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I laughed out loudly on the train as I re-read the final paragraph of the book I just finished reading. It wasn't a comedy book- at least not deliberately so - but to me it was ironically funny.
Bradford Park Avenue had done the impossible, they had won the Champions League. As I, for a brief second, tried to compose my thoughts and my emotions, to review the whole of my fifteen years at the club and our meteoric rise to fame, I knew that this moment would be my crowning glory. I had come home, I had finished the job I had started, and now I could finally retire. My job was done.
It's not a paragraph - indeed it's not a book - that will seem particularly funny to most people. But this novel by legendary writer Stuart Redmond, which was flying high at no 1 in the fiction charts, was in many ways significant to me and especially on this day when I was on my way to Bradford, my first day as the new manager of Park Avenue. The book had given the club a lift in terms of publicity, but the sad fact was that Bradford Park Avenue of reality were a million light years away from that of the fiction.
As the train pulled to a stop, and I alighted to the platform, there was no-one there to greet me. No fanfare, no fuss. I wasn't the fictional Dave Green, I wasn't the manager of the best side in Europe. I was merely Mark Greenfield, an unknown, untested manager of a club that until the release of Redmond's novel few people even noticed. I knew that for me, this was my first managerial job, my first step on the ladder that I hoped would take me to where my playing career never had. The reality was though, that in real life a club like Bradford Park Avenue could never achieve the heights of a fictional novel. Hell, we didn't even have the luxury of a goalkeeper.....
For some time now I have been finding it increasingly difficult to motivate myself to write FM stories. It seems the magic has gone from the game, and I can't seem to get into anything anymore. I have though one final story I want to do, and I think in the season in which Park Avenue have been relegated, it is quite fitting and quite poignant to return to the scene of arguably my greatest ever CM story, and certainly my greatest in-game achievements.
This is of course using FM05, running all England & Scotland plus the top 2 leagues in Italy, Spain and France - after all, you never know when you might need to move
A squad with no goalkeeper is not one that is going to find much success, and so that was of course my number one priority of the summer. With no money, we were limited to the pickings that the bigger clubs didn't want, and in the end I managed to find two keepers who were willing to pull on a Park Avenue shirt. Neither of them would inspire much confidence in the support, or the defence ahead of them, but they were the best we could attract at this time.
Nineteen year old rookie Marc Smith was picked up for no fee from Harrogate Town. He is a decent enough keeper for this level, but its unlikely he will ever make a living at the game. He could of course prove me wrong, and at 19 has a lot of time to learn his trade. He will though start as our first choice, and that's because our other choice is 45 year old Keith Mason whom we signed from Workington, again for no fee. His best days, if indeed you can use the term, are long behind him, but hopefully he can provide the cover we need until we find someone better.
If our goalkeeping situation was dire, the rest of the squad wasn't much better. Most of the players at the club I believed had little long term future if we wanted to be successful, but in order to replace them we would either have to find some money somewhere, or find some our of contract players who wanted to play for virtually nothing. The squad then would be a mix of players no-one else wanted, and the ones who were already here, who would be given the chance to prove me wrong in my initial assessment of them.
At right back we would have another 19 year old, in the shape of Wes Faulkner, picked up on a free transfer. Another new signing, Danny Marlow (26) would act as back up. At left back, 20 year old Ben Cressey is one of the original squad, and has a lot to prove as he looks a very poor player indeed, his only saving grace is that the other left back, Ryan Crossley (24) looks a whole lot worse, if that's even possible. The center of the defence is particularly weak, with James Standfield (26) being unable to tackle, 26 year old Dean Jones being unable to head the ball properly, leaving 19 year old rookie Adam Oldham as the only defender who might be capable of playing a decent game.
