GreyedOutMan Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 (edited) Hi all. It's been a while. After an unsuccessful foray into doing this on YouTube, the current situation in the country has prodded me into producing some new content on here to follow my latest venture to stop me going mad as well as, hopefully, to garner some extra advice on my management in FM. It's with my local club: ***PRESS RELEASE*** GreyedOutMan takes over as the manager of local club Kensington Dragons. The club have no players, but GOM has been appointed to swiftly rectify this situation. Despite the intense media speculation, Curtis Yuill will not be selling the club and no immediate prospect of a takeover exists. Going forward, updates will be given on a minimum of a yearly basis starting with an end of year update in May 2020, although as things develop, more regular updates may be provided. Press enquiries below, please. ***PRESS RELEASE ENDS*** Edited March 19, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 2019/20 Season Review As an Arsenal fan, it gives me great pleasure to report an UNBEATEN SEASON! It's been a very good start to life at the Linford Christie Stadium. 46 goals from Luke Hirst was a particular highlight: Although Teddy Bloor, who left in March when the title was more or less tied up, was arguably even more impressive this year with a ridiculous number of assists. And though my squad was depleted towards the end of the season, I thought you might like to see how the rest of the squad performed: And with Luke Hirst named as player of the year, this was the rest of the team of the year: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andychar Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 I was low key hoping for a Harchester United save Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Beckham Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 1 minute ago, andychar said: I was low key hoping for a Harchester United save Oh god yeah, I would love someone to do a Harchester United save. I wish Sky One would repeat Dream Team, I can't find it anywhere, not even online. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) 4 minutes ago, andychar said: I was low key hoping for a Harchester United save Might've been why I went for this name But in my defence, that was Dragon's DEN. I did do one years ago on about FM2006! I hope you'll stick with the Dragons anyway despite the lack of Karl Fletcher and Billy O'Neill?! Edited March 20, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Beckham Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Just now, GreyedOutMan said: Might've been why I went for this name I did do one years ago on about FM2006! I hope you'll stick with the Dragons anyway despite the lack of Karl Fletcher and Billy O'Neill?! You never know you might get a Karl Fletcher through your youth intake or you could just start renaming the players to Harchester players lol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 Just now, Ronaldo Beckham said: You never know you might get a Karl Fletcher through your youth intake or you could just start renaming the players to Harchester players lol. Fair shout. Might do a few if there are some that are obviously close to players from the series. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Beckham Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 1 minute ago, GreyedOutMan said: Fair shout. Might do a few if there are some that are obviously close to players from the series. You don't have to mate, I was just messing about with you. Good luck on your save, it will be good to see how you get on and how far you get up the leagues. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 1 minute ago, Ronaldo Beckham said: You don't have to mate, I was just messing about with you. Good luck on your save, it will be good to see how you get on and how far you get up the leagues. Given that I probably won't be able to leave the house much over the next few months, I intend to make the Dragons European Champions! ;-) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 8 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said: Oh god yeah, I would love someone to do a Harchester United save. I wish Sky One would repeat Dream Team, I can't find it anywhere, not even online. I have found them online in the past. Will have a look and see if I can point you in the right direction. Fair warning: they're not as good as you remember (assuming you were a kid when it was on?). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Beckham Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) 4 minutes ago, GreyedOutMan said: I have found them online in the past. Will have a look and see if I can point you in the right direction. Fair warning: they're not as good as you remember (assuming you were a kid when it was on?). Don't post them in here mate as you might get banned due to them going mad about anything to do with piracy in here, feel free to inbox me if you don't mind. I knew Dream Team was rubbish when I was a kid but still loved it. Edited March 20, 2020 by Ronaldo Beckham Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 7 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said: Don't post them in here mate as you might get banned due to them going mad about anything to do with piracy in here, feel free to inbox me if you don't mind. I knew Dream Team was rubbish when I was a kid but still loved it. Oh the ones I found were official, I think. This is part of the reason why I'm reluctant to do any renaming, especially while we're down in these leagues. I knew it was inevitable but it's still hard. 46 goals gone! