FM24 - Level 10 to the Prem

[Ozza1996]

Level 10 to the Prem - Desborough Town - Background

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this is the start of a brand new long term save which will be similar to something I include on my brand new Twitch and YouTube channels next year. But we are going to take a team that plays in the county leagues on Football Manager, and make them one of the biggest clubs in the country, maybe even Europe or the World. That does seem a long way off, so let's take a look at the club I've decided to pick for this one club save. You can see the name of the team at the top, but I'm going to tell you more about Desborough Town Football Club.

Desborough Town FC are a team based in the town of Desborough in Northamptonshire. Founded in 1896, Ar Tarn, as they are affectionately known, they joined Division One of the Northamptonshire League, now known as the United Counties League, a league they have never left. They have been champions of the league 9 times, but have never been able to be promoted. In recent years, they have struggled to stay away from the middle to the bottom of the table, and are struggling this season also. The club have also made the First Round of the FA Cup once in their history, as they were drawn at home to Doncaster Rovers in the 1926-27 season. The match was abandoned at home, but the FA decided to play the tie at Doncaster's ground, a move which would never have been made now. Ar Tarn went on to lose 3-0. 

The club play at the Waterworks Field on Braybrooke Road, so named as there is a water tower on the site, which you can see on a matchday. There is a clubhouse, which can be accessed during the match. In recent years, they've had to rebuild the clubhouse after a devastating fire in 2009 burned down the original one, including their trophy room and changing rooms. On a matchday, it's your traditional non league football club, with raffles, draws and a really well made matchday programme. Can we move Desborough Town from where they are at level 9, finally move the club away from this league, and take them all the way up to the top?

The home town boy has taken over the football club that he's been to several times in his youth, aiming to make a difference and shoot the team up the leagues. The club play in what is now called the United Counties League Premier South, after a northern section was added a few years ago. Desborough are one of the few Northamptonshire based sides left in the league. 

Having taken off the key staff option to help me out, and making every club have decent backroom staff, it does mean Desborough Town has a director of football which is brilliant to see at the 9th tier of English football. As well as the UCL Premier South, we will play in the FA Cup from the Extra Preliminary Round, and play in the FA Vase, which is a competition for teams at step 5 of the non-league system and lower. 

One worrying sign for me is the fact the club cannot complete a best XI, despite me adding players based in nation, and add players to playable teams options. We will have to build a brand new team at the start of this save then, but at least this low down in England, you don't have a transfer window, so you can at least take in players whenever. But you also have to be wary of who you're letting go. The players you have now, may not necessarily stay around.

The board's expectations for this season at least is to finish mid-table in the league, and be competitive in both cup competitions, so they're not expecting too much of us this season. As this is a one club save, and this is the one I aim to take me through FM24, I've got a long time to be getting through it, but I don't want to be in this team for far too long. The supporters are also expecting a mid table finish this season. 

Final Word: So this is the team I will be aiming to take from Level 9 to the top. I hope this grasps the interest, and I hope you continue sticking around like you did for the Glory Hunter finish that had an abrupt ending. I will properly start the save on Monday as I introduce you guys to the squad, the club and everything about it. I'm really excited to see what's coming up. I will try and make my updates shorter as well during this save, so I will see what I can do with that. Thank you, and I'll see you on Monday.

[Blarney]

Have been thinking of doing a low-tier save myself at some point, so looking forward to following.

[Ozza1996]

Thank you Blarney, I'm very excited to seeing what the response to this is. First update will be tomorrow, on a 2-month cycle, as I will aim to go through at least a couple of rounds in the FA Cup, and try and make a good start to the league. It'll be more interesting than the glory hunter my laptop didn't like haha.

[KibworthBull]

Woop! Desborough. 

One of the few local sides to me around that level - been to see them play a few times.

[Ozza1996]

I'm actually from Desborough bud, I remember my first game going to see them as a lad was a 1-1 draw against Cogenhoe United