deltablue Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I imagine it will feel rather empty though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyosullivan Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Ground sharing with Man U? Sounds good to me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
b101 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 amazing progress psycho, and great to see that the 'we'll score one more than you' approach is alive and well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 amazing progress psycho, and great to see that the 'we'll score one more than you' approach is alive and well Thanks The goal scoring thing can get frustrating at times. I've torn out my hair a number of times when we've blown 2 or 3 goal leads. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Ground sharing with Man U? Sounds good to me Yes, hopefully it will bring in bigger crowds, and we'll get some cash in the bank. I imagine it will feel rather empty though We might get 10000 in the door. We'll spread them around to make it look busy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 2021-22 Ups & Downs League PREMIER DIVISION Winners: Everton. Champs Lg Q: Everton, Manchester City (Champs Lg winners), Chelsea (2nd), Manchester United (3rd), Blackburn (4th). Europa Lg Q: Southampton (Capital One Cup winners). Relegated: Bolton, Leicester, West Brom. NPOWER CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: Southampton. Promoted: Brighton, Wolves. Europa Lg Q: Charlton Athletic (FA Cup runners up). Relegated: Burnley, Preston, Mansfield Town. NPOWER LEAGUE 1 Winners: Plymouth Argyle. Promoted: STALYBRIDGE CELTIC, Exeter City. Relegated: Colchester, Tranmere, Cardiff, Nottingham Forest. NPOWER LEAGUE 2 Winners: Hereford United. Promoted: Shrewsbury, Hartlepool, Kidderminster. Relegated: Barnsley, Ebbsfleet United. BSB PREMIER Winners: Lincoln City. Promoted: Newport County. Relegated: Bury, Guiseley, AFC Wimbledon, Harrogate. BSB NORTH Winners: Chester. Promoted: Wrexham. Relegated: Oxford City, Marine, Barwell. BSB SOUTH Winners: Yeovil Town. Promoted: Wealdstone. Relegated: Dover, Basingstoke, Salisbury. PROMOTED FROM REGIONALS: Dorchester, Colwyn Bay, Tamworth, Sutton Utd, Bradford PA, Bishop's Stortford. Cups FA Cup: Everton 3-0 Charlton. Capital 1 Cup: Tottenham 0-0p Southampton. JPT: Notts County 1-1p Torquay United. FA Trophy: Gateshead 2-4 Lincoln City. European Champions League Juventus 1-2 Manchester City Europa League Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
b101 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Everton :O Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 WORLD CUP 2022 Hosts: Qatar. Group Stage Group A Q: Chile, Switzerland. Out: Mexico, Qatar. Group B Q: Italy, England. Out: Ivory Coast, Iran. Group C Q: France, Greece. Out: Australia, Morocco. Group D Q: Argentina, Senegal. Out: Portugal, Honduras. Group E Q: Holland, South Korea. Out: Croatia, Colombia. Group F Q: Germany, Nigeria. Out: Spain, China. Group G Q: Sweden, Ukraine. Out: Uruguay, Japan. Group H Q: Brazil, Norway. Out: South Africa, U.S.A. Second Round England e4-2 Chile. Switzerland 1-2 Italy. Senegal 1-3 France. Argentina 0-2 Greece. Holland 2-0 Nigeria. Germany p1-1 South Korea. Norway 0-0p Sweden. Brazil p1-1 Ukraine. Quarter Final England 2-0 Greece. Italy 0-1 France. Holland 2-2p Brazil. Germany 2-1 Sweden. Semi Final England p2-2 Germany France 1-0 Brazil Third Place Brazil 2-0 Germany THE FINAL England 1-4 FRANCE Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Stalybridge Celtic npower Championship 2022-2023 SEASON SUMMARY League Wow! What a heart-stopping first season ever at this level. By the end of it, my hair had turned from brown to grey to white. When we lost our first two league matches 4-1, I was thinking we had a long and miserable season ahead of us. We were 80-1 favourites for relegation this season, and I was beginning to see why. However our third game against Bristol City, which we won 4-2 gave us a bit of confidence. It didn't exactly kickstart our season, but we at least knew we had the quality to get some points on the board. Our form was hit and miss - mainly miss. At Christmas, we were stuck in the relegation zone, and the Chairman was making tearing gestures with my contract. We had a barren spell of 8 games without a win from the end of January to the start of march, and we were looking doomed. Then we had an incredible turnaround in fortune. A 4-1 victory over Exeter City seemed to bring our new Spanish striker Rufo to life, and we took 13 points from our next 5 games to give us a real chance of survival. Rufo had been scoring a lot already this season, but a woeful defence nearly always meant it was for nothing. However, he was amazing during the run in to the end of the campaign. Our last game of the season was a disappointing 4-0 defeat by Coventry. But our late burst was enough to see us safely out of what was a very tight relegation battle. Now I'm just dreaming of the money coming our way for the new season Cups FA Cup 3rd Rnd: Bournemouth 1-1 S.C. 3rd Rnd replay: S.C. 1-0 Bournemouth. 4th Rnd: West Brom 2-5 S.C. Capital One Cup 1st Rnd: S.C. 0-2 Kettering Town. Appalling. SQUAD NEWS A huge change in faces this season. 