FM: Harrogate is Moving on Up..

[Eaglesfan27]

November 15th, 2006 -

Darn it. Brighton made an enquiry into how much we want for Smyth. I'm debating on telling them the buyout amount of 400,000 dollars or he is not for sale. I've gotten him back to being happy, but he might become unhappy if I totally reject this enquiry. Then again, he might become upset if he thinks I want to just make a ton of money off of him. I decide to tell them he is not for sale. If he complains, I will have to consider moving him..

[Eaglesfan27]

November 18th, 2006 -

My scout is recommending signing left/right winger Tom Baker who was recently released from Barnsley. Baker appears to be a gifted passer with a variety of pass types from watching him on tape. He also has good speed. I decide to contact him and he tells me he wants 220/week and he wants to be a regular starter. I tell him that I will offer 180/week to be a backup. I'm waiting to hear his response. He is only 21, and with some development he could become a very good player.

[BreizhManu]

ask for 400k, and if they accept, well, he is not the only fish in the sea...

[Eaglesfan27]

November 18th, 2006 -

Today we travel to play Worcester. They won the English Conference North the year before I did. They finished in 11th in the English Conference National last year, but are currently in 18th. They have been hard hit by injuries and barely have enough men to field a team. Midfielder Antony Sweeney has played very well this year. Left fullback Les Hines has been the main man on defense. Centerback Mark Ricketts has also played well. Most of the offense has been provided by striker Mark Owen who has 5 goals on the year. Danny McDonnell is a good keeper who has been overwhelmed by a high number of shots faced and has given up about 2 goals a game as a result.

We tied them and lost to them in our 1st season two years ago.

They are 6:4 favorites.

It's a sunny day with temperatures in the high 50's.

We are using the same lineup as last game except Morley gets a chance to redeem himself by playing right fullback for the injured Black.

[Eaglesfan27]

6 minute mark: Palmer gets the ball along the right sideline.. turns on the speed.. races down the sideline.. crosses for the near post.. Kelly heads it.. into the crossbar. Ricketts clears the rebound.

35 minute mark: Kelly gets the ball at midfield on a pass from Wal.. dribbles down the center of the field... past a defender.. past another defender.. shoots from 25 yards out.. laser beam of a shot towards the upper right corner.. hits the crossbar.. bounces back and the defense clears it.

41 minute mark: Kelly gets the ball just outside the box.. dribbles into the box.. two defenders in front of him.. crosses to his left for Wright.. Wright shoots.. McDonnell cleanly saves it.

Halftime: 0-0.

47 minute mark: Barnett misplays a long pass that gets through to Owen.. Barnett recovers.. uses his speed.. tackles Owen in the box before he can get off a shot!

58 minute mark: Smyth puts a move on Ricketts.. he's into the box.. Ricketts tackles him from behind. Ricketts is hurt.

60 minute mark: Ricketts is still on the sideline getting treatment as Smyth receives a long pass from Surey.. Smyth dribbles into the left corner of the box.. shoots.. McDonnell blocks it.. Palmer tries to get to the rebound which has rolled towards the right post.. the left fullback Hines gets to it... Palmer steals it from Hines! Shoots.. into the net! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

75 minute mark: Barnett heads away a good cross that was heading towards Owen.

85 minute mark: Morley with a nice header in the box to prevent a pass that was heading towards Sweeney.

86 minute mark: Morley with a header to keep Owen from getting the ball in the left corner of the pitch.

88 minute mark: Barnett with a big tackle on Owen just outside the box.. they are putting on the pressure down the stretch.

90 minute mark: Jermaine Easter heads a ball towards goal.. whistle blown.. he unfairly jumped with Collett.. Collett is hurt, but tells me he wants to finish the game.


92 minute mark: Scarsella goes to clear a pass and sends it to Owen.. Owen is all alone with Scarsella inside the box. Owen shoots.. Scarsella tips it to the ground.. it's rolling towards the goalline.. I'm sure it's going to go in when Scarsella races back and dives on it.. just before it crosses the goalline.. Whew!

93 minute mark: Wright is tackled by Sweeney. Wright looks hurt. Whistle blows.. Game over.

Game over: 1-0 win for us.

We were outshot 15-8 (but we led with 6-5 for on target shots.)

Stuart Wall wins MoM, 20 of 25 passes, 11 of 11 tackles, 5 of 5 headers, 7 interceptions, , 9 for form.

Morley had an 8 for form, and took a step towards redeeming himself and getting some regular PT. In fact, 8 guys on the team had 8's for form. Surey and Barnett were the only 7's.

[Eaglesfan27]

November 21st, 2006 -

Stuart Wall was selected to the English Conference team of the week.

Davies has returned to full strength from his injury.

Tom Baker agreed to my proposed deal and will be joining the team shortly.

[Eaglesfan27]

November 22nd, 2006 -

Today we travel to Shrewsbury for the rematch. They are starting the same guys. We are starting our same guys, except Davies replaces Fox on the bench. I like Fox, and feel bad for the kid but he doesn't seem to have the skill to take us to the next level. Perhaps, I'm shortchanging him. However, Davies has really impressed in his limited play this year, and I feel he deserves some PT.

It's a cold overcast day with temperatures in the mid 30's.

They are 4:7 favorites.

[lighthousekeeper]

Could we get a rundown/update of your non-active roster? I'm curious who you've got that not in your 16 lineup players.

great dynasty btw. if you keep this up , i don't need to buy fm.

[Eaglesfan27]

5 minute mark: Morley with a big header to prevent Rodger from getting a good cross.

21 minute mark: Morley with a header to send the ball to Surey at midfield.. Surey passes to Palmer in the right corner.. the defense closes down real quick. The defense looks very fast today.

32 minute mark: Wright steals the ball at midfield.. sends the ball on a rope to Palmer who is just outside the right corner of the box.. Palmer takes two steps into the box.. shoots for the upper left corner... Hart can't get to it.. it's in the net.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

33 minute mark: Collett steals the ball along the right wing.. sends a great through ball to Kelly who is all alone in the box.. Kelly dribbles to his left.. trying to get around the keeper.. the keeper is in position.. Kelly suddenly does a nice change of direction.. sharply to his right.. shoots for the lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0. 2 goals in a minute!

