dafuge's FM21 challenge

[jeaku14]

23 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

I am slowly working my way through your career videos with Needham. Fingers crossed you stay up buddy.

Legend, thanks mate. Things are looking a touch better now, finally!

[Ronaldo Beckham]

4 minutes ago, jeaku14 said:

Legend, thanks mate. Things are looking a touch better now, finally!

Yeah I caught up yesterday and I am enjoying how tough it is for you and like the fact you have slowly turned things around. I am looking forward to episode 6.

[jeaku14]

25 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Yeah I caught up yesterday and I am enjoying how tough it is for you and like the fact you have slowly turned things around. I am looking forward to episode 6.

Coming tomorrow, it's a good one .

How you finding FM21? Doing a Dafuge's Challenge?

[Ronaldo Beckham]

27 minutes ago, jeaku14 said:

Coming tomorrow, it's a good one .

How you finding FM21? Doing a Dafuge's Challenge?

I done a few Beta saves and then I done a couple of seasons with Anderlecht and now I am doing a few seasons with Cambridge United.

I will attempt the Defauge challenge at some point though.

[kelevra]

so after a shocking run of form mid season going 12 games winless we managed to turn it around and finished 1 point off the play off spots I was really happy with this. I managed to get my pro A license started also and asked the board if we could turn pro but they declined stating we couldn't afford it. I've also included a screenshot about our stadium size not being at required level can anybody tell me should i be worried about it? or will the board sort it out for me? also don't know if it's a bug but 1st season i was in natinal north but 2nd season seems to have corrected itself and put me in the south.

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by kelevra

[Polar Bear]

Been trying to get Banbury for hours but no luck yet. I'll keep going for a while as I used to watch them, which always helps.

I've reached the point where I'm saving any new club that pops up, so I have saves for Matlock, Mickleover and Coalville if anybody wants them.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

@jeaku14 I just seen episode 6 of your video career. I am really enjoying it so far but I just thought you might want to know that by lowering your wage on your new contract as manager you have made is easier for the board to sack you as compensation would be less.

Hopefully you will never be in a position to get sacked but I just wanted to bring it up to you.

[goonergez]

Lancaster City FC: 2024/25 Review

My fourth season at the helm of this club has drawn to a close, and I am not going to lie about being left increasingly frustrated. So much so, that I was moments away from resigning from my post after the last game of the campaign. What looked for so long like a positive season ended in huge disappointment, and we are left scratching our heads as to what went wrong.

In all honesty we spent too much of the season reliant on striker Lamine Balde. The 19-year old Portuguese smashed home 33 league goals in 46 matches as he propelled us into what looked like a successful campaign. He has a total of 59 league goals over 89 matches for us which is fantastic, yet will still have to ply his trade in the Conference North if he sticks with us. He's now the top scorer in Lancaster City history though, overtaking Faisu Sangare during the season just passed.

We started the campaign in a positive manner, as two injury time goals rescued a superb 2-2 away draw against relegated South Shields. A surprising result, which was followed up with a couple more draws. These results took our winless league run to 15 (stretching back to last season), but we ended that at the fourth attempt. A lack of consistency early on saw us floating in mid-table before we ended the calendar year superbly to climb into play-off contention. A nine match unbeaten run broke yet another club record and at one stage we won six on the bounce, and kept four clean sheets in a row. Everything looked to be going swimmingly, and we were sat comfortably seven points inside of the play-off places. Then we seemed to hit a wall. Our strong defence started leaking, and we relied almost entirely on the goals of Balde. Our form dipped, and before we knew it we were in a fight with Chorley Town to stay in 7th place and clinch a play-off berth. We ended the season four unbeaten, but unfortunately it wasn't enough with three of them matches ending in draws. Conceding an 86th minute equaliser on the final day against relegated Lowestoft Town meant we missed out on the play-offs by one spot and just the one point. We broke club records for highest ever league finish and most wins in a season, but it didn't prove to be enough. 

The cup competitions were much better for us this season, as we strung little runs in both of them. In the FA Cup we changed our side massively, but still managed to beat Stalybridge Celtic 5-2 at home and then Witham 3-2 away to reach the 4th and final qualifying round. We named our strongest team for a tough looking tie away at Conference National side Borehamwood not expecting very much. We shocked everybody with a fantastic performance, smashing them 4-0 to reach the First Round proper for the first time under my management. We were drawn away against Wealdstone, hoping to progress and beat the Conference South side. In a televised tie, we narrowly lost out 0-1 to end the dream of a really big draw in the next round. In the FA Trophy we had our defence to thank, as 1-0 victories against Chorley Town (at home) and Alfreton Town (away from home), put us into the Fourth Round. Unfortunately we didn't perform though, and Conference National side Torquay United saw us off 1-2 at home to eliminate us.

A truly heart breaking season for us draws to a close, and I am left scratching my head as to what went wrong. We spent the majority of the season within the play-off spots and I truly felt that this was our season to achieve that. I really am not sure as to what changed in the latter part of the season. We actually had a simple enough looking run-in, with a number of matches against bottom of the half teams in the league table. I can't dwell too much on it though, and attention has to shift towards next season. The summer will be a big one, and I will look to shift us away from focusing on the goals of just Lamine Balde. The player is phenomenal for us, but he's young and I imagine some bigger clubs will now start chasing him. I'm going to look to bring in some goals on the flanks over the summer months, and we definitely need a new central midfielder. Dean Pinnington didn't cut it, and youngster Paupol Mbayo hasn't developed anywhere near as much as I had hoped that he would. I'm going to have to conduct our business on a real tightrope though. Financially we lost around £60,000 this season, leaving the balance at a negative of £160,000. All of that despite a weekly wage bill of under £5,000 per week and the decent run in the FA Cup.

Worryingly it looks like central defender Kamran Kandola is going to depart the club, which is gutting for us. He formed a formidable partnership with Paul Appiah, and if he leaves means a massive gap in our defence. He's refusing to even discuss a new deal with us at the moment, and a number of clubs from the Football League are starting to circulate their interest. I can see a really key summer going ahead here, as next year simply has to be the year we finally get a crack at promotion. We've had four decent campaigns, but now is definitely the time for more.

[jeaku14]

14 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

@jeaku14 I just seen episode 6 of your video career. I am really enjoying it so far but I just thought you might want to know that by lowering your wage on your new contract as manager you have made is easier for the board to sack you as compensation would be less.

