[FM15] Coming Up The Hard Way - A Real Lower League Challenge

[KDR]

About the save

 

After a computer issue and a corrupted file ended my previous FM14 “Up The Long Ladder” save (with my Derby team sitting 7th in the Championship at the end of November), I kind of drifted away from FM for a while. I even skipped a version for the first time in while, mainly because, thanks to the ongoing career save, I hadn’t really got stuck into FM15.

In the end, and with FM17 almost upon us and my computer issues fixed (by getting a Mac instead, because shove Win10), I decided to give FM15 a proper crack of the whip.

 

For this save I’m using a modded/extended db that technically goes down to English level 24 or something like that. Since most of those levels only contain Sussex-based teams, though, I’m cutting it off at level 10.

I intend this to be a single-team save rather than a journeyman one and I’ll be starting Unemployed, so whoever I end up with first is (hopefully) where I’ll spend the next 25-30 seasons or so - basically until I decide to retire the manager. As with the opening stages of the “Up The Long Ladder” save, I’ll also be limiting myself to jobs within what would be my maximum radius IRL (i.e. Walsall, West Bromwich/Sandwell, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Cannock/parts of South Staffs, Stafford).

 

Should I be sacked at any point, I’ll continue the save with another club while applying certain rules, specifically that the club will be a) at a level no higher than the last team (e.g. if I’m sacked at level 8, I can only accept jobs at level 8 and below), and b) local (i.e. within the previously established geographic zone). The exception to b) is if I’ve already reached level 4 (League Two), since the salary available at those levels would make relocating and/or commuting much more viable (the whole ‘keep it as real as possible’ biz again).

 

 

About The Manager

 

Basically me with a name change. :-)

 

Name: David Stoney

Age: 43

Place of Birth: London, England

Coaching Badges: None

Experience: Semi-pro

 

Stats:

 

The Job Hunt

 

A number of local clubs found themselves in need of a boss, but would I be the answer for any of them?

The opportunities on offer were with:

 

Romulus (Birmingham), Brocton (Wolverhampton/Stafford), Heath Hayes (Cannock), Smethwick Rangers, Wolverhampton Sporting, Dudley Sports, Sporting Khalsa (Willenhall), Wolverhampton Casuals, Wednesfield, Bilston Town, Pilkington XXX (Birmingham…I think), Cadbury Athletic (Birmingham), Lichfield Town, Stafford Town.

 

Several interviews later, this was the first firm offer I received:

 

 

£800 a week for wages at level 10 seems very unrealistic to me and I doubt the club can absorb that kind of loss, so I’ll be looking to keep the wage level as low as possible without getting sacked for failing to match the board’s ambitions.

 

 

And we’re off!

[KDR]

 

 

(from www.sportingkhalsa.com)

 

The Club

 

 

Founded in 1991 by members of the Asian community, Sporting Khalsa have transcended their Sunday league origins to become an established semi-professional club.

 

Originally based at Bloxwich Town’s Abbey Park Stadium, Khalsa took over operation of the ground after Bloxwich’s ultimately unsuccessful merger with neighbours Blakenall FC. In so doing, Khalsa became the first British-Asian semi-professional club to own their own ground.

Khalsa then moved to Noose Lane, Willenhall, after acquiring the ground from receivers after the former owners, Willenhall Town, found themselves in financial difficulty, though Khalsa also retained ownership of the Abbey Park Stadium. Willenhall themselves became tenants at Noose Lane until moving to an alternate venue.

 

After spending the first five years of their existence in the Walsall and District Sunday leagues, Sporting Khalsa played one season at the lowest level of the West Midlands (Regional) League structure during the 1996-1997 season, resigning their place after finishing bottom. They subsequently returned to the West Midlands (Regional) League in 2004-2005 and were promoted to Division One after finishing 5th. Further success followed in 2011 when Khalsa were promoted to the West Midlands (Regional) Premier Division.

 

The Ground

 

 

(from www.sportingkhalsa.com)

 

Capacity: 5,000

 

Squads

 

Seniors & U21s

 

Um…this might need some work.

 

 

That’s better!

 

 

Tactics

 

I usually favour a 4-1-3-2 formation, with attacking full-backs and the centre man of the midfield three playing as an Advanced Playmaker (Attack) and a front two of a Deep-Lying Forward (Support) and an Advanced Forward, with back-up formations of 4-1-2-1-2 and 4-3-1-2. None of this one-up-top for me, thank you very much!  (The saying that the best strikers hunt in pairs came about for a reason, after all...)

Since Wisdom Machangani can't play as a conventional MC, though, and seems to be a must in terms of inclusion, the default formation will start out as a 4-1-2-1-2 with 4-3-1-2 as the main alternative. In the case of 4-3-1-2, the FBs will be set to Support only to maintain stability at the back while still allowing them to provide some width. 

Another change is in the role Tom Piotrowski will take when he plays up-front. Instead of a DLF(S) he will be a Defensive Forward on Support duty.

 

 

Season Expectations

 

 

NB: the club has no cup involvement this season, though they should be involved in the JW Hunt Cup and the Staffordshire FA Vase.

 

 

Finances inc. ticket information

 

 

 

 

Staff Changes

 

 

Other staff:

Jamie Pollock (yes, that one. I was amazed when he signed)

 

 

Rikki North

 

 

David Scrivener

 

 

Steve Daniels

 

[KDR]

Pre-Season 2014/2015

 

 

Unbeaten in pre-season. Can't complain about that with a scratch squad.

 

 

Media predictions

 

    

 

Transfers in (to end of transfer window)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to the reports, all of these are capable of playing at level 9 or, in the cases of Amenku and Piotrowski, level 8. We shall see.

A couple of player profile are missing because I must have forgotten to take their screenies and it's too late now. Mea culpa.

 

 

 

Season Ticket Sales

 

 

Do they even bother with season tickets at this level?

Even so, 25 sold. 

[KDR]

Aug 2014 Results

 

 

We clearly didn't like it away from home in the first couple of games, but at least we're entertaining.

I could have done without the wobble against Black Country Rangers, too. From 3-0 up at half-time, we let it slip to 3-2 before finally seeing the game out.

