More warning when a club might turn professional PLEASE

[theinfamousmielie]

So I know that when you go into certain leagues you're forced into being professional. That's fine, because those are hard-and-fast rules.

But I'm currently into my second season with Dorking Wanderers, a semi-pro club in Vanarama National League in the first season. Several times throughout the course of that season I would make board requests to turn professional, and was denied. The most recent time was after winning the FA trophy, making the playoffs (but losing in the first PO match after getting FM'd) and generally having a very healthy financial projection.

Now Dorking's stadium does not meet VNL rules, but there's obviously a grace period situation for that first season. However, nothing was done about the stadium until I finished my first season, at which point "NEW STADIUM!" is announced. That's another issue though ... if you know you're gonna need to sort that out, at least announce that earlier.

The main problem I've experienced - and I'm sure many others have too - is that my semi-pro club suddenly and mysteriously decided to turn professional a few weeks after I last asked the board to consider being professional. This was at the end of a successful season, and because I'd been routinely denied I had assumed we would stay semi-pro for the next season. This was fine, so I was proactive and signed some new players, renewed some contracts, revamped my staff, and generally put a lot of time and effort into making my financial situation even more positive whilst actually improving the squad and staff.

All on Part-time contracts, of course.

And then, out of nowhere, it is decided that the club is turning professional.

This is great news! Except I've literally just renewed all the player contracts and bought a bunch of players that I was able to. I missed out on some players _possibly_ because I wasn't full-time and couldn't offer them things. Staff members don't want to update to full-time contracts because they've literally just signed their previous contract. It's a mess, and it could have all been avoided if there was a news item from the board saying "we're considering going professional at the end of the season (insert date here)"

If the board request maybe said "not now but at the end of the season we can go professional" when I asked then that would have also worked. 

It just feels like I've wrecked my season somewhat and now have to cope with a 'full time' club with only part time staff in a way that the agency was taken away from me when it really didn't need to be.

[Zachary Whyte]

Thank you for the detailed suggestion. This will be reviewed further by the developers.