(FM24)Flamingos Can Fly! Taking Scarborough Athletic to the top.

[robertpeet27]

Season Preview

I didnt expect to find ourselves in League One so quickly. I had planned for a consolidation season in League Two, then an attempt at the playoffs before promotion in the 3rd season. 

So this year after being 3 years ahead of schedule I am hoping to just finish above the bottom two places. 

We are going to struggle to match the spending power of sides likes Preston, QPR, Millwall, SHeffield Wednesday and Wrexham. 

Keeping a hold of our best players may well be the key rather than any signings I manage to bring in. 

The Bookmakers have us at 15th which is incredibly surprising given the make up of the squad. 

Our acadamy coaching is fantastic but all other facilities need improving on, but the financial projections are not pretty. 

Club Vision - The board have been kind, they are aware of the massive fight we face this year and just want us to put up a good show against going down. 

Finances - A decent starting balance, mainly thanks to one sale, but more on  that later. Were projected to end the season at -£2.5 Million, so we need a decent cup run and to probably sell a couple more players to finance ourselves. 

[robertpeet27]

Transfers

Another busy transfer window, one major sale and a few loans out. 

Then all signings are free agents and loans, we have no other option in order to get a fighting squad for this year. 

Vernon Scanlon - 750K, I think he was worth way more than that, but he wanted to go, i got a 50% next sale clause  which I hope to sell this time next year, and we have him this year for nothing, which will be massive for us as he is turning into a fantastic player. 

Martin Bessala  - he popped up and I couldnt say no, but I ended up unsure where he fit in, so he went out on loan to Fleetwood in League Two, a shame as he has good attributes. Hoepfully he performs well and gives me a reason to recall him. 

Princewill Ehibhatiomhan - PACE, the only Inside forward I could find who actualluy had a turn of pace about him, can finish and dribble too, looks the real deal so im excited about him. 

Jacob HCB - Performed admirally last season, once he was available on a free I signed him up, we know his levels and he can fit straight in.

Jay Foulston  - The best left back I could find that we could afford, really struggled but he is well rounded and should do well for us.

Cedwyn Scott - Will be a good deputy for Danns and can play as an inside forward too, spent more on his wage than I would have liked, hopefully he can push Danns on again this year, also better than Marsh who we did have to rely on for a period last season. 

Gareth McAlea - One for the future, Physical beast who has all the right attributes for a ball winning midfielder. 

Alfie Harrison - After Maloney's departure I needed a new Mezzala, I think Alfie can find those numbers, with excellent vision and passing he should be fantastic if he can add goals to his game. A good year and teams may come in for him, and with his value it would be good for the club. 

Nico Lawrence - Comes in on loan to cover CDM, CB and RB, nothing more to add on him, a utility player that is required. 

Jordan Elsdon - Great signing on loan from Newcastle, looks a really strong prospect and goes straight into the first team. 

Nico O'Reilly - Two ex Manchester City Mezzala's, one of them should be good surely? 

Mamadou Manga - A physically strong CB, a year out on loan and hopefully joins the first team next year. 

Edited November 17, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

Friendlies & Team Selection

Unbeaten friendlies, but again difficult to really get  a feel of the squad with so many joining throughout the offseason. Hopefully now we are in League One we can spend some time assembling a squad, so we dont have the high turnover we are used to. 

We are weak in defence, I am undecided about who to start at right back, Osborne, Barrett and Lawrence are all very similar and I will give them all a chance to make the starting place their own. 

Danns will lead the line, with Traore on the right, should he be able to keep fit, Scott starting on the left. 

Harrison, Scanlon and Elsdon make up a young trio in midfield. 

Blake-Tracy keeps his place alongside Clarridge and Astley. With Reid in the sticks, the 5ft 8" keeper was fantastic last year, and hopefully his shot stopping ability will help us win games again this season. 

[robertpeet27]

July & August 2027

 A fantastic opening day win against Portsmouth got us off to a great start. Then we was brought back down to earth with 4 losses in 4, only scoring 1 goal. 

Jayden Danns then found the net against fellow newcomers Port Vale. 

A regulation win against Everton U21's rounded off the month.

Stats by Position, Goals and Assists - Not much to talk about here given the lack of goals, however Connor Barrett has performed well in his 5 appearances. 

 

[robertpeet27]

September 2027

A fantastic late winner against Millwall from Scanlon got us 3 points, with another win against Peterborough starting the month nicely. 

A difficult trip to Carlisle where we performed the better, but couldnt find the net. 

Scott got his second of the month to ensure we shared the spoils with a strong Wigan side. 

A good start to the league season for us, compfortably mid table, where I would love to stay. 

Stats by Position, Goals, Assists - Vernon Scanlon the standout performer, 2 goals apiece for Danns, Harrison and Scott. 

 

 

[robertpeet27]

October 2027

A mixed month in October, but that exaclty what we are asking for, still accruing points to keep us away from the bottom four. 

Danns found his scoring boots this month, resulting in him winning player of the month. 

Wins against Forest  Green and Wrexham were fantastic, Wrexham look to be strong contenders for back to back promotions. 

In never expected anything from Sheffield Wednesday or QPR, but not to capitulate at home to Bristol Rovers, we will get those days with us having such a young squad now. 

We remain 10th going into the make and break 3 months that really tells you where you are. 

Stats by Position, Goals, Assists - Danns now tops the scoring charts, with Alfie Harrison second on 5 goals which is fantastic, Scanlon is proving a solid creator this year, and Blake-Tracy contributing 4 assists. 

[robertpeet27]

November 2027

Two big pieces of news to start the month, Reid breaks his hand, not a good thing for us at all, Reid has been strong this year on top of a fantastic season in League Two.

In good news we are offered a 3 year deal which I gladly accept. 

Results - Another mixed bag, in both games against Stockport and MK Dons we had an XG over 1 goal higher than our opponents. 

Then a second string beat Rotherham, with Prince deserving a call up to the first team ahead of Scott, and he has repayed me with 3 goals in 3 games since his Hat Trick. 

Again against Doncaster we were dominant. Which fills me with confidence that when we are losing they have all been 1-0 and we have actually deserved to win. 

Through to the FA Cup 3rd round again, where we have Coventry at home, who are 20th in the Championship so Im hoping to progress there. 

We remain 10th in the league, a great position to be in. 

Stats by Position, Goals, Assists - Danns is pulling away now with 12 goals, however Prince has shot up and now has 7 from Left inside forward.

[robertpeet27]

December 2027

An unbeaten month in December, fantastic results which sees us climb to 6th, Jayden Danns really finding his scoring boots.

We were 3-1 up against Wednesday going into the 86th minute, so disapointing to draw that game, other than that no issues this month. 

Youth intake supposedly a golden generation, but no one special? Will see what comes through. 

Dele Alli, retired at 31 and goes straight into management in League 1 with 4th placed Stockport, looking forward to playing him later this season, feels like hes my nemesis already!

Stats by Position, Goals, Assists - Jayden Danns leadning the league goal chart, and Scanlon the assists, can see some bids coming for Jayden in January. 

[robertpeet27]

January 2028

A fantastic start to the month with a resounding win over Championship Coventry, puts us through the the Fourth Round where I thought we had a fantastic draw and chance of moving to the 5th round. 

How wrong I was, losing 1-0 at home to Wimbledon was crushing. Ive not really gone into any game this season expecting to win, this one I did, and that bit me in the arse. 

In the league we are unbeaten with a win and two draws. 

.

Stats by Position, Goals, Assists - Danns at the top racing away with the goals, Scott has hit some form and is now in second place, one to note is O'Reillys contribution form the bench and second team. Foulston has aslso done well of late with 7 assists now this season. 