Hopefully you will never be in a position to get sacked but I just wanted to bring it up to you.

I didn't know this! Great shout, won't make that mistake again.

 

Episode 6 below:

 

 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

5 hours ago, jeaku14 said:

I didn't know this! Great shout, won't make that mistake again.

 

Episode 6 below:

 

 

I will definitely watch this later. Good luck for the rest of the season.

[fairsy]

Going to give this a try, when i can get Needham Market to load, seems they are popular on this thread this year, but are the closest team at this level to me living in Ipswich, and have watched them a number of times through the years, plus have a number of ex-ITFC players I have rated in my role as a researcher!

Will be looking to do it as a youth-only save, so going to be incredibly difficult!

[Dons]

Needham Market

Season 26-27
Sky Bet League 1

Squad - Table - Transfers - Finances - Profile - Injuries - Accolades - Financial Overview - Data Report - Moments to Remember - Season to Remember - Financial Report

A season with unexpected events occured in our first season in League 1. The major things was having a takeover with new chairman Paul Scalley. The takeover was  long process, as last season the former chairman fended off several takeover attempts. Initially I didn't think the best of it, as the former chairman agreed to several proposals, including "often" adding staff members. So far, the current has rejected every attempt. Come end of the season though, a few changes were made, as the club is in the progress of building a new stadium, as well as continuing the proposed upgrades to facilities.

As the season progressed, we were confortably placed in the top 5. Crewe and Swansea finished first and second, and no other teams were close to catching them. In the last 4 games we were about to break a different kind of record, as 4 draws in a row saw us closer to a record of 15 draws in a season. It didn't go that way though, as the next match was first playoff game vs Coventry. We lost 2-0 away, followed by a 3-2 loss at home, seeing us in the final position of third. Coventry was our bogey team, not only loosing the playoffs to them, but we also lost in 2nd round of the Papa John's Trophy. The remaining cup plays were rather early exits, but we played larger teams and the scorelines didn't reflect the bigger teams. In the FA Cup we exited in 4th round to WBA in a replay we lost 1-0 after drawing 1-1 at home. Carabao Cup we lost on penalities after 1-1 at home to Southampton. Overall our defensive record was great continuing with the 5-4-1 system. We did have quite a few injuries of both longer and small durations, luckily most weren't on key players.

Key players of the season:

Remy Mitchell - GK - Kept his good form. Had rather big offers for him from Aston Villa and Burnely, but could luckily keep him.
Damian Hazeldine - DL - Our first PRM potential. Is playing really well, when playing. His fatigue is an issue though, as he often runs out of juice.
Ethan Dekel-Daks - MC - Just gets better and better in his position.
Yoane Zohore - SC - Gave him a little more playing time, compared to last season. He wasn't doing bad, but think this level is probably the max for him. He is a club legend now, so will probably have to run his contract down.
Ben Voisey - SC - Just kept hitting the target. 29 goals in 30 games started and 9 as sub. Rejected multiple offers for him, including a 9,75 kk from Sheffield Utd.

On a personal level I finally got the Cont. Pro License.

Season	League	Position	Ch.Leag	Eu.Leag	FA Cup	Car. Cup	PJT	FAT
26-27	L1	3rd	*	*	4th rnd	2nd rnd	2nd rnd	*
25-26	L2	1st	*	*	5th rnd	2nd rnd	Quater	*
24-25	L2	5th	*	*	2nd rnd	2nd rnd	Final	*
23-24	VN	1st	*	*	2nd rnd	*	*	Final
22-23	VN	10th	*	*	3rd rnd	*	*	S.Final
21-22	VNN	3rd	*	*	1st rnd	*	*	Q.Final

[goonergez]

Lancaster City FC: 2025/26 Preview

I'm four seasons into my journey with this football club, and if I have to summarise then it wouldn't be very positive. An improvement of just seven league positions means we are still slumming away in the Conference North, and so far haven't even managed to have a crack at the play-offs. This season is absolutely pivotal for us, as I feel we're in a real danger of stagnating if we can't look towards promotion into the Conference National. It won't be easy, but last season we were just a point off of the play off places. Surely a positive summer in the transfer market could see us bridge that tiny gap and help us achieve our target. Especially as we managed to keep hold of club record goal scorer Lamine Balde after two superb seasons.

We did lose some significant players in the window though, as contract expirations allowed us to trim the squad and with it the weekly wage bill. After 103 appearances for us and just 16 goals, Zach Clough left having flattered to deceive since his high profile arrival. Fringe players Dejanae Campbell and Adam Gyamfi joined him in leaving, as I felt we could pick up better options in their positions. The most painful departure was that of centre back Kamran Kandola. He refused to discuss terms on a new deal and left after three excellent campaigns at the heart of our defence. Finally we allowed Paupol Mbayo to leave at the end of his deal. The 19-year old came through our youth system and went on to make 44 league appearances for us. I felt he hadn't developed enough though and chose not to offer him a new deal. We also picked up cash on a deal. I didn't actively want to sell Jaden Philogene-Bidace, but he also hadn't set the world alight for us. Harrogate FC came in with a bid, and I cut my losses on him. We picked up a little over £11,000 for him, although future clauses means it could rise to £13,000. The biggest coup for us was keeping hold of key holding midfielder Jean-Claude Matondo. There was interest, but we managed to fight them off, and he will pull on our shirt again next season.

Arrival wise we brought seven new players in, forming a slim but solid squad. The big arrival was that of free agent Emmanuel Chukwuka after he was released by Leeds United. The 18-year old central midfielder looks a bright prospect and I can see him being really important for us over the course of a season.

Fellow 18-year old Adrian Sims looks like a very exciting arrival as well though. We picked the winger up after he was released by Derby County, and I can see an exciting future for him. I wanted more goals from our wide players, and I am confident he will bring some in our shirt. I wanted cover for club record goal scorer Lamine Balde, and I feel we have picked up a really good option. 28-year old Kyle Wootton scored 12 goals in the Conference National last season for Notts County, and should be a more than capable option for us in any absence of Balde. I can see him scoring plenty for us, more than the 4 that Divin Baningime managed last time around as number two striker.

