Tikka Mezzala

Admittedly, I am playing at a much, much lower level than the Eredivisie, but this is how I've chosen to set up. I'm not settled entirely on the roles and duties. For example, the DLF role hasn't looked promising in preseason. I think this might be due to the limitations of the player, though I will play around with it and see if there's a way to get something out of him. I really want one of my strikers to link the play. I'm keen to give the RB an attack duty when I can so he can overlap the WM. But that would involve moving Cairns to the LCM slot and having him hold position, as he's the more defensively gifted CM. My LM is on winger attack because his pace is his key attribute, while the RM is quite slow, so he's not getting past the opposition fullback. Granger at LCB is aerially dominant against most opponents, so I've decided to trap the opposition outside and take my chances that we can deal with crosses. The CBs both lack pace, so we've dropped the line to cope with that, although I am going to watch and see if this creates issues for us between the midfield and defence. I've just tried to be fairly logical and to keep things comprehensible to myself. Since the roles are quite simple and the instructions are minimal, I should be able to have it all in my head and see when x, y or z is the issue, rather than having too many things to contemplate at once.

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Nestled in the heart of Glasgow's Southside, a short walk away from the national stadium, is Newlandsfield Park. The ground is home to one of the country's biggest non-league clubs: Pollok F.C. The club's location in Glasgow's densely populated Southside may seem like an advantage to some, but life in Scotland's largest city is not black and white; it's green and blue. While competing for attention with the Old Firm is not a problem limited to Glasgow's football clubs, but a problem experienced right the way through the country, being situated a mere eleven minute drive from Ibrox Stadium, and an eighteen minute drive from Celtic Park presents significant challenges. Despite that, however, Pollok F.C. continues to draw in an average home crowd of 700 people; an impressive record by Scottish non-league standards. But for how much longer the club will remain non-league is an open question after the restructuring of the Scottish football pyramid opened the door to the Professional structure for junior clubs like Pollok. It is with this issue in mind that I headed for Newlandsfield Park on a fine afternoon in late June. A short train from Glasgow's Central Station will take you to Pollokshaws East, and a short stroll from Pollokshaws East will bring you to Pollok F.C. It is the off-season, and the players have yet to return from the summer recess, so as I approach the ground I am greeted by the serenity of lawnmower engines and the clanking of scaffolding. I take a moment to appreciate the ground and to imagine what it must be like to watch West of Scotland Premier League matches here regularly. There is a single stand adorned with the name of the club that would provide some shelter during the typical Glasgow weather. Behind the goal to the left, four high rises block out the horizon. Figuratively speaking, it is a million miles away from the grandeur of Ibrox and Celtic Park, but it retains a certain charm. Shortly after I arrive, I'm greeted by the club chairperson, Kieran Rae. Etched upon his face is the marking of pride. He shows me around with the enthusiasm of a host on MTV's Cribs. The highlight of the tour is the club lounge, where pieces of Scottish football history are gathered, alongside a plaque listing all of the various chairpersons throughout Pollok's history. As I examine the names on the plaque, I can tell how proud Kieran is to take his own place on the list. We then move on to examine the pieces of silverware that the club has collected throughout its one-hundred-and-eleven year history. Among them, the Scottish Junior Cup, which the club has won on three occasions, takes centre stage. Outside of tournaments organised by the SFA and the SPFL, the Scottish Junior Cup is the most illustrious football competition in the country. In its heyday, the 1951 final of the competition between Petershill and Irvine Meadow XI managed to attract a crowd of 77,650 people. That's around 17,000 more people than you can fit inside the country's largest football stadium, Celtic Park. But junior football no longer enjoys the same attention that it once did. Clubs are having to work hard to draw in members of the community, who, unlike in 1951, can watch any number of football matches on the television or in the pub. With the prompt of the Junior Cup trophy in my hands, I ask Kieran about his views on the future of non-league football in Scotland: I think there's been a mixed response to the restructuring of the pyramid. For some clubs it's presented them with an opportunity to outgrow the junior game and perhaps arrive one day in the SPFL. But promotion is not a straightforward thing. There are clubs down here, like ourselves, who have been operating without floodlights, for