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04-08-2004, 02:26 PM
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#51 | ||
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Troy, NY
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Also, big cup wins are great for team morale, which plays a large role in CM.
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04-08-2004, 03:09 PM
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#52 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Actually, had I known that I would be in such a solid league position, I probably would have made an effort to bring in an extra handful of capable players - to ensure that we had enough hands on deck to field a squad for both the cup competitions and for the league matches. As it is, I really don't even have a "B" team in total -- so my choices are very limited there.
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04-08-2004, 06:33 PM
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#54 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Cary, NC, USA
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Echoed. Would write more, but reading. :-D
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04-09-2004, 05:22 AM
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#56 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Outstanding read so far. Thanks for sharing, QS.
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04-09-2004, 06:07 AM
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#57 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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i actually like using some of my youth players in cup games(even when i have enough players). I try to get a few players who are top performers down there and let them play with the first team. Also dont forget you have 3 subs bringing on a couple tired guys at the 40 minute mark isn't too bad as they get a little stamina boost at the half. so if you got 5 regular guys who are closest to 100% play 3 youth guys and sub in 2 regulars at 40 minute mark and you have a team (although injuries and suspensions can play havok with a small squad).
This dynasty inspired me start a new game(taking rushden to the top) |
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04-09-2004, 10:02 AM
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#58 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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November 2005
Lincoln City’s James Henderson has won the English Second Division Player of the Month award. He has been sensational of late – a great surprise. (Hell, I’m surprised he’s even playing, much less playing great!) We’ll have a look at the player performance to date this season: Code:
And, at long last, we face Wigan. It had to happen eventually. For those new to the Red Imps fan club, repeat after me: WE HATE WIGAN. A couple of early goals get the Sincil Bank crowd all fired up, and we go on to a mighty win at home. We get goals from a whole host of players – two defenders (Marsh and Maher) and our defensive midfielder Lee Connolly. Lincoln 4, Wigan 0. We hate Wigan. Stalwart defender Lee Marsh, just off his first goal of the season, has picked up a broken arm in training, and he’ll be out for a few weeks. My plan is probably to use Platt and Ricketts in the left side defender spot, and to largely use Gary Doyle as our right side defender. I still remain intrigued by James Carter, too – perhaps we’ll try to get some attacking effort from our defenders while we play without Marsh. We play host to Cambridge, and have James Carter in and prepared to be aggressive from the defensive spot. We get our first goal at 44 minutes, when Carter pitches forward to Ben Cross, who sends it in for Paul Kamara – a very nice coordinated attack. They pull level in the second half, and we are unable to get the win here. Lincoln 1, Cambridge 1.. I’m watching James Carter fairly closely, and while he is aggressive when with the ball, he doesn’t seem to really be into the flow of the offense. I’ll see what I might be able to fiddle with there – I’d like to see him forward on corner kicks, and that sort of thing. We have another injury – to Mario Dadic. Now, this requires some thinking. For now, my plan is to have Ben Cross come over and play on the left side (where Dadic usually plays) and we’ll use Gary Doyle on the right side of the midfield. That means that James Carter will probably get some extended time starting for us on the defense- which is okay, too. We’ll finally get a feel for him back there, and whether he can be effective in our attack. The adjusted lineup takes the pitch against Oxford, in our opening match of the FA Cup. Doesn’t seem like a bad spot to do some dabbling. We look out of sorts, and trail by a goal until we pull even in injury time – on a setup pass from Ben Cross to Paul Russell. Lincoln 1, Oxford 1. We’ll have to replay the match – and we’ll hope to be in better form for the rematch, which will be at their place. In the second round Vans Trophy matchup, I have basically a “second team” on the field to take on Darlington. Our main hope is not to jeopardize our nearly universal sky-high morale with a clumsy loss here. Up 2-1 in injury time, as hold off three straight corner kicks to secure the narrow win. Lincoln 2, Darlington 1. We got what we wanted here – a win, and some good time for our reserves on the pitch. Back to Oxford, to resolve the first round result. We have a mixed lineup in, but have most of our starters back in there. We get fired up right away, with two goals by 11 minutes. We make that margin hold up, dodging a few late bullets but holding on. Lincoln 2, Oxford 0 – Lincoln advance. I know that this run of good fortune has to end at some point, but right now we are all walking on air, and we are getting a lot of lucky breaks to keep us that way. Even without key players, and even when pretty tired, we are still getting the job done. Chesterfield have made an approach for defender James Carter, asking what price we might accept. I still am intrigued by him, but I decide that I could part with him for a pretty heft £100,000. If they’ll pay that much, we’ll let him go – he’s really not a great fit into our system, despite his pretty solid play in the last few matches, including scoring one goal. We have a big league match at 4th place Grimsby Town, and welcome Mario Dadic back to the lineup just in time. Grimsby gain the lead at 21 with a very nice goal off a corner push, and we are in a trailing position. Mario Dadic makes a beautiful play in the second half, swerving in (very much like Ben Cross would) and setting up a shot for Paul Russell, who buries it. But Grimsby strikes right back, and retakes the lead at 62 minutes. At 80 minutes, though, we get even again – Dadic hits it in off Cross’s corner kick. In injury time, we get an intercepted pass, and Colin Bradshaw is streaking toward the goal when he is tripped up – causing the penalty. Paul Russell’s PK is tipped away, but he is right there for the follow-up, and we secure the lead. Lincoln 3, Grimsby 2. An unbelievable effort – we were outclassed through most of the match, but managed an unlikely win to continue our white hot streak. Our latest injury is to defender James Carter – just as he was getting into the flow with regular play, he’ll be sidelined for two weeks. I’ll drop Gary Doyle back to play that spot now – and will keep the attacking instructions in place. Meanwhile, Chesterfield has backed off their approach for Carter – probably the price sent them away. So, he’ll be ours for further experimentation. We are home to Barnsley next. Their season hasn’t really panned out too well – they are sitting near the foot of the table. It takes us until 53 minutes to break the deadlock, which Kamara accomplishes on a fabulous breakaway. Kamara seals it by finishing off a Ben Cross corner kick, and we secure three more standings points. Lincoln 2, Barnsley 0. |
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04-09-2004, 11:31 AM
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#59 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Troy, NY
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Just curious - how do you watch the games? Do you do "extended" highlights, or watch longer portions of the match, or something else?