We aren't really fancied to enjoy a very good campaign, and definitely not to achieve my pre-season aims of pushing and getting a play-off spot. The media predict us a finish of 14th position, and the board have downscaled their ambitions this time around as well. They merely want us to avoid a relegation scrap, and I really have no fear for us in those regards. I feel like we've done a good job in the summer market, and as well as all the new faces we did a great  job in keeping hold of holding midfielder Jean-Claude Matondo. He had a really good season for us last time around, but had told us he wanted to leave. The only offers we received for him were from fellow division side Hereford United though and he didn't complain about them being rejected. The interest from football league clubs at the end of the season never materialised, and so delightfully he will pull on the blue shirt again this time around.

[dafuge]

 

Met Police - Vanarama National League South - 2023/24

After our surprisingly unspectacular league win, we were prepared for a tough season in the new division.

League Table - we were just far too inconsistent, drawing too many games we should have won.

FA Trophy - just the one game, it did not go well.

FA Cup - no bug cup run as we met league opposition early on.

Squad - I've released a few players during the season, so these are mostly the players I'm expecting to use next season.

Transfers - some great signings, hopefully we can build on this next season.

Finances - we had a £120k bail out from the board.

Key Player Profiles:

Tristan Abldeen-Goodridge - top scorer again as he looked even better than last season.

Arismar - I love having a Brazilian at this level.

Rhys Brailsford - a quality full back for this level.

Career Overview:

Season      League                       Position     Achievements
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021/22     National League South        14th           
2022/23     National League South        1st          Promoted as champions
2023/24     National League              14th

Next Season:

With a few new signings I think we can push for a top half finish.

[Steebear]

Edited December 4, 2020 by Steebear

[MikaelS]

On 11/11/2020 at 20:05, dafuge said:

We have in the past (we even had a website for a while) but I’ve just not been around much over the last couple of years.

I've been dreaming about making a website for it for years. Never got around to do anything about it, and now I'm too old..

[CMU Chips]

Forgot to post this update: Finished season 4 last week but have gotten a new computer since. Strange bug in my club history as the assist leader is showing as blank. Here's what I remember:

Season 4 - Vanarama National - 14th

Started the season with only two losses in the first two months before an injury crisis at striker saw us lose ground. We stabilized again before another injury crisis took out 5 players from our starting XI for at least 4 weeks. Three were injured in the same game (including one of our best players tearing up his knee) yet no one was sent off for the opposition. Bit silly. We never recovered from the injuries and won only 1 league game in January and February. The rest of the season was a slog as we were grinding our way to mediocrity. Never a threat to be relegated, but once we hit the new year never a chance to be promoted either. We ended the season with the 10th best goal difference, but just couldn't get results (season 5 spoilers, it's still happening). Even the great start was marred by the fact that almost no one would negotiate with us. I was being rejected by players that were worse than the ones we signed in the Vanarama South, even though our reputation had increased. Every couple of weeks we'd get a decent player in the scouting centre but most failed to pan out. Our only signing that cost money (10k compensation) was average at best and only lasted one season before leaving on a free. We did have an academy player score for the first time this season during the striker injury crisis, but he has also left (and wasn't very good).

League Table -

Squad Stats -

Transfer History -

 

Year

League

Position

Cups

Training

Youth

Junior

Recruitment

Attendance (Cap)

Badges

Transfers (In-Out)

Top Scorer

Most Assists

Av. Rating

Clean Sheets

May balance

Total wages

2024/2025

Vanarama National

14th

FA - 3rd round, FAT - 4th round

Basic

Basic

Adequate

Adequate

1871 (4500)

Continental A

14 -2 (£10.25k)

Harry Warwick - 32 (38)

I don't know, this is bugged

Jamie Harrop - 7.34 (38)

Tom Smith - 14

£200k

£9.2k p/w

2023/2024

Vanarama South

1st

FA - 3rd round, FAT - 2nd round

Basic

Poor

Average

Adequate

1200 (4500)

Continental B

6 - 5 (£0)

Harry Warwick - 44 (48)

Charles Sagoe - 15 (17)

Harry Warwick - 7.41 (50)

Tom Smith - 19 (23)

£88k

£7.4k p/w

2022/2023

Vanarama South

5th

FA - 2nd round, FAT - 4th round

Basic

Poor

Average

Adequate

1310 (4500)

Continental C

15 - 6 (+£26k)

Connor Hall - 15 (Powell - 23)

Jesse Starkey - 11 (12)

Aarran Racine - 7.49 (44)

Tiernan Parker - 5 (5)

£138k

£6.2k p/w

2021/2022

Vanarama South

7th

FA - 1st round, FAT - 3rd round

Basic

Poor

Average

Adequate

1123 (4500)

National B

14 - 4 (£0)

Euan Pollock - 26 (34)

Jesse Starkey - 10 (11)

Aarran Racine - 7.48 (51)

Tiernan Parker - 20 (23)

£14k

£5.1k p/w

[Polar Bear]

Goonergez, I like your detailed roundups. One of these seasons it will just click and you will stroll to the title.

I'm going through pre-season with Banbury, I hope to participate but I need to play quicker.

[Steebear]

 

The Margate Gazette

 

10 Games in ... a steady if unspectacular start?

 

 

Welcome to sunny Margate on the beautiful sandy Kent coast!

 

Previous manager Mike Sandmann (presumably hired on the srength of his surname) left the role in June 2021 and was replaced by untested but highly enthusiastic manager Dan Stevens!  Mike was contacted for comment when leaving and only had this to say; "I don't like sand. It's all coarse, and rough, and irritating. And it gets everywhere."  We wish him all the best for the future.

 

A very busy pre-season ensued with Margate Football Club playing no less than 11 matches against a variety of teams that included Bexhill and the dangerous Little Common.  Lots of players arrived to trial for the club and several earned contracts, notably forward Cameron Thompson who had been released from Fulham.  With Margate a bookies favourite to go down disaster struck early on when star player Bailey Vose (previously of Brighon and Hove Albion in the Premier League) announced he would not be willing to sign a new contract and moved to Brackley Town leaving young keeper Owen Kallmeier to fill the void.  

The schedule has been as hectic as ever with 3 games in just 8 days at one point stretching the players condition to the limit.  Margate have been excellent in the attacking sense but lacking concentration and dicipline in defence and this is reflected in the 19 goals scored but 15 conceded in the opening 10 games of the season.

