[FM24] Stuniverse's FM24 Adventure - Norway (Scandinavian / Nordics) adventure

[Stuniverse]

Stuniverse's FM24 Adventure  - Norway (Scandinavian / Nordics) adventure

*** Coming Soon ***

Born in Skien, Norway, Stuni Stuniverse is a young, Norwegian Sunday League footballer, who has recently hung-up his boots after suffering a serious ACL injury.

A lifelong Odds Ballklubb supporter, Stuniverse is looking to study for his coaching badges with the aim of getting into football management.

--

I'm aiming to start my Stuniverse's FM24 Adventure save around the second week of November 2023.

I will definitely be loading all the Norwegian Leagues as playable but I haven't decided yet which other leagues to load.

I've also not decided on the save start date yet, although I'm leaning towards early pre-season 2024 (as Norway play outside of the traditional footballing year). I will be playing either Original Mode or Real World Mode, although I doubt there'll be much difference if I do go for the early pre-season 2024 save start date.

--

For those of you who have followed my previous FM Adventures, thank you very much, I really appreciate it.

This time, I'll be providing the Career Update in a different format as the detailed game-by-game update style I've used previously was incredibly time-consuming and meant I was unable to progress through saves as quickly as I would've liked.

Watch this space...

Best wishes,

Stuni Stuniverse

Edited November 20, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Is it me? Or am I missing something?

I've been doing some testing ahead of starting this save, primarily to make sure that as an unemployed Sunday League player with no coaching badges that I could get a manager's job in Norwegian football (which I did on game date 25th September 2023), but I noticed a very interesting thing.

Although there are four levels of Norwegian Divisions (down to Tier 4, Third Division) you can select in game it appears that only the top three levels (down to Tier 3, Second Division) are actually playable.

I'm not sure if it's me, or if I'm missing something.

I've reported it (see above) as it seems odd to me that when starting a save, the fourth Tier (Third Division) of Norwegian football is greyed out and, when you're unemployed and view the Job Security screen, none of the fourth Tier (Third Division) Norwegian teams are visible.

--

UPDATE: I got this response from Sports Interactive, "Hello, this is intentional behaviour and has the same functionality as the Romanian Third Division and the French fourth tier in game."

I'll be honest, I'm not sure what that functionality is (have asked for clarification) but at least I know it's by design and not a bug.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Save start date decided

The other thing with Norwegian football, because the domestic league starts and ends in the same calendar year (April - November / December), is that there's two potential save start dates for a Norwegian save - either 2023 or 2024.

I was undecided whether to start my save in pre-season 2023 or pre-season 2024, mainly because I didn't want FM24 randomly playing out the end of the 2022/23 season in other Nations, potentially ending up with different teams getting promoted / relegated than in real-life.

I needn't have worried though because starting a test save in early pre-season 2023, the English leagues were all frozen on Played 0 with the teams as they will be ready for the start of the 2023/24 season.

So all good on that score, I'll be starting my save in early pre-season 2023.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Norwegian fourth tier (Third Division) will be playable in my save (I think)

Thanks to @XaW for his advice and help, I've been able to use the Pre-Game Editor to make the Norwegian fourth tier (Third Division) playable. I've done a test by holidaying for six seasons (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028) and all looks good.

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Stuniverse

[XaW]

Ah, Stuni Stuniverse, quite the common Norwegian name there!

Good luck in Norway!  

[Stuniverse]

Just now, XaW said:

Ah, Stuni Stuniverse, quite the common Norwegian name there!

Good luck in Norway!  

Thank you, @XaW. I'm looking forward to it.

[atribecalledFM]

Excited to follow this one. I once took Tromsdalen to Champions League glory (it took me 30 years), so have a lot of love for the Norwegian lower leagues. I'm currently writing up my first ever career post on here from the depths of lower league Denmark, so look forward to comparing notes. All the best with your save. 

[Stuniverse]

2 minutes ago, atribecalledFM said:

Excited to follow this one. I once took Tromsdalen to Champions League glory (it took me 30 years), so have a lot of love for the Norwegian lower leagues. I'm currently writing up my first ever career post on here from the depths of lower league Denmark, so look forward to comparing notes. All the best with your save. 

Thank you, @atribecalledFM. It could be another week or two before I get started on this save but I'm very excited for this one.

I'll head over now and give your Career Update in Denmark a follow. Good luck.

