displaced_seagull

Absolute star

Are DDT Files still a thing? Now that Hailsham Town have been relegated to Step 6, the usual method of retaining players by selecting 'Southern Combination League' in the custom setup doesn't work, as they are counted as 'Lower Leagues'. Is there an easy way of retaining players without changing the division in the editor? Cheers.

OK, here goes... Before I start my career game I always use the editor to activate the English Feeder Leagues as well as the Welsh Step 2 (Cmyru Alliance/Welsh First Division). I use this guide from years ago; https://fromthemarshes.com/2014/11/09/how-to-add-english-regional-leagues/ Have had to amend it a little this year due to the extra Step 3 League, so hopefully these will work! England: This only includes Step 3 - there is no relegation. 4 Divisional Champions promoted automatically, plus 2 of the 16 teams in the playoffs. That's the theory at least! Wales; Champions of Cmyru Alliance/Welsh First Division promoted. Dates amended as above too. Feel free to download and try - I will leave all the advanced rules, cups etc to the pros, but this usually does the trick for me! WalesStep2.fmf EngStep3.fmf

Liam Baitup; Eastbourne United - Now plays for Hailsham Town (signed 1 July 2018)

Actually, I was wrong, he was 28 at the time. Peter Ali' https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/5107381.albion-2-barnet-0-competition-hots-up/

Seems to have died out now, but a few years ago there was a spell of English clubs giving a supporter (who made a sizeable donation/won a raffle, can't remember the exact details now) a pro contract, complete with kit, squad number etc. Brighton actually brought theirs on (he was in his 40s IIRC) with a couple of minutes to go during a preseason friendly away at Barnet (I was there, have got a date of 26 July 2003, but can't find the guys name). Anyway, whoever he was - he wasn't on that years CM (as was).

Eddie Ryder's star continued to rise on Saturday, with a superb display in front of his watching manager as the Under 18's cruised past Oldham 3-0, with Ryder providing an assist as Paul King and Sonny Massey put North End ahead in the first half before a late own goal added a third to cap a fine performance. The rest of the weekend proved quiet for Preston's manager with just the news from Africa, where Joaquim Manjate and his Mozambique side went down 2-0 to Senegal , whilst Angelo Fulgini claimed an assist as Ivory Coast took a big step towards qualification with a 3-1 win over Angola . The Monday Under 21 internationals saw a return for Brian Bell to the Scotland fold in a 4-0 win over San Marino , but it was Marc Paterson who was the star, laying on one of the goals. Tom Coughlan returned to form with a much improved performance in a 2-0 win for Ireland against Lithuania , whilst Nathan Woods operated in an unfamiliar role just off a lone striker as the USA held Italy 1-1 in an Under 20's international. The big news on Tuesday would be the clash between the oldest international sides, with England putting in a good performance to beat Scotland 2-0 thanks to first half goals from Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling , with Nicky Hughes a disappointed, and unused, substitute at Wembley. On the other side of the world, Steve Michealis toiled without success as Australia were slightly fortunate to beat minnows UAE 1-0, whilst Qatar were held 2-2 by Thailand in Doha, with Abdulla Al-Yazeedi again somewhat subdued. Juan Daniel Caballero , meanwhile, added to his caps as a late sub as Paraguay went down 2-0 to Belgium , but closer to home Fairway was delighted when, late in the evening, he was informed by a slightly nervous but clearly delighted teenage voice that Patrick Barcutt-Cain had agreed to sign for North End, with the move going through in January. Fairway broke the news to the remainder of the staff on Wednesday, as he, along with Mark Morrison , travelled to Bury where the Under 21's drew 1-1 - an own goal giving Preston the lead before they were pegged back in the second half. Before travelling back, the small party of backroom staff just made it to another game, arriving two minutes after kickoff but still in time to see another who had been earmarked by Taylor as a potential star, Rochdale's Martin Jamieson , score twice in a 2-1 win for his side. A 17 year old striker playing above his age group, Jamieson shone, with Fairway immediately getting on the phone to head scout Leon Hunter to arrange for the teenager to be watched in the coming weeks. With his players back from overseas in time for training on Thursday, Fairway was pleased to see that, despite defeat against Newcastle , the mood was still fairly good ahead of the visit of West Ham on Sunday, although Jamie Burgess limped out of the session with blistered feet, leaving Fairway unsure as to if he would be available for Saturday. By Saturday teatime, as other results saw North End remain 19th after Crystal Palace contrived to score two own goals to go down 3-2 to Manchester United , the news on Burgess would be confirmed, with the player fit enough for a place on the bench, with Angelo Fulgini restored to the starting eleven in the only change.