The table

7 goals from Inverted Winger Haysman and 5 more by lethal striker Noel Leighton has made The Gate something of a force in attack so far, if the defence can tighten up in the weeks to come, Margate may yet confound those saying they were destined to relegation in their first season back in the VNS since 2017.

Fans will be hoping the tough triple away fixtures up next will be kind on The Gate which includes an F.A Cup Second Qualifying round match against Haywards Heath. 

 

Good luck lads and we'll see you in the next edition.

 

 

[Steebear]

@goonergez

Steadily getting there maybe this year is your year!

[Faramir]

Excellent work!  You must have a less thrifty chairman, I haven't been able to get one coaching course approved yet for my Needham save.

All the best!

[Steebear]

47 minutes ago, Faramir said:

Excellent work!  You must have a less thrifty chairman, I haven't been able to get one coaching course approved yet for my Needham save.

All the best!

Glad it isn't just me, when I asked to go on a coach course the board refused saying it would increase the chances of a bigger club coming for me... Thanks guys!

[dafuge]

Mine seem to be quite good then, currently I'm studying for my Continental C.

[DazRTaylor]

It is definitely harder to get badges this season.  By the time I reach League Two, I usually have the Continental A, if not Pro, but only have National A this time.

[goonergez]

Cheers for the kind words guys. I’ve finished my next campaign and will hopefully have an update sorted for tomorrow. Even without the success clicking as of yet, I am still loving this save. I think the longetivity of the challenge really allows you to build a connection to your team.

I’m also loving keeping up with every bodies progress. There’s a nice mix of stages for people in the challenge, and I thoroughly enjoy keeping up with them all. Needham Market definitely seen a favourite choice this time around.

nice to see a Margate save in here too. I’m a Kent lad so always enjoy reading on teams from that way. Unfortunately I always seem to struggle in the Conference South so end up choosing somebody from up North instead. Unfortunately I seem to be stuck with the bigger sides such as South Shields and York fighting it out near the top which makes a title push tough.

[Steebear]

54 minutes ago, goonergez said:

Cheers for the kind words guys. I’ve finished my next campaign and will hopefully have an update sorted for tomorrow. Even without the success clicking as of yet, I am still loving this save. I think the longetivity of the challenge really allows you to build a connection to your team.

I’m also loving keeping up with every bodies progress. There’s a nice mix of stages for people in the challenge, and I thoroughly enjoy keeping up with them all. Needham Market definitely seen a favourite choice this time around.

nice to see a Margate save in here too. I’m a Kent lad so always enjoy reading on teams from that way. Unfortunately I always seem to struggle in the Conference South so end up choosing somebody from up North instead. Unfortunately I seem to be stuck with the bigger sides such as South Shields and York fighting it out near the top which makes a title push tough.

I am a Kent lad as well so when they came up it was an easy choice!  Haven't seen them yet either so thought I'd give them a crack! Looking forward to your next update!

[MikaelS]

I've decided to give this another go, after skipping it the recent versions.

Since I can't coach my beloved Chippenham, I'll have to settle with something else, something new.

Haringey Borough will have the pleasure of being put through hell by me. May God help us all.

 

[Polar Bear]

edit - couldn't get my image to show.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by Polar Bear

[MikaelS]

Hopefully this is not a prediction of the season to come...

Shot to pieces by a 17yo regen striker..

 

[dafuge]

 

Met Police - Vanarama National League - 2024/25

We finished 14th last season, so this time we were hoping for a top half finish.

League Table - we made it to the playoffs with a game to go.

Playoffs - not the result we were looking for.

FA Trophy - we lost to a lower league team.

FA Cup - we faced my local team in the 3rd round, and came close to a huge upset.

Squad - I tried keeping a smaller squad this year, which resulted in a lot of tired players.

Transfers - we made some great signings and sold our goalie for a huge fee.

Finances - I've requested that the money is spent on new facilities, so hopefully they go ahead soon.

Key Player Profiles:

Tristan Abldeen-Goodridge - top scorer again, but he's no longer our outstanding player.

Kwaku Oduroh - an amazing signing.

Mike Hodgson - a decent winger for this level.

Career Overview:

Season      League                       Position     Achievements
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021/22     National League South        14th           
2022/23     National League South        1st          Promoted as champions
2023/24     National League              14th
2024/25     National League              7th

Next Season:

I'm hoping the improved finances will give us a chance to strengthen the squad and at least make the playoffs again.

[goonergez]

Lancaster City FC: 2025/26 Review

A fifth season has been completed, and it was a season when I had targeted a play-off spot at the minimum. I had successfully turned this club into a mid-table side within this division, but this time I wanted a bit more. Progress meant promotion, but after missing out on the play-offs last season by a point I would be happy with just reaching the post season stage. We had completed a fairly successful summer in strengthening the side, and for that reason we reached the start of the league season with me feeling confident we could achieve our targets.

For the first ten matches our pre-season hopes were showing on the field. We won seven of those matches, including victories over much fancied sides such as Chorley Town and South Shields. Lamine Balde was scoring regularly, and defensively we were looking sound. As our good form continued I was rewarded with a new contract by the club. I put pen to paper on a two year contract extension, the first time I had been offered more than a one year deal. Shortly after my future was confirmed, another piece of good news came. Results on the pitch had begun to stall, but off it we had a change of ownership.

The new owners cleared the club debts, but announced no plans for significant investment. Unfortunately this coincided with some of our worst form of the season. We dropped off of the pace, and suddenly found ourselves sat in mid-table and some distance short of the play-off spots. You could've split our season into three portions though, as we ended the campaign brilliantly. A run of straight victories and suddenly we were well back in the hunt for a play-off spot. In the end we clinched our place with a couple of games to go, and at last would have the opportunity to fight it out for promotion. It was nice to end the season strongly though, as normally its the other way round. Just one defeat in our last 18 matches propelling us back up the table. I shall give you a brief rundown of the cup competitions before covering our play-off campaign.

In the FA Cup we failed to match last seasons efforts, as we crashed out at the very first game. A second qualifying round match against Nantwich Town saw a much changed side beaten 0-1. 
In the FA trophy we went full strength, and hammered Basford 6-0 away to reach the Third Round. We were drawn against Conference National side Chester, and gave a good account of ourselves before being eliminated. We clung on during a fantastic defensive display to a 0-0 away from home including extra time, before losing out 0-1 in the replay. It was disappointing not to string a good cup run together, but the league was always my focus this season. Unfortunately no good cup run meant limited funds coming in though, which doesn't help our financial situation one bit.