 

 

Table at end Aug 2014

 

    

 

 

Transfers In

 

Not transfers but promoted 'Greys' that were kicking around. Macey in particular is far better than some of the 'established' players available on the market. 

 

 

 

 

[KDR]

I see there's been some changes around here since I was last on. Any comments about appearance and/or recommendations to improve the reading experience are welcome, because ultimately it's all about you, the reader.

Right now the larger images are 850px wide and I've still been uploading from Imgur, though it seems I might now be able to chuck screens straight into a post. If there are viewing issues with any of the pics, let me know and I'll edit the opening posts accordingly.

 

[Guest]

Looks interesting. Looking forward to reading the next part. 

[KDR]

11 hours ago, ajj2410 said:

Looks interesting. Looking forward to reading the next part. 

Cheers, ajj2410. 

[Guest]

How often do you plan to post update/episodes? (whatever you call them)

[KDR]

2 hours ago, ajj2410 said:

How often do you plan to post update/episodes? (whatever you call them)

I've played 1 1/2 seasons so far (I wanted to see if the save had any legs to it) and try to get at least an hour every other day in, so there should be daily updates for a while, dropping to a minimum of maybe one or two a week once everything's caught up.

And without further ado...

[KDR]

Sep 2014 Results

 

 

 A solid enough month, though it was disappointing to drop points in the first two games, especially at home to AFC Bridgnorth. The victories over Malvern and Wellington were routine enough, but the match against Shifnal was a strange one. From 0-0 at half-time despite our domination, the game completely turned once we finally took the lead. Shifnal absolutely battered us until they took a 2-1 lead, then just seemed to run out of steam despite still being just about good enough to hold us at bay. I set the tactics to 4-3-1-2 and made a few changes to the instructions, but had just resigned myself to it being one of those games when Evans rifled in a free-kick. I changed the instructions again, settling for a late draw, only for us to take the lead and then finish Shifnal off with a fourth on the counter.

The game vs Wellington Amateurs was turning out to be a disaster at 2-0 down, but somehow we managed to salvage a point to end the month unbeaten and take the total run to eight games.

 

 

Table at end Sep 2014

 

 

[sc91]

Sporting Khalsa are my local club when I go home. Many nights in 442 and the clubhouse where they serve an absolutely banging curry. Good place for the boxing as well. 

Irony is that I was thinking of doing the same, albeit starting as Wednesfield :D. 

[sc91]

As an aside, FC United of Manchester played their last season in the FA Cup. 

[KDR]

4 minutes ago, sc91 said:

Sporting Khalsa are my local club when I go home. Many nights in 442 and the clubhouse where they serve an absolutely banging curry. Good place for the boxing as well. 

Irony is that I was thinking of doing the same, albeit starting as Wednesfield :D. 

Small world! I've got to admit that I've never been. That might have to change if they serve a good curry though! 

As for the Wednesfield save, do it! I'd definitely read/follow.

Oh, and re: Khalsa vs FC Utd, I knew about that, if only from the local freebie paper. Massive game for a club that size, like Walsall getting the 'real' Man U.

[sc91]

7 minutes ago, KDR said:

Small world! I've got to admit that I've never been. That might have to change if they serve a good curry though! 

As for the Wednesfield save, do it! I'd definitely read/follow.

Oh, and re: Khalsa vs FC Utd, I knew about that, if only from the local freebie paper. Massive game for a club that size, like Walsall getting the 'real' Man U.

Yeah, always a good shout, not too bad on a match day either, the ground is quite nice but they have all the other sports inside the bar, but yeah, the curry is spot on. Though if you do want some good food, head to the Village Inn further into Wednesfield, absolutely spot on mixed grill. 

Certainly, getting my laptop up and running again and being out of action for a month. Was a cracker of a game for them, didn't go as went up Molineux instead but it was good for the club, quite a respectable scoreline as well. 

[Nobby_McDonald]

Good luck with Khalsa.

[KDR]

On 10/10/2016 at 13:52, sc91 said:

Yeah, always a good shout, not too bad on a match day either, the ground is quite nice but they have all the other sports inside the bar, but yeah, the curry is spot on. Though if you do want some good food, head to the Village Inn further into Wednesfield, absolutely spot on mixed grill. 

Certainly, getting my laptop up and running again and being out of action for a month. Was a cracker of a game for them, didn't go as went up Molineux instead but it was good for the club, quite a respectable scoreline as well. 

Good stuff. I'll have to bear them in mind, cheers. I've fallen out of love a bit with professional football and have been thinking of trying a decent local non-league side. It's always good to know there are places to get some decent grub along the way, too.

(But there's no need to swear. I mean, M***neux! )

16 hours ago, Nobby_McDonald said:

Good luck with Khalsa.

Cheers, Nobby. Hope all's well with you.

[KDR]

Oct 2014 Results

 

 

A perfect month! Though to be honest we're only really doing what's expected against most of these sides - even Gornal, the pre-season favourites, given where they are in the table.

The back-to-back 1-0 home wins are a little misleading as neither game was particularly close apart from in terms of the scoreline. Cradley offered more of a threat going forward, but even then mustered only 4 shots to our 18 (with 2 on target to our 8). Wolverhampton Casuals, meanwhile, relied on two goals being chalked off and a pen being put against the post for them to get away without a thrashing.

We also seem to have put the early poor away form to bed, though I'm not happy about the wobbles that keep setting in once we get to 3-0 or 3-1. 

 

 

Table at end Oct 2014

 

Pegasus are flying! (Sorry...)

 

[KDR]

Nov 2014 Results

 

 

The long unbeaten run came to a screeching halt at the start of the month in a very topsy-turvy game.

Pegasus drew first blood with an early goal, though that was the only significant action of dull first half. We then took a 2-1 lead before getting pegged back to 2-2, then fell behind again to a flukey cross-cum-shot that our 'keeper somehow flapped in. I thought we'd rescued a point with our 90th-minute equaliser, but Pegasus took all three points after Joyce missed a header, allowing their striker to flick a looping header beyond the goalie and into the net off the post.

Normal service was quickly resumed, before a couple of injuries to key players resulted in an unfamiliar line-up and more defensive woes against Dudley Sports in the final game of the month. What was particularly galling was the fact that we were 3-0 up at half-time and had looked fairly solid.

