Hey, Nineteen (The Saga of FMS FC)

[tenthreeleader]

Author’s Notes: All right, gentlemen, here it is. Be warned and advised: everything that happens from here on out is determined by the game’s AI. Your initial ratings, valuations, and reputations are determined by the engine at game startup, based mainly on your signup information. The ratings you gave me to sign up may or may not be exactly the ones used in the game at start. The game is random that way.

Enjoy where your careers take you. The first season will be written more slowly than the others since everyone is still on the same team. As your travels take you around Europe, the writing here will change.

Enjoy. I know I will. I’m going to try to keep this light – the rest is up to you. If I misspell any of your player names, it’s your fault for making them difficult.

TTL

3 April 2013

EDIT: And oh, by the way ... please pardon the Steely Dan reference. It's just that there are nineteen signups, and ... well ... anyhow, there's Cuervo Gold mentioned in the song by that title and that's yummy.

[tenthreeleader]

FMS FC 2012-13 season -- “You Can’t Win Anything With Kids”

1^st July 2012 – Mark Wilson Park, London

Ortega van Liefthuizen looked around the changing room.

The goalkeeper stood alone. His other mates, part of one of the most wildly talked-about youth groups in the history of football, were in training.

The 15-year old stood by himself in the room, as the only member of the 19-player class not selected to train with the FMS FC senior squad. He was waiting for the other schoolboys.

The “Fightin’ Writers” had a crop of players coming in. Oh, boy, did they. People raved about them. When they passed in the street, the townspeople waved at them, and they even used all their fingers.

The Busby Babes? Pikers. Alex Ferguson’s homegrown class? Amateurs. West Ham Academy of Football? Meh.

We’re talking about real players here. Those who also write.

But, at training, the Dutchman was being left behind. It was enough to make him want to start a diary.

The club had such great talent - but no manager. There were rumors of a new boss coming in that would change everything at the club but the senior squad, to a man, were looking over their shoulders at the young talent coming up. And why not?

Goalkeepers

Ortega van Liefthuizen (15) - gavrenwick

Value: £110,000

Status: Hot prospect – unavailable for loan

Reputation: Local

Jose Bo Jose (16) - BenArsenal

Value: £70,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Chris Fuller (16) - CFuller

Value: £190,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: National

Defenders

Law Martin (SW/DC, 15) - Lawlore

Value: £110,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Cierán Clarke (DR/DC, 16) - mistahc

Value: £170,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Edward Nygma (DL/DR, 16) – swagat sinha

Value: £240,000

Status: Hot Prospect

Reputation: National

Stuart Dubb (DR/DM, 16) – edgar555

Value: £130,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Mike Kowalski (DC, 16) – Celtic_1967

Value: £150,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Gavin Mathieson (D/WBL, 15) - Spav

Value: £230,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: National

Midfielders

David Preece (DM/MC/MR, 16) – STFCDP1990

Value: £140,000

Status: Hot Prospect

Reputation: Local

Ashley Marks (AMR/AMC, 16) – Manxie_Ash

Value: £180,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Joel Hochstetter (M/RC, AMR, 15) – soccer.joel

Value: £350,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: National

Chester Fantu (M/AML/ST, 16) – aka Leon Sandcastle, chesterfan2

Value: £240,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: National

Oscar Rudyard (MC/AMC, 16) – Offspring8

Value: £140,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Ulrich von Lichtenstein (AMC/ST, 16) - Panpardus

Value: £180,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Strikers

Lee Rothery (ST/AMR, 15) - LEEMOD

Value: £220,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Marco Baroni (ST, 16) – Mark Wilson27

Value: £150,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

Phil McCracken (ST, 16) – salkster2102

Value: £220,000

Squad Status: Hot Prospect

Reputation: Local

Matt Warner (ST/AMC, 15) – Matt_no_7

Value: £160,000

Status: Hot prospect

Reputation: Local

They were all good. They were all highly valued, especially for schoolboys. And they all had huge potential.