37 minute mark: Collett takes a free kick from about 40 yards out along the right wing.. sends a long pass into the center of the box.. Kelly outjumps the defender.. heads it towards the right corner of the net.. Hart dives.. can't get to it.. GOAL!!!! 3-0! 3 goals in 5 minutes!

43 minute mark: Collett takes a free kick from 40 yards out.. almost the same spot.. Kelly gets the pass.. settles it in the box.. defender closing on him.. shoots.. upper right corner.. Hart dives.. barely tips it over the bar.

Halftime: 3-0 lead. Furthermore, the attendance is announced at 6,876 fans!

50 minute mark: Barnett with a nice tackle to stop Rodgers as he enters the box.

65 minute mark: Davies on for Collett who has had a very nice day.

78 minute mark: Scarsella tries to catch the corner kick that was hit by Tolley aiming for Rodgers at the far post.. Scarsella bobbles it.. into the goal! Own GOAL. 3-1.

Kelly is very tired. I gave him his chance for the hattrick, but it's just not happening.. I debate on pulling him, but decide I will leave him on for a bit more.

Game over. 3-1 win for us!

We each had 10 shots, but we had 4 shots on goal to their 3.

Collett wins MoM, 23 of 29 passes, 1 of 4 tackles, 2 of 3 headers, 3 interceptions, 3 runs, 2 assists.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Game Info:

We won 24,000 dollars for the win! However, we also received over 100,000 dollars from over sources (gate revenue, etc, etc.) this game. Our coffers just doubled from 120,000 dollars to 250,000 dollars in the bank!


So far on the season, we have turned a 420,000 dollar profit.

We will play at Brighton in 10 days.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

Could we get a rundown/update of your non-active roster? I'm curious who you've got that not in your 16 lineup players.

great dynasty btw. if you keep this up , i don't need to buy fm.

Sure. However, I hightly recommend buying the game when you have the time/money.

GK - Richard O'Conner - He is an 18 year old keeper I picked up this year. He is on loan at Moor Green and is developing nicely. Starting almost every game for them, he has an average form of 7.54. I acquired him after he was released by Chelsea, and his value has doubled for me this season to 32,000 dollars. I think he could be special, but Scarsella is in my eyes better at this time. However, when O'Conner gets back from loan, he might push Bridges for the backup spot.

Christian Fox - A 25 year old attacking midfielder and right winger who was developing nicely when he was getting regular PT. Has regressed some since he started mostly playing for the reserves (my reserves finally play a schedule this year!) I like him, but he isn't talented enough to get regular PT unless I have injuries. He could play ok in a pinch.

Mark Atkins - 38 year old midfielder/coach has lost all of his physical abilties. He is a very smart veteran and could play in a pinch, but he is a shadow of himself. I don't foresee him playing for us anymore unless we've clinched the division or are hard hit by injuries.

Tom Baker - 21 year old winger who can play either side. Looks very good in practice. My only concern is that he doesn't show as much composure as I thought he would on the pitch. I'm not sure if he will develop with time or not, but he was a cheap investment as I got him on a free transfer from Worksop.

Simon Sturdy - 21 year old left winger who like Fox is another one of my original players. I like this kid as he is very determined, but he simply doesn't appear to have the talent to play, particularly if we advance to the next level of play. He'll only be seeing the field if we get hit heavy by injuries or he develops quite a bit more.

Lee Morris - 20 year old striker who is also an original on the team. Morris might develop, but right now his skills are very raw. He is very brave which is best quality, and this helped him score a goal or two for us in the past. However, he is not skilled enough to play now. He is 5th on my striker depth chart.

Colin Hunter - 30 year old attacking midfielder/striker. He is another original player. I like Hunter's versatility, but the lack of PT and age seem to slowly be robbing of him of skills. I'd play him if injuries hit, but he is 3rd string at AMC, and 4th on the depth chart at striker.

Lennie Curtis - 33 year old defender who never really pleased me. He has great determination but he loses track of his man way too often. I had to use him the first year, but he hasn't played much last year or at all this year. He has announced he will retire after the year is over as he feels the game is passing him by.

Dominque Krief - 23 year old midfielder who is an original. He has great speed, good heart and determination. Lacks technical skills and has never really developed. His grit and speed were good enough to make him dangerous at the bottom level of play, but I don't think they are enough this year. I don't plan on playing him unless plenty of injuries occur.

Michael Foulkes - 21 year old left fullback who I just acquired from Northwood. I love his physical skills as well as his supreme bravery and determination. I hope he develops better tackling and coverage skills. He could be a valuable player for me one day.

Marc Smith - 21 year old left fullback who was an original on the team. I've always liked this kid and felt a twinge of guilt when I acquired Foulkes and pushed Smith further down the depth chart. However, Smith just isn't as talented physically or mentally as Foulkes. I might still give him some PT if we clinch the league and see how he plays.

James McDaid - 21 year old striker whom I acquired this year from the hometown. McDaid has wonderful mental qualities on the pitch. He makes smart decisions and anticipates the ball well. He lacks good footspeed, and probably will never play for us, but he is cheap insurance.

Sam Warburton - 19 year old defender who was signed from my hometown. Warburton is exquisitely cheap at 20 dollars/week. He has some skills, but needs to develop a lot before he will ever play on the first team.

That is everybody who you haven't heard about by reading this thread. They are about 17 guys I will be playing regularly for now. With Morley's last 2 performances, he will likely rotate in at right fullback with Black.

[Eaglesfan27]

November 25th, 2006 -

We are currently in 3rd place and we travel to face 5th place Scarborough. They are led by their talented 23 year old centreback Ashley Lyth who has been playing very well this year. Striker, Steve Burton has 10 goals on the year so far. Scott Kerr, their most consistent midfielder this year is out with an ankle injury. Their keeper, Gareth Downey has amazing reflexes and is hard to score against.

This is our first match with them.

Scarborough are even odds favorites.

It's a muddy day with temperatures in the mid 30's.