The play-offs ended up being a disappointment as we crashed out in the First Round. We didn't perform anywhere near our best and it was an extremely gutting situation. It's a learning curve though, and has given me a real bite to get back there again. On the plus side we did have a club record attendance of 1,989 to watch us. In fact we set a new average attendance record of 529 for the season, an increase of around 200 from when I first arrived here.

A much better season for us as we broke records for most wins, most points and a highest ever league finish. 4th is very pleasing indeed. The goals of Lamine Balde were again the catalyst for our successes, as he found the net 31 times during the regular season. His backup Kyle Wootton also chipped in with 10 which was very pleasing as he was mainly only a substitute. Central defender Paul Appiah was our best performer though. He set a league record of 18 man of the match awards during a truly sensational season. A solid campaign draws to an end, and it definitely feels like progress this time around. I'm after more of the same next season as I am now keen to gain the promotion. 

[goonergez]

Lancaster City FC: 2026/27 Preview

A disappointing loss in the First Round of the play-offs condemned us to a sixth season at this level, and it really is essential for us that we begin to push towards promotion and getting out of this division. We played really well for the majority of last season, but ended up falling short. For me i am sure we can be as competitive again this time around, and now I am expecting us to get ourselves out of this league and one step closer to the Football League.

The board may have been replaced here last season, but the new one still doesn't seem to hold much ambition. Yet again we are only asked to avoid a relegation battle, something I personally have absolutely zero fear in. The media prediction of 14th is similar to last season, and I am fine with that as it takes the pressure off of us. I am confident we can compete near the top end of the table, and won't be happy with anything other than a play-off spot at worse.

Departure wise some significant players left the club this summer as I again looked to trim the wage bill. Fringe squad players Aron Ashworth, Kieran Forrest and Ray Melligan were all allowed to leave at the end of their deals, and we also allowed a member of our youth ranks to leave the club. Right back Neo Eccleston left on a free, as did two players I would rather have kept. Backup striker Kyle Wootton managed ten goals last season, but refused to discuss a new contract and chose to leave. So to did defender Jean-Claude Matondo. His versatility was important to us, as were his highly consistent performances. He refused to sit down and talk with us and left at the expiration of his contract. He has since joined Hereford within our division, a side who tried to sign him from us during last season.

Arrival wise we welcomed seven new faces to the club, as I looked to strengthen ahead of an exciting campaign. I was left pleased with our business as I managed to fill all the gaps within our squad and leave us with a strong looking side for the coming campaign. I had pinpointed the full back positions as weaknesses, and so having let both our first choice players leave at the end of their contracts moved to replace them. Right back Nathan Whalley came in after he was released by Bolton Wanderers of League One, and looks to have plenty of promise. More excitingly though was the arrival of our new first choice left back

The 22-year old Northern Irishman looks a really bright spark, and was picked up on a free transfer from League Two side Grimsby. I have high hopes for him in a Lancaster shirt, and truly believe we now possess two very good options at full back. Centre back Max Jempson and central midfielder Ben Hough were both snapped up after successful trials, and we very nearly spent our first fee on a player under my leadership. Winger Isaac Sinclair impressed last season at Blyth Spartans, but in the end I baulked at the £3,000 fee and opted against his signing. Instead wingers Jordan Scott (released by Liverpool) and Kevin Thomas (released by Man City) were snapped up. Both can play on either flank or up top, and Jordan Scott in particular looks exciting. We really did pick up some talent this summer.

Having tasted the play-offs last season (albeit briefly), anything but more of the same would be a huge failure in my eyes. We have a really talented bunch of players, and truly I believe that we are one of the strongest squads in the division. It won't be easy, as the likes of South Shields and York City have much bigger resources than us and are both strong squads with large depths. We will also welcome our bitter rivals Morecambe into the Conference North this season. They will certainly be amongst the favourites for the league title, and it will be nice for our fans to have a local rival for derby matches this season. I'm also after a cup run this time around. Financially the club is already going back downhill, even after the new board cleared the debts upon arrival. In the short term it isn't too alarming, but long term it is something I would like to get under control. We did manage to pick up £22,000 over the summer though. A 20% sell on clause in the contract of former player Sonny Wake proving beneficial. The now 21-year old left us to join Plymouth back in January of 2023. After a solid few years there he was sold to Sunderland in League Two for a fee of £115,000. He's developed into a pretty decent performer, and looks much improved from his time with us. Maybe one day we will get the opportunity to bring him back to this club.

[DazRTaylor]

Meanwhile, in my youth only save at FC United:

(A shame he didn't sell for his buyout clause, but that is just me being greedy )

[Steebear]

@dafuge

That looks like some good progress to me!  31 goals is a decent season for a striker!

@goonergez

Every season a little better...only logical next step is promotion! Good luck

 

 

[Faramir]

Needham Market Season 5-- 1st season in Championship

We struggled at times, especially defensively, but were able to finish in the top half.

Along the way, my Assistant was poached to take over Huddersfield. 

We had five Championship level players that were found by my GM (none by scouts) and the sale of four of them:

Wayne Dennis (4 Million)

Shayne McKeown (6.5 Million)

Nick Smedley (5.5 Million)

Huw Morgan (15 Million)

they have provided a firm financial foundation for the club.

The fifth is still here and was Championship Player of the Year- Kurt Brooks

Now, we have to build on last season with some defensive additions.

[goonergez]

Lancaster City FC: 2026/27 Review

Another competitive season has drawn to a close, and for the first time under my management the final league table wouldn’t show any improvement for my side. Our seventh placed finish was a drop of three positions on last season, although in honestly the table doesn’t tell the whole story of our league campaign. We actually started the season really strongly, not tasting defeat until our thirteenth match. Unfortunately six wins and six draws wasn’t the strongest start in the division, and that first defeat was a heart breaking injury time 2-3 to South Shields that left us trailing both them and Guiseley at the top of the table. Our form continued to look strong though, even during a two month lay off for star man Lamine Balde. Jordan Scott impressed in his absence, and his tally of 14 goals and 11 assists proved him a solid signing during last summer.