There were glamour boys. Midfielder Joel Hochstetter was expected to step straight into the eleven despite being just fifteen years of age, but his precocious talent was considered more than enough to fit the bill for the team.

Lots of them were going to play. Some of them would play more than others.

And van Liefthuizen wondered why he wasn’t one of the senior squad.

# # #

[gavrenwick]

Chester Fantu (M/AML/ST, 16) – aka Leon Sandcastle, chesterfan2

Absolutely. Amazing. Made my evening just that one snippet, and I don't know why I find it funny. chesterfan <3

[edgar555]

And they're off! Can't wait to see how this goes.

[tenthreeleader]

The other guys – those club members who were there before the influx of The Nineteen - still wanted to play.

Free agent defender Adie Whitbread, who kind of looked like a cartoon character even at age 25, penned a new deal that very next week, to the consternation of six of the Nineteen who would now have to fight him for a place.

Whitbread was also immediately named club captain for the first friendly, which annoyed all nineteen of them. Since there was no manager in place, the Nineteen wondered who was running the show and signing players – and naming captains.

However, 29-year old veteran defender Jake Ash accepted a free transfer from Dartford and was gone the next day. That wasn’t nearly as upsetting.

Striker Stuart Yetton also agreed terms with Dartford the day after that, and the 27-year old didn’t let the door hit him where the Good Lord split him.

However, the still-managerless Fightin’ Writers had a match to play against Barnet, in their first friendly of the season at the club’s brand spanking new home, The Love Shack.

Note: Players listed with both names in team summaries are not members of the FMS group.

FMS 2-0 Barnet – 21 July 2012 – Friendly #1

Bo Jose, Clarke, Mathieson, Adie Whitbread (capt), Martin, Hochstetter, Fantu, Preece, Rudyard, Rothery, McCracken.

Goals: Fantu (29), Hochstetter (42). Man of the Match: Clarke.

And then another, against slightly better opposition:

FMS 2-1 Fulham Reserves – 25 July 2012 – Friendly #2

Fuller, Dubb, Nygma, Conleith Corcoran, Whitbread, Marks, Fantu, Hochstetter, Rudyard, Warner, Baroni

Goals: Warner 19, Baroni 34. Man of the Match: van Liefthuizen (sub).

So, the youngster had earned his place after all.

# # #

[mark wilson27]

I've heard that Baroni is a top player, lets hope the rest can match up to him

[Spav]

Let's hope Mathieson makes his mark at left-back for many years to come.

[mistahc]

Mom in our first friendly. Happy with that. New Steve finnan that young man. Just watch him rack up those Ireland caps and captain his country.

[Lawlore]

There's never a reason to apologise for Steely Dan. Really looking forward to how this plays out.

[edgar555]

Mom in our first friendly. Happy with that. New Steve finnan that young man. Just watch him rack up those Ireland caps and captain his country.

He's got to compete with the Dubb-ster for that right back slot first. Although I reckon Spurs will come sniffing round sooner rather than later and whisk my man to Premier League glory

[LEEMOD]

comon Rothery!!!!! This is a great idea

[soccer.joel]

Good to see I'm highly rated

[tenthreeleader]

Good to see you gentlemen jockeying for places. Now meet the man who will help shape your futures.

___

And then, the manager arrived.

His name was Barry Blankley.

Chairman Vladimir Sovietskymafia introduced the new boss at a news conference on the 28^th July.

To call him experienced would have been accurate. To call him well traveled would have been even more accurate.

A player at Bashley in the Southern Premier League back in the day, the 47-year old boss had managed the semi-professional Bash upon retirement and had followed that up with a spectacularly forgettable stint at Totton, followed by three months of utter bliss as a scout at Basingstoke.

He was nearly able to guide Salisbury to the 2006 Southern League Premier Division championship but could not as he was only the assistant manager.

He then got the left-hand seat on the team coach at Havant and Waterlooville before Sovietskymafia made his signing.

Sovietskymafia was an interesting fellow. He was the only known Russian oil mogul who wasn’t a billionaire. As a result, his machinations to take over an English club had landed considerably short of the Premiership. But he had to start somewhere.