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Beckham Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Ok as long as they are official then you should be fine. I just know what the mods/admins are like in here lol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andychar Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 25 minutes ago, GreyedOutMan said: Might've been why I went for this name But in my defence, that was Dragon's DEN. I did do one years ago on about FM2006! I hope you'll stick with the Dragons anyway despite the lack of Karl Fletcher and Billy O'Neill?! I could have sworn it was Dragon's Lair. Oh well not to worry I will be following either way! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 24 minutes ago, andychar said: I could have sworn it was Dragon's Lair. Oh well not to worry I will be following either way! I really want a player called Arthur to come through at some point. I can rename him ... Arthur KenDragon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) Start of Season Two Update Despite the unbeaten title win, I ended up losing most of my best players over the summer so it was an effective restart for the squad. With that in mind I thought I'd give you an update on my squad. This is the team as it stands, with profiles for the first XI below. A couple of positions (especially on the left wing) are still a bit open to change if I can find the right personnel: GK - Alex CullDR - Karl ByrneDCR - Malachi BoatengDCL - Jashaun Chamberlain-GayleDL - Ryan MacleanMR - James ClarkMCR - Teddy BakerMCL - David BoatengML - Josh ChamberlainSTCR (poacher) - Kareem IsiakaSTCL (pressing) - Ryan Seager Edited March 20, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maw74 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, andychar said: I was low key hoping for a Harchester United save Me too. 10 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said: Oh god yeah, I would love someone to do a Harchester United save. I wish Sky One would repeat Dream Team, I can't find it anywhere, not even online. I might be up for doing one, a bit bored with my games at the moment, looking for something to get into. 10 hours ago, GreyedOutMan said: Might've been why I went for this name But in my defence, that was Dragon's DEN. I did do one years ago on about FM2006! I hope you'll stick with the Dragons anyway despite the lack of Karl Fletcher and Billy O'Neill?! Harchester's ground was called Dragon's Lair, Dragon's Den is a different programme with Duncan Bannnatyne, and Peter Jones etc. 10 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said: Don't post them in here mate as you might get banned due to them going mad about anything to do with piracy in here, feel free to inbox me if you don't mind. I knew Dream Team was rubbish when I was a kid but still loved it. Yeah me too, it was ridiculous but loved because it was based around a football club, a shame they went the soap opera route with the story lines. Anyway will follow your Dragons @GreyedOutMan Edited March 20, 2020 by Maw74 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 It's a few games into the second season, and I've finally lost a league game for the first time in the save! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 (edited) 2020/21 Season Review At the end of last season, almost everyone left. It continued to happen throughout the season and many of the best players of the season actually left before the end. I'm sure the player turnover rate will continue to be huge. But still, I managed to win the league with plenty of time to spare this year, securing promotion on March 13th. I also managed to win my first cup, which was useful for the finances. The final was a special performance, too... 46 goals from Luke Hirst last year was going to be hard to replace, but Kareem Isiaka got close, passing 40 goals with his first-half hat-trick in the cup final, and has signed a contract for a further year, too. And Luke Fairlamb played a massive part with his assist haul, too. Again, some of my best players did leave before the end of the season, but this was the state of the squad at the end of it: And with Isiaka named as player of the year, this was the rest of the team of the year, and the overall one which saw a huge 11 new inductees: SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE DRAGONS: Season League Position Points Notes Total Trophies (Major) 2019/20 Middlesex County League Premier 1st 92 INVINCIBLE 1 (0) 2020/21 Spartan South Midlands Division 1 1st 102 Consecutive promotions, South Midlands League Cup Winners 3 (0) Edited March 23, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 (edited) So...some news. A bit annoying really. We've had a takeover, which was long rumoured. But it was barely worth it: Edited March 23, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maw74 Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Linford Christie Athletics Stadium Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 Just now, Maw74 said: Linford Christie Athletics Stadium It's just down the road from me. Backs onto what I think must be the weirdest road in the country - a road with 3 schools, 2 hospitals and a major prison. And it's not even that long a road! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maw74 Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 1 minute ago, GreyedOutMan said: It's just down the road from me. Backs onto what I think must be the weirdest road in the country - a road with 3 schools, 2 hospitals and a major prison. And it's not even that long a road! Just needs a pub or 2 lol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Maw74 said: Just needs a pub or 2 lol Fun fact - although the LCAS is their official home ground, because they are about the 6th most important team there - the biggest being the athletics one, followed by one of the top hockey clubs in the country - they actually play their home matches at Kensington Memorial Park...where I played football at Primary School. Very badly. Edited March 23, 2020 by GreyedOutMan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 I've been made massively odds-on favourites for promotion again this year. Third straight year. Any idea why? Not like I've had a tycoon takeover - surely a newly promoted side would be expected to struggle? I know it's easier for human managers in FM at lower levels, but surely the game doesn't know that? Or is it just recognising how good a manager I am (for that level)? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 (edited) Start of Season Three Update Though I've kept a few more players this time, I thought a new season update on the squad would still be worthwhile. Weirdly, I've been moved to the ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE!! Very odd since I'm definitely not in Essex! This is the team as it stands, with profiles for the first XI below. Still a few players I'd probably like to upgrade, and the squad is seriously lacking in depth, so this should evolve a bit. GK - Joshua OluwayemiDR - Jazzi Barnum-BobbDCR - Mark McGuinnessDCL - Joe McNerneyDL - Chris CamwellMR - Will GouldMCR - Jack SpongMCL - Gavin BarsbyML - Callum RoweSTCR (poacher) - Kareem IsiakaSTCL (target) - Andrew Williams Edited March 23, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 (edited) Probably the most painful defeat I can remember on FM. D&R are in the Vanarama National :-( My keeper was massively at fault for the second goal, too. Edited March 25, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 27, 2020 Author Share Posted March 27, 2020 2021/22 Season Review With a lot of the same players as last year, I did think that progress might slow a bit this year, although I was sure I'd be close to promotion. As it turned out, it was an even more impressive season than last one, and I got promoted with a massive 17 point gap to second place: I did get to another cup final as well; this time I thought you'd enjoy watching it, so here's a link to it. I'll do this for some in future, although if people are interested, I might consider some live streaming on Twitch, too. Kareem Isiaka didn't quite manage to match his feats from last year, but he was still very impressive: no spoilers for the cup final, but he was on 36 goals for the season after the last league game. See the screenshot below for his final total! And though Sam Baldock did well with 18 goals at the second highest average rating after Isiaka, it was Dashane Dalling who was my star of the season after Isiaka. This year, only a few players didn't make it to the end of the season with us, so this screen is a bit more representative than it has been, although I did lose ex-Arsenal man Mark McGuinness within weeks of the start of the season, seeing him actually leave for Linfield in January. Joe McNerney stepped up for a while but even he left in March! And with Isiaka named as player of the year once again, this was the rest of the team of the year, and the overall one which saw a huge 11 new inductees: A bit of sad news. I am playing with this team because they're my closest playable team apart from QPR. That will no longer be true, with the team now moving to Copthall Stadium. Cray Valley Paper Mills have been playing there in FM, but IRL it seems it is home to Saracens Rugby Club. Hopefully this will lead to growing attendances before we are ready to move to our own stadium soon. SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE DRAGONS: Season League Position Points Notes Total Trophies (Major) 2019/20 Middlesex County League Premier 1st 92 INVINCIBLE 1 (0) 2020/21 Spartan South Midlands Division 1 1st 102 Consecutive promotions, South Midlands League Cup Winners 3 (0) 2021/22 Essex Senior League 1st 91 3 consecutive promotions, Essex Senior League Cup Winners 5 (0) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 28, 2020 Author Share Posted March 28, 2020 "GreyedOutMan - do you think players like Isiaka, Fairlamb, Grubb and even Bloor who has only played for you at level 11 be ready for level 8?" "I don't know, let's find out" ... "Yes, yes I think they'll be fine!