I can't think of a title pun, but I'm playing with Hall Road Rangers FC

[Pangaea]

Impressive progress so far, you look to have a solid team to boot. Best of luck in the Blue Square. Before you know it you'll be in the Football League

[Nobby_McDonald]

Impressive indeed.

[CityAndColour]

Thanks for the kind words, however I have found it fairly easy to sign top players for non-league, which has resulted in a pretty rapid rise. I think the real test will start in the Conference National.

[hursty2]

Perth leading the way in the A-League, only in FM.

Good luck in the Conference but I'm surprised you didn't take the Heart offer.

[Johnny Drama]

Just read this, really tempted to start a lower league game now! Have you had many enquiries into Kumar? Seems a hell of a player for that level

[AK22]

Well done on the promotion

I'm extremely interested on the post-patch morale feedback. Previously, I found it very easy to maintain superb morale, but it seems to have gone too far the other way now, judging on the general consensus.

[CityAndColour]

Just read this, really tempted to start a lower league game now! Have you had many enquiries into Kumar? Seems a hell of a player for that level

Not even a team interested, let alone any offers or enquiries.

Well done on the promotion

I'm extremely interested on the post-patch morale feedback. Previously, I found it very easy to maintain superb morale, but it seems to have gone too far the other way now, judging on the general consensus.

I agree they needed to do something about morale as it was far too easy to keep at a high level, but as you stated I think it's gone too far the other way. Even the week after winning the league most of my players were 'okay' and 'good'.

[CityAndColour]

Euro 2016

Stuart Pearce then stepped down and was replaced with, in a shockingly unexpected move..... Steve Bruce.

[Pangaea]

Nice thumping in the final.

[CityAndColour]

I was shocked they got past Germany. Ukraine have turned into a very good team also, with back to back major tournament semi-final appearances.

---

Pre-season and August 2016 update

The off-season passed by without too much fuss, as my main concern was trying to tie down several key players, primarily Willinton who signed on for another 12 months at a very reasonable rate. I'm now able to offer non-contract terms to players which will be handy should I have an injury crisis, and the only real addition to the squad was Carl Blackford, who came on a free after his contract at Bardon Hill expired. He looks immense and is a superb replacement for the now-departed Lozano-Calderon.

Not the greatest pre-season, needing a fixture against our own reserves to notch a win, but I leave these games to my assistant and he seems to rotate a lot of youth players.

---

A fantastic first month in the BSN, with only a toothless display at Hyde preventing an unbeaten start. Dene Park has been a fortress, producing three wins out of three, and we've also been second-half specialists there, with all eight goals against Nuneaton and Lancaster City coming after the break.

Koroma has learnt from his slow start to last season, and has come out of the blocks firing.

---

So we've shown we can play at this level, now the challenge is to keep it up with a small squad.

[deltablue]

Definitely keeping up competitiveness well.

[CityAndColour]

January 2017 Update

After 24 games we sit equal top with FC United, having conceded the same but scored one less to hold second. We've come through a brutal Christmas/New Year schedule (games on 26th, 28th, 31st and 2nd) pretty much unscathed and can regroup now with a nine day break. As far as players go it's been a fairly even effort, although Koroma's 14 league goals have him second in the scoring charts.

Kumar has gotten himself an agent and still doesn't want to renew. So I'm in a tight spot. He is only worth £20K and is also an Icon of the club, but at the same time our financial situation is insecure. Do I offer him out and maybe get £40-50K, but risk annoying the fans in the process, or do I just stick with him and hope his contractual position changes between now and the end of the season? We will certainly need him to get promotion so I'm leaning towards the latter.

And, of course, a Merry Christmas to all readers! Have a safe and happy festive period.

[CityAndColour]

Hall Road Rangers FC - 2016/17 - Blue Square North

----------

Final Standings

I think everyone has had a time on FM where they simply can't be arsed with completing a season, and just go through the motions to finish it. This was my moment. On the 28th of December, I beat FC Halifax 4-1 to draw level at the top of the table. 54 points before the turn of the year, and a seven match winning streak.

