Westminster - Fictional UK affiliated African nation (FM23 - 20.4)

[Supermercado99]

This is a follow up to my FM22 file, created mostly for my own amusement but offered here in case anyone's interested in what I think might be the most ludicrously complicated fictional nation file ever, or wants to copy formats for theirbuilds. I rebuilt it from scratch around the same ideas as the old file but with a lot of movement in teams in divisions, changed team names etc... Thanks to the government of Hokkaido for lending their flag to our nation.

* Editor file (minor update from original to better balance finances)
* Picture pack (530mb)

Westminster is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, located a few hundred kilometres north west of South Africa. A British territory since the 1700s, its population is now approaching that of Scotland and it has financial security due to mining, offshore oil, agriculture and a thriving tech sector. The island has had the status of overseas territory/colony since its occupation, but after the Brexit vote there was a surge in support for the previously fringe independence movement. To counter this sentiment, a deal was arranged between the island's council and the British government for Westminster to become an official member of the United Kingdom from 1 January 2022.

The island's 10 counties are:

• Liberty City - 1.4m (includes the largest metropolitan area on the island, spread across the mainland and Capital Island)
• Elizabeth - 600k (the largest city on the west coast)
• Midland - 500k (significant in size but contains a lot of agricultural land and small farming towns)
• Port Liberty - 325k (most remaining heavy industry of the island is centred around the port and airport zone)
• Mt. Lawler - 250k (the mining centre of the island)
• Victoria River - 210k
• Lake Charles - 200k
• South Coast - 185k (the main tourist district)
• Kangyana Falls - 175k (has a significant technology zone)
• Buya - 155k (centre of population for descendants of the island's original inhabitants)

Football has long been the most popular game on the island, with many Westminstran-born players plying their trade in England and Scotland over the years. Now their national team has achieved FIFA membership, and despite some resistance from African nations they have been admitted to CAF. Forced to accept the national team against their will, CAF responded by making it difficult for Westminstran club teams, only offering one Confederations Cup spot until the island does well enough to earn coefficient points.

As well as a national team, the island has a club football system for the first time. For nearly 100 years the competition has been played in a cricket style county system, but the domination of the big counties, and competition from easily accessible English Premier League coverage (the island operates in the GMT time zone) saw waning public interest. It took the near financial ruin of several county boards to accept the club game. Then they went the other way, greedily grabbing for entry fees until they had 360 teams across professional (levels 1-2), semi-professional (3-8), and amateur (9) levels.

Westminster's system consists of three leagues, under the ultimate authority of the Football Association.

• The Football League (Levels 1-4)
• The National League (Levels 5-8)
• The Midweek League (Level 9)

As well as six cup competitions:

• Football Association Cup and National Youth Cup - 256 teams from level 1-8
• League Cup - 44 teams from Level 3 and 4 + 14 Under 19 teams from level 1
• National Challenge Cup - 128 teams from levels 5-8
• Midweek Cup and Midweek Youth Cup - 104 level 9 teams in a six game group stage, then a 32 team knockout

Division 1

• 38 games, mostly played at 15:00 Saturday. Maximum five non-UK foreign players.
• Professional teams with $1 million starting capital.
• Starts with two teams per county, despite large population differences
• 3 relegated + 1 play off against 4th in D2

Aldhaven Victoria River (Victoria River)
Buya Nhambe (Buya - play in the African Confederation Cup in season 1)
Capital City Senators (Liberty City)
Coastal Crush (South Coast)
Elizabeth Palace (Elizabeth)
Hudson Valley Vipers (Midland)
Kangyana Heights (Kangyana Falls)
Lake Charles Lightning (Lake Charles)
Lakeside Drive (Lake Charles)
Midland Panthers (Midland)
Mounties (Mt. Lawler)
Mt. Lawler City (Mt. Lawler)
New London Lions (Elizabeth)
Nyema Buya (Buya)
Port Liberty Dockers (Port Liberty)
Portland Seals (Port Liberty)
South Coast Strikes (South Coast)
Stamford Town (Kangyana Falls)
Victoria Dynamo (Victoria River)
Westminster Dragons (Liberty City)