 

 

Table at end Nov 2014

 

[KDR]

Dec 2014 Results

 

 

A disastrous month. The defence had looked vulnerable in a few games, but everything just fell apart and leads were frittered away. Throwing away a 2-0 lead against Shawbury in what had been an easy game was the point where I realised it wasn't just a case of being unlucky, or a defender happening to just get caught out - though we were certainly hard done-by in the first two of those defeats - and switched tactics from 4-1-2-1-2 (control/flexible) to 4-3-1-2 (again with control/flexible) for the match against Ellesmere. We still conceded, but not until the 92nd minute by which time we were down to 10 men after Machangani became the third player to take a bad knock in the game. Straight after I'd just used my third sub, too.

It means the league is now Pegasus Juniors' to lose.

 

Table at end Dec 2014

 

 

Sorry if the tables are blurry and/or hard to read. I'd already scaled the images down to 850px as per 'the old way' and scaling them back up creates a whole new set of problems.

[KDR]

Jan 2015 Results

 

 

Another bad month to follow on from December's dip, mainly caused by a rash of injuries and suspensions to regular starters.

The apparent success of the switch to 4-3-1-2 was short-lived, resulting in a move back to 4-1-2-1-2 for the Malvern game. Injuries forced another switch back to 4-3-1-2 against Wolverhampton Sporting, before I was able to return to 4-1-2-1-2 for the final game of the month...with less than stellar results. It wasn't so much the fact that we lost the game than the performance that concerned me.

The biggest surprise, though, has been that we've managed to hold onto second place, even if promotion looks like an impossibility right now. For Pegasus to let slip an 11 point lead with 12 games to go would require the kind of implosion that, frankly, they've not looked prone to so far, as well as a major turnaround in form for us. All we can do is try to turn it around again, hit another winning run, and see how things go.

 

Table at end Jan 2015

 

[KDR]

Feb 2015 Results

A long-term injury to my regular DC forced me to put my regular DM into the back line, while another injury to Awais Lal saw the back-up DM filling in at RB. This meant another change of tactics and we went back to 4-3-1-2 for the first game of the month, where it initially looked like being another of those huff-and-puff games as very little was happening up front, while we were coming under a fair degree of pressure at the back. Three goals in four minutes soon changed that, though, and it was plain sailing from there. Wellington Amateurs offered some resistance, coming from 3-0 and 4-1 down to at least make it look a bit more respectable, while Bewdley escaped with a clean sheet more because of our poor finishing than their defensive efforts, but given the way things were in December and January I'm more than happy with ten points from the month, especially since it coincided with a wobble from Pegasus Juniors.

 

Table at end Feb 2015

[KDR]

Mar 2015 Results



Another decent month sees us really start to turn the screw on Pegasus Juniors. Lee Nabi went straight from the youth intake to the first team due to a training injury suffered by Chima Dozie, then found himself thrown in at the deep end after Tom Piotrowski had to be taken off an hour in. It's safe to say he swam rather than sank.
The performance of the month has to be the 2-0 win over Pegasus, though, even despite the 6-1 drubbing handed out to what has turned out to be a very disappointing Gornal team - though going through three managers this season can't have helped any.
Amazingly, we're still in with a chance!

Table at end Mar 2015




2014-2015 Youth Intake

Contracts offered to Black, Eastham, Walker, Coates, Waters, Dixon, Hudson, Beard and Nabi. They were also immediately promoted to the first team squad, since the U18s and U21s have no fixtures arranged.
All those on 1 1/2 black stars I deemed not good enough (and would have binned Nabi was it not for him being a striker and passing the staff's 'minority report' (2 out 3 said he was worth a go)), while the rest were ditched because the reports all said that they couldn't handle big matches to whatever degree.

[KDR]

Apr 2015 Results



A couple of good wins and a slip from Pegasus Juniors put us level on points with two games to go, though we went top due to our superior goal difference.
A draw earned very late on in our penultimate match and a win for Pegasus saw them retake the lead in the race for promotion, leaving us in the position of knowing exactly what we had to do: win. We also had to hope that Pegasus Juniors would somehow fail to win in their final match, a home tie against Wolverhampton Casuals.
At this point I'd lost hope of coming top. Our tie, despite being away, was very winnable, though there were concerns left over from the performance against Wednesfield - a game we probably should have lost and came very close to so doing. I simply couldn't see Pegasus slipping up at home, where they'd been pretty strong throughout the season.

The Final Day

Alando Lewis picked up a knock in training a couple of days before the game and was ruled out. Chima Dozie took his place despite barely being fit again after sustaining an injury in the win over Willenhall three weeks before, while Lee Nabi took a place on the bench.



We did our part, though it still wasn't going to be enough until Fry nabbed his first on 57 minutes. Looking at the Pegasus match report, the sending off really turned things in our favour. Up to then, it was a case of Wolves Casuals being lucky to get nil.
In the end, though, we've managed to chase down a massive deficit and nick it at the last.

WE'RE UP!!!

Table at end April 2015

[clarkehwbu]

Obviously Wolverhampton Sporting were doing much better in real life than on your FM, look at the below article:

 

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/non-league/2016/09/03/five-hat-tricks-in-five-games-for-wolverhampton-sporting-community-striker/

[Keano16]

Dramatic finish! Congrats on the win. How many more leagues to go?

[Nobby_McDonald]

Well done KDR.

[KDR]

On 10/19/2016 at 11:31, clarkehwbu said:

Obviously Wolverhampton Sporting were doing much better in real life than on your FM, look at the below article:

 

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/non-league/2016/09/03/five-hat-tricks-in-five-games-for-wolverhampton-sporting-community-striker/

That is a great achievement. If he can add another 15-20 over the rest of the season, surely a much bigger team will go for him - even if it's still non-league (though even a league side like Walsall could do worse than give him the once-over, given his record last season as well).
IRL it seems he would have been at Sporting Khalsa at the start of the 2014-15 season. I might just have to see if he's anywhere in the database. 

On 10/19/2016 at 17:47, Keano16 said:

Dramatic finish! Congrats on the win. How many more leagues to go?

