Sharpening a Rusty Blade

[Amaroq]

Sunday, 9th July, 2006. World Cup 2006 Final.

Forty years after '66, England were in a second World Cup Final, and the nation came to a complete halt hours before the match.

Steve Beck had set up a big-screen TV at Bootham Crescent, and we actually drew nearly 12,000, who were allowed to either take seats in the grandstand, camp on the pitch with blankets and coolers of ale, or stand in the terraces; it was a party atmosphere for hours before kickoff.

England were wearing white kits with blue trim. Sven started in a 4-4-2 as follows: Paul Robinson in goal, with Ashley Cole, Jonathan Woodgate, Sol Campbell, and Jamie Carragher across the back four. The midfield were Matthew Taylor, Owen Hargreaves, Frank Lampard, and captain David Beckham, while up front Michael Owen was paired - surprisingly - with Darius Vassell rather than Rooney.

Spain came out in their traditional red with gold piping, over blue shorts. They, too, employed a flat 4-4-2, with the following XI: Iker Casillas in goal, with Joan Capdevila, César, Iván Helguera, and Carles Puyol across the back four. The midfield were Vicente, David Albelda, Rubén Baraja, and Joaquín, while up front were the dangerous pair of Raúl and Fernando Morientes.

England had the first shot, as Owen's pass led Vassell into the area, but the striker's effort was partially blocked and an easy save for Casillas.

Less than 9 minutes in, England had a much more dangerous opportunity, as Helguera fouled Owen just outside the box. Beckham, the incredible free kick taker, stood over it, and delivered the stuff of legends: a curling kick which took the subtlest of deflections off of Capdevila, but still found its way to the back of the net, impossible for Casillas to get to! The scoreboard clock read 9:19, and England led 1-0!

It was far too early to go defensive, but the hard-working English midfield did a fine job for the next 20 minutes, and it wasn't until the 30th that Spain got their first shot off. Capdevila made a long throw-in into the box, where Morientes jumped above Hargreaves, but he couldn't get much power on the header, and Robinson saved. He rolled it out for Ashley Cole, and the fullback took himself out of position with a long dribble up the left wing. When he lost control, Spain came straight back through the opening in the English defense, but Baraja couldn't make him pay, directing his shot over the bar from 20 yards.

Raúl earned a corner in the 33rd minute, carrying into the corner on the left-hand side but bangingn his attempt at a cross out off of Jamie Carragher. Joaquín stood over it, and lifted a gorgeous inswinger to the top of the six. With the veterans Baraja and Morientes making dangerous runs to the near post, a narrow seam opened, and César read it perfectly: he arrived a heartbeat before Sol Campbell, and at the height of his jump, put all the power of his muscular frame into the header. Robinson barely got a finger to it - 33:36, and it was equal at 1-1!!

England renewed the attack, with Beckham winning a ball in his own half on the right wing. A quick exchange with Campbell created some space, and Beckham launched a long ball curling across the pitch which left wing Matthew Taylor knocked down for Owen Hargreaves. Hargreaves got there just before his defender, and poked a first-touch pass into the area for Owen. The 26-year-old calmly slotted it past Casillas from 17 yards to the lower-right corner, and it was 2-1, England, with 35:49 elapsed!!

Before the half, Beckham had another go from a free kick, this time from the left edge of the area, but Casillas saved it. Carragher blocked Raúl's long-range shot, and then it was halftime. Ericksson brought Wayne Rooney on for Vassell, a move widely debated by my seatmates. With the lead, why a change? If he'd wanted Rooney to begin with, why not start him? And wouldn't Rooney have scored that first chance?

Be that as it may, England kept the pressure on into the second, as Taylor tried a 25-yard shot, an easy save for a world class goalkeeper like Casillas. By the 55th minute, Ericksson had made his final substitutions, Paul Konchesky and Steven Gerrard on for Hargreaves and Taylor, and England went ultra defensive. Surely it was too early for that.

Raúl earned another corner, and again Joaquín sought out César. This time the misdirection was to the far post, with César attacking the near post, but Gerrard read it perfectly. He headed clear, and the collision between he and the Deportivo defender left César shaken up. The grin on Gerrard's face was unmistakable: he was loving this!

In the 70th minute, Albelda broke into the box with Sol Campbell in close contact. It looked dangerous, but Campbell did just enough to put him off, and from 9 yards Albelda lifted it over the bar. Still a one-goal lead for England, now just twenty minutes from a title..

The Three Lions weren't even making the pretense of a counter-attack until the 75th, when Campbell cut out a dangerous Raúl through-ball in his own area. With a series of long passes, Campbell to Beckham to Lampard to Rooney, England moved straight up the pitch, and suddenly the substitute was free into the box! He faked right, and tried to cut left, but Casillas made an amazing one-on-one save to keep Spain's dimming hopes alive!

José Antonio Reyes, a 73rd-minute substitute for Spain, instantly seemed the most dangerous man on the pitch, as several times he broke past a tiring Carragher on Spain's left wing. In the 77th, he sent a beautiful cross into the box, but Robinson fisted it away. When he beat Carragher again in the 83rd, it was clear the fullback needed some help, but there was none to give.

In the 86th, Mista picked Reyes out with a long ball across the pitch. Reyes had slipped between Carragher and the sideline, and dribbled into the box. He dodged around Carragher's desperate tackle, and fired low from a tight angle across Robinson's body... and in at the far post!! A dramatic equalizer with 86:11 showing on the main scoreboard clock, and it was 2-2!

Groans and despair echoed through Bootham Crescent. What a cruel way to lose the lead! If only Sven had gotten Carragher some help!

Both sides went defensive at that point, protecting the draw to send the match into extra-time, with the dreaded penalty shootout looming in the background.

In the 97th minute, Owen sent a beautiful pass to Wayne Rooney at the top of the box. Casillas again made a fantastic save, but the rebound took a crazy hop right to Owen. As Englishmen around the world came to their feet in a roar, Ivan Helguera got his boot in, and poked the ball away from Owen.

In the 99th, Reyes was again dangerous up the left wing, and send his cross into the 6-yard box for Mista, but it was headed behind by Jonathan Woodgate, and Robinson dealt easily with the ensuing corner. At 100 minutes, Baraja found Raúl in the arc with only one man to beat, but Sol Campbell tackled it away. He'd had to be inch-perfect in the box.

101 minutes in, Reyes played a long ball to Mista, who was racing to the right corner of the box. Cole and Woodgate collapsed on him, but he headed it back center, where the ball fell between the remaining defenders and Robinson. The opportunistic Raúl pounced on it, lashing a first-touch laser past Robinson to make it 2-3! Spain had their first lead, with 101:09 played!

There is no 'Golden Goal' or 'Silver Goal' rule in the World Cup: England had fully 19 minutes to equalize, and as the second half of extra-time started, they had shifted to a 4-2-4, pushing players forward in attack. Possibly Sven's substitutions had been made too early, as few in white and blue had anything left in their legs, and with Iker Casillas in goal it was always going to be tough going.

In the 114th minute, Gerrard played a great ball into the area for Rooney, who launched an amazing half-volley from 12 yards. It got past the diving Casillas, but he had put it just on the outside of the post - he missed by perhaps nine inches.

One minute of stoppage time was added on, and England had one final chance: Beckham up the right wing. His cross into the six-yard box found Rooney! He nodded it back for Sol Campbell, who was teeing off for the shot into a forest of bodies, when the whistle blew: Rooney had been called offsides!!

As the England players argued vehemently, the final whistle was blown as well!

Spain 3 (a.e.t.), England 2

César 34, Reyes 87, Raúl 102; Beckham 10, Owen 36

MoM: César (Spain DC, Deportivo la Coruña)

England had come so, so close...

[Amaroq]

Monday, 10th July, 2006.

The English newsrags and tabloids were filled to the brim with wailing, pulling out of hair, gnashing of teeth, and general despair - some even called for Sven's head to roll! This is something I still don't quite understand. Isn't a second-place finish a magnificent acheivement?

Spain, to my eyes, were a worthy champion, having beaten the two sides which had looked strongest, Argentina and England, in their final two matches.

Newcastle United's 22-year-old striker, Fernando Cavenaghi, could take consolation in the knowledge that he had claimed the Golden Boot with 5 goals, narrowly ahead of Ronaldo and Roque Santa Cruz, with 4 apiece. Freddy Shepherd made numerous assurances that he was "not for sale at any price".

Roque Santa Cruz could take consolation in the knowledge that his stunning strike against Italy in the first knockout round was the Goal of the Tournament.

Fabien Barthez won the Best Goalkeeper award, a true travesty given the play of Casillas, Robinson, and most especially the unforgettable Óscar Córdoba, who wasn't even amongst the top three.

There could be no doubt about the Best Player: Dédé had won Man of the Match even in Brazil's two defeats. Thierry Henry and Roque Santa Cruz earned second and third place, respectively.

I was a bit surprised at the Dream Team, however - not a single Englishman was named to it!

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> GK Fabien Barthez France Marseille

DL Dédé Brazil Real Madrid

DC Mario Yepes Colombia Paris Saint-Germain

DC Iulian Filipescu Romania FC Zürich

DR Diegoa Gavilán Paraguay Internacional

ML Vicente Spain Valencia

MC Rubén Baraja Spain Valencia

MC Zé Roberto Brazil Bayern München

MR Kapo France Chelsea

FC Thierry Henry France Arsenal

FC Roque Santa Cruz Paraguay Bayern München</pre>

The oversight was indicative, perhaps, of the true team spirit which the Three Lions had used to get as far as they had: no individual standouts, just a team that couldn't be beat in a regulation ninety minutes.

For Spain, it was a party that might never end: their first-ever World Cup, and an unbelievably dramatic one at that. The same reverance Englishmen hold for the team of '66 would no doubt apply, fifty years from now, to the Spanish squad of '06.

[Amaroq]

Tuesday, 11th July, 2006.

With the distractions of the World Cup complete, I turned my staff's full attention to getting the side ready for our first friendly, tomorrow evening against Hull City. My coaches continued to work the squad hard in practice, while I worked on settling in my first July additions to the squad, another full-season loaning from Liverpool, and a schoolboy striker.

AM RL Phil Townley, 19, English: A speedy winger with good crossing and fitness, and a bit of flair, Townley seems to lack some of the key creative attributes of a top-flight winger. Still, Liverpool likes him, and I wanted him because he can fill in on either wing as needed, a versatile reserve for a side that had seen all of our backup wingers leave in the off-season. Though he's no Neil Mellor, I figured he would see plenty of playing time.

SC Simon Roberts, 15, English: Spencer Field really likes this kid, but I think if I had a few other strikers on the roster he would have been a trialist, not a signing. He's agile, a team player, and can hit the ball from long range, but nearly every other aspect of his game needs work, and if he doesn't improve quickly, I'll regret signing him. Still, he's 15, he's willing to work for pennies, and he's very excited at the prospect of working with me.

Young John Barker suffered a miserable 16th birthday present today. The fullback, throwing himself around the training ground with usual abandon, suffered a fractured jaw during a session of 'Pig In The Middle'. It would keep him off the pitch throughout preseason, and I figured it cost him any chance of a place higher than the U-18 side this season.

Worse, I had an offer from Newcastle for Levent Yalcin - they wanted to steal him for a mere £35,000. I couldn't reject it outright for fear of unsettling him, but I demanded ten times that. If they were going to take my only striker, they needed to make a sufficient offer that I could buy a few replacements, and I knew full well I wouldn't see all of their payment in the transfer kitty.

[Amaroq]

Wednesday, 12th July, 2006. Friendly, vs Hull City.