Transfers

A big out, we lose Tommy Reid to Rangers, £750k upfront, £500k in installments and then a 25% sell on clause, money we couldnt turn down, we were £600k in the red at this point. 

We havent had too much interest in our players up to now and I had to take the money while the interest was there, and Reid wanted to go. 

Max Robson - He came in around October time and has been a good player off the bench, he will replace Scanlon next season as a box to box midfielder. 

Mandela Egbo - An athletic and experience RB joins to improve upon Barrett & Osborne. Lawrence was recalled so that left us short of someone who could play across the backline. 

Rab O'Neil - The best Keeper I could find at short notice, he will push True Grant for the starting spot. 

Martin Bessala - I have recalled Martin from Fleetwood where he score 5 goals in the first half of the season. He looks great and has improved while out on loan, he will be able to contribute. 

[robertpeet27]

February 2028

Two fantastic wins against Millwall and Carlisle, before we drew with 22nd place Port Vale, which on the face of it looks a bad result, but we was down to 9 men in the 64th minute, we held on until the 84th minute when they equalised. 

A loss to Victor Valdes' Forest Green followed before FA Cup retribution was taken on Wimbledon. 

Two back to back away losses before a 3-0 win over Burton rounded the month off, the less said about the result against Dele Alli's Stockport the better. 

15 Games unbeaten before the Forest Green loss is fantastic over the hectic winter months, not what I expected to achieve this year. 

Stats by Position, Goals and Assists - Danns has hit 25 goals for the season, with Alfie Harrison getting to 10 from midfield, Scanlon remains way ahead with 13 assists. 

[robertpeet27]

March 2028

Three good results, although we conceded in all 3 games, we were comfortable in the two wins. Scott and Danns both firing this month, keeps us with an outside chance of making the playoffs. 

Stats by Position, Goals, Assists - Jayden Danns, clear out front with 28 Goals, Scott doing well from the bench with 16, Scanlon still clear out front with 13 assists. 

[robertpeet27]

Youth Intake

Very poor this year, two on the bounce for Gary Hooper, so he will leave at the end of his contract. For a club in our position, we must bring through talent that we can nurture to turn for a profit, and or use in the first team. Gary has been unable to offer us this, and therefore we cannot keep him at the club. 

However the board has upgraded the catagory of the youth setup. 

The 3 best players from the intake are below, but by best i mean still very  very poor players.

[robertpeet27]

April 2028

A Fantastic Season, concluded with quite a dismal end, 3 losses out of 4, with the only win agains Doncaster, who managed to stay up by a solitary point. 

I must in part take the blame, I did play a rotated 11 for whom I believed to be playing here next year, and with players playing in different positions, but more on that at the start of next season. 

To finsh not only in the top half of the table but to be in with a chance of the playoffs in the last 4 games is an astonishing achivement for this club and set of players. 

Season Review

My signing of the season was a toss up between Alfie Harrison, Martin Bessala and Nico O Reilly. WIth O'Reilly winning it, I think gien the fact he made half of his apperances from the bench, his numbers were fantastic, he will be a starter next year. 

FA Cup - a great year to get to the Fourth Round, but oh what could of been if it wasnt for the slip up against Wimbledon. 

Carabao Cup - The usual 1st round exit. 

EFL Trophy - good progression in the EFL Trophy, until a very strong Chelsea Under 21 squad.

We really need our sponsorship deal to run out so we can get some money in, £35k really is a pittance in this league. 

Accolades - Danns was fantastic this year again, taking the majority of awards. 

Including top scorer in the league, what an achievement, and without sounding like a broken record, I really hope we can keep him but I can only presume a Championship club will be after him. 

[robertpeet27]

Season 6 - 2028/29

Our Second season in League One. After a fantastic 9th place finish, that could have resulted in the playoffs had I not tinkered with the starting lineup and roles.

We look to build a stronger squad throughout the team, upgrade out squad players and try and bring in some younger lads who we can develop and most importantly sell on, but more on that in a later post.

We are predicted to finish 13th. 2 places higher than last year, but at the same odds, 33-1.

Some big sides got relegated last year, Derby County, Charlton and Barnsley, who are all favourites to go straight back up. 

We are going to have to be smart with our signings, bring in some good loans and keep hold of our most talented players. 

Friendlies -  a mixed bag, mainly due to the incomplete squad we had, also I tried to play some sides away for large friendly fees to boost the finances, yes times are that hard at the Flamingo Land Stadium. 

Our Acadamy coaching is fantastic, the rest pretty standard, and difficult to see when we will have the funds to better them. 

Supporter Profile - An extra 450 season tickets sold this year, a good increase from last year. 

Club Vision - The board are looking for a mid table finish. A target I think we can comfortably hit this year, they want defensive football, but its not what we do, so I will have to let them down on that one. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

Finances

Our current balance is rather healthy, given one big sale, and another sizeable one, but I will cover that in the next post. 

Therefore you would expect us to be comfotable for the next couple of seasons, perhaps even invest in the infrastructure of the club, or enchance the stadium.

I then looked at the projection, just to make sure I was correct in what I thought. 

I was considerably wrong, we are projected to lose around £7million per year. An astronomical amount of money, £2million alone on the upkeep and running costs of the youth setup, I can only presume from the Exceptional acadamy coaching we have. 

Therefore although I have brought in £3.75million in player sales, I would need to do that again for us to remain in the black this year. 

Hopefully we can have a decent cup run and generate some money from away ties. 

Plus we have some Transfer sell on fees that will hopefully be triggered or compensation agreed, but that is an if, when and maybe. 

Debt - We dont have much debt, its spread out so far that the payments are only £11.25K a month, a pittance compared to other costs. 

Total Salary - we are 22nd out of 24 teams, something I expected after our quick rise up the leagues. More interestingly, Derby have a wage bill 7 times the size of ours. This shows how low our income is to support the club. 
The prize money is not there year on year, the broadcasting rights only pays £750k a year also. 

Sponsorship and a larger fanbase/stadium will be key to bringing more money to support the club. 

Looking at sponsorship income, the issues are clear, we are absolutely miles behind and I have no idea how to improve this other than improve our reputation year on year. 

Our main kit sponsor is up at the end of the year, and I can only hope we get a sizeable sponsorship after that. Derby is just the 242.8 times the size of our sponshorship income. 

How should we begin to compete with that?

1st Team Squad Wages - I think we have quite a sensible wage structure, with only Barney Ledwards that I am unhappy with/doesnt match his importance to the side, but I really struggled to find a decent GK again. 

I could perhaps reduce the wages we pay for some squad players, J HCB and Scott are quite high, but Scott is also cover should Danns leave, he is ready made replacement/ good enough to be a starter so valuable as a rotation player.

We have numerous squad players on low wages this year, if anything we are more balanced this year and have a bigger squad that should be better later on in the season with fatigue. 

I will produce a wage structure I have to stick to for next year, to try and keep on top of our wages and ensure players signed are not paid over the top. 

[robertpeet27]

Transfers

Finally, lets see who came in, and more importanly who we managed to sell for a combined £3.75million. 

Outgoings:

First out the door was Nathan Harris, for £750k plus a 50% sell on fee, a smart piece of business, and matches Scanlons fee. 

He is instantly worth between £4 and £5million, if we get a chance to cash that clause in I will jump at it if it is over £2million.

The second sale was Gavin Moran, a 5ft 10" Centre back, He was out on loan last season, performed well, and given his height I was going to retrain as a CDM.