Then...

I tried ranting and raving order to fire them up. I tried the "oh, you were just unlucky sweethearts" after countless inept performances, I called team meetings, I blasted them in the press, I encouraged them in the press. I transfer-listed my vice captain after he objected to a fine for poor performance. I threw my laptop at another worthless, underachieving scrote. But the same cycle of misplacing basic passes, shooting 10 yards wide from five yards out, diabolical defending and even more diabolical attacking continued as January blended into February and March.

Somehow we won our last two games to sneak the final playoff spot, before being turfed by Bartley Green 1-4 on aggregate in the playoff semis, and we were never even at the races for that. At least el skip Kumar re-signed for another two seasons. Maybe he felt sorry for me.

Cups

FA Cup - I handed the reigns to my assistant at the first hurdle, who promptly oversaw a 1-3 loss to Dunkirk.

FA Trophy - Made it to the second round, before Burton Albion got revenge. 0-2.

Players of note

Meh. Koroma scored 19 goals, good for equal second in the league and became our all-time league top scorer with 60, but his inconsistency again drove me nuts. Kumar had 16 assists and 35 key passes, both of which led the league.

Next season...

Squad overhaul is imminent. Our finances remain poor and there a few guys expiring who I am likely going to take my frustration out on. Those who still have a contract for next season are fairly lucky.

----------

2011/12 - Northern Counties East Premier - 3rd

2012/13 - Northern Counties East Premier - 1st (promoted as champions)

2013/14 - Northern Premier League Div. 1 North - 1st (promoted as champions)

2014/15 - Northern Premier League Premier - 4th (lost in playoff semis)

2015/16 - Northern Counties League Premier - 1st (promoted as champions)

2016/17 - Blue Square North - 5th (lost in playoff semis)

[CityAndColour]

Premier League: Chelsea (Southampton, Ipswich, Cardiff relegated)

Championship: Sheffield Utd; West Ham, Aston Villa (Bournemouth, Preston, Bristol City)

League One: Rotherham; Luton Town, Crystal Palace (MK Dons, Barnsley, Scunthorpe, Rochdale)

League Two Coventry; Wrexham, Southend, Newport County (AFC Wimbledon, York)

FA Cup: Man City (Liverpool runners-up)

League Cup: Tottenham (Liverpool)

Johnstone's Paint: Brighton (Wigan)

BSP: Lincoln; Darlington (Morecambe, Kidderminster, Barrow, Tranmere)

BSN: FC United; FC Halifax (Braintree, Gainsborough, Kendal)

BSS: Welling; Hayes & Yeading (Ascot, Dorchester, Sutton Utd)

FA Trophy: Dover (FC Halifax)

Ryman Premier: Seven Acre (Hitchin, Grays, Leatherhead, Bishop's Stortford)

Evo-Stik Southern Premier: Dartmouth; Eversley (Slough, Chippenham, Maidenhead, Frome)

Evo-Stik Northern Premier: Graham St Prims; Irlam, Corby (Eastwood, Wigan RP, Mickleover, Frickley)

---

UEFA Champions League: AC Milan (Man Utd)

Europa League: Juventus (Liverpool)

Super Cup: Werder Bremen (Barcelona)

---

Liverpool losing three cup finals and MK Dons getting relegated has provided me with some happiness at least.

[CityAndColour]

Koroma makes his senior international debut for Sierra Leone. Not the most memorable of results but at least he grabbed a debut goal...

[CityAndColour]

2016/17

Minor Premiership: Melbourne Heart

Finals Series: Brisbane Roar (Newcastle Jets)

[abulezz]

That was a rough patch of form, ouch! You're right about squad overhauling - thankfully, at this level, its pretty easy to turn a team around. Good luck!

[iHeadHunta x]

Doing fantastic mate, KUTGW

[CityAndColour]

Thanks guys. I've released quite a few players but the board has reduced my wage budget significantly due to finances, so I'm still right on it. Going to have to look for non-contract, youth players and maybe even loans.

Koroma also demanded a new deal at league football wages. I offered the best I could and he declined it and no club could afford him when I offered out, so looks like he'll stay for another season and then go.

[CityAndColour]

The best thing about being in the same league as Colwyn Bay is they constantly bring in foreign players on trial that I can then scout.

Hans-Eivind Eilertsen

I've broken my wage budget to sign him (surprised to board allowed it tbh) but I feel it's worth it to get that extra bit of quality into the middle of the park.

[deltablue]

Definitely could be an excellent player.

[AK22]

That was some spectacularly bad end of season form, not too dissimilar to my Fulham side

Good luck for the new season ahead, Eilertsen should be a good signing

[Nobby_McDonald]

Very good effort.

Who are Bartley Green?

[CityAndColour]

They are a Birmingham-based club, and actually started in tier 10 - so one below me - and have been promoted four times (nearly five) so far.

[CityAndColour]

Our Christmas league schedule (none postponed):

23/12 - match

26/12 - match

30/12 - match

1/1 - match

3/1 - match

6/1 - match

9/1 - match

My small squad is going to be absolutely torn apart.

[jackripper]

loving the fact Kumar resigned due to feeling sorry for you haha

[hursty2]

Tough end to the previous season, good luck for the next one though!

[CityAndColour]

January 2018 Update

It's been a pretty tough season. Due to financial restrictions, I wasn't able to put together close to the squad I wanted to, both in terms of quality and quantity. So we have been battling fitness and fatigue all season. Not only this, but Koroma's agent demanded a new deal far in excess of what I could offer. He then requested a transfer on the basis that I had broken a promise by not offering him improved terms, despite the fact I have done so twice. This has meant his form has been largely turgid, and reflects in our very poor goal difference as we have just been impotent.

After a slow start to the league we managed to drag ourselves as high as second, however a brutal Christmas/New Year period has meant we are six games without a win in the league, more down to lack of players to cope than anything else.

We have managed however to get to the third round of the FA Trophy, which has added to fixture congestion but at least brought in some much-needed revenue.

[deltablue]

Looks like you're pulled a few other sides up with you.

[CityAndColour]

Looks like you're pulled a few other sides up with you.

It's great. I've tried dafuge's challenge on quite a few versions and the odds of getting a small team promoted into the BSN/S were very remote, but with the extra leagues on this database some wonderful teams have gotten to that level.

[abulezz]

Not too far off the playoff picture - hows Eilertsen doing?

[CityAndColour]

Hall Road Rangers FC - 2017/18 - Blue Square North

----------

Final Standings

It's becoming the norm for us, in that we perform right up until Christmas and then throw it away in the new year. We started fairly slowly as morale was still a little sluggish, but soon started to put some wins together, and as December came around we were right in the thick of the playoff spots. The fixtures piled up however and our squad failed to cope, and from Boxing Day until 17 February, we didn't win a league fixture. That did the damage and while we performed in fits and spurts through the rest of the season, we never really threatened a playoff spot.

Some tactical tweaks yielded three wins in the last four which at least gives me some hope for the new season, but with flailing finances we will probably have the same issues with squad rotation. Also, can I just say it is infuriating how often the opposition can seemingly injure countless players with challenges for no punishment, yet so often the first innocuous-looking challenge of the game is a yellow card for you.

Then there was the Koroma saga. Early in the season, he requested a new contract. Fair enough, I thought, given his young age had meant his wage was amongst the lowest in the first team. So I entered negotiations with his agent, who promptly demanded in excess of £500 per week, which was a full quarter of my team budget. I offered just shy of half, and negotiations ended there. A week later I went back again, with the same result.