So, the Poison Pens had their man in charge.

And he hadn’t managed in ... eight years.

That night, Blankley took the reins of the team in their third friendly at Parkfield, in what they would have called a beer league softball match in the States:

Potters Bar 0-2 FMS – 28 July 2012 – Friendly #3

Fuller, Kieran Lawal, Nygma, Martin, Adie Whitbread, Les Afful, Fantu, Hochstetter, Rudyard, von Lichtenstein, McCracken.

Goals: McCracken 22, von Lichtenstein 42. Man of the Match: Nygma.

Perhaps the biggest news of the day was “The London Footsie” sending three reporters to cover Blankley’s first post-match press conference, with the only man in the room not from that publication asking the key question about the manager’s intended tactical approach.

Aggressively, Blankley said, “We need to make sure we have a balanced approach. It is little use having a brilliant front-line if you can’t defend a lead.”

So. Aggressive balance. Kinda like jumbo shrimp.

Thirteen of the nineteen youngsters on the squad could be seen pantomiming the appearance of vomiting into a large bucket.

Thus ended July.

# # #

[Lawlore]

I'm not sure about this gaffer. Every time I talk to him, he gives me a Blank face. Ho ho.

Still, three wins from three- nothing to be sniffed at.

[Spav]

The new boss obviously hadn't spotted Mathieson's talent when it came to picking the team for his first game in charge.

[Matt_no_7]

Not picked... For Potters Bar?!!? I smell a transfer request

[tenthreeleader]

Oxford City 0-1 FMS – 4 August 2013 – Friendly #4

Bo Jose, Clarke, Mathieson, Conleith Corcoran, Kowalski, Marks, Fantu, Preece, Joe Broad, Warner, Rothery.

Goals: Preece 34. Man of the Match: Clarke.

Clarke continued to play well as the friendly schedule concluded on 4 August.

With Blankley rotating his players for time on the pitch, Clarke earned his second sponsors’ award in as many starts in a victory before 222 stalwart supporters at Court Place Farm.

The home team had done surprisingly well for itself, forcing Mathieson into a forgettable contest at wing back. He was only slightly better than Broad, who was making his first start and if his match rating was any indication, his last.

Bo Jose, the eccentric keeper, tried to earn laughs in the pre-match warm-ups by wearing his shirt backward, but club captain Whitbread would have none of it. Bo Jose then earned a clean sheet.

19-year old free agent central midfielder Graeme MacGregor was Blankley’s first transfer target, and snubbed the Poison Pens to the great delight of six of the Nineteen.

The former Bolton trainee and Hamilton Accies loanee instead accepted a free deal to play for Tina Powell at St. Mirren. Not bad, that.

However, veteran central midfielder Alex Burke didn’t snub the Pens, and his signing at £33,000 per year – light years above any of what the Nineteen made on their youth deals – meant he’d be taking playing time away from someone in the midfield in short order.

The former Kilmarnock, Falkirk, Clydebank, Berwick, Queen of the South, Ross County, St. Mirren. Dunfermline and Ayr man had nearly completed the “Scottish Football World Tour” before coming south of the border for the first time in his career.

Of still better news was the announcement of 215 season ticket sales for the club at the 11,600-seat Love Shack. The installation of new, stick-resistant couches in the front lobby foyer was believed to be a key factor in the increased sales.

Winners of all four of their friendlies, the Fightin’ Writers and their new manager now had to play for real. Billericay Town awaited, along with the start of the Blue Square South schedule.

It was time to see if The Nineteen could really play!

# # #

[LEEMOD]

Common gaffer, give me a chance in the first game, I'll get you a goal, We're doing well, I feel I play well with Baroni, stick us two up front

[BenArsenal]

I'm lovin' this. Lovin' this!

[mistahc]

Fingers crossed for that first game.

Great writing ttl, like a bit of comedy

[salkster2102]

First goal for the club

We are playing in Gav's cellar

[edgar555]

I'd like to say I'm pleased for Clarke but I'd be lying

This new manager needs to play Dubb or he'll be moody as anything.

