[FM23] Another Island Life - Green Lion Pride - A Guernsey FC Youth Story

[Stuniverse]

2 hours ago, Punch said:

However, with 5 games to play, we are now 21 points clear of relegation, so we are now also mathematically safe, regardless of how our remaining results go.

 Well done, @Punch

2 hours ago, Punch said:

FA Cup Semi Final time as we head to Wembley to face Brentford.

Good luck 🍀⚽️🤞

[Punch]

 

APR 2042 - FA Cup Semi Final - Vs Brentford

 

 

It was a tough battle at Wembley as we hard to work hard to overcome the Bees.

With a lesser schedule, we were able to play a near full strength team, and that may have proved the difference, as we were able to hold off the Bees in the first half.

We finally found our own attacking groove in the second half, with two goals in 9 minutes breaking the game open, and ending the fight from Brentford.

 

The financial benefits continue.

 

We enter our second FA Cup Final where we will face Chelsea, who overcame Manchester United to book their place.

Once again, we will have to overcome a side we have never beaten.

 

Up next

Ironically our next League match is also against Chelsea.

[Punch]

 

APR 2042

 

With several games rescheduled to next month, it ended up being a very short month, with one League game, which winning confirmed our place in the Premier League for next season, and an FA Cup Semi Final win, which sent us to our second ever FA Cup Final.

 

Stats

 

Goalkeepers

 

Defenders

 

Midfielders

 

Forwards

 

 

With rumours continuing to swirl on and off that the Chairman wants out, I was surprised when I went to him and he agreed to upgrades for both the Youth and Training Facilities.

Considering the massive financial investment this required, I was happy to see them both get approved.

 

While we are not a big club, we are still one of the most profitable in the League.

 

The Facility upgrades put a dent in the account this month, but we are still in a great place.

 

Our final 5 League matches for the season, and while we have some tough games, we have already secured our place for next season, so we can relax and enjoy ourselves, although with every position up the ladder worth another £2+ million, it is in our interest to continue to push as hard as we can.

[Punch]

 

MAY 2042 - Match Day 34 - At Chelsea

 

 

We put up a tough fight but in the end, were no match for a determined Blues outfit, looking to secure Champions League qualification.

A tight first half seen us go to the break all square, but we were unable to hang on, two second half goals secured all three points for the home team.

 

Plenty of teams in action while we were on FA Cup duty, but the loss keeps us in 12th place.

Forest and Watford are now confirmed relegated, and I suspect Boro will not be far behind.

 

Up next

We host 14th place Villa.

[Maw74]

Well done getting to FA Cup final, hopefully you can get better result against Chelsea in that, 7th June is a late date.

 

and also Coys! 

 

[Punch]

 

MAY 2042 - Match Day 35 - Vs Aston Villa

 

 

Four wins on the bounce at 'home' as we put on a brilliant performance against Villa.

The Villans had no answer as we went on the attack early, and had a two goal lead by the break.

A third goal early in the second half killed off the game, and we were able to cruise to victory, although we gave up a silly injury time goal.

Also pleasing was to see us score three goals, none of which were scored by Finnegan, showing we are learning how to win games without relying on one person to get the ball in the net.

 

With three games to play we sit 12th, almost having confirmed a better finish than 14th, where we ran last season.

 

Up next

A tough ask as we travel to Anfield to face the 2nd place Reds, who are still in contention for the title.

[Punch]

 

MAY 2042 - Match Day 36 - At Liverpool

 

 

We put in a brave performance against the title chasing Reds, but came up short.

It was a pretty tight first half, but on the stroke of half time, the hosts took the lead.

A second goal near the hour mark wrapped up the three points for them, and left us showing we still have a long way to go to match it with the big clubs.

 

A few make up games played today, and the loss means we can't catch Everton for 10th place.

We will now have to concentrate on staying 11th in our final two games.

 

Up next

We are the away team at our temporary home ground as we face 15th place Bournemouth.

[Hootieleece]

Being Midtable in the Premier League with a youth development team from the Channel Islands is quite the achievement.