example. If we get promoted, that's something we have to think about, because at a certain level of the game these things become a requirement. That's going to cost money. Kieran's response highlights the challenges facing clubs like Pollock, where something as simple as floodlights causes financial anxiety. But despite the difficulties that lie ahead, the club are keen to test themselves at a higher level one day: Now that the door is open to the professional structure, I think every ambitious club at this level is starting to think about whether they can take that next step. For us, that is something that we're already planning for. I think we've got a squad here that can compete near the top of the West of Scotland Premier League. We've just hired a new manager ahead of next season, and the feeling is that within three-to-five years we could find ourselves in the Lowland League, one step beneath the SPFL. I'm fortunate that the club's new manager, Émile Hrádecký, is in the building and willing to speak with me. At twenty-nine years old, he's one of the youngest managers in the West of Scotland Football League. Émile spent the last twelve years playing junior football before an injury forced him to give up the playing side of things. He started out with Premier League side Kirkintilloch Rob Roy, before moving on to St Roch's in the First Division. It was during his time in Glasgow's North-East with the Candy Rock that Hrádecký attained his National C license, and began his coaching career. Now the head coach of Glasgow's biggest non-league club, he's hoping to transcend the limits of his playing days and experience life in a higher division: I'm extremely fortunate to have landed on my feet after the injury I picked up. I never really imagined that I'd have the chance to come here in a coaching capacity. I've played against Pollok many times as a player, and coming to Newlandsfield you always knew the size of the club due to the attendances they'd draw in. I consider myself to be an ambitious person and I'd like to take coaching as far as my ability allows. We're only two promotions away from the SPFL structure, and while there are many well resourced clubs between us and reaching that level, we have to try and lay the groundwork for a tilt at trying to get ourselves up there. Hrádecký's appointment came on the back of another interesting arrival at the club: director of football Martin McKee. The Northern-Irishman had previously worked as part of the Cliftonville youth setup back in Belfast, before he held a job at Pollok's fellow southsiders Queen's Park. During his time with The Spiders, McKee scouted the junior leagues in an attempt to find hidden gems in the lower echelons of the Scottish pyramid. It was this role that made him the perfect man for Pollok's first ever director of football position. The significance of McKee's appointment is found in the fact that non-league clubs typically do not employ directors of football. Most of the scouting and transfers are handled by the managers and the chairpersons. Pollok's decision to hire someone, albeit part-time, to dedicate themselves to player-recruitment shows the ambition and the innovation present in the boardroom; something that Kieran Rae is keen to stress: We're always looking for ways to get an edge on the competition. Bringing Martin's expertise on board is something that is going to really help us. While we will always keep the manager in the loop and allow him to have a say on transfers, this division of labour allows the manager to focus on coaching the team, while Martin does a lot of the legwork behind the scenes in helping us assemble a squad. While it remains to be seen how well the new manager and director of football will work together, what we can be sure of are the expectations of the Pollok faithful. The club's fans are very demanding and will expect the team to push the likes of Auchinleck Talbot and Darvel all the way in the Premier League. There are also yearly hopes of the club causing an upset or two in the Scottish Cup. With Newlandsfield looking resplendent in the late June sunshine, the feeling here is that the future is bright for Pollok F.C. But will they ever join the likes of Queen's Park, Partick Thistle, Clyde, and, of course, Celtic and Rangers in the SPFL?

Despite some offers from pretty close to home, I actually headed south of the border to involve myself in Guillem Balague's Biggleswade United project. Until I'm an established manager, whenever a club has a DoF model, I'll be allowing the DoF to run a lot of aspects of the club. I'll stick to training the first team players and selecting the team for matchdays. The good thing about signing on at Biggleswade is that Guillem is the DoF and he has very good attributes for this level. Given that he'll be responsible for recruitment, I think I can put my trust in him to get the squad up to scratch. At this moment in time I'm a little concerned about the lack of quality in the goalkeeping department and the defence, but within a couple of days at the helm, Balague had arranged a trial for a decent 18 y/o keeper. So I'm encouraged by the early signs.

