Anglesey (FM 14)

[Greyfriars Bobby]

I'm not going to let a little thing like a corrupted save stand in the way of the story I want to write.

I was enjoying my Anglesey story, and I'd come up with a few ideas for plot lines I was looking forward to pursuing. Since they're the kind of story threads that run parallel to the action on the pitch, I can easily work them into my new story without much problem.

Much of the material in the first few posts will look familiar if you read the first version of the story. The main characters will remain the same, but the game has generated new supporting actors from the Beaumaris team, etc.

I'm returning to FM 14 this time, with a database that includes six levels of Welsh football. So, with my apologies for the false start, let the story begin (again).

[Greyfriars Bobby]

June 2013

When it came right down to it, their opinions didn't matter at all. He knew he was doing what was right for himself and for his family.

Tim Francis was an Anglesey lad. Tall, strong, and quick, he played his football for Holyhead Peibio Youth before that club merged with a larger one, Holyhead Hotspur FC. By the time he was 16, he was starring for Spurs' U19 side. A rugged center half, Tim was already being compared to Lloyd Williams, the veteran defender for Chelsea and Wales.

"The next Lloyd Williams" didn't leave Wales to pursue his footballing dreams right away. Holyhead held onto him until he was 22; by then Tim had earned his first full cap for Wales, lining up beside Williams himself for a few matches. The Spurs then pocketed a tidy sum by selling him to Reading, and when Everton came calling two years later, Tim was on his way to the Premiership.

Now Tim Francis was thirty-six years old. He hung up his boots three years ago, having "earned millions of pounds playing a boy's game," as he put it. He'd wasted little of what he earned. It wasn't his nature to do so, and he'd married the daughter of an extremely talented financial manager. Tim was, in short, wealthy enough to never work another day unless he chose to.

Tim quickly received offers from several media companies that wanted him to sign on as a pundit. Just as quickly, he thanked them and told them no. As much as he loved the atmosphere surrounding an important match and the palpable excitement of a hotly contested derby, Tim didn't want to keep spending his weekends traveling across Britain from one football grounds to another. The desire to end the routine of a professional footballer was the biggest reason why he'd retired--he was still physically able to do himself proud on the pitch in his last season with Everton.

He discovered he enjoyed being around home. He and his wife, Kate, had one son. Jack was eight when his dad retired, and he was overjoyed that Dad would be home more often, "like other dads." Jack loved football--now eleven, he was a goalkeeper of some promise--but he was thriving in a home with both parents present. "Being a footballer's kid gets old sometimes," he admitted.

Tim would remember that it was a chilly, damp evening in March 2012 when the thought first came to his head. "I'd been told a few times that I'd make a decent manager," he recalled. "I began studying for my badges while I was still playing. I wanted something I could fall back on if I had to retire unexpectedly, and I enjoyed it."

The counsel he took most seriously on this point came from Ian Hall, a long-time friend whom Tim knew he could trust.

"Ian played some semi-professional football, but it was coaching that really appealed to him. He started studying for his badges, but he couldn't land a coaching job."

Ian Hall had to earn a living, so his management was now taking place at a clothing store, not a football club. But his friend Tim couldn't shake the idea Ian had planted in his head. That evening in March, Tim discussed his plan with Kate and Jack.

"Kate liked it right away. She's lived all her life around Liverpool, but she loves the part of Wales where I'm from. And Jack was excited, too. He's the kind of lad who is always ready for something new."

Tim Francis, therefore, entered the market for a job as a football manager, but his job requirements were extremely specific. He would only consider a club located in Anglesey, the island he called home. The most logical choice for a footballer of his stature was his old club, Holyhead, but the job wasn't available; Declan Hinchcliffe was on his first year on the job there, and the club was happy with him.

Damian Phillips was the chairman of the board at Beaumaris Town Football Club. "At first I thought someone was playing a prank on me. Why would Tim Francis want to manage a little club like this? When he called me, I almost hung the phone up on him. I didn't think it was really him. Big time footballers don't manage clubs like this. Look at Lloyd Williams. He's at Carmarthen. Not mucking around with an amateur club in a little town.”

It was Tim on the phone, and his interest in the vacant manager's job at Beaumaris Town was sincere. Tim came for a interview, it went well, and he was promptly offered the position.

As soon as the news was released, people began asking why a Wales international would take a job managing an amateur club in a tiny town by the sea. As patiently as he could, Tim answered the questions, again and again and again.

"I want to manage a football club, but more than that, I want to be home," he said. "I want a more normal life than the one I'd have on the staff of a big club somewhere.

"And I want to live here, in Anglesey. It's my home."

[Greyfriars Bobby]

27 June 2014

The skeptics had already drawn all kinds of conclusions concerning every aspect of Tim Francis's decision to become the manager at Beaumaris Town.

He simply wants his name in the papers again. You know how those footballers are. Always needing attention...

Nothing could be farther from the truth in Tim's case. He hoped the media would tire of the story quickly and leave him alone to manage his team. Had he craved more of the spotlight, he could probably have held out for a more prestigious position.

He'll be an absentee boss; just wait and see. He'll have his driver bring him in from some posh mansion in England, and he'll go right back there after training. That is, if he bothers to come to training at all...

The Francises' home near Calderstones Park, outside Liverpool, was already on the market, and Tim and Kate had just purchased a house on the end of a terrace in the West End of Beaumaris. Tim could cycle to The Green every day for training. Kate was already volunteering at an animal shelter, and Jack was looking forward to joining the youth program at Beaumaris Town. The pace of their lives was slower and simpler than it had been in Liverpool, and all three of them were thriving.

Tim was under no illusions about the situation at his new club. His backroom staff consisted of an assistant manager, David Jones; a Head of Youth Development, Lewis Davey; a scout, Chris Evans; and a physio, Kevin Phillips. They were a youthful lot, with Davey, at 44, the oldest by several years.

Tim wanted to keep things simple tactically. The lads seemed to know 4-4-2 fairly well, so the new gaffer installed that shape as the team's primary setup. He also had the team working on a 4-1-2-2-1 with a defensive midfielder, because the team seemed to have a handful of players who were well-suited to play as attacking midfielders.

There were 30 players in the club when Tim arrived, all of them amateurs. They could come and go at any time; such was the nature of the amateur club. Chris Evans knew Welsh football fairly well, even if his ability to discern talent was hit-or-miss, at least by the standard Tim was accustomed to. The scout was sent off to discover any players who might be good fits for Beaumaris Town's team, and Tim scoured the list of players who had been released by their clubs at the end of June for possible signees.

"I want a squad that will fight until the final whistle," Tim told a reporter one day at the grounds. "That takes some determination, and that's a quality I'll be looking for in my players. If you don't show that quality, or won't show it, you won't have a Beaumaris shirt for long."

Tim had already brought three new players into the team. The first was Steve Prosser, a 16-year-old winger with a mane of blondish-red hair who signed from Johnston in Pembrokeshire.

Then came veteran midfielder Adam Spencer, who was twice Prosser’s age. Spencer had been with Rhydymwyn of the Cymru Alliance, but the most “exotic” thing about him was the fact he was English, rather than Welsh. Adam's ability to play a variety of roles in the middle of the park, and also do a fine job as a right back, made him a good fit for the Beaumaris team.

The third man Tim signed really set tongues wagging. “I’ve known Joseph Collins all his life,” the manager said. “His family lives down the street from mine in Holyhead.” Joseph grew up to be a athletic central midfielder with an interest in coaching and, for the past year, he’d been playing for his hometown club and managing their Under 19 side. Tim offered Collins a new job, as a player/coach for Beaumaris, and the younger man accepted it happily.

“I was on an amateur contract with Holyhead, so it’s not like I’m taking a pay cut now, is it?” Collins pointed out. “Tim’s almost like family. Why wouldn’t I want to play for him and coach with him?”

“I’m not sure how that’s going to go over at Holyhead, me nicking a man from them like that,” Tim said with a wry smile. “But that’s football, isn’t it?”

[Greyfriars Bobby]

24 August 2013

Tim Francis would have preferred to begin his managerial career with a string of victorsies that immediately won the hearts of Beaumaris Town supporters. The reality was somewhat less exciting.

The team had struggled in the preseason, losing its opening match at Harlech Town and drawing with Llansantffraid Village and Gwalchmai at The Green before finally getting their first result, a 1-0 decision over a tough Mochdre Sports side. Next came a shock loss, 0-2 to tiny F.C. Phoenix that left Tim searching for answers.

"Perhaps it's just a matter of letting the players settle in," he sighed, leaning back in the old leather chair that sat behind the desk in his office. "I've made some changes, brought some players in. I think we're a better side now, but the lads need time to get to know each other."

Today, Tim's team would play its first meaningful match, a First Qualifying Round tie in the Welsh Cup tournament. The draw was a tough one; Sully Sports, a team from South Wales. Tim was glad they'd be playing at The Green.

Tim was comfortable with either of two men in goal. Chris James (age 28) was tall--6'5"--and dominant in the air, while Richard Jones (28) was quicker, with better hands and more athleticism. Tim could almost toss a coin and let it decide who got the number one shirt.

He was very happy with the new left back he'd brought in, Luke Bale (26), formerly with Rhydymwyn. Luke could run all day, and always gave his team an honest day's work. On the other flank, Tim was more than likely going to use Adam Spencer (32), whom he'd rather play in the middle of the park. Rumour had it that the manager had made offers to a right back or two; Tim simply smiled when asked if the rumours were true.

One of the centre halves would be a big ginger lad called Jon Edwards (23) who was newly arrived from Flint Town. Richard Hughes (17), a promising youngster, would likely start beside Edwards, but there were several players waiting in the wings if Richard were to falter. Jordan Evans (27) had pace but little else, which made him the next-best of a rather uninspiring lot.

Steve Prosser (16) would get the nod on the left wing, and versatile Daniel Davies (31), signed from Gresford Athletic, would man the right side. Player-coach Joseph Collins (23), lately of Holyhead, would feature as a holding midfielder, with quick Tom Rickard (25) moving forward to link the midfield to the strikers. Veteran Bradley Pritchard (33) would play DM when the formation called for one, and he'd deputize at M© as well.

One of the two forwards in the team's standard 4-4-2 was the most fascinating of Francis's new signees. His name was Nqobile Antipas (36). He was born in Zimbabwe, spoke two African languages as well as English, and held dual Zimbabwean/Welsh citizenship.

"I met Nqobile at a Wales tryout when we were both 18," Tim explained. "His father brought the family to Wales when Nqobile was small, and he's never been back. I've always had the idea he left under...less than favorable circumstances."

Nqobile spent his career with a number of Welsh clubs. He visited the Francis family when Tim was playing for Everton, even though he preferred Liverpool red to Everton blue. He cooked delicious Zimbabwean dishes for his hosts, featuring sadza, made from cornmeal. Jack Francis loved kicking a ball around with Nqobile, who enjoyed giving the boy some of the wisdom he'd acquired in three decades' worth of battles with goalkeepers on two continents.

On the pitch, Nqobile was powerful and quick, 16 stone worth of muscle on a 6'1" frame. Tim planned to make full use of Nqobile's talents as a scorer, but his talents for leadership were just as impressive.

A week ago, Tim had called Nqobile into his office after training for a brief meeting. The manager held the captain's arm band out to him with a smile. "You've earned the privilege of being this club's captain," Tim told him.

Nqobile took it, his eyes filling with tears. He bowed his head for a moment, raised it slowly, and looked Tim in the eye.

"Thank you, my friend. I am honored to be the captain. You will not be sorry."

The new skipper's strike partner was probably going to be Mark Williams (17), who seemed most comfortable dropping behind Nqobile and playing him in.

The team sheet for Tim's first match, therefore, looked like this:

GK: Jones

D: Bale, Hughes, Edwards, Spencer

M: Prosser, Collins, Rickard, Davies

ST: Williams, Antipas

"It's a work in progress," Tim admitted. "We're getting there, and today we'll see how close we are."

[tenthreeleader]

I am always so encouraged when newer writers come here and develop characters and backstory. There's so much potential here, and I do hope you stick with this. Count me as a fan.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

I am always so encouraged when newer writers come here and develop characters and backstory. There's so much potential here, and I do hope you stick with this. Count me as a fan.

Thank you very much for your kind words. Coming from a writer who creates such memorable characters himself, I consider it quite a compliment.

I'm enjoying it, so I plan on giving this story a good, long run. Thanks for following along!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 September 2013

It was September now, and the real business of the football season was underway. Beaumaris Town had already faced their first competition in each of their two knockout competitions, with a mixture of results that sent the pulses of manager, players, and supporters racing.

The afternoon of 24 August had been cool, with a breeze whipping off the bay that might have kept a few supporters away from The Green as Town faced Sully Sports in the Welsh Cup. The Town fans who were there howled with disbelief when referee Andy Woodthorpe responded to a bit of contact in the Beaumaris penalty area by pointing to the spot. Tim Francis raised his arms in a gesture of disbelief, while Steve Prosser came close to a booking for his animated disagreement with Mr Woodthorpe's decision. When Lee Collins deposited his spot kick in the Beaumaris net, the crowd roared even louder.

Beaumaris looked the better side, and they drew level on the 32' mark. Joseph Collins hit a nice ball forward for Mark Williams, who headed it along to Nqobile Antipas as the Sully defenders scrambled after him. With only the 'keeper to beat, Antipas patiently advanced into the box and neatly slotted home.

Not two minutes later, however, a boisterous challenge from young center back Richard Hughes brought Andy Woodthorpe back into the story. This time, there was very little doubt about the penalty, and once again Lee Collins was equal to the task. Sully finally scored from open play, late in the second half, but that goal was little more than icing on a cake that Mr Woodthorpe had prepared quite some time before.

Tim was furious about the first penalty. "I knew the press would ask me about it, and I thought about giving them a plain vanilla kind of answer. It was my first game in management, after all. But the more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

"Stevie Prosser nearly got himself booked taking up for his teammate. I felt like I owed it to Stevie to say something, too...I don't want him thinking his manager doesn't have his back."

So Tim angrily questioned Woodthorpe's decision in his post-match presser, and as expected, his response provided the lead for the game story in the Anglesey papers the next day. He was ready for the Welsh FA to call him on the carpet for his actions but, to his delight, the FA didn't say a word.

"Makes you think I was right, doesn't it?"

Imagine Tim's response when he discovered that the referee for the Welsh Trophy match on the 31st would be none other than Andy Woodthorpe!

"Woodthorpe's a good ref," Tim told a reporter in the days before the match. "I wasn't questioning his ability, simply the decision he made that time. We'll get a fair match from him on Saturday."

Little Ffostrasol, from Ceredigion League Two, were Town's opponent. As Tim expected, they lined up in a 4-5-1, kept everyone behind the ball, and seemed very content to play for an 0-0 draw and settle the tie through penalties. For 88 minutes, it looked like exactly what they might get.

"We probably tried to attack a little too much, for a little too long," Tim said after the match. "The fans want to see attractive football. I like to play that way, too, but against a side that sits back like Ffostrasol did today, that isn't always the best approach."