Fairway waved several of his squad off on international duty on Sunday before spending time in the afternoon going through scouting reports. Whilst his side's league position was a concern, he knew that, with 31 games remaining and plenty of points still to play for, there would be plenty of opportunities to turn the situation around. With late summer turning into autumn, thoughts were also turning towards the January transfer window, but with the bulk of his transfer budget having been spent in the summer, Fairway knew he would be limited in his options. One player who would not break the bank however would be MK Dons left wingback Patrick Baucutt-Cain , a 16 year old rated highly by scout Geoff Taylor , who had been watching the player for several months. A fee of £100,000 was quickly agreed, with Fairway also offering to send a side to Stadium:MK in the summer, and talks with the teenager and his parents also progressed well, with the manager leaving them to consider the offer over the next few days. Wednesday's international games saw a mixed bag for Preston's players, with Joaquim Manjate keeping a clean sheet as Mozambique breezed past Lethoso 3-0, and Steve Michealis scoring for Australia in a 3-0 win over a Qatar side containing Abdulla Al-Yazeedi . In South America, Juan Daniel Caballero played just 14 minutes as a sub as Paraguay went down 1-0 to South Korea , whilst Daniel Johnson received a red card as Jamaica edged out St Kitts & Nevis to win a nervy game 1-0 in Basseterre. By far the best news though came for Nicky Hughes , who finally made his full Scotland debut in a 2-1 win over the USA . Although he only played 58 minutes of the friendly, Hughes impressed, with Fairway delighted for the midfielder. In the Under 21 internationals on Thursday, Scotland fell to defeat against Portugal with Marc Paterson getting some time off the bench and Brian Bell an unused sub, whilst Tom Coughlan was taken off in the first half after a lacklustre display for Ireland in a 2-1 defeat to Romania . The following day, as England beat Greece 1-0 through a Raheem Sterling strike, Fairway was still none the wiser as to the future of Baucutt-Cain, with the player keen to take his time over the decision on his future.

Mykola Kolosov would be disappointed, if a little relieved, after the match, with Head Physio Matt Jackson confirming to Fairway that the midfielder had not, as initially feared, sustained a fracture to his ankle, but would still be ruled out for around a month with a bad sprain. The news put something of a downer on Fairway's Saturday evening, with a week's gap until Preston's next game, their final one before the second international break of the season. The first of the international calls came on Sunday, with Abdulla Al-Yazeedi named in the Qatar squad to take on Australia and Thailand in friendlies, with Fairway knowing that the striker, yet to make an appearance this season, would want to impress in order to cement his place in the international picture ahead of December's WAAF Championships in Oman . A 2-0 victory for the Under 23's on Tuesday saw goals from Michael Bywater and Moris Sportelli , the defender scoring on his Preston debut to wrap up an always comfortable victory against Barrow , but Fairway would be approached after the game by Tom Coughlan , who was keen to go out on loan. The Irishman, out of contract at the end of the season, had been a useful backup in the Championship, but Fairway felt he needed to take the next step to be considered for a regular Premier League berth, and agreed that a loan move would be sensible. Whilst it would leave Preston a little short in numbers with Kolosov out for the near future, the performances of Eddie Ryder and Nathan Woods for the younger teams suggested to the manager that both could, if needed, be called upon. Coughlan agreed a loan move to St Mirren for the remainder of the season by Thursday, on a day which would also see international joy - and heartbreak - for several of Preston's stars. Craig Campbell was the big omission, overlooked for a place in the Scotland squad for games against the USA and England , but Nicky Hughes again made the 23 for the games, the first a friendly and the second in the European International League . There would be better news for Steve Michealis , who could take on teammate Al-Yazeedi when Australia hosted Qatar and would also hope to be involved in another home game, against the UAE , whilst Angelo Fulgini faced the prospect of competitive trips to Zimbabwe and Angola as the Ivory Coast continued their attempts to qualify for the African Cup of Nations . In the same qualification tournament Mozambique would face Lethoso and Senegal , with Joaquim Manjate an almost certainty to play, and Daniel Johnson would hope to continue his recent goalscoring form for Jamaica against both St Kitts & Nevis and Bermuda in the Carribbean Championships . Juan Daniel Caballero , after omission in late summer, would also make his international return, called up for friendlies against South Korea and Belgium as would Erland Høiland , as Norway hosted Montenegro in a friendly before welcoming Croatia in the European International League. At Under 21 level, Brian Bell and the on loan Marc Paterson would hope to represent Scotland , whilst Coughlan , after his loan move north of the border, would be in the Ireland squad for games against Romania and Lithuania . With Mykola Kolosov injured and unavailable, Fairway arranged for the Goal of the Month trophy to be presented on the pitch ahead of kickoff in a bid to cheer up the injured teenager - Kolosov earning the accolade for his last minute stunner which gave Preston that vital first win - with Nathan Woods stepping up from the Under 23's for a place on the bench in the only change to take on Newcastle United .