Our lineup:

GK: Scarsella
DL: Barnard
DC: Barnett
DC: Wall
DR: Morley (Black is back from injury but will be on the bench this time.)
ML: Wright
MC: Surey
MR: Collett
AMC: Davies (Kelly is tired and I decide to give him this game completely off as it is the 2nd of 3 games in 6 days.)
SC: Smyth
SC: Palmer

S1: Bridges
S2: Hunter (might need him if Davies is tired or injured)
S3: Farrell
S4: Shepherd
S5: Black (moves ahead of Dunning for his excellent play at right fullback. He can come in if needed and move Morley to centreback. I only expect this to happen if one of my DC's is tired or hurt.)

[Eaglesfan27]

24 minute mark: Palmer gets the ball at midfield.. plays a great through ball to the left corner of the box.. Smyth gets to it.. shoots.. Downey with a great save.

26 minute mark: Ryan Wilkie steals it from Barnard deep in our zone.. passes to Keith Gilroy at the edge of the box.. Gilroy passes between my two centrebacks.. nice pass to Steve Burton.. Burton shoots for the lower right corner.. GOAL. 1-0.

29 minute mark: Wall intercepts an attack into our zone.. passes it to Surey at midfield.. Surey passes it up the field.. Palmer gets to it.. dribbles into the box.. shoots.. Downey with the save.

38 minute mark: Surey with a pass to Davies. Davies is 35 yards out.. dribbles past two defenders.. turns on the speed.. into the box.. shoots.. lower right corner.. barely wide.

45 minute mark: Kerr plays a great ball to Burton in the box.. Burton shoots.. Scarsella saves it!

63 minute mark: Davies is lacking conditioning and is tired. Hunter on for Davies.

71 minute mark: Quinn gets the ball on the left wing.. dribbles down the left sideline.. crosses for Burton who is by the far post.. Burton outjumps Wall.. heads it.. into the net. GOAL. 2-0.

77 minute mark: Surey gets the ball at midfield.. very good through ball to Palmer.. dribbles into the box.. tries to go to his right around the keeper.. Downey maintains good position.. backpedaling smoothly.. Palmer shoots.. Downey blocks it.

86 minute mark: Palmer gets the ball 40 yards out.. dribbles past one defender.. another defender.. makes a deke move on a third defender.. shoots for the lower right corner.. Downey dives.. knocks it wide of the post.

Game over. 2-0 loss.

They outshot us 17-7 (9-3 on goal.)

Keith Gilroy won MoM, 37 of 46 passes, 1 of 2 tackles, 1 of 4 headers, 2 interceptions, 3 runs, 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

November 28th, 2006 -

Mark Barnard was selected to the English Conference Team this week.

The 3rd round of the English FA trophy occurred today. We will be hosting Dag & Red from our conference.

[Eaglesfan27]

November 28th, 2006 -

We are currently in 4th place. We host Canvey Island which has fallen to 14th place after a strong start. Canvey Island barely avoided relegation last week. Canvey Island has been led by the play of left wing Sean Evans. Keeper Martin Brennan has been either brilliant or absolutely mediocre. He has 8 cleans sheets, but is giving up 2.7 goals/game in his other games. Striker Lee Boylan is one of 3 players with at least 5 goals. His partner up front Oliver Berquez also has 5. Right winger Ben Sedgemore also has 5 goals.

This is our first meeting ever with this team.

We are 5:4 favorites.

It's an overcast day with temperatures in the mid 30's.

Our lineup:

GK: Scarsella
DL: Barnard
DC: Barnett
DC: Wall
DR: Morley (An 8 for form in every single game started at right fullback keeps him in the lineup.)
ML: Wright
MC: Surey
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Smyth
SC: Palmer

S1: Bridges
S2: Davies
S3: Farrell
S4: Shepherd
S5: Black (I feel bad keeping him on the bench, but I'm riding the hot hand at this time.)

[Eaglesfan27]

8 minute mark: Wright gets the ball on the left wing.. crosses to Palmer at the far post.. Palmer shoots.. Brennan blocks the shot. Great save by Brennan.

27 minute mark: Palmer gets the ball at midfield.. dribbles up the field.. past a defender.. past another defender.. into the right side of the box.. crosses to Smyth.. Smyth heads it.. wide open net.. the header hits the crossbar.

Half time: 0-0.

81 minute mark: Surey gets the ball at midfield.. passes to the right corner.. Palmer gets to it.. crosses for the far post.. it's over Smyth's head.. Smyth runs to the left corner and gets it.. Smyth crosses for Kelly. Kelly is in the middle of the box.. heads it towards the goal.. Brennan blocks it.. Kelly fights Brennan for the rebound.. pokes it by him.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

Game over. 1-0 win for us.

We outshot them 6-2 (2-0 on goal.)

Collett wins MoM, 11 of 16 passes, 1 of 1 tackles, 0 of 1 headers, 1 run, 3 fouls drawn. Interesting selection.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info: Collett severely bruised his shin during the match. He is expected to miss 5 days. Collett is going to miss the match against Brighton in the 2nd round of the FA cup.

[Eaglesfan27]

November 30th, 2006 -

Richard O'Conner returned from Moor Green today. He told me he really enjoyed getting 1st team experience and he thinks it helped him develop as a player. I can't wait to watch him in practice.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 1st, 2006 -

Mr. Fotherby and I had our regular monthly meeting. He continues to believe I'm the greatest manager to ever come to the club. He is delighted with my performance.

Scarborough's Tommy Coyne won Manager of the Month with 4 victories in 5 games this month.

Paul Fairclough of Barnet came in 2nd, Glenn Cockerill of Woking came in 3rd.


Farnsborough Town's Lee Miles won player of the month. Wayne O'Sullivan of Exeter City came in 2nd, and Lee Riddell of Farnsborough Town came in 3rd.



Exeter's City Wayne O'Sullivan won young player of the month. Brett Johnson of Aldershot town came in 2nd, and Andrew Bond of Worcester came in 3rd.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 2nd, 2006 -

Today we travel to play Brighton in the English FA Cup's 2nd round. Brighton is 11th in English League 1, and they have a very talented team. However, two of their top players centreback Danny Cullip and left fullback Kerry Mayo are out with injuries. Keeper Ben Roberts is very good, and he will be tough to beat. In League 1 play, he is giving up under a goal a game. Their offense isn't quite as potent, but Striker Chris McPhee is good. He has 8 goals on the year. Word in the football world is that he is unhappy with his current contract and has been pouting a lot. Their other striker, Jamie Mackie hasn't been playing very well and he only has 1 goal and 2 assists on the year despite starting most of their games. It's now more clear why they want Mark Smyth so bad. In any case, this weakness gives me some hope for this game.

