The Northwich Victoria CM Dynasty Report

PineTar · 10-31-2000, 02:21 PM

Got the game yesterday... loaded last night.

Manager Pine Tar has taken over control of Northwich Victoria in the English Conference. The board has expressed their well wishes in "Battling Bravely Against Relegation". Uh-oh!

First point to note is that when I loaded my CM 'universe' I selected the random players option, so you won't be able to pick up any good player tips from the posts to follow. Sorry, but this is the true essence of "Crap Management".

I anticipate much slower progression in my career than the pace at which Wig seems to be moving. I play every game out at slow speed to capture all the essence [and sounds!

] of the match. A good night for me is 3 matches.

I spent about two hours last night reviewing cureent squad / staff / potential additions to the squad and there was a frenzy of bids / job offers extended. I will detail the results tonight after I get home.

The squad is pretty thin on talent. One interesting character is 40 year old stiker Glen Taylor, owner of 33 English "caps" [international appearences for the CM / soccer newbies]. He has aged well and still possesses quality conference-level skills. Additionally, he appears to have a promising coaching career ahead of him, as his coaching abilities far outweigh any of my current meager staff members.

First order of business was extending a new contract to Mr. Taylor which included a coaching role. The downside to his presence at the club is that his current contract contains a manager release clause. Any club can come in and swipe him free of charge if they offer him a staff position and he deems it an attractive move. So far the count is EIGHT teams [two days into my career] which have done just that. Teams from such heights as Division 1's Watford have offered him scouting positions.

Tonight will see how the drama plays out. I worry about the impact on morale his loss would create.

One other note on my first evening's work... I cancelled out the previously scheduled sole pre-season "friendly" match against another conference side and scheduled a MUCH easier foe in non-league Welsh club, Seven Sisters. If we can't beat a team with a name like that, the season ahead will surely be gloomy.

The challenge in running a successful lower league club seems much stiffer in 00/01 than in years past. Free transfers don't appear to be of such lofty quality, and available staff for hire are few and far between. In previous additions, you could take almost any team in the conference, bring in a top-flight staff, overhaul your team in year one and earn the top spot in the conference all in one year.

I definitely see a multiple year stint in the conference this time around before pushing for promotion. An honest look at the stats of the chairman tells me I don't foresee a carrer ending in Northwich Victoria in the Premier League. This may be but a stepping stone for young manager, Pine Tar. Time will tell. More updates to follow.

PineTar · 10-31-2000, 11:19 PM

Pine Tar's Manager Log:

July 22, 2000: Lost out on acquiring 42 year old Scottish goalkeeper Jim Morrison.

Not that we need another GK, mind you, but he would have been a great player/coach for my younger keepers.

I have successfully signed eight players, including one pretty impressive player coach, 38 year old Irish sweeper, David Murray. If things go sour on my hunt for additional coaches, he may get promoted from player/coach to player asst. manager. I trust him much more than the other poor sod I have on staff as of now. I have taken to only getting player reports from Murray. He is also of the opinion that "the club has a good dressing room atmosphere". So I got that going for me, which is nice.

I was pleased to find that two of my signees, including Welsh midfielder Steve Martin , were excited to be playing for me and have are enthusiastic to commit their future to Northwich! One signee is of the opinion that Northwich is but a mere stepping stone for his career. We'll just see about that!

As of current, "Old Man" Taylor is still with the club, but I hear the clock ticking on his tenure at Northwich….

One other interesting occurrence is transpiring. In an effort to bolster the clubs physiotherapy efforts, I submitted an offer for Tarek Madani, who hails from Kuwait [it was extremely slim pickings when it came to interested physios]. His signing is currently being held up as he awaits a work permit. I was unaware that physios also needed to receive a permit to come to England, but he does have over 100 caps for his national side, so I hold much hope for his eventual arrival.

July 27, 2000: It had to happen. Today the news hit that Taylor signed on as a scout for Wimbledon. While I fully expected this, it doesn't ease the pain. I lost a player who was sure to contribute, and more importantly, a potential coach with pretty good stats. The depth on this club is paper thin. I am modifying my year one objective to simply stay afloat in the table (standings), and maybe make a little noise (and hopefully some nice gate receipts) in the Cups. I am fighting the urge to discipline the bastard and dock him two weeks wages for no reason, but this may upset the "good dressing room atmosphere" even more than Taylor's departure itself. As a compromise, I have set him on ALL-INTENSIVE training for his remaining day with the club. Hopefully the geezer will pull a groin or something as a parting gift.