[Punch]

2 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Being Midtable in the Premier League with a youth development team from the Channel Islands is quite the achievement.

Thanks mate...although, ironically, we have not been on the island since we joined the Premier League

[Punch]

 

MAY 2042 - Match Day 37 - At AFC Bournemouth

 

 

We were the away team at our temporary home ground, and got off to the worst possible start, being two goals down inside 15 minutes.

From there however, we staged a massive fightback, and ended up running away with a comfortable win.

Another hat-trick for Captain Finnegan, who has now gone past the 30 goal mark, giving him 50% of the League goals we have scored this season.

 

Our win, and a loss for Manchester United means we have secured 11th place, regardless of what happens in the final match of the season.

 

11th place also betters our performance of 14th in our inaugural Premier League season last year.

 

Up next

We will host our final match of the season, which will be a bit of a dead rubber, as Brentford, while safe from relegation, like us, can't finish any higher or lower than where they are.

[Punch]

 

MAY 2042

 

MASSIVE NEWS - We're going home

 

 

We are finally returning to Guernsey, and will be in our expanded stadium for the final match of the season.

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the expanded Guernsey Stadium, where we can now hold nearly 25 thousand.

The island will be jumping as we have a fortress that can be intimidating to our opposition.

 

*In reality, this is BMO Stadium, home of LA FC from Major League Soccer in California, but it's one of my favourites to use as my background when I get a new stadium.

 

Now just got to hope that the Board don't do something silly, like decide to add another expansion so we end up homeless for a third straight season

[Hootieleece]

Isn't 25k fans bigger than the population of Guernsey. Getting to the match is going to be a problem for the fans,,,,I think!

 

[Punch]

23 minutes ago, Hootieleece said:

Isn't 25k fans bigger than the population of Guernsey. Getting to the match is going to be a problem for the fans,,,,I think!

 

As of 2022 there was about 65 thousand people on the island of Guernsey, with about 25 thousand of those in St Peter Port, but that was 20 years ago in the game.

[Punch]

 

MAY 2042 - Match Day 38 - Vs Brentford

 

We welcome in a new era, getting to play our second ever game at our new stadium, and we get to celebrate with the Guernsey faithful by putting on a good show in a tight game.

Three goals, all scored by Guernsey natives, and we keep a clean sheet to boot.

A brilliant result in a great day for the club.

 

We finish the season in 11th place, beating our 14th place finish from last season.

Despite Spurs loss, they had already done enough to secure the title.

 

 

The League season is over, but we still have the FA Cup Final to prepare for.

[Punch]

 

MAY 2042

 

A pretty solid finish to the season, winning three of our last five to come home in 11th place.

 

The mid table finish means the Board now considers us an established Premier League team, so I have achieved a club vision early.

 

Awards season begins with Chambers taking out the Young Player of the Year award.

 

Finnegan takes out several Player of the Year awards whit his 32 goal season, bring him in second place in the Golden Boot as well.

 

Finnegan was also our only player in the Team of the Year.

 

We buy no players, so we are always making profit in terms of transfers.

 

We have the lowest wage percentage in the League, not surprising when our wage bill is so far behind the rest of the teams.

 

The Chambers saga

West Ham are apparently in the market to go after our young striker Chambers, and in this report, he is interested in a move...

 

...yet the next report says he wants to stay at his current club. Good reporting

 

A big month financially as we get a large payout for our 11th place finish, putting us in a brilliant position going forward.

 

World Cup

 

We have 11 players, and 9 former players representing various countries at the upcoming World Cup.

 

This of course creates a quandary, as the players have now left to report to their respective camps, meaning they will not be available for the FA Cup Final.

Chelsea also have 10 players on duty, so it has made a bit of a mess of both teams.

[shd34_216_42]

You have it wrong, the player wants to go to West Ham likely for continental play which Everton can't offer, thus the preference to go to West Ham.

(Also, West Ham probably would pay better wages, but that's a given.)

The FA Cup final is immensely important to win for the Europa League automatic qualification, otherwise said player is probably gone.

[Punch]

1 hour ago, shd34_216_42 said:

You have it wrong, the player wants to go to West Ham likely for continental play which Everton can't offer, thus the preference to go to West Ham.