I've been unable to get into a save in this version of the game. I normally play as a real life manager/ex-player, but nothing has really captured my imagination. In a last effort to get some enjoyment out of this year's game, I shall be eschewing the self-negation, putting on my best suit (from George, ASDA), and putting myself forward as a managerial candidate. I've loaded up the Scottish leagues all the way down to the WOSFL Division 4, as well as most of Central Europe (my maternal family are Czech/Slovak). So I'll be looking for an opportunity close to home in Glasgow, or perhaps one that would allow me to head over to Czechia to stay with family as I try to carve out a career for myself there.

Cruzeiro are a big club. A good forward step in your career.

I've set up a training regime that seems logical to me, but the effects of the regime will only be apparent after a few months of the season. I won't go into too much detail about it, because it really is pretty straightforward. I've set different schedules to cover different positions, and in each schedule the emphasis is placed on the key attributes for that position. I'll be keeping an eye on two things going forward: (a) the impact of training on the attributes of the players; (b) the impact of training on fitness (condition, injuries etc). If I'm happy with both of those things going forward, this will be the basis of my approach to training from here on in. I've had to make a rather quick decision about tactics because of our involvement in the EURO Vase competition. Instead of having friendlies to experiment in, I'm pretty much having to hit the ground running if I'm going to be involved in European football past the summer. The draw for the EURO Vase has pitted us against the winner of Dinaburg v FC Moscow. We're without question the favourites against either of those sides, but I'm not confident about getting things right tactically without having some free hits in the form of friendlies. So I'm a little bit nervous about our season hitting the rocks before it even begins. My thinking behind this shape is simple: we have limited options in the wide areas due to Robert Pires' long-term injury (8-9 months). The likes of Jose Mari, Ordonez, and Marcos are sub-standard for a team who want to finish in the top six. Cani can play across the AM strata, but there's little cover for him should he get injured/need a rest. The only other option for a wide player is Senna who could be moved to the MR position, but I think he'd be wasted out there. Given that we have options at CB, have decent attacking wingbacks, options in the CF area, and two capable AMCs (Cani and Mati Fernandez), this shape seemed like the best choice. I can't say I'm entirely comfortable with a three at the back shape, and I don't like having one player on the flanks, but this will be a learning experience. Having done some digging about in the tactical archives, it seems that a good strategy for this edition of FM is to create individual mentalities for the different strata of the team, with the mentality increasing slightly as you work your way forward. Depending on how attacking/defensive you want to be, you start your mentality ladder on an appropriate number for your approach and go from there. I'm going to be very pragmatic here and create many iterations of this shape that will range from my base mentality structure (11-15/16) to a much more defensive approach (1-6/7). I will also throw in a highly attacking one in case I am chasing a game. My research has also provided some insight into an approach for our DF line, width, tempo, and pressing. According to the tactical gurus of yonder year, DF line and closing down should be set at the mid-range of your mentality ladder. So in my 11-16 system, we might set these at 13 or 14. I think this makes some sense, so I'm happy to give it a bash and see how it goes. However, there is another school of thought that would have us scale our closing down back the further we get away from our CFs. I'm inclined to agree that my CBs shouldn't be closing down too much, because my memories of these early FMs are littered with defenders getting drawn here, there and everywhere by pacey forwards. I'd like my CBs to be a bit more conservative. Perhaps I'll allow the wider CBs to close down a bit more and have the central one holding his position. This is ideally where friendlies would allow an experiment. I've read quite a few different theories about width and tempo and I'm really going to have to allow experimentation to dictate how I use these things going forward. I think these things are often linked to a tactical style, but I prefer to use them situationally. As a basic rule, I'm going to keep them close to neutral and play around with them in different scenarios. Then maybe it'll become clear what the best approach is for my team. In terms of the individual player instructions, I'd like my two CMs to be conservative, so they will not typically be making forward runs and I'm going to limit their creative freedom. The AMC is going to be our playmaker (hopefully Riquelme can help here when he returns from his loan at Boca Juniors), so I am going to have to mess around with the instructions to see what gets the best out of him. In theory, I don't think he should be making forward runs, because I want him to get on the ball in deeper areas. I'll experiment with a free role for Mati Fernandez and see how he fares. The WBs should be making forward runs and I'd like them to offer plenty of assists from crosses. We have a variety of CFs with differing strengths, but ideally the partnership up there should have someone who is concerned mainly with finishing off moves, and someone who is more willing to get involved in the build up. I'll play around with the mentality of the creative CF and have a tinker with forward runs, through balls etc. The other parts of the tactical setup will be played around with over the early part of the season. Things like marking, use of a target man, counter-attacking, tackling intensity, creative freedom etc. But the above is my thinking ahead of playing any games and seeing things in action. We only have around £3m in the transfer budget, and £5m in the bank. So we aren't going to be bringing in any marquee signings. Thankfully, back in the summer of '06 you could still sign decent players without having to pay astronomical fees. So it's possible we might be able to add a new face or two. I'm tempted to look for a winger in the market, but at the same time I'm reluctant to play with wingers while we still have little depth there. So it might be better to focus on a CB who can give us more depth and be ready to step in when our ageing backline needs replacing. Being somewhat faithful to real life here, my prime target would be this fella: Valued at only £210k, 20 y/o Diego Godin would be an excellent addition to our squad. Assuming I can get him for under £1m, it would also allow us to probe for more cheap options on the South American continent. I'll list a few people I have in my thoughts at the moment: No bid have been made so far, but Godin will be the first pursuit. I expect we'll be able to hash something out with Nacional that doesn't eat up our budget, and then we'll see where we stand.