Finally, substitute striker Llewellyn Davies ran onto a long ball from Prosser, let it hit the floor, and punched it in at the far post. Ffostrasol had to push forward to try to equalize, and Town hit them on the counter, Antipas crossing for Prosser, who hammered the half-volley home. Beaumaris were through, 2-0.

Andy Woodthorpe was almost invisible. He booked a Ffostrasol defender for repeated fouling, but he didn't tick off a single Beaumaris player. He also cracked a wry smile when a Town supporter launched a particularly clever insult his way.

There was a new man in Beaumaris red and black that day. Tim had brought in another man he'd known for some time, Huw Morris. Huw was 38, and had he only been able to contribute to the club as its reserves manager, he'd be a welcome addition. The fact that he could still play well at right back was a bonus, and that's where he made his Town debut against Ffostrasol. For this level, Morris was exceptionally skilled, and he was still in good enough condition to get up and down the pitch.

Tim arrived at his office the next morning and poured himself a cup of coffee. The players didn't train today, but Tim wanted to get some work done. He opened his laptop and began to look through some emails.

His door was partially open, but Tom Rickard politely tapped on it anyway. The manager leaned forward slightly so he could see the door."Come in, Tom."

The midfielder entered the office. "G'morning, boss."

"What can I do for you?" Tim closed the cover of his laptop and invited the player to take a seat in the chair opposite his desk.

Tom hesitated, suddenly unsure of how to begin the conversation. "You know the guy who comes by the grounds sometimes in his wheelchair, right?"

Tim nodded. He'd seen the man, who looked to be in his twenties or thirties, speaking to some of the players. He also thought he'd seen the same man negotiating his chair up Castle Street a time or two.

Rickard continued. "His name is Jimmy Price. He's a big fan of the club, maybe the biggest one we have. He went to school with Danny Jones and me, here in town. Anyway, I think he'd really like to meet you and welcome you to the club, but he's afraid you'll think he's a nuisance."

Tim smiled, flattered. "I'd be happy to meet him, Tom. Bring him round sometime, if you like."

"He'd like that, boss. A few years back, he got to help out a little, doing whatever he could. He's really good with computers, things like that."

Tim thought for a moment. There might be a few things Jimmy Price could do to help the club. And he could tell it would mean a lot to Tom Rickard if he gave Jimmy a chance.

"I'll see what I can do, Tom."

Rickard smiled and extended his hand to his manager. "Thank you...thanks very much."

Tim shook hands with him, and Tom nodded as he left the office.

Day by day, Tim was remembering more about how much a small town's team meant to the people who lived there. Sure, Jimmy could watch games from bigger leagues, in Britain and elsewhere, on TV. He could stream them, or read about them online for hours. There was still nothing quite like supporting a club that was your own.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

14 September 2013

If Tim Francis had ever been in the visitor's changing room at The New Oval, he didn't remember it. The grounds were the home of Holyhead Hotspur, the club Tim joined as a six-year-old and remained with for sixteen years. Today, he would be managing Beaumaris Town against Spurs' reserve team. The match also happened to be Tim's first in the Gwynedd League--an unintentional plot twist, courtesy of the schedule-maker.

Tim wondered how Joseph Collins, who had been pulling on a Holyhead shirt only three months earlier, must feel. He hoped the crowd would give Collins who, like Tim, had been with the club from boyhood to the senior team, a respectful welcome back. "What they do about me doesn't matter much," Tim said, making one wonder how honest he was being. "I'm more concerned about how they treat Joe."

As it turned out, Tim had little to worry about. A good portion of the crowd were supporting Beaumaris Town, and they were determined to make sure anything a lout from Holyhead felt like saying about anyone in a Beaumaris shirt would be drowned out. It was a warm, sunny day, more like high summer than early autumn, but apparently Spurs fans had better things to do than come out and support their reserve side.

Kate and Jack Francis were there, as they almost always were on a weekend, several rows behind the Town bench. Kate attracted more than her fair share of attention, without trying to attract it. She looked more "fit mum" than "footballer's trophy wife" in a sleeveless red top and white jeans, her light brown hair pulled back casually.

"Who's that in the number five shirt?" Kate didn't recognize the young man who was lined up at center half.

"Antony Lloyd," Jack replied. "He's from some club called Ragged School."

If Jack's dad could help it, Lloyd would be the last new addition to the club. He was 19, and promised to be a more reliable option than the lads who had auditioned for the spot beside Jon Edwards in the Beaumaris back four.

It was Edwards, however, who was caught out of position a few moments before half time, allowing Spurs' talented young front man, Nicky Owen, an impossibly easy finish that put the home team up 1-0. Now the Holyhead supporters began to crow.

"Hey, Francis...you're a long way from Everton, right, mate?"

"Put yourself in the match, Timmy...or is that bloke better than you are now?"

Kate resisted the temptation to look around, taking a deep breath and keeping her eyes on the pitch. Had Jack been able to spot a lad close to his age in a Holyhead shirt, he might not have been so composed. A rude gesture behind one's back could be a nice bit of revenge.

With any luck, Town would be up 2-1; young Mark Williams had missed two inviting chances. He put the first one wide and the second one high. Visibly nervous, the teenager made way for Llewellyn Davies after the break.

With the clock on 82 minutes, Tim directed his team to go all-out for the equalizer. Six minutes later, Llewellyn knocked a ball ahead for Steve Prosser, who was running free down the left side.

"I knew Nqobile would be back there," Prosser said. "When I got the ball, I looked, and there he was in the area, just onside, but marked closely. That's when I decided to go ahead and shoot."

Prosser's speculative attempt fooled the Holyhead goalkeeper, who probably never dreamed Stevie would fire at goal from that angle. He leapt for the shot and got his hand on it, but could only deflect it against the bar. The rebound fell at the Beaumaris captain's foot, and he happily hammered it past the prostrate keeper. Again, Beaumaris worked some late magic, and left Holyhead with a well-earned point.

"I'm not sorry that's over," Tim said as he sipped from a water bottle on the coach ride back home. "I'd been a bit anxious about playing there."

Beaumaris chairman Damian Phillips found it difficult to concentrate on the match that day. His mind was occupied with a decision that could impact everyone connected with the club. Just a few days earlier, Wales Online had reported that Phillips was looking to sell the club to "a local businessman."

What that might mean was still anyone's guess.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

20 October 2013

You could forgive Tim Francis if he paid very little attention to the fact that today was an especially beautiful day in Anglesey. The sun sparkling off the Menai Strait didn’t warrant more than a passing glance as he slowly walked down the street toward The Green. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do once he reached his office, but he wanted to spare his wife and son the effects of the gloomy mood he’d been in since last night.

Beaumaris Town had taken a single point from four league matches so far. The 1-1 draw with Holyhead Reserves was still the highlight of the season, and last night’s debacle—a 1-5 thrashing away to Llanfairfechan Town—was undoubtedly the low point. A pair of uninspiring 0-1 defeats at home, to Waunfawr and Llanllyfni, were part of the mix, too. The fact that those three clubs were top of the league, in order, did little to help Tim feel better.

They're top of the league because they all have three points from playing us, he thought.

An optimist by nature, Tim tried to think of something positive he could take from the events of the past few weeks. Steve Prosser had been a pleasant surprise; Tim’s back room staff didn’t think much of him, but the teenage wide man had been a dynamic, creative force. Prosser wasn’t as fast as the “ideal” winger, but he worked relentlessly and played with flair and passion. Nqobile Antipas, too, had been a fantastic addition. The Zimbabwean forward turned 37 two days ago, but he played with the fire of a younger man who still had much to prove. As a team, however, Beaumaris Town were still a long way from Tim’s vision of a cohesive, efficient unit, a team opponents knew would force them to play their very best.

Tim reminded himself that forward Mark Williams had missed two matches with a groin strain that would keep him sidelined for another two weeks or so. None of the other strikers in the team had the skills required of the deep-lying forward in Tim’s system, so the towering teenager's absence took much of the bite out of the Beaumaris attack.

The manager unlocked the door of his office, went inside, sat down heavily in his chair, and opened the half-empty bottle of water he’d left on his desk last night. He took a long sip and forced himself to think about the success the team was having in the Welsh Trophy.

Three weeks ago, Town saw off a tough little Crannog side, 1-0, on a goal from young Christian Stewart, a youngster up from the reserves for the match. The fact that Stewart was stretchered off fifteen minutes later, with an ankle so badly twisted that he was still a month or so from being ready to train again, brought a bit of Tim’s melancholy flooding back. Still, the board hadn’t expected the team to get out of the Qualifying Rounds, and there they were, a week away from a Second Round tie, away to Murdy.

That might be the only thing that’s keeping me from being sacked. He finished the water and threw the bottle at a bin in the corner of his office. We’re second bottom, in the drop zone, and I’m supposed to keep us up…

The jangling of the phone on his desk broke the silence, startling Tim for a moment before he could lift the receiver.

“Tim Francis speaking.”

“Tim? I should have guessed you’d be there. I was going to leave a message, but…

“Who is this, may I ask?”

“It’s Jack. Jack Phillips.”

For a moment, Tim didn’t speak. This has to be a prank, he thought.

Jack Phillips was one of the legends of world football. If John Charles was the greatest Welsh footballer of all time, Phillips was almost certainly next in line. Now forty, Jack was winding up a celebrated career with Manchester United, coaching their Under 21 side and appearing in a few cup matches here and there. He’d retired from international play about the same time Tim did, after earning 66 caps for Wales. Tim considered the opportunity to play in the same team as Jack Phillips to be one of the great thrills of his career, and the task of playing against him in the Premier League one of his most daunting assignments.

“Hello, Jack,” Tim finally managed to reply. “I’m surprised to hear from you.”

“I hadn’t had a chance to congratulate you on your new job, so I thought I’d give you a call.”

“Well, I’m not sure it’s something to congratulate me on right now, but thanks anyway.” Tim managed a chuckle. His mood was already beginning to brighten.

Jack chuckled, too. “It’s early days, Tim. If I know you—and I do—you’ll have that team playing like you want them by Christmas.”

“It’s a shame you’re not on my board, Jack.”

“ Maybe I’ll buy the club.”

"Matter of fact, the chairman's trying to sell it."

Just then, Tim heard a knock on the door. Stretching the phone cord to its limit, he barely managed to reach the door and open it. A young man in a wheelchair began to speak, but he caught himself when he saw Tim was on the phone.

Tim grinned at him. “It’s fine, Jimmy. I’m talking to Jack Phillips.”

Jimmy Price’s eyes widened. “Holy….”

Tom Rickard had introduced Jimmy to the manager, who was impressed with Jimmy’s devotion to the club and, even more so, with his willingness to do whatever he could for it. Now, Jimmy was the club’s kit man/technology advisor/videographer/"whateverthebossneeds," and he was at The Green at least as often as Tim—or anyone else, for that matter. Today was a typical example of Jimmy's dedication. He'd been as upset, or more so, than anyone else last night, and he wasn't sure if he'd remembered to turn off the light in the equipment room after he put some gear away. Rather than leave the slightest possibility that he'd messed up, Jimmy guided his chair to The Green to make sure the club wouldn't be paying for electricity it didn't need.

Tim beamed at Jimmy’s reaction. “Jack, I know you’re busy with United, but you’ve got an open invitation to come down to Beaumaris anytime you like. I know the lads would enjoy meeting you.”

“I’d like that, Tim. It’s not too far; I’ll take a drive down there one day. I’ll give you a call first, so I can make sure to be there when the team’s training.”

“That would be great. Listen, Jack…it’s been great to hear from you. Thanks for calling.”

When Tim hung up the phone, Jimmy Price’s eyes were still round and large.

“I figured you knew Jack Phillips…I mean, I know you played for Wales together… but I didn’t think he’d be calling your office…”

“What’s the matter, Price? A little bit star-struck, are you?” Tim smiled broadly at the younger man.

“The players aren’t gonna believe it, Boss.”

“Sure they will, if you tell them.”

“No, let’s let it be a surprise.”

The two men shook hands and smiled at each other. Then Tim looked out his office window. He could see a glimpse of the strait, and this time he noticed the sunlight as it danced across the waves.

I'm using "fake names," as I do almost every time I play a save that might be the subject of a story. The "Jack Phillips" character is, of course, the game's doppelganger for Ryan Giggs.

[EvilDave]

This is already excellent, I'm hooked. Very interested in seeing how this unfolds, you've made a great start here.

[neilhoskins77]

Really glad you resurrected this story Bobby. Great start, looking forward to more.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

This is already excellent, I'm hooked. Very interested in seeing how this unfolds, you've made a great start here.

Thanks very much, EvilDave. I'm flattered and pleased by the encouragement, and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I think there's very little doubt I'll see this one through to the end...whenever that might come.

Really glad you resurrected this story Bobby. Great start, looking forward to more.

Thank you too, neilhoskins. When the FMS veterans, like you fellows, take the time to pass on your good wishes, it means a lot to a newcomer like me. I'm past the point where I'd taken the story last time, so from here on out, all the material will be completely new.

9 November 2013

Beaumaris Town's next fixture was a winnable one. They were away to Llanerchymedd, but their hosts were bottom of the table.

"It's not fair to say a match in November is one a club must win, but this one comes close," Tim Francis said, off the record, before the team loaded their coach for the journey to Llanerchymedd. As the team boarded, Kate Francis saw something she'd never forget.

"I confess; I wondered how Jimmy Price got to away matches," Kate later said. "Today I watched the team leave, which I'd never done before. Jimmy rolled up to the door of the coach and waited. Two of the bigger players--it was Nqobile Antipas and Huw Morris--helped Jimmy stand and supported him with their arms around his waist whilst one of the others loaded his chair onto the coach. Then Nqobile and Huw literally carried him through the back door. I'm guessing they helped him into a seat, and then they came out and got on the coach themselves.

"I'm getting a tear in my eye--again--telling the story."

The town of Llanerchymedd is in the center of the island of Anglesey, off the main roads. The trip took longer than you might expect, and Francis's lads were a bit sluggish in warm-ups. The match itself was a demonstration of how ragged a contest in the lower leagues can be. It was a cold, wet day; the thermometer read 6 degrees C. at kickoff, and it only got colder. The pitch was chewed up, the stand nearly empty. The players slogged through a goal-less draw for 83 minutes, before Tom Rickard played a long ball ahead to Antipas, who had broken past the defense. At the edge of the area, Nqobile pushed the ball left to an onrushing Llewellyn Davies, who flicked a quick shot past the 'keeper.

Llew's goal triggered an almost frantic burst of activity. Llanerchymedd midfielder Viv Gay was shown two yellow cards within two minutes. Almost immediately, another Llanerchymedd foul gave Town a free kick in a dangerous area. Joseph Collins dropped it over the wall to Davies, who nodded it on to Nqobile for an easy finish. Davies was Man of the Match. Eighty-three clubs were impressed enough with his performance to express interest in signing him. And Tim Francis finally had his first victory in the Gwynedd League.

