Gundo

Thanks, @deltablueand @anagain. I'm really hoping we can go close this season and escape non league football. One thing that might help us achieve that is the board's decision to make Chester FC professional. But i'm not sure what impact this will have? Better progression for players through more hours training? Can I attract better quality – Welsh – players? More expenditure due to increase in operations? We will see, I guess.

Average attendances have nearly doubled at the Deva Stadium in the last five years. In other off-field news, the most Chester shirts sold last season – perhaps unsurprisingly – had striker Marcus Dackers’ name on the back.

2026/27 season review This season was all about one player – Marcus Dackers! The 50k signing from Oxford City had a phenomenal season propelling us to a 5th-place finish. His 26 leagues goals – 36 in all competitions – and his sheer physical presence, frightened many an opposition defence. He claimed the National League player of the season and was also voted fans player of the year by the Deva faithful. The big Welsh man also beat Chester's goal record, beating Michael Wilde's previous tally several years back from the club's time in the lower reachers of the English pyramid. Ultimately, though, it wasn't enough for promotion. A 2-1 play off defeat to Boreham Wood after extra time sealed our fate; we had 28 shots in that game to the visitors 10. On the plus side, at least we got rid of two big clubs from the division in Swindon and Hartlepool; Mansfield and Harrogate will join us from league football. My last word on this season is on a promising youngster that came through in this season's batch of new players. It happened after a number of upgrades to the junior coaching and our youth recruitment network (see the table below). Meet Ian Blackburn, a local Chester lad who has some really nice-looking attacking attributes. Hopes for next season: I'm anticipating another play off push and hopeful of a title challenge, if we can add two or three quality players to the ranks.

2026/27 3/4-ish review The season has progressed quite nicely since the halfway point report: with just 15 league games to go, Chester are 6th in the National league. I've found it fun travelling to some of the big clubs in the division, the likes of Oldham, Hartlepool, Torquay, Grimsby and Swindon, and playing at bigger grounds – it's even more fun when we manage to pick up all three points. In the FA Trophy, we have made good progress and have managed to reach the quarter finals. Marcus Dackers has been incredible leading the line, a lot of defences simply can't handle his size, power and pace: 33 goals in 37 appearances overall so far for him. In other squad news, we actually started one match with an all Welsh starting XI (see image below).

2026/27 half (ish) season review We have had a good run since I last wrote. It means we sit in 5th place in the table just six points off top. In the FA Cup, we suffered a 2-1 home loss at the hands of League Two Forest Green. It was a disappointing result in a game we dominated, only for our two centres backs to have a rare off day. At the other end of the pitch, Markus Dackers has been a big part of our impressive season – the 201cm tall striker has helped himself to 19 goals and is looking like a bargain for 50k. Elsewhere, we signed yet another Welsh boy in Kai Ludvigsen. The defender also has Norwegian marked as other nationalities and is also eligible to play for England. And despite not having the best jumping reach, he is a very committed centre back, something we were lacking.

2026/27 1/4 season review It's been an ok but uneventful start the season, but if we finish up in this position at the end of the season, I'll be happy. However, I have a feeling we are one defender and one midfielder away from putting up a serious challenge for promotion.

2026/27 season preview Although we only signed three players in the off season, they are, in my opinion, pretty tidy additions to the squad. All three will be regular starters. However, I did really have to bend the wage budget to get them to accept contracts. With that in mind, I'm hoping promotion will happen within two seasons. The media have us at 100-1 for the title and 20th out of 24 overall; however, it must be said that the new signings made some difference to this prediction – before the signings, we were rank outsiders at 300-1! Meet the new boys Bollin Menayese was signed on a free after being released by League One Walsall. He looks better than this level. Marcus Dackers was another player picked up on free transfer. At 201cm and some nice physical attributes, he could be a real handful for some national league defenders this season. Also worth mentioning, the former Brighton youngster has played for Chester previously – in 2022, he had a loan spell that resulted in 8 goals from 19 appearances. Welcome back to the Deva, Dackers! Lewis Webb was our last big capture of the closed season. He also joined on a free after being released by one of the big Welsh clubs (Swansea or Cardiff, I forget which!). It was a timely arrival because shortly afterwards, Alex Speake, who was rating as having League One potential, became unsettled after one season with us. He was no.1 for us last season and had a solid campaign. The want-away youngster was eventually sold to Blackpool with a nice 40% of next sale clause. He was immediately rated around 1.8 million upon his arrival at Bloomfield Road. Nationality count: 19 welsh players and 6 English players. On with the new season!