Cheers, Keano. That it was! Tbh I was already making plans for the same level next season, though. 
How many more leagues? Well this was level 10, so to get to the Prem...lots. 
In terms of reaching the league, we have to get through the Midlands Football League Premier Division, then (most likely) either the Northern League Premier Division Division One (South) or Southern Premier League Central Division. After that would come one of the Premier Divisions of those leagues, then the National League regional divisions (Conf N/S in old money), then the National League Premier, and then we'd finally be in League Two.
As you can see there's a long way to go yet.

17 hours ago, Nobby_McDonald said:

Well done KDR.

Cheers, Nobby. 

[KDR]

 

2014/2015 Season Review

 

League: 1st in West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division

WINNERS: Sporting Khalsa

 

 

Awards Night

 

Top Goalscorer: Tom Piotrowski - 24

Top League Goalscorer: Tom Piotrowski - 24

Fastest Goal & Scorer: Awais Lal - 47 secs (vs. Wellington (H))

Most Assists: Tom Piotrowski - 16

Most MotM Awards: Tom Piotrowski - 9

Player of the Season (Av.Rat.): Wisdom Machangani - 7.36 (41 apps)

Fans’ Player of the Season: Wisdom Machangani

 

 

Summary

 

We may have gone up, but the financial situation isn't great. I didn't go anywhere near the maximum wage budget, either.
I don't imagine gates will go up dramatically next season, so wages are going to have to come to about the same as this year. It looks like I'd better hope the gap in quality isn't too severe and that I can arrange some lucrative friendlies for next pre-season.

 

 

Reality vs Media Prediction

 

 

Highest position: 1st   Lowest position: 16th

 

 

News

The board was naturally pleased at getting promotion.

 

 

Though it took until the first week of May for them to offer me a new deal.

 

 

Of course, the offer was duly accepted.

 

Departures

 

McEachran had been complaining about a lack of first-team action for quite a while, despite conceding 7 in 3 when Hancock was injured.

Drew and Crockford were released for not reaching the required standard even at this level and not liking big games respectively.

 

Premier and Football League Manager Movements

 

Premier League

 

Championship

 

 

League One

 

 

League Two

 

 

 

End of season reaction

 

The only thing to say really is 'Mission Accomplished'. I'd quietly set myself the target of winning the division at the start of the season, and with the poor season Gornal, the favourites, endured I'd have been disappointed with anything less than the title...even though it very much looked as though it had slipped from our grasp at one point and, despite our early good form, we always seemed to be playing catch-up.

[KDR]

Season Summary 2014-2015

 

 

FIFA Club World Championship: WINNERS: Real Madrid

 

UEFA Champions’ League: WINNERS: Barcelona

 

UEFA Europa League: WINNERS: Real Madrid

 

UEFA European Super Cup: WINNERS: Sevilla

 

FA Cup: WINNERS: Liverpool  

RUNNERS-UP: Southampton

 

League Cup: WINNERS: Stoke City  

RUNNERS-UP: Liverpool

 

Community Shield: WINNERS: Arsenal

 

Football League Trophy: WINNERS: Crewe Alexandra

 

FA Trophy: WINNERS: Forest Green Rovers

 

FA Vase: WINNERS: Whitley Bay

 

STEP 1

 

Premier League: 

WINNERS: Manchester City

European Qualification: Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool (CL), Arsenal, Southampton, Stoke City (EL)

Relegated: Queens Park Rangers, West Bromwich Albion, AFC Sunderland

 

STEP 2

 

Championship: 

WINNERS: Wigan Athletic

Promoted: Wigan Athletic, Fulham, Cardiff City

Relegated: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rotherham United, Blackpool

 

STEP 3

 

League One: 

WINNERS: Bristol City

Promoted: Bristol City, Leyton Orient, Yeovil Town

Relegated: Doncaster Rovers, Crawley, Chesterfield, Port Vale

 

STEP 4

 

League Two: 

WINNERS: Shrewsbury Town

Promoted: Shrewsbury Town, Plymouth Argyle, Burton Albion, Tranmere Rovers

Relegated: Hartlepool United, Cheltenham Town

 

STEP 5

 

Conference Premier: 

WINNERS: Eastleigh

Promoted: Eastleigh, Grimsby Town

Relegated: Welling United, Dartford, Nuneaton Town, AFC Telford United

 

STEP 6

 

Conference North: 

WINNERS: Barrow

Promoted: Barrow, Harrogate

Relegated: Brackley Town, Hednesford Town, Colwyn Bay

 

Conference South: 

WINNERS: Ebbsfleet United

Promoted: Ebbsfleet United, Boreham Wood

Relegated: Chelmsford City, Weston-super-Mare, Salisbury City*

 

STEP 7

 

Northern Premier League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Buxton

Promoted: Buxton, Grantham Town

Relegated: Halesowen Town, King’s Lynn Town, Curzon Ashton, Nantwich Town

 

Isthmian Premier Division: 

WINNERS: Margate

Promoted: Margate, AFC Hornchurch Town

Relegated: Bury Town, Witham Town, Peacehaven & Telscombe, Wingate & Finchley

 

Southern League Premier Division: 

WINNERS: Chippenham Town

Promoted: Chippenham Town, Dorchester Town

Relegated: Frome Town, Histon, Paulton Rovers, Hereford*

 

STEP 8

 

Northern Premier League Division One North: 

WINNERS: Salford City

Promoted: Salford City, Darlington 1883

Relegated: Droylsden, Burscough

 

Northern Premier League Division One South: 

WINNERS: Sheffield

Promoted: Sheffield, Spalding Utd

Relegated: Loughborough Dynamo, Brigg Town

 

Isthmian League Division One North:

WINNERS: Thurrock

Promoted: Thurrock, Harlow Town

Relegated: Barkingside, Great Wakering Rovers, Dereham Town

 

Isthmian League Division One South:

WINNERS: Burgess Hill Town

Promoted: Burgess Hill Town, Corinthian-Casuals

Relegated: Whyteleafe, Chipstead, East Grinstead Town

 

Southern League Division One Central:

WINNERS: Kettering Town

Promoted: Kettering Town, Aylesbury United

Relegated: North Greenford United, Chalfont St. Peter

 

Southern League Division One South and West:

WINNERS: Merthyr Town

Promoted: Merthyr Town, Yate Town

Relegated: Wantage Town, Wimborne Town

 