Then in came the bids, started at £400k, and by the end I was offered £4million flat, thankfully I had agreed a deal with Fulham for £3million plus that all important 50% sell on fee. 

He is instantly worth £6-8 million. Between these two defenders, Tommy Reid and Vernan Scanlon we have 4 sell on fees that could set us up and see us through 2-3 years if they hit the high end of their values. 

 

Incomings:

First in is Louis Jones, signed for his reasonable ability, along with quite cheap wages.

I had two German keepers in on trial who wanted over £4k per week over at least two years and I simply didnt think they warranted such a high wage.

Louis should do a good job when called upon, and at 29 adds experience to a young side. 

Lemar Gordon - Welcomed back to Flamingo Land Stadium after a successful season with us the one before last, he didnt feature for Fulham last year, nor was he loaned out.

He comes in after being released and will be a great backup to Alfie Harrison. 

Sebastian Fernandez - I couldnt find a Left back who was better than Jay Foulston, therefore I looked for someone who may be after a couple of year 1st team experience. Sebastian is that man as long as his personality doesnt stunt his growth, if not we havent lost anything and we can start the Left back hunt again next year. 

Norman Smalley - Signed as a keeper for the future, Norman will cover the two loanee keepers before hopefully becoming the backup keeper from next season onwards. 

Joe Gibbins - An experienced left footed CB, he signs on a large contract, one that boosted Jayden Danns wages too as he matched the highest earner. Joe is worth it and will sure up our defence for us to build upon that base and allow our offesnive players to move forward with freedom. 

Nico Lawrence - another former loanee joins the ranks, even though Nico was dragged back to Southampton due to us using him as a utility player. He will now join us on a free transfer to be our Ball Winning Midfielder after Gavin Morans sale. 

He is well rounded, a leader for our young lads to rally round, and at £2.3k a week for a starting XI player we have found ourselves a bit of a good deal. 

Carl Perks - Another Southampton free agent, he joins as a backup box to box midfielder who has room to grow, although 21 he can grow into a very decent squad player. 

Blaine Rowe - Looks a mentally solid right back who will fight Barrett for the starting spot, when he is not injured....

Barney Ledwards - Yes I am aware we are overpaying for him right now, but he was the best about, Looks pretty good in the right areas for a shot stopper at this level. 

Charlie Penman - popped up in my inbox, released from Brighton, with bags of potential and is a physicallly strong CB with brilliant tackling, he will partner Gubbins in a new CB partnership for this season. 

Freddie Davidson - A signing from non league to be the 3rd Striker to cover any injuries to Danns or Scott. 

Anton Tolmie - Another non league signing, but I think I may have stumbled on quite the player, he will get plenty of minutes this year to see if he can blossom like Scanlon did.

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

1st Team Staff

Id like to introduce the current staff at Scarborough, I feel we have upgraded significantly since last time we went through them. 

Nick Harrison - Head of Youth Development - Hopefully an upgrade on Gary Hooper, who despite his pedigree let us down with two poor intakes. 

Curtis Davies - Assistant Coach - has fantastic mental attributes and works well with the youngsters, my only issue with him is he earns more than me. 

David Mcgurn - Goalkeeping Coach - a good solid coach with good working with youngsters and strong handling and shotstopping attributes. His determination could be better

John Keeley - Goalkeepin Coach - Fantastic coach, brilliant across all aspects. 

Laurie Hurst - Set Piece Coach -  The best I could find, 12 is a solid atrribute, and he has coaching courses that we can assist him with.

Pat Lyons - Coach - Fantastic, has been here a few years, really good coah, shame his mentals arent as good, but for this level he is fantastic. 

Mark Robins - Coach - I was surprised when Mark decided to joins us as a coach after his expereince of being a manager, but our gain as his great with the youngsters, and has the mentals too. 

Wade Elliott - Coach - Another strong coach, however wade is the weakest of the three and will be replaced upon expiration of his contract. 

Dean Hughes - Head Performance Analyst - Very good at what he does, strong in all 4 key areas. 

Deondre Dewar - Performance Analyst - solid 14 in analysising data, I should really use it to scout more as we have a good setup really. 

Physiotheripy Team  - Both with ratings of 19, very strong, and I have noticed the improvement in our injuries, 

Sports Scientists - Need to replace Mark Farrell as I beleive I can improve on him. 

Scouting Team - A strong group of 4, all with over 13 for Judging Ability and Potential. I can trust the results they bring back, 

 

[robertpeet27]

July & August 2028

A strong start to our second season in League One, Peterborough have started the strongest with 5 wins from 5. Including our only loss we also drew to Port Vale who finished low down last year. A slow start is understandable after a pretty big rebuild again in the summer. 

Wins against Porstmouth, Rochdale and Sheffield Wednesday were very positibe as tw of them were away from home.

However conceding in all but 2 out of the 8 fixtures is a concern. 

We got past Birmingham in round one of the EFL cup, but an away draw at Burnley was always likely to be too big of a test. 

Stats by Position, Goals, Assists - No surprise to see Danns and Scott at the top, Robson has taken the mantle from Scanlon and been fantastic in the B2B role. Perks has played well and taken his opportunities to prove himself as an adequate deputy to Robson. 

Edited November 23, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

September 2028

 A good draw with Charlton opened the month, followed by two fantastic results against Forest Green and Doncaster where we scored 5 in both, with multiple different goal scorers.

A disapointing loss to Lincoln followed after taking an early lead, before it was the Max Robson show away at Wimbledon. 

We finish the month in a strong 2nd position, with the aim of making the play offs im delighted with our start. 

Stats by Position, Goals and Assists - Max Robson has jumped up to the top of the goalscoring charts, and Alfie Harrison is starting to get used to playing as an advanced playmaker on the right wing. 

 

Edited November 24, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

October 2028

A mixed month of results actually leaves us in 2nd place still. However Peterborough can pull away as they have a game in hand, much like Stockport could leapfrog us. 

A rotated side lost to Chesterfield on penalties before we drew away at Barnsley and then two more wins where we scored 5 goals, including against Derby. 

A strong 0-0 performance away at QPR before a surprising loss away at Burton. 

We dodged the potential banana skin of Dagenham and Redbridge away in the DA cup before another disappointing draw at home to Shrewsbury. 

We reached 300 games in management. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Jayden Danns stays top with 12 goals from 20 appearances, carrying on his scintalating form. Nico O'Reilly is far infront with 7 assists in what is a breakout year for the ex Man City youth player. 

Player Feature

Jayden Danns has progressed fantastically since first joining us in the National League North, he has scored over 100 goals for us now, which is amazing, I do not know how he has not been snapped up yet. 

Nico O'Reilly has gained a starting spot this season as the Mezzala on attack, he has repaid that faith by scoring 3 goals and assisting 7. 

Unfortunatley Max Robson only had a deal until the end of the season, and although I knew it was a risk i wasnt sure about signing him up to another contract as he wanted to increase his wages to £5.6k and I think that is more than what he is worth. Especially when you consider he isnt ideal as a box to box midfielder (the position he has occupied), unfortunatley he has excelled, scoring 8 goals and assisting 4. He now wants over £10k a week to sign a new deal, something we cannot afford, especially because it would increase Danns wage to that too as he has a match highest earner clause. Im hoping if he is still going to ask for this amount I can sell him in January while his stock is high. 

Our latest offer was from Mothwell who are in the Scottish Premiership, we rejected, of course. 

Edited November 24, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

November 2028.

Two losses at the end of the month means we drop down to 4th, but theyre both agianst good teams so we can understand them. 

Dele Alli gets another one over us as we lose 3-1 to his Stockport who then leap over us in the league table also. 