Division 2

• 42 games, mostly played at 15:00 Sunday. Maximum four non-UK foreign players.
• Professional teams with $600k starting capital.
• 3 promoted + one playoff with fourth last in D1.
• 4 relegated

Atlantic City Rovers (Elizabeth)
Buya Sahambe (Buya)
Cambridge Wolves (Midland)
Falls City Rapids (Kangyana Falls)
Kamba City Flyers (Mt. Lawler)
Marble Harbour (Lake Charles)
Mid-South Falcons (Midland)
Midland Greyhounds (Midland - play out of the city's old greyhound stadium)
New Street Wanderers (Mt. Lawler)
Newquay Phantoms (South Coast)
Northern Suburbs Devils (Liberty City)
Port Liberty Athletic (Port Liberty)
River City Raiders (Victoria River)
Riviera Riot (South Coast)
Saltmarsh Meadow (Lake Charles)
Savannah (Kangyana Falls)
Second City Saints (Elizabeth)
South Liberty Sharks (Liberty City)
The Royals (Elizabeth)
Tidal (Port Liberty)
Victoria United (Victoria River)
West Liberty Wildcats (Liberty City)

Division 3

• 46 games, mostly played at 19:00 Friday. Maximum three non-UK foreign players.
• Semi-professional teams with $350k starting capital.
• 3 automatically promoted + one from playoffs
• 4 relegated

Banfield Blaze (Lake Charles)
Docklands Park (Port Liberty)
Epsom Farm (Kangyana Falls)
Gainsborough Revolution (Victoria River)
Island Warriors (Liberty City)
Liberty City Rangers (Liberty City)
Liberty Gardens (Liberty City)
Malvern Vale (Midland)
Maritime (Port Liberty)
Meridian (Elizabeth)
Merton Hill (Lake Charles)
Midtown Lynx (Midland)
Northwest Barbarians (Elizabeth)
Queensborough (Mt. Lawler)
Redmage (Mt. Lawler)
Riverview Sting (Victoria River)
Safari Club (Mt. Lawler)
Salisbury Crescent (Midland)
Sirina Buya (Buya)
Sparkbrook (Kangyana Falls)
Surf Coast Pirates (South Coast)
Thames Athletic (South Coast)
Westminster Marine (Port Liberty)
Windsor (Elizabeth)

Division 4

• 46 games, mostly played at 12:00 Sunday. Maximum three non-UK foreign players.
• Semi-professional teams with $200k starting capital.
• 3 automatically promoted + one from playoffs
• 4 relegated

Cadbury Town (Port Liberty)
Canterbury City (Port Liberty)
Carolina Avenue (Liberty City)
Cinderford (Victoria River)
Cleveland Association (Kangyana Falls)
Cricketers (Midland - the football section of the most prestigious cricket club in the country)
Dartmouth Storm (Elizabeth)
Dei Buyani (Buya)
Elizabeth West End (Elizabeth)
Greenwich Town (Midland)
Inland Explorers (Kangyana Falls)
Leyton City (Lake Charles)
Manchester Canal Kings (Elizabeth - the town of Manchester Canal is home to a large expatriate community of Mancunians)
Mile End (Mt. Lawler)
Newhaven Fury (Midland)
Port City Drillers (Port Liberty)
Rushall Albion (Lake Charles)
Sandgate Mariners (South Coast)
Silver Gully Rangers (Mt. Lawler)
Smoky Mountain (Mt. Lawler)
Tropical City (South Coast)
Waverley Hills (Liberty City)
Wimbledon Parade (Liberty City)
Yarmouth Rivercats (Victoria River)

National League 1

• 39 games, mostly played at 11:00 Saturday. Maximum two non-UK foreign players.
• Semi-professional teams with $150k starting capital.
• 3 automatically promoted + one from playoffs
• 4 relegated