[Stuniverse]

On 13/11/2023 at 14:17, XaW said:

Ah, Stuni Stuniverse, quite the common Norwegian name there!

😂⚽️🤣

[Stuniverse]

Although it might not be everybody’s thing, I’m currently doing a short-term save with Derby County.

On 20/10/2023 at 10:20, Stuniverse said:

For those of you who have followed my previous FM Adventures, thank you very much, I really appreciate it.

This time, I'll be providing the Career Update in a different format as the detailed game-by-game update style I've used previously was incredibly time-consuming and meant I was unable to progress through saves as quickly as I would've liked.

I only mention it because, after the Pre-season and August games are out of the way, the narrative style I’m using from September onwards on that Career Update is the style I’m likely to use on this long-term Norwegian (Scandinavian) Career Update save and I’d welcome any feedback, thoughts or suggestions so that I’m ready for when I start this save.

If you’re interested in having a look, you’ll find it here:

Thank you.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

On your marks... get set... Go!

Here we go, for my main, long-term FM24 save, I'm off to Norway...

--

Save Set-up

--

My Manager Profile

--

Thank you for reading and following...

I hope you enjoy the save.

Stuni Stuniverse

Edited November 18, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "OBOS-ligaen (Tier 2)"

Kongsvinger IL Toppfotball

Edited November 18, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "PostNord-ligaen Avdeling 2 (Tier 3)"

Kvik Halden FK

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 1 (Tier 4)"

Gjellerasen IF

Edited November 18, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 1 (Tier 4)"

Gneist

Gneist is in Bergen.

Edited November 18, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 3 (Tier 4)"

Bremnes

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 3 (Tier 4)"

IL Brodd

Brodd is in Stavanger.

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 3 (Tier 4)"

SK Djerv 1919

Djerv is in Haugesund.

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 3 (Tier 4)"

Loddefjord IL

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 3 (Tier 4)"

Stord IL

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 4 (Tier 4)"

Askollen FK

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 5 (Tier 4)"

Verdal IL

[Stuniverse]

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Manager Jobs Applied For"

I've applied for all 11 of the football manager vacancies in Norway.

The responses, well initial acknowledgements, have started to come in...

All of the football clubs responded as Askollen did, with the exception of Kongsvinger...

So that's that, there's nothing more I can do for now.

Just got to wait and see if I get invited to any interviews.

--

Until Next Time...

Any questions...

Thoughts, comments, general feedback appreciated.

Any questions, just ask and I'll answer them if I can.

Thank you for reading and following.

Until next time...

Stuni Stuniverse

[phnompenhandy]

5 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

On your marks... get set... Go!

My Manager Profile

Thank you for reading and following...

I hope you enjoy the save.

Stuni Stuniverse

Poor Stuni, citizen of the happiest nation in the world, yet a prematurely aged 22-year-old!

 

[I will admit, my manager persona has my wife's birthdate, making him 20 years younger than myself]

Edited November 19, 2023 by phnompenhandy

[phnompenhandy]

2 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

Thoughts, comments, general feedback appreciated.

Yeah, right up my street, this. A wonderful start. I enjoy the details of photos of the towns and lower league grounds, and map locations. You've started as I hope you go on - at a leisurely pace that encourages the reader to get to know whichever club you manage, developing a sense of caring about the manager's career and some of the players. Hopefully, it's one of the 4th tier clubs you end up at - you know how I like the lowest of the low!

 

KUTGW

[Stuniverse]

6 hours ago, phnompenhandy said:

Poor Stuni, citizen of the happiest nation in the world, yet a prematurely aged 22-year-old!

Cheers, @phnompenhandy. I'm the anti-Dorian Gray... I have a portrait in the attic that is getting younger 😂

6 hours ago, phnompenhandy said:

[I will admit, my manager persona has my wife's birthdate, making him 20 years younger than myself]

And you look vaguely familiar as well, have I seen you on the TV?

Edited November 19, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

6 hours ago, phnompenhandy said:

Yeah, right up my street, this. A wonderful start.

Thank you, @phnompenhandy.

6 hours ago, phnompenhandy said:

I enjoy the details of photos of the towns and lower league grounds, and map locations.