(Also, West Ham probably would pay better wages, but that's a given.)

The FA Cup final is immensely important to win for the Europa League automatic qualification, otherwise said player is probably gone.

There has been a couple of conflicting reports, even for West Ham, that he wants to go, and that he doesn't see it as a good move at this point in his career...typical media

[Punch]

 

JUN 2042 - FA Cup Final Preview

 

A capacity crowd is expected at Wembley for our second run at the FA Cup Final.

Both sides are missing a string of players who are now on World Cup duty, though Chelsea will start heavy favourites regardless.

While we are looking for our first title, the Blues are looking for their 10th.

 

We will need to overturn a poor history against them, as we have never beaten them.

[Punch]

 

JUN 2042 - FA Cup Final

 

 

Our second crack at the big dance, and it was a brave effort against the much more fancied Chelsea outfit.

We were not aided by missing six first team regulars, although the Blues were in pretty much the same boat.

We probably played better in the first half, but were not able to find a way through their defences.

The second half was a much more even, with very few genuine chances created, and neither side was able to find a winner.

Off to extra time, and we blinked first as Chelsea took the lead early in the first period.

A second goal just before the half time interval broke our spirits, and the contest was just about over.

We did push hard in the first part of the second period, but we just ran out of steam, and there would be no comeback miracle.

While the end result is disappointing, the effort was brilliant, and to have even made the Final was punching well above our division.

 

A healthy financial boost as we collect our runner up money, while we also receive nearly £2 million from our share of the gate, and a further £1.5 million from the TV revenue.

 

With our season now officially at an end, it's time to go through some reviews.

[shd34_216_42]

17 hours ago, Punch said:

There has been a couple of conflicting reports, even for West Ham, that he wants to go, and that he doesn't see it as a good move at this point in his career...typical media

He's probably leaving if West Ham bids regardless of what the media says, so be prepared.

[Punch]

10 hours ago, shd34_216_42 said:

He's probably leaving if West Ham bids regardless of what the media says, so be prepared.

Still has 4 years, plus an option in our favour, contract, so not in a hurry, or for a very ridiculous amount of money he isn’t 

[Punch]

 

2041-2042 Season Review

 

[Punch]

 

2041-2042 Season Review - Stats

 

Goalkeepers

 

 

Defenders

 

 

Midfielders

 

 

Forwards

 

 

A massive 33 goals for Finnegan, 31 in the League, but worryingly, only one other player registered double figures.

 

Finnegan is 10 appearances away from breaking Docherty's record, however, I am not sure anyone will ever break Ross Allen's record for goals.

 

Hamilton and Finnegan extend their own respective Premier League records.

[Punch]

 

2041-2042 Season Review - Attributes

 

The favourite time of year where we can see how the players have progressed, or not, and see how the squad might be taking shape for next season.

 

Goalkeepers

 

Redmond becomes our first ever 80 point goalkeeper, although his CA is still a fair way behind Hamilton, but equal with Al-Habib.

Steady progress all around, although Mason appears to have peaked, and missed his chance to become a first choice keeper.

 

Defenders

 

Steady improvement all around, with plenty of solid options available, which is necessary as we are pretty hard on defenders.

 

Midfielders

 

We have a lot of midfielders on the books, and there are plenty of suitable options available for the rotation.

 

Forwards

 

It's interesting that the attributes rank Finnegan as our 5th best striker, but he is our best option as far as putting the ball in the net goes.

Plenty of solid options available, and continued growth.

 

Continued growth as our average goes over the 70 point mark, while our average age has gone above 21 for the first time in nearly two decades.

 

Happy to see how the squad is coming along, and we continue to improve as a club, holding us in good stead to keep trying to push upwards in the Premier League.

[Punch]

 

JUN 2042 - Off Season things

 

Internationals

 

Plenty of players on International duty as the World Cup continues to roll on.

 

The Board offered and I accepted a new four year deal, with a £3k per week pay rise.

 

A real heart in mouth moment as the top prospect, who had not yet signed his contract, became the target of offers from several offers from rival clubs.