Atlantis (Midland)
Belmont Castle (Mt. Lawler)
Beverley (Port Liberty)
Bridgewater (South Coast)
Broughton Green (Lake Charles)
Camberwell Crusaders (Liberty City)
Castleford Town (Mt. Lawler)
Chapeltown Infinity (Victoria River)
Chetford Forest (Midland)
Crossgate (Kangyana Falls)
Diamonds (Victoria River)
Dixon Creek (Kangyana Falls)
Eaglehawk (Port Liberty)
Flemington Bridge (Lake Charles)
Framwood Galaxy (Liberty City)
Glastonbury (South Coast)
Gold Coast Stars (Liberty City)
Highgate Challengers (Kangyana Falls)
Kelmscott City (Mt. Lawler)
Kingsway (Victoria River)
Lenaia (Buya)
Liberty New Town (Liberty City)
Malvern Terminators (Midland)
Midland Junction (Midland)
Moreland Bombers (Kangyana Falls)
Mystic Park (Port Liberty)
Newport Wasps (Elizabeth)
Northport Bulldogs (Port Liberty)
Paradise Beach (Liberty City)
Prentice Panthers (Elizabeth)
Racing Club (Midland - affiliated with the island's largest turf club)
Sandringham (Elizabeth)
Seaview Pegasus (Lake Charles)
South Coast Combination (South Coast)
St. George Shield (Lake Charles)
Torrington Rangers (South Coast)
Wentworth (Victoria River)
White City Wizards (Elizabeth)
Wild Cherry (Elizabeth)
Winfield Town (Mt. Lawler)

National League 2

• 41 games, mostly played at 09:00 Saturday. Maximum two non-UK foreign players.
• Semi-professional teams with $120k starting capital.
• 3 automatically promoted + one from playoffs
• 4 relegated

Alexandria Sports (Victoria River)
Anderson Park (Mt. Lawler)
Arundel (Elizabeth)
Aston Town (Liberty City)
Athletic Club (Liberty City - representing the island's biggest track and field club)
Bernard Street Bears (Liberty City)
Cannington (Mt. Lawler)
Canterbury Rollers (Port Liberty)
Churchill Point (South Coast)
Clarendon Street (Midland)
Collingwood City (Liberty City)
Concord (Mt. Lawler)
Crosby Moor (Elizabeth)
Dice Town (Kangyana Falls)
Dolphin Coast (South Coast)
Ellesmere Scouts (Elizabeth)
Gateway City Outlaws (Midland)
Halstock Town (Port Liberty)
Hammerton Roses (Lake Charles)
Hastings (Elizabeth)
Heathcote Swifts (Lake Charles)
Hendersonville (Midland)
Live Oak Town (Port Liberty)
London Cyclones (Elizabeth)
Manningham Broadway (Elizabeth)
Norton United (Kangyana Falls)
Palmerston Grove (Lake Charles)
Paryea (Buya)
Ravenglass (Liberty City)
Riverwalk Regents (Victoria River)
Sandown Chargers (Midland)
Spalding Athletic (Mt. Lawler)
Sparrow Town (Victoria River)
Stratton and Wells United (Midland)
Sunshine Point (South Coast)
The Mighty Interior (Midland)
Tyneguard Elite (Victoria River)
Vincent Square (Lake Charles)
Waverley Park (Liberty City)
Wellington District (Port Liberty)
Whitewater Springs (Kangyana Falls)
Woodland Rovers (Liberty City)

National League 3

• 41 games, mostly played at 09:00 Saturday. Maximum two non-UK foreign players.
• Semi-professional teams with $120k starting capital.
• 3 automatically promoted + one from playoffs
• 4 relegated