STEP 9

 

Combined Counties League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Molesey

Promoted: Molesey

Relegated: Spelthorne Sports, Badshot Lea

 

Eastern Counties League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Felixstowe & Walton United

Promoted: Felixstowe & Walton United

Relegated: Fakenham Town, Ipswich Wanderers

 

Essex Senior League:

WINNERS: FC Romania

Promoted: FC Romania

Relegated: None

 

Hellenic League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Binfield

Promoted: Binfield

Relegated: Cheltenham Saracens, Wootton Bassett Town, Milton United, Holyport

 

Midland Alliance:

WINNERS: Quorn

Promoted: Quorn

Relegated: Kirby Muxtoe, Dunkirk, Brocton, Continental Star

 

Northern League Division One:

WINNERS: West Auckland Town

Promoted: West Auckland Town

Relegated: Morpeth Town, West Allotment Celtic, Crook Town

 

Northern Counties East League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Heanor Town

Promoted: Heanor Town

Relegated: Liversedge, Armthorpe Welfare

 

North West Counties League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Nelson

Promoted: Nelson

Relegated: Abbey Hey, Ashton Athletic, Stockport Sports

 

Southern Counties East League:

WINNERS: Greenwich Borough

Promoted: Greenwich Borough

Relegated: Erith & Belvedere

 

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Wembley

Promoted: Wembley

Relegated: Oxley Jets, Kings Langley, Sun Postal Sports

 

Sussex County League Division One:

WINNERS: Eastbourne Town

Promoted: Eastbourne Town

Relegated: Broadbridge Heath, Selsey, Newhaven

 

United Counties League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Oadby Town

Promoted: Oadby Town

Relegated: Newport Pagnell Town, Harrowby United

 

Wessex League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Folland Sports

Promoted: Folland Sports

Relegated: Petersfield Town, Whitchurch United

 

Western League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Slimbridge

Promoted: Slimbridge

Relegated: Bridlington, Shepton Mallet, Bradford Town

 

STEP 10

 

Promoted: AFC Croydon Athletic, Dorking, Arnold Town, Anstey Nomads, Debenham LC, March Town United, Wokingham & Emmbrook, Brackley Town Development, Tuffley Rovers, Shortwood United Reserves, Sheppey United, Heather St. Johns, Washington, Billingham Town, Tow Law Town, AFC Mansfield, Rossington Main, Wigan Robin Park, Rochdale Town, Cheadle Town, Newquay, Edgware Town, Bexhill United, AFC Uckfield Town, St Neots Town Saints, Irchester United, Downton, New Milton Town, Sporting Khalsa, Wells City, Barnstaple Town

 

* denotes 25 pts deducted

[Nobby_McDonald]

Stoke won the League Cup.

[KDR]

14 hours ago, Nobby_McDonald said:

Stoke won the League Cup.

See? Miracles do happen! (On FM anyway. )

[KDR]

 

2015/2016 Season Preview

 

Starting First Team Squad (on return to training)

 

 

 

Board Expectations

 

Midland Football League Premier Division: Title Challenge

FA Cup: 1st Qualifying Round

FA Vase: 5th Round

Midland Football League Cup: Semi-final

 

Finances on 01/07/2015

 

 

Sponsorships

 

 

Objectives

 

I can't help feeling that the board are getting a bit carried away with their league expectations. When I told the players during the end-of-season meeting that I expected them to achieve a safe mid-table position this time around, the reaction was mixed to negative, with many - including last season's player of the year - saying I was putting undue pressure on the team.
For the cups, the big one has got to be the FA Cup even if only in terms of revenue alone. Can I match the real Sporting Khalsa's achievement?

Winning either of the other two would be nice, of course, but provided the team meets the board's expectation I'll be happy. The league has got to be the priority. Start struggling there and the sack would loom large, no matter how well things were going in the cups.

 

 

[KDR]

Pre-Season 2015/2016

I was able to arrange a number of very high-profile friendlies, albeit against very mixed or experimental teams in the end.
And yes, we took a number of predictable hidings. I got the club's debt down to less than £10k off the back of it and managed to keep player morale pretty high, though, so job done.

 

Media predictions

Lye Town only stayed up by the skin of their teeth last season, while Walsall Wood weren't far away from slipping through the trap door either.
Loughborough Uni and Stourport, who finished a close third last season, are going to be the teams to beat if we're to get a second successive promotion. 

Transfers

 

Season Ticket Sales

[KDR]

Aug 2015 Results

The season got off to a terrible start, getting hammered in the first game at our new level. At least we made a quick recovery.
I wasn't best pleased about the way we struggled to put Hertford away, either. We should have won the first game comfortably, so having a replay added to an already packed schedule was something I could have done without. That the replay then went to penalties, meaning the entire team was shattered, was exactly what we didn't need.
A hard-fought win at the end of the month over Team Solent at least meant that it was 'mission accomplished' in the FA Cup and the First Qualifying Round awaits.

 

Table at end Aug 2015

    

Contracts Offered

Given the fixture congestion at this level and the facts that a) squad wasn't big enough to cope and b) I was struggling to find new faces, I trawled the 'greys' at the club and found this little lot.

 

 

 

[KDR]

Sep 2015 Results

Seven games in August, now nine in September has really put the squad to the test. Fortunately, they've proved to be up to the task...so far. And I was over the moon with the way some of the former 'greys' slotted in, particularly Calum Threlfall in the heart of midfield and Oliver Dudley in the Advanced Forward role.
It was disappointing to go out of the FA Cup, though, especially considering we'd led in both games - until the 88th minute, actually, in the first game - but given the high number of matches we'd already played it was understandable when extra-time proved a bridge too far. No emulating the RL Sporting Khalsa's achievement there, then.

 

Table at end Sep 2015

[Liremaster Yn'Taris]

Veery eeeenteresting. I must observe this closely.

[KDR]

11 hours ago, Liremaster Yn'Taris said:

Veery eeeenteresting. I must observe this closely.

Cheers. Let's hope it continues to entertain. 