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Quis custodiets ipsos custodes? |
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04-09-2004, 12:10 PM
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#60 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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I change up. When there's something in particular that I want to watch in some detail (like my recent matches with either Carter or Doyle playing the "attacking defender" role) I will switch to the extended highlights. Most often, I have my highlights set to the liwest level - key, I think it is called. I usually don't watch friendlies at all.
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04-09-2004, 12:24 PM
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#61 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Alexandria, VA
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I vaguely recall that you ripped though the Second Division in your last really long Lincoln dynasty as well. Both Third and First took a few years, but the Second you thrashed both teams. I wonder if the second divisions isn't really much of a step up in quality from the Third...
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04-09-2004, 12:34 PM
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#62 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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I just found an old write-up from my ill-fated career with CM4 - and the team's success went like this:
Team History: Code:
In the 2007-08 season I had an irretreivable crash, and had to dump the career. As I recall, the club was doing quite well that year, also. I don't have records handy from my Lincoln run with CM 00/01, but the notion that Second Division wasn't a big obstace sounds right. I recall spending a long time in Third Division (a really didn't know what the heck I was doing at all) but I think we got out of Second Division in a couple of seasons. Ah... good times. |
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04-10-2004, 07:05 AM
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#63 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Man, you are just getting some CRAZY amount of injuries going on this season. Insane.
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04-10-2004, 11:17 AM
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#64 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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December 2005
Lincoln City’s Paul Kamara has won the English Second Division Player of the Month award. Lincoln City’s QuikSand has won the English Second Division Manager of the Month award. We continue our roll, still with only one loss in the league season thus far – our record is 12 wins, 6 draws, and only one loss to Port Vale. Unbelievable. And now it is December – time to start thinking about Bosman transfers. We have a few players whose contracts will be up after this year (later in June) – Mario Dadic is chief among them, but also David Crowley, Darren Hopkins, and James Henderson. I think I will try to seal up new deals with Dadic and Henderson, and then see what happens with the other two. Dadic is fine with basically an extension of his new deal – I offer £1,200/wk with an £8,000 bonus. But Henderson wants to get paid – he makes £200/wk now, but is thinking about £1,000/wk or more. I decide to defer there. But we want to try to bring in a player or two to help the club for next season, wherever we’ll be playing. It looks as though most contracts are running out in late December (rather than Dec 1) so that will likely be the time to move – stay tuned next month. We are at Rushden & Diamonds to start off December, and have to fend off lots of early pressure. At 69 minutes, they finally break through with the inevitable score – they have seemed very effective today. That’s all they need, as they drop back and accept the margin. Rushden 1, Lincoln 0. So much for our hot streak – now we need to keep this from cascading into the much-predicted landslide. We work out a new contract for winger Mario Dadic, which will keep him with us through the next two seasons. He ends up receiving £20,000 up front, and will make a weekly wage of £1,400. A pretty big investment, but he has made a big difference in our club – and as previously noted, the team basically adores him. At Brentford, we continue in the FA Cup. Crowley gets caught out of goal and gives up an easy long shot to give them the early edge. Henderson later misses an easy header, and we remain behind at the half. Once again, the one goal is all the opposition needs – as we take a second straight loss by that edge. Brentford 1, Lincoln 0 – Lincoln eliminated. Our morale, after two losses, is now damaged. This is where a team can really start to fall apart. We need to get a win – preferably a good, decisive one. Fortunately, next up for us is the Vans Trophy matchup. We face Telford, out of the Conference ranks. They have played well – but we’ll be the favorites. I have Jim Magill back in goal, trying to snap him out of a deep funk. Two first half goals from Paul Kamara certainly help the cause, and have us feeling better. We seal it later with a long shot from Lee Connolly, and get the boost we wanted – right on call. Lincoln 3, Telford 1 – Lincoln advances. In the North semifinal, we will play Rushden – a very tough draw for us, and it’s at their place, Nene Park. We are still pretty tired and banged up when we have to take the pitch again, in league play against Colchester. We start off looking quite fresh indeed, and get loads of pressure culminating in a 28th minute goal from James Henderson on a nice feed from Ben Cross. Henderson lands another in the second half to make it comfy. Lincoln 2, Colchester 0. That’s more like where we want to be – and the three points certainly help, too. We are on the road next, at Wrexham. (Okay, punchline time: Wrexham? Damned near killed ‘em! Now wasn’t that fun?) We fall behind as Steve Parry accidentally lets one in off his back (technically an own goal) but pull even off Kamara’s foot soon after. Kamara’s shot creates a rebound tip-in for Henderson at 56 minutes, and we assume the lead. A penalty kick by Dadic seals it late in the second half, and we get a good road win in league play. Lincoln 4, Wrexham 2. Doncaster is in 9th position, so taking them down at their place will be no mean feat. After several missed chances, we finally break the deadlock at 80 minutes, as Paul Kamara takes a shot, leaves a rebound chance, and Paul Russell is there to sweep it in. At 84, a would-be tying shot bounces off the top post, and we are spared there. As they try for an equalizer, we manage to strike on the counter attack, and a final goal from Thomson seals the win. Lincoln 2, Doncaster 0. Despite being many people’s favourites for the drop, Lincoln have been playing superbly, but surely it can’t last much longer. Well, the punditocracy is surely against us – but we will keep earning it on the pitch, thanks just the same. Young striker Darren Hopkins is out of contract in six months – time to decide what to do there. He has some promise, but isn’t too motivated. However, all he wants is a £150/wk youth contract – so that makes him such a good deal I can’t pass it up. We offer his demanded salary through 2008. We next visit Port Vale – who have already beaten us at our place. Paul Kamara is resting – so we have Henderson and Russell in at striker. But Ben Cross is back, and his corner kick sets up Henderson for our first score. We get this one well in hand, and in the final minutes, Paul Russell kicks in an easy shot for his hat trick – his first three-goal effort with Lincoln. Lincoln 4, Port Vale 0. This team is really clicking right now – we are racking up standings points at an unheard-of rate. As December wraps up, we have a number of contract issues to work through. We have a couple of our own players who will expire in six months’ time, including James Henderson. As I mentioned earlier, he’s difficult as he expects a pretty big salary – and isn’t making much right now. I like him, but putting up more than £1,000 a week (when we are already well over our prescribed wage budget) just adds to the strain on our finances. In addition, it compromises our ability to sign top players through transfers, since it limits the wages we are able to offer. Tough call there – Henderson got off to a red hot start this season, but now looks like he’s back to being “pretty good” but not remarkable at all. David Crowley isn’t too tough – I want him to stay on as a coach, and if it takes another extension as a player/coach, that’s okay. He won’t be hotly pursued. Other than those two, our team is slated to come back pretty well intact for next season. I’m making Bosman approaches, looking to add perhaps one more solid midfielder and one more solid striker for next year – in an effort, if nothing else, to have a bit more quality depth for purposes of Cup matches and the like. Young Estonian midfielder Roman Ivanov is a low-impact transfer in for us immediately – my scout found him playing in Sweden and likes his potential – he will join our reserve squad for now, but we’ll keep him in mind as an option down the road. It’s only a £1,000 transfer – not a big investment overall. Darren Hopkins accepts a new deal, and will remain with us on a cheap contract for the next few seasons. That gives us a good fallback plan in the event that we cannot land another striker in the open market this season. |