Hey, just read through this thread, and you've made some nice progress so far. Good luck in the football league.

End of season update 2025/26 Well it happened, after I posted the mid-season update, our form fell off a cliff. However, I'm actually a little surprised we managed to finish as high as 10th in the table, which was in thanks largely to decent spell of form in the last handful of games. The position graph below highlights our plight pretty well. It did – by far – exceed my pre-season expectations, though. National League North: 10th FA Cup: lost 3-0 to Walsall in the second round FA Trophy: lost 4-1 to Dag and Redbridge in the fifth round The squad Liam Edwards was again the fans player of the year and the player with the highest average rating in the squad (7.15). Up top, Jake Cassidy grabbed the top scorer again with 19 goals, but his form was pretty awful from halfway onwards. Kurt Willoughby followed him with on 11 strikes overall (most from the bench). Willoughby has been great servant, despite not being top quality or beeing the most determined, he knows how to find space and finish on his day. Some FM players you just get attached to. The welsh youngster Josh Thomas had a great first season at the Deva as our main inside forward, and hope he can go from strength to strength from here. And final mention is reserved for one of the originals, Iwan Murray, who had another nice goal-scoring season from his mezzala position – he is probably the most intelligent player we have at the club. See career overview: Upgrades The board have been really accepting of pretty much every request I've asked of them in the last two seasons. I think maybe it is because we are financial stable with just over 1 million in the bank. This season, we had one training facility upgrade (it was previously downgraded pre-season so it was important to bring back unto standard). We also got a junior coaching upgrade and two youth recruitment improvements. However, nothing seems to have made any difference to the junk coming through our youth programme! Next season A mid table finish will be the order of the day, but perhaps a playoff push if we can sign some decent Welsh players.

Aha yes true! Maybe I should have said, enjoy the experience. I remember a save I did several years ago with Sola in Norway, a game played at the San Siro against AC Milan in the UCL. We subbed on a guy we had in the original Sola squad when I started the save, Fossen, and he only came on and scored to ensure the game ended 3-3. This one of my most memorable FM experiences.

Just reading through this thread. Phenomenal progress! Well done. Good luck against Juve.

2025/26 Halfway Season Review Such a strange season. At the halfway point, we sit in 4th place in the National League. It was a flying start in first 17 games, as we looked unbeatable at times; however, as I write this, we have won just one of our last 6 league games (losing four and drawing one). In the FA Cup, we finally made it to the third round, but lost 3-0 away to Walsall at the Bescott Stadium. In the FA trophy, we will play Aldershot in the 5th round. The National league leaders are one of the few teams to beat us comprehensively this season in the league, so they will probably dispatch from the FA Trophy. I really liked seeing this ahead of our FA Cup first round game against Boreham Wood – I have never noticed it before. "The Deva Stadium in Chester was built in 1992. The Stadium has room for 5,452 supporters with the potential to be expanded to a capacity of 20,000." It is a cute hint at the possible stadium size in the future. I'd love to stay playing the Deva, too, and not have to move into a new stadium. After my initial transfer reports, we managed to make our biggest signing of the season shortly after the season kicked off. Welsh youngster Josh Thomas was signed on a free after being released by Swansea at the end of last season. However, I did have to alter the wage budget, give him a generous signing-on fee and some pretty attractive bonuses in order to secure his signature. It was worth it, though. I have successfully retrained him to be an inside forward on the left, and he has taken to the role really well. He has scored some pretty classy goals cutting in from the left wing – it is beautiful to watch! In the first team squad, we have 17 welsh players, 6 English lads, and just a single Irish player. It is becoming more Welsh by the season! Renewed expectations: Survival looks assured so a playoff finish would be nice, but a top-half position would also be satisfying. Let's see ...

2025/26 Season Preview A new season, a new division, and rather unsurprisingly, the media have us ranked 23rd out of 24 teams and 150-1 for the title this season, only Oxford City have a worse chance in their eyes. The stubborn Henderson is finally sold (to League One Blackpool). I had to take a cut price deal (11k), but at least I managed to get 50% of next sale clause in there. In other transfer news, we have been fairly active with incomings; however, I don't think many of the new boys are worthy of a mention. Perhaps only Tom Sparrow who joined us on free after being released by Stoke City at the end of last season. I have a plan for this guy – I want him to be the holding midfielder and sit and spray those long forward passes for the attacking players to run onto. He has decent passing for this level, I just hope the new FM update hasn't scuppered this plan with less long balls over the top. We will see. Billy Waters is another worthy of note. He is an inside forward or striker who doesn't appear on that ins because he was signed at the end of last season. I'm hopefull he can add some experience at this level and some more firepower up-top. Main objective: SURVIVAL!

