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After having a number of computer issues with FM12 which impacted nearly every save I had, I'm back with a new laptop and a lovely copy of FM13 beta.

I aim to emulate an epic save I had on FM11 with my real life team, Forest Green Rovers, in which we won three Premier League titles and set the town of Nailsworth alight with a Europa League triumph. I'm yet to find any major issues with the beta so am happy to start a career on it.

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Forest Green Rovers

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Bankrolled by environmental entrepreneur Dale Vince, Rovers boast the longest consecutive tenure in the Conference, currently spanning 16 seasons and including a 2010 relegation that was rescinded due to Salisbury City's demotion for not meeting financial regulations. They are also known as the greenest football club in England, with no red meat sold at the ground (but you can enjoy a veggie burger if that's your thing). The club has never played in the Football League.

A media prediction of 11th seems quite conservative, given the squad is one of the strongest in the division on paper, and Mr Vince backs this by only expecting a finish in the top half of the table.

Status: Professional

Finances: Okay

Chairman status: Loves the club

Fierce rivals: Gloucester

Stadium: The New Lawn, 5147 (2500 seated)

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This will be a one club save, with the main goal of winning the Champions League, something that eluded me previously. Large database, following leagues loaded:

England to Conference N/S

France to Ligue 2

Scotland to third division

Australian A-League

Ireland to first division

Germany and Wales top divisions only

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Pre-season 2012/13

Media prediction: 11th

Title odds: 25/1

Board expectation: Top-half finish

Captain: Jared Hodgkiss

Vice-captain: Eddie Oshodi

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A slowish pre-season as I take some time to get used to the new interface. Immediately after taking my post I am invited into a meeting with the chairman, where I sit and give mundane answers to mundane questions, defending my Sunday League background. I then have a meeting with assistant manager Gary Seward, who enthusiastically offers to carry out numerous tasks, before accepting my offer of mutual termination only minutes later.

Squad overview

The squad is very strong and deep, which is handy in a league where you on average play around 50-55 games, including cups. We are particularly strong in an attacking sense, with summer signings Magno Vieira, Ben Wright, Steve Brogan, Phil Marsh and Omar Koroma joining Reece Styche, Matty Taylor, Yan Klukowski and James Norwood, most of whom can play either centrally or out wide.

Across the back, Eddie Oshodi and Jamie Turley form one of the strongest partnerships in the division, while Al Bangura and Jamie Collins pick themselves in central midfield.

There's more than enough quality and depth to mount a serious title challenge, and the play-offs will be my own aim.

Tactics

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It's a 4-3-3 of sorts, utilising the attacking flair in the squad, and three in the centre to try and control the middle of the park.

Transfers

I've not gone into the transfer market at all yet, happy with the players at my disposal. Striker Taylor and defender Aaron Raccine have been sent out on loan to Hinckley and Basingstoke respectively.

Fixtures

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A mixed bag in pre-season, with two excellent wins over league opposition in Torquay and Dag & Red sandwiching a couple of losses, including a hiding against Crawley.

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Aug - Sep 2012

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Nearly a perfect first month in charge, as we romped out of the blocks with four straight wins and top spot come the change of season, and plenty of goals in the process. Wins over Cambridge and Telford were particularly impressive as we had to come from behind in both.

September brought us back to earth a bit, save for a rare 1-0 scoreline at Grimsby. Against Macclesfield we were 0-2 down early and pulled it back to 2-2 at the break, before capitulating in 16 second half minutes. Two more conceded against Hereford made it nine consecutive goals against from crosses to the back post. Koroma then grabbed a last gasp equaliser to salvage a point against Lincoln, ending a difficult month on a positive note.

September doesn't get any easier, with trips to Wrexham and Mansfield and also a meeting with Luton. Currently we sit 7th.

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Thanks 88.

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Oct - Nov 2012

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Perhaps buoyed by Koroma's heroics, we start October in blistering form. The Tamworth win was expected, but trips to two of the title fancies in Wrexham and Mansfield yield a further six points. We smashed half a dozen past the Stags, making a mockery of their position on top of the table. After two attempts at dispatching super-Mare in the FA Cup, the month ends with a narrow loss to Luton, despite taking the lead after an hour through Norwood.

A win over Bideford sets up a 2nd round tie away to L2 side Aldershot, and two further wins solidify our spot in the play-offs. Barrow grab a late winner and Conference North high-flyers Harrogate knock us out of the FA Trophy, before we inexplicably require three goals in the final half hour to see of rock-bottom Nuneaton. Paul Green is the hero here with the very last kick of the match.

Aside from the FA Cup, December presents a fairly tame month, aside from a trip to surprise packets Woking, who sit third.

