smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Real Life Coach Meets Football Manager 2014 Hello all, first off I would to introduce myself. My name is Sean and my whole life pretty much revolves around football. In real life I am a professional coach, currently employed part-time while undergoing further studies. When I am not coaching/managing I immerse myself into the addictive world of Football Manager and this version I have completed a number of challenges such as Ri's Anglo-Euro Youth Challenge (Bury Town F.C.) and Gundo's European Adventure (HK, Iceland). In this career I am looking to emulate a career that fits in realistically with my current qualifications and experience and as such I have downloaded FCUnitedWill's English Tier 10 Database and LouieBlue's USA Tier 4 Database (I can't speak any other language). I am going to be playing this career as realistic as possible, so I will be starting with a local lower league team and seeing where it takes me. As I cannot be my actual age (23), I will be playing this almost retrospectively as though I am 25 having just finished my further studies and coaching badge I am currently working towards. I'm ready to leave the world of youth coaching to take on the more demanding senior management roles. So without further adieu I introduce you to my manager profile. Manager Profile Coaching CV Haverhill Rovers Youth Coach (2006-2009) Eastbourne Borough Youth Coach (2009-11) Brighton & Hove Albion Youth Coach (2011-13) Cambridge United Youth Coach (2013-Present) (Bsc) Sport Coaching Degree (Msc) Sport Psychology UEFA B Licence Sunday League Playing Experience Let's see where this career takes me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadessico Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 sounds interesting, good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Cheers, Nadessico. I Have currently applied for Haverhill Borough, Halstead Town and Team Bury from the Eastern Counties First Division, as well as Eastbourne United who I have previous ties with. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Breaking News: Page takes over Haverhill Borough My first adventure into senior management comes about as local as it can get - Haverhill Borough train and play within a 10 minute walk from my house. I was offered positions at Halstead, Team Bury and Eastbourne United but these opportunities would require more travelling and a relocation for the latter. Borough ground-share at the New Croft with 9th Tier Haverhill Rovers and gained promotion to the Eastern Counties First Division (10th Tier) by winning the Suffolk/Essex Border League in 2012/13. In real life, I know most of the players who play for this team, but in FM I have been given a bunch of 16/17 year old regens none of which stand out. Welcome to Management. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
borobadger Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Nice idea, good luck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Haverhill Borough Transfers July 2013 My first task as Manager is bulking out the squad. Due to a shoestring budget and low reputation (we're predicted to come bottom) I have to put up with the 16 players I have already, however I was given no strikers! I snapped up 2 full-backs and 2 strikers who were successful in trials (greyed out players) and went searching with the tiny budget I had to find myself some first choice strikers. Medi Koroma is a fantastic acquisition for us and there is one huge reason for that - PACE. Koroma started out at Lewes making his Conference South debut at 17, but was released and has since plied his trade at a host of Sussex County / Isthmian sides such as Worthing, Ringmer and Redhill. We will be playing an Arrigo Sacchi style 4-4-2 that also utilises a big man / little man combo and I feel that Saunders compliments Koroma perfectly. I hope they can develop a great partnership. Released by Northern Premier side Matlock before making their U18 setup. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjampman Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Good luck. Just out of curiosity what level is tier 10, am I right in assuming Skrill North/South is level 6? How is the finances and contract status at that level? Is it all amateurs? The two strikers you have signed seem really good key attributes. Medi should definitely be able to out run all the at that level. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Good luck.Just out of curiosity what level is tier 10, am I right in assuming Skrill North/South is level 6? How is the finances and contract status at that level? Is it all amateurs? The two strikers you have signed seem really good key attributes. Medi should definitely be able to out run all the at that level. Cheers, You're right Conference North/South is tier 6, followed by Regional Premier Divisions (3 leagues), Regional First Divisions (6 Leagues), County Top Divisions, County Second Divisions. At this level, it is officially semi-professional though from my knowledge of real life clubs only the bigger teams offer half decent (£50 p/w+) wages. In my team most of my players are on £5 p/w youth contracts, with the exception of Medi Koroma who is earning the club maximum of £20 p/w. Finance wise we are leaking money already so I'm hoping for a decent cup run to help out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 News item came up stating Haverhill Borough may be taken over by a consortium, possibly