Dark_Soccer

This forum over the year or so I have been here has had some really great stories written by great writers. For example the stories written by Raptor, Dixie Flatline and Andrew Downing to name a few. Reading their stories have inspired me to write one of my own which starts just like Andrew Downing's Elgin City story but i start off managing East Stirlingshire. :eek:

Can i reach Andrew's excellent achievement with Elgin City?? I dont know but read on and find out

Author Note: Leagues running are Australia(National Soccer League Only), England (First Division and Above), France (Second League and Above), Germany (Second Division and Above), Italy (Serie B and Above), Scotland (Third Division and Above), Spain (Second Division and Above).

To start i have collected the general information that CM gives me about East Stirlingshire.

Nation: Scotland
Status: Semi Professional
Reputation: Obscure
Finances: Okay(10K in the bank-no transfer funds)
Stadium: Firs Park, Falkirk (1632 (280 seated))
Training Ground: Adequate
Division: Division 3
Continental Competition: None


5th of July 2003

There I was taking a tour of Firs Park (East Stirlingshire Stadium). I was in Scotland on my holiday from Australia. During my tour around the ground i bumped into the chairman and after a brief chat he asked me to come to his office. By the time I noticed what was going on I had signed a contract and become the manager of East Stirling. :eek:

The chairman started off telling me that he expects me to invest and rebuild the squad this season. He continues by saying that he cannot offer me any tranfer funds to strengthen the squad at the moment because the club is close to going into the red. I will be looking for free transfers to bolster my squad in a few key areas.

Next i take a look at my squad or lack of it ....

glamdring

To answer your question...Yes :p

Good luck

Raptor

First of all: nice start :thup:
Secondly: in answer to the question: yes, a dream if ever I was told about one

Finally: It's nice to have been some kind of inspiration.

HD

Mark you have inspired me! Inspired me to wish cancer on complete strangers :p

Raptor

Another one who needs a crash course in Haags then? :p

HD

i have no interest in your foreign cancer-wishing languages. :p

But perhaps we should stop hijacking

Dark_Soccer

Thanks for the kind words guys except for the cancer

Goalkeepers (2):


Jon Connolly (22 y/o, Scottish)
It’s his first season at the club and hopefully he will continue for many years to come. He has excellent reflexes and his bravery is second to none. My first choice goalkeeper for the upcoming season

Chris Todd (21 y/o, Scottish)Chris has been at the club since he turned eighteen years old. He is a very determined and a brave young goalkeeper. While Jon Connolly is fit Chris will be warming the bench.

Defenders (6):


Graeme McLaren (19 y/o, Scottish, DL)The only left back at East Stirling. Since season 2001/02 he has played thirty six matches scoring two goals for the club. Graeme has great acceleration and pace but his control on the ball needs work. He will be slotting in to the left back position in the first team until I can bring in a better replacement.

Graham McGhee (21 y/o, Scottish, DC)Since Graham was brought in from Clyde in season 1999/00 he has featured heavily in the first team’s plans. He has played sixty two games scoring one goal for the club. He is my best centre back in the squad and will be playing all season unless injury strikes.

Craig Reid (19 y/o, Scottish, DC)
Craig came from Falkirk at the end of the 2001/2002 season and only featured seven times last season. He is strong in the air and has a high work rate. He should feature in the first team unless I can strengthen the centre back position before the start of the season.

Stephen Oates (19 y/o, Scottish, DC)How Stephen got into the first team I don’t know. He has poor control and passing skills though his determination and team work may get him a spot on the bench until a better centre back can be found.

Gary McCulloch (19 y/o, Scottish, DR)Since being promoted from the youth academy last season this promising young defender has impressed. He is never worried about committing to a tackle and won’t ever back down when the ball can be won.

Roddy Maughan (22 y/o, Scottish, DR)This twenty two year old defender will be my second choice at right back. He is a very determined player but his foot skills let him down.

Next i look at my talented or should i say untalented midfielders and strikers....

Faramir

Best wishes on the attempt -- I have enjoyed managing East Stirling in the last several versions of CM (not this time around- so far at least). It is a challenge and I will enjoy following along

Dark_Soccer

Thanks for your comments Faramir and your right this will defiently be a challenge but im up for it :cool:

Midfielders (8):

Chris Baldwin (19 y/o, Scottish, ML)
The only left midfielder at the club but only featured six times for the first team last season. He has poor crossing ability but his electrifying pace which allows him to beat defenders. He will be in the first team playing on the left side of the midfield unless I can bring in another player before the season starts.