There was little time to savor the feeling, because three nights later, the lads were off to Abergavenny to face Mardy in the Welsh Trophy. Mardy were a mid-table side in the Gwent County league, and Tim hated to send less than a full-strength side out to meet them. "I had no other choice," he said with a shrug. "A lot of the players weren't ready to go again on such short notice."

The result was ugly. Mardy scored three before the half, and added three more after it.

In the changing room after the match, the manager grabbed a spare Beaumaris shirt and held it up in front of the players.

"You see this shirt, lads? Take a look at it...a good look. It stands for something...or it should." Tim's face was red and the veins on his neck stood out. He managed to control his voice, keeping it from raising, but there was a raw, ominous edge to it that kept the players' attention riveted on him.

"There are dozens of men who would do anything to wear this shirt."

A few of the players looked over at Jimmy Price, who sat quietly amongst them in his chair.

"If you're not going to wear it with pride...if you're not going to play hard for 90 minutes every single time you put it on...I'm going to find some footballers who will. That's a promise, lads."

Tim turned and walked out the door. The players didn't see him again until he boarded the coach, after all of them were already on.

No one said a word on the ride back to Beaumaris.

[jdoyle9293]

Fantastic writing here, just caught up with the last two updates. I like the fact you've got a Zimbawean/Welsh lad in your team and I like the fact you made the outburst in the last update feel so much like Mike Bassett's rant from the film they did years ago. Love the small club feel, Jimmy Price et al. Really enjoying this, mate.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Fantastic writing here, just caught up with the last two updates. I like the fact you've got a Zimbawean/Welsh lad in your team and I like the fact you made the outburst in the last update feel so much like Mike Bassett's rant from the film they did years ago. Love the small club feel, Jimmy Price et al. Really enjoying this, mate.

Thanks very much, mate. When I saw Nqobile Antipas, I knew he had to become a major character. His background is too interesting; any writer would want to work with that back-story.

I've never watched all of Mike Bassett: England Manager, but I have seen a clip of his halftime team talk. I confess I wasn't thinking about it when I wrote Tim's lines, but you're right--they do capture the same kind of feeling. My version is, let's say, a little more family-friendly. I want my story to be something my eleven-year-old son can read.

I'm glad you're enjoying it, and thanks for following along.

Friday, 22 November

Beaumaris players were amateurs; after a Saturday night fixture, they didn’t return to training until Tuesday. There was a very different vibe surrounding the team that day, one that every player in the team could feel.

Adam Spencer, one of the team’s veterans, believed the talk they’d received after the fiasco at Mardy had something to do with the new atmosphere.

“Tim played at the highest levels in the sport. That, alone, entitles him to some respect from the beginning. But he can undo that if he comes in here with arrogance. If we constantly have to listen to how he did this with Everton and that with Wales, we’re going to turn him off.

“Tim hasn’t done that. He’s holding us to a high standard, but it’s because he respects us as players. He’s not going to let us kick it around like a pub team. That’s what he reminded us on Saturday night.”

At least one of the players apparently didn’t like the message. Two days later, center back Jordan Evans, who hadn’t been able to crack the first team, accepted a contract from Llanuwchllyn of the Welsh Third Division. It was a step up but, as one of his now-former teammates put it, “If Jordan wasn’t good enough to play here, what makes him think he’s good enough to play there? He’s got pace, sure…but that’s about it.”

The biggest change, however, had nothing to do with what had happened at Mardy, even though many believed it had everything to do with it.

The same day Jordan Evans left the team, so did assistant manager David Jones. Tim’s explanation was a simple one.

“I didn’t fire Dave Jones, even though some fool said so in his idiot blog. Dave got an offer from Llanfairpwll to manage their reserves. They’re in the Second Division, so it’s hard to blame him for wanting to move on. Ben Edwards is the manager there, and he’s one of the good guys in football. I wish Dave the best of luck with them.”

The new assistant manager was a different sort of cat. Darren Fowler was 54, and he was already coaching on the day David Jones was born. The players noticed the confidence with which Fowler took them through their drills on their first day of training with him. His specialty was tactical training, and he was also more skilled in teaching the art of defense than anyone else on the staff.

Darren’s first match with the club was the night of 9 November, when Beaumaris hosted Bontnewydd. The renewed emphasis on defensive stability paid off immediately. The visitors didn’t challenge Beaumaris custodian Richard Jones a single time, and goals from central midfielders Joseph Collins and Adam Spencer were enough to secure the points for the boys in red and black.

Bontnewydd were a mid-table team, so beating them at The Green didn’t exactly qualify for an upset. The result lifted Beaumaris to seventh, making them a mid-table team themselves.

Now that they were eliminated from both cups, Tim and his team could concentrate all their efforts on the Gwynedd League. The next weekend, Town were away to Bangor University. Some of the younger players—Antony Lloyd, Mark Williams, Llewellyn Davies—noticed the presence of a number of cute girls from the University among the crowd.

“I’d heard about the…umm, advantages of a game against Bangor Uni," Lloyd said with a sly grin. “They weren’t kidding.”

It was Williams who probably caught the girls’ eyes first. The game wasn’t three minutes old before Nqobile Antipas played him in for an easy finish. Then, only eight minutes later, Mark lined up a free kick from 35 yards out and ripped it into the top corner. It was a beautiful goal, and it ended up being the match-winner in a 2-1 victory. Two matches, two victories, and Beaumaris were up to fifth.

Very early on Friday morning, Tim’s sleep was disturbed by the jangling of his telephone. He picked it up, listened for a moment, and exhaled a deep sigh.

“Bloody hell…”

Beside him, Kate stirred, and mumbled in her half-sleep. “Whaa’s wrong?”

“I’ve got to go down to the police station.”

Kate sat up quickly. “The POLICE station?”

“It’s not Jack, don’t worry.” Tim shook his head and smiled.

After that, he decided he really didn't feel much like smiling. He pulled on a Beaumaris track suit and was on his way. It was easier to walk, and he’d have time to think about what he was going to say—or do—next.

The officer with whom the gaffer spoke told him there had been an altercation in Castle Street, and that several of the Beaumaris Town footballers were involved. The officer assured him that none of the players were injured, nothing more than bumps and bruises. That’s what happens when they have a weekend without a match…they get drunk and stupid, Tim thought.

But the officer had gone on to say that a member of the club’s staff was involved, too. This presented Tim with a bigger problem. I expect the back room lads to behave like adults. I hope I don’t have to sack somebody.

When Tim arrived at the station, before him stood Gary Rees, Jon Edwards, Luke Bale, Bradley Pritchard, and Nqobile Antipas. And, in his wheelchair beside them…Jimmy Price.

Tim shook his head and sighed. “You lads ever watch I Love Lucy? The American TV comedy from back in the Fifties?

“Well, you got some ‘splainin’ to do.”

[Greyfriars Bobby]

22 November 2013

The five players all looked at Jimmy Price. He alone knew how the whole business started.

Jimmy had been hanging out with some friends at the apartment two of them shared, watching television and playing video games. Jimmy brought his laptop along to show off his successes in his latest Football Manager save.

Around 10:30, Jimmy bid his friends goodbye and began to wheel his chair down Castle Street toward home. He saw the three men approaching, and at first they passed without incident. Then they turned, and Jimmy felt hands on the grips of his chair. He froze, fear chilling him to his bones.

The man behind him lifted Jimmy’s backpack from behind the back of his chair, where he’d hung it over the handles, and tossed it to one of the others. He unzipped it and discovered Jimmy’s laptop. Laughing cruelly, he threw it to the pavement as forcefully as he could. The computer seemed to explode into a million pieces, shards of broken plastic and electronics components littering the street.

The man continued to rifle through the backpack. "There's no money in here," he announced, obviously disappointed. He did find Jimmy’s mobile, held it up to show his fellows, and stuck it into his pocket.

Neither Jimmy nor his assailants noticed that the door of a pub, directly across the street from where the scene was unfolding, had opened. Four athletic men in their physical primes stepped out into the street, just in time to hear the “leader” of the hoodlums speak.

“Say, mate…how would you like to go down to the beach?”

Jimmy shuddered, but didn't speak. He couldn't maneuver his chair away, especially not with one of them holding onto it.

His attacker continued to develop his plan. "Let’s sit him down there, nice and comfy, and throw his (bleeping) chair into the water!”

The thugs had only a few seconds to laugh at their cruelty. Nqobile Antipas reached them first, with his teammates close behind. Nqobile drew back his fist and punched the man who had just threatened Jimmy as hard as he could in the jaw. He crumpled to the street, knocked out cold.

The two remaining troublemakers assessed the situation quickly. One chose to run away, and might have escaped had another door on Castle Street not opened up in front of him. Gary Rees, a promising young Beaumaris winger, lived with his family above the café his parents operated. He had heard the commotion and went down to investigate, and saw a man running toward him.

Then he heard a familiar voice—it turned out to be that of Luke Bale—shout.

“Gary! Get him!”

The teenager dropped the fugitive with a form tackle that would have done an American gridiron defender proud. Luke, shouting with delight at Gary's quick and effective response, moved to help him keep the would-be escapee under control.

The third attacker had immediately thrust his hands into the air in a gesture of surrender. He saw the odds, which were now four against one, and thought capitulation might be the smarter move. Jon Edwards, 6’2” and 13 stone, spoke first.

“How tough are you feeling right now, mate? Wanna have a go at one of us?”

Bradley Pritchard’s first response had been to take out his mobile and call the police, and they arrived in what seemed like seconds. One officer relieved Gary and Luke of their prisoner. He found Jimmy’s phone in the hoodlum’s pocket. Meanwhile, the other policemen dealt with the scene back up the street, where a man lay on top of the pieces of what had recently been a very good laptop.

The assailants weren’t armed, but drugs were found on two of them. Only one of the three was from Anglesey. Their fate now lay in the hands of the court.

The players had been taken to the police station for questioning. They were still there when their manager arrived, and Tim heard the tale of the evening's events from Jimmy and the various players. None of the players were charged with any offense; their captain, Nqobile Antipas, was the only one who had done anything for which he could possibly be cited. The man he knocked down had been taken to hospital with a concussion, but he would soon be released to join his cohorts in jail.

“I was defending my friend,” Nqobile told the officers, and that was that.

Later that morning, Tim stopped by Jimmy Price’s apartment. Jimmy was shaken by the experience, but he was unhurt. It was clear that he was embarrassed, however, and Tim tried to help him recover his dignity.

“Jim, until the others got there, it was three against one. You had no idea if any of them had a weapon. Any man is at a disadvantage in your position.”

Jimmy nodded. “I appreciate you coming by to check up on me, Gaffer.”

“You’re welcome, but that’s not the only reason I’m here. Feel like a drive up to Liverpool with Kate and Jack and me?”

“Liverpool? What for?”

“A new computer, for one thing. And a tour of Goodison Park, if you’re up to it.”

Jimmy lowered his head so Tim wouldn’t see his eyes fill with tears.

“I’d like that.”

[Greyfriars Bobby]

21 December 2013

The holiday season was an especially wonderful time to be in Beaumaris. The village's Victorian Christmas celebration brought families and visitors together. Kate and Jack loved the holidays, and so did Tim, when he had time to enjoy them. The more leisurely pace of the Gwynedd League program--there was no "festive season," with matches every few days around Christmas and New Year's--gave the manager a little more time for holiday cheer.

As the calendar turned to December, however, Tim hadn't been in the mood to celebrate. Away to Mynydd Llandegai, the team reverted to the ugly form it had demonstrated at Mardy. The outcome wasn't quite as ghastly; Town lost 1-4, with winger Daniel Davies netting before leaving the match with a thigh strain he couldn't run off on a brisk late autumn evening. The gains of the past month seemed to fade away before Tim's eyes, and he couldn't seem to find a way to hold on to them.

The next few days were difficult for Tim. For the first time since he'd taken over at The Green, he began to wonder if he'd made the right decision, if he was cut out for managing. Was it simply the fact that the players could only train two days a week, and didn't have time to gel? Did they lack the skill to apply what he and the other coaches were trying to teach them? Did he need to find better players? Were his tactics wrong?

Or, did he simply need to stop worrying, and patiently wait for things to come together?

He brought in a manager for the Under 19s, who could also put on a kit and turn out for the senior team. Lewis Hughes was 33, a central midfielder with a good touch on the ball and a surprising amount of pace for a player "his age." He gave Tim a fourth reliable option in the middle of the park, without having to rely on teenagers who still needed time to develop their craft in the reserves. Lewis might even fill in on the right wing, while Davies recovered from his injury.

A sell-out crowd of 225 turned up at The Green on 7 December, braving near gale-force winds to cheer on their team. Unfortunately, they went home disappointed, when a free kick from Llanystumdwy's John Lever confounded Richard Jones and ended up in the net behind him for the game's only score.

Two weeks passed before Beaumaris Town returned to action. In the meantime, two seldom-used reserves, Dave Jenkins and Eifion Jones, signed with other clubs and left the team. Neither player was missed; they had both struggled in the reserves and seemed unsuited to the style of football Tim wanted his team to play.

Another capacity crowd greeted the team today, a sight that brought a smile to the manager's face. "The supporters have been outstanding," he said to the press before the match. "Win or lose, they're out at The Green, and the players and I appreciate it. We hope to give you something more fun to watch tonight."

Pentraeth, who sat fifth in the table, was their opponent. Even the most dedicated supporters might have needed their programmes to identify some of the men in red and black. Lewis Hughes was on the right wing, with pacey Gary Rees, who had recently outplayed Steven Prosser, on the left. At center half was Niall Roberts, the latest player to audition for his manager as Jon Edwards' partner. Tim told Niall to keep things simple, clearing the ball at his first opportunity, leaving the task of building from the back to his fellow defenders.

Crowds at The Green tended to arrive early, and today it was a good thing they did. Otherwise, they might have missed Mark Williams lining up for a free kick from a few yards inside the right touch line, a good 40 yards from goal. Mark sent a screamer toward the goal which hammered against the bar. Nqobile Antipas rose up and headed it in at the far post to give Beaumaris a 1-0 advantage and set the crowd to roaring. Tim turned around, spotted Kate and Jack in the stand behind him, and raised a fist in their direction.

Just before the half, Beaumaris patiently worked the ball in the Pentraeth half until a skittish defender booted it into touch. Joseph Collins received the throw-in and returned it to Huw Morris, who played it into the area for Williams. Mark held the ball for a moment until, seemingly from out of nowhere, Luke Bale charged into view on his left. Williams tapped it over to Bale, and the fullback drilled it into the top left corner of the Pentraeth goal. 2-0 now, after some of the prettiest football Beaumaris had played all year.

On 82 minutes, Morris put Antipas through with a beautiful long pass, and the striker got his second of the match with a confident, assertive finish. Pentraeth pulled one back in the waning moments, when young Roberts got turned the wrong way, but the goal did little to dampen the spirits of everyone in Beaumaris colors.