including a former footballer. Not going to get excited until its closer to the deal though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Haverhill Borough Aug-Sep 2013 Update It's certainly been an event filled beginning to my managerial career. Everything started very well, picking up 4 straight league wins to start. However, then we were submerged into an injury crisis. Saunders was the first key player to be hit by the injury plague, which spread to to a total of 6 key players after the Newmarket Town game. This was dreadful because not only did we get knocked out of the only cup we can make some money from, we also lost 13 goals in 10 games striker Medi Koroma for 3 months. Despite the injury woes, we were plodding along quite nicely until off-field events turned my time at Haverhill Borough sour... Not quite what I was hoping at the beginning of my career, already I have experienced the darkness that can accompany football management. I was hoping my on-field success where I had steered the team predicted bottom to 2nd would be enough to convince the new board to keep me on, but alas I was wrong. If it wasn't for my continued part-time youth coaching I would be signing up for the dole. Where to next? Part of me wants to jump ship to America... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Harsh . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Harsh . Yes it is harsh, but I guess that's just the way the world of Football is! I've learnt a lesson from it though, I'm going to approach this game from a very selfish point of view and not get attached to teams. I'm only looking out for the best deals for myself. On that note, this little beauty popped up in my news feed: Lead candidate for a club 2 leagues above Haverhill Borough, suck on that Gerry Matthews . From a realistic point of view it would require a re-location but I have family in (relatively) close by Enfield so I would plan to move there. Not counting my chickens yet though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Interest laughed off by Chesham Utd and Hinckley Utd, but I have interviews with Eastbourne United, Team Bury and Romford. More to follow! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Quick Turnaround - Page appointed at Romford F.C. Romford currently play in the Isthmian North Division and have established themselves as a mid-table side since their 2009 promotion from the Essex Senior League. Another club without their own ground, Romford are currently tennants at Thurrock's Ship Lane and are nicknamed 'The Boro'. I will certainly have my work cut out as their first team squad contains 12 players, of which 6 are currently injured. I've got a game a day after my appointment which will give me a good idea of how the squad stands currently but its going to need a revamp. I've also taken a nice pay rise from £240 p/w to £325 p/w Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Nice to be back in the mix. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Things seemed to be going alright after all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Romford Rushed Signings Lloyd Graham ~ James Bunn ~ Dan Evans ~ Andy Jones ~ Tommy Williams We needed players and quick so I rushed through players that had previously been scouted at Haverhill Borough that looked like they could do a job 2 levels up. I have also had a bit accepted for Kevin Saunders. The best player from these incomings is probably Tommy Williams, who will be a leader in defensive midfield for us. Below is how the squad looks a couple of games into my tenure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Nice to be back in the mix. Good luck. Things seemed to be going alright after all. Cheers. Yes good to not spend months without a job, but at the moment I feel as though I may have taken over the poison chalice - poor squad, poor league position and lack of funds to bring in quality players. There are plenty of players who are willing to join me, but they want £100-200 p/w, way over the maximum I can offer of £50 p/w. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearcey_90 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Barry Fry and Darren Ferguson dislike you Guessing you must have Cambridge United as your favourite team? Will be following this thread as I'll be starting a save with FCUnitedWill's database once he has finished the full version Good luck at Romford. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Barry Fry and Darren Ferguson dislike you Guessing you must have Cambridge United as your favourite team?Will be following this thread as I'll be starting a save with FCUnitedWill's database once he has finished the full version Good luck at Romford. Haha yes, I am a Cambridge fan - I'm enjoying being disliked by them! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Romford Oct-Nov 2013 Update I've had a very up and down time here in Essex. Very much like the relationship I had with a girl from said town. We just don't have the depth and quality to play weekend-midweek every week and several times we've had to field players well out of position or with less than 85% fitness. It seems that the board have unrealistic expectations and have ignored the squad and injury problems we have... I have been given a target of getting 11 points from the next 5 games which to be honest is looking unlikely. I can't believe I may be staring at two sackings in 5 months!