[FM24] Game of Thrones - Rise of The Spartans

[mannojunior]

Game of Thrones - Rise of The Spartans

Let's get down to it, why am I referring to Game of Thrones? Well, over the last week or so I had been looking for inspiration for a new save. I am currently blogging my take on a Glory Hunter Challenge over on the FMLibrary website but I have failed to really get into it so far. I have taken in copious amounts of written FM content since FM 24's release and the types of saves that have got me most interested have been club and country saves. Special shoutout to LutterworthFox whose save with Queens Park has been a joy to read and follow and it sparked my interest in Scotland. In my quest to find a new save, MaddFM pointed me in the direction of a blog post detailing potential clubs to manage in order to knock certain teams off of their domestic thrones. And this ladies and gentlemen, is where we start. 

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What is the concept of this Game of Thrones save?

As I alluded to above, the ultimate aim of the save is to de-throne those domestic clubs that are dominating the top flight in their nation. We then have to establish ourselves as the top domestic club and in doing so, claim the throne as our own. European success is not the determining factor in this save but having a good European adventure will certainly make our task easier. If you hadn't guessed it already, we will be doing this in Scotland. 

Who are The Spartans?

 

My subtle reference to Spartans is actually a reference to the club that we will be managing in this save. The Spartans is a club based in Edinburgh who have just been promoted to the Scottish League Two. The club are now operating at their highest level and this is their first foray into professional football. The club was originally formed in 1951 by ex-players of Edinburgh University with the intention of being a club solely made up of graduates from the University. The club has since changed their stance and now find themselves competing in League Two for the first time.

As you'll see, this really is going to be a challenge to get the club from League Two, all the way to the top flight. The facilities and reputation could certainly be better but at the same time they could also be worse. It is a base from which we can start and build our way up. We will be playing our trade at Ainslie Park Stadium which in truth looks very decent for this level of football.

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Save Objectives

I don't think that I particularly need to elaborate too much on the aims of the save as the above is fairly self-explanatory. However, the below will help us take stock on our success:

1. De-throne Rangers and Celtic 

2, Become the best club in Edinburgh

3. Become Scotland manager

4. Improve the national rankings

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Stuart Davies

So with the scene set, who will be leading the Spartans out this season? Well, for those that know me, I am a sucker for narrative and I always create a fictional manager to take the reigns. It is no different with save and I take great pleasure in introducing you to Stuart Davies. 

Born on 1st December 1988, Davies played for the majority of his playing career in Scotland, amassing 300 appearances for Elgin City. Not a superstar of Scottish football, but a name that most Scottish football fans would have heard of. Davies has recently obtained his Continental B Licence and has taken the vacant managerial role at Spartans FC. 

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Thanks for sticking around and making it to this point. Next up I will bring you an overview of the club and a look at our early season form. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by mannojunior

[priority76]

Ah my 'local' team.  I'll be starting a save with Spartans myself, when I have the time.  Have fun!

[mannojunior]

3 minutes ago, priority76 said:

Ah my 'local' team.  I'll be starting a save with Spartans myself, when I have the time.  Have fun!

Cheers mate! Anything I should know about the club/team? Don't want to be upsetting the locals!

[priority76]

3 minutes ago, mannojunior said:

Cheers mate! Anything I should know about the club/team? Don't want to be upsetting the locals!

Nothing I can tell you.  It looks like you know about them than I do.

[mannojunior]

Game of Thrones - Rise of The Spartans - July/August 2023 Update

Welcome back to Scotland where pre-season is done and dusted and we find ourselves at the end of August. Our transfer dealings in the main are complete and the squad is taking shape nicely. Let's see what's happened shall we?

Transfer Window

Let's start with the outs. A lot of deadwood taking up valuable wages and that had to be sorted. Sadly, only two have left us so far but they have freed up a good amount in the wage budget to allow me to strengthen. No key players have been lost which is a good thing, although you wouldn't usually see that on FM in the first transfer window. 

