Meitheisman Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 The OP will need to be edited to direct people who stumble across this later to the first set of updates on page 4 (or at this rate maybe even page 5 ) I don't know if that's possible but given the number of people posting in this thread this time it could be a very good idea to have links in the OP pointing straight to the season updates to make it easier for those who only want to read Kipfizh's updates without having to scroll down hundreds of "I can't wait for an update!!!" posts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRHaggs Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I don't know if that's possible but given the number of people posting in this thread this time it could be a very good idea to have links in the OP pointing straight to the season updates to make it easier for those who only want to read Kipfizh's updates without having to scroll down hundreds of "I can't wait for an update!!!" posts. Hmmm... Seems like it comes with the territory. Anyway, what, do they think they're too good to read our obsessive, repetitive, exclamatory posts of impatience mixed with yearning? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
blowcrapup Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I check this thread about 3 times a day now Hopefully after the first update is done Kip will be be able to use it as a template to speed up the updates without effecting quality. Still looking forward to it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkhamJ Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Maybe it'd be better the host the updates on an external site and just post links save them getting lost amongst the clutter? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRDH Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I like the clutter. It would be a very dry experiment without all the discussion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yugo23 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I have a feeling we won the FA Cup... Can't wait for the update. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iacovone Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 If by 'we' you mean the Sheriffs then yes - I'm completely with you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
civilservant Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 If by 'we' you mean the Sheriffs then yes - I'm completely with you. "Que Sera Sera, what ever will be, will be, The Sheriffs at Wembley, Que Sera Sera!" :-D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartans5 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 With the Bandits winning the match and the idiots from the Sheriffs going on a rampage and all getting red carded. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iacovone Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 But stealing the trophy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkhamJ Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I like the clutter. It would be a very dry experiment without all the discussion. Just thinking of people who haven't been up to date with the thread from scratch having to scour through pages and pages of discussion before.. after and between updates? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meitheisman Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Hmmm... Seems like it comes with the territory. Anyway, what, do they think they're too good to read our obsessive, repetitive, exclamatory posts of impatience mixed with yearning? I don't want to talk for anyone else but the incredible amount of the same questions asked over and over again is making me feel like I'm wasting my time reading all the in-between posts and it also proves that other posters don't read them all, else they wouldn't ask questions that have already been asked and answered. So why should I waste my time reading other people's posts when clearly they haven't done it themselves? However, I do enjoy reading other users' original questions, ideas, views of the experiment, predictions, suggestions... like Von Blade, 5ergio or Williamshankey (to name a few) were posting in the first thread for instance. I enjoyed reading their opinions of the updates but now in this thread it seems that the vast majority of the posts are not bringing anything to the experiment and are either questions that have already been asked or people stating how impatient they are and how much they'd like to read the updates. Maybe I'm just becoming a grumpy old man but if there is 3/4 pages of "nothing relevant" (for lack of a better term) in between each season update I doubt I'll follow the whole experiment with as much interest as I have the first one or if I do I'll probably end up skipping most of the posts and only reading Kipfizh's which I feel would be a shame because like I just said I really enjoyed the comments and suggestions made by other users in the original Bandits experiment. So basically unless I'm the only one thinking this way (in which case I'll shut up and go away after an appology for bothering you all) having some links in the OP that would take us straight to each season updates would be a helpful addition to the thread imho. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartans5 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I think that as soon as we have an update, and have seen what has happened within the first season, there will be a lot more actual discussion going on because we have something to base it on. Right now its all speculation so there isn't really all that much to be said. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iacovone Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I don't want to talk for anyone else but the incredible amount of the same questions asked over and over again is making me feel like I'm wasting my time reading all the in-between posts and it also proves that other posters don't read them all, else they wouldn't ask questions that have already been asked and answered. So why should I waste my time reading other people's posts when clearly they haven't done it themselves?However, I do enjoy reading other users' original questions, ideas, views of the experiment, predictions, suggestions... like Von Blade, 5ergio or Williamshankey (to name a few) were posting in the first thread for instance. I enjoyed reading their opinions of the updates but now in this thread it seems that the vast majority of the posts are not bringing anything to the experiment and are either questions that have already been asked or people stating how impatient they are and how much they'd like to read the updates. Maybe I'm just becoming a grumpy old man but if there is 3/4 pages of "nothing relevant" (for lack of a better term) in between each season update I doubt I'll follow the whole experiment with as much interest as I have the first one or if I do I'll probably end up skipping most of the posts and only reading Kipfizh's which I feel would be a shame because like I just said I really enjoyed the comments and suggestions made by other users in the original Bandits experiment. So basically unless I'm the only one thinking this way (in which case I'll shut up and go away after an appology for bothering you all) having some links in the OP that would take us straight to each season updates would be a helpful addition to the thread imho. I do agree to some extent. I wasn't a 'long-term' follower of the first experiment but nonetheless I followed a significant portion of it. For me I found myself skipping a lot of the chat in between posts even then as it was kips posts that were the real meat of the thread. Adding links to the OP would make the thread better imo, its then down to each user if they fancy reading the banter in between. Of course it adds more work for kip but I'm sure he'll let us know whether or not its worth it! If anything I actually think adding links in the OP would stop a lot of the idle posts as people would either skip to them or just jump out of the thread. It gets a from me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamshankley Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I agree meitheisman, although to some reading about this experiment as first time readers. Their excitement is obviously getting the better of them. I eagarly await an update and like you have probably skimmed over the majority of comments so far. Until we have an update, I think that we'll have the same type of comments. Hopefully once the updates start coming in we can get back to discussing the findings so far. Anyway my Preditions The Bandits to gain promotion in the first season. The Sheriffs to self distruct after leading the table for much of the year. Although they will recover to win the playoffs. A Quarter Final appearance in the League Cup will be the furthest one of the teams get in the cups. I expect 3rd round at best in the F.A Cup for both clubs ( unless they get a lucky draw of course) Most of the bandits players will have left by January due to the ambition stat. While hopefully they will be replaced by players good enough to take them up. Long Term In an ideal world i'd like both clubs to progress fairly quickly up the leagues as history has shown that teams with a bit of cash can move up the leagues quickly. I'd expect both teams to be up in the premiership by year 20 with some astute decisions. All in all I think this experiment will be once again decided b the boards the clubs inherit through the game span. Which when thinking about it makes sense. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5ergio Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 The discussion will surelly settle after the first batch of updates. People will especially see that they feel sorry when the players start retiring, or one of the teams lost a promotion or cup in last minutes of an extra time. But that'll be it in my opinion. It all comes down to see the differences between FM07 & FM09. I'm pretty sure that we'll see more interesting reports with 22 sections even in the first year to speculate upon. The rivalry is good, but keep it clean guys Especially when you see Kip posting the updates, do not post in between the batches, I urge you. (a la c-c-c-combo breaker) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeccyMatt Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 The discussion will surelly settle after the first batch of updates. People will especially see that they feel sorry when the players start retiring, or one of the teams lost a promotion or cup in last minutes of an extra time. But that'll be it in my opinion. It all comes down to see the differences between FM07 & FM09. I'm pretty sure that we'll see more interesting reports with 22 sections even in the first year to speculate upon. The rivalry is good, but keep it clean guys Especially when you see Kip posting the updates, do not post in between the batches, I urge you. (a la c-c-c-combo breaker) I agree. The majority of the posts at the moment seem to reflect the excitement that has been generated by the start of the new experiment. Once updates are posted then the trivial posts (my own included :o) will cease and more meaningful discussions can be had on the findings. For example, how realistic is it for the Sheriffs to have won the FA Cup in their first season with only 4 star players ? - there I go again, sorry... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meitheisman Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 All right guys, sorry for my previous rant, I got a bit overly excited and hopefully you're all correct and the quality of the in-between posts will increase once the updates start coming. A Quarter Final appearance in the League Cup will be the furthest one of the teams get in the cups. I think clubs need to be at least in League 2 to participate in the League Cup, don't they? And apologies for miss-spelling your name above, I just realized I missed the "l" :o Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Whilst i agree that once the first post is here, we'll have a lot mre to discuss, people posting the SAME questions over and over again is really daft. Lets keep it original, people. FWIW i reckon the Bandits will probably go up at a canter, and the Sheriffs will follow with plenty of points but miles behind the original, still the best....BANDITS! Sitll undecided about who to support though. Bandits = original, but Sheriffs = supposed to be the good guys. Then again, in the game, its the other way round....oooh im lost! Kip, you take your time mate. The longer you take, the better it will be and the anticipation is fantastic! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamshankley Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 All right guys, sorry for my previous rant, I got a bit overly excited and hopefully you're all correct and the quality of the in-between posts will increase once the updates start coming.I think clubs need to be at least in League 2 to participate in the League Cup, don't they? And apologies for miss-spelling your name above, I just realized I missed the "l" :o What an error :o Plus on the same note will they actually be in the F.A Cup if he's created them as a new club? I seem to remember something about not being in it, when you are a newly created club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeccyMatt Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 What an error :o Plus on the same note will they actually be in the F.A Cup if he's created them as a new club? I seem to remember something about not being in it, when you are a newly created club. All clubs in the Premier League and Football League are automatically eligible, and clubs in the next six levels of the English football league system are also eligible ***provided they have played in either the FA Cup, FA Trophy or FA Vase competitions in the previous season***. Newly formed clubs that start playing in a high league, such as AFC Wimbledon or FC United of Manchester, may not therefore play in the FA Cup in their first season. It all depends on whether they are newly formed or renamed and repopulated I suppose... although IIRC the original Bandits '07 didn't play in the FA Cup first time round - I'll go and check. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeccyMatt Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Nope, my bad. They did play in the FA Cup first season round last time. Interestingly, halfway down page one of the original thread Ter asks people to stop pestering Kip for an update! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lower Leagues Rule Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 If by 'we' you mean the Sheriffs then yes - I'm completely with you. Probably take the FA Trophy. "Que Sera Sera, what ever will be, will be, The Sheriffs at Wembley, Que Sera Sera!":-D Whatever will be is clearly the Sheriffs beating the Bandits 2-0 in their first meeting But stealing the trophy Hmmm I can see the headline now "Sheriffs accused of Theft, Bandits have no leads" Ummm hang on one second. Nope, my bad. They did play in the FA Cup first season round last time.Interestingly, halfway down page one of the original thread Ter asks people to stop pestering Kip for an update! Just using this one to post my thoughts on the pointless questions, if you put links on the first page and then people skip straight to updates (I think the links go straight to single posts not to parts of pages) then are we not more likely to see pointless questions that have already been asked as even more people will be skipping ahead instead of reading stuff? Just my thought on it. SHERIFFS FO' LIFE Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
villanation Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 still no update yet??!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlownCanary Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Just to add my say to the meaningless banter discussion. I feel that a lot of the banter is a huge part of this thread. Like we're all sitting in a press room waiting for Kip to apear and tell us the latest, then we all discuss that while sitting around for the next update. It is however, a little pointless to ask a question that someone else has already asked. I urge people to read all the posts before and make sure your question hasn't already been asked. Therefore it'll become a smoother thread and everyone will read all the posts, meaning no-one will repeat themselves! (Good, ey?) So, basically I agree with Lower Leagues Rule that we should all read all the posts, so that people aren't skipping ahead and asking questions that have already been asked. Now after saying all that, I've been thinking about my own predictions: Bandits: Win FA Trophy in first year. Consecutive promotions to League 2, then more years in between due to losing players. Will win a lot of League Cups! (eventually) Most players to be gone by the beginning of the 3rd year. Sheriffs: FA Trophy runners-up first year. FA Trophy winners second year. Follow the Bandits up, but take longer. Eagerly anticipating an update Kip, I can't wait! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magraev Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Looking forward to reading the report! Great effort Kipfish - thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