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04-10-2004, 07:47 PM
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#65 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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January 2006
Lincoln City’s James Henderson has won the English Second Division Player of the Month award. Well, that ought to help him in negotiating another contract – he has been very effective of late, admittedly, as the team continues its top form. Here is the league table – where we are flattered by our lofty position: Code:
And as of the beginning of the new year, here is an update of player performance: Code:
And we get news of our first Bosman transfer in – forward Dean Roberts from Swansea. He has played effectively in both the Second and Third Divisions – and we will bring him in hoping to get him time at the attacking midfield spot in relief of Colin Bradshaw. (He’s got to be the third or fourth player brought in with this nominal intention – but so far Bradshaw continues to hold his job pretty tightly) Roberts can also play striker on the right side – so he could conceivably follow in Henderson’s shoes and assume some duties on the front as well. We are back to the pitch, at Sincil Bank to host reading. We get ahead early on an own goal) created by a powerful crossing pass from Dadic) and then run and hide with two Russell goals, each set up by great passes from Kamara. Lincoln 5, Reading 0. An easy, comfortable victory at home, pleasing the fans wildly. Our attendance has topped 10,000 for a few recent home matches – that is approaching our full capacity. It might be time to invest in some new facilities, methinks. I have yet to approach the board with any requests, but I hope I have the sway to get some things done as we continue this great run. We have won six straight league matches – that’s a club record, too. Miguel Angel Lucena, a very talented young midfieler, has agreed terms with our club on a Bosman transfer. He is a very, very exciting young player (only 20 years old) but there is the usual hitch – he’ll need to receive a work permit. So, he’s on hold, and my expectation is that this won’t end up working out. Shame – he could be a great addition for us, I think. Brian Watkins is a midfielder whom I have watched for some time, and now that he is about to be out of contract, I put in an offer. He’s a versatile center midfielder, and I think he could probably play at either the defensive or attacking spot for us. He accepts our offer, and the 28 year old will join us for next season on another Bosman deal. We are swelling next year’s wage load a bit here – but I think we really do need to be a bit deeper than we are right now. If we actually promote to First Division, that’s obviously true, but even if we remain here, having a few solid players on the shelf would make things a lot more comfortable. James Henderson has rejected my first contract offer – he is looking for pretty big money now, and I don’t know if we will be able to retain him. He has had a very nice season, and should be good for a few more years – but his eyes are wide open for big cash. We’ll see how it works out. I am getting a little bit worried about my star striker Paul Kamara. He has the “wanted” tag, indicating that another club is expressing interest. That club, it turns out, is Leeds – a big player in the English Premiere League. He also “wants a new contract” – but he doesn’t believe that Lincoln has the resources to meet his needs. So, it’s possible that we end up losing our best player not too long from now – this is just what you deal with at the fairly lower levels. I will do absolutely everything that I can to retain him, but there are limits built in to this approach. We have been doing great this season, as success breeds success. Our winning has kept morale very, very high, and the high morale has probably helped keep us winning. That suggests, though, that it’s certainly possible to see things turn around quickly. A couple bad losses, and we could head in the other direction. We just need to stave off that downturn. Darlington, in Third Division, would like to take our striker James Hopkins on loan. He’s just signed a deal to play with us for a few more years – the experience ought to do him good, and we are okay at striker as it stands right now. I accept the proposal, and we’ll watch his progress as he gets some playing time with their first team, hopefully. We are in great spirits as we hit the pitch again, visiting Cheltenham. It takes us until 68 minutes, but we finally get on the board – Ben Cross drives and dishes forward to Paul Kamara for the short shot. We hold on and make it hold up, getting another road win, albeit a less then impressive one. Lincoln 1, Cheltenham 0. We are home to Southend next, and once again we are deadlocked for a long time. At 76 minutes, though, we again break through, and get a Kamara goal off a nice rebound. We again make that one goal hold up, and secure a narrow win, but still a win. Lincoln 1, Southend 0. Onasbruck’s Miguel Angel Lucena has been granted a conditional British work permit for his move to Lincoln. That’s surprising – but pleasantly so. He looks like a really good player, and at only 20 years old, he should develop into a serious contributor. I’m excited to have him coming aboard. I make a move to bring in another striker, and have worked out a transfer for 24 year old Jamie Martin. He’s fast and has been effective playing at the lower levels, playing for Telford – I think he’s a good fit for our style of play, from what I can tell. He’s also not looking for a huge contract, which helps. It’s a £20,000 transfer, fairly costly, but he’s only seeking £240/wk in salary, which makes him very affordable under the wage budget. Looking ahead, if we are in jeopardy of losing James Henderson and possibly even Paul Kamara (shudder), then we’re going to need some options up front. We are at York, facing a tough road challenge. At 12 minutes, a strong shot get to Magill, slips just past him and dribbles in. At 36, though, we get it even with a corner kick, in off the defender and captain Chris Rowe. Ben Cross sets up Kamara for another goal in the second half, and we take the lead. We ride out the storm, and get yet another one goal win. Lincoln 2, York 1. I decide to try to cash in on my current good run as manager, and I approach the Board to request improved training facilities. They readily agree, and confirm the investment is coming. Heh. That was easy. We are in play again at Rushden – a club who remain very much in contention in the league. This match, though, is our North semifinal of the Vans Trophy. At 68 minutes, they get a transition goal off an errant pass to get ahead by one. At 79 they score off a free kick, and that pretty well seals it. Rushden 2, Lincoln 0 – Lincoln eliminated. Our spell of wins ends here, but the league record is unblemished – and we’ll be focused there from here on out. |
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04-11-2004, 08:10 AM
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#66 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
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That's awesome to be able to get the improvement you asked for!