We've never played this team before.

They are heavy 1:6 favorites. Odds are 10:1 on us winning.

It's going to be sunny with temperatures in the high 50's.

Here is a look at the starting lineups:





Here are our reserves:

S1: Bridges (I thought about O'Conner but decided not for this one. If either of them have to play it will be ugly anyway.)

S2: Baker (an impulse start. Davies is starting for the injured Collett, and I think Baker has become my 3rd best winger in practice.)

S3: Farrell
S4: Shepherd
S5: Black

[Eaglesfan27]

3 minute mark: McPhee gets the ball in the left corner.. crosses to Mackie.. Mackie shoots from 15 yards out.. going for the upper right corner.. Scarsella dives.. catches it!

6 minute mark: Morley gets the ball after intercepting an offensive attack.. passes to Palmer on the right wing.. Palmer passes to Davies who is ahead of him.. Davies dribbles towards the right corner.. centers for Smyth.. Smyth shoots from 20 yards out.. towards the center of the net.. I can't believe it as it sails over the right shoulder of Ben Roberts into the net! GOAL!!!! 1-0. (I have mixed feelings about this.. Glad we scored.. bad that Smyth might make them want him even more )

12 minute mark: Flurry of activity in front of our net that finally ends with a McPhee shot from 10 yards out.. Scarsella with a great play to tip it over the bar.


20 minute mark: Mackie gets a yellow card for a hard tackle on Morley.

25 minute mark: Left fullback Ben Phillery gets a yellow card for a tackle on Davies who was about to run by him.

31 minute mark: Surey redirects the opponents attack with a header to Davies.. Davies with a great through ball to Palmer.. Palmer dribbles into the right corner of the box.. Palmer shoots.. just barely wide left.

38 minute mark: McPhee attempts to center the ball for Mackie.. McPhee's pass is partially blocked by Morley.. midfielder Rodgers gets it.. shoots from 20 yards out.. towards the left lower corner.. Scarsella dives.. catches it! Great save!

44 minute mark: Morley blocks a shot by McPhee. Great play. Barnett with a block of a shot by Mackie.

Half time: 1-0 lead for us.

52 minute mark: Wall stops a pass intended for Mackie with a header.

55 minute mark: Scarsella stops a shot from 20 yards by Mackie.

58 minute mark: McPhee dribbles past Wall.. goes to his right.. around Scarsella.. flicks it into the open net. GOAL. 1-1.

61 minute mark: Barnard gets a yellow card for a trip on Schofield.

66 minute mark: Simon Rodger gets a yellow card for a hard tackle on Davies.

75 minute mark: Schofield with a great cross for McPhee.. Scarsella saves the header.

Wright is tired and had gotten a yellow card earlier. I decide to put Baker in for him.

I also decide to put Black in for Barnard who has a yellow card. I debate moving Morley to DC, Barnett to DL, and Black at DR. I also consider just putting Black in at DR. I decide to take the first option.

80 minute mark: Morley with a great tackle on Mackie.. I think I did the right think in trusting him to place DC.

84 minute mark: Schofield crosses for McPhee.. McPhee at the far post.. heads it.. Scarsella is in position and catches it.

93 minute mark: Davies steals it at midfield.. plays a great through ball for Kelly.. Kelly gets it in the box.. tries to put a move on the keeper.. Roberts backpedals.. maintains good position.. Kelly shoots.. Roberts blocks it.. Smyth races to the rebound.. Virgo beats him to it and clears it.

Game over. 1-1 tie! We were dominated, but we managed to hold off for a tie! I think Scarsella played an amazing game.

We were outshot 18-8. (12-5 on goal.)

Scarsella had a great game and 9 for form, but Davies win MoM with a 9 for form, 31 of 40 passes, 4 of 4 tackles, 4 of 5 headers, 3 interceptions, 4 runs, 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info: Mike Davies sprained ligaments in his knee, and will miss at least 2 weeks. Amazing that he played well the whole match. I'm not sure when he was hurt.

5,425 fans attended the match. We just earned 60,000 dollars into the bank. We now have 314,000 in the bank.

The rematch is in 11 days with Brighton on our pitch. Davies will miss it, but Collett will be healthy for that match.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 4th, 2006 -

Today the 3rd round draw for the English FA Cup occurred. If we can somehow get past Brighton we will host Derby (currently 21st in English Championship)

[Eaglesfan27]

December 9th, 2006 -

We are in 4th place (1 point behind the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd placed teams - with GD being in our favor against all of them) and are hosting 10th place Bury. Bury's centreback Paul Scott has played very well this year. Midfielder Terry Dunfield has been very creative. Striker Isaiah Rankin has been a solid finisher with 8 goals on the year. His partner, Lee Matthews is also a good finisher and he has 6 goals. They have a 19 year old keeper in goal. Ben Kirby has been good some games, and bad others. I think we can score on this kid if we can get past the defense.

Bury are 4:6 favorites.

We've never played them before.

It's overcast with temperatures in the high 30's.

GK: Scarsella
DL: Barnard
DC: Barnett
DC: Wall
DR: Morley (An 8 for form in every single game since I started playing him again - including last game where he shifted to DC keeps him in the lineup)
ML: Wright
MC: Surey
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Smyth
SC: Palmer

S1: Bridges
S2: Baker (played well in last 15 minutes of last game.)
S3: Farrell
S4: Shepherd
S5: Black (I feel bad keeping him on the bench, but I'm riding the hot hand at this time.)

[Eaglesfan27]

19 minute mark: Collett intercepts a keeper kick intended for the left winger... heads it to the right corner of the box.. Palmer gets to it.. dribbles to his right.. around the keeper.. he has open net.. he.. buries it! GOAL!!!! 1-0. That is his 10th of the season.

