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[FM14] El Ricardo's Scottish Alternative


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It's been some time since I edited a league on a large scale (heck, I've been playing a mammoth FM11 save for the past 3 years!); but decided to finally put a proposed Scottish league re-organisation in to practice with the current release of FM14. I've had the organisation of the teams tucked away in an Excel spreadsheet for about a year and a half and what with the small steps being taken in real life to further produce a more meritocratic pyramid system, I thought I'd have a go with my own.

Firstly, the main premise is that this edit has decent investment at the top level, thanks in part to the sponsorship of Scottish whisky manufacturer Johnnie Walker and record a TV deal for Scottish football from BT Sport. Don't worry, the money isn't ridiculous and not over-powered. It does allow the teams that are not Celtic to 'catch up' somewhat though. The prize money for each league is more or less how the recent restructure is at present (see here) albeit adjusted accordingly with regards to the 16-16-16 league distribution.

The three leagues that constitute the SPFL are as follows:

Johnnie Walker SPFL Premiership

(16 teams - current league + top four from real 1st Division last season).

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Johnnie Walker SPFL Championship

(16 teams - bottom six teams from real 1st Division last season + 2nd Division).

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Johnnie Walker SPFL National League

(16 teams - current SPFL League 2 + the champions of Highland League; EoS Prem; Junior West Superleague; Junior East Premier League as well as Formartine United; Clydebank and Spartans).

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Below all of this is the newly constructed 'Alliance' system. Somewhat similar to the non-league system in England, we have as follows (18 teams in each):

McVitie's All of Scotland Alliance

Then we regionalise in to two:

Press & Journal Highland Alliance One

Stagecoach Lowland Alliance One

...then in to three:

Press & Journal Highland Alliance Two

Stagecoach Lowland Alliance Two (West)

Stagecoach Lowland Alliance Two (East)

Press & Journal Highland Alliance Three

Stagecoach Lowland Alliance Three (West)

Stagecoach Lowland Alliance Three (East)

My 'starting divisions' were decided on a mixture of last season's placings in their respective 'senior' or 'junior' league and combined them equally as much as possible; also making room for any reputation discrepancies, though I do profess to not having the greatest knowledge of Scottish non-league! The non-league boundaries north/south is Crieff, while the east/west is Shotts.

*NEW!!!*

SCOTTISH AMATEUR COMBINATION!!

Borders

Central Scotland

Dumfries & Galloway

Fife

Grampian

Highlands & Islands

Lothian

Strathclyde

Tayside

An exciting eighth tier makes things that little more interesting. Nine fictional divisions of twenty clubs, using leftover teams in the database, as well as fictional teams as far flung as Lerwick and Jura. Historical Glasgow club Third Lanark is resurrected back in to Cathkin Park! Approximately 100 new clubs, 60 new towns/villages and 100 stadiums created, with (as far as possible) correct ground/park names; kit colours and co-ordinates. Not only this, but there is an additional Amateur Cup involving all clubs at this level, as well as regional offshoots.

Cups

The main cups that already exist are present, with a little bit more prize money to keep it interesting in the main competitions as well as a couple of new additions.

Scottish Cup: All teams in league system. 4 qualifying rounds. (around 40% of the current English FA Cup prize totals in the Scottish Cup).

League Cup: 48 SPFL clubs. Seeded draws.

Challenge Cup: Championship and National League clubs.

Alliance Trophy: Similar format to the current Scottish Junior Cup. 160+ teams in the non-league system vie for this trophy.

Scottish Amateur Cup: 180 clubs in the ninth tier compete. This will be extended as the database develops.

SPFL Super Shield: Winners of the Premiership vs. Scottish Cup winners.

...and approximately 20 regional 'subsidiary' cups for Alliance/Under 20 clubs and 9 regional cups for Amateur clubs.

What's Next?

  • A ninth tier!!
  • Relegation from the amateur leagues.
  • Comprehensive awards in all leagues.
  • Sponsorship names for regional cups.
  • Cup Winners Cup competitions for previous years regional cup winners.
  • More clubs! More research!
  • A tidy up of any crap that people find.

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This looks very exciting - exactly what I've always tried to do (badly) myself. I'm currently playing a club I created in Castle Douglas and put in English Skrill North.

I will definitely start a new save when version 2 is out and trialled, hopefully taking an amateur Highlands & Islands club.

Poor ol' Fort William - possibly the team with the worst record in the world over the last few years - has taken a right tumble in your pyramid. One quibble though - you've omitted Golspie Sutherland - they have quite a high reputation (in FM13 anyway) - far higher than the likes of Tain Thistle.

Do keep us posted on progress, maybe informing us which amateur clubs you plan to create.

Oche Balboa - my apologies - I downloaded your league and had a good shufty - it's great, but I think I'll be going with this one.