On a brighter note, John Lawless, former Irish international, signed on as the new Northwich Assistant manager. The coaching staff now has a definite Irish flavor to it w/ both Lawless and Murray on board. I might need that trump card as I may be aiming to loan in a left fullback from an Irish club.

ohmslaw · 11-02-2000, 10:52 PM

Too bad you missed picking up Jim Morrison. He could have kept your players supplied with booze and drugs for years to come (or until he died). And Steve Martin? Just hope he plays less annoyingly than he acts.

PineTar · 11-03-2000, 08:49 AM

Just a quickie...

August 5, 2000: The boys can hold their heads high, as they weren't really tested in their friendly match against Seven Sisters. Scoring in the third minute, and again before the tenth, we strolled to a leisurely 3-1 outcome.

More to come as I approach the start of the conference, including an overview of what still seems to be an evolving starting eleven.

------------------
Formerly known as Pinetar / PT

PineTar · 11-04-2000, 10:32 AM

August 8, 2000: Squad Assessment - At this point, Northwich has acquired a lot of spare parts, but will still be reliant upon the core group inherited when I took over as manager. The key players:

Matthew Pickering: 26 year old central defender and team captain. He will be the anchor [and sole quality member] of the defense. The coaches all love him and the attitude he brings to the pitch. Pickering is the owner of a recently signed contract through the year 2005.

Joe Oakes: A 26 year old playmaking midfielder who also appears to be the number two scoring option near the goal. Another whom I can build the near-term future around. He will be a primary target on corners, boasting good instincts and physical attributes. We simply can't afford to see him lose time to injury this season.

David Knowles: This 22 year old striker has been thrust into the spotlight with Taylor's flight to Wimbledon. Will this young man be able to stand the pressure without the presence of his would-be mentor? As Knowles goes, so does this team.

In summary, we have what would appear to be a marginal defense, and a shallow attacking unit from a depth-perspective. If the winds of fortune blow in our favor, this team could finish top half of the table. If adversity visits, I may be seeking "alternative employment". Let the adventure begin!!

August 12, 2000: Forest Green v. Northwich - The home crowd [2,307 spectators] came to the Drill Field looking for what hopefully would be the first of many victory celebrations. They were not disappointed. It appears that young David Knowles has arrived, scoring his first and second goals inside of thirty minutes. Recently loaned in Port Vale striker Mike Hill and Joe Oakes earned assists on the goals. Northwich took a 3-0 lead into the dressing room at halftime and never looked back.

Final: 4-1

Goals:
Knowles, 2
Hill, 1
Steven Edwards (DMC), 1

Man of the Match: Knowles

August 15, 2000: Northwich v. Hayes - The energy expended in the season opener must have left the squad drained. 0 - 0 draw in this one. A total of ONE shot on target between the two sides.

MOM: Pickering

August 19, 2000: Kettering v. Northwich - Mike Hill put the team in a bit of a bind this week by showing up for training out of shape. I did contemplate terminating the loan contract, but the fact remains, the club needs any contribution it can get from him. In his stead, Andrew Sharman was moved up from his defensive slot to fill the forward role for the match today.

The move paid dividends, as Sharman notched his first of the year in the 29th minute to move us out in front 2-0. Our goalie Matthew Fox withstood a heavy barrage, including a frenzied sequence of FOUR saves inside of one minute of play, and the team held on for a 2-1 victory, moving us up to 4th in the table.

Goals:
Oakes, 1
Sharman, 1

MOM: Fox

===> Obviously, this career is on hold, as I'm spending all my time w/ FOF2001!!

[This message has been edited by PineTar (edited 11-10-2000).]