Lots of incoming as we looked to revamp the side and prepare for our first season in League Two. We took full advantage of our affiliation with Dundee United, along with other Scottish clubs helping us with free loan deals. First up, Chris Erskine joins on a free transfer and he will no doubt be a key player for us. I am going to stick him in the number 10 as an Advanced Playmaker and hope his technicals and experience shine through. Craig Moore joins on a season long loan and he is going to be a key cog in central midfield. He can operate well in both a more reserved playmaking role or as a more defensive midfielder. The initial plan is to drop him in as a BWM alongside a slightly more offensive DLP. We were looking light up top and after scouring the loan market I came across 16 year-old James Wilson and brought him in for a season. His finishing, composure and speed should give him the base to be a really good player at this level. Lots of others have also joined to strengthen the ranks and we are setup nicely for the season ahead.

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Results

We are well and truly underway here, with a lot of games played up front to include several cup competitions. 

Viaplay Cup

What. A. Start. Bloody hell, I didn't expect us to come together so quickly! We opened up with a 3-2 loss away at Livingston, but that was to be expected. What I didn't expect was 3 wins on the bounce with sensational victories over the likes of Airdieonians and Hamilton. Chris Erskine certainly hit the ground running along with Cammy Russell and we put ourselves in a strong position for qualification to the next round. 

And we did just that! We came second in the group with 9 points and got ourselves through to the Second Round where we would face top division Motherwell. She is, thanks for asking, just in case you wondered.

What is going on?!?! An absolutely storming performance and we were 2-0 up within 18 minutes thanks to goals from Cammy Russell and a penalty from James Craigen. Shaw quickly got one back for the visitors but veteran Erskine restored our two goal cushion before half time. From there, we hung on and knocked out Premiership opposition! Sensational. It's sets us up with a Quarter Final at home to Aberdeen.

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SPFL Trust Trophy

Just the one game so far in the SPFL Trust Trophy and we absolutely destroyed St Mirren Reserves. Shall we move on? I feel sorry for them. James Wilson nets his first hat-trick of the season.

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Cinch League Two

In an amongst the chaos of the cup competitions we actually had to start our league campaign. Things didn't start well as despite battering Clyde in the stats, we came up short in the only stat that matters, goals. A disappointing start considering our cup success. Things improved though as we thrashed Dumbarton away from home with Erskine at the double. We then travelled to Peterhead to round off the month and a comfortable 3-0 win ensued. A decent start and platform to kick on from.

6 points from three games, certainly can't complain with that. Disappointing to have lost that Clyde game but they are a relegated side and they have started the season strong. A position to kick on from. 

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Tactical Approach

This is an insight into how we are lining up this season. I always like to build a squad that has a capable replacement in each position and I feel we have that for the most part. We probably lack depth at GK, RB and LB but we can look to address that as the season goes on should we need to. 

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Player Statistics

Our lightning start to the season has seen a lot of good performances across the board. Erskine has been phenomenal in the 10. Cammy Russell has transioned to a right winger for me and he has been very good in that role. Both wing backs are performing and grabbing assists which is great to see. Wilson is slowly getting there but we must remember he is only 16. Craigen from central midfield has been another shining star and his stats show it. 

As you'd probably expect from the system we are playing, the assists chart is dominated by our wingers and wing backs. Strong signs. 

Erskine leads the way with goals, closely followed by Russell and Wilson. Russell has been electric from the right hand side and he is contributing both goals and assists in large quantities. 

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For now, that's your lot. Once again, thanks for reading!

 

 

[phnompenhandy]

Welcome to the "clan" of posters managing clubs in Scotland!

[mannojunior]

1 hour ago, phnompenhandy said:

Welcome to the "clan" of posters managing clubs in Scotland!

Seems there is a lot this year! Thoroughly enjoying Scotland so far 💪🏻

[DDickie93]

Great start to the season for yourselves! 
I tried a similar style of save myself on FM22 with Kelty when they were in League 2 and it was one of my favourite saves to date!
Can't wait to see how you get on in the long run 

[mannojunior]

41 minutes ago, DDickie93 said:

Great start to the season for yourselves! 
I tried a similar style of save myself on FM22 with Kelty when they were in League 2 and it was one of my favourite saves to date!
Can't wait to see how you get on in the long run 

Cheers mate! I’m loving it so far and looking forward to seeing how far I can take them. Not really managed in Scotland before but love a good Scottish newgen!