Brennan Johnson – I really hope I can get this guy in a Chester shirt in the future. I’m a big fan of him irl. This article is a nice read btw. https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/brennan-johnson-premier-league-nottingham-forest-soccer-wales-world-cup On a Welsh note, up until now, I’ve only signed full welsh players, but do you also think I should be allowed to sign players who have Welsh listed as there second nationality?

End of season review 2024/25 (season 3) We did it, just! Well, in truth, we crawled across the line. In the last ten games, we won only two and picked up just 11 points from a possible 30. A 2-2 home draw with Braintree – and a York defeat away at Nuneaton – was enough for the title after the penaltimate game round. National League North: 1st ChampionsFA Cup: lost 1-0 to Blyth Spartans in the fourth qualifying roundFA Trophy: lost 2-1 to Kings Lynn in the fifth round The players Liam Edwards clinched the fan's player of the year award for a second successive season; the central defender also clinched the highest average rating, 7.27. Jake Cassidy and Kurt Willoughby both had nice a nice season, although both faulted during the final run-in, it was Willoughby who I seemed rely on more. However, it was the former who picked up the top scorer award with 27 goals in 44 games overall. Willoughby hit 20 in 45 appearances. On the creativity front, Rio Dyer was potent on both wings; the young Welshman finished with 14 assists, in addition to 9 goals, in a remarkable 55 games (I think he played a part in all be one games league and cup). In other squad news, Henderson is still here. He is still unhappy. And there are some pretty big clubs interested, including Livingston and Ipswich, but no one wants to make a bid. Next season I'm not quite sure what I'm in for next season, I am just glad to be out of this tin-pot-league for now. We definitely need to strengthen in all areas of the pitch, but I am hoping that playing in a higher division will at least help with attracting players. The board say they want us to attempt to avoid relegation and have given us a rather generous half a million Great British pounds to spend to help achieve that. Thanks for reading. Up the Seals!

The final run – 10 games left Our FA Trophy run ended with a fifth round to defeat to a resurgent Kings Lynn, who also happened to beat us twice in the league this season, too. Speaking of the league, it is squeaky-bum-time. We have been in 1st place for the majority of the season, only ever being dislodged on a few rare occasions. There are a few teams that lurk menacingly below us, but I'm not sure any have of them have what it takes to topple us from here without some kind of catistrophic folding on our part (famous last words?). From the 10-game mark, I decided to rotate Cassidy and Willoughby, and, in general, it has worked quite well with both amongst the goals; both strikers have be crucial to our title chances. Still no transfers in or out, but I have been fairly content with the players with have. Henderson is still here, just, but I had to promise him that he would leave if a 35k offer comes in – largely because a few prominent senior members of the squad wanted the situation sorting out ASAP to avoid more disruption. Anyway, on with the season – wish me luck!

Thanks. Yeah, I think it is ours to lose from here. Fingers crossed. I think the improved team chemistry has made difference this season, and the players really season to believe in me.

Half-season update (season three) In short – we are going great guns this season! We sit top of the pile at the halfway stage of the season, that, with a number a games in hand. I do hope we don't bottle it from here. In the FA Cup, we, again, suffered an agonising 2-1 defeat in the fourth qualifying road at the hands of Blyth Spartans. They were one of the newly promoted clubs to the national league north this season and have been our main rival; the Northumberland club also beat us in the league, 1-0 at the Deva Stadium. We are still in the FA Trophy; we will play Guiseley away from home in the fourth round of the competition. The high-flying nature of of season, has meant that a few players have attracted attention from bigger clubs – most notable League Two Tranmere Rovers – but I have refuted the offers and said players are now unhappy (surprise!). Luckily for me, the rest of the squad have sided with me which means morale has suffered in the dressing room. But the players haven't been the only ones attracting interest. I have, at versions points this season, been on the wanted list of Cardiff, Coventry, Gillingham, Chesterfield and Forest Green. Cardiff are in a relegation battle in the Championship, so I'm flattered. In terms of incoming players, there is hasn't been any – we have had a few targets, but they have been just out of out reach budget-wise. Danny Henderson – a very promising youth academy player – was one of those who I had to reject a bit for. I was a little surprised he got upset because he has only featured twice for the first team and is only a breakthrough prospect. His low bravery and teamwork ratings both me a lot, if they were higher, I think I'd have a serious player on my hands. National League North: 1st after 23 games FA Cup: lost 1-0 to Blyth Spartans in the fourth qualifying round FA Trophy: we will play Guiseley in the fourth round Jake Cassidy is having another great season with 18 goals in 26 games (including sub appearances). The 31-year-old is now the firm first choice ahead of Kurt Willoughby, who has been very impressive in his own right when called upon (8 goals in 14 games; including four goals in a 4-0 romp of Reditch in the FA Trophy). Nationality count: 10 Welsh players, 11 English players and 1 Romanian player in the first team squad.