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 (edited) 2022/23 Season Review OK, so that 7-0 win was against a team that was relegated on April 1st. It wasn't all that easy. But I did secure a fourth successive league title, and automatic promotion, the day after CCs went down in the first league featuring a couple of teams I have managed before (Harrow in about 2012, Tooting and Mitcham a few times....). The final table looked like this: There was no significant cup run to boost the coffers this season, though, and my finances are in the worst state they have been in since I started: Isiaka didn't exactly fail this year (he still managed 18 goals), but I needed an upgrade and got it in Adam Liddle: And this time it was Dayle Grubb, a player I've never been entirely sure is a first-team player, who really stepped up: This was probably the toughest season yet and this is reflected in my players' stats: far fewer oustanding average ratings here: With Grubb named as player of the year, this was the team of the year and the overall XI, which saw a fair few inductees despite a drop off in our dominance at this level: SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE DRAGONS: Season League Position Points Notes Total Trophies (Major) 2019/20 Middlesex County League Premier 1st 92 INVINCIBLE 1 (0) 2020/21 Spartan South Midlands Division 1 1st 102 Consecutive promotions, South Midlands League Cup Winners 3 (0) 2021/22 Essex Senior League 1st 91 3 consecutive promotions, Essex Senior League Cup Winners 5 (0) 2022/23 Isthmian League Div 1 S-Central 1st 85 Moved to Copthall Stadium (shared), 4 consective promotions 6 (0) Edited March 31, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 3, 2020 Author Share Posted April 3, 2020 (edited) 2023/24 Season Review Despite being unbeaten until the end of September, an abysmal run of just two points (and a cup exit) in 7 league games in November and the start of December saw us battling for promotion properly for the first time ever. We ended up a full 11 points off the top spot, and it was regular penalty taker Erhun Oztumer whose missed penalty in the playoff semi-final saw us fail to gain promotion for the first time in the save: Adam Liddle was poached by League 2 Burton Albion, so I went into the season with Isiaka as my first choice, but Ollie Palmer came in soon after and did well: Youngster Brian Rees, signed from Brighton, was probably my biggest pleasant surprise this season: Clearly, the step up finally did find my squad lacking, and there's some obvious dead wood to get rid of here: With Grubb named as player of the year for the second year running, this was the team of the year and the overall XI, which saw three inductees in Rees, Liddle and Frank Fielding, which was a surprise as I felt he was a bit of a weak link: SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE DRAGONS: Season League Position Points Notes Total Trophies (Major) 2019/20 Middlesex County League Premier 1st 92 INVINCIBLE 1 (0) 2020/21 Spartan South Midlands Division 1 1st 102 Consecutive promotions, South Midlands League Cup Winners 3 (0) 2021/22 Essex Senior League 1st 91 3 consecutive promotions, Essex Senior League Cup Winners 5 (0) 2022/23 Isthmian League Div 1 S-Central 1st 85 Moved to Copthall Stadium (shared), 4 consective promotions 6 (0) 2023/24 Southern Premier League South 5th 77 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) Edited April 3, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 6, 2020 Author Share Posted April 6, 2020 Can we all just admire the hauntingly beautiful irony of my latest signing? (Just squad depth, not going to be relying on either of them, unlike the country! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 6, 2020 Author Share Posted April 6, 2020 2024/25 Season Review I think this season was my first properly disappointing one. I should have been promoted quite easily. My board are pretty annoyed with me. But a really poor February and March saw us having to be happy with just a playoff place: I was planning to record a video of the Playoff Final but unfortunately the semi-final didn't quite go to plan... The Obita penalty felt costly at the time and so it proved. The big problem this year, though, was my lack of a reliable striker. Isiaka had to play the role of main striker, and didn't really do enough to make us proper promotion contenders: He may be ageing - 34 at the start of next season - but Dayle Grubb is still my best player: And sadly my squad wasn't really improved as much as it needed to be this year. I'm looking at some younger players now, because quite a lot of the players I have relied on are in their 30s now. I did lose a couple of centre-backs and my goalkeeper in January which didn't help. Grubb was