[FM23] Learning my trade in Derbyshire, Staffordshire and surrounding areas

[Stuniverse]

Friday 29th December 2023

Charnley released by Staveley Miners Welfare

--

[keeper#1]

How did North Ferriby fall to Level 9?

[Stuniverse]

8 minutes ago, keeper#1 said:

How did North Ferriby fall to Level 9?

[Stuniverse]

Friday 29th December 2023

I attended an interview with Belper Town

I walked from home to the Raygar Stadium, Belper; it took me about 20 minutes.

--

--

--

[Now this answer may cost me the Belper Town job (if they're not prepared to wait), but it was the honest answer because I would like to see the season out with Staveley Miners Welfare as we chase down back-to-back promotions].

--

Tier 7

--

Edited February 7, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 30th December 2023

Preview: Handsworth (Home)

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

It's great to see Lewis Farmer back in training but we're going to wrap him in cotton wool for a bit and he'll sit on the bench today.

Tom Parkinson gets a start with Sonny Best having left the club and, as it's proving difficult at the moment to sign a left-winger, Tom has a chance to grab the shirt and make it his. Good luck to him as he's a nice lad.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 30th December 2023

Staveley Miners Welfare v Handsworth

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

Inkersall Road, Staveley

--

We weren't at our best today, but we found a way to win.

Nathan Waterston gave us an early ninth minute lead and that proved to be enough.

But we needed Sam Waller to be at his best in our goal and two superb saves really stood out.

Two minutes into the second-half we rode our look when Handsworth hit the post but, overall, I think we deserved the win.

Negatives on the day were we lost our captain Tom Bell in the first-half and Sam Sharrock-Peplow after the break, both with knocks on the knee. Hopefully, neither will be too serious.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Monday 1st January 2024

Manager of the Month

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

Edited February 7, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Monday 1st January 2024

Portadown sign Wallace

--

[Stuniverse]

Monday 1st January 2024

Monthly Reports

 

Board Expectations

 

Finances

 

Dynamics

 

Supporter Expectations

[Stuniverse]

Tuesday 2nd January 2024

Preview: Albion Sports (away)

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

Tom Bell and Sam Sharrock-Peplow have both recovered from the knocks they picked up against Handsworth so we go again with no changes.

[Stuniverse]

Tuesday 2nd January 2023

Albion Sports v Staveley Miners Welfare

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

The Citadel, Farsley

--

There's nothing more satisfying for me as a football manager than watching my team completely control an away game and win comfortably.

D'Andre Wainwright scored both our goals.

And, defensively, we were outstanding and Albion Sports hardly troubled Sam Waller in our goal.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Wednesday 3rd January 2024

Belper Town offer me the job as manager

--

Belper Town are offering a wage budget of £4,000 per week, which is more than double the £1,926.00 wage budget I have at Staveley Miners Welfare.

But even though Belper Town are currently playing two levels above us in the football pyramid, at Tier 7, they aren't prepared to offer me a salary.

At least Belper Town have agreed to let me see out this season at Staveley Miners Welfare as we endeavour to hold onto top spot and win back-to-back promotions. If we clinch promotion, Staveley Miners Welfare will be playing Tier 8 football next season.

Belper Town are currently rock bottom of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, 16 points adrift of safety with 17 games remaining, so the odds are that they will be playing Tier 8 football next season.

--

With both Staveley Miners Welfare and Belper Town looking odds-on to be playing Tier 8 football next season, which football club offers me the best option of further success?

a) Staveley Miners Welfare, with around a £2,000 per week wage budget, an obscure reputation, and a track record of playing Tier 9 football...

or b) Belper Town with a £4,000 per week wage budget (double that of Staveley's), a local reputation, and a track record of playing Tier 8 football?

--

I have to admit, I'm very torn over this decision as I'd really like to be earning a salary but, if no football club is going to offer me a salary, at least Belper Town are my local team and I can walk to the ground.

I'm going to ask Mr Jason Leahy (Belper Town Chairperson) for a delay and take a week to think about it.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Confused by manager job offers / salaries on this save

I'm confused...

I've been managing Staveley Miners Welfare in Tier 10 (Amateur) and Tier 9 (Semi-Professional) and am now on my third contract with The Trojans, but still no sign of a wage.

I've also had three job offers so far in this save from Shepshed Dynamo (Tier 8 - Semi-Professional), Barwell FC (Tier 8 - Semi-Professional), and Belper Town (Tier 7 - Semi-Professional), and none of them have offered me a salary either.