Abbey Wood (Mt. Lawler)
Atherstone Avengers (Liberty City)
Blue Hills (Elizabeth)
Boardwalk (Port Liberty)
Bosworth (Port Liberty)
Brittania United (Kangyana Falls)
Camelot (Mt. Lawler)
Charterhouse (Lake Charles)
Daisy Hill (Liberty City)
Elizabeth City Vikings (Elizabeth)
Elmore Gate (Liberty City)
Elspeth and Morpel Town (Liberty City)
Eltham Inlet (Port Liberty)
Emerald Zone (Elizabeth)
Garden State (South Coast)
Great Western (Elizabeth)
Hampton Manor (Kangyana Falls)
Harvest Town (Midland)
Henley Hill (Victoria River)
Highfield Ignition (Elizabeth)
Kent Town Arrows (Liberty City)
Lockmarsh (Lake Charles)
Milford Sports (Mt. Lawler)
Mountain City Workers (Mt. Lawler - aligned to the main union in the city)
Oceanside (Port Liberty)
Oxford Point (Midland - play inside a golf country club)
Paramount (Victoria River)
Royal Forest (Midland)
Saltmarsh Union (Lake Charles)
Seagate (Port Liberty)
Seaya Buya (Buya)
Shark Cove (South Coast)
Silestown (Victoria River)
St. Helena (Midland)
Sunningdale (Kangyana Falls)
The North (Elizabeth - football section of a social club for northerners)
Trafalgar Fair (South Coast)
Valentine Town (Midland)
Velocity Sports (Mt. Lawler)
Venice Lake (Midland)
Washington Town (Liberty City)
Westchester Estate (Liberty City)

National League 4

• 41 games, mostly played at 09:00 Saturday. Maximum two non-UK foreign players.
• Semi-professional teams with $100k starting capital.
• 3 automatically promoted + one from playoffs
• 8 relegated

Alliance Buya (Buya - a joint British/Buyan team dedicated to promoting harmony between the communities)
Big Sky (Midland)
Bottlesford Recreation (Liberty City)
Bridlington Bulls (Victoria River)
Brockwell (Mt. Lawler)
Capital Combat (Liberty City)
Central Station (Midland)
Constellation (South Coast)
Devonport Town (Elizabeth)
Dover Crossing (Liberty City)
Downing Street (Liberty City)
Dream Machine (Port Liberty - play on the grounds of a large multi-sport club)
Eastern United (Liberty City)
Hawkestowe Sonics (Victoria River)
Hazel Glen (Midland)
Knightsbridge (Mt. Lawler)
Leatherwood (Elizabeth)
Madison Town (Elizabeth)
Marshalltown Spectres (Liberty City)
Maryvale Steelers (Midland)
Molebury (Lake Charles)
Moonlight Heath (Lake Charles)
Morley Rise (Kangyana Falls)
Nelson Point (Liberty City)
New Devon Town (Elizabeth)
Osborne House (Port Liberty - play on the grounds of a historic mansion)
Passing Breeze (South Coast)
Redgate (Port Liberty)
Ryton Foxes (Port Liberty)
Solar XI (Port Liberty)
South Camberwell (Liberty City)
Sporting Westminster (Liberty City)
Stonebridge (Lake Charles)
Surrey Hills (Midland)
Sutherland Town (Elizabeth)
Thruleigh (Midland)
Victorians (Victoria River)
Village Green (Elizabeth)
Wembley Athletic (Liberty City)
Wensleydale Spartans (Kangyana Falls)
Whitehall (Mt. Lawler)
Wishart Albion (Elizabeth)

Midweek League

• 25 games, mostly played at 19:00 Wednesday. Maximum one non-UK foreign player.
• Amateur teams with $40k starting capital. No prize money, teams earn money via game results. 
• Takes a break in December while the rounds of the Midweek Cup are played.
• 1 automatically promoted + 1 playoff winner from each group 