Our first game of the pre-season was at home against Hull City, the side which had knocked us out of the F.A. Cup last season. We'd managed a 1-1 draw at Bootham Crescent, but lost the replay 2-0 at the Circle, so I figured it would give us a good gauge of where we stand.

I was able to run out my new starting XI for this match, with Alan Blayney in goal, Joe Keenan, Liam Fontaine, Michael Staley, and Graeme Law across the back, Alan Navarro at defensive midfield, John McGrath and Jon Paul McGovern on the wings, Joe Foote and Ryan Ashington up front, and Levent Yalcin the striker. I'd decided they would all get one half, with my reserves and youths coming in at halftime.

The evening was warm and dry, with the last bit of sun still entering the stadium just a few minutes before kickoff, and a sizeable crowd of 8,493 stood in the terraces to catch the first glimpse of our League side.

It was clear in the first minutes that Hull was the better side, as they maintained solid pressure, and had the speed to get back defensively if we counter-attacked. Nonetheless, McGovern managed to break free up the right wing, and send a cross in for Ashington, whose header skimmed the top of the bar. Unfortunately, McGovern seemed to have pulled something on the run, so he had to be the first change, giving way for Phil Townley.

Joe Keenan was very interesting to watch, as he has a tendancy to make long forays up the wing, truly joining the attack almost as a winger, which is something our previous fullbacks haven't done. He showed good timing with it, too, never once getting seriously caught on on a counter. Still, as halftime rolled around, it remained nil-nil, and I was quite satisfied with my first-teamers.

It was wholesale changes for the second half, while Hull retained many of their starters, so I wasn't expecting much. It was a very pleasant surprise when, in the 57th minute, 15-year-old Simon Roberts took a long ball up the left, and dribbled past Paul Reid and into the area. He took it too close to the end-line, so I expected him to try and pass it for some of his teammates trailing, but he turned with his back to goal, shielding Hull captain Clint Hill off the ball. When goalie Stefan Postma came charging out, Roberts made a magnificent turn to launch it straight into the net from a tight angle. The crowd went delirious - and Roberts became a household name in York as a prospect for the future!

Roberts might have had a second goal in the 70th minute, as Malcolm Parker's long ball sprung him in a footrace, but he kept the ball too far off his foot, allowing Hill to nick the ball away from him. An injury to Adam Eckersley prompted one of those things you only see in pre-season: reserve goalkeeper Paul Carruthers playing attacking midfield.

I was very pleased with how tight our defense was, even with the youngsters in; Hull only got six shots off all match. Speedster Daryl Peters had two chances late in the match on counter-attackes, but both times golfed his shot well over the bar.

York 1, Hull 0

Roberts 57; ----

MoM: Hill (Hull DC)

All in all, a match we could be very pleased with. None of our players had truly stood out, but we'd been solid defensively against a Championship side, and the surprise win was certainly a result to build on. I was a bit concerned at having suffered three injuries - Carruthers having required treatment in injury time - but none had looked too serious.

[Amaroq]

Thursday, 13th July, 2006.

Physio Jeff Miller's post-game report pleased me even more: none of my injured players would miss more than a day's practice.

Newcastle had withdrawn their bid for Levent Yalcin, finding the price to pry my only striker away from me a little higher than they were willing to pay. Still, it should be a boost to the kid's self-confidence that he is so highly rated - both by them and by me.

With the friendlies underway, its time to set the squad:

Goalkeepers

GK Alan Blayney, 24, N.Ireland: 26 games with Yeovil and Brentford last season in League Two and League One respectively, 3 clean sheets, 7.19 - I hoped that the former Southampton youngster would be our first choice for the next eight to ten seasons. He certainly represents an incredible upgrade over any other goalkeeper on the roster, this year or last. He has amazing reflexes and physical ability, with fine technical skills, good decision making and handling. His positioning leaves quite a bit to be desired, but that is something which I think we should be able to train.

GK Kevin Butler, 17, English: 3 games, 2 clean sheets, 7.67, plus 22 clean sheets in 34 Reserve/Youth starts last season - The most promising young player on the York roster, his dramatic improvement shows what determination and hard work can do for a physically gifted athlete. He's not yet ready to step into a first-team role, as most areas of his game still need polish, particularly his anticipation and communication, but he was our most improved goalkeeper last year. Viv thinks he is a player with fantastic ability, and just needs time to develop, and a contract through 2010 should assure that he has just that. He'll be our Reserve keeper.

GK Paul Carruthers, 17, English: No appearances, 29 games with Torquay Reserves, 6 clean sheets, 6.72: Another hard-working youngster with potential, his best attribute is his concentration. He's brave, agile, and strong, with good teamwork and no real weaknesses. He may not have quite as much potential as Butler, but he'll be seeing plenty of action with the U-18 side. He's signed through 2009.

GK Gareth Gray, 18, English: No appearances, 30 Reserve/U-18 games last season, 16 clean sheets, 7.33 - Gray looks decidedly average alongside our other prospects, but his play in noncompetitve matches outshone our other youngsters last season. He's not spectacular in any area, and the technical aspects of his game need a lot of work. I'm not seeing much improvement from him, but Viv feels he could become a very good player.

Centre backs

D C Liam Fontaine, 20, English: 1 season, 36 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 7.11 - The former Fulham player was a rock in central defense last year and is contracted through 2008. He has excellent positioning, and he's solid both in marking players and in the air, though his pace and stamina leave a bit to be desired. His concentration wanders, but he has shown continuous strong improvement since joining the club, especially in key defensive areas. Viv is convinced he has great potential, and will continue to develop with further playing time.

D C Mark Wright, 19, English: 1 season, 33 games, 1 goal, 7.09 - A starter at the Conference National level, I'm not certain he's made enough improvement to contribute at the League level. Though he's physically better than Fontaine, and I like his decision-making and his marking, he's much weaker technically. He has shown continued steady improvement, and was the highest-valued player on the side last year. Viv thinks he has a great deal of potential, and he'll continue to start, but I was hoping for more from him. He'll have to improve to earn an extension beyond 2008.

D C Michael Staley, 19, English: 2 seasons, 39 games, 1 goal, 6.95 - Our number three central defender, Staley has been showing continued slow but steady improvement, splitting time between the senior club and the Reserves. He's made progress both technically, mentally, and physically. Unfortunately, he's about as slow as Fontaine is, and weaker in the air, but he's determined and has excellent teamwork. Viv thinks he has the potential ability to become very good.

D C Jamie Cooper, 17, English: 1 season, 2 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 7.50 - He's been one of the most improved players on the squad, and Viv is convinced he has the potential ability to be a big star. He's very determined and always composed, and he's also good with his head. If we can train his technique to match his mental and physical attributes, he could become an excellent player, maybe even to the Championship level. He'll be starting in the Reserves this season.

D C Kevin Eaton, 16, English: No appearances, 10 youth games last season, 7.20 - This enthusiastic defender is strong in a number of areas for a 16-year-old. He's tall and a bit faster than my current crop of centre backs. He needs lots of work on all the mental aspects of the game, and Viv is concerned that he's not showing any improvement. He's on a tiny salary through the end of this season, and I doubt he'll earn a renewal unless he makes a dramatic change. He'll be playing primarily with the U-18 side this season.

Right backs:

D/DM R Graeme Law, 21, Scottish: 3 seasons, 71 games, 0 goals, 5 assists, 2 MoM, 7.03 - The dean of the team, which he joined in 2001, our starting right back hass shown fairly consistent development mentally and technically, and Viv thinks he's showing signs of developing into a quality player. He doesn't stand out in any areas, but he also doesn't have many weaknesses; his aerial ability may be the only one that stands out. He's under contract through 2009.

DR Steve Hall, 18, English: 1 season, 1 game, 0 goals, 1 assist, 7.00 - Reasonable physically, this hard-working fullback needs a lot of work. However, his defensive positioning is awful, and even in the areas of tackling and marking he's a bit sub-par. We've signed him on a youth contract through 2009, but he would need to develop substantially to break into the first team. He'll primarily play with the Reserves this season, though he'll see some senior call-ups to spell Law.

DM R John Barker, 16, English: Youth academy - A promotion from my youth setup in the off-season, Barker has shown little reason to be impressed. He's very hard working, a good team player, determined and brave, but his technical abilities are absolutely awful, and I doubt he has sufficient potential to justify spending any substantial amount of time on him. I'll give him a year with the U-18 side, but would be shocked if he's shown enough to justify renewing him at season's end.

Left backs

D/DM LC Joe Keenan, 23, English: 8 goals, 2 assists, 14 MoM, 7.53 with Westerlo - A fantastic left back, and one of the few players on the squad who is truly of League calibre, Keenan shows determination, stamina, and teamwork, but he also has fine ability going forward, with creativity and a great sense of timing with his off the ball runs. He's solid defensively, from tackling and marking to passing and anticipation, and I'm hoping he'll be a key member of the team for the duration of his contract, which runs through 2010.

D/DM L Adam Eckersley, 20, English: 1 season, 7 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 6.86 - Rather akin to Graham Law, with some pace, some bravery, and some marking, but mostly average in all respects. His technique is execrable, and his positioning and composure leave a lot to be desired, but he's a serviceable reserve fullback, and should be Keenan's backup through 2008. He'll see a number of Reserve starts this year.

D RLC Kevin West, 16, English: 1 season, 5 games, 0 goals, 7.20 - A versatile youngster who is average physically, but very determined, with good tackling skills. He's been developing nicely, and Viv thinks he has immense talent and needs time to develop his fantastic ability. At his age, its unsurprising that he needs to work on his understanding of the game, and a number of his technical skills are below standard - he can't mark to save his life - and he's only under contract for this season, as he will turn 17 in October. He'll be spending the majority of his time with the U-18's, though he may make some Reserve starts as well.

Defensive midfield

DM C Alan Navarro, 24, English: 1 season, 5 games, 0 goals, 7.60 - A solid player with no real weaknesses, he is a good free kick taker who can knock shots in from long range. His tackling, marking, and defensive positioning are all above average, and I expect him to be a solid fixture at number six next year. Viv is concerned that he will struggle to hold down a first-team place, and while I agree that he's not David Fox, I expect him to do better than that.

DM C Malcolm Parker, 19, English: 1 season, 11 games, 0 goals, 2 assists, 7.00 - He shows fantastic pace, but is ludicrously abysmal in many aspects of the game: his crossing, dribbling, heading, long shots, work off the ball, and composure are all so poor as to barely qualify as professional. Viv thinks he has fantastic potential, but I'd be happy to transfer him if I had any other competent reserve defensive midfielder. Like last season, he'll split time between the Reserves and the senior side based on Navarro's state.

Left wing

AM L John McGrath, 24, Irish, 5 U-21 caps: 1 season, 35 games, 2 goals, 12 assists, 3 MoM, 7.23 - Though he led the side in assists last season, I'm not convinced he'll be able to make the adjustment to League play. He doesn't excel in any area, and he has a number of deficiencies, especially in the air, but also defensively and in the goal-scoring department. Finding an upgrade at left wing will be a priority, and I doubt I'll renew his contract when it expires at season's end.

AM RL Phil Townley, 19, English: 4 games, 1 goal, 6.50 on loan with Brighton - On a season-long loan from Liverpool, this flamboyant winger has enough pace for my taste and good crosses. He's not very strong in any other area, but his cersatility makes him a great choice on the substitutes' bench, and I expect that he'll be in the senior side all season as the backup to McGrath and Jon Paul McGovern.

M L Adam Corbett, 17, English: 1 season, 8 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 MoM, 7.38 - Had a fantastic debut season until his injury, and is now recuperating from surgery. I love his talent, and Viv believes he had the potential ability to become a big star if he can come back from his injury. Quick and strong, he makes good decisions, is a good team player, and is showing real talent already for one so young. Before the injury, he was on an incredible pace of improvement, unlike any other player at the club. When he comes back, I'll work him into the Reserve lineup, with an eye towards senior starts against weak opposition once he has his match fitness back. One slight problem - he's only under contract through 2007, and his agent seems to have a good idea of how valuable a property he's become: he won't renew for a small wage this time.

Right wing

AM R Jon Paul McGovern, 25, Scottish: 39 games, 4 goals, 8 assists, 8 MoM, 7.64 - The biggest addition to the squad last season, McGovern really stepped into a creative leadership role when Whitmore was injured. He's fast, hard working, and a fine dribbler. He is quite good at corner-taking and can score from the spot. Given his age, I didn't expect much development from him, but he's been showing steady improvement this year, especially mentally. He certainly closed the season in top form, and if he can start up where he left off, he'll earn an extension beyond 2008.

M R Mark Goodwin, 19, English: 1 season, 2 games, 0 goals, 2 assists, 7.00 - An ambitious youngster who only excels at teamwork, but is average in many respects. His technical skills need a lot of polish, but he's been showing definite improvement and Viv feels he is capable of becoming a class act for the club. He spent a month on loan at Moor Green last season, and I'd like to get him more time on loan to a Conference National side this year.

Attacking midfield

AM C Theodore Whitmore, 33, Jamaican, 127 caps, 29 goals: 2 seasons, 46 games, 13 goals, 17 assists, 12 MoM, 7.93 - Once the best player on the side, the Jamaican's ability was already in decline even before his broken leg. He's at least three months away from returning to the pitch, and by then he may be only a shadow of the creative genius we originally signed. Still, his flair and creativity forged chances both for himself and for those around him. He is planning to retire at season's end, and we've been interviewing him for a player/coach role.

AM C Ryan Ashington, 23, English: 1 season, 39 games, 15 goals, 3 assists, 4 MoM, 7.26 - His ability to shoot from range belongs in the Premier League, and helped make him the side's second leading scorer last year. He is a hard-working, determined young man. Unfortunately, he is let down by a number of other areas of his game, in particular dribbling, his first touch, and his aerial ability. He also contributes next to nothing defensively. At one time, physio Jeff Miller recommended surgery for a recurring thigh injury, but it hasn't flared up again. Viv thinks he has great potential, and needs time to develop; I'm not convinced he'll ever be better than League Two quality, but he's under contract through 2009.

AM C Joe Foote, 18, English: 2 seasons, 12 games, 2 goals, 7.17 - Our Reserve team captain also secured 3 goals and 5 assists in 46 Reserve and youth matches. He doesn't stand out particularly, however, as he seems to lack the pace, technique, and mental sophistication to contribute at the senior level. His progress, slow two years ago, has ground to a halt - Viv says he's not progressing at all, and recommends transferring him. Unfortunately, we're so shallow at attacking midfield that I'll be starting him instead, at least until Whitmore returns or I can find a competent loanee.

AM LC Daryl Peters, 16, English: 1 season, 4 games, 1 goal, 6.75 - Had a truly brilliant season with the Reserves and youth sides, playing 50 games, and leading the side with 15 goals and 7 assists. His game truly lacks polish, as his technique and finishing are utterly abysmal, but he is blindingly fast, works hard, and his concentration never wavers. Viv thinks he has fantastic ability and just needs time to develop - he has a year, as he turns 17 in August and his current contract expires in 2007. He may be better suited as a winger than as an attacking midfielder.

Striker

F LC Levent Yalcin, 21, Turkish: 4 seasons, 74 games, 14 goals, 3 assists, 6.89 - A fine youngster whom Viv rates as an outstanding prospect, he's become our first-choice striker this season. I'm not sure how wise that is, as he doesn't have any areas of particular strength, but he does have a very well-rounded game with no real weaknesses either. He was developing rapidly two years ago, but didn't make as much progress last season, and I hope that regular playing time will help him find the next level. He's under contract through 2008, but Newcastle have been expressing interest in him.

S C Simon Roberts, 15, English: Schoolboy - It's probably too early to judge the youngster from Ellesmere Port, but he looks to have potential, and with reasonable pace and a very good long-range shot, I have hopes for him. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem very determined, and that may prevent him from progressing. He'll be playing weekly at the youth/Reserve level.

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 15th July, 2006. Friendly, vs Peterborough.

Our second pre-season match was against Peterborough, a team which had just fallen from League One to be our peer in League Two. We'd never faced them, but the match had been a contractual agreement as part of their purchase of David Stockdale, who would be starting in goal for them.

I had made a very few changes in lineup. Kevin Butler would earn a start in goal, with Keenan, Mark Wright, Staley, and Law in the back four. Navarro was again defensive midfielder, with McGrath and McGovern on the wings, Foote and Ashington attacking, and Yalcin up front. To my dismay, merely 143 fans arrived - not a tally that would help the books.

It was a tentative affair, weakly contested in midfield from early. We seemed to be getting somewhat the better of it, but our early efforts forced only easy saves from Stockdale. John McGrath seemed to be the only player on either side excelling, as he was playing very well along the left wing. In the 16th minute, Jon Paul McGovern sent a cross from back against the eight sideline, which found Ryan Ashington free in the 6 yard box. The attacking midfielder headed it towards the near post, but Stockdale made the save.

In the 33rd minute, it was McGrath generating the chance, this time picking out Joe Foote's run through the penalty arc. Foote chested it down, then launched an 18-yard strike to the upper half of the net, and it got past Stockdale for a 1-0 lead. For two players whose abilities I was privately doubting, it was a great confidence builder.

Ashington looked to have another goal in the 39th minute, as a great pass left him well to the side of where Stockdale was positioned, but a diving save prevented him, and Levent Yalcin just couldn't control the rebound.

In the second half, the sides spent more time making substitutions than playing, it seemed, with wholesale changes for both. Finally, at the 74th minute, Steve Hall played a long ball forward for Mark Goodwin, who cut his ball back for Phillip Townley. The loanee winger had made space in the area, and from 15 yards, he drilled it past substitute keeper Andy Oakes. That made it 2-0, and our paltry crowd let out a cheer.

With a solid lead, our lads were content to lighten up a little bit, and Adam Newton almost made them pay in the 81st, blazing an 18-yarder over the bar. However, it soon looked a sure thing, as in the 88th minute Peterborough substitute Shane Huke, a little used Australian right back, was sent off for his second yellow card.

Two goals to the good, with a man advantage, the concentration tends to wander, and in injury time Newton caught our defense napping. He sent a direct aeiral pass into our area, where Callum Willock had split our two central defenders. Willock got under it to head it at the far post. It was a softly looping header from 18 yards out, that left fourth-choice keeper Gareth Gray badly embarassed, and made the final score 2-1.

York 2, Peterborough 1

Foote 34, Townley 74; Willock 90

MoM: Stockdale (Peterborough GK)

To my surprise, former York netminder David Stockdale was named Man of the Match. We had outshot Peterborough by a four-to-one margin, and two thirds of our shots had been on target, so he'd been thoroughly tested, and conceded only the one goal. I made sure to shake his hand at the centre circle.

For us, it was two wins from two matches, and we were looking much stronger than I'd expected this year.

[Amaroq]

Sunday, 16th July, 2006.

We'd not been quite so lucky in the injury department this time. Mark Wright had fallen heavily, and damaged his shoulder, which Jeff Miller thinks is going to keep the defender out of the lineup for the remaining pre-season matches. Though his shoulder should be fit by the season opener, he won't be in match shape in time for the first game.

We've signed a new coach, 31-year-old unknown Stephen Hughes, a Northern Ireland product whose playing career ended at the amateur level. His most recent experiences have been coaching the U-16 side for Blackburn, but Viv recommended him very highly as a candidate for our vacancy, citing his man management, discipline, and general coaching ability as strong reasons.

He'd interviewed last week and impressed, saying all the right things, and honestly interviewed better than Tappa had. I asked him to meet the squad in Harrogate tomorrow for our next match.

[Amaroq]

Monday, 17th July, 2006. Friendly, at Harrogate Town.

Our next match was against local rivals Harrogate Town. I'd considered cancelling when Leicester asked to arrange a match for the very next day, but had decided we should honour our commitment.

With two matches over the next two days, I had determined that my best course of action was what American baseball sides call a "split squad" approach: I would run out eleven younger players for a full 90 minutes against Harrogate Town, keeping another eleven players resting for tomorrow's match against Leicester.

So, it was an interesting lineup, one with which our lack of depth would be sorely exposed. Paul Carruthers made his first pre-season appearance in goal, with Adam Eckersley, Jamie Cooper, Kevin Eaton, and Steve Hall his line of defense. Alan Navarro would provide some experience for the young side, with Phil Townley and Mark Goodwin getting the call on the wings. Attacking midfield was utterly ridiculous, as we had to resort to amateurs Ian Black and Paul Ford - I would redouble my efforts to sign or loan another attacker or two. At striker, 15-year-old Simon Roberts got his first start in a York kit.

Wetherby Road was a quiet place on a Monday night, with only 72 fans willing to brave gale-force winds to watch the local friendly. Harrogate Town started off looking the better side, coming forward adventurously in the early minutes, but even with my second-string defense, we kept them at bay. Through the first half, Eaton, Eckersley, and Cooper all made fine tackles in the area to reject a Harrogate attack, and the few shots they did get off were either off target or fairly straight towards Carruthers.

In the 24th minute, Simon Roberts launched a 20-yard shot to the lower-left corner. It was perfectly placed, but Harrogate keeper Chris Keenan made a diving save to divert it wide with his palms. That was the only good opportunity of a scoreless first half.

In the 63rd minute, Mark Goodwin, our right wing, sent a beautiful cross into the 6-yard-box for Ian Black, but Graham Webster had the amateur well marked, and headed it clear for a corner. We didn't send the corner directly in, but after some fiddling on the right side, it was again Goodwin launching the cross to a point about ten yards out. Phil Townley was there, towering above the Harrogate defense, but his header went just over the bar.

This convinced the Harrogate manager to pull back into a very conservative 4-4-2, with the back eight holding their positions and not supporting the attack. I didn't make much tactical adjustment, which meant the final twenty-five minutes were a pretty dreary affair for the fans, punctuated in the 84th minute by a flurry of excitement as amateur substitute Paul Garner found fellow amateur James Smart in the box. It looked a goal, but Graham Webster blocked it off the line. The rebound was tantalizingly there in front of Ian Black, but Mark Barnard cleared it away before he could get to it.

Harrogate Town 0, York 0

----; ----

MoM: Keenan (Harrogate GK)

With a lineup that consisted entirely of my second-tier, and then degenerated into amateur-night, we hadn't done poorly, though Harrogate had outshot us. It ammounted to "York Reserves" vs "Harrogate", really, and we'd held our own.

[Panpardus]

Excellent read still Amaroq, thought i better let you know i'm still reading and enjoying the story

Cant believe you made Tappa interview though!

[Damien77]

Amaroq: looking at your squad...injuries would decimate it, hence any luck with loans since there no transfer budget to speak of?

[Amaroq]

Thanks for that, Panpardus - I was quite glad to see you start a new tale. Your hardware woes remind me, I need to make sure to dump all I've written to CD so we don't lose this story.

Damien - I must have had about forty loan offers out at this point in the story, and was getting more rejection letters than a hopeful author.

I really wanted Tappa as a coach, but he was still demanding player's wages, which I couldn't afford. Slight bug, that, I think, but I had to come up with a story-explanation for it.

[Amaroq]

Tuesday, 18th July, 2006. Friendly, vs Leicester.

Our third match in four days would be back at Bootham Crescent, against Championship side Leicester. They're big enough to have some international players, and listening to the announcer going through their lineup - Canero, Lizaridis, Schnoor, de la Cruz, Petrescu - made a stark contrast to our all-British name selection (save Yalcin, of course).