civilservant Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I realised that I didn't put my predictions in, here they are: The Sherrifs will actually rise faster, because the trigger happy chairman will keep getting rid of managers until he finds one that performs. I also think that he will be more keen to spend money, however wholesale changes could disrupt the flow of the team, so it goes both ways. The Bandits will of course rise up the leagues to reach the prem in about 30 years, but I can still see the same happening as did in the previous experiament. The chairman will be happy with slow progress, and consolidation in the leagues, therefore perhaps keeping lower caliabre managers longer than he really should do. I also predict a whole host of tropheys in the cups for both clubs, but no european success for either for a long long time (70+ years) Finally, all the good players (bandits and sherrifs) to move on at the end of the first season, latest. Now bring it on Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayatsena Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Yeah, I've been away for a few weeks, and start of this thread make my day turns good!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus Thee Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I don't want to talk for anyone else but the incredible amount of the same questions asked over and over again is making me feel like I'm wasting my time reading all the in-between posts and it also proves that other posters don't read them all, else they wouldn't ask questions that have already been asked and answered. So why should I waste my time reading other people's posts when clearly they haven't done it themselves?However, I do enjoy reading other users' original questions, ideas, views of the experiment, predictions, suggestions... like Von Blade, 5ergio or Williamshankey (to name a few) were posting in the first thread for instance. I enjoyed reading their opinions of the updates but now in this thread it seems that the vast majority of the posts are not bringing anything to the experiment and are either questions that have already been asked or people stating how impatient they are and how much they'd like to read the updates. Maybe I'm just becoming a grumpy old man but if there is 3/4 pages of "nothing relevant" (for lack of a better term) in between each season update I doubt I'll follow the whole experiment with as much interest as I have the first one or if I do I'll probably end up skipping most of the posts and only reading Kipfizh's which I feel would be a shame because like I just said I really enjoyed the comments and suggestions made by other users in the original Bandits experiment. So basically unless I'm the only one thinking this way (in which case I'll shut up and go away after an appology for bothering you all) having some links in the OP that would take us straight to each season updates would be a helpful addition to the thread imho. Or perhaps we could open two different threads: One only for all the updates of Kip regarding the Bandits and the Sherrifs, and another one (like this thread) for questions, comments, predictions etc... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB1 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I think the idea of putting links in the OP would be a good idea. I think its amazing though how much interest this thread has got. We've had the opening post and now 4 pages later. Just shows how interested we all are in the bandits and sheririfs. I for one plan on winning the lottery and employing Kip on a full time basis. No work related hassles for the man himself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Few things: 1) Apologies to anyone who spots that the last post in the thread is by me and gets excited about an update, when there isn't one 2) The first season report is nearly done.... 3) I will link the first season report in the original post, since we're on page 4 already. 4) Both the Bandits and the Sheriffs are in the FA Cup, as they are edits of Fisher and Bognor Regis rather than new clubs. *goes back to writing* Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
blowcrapup Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 1) Apologies to anyone who spots that the last post in the thread is by me and gets excited about an update, when there isn't one I did that Looking forward to it mate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeccyMatt Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Few things:1) Apologies to anyone who spots that the last post in the thread is by me and gets excited about an update, when there isn't one 'specially for the noobs! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin_ Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Few things:2) The first season report is nearly done.... *goes back to writing* *drumroll* Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kashmirshazad Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Whats a noob? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
blowcrapup Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Whats a noob? Slang for Newbie/a person new to something. Looking into it its more complex than that but basic thats it. Link for info. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Whats a noob? You are. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest roberto922 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 noob = been on a while but still dumb in that area newb = new and still learning That's how I've always seen it anyway Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanbv1 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I best get my predictions up before the first season report is posted. 1) Bandits to win every game in first season. 2) Sheriffs to drop 17 points but finish 2nd and get promoted via playoffs. 3) Bandits to get goal difference of +145 at the end of the season. 4) All outfield idiots to leave in january transfer window. 5) All bandits to remain banits until the summer. 6) All bandits to be capped by England U19s and not by their second nationality. And just for fun... 7) United to win premier league, Real Madrid to win La Liga, AC Milan to win Serie A and Sporting Lisbon to win Liga Sacres. 8) The following players to achieve the highest rating in their respective leagues: Fernando Torres, David Villa, Ronaldinho and Liedson... Not sure if you are putting up these awards, but predictions are for fun Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markymarky Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 1) Bandits to concede fewer than eight league goals in the first season (a risky prediction, perhaps - I suspect that lack of experience may play a bigger role with defenders and goalkeepers than with attacking players.) 