Midweek League Group A
Air Force (Port Liberty)
Army (Port Liberty)
Australians (Liberty City - Australian social club)
Caledonians (Elizabeth - Scottish social club)
Disco Volante (Liberty City - representing a local nightclub)
Grand Prix Speedway (South Coast - play in the middle of a motorsport speedway)
Hallam Eastfield (Mt. Lawler)
Imperials (Buya - representing the British loyalist community of Buya, holding a fierce rivalry with the Buyan teams and not transferring players with any of them)
Kangyana Kiwis (Kangyana Falls - New Zealand social club)
Kensington Community (Lake Charles)
Leopards (Kangyana Falls)
Liberty City Irish (Liberty City - Irish social club)
Mersey Fields (Victoria River)
Mineral Resource Group (Mt. Lawler - owned by a mining company)
Monster Factory (Midland)
National Energy (Midland - representing workers of the state gas/electricity company)
National Sealink (Liberty City - representing workers of the state ferry company)
Navy (Port Liberty)
Overbrook (Kangyana Falls)
Phoenix Park Atoms (Victoria River - founded by workers of the island's nuclear power plant) 
Pure Shores (South Coast)
Ridgeway Centre (Lake Charles - play in the grounds of a shopping centre)
The Mothership (Liberty City - representing a local nightclub)
Ulster United (Elizabeth - Northern Irish social club)
Velana (Midland - Organisation for Buyans living in Midland)
West Coast Welsh (Elizabeth - West social club)

Midweek League Group B
Alive and Kicking (Lake Charles - representing a local youth club)
Atlantic Electrical (Elizabeth - owned by an electrical services firm)
Auto Traders Group (Mt. Lawler - owned by the island's largest second hand car dealer)
Aztecs (Victoria River)
Calder Cowboys (Port Liberty)
City Towers (Liberty City - play on the grounds of the city's biggest social housing complex)
Corinthians (Lake Charles - always amateur)
Heart Of The Valley (Midland)
King's Court (Mt. Lawler)
Lakane (Buya)
Midland Industrial (Midland - representing blue collar workers in the city)
Millbank (Kangyana Falls)
National Ambulance (Liberty City - social club for ambulance workers)
National Fire Service (Liberty City - social club for fire fighters)
National Police Service (Liberty City - social club for police)
Norchester Tridents (South Coast)
North Windsor United (Elizabeth)
Ports Corporation (Port Liberty - representing the company that runs the city's docklands)
Rainham Town (Victoria River)
Red Star Victoria (Victoria River)
Royal Liberty Hospital (Liberty City - for workers at the island's major hospital)
Sherwood Waters (Kangyana Falls)
Skate Or Die (Elizabeth - connected to a chain of skate shops)
South Coast Gentlemen (South Coast - always amateur)
Southern Rail (South Coast - owned by the private freight rail operator on the island)
Westminster Rail (Midland - social club for staff of the passenger rail network)

Midweek League Group C
AFC Riverside (Victoria River)
American Eagles (South Coast - social club for American immigrants, many who settled in the island's surf coast)
Bank of Westminster (Liberty City - for staff of the national bank)
Beverley Heath (Port Liberty)
Broadcast House (Liberty City - for staff of the Westminster Broadcasting Corporation)
Brutal Deluxe (Mt. Lawler)
Buya Amenyango (Buya)
Capital City Amateurs (Liberty City - always amateur)
Dartmouth Sports (Elizabeth)
Digital Village (Kangyana Falls - representing a large tech products park)
Exiles (Mt. Lawler - pitched to immigrants from smaller communities that don't have teams of their own)
Falmouth St. Piran (Victoria River - social club for the Cornish community)
Huntsborough (Kangyana Falls)
Killer Bees (Port Liberty)
Kingston Sunrise (Elizabeth - social club for Jamaicans)
Lake Charles Metros (Lake Charles)
Laurimar (Liberty City)
Magic Mile (Mt. Lawler - joint venture between businesses on the main shopping strip in the town)
Maple Leaf (Midland - social club for Canadian community)
New World Order (Midland)
Portside Amateurs (Port Liberty - always amateur)
Ruby Reds (Kangyana Falls - owned by the largest poultry factory in Westminster)
Southport Plaza (South Coast - play on the grounds of a shopping centre)
The Soccer Show (Liberty City - house team of a popular football variety show on ITV Westminster)
Waterdale (Lake Charles)
Winning Eleven (Lake Charles)