Good luck with Lucena getting his permit as well. Have you considered looking into Africa for players? Sometimes players there have an easier time getting their work permit since they sometimes can get on the National Team sooner (as is the case with Arsenal's Kolo Toure with Ivory Coast). The only problem with that is the fact that you'll likely lose them for awhile around New Year (Africa Cup). |
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04-11-2004, 07:50 PM
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#67 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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February 2007
Lincoln City’s QuikSand has won the English Second Division Manager of the Month award. Another four-for-four month, though the trophy loss places some doubt in my mind going forward. Regardless, looking at the awards board – we are dominating thus far: I’ve been tabbed as top boss in three of five months already, and my players have won it three of five months as well. We host Notts County, in a critical match. We are at home, but our team morale has taken a knock. If we lose here, I fear we could suffer a house-of-cards situation. Notts get out ahead right off the bat, scoring off a corner kick in the 2nd minute. It takes us until 55 nminutes before we get even, off a Ben Cross free kick. At 76 minutes, we get a penalty kick when Kamara is help – and Paul Russell and sends it right home. We make it last, and get away with a hard-fouught but important win at home. Lincoln 1, Notts Co 0. We turn right around and have to play on the road at Brentford – they are in the lower half of the table, but still, any road matchup is tough. I have to rest a couple of starters who are a bit worn down. We get one early goal, and then clamp down and secure the road win by that one. Lincoln 1, Brentford 0. Jim Magill is back into top form, and gets the MoM honors for this one, with two clutch saves against open attackers. Now we brace for a huge matchup – we are at Torquay, where our fellow newcomers to the Second Division will square off for a very top spot near the top of the table. The Gulls sit in 3rd position, with 57 points – they are a real threat for one of the autopromotion slots. We, of course, are running away with things so far – and have 13 points on second place Chesterfield with 72. It’s Ben Cross, once again, nailing a free kick right into the corner of the goal for the early lead. He has had a quietly excellent season thus far, and continues his great level of play here – landing a second free kick at 57 minutes to double our edge. Lincoln 2, Torquay 0. Our improbably hot streak just carries on, and getting a road win against a top rival at this point just adds to everything. Morale is understandably very high as we head home, for our next match against 4th place Ipswich. After 22 minutes, Kamara and Dadic execute a gorgeous give-and-go play, to get us ahead by an early goal. Wonderful play! They get even after 55 minutes, on a nice banana shot goal. We get some late pressure, but cannot get another score up, and we settle for a draw here. Lincoln 1, Ipswich 1. So, we lose our winning streak – but still haven’t lost a league matchup in quite some time. We host Watford next, and this one starts of quietly as so many have for us lately. In the second half, Paul Kamara sets up Jamie Martin, who pivots and nails his first Lincoln goal. We are extremely lucky to get away with this narrow margin – but nonetheless, it goes into the book as a W. Lincoln 1, Watford 0. We head to Rotherham, and don our lavender backup unis (I hate them). Paul Kamara has four pretty good chances in the first 20 minutes, and ends up with no goals – side nets and overshots all. The deadlock breaks in the early second half – but it’s to their advantage, with a free kick into the right edge. When we yield a second goal, it’s all but over. We get one late goal, but this one goes in the books as a case of too many missed opportunities. Rotherham 2, Lincoln 1. We outshoot them 15 to 6, and end up on the short end. And, we have some injuries. Goalkeeper Jim Magill will be out a few weeks with a fractured cheekbone, after a brutal run-in. Defensive midfielder Lee Connolly will also miss a few weeks, opening up playing time opportunities for perhaps Gary Doyle or Gareth Ricketts. Steve Parry continues to earn £900/wk in salary, but has proven to be the lest reliable among our regular defenders. I decide to shop him around to several other clubs – in hopes of lessening our salary burden. At this point, I trust David Key even more than I do Parry, who has yet to post a season of ratings over 7.00 so far. It looks like we will be able to get a deal done – several clubs express interest, and the price will be pretty good, apparently my asking price of £70K is suitable to them. |
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04-11-2004, 07:50 PM
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#68 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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March 2007
James Henderson has received his first offer for next season – and it’s decision time. From us, he is demanding a three year deal, worth £1,500 – making him our richest-paid player overall. He’s 33 now, and he’ll get paid through age 36. Tough to lock up that much money, especially since despite his flashes of greatness this season, he has been a little shaky. We have Paul Russell, have just added Jamie Martin, and will be bringing in the versatile Dean Roberts for next season, too. I decide that Henderson will get many thanks for his couple of years of fine service for us, and we’ll presumably let him get paid by Oldham or whomever ends up coming up with the necessary deal. Chesterfield works out a contract with Steve Parry, and we let him escape. We hope that his journey is sound, as we go our separate ways. Puns aside, I am still pretty comfortable with our defenders – this pushes Michael Maher and Chris Rowe into more regular starting roles, with David Kay as our primary backup in the central zone. Simon Platt, Gareth Ricketts and James Carter can also play central defense – so I feel like we are plenty deep. And this drops our wage burden by £900/wk – and bring us £70,000 in cash – all good news for the bottom line. It is indeed Oldham who manage to sign James Henderson – and the Bosman deal will go forward for next season. We’ll miss him – but I’ve already explained my thinking. We are home to Burnley now, and have some changes in the roster. Dave Saunders is in goal, and at central defender we have recalled James McGrath from our reserve roster. At 7 minutes, Paul Kamara takes a hard shot, which sets up a rebound chance for Henderson, who does not miss. We carry out to a decent enough win, but are very worried after Paul Kamara had to be helped off just before halftime. Lincoln 2, Burnley 1. Turns out Kamara will be fine – but keeper Dave Saunders is hurt more seriously, and will miss a few weeks. We’re getting desperate at keeper suddenly, with two injuries. Versatile defender Gary Doyle will also miss a couple of weeks – bad timing for him. Boosted with an influx of cash to our transfer fund, I am looking for potential transfer targets for our final run. With these injuries to our midfield, I see what we might eb able to do there – and focus on in Richard Vaughan from Stoke. His loan out is just about to expire, and we could bring him aboard in about a week. I negotiate a price – I’m surprised it’s as low as £16,000, but he is freed by the club. The issue is signing a contract with him – he has been earning £2,700/wk from Stoke, and I can only afford half that at most. But the contract issues must wait, as we have a huge matter at hand. We are playing now at 2nd place Chesterfield, who have been in good form of late, and though they are 12 points behind us now, they remain our top rivals. It’s a big matchup anytime #1 plays #2, of course. At 6 minutes, Kamara sends a rocket to their keeper – the ball slips past him, off the post, and into his back leg. The keeper inadvertently bumps it rught into the goal, and we take the lead. Paul Russell drills a PK at 11 minutes, and we take a strong two goal lead early. However, they push hard, and get two strikes to get even – all before halftime. At 78 minutes, Chesterfield strike again, and assume the improbable lead. That’s good enough, and we manage to let go of a stranglehold on them. Chesterfield 3, Lincoln 2. So, here is an update of the league table, following the loss: Code:
So, our margin remains very strong – we’re ahead of Chesterfield by a full nine points, and a very solid 18 points ahead of the third place club. With 10 matches yet to play, it’s possible for us to lose our top-two position, but it would really take some doing. As long as we can stay tough through this rash of injuries, we ought to be in pretty good shape for an excellent final position. We get approaches on several of our players – Wolver again come after Lee Marsh, and again get spurned. They also covet Simon Platt, but I decline their advance – neither are available. Rotherham have asked about Colin Bradshaw. What should I do with the 19 year old player? He’s been a very solid, but never spectacular, presence for us in the middle of our attack. He’ll end yet another season with average ratings over 7 – but I still would like more of a “quarterback” in that role going forward, and I keep pursuing other options. At £575/wk, Bradshaw is very cheap for us – and I decide not to pursue a deal. Plus, he certainly could keep getting better. The big result from the loss against Rotherham, though, is a major drop in team morale. We have coasted in this regard all season long – and now we are going to have to deal with a real problem. Home to Stockport, we will try to get a win to rebuild our confidence before the wheels fall off. We yield the early lead at 30 minutes, as David Crowley (our healthiest keeper) fumbles a short ball and concedes a fairly open shot. And we can’t get anything going, and Stockport gets the one goal to hold up for the final margin. Stockport 1, Lincoln 0. Morale is in free fall, and we need to keep this from becoming a huge collapse. Meanwhile, midfielder Richard Vaughan has accepted our contract offer, and will come aboard. With Lee Connolly still out hurt and Mario Dadic needing some rest, the timing is excellent – we need an extra hand. He will probably get immediate action at the defensive midfield spot. We will also be very glad to get keeper Jim Magill back to the pitch – very necessary, I think. Perhaps he can help us right the ship. Regrettably, with our form in a trough, we have to travel to Cambridge – the third place club right now. Predictably, we yield a goal at 6 minutes, and fall into a deficit position yet again. Somehow, we get even – on a Henderson kick-in off a Cross corner kick. We manage to make that last, and eke out a point in this critical road matchup. Lincoln 1, Cambridge 1. Our injury list is mounting – and daunting. From this week, add Ben Cross and Paul Kamara. Lee Connolly had a setback and will be out for a few more weeks, too. Kamara will miss about three weeks – but he hasn’t been “right” for a while, regardless. We hit the month’s end transfer deadline – and we’ll go the rest of the way without any new additions. I’m disappointed – I have been courting a Russian midfielder who was recently released by Barcelona, but could never get him to listen to our contract offers. |
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04-12-2004, 12:48 AM
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#69 | |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Rock on. |
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04-12-2004, 07:16 AM
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#70 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Ow, more injuries. Perhaps it's time for more or at least new Physios?
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04-12-2004, 08:06 AM
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#71 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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I think a new physio will be hired soon - we currently have only one, but the required investment is pretty modest.
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04-12-2004, 12:29 PM
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#72 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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April 2007
We remain in first place – but only four points ahead of Chesterfield. Our margin is 14 on Cambridge and Cheltenham, though – so we still look good for a top two finish. I have to be very worried about the recent stumbles, and the resulting poor morale. What a time to visit Wigan. We hate Wigan. Without Dadic, Cross, and Kamara – I hardly recognize our attack. Jim Magill is practically on his head holding up our first half shutout, and we get to halftime without conceding a goal, somehow. We cannot get anything going on the attack, but we bottle them up all day, and get away with a score draw. Lincoln 0, Wigan 0. With the draw, we keep building points – albeit very slowly now. Here’s another snapshot of the table: Code:
We are closing in on a mathematical lock for at least a playoff position – but with our current form, it’s the top two spots that really matter to us. Our next match is home, but to yet another top-tier club, Grimsby. We hold on valiantly through the first half despite an utter lack of offensive pressure, but finally concede a goal at 63. They tack on another, and get away with a pretty dominating effort at our place, sending us to a tough loss. Grimsby 2, Lincoln 0. Now we play at home again against Brighton and Hove Albion. Morale is low – but this ought to be a chance to get it together and get a win. At 14 minutes, though, it’s clear that we aren’t going to have an easy time of things – and they get ahead with a nice attack. A PK shortly afterwards makes it two goals – and we are in big trouble. Brighton 2, Lincoln 0. This is the free fall that I had been fearing – we can’t seem to play at all an I don’t know what it will take – but now we are in real jeopardy, which would make for a terrible finish to a potentially wonderful season. We have now slipped to 2nd place – and play at Barnsley. I have subbed in the least dejected players we have. One bonus is that Paul Kamara gets clearance to come back in and play – and we really need him. This one, again, looks bleak – but we get a miracle goal at 82 minutes from Colin Bradshaw to take the lead. We make it though the final ten minutes, and eke out a very important league victory. Lincoln 1, Barnsley 0. That goal, coming from nowhere, might have been the single most important play of the whole season – three standings points right now stand huge. Morale is way up now – exactly what we needed. We have vaulted back into first place with that win, and have mathematically locked up a playoff spot. Amidst the flurry of other activity, a player I have long coveted becomes available on a Bosman transfer (to be effective in October). 19 year old midfielder Adam Howarth is a talented player with a lethal outside shot – and I see him playing for us in a rotation with Lee Connolly. Howarth should be a great asset – and will join us come October 2006. It seems to be the nature of our offense that the defensive midfilder hangs out some 15 yards or so from the goal as the melee happens inside. The result is that Lee Connolly ends up taking a fair number of unopposed outside shots when in that role. Howarth has good overall skills and can play the role – but he has a great talent for long shooting, which would be one more element in our attack, I think. That is what has me most excited about his joining the club. It’s a £75,000 compensation to Torquay for the young player – the most we have paid for any player, but it’s supported by the income we brought for defender Steve Parry. We play host to Rushden, and I am hoping that our rebound in morale will carry us to a win. I have Mario Dadic and Ben Cross back into the lineup – and we’re looking to get the offense back in form. Our first goal, oddly enough, comes from Dave Rose – his first of the season. Rose later make a nice forward move and sends a pass in to Kamara for the second goal. With a one goal edge, Kamara seals it in injury time and we get away with a good-looking victory. Lincoln 3, Rushden 1. This is the best we have looked in some time – and the echoes of the first place club are back. We host Wrexham, who are already slotted for relegation. At 30 minutes, Paul Kamara steals a pass between two Wrexham defenders, and advances the ball for a nice long goal. We suffer through some late pressure, but get away with one goal up. Lincoln 1, Wrexham 0. And it’s official: Lincoln has won promotion to the English First Division. Whether we finish in position one or two is pretty secondary – the point is to get promoted, and we have that locked up, with two matches yet to be played. We certainly got a scare with a badly times bad run – but we seem to be escaping that drought and are back in pretty good form. We’ll try to edge out Cheltenham for the league championship, but the main goal has been accomplished. Last edited by QuikSand : 04-12-2004 at 12:30 PM. |
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04-12-2004, 12:59 PM
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#73 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Alexandria, VA
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Wow, congrats!