Satisfied with the result and delighted with a gutsy performance, Fairway was even more happy to note that neither Kean Bryan or Ro-Shaun Williams had sustained serious injuries, and would be able to resume their usual places on Saturday. The brace for Rico Vanzie would also put his name in Fairway's mind for selection on Saturday, with some changes inevitable. By Friday he had his selection sorted, with Cameron Dawson, Mykola Kolosov and Erland Høiland all recalled, replacing Joaquim Manhate, Daniel Johnson and Vanzie , with Craig Campbell and Jamie Burgess keeping their places after impressive performances. Vanzie, to his credit, did not seem too unhappy, with Fairway making a special point of praising the striker who had taken his chances well. Another who had impressed would be teenage prospect Eddie Ryder , who seemed delighted to have been given the opportunity to make his First Team debut, and carried on his good form into the weekend - Jordan Sharvin advising Fairway that he had awarded the 16 year old midfielder Man of the Match as the Under 18's held FC United away on Saturday morning. Ryder laid on Preston's goal - a fine ball into the box which Michael Bywater tucked away from close range. Fairway took the call from Sharvin shortly after arriving at Deepdale, having first been watching the draw for the last 16 of the League Cup - a stage which Preston had never previously progressed beyond. Championship outfit Wolves , at home, would be the opponents, with Fairway hopeful that his side could at least reach the Quarter Finals.

For the first time in a long while Fairway allowed his heart to overrule his head at the Press Conference following the game, criticising the decision to sent Kolosov from the field, which would bring an almost instant rebuke from the FA under the 'Respect' agenda. North End would remain 16th in the table following the weekend fixtures, outside of the relegation zone at this early stage but still with the need to get some early points on the board. Fairway pondered his team selection throughout Monday - with a trip to the capital on Wednesday night in the League Cup, and Kolosov suspended, at least one change would be needed, but with three important league games, all at home, coming up, and the League Cup not a priority, he decided that more wholesale changes would be in order, with Rico Vanzie in place of Erland Høiland and Daniel Johnson replacing Kolosov for their first starts of the season, with recalls for Jamie Burgess, Joaquim Manjate and Craig Campbell , replacing Fulgini, Dawson and Michealis . The bench would also see potential opportunities - Tom Coughlan involved in the first team squad once more, with teenagers Eddie Ryder and Micheal Bywater also coming along for the ride.

The mood in the camp was almost comparable to that which Fairway had seen after the playoffs, with Preston's players - and indeed coaching staff - delighted to have thrown the monkey off their back and earned the first points of the season. Whilst he did not want to dampen the mood too much, the manager reminded his squad that they still had a long and hard road ahead of them. Even he though did not expect the news on Wednesday that new signing Kacper Wojdak , solid on his debut, would be ruled out for between 6 and 8 weeks, and would require surgery to repair a double hernia after a training ground collision left him in clear discomfort. Disappointed and frustrated, Fairway bemoaned his side's luck at a somewhat fraught press conference on Thursday ahead of the Manchester United game at the weekend, but would at least tie up the deal to bring in Moris Sportelli later in the day to give cover at the back. For the trip to Old Trafford though it would be Sam Bowles deputising for Wojdak in one of three changes with Brian Bell on the bench, goalscorer Mykola Kolosov would start in place of Juan Daniel Caballero , whilst up front Craig Campbell's continued inconsistent performances saw Steve Michealis , the man who scored the goal which gave Preston the honour of going to such hallowed venues, the opportunity of a first start of the season to partner Erlend Høiland up front.