Jamie Mackay (21 y/o, Scottish, DM)
He played for Clydebank back in season 1999/00 before East Stirling swooped for him and his services. Over the last few seasons he has played thirty seven games but hasn’t opened his account for the club. He has great balance and strength on the ball which has impressed me and the club’s coaching staff.

Jordan Leishman (23 y/o, Scottish, CM)
One of the most experienced midfielders in the squad. His play on the ball is questionable but his work rate off the ball is excellent. Jordan is on the brink of the first team and if he impresses me in the preseason he may just start in the opening match of the season.

Dougie Polwart (22 y/o, Scottish, CM)Dougie only just joined the club two months before I was appointed manager. My coaching staff seems to think he could hold down a place in the first team. I will see how he performs during the preseason.

Robert Hare (23 y/o, Scottish, CM)Another one of those players where I have to ask myself how did he ever get to play for this club. He will be placed on the transfer list immediately and I will go looking in the transfer market for a replacement.

Sean McAuley (23 y/o, Scottish, CM)
He is defiantly will be the architect of the team with his sublime passing skills. After he joined from Clyde in season 2000/01 he has played sixty six times and scored four goals for the club. No doubt about Sean’s skills and he will feature in all the games this season.

Gerry Boyle (21 y/o, Scottish, AM/F RC)Gerry is one of the players in the team which adds some flexibility to the midfield and the forward line if he is needed. Not the most skilled player in the team but his determination and bravery could get him very far in this league.

Scott Livingstone (23 y/o, Scottish, MR)Scott is the one of those wingers that you wish you could have playing for you every match. He has excellent pace and can burst past any defender with his good balance and control on the ball. Scott will be my numero uno on the right hand side of midfield this season.

Strikers (3):

Stuart Kelly (21 y/o, Scottish, SC)
Stuart has been at the club since the start of last season and contributed three goals in sixteen starts. He has excellent skills when to one on one opportunities with goalkeepers and can tuck away a penalty with no problems. He will be very key to my plans this season.

Derek Ure (18 y/o, Scottish, SC)
For the last two seasons East Stirling have had this young forward with electrifying pace. He has played forty seven games for the club but has scored only four goals. My coaching staff feel he has the ability to become the leading scorer in this division and I share their view. Derek will be a important member of the first team this season.

Paul Rodden (20 y/o, Scottish, SC)
My coaching staff seem to rate this player very highly but I am not convinced of his ability from what I have seen. He will have to perform well in the preseason friendlies to get a start in the first team when the season starts. Otherwise he will be on the bench for most of the season.

Read on to see where i am going to try and strengthen the squad and my preseason cup which i will have every preseason!

Dark_Soccer

6th of July 2003

The first thing I did once I had assessed the squad was delve into the transfer market. I felt the squad needed a new centre back, left midfielder and a striker to have a chance of pushing for promototion.

I found a great left midfielder by the name of Gordon Lappin (22 y/o, Scottish, ML) who was transfer listed by his club Queens Park. They were asking £0 for him which was in my price range. I sent an offer to Queens Park and waited for their response.

There was no one else on the transfer list which I could afford so I turned my attention to the loan deals. I found James White (23 y/o, Scottish, DC) who was in the Elgin City reserves. I offered a three month loan deal which includes a clause to buy him for £0 if he performed well for my club.

The league cup draw was announced today with East Stirling hitting a division one team in the first round. East Stirling has been drawn against St Johnstone. The match was scheduled to be played on the 2nd of September 2003 at McDiarmid Park.

The challenge cup was also drawn today. The draw was much kinder to the club this time giving us an away game against Arbroath(division 2). The match was to be played on the 2nd of August at Gayfield Park.

7th of July 2003

Today I got in contact with two Scottish non league teams and one division two side to see if they would like to feature in my East Stirling Cup 2003(preseason cup). The three clubs Edinburgh City, Kelso United and Arbroath. All the three clubs accepted my proposal for the cup and the cup has been scheduled for the 18th-20th of July.

My bid for Gordon Lappin was accepted and I offered a contract straight away. I wait on his response.

On a negative note my loan deal was rejected by Elgin but I will try to renegotiate because I really feel James White could fit into the team perfectly.

9th of July 2003

Gordon Lappin accepted his contract of £60 per week and joined us until 30th of June 2007

Gordon Lappin (22 y/o, Scottish, ML)
Gordon was placed on the transfer list this season and I believe he was one of the steals of the year. He has excellent pace and a dangerous right foot. He only played four times in the last two seasons for his previous club, Queens Park. He should slot into the left midfielder spot in the first team.

16th of July 2003

The last week past me by without me even realising. In a remarkable back flip Elgin City had put their defender, James White, on the transfer list. They were asking for £0 so I predictably put in a bid.

Next the preseason cup.....and coming soon the start of the season!!