We had 3 good wins in a row, Notts County at home before beating relegated Barnsley and then Rotherham, who only scored a consilation second.

The big two months of December and January are coming up, with the fixtures testing your squad depth, and it really seperates the promotion contenders from sides that arent quite there to make a full season challenge after a good start. 

We get a poor home draw to Premier League Wolves, hopefuly we can take them to a replay to get some money in. 

Stats By Position, Goals & Assists - Danns, Scott and Robson carry on their good form and make up the top 3 goalscorers, with Bessala starting to find the net after getting familiar with playing left wing. Scott has added creativity to his game as he now has 5 assists for the season. 

Player Feature - Alfie Harrison is also making progress with retraining as a right winger, he is suited to the roll with fantastic passing, vision, technique, composure and vision. 

Freddie Davidson, brought in from Blyth Spartans as a 3rd choice striker has scored his first goal for us against Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Trophy.

A decent looking intake preview, we could do with a good goalkeeper and defensive mid. 

[robertpeet27]

December 2028

Bang, Scarborough Athletic top of League One! A fantastic month of football in December, where we pick up fantastic wins agains Stockport, and Barnsley at home.

The draw with Millwall away was a valuable point , we dominated Lincoln but just couldnt put the game to bed before their late equaliser. 

Danns had a fantastic month, scoring 9 goals that earnt him player of the month, no real surprise there!

The Derby County loss was another game in which Gavin Moran got sent off. That is twice this season he has been sent off, and has not really performed in the other games. I am glad I chose to sell him rather than keep him to develop him to try and earn more money, as Im not sure how well he would have done this season. 

Gavin Moran - although improving with his attributes his performances have not been fantastic. I think I will cash out his clause when we get chance. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danns is now clear out in front with 24 goals this season, Robson has had a fantastic month and is now leading the assists. 

Player Feature - Martin Bessala has really taken to his new role now, and is performing fantastically, with 7 goals and 7 assists. Scott has also performed well this season, deputising well for Danns as well as scoring important goals from the bench. 

Unfortunately he wants a 3 year contract and I am not willing to give him one longer than the end of next season. I also think there may be younger lads we can bring in who may have potential resale value, but first Scott will be a valuable member of this squad until the end of the season, and play a pivotle role in our promotion challenge. 

[robertpeet27]

January 2029

First up was the FA Cup Third round, and after the best possible start, a 2nd minute goal from the in form Martin Besssala, Nico Lawrence got sent off. 

And that really killed the game for us. We held on until the 72nd minute, when former Barcelona man Frank Kessie netted, then I thought we had managed to take them to a replay, which would have been fantastic, but it wasnt to be. 

Sam Greenwood scored a 90th minute winner, and we crash out. Disappointment but we never invisiged getting past them. 

We breezed past Everton U21s and West Ham U21's to set up a semi final against Forest Green. 

Wins against QPR, Forest Green and a 9 goal thriller against bottom side Doncaster, left us 1 point behind leaders Sheffield Wednesday with a game in hand. 

Losses to Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton were disappointing but we werent outplayed in either so we can take positives from them. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danns is flying, he is a fantastic centre forward, crucial to our side, its nice to see 4 players with over 1 goals, although Danns is dominating, everyone is contributing. Harrison, Robson and O'Reelly are a fantastic trio, it is a shame we are losing Robson as he is making the box to box role his own. 

Player Feature - I had concerns when I signed Barney Ledwards, his wage was high for his ability but i was hoping he would improve quickly, and that he has, he is doing fantastic for us now and I am pleased with my decision to loan him. 

Carl Perks scored at the end of the month and it prompted me to check his progress, I think he has been a successful signing from non league. He performs well as a rotation option and hasnt had a bad game yet. 

Transfer window - We didnt have much activity in this window, the main piece of busines was cashing in Nathan Harris' 50% sell on fee, as soon as the clause was available at £1.6 million it was a no brainer to take it, he only has 1 year left on his deal and I couldnt risk letting him end up leavning on a free.  Unfortunately that is exactly what Sam Robson will be doing. I had a bid from St Johnstone for £1.5 million, but Dundee approached him to join at the end of the season, and he chose them, which is a massive shame as that £1.5 million would have meant we broke even this year. 

[robertpeet27]

February 2029

An unbeaten month in the league, 6 of the best against MK Dons, with a Hat-Trick a piece for Danns and Robson, followed by a solid win at home to Burton. 

A last minute equaliser by Bessala away at Pompey was a great point, before another 2-2 draw away to Notts County, that was sandwiched between another two wins. 

14 points from a possible 18 is truly promotion form, at the right time. We end the month top of the pack with 5 points between us and Millwall, although they have a game in hand. 

We are starting to pull away from the chasing pack now, hopefully we can just keep going now and get over the line and into the Championship. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danns is at 34 goals now, Lemar Gordon has played well to be now at 6 goals and 7 assists for the season, he was a good find to bring back as cover for Harrison. Harrison becomes the second player to break into doule figures for assists. 

Player Feature - However the two players I want to talk about this month is two defenders. First Connor Barrett, who I have tried to replace in the last two windows keeps performing fantastically and making him unable to drop. Gubbins has been immense since joining, and has helped sure up our defence. The addition of 5 goals as well is not to be sniffed at. 

Robson wins player of the month with 3 goals and 3 assists from 5 appearences. 

We receive another payday from a clause, Vernon Scanlons was availble to cash in, again with his contract running out in 2030, hence I cashed in as he was transfer listed for £375k in January. 

Edited November 25, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

March 2029

We will play Millwall at Wembley, a fantastic day for our fans, I cant wait to see how many we take! Unfortunately we lost Hayden Danns for March as he got injured in our last game of February, thankfully only 3 games this month. We managed to tick off a vision of the club 3 years early by recoreding a top half finish. 

Youth Intake - Terrible again, no one really worth even showing. Daly and Mckay at least suit two roles in which we play. I have signed all the the players who have good determination or personality. 

Results - no goals conceded, not something we can say very often, we sealed our place in the final with a 1-0 win over Forest Freen. A good draw against Joey Bartons 6th placed Port Vale before a rotated squad played Rochdale and dispatched them pretty easily. 

This meaning the first team is ready for the final in 3 days time. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Bessala scored another, with Scott and Robson fighting it out for second place. Robson is having a season like our old boy Lewis Maloney where he is finsing the net and setting them up with 26 goal contributions, he will be missed next year. 

Player Feature - A player who has gone under the radar, James Clarridge has had another solid season and has been dependable, hence his ability to keep Moran out of the side. Speaking of Moran, Oran Bolder is having a breakout season on loan at Walsall and I believe he could be the next player we sell for big money, I am hoping he will start for us next season, and then we will see how long we can keep him for. 

 

[robertpeet27]

EFL Trophy Final

The big day, we play infront of 54,773 people, taking 10,034 with us down to Wembley, Millwall will be a tough challenge, they are currently 3rd in the league table. 

Danns is not fit enough to play so Martin Bessala gets the nod to start up top, with Princewill playing left wing. 

And what a masterstroke it was!!!!! we win, in extra time thank you to a Martin Bessala Hat-trick, after being pegged back twice we win the most dramatic fashion in the dying embers of extra time. What a result for the seagulls and the travelling fans. 

An Icon, for bringing home the first silverware for Scarborough Athletic. 

[robertpeet27]

April 2029 Part 1

We start April in 2nd place, with 5 games to go, 3 of them should be an easy 3 points with difficult games away at Peterborough and Millwall at home on the final day. 

Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday are in great form, and I do not see them lettinh up with the squads they have. 

Two wins leave us right on the tail of Millwall as they beat Sheffield Wednesady to go top. 

In the mean time we managed to secure Bessala to a new contract with a £10 million release clause

We completely lose our heads away at Bristol Rovers, conceding 5 goals and giving Millwall a 3 point lead, until the next game where we smash Colchester and Millwall slip up against Rochdale, 2-1 at home. So it goes down to the final game, at home to Millwall, we drew with them when we played at the Den 2-2, we drew with them in the EFL Cup final before it went to extra time 2-2. So so far this season there really hasnt been anything to seperate us. We only need a point to win the league, so hopefully we can do that again. In the mean time we have been promoted to the Championship, we just cannot stop moving up the leagues! But here is where we will meet some big boys, and I think it will re a real challenge to stay in this league.  

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

April 2029 Part 2 & Season Review

We drew 1-1! Scarborough Athletic are League One Champions. Jayden Danns scores first and MIllwall could only muster up 1 in reply through the league top scorer Wozny. 

A fantastic season where we really hit the pace in the middle of the season and towards the back end we just didnt seem like losing, I think the final win gave us the confidence over Millwall given the game was back at Flamingo Land Stadium. 

However we will be moving on at some point as the board have announced a new stadium will be built. 

Given the finances at the start of the season, and the teams we had to fight with, its an incredible achievement that we could do this. To get to the Championship so fast is beyond my expectations. However THe championship could turn into a real slog to get to the Premier League. 

End Of Season Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danns Finishes with 36 goals, another fantastic season for him, the step up to the Championship will really test him, as it will the rest of the lads. Bessala found some goal scoring form towards the end of the season and ended on 20 goals with 9 assists from left wing. I decided to let Scott go at the end of the season, now we have been promoted we need a higher calibre of player and I dont think he will cut it in the Championship. Max Robson topped the assists with 16, along with his 13 goals. Harrison and O'Reilly both had strong seasons picking up 11 and 10 assists respectively. 

Player Feature - Who else but Jayden Danns, he has guided us from the National League North all the way to the Championship, scoring goal after goal in every division, he now has 130 goals in 193 league appearences for us. Crazy numbers given how we have progressed you would have expected that to slow down. My player of the season goes to Martin Bessala, slow to get going as he trained as a left winger, but once he mastered the role he never looked back, and he stepped up in the 5 weeks where we missed Jayden Danns, including his Hat-trick against Millwall in the EFL Cup final at Wembley. Thankfully he has signed a contract that should hopefully keep the vultures away. Finally a mention for Max Robson, who although he is leaving at the end of the season, has been a fantastic player in CM, and I wish I had signed him up to a longer deal at the start of this season, his goal contributions will be hard to replace. 

Supporters - we gain 9k followers and the board have told me they are looking to build a new stadium which is fantastic news for us going forward. 

Season Review Roundup

Awards

 

 

 

 

[robertpeet27]

Season 7 - 2029/30

The Championship, one level below the promised land. Full of huge teams with massive budgets and fantastic players. It is going to be a very difficult challenge for us, one I am looking forward to, but I am also aware to not get too disheartened should it develop into a troubling season given our meteoric rise. We have been promoted through the leagues so fast that at some point our quaity of players/infrastructure and wage budget will be found out. 

We begin the season by improving the club off the field, the board agree to new training facilities, youth facilities and improved youth recruitment. Given our sales of youth players over the years this is an investment in the future and also a way in which we need to balance the books by selling players, the better players we have coming in, the more we should receive, in theory.

Season preview - we are predicted to come 22nd, relegated, we are not given a chance really, same as Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton and Oxford United. I am not surprised given the fees other clubs are spending, for example Luton have spent £65 million. 

Friendlies - A mixed bag of friendlies, mainly against teams that are in and around our ability, the only worry is the result against Derby, given they are in league one. 

[robertpeet27]

Transfers

A good transfer window where we brought in players that make a difference to our starting XI. Again in consisted of free transfers and loans, we managed to bring in £1.1 million for JCHB which is fantastic given he had no role to play this year, and was earning over £3000 per week. 

Timothee Lo-Tutala - A strong well rounded goalkeeper with a good personality, he will be the backup this year. 

Luke Harris - a dynamic midfielder who we signed after being released from Fulham, he will replace O'Reilly as Mezzala, who will drop to the bench. Harris is already worth between £6.4 - £8 million, which if we ever get that sort of money for a player would be unbelieveable, as we are currently spending that each year to run the club. 

Jack Currie - A new left back, his worry is that he does not enjoy playing in big games, but he has a lot of experience, with over 250 league games with Wimbledon. But this is a step up, he is the best let back I could find and is an improvement on what we had. 

Alex Matos - Signed to partner Luke Harris in CM given the loss of Robson on a free. He is well rounded and slightly more of an attacking player to play as a B2B midfielder. Another player released after not playing a lot of first team games. We offer him a break out chance to perform, I see this as a mutually beneficial relationship, Matos can keep us up, and perform, he can then be purchased for £2.5 million, which would be a good result for us. 

Nathan Asiimwe - A fantastically well rounded RB, signed after being released from Charlton, he should really help us at the back this year. 

Mark Johansson - Our new number 1. He was at Blackburn before and playing for Celta Vigo for a number of years. He is a good keeper for this level and offers us a lot of experience in net, which i do rate highly. I have given him a 4 year contract which is a risk if he drops off, but keepers last longer and im hoping he really hits his peak with us. 

Danny Monaghan - loaned from Crystal Palace, I see him as an insurance policy. Should either Bessala or Danns not perform or get injured we have Danny to come in their place. He looks a fantastic player and will perform above this level in years to come. I will give him the chance to take a first team spot when it comes available. 

Godwin Godwin - so good they names him twice. Fantastic physicals and can play both CB and RB which should helo us throughout the season. He will be a bench player as at 18 I dont feel like he can be relied upon game after game, 

Sam Parker -  He came up available after we had already signed Asiimwe, but he was too goo not to have with us and will now take the starting spot.

David Thomson - a backup DM, should deputise well and has the physicals to play B2B or can help at Right back too. 

The Sale of JCHB

Starting XI - A mixture of new and old players I feel like we have a chance of staying up. Im settled in every position, and new contracts for Danns and Bessala has dispersed any interest. 

[robertpeet27]

August 2029

A poor start, but expected given the calibre of teams we have played. 4 out of 5 in the league had recently been in the Premier League, Coventry are a decent side as well. I rested everyone for the Preston game in the cup as we have to focus on the league this year. 

We competed in the Luton and Burnley games before we were battered by Coventry, the game in which I had targeted to get 3 points. 

Surprisingly we then went to Bramall Lane and got 3 points thanks to a Martin Bessala goal and a fantastic performance from our GK Johansson.

Then Elland Road proved too much and we took another 3-0 loss. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - There were not many players who had a good month, Johansson had a good time in net, apart from shipping a lot of goals, it would have been much more without the saves he made, Matos had a good start assisting two goals. 

Player Focus - Johansson performing well between the sticks for us, however James Clarridge has had a shocking start to his time in the championship which may cost him his starting spot.

Player wages in this division are crazy in comparison, we are spending £115k per week compared to Leeds £1.6 million. The gap there is monumental. However we did sell over 5000 season tickets, nearly the entirety of Flamingo Land Park which is fantastic. 

[robertpeet27]

September 2029

We get a good win against Oxford at home, a relegation rival come the end of the season im sure. 

Losses to former Premier League sides Wolves and Crystal Palace were expected before two good draws against Fulham and Cardiff.