A month later he requests a transfer, due to a supposed broken promise, which I accept. His form is dreadful by this point, but with no real alternative he keeps his spot. Every now and then he'll score, and ended up our leading scorer with 13 goals, but every good game is followed by 3-4 stinkers. By about March he comes back into my office wanting to stay at the club, but I reject this request and he will be in search of a new club next season.

Lawrence Johnson came in and did okay, so he will be in the mix for a new contract, but a prolific striker is my priority signing this off-season.

Cups

FA Cup - A home 1-2 loss to BSS side Lewes in a disappointing second qualifying round display.

FA Trophy - We had a good run here, knowing our BSP outfit Histon on the way to the 4th round, where we lost at BSN surprise packed Graham St Prims.

Players of note

Once more our captain John Kumar was our best performed, with eight goals and 17 assists. Below are his current career stats for Hall Road Rangers:

259(6) appearances

65 goals

150 assists

7.19 average rating

What a wonderful player he has been so far.

Koroma's international team mate Charlie Bah, formerly of Warlingham, is someone I have been tracking for a few seasons now, and when he finally signed at the end of March he didn't disappoint. Our best defender and shapes as a key figure next campaign.

Next season...

We're stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment, in that we need a extra income that cup runs bring, but we can't afford to maintain the squad size needed to cope with this. I've been well over budget this season and it looks like it will be more of the same. For the most part I've found players willing to sign on non-contract terms are either nowhere near up to standard or wanting huge appearance fees, while good youth players still want decent wages. And my own youth system isn't exactly providing me with any joy.

I'd like another playoff spot but I think this may be where we stall, unless my scouts can uncover that elusive 20-goal marksman.

----------

2011/12 - Northern Counties East Premier - 3rd

2012/13 - Northern Counties East Premier - 1st (promoted as champions)

2013/14 - Northern Premier League Div. 1 North - 1st (promoted as champions)

2014/15 - Northern Premier League Premier - 4th (lost in playoff semis)

2015/16 - Northern Counties League Premier - 1st (promoted as champions)

2016/17 - Blue Square North - 5th (lost in playoff semis)

2017/18 - Blue Square North - 10th

[CityAndColour]

Not too far off the playoff picture - hows Eilertsen doing?

He was solid, but given he was mainly asked to play a more defensive role I probably didn't utilise him to his full abilities. He averaged nearly three tackles and 85% pass completion a game however so he wasn't poor by any stretch.

I have found that central midfielders don't generally get great ratings unless they grab goals or assists, or numerous key passes/interceptions. The guy who wins his tackles and completes his passes generally averages 6.5-6.8 without the above.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Who are Graham St Prims? I missed them before.

Season must have been a little disappointing.

[CityAndColour]

And that's just a tremendous way to finish a wretched campaign. In what is likely the last training session before the players go on holidays, my keeper (who has made 147 consecutive appearances) has his leg broken by someone who isn't going to have his contract renewed.

[CityAndColour]

Who are Graham St Prims? I missed them before.

They're a Derby-based side who have come up from the tenth tier. They've just won the playoffs to the BSP, beating Chester on penalties to clinch a 5th promotion in seven seasons.

Season must have been a little disappointing.

Yeah the post-Christmas funk is something I haven't yet been able to combat. Still, a couple of top half finishes aren't exactly disastrous,

[CityAndColour]

Premier League: Man Utd (Wolves, Stoke, Sheffield Utd relegated)

Championship: West Brom; Watford, Ipswich (Luton Town, Doncaster, Rotherham)

League One: Bristol City; Nottingham Forest, Newport County (Hartlepool, Bristol Rovers, Exeter, Southend)

League Two Stockport; Bradford, Colchester, Barnet (Dagenham & Redbridge, Brentford)

FA Cup: Liverpool (Blackburn runners-up)

League Cup: Watford (Liverpool)

Johnstone's Paint: Rochdale (Millwall)

BSP: Ebsfleet; Kettering (FC Halifax, Shrewsbury, Histon, Hereford)