[CameronFM]

Loving the narrative with GoT! Really well written mate and excited to follow you on this one. Quick question though, if this is a success will this become more of a series in attempting it in other countries, or just a one off?

 

Moving onto the save, a great opening few months - still can’t believe that Motherwell result! 

[mannojunior]

7 hours ago, CameronFM said:

Loving the narrative with GoT! Really well written mate and excited to follow you on this one. Quick question though, if this is a success will this become more of a series in attempting it in other countries, or just a one off?

 

Moving onto the save, a great opening few months - still can’t believe that Motherwell result! 

Thanks mate, much appreciated! If it goes well it definitely has the potential to move over to different countries!

[mannojunior]

Game of Thrones - Rise of The Spartans - September 2023 Update

It is safe to say they love playing football in the Scottish lower leagues. I feel fatigued just watching all the fixtures pile up. Anyway, given how much has happened in September, let's have a look at what's happened this month. Moving forward, I plan to do two to three updates per season but it is all subject to change and the mood I am in. Anyway, on with the show!

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Transfer News

Before we look at the results on the pitch this month I should probably address a couple of pieces of transfer business that has taken place. Three new signings have arrived to bolster our squad. First through the door was a signing that I have definitely made with my heart rather than my head, in the form of Sean Canham. I loved Canham when he played for my local club many years ago and he definitely has another year left in the tank! A decent option of the bench no doubt and will score a goal or two. Luke Watt arrives to provide cover across the backline and in defensive midfield. He's no star player but on a relatively cheap wage he will help with rotation and injuries. The third and final signing is actually a rather exciting one as goalkeeper Scott Fox joins on a free transfer. Fox is a massive upgrade on my current keeper who is a youngster in on loan and at 36, his experience will no doubt be a massive help this season. Delightful.

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Club News

Is a takeover on the cards? Who knows, but there are certainly a lot of rumours flying about.

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Viaplay Cup

Umm, we've made the semi-finals? How the **** we've done that, I do not really know. A sensational performance on the night and the boys defended with their lives. Scott Fox in goal made a host of sensational saves to see us through. I thought we were pretty poor going forward but that was to be expected given the size of the opposition but to come away with a win and progress to the semi-final is mind blowing. Who's next you say?

We've avoided Celtic and Rangers - is a run to the final on the cards?

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SPFL Trust Trophy

Spartans are giant killers. That is all. Another higher division scalp is claimed. I still don't really understand this cup competition but we march on! Next up, a home tie against our senior affiliate.

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Cinch League Two

Unbeaten. A sea of green. Dominance. September has been a special month, with six wins in a row, including some massive cup wins. In the league, it is maximum points and more fantastic performances. Stenhousemuir was a tough ask up first as they were sitting top of the table but we were able to keep them at bay with a 3-2 win at home. Elgin City were brushed aside at ease, with Sean Canham getting his first goal for the club. Forfar and East Fife followed and another Sean Canham goal! Two good wins but certainly not our best performances of the season. Can you complain when you are winning games? Yeah I'll shut up. 

With seven league games played and September coming to an end, we sit top of the pile. We've opened up a 5 point gap between ourselves and Stenhousemuir. Time to kick on.

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Player Statistics

Chris Erksine continues to lead the way with goals, although he's had a notable drop in form over the past few games. Cammy Russell sits second with 7 goals but again there has been a drop in form for him. James Wilson sits third but I am starting to become concerned about him. All 5 of his goals have been in cup competitions and he is yet to score in the league. I know he is 16 but Canham is now getting his change to nail down the number 9 jersey.

Central midfielder Craigen leads the way with 6 assists and he is also joined by right wing back Cropper on 6. Sadly, Cropper picked up an injury in the Aberdeen game seeing him sidelined for the next month. Cammy Russell isn't far behind with 5 assists from the right hand side.

Some familiar faces make up the top three in the average performance category and it is Cropper who takes top spot. A real shame that he's picked up an injury but that is football. 

Before we round this off, I must introduce you to our midfield maestro who has been simply sensational so far this season. Craigen is a baller.

 

[TheLutterworthFox]

Wow what an amazing start and you avoided the big two in the semi final of the cup! Surely a trip to Hampden is on the cards!