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Dec - Jan 2012/13

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A large squad is really an advantage at this level, and it proved case in point as we were able to rotate regularly as we navigated the festive period. After kicking off December with a loss to Aldershot in the FA Cup, it took until the end of January before we even so much as drew a game, a run which took us to the summit.

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Included in this run was a 4-0 revenge on Macclesfield and a Boxing/New Year's Day double over Newport County, while the loss to Woking dropped us back into a tie for first, albeit with a game in hand.

Hodgkiss cracked it over only playing every second game at right back, and was immediately shipped out on loan and stripped of the captaincy, being replaced by Oshodi, while Wright departed on a free to Wycombe.

More interest however, was the transfer window.

When I arrived at the club, a director of football was already installed. Probably not common for a Conference side, but I decided to give him control over tracking potential new signings, in addition to my own requests. He started out well, closing a deal cheaply for striker Don Cowan from Stevenage, one of my targets. He then brought in Alex Marrow and Matty Pearson on loan from Palace and Rochdale respectively. Both good players that provided more squad depth, so I was happy to sign off.

After that it got a bit crazy. In the last week of January I cancelled FOURTEEN loan or free transfer signings, as Mr DoF appeared determined to find two new players for every one I rejected. I think going forward I will source my own targets through scouting, and just let him take care of my list of targets, rather than let him also hunt for his own players.

However, he did find me one gem on deadline day in Olivier N'Siabamfumu, a French/Congolese central midfielder who can also deputise at centre-half. He looks good enough to play several levels above and inherits the #18 shirt.

The playoffs look very likely, however on FM12 I used to have a slump around February every season, so let's see what the next few months bring.

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Youth intake 2013

A pretty poor intake this year, with only two prospects with two star potential, and these were the only two signed to youth deals.

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Midfielder Azariah Powell was the best of the crop, and while he has some handy attributes, it's hard to see him developing to play above the level we're currently at.

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Feb - Mar 2013

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The brutal stretch of the season, with seven games in February and another six in March, which really tested a squad that picked up a few knocks. Five of the seven in February being wins eased the fatigue somewhat, as we took advantage of a run against mid to lower table sides.

If we don't get promoted, we'll look back at March as being the pivotal month. The loss to Southport was irritating, given we controlled the game and gave up a cheap goal in the last ten, but more important were losses to the only two other clubs in the title race, Cambridge and Mansfield. We concluded the month with an excellent 4-1 win at play-off bound Ebbsfleet, and go into the final month in a three-way race for the Conference crown.

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Cambridge are on a lengthy winning run and can match our goal difference, so they are the big threat; however any dropped points could let the Stags in too.

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2012/13 - Forest Green Rovers - Blue Square Premier

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Final table

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We kicked off April with a disappointing 0-0 at home to Telford, meaning Cambridge and Mansfield closed the gap to one and two points respectively. This only served as further motivation however, and upon spanking Southport 5-1 on the penultimate weekend, it meant only a point was required on final day to go up as champions. Our opponents, Alfreton, had already been relegated which made them a potentially dangerous opponent.

Both sides squandered good chances in the first half, while Cambridge smashed in four in the first half hour to keep the pressure on. Vieira finally gave us the lead with 20 to play, and a thumping Klukowski header five minutes later sealed our passage to league football, for the first time in FGR history.

Cups

Nothing to see here, We made the second round of the FA Cup, losing 0-2 at Aldershot, while Harrogate bundled us out of the FA Trophy in the 1st round.

Key players

With no less than a dozen players returning 7+ match rating averages, picking just a few was a difficult task...

Yan Klukowski - The 2011/12 player of the season continued in the same vein, with his set piece prowess only matched by an invaluable ability to time late runs into the box.

Magno Vieira - Started slowly in a central striking role, but scored regularly after Christmas and will be a key player next season, having had previous league experience.

Matt Bulman - Began the season as second choice, but an injury to Sam Russell gave him a spot he never relinquished. Returned an outstanding average match rating for a 'keeper.

Next season

I've decided to stick with the majority of my current squad next season, and give them a well-earned chance to impress at the next level. Survival obviously the goal but I think we can push for mid-table.

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2012/13 - Blue Square Premier - 1st (promoted as champions)

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Cheers guys. I've essentially kept the same squad so we'll see what happens.

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Pre-season 2013/14

Media prediction: 23rd

Title odds: 14/1

Board expectation: Avoid relegation

Captain: Eddie Oshodi

Vice-captain: Yan Klukowski

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After a large backroom overhaul and not a lot of transfer activity, we go into the new season with more new staff than new players. Which is fine by me, as I was more focused on getting most of my first team tied down with new contracts, with only Steve Brogan a regular first teamer to depart, after he had a little tantrum over £25 per week and cancelled contract talks.