24 minute mark: Collett steals the ball in our zone.. passes it to Smyth.. Smyth heads it up the field about 10 yards.. Kelly gets to it.. dribbles between two defenders.. into the box.. shoots.. lower right corner... Kirby can't get to it.. GOAL!!!! 2-0. That is Kelly's 20th goal of the year (not even half of a year up yet.)

36 minute mark: Scarsella plays a long ball down the pitch for Smyth.. gets it in the box.. keeper has come out to cut down the angle.. Smyth shoots.. Kirby blocks it... the defense clears it.

Halftime: 2-0 lead for us.

62 minute mark: Dunfield plays a nice pass between my two centrebacks to get Rankin a good opportunity.. he shoots.. Scarsella saves it!

72 minute mark: Shepherd on for Surey (very tired) and Baker on for Wright (tired)

89 minute mark: Barnett with a big tackle on Rankin in the box.

91 minute mark Dunfield gets the ball from Rankin at 5 yards out.. shoots.. Scarsella tips it over the bar. Wall clears the ensuing corner kick.

Game over. 2-0 win

We outshot them 11-10 (5-3 on goal)

Collett wins MoM, 14 of 22 passes, 1 of 4 tackles, 2 of 5 headers, 5 interceptions, 1 run, 1 assit.

Morley had his first non 8 game (a 7) since moving back into the starting lineup.. he has brought his average to 6.89 with the recent spate of good play.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

The team statkeeper informs me that Smyth's 16 assists is a team record. Not bad. He broke the record in under half of a season.

Next up is the rematch with Brighton at home.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 13th, 2006 -

It's time for the rematch with Brighton, this time on our pitch. We are using the exact same lineup that we used in our last league game.

They are 1:3 favorites. We have 7:1 odds to win.

It's going to be overcast with temperatures in the low 40's.

They are using a 4-4-2 this time. Mackie is not starting this game. Lee Canovile is starting alongside Rodgers in the midfield. Albert Jarrett is starting at left wing. Jon McGovern is starting at right wing. Otherwise, the lineup is the same for Brighton.

[Eaglesfan27]

4 minute mark: Jarrett dribbles down the left sideline.. crosses to Schofield at the far post.. Schofield heads it.. into the net. GOAL. Down 1-0 now.

27 minute mark: Kelly gets it at midfield.. dribbles down the field.. between two defenders.. into the box.. shoots for the lower left corner.. Roberts dives.. tips it wide.. great save.

30 minute mark: Jarrett takes the ball down the left sideline.. great cross to the near post. Canoville heads it.. past Scarsella. GOAL. Down 2-0.

Halftime: Down 2-0. The defense is totally shutting down our attacks.

52 minute mark: Palmer gets it in the right corner.. Palmer crosses.. Cullip heads it before it can get to Kelly. Cullip has played fantastic defense.

70 minute mark: Kelly gets into the box.. shoots.. Roberts blocks it.. Cullip clears it. Many of the 3,339 fans are leaving early.

Game over. 2-0 loss as we were dominated.

They outshot us 6-3 (3-2 on goal)

Centreback Adam Virgo wins MoM, 27 of 32 passes, 7 of 8 tackles, 6 of 6 headers, 4 interceptions, 1 run.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

The team statistician informs me that the 3,339 fans set a gate record for the club with 70,000 dollars this game.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 14th, 2006 -

I think my scout has been smoking some wacky tabacco. He just recommended that I sign Baker from Harrogate. Hmmm... I like the kid too, but that was odd.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 15th, 2006 -

Paul Shepherd damaged his shoulder in practice today. He will be missing about a week.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 16th, 2006 -

Wall injured his knee in practice and will miss a few days (including today's game.) Palmer suffered a thigh strain and will miss about a week.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 16th, 2006 -

Barnet's manager left the team today to become manager of the Wolverhampton Wanderers (17th in English Championship.) Nice to see one of my fellow English Continental managers get a big promotion.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 16th, 2006 -

Crap! I just realized that Farrell is injured too. He suffered a chest injury in practice and will miss the next 3 days.

Today we are in 3rd place and just 1 point behind the 1st and 2nd place teams. We host Lewes which is in 19th place. They have had a rough year and have given up more league goals than any other team in the league. Keeper Ademola Bankole is a 37 year old veteran who still has some skill, but the defense in front of him has been like a sieve. Francis Duku, a centreback, is the only defender who has played well this year. Marc Whiteman has been a very good striker and he has tried to counter the defensive deficiencies with 9 goals. He also has assisted on 4 goals.

We are 2:5 favorites.

We've never played this team before.

It's sunny and temperatures are in the mid 50's.

Our Lineup:

GK: Scarsella
DL: Barnard
DC: Barnett
DC: Morley (slides inside with Wall injured)
DR: Black
ML: Wright
MC: Surey
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Smyth
SC: Hunter (With Palmer and Farrell hurt, Hunter becomes my best option in this slot.)

S1: O'Conner (young kid has stepped over Bridges on the depth chart due to great practices)

S2: Baker
S3: Morris (young striker might have to play if Hunter becomes tired or Smyth injured.)
S4: Davies
S5: Dunning

Guys who are injured for my team this match: Bridges (would have been replaced anyway), Wall, Shepherd, Atkins, Farrell, Palmer.

[Eaglesfan27]

30 minute mark: Surey with a misplay which Peter Adenyl steals.. good through ball into the box for Whiteman.. he shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL. 1-0. That is Whiteman's 10 goal of the year.

39 minute mark: Hunter is tackled hard with two feet by Aaron Nowacki the centreback. Ref blows the whistle.. reaches into his pocket.. RED card! He is out of here.

44 minute mark: Barnett kicks the corner.. Collett is by the near post.. centreback Francis Duku jumped unfairly with him.. Whistle! Penalty shot awarded!

Barnard steps up to shoot the penalty.. lower left corner.. keeper moves but can't get to it.. GOAL!!!! 1-1.

Halftime: 1-1. Hunter is tired (hasn't had much PT so he is out of condition.) I pull him and decide to try Davies up there as a playmaker.

58 minute mark: Collett gets the ball on the right wing.. great pass to Smyth.. Smyth dribbles into the box.. shoots from 20 yards out.. powerful shot.. heading towards upper left corner.. it grazes the bar and sails over.