The match marked the half-way point of the Gwynedd League season, and here's how the table looked:

| Pos   | Inf   | Team              |       | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | G.D.  | Pts   | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st   |       | Waunfawr          |       | 10    | 4     | 6     | 0     | 23    | 12    | +11   | 18    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd   |       | Llanllyfni        |       | 10    | 5     | 3     | 2     | 11    | 5     | +6    | 18    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 3rd   |       | Llanfairfechan    |       | 10    | 5     | 3     | 2     | 12    | 7     | +5    | 18    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th   |       | Mynydd Llandegai  |       | 10    | 5     | 3     | 2     | 11    | 8     | +3    | 18    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th   |       | Pentraeth         |       | 10    | 3     | 4     | 3     | 15    | 12    | +3    | 13    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th   |       | Bontnewydd        |       | 10    | 3     | 4     | 3     | 11    | 12    | -1    | 13    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
|[color=#ff0000] 7th   |       | Beaumaris         |       | 10    | 4     | 1     | 5     | 12    | 15    | -3    | 13  [/color]  | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th   |       | Llanystumdwy      |       | 10    | 3     | 3     | 4     | 12    | 13    | -1    | 12    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th   |       | Bangor Uni        |       | 10    | 3     | 3     | 4     | 8     | 10    | -2    | 12    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th  |       | Holyhead Reserves |       | 10    | 1     | 4     | 5     | 9     | 18    | -9    | 7     | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th  |       | Llanerchymedd     |       | 10    | 1     | 2     | 7     | 4     | 16    | -12   | 5     | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
|       |       |                   |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

"You know, boss, it's still anybody's title to win," player-coach Collins pointed out.

"True, but for now, let's just enjoy this one. It's Christmas, after all."

[tenthreeleader]

Bobby, please pay close attention to Sunday's awards and what it takes to get into them for next year. Ongoing fine work.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Bobby, please pay close attention to Sunday's awards and what it takes to get into them for next year. Ongoing fine work.

I certainly will. Thank you for the encouragement! I'm having a lot of fun with the story, and the support you fellows are giving me means a lot.

1 February 2014

The Francis family's first Christmas in Anglesey was a quiet one. They drove across the English border to Chester for a holiday concert at the cathedral there, and Kate sneaked away for some shopping in Wrexham, but otherwise they remained on the island and enjoyed some rest and relaxation.

A few days into the New Year, it was revealed that chairman Damian Phillips was once again looking to sell the club. Publicly, Tim toed the company line very well. Privately, however, he was beginning to tire of the recurring rumors.

"If Damian wants out, he wants out. It's certainly his right to sell the club if he chooses to," Tim sighed. "If he's going to do it, though, I wish he'd go ahead and close the deal.

"I get on with him fine, so I better be careful about what I wish for. I might not be so lucky next time. Still, I'd rather have the situation settled."

Andrew Clarke, a local businessman, was said to be interested in buying the team. Clarke wasn't much of a football fan, and he was said to be tight with a buck. In other words, he didn't seem likely to spend much money on improving the club's facilities. Tim hoped Phillips, who did like football, would resist the temptation to sell to a man who didn't.

The break gave Tim plenty of time to consider his vision for Beaumaris Town. What kind of football did he want his side to play?

He knew the fans preferred to see open, fast-moving, attacking football. A team like Waunfawr, who knocked in better than two goals a game, was exciting to watch. Tim had a couple of dynamic offensive players, such as Nqobile Antipas and Mark Williams, but otherwise his squad lacked flair. No matter how much the supporters might wish it were otherwise, Town weren't well-suited for a rollicking, attacking style.

Tim's own preference was defensive football. After all, he'd been a center half, and he appreciated the value of a hard-earned clean sheet. "If you don't concede, you can't lose" was one of his favorite truisms. Beaumaris had several players whose defensive awareness was well-developed by Gwynedd League standards. Jon Edwards was a dandy center back. Huw Morris and Luke Bale were solid at full back. All the lads who featured regularly in the middle of the pitch were willing to mark an opponent or get stuck into a tackle. Creating a resolute defense seemed to be a much more likely task.

On a brisk walk to The Green for training one morning, Tim happened to look off to his left at Beaumaris Castle, which had loomed beside the strait for almost eight hundred years. That's it, he thought, and smiled to himself.

When he gathered the players on the pitch, he invited them to look at the castle along with him.

"You understand why dukes, or kings, or whoever, built castles, don't you?" Tim asked them. Most of the players nodded.

"For defense. You build a castle to keep invaders out. You don't want anything getting by.

"We're going to build a new Beaumaris Castle, right in the shadows of the original. We're going to build the best defense in Anglesey."

The early work on the fortress went well. The second half of the season opened on 11 January, at home to Holyhead Reserves. The Spurs, who'd been fancied to win the league in a canter, were instead mired in the drop zone, and they'd scored only nine goals in league play--three in one match alone. Perhaps they weren't the most fearsome invaders, but Tim's lads held them without a shot on target all match long. Unfortunately, Beaumaris couldn't score either, so the match ended in a goal-less draw.

Next came the ultimate test of a Gwynedd League defense: a match away to Waunfawr, who now stood top of the league. With players like Peter Hughes, who'd scored six goals in all competitions, and master playmaker Meilir Vaughan, the Firemen could pick apart the stoutest defensive schemes. For 87 minutes, it looked like Beaumaris might be equal to the challenge; the visitors led 2-1, on goals from Antipas and Llewellyn Davies. Then, quickfire goals from Hughes and midfielder John Barlow swung the result over to Waunfawr.

You can't build a castle in two weeks, Tim mused as the coach rolled away from Caernarfen.

Nor would the task become easier. Next up was Llanfairfechan Town, against whom Beaumaris had shipped five goals when they played back in October.

"That is NOT happening again," Huw Morris told his teammates in the changing room that afternoon. "Play with pride, lads."

The wind whipped off Menai Strait all day, driving a fine rain that made The Green soggier and slower than usual. The home side rallied to Morris's exhortations, and played just as well as they had against Holyhead Reserves. Richard Jones, in the Beaumaris net, wasn't called upon to face a dangerous chance all day. Niall Roberts, playing the best match of his young career at center back, won 11 of the 14 headers he contested.

Llanfairfechan were an exceptionally stingy side, too. A drive from Antipas that fizzed over the bar was the only good chance Beaumaris had, so once again, the match ended 0-0. Given that Llanfairfechan were also fighting for the lead, it was a positive outcome, and Tim let the players know how pleased he was.

He was also pleased to receive an email from Damian Phillips, telling him that Andrew Clarke's takeover bid had failed. Like it or not, Damian still had a football club on his hands.

Kate Francis knew her football. After the match, she pointed out to her husband that his team had been much more difficult to score against lately. That's when Tim told her about the "Castle speech" he'd given at training.

Kate's pretty brown eyes widened, and she smiled in disbelief. "You have to be kidding. You didn't really say that, did you?"

Tim merely smiled back. "I thought it was pretty clever...for a first year manager."

[Greyfriars Bobby]

2 March 2014

Tim had been charged by his board with the task of keeping Beaumaris Town up in the Gwynedd League in his first season at the helm. In early February, it looked like the club, and its manager, were safe. Holyhead Reserves had been playing better lately and were showing signs of mounting a challenge, but Tim's club were six points clear. They were clearly in the driver's seat.

Injuries and illness placed some obstacles in Beaumaris' path during February. On the 8th, away to Llanllyfni, Mark Williams' season came to an abrupt end when he pulled up with a torn hamstring. The big striker had established himself in the first team, pairing well with Nqobile Antipas and providing a regular threat on set pieces. Llewellyn Davies would now have a better opportunity to demonstrate his skills, and he did so in a hurry--coming on for the fallen Williams and netting the only goal in a 1-0 victory at King George's Field.

Two weeks later, it was Antipas' turn to go down. He badly bruised his jaw against Bontnewydd, and to make matters worse, Beaumaris squandered a 2-1 lead in the second half, conceding twice in the last fifteen minutes of the match and losing, 2-3. The captain would probably be off the pitch for two weeks, and the next day, Tim learned that two more players were now unavailable--one temporarily, one for good.

Player/coach Joseph Collins came down with a virus, and was sent home for a fortnight so he could recover. He'd be back, but Niall Roberts wouldn't. The more promising center back had signed with St. Asaph.

"I'm happy for Niall, because he's getting the chance to play with a bigger club," Tim said, "but it's no good for us. Niall was a great fit for us, and we'll miss him."

When the team arrived for training on the 27th, there was a new man among them. Several of them recognized him, a tall, muscular lad with his blond hair cropped short.

Llewellyn Davies was the first to identify him. "It's Gethin Allsop," he pointed out.

"The lad from Lllanfairfechan," added Richard Jones."

"Looks like he's from Beaumaris now. Jimmy's handing him his kit."

Gethin Allsop had been playing as well as any center back in the Gwynedd League. He led the league in interceptions, and had almost twice as many key headers as any other player. The 17-year-old had been a key player in one of the league's top defenses, and now he was wearing Beaumaris red and black.

Allsop made his Beaumaris debut in front of another capacity crowd at The Green two days later. Hapless Llanerchymedd was their opponent, and they gave the Red and Black all they could handle. A brace from Davies, who was taking the bit in his teeth and running with it, and a goal from Adam Spencer sent Beaumaris off 3-2 winners. The visitors lost more than the match, as the result ensured their relegation from the Gwynedd League for 14/15. Beaumaris was now almost certainly safe from the drop. With four matches to play, they were nine points clear.

The next morning, as Tim browsed the news from the Welsh leagues in the privacy of his office, his eyes moved quickly over an item from Rhyl. The Lilywhites, who were bottom of the table in the Welsh Premier League, had sacked manager Jay Beesley. That wasn't surprising, but what followed caught Tim's eye.

The pundits were tapping him as the favorite for the job at Rhyl!

Was keeping a club above the relegation zone in the Gwynedd League enough to make a Premier League club think he was worthy of their notice??

And would he think of accepting the job if it were offered?

[oche balboa]

A brilliant story and love the fact that someone is managing a team that low down, is that the bottom league in your save or can you go further down?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

A brilliant story and love the fact that someone is managing a team that low down, is that the bottom league in your save or can you go further down?

Thank you very much! It's definitely a challenge to take on a team at such a low level. Everything--staff, facilities, youth setup--are very, very basic.

There is one level lower in my save. The Gwynedd League is at Level 5 (Regional Divisions 1). If we're relegated, I believe we'd move down to the Anglesey League (Regional Divisions 2).

I hope you keep following along, whatever happens.

[oche balboa]

Of course, it's a refreshing input to the game

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Of course, it's a refreshing input to the game

I'm glad you're enjoying it. Beaumaris Town aren't going up next year, so if Tim is still there, it will be at least one more season in the Gwynedd League for everyone. Then again, the next levels up are hardly big leagues, so the lower league vibe will definitely be present for the foreseeable future.

8 April 2014

Spring had arrived on Anglesey, bringing a warmth to the air that even the stiff breezes off the Menai Strait couldn't completely chase away. The mood at training was more relaxed, now that the Beaumaris lads knew they'd be staying up.

The events of the weekend of March 15-16 had settled matters. On the Saturday, wide man Gary Rees got his first senior goal, and it was all Beaumaris needed to send off Bangor Uni, 1-0. The visitors had a few more good chances than Tim Francis would have liked, but Richard Jones made five saves to keep his sheet clean. The next day, Bontnewydd got the better of Holyhead Reserves, 3-2, condemning the Spurs to relegation.

That same day came the news that Rhyl had hired a sharp young manager called Sion Taylor. As it turned out, Tim wasn't approached for the job at all. He'd decided he wasn't interested in taking it anyway.

"They wanted a manager who would keep them out of the relegation zone, but it was almost mathematically impossible to do," Tim said. "From what our staff told me, it didn't seem like their team was all that much stronger than ours at some positions. Their facilities are more like those of a Division One club than a Premier League club."

Anyone who knew Tim well would have surmised that the arrival of a fresh group of youth program graduates would make him even more inclined to stay at The Green. The entering class was a very large one--15 players--and there were some talented lads in the group. The best of them right now were Peter Griffiths, a flashy striker, and a smooth midfielder called Daral Hughes. Tim and the staff were enthusiastic about the potential of several of the others, such as defenders Ray Giles and Toby Smolka, winger Dan Porter, and goalkeeper Alex Walsh. Tim watched the youth candidates play the current Under 19s and hang tough, and he decided to sign the lot of them to schoolboy terms--if such a thing existed at the amateur level.

Tim wasn't quite as delighted with the senior team, who looked stale on 22 March, away to Llanystumdwy. They never posed a significant threat, and they couldn't contain pacey striker Robat Lewis, who struck for a brace.

"The gaffer let us have it harder than he has all year," recalled Llewellyn Davies. "I won't say we didn't deserve it."

Nobody was surprised when the team sheet for 4 April looked a little different. Ray Giles was given his debut at right back, while Toby Smolka was listed as a substitute, and came on in the second half. Pentraeth were missing their front man, Paul Feasey, who led the league with nine goals, and they were content to sit back and defend. The 0-0 draw, then, was a fairly easy result to predict.

"I was pleased with Ray and Toby," said Tim after the match. "We were solid defensively, with two fifteen-year-old lads on the pitch for a good part of the time."

As the players were stretching before training, Gethin Allsop watched Jimmy Price positioning some cones for a drill. "Jimmy's a good guy," the new Beaumaris defender declared.

"There's nothing he won't do for the club," Nqobile Antipas added.

Gethin nodded. "What does he do for work? Any of you know?"

"Something with computers," said Huw Morris. "He fixes them, that sort of thing."

"I wonder how long he's been in the chair," Gethin mused.

"As long as I've known him," replied Danny Jones. "He moved here when he was 15 or so."

Assistant manager Darren Fowler had joined the group of players. "There was a good schoolboy footballer by that name some years ago. I never knew what became of him."

"Wonder if it's him?"

Darren shook his head. "If I were you, I wouldn't ask him about it. If it's him, and he hasn't said anything to you lads about it, there's a reason."

[tenthreeleader]

The best thing about this story is that it's very hard to correct your spelling. Great work.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

The best thing about this story is that it's very hard to correct your spelling. Great work.

Thanks, 10-3. I have a grade school teacher who wouldn't settle for less than my best to thank for that one. I'll do my best to make sure you continue to find very few errors.

The final match of the season was at home to Mynydd Llandegai, who came into the day with a chance to clinch the Gwynedd League championship. They were on 33 points, with Llanfairfechan one behind them, on 32. A win would secure the trophy, no matter what Llanfairfechan did, and based on the result the first time they'd faced Beaumaris--a 4-1 pasting at their own ground--Mynydd had every reason to feel confident about their chances.

Tim decided to give another youngster a taste of the first team: Leigh Stone, a left winger with pace and a promising feel for the technical aspects of football. Llewellyn Davies had banged up his foot in training, so Christian Stewart started at forward. Stewart had bagged nine goals for the reserves, and he scored a memorable winner in a Welsh Trophy tie with Crannog.