I think there are now nineteen editions of the Football Manager franchise, and I have been ****ing ***** at all but two of them. The 2008 and 2017 instalments were the only exceptions to my abject failures and I pretty much stumbled upon winning formulas by accident in both games. As I watch the AI foil my plans in every save I attempt in FM23, I think back to those halcyon days where, inexplicably, things worked out. In times of stress and strife, we often romanticise mythical pasts when things weren't so dark and upsetting; simpler times when people got on with their neighbours, didn't have to lock their doors, and used sliders and arrows in Football Manager. I am a weak man - a man who refuses to try and get to grips with the present reality, preferring instead to seek safety in unreliable memories of bygone days. And so it is that I run into the arms of Football Manager 2007, You might wonder why I have ventured back one year further than my first successful experience playing the game. Well, the truth is that I am a different man from the boy who conquered South America in FM08. That game to me is like an old flame who provided me with many happy days. Revisiting the relationship might tarnish those memories, especially if I fail to replicate the magic of the first time around. I would like to put the game on again and take it for a spin, but not until I'm ready. The best preparation will be the preceding game. Within the world of FM07 I can try to re-learn the ropes and perhaps achieve something that I failed to do the first time I played it: win something. In thinking about who I should manage, I have decided not to take on a team that is expected to win a title. There are two reasons for this: (1) I'd like to feel a true sense of achievement; (2) chances are I'd get sacked by a team expecting to win something. That being said, I'm not really wanting to take on mission impossible either (I'm nowhere near good enough). With all of this in mind I have opted for Villarreal CF in Spain's top-flight. It's a club with something to build on and not necessarily a team who'd sack me for a trophyless season. The game begins in the summer of 2006. Here are some memories from that time to help immerse ourselves in the appropriate time and place: Italy have just lifted the FIFA World Cup in Germany, beating France in a final marked by Zinedine Zidane's farewell headbutt. Barcelona are the Champions of Europe having beaten Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final in Paris. Middlesbrough's UEFA Cup run comes to an abrupt end as they lose 4-0 to Sevilla in the final in Eindhoven. Chelsea have been crowned Champions of England for a second consecutive year under Jose Mourinho. Juventus have been demoted to Serie B after their involvement in the match-fixing scandal that rocks Italian football. Hearts of Midlothian split the Glasgow clubs in the Scottish Premiership, finishing 2nd ahead of Rangers. Olympique Lyonnais have won their 5th consecutive Ligue 1 title. Some notable transfers from the period: Andriy Shevchenko moves from AC Milan to Chelsea. He is joined in London by Michael Ballack. Carlos Tevez joins West Ham United. Ruud Van Nistlerooy trades Old Trafford for the Santiago Bernabeu. Patrick Viera and Zlatan Ibrahimovic jump ship from relegated Juventus to rivals Inter Milan. Ronaldo joins AC Milan from Real Madrid. Sergio Aguero signs for Atletico Madrid. Villarreal have just come off a season in which they finished 7th in La Liga, but reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals where they lost out to Arsenal. The club will, therefore, compete in the EURO Vase competition with a view to qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Our media prediction is 5th, and a look around the other teams suggest our main rivals for the European places will be Valencia, Sevilla, Betis, Atletico Madrid, Espanyol, Osasuna, Real Zaragoza, and Deportivo. I expect it to be a very competitive league this season (gulps!). So what is our squad like at the start of the game: I'm pretty content with the team. I think it will give me something to work with in the first part of the season, though how well I'll utilise what I have at my disposal remains to be seen. I have a few things on my to-do list that I'll crack on with before my next update (training, tactics, contracts, staff etc.), but I should note that as well as having the major European leagues loaded, I've also loaded all of the South American ones, as I intend to continue Villarreal's transfer policy under Manuel Pellegrini which involved utilising the South American market. I'll be sure to explain my thinking behind the tactics I set up and we'll see how it goes. I have a bad feeling about this...