[KDR]

Oct 2015 Results



The month got off to a solid start, though we could have done without being involved in another epic cup-tie. I continued to rotate the team fairly heavily, but the sheer number of matches played resulted in injuries being sustained, and that in turn caused fatigue in those left...just in time for us to face Westfields and title favourites Loughborough Uni.
As if all that wasn't bad enough, right at the end of the month a last-minute own-goal saved North Greenford and gave us yet another fixture to face, and yet another midweek league fixture to contend with a little further down the track.

The cup-tie against Arnold created a record:

I also had my first outside job offer: Beckenham Town made an approach, though were obviously turned down.

Table at end Oct 2015



Come on! You can't just Lye Town and die! 
.
.
I'll get my coat.

[KDR]

Nov 2015 Results



It was goals galore in the two FA Vase matches, with Piotrowski netting six across the ties and a club record to boot.



We weren't done there, either. The result against Debenham created another little piece of history.



As for the rest of the month, nine points from twelve in the league was still not enough to keep us in top spot, while the defeat away to Coventry Sphinx means we fell far short of the board's expectations. They may not be sharpening the axe just yet, but they'll be checking where everything is just in case.

News

The interview offers - all rejected, of course - really started to come thick and fast this month. Most of them were from level 9 or 10 clubs, but one or two came from higher-level sides.
Those to make an approach were:
Hastings United, Workington, Reading Town, Bury Town, Carlton Town, Blyth Spartans, Tividale, Barnoldswick Town, Tilbury, Bridlington, and Colwyn Bay.


Table at end Nov 2015


 

[KDR]

Dec 2015 Results



The goals just kept on flowing in the FA Vase, which provided a nice little boost to morale ahead of a month where we finally broke free of the Saturday-Tuesday/Wednesday-Saturday routine. Well, more or less.
Most of the league wins this month were routine. The exception was a topsy-turvy game away to Coventry Sphinx. After taking the lead from a strong header following a corner, Sphinx came back with goals on either side of half-time to lead 2-1 with 15 minutes left to play. Piotrowski stabbed home the equaliser during a goalmouth scramble, before Lee Nabi, on for Alando Lewis, secured the points with a last-minute tap-in after Piotrowski's initial shot was only parried.

News

Yet more interview offers this month:
Stocksbridge Park Steels, Waltham Abbey, Edgware Town, Abbey Hey, Market Drayton Town, Bradford Town, Aveley, Cheltenham Saracens, and Romford.

I also appointed a second - better - scout by the name of Andy Bell. Just need to find a Vince Clark to go with him... 



Table at end Dec 2015



Lye finally picked up a win in the month's third round of matches, with a couple of draws on either side to double their points total for the season.

[KDR]

Jan 2016 Results

It was business as usual for the first couple of games of the month, and looked to be more of the same against Boldmere once Alando Lewis, who's had more than his share of injuries this season, bundled the ball over the line to put us in front. The second half was just a shambles, though, and Boldmere were 3-1 up before Lewis added his second of the game.
A few harsh words at full-time seemed to sharpen the lads up again for the FA Vase match, which despite appearances was one of the easiest matches we've had so far. Piotrowski's header was on the way in until the 'keeper just managed to tip it onto the bar at full stretch, but then it came down, hit him on the back of the head and went in anyway.
As for the final game of the month, I think the scoreline speaks for itself. Or does it? 2-0 up after 10 minutes, Lewis missing a hat-trick of CCCs before half-time, Lewis again striking the post when it was easier to score two minutes into the second half, then Machangani driving a shot against the crossbar less than a minute before Loughborough Dynamo got their first...
It was definitely a game we should have won, but as it was Dynamo equalised on 73, then nicked the game in the 91st minute with a fluke goal.

News

Interviews turned down this month were:
Chelmsford City, Walton Casuals, Alvechurch, Tring Athletic, Chasetown, Leverstock Green, Arlesey Town, Hertford Town, Badshot Lea, and Bishop Sutton.

Table at end Jan 2016

[KDR]

Feb 2016 Results

Another couple of wobbles this month as we followed a mostly-expected defeat in the FA Vase with an unexpected one in the league. At least it's a case of   'Job Done' in another of the cup competitions, though. Another black mark on my record might have seen questions starting to be asked despite our league position.
The win against Stourport was excellent and could prove crucial, though not as crucial as the three points picked up against Lye. I really thought they'd prove to be a banana skin - beat the challenger, lose to the dead men walking. Fortunately we came through it, though it was disappointing not to get the clean sheet or win by a bigger margin, and we almost threw another game-winning position away in the final game of the month against Coleshill. From 2-0 up on 40 minutes we only went in one goal to the good at half-time, then a long ball caught Joyce, my DC(R), napping for them to equalise on 51. Lewis popped up with the winner - albeit after hitting the post and putting a one-on-one chance well wide - to secure the three points, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't concerns over some of the performances.

News
Interviews offered this month were:
Selsey, Potters Bar Town, Loughborough Dynamo, Ardley United, Barkingside, Bitton, Shepton Mallet, Winchester City, Guernsey, Cove, St Neots Town, Dorking Wanderers, East Grinstead Town, Guildford City, Mangotsfield United, Armthorpe Welfare, and Evesham United.

Table at end Feb 2016

[KDR]

Mar 2016 Results



A perfect month, despite having to play three of the other top 7 sides - we face two more next month in Loughborough Uni and Arnold, before rounding off the season with back-to-back matches against teams battling hard against relegation. Given that, it's safe to say that Pagham was the last of our 'easy' games and we saw them off efficiently enough.
Shepshed took the lead early in the first half and looked like holding on, until a flick-header from Doran following a long throw beat the otherwise excellent 'keeper at his near post. After that it was only going to go one way, and Doran duly delivered with another header, this time from a corner.
Long Eaton were in contention a little while back and even went top for a week or so, but they've fallen away and could really have taken a hammering but for our wastefulness in front of goal, and it's a similar story for Westfields - strong for most of the season, but falling away at just the wrong time. Even so, we had to work hard to claw back a two-goal deficit after Joyce gifted them the lead with an own-goal, before a poor error from his defensive partner allowed their striker to hammer in a second from close range.
Looking at the remaining fixtures from all teams still in with a shout, I pinpointed 10 points from our last 6 games as the target to reach - mainly because I couldn't see Stourport doing anything but win. The wins over Long Eaton and Westfields give us 6 of those. Only the other 4 stand between us and a second successive promotion.