29 players left the club, although most were reserve players who I had to clear out to help our finances. There were 2 big departures though. Unfortunately, Liam Henderson signed for Hearts on a free, and goalkeeper Kevin Phelan moved to Exeter for £625K, some of which we reinvested into a keeper from Port Vale. I really had to strengthen the club this season, so I brought in 13 players. Fans were pleased to see the return of Sadik El-Fitouri, and old favourite who had left a couple of seasons ago. However, he wasn't too hot at this level. With my scouting range increased to the whole of Europe, I was able to find some really good bargains from Europe. The lower divisions of Spain and Italy were my targets. I signed 2 players from Italy (Terrani and Scarpelli), and a real cracker Rufo, from Spain. He was in sensational form - just a shame that the defence couldn't help make more of them count. Key Players Top Goalscorer: 57 - Rufo. A real hotshot. I just hope his scoring prowess carries on next season. He'd been released by Mirandés of Spanish Division B2, and we snapped him up on a free. Now valued at a cool £1.7M. Highest Avg Rating: 7.65 (42 apps) - Rufo. Most Assists: 18 - Andy Henderson. Signed on a free in 2020/21 after Bury released him. He's developed fantastically. Another fantastic acquisition, now valued at £2M. Next season I'll need to invest in stronger players. We were good up front, but as always our defence was just not good enough, and some of them will be leaving in the summer. Stalybridge Transfer Activity 2022-23. BOARD ROOM Myself and the Chairman got on like a house on fire this year. With 40% profits announced at the end of last season, and £3.22M in TV rights over the season, Phil Sonsara agreed to my requests to increase the wage budget to £33.42K p/w, and also my request to improve the club's youth facilities. Not content with expanding the stadium during the course of this season, the Board decided to add another 892 seats. Work which will take 3 months and cost £1.1M, and make Bower Fold a 7000 all-seater stadium. The year ends with prize money of £2.18M, and the promise of another £3.22M for next season's TV rights. The board finally gives me some decent pocket money as a result, and I'll have £1.4M to spend over the summer. Finally, I am offered a 2 year contract extension on £2000 p/w. As the club is financially secure, I sign it without negotiating a lower rate. JOB NEWS West Ham United approached me this season, offering a 3 year contract on £10.25K p/w. I took a while to come to a decision, and turned it down in the end. I'm having a great time at Stalybridge - although it very nearly turned a wee bit sour. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Great progress Psycho and an obscene amount of goals. I wish there was Championship football at Old Trafford without a groundshare. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 Great progress Psycho and an obscene amount of goals.I wish there was Championship football at Old Trafford without a groundshare. Cheers Nobby. I tried to persuade the chairman to buy Old Trafford, but he said he was a Man City fan... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Great entertaining survival season! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 Great entertaining survival season! Yes, fun to play. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyosullivan Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Crazy amount of goals scored Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 2022-2023 Ups & Downs League PREMIER DIVISION Winners: Manchester City. Champs Lg Q: Manchester City, Manchester United (2nd), Blackburn Rovers (3rd), Everton (4th). Europa Lg Q: Chelsea (5th), Derby County (FA Cup runners up), Liverpool (6th). Relegated: Fulham, Brighton, Southampton. NPOWER CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: West Brom. Promoted: Derby, Sheffield Wednesday. Relegated: Plymouth, Leicester, Blackpool. NPOWER LEAGUE 1 Winners: Crewe. Promoted: Notts County, Peterborough. Relegated: Hartlepool, Aldershot, Wigan Athletic, Sheffield United. NPOWER LEAGUE 2 Winners: Bradford City. Promoted: Leyton Orient, Cardiff City, Macclesfield Town. Relegated: Oldham, Scunthorpe. BSB PREMIER Winners: Forest Green Rovers. Promoted: Wycombe Wanderers. Relegated: Walsall, Accrington, MK Dons, Cheltenham. BSB NORTH Winners: AFC Fylde. Promoted: Hinckley. Relegated: Harrogate, Droylsden, Worksop. BSB SOUTH Winners: Hayes & Yeading United. Promoted: Crawley. Relegated: Braintree, Bishop's Stortford, Tonbridge Angels. PROMOTED FROM REGIONALS: Basingstoke, Farnborough, Dover, Kingstonian, North Ferriby, Cambridge City. Cups FA Cup: Derby County 1-3 Manchester City. Capital 1 Cup: Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United. JPT: Mansfield Town 4-1 Northampton Town. FA Trophy: Wrexham 0-2 Dartford. European Champions League Real Madrid 4-3 At. Madrid. Europa League Everton 2-0 Espanyol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 22, 2012 Author Share Posted December 22, 2012 Stalybridge Celtic npower Championship 2023-2024 SEASON SUMMARY League Much work was done over the summer break, and it certainly paid off. The new signings and backroom staff settled in well, and turned out some fairly good performances. Our defence is still as leaky as a colander, but we ensured we put enough points on the board to ensure our survival in the Championship. We got off to quite a shaky start though, losing our opener to Birmingham 2-0, but we beat Coventry city in the next match and I thought things would be ok. September and October were trying months, with mostly defeats and draws to our name. But November heralded the start of a resurgence, and we hit a very good patch and only lost 3 matches between December and March (most matches in that period we won). But nothing lasts forever. I had been dreaming of a playoff place, and was confident of getting one when we hit a slump in March. We only won 1 of our last 9 games. 