10-31-2000, 11:19 PM	#2
PineTar High School JV Join Date: Oct 2000	Pine Tar's Manager Log: July 22, 2000: Lost out on acquiring 42 year old Scottish goalkeeper Jim Morrison. Not that we need another GK, mind you, but he would have been a great player/coach for my younger keepers. I have successfully signed eight players, including one pretty impressive player coach, 38 year old Irish sweeper, David Murray. If things go sour on my hunt for additional coaches, he may get promoted from player/coach to player asst. manager. I trust him much more than the other poor sod I have on staff as of now. I have taken to only getting player reports from Murray. He is also of the opinion that "the club has a good dressing room atmosphere". So I got that going for me, which is nice. I was pleased to find that two of my signees, including Welsh midfielder Steve Martin , were excited to be playing for me and have are enthusiastic to commit their future to Northwich! One signee is of the opinion that Northwich is but a mere stepping stone for his career. We'll just see about that! As of current, "Old Man" Taylor is still with the club, but I hear the clock ticking on his tenure at Northwich…. One other interesting occurrence is transpiring. In an effort to bolster the clubs physiotherapy efforts, I submitted an offer for Tarek Madani, who hails from Kuwait [it was extremely slim pickings when it came to interested physios]. His signing is currently being held up as he awaits a work permit. I was unaware that physios also needed to receive a permit to come to England, but he does have over 100 caps for his national side, so I hold much hope for his eventual arrival. July 27, 2000: It had to happen. Today the news hit that Taylor signed on as a scout for Wimbledon. While I fully expected this, it doesn't ease the pain. I lost a player who was sure to contribute, and more importantly, a potential coach with pretty good stats. The depth on this club is paper thin. I am modifying my year one objective to simply stay afloat in the table (standings), and maybe make a little noise (and hopefully some nice gate receipts) in the Cups. I am fighting the urge to discipline the bastard and dock him two weeks wages for no reason, but this may upset the "good dressing room atmosphere" even more than Taylor's departure itself. As a compromise, I have set him on ALL-INTENSIVE training for his remaining day with the club. Hopefully the geezer will pull a groin or something as a parting gift. On a brighter note, John Lawless, former Irish international, signed on as the new Northwich Assistant manager. The coaching staff now has a definite Irish flavor to it w/ both Lawless and Murray on board. I might need that trump card as I may be aiming to loan in a left fullback from an Irish club.

11-02-2000, 10:52 PM	#3
ohmslaw Mascot Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Tampa, FL	Too bad you missed picking up Jim Morrison. He could have kept your players supplied with booze and drugs for years to come (or until he died). And Steve Martin? Just hope he plays less annoyingly than he acts.

11-03-2000, 08:49 AM	#4
PineTar High School JV Join Date: Oct 2000	Just a quickie... August 5, 2000: The boys can hold their heads high, as they weren't really tested in their friendly match against Seven Sisters. Scoring in the third minute, and again before the tenth, we strolled to a leisurely 3-1 outcome. More to come as I approach the start of the conference, including an overview of what still seems to be an evolving starting eleven. ------------------ Formerly known as Pinetar / PT

11-04-2000, 10:32 AM	#5
PineTar High School JV Join Date: Oct 2000	August 8, 2000: Squad Assessment - At this point, Northwich has acquired a lot of spare parts, but will still be reliant upon the core group inherited when I took over as manager. The key players: Matthew Pickering: 26 year old central defender and team captain. He will be the anchor [and sole quality member] of the defense. The coaches all love him and the attitude he brings to the pitch. Pickering is the owner of a recently signed contract through the year 2005. Joe Oakes: A 26 year old playmaking midfielder who also appears to be the number two scoring option near the goal. Another whom I can build the near-term future around. He will be a primary target on corners, boasting good instincts and physical attributes. We simply can't afford to see him lose time to injury this season. David Knowles: This 22 year old striker has been thrust into the spotlight with Taylor's flight to Wimbledon. Will this young man be able to stand the pressure without the presence of his would-be mentor? As Knowles goes, so does this team. In summary, we have what would appear to be a marginal defense, and a shallow attacking unit from a depth-perspective. If the winds of fortune blow in our favor, this team could finish top half of the table. If adversity visits, I may be seeking "alternative employment". Let the adventure begin!! August 12, 2000: Forest Green v. Northwich - The home crowd [2,307 spectators] came to the Drill Field looking for what hopefully would be the first of many victory celebrations. They were not disappointed. It appears that young David Knowles has arrived, scoring his first and second goals inside of thirty minutes. Recently loaned in Port Vale striker Mike Hill and Joe Oakes earned assists on the goals. Northwich took a 3-0 lead into the dressing room at halftime and never looked back. Final: 4-1 Goals: Knowles, 2 Hill, 1 Steven Edwards (DMC), 1 Man of the Match: Knowles August 15, 2000: Northwich v. Hayes - The energy expended in the season opener must have left the squad drained. 0 - 0 draw in this one. A total of ONE shot on target between the two sides. MOM: Pickering August 19, 2000: Kettering v. Northwich - Mike Hill put the team in a bit of a bind this week by showing up for training out of shape. I did contemplate terminating the loan contract, but the fact remains, the club needs any contribution it can get from him. In his stead, Andrew Sharman was moved up from his defensive slot to fill the forward role for the match today. The move paid dividends, as Sharman notched his first of the year in the 29th minute to move us out in front 2-0. Our goalie Matthew Fox withstood a heavy barrage, including a frenzied sequence of FOUR saves inside of one minute of play, and the team held on for a 2-1 victory, moving us up to 4th in the table. Goals: Oakes, 1 Sharman, 1 MOM: Fox ===> Obviously, this career is on hold, as I'm spending all my time w/ FOF2001!! [This message has been edited by PineTar (edited 11-10-2000).]

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