72 minute mark: Davies gets the ball in the right wing.. great cross.. to Kelly.. Kelly shoots.. Bankole gets in front of it.. blocks the shot.

89 minute mark: Smyth gets it at midfield.. dribbles down the left sideline.. crosses for Kelly.. Kelly settles the pass.. is about to shoot.. Duku tackles him. Clears it.

Game over. 1-1 tie.

We outshot them 10-8, but they outshot us 5-4 for shots on target.

Surey wins MoM, 20 of 21 passes, 10 of 11 tackles, 3 of 5 headers, 6 interceptions.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

The team statkeeper informs me that Smyth's 16 assists is a team record. Not bad. He broke the record in under half of a season.

That boy earnin' his new paycheck, ain't he?

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I think my scout has been smoking some wacky tabacco. He just recommended that I sign Baker from Harrogate. Hmmm... I like the kid too, but that was odd.

I've seen that in my tinkerin' with the demo. Generally, it's been because I had the kid set to be scouted then signed them. Still goofy.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 19th, 2006 -

We are currently in 2nd place (3 points behind 1st place Scarborough.) Today we host 17th placed Exeter City. Exeter has several talented players on their team, and have been the victim of bad injuries this year. Several of their guys have recovered and they have started winning some games. Exeter is being led by right winger Jason Price who has 5 goals (he was one of my favorite players back in CM 03/04 when I managed Hull.) Left fullback Dean Moxey has played very well for the defense. Their offense has generally been dormant due to injuries, but they recently acquired striker Adebayo Akinfenwa on loan from Torquay. He hasn't scored in his first two games, but my scout states that he appears to be quite talented.

We've never faced Exeter before.

They are 4:6 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the low 40's.

GK: Scarsella
DL: Barnard
DC: Barnett
DC: Morley
DR: Black
ML: Wright
MC: Surey
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Smyth
SC: Hunter (Palmer and Farrell are both out still.)

S1: O'Conner
S2: Baker
S3: Morris
S4: Davies
S5: Dunning

[Eaglesfan27]

11 minute mark: Surey intercepts the ball at midfield.. feeds it to Smyth in the left corner... Smyth crosses for Kelly in the center of the box.. Kelly heads it towards the upper right corner... the keeper, Stephen Mildenhall, dives.. can't get to it! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

Halftime: 1-0 in a tame first half, in which our defense is dominating but our offense has generally been shut down.

65 minute mark: Davies on for Hunter. Baker on for Wright.

70 minute mark: Morley with a big tackle to prevent Akinfenwa from having a wide open scoring opportunity.

81 minute mark: Scarsella sends a goal kick to Baker on the left wing.. Baker with a great header of the kick to Smyth on the left corner of the box.. Smyth dribbles once.. shoots for the upper right corner.. hits it off the post.. into the goal! GOAL!!!! 2-0.

Game over. 2-0 win.

We outshot them 8-4 (3-0 on goal.)

Black wins MoM, 16 of 25 passes, 0 of 1 tackles, 0 headers, 12 interceptions(!), 1 run.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

That win puts us into first place! Scarborough and Kidderminster also have 38 points, but we have a superior Goal Differential of +20. Kidderminster's is +12 and Scarborough's is +10. We are now 20 games into the season with a record of 11-5-4. I'll do a half year in review after the next game.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 23rd, 2006 -

We are in 1st place. We are hosting 7th place Aldershot Town today. Aldershot's keeper, Colin Nicholson has played very well this year. Young right fullback Tyron Smith has also played very well. Striker Tim Sills has led the offense with 13 goals. Roscoe D'Sane has also been highly effective with 7 goals and 7 assists. Right winger, Jon Challinor, has played very well also.

We've never faced Aldershot Town before.

They are even odds favorites.

It's going to be sunny today with high temperatures in the low 40's.

GK: Scarsella
DL: Barnard
DC: Barnett
DC: Wall (has been recovered from injury and has had good rest.)
DR: Black (played too well last game to sit him.)
ML: Wright
MC: Surey
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Smyth
SC: Palmer (glad he is back from injury)

S1: O'Conner
S2: Baker
S3: Farrell (also glad he is back)
S4: Davies
S5: Morley

[Eaglesfan27]

35 minute mark: Kelly gets it at midfield.. passes it up the field to Smyth.. Smyth gets it.. dribbles past a defender.. pass another defender with a nifty move.. into the box.. shoot for the upper right corner.. big left footed shot... over the bar.

Halftime: 0-0. Both defenses playing well.

54 minute mark: Black takes a throw in deep in enemy turf.. throws it to Kelly who is by the left edge of the box.. Kelly draws two defenders.. passes to Wright on the left corner of the box.. Wright with a big powerful shot from 18 yards out.. it sails over the keeper's left shoulder.. GOAL!!!!! 1-0.

62 minute mark: Wright steals it along the left sideline deep in our zone.. passes it to Smyth at midfield along the left sideline.. Smyth dribbles past a defender.. racing towards the box.. past another defender.. shoots from 15 yards out.. towards the upper right corner.. It's past the keeper.. into the net... GOAL!!!! 2-0.

75 minute mark: Wright is tired. Baker on for Wright. Smyth is tired. Farrell on for Smyth. The 2,432 fans give Wright a standing ovation!

Game over. 2-0 win.

We outshot them 9-3 (4-0 on goal)

Wright won MoM, 29 of 38 passes, 1 of 3 tackles, 4 of 5 headers, 2 interceptions, 1 run, 1 assist, 1 goal.

[Eaglesfan27]

Looking in the newspaper, here are the standings at the midpoint of the season:





Our 40 goals scored is 1st in the league. Kettering is 2nd with 37. Our defense has only allowed 18 goals which is 3rd in the league. The defense has really settled down since we benched Morley and inserted Barnett into the DC slot. Barnett has played very well at centreback, even though he continues to complain in private to me that he isn't playing his best position. Kidderminster is 1st in the league with only 16 goals allowed, Scarborough is 2nd with only 17 goals allowed.

Our goal differential of +22 is 1st by a nice margin. Kidderminsters is 2nd with +14.