[mark wilson27]

Does the new gaffer know I have connections with the Russian mafia, either play me or find a broken vodka bottle on ya pillow....you have been warned

[tenthreeleader]

Glad you're having fun, gentlemen. That's what this is supposed to be all about.

__

Ortega van Liefthuizen lay on the ground.

The 15-year old keeper knew something was wrong when he couldn’t stand up in training.

He would miss the club’s first-ever game in the Blue Square South with a sports hernia, and would be ruled out of action for five weeks.

The keeper was annoyed, but Blankley told the press he didn’t think the Dutchman had bowels old enough to contract a hernia. That was helpful.

Blowing a two-goal lead in the last half hour away to Billericay in the first match of the season, on the other hand, was not.

Regular season summaries – Players in bold-face are used substitutes. With the exception of Bo Jose, players listed with two names are not part of the Nineteen.

Billericay Town 2-2 FMS – 18^th August 2012 – BSS #1

Fuller, Clarke, Nygma, Conleith Corcoran, Adie Whitbread, Marks, Fantu, Preece, Rudyard, Warner, McCracken. Subs – Bo Jose, Martin, Dubb, Rothery, von Lichtenstein.

Goals:

Billericay – Wayne Carlisle 60, Eljay Worrell 78

FMS – McCracken 8, 33.

Man of the Match – Rudyard.

Rudyard earned praise from Blankley after the match, which saw twelve Pens make their professional debuts. Despite a brace from McCracken, who filled in well (rimshot), it still wasn’t enough. Perhaps the manager’s aggressive balance wasn’t such a bad thing.

The next match was better against ten-man Havant and Waterlooville, though with a much different cast of characters:

FMS 3-0 Havant and Waterlooville – 21^st August 2012 – BSS #2

Fuller, Clarke, Nygma, Adie Whitbread, Kowalski, Hochstetter, Alex Burke, Preece, Joe Broad, Warner, Baroni. Subs; Bo Jose, Mathieson, Dubb, McCracken, Lichtenstein

Goals

FMS – Warner 16, 47; Baroni pen 38

H&W – Ollie Palmer s/o 49

Man of the Match: Clarke.

The Pens had 66 percent of the possession against their undermanned opponents and Clarke told the press after the match that he was keenly hopeful of nailing down a first team place, drawing the praise of H&W manager Lee Bradbury in the process as well as a gold star from the fans’ representative.

Baroni scored from the spot on his professional debut with Kowalski and Hochstetter also making their curtain-raisers among the Nineteen.

Meanwhile, Lee Rothery tallied for the reserves in their first match of the season, a 2-0 win away to Bromley.

# # #

[chesterfan2]

Dropped ! Dropped ! You don't drop The Fantu ! Now where did I put the number of my agent ? Hang on, do I actually have an agent ?

[Lawlore]

Well, not so much an agent as a mother.

Besides, I've gone from last-minute sub to missing person! I blame that Adie Whitbread.

[salkster2102]

I give us a 2 goal lead which we mess up and then I get dropped. Where is that Spanish Waiter's number?

[BenArsenal]

Dammit. Destined to be the dreaded number 2 keeper.

Never mind. Hope my eccentricity earns me a decent career. Probably as a clown.

[LEEMOD]

Gaffer common, I can score, get me a good run in the team!!

[Matt_no_7]

Nice double against H&W... Would it be a bit too hopeful for a Ballon d'Or come January?

[mark wilson27]

One in One, strikers cant complain about that....just remember my previous warning gaffer

[Panpardus]

This gaffer is taking the p155, I score in my first game for the club and then sit on the pine after that.

Does he know who I AM? I'm William Thatcher.

Oops, I mean Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein.

[swagat sinha]

Woohoo! Man of the Match! Yay (Sorry, read the friendly report late )

[Manxie_Ash]

Loving it Tenthree !

[gavrenwick]

My man is still studying for his GCSE's, so ya'know, no time for football and all that.

[mistahc]

My man is still studying for his GCSE's, so ya'know, no time for football and all that.