Yes, part of my reason for doing this save was to find out more about Norway and Norwegian football. I have an  Odd Grenland (as they were back then) scarf which the guy who used to run a Derby County fan website I contributed to bought me - hence why Stuni Stuniverse is an Odds Ballklubb (as it is now) supporter. Also, a friend I sit next to at Pride Park is a huge fan of Norwegian football and regularly visits Norway. From the photos he's shown me, it looks a beautiful country and I hope to visit myself one day. My friend is very knowledgeable on Norwegian football but even he hadn't heard of some of the fourth tier football clubs I've applied for.

6 hours ago, phnompenhandy said:

Yeah, right up my street, this. A wonderful start. I enjoy the details of photos of the towns and lower league grounds, and map locations. You've started as I hope you go on - at a leisurely pace that encourages the reader to get to know whichever club you manage, developing a sense of caring about the manager's career and some of the players. Hopefully, it's one of the 4th tier clubs you end up at - you know how I like the lowest of the low!

KUTGW

Thanks again. Any Owner of a football club above tier 4 is going to be crazy to take me on...

😂⚽️🤣

Edited November 19, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "Askollen FK say No"

Job Hunting has begun...

--

9 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 4 (Tier 4)"

Askollen FK

 

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "Polyglot"

Jarle Berget caught me off-guard with a question as I was walking around the Super Market.

Apparently I'm a polygnot.

--

Which is interesting...

... as I didn't set those languages up. All I selected was a Nationality of Norwegian for my profile, FM24 did the rest.

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "A busy Sunday"

Sunday 19th March is going to be busy as I have two job interviews to attend.

--

11 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 1 (Tier 4)"

Gneist

Gneist is in Bergen.

--

9 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 5 (Tier 4)"

Verdal IL

 

[phnompenhandy]

19 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Cheers, @phnompenhandy. I'm the anti-Dorian Gray... I have a portrait in the attic that is getting younger 😂

And you look vaguely familiar as well, have I seen you on the TV?

That would be an ecumenical matter

[phnompenhandy]

13 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Yes, part of my reason for doing this save was to find out more about Norway and Norwegian football. I have an  Odd Grenland (as they were back then) scarf which the guy who used to run a Derby County fan website I contributed to bought me - hence why Stuni Stuniverse is an Odds Ballklubb (as it is now) supporter. Also, a friend I sit next to at Pride Park is a huge fan of Norwegian football and regularly visits Norway. From the photos he's shown me, it looks a beautiful country and I hope to visit myself one day. My friend is very knowledgeable on Norwegian football but even he hadn't heard of some of the fourth tier football clubs I've applied for.

I guess it's a minority interest given few posters include it, but for me the 'tour guide' element adds so much. I've always vaguely known Norway to be a beautiful country, but your pictures are really bringing that home to me.

[phnompenhandy]

10 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "Polyglot"

Jarle Berget caught me off-guard with a question as I was walking around the Super Market.

Apparently I'm a polygnot.

--

Which is interesting...

... as I didn't set those languages up. All I selected was a Nationality of Norwegian for my profile, FM24 did the rest.

I leave press conferences to my assistant in six known languages

[Stuniverse]

2 minutes ago, phnompenhandy said:

I leave press conferences to my assistant in six known languages

If I get a job, I might not even have an Assistant.

You can buy a season ticket at two of the football clubs I've applied for at the ridiculous price of £1.00.

[phnompenhandy]

2 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

If I get a job, I might not even have an Assistant.

You can buy a season ticket at two of the football clubs I've applied for at the ridiculous price of £1.00.

Scandinavian socialism

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "Verdal IL interview"

My first interview of the day was with Verdal.

This Verdal IL's Club Vision:

Edited November 19, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "Gneist interview"

My second interview was with Gneist.

Gneist's Club Vision is:

Edited November 19, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "Kvik Halden say No"

As I half-expected, well more than half-expected if I'm being honest, the one third tier football club I applied to don't want me.

Probably a wise decision by Kvik Halden.

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "Bremnes say No"

Fourth tier Bremnes say "thanks, but no thanks" as well.

--

11 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

Episode 1 - Job Vacancies "Norsk Tipping-ligaen Avdeling 3 (Tier 4)"

Bremnes

 

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "Loddefjord IL interview"

My third job interview was with Loddefjord IL.

Loddefjord's Club Vision:

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "Three more rejections"

SK Djerv 1919, Gjellarasen IF and Stord IL all say no.

--

--

[Stuniverse]

Episode 2 - Job Hunting "IL Brodd interview"

My fourth job interview was with IL Brodd.