The match didn't begin well for Beaumaris Town. Adam Spencer went up to contest a corner, and the ball skimmed off his head and past the outstretched hands of his keeper, Chris James. James tried to buck his teammate up with a swat on the behind.

The visitors, understandably, played very conservatively the rest of the way. After all, they had more than a lead to protect; they had one hand on a trophy. Bontnewydd were helping them secure it, taking a 2-1 lead at Llanfairfechan. That's the scoreline the Mynydd players learned about when they went in at halftime.

"You've been unlucky," Tim told his players in the changing room. It was true. They'd outplayed Mynydd, who hadn't threatened James' goal by their own merits yet.

Beaumaris continued to play carefully and patiently, trying to find a gap in Mynydd's defensive shell. Finally, on 88 minutes, the Red and Black netted their final goal of the season. Appropriately, Nqobile Antipas was the scorer; he ran onto a beautifully weighted pass from Stewart and tucked away a tidy finish. The Zimbabwean/Welsh forward wheeled away to the corner flag with his arms aloft. Stopping near the stands, the captain lifted his shirt and kissed the badge as the supporters showered him with adulation.

Meanwhile, Llanfairfechan pulled even with Bontnewydd, taking advantage of a controversial penalty. Gethin Allsop's old club couldn't get the goal that would snatch the trophy, however. Mynydd Llandegai skipper Michael Howson lifted it, while the Beaumaris supporters politely joined the visitors in congratulating them.

Adam Spencer leaned over to whisper to Joseph Collins as they clapped for the winners.

"I'd like to see us do that next year."

A few days later, Tim Francis bid the squad farewell for the summer. He'd see quite a few of them around town; Beaumaris wasn't a big place, after all. There would be quite a bit going on at The Green while the players and staff were on holiday. The team had played to 88 percent of the ground's capacity, and the board decided to enlarge the stands.

The project would add an additional 97 seats, at a cost of £190,000. To pay for it, the board took out a loan, on which they'd pay £1000 a month until 2039, when Jack Francis would be just about as old as his father was now.

"Honey, that's £2000 a seat," Kate told her husband when he shared that piece of news with her.

"Do they plan on making them padded, heated, and covered?"

[dllu]

The best thing about this story is that it's very hard to correct your spelling. Great work.

Second that! There is nothing more off-putting when trying to read an otherwise good story than bad spelling and/or grammar.

(I apologize for any errors in my own posts...)

[neilhoskins77]

Not a bad first season in the end then Bobby? Nice and safe in the table, and the club progressing, on and off the park. Kate is right though, that is an expensive refurb job. Could help the boys from Beaumaris take the next step though.

Still really enjoying this one, I love the small club stories. If this one continues, I think we'll have an early 'FMS Awards 2016' contender on our hands. Well done pal.

[EvilDave]

That is a steep price indeed, it'll be interesting to see if that ties Tim's hands at all in the years to come.

On another note, well done on covering a season so succinctly that I had to check to see if I'd missed anything. You write beautifully concisely, it's very easy on the eye. Keep it up!

[tenthreeleader]

Thanks, 10-3. I have a grade school teacher who wouldn't settle for less than my best to thank for that one. I'll do my best to make sure you continue to find very few errors.

I wasn't referring to general grammar. I was referring to the fact that with so many Welsh names, I couldn't say anything even if you did make a mistake. I'd never know

In the meantime, another solid post.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Second that! There is nothing more off-putting when trying to read an otherwise good story than bad spelling and/or grammar.

(I apologize for any errors in my own posts...)

Thanks very much, dllu, and welcome to the thread. I've been an avid reader all my life, and reading good writing helped me gain what skill I have. Mostly, I enjoy telling a good story, and I hope that comes through here.

Not a bad first season in the end then Bobby? Nice and safe in the table, and the club progressing, on and off the park. Kate is right though, that is an expensive refurb job. Could help the boys from Beaumaris take the next step though.

Still really enjoying this one, I love the small club stories. If this one continues, I think we'll have an early 'FMS Awards 2016' contender on our hands. Well done pal.

Thanks, Neil. Town (may I say "we" here, since I'm the author?) were picked to finish ninth, and that's exactly where we were at the end. I'm including a league table in this post, so you'll see how close we were to a significantly better finish.

Adding 97 seats didn't seem like much of an increase, until I thought about the fact that The Green's capacity was only 225 to begin with. Percentagewise, it's a big expansion, and I hope the board made the right call.

Thank you for your kind words. I'd be flattered by a nomination, much less an award, next time around.

That is a steep price indeed, it'll be interesting to see if that ties Tim's hands at all in the years to come.

On another note, well done on covering a season so succinctly that I had to check to see if I'd missed anything. You write beautifully concisely, it's very easy on the eye. Keep it up!

Thanks very much, Dave. The club has a monthly interest payment that it can make with the intake from 200 match day admissions, so we'll see how it goes.

I'm glad you're enjoying my writing style! I began my "career" as a story author with Out of the Park Baseball. I quickly discovered that writing about every game of a season of 150-plus games was incredibly tedious, so to keep the story moving along, I began thinking, and writing, about bigger blocks of time. Plus, I'm still learning to write up a football match--I've only followed the real sport for two years or so.

I wasn't referring to general grammar. I was referring to the fact that with so many Welsh names, I couldn't say anything even if you did make a mistake. I'd never know

In the meantime, another solid post.

Thanks, 10-3. I'm sorry I missed your meaning last night (it's what I get for trying to multi-task, which for a husband and father is a crucial life skill). I don't know if I'm spelling them right half the time myself. I can type "Beaumaris," "Gwynedd," and "Anglesey" without looking them up, which is a start, at least.

***

20 June 2014

The eyes of the football world turned to Brazil this month, as the World Cup got underway. Wales were not in the field; they had finished fourth in a qualifying group that was dominated by Belgium and Croatia. Tim Francis had considered taking Kate and Jack on a vacation to Brazil to watch at least a few matches, but Kate suggested a quieter holiday for the three of them in Ireland. For ten days, Tim took a complete break from Beaumaris Town Football Club, leaving it in the capable has of his lieutenants.

When he returned, around the first of June, the manager found his days consumed by a variety of tasks:

1. Saying goodbye to players who were leaving the team. Midfielder Bradley Pritchard was moving up a level, signing with Johnstown. Losing Bradley stung a bit, but not nearly as much as watching Jon Edwards leave. The dandy center half accepted a semi-pro contract with Llandudno of the First Division.

"I'd love to see Jon get a shot at the Premiership," Tim said after he shook the player's hand and wished him well. "He's only 24 now. Llandudno were fifth in the league, and maybe Jon can help them get up."

2. Saying hello to a new player. Adding Lloyd Connor, who signed for Beaumaris the day Tim returned from the Emerald Isle, had once seemed like a luxury. With Edwards moving on, it became a necessity. Connor was a very different kind of player from Edwards. He was small (5'5"), nearly a foot shorter than Jon. While Jon had lots of pace, Lloyd relied on his football sense to get into position without having to sprint much. He was a 33-year-old veteran who could also fill in as a midfielder, while Edwards could only play one position.

3. Tweaking his back room staff. Gone was scout Chris Evans, who hadn't done a bad job, but Tim discovered he could trade up for a new Mr. Evans with even more skill. The new man, called Darren, was young (34), and very promising. He impressed assistant manager Darren Fowler, which wasn't easy to do.

"That lad knows his football," Fowler said of Evans. "He's going to be as good as anyone in Wales. He's like Lloyd Richards was at that age." Richards was the long-serving chief scout at Swansea City.

The other new man was potentially, as Tim called it, "a huge, huge get." His name was Josh Rees. Tim had never seemed to click with Lewis Davey, whom he'd inherited as his Head of Youth Development and, while he'd never actively tried to replace Lewis, he was open to the possibility of making a change.

"I spoke with Josh about coming on as a coach, because he's got some real talent there," Tim recalled. "He told me he'd rather work in youth development, and he's got some terrific ideas. He impressed me, and I knew I wanted him in our club.

"Lewis was more or less ready to move on, so we parted on decent terms. I think the lads will really thrive with Josh, though. He's young (33) and dynamic." Tim immediately gave him more responsibilities with the Under 19s than his predecessor had.

4. Handling job offers and job-related rumours. Right before he left, Tim read that he was apparently the favorite for another Premier League gig. This time it was Carmarthen Town, where the manager was resigning. Once again, Tim said nothing encouraging to the media; once again, the big club made no offer.

However, plenty of smaller clubs were interested in bringing him in for an interview. Tim politely declined them all.

"I like what we're building at Beaumaris. Honestly, even the clubs a level higher than us aren't any better off in terms of facilities, and none of them have staff like we're putting together."

5. Parsing the statistics from 2013/14.

| Pos   | Inf   | Team              |       | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | G.D.  | Pts   | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st   | C     | Mynydd Llandegai  |       | 20    | 9     | 7     | 4     | 22    | 14    | +8    | 34    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd   |       | Llanfairfechan    |       | 20    | 8     | 9     | 3     | 26    | 18    | +8    | 33    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 3rd   |       | Llanystumdwy      |       | 20    | 9     | 5     | 6     | 23    | 23    | 0     | 32    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th   |       | Bontnewydd        |       | 20    | 8     | 7     | 5     | 25    | 21    | +4    | 31    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th   |       | Waunfawr          |       | 20    | 7     | 9     | 4     | 35    | 25    | +10   | 30    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th   |       | Llanllyfni        |       | 20    | 8     | 6     | 6     | 21    | 18    | +3    | 30    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th   |       | Pentraeth         |       | 20    | 7     | 6     | 7     | 25    | 19    | +6    | 27    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th   |       | Bangor Uni        |       | 20    | 8     | 3     | 9     | 25    | 20    | +5    | 27    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th   |       | Beaumaris         |       | 20    | 7     | 5     | 8     | 22    | 26    | -4    | 26    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th  | R     | Llanerchymedd     |       | 20    | 3     | 5     | 12    | 13    | 27    | -14   | 14    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th  | R     | Holyhead Reserves |       | 20    | 2     | 6     | 12    | 16    | 42    | -26   | 12    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
|       |       |                   |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

Beaumaris Town's position in the table was deceptive. Sure, they were ninth, but they were actually closer to the top of the league than they were to the club immediately below them! No wonder the Gwynedd League's season had been so compelling!

| Name              | Apps  | Gls          | Ast   | PoM   | Pas R | Tck   | DrbPG | Sh T  | Yel   | Red   | Av Rat| 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Luke Bale         | 24    | 1            | 0     | 0     | 78%   | 1.25  | 0.54  | 50%   | 1     | 0     | 6.61  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Jon Edwards       | 22    | 0            | 0     | 0     | 70%   | 1.55  | 0.32  | 50%   | 5     | 0     | 6.54  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Adam Spencer      | 22    | 2            | 2     | 1     | 81%   | 1.07  | 0.68  | 45%   | 5     | 0     | 6.84  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Nqobile Antipas   | 21 (1)| 8            | 6     | 2     | 82%   | 0.86  | 1.72  | 42%   | 0     | 0     | 6.90  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Joseph Collins    | 19 (2)| 2            | 0     | 0     | 82%   | 1.64  | 0.66  | 43%   | 0     | 0     | 6.79  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Huw Morris        | 17 (2)| 0            | 1     | 1     | 81%   | 1.30  | 0.99  | 0%    | 1     | 0     | 6.78  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Daniel Davies     | 16 (1)| 1            | 0     | 0     | 74%   | 1.15  | 1.75  | 38%   | 2     | 0     | 6.69  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Mark Williams     | 14    | 2            | 4     | 1     | 76%   | 0.76  | 0.99  | 38%   | 0     | 0     | 6.84  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Gary Rees         | 10 (2)| 1            | 1     | 1     | 82%   | 0.40  | 2.19  | 33%   | 0     | 0     | 6.78  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Steve Prosser     | 9 (1) | 1            | 2     | 2     | 74%   | 1.23  | 1.79  | 80%   | 0     | 0     | 6.70  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Llewelyn Davies   | 8 (7) | 6            | 2     | 3     | 77%   | 1.29  | 0.64  | 45%   | 0     | 0     | 7.01  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Lewis Hughes      | 6 (6) | 1            | 0     | 0     | 83%   | 1.92  | 0.15  | 40%   | 1     | 0     | 6.65  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Adrian Burnett    | 6 (1) | 0            | 0     | 0     | 66%   | 3.21  | 0.51  | 0%    | 0     | 0     | 6.41  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Antony Lloyd      | 5 (2) | 0            | 0     | 0     | 64%   | 2.34  | 0.18  | 0%    | 0     | 0     | 6.33  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Gethin Allsop     | 5     | 0            | 0     | 0     | 76%   | 1.43  | 0.61  | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.68  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Bradley Pritchard | 4 (10)| 0            | 2     | 0     | 77%   | 1.24  | 1.24  | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.68  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Christian Stewart | 4     | 1            | 2     | 1     | 79%   | 1.63  | 0.33  | 50%   | 0     | 0     | 7.03  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Richard Hughes    | 3 (1) | 0            | 0     | 0     | 71%   | 1.94  | 0.65  | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.50  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Alex Pritchard    | 2 (2) | 0            | 0     | 0     | 85%   | 1.82  | 0.45  | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.73  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Liam Hughes       | 2     | 0            | 0     | 0     | 59%   | 1.50  | -     | -     | 1     | 0     | 6.05  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Mark O'Sullivan   | 2     | 0            | 0     | 0     | 79%   | 0.67  | -     | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.25  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Adam Baker        | 1 (2) | 0            | 0     | 0     | 84%   | 2.55  | 1.28  | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.40  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Danny Jones       | 1 (2) | 0            | 0     | 0     | 79%   | 2.06  | -     | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.43  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Carl Guy          | 1 (1) | 0            | 0     | 0     | 75%   | 0.83  | 1.67  | 0%    | 0     | 0     | 6.60  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Leigh Stone       | 1     | 0            | 0     | 0     | 74%   | 2.00  | -     | 100%  | 0     | 0     | 6.40  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Ray Giles         | 1     | 0            | 0     | 0     | 79%   | 1.00  | -     | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.60  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Stephen Marriott  | 1     | 0            | 0     | 0     | 75%   | -     | 0.00  | 0%    | 0     | 0     | 6.20  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Eiron Smith       | 1     | 0            | 0     | 0     | 67%   | -     | -     | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.50  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Dave Griffiths    | 1     | 0            | 0     | 0     | 67%   | 0.00  | 4.00  | -     | 0     | 0     | 5.70  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Gareth Morgan     | 0 (5) | 0            | 0     | 0     | 84%   | -     | -     | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.47  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Toby Smolka       | 0 (1) | 0            | 0     | 0     | 86%   | -     | -     | -     | 0     | 0     | 6.60  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

| Name          | Apps    | Conc    | Con/90  | Clean sheets | Pas R   | Yel     | Red     | Av Rat  | 
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Richard Jones | 17      | 21      | 1.24    | 6            | 78%     | 0       | 0       | 6.86    | 
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| Chris James   | 7       | 14      | 2.00    | 3            | 86%     | 0       | 0       | 6.73    | 
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

To nobody's surprise, the supporters chose Nqobile Antipas as their Player of the Year. How could you not love him, with his exuberance, his grin, his genuine love for the game?