Have I got to get a manager's job in the FM default leagues, Vanarama National League North / South (Tier 6) before I get offered an actual salary?

--

Answers on a post card please...

 

Tagged: @cerud @deltablue @JaytheGreat @keeper#1 @KibworthBull @lionel messi @Pearomaniac @Punch @samboing @warlock

Edited February 7, 2023 by Stuniverse

[keeper#1]

 

You asked for it on a card.  

[Punch]

10 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Confused by manager job offers / salaries on this save

I'm confused...

I've been managing Staveley Miners Welfare in Tier 10 (Amateur) and Tier 9 (Semi-Professional) and am now on my third contract with The Trojans, but still no sign of a wage.

I've also had three job offers so far in this save from Shepshed Dynamo (Tier 8 - Semi-Professional), Barwell FC (Tier 8 - Semi-Professional), and Belper Town (Tier 7 - Semi-Professional), and none of them have offered me a salary either.

Have I got to get a manager's job in the FM default leagues, Vanarama National League North / South (Tier 6) before I get offered an actual salary?

--

Answers on a post card please...

 

Tagged: @cerud @deltablue @JaytheGreat @keeper#1 @KibworthBull @lionel messi @Pearomaniac @Punch @samboing @warlock

I started in tier 8 in the Guernsey save, but we were already semi pro, and I had a wage for the start.

Is it possible there is a bug in the database that is causing this?

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 6th January 2024

Preview: Golcar United (Home)

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

We're going to go with the same starting 11 and subs that won 2-0 away at Albion Sports last time out.

[Stuniverse]

8 minutes ago, Punch said:

Is it possible there is a bug in the database that is causing this?

Possibly, @Punch quite possibly. To quote, @keeper#1 "I don't know!"

Edited February 8, 2023 by Stuniverse

[warlock]

14 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

I'm confused...

Um... not sure I can help. I just did a quick trawl through the L10 challenge thread and was ready to conclude that it might be a database thing - loads of managers working unpaid, including one guy who was 5 or 6 years in. But a couple of the more recent screenshots show at least a couple of managers getting £50 a week on signing. So it might just be a board thing.

[Stuniverse]

7 minutes ago, warlock said:

Um... not sure I can help. I just did a quick trawl through the L10 challenge thread and was ready to conclude that it might be a database thing - loads of managers working unpaid, including one guy who was 5 or 6 years in. But a couple of the more recent screenshots show at least a couple of managers getting £50 a week on signing. So it might just be a board thing.

Thank you, @warlock.

[Punch]

Maybe worth messaging the database creator, if you can, and see if he knows anything.

Otherwise, as @warlock suggested, you might just have to tough it out and see if the Board come good.

[Stuniverse]

6 hours ago, Punch said:

Maybe worth messaging the database creator, if you can, and see if he knows anything.

Good idea, @Punch. I’ve asked the question on Page 11 of the thread for the database I’m using (link in the first post of this thread if anyone’s interested). Already somebody has replied to say they got paid at Almondsbury in Tiers 9-10.

6 hours ago, Punch said:

Otherwise, as @warlock suggested, you might just have to tough it out and see if the Board come good.

Thanks for the input @Punch and @warlock. For the purposes of this save moving forward, in the absence of a manager salary being offered, I’ll use the following as a guide to help me decide whether a football club is a step-up or not:

• Tier currently playing in
• Budgets on offer
• Reputation
• Track record in recent seasons (Club > General screen)
• Sponsorship income (Division screen, drop-down option for sponsorship income league table)
• Number of season ticket holders and prices.

As well, of course, how local or not the football club is to where I live (until such time that, if I ever get offered a salary, money isn’t an issue for Stu Stuniverse).

Edited February 8, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

7 hours ago, keeper#1 said:

 

You asked for it on a card.  

Thanks, @keeper#1. Made me laugh.

😂⚽️🤣

[Stuniverse]

17 hours ago, Punch said:

Maybe worth messaging the database creator, if you can, and see if he knows anything.

I asked @Punch and received this reply:

"You probally wont get salary until you reach national leagues at the earliest depending when your contracts expire as you are probally using one of my earlier database releseases.

"I removed amateur from the teams and made them all semi-pro has it was causing issues and made it very easy in the first few levels.

"The only teams that are amateur now are the ones that are always amateur by defaut, corinthian casuals is one and i think there are a few others too.

"I did not start getting paid until i reached League 1/Championship level."