 

A few days later, we breathed a sigh of relief, as he decided he was more chance of getting game time with us, and signed his contract.

We dodged a real nightmare scenario with that one.

 

West Ham have been coming hard after Chambers, with the offers continuing to increase...

 

The latest offer rose to over £141 million, which is just insane money, but I really want to keep one of our best young forwards.

This would smash both their highest fee paid, and ours received.

For now, the Board is staying out of it, and for his part, Chambers does not seem concerned that I have been turning the offers down, so I am going to continue down this road for now.

 

We enjoyed a reputation boost, now ranked the 21st team in England.

 

Season Preview

 

 

A tough start to the season facing the reigning Champions, before hosting Newcastle to start the season.

 

The Bookies have us at 12th, which is our highest ever rank to begin the season, which has us at about mid-table, where the Board wants us.

 

The money rolls in to begin the season.

 

Friendly season is about to begin.

[shd34_216_42]

Congratulations on finally playing in your stadium for a whole season!

[Punch]

5 hours ago, shd34_216_42 said:

Congratulations on finally playing in your stadium for a whole season!

Shhhh!!! The season hasn’t started yet…still time for them to do something stupid and go for another expansion 

[Punch]

 

JUL 2042

 

A cracking start to friendly season, with goals galore, positive results, and plenty of minutes in the legs.

 

Internationals

 

Our England Internationals made it all the way to the World Cup Final, where they would fall 3-1 to Germany.

 

Transfers

 

 

 

 

We sent several players on their way.

They were all fringe players who wanted to move on for more first team chances, and we were able to cash in on them.

 

We are moving towards mid-table in the match day revenue stakes.

 

A brilliant start to the season financially, with season tickets going out the door in a hurry, while we collect fees for several transfer sell on clauses.

 

We have a few more friendlies before the season proper kicks off.

[Stuniverse]

Shame about the FA Cup Final @Punch but congratulations on a great Premier League season.

And Welcome Home!

[Punch]

11 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Shame about the FA Cup Final @Punch but congratulations on a great Premier League season.

And Welcome Home!

Thanks Stu, we are getting closer to matching it with those bigger clubs.

Haha, no news from the Board yet, so looks like we might actually get a season of Premier League football on the island

[Punch]

 

AUG 2042 - Final Season Preview

 

We finish our friendlies with two more convincing wins, against decent opposition.

Plenty more minutes in legs, and plenty more goals, with O'Connor continuing his World Cup goal scoring form.

 

No entries on the top goal scoring odds, despite Finnegan finishing just one goal behind Golden Boot winner Dunderski.

 

Finnegan was also the best player last season, but again, the Bookies don't rate any of our players.

 

They do like some of our players in the Young Player odds.

 

The Bookies still have us at 12th place, with Liverpool the favourites for the title.

 

A tough start to the season as we face reigning Champions, Tottenaham away, before hosting Newcastle.

[shd34_216_42]

11 hours ago, Punch said:

Thanks Stu, we are getting closer to matching it with those bigger clubs.

Haha, no news from the Board yet, so looks like we might actually get a season of Premier League football on the island

I think stadium expansions are hardcoded to start at the beginning of the next offseason, so I knew the board couldn't stop the return home.

[Punch]

16 hours ago, shd34_216_42 said:

I think stadium expansions are hardcoded to start at the beginning of the next offseason, so I knew the board couldn't stop the return home.

We still have a bit of expansion room, so will be interesting to see how we go with crowd numbers this season.

[Punch]

 

AUG 2042 - League Cup 2nd Round Draw

 

We enter the League Cup in the 2nd Round, and we will head to Coventry City.

 

We have never met in the League, but we have knocked them out of the League Cup twice.

[Punch]

 

AUG 2042 - Match Day 1 - At Tottenham Hotspur

 

 

While we didn't get the result, it was a cracking match to kick off the season, as we came from behind twice to level.

It was not to be though as the defending Champions showed their class in the end, but we sure gave them a run for their money.

We are slowly but surely starting to show glimpses of improvement and might soon have these bigger clubs looking nervously over their shoulders.

