The FM24 Journeyman...

[FMCTVaughaniola]

EPISODE ONE

Just like any old soul starting a Journeyman, I loaded up the leagues that appealed to me the most, and set up my manager no coaching badges and a Sunday League Footballing reputation. I put my backpack on a went off. There we a few places on my checklist, a few vacancies that excited me, so off I was to go to as many job interviews as possible and get my name a known one to the world.

Off I was headed then to the tune of a popular Agatha Christie novel "Destination Unknown". Which was what it was like in the few days leading up to my first job interview, I was nervous, I had struggled eating and, just like my cats had started chewing on my own fur. But then I received an email, a club that had caught my eye in the job centre were intrigued by the possibility of working with a manager that had no experience or reputation, which honestly amused me, however off I was, booking a train to the luscious area of Taunton!

'Twas the 2nd January 2024 when Taunton came calling, previous manager Rob Dray had left them in quite the mess and it looked destined that I was going to be the one to pick it all up. The Peacocks sat bottom of the Vanarama National League South and with their fans having little to no hope in the clubs survival, seemed set on for relegation.

Kevin Sturmey welcomed me into his office with a warm cup of tea and a dream. I looked at him bedazzled as I tasted what surely was the greatest tea any human on the planet could've made. "Look Vaughan, I don't want to waste too much of your time but we are in dire need of a saviour, and your anonymity astounds us." Kevin began. Greetings came from my end too as I began to ramble on about his tea making skills. I mean is it something he does special with the bag? 2 milks 1 sugar? 1 milk 2 sugars? Besides the point. After a long hard 15 minutes of talking went by, I found myself leaving the office, still unsure if I was unemployed or not, and still wondering if I'd have to work 2 other jobs alongside being the manager of Taunton to feed myself and my cats.

I waited at the train station for half an hour when finally my train came to take me back to Costa Del Sunderland.

* The Next Day *

I received a call from a man claiming to be the owner of a Welsh side known as something Celtic, I couldn't really understand how to spell the first name of the side over the telephone. He had requested my time to do a Skype call as an interview, to save me the pain of having to travel back down south two days running. I said of course and booted up my laptop. He had given me a way into the call and I heard a ringing noise as I was wondering about Kevin's wonderful tea from the day prior. But I had to get my head on straight as I was preparing for an interview with Scott Kinsella, the chairman over at Cwmbran Celtic.

We exchanged pleasantries and once again, talking led to more talking and I kept thinking I was digging myself down a rabbit hole my bringing up the tea at Taunton, so I kept my mouth shut when it came into my mind. 30 minutes had passed before Scott had to leave, and I genuinely felt as if this side were the right choice. Yes, I would have to relocate, and yes, the pay wasn't ideal, but who doesn't like working night shift at Nissan when your job as a football manager doesn't pay as high as you thought.

Thankfully after this interview I didn't have to go back to a train station to find my way back home because I already was home, and that was the beauty of it. The comfort of my mother's spare room, I mean comfort of my own home.

After the interview with Scott Kinsella - a really nice bloke by the way - I started to look around google for Cwmbran Celtic, to see what else I could find out about the club. They played in the Cymru South in Wales, currently sat 12th/16 teams, and most media predictions had them sitting higher up the table. After previous manager James Kinsella (no relation to Scott) was sacked for poor league position, I did begin to wonder whether there was any point going to Cwmbran Celtic as they seemed in a tough position.

It took a few more days for that poxy ringtone to come back, however it did, and you'll never guess who it was?! Kevin and his gorgeous tea wanted to invite me down to Wordsworth Drive to have a look around a get familiar before being announced as the boss later in the day. Immediately my face lit up, I knew that with this happening truly anything was possible! As I racked my brain for the next thing to say, I came out with something completely different to what I'd thought I would say...

"May I have a few days to think it over?" Like what! I thought for certain I wanted to take this job with no hesitation, however clearly my mouth and brain are on totally different wavelengths! "May I have a few days"!? I sounded like an utter clown, surely Kevin would just say that it was now or never coz they had other managers lined up...

Nope! Kevin and his lovely tea struck again! Giving me an extra week to think about it. I wondered what I could do with my next week to gather my thoughts, maybe I'd just sit alone in my room and think about the possibilities of what could happen after I took over the job at The Peacocks, or maybe I could travel to different places of the globe and go for even more job offers, only time will tell, and that silly little ringtone of mine of course.

Once again that ringtone went off, with me thinking it would be Kevin to ask if I'd had any more thought on pursuing the Taunton role, I picked it up and answered "Hello, Hello, Vaughan speaking". Sure enough, it wasn't Kevin nor Scott that answered my greeting, more a strong voiced man with an accent asking me to come to Croatia to interview for a post open at Solin!

This was great, it gave me time to clear my head, and have a few days away in the mean time. I don't even need to tell you guys about the interview (other than the fact I aced it and will have Miroslav on the phone tomorrow begging me to take the role) because the holiday was a blast! Now I am a 20 year old Englishman, trying to get a job as the manager of a Football club and somehow, I still enjoyed my little solo trip to Croatia, what a time I had!

However while I was in Croatia I got a call from a familiar voice. It was Scott asking me if I wanted to take the Cwmbran Celtic job. I had to get myself dressed and packed quick, because even though I had enjoyed my time in Croatia, I saw it more as a few days away rather than a permanent position, so sorry Miroslav, but no can do.

As for Scott's offer, I went and had a look around the place upon my return to Great Britain. The whole place had a really wholesome feel you know, like I was meant to be there, the staff were nice, Scott was as nice in person as he was over our Skype call, and I even got to meet some of the players too (although I think their thought process was to get on the good side of the new manager before he even got the job to be playing as much football as physically possible.)

Scott and I had a little private discussion in his office and came to an agreement that I would become the manager at Cwmbran Celtic. 15 minutes later I was out on the pitch holding up a yellow scarf with "Celtic" plastered across it. I had only been here for a few hours, and it already felt like it was home. Scott even offered to let me sleep in his spare room until I had found somewhere else to move into (or until I got the sack.)

But there we have it folks! That is where we end it for Episode One, hope you have enjoyed and I will see you all next time for more of this story. If you have enjoyed reading this then please let me know in a comment below this, love and guidance to you all!