Looks like I may have to rethink the point at which Stu Stuniverse can stop restricting himself to local football clubs and mange further afield.

[Punch]

I thought there could have been something strange in the database set up. Oh well, I guess you can just concentrate on advancing your career and not worry too much about the money side of things yourself.

[Stuniverse]

1 hour ago, Punch said:

I thought there could have been something strange in the database set up. Oh well, I guess you can just concentrate on advancing your career and not worry too much about the money side of things yourself.

Yes, it’s a shame… but a risk you take with a custom database, rather than the default FM database, that everything might not be quite how you’d like it.

Still, it is a very good database (I couldn’t have unlocked all these leagues and made them playable myself), and I’m enjoying the save immensely… so will continue with it and simply not focus on managerial salaries.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 6th January 2024

Staveley Miners Welfare v Golcar United

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

Inkersall Road, Stavely

--

Another good performance by the players and we effectively had the game won by half-time with two goals from Mitchell George and a special free-kick from Tom Parkinson.

After the break we were unable to add to the scoresheet and Golcar United pulled one back on 69 minutes.

But we were never really troubled and saw out a comfortable win.

Unfortunately, though, we had to take Kane Patterson off with a groin injury.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Wednesday 10th January 2024

It's decision time

Staveley Miners Welfare or Belper Town next season?

13 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

For the purposes of this save moving forward, in the absence of a manager salary being offered, I’ll use the following as a guide to help me decide whether a football club is a step-up or not:

• Tier currently playing in
• Budgets on offer
• Reputation
• Track record in recent seasons (Club > General screen)
• Sponsorship income (Division screen, drop-down option for sponsorship income league table)
• Number of season ticket holders and prices.

As well, of course, how local or not the football club is to where I live (until such time that, if I ever get offered a salary, money isn’t an issue for Stu Stuniverse).

Staveley Miners Welfare

Top of Northern Counties East League Premier Division (Tier 9):

Wage Budget: £1,960.00 per week.

Reputation / Track Record:

Sponsorship Income: £2,000.00.

Season Tickets: 52 at £66.00.

--

Belper Town

Rock-bottom of Northern Premier League Premier Division (Tier 7).

Wage Budget: £4,000.00 per week.

Reputation / Track Record:

Sponsorship Income: £14,000.00.

Season Tickets: 41 at £155.00.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Wednesday 10th January 2024

Done Deal

I walked to the Raygar Stadium and met with the Nailers Owner / Chairperson Mr Jason Leahy.

--

I signed on the dotted line to manage Belper Town next season.

[JaytheGreat]

Congrats on the new job, bummer you are still working for free though.

[Stuniverse]

15 minutes ago, JaytheGreat said:

Congrats on the new job, bummer you are still working for free though.

Thanks, Jay. I agree, but unfortunately it's down to the custom database I'm using, so I'm going to have to forget about it and keep going with a save I'm thoroughly enjoying.

I still have the rest of this season to complete with Staveley Miners Welfare before I take up my new job at Belper Town.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Thursday 11th January 2024

Belper Town manager - the news has broken

--

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 13th January 2024

Preview: Sheffield FC (away)

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

A couple of changes today.

We don't want to rush Kane Patterson back so Lewis Farmer returns to the starting line-up in an unfamiliar right-back position. We have every confidence in Lewis though and he came on for Kane against Golcar United last time out and did well.

Filozofe Mabete also comes back into the starting 11 in place of Tom Hannigan.

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 13th January 2024

Sheffield v Staveley Miners Welfare

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

Home of Football Stadium, Dronfield

--

It's been a strange week off the field, I must admit, can we just leave it at that.

I can assure all the Trojans fans that I remain fully committed to Staveley Miners Welfare and we are determined not to let our good start go to waste and are confident of securing back-to-back promotions.

There were three Trojans in the crowd of 123 at the Home of Football Stadium and Jessica Honeyman, the Supporter Spokesperson, gave me some stick but it was good, natured banter. I hope Jessica and the other Trojans enjoyed the win.

I was more worried about how the players would react, but I needn't have worried on that score. The players were magnificent, defending incredibly well, it's not often you go away from home and restrict your hosts to a solitary shot on target.

Mitchell George was in fine form, scoring both goals.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Sunday 14th January 2023

Now this is an interesting development

Can't say I blame Terry Damms or the Staveley Board though

Edited February 9, 2023 by Stuniverse

[warlock]

11 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Now this is an interesting development

To be expected, I suppose. Could get awkward if you lose a couple of key players and the board decide not to replace them in the closing stages. Fingers crossed!