A decision has been made: The face recognition software seems to have done an okay job this time. I've had some real shockers down the years. So I've removed the other Mendez from the game and taken on all of his personal/staff information. He's currently working as a youth coach with LDU Quito, but for the purposes of the save, I'm starting unemployed as it's not possible to manage the youth team. Some things to note for realism purposes: Mendez seems to have several relations in the game, including a son that plays for Club America de Quito in the second-tier of the Ecuadorian pyramid. Depending on where I end up working, it might be possible to sign him (or one of the other relations) if they are good enough for the team/willing to join. Among Mendez's favourite clubs are Barcelona (ECU) (supporter), El Nacional (player), and LDU Quito (player). Although he did play for Barcelona's big rivals Emelec during his career, so I certainly wouldn't rule out managing them, despite supporting their traditional foes. Mendez has a dislike of the current president of El Nacional, Lucia Vallecilla. I done a bit of research, and it turns out that while Mendez was a technical director with the club, he was accused of allowing alcohol into the club's premises, an accusation that he vehemently denies. There was a big falling out between the president, Mendez, and several players, meaning I won't be joining up with El Nacional while she remains at the club. Other than that, Mendez's playing career saw him amass over one-hundred caps for Ecuador, as well as playing for clubs in Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and the Netherlands, so I reckon he's well known enough to potentially land a role outside of Ecuador if such an opportunity arose. In terms of what type of manager I'll try and be, I think the door is open to be pragmatic with Mendez. He has played for some big clubs in the countries he's worked in, meaning he probably favours being on the front foot, but I don't see him being totally wedded to a particular philosophy. I don't have any particular aims in the save, other than to enjoy a realistic career with Mendez, but I think it would be a real highlight if I could manage Ecuador at a major tournament. But we'll see how it goes. Have to land my first role before dreams can be realised.

Xerez have really fallen off a cliff. Weren't they in La Liga in living memory?

I've had a long break from the 2023 edition of the game, preferring my saves from FM15 and FM17 of late. But I have been mulling over a return to the current version, and like yourself, I'll probably try South America, where I had a lot of fun in the 2015 edition. I think I've mentioned in the thread before that I tend to play as a real ex-player/manager in order to increase the realism. I just use the in-game editor to make sure everything is in order regarding duplicates and all of the information about the person I'm playing as (favoured clubs/personnel; attributes etc.). I've been having a think about who would be interesting to play as in South America. Among the current candidates are: Edison Mendez (former PSV and Ecuador midfielder, currently reserves manager at LDU Quito); Egidio Arevalo Rios (former Uruguay international midfielder, currently unemployed); Claudio Pizarro (former Peru international, Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen centre-forward, unemployed); Justo Villar (former Paraguay international goalkeeper, unemployed); Moises Villarroel (former Chile international defender, played for Colo Colo and Santiago Wanderers, unemployed); Elkin Soto (former Mainz05, Once Caldas, Colombia midfielder, currently HoYD at Once Caldas); Ronald Raldes (former Bolivia international centre-back, earning over one-hundred caps, currently unemployed). I've loaded up all of the South American nations, including the ones not in the original database (thanks editors of FM), and I'll decide later today who to play as. I'll probably provide some updates in here again once the save gets going.