I rolled out ten of my starting XI - Navarro was too tired to start matches in back-to-back nights. Alan Blayney returned in goal, with Joe Keenan, Michael Staley, Liam Fontaine, and Graeme Law the back four. Malcolm Parker was the defensive midfielder, with John McGrath and Jon Paul McGovern on the wings. Joe Foote and Ryan Ashington would handle the attacking midfield behind Levent Yalcin.

With better weather, and much better opposition, we drew a near-capacity crowd of 9,344 to Bootham Crescent, and they were cheering loudly even before the sides took the pitch. Leicester were, of course, the better team, but for the first fifteen minutes it was really the Graeme Law show, as he performed at his best, blunting attack after attack. Leicester left wing Jordan Stewart grew so frustrated that he drew an early yellow card for hacking away Law's legs, and never did seem to recover and settle in.

In the 18th minute, Leicester's best chance of the match came on a long throw-in by Peter Canero. Tommy Wright sent a knock-on header into the 6-yard box, where it was met by a diving Kevin Warner. It looked a certain goal, but he put it straight to Alan Blayney, who gathered it in with relief visible on his face.

In the 36th minute, John McGrath fell and dislocated his shoulder, and I had to send Phil Townley in his place. I looked on with concern as Jeff Miller took McGrath back to the physio's room.

It was still scoreless at halftime, and both sides made numerous substitutions through the second half - I'd hoped to find out who could go ninety minutes, but learned that only Joe Keenan and Michael Staley were in shape to do so.

By the 75th minute, the fans were growing fairly restless, as we'd taken only four shots on goal, and hadn't ever mounted anything that seemed a real danger. Some began heading for the exits early, and though they met taunts from the faithful, today those early departures were the wise ones: they beat traffic, and didn't miss any excitement.

York 0, Leicester 0

----; ----

MoM: Butler

Second-half goalkeeper Kevin Butler was named Man of the Match, though he hadn't had to make much in the way of saves.

It was another solid effort defensively, but I was noticing something about this year's squad. In previous seasons, I'd had sufficient depth to bring on quality attacking players in the second half, and fresh legs with quality creativity had been a formula for creating holes through tired defenses.

This year, the drop-off from my first team XI to the next best players at the position was tremendous, and it meant that once I made substitutions, we were a defensive squad at best. I needed more players, and I was already over budget - that meant loans.

[Amaroq]

Thursday, 20th July, 2006.

Jeff Miller's report on McGrath's injury was reassuring. He would miss about a week, including our next match, but should be back in time for the pre-season finale on the 30th.

I continued to work the telephone, painfully aware that I needed to strengthen the depth of the squad, but I had no luck. I swear, my right ear felt like a cauliflower, it had been pressed to the earpiece so long. I asked my AA to purchase a hands-free unit for me.

David Fox, last year's captain, had been available on a free, but spurned my three-year contract offer to sign with Oxford United. I was discovering that by and large I couldn't afford anybody whom I felt was good enough to play League football.

I still had three full-season loans available, but was getting nowhere on my attempts to bring people in. I didn't even need starters, just some squad depth, and frankly I couldn't understand why I'd had more luck with loans last year than this.

It was Fulham manager Micky Adams who took a moment to explain it to me.

"Everyone's sure you're going straight back down, lad. You've not got enough depth."

"But that's why.."

"Look, a relegation scrap is hardly the best place for talent development. Besides, the guys you're interested in, I'd want to send to League One or the Championship."

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 22nd July, 2006. Friendly, vs Tottenham Hotspur.

Our next match was against even more illustrious opposition, Tottenham Hotspur, who had agreed to the friendly as part of their purchase of impressive young goalkeeper Craig Saunders. 9,411 fans were crammed into Bootham Crescent to see the illustrious Premiership side, and my players were absolutely stunned as the starting lineup were announced: they would be on the same pitch with Louis Saha and Robbie Keane!

I started a mixed bag, with many of my starting XI seeing action, joined by a few younger players whom I wanted to see in the first team. Alan Blayney was again the goalkeeper, with Joe Keenan, Michael Staley, Jamie Cooper, and Kevin West the back line. Alan Navarro played defensive midfield, with Phil Townley in for the injured McGrath at left wing and Jon Paul McGovern at right wing. Daryl Peters would get a chance with the first team alongside Ryan Ashington, and young Simon Roberts also got a look at striker.

I refused to concede to their quality, and instructed the lads to try and play "their" game, our typical conservative strategy. Unsurprisingly, it was Spurs who struck first, and it took them merely 3:18 to score. Sean Davis found some space in the center of the pitch, and curled a jaw-dropping shot from 30 yards out past a stationary Alan Blayney - all I could think was how grateful I was we wouldn't be seeing strikes like that all year long!

It was clear the lads were nervous, as they were having trouble stringing together two consecutive passes, but they started to settle down a bit after ten minutes or so. Cooper outjumped Saha to head away a corner, and Alan Blaney made a nice save to deny Saha from 10 yards. Just as it looked like we were finding the pace of the match, Atouba sent a cross into the box. Blayney and Pedro Mendes went up for it together at the 6-yard box, with Blayney getting the ball - but also drawing the whistle for pushing Mendes. It was a penalty!

Ronnie O'Brien would take it.. but to the amazement of the crowd, and the relief of Blayney, he put it wide!

Tottenham kept up the pressure, as Saha fed Keane into the area in the 25th minmute. He made to dribble around Blayney, and looked to have an open goal, but Blayney recovered to make a fantastic save. In the 30th minute, Joe Keenan made as clean a tackle as you'll see at any level to rob Keane in the area, and we were looking much better.

Then the creativity of Pedro Mendes struck. The Portugese international, running the Tottenham midfield from a central role, played a fabulous ball into space behind our back line. Keane made a perfectly timed diagonal run into the box, and suddenly it was just he and Blayney. Keane made no mistake this time, settling it with one touch at the corner of the six-yard box, and slipping it underneath the Northern Ireland 'keeper to the near post.

We nearly caught them napping to open the second half, as Daryl Peters grazed the bar with a 20-yard shot - our only shot of the game, as it would turn out.

As though to make the point that that shouldn't happen again, O'Brien sent a cross from deep on the right sideline to find Saha behind our line. Second-half goalkeeper Paul Carruthers read it too late, and though he rushed out, he couldn't beat Saha to the ball. The Frenchman had an easy finish to make it 0-3 at 50 minutes.

Spurs were in complete control, and it was only the fact that they mercifully fell back into a completely defensive stance at that point, sending on youngsters and odd Reserves from the bench, that prevented a worse scoreline.

We were never going to threaten their defense, and former Minsterman Craig Saunders, who played the final thirty minutes, was never called on to dirty his gloves. The final whistle, when it blew, was a mercy.

The fans gave a rousing round of applause at the match's end, though I suspect it was in appreciation of Tottenham and not for the home side!

York 0, Tottenham 3

----; Davis 4, Keane 33, Saha 50

MoM: Mendes (Tottenham MC)

It had been a memorably star-studded night for many of our players, who insisted on a kit exchange after - I even saw no few of them collecting autographs! For myself, I could only dream of fielding a competitive side against a team of that quality.

I truly wanted nothing more.

[BobBev]

Amaroq, I continue to follow your excellent story with great interest and I admire not only your imagination and writing style but also your commitment to keeping such a fine tale going. My contender for Story of the Year without doubt!

[paulsgruff]

Sorry to hear about your difficulties in the transfer market so far this summer, looks like you could be in for a hard time this season

Hopefully the last couple of friendlies will be injury free. Good look with the season openers

[Amaroq]

Wow, BobBev, thank you, that's .. high praise! .. and not lightly given. Much appreciated.

Paulsgruff, thanks - if it were all roses and victories, there would hardly be a story, eh? I'll drink to the injury-free friendlies though!

[Amaroq]

Tuesday, 25th July, 2006.

Surprisingly, the mood in camp was still upbeat.

Some of my coaches had questioned the need to play higher division opposition - driven, if I'm honest, by a thought of the gate receipts - and more than one had espoused the theory that we should build camaraderie with some easy victories, rather than risk demoralizing the side with blowout losses.

It hadn't turned out that way: the lads were all over-the-moon to have faced the legends at Spurs, and the 0-3 scoreline had given the lads a sense of pride. "We belong," they seemed to say.

I did address one area of obvious need this evening, completing the transfer of Montrose striker Jon Shepherd for a fee of £12,000.

S C Jon Shepherd, 19, English: 15 games, 6 goals, 6.93 with Montrose - Like Levent Yalcin, a young player who is very well balanced, Shepherd's strengths are his concentration and acceleration. He doesn't have any real weaknesses, but he isn't a flamboyant player, and we've heard rumours that he isn't much of a team player. He'll be under contract through 2010, and will alternate with Yalcin up front.

[Amaroq]

Wednesday, 26th July, 2006. Friendly, at Barrow.

Barrow-in-Furness is a small town across Morecambe Bay from Morecambe and Lancaster, to the west of the Yorkshire Dales, along the coast of the Irish Seas. The team is in the Conference North, and I could no longer remember why I'd scheduled them - a "B" team match, but to give us some practice with a travelling routine, I suppose.

The lineup I selected was well shy of full strength. Kevin Butler made his second pre-season start in goal, with Adam Eckersley, Jamie Cooper, Michael Staley, and trialist Nick Davies across the back four. Malcolm Parker would start in the defensive midfield, with Phil Townley and Mark Goodwin on the wings. Up front, it was starters Ryan Ashington and Joe Foote, while new signing Jon Shepherd would make his debut at striker.

It was a wet night, and a meagre crowd of 144 braved the rain to visit Holker Street ground. The early action consisted of a few corners at either end, but the crowd weren't really brought to their feet until the 23rd minute. Phil Townley made an electrifying move up the left wing, then sent in a cross to Jon Shepherd. The new Minsterman launched a left-footed volley from 16 yards for a scintillating goal, and we led 1-0.

"I thought he wasn't flamboyant," I muttered under my breath. Who had done the scouting on him? Ah, James Tracey and Gary Lloyd. Not the first team, those two, but the lad was having a good debut so hopefully it wasn't money wasted.

Barrow were playing very conservatively, and there were few chances through the remainder of the first half. In the second half, my line went from reserves to giving my trialists some chances.

Alan Eckersley took a free kick from his side of the midfield line in the 56th minute, and launched it straight up the park. It was 15-year-old striker Simon Roberts split tight coverage, and the ball just snuck through between two blue-shirted Barrow defenders. Roberts, with his first touch, launched a magnificent strike from 18 yards, and it was a solid 2-0 York lead.

A trialist attacking midfielder named Ryan Hutchinson missed two good chances to impress, blazing a 20-yard shot over the bar despite having space, and missing with a headed half-chance off a corner, but that 2-0 scoreline was how it finished.

Barrow 0, York 2

----; Shepherd 23, Roberts 56

MoM: Liddicott (Barrow GK)

The side had played well, and if I'd been concerned about Shepherd's signing, my fears were allayed for the moment with the picturesque goal on his debut.

In the oddest decision of decisions, Ross Liddicott, a Barrow 'keeper who had played a mere 12 minutes after the outcome was already decided, was named Man of the Match. I can only presume he had some heart-warming tale of obstacles overcome, as his play on the pitch had hardly seemed significant.

[Amaroq]

Friday, 28th July, 2006.

It was time to choose a captain - last year's captains had been loanee David Fox and the now-departed Darren Dunning. I'd been trying a number of players with the captain armband through pre-season, but in the end I chose stalwart right back Graeme Law, co-captained by defensive midfielder Alan Navarro, with youngster Jamie Cooper to captain the Reserve side.