News
Interviews offered and rejected this month:
Tipton Town, Haverhill Rovers, Brighouse Town, Poole Town, Burgess Hill Town, MIldenhall Town, Quorn, Willand Rovers, Horsham, and Kings Langley.

Table at end Mar 2016




2016 Youth Intake



Contracts offered to Haddrell, Wycherley, Cowling and Jat.
The other potentially more promising ones were compromised by their lack of big game mentality, so...
The 1.5-star lot never had a chance.

[KDR]

Apr 2016 Results



A goal in the last five minutes consigned us to defeat in what was a very hard-fought key game vs Loughborough Uni - a result that kept them very much in the hunt, though Stourport also kept up their good form by winning convincingly away from home.
A week later, a surprisingly easy win for us over Arnold was matched by another victory for Stourport. Loughborough Uni's challenge fell by the wayside, though, as a midweek draw and a shock defeat on the following weekend ended any mathematical chance they might have had.
Two games remained, and it was all in our hands. One more point and there'd be nothing Stourport could do. 
And we got off the best of starts against Alvechurch, taking the lead from a free-kick inside the first minute. Alando Lewis then hit the post twice and the bar once as we threatened to run riot, then, on 42 minutes, Lewis was hacked down in the box. Penalty!
Threlfall stepped up to take, though he wasn't the designated kicker (I don't have one; they're all much of a muchness). He hadn't missed one so far...but he did this time, putting a weak effort to the 'keeper's right that was all-too-easily saved. Lewis was slow to react to the rebound and the ball was cleared.
The second half began in much the same vein as most of the first had been: Alvechurch punting hopeful balls out from the back, while we dominated possession and carved out the better chances.
Piotrowski saw a powerful header well saved; Lewis struck the post again; Amenku had a long-range effort tipped just over the bar. Then it happened; a punt from inside their own box was misjudged by Williams. Joyce failed to get across to put a tackle in, and the ball was nestling in the back of our net from Alvechurch's first chance of the half and only their second shot on target in the match.
A point was all we needed, though, so there was no need to panic. And then, just as suddenly, there was. Hancock, our goalie, miskicked straight into touch. The resulting throw-in was a long, hopeful one...and the defence played statues. Their DC's free header thumped the underside of the bar. He'd missed! 
But he hadn't in the end, as the ball went straight back to him and, under no challenge, he hammered it into the net to give them the lead.
Several frantic changes to instructions later, we started pressing again, but all to no avail. Alvechurch had kept their survival hopes alive, and a win for Stourport plus their better goal difference meant we'd have to get something from the final match.

Here's how our matches looked:



Loughborough Dynamo were safe, with very little to play for. AFC Wulfrunians, meanwhile, had been dropped into the relegation zone thanks to Alvechurch's win.

Here's how our seasons had shaped up:


And so we went into a very nervy last match.




Four minutes! Despite losing, we were still only four minutes away from Stourport dropping those two crucial points at the last!

Table at end Apr 2016

 

[Keano16]

Gutting.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Bit of a bugger that.

[KDR]

On 11/4/2016 at 15:22, Keano16 said:

Gutting.

 

On 11/7/2016 at 22:10, Nobby_McDonald said:

Bit of a bugger that.

Yep. Those comments just about sum it up. Cheers, both. 

[KDR]

 

2015/2016 Season Review

 

League: 2nd in Midlands Football League Premier Division

WINNERS: Stourport Swifts

 

FA Cup: Lost in 1st Qualifying Round vs March

WINNERS: Manchester City

 

FA Vase: Lost in 5th Round vs Loughborough University

WINNERS: Westfields

 

Midland Football League Cup: Lost in 3rd Round vs Coventry Sphinx

WINNERS: Loughborough University

 

Awards Night

Top Goalscorer: Tom Piotrowski - 24

Top League Goalscorer: Tom Piotrowski - 17

Fastest Goal & Scorer: Tom Piotrowski - 30 secs (vs. Coventry Sphinx (H))

Most Assists: Tom Piotrowski - 15

Most MotM Awards: Tom Piotrowski & Alando Lewis - 5

Player of the Season (Av.Rat.): Sean Callacher - 7.08 (55 apps)

Fans’ Player of the Season: Sean Callacher

 

Summary

 

Reality vs Media Prediction

 

Highest position: 1st (24 match rounds)   Lowest position: 22nd (1 match round)

 

News

 

Departures

Joyce wasn't offered a new contract for several reasons. One, he had made too many errors that led to goals (even without looking at the chances his mistakes allowed that were missed); two, his overall performance stats weren't in the ranges I like them to be; three, my coaching staff universally agreed that he was no longer good enough for the squad; four, he wanted far more money than I was prepared to give.
Williams left mainly over money, though again his performance stats weren't quite in the right range and his lack of stamina meant one of my three sub choices had to be for him. Frankly, he wasn't really worth what he was already on, so once his demands went significantly higher there was only one outcome.
Lait was solid enough but, again, hadn't done enough. My staff also said he lacked any sort of big-game mentality, so I let him go.
Amenku was the one I didn't want to lose, but he'd already signalled his intent to leave at the end of his contract and repeated attempts to get him back around the table came to nothing. 

 

Premier and Football League Manager Movements

Premier League

 

Championship

 

League One

 

League Two

 

End of season reaction

In fairness, it's not been a bad season. The season's expectations were met in all competitions bar one - the Midland Football League Cup - and the financial situation remained well under control.
None of that stops me from being bitterly disappointed about letting the title slip. It's exactly the reverse of how I felt at the end of the previous season, where promotion was secured on the final day. But that's football (even on FM). It's now a case of picking it up and going again. I get the feeling that we could end up stuck at this level for quite a time, though. Hopefully that's just the disappointment (still) talking.

[KDR]

The 2016 UEFA European Championships

 

 

Roy Hodgson left the England job in triumph, and was replaced by some bloke called Pep Guardiola. Never 'eard of 'im. 