[mannojunior]

5 minutes ago, TheLutterworthFox said:

Wow what an amazing start and you avoided the big two in the semi final of the cup! Surely a trip to Hampden is on the cards!

I mean, we did beat St Mirren reserves 9-1 earlier this season... No idea how we've come so far but surely we can't make a final?

[CameronFM]

Another great month, a sea of green is a manager’s dream! 

[DDickie93]

Great month in all competitions! Hopefully continue to kick on and maybe even have a Cup final against one of the Old Firm in the coming months!

[mannojunior]

11 hours ago, CameronFM said:

Another great month, a sea of green is a manager’s dream! 

Absolutely! How long can it last though?

1 hour ago, DDickie93 said:

Great month in all competitions! Hopefully continue to kick on and maybe even have a Cup final against one of the Old Firm in the coming months!

Cheers mate! 

[robilaz]

I'm noticing a distinct lack of my boy Blair Henderson. Where's he at?! Huge win over Aberdeen! But I wouldn't hold your breath on a good turnover... 

[mannojunior]

5 hours ago, robilaz said:

I'm noticing a distinct lack of my boy Blair Henderson. Where's he at?! Huge win over Aberdeen! But I wouldn't hold your breath on a good turnover... 

Sadly, Mr Henderson left the club 👀

[mannojunior]

Game of Thrones - Rise of The Spartans - November 2023 to January 2024

Welcome back to another installment in the Game of Thrones save. You join us at a very good time as things are looking rosy on all fronts. Let's get into this shall we?

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Viaplay Cup

Heartbreak. Our Viaplay Cup run comes to an end at Hampden Park in the semi-final. We came up against a strong St Mirren side and put up one hell of a fight. Sadly former Liverpool player, Steven Caulker settled the tie with his strike in the 52nd minute. What a run it has been for us as a club. The run has generated a lot of additional funds that are very much needed at the moment. We should not have made it this far but we defied the odds. 

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SPFL Trust Trophy

Another huge win in cup competition as we dump out our senior affiliate in the SPFL Trust 4th round. A really disciplined performance and Dundee never got going. 

We met Kelty Hearts in the quarter final and another solid performance put us into the semi-final. Can we just take some time to appreciate Kevin Waugh, who as a central defender has 17 free kick taking. Anyway, who's next?

We get drawn at home to Arbroath in the semi-final. Is there a final on the cards?!

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Scottish Cup

How many domestic cup competitions do you need in Scotland, seriously??

Relative plain sailing in the Scottish Cup so far. It feels strange saying that as a League Two side. 13 goals scored and just two conceded across the three games. Some nice draws have also helped. Our first real test came in the Fourth Round as we were drawn against higher division Annan Athletic but that really didn't matter as we dismantled them 5-1 in front of just 431 people. This team is incredible!

We now face a trip to St Mirren who broke our hearts in the Viaplay Cup semi-final. Can we get some revenge? Maybe, but the money will also be nice.

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Cinch League Two

Finally we can get down to the business end of proceedings. Our priority is the league and making sure we get out of this division.

I think it is safe to say that we are going to do that. Just one league defeat in the past four months and that was at the start of October. We have been on an incredible run since then and the boys have been fantastic. There really is no stopping us right now. When you look at the last few months we have started to turn on the style with a 5-1 win over Elgin City, a 5-2 win over Stranraer and most recently, a 7-2 win at home to Stenhousemuir. Simply fantastic. 

I would suggest it is safe to say that if we don't win the league from here, it will be the biggest bottle job in recent footballing times. We have opened up a 25 point gap between us and Clyde in second. 25 points! Okay, Clyde have a game in hand so it may be cut to just 22 but that is insane. I have no words for how good this team are. We are simply too good for this division.

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Club News

The board have seen the light and have given me a new deal, keeping me at the club until 2025. 

Transfer News

There is always a high turnover of players in the lower leagues and this is no exception. 

Not ideal as St Mirren recall Ethan Sutherland from his loan deal. He was a great option down the left and has just started to come into form. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, our senior affiliate, Dundee United, have recalled Craig Moore as they want him to play at a higher level. This one was tough to take as he has been a mainstay in the team playing as the ball winning midfielder. I wish him well as he has a great career ahead of him.