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I hate that, one of the things that has turned me off FM 14 and possibly future versions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 I keep on getting the same crash after the same game, I even tried to holiday through it and clear the cache. Any suggestions on a way around this? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 Well I went to a back up save which was about 7 games behind. Had worse results and got a board meeting ultimatum of 7 points in 5 games and it still crashed on exactly the same date. I'm going to have to restart the career, though this time I will be getting rid of the American db and Play down to tier 9 only (the speed of this game was horrendous due to all the leagues being played). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 Take 2: Welcome to the Dripping Pan A new career and already it seems I am off to a better start as very surprisingly I was successful in getting the job at Lewes F.C. I find myself re-locating back to Sussex and this time its in the town of Lewes, carved into the beautiful landscape of the South Downs. Lewes is a place that I know well and I have also made many visits to their stadium affectionately known as The Dripping Pan - a ground with real character. I may have bigged myself up a little to get the job and I am expected to win promotion from the Ryman Premier Division which will be a tough ask particularly for first time employment. Lewes enjoyed their best spell in the 2000s, finishing in the play-off positions in the Conference South on two occasions but were barred from promotion until The Dripping Pan met Conference standards. Lewes claimed their place in the Conference Premier in the 2008/09 season after winning the Conference South, but wound up finishing bottom of the League. Their quick climb up the leagues came at a price as the club revealed financial difficulties and after 2 relegations in 3 seasons, Lewes are now no more than an average Ryman Premier side. I'm delighted to be on £600 a week and did I mention there's a place in Lewes that does a fabulous carvery ! Key Players Matt Crabb brings with him vast experience after being virtually ever present for Eastbourne Borough over 11 seasons during their plight from the Sussex County Leagues to the Conference Premier. We also have a host of other former Boro players including Matt's brothers Sam and Nathan Crabb, as well as Rikki Banks, Ben Austin and Ross Trelevan. Penny is one of two players that's joined on loan from Millwall alongside 'keeper Denzel Garrar. He has some great attributes for this level and if he had pace he'd be several leagues higher! The Dripping Pan (2009) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 Lewes Transfers I decided to go for a big revamp, bringing in lots of depth to the squad. I want to be able to cope with potential injury problems and greyed out players will not cut it at this level. One familiar name to come in is Medi Koroma, who probably won't feature much but he's back at where he began his career. My main area of focus was getting in centre backs and bringing in a good Target Man, whilst adding depth the the flanks. Below are the two who are the pick of the bunch. Atkin comes in to serve as our first choice target man. He's a local lad and I've seen him IRL play several times for Eastbourne Borough. He's a lump of a man and I distinctly remember the ball just pinging off him a lot but at this level he will be an aerial god. I picked out Gabriel as he's probably made the most interesting change out of the centre backs brought in. After spending years in Antigua he's now swapping Sun for Sussex. He's woeful technically, but will be able to perform solidly across the back 4. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 You are like a gypsy . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 You are like a gypsy . Haha, I can assure you I'd be living in a nice house on £600 a week probably in Eastbourne or Brighton as Lewes is a nice place but not too much to do! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 Lewes FC Aug-Oct 2013 Update Well it seems I am a lover of inconsistent form (it seems this has been brought about since the latest patch and my stubbornness to completely re-assess my game plan). We started off poorly and even evoked a board meeting at one point, though they were happy enough with my word that form would improve. And it did, with the exception of the odd days we decided not to turn up and lose 1-0. We're currently sitting just outside the playoffs, with a game in hand over most teams. Cray Wanderers are the runaway leaders, but we were the first team to inflict defeat upon them and since then their forms been poor so they're definitely catchable. In terms of player form, my strike partnership has been very good and the wingers have done pretty well but the rest of the squad has been poor which needs to be addressed. I'm also very disappointed to lose to Tier 9 side in the FA Cup, the underdog got underdogged . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Lewes FC Nov-Dec 2013 Update I'm quite happy with the last couple of months, its just a shame that we couldn't turn some of those draws into wins - its such a tight league and doing so may have put us top! We're going into the new year with every chance of a happy ending, but at the same time if we hit a rough patch I feel the board may not be so kind. Here's hoping for a good 2014! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Nice to see so few defeats. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Nice to see so few defeats. Yes we've become very hard to beat and when we do it's generally by very fine margins. Next update includes all 20 games between January and April to be coming soon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Lewes FC Jan-Apr 2014 Update Our indifferent form continued throughout January but then something clicked and we went on an amazing patch of form - finishing on 8 wins in a row and 12 games unbeaten. The highlight was the 7-0 demolition of Enfield Town who at the time held 5th position (final play-off spot) and we were 6th. We still had a chance of the title down to the final game, but both Lowestoft and Kingstonian won their games meaning we will be contesting the play-offs. We face Hendon who have beaten us 4-1, 3-1 and 2-1 thus far. Here's hoping for better. The only negative news of the update is the 3 month injury to Charlie Penny, though we have coped well without him so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kontermann Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Good to hear you didnt have any crash issues in the new save Keep it up ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Good to hear you didnt have any crash issues in the new save Keep it up ! Cheers, I think the combination of the tier 10 db and USA 4 tier db was just too much to handle. With just down to tier 9 and the MLS loaded its running a lot smoother. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Play-Off Semi-Final vs Hendon Despite being 10 men down for the last 30, we've managed to scrape through to the final via a late penalty goal. They may have had the double over us in the League and beat us in the cup but the Play-offs were our territory!! Play-Off Final vs Lowestoft In front of a crowd of nearly 3,000 we saw off the title favourites Lowestoft. Despite having many ex-pros infiltrating their side, they showed little potency in front of goal and we were comfortable in a 2-0 win. Play-off champs, Conference South here we come Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Phew, no sign of the new chairman wanting to replace me, gotta be happy with that! Time to re-build for the new season, though I'm always on the lookout for bigger and better opportunities. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Lewes FC 2013/14 Best 11 From the Best 11 it is clear to see that it was our attacking quartet that were the stars of the season, as opposed to our averagely performing backline and defensive mids. I'm going to build on the success of using wing play and a Target Man - Player of the Season Andy Atkins - but I'm going to also strengthen the quality in the other positions and maybe adapt a few roles. In other news, I've recently signed a new £1,000 a week contract, the club has gone professional and we're now linked with Scunthorpe United...Things seem to be on the up with the new chairman! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maw74 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Despite being 10 men down for the last 30, Bloody hell!!! Well done on the promotion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmFutbolManager Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Following with interest. Great idea. And the new club is where I was bought up, so looking forward to seeing if you can improve their recent bad fortunes! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Cheers Maw74 and OneUnited - I'm currently seeking playing staff for the conference south. Getting in a 6'10 striker Lewes back to the Conference Premier on a sound financial footing is what I would like to achieve - unless a bigger club comes knocking Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmFutbolManager Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 A repeat of their recent cup exploits would be nice, too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Yeah I've been disappointed with my first season cup results - want to get to the FA Cup 1st Round proper or the latter stages of the FA Trophy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 How about this for craziness - U.S.A. just won the 2014 World Cup, beating Japan in the final!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maw74 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 That's FM for you, almost as crazy as England winning it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kris0710 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Fantastic end to the season, very unlike you! Best of luck for the new season, always enjoyed my trips to Lewes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmFutbolManager Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I never knew, Kris... Are we all just a bunch of locals...? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kris0710 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I never knew, Kris... Are we all just a bunch of locals...? No, just make the occasional visit when my side need three points and a boost to the Goal Difference!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Well dome smp. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmFutbolManager Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 No, just make the occasional visit when my side need three points and a boost to the Goal Difference!! Are they really that bad now!? Deary me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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