player of the season yet again, and this was the team of the year and the overall XI, which saw three inductees in Raggett, Palmer and Dackers: SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE DRAGONS: Season League Position Points Notes Total Trophies (Major) 2019/20 Middlesex County League Premier 1st 92 INVINCIBLE 1 (0) 2020/21 Spartan South Midlands Division 1 1st 102 Consecutive promotions, South Midlands League Cup Winners 3 (0) 2021/22 Essex Senior League 1st 91 3 consecutive promotions, Essex Senior League Cup Winners 5 (0) 2022/23 Isthmian League Div 1 S-Central 1st 85 Moved to Copthall Stadium (shared), 4 consective promotions 6 (0) 2023/24 Southern Premier League South 5th 77 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2024/25 Southern Premier League South 3rd 83 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 6, 2020 Author Share Posted April 6, 2020 There's been a serious overhaul at KDs. But there will be a familiar face up front this season...albeit with a new name! Spooky eh? I'll be back with a run down of my first squad of the season shortly! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 6, 2020 Author Share Posted April 6, 2020 2025/6 Squad Update I didn't do this last year but this year there's been a bit of an overhaul, so the return of my SQUAD UPDATE! This is the first match-day squad of the season - which I currently believe to be the best available - with profiles below for the first XI. Note the slightly altered formation to accommodate Lawless, who I signed at the back end of last year: GK - Joe Rose DR - Dylan Thisleton DCR - Sean Raggett DCL - Brian Rees DL - Ian Jackson MR - Mason Roper MCR - Jack Sowerby MCL - Marcus Dackers ML - Tommy Fitzpatrick AMCR (SS) - Conor Lawless ST - Ellis Harrison I wasn't expecting to end up leaving my best player of last season out (Grubb), but I hope you'll agree that Roper looks a quality addition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 2025/26 Season Review After my first disappointing season comes the first one where I actually went backwards, gaining fewer points than the previous season within the same league for the first time ever. A dreadful January comprising five defeats, two draws and just one win ended my chances of automatic promotion, and despite a good run of three successive wins in April to ensure a playoff place, as you'll see below, the Playoffs once again did not go as planned... It never really felt like my day. Last year Isiaka was the main issue, just not quite living up to the standard required in the league we are in. His replacement was by a mile the standout player this season: Although given his age and value, I may look to cash in on him and solve my increasingly huge debt issues. But at 34 years old, I need to think about the future, and he is not in it! Conor Lawless and Brian Rees, however, are: But I had real problems with my squad this year. I never really found a proper keeper despite losing my original first choice half way through, and a lot of players my staff were impressed by massively underperformed (Williams, Roper and Glasgow in particular). With Grubb on the wane at 34 (35 at the start of next season), it was time for a new player of the season. And it was no contest: Harrison by a million miles. The rest of the best XI is below, along with my overall XI with four new inductees in Sowerby, Lawless, Fitzpatrick and Joe Rose, who I lost half way through the season despite never being at all impressed by him! Isiaka is now my leading appearance maker by some distance as well as the top goalscorer in our history by a country mile. With Grubb looking almost certain to leave, I doubt anyone will be challenging either record for some time. SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE DRAGONS: Season League Position Points Notes Total Trophies (Major) 2019/20 Middlesex County League Premier 1st 92 INVINCIBLE 1 (0) 2020/21 Spartan South Midlands Division 1 1st 102 Consecutive promotions, South Midlands League Cup Winners 3 (0) 2021/22 Essex Senior League 1st 91 3 consecutive promotions, Essex Senior League Cup Winners 5 (0) 2022/23 Isthmian League Div 1 S-Central 1st 85 Moved to Copthall Stadium (shared), 4 consective promotions 6 (0) 2023/24 Southern Premier League South 5th 77 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2024/25 Southern Premier League South 3rd 83 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2025/26 Southern Premier League South 5th 75 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 9, 2020 Author Share Posted April 9, 2020 (edited) 2026/7 Squad Update The financial constraints of my huge debt limited my options this summer: I really wanted Andre Dozzell who was happy to join us but the board kept blocking it due to wage budget limits! I did manage to fill two key positions that were problematic last year in the goalkeeper and right back positions, but there are still a few players I would like to upgrade (right wing and box-to-box midfield in particular, although I'm also keen to get a new striker and centre-back to replace Raggett and Harrison who are both well into their 30s now). This