[Eaglesfan27]

For Individual Stats for the Conference:

Average Form:

1. Greg Kelly - 7.70
2. Andrew Wright - 7.58
3. Lee Matthews, Hornchurch - 7.57
4. Alex Tiesse, Woking - 7.57
5. Benjamin Collett - 7.55

Next from my team is Mark Smyth at 27th with 7.40. Ben Surey is tied with a 7.40. Palmer is 36th with a 7.37. Grant Black is 39th with 7.35. We have far more players in the top 50 than any other team.

League Goals:

1. Greg Kelly - 18
2. Darren Lynch, Kettering - 16.
3. Steve Burton, Scarborough - 16.
4. Robbie Talbot, Burton - 12.
5. Tim Sills, Aldershot - 11.
6. 5 people tied with 9 including Jermaine Palmer.

Mark Smyth is 30th with 5.

League Assists:

1. Mark Smyth - 16
2. Chris Moore, Dag & Red - 8
3. Greg Kelly - 7
4. Jon Newby, Bury - 6
5. 13 players tied with 5 including Jermaine Palmer.

[Eaglesfan27]

It's almost the end of December. That means it is time to look for Bosman players soon, and it is time to try to wrap up my own guys to new deals now.

Let's consider the roster:

Atkins - I really only want him back out of loyalty, and really only as a coach. I'll wait til the end of the season to offer him a coach only contract if he retires.

Barnard - 31 year old left fullback is still generally reliable. Makes 140 dollars/week. He wants to sign a neal deal that will take him through June of 2009 for 160 dollars/week. That seems fair so I offer him it.

Morley - 29 year old centreback/right fullback has played well as of late. Currently making 300/week, wants 300/week to sign an additional year onto his contract. Seems like a fair deal, so I agree.

Shepherd - 29 year old defender/midfielder who can play all over the field. Play was poor in first half of season causing him to lose starting job. Still looks good in practices, has good skill level. Currently making 220/week, wants 240/week to add one year extension to contract. I agree to this, but make it clear he is a rotation player. It will be interesting to see if he will sign.

Wright - 28 year old left winger has played very well this year. Looks great in practice. Really is a team leader. He has been making 240/week, now requesting 320/week to sign an additional year. I agree that this is a fair offer, and offer him what he is requesting.

Dunning - 25 year old natural left fullback has played well all over the field in previous seasons. He looks ok in practice, but I question if his determination is enough to play well on this level. I know he isn't good enough to play on League 2 level. I contemplate not offering him a deal. He is currently making 120/week, I decide to inquire what he wants. He says he is unsure he wants to stay with the club since we aren't giving him PT. I decide to offer him 120/week to be a backup to have some insurance.

Fox - 25 year old attacking midfielder/right winger. He really was developing well with PT, but is now regressing without regular PT. He isn't as good as my top two or three options at each position. He is currently making 200/week. He wants 240/week to stay around as a backup. He has played well for our reserve team, and I decide to keep him around, by agreeing to offer him what he wants.

Krief - 23 year old midfielder with excellent speed, physical skills, determination, and not much else. He is making 130/week, and wants 130/week to add another year to his contract. It's mostly sentiment that makes me offer the deal to him.

Collett - Former Manchester Utd right winger has played very well for us this year. He is only 22 and continues to improve. He is requesting 600/week in addition to a 2,000 dollar signing bonus. He also wants a 30 dollar assist bonus. Very fair offer. I agree to offer him what he is requesting.

Curtis - 33 year old defender is planning on retiring. I'm not going to offer him a deal to try to change his mind.

Palmer - Explosive striker can be temperamental at times, but he scores in droves. He is an important part of my trio up front. Currently making 700/week, He wants 700/week, a 10% raise each year, a 100 dollar goal bonus, a 30 dollar assist bonus to sign a 2 year deal. I agree to these terms.

Farrell - 23 year old striker is still ok as a backup. I question if he is good enough to play regularly in league 2. His speed is good, but not great. Not a very good target man. Currently making 280/week, he seems to have declined since signing this last deal. Despite this, he is good insurance and could be my 4th striker (I plan on finding a 3rd through a Bosman signing.) He wants 280/week with a 30 dollar goal bonus, 20 dollar assist bonus, and 10% raise/year. I agree to his requests.

Kelly - 23 year old attacking midfielder/left winger has been excellent as my AMC. He is currently making 550/week, he is requesting 650/week with a 30 dollar goal bonus and 30 dollar assist bonus as well as a 10% yearly raise for a 2 year deal. He also wants a 10,000 dollar signing bonus. I feel this is a VERY fair offer, and I was prepared to pay him 800/week like Smyth. In any case, I offer him what he wants.

Black - 23 year old right fullback who doesn't always look good in practice, but usually plays very well. Currently making 240/week, he is asking for 300/week with a 10% annual raise for 2 years. Seems fair. I don't haggle.

Hunter - 30 year old attacking midfielder/forward. Currently making 100/week. I still think he has some value as an emergency backup. He wants 120/week to sign for an extra year. I like his attitude and agree to his request.

Surey - 24 year old defensive midfielder was my first acquisition for 6,000 dollars. Surey was a great investment and is now worth 52,000 dollars. He has played very well for us and his current salary is 400/week. He is requesting 400/week for 2 more years with 20 dollars/assist. I agree to his request.

Wall - 19 year old defender signed on a free transfer from Coventry. He was 17 when we first started him regularly and he has continued to blossom. He is a workout warrior and looks great in practice. Currently valued at 40,000 dollars. He is making 300/week. Interestingly he is requesting a 4 year deal starting at 280/week with a 10% raise each year. I happily agree.

Scarsella - 24 year old skilled keeper. Signed towards the end of my first year, he quickly seized control of the starting job from Pettinger. He has attracted a lot of attention for the past year. Currently making 300/week. He is requesting 300/week plus a 20 dollar per cleansheet bonus. He also wants a 300,000 dollar release clause. I bump it up to 500,000 and make the offer to him.

Morris - 20 year old striker is currently low on the depth chart, but he shows glimpses of skill in practice. He is only making 90 dollars/week, so I decide to see what he wants. He requests 110/week, plus a 50 dollar appearance fee/game. I remove the appearance fee and offer him 110/week with a 20 dollar/goal bonus.

Sturdy - 21 year old left winger could develop in theory, but he just doesn't look good in practice. Despite only making 100/week, I don't contact him about a new contract.