The bookies seem to know the league better than the media, as historically teams that get promoted from the Conference generally compete quite well, while only two relegation spots means a good start can make all the difference.

Transfers

The only player signed to date has been a replacement for Brogan down the left, with Andy Rakotomanga joining on a free from Châteauroux. He looks a fine player and should do well at this level.

I have a forwarded my DoF a list of five or six free agents, and am hopeful of him organising trials for them all, in order to flesh out the squad a little bit.

Taylor and Raccine have both left on frees to Stalybridge and Kettering respectively, while disgrunted former captain Hodgkiss remains in the reserves after declining several moves.

Fixtures

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A good solid run out, with the win over Everton's reserves a particular highlight.

We open up with a trip to merseyside to take on L1 side Tranmere in the League Cup, before opening our league campaign at Crewe three days later.

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Aug - Sep 2013

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I'm happy to lose in the first round of the League Cup, simply because our squad is fairly compact and a competition we have no real chance of winning does not seem necessary, even if it might bring a bit more cash. Survival in the league is much more valuable, and we don't want to be playing catch-up in the second half of the season when fixturing can take its toll.

We also garner a little excitement at The New Lawn with the signing of Ghanaian stalwart Eric Addo; at 34 he is still good enough for this level, and represents a valuable addition with the ability to operate in defence or midfield. Niger international left-back Délis Ahou also joins on a free to provide an able back-up to Chris Stokes, and former Celtic youth 'keeper Leo Fasan signs on as a decent prospect.

Three games in and it looks like we should be aiming more towards the play-offs than safety. We are desperately unlucky to lose at Crewe , before convincing displays against Bradford and at Chesterfield turn a few heads. This proves to be a bit of a false dawn however, as four losses in our next six have us entrenched in the bottom half of the table, with the Plymouth and Torquay matches being particularly ugly.

We are faced with the very real prospect of four losses on the bounce as we travel to 9th placed Dag & Red, but their captain Abu Ogogo takes pity on us and gets himself sent off after four minutes. We duly take advantage and post a win which keeps us closer to the playoffs than relegation.

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Oct -Nov 2013

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My decision to not strengthen the squad significantly upon promotion is starting to backfire, as we are well and truly in a relegation scrap. 14 games over October and November were not the ideal tonic for a team struggling to find form, as we won only two of them to be just two points above the bottom two.

We started quite well, dispatching fellow promotees Ebbsfleet with a first half Vieira hat-trick, before harshly going out of the JPT on penalties. The Aldershot game was heartbreaking - after getting back from 0-2 to 2-2, they scored a wonder goal in stoppage time (think that Scholes volley at Villa a few years back) to sink us. A win against Burton and a point at league leaders Fleetwood ended the month well and kept us safely in mid-table.

Unfortunately, November was a horror month, as only picked up two points from six league games, while also going out of the FA Cup to a last minute Dag & Red strike. The Hartlepool game was particularly brutal, however we created enough chances in the Cheltenham and Northampton losses.

In transfer news, former Man United youngster Reece Brown signs on a free, and is a cut above our current defensive unit.

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Dec - Jan 2013/14

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A much better two months, as we finally turned our decent play into points on the board.

Starting December with a draw and a loss dropped us into 23rd, and one of the two relegation spots, but with the bottom half of the table so bunched, a few points could see us jump quite a few spots. Which is exactly what happened. Buoyed by the return of N'Siabamfumu from a torn hamstring, we won three of our last five fixtures of the year, including a blitzing of Bradford which saw academy product Powell grab his first career goal.

Interestingly enough, I was also approached by Luton, who were sitting 13th in the Conference. I can only assume they considered me a realistic candidate because their club reputation would still be higher.

January was another good month, as we picked up another nine points and only recorded a single loss, while Vieira scored 12 goals across the two months, and has nearly half of the squad's strikes this campaign.

In transfer news, Lewis Grabban joined on a three-month loan from Bournemouth, while Styche agreed a Bosman move to Shamrock Rovers.

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Feb - Mar 2014

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With only three league fixtures in February, I took the chance to send much of the squad on a week long break to re-charge batteries for the final run home, a decision that looked fairly shrewd as we continued our unbeaten run into the first half of March. Fleetwood was our first loss in unlucky 13, but we bounced back to comfortably dispatch Hartlepool.

Incredibly at this point we were only six points out of the play-offs, however a disappointing performance at Accrington means it will be tough to make up the ground now. But we have all but secured our league status, which means it is a successful season. A top half finish would be the icing.