At the turn of the year we sat four points adrift of the leaders, and looking in a strong position to push for the title. Unfortunately we didn’t. A poor run of form coupled with the ridiculously good form of South Shields saw us drop well off the pace and in danger of missing out on the play offs. Balde hit a dry patch, and defensively we started to ship more goals. We ended with a run of unbeaten games (including a 0-0 away with runaway leaders) to put us into 8th place on the final day. A win should be enough, and we hosted already relegated Worcester City. Thankfully there was no repeat of two seasons ago, and a 2-1 victory saw us leapfrog Kidderminster into 7th, and with it a second consecutive campaign in the play offs.

The big bonus on the season has to be doing the double over bitter rivals Morecambe. After their relegation last season it gave us the first derby games of my reign. A 2-1 victory at home late in the season was nice, but somewhat short of the bragging rights we took in the first derby. A sensational 4-0 victory away was unbelievably pleasing, even if it was only during the third round of match day fixtures.

We approached the play off campaign in mixed form, and struggling for any consistency. In our way stood Guiseley, who like us had produced a good season and spent much of it challenging South Shields at the top of the table. My record against Guiseley didn’t make strong reading. Just the two victories in my six seasons with the club. Only one of those coming away from home, where we would go for the play off first round match. I wasn’t feeling very confident at all, even though if everything clicked we definitely had the ability in our camp to compete with them.

Trying to analyse that game is just near enough impossible. The score line may not show it but it was genuinely the most tense game of my reign here. When we fell behind I just couldn't see us getting back into the game. In the end the performance in extra time was simply sensational. I would compare our performance to that of a Mourinho team. We spent much of the game on the backfoot, outnumbered by 22-6 in attempts, but were clinical when we needed to be. Lamine Balde showed his class during extra time, and two late goals really capped off a fantastic evening. That victory gave us a semi-final tie against FC Halifax, away from home against the team who finished the league season in second place.

The semi-final is a game I simply cannot begin to talk about. We got battered for 20 minutes, fell 0-3 down and then played pretty well. After the superb performance in the First Round, to lose under those circumstances leaves me absolutely devastated.

Lamine Balde stretched his run as our all time club record scorer to 129, with another impressive campaign. 38 goals in 42 matches a phenomenal effort. Yet again the central defensive partnership of Paul Appiah and Richard Rashid impressed as we put in much better displays at the back. I feel we’re a bit short in central midfield, and also still lacking quality in the full back positions. We allowed midfielder Emmanuel Chikwuka to head to Buxton on a free transfer, and will lose left back Dane McCullough to Larne at the end of his contract here with us.  Financially we’re about £100,000 in the red now, and I have just accepted that it’s got to be that way. There were rumours of another board takeover, but as of yet nothing has materialised from that. I’m happy with the board we’ve got, but the finances definitely need some work.

I’m currently debating whether to carry on here or call it quits, devastated by a second play off failure in as many years and especially the manner of the defeat. I want to stick with it, but I’m now six seasons in and with no real progress to show for it. Every time I think I have this team in a good place I am left disappointed. We need to dust ourselves off and figure out if I as a manager can take this team any further than I already have.

[Tecmo]

53 minutes ago, goonergez said:

Lancaster City FC: 2026/27 Review

 

Rooting for you with Lancaster. I give them a try every season, last year was the first where I wasn't relegated the first season. Never did get promoted though, lost in the playoffs the last two seasons because of red cards. Looking forward to trying them again in the near future.

[goonergez]

Lancaster City FC: 2027/28 Season Preview

I've been here at Lancaster for six seasons now, and in that time we have gone from being minnows in the Conference North to a team on the cusp of promotion to the Conference National. It's been play-off heart break in each of the previous two seasons, and we have taken on a title push in both of those campaigns. We've never managed to take one of those title charges deep into the season, something that I am very much hoping to put right this time around. It's now essential that we push for promotion, and I firmly believe in my players and that they have the ability and the drive to do so.

The first task of the summer was to figure out which members of the squad would not be offered new contracts and be told that they were free to leave the club. A number of fringe players were told they were surplus to requirements, including backup keeper Max Johnstone and fringe players Max Jemson and Chris Chalk. The most high profile player to depart was 24-year old central midfielder Dean Pinnington. After six seasons here and 239 league appearances he wasn't offered a new deal and left the football club. I contemplated keeping him, but had focused my disappointment on the central midfield area and to be honest he had never really performed well enough to stand out within our team. We also lost first choice left back Dane McCullough as he completed his pre-arranged free transfer to Larne. Fellow central midfielder Ben Hough was also released after a less than impressive season with us. He barely played and never looked in danger of getting into our team really. Releasing him was a no brainer as it would free up funds to be spent on a better option. Youngster Clinton Mitchum also left the club to complete his pre-contract agreement to join Worcester City. The midfielder had promise, but never made a first team appearance for us.

Arrival wise was perhaps quieter than expected, as I opted for quality over quantity. I spent the majority of the summer chasing 24-year old central defender Enoch Takpe, who was released after a successful three year spell with last years runaway league winners South Shields. I was confident we could bring him in, but the player spent all summer rejecting any approaches we made for him, despite minimal interest from elsewhere. In the end he was picked up by Hereford United, also of the Conference North. Eventually this led me to turn my attention elsewhere, and we moved to bring in two new full backs instead. Established 27-year old left back Jordan Zemura was picked up after his contract ended with York City, and we added to that with a loan deal.  21-year old right back Mark O'Reilly was picked up on a season long deal from Shrewsbury Town. He can also cover in central defence and looks a very good signing indeed.

21-year old goalkeeper Dave Clark came in after his release from parent club Lincoln City, and will play understudy to Ryan Pardo-Roques between the sticks. He looks to have a lot of potential, and may well get some game time in the cup competitions. Chasing a winger we initially spent a little time chasing a target from last summer. Isaac Sinclair nearly joined us in a £3,000 deal last year, but found himself as a free agent after his release by Blyth Spartans. We brought him in on trial, but in the end I decided we should pursue other targets instead. Things moved on a gear though, after Barrow offered a deal of £60,000 rising to £70,000 for winger Kevin Thomas. He had a good season last year, but not spectacular, and after adding a 20% sell on clause into the deal he was sold. A club record fee received and a great piece of business to wipe a large chunk of our club debt. In the end we moved to sign a striker who can play on the wing with Gilberto Bogarde. The 20-year old Dutchman joined and will offer something for us within a long season.