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I didn't include the Northern Caledonian league clubs (and hence Golspie) in the initial Alliance pyramid mostly because it's of relatively 'lower' standard than the rest. I only included clubs from the 'Junior' and 'Senior' non league. Bear in mind I didn't know of the reputations when I first compiled the list - I did it 'blind', by compiling last season's league placings with relative league strengths (from what I researched anyway).

I'm almost done with creating the Border region amateur clubs now. It's a long old slog, what with having to create the villages and stadiums from scratch as well, but I'm getting there!

Some teams will be completely fictional. One example is 'Castlebay Rangers' - who will play their home games on Barra island in the Outer Hebrides (I've tried to represent all Islands in the Highland & Island Combination).

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I'm not brilliant at graphics - if anybody more able is willing to do it, be my guest! I'd prefer them to go with the metallic logo pack!

S'ok i decided to stick with my revamp, 4 x4 leagues of 20 for the divisions, replicating the english legues..

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Solved it. However, I won't upload a new link to the download until I've finished the rest of my updates. The next version will be very comprehensive, adding around 80 new clubs and 16 new cups as well as a revamped youth and reserve system.

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It's hard to say - I work long hours. I haven't been able to do a lot of editing recently due to late shifts and early starts the next day. I have this weekend off however, so will try and get a lot done by then. Factoring in Xmas, I can't see this done before the new year unless I don't sleep!

I basically have the Lothian, Dumfries & Galloway, Central Scotland and Highland clubs to create, as well as a few assorted 'extra' teams who will remain inactive below the amateur divisions who will fill the amateur cup. It takes me about a full day of editing to get around 25 teams finished. My estimate is I will need a good five full days of editing (like, 6 hours a day or so) to get this finished. It's finding the spare hours in the day which is the main problem!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just a quick progress update: I've done the most arduous task of creating the majority of new clubs to add in to the amateur leagues. Now all's left is the league rules and sorting teams in to regional cups, as well as a brush up of regional competitions/co-ordinates of all teams.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok folks, I can give you a date on when this should be finished. All 180 amateur clubs are in the system with set co-ordinates; stadiums; correct kit colours etc. With some further data additions and competition jiggery pokery, I've worked out my editing schedule should be able to be released on 19th January.

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A few teasers... :)

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Nearly there now, guys!! :D

Also - if there are any requests for your name to appear as a player in one of the amateur clubs, then let me know by PM. I wont mess with attributes, you'll be as random as everybody else. Other information such as position and other details can be added.

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Updated OP. :)

YESSSSSS!!!! :brock:

EDIT: Currently getting issues with compatibility with other leagues. I cant load your scottish league with Wills Level 10 English System and a couple of others. The nation itself becomes un-clickable, when at the load nations screen. Will's English pyramid loads fine with other leagues. :( It loads by itself just fine tho :)

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I didn't test with other leagues, I simply ran for a few seasons to make sure things updated properly.

Not sure why this error happens; hopefully something can be sorted out, as it'll be a shame if those two files cant be loaded together.

Yeh, same here! I do believe Will's league update is still in BETA testing, but I just ran it with the German update too, and the Scottish Nation is still greyed out as non-selecatable :( Perhaps you can load those leagues too and see if this is just a wild turkey, or actually a repeating issue?

It looks like a fantastic piece of work all the same tho. Hopefully these incompatibilities can be ironed out soon :)

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I can release a second file which uses only the basic rules to see if it helps. It means no televised cup matches or minimum stadium requirements in the Premiership; but it's a trade off I'm willing to make.

Sounds like a plan mate. Its a shame that Developers should have to make these compensations with an editor that's far from "bug-free" at the moment. Will the televised cup matches be available in the leagues below, or would you have to scrap them completely? :)

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I can release a second file which uses only the basic rules to see if it helps. It means no televised cup matches or minimum stadium requirements in the Premiership; but it's a trade off I'm willing to make.

Dont lower the quality of your own work because 1 guy wants to run your edited database with another beta edited database.

There will always be issues when using multiple databases like this so let that guy just live with it. or figure a way to fix it himself with the editor.

Very nice work though m8.

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I won't be lowering my work; just making two files available. One advanced and one 'basic'. The things I changed in the advanced rules weren't a lot anyway. Besides, I want to use both of the files together too! :p

It may not even be anything to do with that. I believe it's a conflicting ID or some such. It's interesting how in timmytiger's screenshot, it mentions completely different competition errors to my loading screen. I'll have a look under the bonnet.

Edit: Turns out the 'basic file' idea is a non-starter - I'm still running into the problem. Despite using the editor an awful lot, I still consider myself something of a novice when it comes to spotting problems within databases, such as compatibility issues. If a wiser head could shed more light, it would be appreciated!

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