We sit 20th, above the relegation zone, but only a couple of weeks from being cut adrift, we have to keep picking up points. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Harris has started to perform, with two assists and Danns both have two goals. 

Blackburn offer us the job, but were going nowhere. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

October 2029

We arranged a friendly against Armthorpe to boost moral over the international break. 

We put in a good performance against Watford and then took a point away at Ewood Park. 

Sunderland proved too difficult a challenge and hey comfortably beat us 2-0. 

We finished October with a credible draw at home to Millwall, but we were 2-0 up, so it feels like 2 points lost rather than 1 point gained. 

We finish the month in the relegation zone, however next month I am going to go back to the more positive tactic that got us promoted, we are trying to play on the counter but it isnt working as we are conceding too many and we are not accruing enough points to stay clear of the relegation zone. 

Now I'm going to try and get us to outscore the opposition. You never know it just might work, and then at least we will lose trying to win the game. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danns and Bessala the only real goalscorers, Danny Monaghan still hasnt found the back of the net which is a concern. Harris and Matos are performing well in CM, they will be an important partnership now we are playng more aggressively. 

Job Interviews - Stoke, Watford and Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership come calling, Alli gets the Bristol City job, another chance to get one over him!

[robertpeet27]

November 2029

We start the month with a loss to Bolton away from home, hammered 3-0.

Thankfully Jayden Danns comes to the front and scores 4 in a 5-1 romping of Plymouth! A 0-0 draw with Ipswich follows before another calamatous second half where we concede 5 to Reading after being 2-0 up. 

The plus side is we are scoring more, something we were struggling to before, and Danny Monaghan has got off the mark which hopefully means he has found his scoring boots. 

We are now 5 points adrift, December is going to be a key month, we need to turn it around, and we need to start picking up wins, fast.

Player Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danns pulls out in front thanks to scoring 4 goals in a game to take his tally to 8 for the season. Luke Harris is now on 6 assists and is bossing the midfield. 

Interview offered with Wolves, rejected. 

Youth Intake Preview - Poor again, hopefully our improvements this year will mean its much better next year.

Player Feature - Matos has settled in well and has been a fantastic partner to Luke Harris. Harris who has really started to improve is making the Mezzala role his own, Im hoping he can propel us forward into the Christmas period. 

We also signed another CB who was a free agent, Dael Fry joins on a free for some experience.

[robertpeet27]

December 2029

Look at all that green, its a Christmas miracle! The boys find their shooting boots and we manage to score 3 or more goals in 6 matches straight, securing 18 points in the process to take us to the dizzying heights of 12th!

We start the month off with a difficult trip to Stoke where we lose 3-1, however Monaghan scores again, something that we would get used to. 

A 5-2 win at home to Birmingham before we despatch Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 and 3-0. 

Luke Harris bags a Hat-trick against Dele Allis Bristol City before we put 5 past Birmingham again, this time at St Andrews.

We round the month off with a 4-2 home win against Fulham. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danny Monaghan shoots up to second place with 8 goals, he has really clicked in the side now, Jayden Danns has turned provider and has 7 assists, the same as Luke Harris.

A Premier League club come calling.

[robertpeet27]

January 2030

A strong month where we pick up 7 points from 12, and were unlucky to lose to Everton after competing for most of the game. 

Strong wins against Cardiff and then bottom of the league Blackburn, before a credible draw away at Watford. 

Sunderland proved too much for us, which is no suprise given they are at the top of the table. 

After 29 games we are on 39 points, only 11 off the targeted 50 points which I reckon would be enough to stay up. 2 months ago I was concerned we would be going straight back down. Now I think we have shown we have the quality in this side to stay up. 

We hit 8 wins on the bounce, fantastic form, we always seem to find it during December and January. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danns pulls away again on the back of his 4 goals this month, Martin Bessala is keeping up with the pace on 7, with Alex Matos having a surprising 6 goals from centre mid. 

Lemar Gordon has 5 assists, a good return for the rotation player. Luke Harris is out in front with 8, he has been a fantastic signing. 

January Transfers - The only action of note was the sale of Anton Tolmie, a strong player who was progressing really well, however he was on the bench and was unsettled by Norwich's interest. I negotiated the best deal I could for the club and £4 million is not to be sniffed at. 

Unfortunately Dele couldnt turn Bristol City around and he got the boot, Im sure he will crop up somewhere soon. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

February 2030

Another goal filled month, with us coming off the better side of the results in 3 out of 6 of the games, beating the sides we are competeing to stay uo against. 

Wins against Millwall and Oxford started the month well, in between we competed against Leeds Utd who just took their chances. 

Wolves were too strong, but it was good to see Danny Monaghan in amongst the goals again. 

A surprising home win against Crystal Palace really improved our month, meaning we took 9 points from 18, losing away at 6th place Bolton finished the months fixtures but we cannot be upset with that. 

We are now 17 points clear of the relegation zone, and with our current form I am confident we will stay up now, in what is turning out to be a fantastic first season in the Championship. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danns, Monaghan, Harris and Bessala are a fabulous quartet going forward, all producing fantastic numbers. Jayden Danns was a fantastic find in non league.

Edited December 7, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

March 2030

A poor month, returning to our early season form. An away loss to Plymouth is not a shock result, nor  is losing to Ipswich away really as they have a stronger squad than their position shows. 

Reading are in 2nd place and look in a prime position to go up. The 5-1 win over Burnley was a fantastic result and stopped us from being dragged back into the relegation fight. 

Another tough away fixture at Luton where we competed but ultimately they were too strong.  We were due to lose some games, and with our defensive record we have to score multiple goals every game, and this month we just didnt do that enough.

Stats by Position,Goals - Danns tops the goalscoring charts, followed closely by Danny Monaghan who I have included below to see how he has progressed this year. Bessala hasnt had the impact I thought he may this year, however he has had a couple of bids come in for him which may have effected his form. 

We managed to get him tied into a new contract with a £24million release clause. Luke Harris has been exceptional this season and now has double figures in both goals and assits. 

Youth Intake

A poor intake, only 3 players worth looking at, and Miki Velasco is the only stand out in terms of potential. He suits the advanced playmaker role on the right wing so I am going to try and work hard with him to see what he can turn into. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

April & May 2030

We have done it, although never really in trouble since mid March. A fantastic first season in the Championship, I never expected it to be so comfortable for us to remain in the divison. 

We had a really slow start where the change to a more defensive mind frame simply didnt work, and we had to try and score because we could not defend, nor keep out some of the top players in the league. 

We managed to do the double of Sheffield United, who finished 5th, then took 3 points from Swansea, Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City. 

The only two losses coming against Coventry and Stoke in quite tight affairs, and we can always be proud of competing with any side in this division given our meteoric rise. 

All in all I'm very happy with a highly successful season, I am hoping we can do the same again and start to lay some foundations at this level. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Danny Monaghan pips Danns to the top goalscorer, mainly due to Danns being injured for all of April. After a slow start Danny really proved he has potential and can perform at this level, would love to have him back next season. 

Luke Harris finished with 14 assists and was instrumental to our success. Princewill had a great season scoring 7 goals and 3 assists from 18 appearances. Alfie Harrison didnt perform that well at this level and will be one to keep an eye on. 

Player  Feature :

Luke Harris - Fantastic signing for free this season, he has performed all the way through and has improved no end, I think I will have trouble keeping his services. 

Alex Matos - He has done really well as a Box to Box midfielder given it isnt his prefered role, he has proved a great support to Harris and contributed himself. 

Martin Bessala - Not the high flying season we expected but I think he may have been fatigued due to the African Cup of Nations. Despite this he still won best young player in the Championship. 