2) Bandits to have a straight run to the Premier League - but perhaps paying for this with an immediate relegation. 3) At least half of the Bandits to end their playing careers abroad. 4) Every Bandit to earn over 100 international caps in their career - a feat that'll be matched by none of the Sheriffs. 5) A Bandits legend to return as manager and lead the club to Premier League and European glory. 6) Nikolas Besagno to turn out to be not quite the star he was in FM06. :'( 7) Bonus bold prediction: Bandits to finish in the top four of the Premier League and reach a European final by 2020. 8) Super bonus excessively bold prediction: Bandits to reach the final of the League or FA Cup in their second season - if they keep enough of their squad over the Christmas window. edit: let me add to that 9) The Sheriffs to do nothing much, really - peaking as a mid-level Premier League side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spleen! Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Good to see The Bandits back for 09. I must try and remember to check for updates... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeccyMatt Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Slang for Newbie/a person new to something.Looking into it its more complex than that but basic thats it. Link for info. Crikey! I didn't realise there was that much in it. Maybe that makes me a n00b? Hang on, back to my original post, think I should have used newb. And back to *the* original post... "Up the Sheriffs!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
villanation Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Few things:1) Apologies to anyone who spots that the last post in the thread is by me and gets excited about an update, when there isn't one 2) The first season report is nearly done.... 3) I will link the first season report in the original post, since we're on page 4 already. 4) Both the Bandits and the Sheriffs are in the FA Cup, as they are edits of Fisher and Bognor Regis rather than new clubs. *goes back to writing* can't wait Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamBrady Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Had completely forgotten about the new experiment until today, made my day finding this thread! Cannot wait for the first update, really curious to see how the whole European football landscape changes in the future with so many leagues being on full detail. Also love the second nationalities addition, surely not all the Bandits will be willing to wait for their England opportunity... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
civilservant Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Impaitance us begining to get the best of me now!! Still, I shall resist in deferance to Kips excellent previous updates in the last experiment. 'Mon the sheriffs! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_1982 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 1) Bandits to concede fewer than eight league goals in the first season (a risky prediction, perhaps - I suspect that lack of experience may play a bigger role with defenders and goalkeepers than with attacking players.) I will happily eat my hat if that is the case. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 My comment about links to the first reports was a bit tongue-in-cheek and now I see it prompted another 20-30 posts of discussion! Anyway, ahead of the first update, I have a few predictions/comments: I fully expect the Bandits to storm the league in the first season. With the game on full detail, that should be assured. However, I wonder what will happen beyond that first season. As in the first experiment, I would expect most of the superstars to move on fairly quickly and, for the club, a lot then depends on how wise the manager/board are in the transfer market. If they bring in good replacements, the club should continue to rise. If they can't attract decent players for the level though, they may struggle, especially with the games being on full detail meaning a high rep won't help them win games so much. As for the Sherrifs, I'm not declaring myself just yet, but I have to admit they are taking my interest more this time. The Bandits are a known quantity from the first experiment and I'm sure they will succeed eventually after recovering from the loss of the superstars and make the Premier League and maybe do even better than that. The Sherrifs on the other hand are an unknown quantity. Will money and ambition be enough? Or will the impatient chairman and unstable staff cause the club to flop? I guess we will find out soon? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Season 2008-09 Club reports – Summer Transfers Bandits With their squad of 22 starlets in place, and their ability still unproven, the Bandits were able to enter their debut season without losing anyone. As a result, they didn’t see the need to bring any new faces in, so began the season with the same 22 players they were initially granted. In other words, they were in superb shape. Sheriffs As for the Sheriffs, they had more work to do. Starting with only four players and their youth team meant that they needed to get some names in, and quickly. Matters were made worse by two of their idiots, Idiot Defender and Idiot Striker, who both managed to engineer a move on September 1, and both to Blackburn for a combined fee of just over 1.5 million. But they managed to sign only four players, and all were worse than the products of their youth team (CAs of 24, 26 and 35), except for one – 29 year old striker Charlie Griffin, who became their second best player (excluding idiots), with a CA of 54 and a PA of 71. For a Blue Square South team, he is an excellent acquisition. All of the Sheriffs’ signings were free transfers, so they haven’t yet used any of their financial muscle. With two of the idiots gone, they are now massively reliant on the remaining pair, and young John Miller, a natural star of the division at only 16. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Club reports – August-December The Olympics meant that the Bandits started the season without a recognised goalkeeper, Argentina and Brazil taking their pair away, but it didn’t stop them from having a fine opening month, winning by an average score of 3-0 until Havant at least ran them close, keeping the score down to 3-2. Basingstoke suffered a pair of hammerings, 6-0 in the league and 5-1 in the Setanta Shield, and that wasn’t the only cup competition the Bandits were thriving it – wins over Dulwich Hamlet, Worthing and Lewes saw them through to the first round proper of the FA Cup, where they would meet League One Oldham. By the time they faced the Sheriffs for the first time, not in the league but in the Setanta Shield, the Bandits had won all fourteen of their matches in all competitions, conceding only four times in the process, with their great rivals shrugging off the loss of two of the their stars pre-season to move into a comfortable play-off position, winning ten of fourteen. The match between them was not close, however, with the Bandits triumphing 4-2 in a game that saw the final scoreline flatter their opponents. It turned out to be a bad week for the Sheriffs, as they followed that defeat up with another to Bromley in the final qualifying round for the FA Cup, denying them the opportunity to test themselves against the big boys. The Bandits continued to show strength, eventually finishing the calendar year with twenty wins from twenty in the league, including a 7-0 demolition of Thurrock that would be the biggest win of their season. Two more rounds of the Setanta Shield were successfully negotiated, giving them a quarter final against Conference Ebbsfleet in the new year. They cruised through the first round of the FA Trophy, beating Whitby 6-0, but the big tie was their first against league opposition, when they faced Oldham in the FA Cup. Striker 1 gave them the lead at Boundary Park, but Kevin Maher’s reply earned the League One side a replay, and averted an early cup shock. They only delayed it, though. After another 1-1 draw at Ocean View Park in the replay, Striker 1 popped up again to notch an extra time winner to send the Bandits through to round two. A 1-0 win over Conference Burton in the next round set up an excellent tie away to Championship Watford in the third round. All in all, the first half of the season couldn’t have gone better, and the icing on the cake was delivered just before Christmas, Striker 1 and Striker 2 scoring in a 2-0 win over the Sheriffs in their first league meeting. The rivalry was all too much for Left Mid 2, however, who was sent off in the first half. As for the Sheriffs, that loss to the Bandits was their first since their previous loss to them in the Setanta Shield, and would be their last of the year. Their good form saw them through the FA Trophy first round, albeit via a replay against Bromley, their bogey side (they had already lost to them in league and FA Cup), and into second place in the league. The Bandits were running away with the Blue Square South, but the Sheriffs were securing second spot. Both looked good for promotion, but their players were certainly getting noticed. Could they get through January unscathed? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Club reports – January Transfers Bandits With the Bandits flying, their players attracted inevitable attention from the bigger clubs, and January saw a massive exodus, 18 of the 22 moving on, leaving only Goalkeeper 2, Left Back 2, Centre Mid 1 and Striker 1 behind. The destinations were spread far and wide, for more details check out the player reports section. But the total initial fee for the great 18 was a fairly paltry 13.25m, although all have clauses built into them that may see the Bandits handsomely rewarded in the future. So only four starlets remain, and although this still forms a very impressive spine, and given their huge lead in the division, they should be enough to clinch promotion, it does mean that the squad is exceptionally thin, and the manager had a serious job on to rebuild. And rebuild he did, signing thirteen players, most of which were very young, but some who were coming to their peak and could slot straight into the side. The best was right wing back Simon Spender, who at 23 has a CA of 62 and a PA of 92. Anything above 60 CA is excellent in this division, and with some way to improve he could be useful for a few years. Behind him came a young striker, Josh Klein-Davis, who at 19 has a CA of 58 but a PA of only 69, so he is unlikely to get much better. That cannot be said of the other 50+ CA signing, 22 year old central defender and central midfielder Nathan Mulligan, whose CA of 56 can rise as high as 135. One other player has a PA of over 100, and he is the only goalkeeper beyond Goalkeeper 2 – 17 year old Gary Inglis has a CA of 48 and a PA of 127, and is an excellent prospect. The manager was never going to be able to buy huge stars given their lowly status, but he has brought in a bunch of young players that should augment the four remaining stars he has. Bandits Transfers Sheriffs With only two idiots remaining, the Sheriffs had already had to increase the numbers in their squad, and when Idiot Midfielder followed the other two outfield stars in leaving the club (to Celtic for 1m), they needed further strengthening. And while the manager is a plank, he does recognise squad weakness, and replaced the one outgoing player with six signings. Unfortunately, it seemed that no-one of note wanted to come, and while the Bandits managed to sign three players with a CA of 50 or above, the Sheriffs didn’t manage any, 46 being their best. There is no doubt that the Bandits have the stronger squad, but both are considerably weaker than before January. The Sheriffs will be more settled, as much of their youth team has been playing since the start of the season, but they only have one idiot left, the goalkeeper. The Bandits, meanwhile, have lost eighteen players, but still have great talent in the four that remain, and that should be enough. Sheriffs Transfers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.