With two key players being recalled it was time to dip into the transfer market. This was not going to be a simple task as our board had cut our scouting budget to £0, meaning our scouts were unable to do anything. How lovely. First through the door is a replacement from Dundee in the form of 16 year old Scott Constable. A very talented youngster who can operate at both central midfield and right back. He's probably better suited to right back in his current form.

With Sutherland departing, this left a gap to fill out on the left hand side. Up steps Danny Rowe who has joined on a free transfer and will add experience and quality to our attack. He's not got any pace about him so I may have to bring on fresh legs early into the second half if needed but he is technically excellent for this level. Extremely delighted to have this signing wrapped up.

Last up is Ali Shrive. I still wanted another DM in the squad and I think he will do a job for us for the rest of the season. 

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Player Stats

Our dominance this season means that it is hard to even find somebody who has underperformed. Midfield maestro James Craigen leads the way for assists with 10. Delighted to extend his contract recently for a further two years. Cropper and Russell continue to form a formidable partnership down the right hand side. Cammy Russell has returned to form in front of goal and he is top of the charts for goals with 15. James Wilson has also continued his upturn in form and has 13 goals to his name. 

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It's safe to say things are going well. Let's crack on with the rest of the season shall we?

 

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by mannojunior

[CameronFM]

Absolutely love the progress made already! Promotion all but secured, great runs in the cup - what more could you need?!

[mannojunior]

10 hours ago, CameronFM said:

Absolutely love the progress made already! Promotion all but secured, great runs in the cup - what more could you need?!

Less transfer embargo's 

[mannojunior]

Game of Thrones - Rise of the Spartans - 2023/2024 End of Season Review

Stuart Davies

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Welcome back to Edinburgh where the 2023/2024 has been wrapped up and our first season in Scotland is complete. So, how did we do?!

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Cinch League Two

As expected, we wrapped the League title up pretty quickly with an emphatic February and March. As the season wound down I was able to blood a few of our new youngsters who joined as part of the first youth intake, namely Kieran Ross. April and May saw a few more losses than normal but this was to be expected as we had won the league at a canter and it was time to experiment with the team selection. An absolutely outstanding league campaign. 

In cup competitions we exited the Scottish Cup in the Fifth Round away at St Mirren and then in our first final of the save, we lost out to TNS in the SPFL Trust Trophy on penalties. Gutting.

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The league trophy is lifted by the boys.

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Competitions

A simply fantastic season in general. It saw magical cup runs, agony in both a semi-final and a final and then a resounded league title triumph. Onwards and upwards.

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Youth Intake

Our first youth intake was pretty poor, however we did get a Scottish striker named Kieran Ross who looks like he has something about him. He made 5 appearances at the back of the season, netting once which was on his debut.

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Squad Overview

It is hard to pick out individuals as this season has been such a team effort. Nobody has run away with assists, goals or other key metrics. Notable mentions must go to James Craigen, Cammy Russell and Jordan Cropper, all of whom have signed new deals.

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Summer Window

Heading into the summer I have decided that I want to give the core of the team the chance to impress in League One. With that in mind, I've removed players from the positions where I feel I need to strengthen this summer. Quality over quantity.

Initial budgets have been set which allow me a decent stab at a couple of quality players. 

The only thing that stands in my way is a transfer embargo which is currently in place as a potential takeover happens. If it does, I am promised a new stadium!

 

 

 

[mannojunior]

Takeover complete. Stevie Brown takes over as chairman and pumps £50k into the club. Finances looking healthy as we head into season two.

[mannojunior]

Game of Thrones - Rise of The Spartans - 2024/2025 Pre-Season Update

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Transfers

So the summer was...busy. I did my best to keep the spine of the team together but with the quality of players available in the window I decided to act on that. 

Not a penny spent, as you can imagine at this level. Our wage budget was increased by £5k which also influenced the change of approach. We've added a lot of experience, with the signings of Alan Judge, Aaron Muirhead, Josh Todd and Calum Waters. We complimented that with some young talent in the form of Max Williamson, Kallum Cesay, Matt Everitt and Ben Cushnie. Lots to be excited about going into the new season. I won't go through everybody, but Josh Todd, Alan Judge and Ross Matthews arrive to form a new look midfield. Kallum Cesay, Waters and Kingdon add good depth in midfield. We bolster the attacking ranks with the likes of Ben Cushnie, Matt Everitt and Fraser Mackie.