For the rest of their First Eleven, they chose goalkeeper Richard Jones; defenders Huw Morris, Jon Edwards, Adrian Burnett, and Luke Bale; midfielders Daniel Davies, Adam Spencer, Joseph Collins, and Gary Rees; and forwards Nqobile Antipas and Mark Williams. Burnett was the closest thing to a surprise. He'd started seven times, which was more than anyone else at the revolving-door center back slot.

6. Looking over the Gwynedd League fixture list for 2014/15. New to the league were Dolgellau Athletic Reserves, who'd been shifted over from the Aberystwyth Division One; C.P.D. Y Felinheli, promoted from Caernarfon Division One; and Gaerwen, relegated from the Second Division of the Welsh Alliance League.

The players would return from holiday in another 10 days, and they faced a First Qualifying Round tie in the Welsh Trophy on 16 August. Much remained to do before then, but Tim was ready to begin.

"I enjoy the vibe surrounding a football club," he said. "I was tired of the feel of life at a big club. This, here, is just right for me now."

[mark wilson27]

Champions to 9th Place seperated by 8 points. Now thats what you call close

[jdoyle9293]

Damn, that league's close. The lower leagues of smaller nations usually are from what I've found on my FM travels, though. Makes for a more exciting experience though. Great work and a great update!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

@markwilson27, @jdoyle9293: Wasn't that crazy? Honestly, only two of the teams were really out of the title chase until the last few weeks, even though it didn't feel like it to me at the time. Seeing eight teams ahead of you tends to make you feel like you're out of the running.

****

16 August 2014

The day after the players returned from their holiday, Tim Francis met with the Beaumaris Town board at the Pier House Café. They wasted no time letting Tim know what they expected this time around.

"We think you've put a team in place that's good enough to win the league," chairman Damian Phillips stated. "In fact, that's what we're looking for this season. Promotion."

Tim was silent for a moment. Ninth place to the top of the table? That's a pretty tall order, he thought. And that Llangefni Town side is very strong.

"We're prepared to let you add another coach to your staff, to help make that happen, and I'll invest some money in improving our training facilities."

Tim nodded. "I appreciate that, Damian. Those things will make a difference.

"You know I'll give it my very best shot." Tim shook hands with the board members and left the café, stepping out into the brilliant early July sunshine. He relished a challenge, but was a leap of eight places in the table a bit too much to expect?

Tim chose Scott Parry, who'd just hung up his boots after a long career at First Division club Llanrhaedr, to fill the new staff position. Scott's experience with bigger clubs would serve Beaumaris well, and he impressed Tim as a man who wouldn't take any guff from anyone. That would spare Joseph Collins, who was only 24 and the other lads' teammate, from having to play "bad cop" quite so often.

Two days later, the foundations of the team he'd constructed got a good bit of a shake.

First came the news that left back Luke Bale had agreed to terms with Holyhead. For the first time in his career, Luke would be paid for playing football: £75/week. Tim hated to see Luke go; he'd been ever-present for the club last season, and he was a team leader. He couldn't stand in the way of a man's opportunity to put some money in his pocket, however.

An hour later, assistant manager Darren Fowler stopped by to tell him he was considering a job offer from Cwmbran, in the Third Division. Tim told him he was a valued member of the team, and that he hoped he'd stay.

When Darren walked out of the office with no more than a nod in reply, Tim knew he'd already made up his mind, and the next day, it became official.

Tim almost never made a decision immediately, but this time he did. He called Scott Parry into his office at the end of training that day.

"I know you just came on board, Scott, but how would you feel about a promotion?"

"How about the lads who have been here longer?" Parry replied. "Do you think they'll feel hard done by if they're passed over for the new man?"

"Huw [Morris] and Joseph [Collins] and Lewis [Hughes] are all players, too. I want to be able to communicate with my right-hand man during the match. I can't do that if he's on the pitch."

Scott nodded. "I can understand that. All right, then. You've got yourself a new assistant, Gaffer."

Tim smiled and shook hands with Scott. His mind was already moving to the next step: finding a coach to fill Scott's old position. He went the player/coach route once more, making an offer to Nigel Morgan of Penrhyncoch. At 38, Nigel could still produce on the pitch; playing at striker or as an attacking midfielder, he bagged eight goals in 28 appearances in the First Division.

Morgan was surprisingly easy to sell on the idea of taking his talents three steps down to the Regional First Division level. Perhaps he knew his pace, which had never been a strong point in his prime, was now almost completely gone. Still, his knowledge of the game and his technical skill would play well in the Gwynedd League, and his coaching credentials were well-rounded and strong.

"Nigel has to be the slowest player in the league," said Tim with a smile after watching the new man on his first day in training. "I mean...the goalkeepers are quicker than he is. We have some pretty athletic 'keepers, but still."

Nevertheless, it was easy to see that Nigel would come in handy. He could do things with a free kick that nobody in the team, even Mark Williams, could match, and he demonstrated a deft touch when he passed the ball.

Another new player joined the club in the days before their first friendly. Tom Grayson, 25, was a hard-working, determined centre back from across the English border who'd failed to stick with Rhos Aelwyd or Lex XI. He wasn't tall enough to be a force in the air--they couldn't all be 6'5" like Gethin Allsop--but he was fast and brave. Tom would get every chance to prove his mettle in the first team.

As the World Cup progressed in Brazil, Beaumaris Town began its preseason schedule. There were high points (3-1 away to Chester Nomads) and low points (1-3 at home to Bro Goronwy), but Tim was pleased with the way the players were rounding into shape. Many of the team watched the Final together at the George & Dragon, where they saw Brazil defeat Italy, 2-1.

Late July and early August were quiet at The Green, save for the work being done on the expansion of the stands. No new players came in, and none left, although several of the lads could have gone elsewhere had they chosen to. Mark Williams was a favorite target, with young goalkeeper Will Hulse and winger Gary Rees also drawing offers from a variety of clubs.

The first meaningful match of the 2015/16 season came today: a Welsh Trophy First Qualifying Round contest at home to Llanharry, a small club from down in Rhondda. Tim's team sheet looked like this:

GK: Richard Jones

D: Joseph Collins, Gethin Allsop, Adrian Burnett, Alex Pritchard

M: Daniel Davies, Nigel Morgan, Lloyd Connor, Gary Rees

ST: Llewellyn Davies, Nqobile Antipas

The back row would feature three players whom Tim didn't consider first choices, in Collins, Burnett, and Pritchard. Grayson and Morris each had minor injuries that would keep them out of the game. Collins was a natural midfielder, not a right back. Still, it was a team Tim thought would represent the club well.

That it did. Llewellyn had a brace within ten minutes, and Nqobile made it 3-1 before the quarter hour. Just like that, the visitors pulled one back. The game was shaping up to be a delight for anyone who enjoyed high-scoring contests.

When Antipas was pulled down inside the area, he nodded over to his young strike partner. "It's your penalty, lad."

Llew made no mistake. 4-1 to the Town.

Nigel Morgan demonstrated his free-kick wizardry on 59 minutes, curling one in from 26 yards away. That completed the scoring, and Beaumaris were 5-1 victors.

The match had been billed as a close encounter, but it was anything but that, and the four-plus hours Llanharry spent on the coach, making their way back down the A470 to South Wales, must have seemed long indeed.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

19 August 2014

Today began as a typical day for Gethin Allsop. A quick breakfast, a ride to The Green from Huw Morris, and a brisk mid-week training session. Next came a long shower, and lunch--fish and chips from the Pier House Café--before he joined Tom Grayson and Gary Dees for a short drive over to Conwy to watch the reserves play their opening match in the league they'd joined.

The result wasn't what the Beaumaris lads wanted; they lost, 1-2, to Kinmel Bay. The three players stopped off for a quick meal on the way home, and Gethin was about to fire up his game console when he thought of something else.

He took out his mobile and called his uncle in Swansea. "Uncle Lloyd...it's Gethin. How've you been?"

Lloyd Edwards was happy to hear from his nephew. He didn't get to see Gethin as much as he wanted, especially during football season, when both he and the lad were busy. Lloyd's scouting responsibilities could take him anywhere in Britain, if not the world.

They chatted happily for a few moments before Gethin presented the question he'd called his Uncle Lloyd to ask.

"Did you ever hear of a player called Jimmy Price?"

Lloyd only paused a moment. "Of course, lad. We all knew about Jimmy Price. He was one of the best schoolboys I've ever seen."

Gethin smiled. "What kind of player was he?"

"There wasn't much he couldn't do on the pitch, Geth. He was a big lad--not as tall as you, but solid as stone. Fast, too. The older fellows said he looked a little like a very young Duncan Edwards. They liked to tease him good-naturedly, call him 'Big Jim,' the way they called Edwards 'Big Dunc.'

"The big debate was over whether he or Russell Jones was going to be the better player. Russell's about a year older than Jim, I think."

"No way!" Russell Jones was the Welsh Footballer of the Year, a star for Wales and Real Madrid.

"Russell wouldn't race Jimmy Price. That's how fast Jim was."

Gethin's heart was pounding. "What happened to him?"

Lloyd's voice softened. "Jim must have been about 14. He was in Cardiff's youth program. One night, he and his dad and mum were in a horrible accident on the motorway. Neither of Jimmy's parents survived. Jimmy did, but he lost the use of his legs.

"Jimmy went to live with relatives up north somewhere. I can only imagine how horrible it would be, to lose so much, so quickly..."

Gethin took a long, deep breath. "Uncle Lloyd, I know where Jimmy Price is. I know him pretty well, I'd say."

[Greyfriars Bobby]

23 August 2014

Lloyd Edwards didn't need to tell his nephew not to share what he'd learned about Jimmy Price with anyone. Gethin Allsop was mature and sensitive enough to know better. Many eighteen-year-old lads would have used their information to increase their own status, without any thought about how it might affect Jimmy. Gethin wasn't about to do that. Besides, he liked Jimmy, and considered him a friend.

Gethin kept a journal--a rather old-fashioned thing to do, perhaps--and that's where he expressed his thoughts about the conversation he'd had with his Uncle Lloyd. That night, he popped open his laptop and wrote:

I know the story of what happened to Jimmy back in November. Jimmy didn't tell me, Gary Rees did, he knocked one of the attackers down so he couldn't get away. I can't imagine what Jimmy felt that night. If he hadn't been injured in the accident, he wouldn't have been in Beaumaris, in a wheelchair, that night. He might have been at home, with his beautiful wife and their cute infant, in an amazing house he bought with the millions of pounds he makes as a footballer. If they saw him on the street somewhere, the guys who broke his laptop would have asked him for his autograph and taken selfies with him instead. Even if they thought about hurting him, I doubt they would try to take on a man who was as physically dominant as Jimmy would have been.

I'll never tell anyone what I know. I won't even tell Jimmy that I know his story. Uncle Lloyd said there's a reason why he doesn't talk about it.

Jimmy's accident happened in the autumn of 2003, just before the Internet became saturated with information about footballers who were still too young to shave. And Jimmy hadn't yet played for Wales, which would have made him well-known enough that his accident would become a news item. Instead, he was able to drift away to Anglesey, and the story of what happened that night on a slick road in south Wales didn't go there with him. Jimmy moved in with his aunt and uncle, and he told his new schoolmates that he'd been hurt in a car crash. Nothing more, nothing about football at all.

He loved the game, so he followed the local team like thousand and thousands of young men did, all across Britain. That was the extent of his connection to football, and that's the way he figured it would remain. Jimmy hadn't imagined he'd ever be part of a club again. Now that he was, he loved everything about it, and for the first time in years, he truly looked forward to what he'd do that day.

It was Jimmy who noticed the club really didn't seem to have a nickname. "I heard it called 'Town' from time to time, but that's all," he recalled. "Nothing like 'Gunners' for Arsenal, or 'The Seasiders' for Aberystwyth.

"I thought about 'Straitsiders,' but that sounded like I was copying. The day I was writing about the Welsh Trophy match for the website, I called us 'The Guardians.' You know, with the castle and all.

"I'm not sure if it will catch on, but I like it," Jimmy said with a smile.

The newly-christened Guardians returned to The Green today, drawing Ynyshir in the First Qualifying Round of the Welsh Cup. This time, Mark Williams partnered Nqobile Antipas up front, and it was his turn to bag a brace as the home side saw off their guests from . Antipas got the other goal, and Chris James stepped between the posts and turned in a clean sheet.

A week remained before the Gwynedd League programme began, and it looked like Beaumaris Town would be riding into the season on a wave of momentum.

They'd have to begin the season without Gethin Allsop, however, Late in the match, he wrenched his knee and, while there was no structural damage to the joint, he'd be sidelined for two weeks or so while he healed.

[tenthreeleader]

Very nice piece of storywriting here. You're doing a fine job of developing strong characters.

[jdoyle9293]

Great work on Jimmy Price. Also, you seem to have a fair chairman and you're pretty efficient at grabbing players and staff which should result in at least some success this season.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Very nice piece of storywriting here. You're doing a fine job of developing strong characters.

Coming from a writer who's created some of the most intriguing characters I've encountered in any dynasty stories anywhere, that means a lot. Thanks very much.

I enjoy helping characters come to life. It's a little bit risky, turning a player into a character. You never know what will happen within the game that could force him to the periphery of the story.

Great work on Jimmy Price. Also, you seem to have a fair chairman and you're pretty efficient at grabbing players and staff which should result in at least some success this season.

Thanks very much! I had Jimmy's character pretty well set in my mind as the story began and, since he's not generated by FM, I can do with him as I choose.

The chairman is trying to sell the club, so who knows how much longer he'll be around? I've had a good deal of luck with putting together Tim's staff. Josh Rees, in particular, is probably too good for the Gwynedd League, so I hope I can keep him.

I've had almost no success finding suitable players this summer, however. I wanted to shore up the team at a couple positions, but I'm finding that players who are better than the ones I'd be replacing aren't willing to leave their clubs. It's a more intriguing challenge than simply cherry-picking all the players I want, however.

Thanks to both of you for commenting!

***

10 September 2014

Summer was over. Jack Francis, now twelve, was back in school. Kate was training for a half marathon, and she was trying her best to persuade her husband to join her. She was also selling some of the jewelry she made at a boutique on Castle Street.

Beaumaris Town had already been eliminated from one of their two cup competitions. And the lid was about to be lifted on the 2014/15 Gwynedd League campaign.

On the penultimate day of August, the Guardians continued their good run in the Welsh Trophy. Away to Tregaron Turfs, they took an early lead through Mark Williams and added an own goal in the second half to secure a 2-0 victory. Tom Grayson was back on the pitch, while Gethin Allsop had to watch from the stand.