BSN: Walsall; Graham St Prims (Lancaster City, AFC Sudbury, Harrogate)

BSS: Dartmouth, Chelmsford (Gloucester, Dartford, Margate)

FA Trophy: Dartmouth (Blyth Spartans)

Ryman Premier: Erith & Dartford (Bedford, Bury Town, Barton Rovers, Whitehawk)

Evo-Stik Southern Premier: Merthyr Town; Warlingham, Team Solent (Ware, Rothwell, banbury, Hinckley)

Evo-Stik Northern Premier: Dudley Sports; Guiseley (Hednesford, Chorley, Kendal, Northwich)

---

UEFA Champions League: Barcelona (Real Madrid)

Europa League: Sunderland (Paris Saint-Germain)

Super Cup: AC Milan (Juventus)

[CityAndColour]

2017/18

Minor Premiership: Sydney FC

Finals Series: Adelaide Utd (Melbourne Victory)

---

[DazRTaylor]

Europa League: Sunderland (Paris Saint-Germain)

Yet more proof that FM still has some way to go for ultimate realism. Sunderland winning in Europe?! Sunderland qualifying for Europe even?!?!

[CityAndColour]

[CityAndColour]

[CityAndColour]

New faces in 2018/19

Recruiting has been very good in the off-season. Some big earners were let go, giving me a fair bit of wage budget to work with, and having a full quota of six scouts certainly paid dividends as I was able to fill some gaps in the squad...

James Saunders - The replacement for Koroma, he is an excellent finisher and has the pace to cause real problems at this level.

Júlio - Another steal courtesy of Colwyn Bay's scouting range, as they took him on trial and I scouted him from the news item. Will play an inside forward role on the left, cutting in and using his shooting ability.

Kieron Madden - Replaces Hanlon in goal, looks very solid.

David Fahey - A pure winger to start on the right, another with pace to burn.

Paul Brennan - I actually signed him in February, however a torn hamstring means he is essentially a new signing. Will take up the ball-winning role in the middle of the park.

This has used up my wage budget (but not exceeded), so I'll look to add a few non-contract signings to flesh out the squad.

[abulezz]

That looked like an epic World Cup I loved the Finals scoreline - that Cameroon vs. Germany match must have been amazing.

Saunders and Julio definitely look ready to contribute immediately

[CityAndColour]

Well it only took three games...

At least the latter accepted his fine.

[AK22]

Not the best way to endear himself to his new team! Good luck for the new season, hope you find your form again

[CityAndColour]

He actually scored a first half hat-trick in his first game back, and then hasn't scored in seven since. So he's quickly adapted to our style of football.

[CityAndColour]

I think it's fair to say I'm ready to set fire to 12.1.1.

[CityAndColour]

And, of course, when the chips are down...

The game has a perverse way of rubbing it in.

[abulezz]

Lol - I mention Saunders and Julio, and THAT happens. Sorry

[CityAndColour]

January 2018 Update

It's been a tough old season but we're hanging in there. We started really well, winning our first three games, and sat top after the first dozen. We then took four points from a possible 36 to slide down the table, as everything that could go wrong, did. Countless misses, hitting the post, conceding sloppy goals etc, culminating in a 1-4 loss at Tranmere, in which we had two players sent off, eight yellow cards and four suspensions for the next fixture.

However, due to our great start, we're still within touching distance of the playoffs, and this has to be the aim. A change of tactics to put two up front has worked, and we've just tonked Histon 6-1 at home, in a performance which yielded 58% possession, 17(10) shots and five clear cut chances.

James Saunders has been the star, undoubtedly. After hip surgery forced him out for the first two months of the season, he bagged five goals in his first two starts after returning, and 12 goals in 14 league games has him second in the charts, while an average rating of 7.38 is unmatched. Júlio has only scored five himself, but 11 assists and plenty of purposeful runs has ensured he has been a key performer.

Also, as you can see, yet another team up from the bottom tiers is leading the way.