[retired_amyslack]

Originally posted by superwalli:
Just a thought, but seeing the popularity of the Ages challenge, wouldn't it be a good idea doing the same thing with international management? Might be a suggestion changing the ages a bit, like under 24 for the youth, and 30 or older for the oldies-way?

Interesting. How about actually managing the U19s or U21s? I know it's an option to take over those in FM2006 - assume it's the same in FM2007 but not sure about earlier versions though. You do need to manage the seniors as well but that could be ignored for story purposes.

[retired_amyslack]

Originally posted by HD:
How about something simple like: Get to and win the top division in a country using exclusively players of one nationality, which cannot be the nation in which you are playing?

You'd have to pick your starting country carefully otherwise you will have work permit problems and foreign player issues. I seem to recall that Belgium has none of those restrictions, for example.

[BarryLFC]

Yeah, you'd have plenty of options in most EU leagues though.

[BarryLFC]

Obviously you'd be stuffed in teh Champions League unless you managed to get a sufficiency of "Home Grown" players of that nationality coming through - dunno how possible it is to do that - or if signing them young enough suffices?

[retired_knitter82]

It's been a couple of years since I've last been here (under another username of course), but I assume the general rules haven't changed. I.e. readers/lurkers can also take part in this and not just established story writers.

I have my challenge idea ready, but since there is plenty of time until the deadline I think I'll hang on to it for a while. Just in case I find some detail that can be improved.

[retired_amyslack]

Originally posted by HD:
Obviously you'd be stuffed in teh Champions League unless you managed to get a sufficiency of "Home Grown" players of that nationality coming through - dunno how possible it is to do that - or if signing them young enough suffices?

Yes - I hate that restriction. Of course it is possible to go on holiday for a day when it comes time to register your squad. The picks will then be made automatically and that will get around the restriction I think.

[BarryLFC]

Another idea I sometimes play with I call 'spreading the wealth', whereby you are restricted to buying players from other teams in your country only, and only those at least one level below you - i.e. in Scotland a 3rd Division side could only sign free transfers and players from non-league clubs, a 2nd division side could sign all those players and also any 3rd division players, a 1st division side could sign anyone a 2nd division side could, and also any player form a second division club, etc.

You'd have to restrict free transfer signings, imo, to players of that club's nationality, or who's previous club would fulfil the signing criteria at that time - i.e. a second division club could sign a foreigner on a free who's last club was a Scottish 3rd division side or non-league side.

That too difficult?

[BarryLFC]

Originally posted by BobBev:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Originally posted by HD:
Obviously you'd be stuffed in teh Champions League unless you managed to get a sufficiency of "Home Grown" players of that nationality coming through - dunno how possible it is to do that - or if signing them young enough suffices?

Yes - I hate that restriction. Of course it is possible to go on holiday for a day when it comes time to register your squad. The picks will then be made automatically and that will get around the restriction I think. </BLOCKQUOTE>
Never tried that...

[retired_srobertson]

Originally posted by BobBev:

Interesting. How about actually managing the U19s or U21s? I know it's an option to take over those in FM2006 - assume it's the same in FM2007 but not sure about earlier versions though. You do need to manage the seniors as well but that could be ignored for story purposes.

That's a solution, but we should have a goal, and of course our goal needs to be the World Cup, which can't be won with U21 of U19 sides. U21 sides and U19 sides are also ineligible for the "oldies" side of the challenge I proposed.

[retired_amyslack]

Originally posted by HD:
Another idea I sometimes play with I call 'spreading the wealth', whereby you are restricted to buying players from other teams in your country only, and only those at least one level below you - i.e. in Scotland a 3rd Division side could only sign free transfers and players from non-league clubs, a 2nd division side could sign all those players and also any 3rd division players, a 1st division side could sign anyone a 2nd division side could, and also any player form a second division club, etc.

You'd have to restrict free transfer signings, imo, to players of that club's nationality, or who's previous club would fulfil the signing criteria at that time - i.e. a second division club could sign a foreigner on a free who's last club was a Scottish 3rd division side or non-league side.

That too difficult?

That's quite an interesting concept. As you describe it you start at the bottom and work up and on the way you redistribute wealth downwards (the Socialist Way). Could be fun to try it the other way round too where you can only get players form at least one level above so the money goes to the rich (the Capitalist Way). Not too sure what would happen when you reached the top division mind - you can only sign players whose value is over a certain minimum threshold?