If the 16 year old you is anything like the one in the other story, he's probably in his room "studying". Await the inevitable wrist injury. :-)

[gavrenwick]

It is on it's way!

Lovely writing btw tenthree, but why am I telling you that? You already know.

[soccer.joel]

Good to see I'm making an early impact

[TwinsFan86]

Kinda bummed I missed the sign up for this one. Looks great.

[tenthreeleader]

Oh, we're going to have fun with this save, fellows!

___

FMS 1-1 Salisbury City – 25^th August 2012 – BSS #3

Fuller, Clarke, Nygma, Conleith Corcoran, Adie Whitbread, Marks, Fantu, Preece, Rudyard, Warner, McCracken. Subs: Bo Jose, Mathieson, Dubb, Baroni, von Lichtenstein.

Goals

FMS – Warner (pen 9)

Salisbury – Jamie White (44)

Man of the Match – Warner.

Another lost lead.

The Fightin’ Writers had already left four points on the table in just three matches after coughing up an early lead at The Love Shack against Salisbury.

A booking for Captain Cartoon, Whitbread, led to a free kick that produced Jamie White’s equalizer, earning the captain the behind-the-back scorn of the Nineteen.

It was a very winnable match.

Perhaps even more surprising than the captain’s indiscretion on the field was Blankley’s decision to name van Liefthuizen as the team’s vice-captain at 15 years of age off of it.

The Dutchman was pleased, and despite being strapped to the training table for hernia treatment, and also still not being formally listed as being on the senior squad, said it was his job to earn all along.

Meanwhile, the team’s “von”, Lichtenstein, made his professional debut in the match to what writers described as a ‘rapturous ovation’. Draw from that what you will. Mathieson also made his FMS debut in this match.

The Pens entered their fourth league match, and final match of August, in seventh place in the table away to Weston-super-Mare:

Weston-super-Mare 1-1 FMS – 27^th August 2012 – BSS #4

Fuller, Clarke, Nygma, Adie Whitbread, Kowalski, Hochstetter, Les Afful, Preece, Alex Burke, Warner, Baroni. Subs: Bo Jose, Corcoran, Dubb, Rothery, von Lichtenstein.

Goals

Weston-super-Mare – Robbie Maggs (68)

FMS – Lee Rothery (88)

Man of the Match – Kowalski

Rothery’s goal at the death saved a point for the Writers, who had fallen behind at Woodspring Stadium thanks to a 68^th minute strike from Robbie Maggs.

The big story, though, was the menacing performance of Mancunian Mike Kowalski, who earned the sponsor’s award in just his second start, and a bottle of champagne he was, at least in theory, too young to drink.

“No one would go near him,” Blankley said after the match. “We thought that was because he wouldn’t shower after training yesterday, but really it was because everyone was scared of him.”

The news wasn’t so good for Law Martin, though. Playing in the reserve match against Chelmsford, he strained knee ligaments which will hold him out of the lineup for seven weeks.

August summary: 1-3-0 (6 points) – 10^th place, Blue Square Bet South

# # #

[edgar555]

This story makes me smile. Good work ttl.

I'd be more impressed if Dubb got a chance to start but he's off the bench in every game which is something I suppose. It's also good that the teams not losing. Not winning so much either but those wins will come.

[Spav]

Not a bad start to the league for the FMS FC considering that most of the team are just 16 years of age.

[LEEMOD]

Thanks Boss, I told you if you played me I'd get goals, Lee Lee Lee Rothery!!

[LEEMOD]

1 - 3 - 0 - isn't that 6 points?

Or did you mean 1 - 4 - 0?

[Matt_no_7]

Any chance we could get some match ratings as well?

[Lawlore]

Damn, seven weeks of staying off my feet. Maybe I'll try that new FM13 game... I hear it's got a brand new match engine.

[tenthreeleader]

Any chance we could get some match ratings as well?

For certain matches, yes. Bearing in mind that this is a career save for 19 players, I'm trying not to get completely bogged down in minutiae.