I have a feeling it'll be a rough go in the First Division next year, as the core of your team still seems to be the group you had in the Third Division. But you've topped expectations before... |
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04-12-2004, 01:11 PM
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#74 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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good luck in the first division
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04-12-2004, 01:42 PM
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#75 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: The State of Insanity
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Kickass~!
Now go win the bloody thing!
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Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com |
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04-12-2004, 02:18 PM
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#76 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Illinois
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Congratulations!
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04-12-2004, 02:43 PM
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#78 |
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FOFC's Elected Representative
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The stars at night; are big and bright
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greatness.
I am about to be fired my very first season, but maybe a conference team will have me.
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"i have seen chris simms play 4-5 times in the pros and he's very clearly got it. he won't make a pro bowl this year, but it'll come. if you don't like me saying that, so be it, but its true. we'll just have to wait until then" imettrentgreen "looking at only ten games, and oddly using a median only, leaves me unmoved generally" - Quiksand |
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04-12-2004, 03:04 PM
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#79 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The Internets
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Wow. Congrats. The First Division should present a much greater challenge.
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I do mind, the Dude minds. This will not stand, ya know, this aggression will not stand, man. - The Dude |
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04-13-2004, 02:13 AM
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#80 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Woohoo! Congratulations!
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04-13-2004, 02:19 AM
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#81 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: May 2003
Location: heaven
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Congrats on moving up.
 BTW, what is the status of Kamara and his contract. Thought someone wanted him and he said you couldn't afford him, or something. Or did I make that up?
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Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here |
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04-13-2004, 03:06 PM
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#82 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
Kamara has another club listed as wanting him, and he seems to be interested in a new contract. So far, the other club had not approached us, and he hasn't actually raised his concern - so I'm skating along until we reach a problem. But if things progress like they did in CM 00/01 in similar circumstances, we might well end up getting a hefty transfer fee out of the deal but losing the star player. |
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04-16-2004, 08:30 AM
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#83 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Lincoln Supporters demand Update
Drunken Lincoln supporters gathered outside Mick's pub last night and demanded to be updated about the team's progress and the board's plans for striking stalwart Paul Kamara. Said Oykib, "I'm dying over here..." |
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04-16-2004, 11:54 AM
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#84 | |
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H.S. Freshman Team
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Stankonia
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Quote:
I am about to overturn a car! I hope all is well QS and that you will get back to the updates.
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Owner of the Jamaica Rastas of the FOFL |
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04-17-2004, 08:32 AM
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#85 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Sorry, gang. I have wrapped up the tail end of the season... but have not yet started the next one in earnest. I've been tied up with a few other things most of this week... maybe tomorrow.
For now, this will have to do. |
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04-17-2004, 08:32 AM
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#86 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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May 2004
Lincoln City’s Paul Kamara has won the English Second Division Player of the Month award. The striker has been in deadly form this month, scoring in excess of a goal a game. We are at Colchester for our penultimate league match, and the whole club is soaring in morale. We control the match through the early stages, and get an early lead from Kamara’s foot, once again. And as we have through the season, we are ale to make one goal stand up. Lincoln 1, Colchester 0. We wrap up our season at home to Doncaster, a solid club in the upper half of the division. We get an early goal from our ragtag lineup to get the edge, and another at 27 minutes – both notches come from defenders, too. We seal down, get the win, and lock up the Second Division championship in the process. Lincoln 2, Doncaster 0. Let’s get a snapshot of how our squad performed for the year in total: Code:
It looks like Paul Kamara is pretty likely to grab his third straight award as our top player – though I think Ben Cross and Mario Dadic both deserve consideration. Regardless, the real outcome that matters is the team outcome – and that couldn’t have been much better. Code:
Torquay and Grimsby face off in the playoff final, and it’s Grimsby Town who will join us in promotion to First Division, by a 2-0 final margin. Lincoln fans are absolutely ecstatic after their boss QuikSand beat all the odds to bring them glory in the English Second Division. One fans’ spokesperson was heard to remark that QuikSand has performed miracles with the Lincoln team and they would be looking to dedicate a statue of him outside Sincil Bank. Lincoln board members were spotted celebrating amongst the fans after winning the competition. £475,000 comes our way for winning the league – that’s worth something, too. |
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04-17-2004, 05:12 PM
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#87 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Troy, NY
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I find it interesting how your goalkeepers get consistently low ratings with such good stats. McGill gave up, what, 0.75 GPG, and isn't even close to a 7 avg. rating? My keeper, Jens Reuter, gives up greater than a goal per game and pretty easily exceeds a 7 average.
It must say a lot about our defensive styles... granted, I only use three in the back, but I think I have a pretty good group back there. Two are dominant in the air and have good speed, the other is manned by a more attack-minded guy, but he's averaging almost an 8 per game. Then again, when I had an injury to my keeper, I noticed us giving up a lot of weak goals. Something still doesn't really add up, though. I'd think given my poor defensive GAA, either the defense or the keeper would have a bad ratings average - that doesn't seem to be the case, though.