Every ambitious football club will have a vision for the future - a five year plan or something similar. Without such a vision, the club will lack direction. Upon my appointment as Clydebank FC manager, I find the board suffer from this very problem: I have no issues with the modest goals set for us in season one. In fact, it takes a little bit of the pressure off. But to see a lack of ambition moving forward is disappointing. This will, of course, have no real bearing on the goals that we set ourselves. I, therefore, consider the club's five year plan to involve reaching the SPFL. That would mean a minimum of two promotions in five years - a reasonable ask. If we are successful in our first season and put up a proper fight in the WoS Premier Division, I reckon the board will start to allow themselves to dream a bit more. We'll see. As expected, we have very basic facilities, and we currently rent our stadium from rivals Yoker Athletic, paying them £400 p/a. This isn't an ideal situation, but needs must while we get ourselves onto a sound financial footing and generate enough money to get a home of our own. These are the outfield members of our playing squad on day one. As you can see, it is very unbalanced. We have six central defenders and five strikers, while we look quite short of numbers at right fullback and in the midfield. This leaves me with an immediate problem: do I try and completely rebalance the team in the transfer market, or do I use the basic make up of the team to move forward into season one, adding a few extra numbers where needed? I'm always reluctant to make sweeping changes in the immediacy of taking over at a new club, preferring to gradually move things forward in a more natural way. So my inclination is to keep the team pretty much as is, but to see if we can get ourselves a few new players to help with numbers in the midfield and on the wings. Because of our excessive numbers at centre back and centre forward, a 3-4-3 formation seems the most viable option. Not only does this fit the present squad in terms of where players can play, but it also allows us to use a decent number of our defenders and strikers, without making any of them too unhappy about their game time. I also feel that three strikers could be a very effective tool against lower league defences, who hate having players run the channels and in behind. Our playing style will be pragmatic. Until we're in a position to be selective about the type of players we can bring in, we need to make the most of what is available to us. In this division, I think we'd be punished for moving the ball about in our own half too much, so I want us to get the ball forward quickly towards our front three, who will hopefully do enough to give us the edge in the final third. Our defenders will simply defend, and our midfield will supply the front players quickly and try to stop the opponent building easily towards our own third. My thinking here is influenced by Helenio Herrera, who once said: “In attack, all the players know what I wanted: vertical football at great speed, with no more than three passes to get to the opponent’s box. If you lose the ball playing vertically, it’s not a problem—but lose it laterally and you pay with a goal.” We will be starting with this tactic in preseason, and tweaking it where appropriate. I'll be looking out for the possible disconnect between attack and midfield, our vulnerability on the wings, and how we deal with transitions. But it's nothing fancy, and hopefully will be effective. This is our staffing situation. We're good on the coaching front, but we need another person in the medical department and a couple of scouts. I won't be bothering with a Head of Youth Development or any other fancier roles, because these things are simply not a priority right now. All we need to do is coach the players, find some better players over the coming windows, and try to deal as best we can with injuries. Everything else is superfluous to us.

It's quite tough up there in the northern divisions. I had a hard time with Orkney FC recently. I haven't seen these videos. Thanks for sharing them. I always enjoy learning about these stories. Scottish football is full of folklore and tragedies. Clydebank really seem to have been put through it all over the last century and a bit.