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2013/14 - Forest Green Rovers - League Two

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Final table

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A season of consolidation ended up being fairly successful, as we obtained a comfortable mid-table position and proved we could match it with most teams in the division. Despite a brief slump around the halfway point, where we occupied a relegation spot, we went on an excellent unbeaten run in the second half of the season to ensure survival.

Cups

Nothing to see here. Despite having two new competitions to enter, we didn't make progress in any of the three cups we participated in.

Key players

Magno Vieira - Absolutely sensational all season, and grabbed a share of the league golden boot with 32 strikes, and a starting spot in the team of the season.

Eddie Oshodi - Our young captain was the side's most consistent defender all year, and should be a vital cog for many seasons yet.

Olivier N'Siabamfumu - We missed him through the middle part of the season with injury, but once back he was an integral part of our run to safety.

Next season

Ideally we'll at least consolidate another mid-table finish and perhaps finish in the top half, but our performances after Christmas make me believe that a play-off run is not completely out of the question. No point getting greedy though.

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2012/13 - Blue Square Premier - 1st (promoted as champions)

2013/14 - League Two - 13th

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Pre-season 2014/15

Media prediction: 18th

Title odds: 33/1

Board expectation: Mid-table

Captain: Eddie Oshodi

Vice-captain: Yan Klukowski

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A pretty tame off-season again, with the majority of changes happening in the staff ranks. Ugo Ehiogu decided he didn't fancy another season as my assistant, which meant Eric Marester of France took over, while the whole scouting department was overhaul. From a playing perspective, we go into the season with essentially the same squad again, save for Styche who joined Shamrock Rovers, while Addo and 'keeper Russell left after their contracts expired.

Transfers

The only arrival to date has been the return of central midfielder Jonathan Smith from York on a free, in a signing that delighted the fans. I'm still on the hunt for another striker but it's not a pressing need.

I also went all out for two promising youngsters, in Jim Smyth and William Kadzidlo, but despite re-jigging my finances and offering £170K and £140K respectively, I couldn't convince Cliftonville or Shrewsbury to part with their assets. Either transfer would have smashed the club record fee too, but both look to be fine prospects.

Fixtures

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A pretty tame schedule against local sides, and puts us in good form ahead of our League Cup season opener against Leyton Orient.

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Aug - Sep 2014

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A brutal stretch to kick off the season, as we played 14 games in the first two months. Any dreams of another mid-table finish were boosted by a blistering start, with five wins a row, including two League Cup wins. The performance at Carrow Rd was quite special, against a Norwich side flying high in the Premiership. Cowan got both goals that night, as he and Vieira were sensational early on.

Inevitably this brought about a downturn in form, with two quick losses following. Wins against Kidderminster and Dag & Red sandwiched a last minute equaliser at Northampton (a game we finished with nine men due to a sending off and injuries), but we again spluttered our way to the finish line. Against Cheltenham we conceded in the 90th, while Chesterfield's left-winger scored a hat-trick in the first ten minutes.

We sit 6th, but only a point off the third auto-promotion spot. However, we are also only three points ahead of 13th in a very congested early table. Right now only seven points separate 4th and 22nd.

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  • SI Staff

Excellent work, CandC! I have recently started a FGR game as my career game (I like to choose lowerish division clubs from not too far away - I'm based in Bristol), and have chosen a similar tactic to your own 433, though it's asymmetrical at present as there are too many good players in the squad to have to play Brogan (and Norwood is injured). I've put in Klukowski at AMC, Vieira AMR and Styche as target man. Got a draw v Cambridge, beat Telford and Gateshead away, and now just lost to Woking. Gotta sort out that home form!

William Kadzidlo is a newgen based on the son of our Reading researcher, I believe - hope he does well for you!

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Excellent work, CandC! I have recently started a FGR game as my career game (I like to choose lowerish division clubs from not too far away - I'm based in Bristol), and have chosen a similar tactic to your own 433, though it's asymmetrical at present as there are too many good players in the squad to have to play Brogan (and Norwood is injured). I've put in Klukowski at AMC, Vieira AMR and Styche as target man. Got a draw v Cambridge, beat Telford and Gateshead away, and now just lost to Woking. Gotta sort out that home form!

William Kadzidlo is a newgen based on the son of our Reading researcher, I believe - hope he does well for you!

Nice. I guess the only other playable non-league team in that region would be Gloucester, and no one wants to be them!

Klukowski is a good man to build your attack around. Am glad his stats now reflect his real life ability, as he used to be awful on the game. I get a lot more out of Norwood than his attributes would suggest too, however Vieira seems a little over-powered (he's always been very good in the game though).

I haven't actually managed to sign Kadzidlo - Shrewsbury rejected my best offer. He looks class though, I'll definitely follow his progress.

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