It was also time for "the cut", as players were sent down to the Reserve and U-18 sides. The Reserves would get goalkeepers Kevin Butler and Gareth Gray, defenders Jamie Cooper, Kevin West, Kevin Eaton, and Steve Hall, wingers Mark Goodwin and Adam Corbett, along with Daryl Peters and Simon Roberts. The only player assigned directly to the U-18 side was injured right back John Barker.

The draw for the Under-18 Cup saw York Under-18s draw an away match against Hartlepool Under-18s.

[Amaroq]

Sunday, 30th July, 2006. Friendly vs Leeds United.

9,412 fans turned out for the final pre-season match, a renewal of our rivalry with local Championship side Leeds United. Last year, they had beaten us on the same date by a score of 1-0.

As I had the previous year, I intended to treat this as a regulation match, using only three substitutions and playing most of the squad the full ninety minutes. The lineup was Alan Blayney in goal; Joe Keenan, Liam Fontaine, Michael Staley, and Graeme Law in defense; Alan Navarro the holding midfielder; John McGrath and Jon Paul McGovern on the wings; Joe Foot and Ryan Ashington as the attacking midfielders; and Levent Yalcin up front.

With Leeds operating in an adventurous 4-3-3, both sides had plenty of chances early - by the 7th minute, Neil Sullivan had made a nice save on Joe Foote's 25-yard effort, and Alan Blayney had made two fantastic reflex saves to deny Simon Johnson and Jamie Winter.

Unfortunately, by the quarter-hour, Levent Yalcin had picked up a knock, and had to come off, giving way for new signing Jon Shepherd. Five minutes later, Ryan Ashington looked certain to score from 12 yards, but Sullivan made a great save to tip it wide.

In the 30th minute, McGovern and Ashington teamed up along the right side, with Ashington finding Jon Shepherd in the box, but again Sullivan was there to deny the York attack, and the game went to halftime 0-0, a fine display by both goalkeepers.

Early in the second half, Ryan Ashington went down under a hard tackle by Sean Gregan, and didn't get back up. Physio Jeff Miller rushed onto the field, and I was worried that our leading scorer might be out a considerable time. I'm sure I was as relieved as the crowd when he got up and walked off the pitch under his own power, though he was cradling his right arm gingerly to his chest.

In the remainder of the second half, Alan Navarro played exceptionally well, clearing away four dangerous balls from his role in the central defensive midfield.

Despite my resolve to limit my substitutions, I made three more changes at the 66th minute, and another three at 87 minutes as no few of my players weren't quite ready to go a full ninety.

York 0, Leeds United 0

----; ----

MoM: Sullivan (Leeds GK)

The two goalkeepers were the clear Men of the Match, with Leeds' Neil Sullivan earning the nod over our own Alan Blayney.

I congratulated the lads on a job well done, and then turned my attention to the physioroom.

[Damien77]

now on to the league...KUTGW

[Amaroq]

Thanks, Damien77.

[Amaroq]

Monday, 31st July, 2006.

Luckily, Jeff's report was positive. Levent Yalcin had had his ankle cruelly stepped upon, but it was no worse than bruised.

Ryan Ashington's injury wasn't particularly serious, either: he'd strained some ligaments in his right shoulder, and should take a week's rest but wouldn't miss an extended period.

For the preseason overall, I was very happy with our defense, which had conceded only four goals - three to Premier League side Tottenham, and one through our fourth-choice goalkeeper.

However, the offense had left a lot to be desired. As had been clear from the moment I looked over the lineup, it was obviously the area which needed the biggest upgrade.

I could hope that the return of creative midfielder Tappa Whitmore mid-season would spark some life, but honestly our offense last season had relied heavily on loan products, and without them wehad scraped but five goals in seven friendlies.

Unfortunately, despite my best attempts to remedy the shortcoming, the only luck I was having on the transfer market was in the coaching department, where I'd secured the services of 32-year-old goalkeeper's coach Alan Robertson, filling the last void in my staff.

Tappa was quite disappointed when I told him that the last staff position had been filled, but I promised him another interview at season's end.

[Amaroq]

Tuesday, 1st August, 2006.

The monthly board meeting went fairly well. The board's expectations are fairly low: anything better than a relegation battle would be frosting on the cake for them, and they're really just hoping that we can build a strong squad for the future.

With the big-name friendlies, we'd actually netted a positive balance of £70,000 for the month, which put us up to a profit of £200,000 for the season, although that still wasn't enough to tip even our temporary cash flow into the positive realm, and the remaining transfer budget was a mere £4,000.

The worst news came from Director Terry Doyle.

"We've been working on securing new sponsorship for the upcoming season, but the last deal we had has lapsed and we have been unable to find a new corporate partner. We're still working on it, but the sponsorship at £27,000 per month which had covered our loan payments has expired."

That news killed my request for more transfer funds before I'd even had a chance to voice it to the board.

There was one slight positive: for our first League Cup game, we drew a home match against League One side Rushden & Diamonds.

The review of monthly training was fairly disappointing. Graeme Law was the most improved player on the side, but most of our players had made no progress, and a number of them had actively regressed during the pre-season training regime. They might be fit, but they weren't learning their trade. Alan Navarro had shown a stunning negative dip for one so young.

Viv, however, remains bullish on a number of our players, rating Alan Blayney, Joe Keenan, and Jon Paul McGovern as players to build the squad around, and Michael Staley and Simon Roberts as 'potential stars' for the future. He also suggested trying Jon Shepherd and Levent Yalcin on the pitch simultaneously, dropping Yalcin back to the attacking midfield role.

That was a move we'd discussed last season, but hadn't implemented; I don't think its likely unless we can find another striker.

Our fans, too, were excited, and ticket sales, even for season tickets, remained brisk.

The bookmakers had us pegged at 8-1 odds to win promotion this season, which was very reasonable and perhaps a bit better than my own estimation of our odds.

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 5th August, 2006. League Two - Game 1, at Rochdale.

Our first League match under the care of the Supporter's Trust would be away to Rochdale AFC. The Dale are a perennial relegation battler in League Two, having come 18th and 19th the past two seasons, and the oddsmakers actually have us pegged as the favorites to win outright. It wasn't a long trip, as Rochdale is a mid-sized town just north of Manchester. The club is now the home of a 40-year-old Teddy Sheringham, in the twilight of his stellar career, and he was named to their starting lineup, his announcement met by a large cheer from the crowd of 3,420.

I kept the same lineup as had played the final pre-season match against Leeds. Alan Blayney made his officieal debut in goal. Joe Keenan was on his debut at left back, with Liam Fontaine and Michael Staley central, and captain Graeme Law at right back. Alan Navarro would play the pivotal defensive midfield role, with John McGrath and Jon Paul McGovern on the wings. The attacking midfield pairing of Daryl Peters and Joe Foote felt very weak to me, but were the best available with Whitmore and Ashington injured. Levent Yalcin would make the start at striker.

It was a defensive affair from the get-go. Joe Keenan demonstrated the worth of his signing within the first ten minutes, getting in with a pair of key headers to thwart Rochdale attacks. The hosts did seem to be getting the better of play, and in the 13th minute, Alan Blayney made a diving save to his right to deny Lee O'Neill.

Or first chance followed, as Joe Foote's pass put Levent Yalcin into space, only for the Turk to cut his shot well wide from 20 yards. In the 28th minute, Alan Navarro's long pass put Foote into the box, but his shot was blocked by central defenseman Matthew Wicks.

The breakthrough came in the 31st minute, as we earned a throw-in deep down the right side. Graeme Law took it, and Jon Paul McGovern played it back to him. The fullback curled a deep cross into the area, which looked to have overshot everbody, but Foote, backpedalling nine yards out, was able to get a head on it. As he fell to the turf, the ball nestled in at the far post, and we had a 1-0 lead in our first League match! His teammates dog-piled atop the 16-year-old before he could get back to his feet!

The lead lasted through halftime, and the lads were quite grateful for a water break - it was a hot summer day. Foote nearly got a second in the 48th minute, but Keenan's beautiful long ball was wasted when the young attacking midfielder let it come too far off his feet on the dribble, and goalkeeper Neil Cutler came out to collect it.

Sheringham left the pitch, a non-contributor, after 60 minutes. In the 68th, Grant Holt broke into the area on the right, and only another great save by Blayney could deny him.

By the final minutes, I had our players on a full defensive outlook, to protect the 1-0 lead, but in the 83rd Phil Townley's counter-attack gave Ryan Ashington - on as a substitute - a golden chance from 17 yards. His shot beat Cutler, but skated just wide of the left post.

Injury time ticked away, and when Michael Geoghegan scuffed one last chance over, the final whistle blew, and we were winners in our League debut!

Rochdale 0, York 1

- - - -; Foote 32

MoM: Navarro

From the way the lads were celebrating, you might take it that some few of them had had doubts about our ability to perform in the League, but I'd known we belonged. As I'd expected, we were very solid defensively. Our real problems were at the sharp end, and of course, an injury crisis could reduce us to an Under-18 side in a real hurry.

Defensive midfielder Alan Navarro had played a very solid game, just ahead of the back four, and was a key part of the shutout - he made sure to get Sheringham's jersey, after, which probably meant more to him than the Man of the Match award.

[Amaroq]

Monday, 7th August, 2006.

I switched from our late pre-season training regime to the season-long training I'd run last year. I still had worries that it wasn't getting the most out of our players in the second half of the season, but that seemed a long ways off, yet, and as a training system it had done well for six months or so.

Premier League winners Arsenal beat the FA Cup winners Aston Villa in the Community Shield at Wembley, 3-2, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after merely 11 minutes, but weathering a Villa comeback that saw it 3-2 by halftime, and a defensive affair thereafter.

Last Thursday, the York Reserves were completely dominated by the West Ham Reserves. Though the final score was only 0-2, it could and perhaps should have been much, much worse.

Today, I added two more youth players to the roster, but neither would solve our offensive woes, or was likely to see any action with the senior side.

GK Colin Hart, 15, English: Schoolboy - A physically gifted youngster, Hart had earned a place on the side with a fine performance against West Ham Reserves. He's a hard worker, and already reasonable in a number of the key attributes for a goalkeeper, so I'm hoping that with a few year's training he might develop into something worth mentioning.

D R Mark Dixon, 16, English: Schoolboy - Another physically gifted youth, Dixon actually seems to have sufficient ability already to be an excellent player at the Conference level. With time and training, he might well be able to overtake Graeme Law for a position on the right side of our defense. If he has weaknesses, they're on the mental side: his concentration wanders and he hasn't shown the sort of determination I would prefer.

[Amaroq]

Tuesday, 8th August, 2006. League Two - Game 2, vs Peterborough United.

We would renew our rivalry with Peterborough for the second game of the season, our home opener. We'd beaten them in the pre-season, 2-1, and they had lost their first match, but they are a side recently relegated from League One, so I expected them to be dangerous. David Stockdale, a former Minsterman, was starting in goal for the visitors.

There were four changes from my weekend squad. Alan Blayney was of course in goal. Mark Wright would make his first start of the year with Joe Keenan, Michael Staley, and Graeme Law in the back row. Alan Navarro remained the defensive midfielder, while Phil Townley would play left wing opposite Jon Paul McGovern. Ryan Ashington returned to the starting lineup, partnered with goalscorer Joe Foote at attacking mid, and Jon Shepherd would make his first start for York at striker.

It was a disappointingly small crowd of 1,510 that came to Bootham Crescent on a cool summer evening. We settled in quickly, and began putting some pressure on the Peterborough defense right from the off. Joe Foote had the first chance, in the ninth minute, but put it wide.