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Calum Waters - Free Transfer 

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Jack Kingdon - Season long loan from Wycombe

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Josh Todd - Free transfer

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Alan Judge - Free transfer

 

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Ben Cushnie - Free transfer

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Squad

With the transfer business done and dusted, for now, we have a pretty strong squad heading into our second season. We have pretty much 2 players per position, which is something I always look to do to provide adequate cover.

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Tactical Shape

If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Last season we were absolutely rampant with this formation and I have no plans to change it now. Of course, we will look to setup differently against better opposition but this will be us for now. The one big dilemma for me is to get our striker firing. Last season we didn't have much with our number 9's and I am hoping that this year we can change that. I am rotating between an Advanced Forward and Pressing Forward and seeing how they compare. 

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Viaplay Cup

This bloody competition ensures you don't need a pre-season and ruins your players before a ball has even been kicked in the league! 

A mixed bag with good wins over Airdieonians and Stranraer. Disappointing to get nothing from the Hamilton game as we were largely the better wide. St Mirren continue to be our bogey team, although they are a top division side...

Sadly 6 points wasn't enough to qualify us and we miss out on progression. Until next year. 

 

[mannojunior]

Game of Thrones - Rise of The Spartans - August 2024 Update

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With the Viaplay Cup and pre-season out of the way, it was time to embark upon our first season in the Cinch League One. With the signings we've made I really do think we have put ourselves in a strong position to perform well in the league this season. I certainly don't expect us to win the league or gain promotion, but a solid mid-table finish will allow us a platform to build up. Of course, nothing is a given and we may find ourselves in a relegation fight, but I truly believe we are building something special here in Edinburgh.

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Transfer News

Just the one piece of business to tell you about and this transfer happened right at the end of the month. The one area that concerned me the most was up top and I felt we needed an experienced head to lead the line for us. We have good young talent who will have a big role to play but I managed to bring in Robbie McDaid on a free transfer after he left Linfield. The 27 year-old brings experience and quality and I am hoping for a good return in terms of goals.

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Cinch League One

No cup competitions to deal with in August and we faced four tough league games. 

We opened up at home to Forfar, who came up from League Two with us and we comfortably saw them off. Debut goals for Alan Judge and Matt Everitt got us off to a flyer before Rhys Bennett sealed it with a curling effort from outside the box. We then travelled to city rivals, Edinburgh City for our first local derby of the save. Meadowbank was a sell out and our travelling fans were sent home jubilant. An emphatic 4-1 win against our rivals. The first of many I hope! We then followed this up with a disappointing result at home to Alloa. We dominated possession, with 68% overall possession but we failed to create any meaningful chances whilst the visitors caught us on the break. Disappointing. We rounded off the month with our biggest win over Stirling and look who bagged himself a hat-trick on debut. That's right, I chucked McDaid in for his first appearance and he repaid me with a hat-trick. I have a good feeling about Robbie.

So with 4 games played we sit in second, just a point behind the leaders, Cove Rangers. As always, you can gain nothing from so little games but it is certainly a positive start. 

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Injury News

Sadly we have lost Alan Judge for at least the next three months with a hip injury. Hugely disappointing for us as he had made the number 10 role his own.

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Player of the month

With so many good performances, it was difficult to choose a player of the month. However, Kallum Cesay has been emphatic at right back and his output in terms of assists and goals is hugely impressive. Not bad considering he is naturally a central midfielder and I have decided to re-train him as a RWB. Let's keep a close eye on his progression.

[mannojunior]

Game of Thrones - Rise of the Spartans - 2024/2025 Mid-season Update

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Welcome back to Rise of the Spartans! It's been a while since I updated this thread but in truth, I've not really had the time to play FM over the last few months. We are now back in the hot seat and we are halfway through the 2024/2025 season and it is time to check in and see how Stuart Davies and The Spartans have got on as we enter into February and the second half of the season.