is my current first choice although there are some players who I may end up using more (Humphries, Westbrooke and Thompson-Brissett in particular). GK - Harry Lewis DR - Liam Shephard DCR - Sean Raggett DCL - Brian Rees DL - Ian Jackson MR - Mason Roper MCR - Jack Sowerby MCL - Marcus Dackers ML - Tommy Fitzpatrick AMCR (SS) - Conor Lawless ST - Ellis Harrison Isiaka and Grubb are both still around and will play their parts, but mainly from the bench. Edited April 9, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 (edited) 2026/27 Season Review This was a season defined by finances, really. I had to try to be clever in my purchases; some worked out and some didn't. But I also needed to sell. It didn't help that at one point I got two players' names confused and ended up selling Conor Lawless for just £35k by mistake! He has since been released by Preston but I don't have the finances to resign him. In the league, three sets of four games without a win cost us dearly, and a final day defeat at Chesham saw us miss out on our highest ever finish in the league although in terms of points, we were way off our best, in fact it was our lowest ever points tally as well as the fewest goals we have scored. The playoffs beckoned for the fourth year running. Could I change the record this year? The semi-final was tight in the first half, and then Harrison decided he would sort it for us! Then it was time for the final. My first playoff final ever! Rather than a screenshot, take a look at the full highlights package! A wonderful day in our history after four years of trying to get out of this league. And for Dayle Grubb to get the winner in what will almost certainly be his last game for the club was genuinely magical! For posterity, his career history: But he was not by any means the standout player THIS season. Brian Rees goes from strength to strength: Financial issues do really limit me though, and I struggled through this season with a squad that was often pushed to its limits, with the knowledge that the best of them would almost certainly be leaving at the end of the season. I was hoping that Rees would finally win player of the season and I was not disappointed. The rest of the best XI is below, along with my overall XI with 3 new inductees in Harrison, Jackson and Roper. SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE DRAGONS: Season League Position Points Notes Total Trophies (Major) 2019/20 Middlesex County League Premier 1st 92 INVINCIBLE 1 (0) 2020/21 Spartan South Midlands Division 1 1st 102 Consecutive promotions, South Midlands League Cup Winners 3 (0) 2021/22 Essex Senior League 1st 91 3 consecutive promotions, Essex Senior League Cup Winners 5 (0) 2022/23 Isthmian League Div 1 S-Central 1st 85 Moved to Copthall Stadium (shared), 4 consective promotions 6 (0) 2023/24 Southern Premier League South 5th 77 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2024/25 Southern Premier League South 3rd 83 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2025/26 Southern Premier League South 5th 75 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2026/27 Southern Premier League South 3rd 73 PROMOTED via playoffs 6 (0) Edited April 11, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 2027/8 Squad Update The promotion was absolutely essential. But staying in this league is going to require a step up from largely the same squad as improvements have been hard to come by on such a limited budget. I did have a really good keeper who I had on trial for a month and who agreed terms before deciding that some other team in the same league would be better for him! Annoying! So there are some more familiar names in this list than I would have liked. I do have a fair few young players with potential who have come into the squad to challenge them, though, so there's a decent chance some of these players will not last the season! GK - Jacob Carney DR - Daniel Smyth DCR - Brian Rees DCL - Sean Raggett DL - Ian Jackson MR - Mason Roper MCR - Marcus Dackers MCL - Oliver Pennock ML - Tommy Fitzpatrick ST - Jaden Thompson-Brissett ST - Ellis Harrison Amazingly, both Isiaka and Grubb are both still around, though I'm hoping neither will be needed much this year as they didn't do all that much last year, especially Isiaka. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 13, 2020 Author Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Mini-Update!!! So, after battling so hard for promotion for a few years, I'm finally in my first ever proper relegation fight. Realism (and my lack of FM ability) is kicking in! But that isn't the point of this post. This post is to say goodbye to the first proper legend of this club. Not quite as many appearances as Isiaka, who is the current record holder, but Sean Raggett leaves the club after 186 games, 149 of which were in the league. Until this season, he has averaged over 7 in every year and formed a terrific partnership with Brian Rees, who I am hoping will turn into an even bigger legend! Picked up from Notts County in 2023, he was never going to be a really long term star for us. I'm more than happy with the output he has provided, and will be sorry to see him go! Hopefully the next post will show some good news; at the moment, relegation is more than a possibility, sadly - but there is a possibility of a board takeover which, if it happens quickly enough, could be transformative. It's a real struggle when we're in so much debt! Edited April 15, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 13, 2020 Author Share Posted April 13, 2020 Board Takeover At last! The takeover is complete, I have kept my job (only just - they were concerned about how close we were to relegation despite my shoestring budget), and I have some cash! I do plan to be more careful with it, but it's rather making me wish I had held on to Raggett!