[KDR]

Season Summary 2015/2016

 

FIFA Club World Championship: WINNERS: Cruz Azul

UEFA Champions’ League: WINNERS: Manchester United

UEFA Europa League: WINNERS: Shakhtar Donetsk

UEFA European Super Cup: WINNERS: Real Madrid

FA Cup: WINNERS: Manchester City   

RUNNERS-UP: Chelsea

League Cup: WINNERS: Manchester United   

RUNNERS-UP: Liverpool

Community Shield: WINNERS: Manchester City 

Football League Trophy: WINNERS: Scunthorpe United

FA Trophy: WINNERS: Gateshead

FA Vase: WINNERS: Westfields

STEP 1

Premier League: 

WINNERS: Manchester United

European Qualification: Manchester United, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Manchester City (CL), Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal (EL)

Relegated: Crystal Palace, Cardiff City. Wigan Athletic

STEP 2

Championship: 

WINNERS: West Bromwich Albion

Promoted: West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers

Relegated: Birmingham City, Yeovil Town, Millwall

STEP 3

League One: 

WINNERS: Plymouth Argyle

Promoted: Plymouth Argyle, Coventry City, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Relegated: Blackpool, Preston North End, Tranmere Rovers, Burton Albion

STEP 4

League Two: 

WINNERS: Portsmouth

Promoted: Portsmouth, Doncaster Rovers, Carlisle United, Oxford United

Relegated: Exeter City, Eastleigh

STEP 5

Conference Premier: 

WINNERS: Macclesfield Town

Promoted: Macclesfield Town, Altrincham

Relegated: Alfreton Town, Southport, Harrogate Town, Dover Athletic

STEP 6

Conference North: 

WINNERS: Hemel Hempstead Town

Promoted: Hemel Hempstead Town, Stalybridge Celtic

Relegated: AFC Fylde, Lowestoft Town, Grantham Town

Conference South: 

WINNERS: Bromley

Promoted: Bromley, Whitehawk

Relegated: Chippenham Town, Farnborough, AFC Hornchurch

STEP 7

Northern Premier League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Rushall Olympic

Promoted: Rushall Olympic, FC United of Manchester

Relegated: Matlock Town, Ramsbottom United, Skelmersdale United, Biggleswade Town

Isthmian Premier Division: 

WINNERS: Maidstone United

Promoted: Maidstone United, Canvey Island

Relegated: Harrow Borough, Chelmsford City, East Thurrock United, Arlesey Town

Southern League Premier Division: 

WINNERS: Merthyr Town

Promoted: Merthyr Town, Kettering Town

Relegated: Bideford, Hitching Town, Banbury United, Burnham

STEP 8

Northern Premier League Division One North: 

WINNERS: Northwich Victoria

Promoted: Northwich Victoria, Nelson

Relegated: Mossley, Brighouse Town

Northern Premier League Division One South: 

WINNERS: Kidsgrove Athletic

Promoted: Kidsgrove Athletic, Mickleover Sports

Relegated: Market Drayton Town, Gresley

Isthmian League Division One North:

WINNERS: FC Romania

Promoted: FC Romania, Heybridge Swifts

Relegated: Burnham Ramblers, Chatham Town, Potters Bar Town

Isthmian League Division One South:

WINNERS: Ramsgate

Promoted: Ramsgate, Greenwich Borough

Relegated: Godalming Town, Hythe Town, Herne Bay

Southern League Division One Central:

WINNERS: Rugby Town

Promoted: Rugby Town, Bedworth United

Relegated: Hanwell Town, Barton Rovers

Southern League Division One South and West:

WINNERS: Bishop's Cleeve

Promoted: Bishop's Cleeve, Bashley

Relegated: Fleet Town, Folland Sports

STEP 9

Combined Counties League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Ashford Town

Promoted: Ashford Town

Relegated: Farnham Town, Bedfont Sports

Eastern Counties League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Kirkley & Pakefield

Promoted: Kirkley & Pakefield

Relegated: Gorleston, Stanway Rovers

Essex Senior League:

WINNERS: Great Wakering Rovers

Promoted: Great Wakering Rovers

Relegated: None

Hellenic League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Oxford City Nomads

Promoted: Oxford City Nomads

Relegated: Brimscombe & Thrupp, Tuffley Rovers, Newbury FC, Shortwood United Reserves

Midland Alliance:

WINNERS: Stourport Swifts

Promoted: Stourport Swifts

Relegated: Tipton Town, Causeway United, Walsall Wood, Lye Town

Northern League Division One:

WINNERS: Whitley Bay

Promoted: Whitley Bay

Relegated: Guisborough Town, Penrith, Tow Law Town

Northern Counties East League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Shaw Lane Aquaforce

Promoted: Shaw Lane Aquaforce

Relegated: Thackley, Staveley Miners Welfare

North West Counties League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Droylsden

Promoted: Droylsden

Relegated: Cheadle Town, Rochdale Town, West Didsbury & Chorlton

Southern Counties East League:

WINNERS: Deal

Promoted: Deal

Relegated: Beckenham Town

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division:

WINNERS: AFC Dunstable

Promoted: AFC Dunstable

Relegated: Leverstock Green, Holmer Green, Harefield United

Sussex County League Division One:

WINNERS: Horsham YMCA

Promoted: Horsham YMCA

Relegated: Lancing, Crowborough Athletic, East Grinstead Town

United Counties League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Basford United

Promoted: Basford United

Relegated: Eynesbury Rovers, Irchester United

Wessex League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Newport (IOW)

Promoted: Newport (IOW)

Relegated: Bemerton Heath Harlequins, Andover Town

Western League Premier Division:

WINNERS: Bristol Manor Farm

Promoted: Bristol Manor Farm

Relegated: Melksham Town, Sherborne Town, Longwell Green Sports

STEP 10

Promoted: Epsom Athletic, Spelthorne Sports, Kimberley Miners Welfare, Holwell Sports, Stowmarket Town, Swaffham Town, Finchampstead, Didcot Town Reserves, New College Swindon, Wootton Bassett Town, Erith & Belvedere, Continental Star, Ashton Athletic, Barnton, Ashton Town, Pontefract Collieries, AFC Emley, Morpeth Town, Crook Town, Esh Winning, Saltash United, Rustington, Newhaven, Saltdean United, Amersham Town, Welwyn Garden City, Buckingham Town, Blackstones, Potton United, Petersfield Town, Pewsey Vale, Wolverhampton Sporting Community