A nice 15th-minute pass from Jon Paul McGovern found Jon Shepherd in a dangerous place, and John Mackie brought him down, gifting us a free kick from 20 yards. Ryan Ashington curled a spectacular free kick over the wall and in at the near post: we had an early 1-0 lead, and the crowd chanted "Beck-ham, Beck-ham" in acknowledgement!

In the 26th minute, McGovern nearly got one of his own, as left wing Phil Townley sent a cross over the box for him at the far post, but David Stockdale made the save. The former teammates exchanged smiles.

In the 32nd minute, Phil Townley jinked around Mackie about forty yards from goal, and sprinted into the box. Danny Hall desperately slid in on him, too late: he got off the shot a mere twelve yards from goal. Stockdale made a great reflex save, but the deflection skittered the top of the 6-yard box. Shepherd was the first two it, and buried it into the open net for his first-ever York goal, and a 2-0 lead!

The play on the pitch felt closer than the two-nil scoreline, with chances for both sides, and a tough battle in midfield that was really taking its toll. Still, we held the lead firm through halftime, and gauging the atmosphere at the break, my players were relishing the fight.

Mark McCammon had Peterborough's best chance on the hour, a breakaway which saw him elude both of our central defenders, but Alan Blayney proved up to the task, coming up with a fine save. With McGovern tiring, I brought him off for John McGrath, switching the veratile Townley over to the right side, a move which would lead to our third goal.

In the 83rd minute, Ashington was central, and with the Peterborough defense collapsing to clog the middle, he played it ahead of McGrath into the box along the left side. The Irishman took two touches, then curled a cross past every defender to Townley at the far post. Stockdale overreacted, coming too far to his left to close down the easy shot, and the Liverpool loanee coolly cut his shot back across to the far post to make a convincing 3-0 final.

York 3, Peterborough 0

Ashington 15, Shepherd 32, Townley 83; ----; MoM: Ashington

There was celebration in the locker room after that one, a dominant victory which, though it had felt close to my view from the sidelines, had never been so in reality: we'd scored as many goals as Peterborough had had shots, and Alan Blayney had only made one save all evening.

[paulsgruff]

Nice start to the season! Looking good so far Amaroq.

Great to see Teddy Sheringham still being first choice somewhere at the age of 40, what a legend. He nearly always retired before then on FM05 for me

[Damien77]

Nice start to the season...looking forward to more updates..

[Amaroq]

Thanks, paulsgruff. Yeah, it gave me a big smile to see him. Even against me, I rather hoped he'd have more impact!

Thanks Damien. I'm going to have to put the story 'on hold' for a week again in a couple days; I've a family vacation coming up. Hope you'll all bear with me!

[Amaroq]

Thursday, 10th August, 2006.

As I glanced through Wednesday morning's Yorkshire Post article about our match, I noted that chairman Steve Beck had declared himself extremely pleased with the result. In the same paragraph, I learned that, to my utter shock, the victory had put us top of the table! Flipping to the back page, I saw that five teams had won six points from the first two matches, but we were the only ones with a +4 goal differential.

"That's not so bad, is it?" Viv said, stepping into my office as I was studying the paper.

"No, not at all," I said, meeting his grin with a laugh. "Still, we knew we had a strong eleven. Its injuries and December that worry me."

The Champions League had reached the Third Qualifying Phase, a home-and-away matchup. Liverpool crushed Bosnian side NK Siroki Brijeg 5-0 at New Anfield, while in Armenia, Newcastle beat Pyunik 3-1. Scottish Old Firm Celtic were shocked in Israel, 0-3, by Maccabi Haifa, which would leave them a lot of work to do in the second leg.

Ryan Ashington's agent called me this evening, and informed me that his client is now unhappy with his contract. I'd originally signed him as a backup player through 2009 on wages appropriate to a reserve player, and as his agent pointed out, he leads active York players in goals scored, played an important role in last year's side, and there's nobody who could take his place this year either. The agent went on to point out his Beckahm-esque free kick and Man of the Match award in our last match.

I may have to give in and offer him a pay raise, but they're asking four times his current salary; there's no way I can afford that.

On the training pitch, Malcolm Parker had suffered a bruised thigh, which would rule him out of Saturday's match, not that I'd been tempted to select him ahead of in-form Alan Navarro.

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 12th August, 2006. League Two - Game 3, at Hereford United.

Hereford United had earned promotion from the Conference National two years earlier, and come 15th last season. With a draw and a loss in their first two matches, they were currently 16th. Hereford is a long drive from York, as its located north of the River Severn, and north-west of the Black Mountains, south-east of Birmingham, near the Welsh border. Our last visit to Hereford, early in my tenure as manager, had been a Conference battle which saw us defeated 2-1.

We returned to a lineup close to my first choice: Alan Blayney in goal, Joe Keenan, Liam Fontaine, Michael Staley, and Graeme Law across the back, Alan Navarro at defensive midfield, John McGrath and Jon Paul McGovern on the wings, Ryan Ashington and Joe Foote attacking, and Levent Yalcin still searching for his first goal of the season at striker.

It was another stiflingly hot August afternoon, but both sides came out pressing hard, and there were plenty of chances in the first ten minutes. The 3,704 fans had barely had time to get settled when Levent Yalcin put a shot wide merely 45 seconds in, and both keepers had saves by the sixth minute.

Around the corner-hour, Jon Paul McGovern dribbled up the right wing into the corner. His cross, intended for Joe Foote's far post run, was partially blocked by fullback Ross McLeod. It just got past Guy Branston, and Yalcin poppup up 8 yards from goal. With his first touch, he hammered it home for a 1-0 York lead.

Hereford didn't get another shot off through the remainder of the first half, and it seemed our Minstermen were in complete control. McGovern had picked up a bit of a knock, but manfully played through it, and in the 43rd minute, he sent a short cross, again to Yalcin. The Turk launched a blistering shot from 15 yards, but Jonathan Gould made a fantastic diving save to take the 1-0 scoreline to halftime.

Whatever tactical adjustments Hereford made over the intermission had immediate effect, as they had two good chances - men unmarked in our area - in the first three minutes of the second half. Luckily, both shots missed badly.

It looked unlikely that a single goal would suffice; both sides had their chances. In the 51st minute, Foote's 18 yard gem was tipped away by a lucky Gould. At the 57th minute, Hereford United had a corner kick, and Jamie O'Hara connected with a header, blocked back into play by Alan Blayney and cleared by Alan Navarro.

The heat was definitely taking its toll, and Hereford seemed to be struggling by the 65th minute. Just as I began to relax a hair, my defense did also, just as Ryan Green sent a long pass upfield. Liam Fontaine was trying to mark both Lee Martin and Nathan Blake, and splitting between both of them had left each uncovered. The pass was to Blake, and his shot from within the penalty arc beat Blayney - our first goal conceded of the season, and a 1-1 score.

That goal, I think, might be attributable to having 'zonal' marking instructions throughout the side - Fontaine couldn't mark two guys, and had no help forthcoming. I'll have to keep an eye on that.

In the 69th, Navarro nearly put us ahead with a 25-yard shot that whistled just inches wide of the far post. We still looked the dominanat side, and the goal had been against the run of play, so I was shocked in the 73rd, when McLeod's crazy hit-and-hope long range effort took a deflection off of Grame Law. It skipped through to the far side of the area, where substitute Tony Ball arrived a half-step ahead of Joe Keenan, and rifled home a 16-yard shot to make the score 1-2.

We pressed forward seeking a late equalizer, with fresh legs on for Yalcin, Ashington, and McGrath. In the 80th minute, Foote put a nice pass ahead of speedy Daryl Peters, who broke into the area, but Gould tipped his shot over the bar.

Two minutes later, Navarro's pass set Phil Townley loose down the left wing. He dribbled into the box, and around Gould, but his shot only found side netting. That was our last good chance, and injury time expired to the raucous cheers of the home crowd, as their side had just handed us our first defeat of the season.

Hereford 2, York 1

Blake 67, Ball 73; Yalcin 14

MoM: Gould (Hereford GK)

There was a good deal of frustration in the York locker room afterwards: we knew we'd outplayed them, outshot them, and fully deserved three points. I didn't say anything, myself, but captains Graeme Law and Alan Navarro really lit into their teammates for the half-hearted effort they'd given in the second half.

[Amaroq]

Sunday, 13th August, 2006.

Jeff Miller was waiting at my office when I arrived to work the next morning, and I received a severe tongue-lashing from him. Jon Paul McGovern had been playing the entire match on a strained groin, and according to Miller I was very lucky the winger hadn't further injured it: he could have done lasting damange, I was informed.

He recommended sending the winger off to a specialist in London to ensure a proper recovery, which I agreed to. Its early in the season, and I'd rather lose three or four weeks of his time now than risk worse later in the season - and I was feeling a bit guilty after Miller's diatribe.

That made it all the worse when Stacy chose Sunday night to give me a piece of her mind, as well.

I'll be the first to admit I've been letting the job consume me: its the stress, I think, of knowing the team I have isn't quite ready for the challenge it will face. I've been working long hours - it didn't even occur to me until she said it that a 12-hour day was about the shortest I've had since July first, with 14 to 16 as an average, and sometimes even more. Seven days a week, too.

Between training, scouting reports, studying game film, and . At least I haven't been much of a tactical tinker-man: its 4-5-1, all the time, although there's a pretty big difference between the counter-attack version and the attacking version:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Conservative Counter-attack:

DL WBL <- ML

DC MC <- AMC

GK DMC SC

DC MC <- AMC

DR WBR <- MR

Attacking:

DL -> WBL ML -> AML

DC MC <- AMC

GK DMC SC

DC MC <- AMC

DR -> WBR MR -> AML</pre>

Still, after the normal day's work is done, then begins the phone calls: manager after manager, agent after agent, desperately searching for anybody who can strengthen the side.

Its exhausting, my back is sore, and I hardly want to speak at all when I get home late at night: just let me eat some leftovers and lie down.

That's hardly a way to treat my wife, especially after I'd neglected her for the World Cup, and she let me know it.

I promised to cut it back a bit, just as soon as the transfer window is closed.

[Amaroq]

Thursday, 17th August, 2014.

Sunday afternoon, York Reserves defeated an almost entirely amateur York U-18 side 1-0 in a pre-season scrimmage. I'd invited Rob Styles to come referee it as though he were custodian of a Premier League match, so that I could get a better idea of which trialists were loose-tackling, and luckily saw just three yellow cards. Trialist Martin Beale was the goalscorer.

The play of another one of our trialist right backs prompted me to sign him to a contract:

D R Daniel Smith, 16, English: Schoolboy - similar to Mark Dixon, a physically gifted youth with a good array of skills developed already, both technically and mentally. He doesn't have any particular weaknesses, although he isn't a particularly influential player, and isn't as strong in the air as one would hope for a center back, which is probably why he's a fullback. Like Dixon, he has the potential to be a replacement for captain Graeme Law in a few years' time.

With his acquisition, and three better right backs, it was clear to me that there was no future at the club for Steve Hall or youngster John Barker. Barker I released on a free transfer, while Hall we managed to sell to Bridlington for £5,000.

Steve Hall, DR, 19: February 2006-August 2006: 1 season, 1 game, 0 goals, 1 assist, 7.00

I'd also arranged a pair of three-month loans.

No, not loans in.

Loans out.

17-year-old goalkeeper Kevin Butler joined Poole Borough, a non-Conference side, and 19-year-old right wing Mark Goodwin visited our neighbors Harrogate Town in the Conference North. With the injury to Jon Paul McGovern, this was actually his best chance of the season to see some first-team action, but the deal was already arranged and the youngster was very much looking forward to gaining invaluable first-team experience with competitive football.