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 13, 2020 Author Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) 2027/28 Season Review At first it looked like this promotion would be a curse in disguise! We really struggled because the finances were a mess. I had to sell Raggett for example. But then the takeover totally changed things round and this seemed to transmit to the players. The performances weren't always great but they showed character and pulled some crucial wins out of the bag, securing survival with a game to go. You'll notice that for my ascension into the Vanarama League, I celebrated by giving my club a new identity with a new crest, which I think is rather fetching! I also spent ages designing kits, which I'm really happy with - but I can't get them into the game! If anyone can help please let me know! My finances are now looking so healthy that I think a big squad overhaul might be on the cards in the summer to try and push us up the table although so far the players my scouts have identified have always wanted too much cash even for my new board. I was amazed by the fact that both Grubb and Isiaka played a part this season: Isiaka ended up being my top scorer, and Grubb got the winning goal in the game that secured my survival! They've now been big players for me in five different divisions. But, despite finding the step up hard this year, Rees is still the standout player in this squad: The squad as a whole clearly wasn't ready for this step up, and I will need to make some major signings this summer: Rees won player of the year again, and both Puncheon and Thompson-Brissett were inducted into the historical XI. SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE DRAGONS: Season League Position Points Notes Total Trophies (Major) 2019/20 Middlesex County League Premier 1st 92 INVINCIBLE 1 (0) 2020/21 Spartan South Midlands Division 1 1st 102 Consecutive promotions, South Midlands League Cup Winners 3 (0) 2021/22 Essex Senior League 1st 91 3 consecutive promotions, Essex Senior League Cup Winners 5 (0) 2022/23 Isthmian League Div 1 S-Central 1st 85 Moved to Copthall Stadium (shared), 4 consective promotions 6 (0) 2023/24 Southern Premier League South 5th 77 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2024/25 Southern Premier League South 3rd 83 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2025/26 Southern Premier League South 5th 75 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2026/27 Southern Premier League South 3rd 73 PROMOTED via playoffs 6 (0) 2027/28 Vanarama National League South 18th 46 None 6 (0) Edited April 13, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) 2027/8 Squad Update Having a decent budget was helpful, although my scouts do keep wasting time looking at players well beyond my reach - I even had them recommending Allisson! (He is old but still Liverpool's number 1!). The kind of players I can afford are generally players who are roughly the same quality as most of my current squad, but with perhaps more potential: GK - Gary Hibbert DR - Mitchell Lynch DCR - Brian Rees DCL - Ollie Crickmay DL - Ian Jackson MR - Mason Roper MCR - Marcus Dackers MCL - Scott Readings ML - Tommy Fitzpatrick ST - Anthony Power ST - Jaden Thompson-Brissett In the end Isiaka ended up being my top scorer last season (not saying much) and Grubb did contribute significantly. But that was more due to a lack of quality in the team than because they're really good enough. Grubb has now retired, and I've got him in as an U18 coach for now. For the sake of posterity, he ended up playing a total of 296 games for me (in all competitions), scoring 40 goals and getting 107 assists. He was player of the match 35 times and his average rating over his KD career was 7.10. How one-season wonder Luke Hirst is still the only official club legend given those stats is baffling to me. For me, there are four so far: Raggett, Isiaka, Rees and Grubb. Edited April 15, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 (edited) He's fast becoming a Dragons legend, but now Brian Rees is a legend to the wider world: I don't think it makes the blindest bit of difference in-game but it will just make it even more likely he will end up being THE iconic player in this save. Edited April 15, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 (edited) 2028/29 Season Review If you'd told me I'd get close to 50% more points this season than last, and