Beaumaris faced a familiar opponent in the Second Qualifying Round of the Welsh Cup: Bontnewydd. They'd split two matches in the Gwynedd League last season, and they would present Tim's lads with a stern test. They didn't pass it, not close. Bontnewydd ran out 3-0 winners, and worse yet, Llewellyn Davies left the match with painfully bruised ribs that would keep him out of action for another two weeks. Alex Pritchard endured a horrific game at left back, just as he was on the verge of laying claim to the position.

"We've still got work to do," sighed Tim. "Lots of it."

The cast of characters who would take the stage for the first act of the drama had largely been set.

Richard Jones (29) had laid claim to the number one shirt. He relied more on positioning and toughness than raw physical talent. Will Hulse (18) was on the verge of overtaking Chris James (29) as the number two choice in goal. Will was a less-polished version of Jones, but with the advantage of yout

In spite of his struggles in the Welsh Cup, Alex Pritchard (19) entered the season as the starter. He was fast, tough, and resilient, and if he became more secure on the ball, he might work out fine. Another young player, Carl Guy (18) was in the mix, but he wasn’t nearly as defensively sound as Alex. Privately, Tim was really missing Luke Bale.

On the other hand, Tim had a variety of center backs to choose from. Tom Grayson (25) was fit again, and was one option; Grayson could also play well on the right side. Gethin Allsop (18), who had enjoyed such a fine debut season last year, was ready to go, and Adrian Burnett (26) had been impressive in the pre-season. New signing Lloyd Connor (34) could slot in without costing the team a thing, and U19 sensation Toby Smolka (16) was knocking on the door.

Right back was another “flex” position, as Scott Parry termed it. Last year’s starter, Huw Morris (39) had lost a bit athletically, but his understanding of the game continued to grow. Grayson was probably Huw’s equal on the right side, with Adam Spencer (33), normally a midfielder, able to fill in there as well. Ray Giles (16) was the most promising young option here.

At left wing, Gary Rees (18) was facing a stiff challenge from rapidly-improving Leigh Stone (16). Last summer’s darling, Steve Prosser (17), had failed to develop much, and his ability to play all along the left side of the pitch was now his best attribute. He'd been put in the reserves, and he was sulking.

Tim believed a football team needed to be strong in the spine, and he’d put together a corps of midfielders that he believed gave his team that kind of foundation. Adam Spencer (33) and Joseph Collins (25), the incumbent central midfielders, were ready to go. Spencer was probably beginning to decline, but was still effective, while Collins, by far the paciest of the Guardians, was probably not quite in his prime.

Tim had several other options here, which he could mix and match to fit the needs of particular matches. Phil McMahon (15) wouldn’t turn 16 until December, but he was already useful to the first team as a defensive midfielder. Lloyd Connor (34), a relentless tackler, could move up from the midfield and lock down the middle of the pitch. Nigel Morgan (38) possessed the defensive awareness to play a holding role and the class and polish to serve as a playmaker. Daral Hughes (16), whose services had been coveted by other clubs all summer long, was on the verge of making an impact at the senior level.

Tim faced a quandary when it came to his strikers. Club captain Nqobile Antipas (37) was, in many ways, the team’s heart and soul. The fans adored him. It was clear he was past his prime, but for now, his knowledge of the game enabled him to play at his usual high level. Mark Williams (18), Nqobile’s usual running mate last term, had played well in July and August. So had Llewellyn Davies (18), the closest thing to a “pacey striker” in the team. Nqobile, Mark, and Llew had been the team’s Big Three last season, and they were back for more.

However, there were now other players ready to challenge them. Striker was Nigel Morgan’s natural position, and his technical skill would enable him to compensate for his alarming lack of pace in the Gwynedd League. Christian Stewart (18) had played well when called upon. And the back room staff now considered starlet Peter Griffiths (16) the equal of any forward in the team. “If he had more pace, he’d play in the Premiership,” stated Josh Rees. “That’s all he’s missing.”

The manager, then, was left with a choice. “I can put a very, very experienced team on the pitch whenever I choose to,” he explained. “I’m turning thirty-eight this December. I have three first team players who are older than I am, and several others who aren’t much younger. None of them is a goalkeeper.

“I’m being told by the board that I need to get this team promoted. I’d love to get some of our good, young players some time on the pitch…but do I dare do that, if I’m not comfortably on top of the table?”

[neilhoskins77]

Looks like a very interesting season coming up for your lads here Bobby. It's always tough going building a squad with a club at amateur level. A couple of decent performances, and the vultures are always circling from the higher Divisions. A couple of early season wins and a bit of momentum, and it might just be Beaumaris' season. Best of luck, looking forward to seeing how you get on.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Looks like a very interesting season coming up for your lads here Bobby. It's always tough going building a squad with a club at amateur level. A couple of decent performances, and the vultures are always circling from the higher Divisions. A couple of early season wins and a bit of momentum, and it might just be Beaumaris' season. Best of luck, looking forward to seeing how you get on.

Thanks, Neil. As I write this, 17 Beaumaris players are wanted by another club, a list that contains everyone from Nqobile Antipas to 16-year-old lads from the youth team. As close as the teams in this league appear to be, any breaks--good or bad--might decide the outcome of the season.

****

24 September 2014

The first league fixture of the season took the Guardians to Bangor University for a Wednesday night contest.

Scott Parry suggested that Tim give Daral Hughes a chance to try his luck on the left wing, and the manager thought it was a good idea.

“Daral is making great strides as a footballer, and he’s earned a chance,” Tim explained. “There are a number of clubs who are offering him contracts, and it doesn’t hurt to give a lad some first team action, to remind him he’s a valuable part of the club.” Peter Griffiths would also receive his senior debut, paired with Nqobile Antipas at forward.

Tom Grayson celebrated his return to the eleven by banging home a rebound to give Beaumaris the lead, right before the half hour. Bangor replied quickly, and the score remained level until 84 minutes. Then, Antipas nodded home a cross from Daral Hughes, and the Guardians held on for the result. The pretty girls from the Uni weren’t smiling quite so much as they made their way back to their lodging.

Next, Tim’s lads had the opportunity to claim some revenge against Bontnewydd for ousting them from the Welsh Trophy. The stands at The Green, which now held 194 while its expansion was being completed, were full, and they watched their favorites come out with all guns blazing. They barely let the visitors touch the ball, so it was no surprise when Antipas pounced on a poor clearance attempt from a Bontnewydd back and hit a vicious half-volley that zoomed in at Aled Evans’ right post.

Things looked even more promising when a cynical two-footed challenge from Bontnewydd’s hulking defender, Lee Tucker, earned him a straight red card and an early shower. At the half, Beaumaris had outshot their guests, 10-0, and had 67% of the ball.

Early in the second half, Evans demonstrated why he was regarded as one of the league’s best custodians, saving from Adrian Burnett on the doorstep. The Guardians buzzed around Evans’ goal all evening, but couldn’t breach the goal. So, when Dean Davies found the net against the run of play, Bontnewydd grabbed a point they honestly shouldn’t have had. The result left a bitter taste in Tim’s mouth. Why couldn’t the lads put a match like that, in which they had every advantage, in the bag?

The day after the Bontnewydd match, Tim finally landed the left back he’d been seeking. Phil Davidson, 20, had apparently been deemed surplus to requirements at Corwen of the Welsh National Premier. He’d need some coaching in the art of marking an opponent, but he was blazing fast, with the determination of a bulldog and a mature understanding of the game. Tim and his staff believed Phil was the kind of player who would maximize his potential, and he was slotted in at left back right away.

Tonight was a pleasant evening, cool for mid-September. Tim found himself driving up the motorway to Liverpool. He had been invited to participate in an “Everton Legends” event at one of the lounges at Goodison Park, an opportunity for season ticket holders and friends of the club to rub elbows with some players for an evening. Had it not been a school night, Kate and Jack might have come along. They could have visited with Kate’s parents, Harry and Grace Wickenden, who lived about 15 minutes from Goodison Park, while Tim did his bit for the People’s Club.

Tim hardly considered himself a legend. “I had a good run at Everton, but compared to some of the players they’ve had there, I’m nothing special. I think they invited me because I live pretty close by and would actually attend.”

The event called for Tim to wear a suit, something he almost never did anymore. Life in Beaumaris seldom called for such attire. Kate playfully teased him when he appeared in the living room, modeling his fine haberdashery.

“Who’s this man in a suit? My husband might not like you coming around here!” She winked, wrapped her arms around his waist, kissed him on the cheek, and sent him off to Everton.

Tim was looking forward to seeing his former teammate, Charlie Higgins, who had been Tim’s best friend in the team. Kate got on just as well with Charlie’s wife, Laura. Charlie had hung up his boots a year after Tim did, and was now selling real estate in Staffordshire, where he’d grown up.

Higgins pointed out that it looked like life in Anglesey was agreeing with Charlie, and that led to a conversation about the experience of managing a small club like Beaumaris Town. Charlie wasn’t surprised Tim had decided to try his hand at managing. Many of his Everton teammates had thought Tim would make a good coach; he was a heady player, an analytical thinker, and good at negotiating the complex blend of personalities in a changing room.

“Do you think you’d ever want to move on from there?” Charlie asked. His question was completely transparent--not an attempt to put the idea in Tim’s head—but the way Tim hesitated before he answered spoke volumes.

“I haven’t thought about it,” he replied. “Anglesey is home.”

Just then, a middle-aged man and his wife approached them, wanting to shake hands with Tim and Charlie and pose for a picture. Their arrival ended the former teammates’ conversation, and soon Tim was back in his car, driving home to Beaumaris…and thinking.

There were times when managing a club as tiny as Beaumaris Town frustrated Tim. He’d come up with ideas for specialized training for different groups of players, only to remember there weren’t enough coaches to supervise the drills. The electric pump Jimmy Price used to inflate footballs would break, and they’d have to pump them up by hand for a week before a replacement could be procured. Enough of those moments in a short period of time could add up to a significant frustration. Were little things like that the ones that made the difference in a match like the one at home to Bontnewydd?

Kate seemed happy, but Anglesey wasn’t her home, it was his. She’d traded life in suburban Liverpool, close to family and friends and the amenities of a city, for the slower pace of village life. Would she be happier back in England?

And then there was Jack. He was an outstanding student, especially in maths. He’d remarked that his school in Beaumaris wasn’t nearly as challenging as the one he’d left behind, and that he didn’t need to work as hard to make the same grades. Was Tim’s desire to keep it small and simple limiting his son’s opportunity?

What about Jack’s football? Josh Rees said Jack was the best young goalkeeper on the island. Would training with a bigger club, in a better-appointed youth program, enable him to realize his potential more fully than he would training with Beaumaris Town?

It’s not like big English clubs are coming after me, he told himself. Little Welsh clubs are the ones offering me interviews, and I’d never leave Beaumaris for them.

Nobody else is showing interest…but what if they did?

Or, should I make the first move?

For now, the questions were all completely theoretical. Tim decided it might be time to give the matter some thought, in case they ever became practical.

[tenthreeleader]

hmm ... do I hear a drum roll in the distance?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

hmm ... do I hear a drum roll in the distance?

Or, perhaps the drummer is just picking up his sticks, in case they're needed...

****

10 October 2014

Tim Francis had known Damian Phillips for fifteen months, and he was no closer to figuring him out than he was the day they shook hands for the first time. In fact, it was probably fair to say Tim didn't know him as well, because the Beaumaris chairman's mercurial ways had only become harder to read as time went on.

Phillips had made no secret of the fact he was out to sell the club. Several times, groups had come forward with proposals, but none of them ever came to fruition. In fact, there was one in the works now. Tim had stopped worrying about what might come of these discussions long ago.

At the same time, however, Phillips had taken it upon himself to expand The Green; the money for the project wasn't his, but he'd still given it the green light. Now the expansion was complete, and 89 new seats had been added to the cozy little stadium. With close to £200,000 in debt on the club's books, those seats would need to be filled every time the team took to the pitch.

So, Tim had no idea what Phillips might want when the chairman summoned him to a meeting, after the team completed its training on a cool, breezy October afternoon.

Phillips was a banker, and his office was located a block off Castle Street. He was seated behind his desk when Tim arrived.

"You might have changed clothes before you came," he said as he eyed Tim's Beaumaris Town track suit.

"Good afternoon, Damian. Don't worry; I showered at the grounds."

"Sit down. This shouldn't take long."

Somewhat uneasily, Tim sat down in the chair opposite Phillips' desk. A thought flickered across his mind, a thought that made him shiver for a moment.

He's about to sack me...

Tim looked the chairman in the eye, and spoke. His voice came out surprisingly even. "What can I do for you, Damian?"

"I called you here to make sure you are completely aware of what I expect from you this season."

The manager was already completely aware of what was expected: a Gwynedd League championship. Tim paused, waiting for Damian to continue.

"I expect Beaumaris Town to win the league this season, and I'm going to tell you why I won't settle for less."

"All right."

Phillips folded and unfolded his fingers atop his desk. "I was the one who decided to bring you here, and I have supported you, without hesitation, since you arrived. I've let you bring in the players you want, and release the ones you don't want, without interference."

This was true. Phillips had never suggested a signing or a release.

The chairman continued. "Since you arrived, you have brought about a nearly complete turnover of the squad. By my count, you have signed eighteen players from outside the club since you became manager. Is this correct?"

Tim took a deep breath. "I have to admit, I'm not keeping count of them, but yes, that figure is probably accurate."

"Seventeen players have left the club during your tenure. Three of them are players you signed, which means fourteen were here before you arrived."

Yes, your arithmetic is correct, Tim thought, trying not to lose his patience.

"I have my finger firmly on the pulse of opinion in Beaumaris, Tim. There are prominent members of this community who disagree strongly with the methods you have employed when it comes to constructing the team."

"And what do they know about..."

"Do not interrupt, Tim. These men are not happy with your dismissal of players from our town and the surrounding area in favor of those from outside Anglesey. I have tried to help them see that you are trying to build a winning football club, but they respond by saying that you are not doing so."

Tim's mouth literally dropped open. "Damian, we're two points off the top of the table!"

"Yes, the team is playing well. However, I must remind you that a league championship..."

The manager rose from his chair, and his voice rose along with him. "You're letting a bunch of locals tell you how to run your football team!"

"I am doing no such thing! I am responding to the feelings of the people of this town, who don't want to see a lot of lads from who-knows-where mucking around in the middle of the table!"

"So that's it! These blokes are fine with my 'lads from who-knows-where,' as long as they're top of the league?"

Phillips' face turned red. He wasn't used to being spoken to quite so directly. "These blokes want to see their sons, and the sons of their friends, play for our town. If they are going to be denied that opportunity, they want, at the very least, to see a championship side. If you can't deliver that side, I owe it to Beaumaris to bring in a manager who will make the team a Beaumaris team again."

"Damian, we kept EVERY ONE of the lads who came up from the youth team last March," Tim replied immediately, his voice level and hard.

"EVERY ONE. Peter Griffiths and Daral Hughes are already breaking into the first team. Will Hulse and Phil McMahon and Leigh Stone aren't far behind them. Mark Williams is from here. So is Llewellyn Hughes. So is Gary Rees. Don't tell me local players aren't getting a fair shake from me!