I outlined above what the very general aims of this save are: to help Clydebank F.C. establish itself as a mainstay in the Scottish Professional Football League. Part of this process will include turning professional when the conditions are right, building up the club's infrastructure to a level more in line with professional teams in Scotland, building our own stadium in the town of Clydebank, and operating a profitable business model. All of this will help us rectify the historical failures of the previous incarnations of Clydebank F.C. However, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and our first steps will take place in the unglamorous world of the West of Scotland Football League. Down here, it simply will not be possible to grow this club into something bigger and better. Our immediate aim, therefore, is simply to get ourselves out of this division at the earliest opportunity. Should we manage to climb out of the West of Scotland Premier Division, we will enter the Lowland League, which sits directly below the SPFL. That means we are two promotions away from League 2, the lowest division within the SPFL structure. There are a couple of things worth noting at this stage: the West of Scotland Football League encompasses four divisions, so it will be possible for us to get relegated all the way down to the fourth-tier of the structure. Should we win the Premier Division, however, we would then move into a playoff phase against the winners of the South of Scotland Premier League and the East of Scotland Premier Division. Running adjacent to the three leagues you can see at the foot of the above pyramid are three other league structures that are based further north. These structures feed into the Highland League. The West of Scotland Football League encompasses about half of Scotland's central-belt. It runs east to about Cumbernauld, south to New Cumnock, over to the west coast where you find Troon, Irvine etc. It, therefore, has the advantage of containing the most populous area of Scotland: Greater Glasgow. This brings the benefits of a larger concentration of football players, and theoretically more people to come and watch the games, buy the pies etc. It also provides greater opportunities for part-time players to find alternative employment to supplement their income, and therefore makes it easier to convince players from other parts of the country to move to your club. I mention this because I've had experiences of managing in the extreme north of Scotland, and found a lot of players were unwilling to relocate to places like Orkney, Fort-William etc. The 2022/23 season will see us rub shoulders with some of the biggest teams outside of the SPFL. Darvel, Pollock, Kilwinning Rangers, and, of course, Auchinleck Talbot all boast decent supporter bases and good sponsorship incomes. Along with ourselves, and any potential surprise packages I haven't mentioned, these clubs will probably make up the front runners for the promotion battle. Three clubs will also be relegated from the division, which is quite a significant trap door in a sixteen team league. At this level of football, the money brought in via sponsorships makes all the difference. There's never going to be major sums on offer from prize money or transfer fees, so a generous community that pumps money into its local club means everything. As you can see, Darvel enjoy quite a significant advantage on this front. It's no surprise, therefore, to see their name at the top of the bookies' list of favourites for the title. So this is the state of play in the league that we'll start off in. In the next update I'll have a look at the state of Clydebank FC on day one in the new job.

Which meso-American empire invented the ball game? Did it spread outwards to other parts of the hemisphere prior to European arrivals? Did it even find its way up to North America relatively early on? I reckon traders, sailors, and railway workers are gonna have a big role in shaping this world!