2 draws and 6 defeats sent us tumbling down the table. Ah well - maybe next season... We had good crowds this year, mainly due to groundsharing at Old Trafford. Our own ground had been selling out a number of times last season. Cups FA Cup 3rd Rnd: Chelsea 5-1 S.C. The money was welcome in the bank, but wish we'd put up more of a fight. Capital One Cup 1st Rnd: S.C. 1-0 Northampton Town. 2nd Rnd: Millwall 1-3 S.C. 3rd Rnd: S.C. 0-3 Everton. SQUAD NEWS I was given a transfer budget of £1.6M to spend, and I did just that. My scouts had been hard at work finding me the best players in South Europe. Italians, Spaniards, and a Nigerian all arrived. I had no worries about them settling due to signing fellow countrymen, and already having Italian and Spanish players in my squad. Most of the lads I signed were under 21 - a bit odd perhaps, but I'm investing in the future of the club. It wasn't easy saying goodbye to old faces like Joe Cooper, Che Tanner and Michael Johnston-Schuster. Both had been with us since the days of the Blue Square North, and it was time for them to go. Early signs are promising. Although a couple of the less talented players may not last beyond the end of next season. Key Players Top Goalscorer: 27 - Simone Di Leo. One of our summer signings. Bought him from Serie C1/B club Foligno for £750K. At such a young age he's showing bags of talent, and finished the season worth £2.5M. Money well spent I think. Can't wait to see him next season. Highest Avg Rating: 7.78 (42 apps) - Simone Di Leo. Most Assists: 16 - Andy Henderson. So another sesaon in the Championship beckons. The Chairman had better give me a transfer budget because the team is weak in some areas this season, and I want them all plugged for next season's campaign. Stalybridge Transfers 2023/24. BOARD ROOM Noteworthy things were that the bank balance was back in the black for the first time in a long time, thanks to good attendances. The expansions to Bower Fold, and the upgrading of our Youth Facilities was completed, and our Youth Level increased to a Level 4 setup. As the season wound down, the board set initial budgets of £91K p/w wages and transfer money of £1.01M. Generous of them to give me the 0.01. New sponsorship deals were announced: - a 5 year kit sponsorship of £8k per annum. - a 3 year main kit sponsorship deal worth £95K per annum. - a 2 year sponsorship with a local company worth £28K per annum. The final act of the board, this season, is to announce a link with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Good progression, could have a promotion challenge next year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 2023-2024 Ups & Downs League PREMIER DIVISION Winners: Manchester City. Champs Lg Q: Man City, Blackburn Rovers (Champions Lg winners), Man Utd (2nd), Everton (3rd). Europa Lg Q: Chelsea (Europa Lg winners), Aston Villa (5th), Newcastle Utd (7th), Norwich City (8th). Relegated: Stoke City, West Brom, Sheffield Wednesday. NPOWER CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: Middlesbrough. Promoted: Fulham, Brighton. Relegated: Bristol City, Bolton Wanderers, Coventry City. NPOWER LEAGUE 1 Winners: Plymouth Argyle. Promoted: Leicester, Stockport County. Relegated: Millwall, Burton Albion, Gillingham, Leyton Orient. NPOWER LEAGUE 2 Winners: Bristol Rovers. Promoted: Stevenage, Eastleigh, Aldershot. Relegated; Wigan , Tranmere Rovers. BSB PREMIER Winners: Chester. Promoted: Oldham. Relegated: Hinckley, Hayes & Yeading, FC Halifax, Gateshead. BSB NORTH Winners: Guiseley. Promoted: Accrington Stanley. Relegated: Worcester, North Ferriby, Cambridge City. BSB SOUTH Winners: MK Dons. Promoted: Bath City. Relegated: Staines, Dovers, Dorchester. PROMOTED FROM REGIONALS: Braintree, Tonbridge, Droylsden, Marine, Histon, Truro. Cups FA Cup: Manchester City p1-1 Everton. Capital One Cup: Chelsea 0-2 Everton. JPT: Wycombe p0-0 Burnley. FA Trophy: Woking 1-2 Chelmsford. European Champions League Blackburn Rovers 4-2 Juventus. Europa League Chelsea e3-2 Everton. In Other News - Dundee Utd end Celtic's 12 year dominance of the SPL. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 Good progression, could have a promotion challenge next year. Yes, I think there could be. Will need to stop dropping points against the weaker teams in the division though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 EURO 2024 Hosts: Spain. Group Stage Group A Q: Switzerland, Wales, Ukraine. Out: Austria. Group B Q: France, Serbia, Romania. Out: Portugal. Group C Q: Sweden, Poland. Out: England, Ireland. Group D Q: Holland, Belgium. Out: Denmark, Scotland. Group E Q: Turkey, Bulgaria, Germany. Out: Spain. Group F Q: Czech Republic, Italy, Greece. Out: Croatia. Second Round Serbia 2-0 Switzerland. Turkey e3-2 Italy. Ukraine 1-3 France. Czech Republic 3-1 Romania. Bulgaria 2-2 Wales. Germany 2-0 Sweden. Greece 0-3 Holland. Belgium 1-0 Poland. Quarter Final Serbia 3-2 Turkey Czech Republic 1-3 France Germany 1-0 Wales Holland 1-2 Belgium Semi Final Serbia 1-0 Belgium France 2-1 Germany THE FINAL Serbia 1-2 FRANCE Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 The Kevin Keegan approach seems to be paying off! Di Leo looks the business Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 Stalybridge Celtic npower Championship 2024-2025 SEASON SUMMARY League Past Positions We've done it! A fabulous season, and the reward of top flight football awaits us! Our season got off to a stuttering start. Chesterfield beat us in our opener, and we then went into a pattern of WDWDWL in our next 6 fixtures. But then the team stepped up a gear, winning all of our matches in October, and continuing to do well. 12 games in, we found ourselves top of the pile, but it was short lived. We consolidated in 2nd position, but hit a bad spell in December which threatened to send us tumbling down the table. 25 games in, we had dropped to 5th. Following a team meeting, we found our form again, and stayed in the top 4 for the rest of the season. From there on in, it was a race to the finish between us, Southampton, West Brom, and Charlton. We were fortunate to have an easy run of games at the end of the season. Going into our final match, we were aware that West Brom could catch us. If we lost, and West Brom won then we would be pushed down to 3rd on goal difference. Stockport County were the team in the way of our glory. They needed a win to secure their Championship status, and gave us a real fright. At half time, they were 2-1 up on us. West Brom were playing Plymouth - surely a win for West Brom, we thought. We fought for an equaliser, and got one on 63 minutes. Our fans started to celebrate, as a draw would be enough to send us up. 27 minutes later, the referee blew for full time, and our fans at Edgeley Park went ballistic. West Brom drew 1-1 with Plymouth, but even if they had won it wouldn't have been enough. STALYBRIDGE CELTIC ARE A PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM!!! Cups FA Cup 3rd Rnd: Oxford Utd 1-3 S.C. 4th Rnd: S.C. 6-2 Plymouth Argyle. 5th Rnd: S.C. 6-4 Tottenham Hotspur. 6th Rnd: S.C. 1-2 Manchester City. A really good run in the cup. The win against Spurs was the real highlight. We opened the scoring on 5 minutes, and we went in 3-3 at the break. When Spurs scored on 61 minutes, I thought our luck was up, but our left winger netted twice, before captain Andy Henderson completed a fabulous win. Capital One Cup 1st Rnd: S.C. 1-2 Northampton Town Absolutely dreadful. Beaten by a League 2 team... SQUAD NEWS 7 players in, and 12 out this year. Noteable departures were Britt Assombalonga, Shaun Kerry, and Sadik El-Fitouri. Once again, I looked to Italy and Spain for new players. There were good pickings to be had, and we needed to bolster our defence. Signed Santi Santos (a 21 y.o. DR) on a free - he'd been released by Barcelona, and did very well. Leverkeusen also loaned us a couple of players, one AMR and an AML. But my find of the season had to be Somporn Jarat, a half-Belgian, half-Thai Striker/AM®. He did extremely well, and was our standout signing. The beauty of having delved into the Spanish market last year meant that my new Spaniards had few problems in settling into the squad. They did very well, and complimented their team mates well. However, I now have more foreigners on the side than Home Grown players. This could cause issues next season - we shall see. Key Players Top Goalscorer: 31 - Rufo. Slightly back on form this season, after a slightly disappointing tally of 25 last season. Turned 32 this season, so I'll see how he does next season and decide upon his future. Highest Avg Rating: 7.77 (44 apps) - Somporn Jarat Played out of his skin this season. Now worth £2.6M, but at 24 he's still developing, and I think the Premier Division will make or break him. Most Assists: 21 - Somporn Jarat. 2024-25 Stalybridge Transfers BOARD ROOM - As the season ends, the board tell me they are "pleased" with my performance this season - ungrateful gits. - Budgets were set for next season of £96K p/w for wages, and £2M transfer money. - Losses of £6.25M were announced for the last financial year, which was 71% of our turnover. However, most of this is attributed to the board announcing plans for a new stadium. - Yes, planning permission has been granted to build a new stadium. Construction will cost £22.5M and Bower Fold will be sold for £1.4M to offset this, and the board have secured a £20.88M bank loan to finance the stadium project. Additional funding for the project has been secures with a stadium sponsorship deal worth £2.32M. Our new ground will be ready in June 2027, boast undersoil heating, but sadly will only have a capacity of 16,853. And they've thought up of a very original name - Stalybridge Stadium. - Chairman Phis Sonsara offered me a new 4 year contract with wages of £5,500 p/w, which I signed. AWARDS npower Championship Manager of the Year: Me. npower Championship Young Player of the Year: Di Leo. npower Championship Player of the Year: Somporn Jarat. JOB NEWS Aberdeen tried to lure me away with a 3 year contract on £4.2K p/w, and a minimum expectation of avoiding relegation from the SPL. I didn't sign - so glad I made the right decision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 The Kevin Keegan approach seems to be paying off!Di Leo looks the business He was quite good in the latest season, but picked up a few injuries so I didn't get the best out of him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 You definitely simply walked into the Premier League Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyosullivan Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Nice job on the promotion, scary to see Wigan relegated to the BSP - maybe a potential future challenge? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Great work Psycho. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 You definitely simply walked into the Premier League Didn't expect it to happen so soon - I was preparing for at least 6 seasons in the Championship. Nice job on the promotion, scary to see Wigan relegated to the BSP - maybe a potential future challenge? Cheers. I'm not sure I'll drop down to help Wigan, but if I get bored at Stalybridge, you never know. Great work Psycho. Cheers Nobby. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 2024-2025 Ups & Downs LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Winners: Everton. Champs Lg Q: Everton, Manchester United (Champs Lg winners), Aston Villa (3rd), Manchester City (4th). Europa Lg Q: Blackburn Rovers (5th), Chelsea (6th), Arsenal (7th). Relegated: Sunderland, Brighton, Middlesbrough. NPOWER CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: Southampton. Promoted: STALYBRIDGE CELTIC, Q.P.R. Relegated: Peterborough, Ipswich, Leeds Utd. NPOWER LEAGUE 1 Winners: Hereford United. Promoted: Bristol Rovers, Coventry City. Relegated: Preston, Torquay, Doncaster Rovers, Southend. NPOWER LEAGUE 2 Winners: Hartlepool Utd. Promoted: Wycombe Wanderers, Kettering Town, Nottingham Forest. Relegated: Millwall , Forest Green Rovers. BSB PREMIER Winners: Alfreton. Promoted: Ebbsfleet Utd. Relegated: AFC Fylde, Brentford, Crawley, Wrexham. BSB NORTH Winners: FC Halifax. Promoted: Walsall. Relegated: Tamworth, Marine, Hednesford. BSB SOUTH Winners: Eastbourne Boro. Promoted: Kingstonian. Relegated: Farnborough, Basingstoke, Truro. Promoted From Regionals: Hitchin, Chorley, Staines, Worcester, AFC Hornchurch, Harrow. CUPS FA Cup: Manchester United 4-1 Manchester City. Capital One Cup: Manchester City 2-3 Blackburn Rovers. JPT: Rochdale 3-0 Hereford. FA Trophy: Scunthorpe 1-3 Cheltenham Town. European Champions League Manchester City 0-2 Manchester United (@ Wembley). Europa League Roma 0-3 A.C. Milan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 Stalybridge Celtic English Premier Division 2025-2026 SEASON SUMMARY League I knew this season would be a real struggle. I felt that the team was nowhere near ready to face the big guns of the Premier Division, and we fought against relegation all season. Our defending was, for the most part, awfully understrength and was breached far too easily at times. Most of the season was spent in the bottom 5, and there were real concerns that we would be going down. We nly picked up 10 points in our 16 games between February and the end of the season, and were give some real hammerings by Spurs, Man City, and Everton. Going into the final match of the season, we were staring relegation in the face. We lost 1-0 to Q.P.R., and our fate was in the hands of the result between Villa and Blackburn Rovers. When Villa took the lead, I thought it was all over for us - a shame as I was looking forward to substantial prize money. However, Blackburn turned it around in the second half, scoring late to win 2-1. We were saved. Villa were down instead. Cups FA Cup 3rd Rnd: S.C. 1-2 Liverpool. Capital One Cup 2nd Rnd: Nottingham Forest 2-3 S.C. 3rd Rnd: S.C. 4-1 Hereford United. 4th Rnd: Chelsea 6-0 S.C. SQUAD NEWS Much strengthening was needed this season. The team was capable of competing in the Championship, but the Premier Division was a different prospect. I tried to concentrate on the back line, which seemed very weak. I also needed to bring in some Home-Grown players, so scoured the talent on offer in England, but didn't find much that I could afford. With the ability to scout the entire world, I looked to South America, but it was almost impossible to have work permits granted for players - so I concentrated on Europe. Despite our promotion last season, the board hadn't given me much pocket money. Only £2M was available for transfers, which meant I relied mainly on free transfers. I did find a couple of gems though: Erik Fager joined us on a free, and replaced Darren Moore on the left wing. The former IFK Goteborg player had been looking for a club for a year before we snapped him up. Why no one else had offered him a contract is a mystery. Antonio Marcén, a former student at Sporting and Real Madrid, joined us on a free after Spanish Div B1 side Castilla released him. Showing a great deal of promise at 20, but sometimes let his lack of goals affect his confidence, otherwise I'm sure he could have scored more. Vichian Pue-on - started his football at OH Leuven in Belgium, before joining Manchester United - they released him at the end of last season, and we brought him on board. Sharp in midfield. This season, a number of well known faces left the club. Fan favourites Jamie Doris and Andrew McGrath were the most noteable of the 21 departures. Key Players Top Goalscorer: 22 - Antonio Marcén. Most Assists: 8 - Erik Fager. Highest Avg Rating: 7.24 (39 apps) - Antonio Marcén. BOARD ROOM - All 5670 season tickets were sold this season. - A sponsorship with a local company was announced, estimated to be worth £22K per year over 3 years. - Youth and training facilities upgrades took place twice this season. I found this strange as we are moving stadium at the end of next season, and it just seems like a waste of money. - Finishing 17th netted us £5.57M in prize money. Overall, our finances rocketed with a profit of £32M being announced. Turnover for the period was £73M, which enabled us to clear most of our outstanding debts. - The board set initial budgets for next season at £175K p/w wage money, and - at last - a £25.96M transfer budget. AWARDS Our 21 year old striker Di Leo claimed the European Golden Boy award, scoring 18 goals in 38 games, with an average rating of 7.42. Shortly afterwards, he broke a leg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Hopefully you can push on and away from trouble. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BazzRose Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Well done for staying up. Crazy seeing Villa go from qualifying for the Champions League to relegated the following season! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manutdfan1999 Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 what happend to millwall and wigan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Well done for staying up.Crazy seeing Villa go from qualifying for the Champions League to relegated the following season! Cheers. Don't know what went on with Villa this season. They just crashed and burned. what happend to millwall and wigan. No idea. Probably hired the wrong managers. Hopefully you can push on and away from trouble. That's what I'm hoping. The club finances are being boosted greatly, and hopefully I can take Stalybridge into Europe one season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 2025-2026 Ups & Downs League PREMIER DIVISION Winners: Blackburn Rovers. Champs Lg Q: Everton (Champs Lg winners), Blackburn, Manchester Utd (2nd), Manchester City (4th). Europa Lg Q: Tottenham Hotspur (FA Cup winners), Chelsea (5th), Arsenal (6th). Relegated: Aston Villa, Reading, Derby County. NPOWER CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: Middlesbrough. Promoted: Sunderland, Charlton Athletic. Relegated: Hull City, Notts County, Hereford United. NPOWER LEAGUE 1 Winners: Rochdale. Promoted: Bolton, Peterborough. Relegated: Hartlepool Utd, Bradford, Luton Town, Blackpool. NPOWER LEAGUE 2 Winners: Southend United. Promoted: Preston North End, Cambridge Utd, Torquay Utd. Relegated: Gillingham, Portsmouth BSB PREMIER Winners: Scunthorpe Utd. Promoted: Kingstonian. Relegated: Walsall, Guiseley, FC Halifax, Yeovil Town. BSB NORTH Winners: Matlock Town. Promoted: Gateshead. Relegated: Corby, Bradford PA, Ashton Utd. BSB SOUTH Winners: Cheltenham Town. Promoted: Woking. Relegated: Crawley, St Albans, AFC Hornchurch. Promoted From Regionals: Harrogate Town, Worksop, Basingstoke, Chesham, Canvey Island, Met Police. Cups FA Cup: Tottenham p2-2 Man City. Capital 1 Cup: Man Utd e3-2 Blackburn Rovers. JPT: Barrow 1-2 Peterborough. FA Trophy: Grimsby 0-1 MK Dons. European Champions League Everton 3-1 ACF Fiorentina. Europa League Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Chelsea. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 WORLD CUP 2026 Hosts: Mexico. Group Stage Group A Q: France, Uruguay. Out: Spain, Canada. Group B Q: Colombia, Germany. Out: Ghana, Iran. Group C Q: Holland, Egypt. Out: Bosnia & Herz., South Korea. Group D Q: Turkey, Portugal. Out: Nigeria, Honduras. Group E Q: Czech Republic, England. Out: USA, Brazil (Brazil crashed out on 0 points). Group F Q: Italy, Japan. Out: Peru, Ireland. Group G Q: Mexico, Australia. Out: Wales, Senegal. Group H Q: Argentina, South Africa. Out: Greece, Costa Rica. Second Round Germany 1-5 France Colombia 2-4 Uruguay Portugal e7-4 Holland Turkey 3-0 Egypt Japan 2-1 Czech Republic Italy 1-3 England South Africa 0-4 Mexico Argentina 2-0 Australia Quarter Final France 3-3p Turkey Uruguay 1-1p Portugal Japan 0-1 Argentina England 2-1 Mexico Semi Final Turkey 2-0 England Portugal 4-1 Argentina Third Place Argentina 1-2 England THE FINAL TURKEY p2-2 Portugal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Well done on (only just) surviving! Next season should be easier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Well done on (only just) surviving! Next season should be easier. Thanks. With the prize money for staying up this season, I think we'll have a good chance of getting in the players we need to help us improve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Stalybridge Celtic English Premier Division 2026-2027 SEASON SUMMARY League Still have one of the most shocking defences in the division, but we did slightly better this year - although at one point I really believed we'd be relegated. Luck just didn't seem to be on our side this season, and we found ourselves on the wrong end of some heavy defeats, including an 8-0 thrashing by Man Utd at Old Trafford. However, little pockets of good fortune in December and April aided our points tally, and we managed to climb out of the drop zone, and finish in 14th. Cups FA Cup 3rd Rnd: Birmingham City 0-1 S.C. 4th Rnd: Crewe 1-2 S.C. 5th Rnd: S.C. 3-3 Chelsea. 