The departures of Pinnington and Hough had left us somewhat short of options in the middle of midfield, so we moved in the market to bring in a new central midfield player. In the end we brought in 21-year old Malcolm Boxall on a free transfer from South Shields. He played predominantly as an attacking midfielder last year, scoring 5 goals in 19 league appearances for them. I really like the look of him, and am excited to see him pull on the blue of Lancaster over the coming campaign.

I'm really pleased with what we managed to do the squad over the summer, and feel we are in a really good place for the coming season. It was a tough summer, with a number of targets not coming in and a number of players arriving who weren't initially on our radar. We have filled the areas I wanted to though, and we have added some real quality to our ranks. Expectations for the season vary, with the board happy enough just to remain in this division again. It's slightly disappointing that they lack ambition after two play-off campaigns, but it also takes all the pressure off of me and my job which is fine. The media think we can achieve a safe mid-table finish, with 14th the position they have us pencilled into. I want more than that though. We've shown glimpses of competing at the very top over the last couple of seasons, and I am determined that this year becomes our year. I want us to go up, and I am confident we can do so. If we can keep our key players fit, then I am sure we can achieve a play-off spot at the absolute worst. It would be nice to take a title challenge deep into the season though, and that is what I am aiming for this season.
 

[CMU Chips]

Season 5 - Vanarama National - 6th - Defeat in Playoff Semi Final (penalties)

 

A frustrating season nearly had an incredible end as we went from a team who couldn't convert good play into results into a team with a ton of momentum entering the playoffs. We continue to be led by a strike pair of a real player and a newgen; this season they hit 40+36 in the league. We had a deep run in the FA Trophy, which ended in the quarter final after I agreed extra time to avoid playing more games. Our last few games in the league saw some great performances against potential playoff opponents. We ended up playing Maidstone, who had been lucky to earn a draw when hosting us two months prior. This time they would not be so lucky, as we won 4-0. This drew us against York, who had nearly won the league. A back-and-forth game went to penalties, which started with our best penalty taker being stopped and ended with our 2nd top scorer also being stopped. York would end up winning the Final on penalties as well.

Lots of promise going in to next season. We signed a lot of released youth players from big clubs, and while some didn't pan out, many did. Of those who aren't real players, the best were Robert Andrews and Wilfried de Vlugt. Both have quite a bit of pace, and I think both may have overplayed their ability a bit but I hope they can continue next season. We will again look to strengthen the squad based on the scraps of Premier League U23/U18 releases. If we can put together a complete season, we should be in line for a decent year. I would love to avoid the playoffs since we are 0/3 so far (and I was 0/6 in FM20).

League Table -

Squad Stats -

Transfers -

 

Year

League

Position

Cups

Training

Youth

Junior

Recruitment

Attendance (Cap)

Badges

Transfers (In-Out)

Top Scorer

Most Assists

Av. Rating

Clean Sheets

May balance

Total wages

2025/2026

Vanarama National

6th

FA - 4th qual., FAT - Quarter Final

Basic

Basic

Average

Adequate

1721 (4155)

Continental A

17 - 8 (+£9.5k)

Harry Warwick - 40 (44)

Scott Wilson - 16 (17)

Harry Warwick - 7.34 (52)

Tom Smith - 14 (14)

£220k

£11.6k p/w

2024/2025

Vanarama National

14th

FA - 3rd round, FAT - 4th round

Basic

Basic

Adequate

Adequate

1871 (4500)

Continental A

14 -2 (£10.25k)

Harry Warwick - 32 (38)

I don't know, this is bugged

Jamie Harrop - 7.34 (38)

Tom Smith - 12 (14)

£200k

£9.2k p/w

2023/2024

Vanarama South

1st

FA - 3rd round, FAT - 2nd round

Basic

Poor

Average

Adequate

1200 (4500)

Continental B

6 - 5 (£0)

Harry Warwick - 44 (48)

Charles Sagoe - 15 (17)

Harry Warwick - 7.41 (50)

Tom Smith - 19 (23)

£88k

£7.4k p/w

2022/2023

Vanarama South

5th

FA - 2nd round, FAT - 4th round

Basic

Poor

Average

Adequate

1310 (4500)

Continental C

15 - 6 (+£26k)

Connor Hall - 15 (Powell - 23)

Jesse Starkey - 11 (12)

Aarran Racine - 7.49 (44)

Tiernan Parker - 5 (5)

£138k

£6.2k p/w

2021/2022

Vanarama South

7th

FA - 1st round, FAT - 3rd round

Basic

Poor

Average

Adequate

1123 (4500)

National B

14 - 4 (£0)

Euan Pollock - 26 (34)

Jesse Starkey - 10 (11)

Aarran Racine - 7.48 (51)

Tiernan Parker - 20 (23)

£14k

£5.1k p/w

[Steebear]

@goonergez

I really thought this was your year!  The new signing looks good and it sounds like you've thought a lot about how to make that next step.  Glad the board are giving you time to make it happen! Good luck!

@CMU Chips

Looks like you've settled into the National pretty well, maybe even a proper promo push for league football beckons?

 

[MikaelS]

@CMU Chips: did your youth go from Average to Adequate and then back to Average?

[Steebear]

 

Overview

In truth this was a very good season for us considering the stature of the club.  We managed to finish 7th despite having the 4th lowest Salary Per Annum and incredibly ran Dulwich Hamlet ragged in the Play-Off Semi Final...a team with 5 times my budget.  We should perhaps have clinched it in normal time but extra time proved too much.  Although we equalized and had our say, their superior condition due to the longer break between games (we were allowed just two days rest after the Play-Off First Round victory) decided it in my view.

 

 

I can't help but feel frustrated though by our dreadful inconsistency this season.  We won 4 straight games in the run up to Christmas and then went on to lose 4 straight in the New Year.  No champagne next season I think!  I subsequently started tinkering tactically and settled on three different formations depending on what we were trying to do.  Most of the time I am the underdog so play a cautious 4-4-1-1 formation and this will likely be the main tactical approach next season depending on what transfers we can poach.  In particular I find it incredibly hard to get my fullbacks to perform and this is something that has to improve next year if we are to improve on the 80 point haul.

Transfers

I would call my work in the transfer market this season satisfactory.  We made a few decent signings but the budget is tight and I feel going forward I will need to forgo players that are better as a whole to get players who will fit my tactical approach and can perhaps be persuaded to join on a Non-Contract basis.  I also have one very promising looking prospect from the academy that I intend to blood a little next season.  I expect great things from Luke Walker in the coming years.