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Quis custodiets ipsos custodes? |
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04-17-2004, 11:07 PM
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#88 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
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goalkeepers game rating can be bad when in fact he is playing fairly well, if he only has to make a few saves it hurts his overall rating. Same thing applies to your defense if you have a couple who are very good at passing and pass the ball back and forth you can consistantly get 8's but that can also lead to your goalie being hung out to dry
In your case if your not watching the games watch the next few and see if this is happening to you |
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04-17-2004, 11:12 PM
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#89 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Troy, NY
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I do watch the games, and here's what I notice...
At first, I thought my #1 keeper was pretty ordinary - he didn't let in many weak goals, and made a big save here and there, but was by no means spectacular. But he played pretty much every game, and I didn't have anyone to compare him to. Then when he was hurt for two weeks, I saw my #2 keeper play. This guy let in weak goals, and never made big saves. My defense is a pretty "defensive" group. The 3-man backline is generally really tall and good at marking. They don't do much of the passing back and forth that you describe. So I think what is probably happening is my defense and keeper are solid, though since I'm an attacking minded team there is a lot of pressure on my backline and subsequently, keeper. Both do a reasonable job of handling it, and get strong ratings. We give up a lot of goals though, due to the sheer volume of pressure we face. QuikSand, on the other hand, has a defense that only acts when called upon, which isn't often because of his good ball-winners in midfield. Since very little gets through that backline, his keeper doesn't have much to do in the net. I think that offers a partial explanation as to the phenomanon - thanks for the comments condors!
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Quis custodiets ipsos custodes? |
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04-18-2004, 04:18 PM
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#90 | |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Here and There
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Quote:
6 is "average" so 7 is a good, but not great performance. I think the primary factor in the rating is shots on goal. My goalies usually average right at 7 or a little below due to the lack of shots they face. Of course if they get a nine or, god forbid, a ten, then I know I got lucky. |
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04-20-2004, 11:30 AM
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#91 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Lincoln City – 2006/07 Season
Well, so far things have really blossomed here at Sincil Bank. Our scrappy Third Division club has put things together, and we stand as a new addition to the English First Division, where we will try to run with much wealthier rivals. We still have a stadium with under 11,000 seats, but we have a nice core group of players, who will try to put together another good season. Is this “too much, too soon” for this small club? Or can we cut it against some of the much bigger boys in First Division? We’ll see! Code:
The transfer period marks the beginning of the new year – and we embark on a voyage into the English first Division. I wasn’t sure how we would fare against the Second Division foes last year – but I have to think that a number of our current players will prove to be outclassed at this new level. This could prove to be a rude awakening. We have four players already committed to come to Lincoln for the coming season, so I feel like we have reinforcements already in the pipeline. I’m not panicked, therefore, as I look through the players awaiting contracts – if I can locate one or two affordable guys who look like they could help, that would be fine… but it’s not a pressing matter. I do come across another veteran player, 30 year old striker Mamadou Doumbia. The Ivory Coast native has some very impressive skills, it seems, and we’ll try to get some production from our front group. He agrees to our contract offer… and of course the next stage is to secure a work permit. I know how these usually work out. (They don’t) As the offseason progresses, so does 2006 the World Cup. I’ll post some updates on how that goes – I don’t think any of our Lincoln players will have any role, but I’ll note that also if appropriate. Paul Kamara has been voted Player of the Year by supporters. No surprise – the strikers put up the gaudy numbers, and he deserves the award. Ben Cross might have been my vote, but we got good efforts from a lot of guys. TV right for the first division total £625,000 – much more than we are used to seeing. Our upgraded training facility is complete – that’s good news, too. I don’t know how it translates into the game, but it’s nice to see progress there. The Lincoln Board are very pleased with you performance as manager this season. The team is expected to fight bravely against relegation from the First Division this coming season. To help you achieve this goal, the Lincoln board have given you a transfer budget of £525K. That’s a whole lot more money that I’m used to having available – opens a lot of doors, I suspect. Our wage budget, though, will probably be the biggest problem – if all we can offer is £1,500/wk, it might not matter that we can afford a nice transfer price. Fortunately, it seems that our wage budget has bounced up as well, now that we are in the First Division. We can spend £28,000/week on wages – which should give us much more flexibility. My board is prepared to support weekly wages of up to £2,800 for a top player – so we ought to have more flexibility there, gladly. My player/coach goalkeeper David Crowley is about to run out of contract, and it looks like he isn’t interested in playing any longer. I might keep him around as a keepers’ coach (he is very good with them) but this will thin out our ranks there a bit. I’d still very much like to pick up a young keeper who could step into some playing time and develop into our starter down the road. Veteran Jim Magill is okay for now, but I’d like to have a sense of where we are going. In the World Cup second round, here are the matchups: Code:
Based on the early outcomes, I make Brazil and Germany top players, with England in the mix as well. The Brazil-Argentina matchup in round two is likely to be epic. I try to renew an old tradition, and offer a friendly to tiny Lincoln United – our crosstown little sister club. They readily accept the chance to play at Sincil Bank. Some World Cup results: Code:
I have appealed the rejection of Mamadou Doumbia’s work permit, but I now don’t expect to see him come aboard. Too bad – I had pretty high hopes… but this whole work permit process remains mysterious to me. David Crowley has left the club, immediately after the expiration of his player/coach contract. And now, he seems to have escalated his demands – making it even tougher for me to try to land him back as a coach. Code:
Both England and the US are moving on with mighty upsets! And once again, my ability to forecast results in national competition are demonstrated to be lacking. |
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04-20-2004, 11:31 AM
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#92 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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[b]July 2006[/u]
It’s July, and the transfers from last season are allowed to go through. A quick recap of our new acquisitions coming aboard: 21 year old central midfielder Miguel Angel Lucena is from Venezuela, but has been playing in Germany. An excellent passer, Lucena has solid all-around skills, and my plan will be to get him time at both the attacking and defensive midfield positions. A very exciting player. Our commercial director mentions that we expect a lot of his jerseys to sell – the fans must also be excited about this new acquisition. Striker Dean Roberts is 30, but should still be effective for a while. He’s a well rounded shooter and dribbler, and takes a mean penalty kick. I see him stepping into the role held by James Henderson, probably rotating with Paul Russell as the right-side striker. Midfielder Brian Watkins will probably end up getting fill-in time in several places – a jack-of-all-trades. He’s 28, and is pretty affordable – just the sort we will need to play a tough schedule this year. Decent, versatile player. Code:
Wow – the World Cup final will be a rematch of… well… the American Revolution! Or would it technically be more of a rematch of the War of 1812? Hard to say. Either way… England have won the World Cup after a 3-0 win over U.S.A. at Olympiastadion. Heads are rolling in the international managerial community, as several big nations release their bosses after disappointing World Cup showings-- France, Brazil, Spain, and Portugal among them. We slap Lincoln United around pretty well at our place in our first friendly – it’s more of a warmup for us anyway, as we try to settle in for the season ahead and find out who is ready to play. Against the overmatched United side, our first team offense look like world-beaters, but we’ll see how that holds up against more considerable foes. David Crowley, our former keeper/coach, has signed on as Assistant Manager at Hereford in the English Conference. So, it seems that his demands were justified – he got £875/wk from them for that role, which is plenty more than I would have paid him to be a keepers coach. Good for him. Barnet seek our young striker John Jackson on loan, and I agree. He simply doesn’t fit into our plans right away – and probably for the long haul. They will pay his salary, and if things work out, maybe they will take him in a transfer at some point. Would suit me just fine. In the friendly matches so far, I’m getting a sense that our new midfielder Lucena is a better fit in the defensive center spot than in the attacking spot. This isn’t a big disappointment, and I will probably give him chances at both positions, but he was really the guy I was hoping would take over the forward role and make it his own for this year. He’s such a talented passer, I want to see him involved in the attack. Michael Maher is out for our opener – our first injury of the season. This reminds me – I want to hire a second physio. I make an offer to a decent guy with a lousy reputation and soon after, Tom Bishop joins up with our staff. We’ll hopefully get him into the training and medical support, and see if we can’t reduce our injuries a shade. |
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04-20-2004, 12:27 PM
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#93 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Yay! Glad to have the dynasty back.
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04-20-2004, 02:34 PM
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#94 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Troy, NY
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My limited knowledge of the work permits is that players from outside the EU must have played 75% of his country's recent international matches. For young stars there are sometimes exceptions - but not often.
Once the player is transferred in, he is eligible for the duration of his contract, but if you want to re-sign him he must play in a signifcant portion of YOUR team's matches. Hope this helps a little, rpi-fan
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Quis custodiets ipsos custodes? |
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04-20-2004, 02:46 PM
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#95 | |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Quote:
Thanks - that comports with what I feel like I know. I just never can tell when one of these exceptions is going to come along -- like my recent addition of Lucena seemed to go through because he is young - even though he has yet to play for his national team. But I don't fully understand the provisions that apply to him and not, for instance, Doumbia (who also had not played for his national team, but is 30 years old). |
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04-20-2004, 02:56 PM
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#96 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Troy, NY
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He might have played for their U-21 team or something.
Or maybe it's just random.*shurg*
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Quis custodiets ipsos custodes? |
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04-20-2004, 03:52 PM
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#97 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: The State of Insanity
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Set out below is the work permit criteria for non-European Economic Area (EEA) football players for the 2003/2004 season that have been agreed by the football governing bodies.
Work permits will be issued to international players of the highest calibre who are able to make a significant contribution in footballing terms to the development of the UK game at the highest level (i.e. clubs competing in the Premier League and Football League Division 1 to 3 in England and Scotland, The Leagues of Wales in Wales, and The Irish Football League in Northern Ireland). CRITERIA A player must have played for his country in at least 75% of its competitive 'A' team matches he was available for selection, during the two years preceding the date of the application; and, The player's country must be at or above 70th place in the official FIFA world rankings when averaged over the two years preceding the date of the application. COMPETITIVE MATCHES The definition of a competitive 'A' team international match is a: World Cup Finals game World Cup Qualifying group game Football Association confederation tournament game, for example: The FIFA Confederations Cup; The UEFA European Championships and Qualifiers; The African Cup of Nations and Qualifiers; The Asia Nations Cup and Qualifiers; The CONCACAF Gold Cup; The CONCACAF The Copa Caribe; The CONMEBOL Copa America; The OFC Nations Cup and The UNCAF Nations Cup Where an application has been refused on the grounds that it does not meet the published criteria, a club may seek a review against the decision. A club will have 28 days to inform Work Permits (UK) that it wishes to seek such a review. If a review is sought within this time limit, Work Permits (UK) will refer the club's evidence to an independent review panel. The review panel will normally consist of representatives from the relevant football governing bodies together with up to three independent experts. The panel's terms of reference are to consider whether the player is of the highest calibre and able to contribute significantly to the development of the game at the top level in UK. The panel will make a recommendation to the Head of Work Permits (UK) whose decision will then be relayed to the club. Ministers will be informed of the result. Clubs should note that, in respect of any application, there will only be available one review (i.e. a panel hearing and recommendation, followed by a decision). A club should therefore ensure that all evidence that it wishes to present in support of its application is presented at the review. If the club has previously made an application that was unsuccessful at review a further review cannot be made for the same player during the season. For these purposes a season is deemed to run from 01 July until 31 May
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04-20-2004, 03:56 PM
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#98 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2000
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I think there's an internal (hidden) reputation rating of some sort that makes a difference. To the best of my knowledge the 75% is correct for qualifying for a permit. But without having done that, players with high reputations can still get permits. I've had a number of young non-EU citizens playing for me without having capped before.
As Kyle mentioned, however, once he's on your team, he'll need to be playing in 75% of matches he's eligible for in order to sign a new deal with you. Frequently, I use these younger players as the 12th man off the bench to get them the number of appearances they need. As an aside, after 5 years, they'll get their English passport. |
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04-20-2004, 04:37 PM
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#99 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: May 2003
Location: heaven
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Hey Quik, how do you go about enlarging or building a new stadium? What kind of costs would you be looking at to do so? Seems like attendance of only 11k each home game would put you even further behind the larger D.I sides over a period of time.
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04-21-2004, 09:45 AM
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#100 |
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lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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Stadium is the province of the board - I can ask them to meke the investment, and see what they say. If they go forward, it probably shows up in the club finances overall (I assume) but I have never been succesful in expanding in any career, so I can't say.
At the moment, I'm watching attendance - and if we're filling up regularly, I am going to put in for an expansion. |
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