Meanwhile, contract negotiations with Ryan Ashington had broken off: his agent was demanding a promise of first-team football as well as a salary larger than Tappa's, neither of which I was willing to give. I had a gut-feeling that - free kick aside - the 23-year-old had risen above the level he was capable to play, and had progressed as far as he was able.

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 19th August, 2006. League Two - Game 4, vs Mansfield Town.

It had been a long week, and I was looking forward to the weekend, and our next match. Our fourth encounter was against 13th-placed Mansfield Town, a team which had narrowly missed relegation the previous season. They'd gone into the final match safe by just a single point, but won, and finished four points clear.

With McGovern and Corbett out, and Goodwin on loan, we were down to just two healthy wingers. Our lineup started of course with Alan Blayney in goal. The back four held my first choice of Joe Keenan, Liam Fontaine, Mark Wright, and Graeme Law for the first time all season. Alan Navarro was the holding midfielder, with John McGrath and Phil Townley on the wings. Joe Foote and Ryan Ashington led the attack, with Jon Shepherd alone up top.

We mounted a ton of pressure from the opening minutes, and earned corners in the 5th and 6th minutes. The first, Alan Navarro hit a long shot from about 16 yards, which Mansfield starting keeper David Lucas just tipped over. On the ensuing corner, Liam Fontaine drove a header at the near post. Lucas made a diving save, keeping it out, but hitting his head against the post. After several minutes of treatment, the Mansfield physio determined he had a concussion, and on came reserve goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington, aged 32.

I must say, I was looking forward to peppering their backup 'keeper with shots, and when Jon Shepherd put a shot just wide in the 15th minute, the game looked solidly in our control. I began sending the fullbacks forward to put a bit more pressure on the Mansfield defense and the backup keeper.

Navarro put another long shot on target in the 30th minute, but Pilkington tipped it over in a near replay of Lucas's earlier save.

In the 40th minute, Joe Keenan launched a long ball to Phil Townley, charging up the right wing. The speedster dribbled into the area one-on-one with the veteran 'keeper, but Pilkington, rushing off his line, made the stop.

Mansfield had been surprisingly quiet through the first half, but in the 44th minute, they got a nice permieter passing game set up around the outside of our penalty area. This was brought to a halt when Graeme Law slid in and took away the legs of Wayne Corden. Referee Neil Hancox pulled out a straight red card, and the Bootham Crescent crowd of 1,610 first groaned, then began to boo the decision.

That left us a man down for the second half, and the visitors were in complete control right from the restart. Alan Blayney saved their first shot, and Keenan blocked a second, but in the 48th minute, Andy Parkinson broke free past Keenan up the right wing. He whipped a cross into the six-yard box, which Blayney was going to let go, but decided at the last minute to try to catch. It was about shoulder height, and he failed to hold it: it dropped off his palms, redirected off of his chest, and found its way straight into the net! A disastrous, short-handed own-goal, and now we had to chase a 0-1 deficit with ten men.

I juggled the lineup around as much as I could, shifting to a 3-5-1 to try and generate some extra chances. For about a five minute period around the hour-mark, we staged a period of very heavy pressure, with several chances, corner kicks and threatening free kicks, but it came to naught each time.

That brief bright spot was brought to an end when Phil Townley, whose speed had been instrumental on the wings, picked up a knock. I brought Levent Yalcin on at attacking midfield, shifting Daryl Peters to the right wing, out of position, but it just wasn't the same, and the final twenty minutes expired with few threats at either end.

York 0, Mansfield 1

----; Blayney o.g. 48

MoM: Pilkington (Mansfield GK)

Alan Blayney was disconsolate in the York locker room, though the red-carded Graeme Law also tried to shoulder the blame. There had, in fact, been enough for everybody, and I gave a brief talk about the squandered chances in the first half.

"We can't let opportunity pass us by," I told them, "Or it will come back to haunt us later."

Mansfield Town substitute goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington was named Man of the Match for a fine performance replacing the injured Lucas.

[Amaroq]

Sunday, 20th August, 2006.

With two consecutive losses, we'd dropped down to 13th, which was much closer to what I'd expected from the team this season: our brief flirtation with the top of the table had flattered to deceive, I thought.

The pressure was constantly building, and I found myself losing sleep at night.

No transfer budget.

Insufficient players.

Nobody coming in on loan.

And, like a spectre, the shadow of the relegation zone looming behind us.

There were several scouts at the Mansfield game, and to my morose eyes, they circled like vultures over our still-breathing squad, waiting for us to draw our last breath.

The short-term bad news from the match was that Graeme Law would serve an automatic one game suspension - effective immediately, which meant he would miss our mid-week League Cup game.

With the Under-18 Cup match coming up mid-week, I went with a lineup almost entirely trialist and amateur on Sunday for the first match of our youth club's title defense. Honestly, I didn't expect them to have a chance. In a pouring rain at Chesterfield, however, amateur striker Chris Simpson had a stunning, 4-goal first half. Trialist right wing Steve Ingram made it 5-0, and although Colin Hart lost his shutout in the 87th minute, amateur Paul Ford's injury time goal made the final score 6-1, putting our lads emphatically top of their table on goal difference!

I spoke with Simpson about the possibility of turning professional, but the 17-year-old indicated that he intends to attend university: he's already been offered an athletic scholarship by one, and several more are considering him.

Sunday night, we bid farewell to young goalkeeper Gareth Gray, who signed a new contract with Welsh side Brickfield Rangers. I'd let the 19-year-old go on a free transfer; after his embarassing pre-season gaffe, I didn't feel he had what it took to compete with our other four goalkeepers.

[Amaroq]

Monday, 21st August, 2006.

Jaw-dropping news!

Just as I was beginning to feel resigned to a dreary season with insufficient depth, Burnley manager Paul Hart called.

He wanted to buy players.

Not one.

Not two.

Three of our players!

Hart didn't say as much directly, but reading between the lines, I gather the chairman of the Championship side had given him a late addition to his transfer budget, and he was making calls to a number of clubs. Like me, he wants to build with youth and potential, rather than for immediate gain, and that's good news for us: he wished to talk terms about several of our most promising players!

Levent Yalcin was the big ticket item. Hart had heard what I'd demanded from Newcastle for the striker, and asked if I would be willing to accept £275,000, plus 30% of his next transfer fee, and a promise to arrange a friendly match prior to the start of next season.

He also wanted both our wingers, offering 30% of his next transfer but no cash for John McGrath, and a flat £130,000 for Jon Paul McGovern. I was stunned.

It felt so sudden!

I mean, I'd known that they had a scout watching us, but I thought they were only interested in McGrath. I hadn't realized that they would be willing to offer such large sums for Yalcin and McGovern.

After twenty seconds of careful consideration, I decided that what he was offering for Levent Yalcin was reasonable, and nearly snapped off his hand to accept the offer. The two wingers, however, I negotiated the price around: they're key components of the team.

Negotiations, both for price and contracts, would take through our mid-week League Cup encounter.

[Amaroq]

Wednesday, 23rd August, 2006. League Cup - First Round, vs Rushden and Diamonds.

The matter still wasn't entirely resolved by Wednesday night's match. The cards were nearly all in place: Burnley had withdrawn their offers for McGrath and McGovern, and I'd received the full paperwork to complete Levent Yalcin's transfer just before the match, but opted to start him one final time before counter-signing to make the transfer final. In retrospect, the risk of injury vastly outweighed whatever gain we might have made from having him in the lineup, but I wasn't thinking about that, then.

Rushden are a League One side, and so above us in the English footballing pyramid, but they've been off to an abysmal start this season, with four straight losses to open the year. Consequently, optimism was high in Yorkshire. It was a crisp, cool night, and an average crowd of 1,567 attended Bootham Crescent to show their support.

For my starting lineup I had Alan Blayney in goal, with Joe Keenan, Liam Fontaine, and Michael Staley in defense. They were joined by 16-year-old Daniel Smith, making his competitive debut at right back in place of suspended captain Graeme Law. Alan Navarro would wear the captain's armband from defensive midfield. John McGrath and Phil Townley were on the wings, with Joe Foote and Ryan Ashington running the attacking midfield. Yalcin would be making his final appearance in our red and white at striker.

If we'd expected Rushden to be disorganized and demoralized, we got an eye-opener right from the start. They applied constant pressure throughout the first 8 minutes, which culminated in Andrew Sambrook's beautiful ball that picked out Dani Rodrigues in the area. Somehow he had wriggled free of all markers at about the penalty spot, and had a glorious chance. Alan Blayney made an amazing save to turn it behind.

Andy Burgess took the ensuing corner, which he curled towards Andy White, who had young Daniel Smith beat at the near post. Joe Keenan desperately raced across the goalmouth, and tried to head it wide, but with his late arrival, he only succeeded in putting it into his own net!

By the 25th minute, I was pushing everybody forward, looking for an equalizer. Joe Keenan, desperate to make amends, launched a beautiful long cross to Phil Townley in the 35th minute. The speedy winger dribbled to the end-line, then centered for Joe Foote about 12 yards from goal. David Mannix partially cleared it, but only as far as Ryan Ashington, who unleashed a piledriver from the top of the area. Burgess did well to block it, and it was out for a corner.

In the 44th minute, after a slow buildup that gave our defense time to get tightly set in the area, Peter Hawkins played the ball from the left wing to White at the top of the area. White's shot was charged down by John McGrath, and kicked back out to the left, where Rushden captain Marcus Kelly was unmarked 8 yards from goal. He drilled a left-footed shot past Blayney, and it was 0-2 going to the half.

The second goal hadn't really been Smith's fault - though it was his normal responsibility, the youth had gone down in a collision, and required the physio on as Rushden celebrated the goal. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if we'd have conceded either with Graeme Law on at right back.

Early in the second half, Levent Yalcin nearly gave the fans a memorable send-off, breaking past the last line of Rushden defenders on captain Navarro's sizzling pass. Goalkeeper Billy Turley came rushing off his line, to break up the chance before the Turk could get the shot off.

By the 55th minute, I'd switched to a 3-5-2, looking for offensive inspiration, but Rushden countered with a deep defensive formation, and penetrating such tactics had always been problematic for us. Though we had the lion's share of the possession, we never seemed to threaten. Without Tappa, the final 'killer ball' seemed sadly lacking, and the League One defense had no trouble cutting out our eforts.

Alan Navarro did get one chance with about twenty minutes left, firing an 18 yard effort which curled just wide of the post, but for the most part the Rushden defense completely shut us down for the final half hour.

York 0, Rushden & Diamonds 2

----; Keenan o.g. 10, Kelly 45

MoM: Robinson (Rushden DC)

I announced the transfer of Levent Yalcin to the players in the locker room immediately after the match, so that they could all say their goodbyes - he would not be returning to Bootham Crescent in the morning.

Rushden central defender Paul Robinson was a well-deserved Man of the Match, anchoring their central defense throughout our second-half attack.

[Amaroq]

Thursday, 24th August, 2006.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Quarter-Million-Pound Transfer!

York City yesterday bid farewell to young Turkish phenom Leven Yalcin, who moved to Burnley immediately following the Minstermen's 2-0 defeat to Rusheden.

The Championship side spent £275,000, plus additional clauses, to pry the popular 21-year-old striker away from Bootham Crescent.

Yalcin is reportedly delighted with the move.

"Its sad to say good by to Bootham Crescent after five years," he acknowledged, "Its the only home I know! But I'm very much looking forward to playing for such a big club. I know I won't start right away - Mister Hart has warned me I may find myself in the Reserves - but I hope that with hard work and dedication, I can break into the first team."