Season 2025/25 in underway! We had been in the market for a few new additions to the squad before the season starts, but we failed to add a single player. Negotiations with a few Welsh players broke down because they opted for National League football instead. Despite the lack of new faces, I do have high hopes of title challenge or, at the very least, a play off finish. The media see us 5-1 odds for the title. I've have finally managed to create a summary table that I will add to the end of season reports each season. So far, we have had one upgrade in youth recruitment: adequate > average. Elsewhere, more fans are flocking to the Deva Stadium – you love to see it!

2023/24 Season Review So close! My first full season in charge at Chester ended in a 2-0 playoff final defeat against Spennymoor Town. It was, though, a season that exceeded my expectations by some way. At times, it felt easy, we'd be on a roll and feel unbeatable, but then there were those games we lost but should real have won. And a handful of matches lost because we really wasn't that good at all. Then there was also the time when my Mac crashed after a 0-0 draw with Boston United, a result I was delighted with, only to lose 3-0 to them when I loaded it back up – I left it up to the FM Gods from there. But, in the end, it wasn't that moment that cost us the title; I felt Scarborough Athletic were better and that proved to be the case. Spennymoor were also strong, patricianly their two front men who killed us in the playoff final at Wembley. The signing of the season was Striker Jake Cassidy. We joined just as Willoughby started his goal drought, and without the Welshman, we would have struggled big time. Welsh youngster Rio Dyer is another signing that deserves a mention. This guy has excellent technique for this level, which presumably helps him excel with the ball at his feet. He will be important again next season. The fans player of the season was Liam Burke. This surprised me slightly, even if he was dependable (mostly) at the back. Here is a snapshot and best of the rest: 10 Welsh players and 10 English dudes I the first team squad. Expectations Next season, I'm expecting a title challenge. I think, if we can pick up a decent GK, add a more agile DMC, then we have a chance. Time will tell.

Another solid season @Jimbokav1971. But sorry to hear about the Crespo deal, it real sounds that an odd one.

Willoughby still can't hit a barn door! We have 20 players in our first team squad: 10 are Welsh and 10 are English.

Half-season update (season two) At halfway stage of my first full season in charge at the Deva Stadium, things are going really well. After 23 games in the National League North, we are in 1st place! At this point, we are also on an 11-game unbeaten run in the league. However, things didn't go quite so well in the FA Trophy; a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Kings Lynn ended our hopes of a cup trophy this season. Player-wise, Kurt Willoughby is playing okay, but his goals have dried up somewhat of late. But we did manage to sign some much-needed backup in the shape of former Tranmere Rovers Striker Jake Cassidy. And the Welshman has made a solid start to his time at the club. The 7.25k we paid for him seems reasonable on the goal returns so far (3 goals in 6 games). Matthew Blake has been in impressive form at left back. I play him as a maraudering fullback, and it appears to be getting results: 5 assists to his name already. Also in defence, Liam Edwards has been a tower of strength at centre back: As well as Cassidy, Cian Harries was another new arrival at Chester. On face value, he looks decent, but the guy is incredibly sluggish – we will make a decision on him after several more games because we have an optional one-year contract extension on him. Overall, I'm very pleased with the progress so far – can it continue until the end of the season? We will see, but things feels good. Snapshot:

We sit pretty much where the media predicted us to finish. I was dubious on a playoff finish before the season started, but I'm more confident after this start. And Willoughby has been a huge part of that good start, but I fear an injury to him might well curtail our chances somewhat. However, let's stay positive.

1/4 season update (season two) It's been a while since I have played a save in England, and I had forgotten just how much fun the FA Cup is (both the draw and the games). It was a shame out cup adventure was halted just before the first round proper against Darlington of the National League – we draw 1-1 away from home first, giving us a reply at the Deva, only to lose on penalties after another 1-1 scoreline after extra time. Maybe next year we can have a better run and earn some great British pounds in the process ... In the National League North, after 11 games played, we sit in the playoff places in 6th: Thanks, in no small part, to Kurt Willoughby: