Rising from the ashes: A unique FM challenge

[Captain_al]

Intro

I love an FM challenge. Like a lot of you I grind away in the lower leagues and I tend to have long journeyman careers which take me round the globe. I usually only ever play official databases with no editors whats so ever. My games are usually long term so I hate little things that can surface in unofficial edits.

This year I was thinking international, I wanted the most impossible task. I tried Micronesia (who are playable with all players loaded in FM19) but it was largely pointless due to them not being a Fifa member you can't play anything officially other than a string of friendlies. Tuvalu the same.

I turned my attention to Cook Islands. A mammoth challenge for sure. They are already a Fifa member too. However in my search another nation quickly caught my attention...

MONTSERRAT


The FACTS:
Montserrat is a tiny island nation with a population of only around 5,000 (yes five thousand, you read that right) making this overseas territory one of the smallest Fifa members.

it is an island still rebuilding from a huge volcanic eruption 23 years ago that left vast swathes of its land uninhabitable and triggered a mass exodus. There is around 7,000 expats mostly in Britain. Which gives you a hypothetical pool of around 11,000 for the entire nation. (would fit inside most league one football grounds!)

From 2015 until this year (2018) Montserrat had played no games!

They once played a match dubbed "The Other World Cup" which was contested by Fifa's two lowest ranked nations at that point (Montserrat and Bhutan)... Bhutan ran out 4-0 winners! Leaving Montserrat with the unenviable title of worlds worst.

WHY THIS IS THE MOST UNIQUE/CRAZY FM UNDERTAKING YET

Here's the catch. With such a small national pool the Nation is unplayable in the game. By playing the game with Montserrat as my main focus I'm hoping to cultivate Montserrat regens and eventually have enough players and presence that they become manageable on the regular official database. I recall reading that there needed to be at least 150 players/officials from a nation in game for it to become active but I've been unable to verify this.

Without altering their importance in the game I suspect this may be impossible but the idea has been planted so there is no going back now. I debated posting this in "FM experiments" but ultimately it will be my career, so opted for this forum. I've no set plan if Montserrat ever become playable in game and if i ultimately fail I may adapt to promote some Montserrat players at a higher level or continue by some other means, i'll jump that if and when I come to that. I guess my goal is to see how much I can put Montserrat on the footballing map!

THE SET UP
Montserrat has strong links to both the U.K and Ireland. So I've loaded up all leagues from the home nations. (in a vain attempt at more possibility of regens cropping up)

I've a large database with most international players loaded. (Will make for a more realistic and challenging environment further down the line with more Caribbean and oceanic players loaded)

Key players and staff will be added. (again crossing my fingers for more chance of a montserratian being generated)

Finally, a first ever for me! I will be playing the role of a young passionate Montserratian coach who wants to make his name and put his nation on the map!
 

[Captain_al]

Ok so to wrap this up. I never intended at any stage to do overload on updates. Here is the how i got on after season 1.

Since I couldnt manage the international team the wuestion was who do i go?

Well Maidenhead fitted the bill. They halready had 2 of montserrats better players and played at a level where the montserrat guys would at least be usuable to different degrees.

In a sense they are almost the perfect team for this endeavor, youre only expected to battle relegation so if you stick to fielding a montserrat 11 and struggle its no worse than expected. Which was my plan putting nation before club, i figured getting relegated wouldnt be too bad a think as going down to the conference north/south leagues would get the montserratians a fair crack of it.

Anyway. I signed every montserrat player i could. With two exceptions (lyle taylor and alex dyer) the two best palyers who wouldnt come to me

I discovered at this point there is only 26 montserrat eligible players in game. I signed the rest of them. pretty good effort, some small fees and even loans were involved.

Here is where it all came unstuck, they are all pretty old. many 30+  so there want much to develop.

I played through the season and only 2 newgens appeared in the national team (zero in my own youth intake despite the high montserrat presence (managed to hire 1 montserrat coach, out of the measly three in the entire game!)

So, to conclude...

I wouldve played on but i felt my aging team would struggle in the lower division. without any youth to play on id be struggling to keep going while the puny intake of 2 newgens a year were populated.

Basically i decided to not waste anymore time on it. Not going to male excuses like save was lost or had an error it was plain and simple just a pointless slog.

now dont get me wrong i expected it to be a grind but had i been able to nurture a few younger players in the short term it may have given me impetuous to go on

I guess, mopping up the national intake every year in theory makes this challenge still possible but you'd have to play until about 2033 just to get to your starting block and for little reward.

So I hope anyone browsing at least found my idea semi interesting. i tried to think up something new but ultimately i bowed out!

As for any montserrat, they've not let a volcano stop them so im sure they'll continue with their football ambitions as well!