5th Rnd Replay: Chelsea 2-3 S.C. 6th Rnd: S.C. 0-0 Blackburn. 6th Rnd Rep: Blackburn 2-0 S.C. A nice little cup run, with a great and unexpected victory over Chelsea, who destroyed us 6-1 and 6-2 in the league this season. One day, I swear I'll win the thing. Capital One Cup 2nd Rnd: S.C. 3-2 Hull City. 3rd Rnd: S.C. 1-2 Q.P.R. SQUAD NEWS More strengthening again this season. The scouts had been working hard, and found me a few players to look at. I had £26M to spend, and ended up asking the board for more. Initially they weren't keen on the idea, but I told them how important it would be for the club, and they flung another £4M my way. I had to concentrate on defence, but I didn't exactly get it right. My scouts and Assistant Manager always seemed to have a difference of opinion about who was good and who wasn't - consequently, we got a couple of below par players in. Generally, I've been trying to bring in players who are in the 18-21 age range, so that I don't have to register them for the Premier League and risk running out of spaces for Home Grown players. This might backfire on me in a couple of seasons from now... My most noteable signings were: Maximiliano Garnier (Argentinian AM (L), ST) from River Plate for £4M. Frantisek Holomek (Czech GK) from Gladbach for £5M. Nicolas (Brazilian D © ) from Vit. Setúbal for £4.1M. Also snapped up a Slovakian AM ® - Martin Hanzel for £2M from Lech Poznan. He turned out to be a real bargain. Key Players Top Goalscorer: 13 - Antonio Marcén. All of my front men were hit with some kind of long term injury this season, and Marcén was out for a long time with a damaged achilles tendon. So we can let him off with his 13. Most Assists: 18 - Martin Hanzel. Tidy on the wing, and likes to blast the ball past the opposition keeper occasionally. Highest Avg Rating: 7.28 (33 apps) - Simone Di Leo. Only netted 10 goals this season, but was hampered by a recurring knee problem. Hopefully it's something that won't affect him long term. Stalybridge Transfer Activity 2026-27 BOARD ROOM - Youth and training facilities were upgraded. - The board decided that the players could go on a training camp this year, and we chose to go to USA. - Club turnover last year was around £84.32M, and shareholderd received dividends totalling £3.9M. - A new main kit sponsor was announced. A 4 year sponsorship deal estimated to be worth £190K per annum. - The board set initial budgets for the new season at £325K p/w for wages, and a transfer budget of £20.09M. JOB NEWS Arsenal approached me on 6.12.2026, offering me a 4 year contract with wages of £47K p/w and the minimim expectation of achieving a respectable league position. Everything at the club seemed good. The squad was impressive in terms of player value - but they were in 13th place. I delayed my decision for a week, and then ummed and ahhhed for another 2 hours. Finally, I decided that I had unfinished business at Stalybridge, and I said no thanks to Arsenal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 2026-2027 Ups & Downs League PREMIER DIVISION Winners: Chelsea. Champs Lg Q: Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers (2nd), Tottenham Hotspur (3rd), Manchester City (4th). Europa Lg Q: Everton (5th), Manchester United (6th). Relegated: Sunderland, Charlton, Middlesbrough. NPOWER CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: Reading. Promoted: Exeter City, Aston Villa. Europa Lg Q: Crystal Palace (FA Cup runners up). Relegated: Peterborough Utd, Coventry City, Bristol Rovers. NPOWER LEAGUE 1 Winners: Cambridge United. Promoted: Shrewsbury Town, Hull City. Relegated: Kettering, Mansfield, Kidderminster H, Notts County. NPOWER LEAGUE 2 Winners: Colchester United. Promoted: Hartlepool, Chester, Doncaster Rovers. Relegated: Port Vale, York City. BSB PREMIER Winners: Tranmere Rovers. Promoted: Millwall. Relegated: MK Dons, Dartford, Matlock, Barnet. BSB NORTH Winners: Guiseley. Promoted: FC Halifax. Relegated: Droylsden, Colwyn Bay, Worksop. BSB SOUTH Winners: Hayes & Yeading United. Promoted: Welling United. Relegated: Canvey Island, Basingstoke, Braintree. Promoted from Regionals: Hednesford, Hastings Utd, Bashley, North Ferriby, Wingate & Finchley, Margate. Cups FA Cup: Crystal Palace 0-1 Blackburn Rovers. Capital One Cup: Everton 2-3 Chelsea. JPT: Burnley 0-2 Cambridge United. FA Trophy: Chelmsford 0-1e Millwall. European Champions League FC Porto 3-0 FC Bayern Munich Europa League AS Monaco 2-0 Chelsea Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BazzRose Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Exeter are in the Prem!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 Exeter are in the Prem!! Yes, I was surprised by that too. They seemed to come out of nowhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Yay for Exeter! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 Stalybridge Celtic English Premier Division 2027-2028 SEASON SUMMARY League A great season. We took 4 or 5 games to get going, but once we did we held our own, and joined the breakaway pack of the top 6. At times, it looked as though 6th would be our finishing spot, but the team played some exceptional football, and beat some of the sides we had lost to in our last 2 seasons. We had a nervy run in to the end of season. and looked like snatching a Champions League spot with 3 matches to go, but sadly it wasn't to be. Fixtures against Liverpool and Spurs proved to be our undoing, and a 2-2 with Fulham on the final day was just enough to keep us ahead of Manchester United. 5th place, an extremely good season, and a place in the Europa League next season (with our 5th place sending us straight to the group stage). Cups FA Cup 3rd Rnd: Newcastle 1-1 S.C. 3rd Rnd Rep: S.C. 3-1 Newcastle. 4th Rnd: Wolves 1-1 S.C. 4th Rnd Rep: S.C. 1-2 Wolves. Capital One Cup 2nd Rnd: Bolton 1-0 S.C. SQUAD NEWS Concentrated on my back 4 again, and brought in 5 defenders and 1 striker. I think the signings made all the difference this season - with one in particular Walid Amrani really shoring up the back line. He signed from Atromitos for £4M, and was deemed runner up in the Premier Division Signing of the Season. The Signing of the Season was one of ours also - Baggio, a Brazilian striker who came to us from Bahia for £3.3M. Team morale was high throughout the season, and the players all worked together well. Some of the performances on the pitch were magical, and although we had a number of injuries, we had the depth to see us through. My only worry for next season is when the boys are over 21 and have to be registered for the Premier League. Hopefully a couple of them will get Home Grown status before then. Key Players Top Goalscorer: 23 - Baggio. Highest Avg Rating: 7.79 (42 apps) - Walid Amrani. Most Assists: 17 - Martin Hanzel. Next year, I'll just continue to strengthen the squad. I may have to look at the back line again - Amrani's form this season had attracted the attention of a lot of Europes big guns, and I'm not sure I'll be able to persuade him to stay... Stalybridge Celtic Transfers 2027-28 BOARD ROOM - At the start of the season, the club arrived at it's new home - Stalybridge Stadium. After a few sellout games, I persuaded the board that we should expand the ground. They agreed and said that work would begin at the end of the season. The initial plan was to increase the capacity to 18438 from 17000. However, at the end of the season the board announced plans to enlarge the stadium by 8426 seats, at a cost of £10.25M. The work will take 10 months to complete, and in the meantime we have to groundshare the DW Stadium with Wigan (Premiership football at a Blue Sq Premier ground!). - Training facilities were upgraded twice during the season. - Shareholders were paid out £3.5M in dividends. The club turned over around £112M this season. - Two new sponsorship deals were announced: - A new 2 year deal worth £85K per annum. - A new sponsorship with a local company worth £35K over 2 years. - Initial budgets for the new season are set at £450K p/w for wages, and a transfer budget of £28.95M. - Chairman Phil Sonsara offered me a new 4 year contract on £32K p/w, which I signed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BazzRose Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Congratulations on getting into Europe, here's hoping that you can push even further next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrix Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Im really enjoying this thread mate. Its a great read! Keep going! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Superb progress and into Europe! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
b101 Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Great work in the league. One question - why do Stalybridge and Arsenal have the little yellow square above their names in the league table? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 It's to do with having notes on them I think. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 Great work in the league. One question - why do Stalybridge and Arsenal have the little yellow square above their names in the league table? Cheers. It's to do with having notes on them I think. Yup. It appears when you save a note about a team to your Manager Notebook. You can click on the little yellow square next to the team name, and it applies a filter on your Notebook which only shows notes related to that team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 Congratulations on getting into Europe, here's hoping that you can push even further next season. Im really enjoying this thread mate.Its a great read! Keep going! Wow. Were you ever expecting to experience so much success so quickly? I often predict failure and still fail to meet my aims! Superb progress and into Europe! Cheers folks. Soon be coming up for 20 years with Stalybridge, hope I don't get sacked before then. I'd expected to get the club up to League 1 and then struggle, but I found the right formula, and made the right signings to see us up to the top. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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