[FM19] The Gospel according to St Pauli (redux)

[Moonshine]

After fannying about in FM18, and a brief save with Pohronie in the Slovakian second division, my mind keeps wandering back to a thread I started (which subsequently died) for FM17 - The Gospel According to St. Pauli. I actually continued that save for 7 seasons, before it died, but didn't update the post for whatever reason. It's up there with a great Amiens save in FM11 as one of my favourites...

 

I've always enjoyed reading a youth challenge, but I'm a bit rubbish at FM. So instead of a youth challenge, this is what I'll call an 'artificially limited' challenge - and will be pretty much the same as the original. But better, because the save won't die.

 

The Premise:

Jesus O'Nazareth has risen once again. The half Palestinian, half Irish manager par-excellence joining St. Pauli in the Bundesliga 2 - the German 2nd Division - for another go at this. I am limited to players who's first or last names are some kind of riff on those biblical names of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And Paul, too, because that's quite fun. All names will be taken from behindthename.com - see the links here for Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul. For ease, while 'Jonathan' and 'John' don't actually share a root ('Jonathan' is from the Hebrew, 'Yahweh', or God, and 'Natan', or give - so 'God has given' - while 'John' is from the Hebrew 'Yochanan', or 'God is Gracious'. Subtle difference.) I am allowing Jonathans into the club - it is now the vernacular, after all.

There are some (to me at least) quite fascinating names that are therefore allowed (or not) - Eoin, Ian, and Sean are allowed, as they are forms of John, but Owen (and derivatives) are not, as they are from the English 'Eugene,' or 'youth'. So Shane Duffy is allowed, as is Eidur Gudjohnsson; but Owen Hargreaves is not.

 

On the current squad:

I will actively seeking to sell so-called 'non-Johns' as swiftly as possible. No 'non-John' will be offered a new contract, and any offer that meets the value/asking price of any non-John will be accepted. This is going to cause issues. However, homegrown players in the original squad will be rechristened 'Pauli' in commeroration of their special status, and offered a chance at redemption.

 

On youth:

Come intake-day, Jesus O'Nazareth's benign nature will take over. Each year, every youth player retained will be rechristened by a middle nickname, as per the list below (subject to updating after the first five seasons) followed by the traditional letter:

 

2019 - Matthew

2020 - Mark

2021 - Luke

2022 - John

2023 - Paul

 

The Setup:

Big Nations (all leagues): Germany (obviously), England, France, Italy, Spain

Mid-Nations (top 2 leagues): Portugal, Ukraine, Belgium, Russia, Holland, Turkey, Austria

Small Nations (top league only, view-only): Greece, Denmark, Switzerland, Czech Rep, Croatia, Scotland, Sweden, Serbia, Poland

Other Nations (top-league, view-only): Brazil, Argentina, China, USA, Australia

 

 

[Moonshine]

 

Fußball-Club St Pauli von 1910 - An Introduction:

Formed in 1910, St Pauli are a 'kult' club in Germany. Successes on the field have been negligable - the club have spent only eight seasons in their 118 year history in the Bundesliga, and have never won a major trophy - and yet they are widely respected across Germany for the passion of their fans and their left-wing political leaning. They were the first club in Euerope to officially ban right-wing displays at their ground in 1981, and had effectively stamped out home-fan hooliganism by the mid 80s; not easy in an ingrained German culture at the time. In recent years they have stod out for their acceptance and promotion of tolerance toward homosexuality, refugees and other good causes. There are some great articles about them online, but The Guardian from this June is particularly fun.

Near bankrupt in the mid-2000s, popular groundswell saved the club, and the now languish as a mid-table 2-Bundesliga side. The Milerntor-Stadion, in the heart of the city's red light district, holds 29,546 (with just over 12,000 seated) and the club have rivalries with Hansa Rostock, Hamburger FC and, to a lesser extent, VFB Lubeck.

In possession of average training and good youth facilities, they now have an exciting new manager: Palestinian/Irishman Jesus O'Nazareth, with National C badge and history of semi-professional football.

 

[Moonshine]

FC St. Pauli

2019/2020

The Squad:

 

Our squad in general is quite a pleasant one, with both strength and depth. The trouble is that most of it is full on 'non-Johns'. Our day-1 squad is below, with Apostles highlighted. I'll be doing my damnedest to keep them on.

 

 

The Apostles:

 

 

 

7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Moonshine]

(If anyone can let me know why my c&ping from gyazo isn't producing decent images, please do so...)

[Mr_Demus]

This is wonderfully weird...

You should perhaps take a look at a former St. Pauli player, Davidson Eden. Christened Davidson Dropo-Ampem, he changed his name to eden because of his christian faith. You could sign him for the B team with hopes of making him a staff member.

[Moonshine]

 

FC St. Pauli Hamburg

2018/19

Pre-Season

 

 

Pre-Season Expectations:

Media: 8^th

Bookies: 33-1

Board: Top-Half

DFB-Pokal: Second Round

 

Transfers:

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Season Fixtures:

 

 

Pretty decent all round. A loss to Werder Bremen is understandable; the victory over Celtic was good though.

(Anyone know how do get rid of the horrible right-hand fixture thing, so you can see all of the scorers?)

[Moonshine]

 

FC St. Pauli Hamburg

2018/19

August

 

League:

 

Unbeaten start to the season with the bonus of a late flurry against Darmstadt to win 3-1. We're playing nice football.

 

 

Cup:

 

Easy win with a second string side over lower league opposition.

 

 

 

[Moonshine]

 

FC St. Pauli Hamburg

2018/19

September

 

League:

A good month all round - even our defeat to Koln was something positive. Koln are a brilliant side - quite how they are so far down the table is beyond me; and my transfer target, Jhon Cordoba, just destroyed us with four goals. Eslewhere, Walter Sobota scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season from the right wing in narrow wins over Ingolstadt and Paderborn. It's not sexy football - but its working. We ended the month with the big one - the Hamburg derby away at the Volksparkstadion. With Sobota out injured, and Myaichi handing in a transfer request we played physical football - bypassing our skillful wingers and lumping balls towards the big man up top. It was an ugly game, and we deserved to lose.