still be bitterly disappointed, I wouldn't have believed you! But the fact is for half the season, I was in with a chance of automatic promotion, let alone the playoffs. A disastrous time around new year (shown below with the table and positions graph) cost us big time, but it was nonetheless a good step forward, something I've now been able to say in 8 of the 10 years I've been at the Dragons. I'm happy with that. I wanted to push for the promotion, so I went for broke a bit in the middle of the season; sadly the results were pretty disastrous and I made some expensive errors, so the finances are looking poor. There's even some talk of a second board takeover in just over a year. Hope so! Incredibly, Isiaka had yet another rebirth and though he wasn't my top scorer, he was my first choice for the last few weeks of the season when Thompson-Brissett's form dipped, although the latter was clearly the player of the season. In fact he won the league's golden boot as well as both player of the year awards! And though their partnership will hopefully endure for a while, Rees has been usurped as my top centre-back at the moment: The biggest prospects are tied down for next season, with the exception of Fitzpatrick who seems set on leaving, sadly: The player of the season rightly went to Thompson-Brissett, although I was pleased to see youngsters Fitzpatrick and Picco finish 2nd and third. The best XIs were as below, with no new inductees to the historical XI, although Thompson-Brissett comes off the bench! Transfer Thinking A new section, just thought I'd let you know what I'm thinking in terms of the squad. We're really well stocked in some areas (central midfield and centre back in particular, where we have an embarrassment of riches). The only desperate area for improvement is at full back and poacher, and given that money is tight again, I will probably stick to just signing three players - a top poacher and hopefully an upgrade at each full back position. It goes without saying that anyone I can bring in on a non-contract will come in regardless! SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE DRAGONS: Season League Position Points Notes Total Trophies (Major) 2019/20 Middlesex County League Premier 1st 92 INVINCIBLE 1 (0) 2020/21 Spartan South Midlands Division 1 1st 102 Consecutive promotions, South Midlands League Cup Winners 3 (0) 2021/22 Essex Senior League 1st 91 3 consecutive promotions, Essex Senior League Cup Winners 5 (0) 2022/23 Isthmian League Div 1 S-Central 1st 85 Moved to Copthall Stadium (shared), 4 consective promotions 6 (0) 2023/24 Southern Premier League South 5th 77 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2024/25 Southern Premier League South 3rd 83 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2025/26 Southern Premier League South 5th 75 Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final 6 (0) 2026/27 Southern Premier League South 3rd 73 PROMOTED via playoffs 6 (0) 2027/28 Vanarama National League South 18th 46 None 6 (0) 2028/29 Vanarama National League South 10th 63 None 6 (0) Edited April 15, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 (edited) 2029/30 Squad Update I really only had a couple of big areas of concern coming into this season: full backs and a poacher. I can't say I've absolutely solved either, but I do feel this squad is now in better shape than it's ever been - and the board keep injecting in enough cash that I can keep it sustained, which is helpful. On a side note, I think there's a decent chance my best two players this season will be non-British, which wasn't what I was expecting at this stage! GK - Thomas Halliday DR - Cesar Mota DCR - Brian Rees DCL - Simone Picco DL - Ian Jackson MR - Mason Roper MCR - Peter Thomas MCL - Scott Readings ML - Tommy Fitzpatrick ST - Daryl Hornby ST - Jaden Thompson-Brissett Yes, Isiaka is still around. I wanted to upgrade this year, though...and he is quite a long way down the list. But I will not write him off, because every time I do I'm proven wrong! Edited April 16, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 One slight concern I have: Brian Rees at 19 (left) and 25 (right)....he's got worse hasn't he? :-( Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 (edited) I am stoked. Honestly don't have a clue how I got this guy, but suffice to say that Isiaka's career is probably over: Worth saying that he is on a non-contract and absolutely no interest in discussing a contract so I fully expect to lose him within a few games! Edited April 16, 2020 by GreyedOutMan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 I've just noticed a really cool Easter Egg in the game I'd never noticed before. When you load up the game, your squad appears in the dressing room in the game's first screen! I love that Picco and Rees are next to each other!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyedOutMan Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 Honestly not sure how I still have this guy - anyone could snap him up at literally any time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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