With his plans for a restful Saturday in mind, Fairway avoided a trip to Springfields to watch the Under 18's go down 3-1 to Bury on Saturday morning, instead getting the vital details after the game by phone. Whilst it was not a particularly good day for Preston, with only a Sonny Massey goal for the North End youngsters, Fairway couldn't help but turn on the radio for Sports Report on BBC Radio 5 , smiling as he remembered the rush back to the car in time for the jaunty theme tune in his younger days. There, he would learn of a successful day for another Preston youngster, as Alex Lane scored twice on his first start in a 2-1 win for Bradford City , with the loan spell seemingly starting well. Training resumed on Monday with further bad news for Sam Bowles , who suffered strained neck muscles to rule him out for a week, but there was more positive information coming out of Dublin, with Tom Coughlan part of the Ireland Under 21 side who saw off the Faeroe Islands 2-0. Brian Bell and Marc Paterson would be part of the Scotland side who fell to a 3-1 home defeat to Germany , and for Joaquim Manjate there would be a second defeat on the bounce as Mozambique are already facing an uphill struggle to qualify for the African Cup of Nations after losing 2-0 to South Africa . Erlend Høiland would also be on the losing side as Norway lost 1-0 in Slovenia , but there were wins for the USA against El Salvador with Nathan Woods getting a half, and Mykola Kolosov would also be successful, claiming an assist as Ukraine bounced back from 2-0 down to beat Georgia 3-2 thanks to a stoppage time penalty. The big international, at least as far as Fairway was concerned, came on Tuesday evening, with a goalless draw between Scotland and England at Hampden Park. A tense but fiery affair saw referee Marco Guida of Italy dish out six yellow cards, with the hosts on top of possession but England having more chances. The Preston interest saw Craig Campbell earn his fifth cap off the bench, but for Nicky Hughes , it would be another game as an unused substitute. Tuesday also saw games for Australia , who beat Thailand 3-1 with Steve Michealis replaced after 65 goalless minutes and Qatar , with Abdulla Al-Yazeedi scoring the second goal late on in a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia . Daniel Johnson though would be the big success story - two goals for the Jamaica midfielder in a 4-1 victory over Aruba with both trademark strikes from long range. Thursday would see another blow to the Preston defence, with former club captain Tom Clarke injured in training, and promptly ruled out for 8 weeks with a double hernia. The news was not good, with Clarke's injury combining with the one suffered by Sam Bowles earlier in the week meaning that Fairway now considered Preston seriously lacked cover at the back. The matter was top of the agenda at the weekly coaches meeting, and, after consideration, the manager acted decisively. Noting that players signed on free transfers could be registered at any time, Fairway asked Leon Hunter for any who could be suitable. After consulting with his team, Hunter came back with the name of Moris Sportelli , a 22-year old centre back who had come through the ranks at Italian giants AC Milan , before being released in the summer. After reading the reports, Fairway sanctioned an approach - Sportelli offered a deal until the end of the season, giving both club and player plenty of flexibility. Preston's Under 18's took centre stage on Saturday, with the First Team not in action until Monday night's televised trip to West Bromwich Albion , with Fairway in attendance as Michael Bywater scored twice in a comfortable victory away at Carlisle . The big news in the Premier League meanwhile came at Anfield, with Ben Woodburn continuing his stunning start to the season by hitting four as Liverpool crushed Spurs 5-1. Results elsewhere saw North End drop to 18th, albeit with a game in hand, with Fairway noting that there were just two other sides so far without a point, with Brighton and Swansea still to get off the mark. Brighton promptly made it just two sides, also knocking North End down to 19th, by earning a draw at south coast rivals Bournemouth on Sunday, but Fairway paid the table scant consideration, with 35 games for North End still to play. They would start on Monday, with Sam Bowles also passed fit to be included, leaving Brian Bell , who had been earmarked for a spot on the bench, disappointed, with Preston making just the one change, handing new signing Kacper Wojdak a start with Bowles dropping to the bench.