In the late 19th century, Glasgow was at the heart of Britain's industrial boom. The city's main river, the River Clyde, was home to many shipyards that sent huge vessels around the world, adorned with the famous 'Clyde Built' trademark. In order to meet the demands of rapid growth, the city's industry spilled westwards into what is now West Dunbartonshire. Here a shipyard was founded that would eventually give birth to a new town: Clydebank. Where industry moved, workers followed, and in Scotland, where there are people, there is football. Not long after the establishment of the town, a football club was formed bearing its name: Clydebank FC. The proletarian town of Clydebank now had its own team involved in the peoples' sport, and it would soon compete against teams from nearby towns and villages. Between 1891 and 1893, Clydebank FC competed in the Scottish Football Federation against clubs such as Albion Rovers, Falkirk, and Motherwell. It's first season was unspectacular; its second was nothing short of a disaster, as the club finished with one point after eighteen games, with only eighteen goals scored and a remarkable one-hundred-and-seven against! By 1895 the town's premier football club had folded, but they would soon be followed by another short-lived club called Clydebank FC, with this iteration only lasting three years. In 1900, a junior team from the neighbouring village of Duntocher moved to Clydebank and changed its name to Clydebank Juniors. They would be joined by the third incarnation of Clydebank FC in 1914. The latest club played out of a greyhound racing stadium called Clydeholm, and joined the Scottish Football League until the club disbanded in 1931. As members of the Scottish Football League, Clydebank FC rubbed shoulders with the biggest clubs in the country at that time, including Celtic, Rangers, Queen's Park, Dumbarton, and Third Lanark. But in 1931, the club would cease to exist. The town seemed as though it suffered from a curse when it came to football clubs bearing its name. For a year in 1964, East Stirlingshire FC merged with Clydebank Juniors to form a new club based out of the town: East Stirlingshire Clydebank. The club took the former's place in Division Two, but opposition from both sets of fans made it a short-lived venture. A year later, East Stirlingshire would return to Falkirk the same club as before, while the former owners of East Stirlingshire would pursue the fourth incarnation of Clydebank FC. The latest club played out of Kilbowie Park in the town itself, and they would go on to join the Scottish Football League in 1966. After a decade in the bottom tier, they would win the Second Division title in 1976, finishing seven places above East Stirlingshire. The following season they finished second in the First Division, gaining promotion to the top league. During this period, the club could count one of Scotland's greats among their number in the form of Davie Cooper. With the club now playing amongst Scotland's biggest teams, stadium reconstruction began. Kilbowie Park would become the first all-seater stadium in the UK. Clydebank FC would become something of a yo-yo club, as they failed to properly get to grips with life in Scotland's top flight. Several relegations and promotions later, they would achieve their high-point whilst playing in the second-tier, as they made the last four of the Scottish Cup in 1990, losing 2-0 to Celtic. The feat. of a Scottish Cup semi-final in 1990 was not to herald in a decade of success, however. By the middle of the decade, the club was experiencing financial difficulties, and when their stadium fell below new regulations brought in during 1996, the club became "homeless". During this time Clydebank FC played in Dumbarton and then Greenock. The homeless club were eventually sold to a Bermuda based businessman called Dr John Hall, who would try to relocate the club to Dublin, Galashiels, and Carlisle. The club's supporters, along with the footballing authorities, helped put a stop to the relocation plans. In 1999-2000, Clydebank FC were relegated after winning just one game all season. The club's SFL and SFA identity finally disappeared in 2002. At this stage, Airdrieonians bought out Clydebank's remaining assets from the club's administrators, outbidding a fan-led consortium. The club was moved to Airdrie and competed in the Second Division as Airdrie United. A year later, a phoenix club was formed by the fans. Airdrie United ltd. agreed to give up the unwanted naming rights and insignia of Clydebank FC, and so the fifth incarnation of the club was born. It joined the Scottish Junior Football Association, and entered the west region structure in 2003/04. Over time, the club would become one of the better teams at this level, regularly competing with other big hitters of the western junior leagues such as Auchinleck Talbot, Pollock FC, Darvel etc. In 2020, Clydebank FC became a senior club when all members of the SJFA West Region joined the West of Scotland Football League. The door was opened once more for the club to re-enter the professional league structure, the SPFL. Clydebank FC begin the 2022/23 season in the West of Scotland Premier Division, part of the West of Scotland Football League structure. This feeds into the Lowland League, which sits directly below the SPFL League 2. This means that Clydebank FC are two promotions away from returning to the big time, and finally giving the town a stable football club that can put it on the footballing map. At present, the club has been forced to ground share with its local rivals Yoker Athletic. Both clubs play out of Holm Park. So with all of this historical context out of the way, the aim of this save is simple: I wish to return Clydebank FC to the SPFL, and once there, help to build it into an established Scottish Premiership club who can compete for European football and domestic honours. Let's end the hurt, break the curse, and put a major footballing institution back on the Clydeside!

Bring home the CL and add another star above that beautiful four leaf clover! Hail, Hail!

I believe you!

Suits you, Oche.

Setting aside things like this, The Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission summed it up well in their recent open letter to the visiting representatives of the Monarchy: They symbolise a racialised and class-privileged social order. They aren't apolitical either. We also have the case of Prince Andrew, who has surely damaged people's faith in the concept of justice. The royals also have a long history of barbarism when it comes to animals. The list goes on...

Imagine having a proper democracy.

Unfortunately people internalise social structures/stratifications. I know we all contain contradictions, but this is a big one. At one level, liberal capitalism requires us to believe in basic equality between people and the agency of the individual to improve their social circumstances through talent/effort. At another level, the institution of Monarchy asks us to entertain the idea that inherited privilege, status, and power are compatible with this.