinks that Naghizadeh is the man that will create some history for the club.

[bgariepy]

Took over Paris Sénart-Moissy in the National de France

Manager Profile:

Team Info:

Looks like I have a decent squad. I have a small stadium of 2300 but 2000 season tickets holders. I replaced all my staff and I'm about to play my first friendly.

Good luck to everyone!

[LennyBernstein]

Are we allowed to loan players?

[Dan BHTFC]

Paris Sénart-Moissy (US Sénart-Moissy) is my destination, a club with a small stadium but hopefully being based in/near Paris will help me get some players,

Manager Profile

[Jaffa]

Hahah, half my first team squad up and left, loads of them refused to sign a new contract....oh well - more challenging I guess

[Guest]

Are we allowed to loan players?

I don't see why not, as long as you can scout them.

[LennyBernstein]

I don't see why not, as long as you can scout them.

Great. Despite a promising giant-killing victory over Auxerre in only my second friendly, I also lost my star striker for 5 months. So a loan signing could be just the ticket...

[LennyBernstein]

Hahah, half my first team squad up and left, loads of them refused to sign a new contract....oh well - more challenging I guess

I had the same issue Jaffa. Annoyingly, I clicked on 'Continue' towards the beginning of the season and when the game returned a few days later, they had all left without even giving me a chance to prevent it from happening! But I had a big squad anyway so was happy to be able to lose a few players and shape the squad how I want it...

[G-Wiz]

was about to give this a go in Italy, until i saw Russia has been added! now im torn

[PRDH]

It's looking increasingly likely this will have to go down as my first failure in this challenge. I really need to improve if I'm going to stay in the division.

[Dan BHTFC]

Just playing first match of the season, going to go a'la Blackpool with an attacking 4-3-3/4-2-4 formation