 

Not much to see here yet, although it might be a long season for Peterborough.

 

Up next

Our first home game of the season and we will actually be on the island, as we welcome Newcastle to Guernsey Stadium.

[Punch]

 

AUG 2042 - Match Day 2 - Vs Newcastle United

 

 

What a welcome back to the island as we cause a massive upset, taking a tight win in front of our first sell out in the expanded stadium.

It was one of our best defensive performances, as we shut down the Magpies completely.

Just after the hour mark, young striker Kennedy, turned in a cracking volley to give us the lead, which we were able to hang on to and secure the three points.

 

We move up to the mid-table, which should keep the Board happy.

 

Up next

We are off to Coventry as our League Cup campaign kicks off in the 2nd Round.

[Punch]

 

AUG 2042 - League Cup 2nd Round - At Coventry City

 

A heavily rotated squad runs riot over the Sky Blues.

It was complete dominance, with Ward putting in a massive effort, two goals and three assists in the six goal hammering.

 

We handed a club debut to young keeper Redmond, and while he didn't have a lot to do, he put in a solid performance, and kept a clean sheet.

 

A tough draw for the 3rd Round as we head to the Emirates to take on Arsenal.

We will have to overturn a terrible record if we want to continue our run of four straight Semi Final appearances.

 

Up next

We travel to 16th place Southampton.

[Stuniverse]

You’ve got to be happy with last season, @Punch

Now to see what this season brings.

A good start to the campaign so far.

[Punch]

1 hour ago, Stuniverse said:

You’ve got to be happy with last season, @Punch

Now to see what this season brings.

A good start to the campaign so far.

Good to see the steady growth continuing, just need to keep it up and start giving those bigger clubs a run for their money.

[Punch]

 

AUG 2042 - Match Day 3 - At Southampton

 

 

A cracking result as we come from behind to take all three points at St Mary's.

We fell behind early, but had equalised by the break.

It looked like the points were going to be shared, when Chambers stole in to slot home a late winner to break the home fans hearts.

 

We certainly left our mark on the match.

 

We find ourselves in the lofty position of 7th, but we are also only two wins from last place.

 

Up next

We welcome 15th place Villa to the island.

[Punch]

 

AUG 2042

 

A great start to the season, despite the tight loss to the defending Champions, we win our next two matches, and advance in the League Cup.

 

We break from tradition and actually managed to win a milestone game, as I notch up 1,100 games.

 

We keep the money rolling in.

 

A club record for season tickets, and a demolition of the 5,000 we sold last time we played a full season in Guernsey.

 

Our 50% sell on clause when we sold Balogun to Liverpool pays again, as we get half of their own sell on clause now that Hertha BSC have sold him on to Leipzig.

 

Some tricky games next month, but the schedule is not too taxing as yet.

[Punch]

 

AUG 2042 - Transfer Window

 

We sold another player, as Adams moves to Stuttgart.

He had fallen down the pecking order recently, and wanted a move to chase more first team football.

When Stuttgart came with a over valued offer, we had no hesitation in sending him to a club that is not a League rival.

 

We sent plenty of players out on loan to give them more playing time.

 

30 players out, but most of them were loans.

 

We are finally not the lowest wages, but I suspect Peterborough may not be long for this League, judging by their start.

 

There were a few other offers made, for players that I had no interest in selling, but I was surprised that West Ham gave up on Chambers so easily.

 

[Punch]

 

SEP 2042 - Match Day 4 - Vs Aston Villa

 

 

A crazy match where we played brilliantly, had a comfortable lead, and then almost gave it up.

We had built up a 4-1 lead by the hour mark, including Finnegan's first goal of the season, which he turned into a brace.

The Villains kept coming at us though, scoring two quick goals, to make for a thrilling, but nervy final 15 minutes, but we managed to hang on and secure another three points.

 

We continue our rise to 3rd place, although too early in the season to get too excited about that yet.

 

Up next

A tough match as we travel to the blue side of Manchester.

[Stuniverse]

Every now and then you get a freak game and scoreline... just like in real life.

Well done for holding on.