Danny Monaghan - Top scorer and really came up with some big goals when needed, he really turned his season around and towards the end was keeping Jayden Danns out of the side. 

Season Transfers Review

A good season for both the quality and performance of the incoming transfers, notably Harris, Monaghan, Matos & Dael Fry. 

We managed to bring in £5 million, which with the TV money meant we broke even this year. Mainly due to the big sale of Anton Tolmie to Norwich. 

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

Season Review

A summary below of this season, both cups were sacrificed for a fantastic league campaign, where we finished 19 points above the relegation places. 

Sponsorship, Broadcast revenue and our reputation all increase this year. 

A NEW STADIUM - Big news for us as the council decide to build a new stadium, with a capacity of 15,310 this is going to be huge for our finances and for the supporters. However it will take 3 years to build which is a slight drawback.

A healthy year for the books as we finish with £4 million to go into next season with. 

Just the £18 million difference. 

[robertpeet27]

2030/2031 Season Preview

After a immensely successful first season, we regroup to try and develop this squad into a team who can comfortably compete at this level. We have the foundations laid last season to build on a mid table finish at the first attempt. The key will be holding onto players such as Harris, Danns, Bessala and Matos. We will lose successful loanees like Danny Monaghan, but that is the nature of taking on loanees. My aim is to over the next 3 seasons prepare for a serious attempt at the Premier League once we have the new stadium built. 

Season Preview - Again predicted at the bottom end of the table, along with Rotherham and Oxford at 250-1. I feel like any position above 15th will be a massive success again. Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough and West Brom come down, to complete a strong top 6 with Wolves, Palace and Fulham. 

Friendlies - A mixed bag as we assembled the squad again, trying to get some money in from some larger reputation teams, we competed with the likes of Schalke, Villa and Norwich which is impressive. 

Supporter Profile, Season Tickets and Club Vision -  a strong season ticket contingent of over 5000. The board are realistic, just looking to avoid relegation. 

Hull City offer us the job

 

[robertpeet27]

Transfers 2030/31

Firstly transfers out, and there was one big sale, Oran Bolder leaves for Leeds Utd for £5 million, plus future incentives. We also cashed in on Anton Tolmies 20% sell on fee due to him not getting into the Norwich side I was concerned he wouldnt be sold. 

Transfer History - 

Incomings:

Sion Edwards - Joins from Gap Connah's Quay for £81k, a fantastic deal for a young player who will challenge for first team minutes. 

Kemar Lashley - Signed as competition for Alfie Harrison, he will get a run at the start as Harrison is injured in the last pre season game for 4 weeks. Kemar looks ready made to play the role and I expect him to improve. 

Yaw Boakye - quite raw and I'm unsure of what position to put him in, whether centre mid or up top, he will feature as a rotatoin option this year and may be loaned out for minutes in January. 

Bledar Duro - Direct competition for Lawrence, Duro really strengthens us at CDM, Im hoping he can tighten up our defence and protect the backline. 

Vlad Popadiuc - Our backline has also been improved with Romanian International Popadiuc. He looks to be a fantastic CB and goes straight into the starting XI alongside Penman.

Niall Huggins - We had multiple breakdowns in contract negotiations, Niall originally wanted £15k a week, we managed to settle on £10k a month later, He comes in as an experienced Right back. 

Aron Driscoll - I was spoilt by Monaghan last season, and I didnt realise until I started looking for another Striker on loan this season. We eventually took Driscoll as multiple other options wanted £30k in wages plus £100k a month, and we just cannot afford that. Driscoll will provide competition for Danns. 

Wage Expenditure - We are still by far the lowest in the league. 

[robertpeet27]

August 2030

A fantastic start to the season as we take 13 points from a possible 18, and advance in the EFL Cup for the first time in a few years with a comfortable win over Wycombe. 

A solid 1-0 victory at home to Palace before we went crazy at the Forest Ground scoring 4 in the first half to lead 4-1 at the break. 

A solid draw against Fulham before two losses against top placed Burnley sandwiched another 1-0 win at home, this time against Plymouth. 

We finished the month with a 3-1 win at Portman Road against a 5th placed Ipswich side. 

I expected us to compete more this year, but didnt think we would secure as many points in August given the oposition we have been up against. 

Tactic - I have stuck with what has been successful up to this point in the save, there have been some minor changes to how we started the month. Driscoll has come in for Danns as the starting striker, and Lashley has kept Alfie Harrison out of the starting XI, which I will talk about why soon enough. Again by using this tactic we are aiming to score more than the opposition and trying to win games, we will lose some, but this way we can never wonder what may have been. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Kemar Lashley tops the goalscoring chart with Nico O'Reilly with 3 goals, then there is two for Driscoll, Princewill, Bessala and Danns. Bessala and Currie have 3 assists each.

Player Feature - Kemar Lashley has been fantastic since sigining in the summer, he settled straight in and has worked wonders in Alfies absence, Jack Currie has also provided 3 assists, he is coming towards his prime now at 29, and he is showing it by putting some consistent performances out for the side. 

Martin Bessala - wins young player of the month thanks to his 5 goal contributions in as many games.

[robertpeet27]

September 2030

A mixed month, we beat Watford 2-0 thanks to a brace from Aron Driscoll, then the goals dry up in the next two games, 0-0 against a defensive Oxford United, before Rotherham Leapfrog us into 2nd, Niall Huggins was sent off in the 59th minute, Rotherham then cashed in on this scoring in the 61st and 86th minute.

We end the month in 3rd which is still a fantastic start to our campaign. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Aron Driscoll leaps up to top spot with his two goals, bringing him to 4 for the season, similarly Bessala gets two assists to take his assist tally to 4. 

Player Feature - Aron has hit the ground running at the Flamingo Land Stadium, keeping our seasoned veteran and legend Jayden Danns out of the side. I think Aron can develop well here this season and we will try to take advantage of that, much like we did with Monaghan. Im excited to see how many goals he will finish with this season. 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

October 2030

A strong month, we had a two week gap so we boosted morale with a 10-0 win over Redcar Town. 

Stoke away proved too much of a challenge, but I think it was because they boys weren’t sharp enough, as after that we had 4 fantastic wins in a row. 

Comfortably despatched Reading, Aron Driscoll bagging 4, keeping Danns on the bench, however Martin Bessala has been on International Duty so Danns has been playing left wing.

We then beat Wolves, Lashley carrying on his fine form. Freddie Davidson was the hero at home to Derby, sending the Flamingo Land Stadium into pandemonium with a last minute winner, he has quietly been improving. 

We finished the month off with a comfortable 3 points at Brammall Lane, to leave us 2nd after 14 games played, what a fantastic start to our second season in the Championship.

I expected us to be more competetive, but not to this degree.  

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Obviously Driscoll leads the goalscoring charts thanks to his 6 goals this month, Lasley in second with 5 is a surprise as I didnt expect him to have had the playing time this year, Jack currie has gained another two assists, he has started the season in fine form. 

Player Feature - Freddie Davidson has only made two substitue appearances, however I thought it was interesting to have a look at the lad, signed from Blyth in Non-League, he has been a fantastic 3rd striker, and he looks to have some good attributes in the right areas, I will keep giving him a go as so far he has impressed with the limited minutes he has been given. 

Aron Driscoll wins player of the month thanks to his 6 goals in 4 games. 

New Contract - The start to the season is rewarded with a new 4 year contract. 

Edited December 8, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

November 2030

Another strong month from the lads, two wins to start the month, 3-1 win against Middlesbrough before an Aron Driscoll Hat-Trick at the Den. 