"You know who the most popular player in the team is, Damian? It's Nqobile Antipas. He's won this town over. He sure as hell isn't from here, but he's made the town his home!

"You're trying to sell the club anyway..."

Tim caught himself before he finished his sentence. That decision probably saved him from an immediate sacking.

"I'm going to manage this team to the best of my ability for as long as I am its manager. I'm from Anglesey too, Damian. I wanted to live here, to manage here. I still do. The players I've brought to the club are good men, and good footballers. Whoever these 'prominent men' are, if they can't see that, or accept that, that's their problem. Not mine."

Tim didn't wait for Phillips to dismiss him. He turned and walked out the door of the chairman's office. He strode through the lobby of the bank, nodding to a man he recognized from somewhere, and stepped out into the street as the setting sun began to color the clouds in the sky above him.

[tenthreeleader]

I'd have had a hard time not resigning, frankly. Tim's patience is exemplary and you've done very well with this scene.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

I'd have had a hard time not resigning, frankly. Tim's patience is exemplary and you've done very well with this scene.

The situation is stretching his patience to the breaking point, or close to it. Hopefully you'll understand why it hasn't snapped yet. And, thank you again for your support of my story. It means a lot when you, or anyone, takes the time to stop by and post.

****

26 October 2014

As soon as Tim left the chairman's office, he took out his mobile and phoned Kate, telling her he was going to take a walk down to the shore and calm down before he headed home. He wasn't one to take any football-related frustrations out on his wife or their son; he simply needed some time to think. He told Kate he would be home in time for dinner and walked slowly down to the beach.

Looking back, Tim was a little surprised that he hadn't resigned on the spot. He was certainly angry enough to do so, and he wasn't 100 percent positive he wouldn't resign in the morning. As he looked out over the bay, watching the moonlight sparkle over its surface, he considered his future.

The possibility existed that Damian Phillips might sack him for disrespect, after he'd first taken control of their meeting and then walked out of it. If that happened, it simply made it clear that Phillips wasn't someone he wanted to work for anyway.

By the time Tim opened the door of his house, he had decided to stay at Beaumaris, at least for the time being. He liked the team he had assembled. With each passing month, it came closer and closer to playing the style of football Tim envisioned in his mind: defensively sound, patient in possession, but with the ability to strike quickly and decisively when the opportunity arose. He liked the players as people, too. A positive vibe was nearly always present in the changing room; it was real enough for reporters who covered the club regularly to notice and ask him about. With the exception of his recent issues with the chairman, he enjoyed his connection with the club.

The conversation he'd had with Charlie Higgins at Goodison Park last month had led Tim to sit down with Kate and talk about life in Anglesey in general. She admitted there were things about England she missed; the very things Tim had guessed she might mention. And she shared his concerns about whether or not Jack might be better off with the advantages a less rural setting might offer. All things considered, Kate wasn't sure life back in England would be better than it was here on the island, so she told Tim that she would support his decision, whatever it might be.

"I'm not just saying that, honey. I honestly believe it. If I had a real opinion at this point, I'd offer it. You know me well enough to know I'd do that."

"Yes, I do, and you have no idea how much I appreciate that," Tim replied. He kissed his wife very softly.

"One thing, though. Promise me you won't take a job somewhere else for no pay. It's not that we need the money, Tim...it's just a matter of your own worth. Just because we can afford for you to offer your services free of charge doesn't mean you should."

Tim nodded. "I'd already decided this would be the only amateur club I'll manage."

There were only about 20 semi-professional or professional clubs in Wales, so that limited Tim's options significantly unless he was willing to consider English clubs, too. At the end of his conversation with Kate, Tim was at a point where he was now going to keep an eye on potential openings, and if the right one came along, he might be persuaded to take a shot at the job.

Meanwhile, Beaumaris Town were hitting their stride. Damian Phillips' latest attempt to sell the club fell through, and he didn't sack its manager, either.

A sellout crowd came to The Green on the 18th for the first match since its expansion, creating a new record attendance of 314. They watched the Guardians see off newly promoted Gaerwen, 2-0, on second-half goals by Alex Pritchard and Nigel Morgan, who fired in another free kick.

Four nights later, away to Pentraeth, the scoreline was the same, courtesy of Pritchard (again) and Nqobile Antipas. That put Beaumaris Town top of the league, pending the results of the weekend fixtures.

Tim's lads had a Welsh Trophy tie to contend with: a Second Round match away to Glantraeth, Richard Jones' former club. He fielded a rotated squad, which included five players from the reserve and Under 19 teams, and utilized a 4-2-3-1 shape with defensive midfielders for the first time. One hundred twenty minutes of football produced a goal-less draw, so the outcome would be settled from the penalty spot.

Both teams were perfect through eight rounds, the tension building with each successful attempt. In the ninth round, center half Richard Hughes coolly dispatched his penalty, as Glantraeth 'keeper Danny Davies dove the wrong way. Carl Coulthard, Glan's vice captain, stepped up and aimed his shot low to Richard Jones' left side. The Beaumaris custodian sprung like a cat, getting his gloves to the ball and batting it away...eliminating his old side from the Trophy and putting his current one through to the Third Round.

The same day, Llanystumdwy defeated Bontnewydd, 2-0, which left the Guardians top of the table with 12 points from six matches. Llangefni Town and Llanystumdwy were hot on their heels, only a point behind, and three more clubs were clustered on 10 points. Once again, the Gwynedd League was shaping up to be an almost impossibly competitive one.

And Tim Francis had his team on top, in the only position where it seemed his job was safe.

[STFCDP1990]

This is one of my favourite stories on the board, you really are doing a great job at producing an interesting story, I look forward to the next instalments.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

This is one of my favourite stories on the board, you really are doing a great job at producing an interesting story, I look forward to the next instalments.

Thanks for your kind comment. I'm having a lot of fun with it, and I'm creating some characters I like. That's always been the key for me; if I can manage to develop a lead character I enjoy, and surround him with a few supporting actors/actresses I find appealing (or disgusting, if I need a black hat) I find myself looking forward to writing, and thinking about where it all might lead.

Of course, the action on the pitch might lead the story in unpredictable directions, but that's part of the fun, too.

****

2 December 2014

Yesterday, Tim Francis celebrated his 38th birthday. He wasn't sure how the lads found out--he hadn't told them--but they surprised him twice at training that day. The first one was a dousing from a cooler full of cold water, dumped upon his head as the training session ended. The gaffer took it in good spirits; light moments like that could keep the stresses of a long, tense football season from fraying everyone's nerves. The second surprise was more pleasant, and just as unexpected: a football, signed by every member of the Beaumaris team and staff.

That night, Kate and Jack took him to dinner at the Bishopsgate Hotel, an occasion for which Tim donned a suit for the second time that autumn. Joining them, by Jack's special invitation, was Jimmy Price, dapper in a blue blazer and grey flannels. The four of them enjoyed a delicious meal--Tim's steak was especially outstanding--and a wonderful evening.

Spirits had generally been high around Beaumaris Town F.C., and why not? The team had enjoyed a wonderful run of form, establishing a new club record for consecutive games without defeat. Perhaps it was a coincidence--Tim wasn't sure--but since the argument with the chairman back in October, Town had gone 5-1-1 in the Gwynedd League, scoring eleven goals and conceding two.

Nigel Morgan had emerged as one of the biggest stars in the league.

"Nigel gives our players a clinic in the proper mental approach to the game every time he steps onto the pitch," said his manager. "We take a lot of pride in our ability to make smart decisions, and Nigel models that very well for our younger players."

No player in the league had delivered more key passes than Morgan, who had sparkled as a central midfielder and as a striker.

Another player whose game had risen to a new level was young Alex Pritchard. He'd been used at left back, center half, in the middle of the pitch, and on the left flank, and he delivered the goods no matter where he was playing. He'd even scored four times, second in the team to Nqobile Antipas. Speaking of Antipas, the captain was demonstrating that he could still do the job as he approached his fifth decade on the planet.

"I have to realize that I might not be able to go the full ninety minutes every week," said the forward from Harare. "I go full out for as long as I can, and then the young lads come on, with their fresh legs." Nqobile was joint second on the goal table with five in league play, and he was one of eight Guardians among the 13 most accurate passers in the division.

Beaumaris Town was advancing steadily in the Welsh Trophy, too. On 22 November, they were away to Brickfield, a club from one level higher who had actively pursued several of Francis's players, and ran out 3-0 winners. The win put Town among sixteen teams still with a chance to grasp the trophy.

The club's final match of November was one Gwynedd League followers had marked on their calendars as soon as they'd seen enough to identify the title contenders. Beaumaris, top of the league, made the short journey to Llangefni, one point behind them in the table.

Francis had identified Llangefni Town as a dangerous side from the start. "They have every bit as much talent as we do," he remarked. "They made it into the Welsh Premiership for a season, don't forget. They've been through some rough patches since then, but they're a very good side for this level."

They proved it against Beaumaris Town. After five minutes, they'd stormed ahead, scoring the first goal Richard Jones had conceded in over five hundred minutes. Right before the half, the match took another ominous turn, when Nqobile Antipas hobbled off the pitch, shaking his head and grimacing. He had twisted his knee painfully, and there was no way he could continue. Young Peter Griffiths took the captain's place, and Adam Spencer accepted his arm band. The home side scored again in the 57th minute, and looked good value for their lead.

Without their talismanic striker, Beaumaris' attack lacked its usual precision. Francis pulled out all the stops, replacing a center back with striker Llewellyn Davies and moving Morgan into the hole behind him and Griffiths. Nevertheless, Llangefni maintained their advantage, and Beaumaris' run of ten games without defeat came to an end. Llangefni also leapfrogged the Red and Black to the top of the table, with 20 points to Beaumaris' 18.

"They're tough," stated assistant Scott Parry. "They've shipped only four goals in the league so far [beaumaris had allowed five]. They're going to be up there, all season long, and we'll have to find a way to beat them."

Another result of Beaumaris' impressive run of form was an increased desire for other clubs to seize the men who made that run possible.

"Every day, someone comes in with an offer for Will Hulse," Tim sighed. "Daral Hughes and Peter Griffiths, too. Lately it's been Toby Smolko they come for. It's not just the young lads, either. Daniel Davies gets offers all the time, and so does Adam Spencer. They're what, 33, 34?"

Tim neglected to mention that nobody received more offers than the club manager. Almost all of them came from small Welsh clubs. TATA Steel, who played in the First Division, offered an interview, but they were an amateur club, so Tim politely declined.

Then, this morning came two messages that caught his eye. Apparently, his success had caught a few eyes in England, too.

Rugby Town played in the English Southern League, First Division Central: a long way of saying they were at Level Eight in the English pyramid, the second step below the Conference. They sat precisely in the middle of a tightly-bunched 22-club table, and their manager, Jordan Flynn, had just accepted another position. Their chairman, Luke Bartlett, was offering Tim a chance to interview for Flynn's old job.

The other message came from Enfield Town chairman Matt Cooper. The Towners, who were eleventh in the Isthmian Premier Division (Level Seven), found themselves in the same position as Rugby--their gaffer got an offer he couldn't (or wouldn't) refuse. They, too, wanted to speak to Tim about their managerial job.

Tim closed his email, pushed his chair back from his desk, folded his hands behind his head, and exhaled slowly. His mind began to swirl as he contemplated the choices that he faced.

He decided to wait until Jack went to bed that evening to discuss the news with Kate.

This isn't simply my decision, he thought. It's about my family, not just me.

****

Allow me to step out of character for a moment, if you will.

The decision about whether or not to let my character pursue jobs other than Beaumaris, or in England, rather than Wales, is a big one for my story.

There are things I really enjoy about managing in the Gwynedd League, and things I'm discovering aren't much fun...the constant courtship of my players, 12 months a year, above all. I do like the simplicity; I don't have a staff of 25 coaches, physios, and scouts to manage, and I'm not dealing with complex contract negotiations.

I'd hate to choose a path that will make Tim's story less interesting for you readers. There are, and have been, a number of great stories about the managers of small English clubs, and only a few that use Wales as their setting.

Any feedback that any of you who have been following the story would care to give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

[jdoyle9293]

Bobby, the story is fantastic, although I can imagine it gets fairly difficult in-game due to player poaching, it's like that in all of the lower British & Irish leagues but that's life I guess. If you want to switch teams I don't think anybody would begrudge you of that, I just think you'd need to find a suitable angle to develop the story and perhaps intertwine it to the previous job at Anglesey if you do make the move.

[neilhoskins77]

I can appreciate exactly what you mean. As jdoyle says, the poaching of players in the game is one of the pitfalls of playing the game with amateur teams in the lower leagues, particularly in the UK. Give yourself a bit of thinking time, work out whether the ideas that you have for your story going forward will still work should you move clubs. One other thing to consider, take a look at the League you would move into should you achieve promotion. Have a look at the clubs, and gauge if they are still mostly amateur, or if there are mostly semi-pro clubs. If they are primarily semi-pro, there is a decent chance that the Board will upgrade the clubs status if you go up.

The hardest part of dealing with it, is keeping up with which players have offers from other clubs to consider, and have you also offered them a contract. That gets very tedious, very quickly.

[tenthreeleader]

Here's the point: you should write for you. If you aren't enjoying the save, you're less likely to write about it. Then your readers have nothing to follow. There's no sense in being a writing martyr. We all do this because we enjoy the save we're on.

I'm not a fan of the negotiation part of the game either. So for the first time in Malone, I've brought aboard a DoF. I delegate the contract stuff to him. It also adds potential conflict to the story when he does things that don't make sense.

What you've done with your arcs so far is very smart, given what you've mentioned just now. You can take the story in any number of directions. And as far as "black hats" go, an antagonist or two is often the best way to move your story and even your writing in directions you don't anticipate. Use them, and use them wisely.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Thank you, all of you, for your replies. You've certainly given me lots to think about and, even more, you've convinced me you won't stop reading the story if Tim ends up making a move.

jdoyle, Tim's an Anglesey man, and no matter where he might go, he remains an Anglesey man. There are a number of ways I've thought about connecting the story back to the island if Tim happens to leave it. Some of them depend on events within the game, but that's part of the fun, isn't it?

Neil, your suggestion about checking the status of teams in the leagues above the Gwynedd League was a good one. It turns out that you don't see any semi-professional teams until you reach the First Division--two levels above Beaumaris' current level. Even in the First Division, you still see a handful of amateur clubs.

10-3, I understand exactly what you mean about needing to enjoy the save, first and foremost. I've managed amateur sides before, but writing a story with characters based in an amateur club is, to say the least, unpredictable. If a player I'd like to turn into a major character in the story suddenly leaves, I just as suddenly need to change the storyline. That can be exhilirating, but it can also be discouraging.

I've thought about alternate paths for the story, a "Tim leaves" path and a "Tim stays" path. There's a chance it might not matter at all; there's a big step between a club offering an interview and a club offering a job.

Anyway, thank you for indulging this "out of character" aside. I'll return to the story now.