Brodd IL's Club Vision:

--

And a transfer budget...

--

And a wage budget...

--

Ah, yes, of course, IL Brodd are semi-professional whereas my previous three interviews were all with Amateur football clubs.

[Stuniverse]

Until Next Time

I've applied for 11 football manager jobs.

So far, six football clubs did not shortlist me, including the only third tier job I applied for.

I'm yet to hear from Kongsvinger but, as they're a second tier football club, I'm not expecting to hear anything.

But I have attended four interviews with fourth tier football clubs - Brodd (semi-professional), Gneist (amateur), Loddefjord (amateur) and Verdal (amateur).

🤞 one of them offers me a job as their football manager.

--

Any questions...

Thoughts, comments, general feedback appreciated.

Any questions, just ask and I'll answer them if I can.

Thank you for reading and following.

Until next time...

Stuni Stuniverse

Edited November 19, 2023 by Stuniverse

[XaW]

2 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

Which is interesting...

... as I didn't set those languages up. All I selected was a Nationality of Norwegian for my profile, FM24 did the rest.

Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish are (more or less) mutually intelligible. So being able to speak either will give you more or less a complete understanding of the other two. Norwegians seems to have an easier time understanding both the others, while Swedes seems to struggle mostly with Danish. Most words and the grammar are identical, and it's mostly pronunciation differences. There are other differences too, but as a whole we Scandinavians can understand each other (and no, Finland is not part of Scandinavia, and no one can understand Finnish! ).

[Stuniverse]

1 hour ago, XaW said:

Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish are (more or less) mutually intelligible. So being able to speak either will give you more or less a complete understanding of the other two. Norwegians seems to have an easier time understanding both the others, while Swedes seems to struggle mostly with Danish. Most words and the grammar are identical, and it's mostly pronunciation differences. There are other differences too, but as a whole we Scandinavians can understand each other (and no, Finland is not part of Scandinavia, and no one can understand Finnish! ).

Thanks, @XaW that makes sense. I’d assumed the languages came automatically with me choosing a Norwegian nationality.

I wasn’t sure about Finland to be honest.

[XaW]

7 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

Thanks, @XaW that makes sense. I’d assumed the languages came automatically with me choosing a Norwegian nationality.

I wasn’t sure about Finland to be honest.

Just ask if you need any details about Norway, I'll be happy to help!

Finland (plus Iceland and the Faroe Islands too) are part of the Nordics, but Scandinavia is just Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. You do however have what's called Fennoscandia, which is just the 3 countries on the peninsula, so Norway, Sweden, and Finland (and sometimes parts of Russia), but that term is very rarely used in practice.

Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish are very similar, some words are different, and the pronunciation is different, but as long as no on uses a strange dialect we should understand each other for the most part. Finnish is not even a Germanic language, and resembles more Hungarian and Estonian. Icelandic and Faroese are also similar, and much more like Old Norse, so it's more like how the Scandinavian languages were about 1000 years ago. Certain words and phrases might be understandable to a Norwegian, but it's certainly not something anyone can read without issue.

Anyway, not going to hijack your thread with linguistics here, but just ask if you want etymologies of names or the like, and I'll do my best!  

[Stuniverse]

10 hours ago, XaW said:

Just ask if you need any details about Norway, I'll be happy to help!

Many thanks, @XaW. Much appreciated.

[Stuniverse]

Episode 3 - Job Hunting continues "Gneist hire a new manager"

Just not me 

--

Edited November 20, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Episode 3 - Job Hunting continues "Still in the running???"

That leaves me with four active job applications if I'm still under consideration.

I've attended interviews with Third Division (Tier 4) football clubs Brodd (semi-professional), Loddefjord and Verdal (both amateur).

I haven't heard anything from OBOS-ligaen football club Kongsvinger (professional) and doubt I will.

Edited November 20, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Episode 3 - Job Hunting continues "Thank you Mr. Bjerke. Thank you."

Petter Bjerke, the chairperson of Loddefjord, has offered me the job of managing his football club.

--

The question is...

The question is, do I accept Mr. Bjerge's kind offer and manage Loddefjord IL in the Norsk Tippinig-ligaen Avdeling 3 or do I delay for a week and wait to see if IL Brodd or Verdal IL offer me a job?

Edited November 20, 2023 by Stuniverse