The fee represents the highest transfer fee received at Bootham Crescent since Jonathan Greening's £1 million move to Old Trafford in 1998, and represents a life-preserver for manager Ian Richards. The third-year York City skipper had made no secret of his desire to strengthen the squad, and though he's had to sell one of his top assets to do so, he should now have the funds he so desperately needs.

Fan reaction has been mixed. Yalcin was a favourite amongst the fans, and seemed on the verge of a breakout year at the end of last season.

"We can't really judge the move," said the pragmatic president of the Supporter's Club, Skip Johnson, "Until we see how much is made available for transfer, and who Ian brings in."

In other Minsterman news, playmaking attacking midfielder Tappa Whitmore returned to Bootham Crescent this week to begin his first light workouts.

Physio Jeff Miller cautioned that he is unlikely to be able to play until early November, and might not be fully fit until Christmas. The jovial Jamaican's good cheer should provide a morale boost around the clubhouse! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Levent Yalcin, FLC, 21: July 2001-August 2006: 5 seasons, 79 games, 15 goals, 3 assists, 6.90

I genuinely wished the lad well - he'd been a fine young player for our side - but I also found myself relaxed and upbeat for the first time since Barcelona. At last, I could get a good night's sleep.

We still had plenty of needs, and I had hundreds of phone calls to make, but unlike last week, now I had a transfer budget to work with!

[Amaroq]

That's where we're going to leave it for the next week or so - you'll have to wait until around the 10th of July to find out who we bring in!

Have a good week, and thanks for reading.

[irishregan]

Will be fascinated to see who you get in. It must feel like total luxury to have that much dough to play with. Think you should have flogged the other bloke for 130K though!

[Damien77]

Cheers Amaroq, have a nice holiday!

[SamCCFC]

Spent the last week reading this from start to finish, what a story.. really look forward to reading more Out of interest - how far are you in now?

[Amaroq]

irishregan - Hey! Glad to see you're still enjoying it! Yeah, that triple-offer (three e-mails, one after the other) was really jaw-dropping. It definitely unlocked some of the players I'd been squirreling away onto my shortlist over the past two years. I didn't want to sell McGovern for his 'face' value, given my shortage of wingers already.

Damien77 - Thanks! I did - it was brilliant. Something like 36 relatives spread over four generations and two massive beachhouses. I'm altogether too relaxed!

SamCCFC - Welcome to the tale, new readers always welcome! The current date on my save-game is February 1st, 2015, and yes I do have most of the tale written that far. So long as you all are willing to read, I'm willing to keep posting it!

One neat thing about having it written that far in advance, I'm able to offer plenty of foreshadowing.

Aside for Panpardus - and yes, though he's long since retired by that point, Tappa remains a recurring character.

[Amaroq]

Friday, 25th August, 2006, sometime after midnight.

"You told me to find you a Premiership player," Spencer told me. "We've got one on the shortlist."

I took another sip of coffee, now half-cold, before answering. We'd been discussing prospects for hours, with all the scouts and coaches together, before Spencer and I retired for some private consulation.

"I know, I know," I said with a sigh. "You've been touting him for a year."

"I think its time. You're going to love this kid: he's seventeen, and he looks for all the world like another Tappa."

"Yeah, but we're not Manchester United. Can we really afford to splash out most of our transfer budget on a kid?"

"Its at least worth talking to the club, find out how much it would cost."

"I don't know, Spencer."

"I do. Call them."

"Okay, okay. Now, about this passel of strikers. Do you have one you like? One older than fifteen?"

That won a chuckle.

"Yeah, I think so. Serviceable, doesn't have the upside of Levent or Simon, but he's certainly good enough for this level."

"How much?"

"Well, between the two of them, most of the budget, I'm afraid. But if we can squeeze out a little bit more, I know you've been needing a winger, and I think I've found a 16-year-old with Premiership potential.

"Some Premiership clubs have been following him, anyways, and if we can lock him up before they do, we might be able to sell him on at a profit."

[Amaroq]

Friday, 25th August, 2006.

Transfers take time, of course, and even with the urgency that the close of the transfer window gives, I wasn't able to lock anybody up in time for our Saturday match against Carlisle. I did have a few promising contacts by Friday night, and felt very excited by our prospects.

There were some mundane pieces of news, however.

The Under-18's Cup match had been played Wednesday evening, against Hartlepool United U-18s in Billingham. Despite completely dominating the match both in terms of time of posession and shots, our youth side lost 0-1, with John Lowe's goal coming against the run of play when he slipped between two of our young defenders to take a cross. We have a plethora of talented youth, so I'd really hoped we could go a lot further in the competition - winning our undervalued Under-18 Group seems scant reward for the lads.

With a senior match and Under-18's Cup match concurrently, the York Reserves consisted almost entirely of amateurs for their match on the same day. They managed a dull 0-0 draw on the road against Blackpool Reserves. The only bright spot was goalkeeper Paul Carruthers, who played well to earn the shutout.

Jamie Cooper came off injured during the U-18 match, a thigh strain which would see him out of the weekend's action. John McGrath and Jon Shepherd had both come off injured in the second half of the senior match, which concerned me, but neither was suffering particularly in the morning, and Jeff Miller said they should be able to play by Saturday.

Our worst injuries, actually, came in training this morning, as enthusiastic young centre-back Kevin Eaton dislocated his shoulder. Unfortunately, he suffered a subluxation: it was only partially dislocated, and there was risk of damage by just popping it back in. He had to be taken off for treatment, and would be out for about 2 months. Midfielder Malcolm Parker bruised a rib, which would keep him out of Saturday's matches as well.

In Champions League qualifying action, Newcastle United defeated Pyunik again, 2-1, for a 5-2 aggregate, and Liverpool beat Siroki Brijeg 1-0 in Bosnia for a 6-0 aggregate. Both English clubs would be advancing to the group stage. Celtic, though they beat Maccabi Haifa 2-1 in Glasgow, crashed out on a 2-4 aggregate.

Bayern München added another trophy to their cabinet with a 1-0 win over UEFA Cup winners Real Madrid to claim the European Super Cup at Stade Louis II. The German side look well poised to defend their Champions League title this year: what an all-star lineup they've assembled!

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 26th August, 2006. League Two - Game 5, at Carlisle United.

Carlisle United were the other side that had earned promotion from the Conference National last season, placing third but earning promotion through the play-offs. It had been a dreary, winless campaign for them thus far, and we'd defeated them in each of our three meetings since I'd taken control at York. I figured they were the medicine we needed to right our listing ship, after three straight defeats of our own.

My choices were very limited - I was down to only twelve or thirteen players I would want to start, given our injuries and recent sale. Alan Blayney remained in goal despite two poor performances in succession. The back four was bolstered with Mark Wright and Graeme Law returning alongside Joe Keenan and Liam Fontaine. Alan Navarro would cover the defensive midfield, with John McGrath and Phil Townley on the wings. Ryan Ashington and Joe Foote remained the attackers, with Jon Shepherd getting the start up front.

Though 4,807 fans had braved gale-force winds coming off the Irish Sea to get to Brunton Park, it was clear from the start who the dominant side was. In the third minute, Joe Foote made a spectacular one-touch pass with his back to goal to send Ryan Ashington into the area past Foote's defender, but Kieren Westwood made the one-on-one save. He also saved Foote's effort from 18 yards in the 8th minute, but there was nothing he could do in the 12th. John McGrath sent a sizzling corner kick into the 6-yard box, were it was met solidly by the head of Mark Wright. He directed it back to the near post for his first goal of the season, and we had a 1-0 lead.

Ashington had a 25-yard shot saved in the 20th minute, but by the 33rd, he came limping off - the pitch was in poor shape, and his was not the last injury of the afternoon. Daryl Peters replaced him, but the miserable conditions were really limiting to any ideal of The Beautiful Game: this was much closer to Man Versus The Elements. It was still 1-0 at halftime.

Carlisle began to think more aggressively in the second half, and correspondingly, holes opened up in their defense. Just past the hour, we had a five-on-three rush, which was only diffused by Matthew Mills accepting a yellow card to bring down the speedy Peters. He was the last man, and I thought it was red card worthy - I bellowed my opinion of the officiating, but fortunately for me, the wind whipped my words away.

In the 73rd minute, Jon Shepherd's diving header went just wide, and I was beginning to worry. We just couldn't seem to put them away. Foote, McGrath, and captain Graeme Law were all limping with various leg injuries, so I made my final substitutions. Adam Eckersley came in to play left wing, and I moved Shepherd back to Foote's place, and brought on young Simon Roberts, just six days past his 16th birthday, for his competitive debut.

It worked almost immediately, as the fresh-legged Eckersley broke up the left wing to start a 5-on-4 breakaway. There had to be somebody uncovered. When the fullback came out to challenge him, he sent a low pass in to Peters, who played it to his right for Shepherd about 30 yards from goal. Shepherd sent it forward on his first touch, picking out the unmarked Roberts, who sent home a beautiful shot from 17 yards! It nestled into the left-side netting: a debut goal for the 16-year-old!!

That looked to clinch it at 2-0, and the fans began to head for the exits, clutching their hats and huddling away from the biting wind. Carlisle gave a brave effort at trying to get back in it, but deep into injury time it was Eckersley again on the counter-attack up the left wing. This time he sent a long centering pass for Shepherd in the penalty arc. The striker headed it forwards into Roberts's perfectly timed run, and the youngster drilled it home from seven yards out to make the final score 3-0!

Carlisle 0, York 3

Wright 12, Roberts 80, 90

MoM: Roberts

It was a dream debut for young Simon Roberts!!

His first-ever professional game, and in just fifteen minutes, the 16-year-old had two goals and a Man of the Match award!

He had also set a record as the youngest player in the post-War era to play for York, though he could not rival Reg Stockhill's record of 15 years 281 days set in 1929.

[paulsgruff]

Hey Amaroq, welcome back I took the time while you were away to read through a fair chunk of this to catch up on some of the bits I hadn't read though (I'm still up to only around page 14 though), really good stuff!

Simon Roberts sounds like a talent and a half, what a start for the kid

I have a question though about your last post replying to SamCCFC if you don't mind answering?

I see that you are quite a distance ahead of the story in your actual save and have written a fair amount of it up ready to post: Do you write it all out in one file and then seperate it into nice chunks when you come to post it, or do you have individual Word (or whatever you use) files for each post?

I started mine off writing each post in a seperate file and it's starting to get untidy and confusing as I didn't label them very well. I've had problems with Word on my system before when I have large amounts of text being displayed in one file - it will just go into none-responsive and never recover (I have a really old system - nearly 6 years old, due for a new one really). Sorry to be a pain, I was just wondering how you go about storing what must be a pretty huge body of text?

[Amaroq]

Thanks!

Yeah - debuts don't get much better than that, eh?

The mechanics of writing makes a great question, actually.

I store files by month - text files, usually, with names like "06-08-York.txt" - 2006, August, currently managing York. By putting year/month first, a 'sort alphabetical by filename' gets me everything in date-order.

Within the file, I use seven "-", to separate posts, like this:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Last sentence of previous post.

-------

Saturday, 26th August, 2006.

First sentence of new post.</pre>

.. I typically write each post three times - once in a note-form when it happens, and once more a couple days later as I layer in 'story' to go with the information, (and reorganize, so we don't jump from topic to topic too much). The match descriptions, especially, I spend a fair bit of time watching replays for, and trying to describe what I see as best as I can. I wanted people to be able to visualize every goal!

Finally, I get back a day or three before posting it to add foreshadowing and edit it again - my style has actually changed enough over the time of writing it that some of these older posts required quite a bit of polish. I was prone to ultra-long paragraphs when I first started, and I've noticed that that loses the eye in other stories.

One last scan for markup and spelling after I've got it into the new-post window, and that's usually it.

Keeps me from making too much of a mess of the 'Mod Requests Thread'