We got a decent draw against Bristol City away before the rotation team couldnt handle Cardiff at home, which was a disappointment. 

We finished the month with a point away at West Brom, thanks to a last minute equaliser from Hayden Danns, proving he still has the scoring boots from the bench. 

2nd in the table is fantastic and not where I expected to be, we have continued to score goals this season, our defence is still leaky as it shows when we concede a goal in all 5 games, but we are tending to score more, and we are picking up the points which is all that matters. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Aron Driscoll continues his scoring form and takes his tally to 13, Lashley sits on 5, however I am disapointed in his assists return, given he is playing as an advanced playmaker, but I think he could be playing Luke Harris in before Luke gets the assist bursting forward as the mezzala, Jack Currie has continued his fine form and has now notched up 7 assists from left back. 

Player Feature - I decided to look at our two box to box midfielders, Alex Matos had a fantastic season last year, however this year he has not been as prolific. With only 3 assists and a solitary goal, I think his poor form is due to him being unhappy that I wouldnt give him a new contract. He wanted to triple his wages, and after just one season, playing an unfamiliar role, I couldnt guarantee I would get a return from him again this year. With January around the corner I may see how he performs in December, and if he plays well I may see if I can limit his contract to £10k a week. 

Vernon Scanlon on his return to the club has matched his return in 1/4 of Matos' minutes, which tells me there is not much difference between then, especially when Vernon has played a few games at CDM. If there is a bid for Matos I may cash in given I have a ready made replacement who I know I can trust to perform. 

Intake Preview - I do not expect anthing from these this year! 

Scott Twine - We brought the experienced Scott Twine in at the end of November, he is a utility player who can play up top or on either wing. He was reletively cheap at only £4.2k per week. Alfie Harrison, Martin Bessala and Princewill are all attracting interest, plus Harrison has spent the majority of the season out injured so Scott is going to get plenty of minutes and should have the quality and experience to make an impact.

Edited December 9, 2023 by robertpeet27

[robertpeet27]

December 2030

We remain second place, with 12 points from a possible 18. The positive this month is we kept two clean sheets against Birmingham and Coventry. We also put 6 passed Birmingham in the away fixture. 

Bolton had the beating of us and gave us a 3-0 spanking. 

A big disappointment was the 2-1 loss to Oxford who were bottom of the table at the time, I trusted the rotation XI to get the job done but an away game proved too much and Frank Lampard's side made us pay.

Another strong month takes us into January, where we will try to ward off bids for our best players and keep pushing to finish as high as we can. 

I think we can safely say we have already avoided relegation this season. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Martin Bessala scored a Hat-Trick this month, nice to see him back in the goals after a quiet spell, he has taked his return to 6 and 6. Luke Harris has notched 10 assists, with both full backs now with over 5 assists each.  

Player Feature - Firstly a look at our Mezzala Maestro Luke Harris who has been unbelieveable again this year from Centre Mid. For a free signing he really has turned out to be one of my best of the save so far. Only behind Martin Bessala and the eternal Jayden Danns. Who this year has lost his starting spot to the Villa loanee Aron Driscoll. Danns has produced 7 goals and 3 assists which is still a fantastic contribution as he has played at left wing a few times this season. 

[robertpeet27]

January 2031

Top of the League, we have continued our fantastic form, with our only blemish a loss away at Derby when resting the full side for the Villa game. 

A credible 0-0 draw earnt us a replay at Villa Park, which will still be lucrative for the club. 

4 wins in a row started the new year off in the same form we had in the first half of the season. 

Scoring goals for fun against Rotherham,Millwall and Wolves before a strong 2-1 win at home to Stoke. 

Kemar Lashley bagged a brace in the first game, before some unusal scorers in Popadiuc, Duro and Edwards got 3 goals against Millwall before a 93rd winner from superstar Luke Harris. 

Twine scored a Penalty against Wolves before he was stretchered off with a broke leg that rules him out for the rest of the season, gutting!

Driscoll is the 2nd top scorer behind Nino, who has just sealed a move to La Liga club Cadiz. Harris tops the assists table with 12 so far.

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Both Centre backs have contributed to our goals this year, Popaduic now with 3, and Penman with 4 is a good return. Luke Harris adds 5 assists to his tally this month, incredible work, Lashley also working on his chance creation adding two assists which is good to see. 

Player Feature - Edwards has earnt a lof of appearances this season, 7 starts and 5 sub appearences, however the majority have been out of positoin, mainly deputising on the wings, I hope not to curb his development as he looks a fine player. Duro has gone unnoticed this year, but in his role that is exactly what you want. He has performed well and screened our backline. He hasnt improved as I thought he would with the first team exposure. 

Transfers - Not much action with transfers however I decided to cash in on two clauses that we had available, Moran was not getting any game time at Fulham and I couldnt see anyone purchasing him for a significant fee so we took what we could. Bolder similarly wasnt getting any minutes but Leeds werent looking to loan him either. With Princewills sale as well we bring in £5 million to the club, which will help keep us above water for now. 

Youth Facilities - The board came to me wanting to increase the transfer budget, but I had no desire to purchase anyone, hence we spent it on improving the Youth facilities, the higher these are the more likely we can develop players to sell to keep the club afloat. 

[robertpeet27]

February 2031

A solitary win in the month of February, and what a win it was, an extra time winner by Nico Lawrence after Luke Harris scored an equaliser in the 93rd minute, we also played with 10 men from the 60th minute after Niall Huggins was sent off! We drew Newcastle away, but due to the fixture congestion we had a weak side out and they were just too much for us.

In the league we faltered, 3 points from 15 is not the form of a stop of the table team, hence we fall down to 4th, deservedly.

We scored in all the games apart from a horrible home loss to Reading, so that is a positive at least. 

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Bessala has a fantastic month scoring 4 goals, Huggins added another assist to his tally to take it to 6. 

Player Feature - Huggins has performed well this year, he has been dependable all year apart from the red in the Villa game, he has provided assists and was a good purchase in the end despite the wage outlay. Johansson has also performed well keeping 8 clean sheets this season, which is good going given how we play and the quality of the defence he has infront of him. 

[robertpeet27]

March 2031

A superb month comes off the back of a troublesome February. Back to back 2-1 wins over Millwall and Middlesbrough gave us 6 points to start the month, Fry scored a rare goal to rescue a point infront of the TV cameras at Flamingo Land Stadium. 

Driscoll put two away down in Cardiff before a good draw with Nottingham Forest. 

Then we managed to beat Palace at Selhurst Park, Matos and Driscoll doing the business. 

This puts us in 2nd place, 3 points clear of 3rd with 6 points left, we could actually get promoted to the Premier League!

Stats by Position, Goals & Assists - Aron Driscoll just keeps scoring goals, he has been fantastic! I fully expect him to feature in the Premier League next year. Freddie Davidson scores again, returning 3 goals from 7 starts, he has impressed this year. 

Player Feature - Dael Fry has decided to hang up his boots at the end of the season, he was fantastic last season and a real reason we managed to turn our campaign around. He has struggled to make an impact this year, on the bench for the most part and I understand his decision to retire. Nico O'Reilly is also a player that has struggled to find a regular first team spot, and he has also not made an impact from the bench, if an offer comes in it will be time to move nico on. 

An unbeaten month wins us manager of the month. 

Youth Intake - A pretty average intake, no one really stands out, I have shown the best 3 below, Lee Foreman looks alright, but terrible determination and personality, Sam Charley is better but doesnt fit into our tactic, and Jack Eades is interesting because he is 6ft8" at 16 years of age!!