I'll update with overall statistics roughly at the halfway point of each season and again at the end.

[salkster2102]

1 - 3 - 0 - isn't that 6 points?

Or did you mean 1 - 4 - 0?

1 win and 3 draws = 6 points

Unbeaten start lads keep it up!

[LEEMOD]

I know it is, but it said 130 - 7 points

[tenthreeleader]

Thanks for the kind words, fellows. As for the last post, I derped the point total since 7 is next to 6 on a keyboard and then didn't catch it. So it's fixed now.

___

September began with a home match against Boreham Wood which saw the Fightin’ Writers favored.

Blankley angered the Nineteen again before that match by loaning American national Jon-Paul Pittman from League Two Oxford for five months.

The £130,000-rated midfielder/striker was figuring to take more playing time from the existing youngsters, so plans were immediately made to pour alum into his Gatorade bottle.

Outrage further filled the team’s training ground at Mark Wilson Park when Clarke and Warner came second and third in the first Player of the Month balloting behind Boreham Wood’s Graeme Montgomery. Both players wanted the award, which they had heard was useful for getting dates.

So they took out their frustrations on Boreham Wood.

FMS 4-1 Boreham Wood – 1^st September 2012 – BSS #5

Fuller, Clarke, Nygma, Adie Whitbread, Kowalski, Marks, Jon-Paul Pittman, Hochstetter, Rudyard, Warner, McCracken. Subs: Bo Jose, Mathieson, Dubb, Baroni, Fantu.

Goals

FMS – Warner 22, pen 32, 45; McCracken 31

Boreham Wood – Michael Thalassitis 28

Man of the Match – Warner (10.0)

Who the hell is Graeme Montgomery, anyway?

Warner lit up Boreham Wood with a hat trick as the Writers obliterated their visitors thanks to a spell of three goals in ten minutes.

Meanwhile, the Player of the Month didn’t even make the sixteen for the visitors, who were out of the match by halftime.

Boreham manager Ian Allenson said he wished he had a player like Warner, which puffed up the young striker beyond all reason and caused him to ask if Montgomery might loan him an award he was no longer using.

More importantly, the win extended the club’s winning streak to five games to start the season. Next up was Basingstoke:

Basingstoke Town 0-1 FMS – 4^th September 2012 – BSS #6

Fuller, Clarke, Nygma, Conleith Corcoran, Ade Whitbread, Hochstetter, Fantu, Preece, Rudyard, Rothery, Baroni. Subs: Bo Jose, Mathieson, Dubb, Warner, von Lichtenstein

Goals

Basingstoke – not hardly

FMS – von Lichtenstein 71

Man of the Match – Fantu

Warner’s hat trick reward was to start on the bench against Basingstoke at The Camrose. It took a goal by substitute von Lichtenstein nineteen minutes from time to earn the points for the Pens, who became unbeaten in six.

Sixty percent possession away from home certainly helped Blankley’s mood on the trip back, even if his side had left it late.

The match should have been a runaway.

The Writers set the Blue Square record for unbeaten matches in the contest, running their skein to six.

A top of the table clash with Maidenhead was next.

Maidenhead 1-4 FMS – 8^th September 2012 – BSS #7

Fuller, Dubb, Conleith Corcoran, Kieran Lawal, Adie Whitbread, Preece, Jon-Paul Pittman, Rudyard, Burke, Warner, McCracken. Subs: Paul Hider, Les Afful, Joe Broad, Rothery, von Lichtenstein.

Goals:

Maidenhead – Lee Barney 22

FMS – McCracken 7, Rothery 38, Conleith Corcoran 49, Rudyard pen 71

Man of the Match – Rudyard

From a Nineteen standpoint, this was the worst match yet. Only nine of the Nineteen made the match squad – the lowest figure yet.

However, Corcoran’s 49^th minute goal was the first one of the season that hadn’t been scored by one of their number, so the players had reason to be pleased.

McCracken and Dubb both went down with injuries, though, with only Dubb’s moderately serious – a mild groin strain that would keep him out for three weeks.

# # #