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Stuart Davies

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Transfer News

Since the last update we've made a further three signings. We firstly welcomed Fraser Murray to the club in September as he joined on a free transfer following his release from Kilmarnock. A young and gifted attacking midfielder who will add real quality to this squad. We then welcomed two new faces to the club during the January window. First up, David Harrington who joins on an initial 6 month loan deal from Fleetwood. Really excited to have made this deal happen and he will come in as our first choice keeper. Scott Fox was outstanding last season but he has made too many errors this season and I felt it was time to freshen things up. Finally, we needed to strengthen in central defence following Lawlor being recalled by Cardiff City. Mitchell Robertson is the man who comes in on a 6 month loan deal from Celtic. 

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SPFL Trust Trophy

For the second season in a row, we have made it to the final of the SPFL Trophy. Last year we were defeated by TNS and this year we will face Dunfermline in the final. A really positive cup run with a huge 7-1 demolition of Dundee United.

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Scottish Cup

More cup success for us as we remain firmly in the Scottish Cup. A massive 6-0 win over Falkirk sets us up for a Fifth Round tie away at Motherwell. Huge test lies ahead for the lads.

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Cinch League One

We've taken to League One like a duck to water it seems. Some incredible performances thrown in there and we really are holding our own. Robbie McDaid has certainly played his part with a LOT of goals.

7 points clear after 23 games, although Kelty Hearts do have a game in hand and they can slash that lead to four points. For a newly promoted team to be dominating this league after 23 games, it is simply sensational. I knew that we had recruited well over the summer but I didn't think we would be performing this well. We've still got a long way to go but it is in our hands at this point. If anything is going to hold us back, it will be our defensive record. I am hoping that David Harrington in goal will have a positive impact in that respect. I am a huge fan of Scott Fox and he was immense last season but he is 37 and he has made a large number of errors this season.

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Player Performance

There is one man that we really have to thank for our campaign so far and that is Robbie McDaid. The Northern Irishman has bagged an incredible 22 goal in 24 starts and has been the main man for us. We needed a goalscorer and now we have one.

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Youth Development

We haven't really had much to shout about in terms of youngsters so far, but Dylan Phillips has emerged as a real talent in central midfield. It took me until January to blood him into the first team squad and he has taken the opportunity with both hands. 3 appearances, 2 goals, 1 assist and a 7.33 average rating. Yeah, he's a good one.

 

 

[mannojunior]

Rise of the Spartans - Vol.2 - End of Season Review

As the dust settles on the 2024/2025 season, Stuart Davies ponders what has been yet another outstanding season for The Spartans. 

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Welcome back to Rise of the Spartans and you join us as the curtain comes down on season number two in Scotland. At the end of the last update, we had the League One title in our sights and we had an SPFL Trust Trophy Final to prepare for. Let's start with the SPFL Trust Trophy. We headed into the tie as huge underdogs as we took on Dunfermline but we were runners up in this competition last year so we were no pushovers. Our table topping position in League One also showed that we meant business in this competition. We approached the game with no real injury concerns but we were a couple of first team players light due to various domestic suspensions coming in to play. Bloody Scottish referees. 

Sadly, it wasn't to be. Back to back defeats in the SPFL Trust Trophy final. Last year it was TNS, this year it is Dunfermline. It looked like loanee Jack Kingdon has won it for us as he smashed the ball home in the 81st minute. Sadly we were soon sat back down as Kane Ritchie-Hosler equalised two minutes later and then Matty Todd won it for the Championship side in extra time. This one was particularly hard to take as we dominated the game in terms of possession and chances created. Although, as they say, the only stat that matters is the scoreline. A sore one for the club, the fans and the players but we will be back again next year.

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With attention turning back to the league, we knew that the title was in our own hands and we just had to stay focussed on our own game. I made a slight tactical switch in February with our wide players set to wingers rather than inverted wingers and in honesty, it didn't have a noticeable impact. We continued as normal and picked up some impressive wins. 

What was noticeable was that our results were a lot closer. We weren't battering teams anymore. Maybe it was nerves? We will never know. Despite our dominant scorelines disappearing we remained consistent in terms of picking up points and we won the games that mattered. The 3-1 win over Kelty Hearts at the back end of February felt particularly significant as they were on our tails and dropping points there would have cut the gap to four. The loss at Montrose in early March could have sparked the collapse but we hit back with 6 games undefeated in the league and this saw us over the line. 