 

[Stuniverse]

10 minutes ago, warlock said:

To be expected, I suppose. Could get awkward if you lose a couple of key players and the board decide not to replace them in the closing stages. Fingers crossed!

🤞 indeed, @warlock

Could make for an interesting run-in…

[Punch]

Congrats on the new job. I have never taken one at the end of the season like that before, so I am interested to see how things go for the rest of this season.

[Stuniverse]

26 minutes ago, Punch said:

Congrats on the new job. I have never taken one at the end of the season like that before, so I am interested to see how things go for the rest of this season.

Thanks, @Punch. I’m delighted to have got a job to manage my local football club.

But until the end of the season it is Belper who?

[robterrace]

On 07/02/2023 at 19:45, keeper#1 said:

How did North Ferriby fall to Level 9?

To cut a long story short, the club became reliant on the owners for financial support, they sold it on to a guy who was a bit of a chancer, who basically despite being a former player, couldn't run a bath, they eventually got wound up at High Court, and the Phoenix Club that replaced them had to start at the bottom.

 

[Stuniverse]

3 hours ago, robterrace said:

To cut a long story short, the club became reliant on the owners for financial support, they sold it on to a guy who was a bit of a chancer, who basically despite being a former player, couldn't run a bath, they eventually got wound up at High Court, and the Phoenix Club that replaced them had to start at the bottom.

 

Thank you, @robterrace. I didn't know that.

Sad when this happens to any football club but even more so the grass roots clubs. The big clubs should know better.

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 20th January 2024

Preview: FC Parson Drove (away)

FA Vase 4th Round

FC Parson Drove are 15th in the Eastern Counties League Division 1 North (Tier 10), so they play a level below us in the football pyramid.

We're away from home so we're expecting a difficult challenge at Main Road, Wisbech.

We pretty much have a clean bill of health at the moment which is pleasing to say. Hopefully that hasn't jinxed things for today.

Kane Patterson looks to have recovered now from his pulled groin and that'll give me some positive selection headaches with Lewis Farmer fully recovered now from his knee issue as well.

Kane Patterson returns at right-back. Lewis Farmer, who deputised so well out-of-position for Kane, will play in his more familiar right-winger position, and Nathan Waterston, unfortunately for him as he's played well, goes back onto the bench.

Apart from that, we're unchanged.

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 20th January 2024

FC Parson Drove v Staveley Miners Welfare

FA Vase 4th Round

Main Road, Wisbech

--

I was very impressed with Parson Drove today. They gave us a very difficult game today which I don't think was reflected in the scoreline. I'm delighted to have won and progressed to the next round though.

The difference was our finishing, we were ruthless up front.

3-0 up at the break, through two goals from D'Andre Wainwright and one from Mitchell George, and it could easily have been five as Mitchell George hit the post twice.

In the second-half we made a couple of changes so as to not tire out Kane Patterson and Lewis Farmer who had both returned from injury.

Filozofe Mabete, who moved out to right-back, made a brilliant tackle in our penalty area, but the ball ran to their striker, six yards out, who buried it in the back of our net to make it 3-1.

And, but for a miraculous save by Sam Waller, it would've been 3-2 only a few minutes later.

Then D'Andre Wainwright sealed his hat-trick and we could relax a bit, but not too much, at 4-1.

Edited February 9, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 20th January 2024

Weekend Roundup

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

Edited February 9, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Stuniverse]

Sunday 21st January 2024

FA Vase 5th Round draw

With 16 teams left in the FA Vase it would appear that the bookies have made us, Staveley Miners Welfare, the favourites to win the trophy.

City of Liverpool are 2nd in the North West Counties League Premier Division (Tier 9), which means they play at the same level of the football pyramid as ourselves.

[Stuniverse]

Wednesday 24th January 2023

Preview: Knaresborough Town (Home)

Northern Counties East League Cup 3rd Round

I have a lot of time for Max Rhodes, he's a great player and an even better human being. Max scored eight goals and provided three assists in our title winning promotion season last year.

It will be good to see him again, I just hope I'm the one smiling, not Max, at the end of the match.

Our medical team have given everybody the green light to play 90 minutes so I have a full squad to select from, but I'm conscious we have a Northern Counties East League Premier Division game against Garforth Town on Saturday.

Three changes today, all with Saturday's league game in mind if I'm honest.