Midweek League Group D
Airport and Customs (Port Liberty - for staff at the capital's international airport)
Anglers (Lake Charles)
Bruise Brothers (Victoria River)
Buya Benalia (Buya)
Central University (Midland - representing the second largest educational facility in Westminster)
Civil Service (Liberty City - team for government workers)
Drayton Village (Victoria River)
Edgehill Amateurs (Kangyana Falls - always amateur)
Edgehill Invaders (Kangyana Falls)
Elizabeth Airport (Elizabeth - representing staff of the island's second largest airport)
Elizabeth College (Elizabeth - team of the third largest educational facility on the island)
Flash 96FM (Victoria River - 
Hartford Cross (Liberty City)
Leyton Brewers (Lake Charles)
Lord Alfred Tavern (Mt. Lawler - for staff and patrons of a small rural pub)
Medway Trinity (Lake Charles)
Mercians (Mt. Lawler)
Midnight Express (Lake Charles)
National University (Liberty City - representing the largest educational facility on the island)
Old Collegians (Midland - social club for former students of an exclusive school)
Radio Atlantic (Liberty City - owned by a commercial radio station)
Royal Liberty Yacht Club (Liberty City - representing a yacht club) 
The Chaos Engine (Lake Charles)
The Rock (Lake Charles)
Valiant Town (Mt. Lawler)
Westminster Air (Port Liberty - for staff of the island's national airline)

Notes:
- I'm keeping records of my current game in this file if you're interested in seeing how things play out - there's also more information on the structure. I play slowly due to having every player in the world + a lot of leagues loaded so you might end up going quicker than me. If you spot any issues in the future please let me know and I'll update. 
- I advise adding key staff, the finances have been set up to allow this. Otherwise not enough staff will be generated to fill all the available vacancies for many years in the future. 
- You should have the English league on at the very least, but I'd recommended the Scottish, Northern Irish, Welsh, and Irish leagues as well.
- At the start of the game all teams in the same divisions have equal money. Youth recruitment/training is standard in the top eight levels, but with some advantages for the military and university teams in the Midweek League.
- Not enough managers will be generated to fill each job in the first season. Six months after the game starts teams will start appointing assistant/under 19 managers from other clubs but you won't see full employment until the second year of the game. At first almost all the managers are aged 29-34, but in the second season a lot of managers will be generated in their 50s. I find by season two there's about 650 managers, and by season three retired players are moving into management.
- Players from Westminster, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Gibraltar players are not considered foreign in each other's leagues, so if you play with a lower league English database a lot of amateur/non-contract players will cross to village level English teams on free transfers. (NB: I notice this only happens on a database when you go beyond level 10)
- Westminster will not be included in the African Nations Qualifying that takes place when the game starts but they will replace South Sudan in qualifying for the next tournament
- One international friendly will be generated after the game starts, and two more in the new year. After that, Westminster will play the regular international schedule. They start level on ranking points with San Marino in last place, and will not start making any serious progress until playing African Nations/World Cup qualifiers.
- The one team in the Confederations Cup at the start is not a flavour decision, the base game starts a new country with zero coefficient points, and the bottom several nations don't play in the Champions League. The Confederations Cup representative needs to make the group stages to earn coefficient points and add a CL spot - but the problem is that it's a seeded draw and Westminster's lowly ranking means they're almost always drawn against top sides in the opening rounds. 
- Use of Newgan is recommended but in the RTF file replace all WMR abbreviations with ENG (or a nation of your choice) or faces won't generate. If you want to use custom manager pictures there's a shortcut config in the graphics > managers folder
- Kits generated via Kitbasher. Stadium pictures, team logos, competition logos and trophies have been grabbed from various pic packs. Apologies that I can't credit them all because I've just added them over several years. If you find anything that's yours let me know and I'll add a note.

Edited June 1, 2023 by Supermercado99