League One champions. Two league titles on the bounce. Little old Spartans into the Scottish Championship. It really doesn't get much better does it? The boys have performed magnificently this season and we cruised over the line in the end to lift the trophy. Sadly, we won the title whilst we weren't playing which meant there was no formal trophy lift, just a guard of honour. That will do I suppose. 

In the end, it was a 9 point gap between us and Kelty Hearts, meaning Hamilton and Montrose join them in battling it out in the playoffs. A goal difference of 44 is reflective of just how dominant we were this season, especially during the first half of the season. The goals did tail off as the season went on with Robbie McDaid hardly netting in 2025. Job done, onto the next.

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Wonderful, thanks Aidan. A second takeover has been completed in our tenure and once again, no investment is being made into the club. Can't say I am surprised but at least this one didn't drag on for months.

Whilst on the topic of money, this is how our finances look after we claimed the League One title. Lots of money generated from our various cup runs and this helps keep us in the green. There is clearly no money available from the owners which means we are going to have to generate funds ourselves if we want to spend anything. Attendances have been good this season with an average of around 1,400 for our home games. A decent increase on last season but still some way short of filling our our 3,500 capacity stadium. It will be interesting to see what attendances we get next year as we head into the Championship. Now that we've overtaken Edinburgh City, maybe we will get a few exiles?

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This season has been a better one for youth development, although that was hardly difficult considering the intake we had last year. During the second half of the season I was able to blood 16 year-old central midfielder, Dylan Phillips. He slotted in at DLP and was able to rotate nicely with James Craigen. At one point, I was starting him over Craigen which goes to show how well he was performing. A goal on his debut and he managed 2 goals and 2 assists from 5 starts and 6 substitute appearances. Sadly, he did miss the final part of the season with a dislocated shoulder and he missed 5 weeks of action. Certainly one to watch next year. 

 

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Lot's of very good performers of the course of the season but there was only one man who could take home the player of the season trophy. That man is Robbie McDaid who bagged himself 18 league goals and 3 assists in 30 starts. He also picked up the golden boot for League One and cements himself as a club legend for his impact since joining. He did fall off quite a lot during the second half of the season but the damage was done early on. Will have lots to consider in the summer window as I certainly need competition for him. 

Robbie McDaid

I feel like I would be doing Jack Kingdon a disservice if I didn't mention him. We brought him in on a season long loan after failing to sign him on a free over the summer. I am still fuming on that point as he is a talent. However, even if he doesn't play another game for the club, his contribution will be remembered by the fans for a long time. A 7.18 average rating in the league from 33 starts and a huge 8 goals scored. I will be trying my hardest to keep him around but I suspect Wycombe will be reluctant to let him leave.

Jack Kingdon

 

On the whole, attacking contributions were very good this season, despite my panic about roles for our wingers to play. Fraser Murray topper the assists with 11 from his central midfield position. Solid contributions from our wingback with Waters claiming 9 assists and Cesay with 8. Both have potential to improve and they should hit the ground running next season. Matt Everitt had a good season out on the wide right with 12 goals and 9 assists. He blew hot and cold throughout the season but like McDaid, he started the season on fire. McDaid tops the goalscoring chart with 26 in all competitions and he was closely followed by Fraser Murray who picked up an impressive 16 goals from central midfield. 

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And with that, the curtain has well and truly come down on the 2024/2025 season here in Edinburgh. Make no mistakes, next season is going to be tough and I need to get things right over the summer. 

The board have given us a decent budget to work with and I am going to have to rely on loans again to help add quality and bolster the squad numbers. I've got a lot of planned departures as players have run down their contracts and wages will be freed up from that. All key players have either committed to next season or were on two year contracts having joined last summer. I had been doing some scouting prior to the end of the season, especially in the goalkeeper department and we do have an agreement in place to bring in a new number one. But more on that next time!

[mannojunior]

I have moved save updates into blog form moving forward. Season Three has just been completed and it sees us in with a shot at promotion to the top flight!

You can find the blog here - https://thefmlibrary.com/2024/02/24/game-of-thrones-rise-of-the-spartans-vol-2-part-2-three-in-a-row/