 

Finances

Financially the club is looking fine at the moment but I think some decent cup runs will be needed if I am to remain profitable next year.  I have kept the wage bill very tight this year and I will be doing the same next season too.  We have to manage this club very carefully , buying cheap and punching above our weight.  My ability to do this is keeping me in the boards good graces...long may that continue.

[goonergez]

@Steebear my board seem to have no ambition. I was hoping this year would be our year, but it hasn’t started that way. One win in the first ten gave us an awful start, although things have improved a bit since

good season for you there though. I hate Dulwich Hamlet on this game. They always seem to smash their way into the football league on fm.

[goonergez]

Lancaster City FC: November 2027

It's nearly the midway point of the season, but for me this is where my Lancaster journey will end. After six seasons the time has come for me to call an end to my attempt at this challenge. Two failed play-off campaigns in a row signified a real lack of progress, with a semi-final our best effort. A thoroughly enjoyable save ends, but a new one will begin. 

I felt we had strengthened the squad really well in the summer, but was proven massively wrong. Our two new full backs were dire, and in the end we had to replace them both within ten games of the season beginning. Lamine Balde was still scoring, but not as prolifically as in previous campaigns. We won just one of our opening ten matches, including two 0-4 defeats at home, and a 3-6 smashing at AFC Telford.

At this stage I was already questioning my job, and interest in my position had began to wane. Things did improve a little, with a run to the 4th Qualification Round of the FA Cup a fairly welcome boost. Despite of that we were still losing games though, and after we fell 0-3 behind to Wrexham inside 15 minutes of an FA Trophy game I had decided enough was enough. I had lost confidence in the players, and form on the field was beginning to turn downhill again.

I leave this save with a heavy heart, but still with a lot of love for this challenge. I certainly didn't succeed with Lancaster, but I will now hold a fondness for the club after this. I am thinking I will stick with challenge, but will now shift focus to which team to have a go with. I'll return once I am into my new game and have faith that I am going to be sticking with it long term. In the mean time I will be keeping a keen eye on your progress guys, and wish you all good luck.

[Steebear]

@goonergez

Nooo! Very sorry to hear this mate!  I've enjoyed reading about Lancaster so will miss them.  I hope you are back with a new team really soon!  All the best

[MikaelS]

7 hours ago, goonergez said:

I hate Dulwich Hamlet on this game. They always seem to smash their way into the football league on fm.

Oh yes. Same in my game.

Dorking was smashing it with 12 games unbeaten, but have now lost the momentum and are only leading with 2 points.

[MikaelS]

@goonergezTough challenge and I fully understand.

Word of advice if I may. If you are gonna pick a new team, don't go for the same players as you had at Lancaster. I know from experience, that it is a tendency to go for familiar players. I'm not saying you shouldn't if they are good, but just keep in mind there are other players out there

Good luck!

[goonergez]

19 minutes ago, MikaelS said:

@goonergezTough challenge and I fully understand.

Word of advice if I may. If you are gonna pick a new team, don't go for the same players as you had at Lancaster. I know from experience, that it is a tendency to go for familiar players. I'm not saying you shouldn't if they are good, but just keep in mind there are other players out there

Good luck!

Mate I have fallen for that too. Normally ends in disappointment. I’m heading to the Conference South this time I think. Currently trying to pick between Folkestone or Poole Town. Tough choice

[Dons]

Needham Market

Sky Bet League 1
Position 1st

Squad - Table - Transfers - Finances - Profile - Injuries - Accolades - Financial Overview - Data Report - Moments to Remember - Season to Remember - Financial Report - Club Info

A great season in which we ended winning the league with a couple of games left. The chairman who took over the club late last season, doesn't really like to spend money the way I hoped. He did however agree to facility upgrades and increasing youth level. To make matter a tad worse, there has already been rumours of a takeover, but the first attempt failed.

The cups were as good as one can expect, when facing far bigger teams. The FA Cup saw us exiting in the 5th round at Old Trafford, in a game we only lost 1-0. The Carabao Cup was a 4th season in a row exit in 2nd round, this time around to Aston Villa, who finished CH in 1st place. Highlight of the tournament though, was finally getting one back at Coventry and only loosing 1-0 to Villa. Papa John's Trophy was a Semi Final exit to Portsmouth, who barely survived League 1.

We did have quite a few injuries over the season, luckily the squad is large enough to not really being affected this season. Having pretty much signed every player I could find with a CH potential and consistency, we will attempt to offload players next season, whilst getting as many clauses in as possible, as well as attempt to sign PRM prospects.

Stuck with my 5-4-1. We surely don't score that many goals, but we let in even less.

Noteworthy Players:

Joel Freeman: GK - Liverpool reject, who may become the perfect replacement for Mitchell. Played many good games in the absense of Mitchell's injuries.
Will Akpele: DC - Our first real PRM prospect, purchased for 250K from Barnet. Amazing mental stats, and hopefully will develop his technical to match.
Kane Lockwood: DR - Another Liverpool reject, who atleast on paper seems like a great attacking FB.
Kevin Wilson: MC - Man Utd reject, who was with them for 7 years without a debut. Could turn out great.
Joe Haigh: IF - Just had another great season with 13 goals and 5 assists.
Ben Voisey: SC - Wasn't his best season, still got away with 18 goals.
Yoane Zohore: SC - Has been a fantastic servant to the club and with us for many years. He won't make the cut next season. His contract with most likely just run out, as he is a club legend.

Season	League	Position	Ch.Leag	Eu.Leag	FA Cup	Car. Cup	PJT	FAT
27-28	L1	1st	*	*	5th rnd	2nd rnd	Semi	*
26-27	L1	3rd	*	*	4th rnd	2nd rnd	2nd rnd	*
25-26	L2	1st	*	*	5th rnd	2nd rnd	Quater	*
24-25	L2	5th	*	*	2nd rnd	2nd rnd	Final	*
23-24	VN	1st	*	*	2nd rnd	*	*	Final
22-23	VN	10th	*	*	3rd rnd	*	*	S.Final
21-22	VNN	3rd	*	*	1st rnd	*	*	Q.Final

[MikaelS]

@Donsthe skin you are using, is the equivalent to a full blown gaming PC with RGB lights all over  Man, that takes some to get used to

Oh, and grats on the promotion