Marc Smith - 21 year old left fullback not really developing either. However, he has played well in limited time last year. I like his attitude more than Sturdy's. He is making 110/week now. He wants 110/week plus a 40 dollar per appearance fee. I get rid of the appearance fee and offer him 110/week.

The remainder of my players are all signed for 2 or more years.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 25th, 2006 -

Merry Christmas!

Wall signed his contract this morning. He is signed through 2010 now.

Barnard signed through 2009.

Kelly signed through 2009 (YAY!)

Wright signed through 2008.

Palmer signed through 2009 (YAY!)

Farrell signed through 2009.

Shepherd signed through 2008.

Morris signed through 2009.

Collett signed through 2009 (YAY!)

Surey signed a new deal through 2009 (YAY!)

Hunter signed through 2008.

Fox signed through 2008.

Morley signed through 2008.

Scarsella signed through 2009! (YAY!!)

Smith signed a deal through 2008.

Dunning signed through 2008.

Krief signed through 2008.

Black signed through 2009 (yay!)

Wright was named to the English Conference team of the week.

Mansfield (24th in league 2) offered me their head coaching job this morning. I'd have 150,000 dollars for transfer funds and my weekly wage budget could be in the 20,000/week range. The team is devoid of talent, and I think we will be taking their place in league 2. It's easy to turn this job down.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 26th, 2006 -

Today we host Farnborough which are in 13th place. They have been decimated by injuries recently. They will be without their top 3 players (arguably) today. Lee Miles is hurt and is doubtful for the game. AMC Lee Riddell is definitely out for this game. Striker Jermaine Hamilton is out. Right fullback Daniel Simpson is out. They barely have enough guys to field a team. They will be relying heavily on the good play of Lance Cronin who has been a real magician in guarding the net. They will be relying on Ali Chaaban to provide some offense.

We are even odds favorites.

We tied them 2-2 earlier in the year on the road.

It's going to be overcast with temperatures in the mid 30's.

GK: Scarsella
DL: Barnard
DC: Barnett
DC: Wall
DR: Black (played too well last game to sit him.)
ML: Wright
MC: Surey
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Smyth
SC: Palmer

S1: O'Conner
S2: Baker
S3: Farrell
S4: Davies
S5: Morley

[Eaglesfan27]

11 minute mark: Surey gets whistled for jumping unfairly with midfielder Stephen Hughes. Surey had headed it to Kelly for a breakaway. Kelly argues the call.. Yellow card for Kelly.

12 minute mark: Surey gets a yellow card for a trip on Chaaban.. Palmer argues the call.. yellow card for him too!

15 minute mark: Barnett with a tackle on Chaaban.. Chaaban is out of the game with an injury.

30 minute mark: Paul Harkness (ML) gets a yellow card for a trip on Black. Tony Folan argues the call.. yellow card for him too. This ref really loves that yellow card.

45 minute mark: Palmer gets a pass in the right corner from Collett.. Palmer barely gets to it before it crosses the endline.. centers for the near post.. Kelly jumps.. the keeper Cronin jumps.. Cronin bobbles it.. into the net! Own goal for Cronin!!! GOAL!!!! 1-0 us.

54 minute mark: Collett gets a yellow card for a trip on Harkness.

66 minute mark: This ref worries me... I decide to sub 3 of my guys with yellow cards who are too important to lose for the next match. Davies on for Kelly, Baker on for Collett, and Farrell on for Palmer.

68 minute mark: Barnard intercepts it at midfield along the left sideline.. great pass to Davies in the middle of the box.. Davies turns.. shoots.. lower right corner.. past the keeper.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

Game over. 2-0 win.

We outshot them 7-2 (4-0 on goal) Since I've started Barnett at DC, there has been a drastic reduction in shots that Scarsella has had to face.

Barnard wins MoM, 41 of 53 passes, 0 tackles, 1 of 1 interceptions, 16 passes intercepted! (Black intercepted 13 more), 1 run, 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Surey received his 5th yellow card this game, and will be banned for the next game.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 30th, 2006 -

Today we are in 1st place and we host 2nd placed Kidderminster with both teams having 44 points. After the game, one team will be in 1st place. They have the best defense in the league so far. Adam Bartlett has been great in goal this year. The 20 year old keeper continues to improve in skill. Centreback Richard Walker has played very strong defense and has really neutralized the offense. Left Fullback Anthony Tonkin is a stud defender. Striker Aaron Wilbraham has provided 7 goals this year. Midfielder Gavin Strachan has also chipped in 5 goals. Striker Enoch Showunmi has also chipped in 5 goals. Right winger Ian Foster has chipped in 4 more goals.

We beat them 3-1 on the road earlier this year.

They are even odds favorites.

Surey is suspended and Baker is doubtful for this match.

GK: Scarsella
DL: Barnard
DC: Barnett
DC: Wall
DR: Black (played too well last game to sit him.)
ML: Wright
MC: Shepherd
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Smyth
SC: Palmer

S1: O'Conner
S2: Fox (since Baker is still somewhat injured.)
S3: Farrell (also glad he is back)
S4: Davies
S5: Morley

[Eaglesfan27]

20 minute mark: Tonkin has neutralized several offensive attacks by my team.

Halftime: 0-0 tie.

The announced crowd is 2,515.

75 minute mark: Palmer gets it in the right corner.. great cross for the far post.. Walker heads it back over the bar to prevent it from reaching Smyth.

77 minute mark: Palmer gets it.. dribbles down the right sideline.. crosses for Smyth who is in the center of the box.. Smyth shoots.. hits the crossbar.. Walker clears the rebound.

80 minute mark: Kelly gets it at midfield.. great pass between two defenders... Palmer gets it in the box.. shoots for the upper left corner.. Bartlett does a good job of turning it over the bar.

87 minute mark: Barnett gets a yellow card for holding Wilbraham's shirt.

91 minute mark: Smyth is tackled hard by Tonkin. He looks hurt

Game over. So much for my prediction that one team will firmly have 1st place. 0-0 tie. Although we will remain in 1st by virtue of better GD.

We each had 5 shots, we each had 2 shots on target.

Scarsella gets MoM.