Thanks, glad you are enjoying the ride!

Preston would come in for some criticism in the aftermath of the defeat for throwing away points from a winning position, but Fairway felt this was somewhat harsh, especially given that two of the goals were from penalties, neither of which certain players who were closer to the incidents felt should have been awarded. The manager himself took a pragmatic view - Preston had played three sides in their first three games who could be expected to be in the top 8 or so come the end of the season, and with a 14 day gap before the trip to West Bromwich Albion , there was time to change things in training in order to get a good result in front of the TV cameras at the Hawthorns. Gareth Southgate meanwhile delayed his England squad announcement until after the weekend fixtures, with James Boothby and Reece Burke both given opportunities, but Cameron Dawson would be disappointed, with Ben Garratt back in the squad after missing out on a trip to the World Cup . There would be good news for Nathan Woods , called up to the USA Under 20 squad for a game against El Salvador , whilst on Monday one of the most eagerly anticipated days of the football season for many - especially journalists - would get underway, as transfer deadline day started with a bang, with defender Ross Quinn moving from Middlesbrough to Liverpool for a shade under £19 million. Quinn's move remained the biggest throughout the early part of the morning, whilst Vlad Dragomir saw an unhappy spell at Arsenal end with a move to German side Hoffenheim , but at Deepdale, a flurry of activity seemed to go unreported, with Fairway somewhat amused to note that Kacper Wojdak was still being reported as a target for other clubs whilst he was being shown around Deepdale. Negotiations for the 23 year old Polish international were still ongoing whilst Wojdak was flying to England with his agent, with Lech Poznan proving tough bargaining partners, but, as Wojdak was whisked to Deepdale by taxi, terms were finally agreed on an initial £4.4 million move. The centre back had been on Fairway's radar in the summer, with Ro-Shaun Williams instead signed then, but having seen Sam Bowles struggle with the pace of the Premier League, the manager decided to act whilst he still had the opportunity. The deals continued to come thick and fast - Andile Jodwana swapping WBA for Real Madrid for a fee of £21.5 Million, whilst Mauricio Muro , a tremendously talented Argentinean striker tipped signed for Liverpool for just over £25 million from Palmerias , before, at 1pm, Fairway was finally able to confirm Preston's deadline day move, as a beaming Kacper Wojdak was presented with his Number 18 shirt before the press. The signing took Preston's summer spending over the £20 million mark, and although Fairway still had room to manoeuvre in the market, he felt that there were unlikely to be any more arrivals at Deepdale until at least January. The domestic market too seemed to slow down as the day wore on, with only Brighton & Hove Albion , who brought in defenders Tommie Hoban from Newcastle and Jordi Osei-Tutu from Rangers active, though in Germany's Bundesliga there was still money to be spent, with Schalke splashing out £32.5 Million, a record fee for the day, on winger Mirko Blazic from Celta Vigo . There would be one late signing in England, with José Gaya just squeezing through prior to the window closing, joining Leicester City from Paris St-Germain in a £9.25 Million move. After his busy Wednesday, and with Thursday interrupted by journalists seeking quotes regarding the arrival of Wojdak, Fairway was grateful for the chance for a break to read up on his international stars on Friday morning, with many of Preston's players having successful games. Abdulla Al-Yazeedi scored for Qatar in a 3-0 win against Bahrain , whilst Steve Michealis and Daniel Johnson played for Australia and Jamaica in a 3-3 draw against Syria and a 2-1 win over Costa Rica respectively. It would only be Joaquim Manjate of the senior players who ended up on the losing side as Mozambique went down 1-0 to Senegal , but there would be better news for the Scotland Under 23's who beat Georgia 1-0 with Brian Bell and Marc Paterson playing throughout. Tom Coughlan had an easier ride as Ireland cruised past minnows Gibraltar 2-0, whilst Erlend Høiland scored for Norway in a 3-1 win against Latvia . There would also be a debut goal - for Mykola Kolosov as Ukraine thrashed San Marino 8-0 in Dnipro, with the young midfielder also claiming an assist. Back at base, Preston's Under 23's saw off AFC Flyde thanks to goals from Michael Bywater and Tom Huddlestone , whilst Fairway looked forward to a rare Saturday off.