Aaron Atkinson, Nathan Waterston and Connor Heath all come in for Tom Bell, Lewis Farmer and D'Andre Waiwright.

--

[Stuniverse]

Wednesday 24th January 2024

Staveley Miners Welfare v Knaresborough Town

Northern Counties East League Cup 3rd Round

Inkersall Road, Staveley

--

Oh boy was it cold out there tonight. Absolutely freezing stood on the sidelines and watching my team play in snow, that was a first for me.

Before we get into things, it would be remiss of me not to thank the ground staff and the many volunteers who turned up to help clear the snow and make sure the game could go ahead tonight. I hope they feel it was worth it and enjoyed the win, and the spirited performance of our players, if not so much the unfortunate sequence of events that unfolded.

Things started badly for us in the 3rd minute, when the usually reliable Charlie Rutt missed his header, allowing Knaresborough Town to take the lead with a stunning volley.

Mitchell George had to be stretchered off shortly afterwards and, sadly, it looks like it's a bad one and I feel for him.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, Filozofe Mabete received a straight red card for a bad sliding challenge.

I know there was no intent to injure the player because Filozofe isn't like that but, I thought, the referee could've made an allowance for the snowy conditions on the pitch. In the circumstances, I thought a yellow card would've been fair.

Knaresborough, I'm sure, will think they should have won it against 10-men. They had three goals ruled out, including two by our former player Max Rhodes, but they were all clearly offside.

We really struggled to get into the match after the sending off, but the players left on the pitch showed incredible character and spirit and they worked their socks off in an attempt to get back into the game. But nothing was working.

On 68 minutes, we gambled, we made our third substitution and went with an Attacking mentality, even though we were a man down.

We rode our luck a bit at the back but, with time running out, D'Andre Wainwright, who had worked tirelessly up front on his own, for well over an hour, grabbed an equaliser for us.

Then we went to a penalty shootout.

And we won. I'd love to credit Sam Waller with heroic saves, but their two misses were exactly that, misses, wide of the target.

I think the pressure got to Kane Patterson when he took our fifth penalty with a chance to put us through but his spot-kick was well saved. At least it didn't cost us, not that I would blame him, Kane was brave to step forward and take it, but at least he won't lose any sleep over it.

We took all our other penalties very well and won the shootout.

I'm not sure whether we deserved to go through, or not, but we are through and we're in the draw for the next round.

Edited February 9, 2023 by Stuniverse

[Pearomaniac]

On 08/02/2023 at 00:40, Stuniverse said:

Confused by manager job offers / salaries on this save

I'm confused...

I've been managing Staveley Miners Welfare in Tier 10 (Amateur) and Tier 9 (Semi-Professional) and am now on my third contract with The Trojans, but still no sign of a wage.

I've also had three job offers so far in this save from Shepshed Dynamo (Tier 8 - Semi-Professional), Barwell FC (Tier 8 - Semi-Professional), and Belper Town (Tier 7 - Semi-Professional), and none of them have offered me a salary either.

Have I got to get a manager's job in the FM default leagues, Vanarama National League North / South (Tier 6) before I get offered an actual salary?

--

Answers on a post card please...

 

Tagged: @cerud @deltablue @JaytheGreat @keeper#1 @KibworthBull @lionel messi @Pearomaniac @Punch @samboing @warlock

Vanarama Leagues are semi professional so i guess u would be offered a wage. Anything lower than that u will get like a roasted pig and beer if u win

[Stuniverse]

Thursday 25th January 2024

Northern Counties East League Cup

Quarter-Final draw

[Stuniverse]

Thursday 25th January 2024

Jagne returns home to Gambia

[Stuniverse]

Saturday 27th January 2024

Preview: Garforth Town (away)

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

Unfortunately, Mitchell George is going to be out a while and Filozofe Mabete is suspended.

But Kane Patterson came through the difficult game against Knaresborough Town in the Northern Counties East League Cup unscathed.

So there's quite a few changes today, some forced and some not.

Tom Hannigan comes in for Filozofe Mabete, with Bolton Makwedza providing cover off the bench.

D'Andre Wainwright comes back in up front, with Zach Clarke taking a place on the bench which, hopefully, might cheer Chester manager Brad Ball up as he's been on my case about Zach not being involved enough.

Lewis Farmer and our captain Tom Bell, who were both rested in midweek, return to the starting 11 with Nathan Waterston and Aaron Atkinson taking places on the bench.