In the midfield, experienced 32 year old Gerry Harrison comes in on a free and will play the holding role in front of the back four. A decent enough player for this level, he will have his work cut out to protect a defence that looks decidely weak. The more creative midfield roles, and I use the word loosely, will be fought for between David Donaldson (25), 20 year old Tom Hodgkiss, a free signing from Woking, another 20 year old in the shape of Craig Smith, and 21 year old Scot Darren Miller, picked up on a free transfer. Danny Marlow (25), a free signing from Rugby United can play the holding role as well as fitting in at right back. It's probably needless to say, but none of these players are very good.
The forward line doesn't hold out much hope either. New signing Gary Jones (35), was picked up on a free, and should get some goals even though he is well past his best. 21 year old Steve Oleksewycz doesn't seem to know where the goal is, and New Zealander Allan Pearce, also twenty one, is if anything even worse. A third 21 year old, Ben Jones makes up the forward line, but there is little to get excited about.
The board expect a mid table finish, but they are being extremely over confident. It seems the fans are more realistic, and will be happy just to see the club avoid relegation. Pre season results seem to suggest that they are not going to have a lot to smile about this season. In six matches, we succumbed to three losses and three draws against opposition that wouldn't exactly set anyone drooling. It's going to be a long, hard and I fear ultimately futile season....
For some time now I have been finding it increasingly difficult to motivate myself to write FM stories. It seems the magic has gone from the game, and I can't seem to get into anything anymore.
I agree with this statement. I've started and stopped about five games recently.
Mibbe we're just getting old Mao
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Bradford Park Avenue wasn't exactly a club I was familiar with. In fact I had never been to the Horsfall Stadium before my interview for the managers job, a job I had never really expected to get. Yet it seems the club had few choices, and although to date my coaching skills had reached a pinnacle as Assistant Manager at Welsh League side Cefn Druids, where I had been for three years, it seemed I was the best man for the job. It wasn't a job I was overly sure I actually wanted.
And yet, I did have this feeling that I could be a great manager, and even great managers have to start somewhere. Even a tiny, forgotten club like the Avenue. I took the job, and immediately upon my arrival started to regret it. Of course, pre season results often tell little, and it wouldn't be until we got down to the nitty gritty of the real thing that I would find out just what sort of task I had taken on here.
Our first two matches would be at home, against Harrogate Town and then Hinckley United. I wouldn't say we played overly badly in either match, but ended up losing both by one goal to nil. Our strikeforce looked impotent, and and in defence James Stansfield in particular was woeful. In our first away match at Moor Green, a first minute goal from Gary Jones seemed to give us hope, but gradually the home side wore us down and ended up winning by 2-1. It was a horrendous start to the season, and it was clear we needed better personel.
Limited as we were by finance, I still managed to find four players whom I believed would give us the edge we needed to compete this season. I also slapped a handful of players on the transfer list, and Danny Walsh was snapped up by Southport for £1000, with Neil Grayston going to Wakefield & Emley for £3000. The cash made only a little dent in our growing debt, and gave me nothing at all to spend.
Before our final match in August, away to Redditch, three new faces arrived at the club. Defender Chris Seeby (20), arrived for no fee from St Albans, and will be joined at the back by another new defender Sean Davies (19), whom we agreed a deal with York City that they would recieve 50% of any future sale. Another youngster, 19 year old Welsh striker Michael Byrne arrived from Stockport for a 25% slice of any future fee. Byrne could be a decent asset, and has already been capped at under 21 level.
The difference was almost immediate, with a much more solid looking defence, and with nineteen minutes gone at Redditch, Craig Smith sent us into the lead. This time we didn't cave in, and eleven minutes from time, Byrne capped a fine debut with a goal, and we finally had points on the board. It was more relief than anything.
The following day I concluded a deal to bring 23 year old midfielder Danny Boshell to the club from Oldham. Boshell is an exceptional talent for this level of football, and it's a wonder we got him. We could never hope to match Oldhams asking price, yet they were happy to settle for nothing up front, and 50% from any future sale. Boshell though really wanted too much money, but in the end signed for considerably less than he had asked, although he does have a non promotion release which would see him leave for £50,000. I am convinced though that he is just the kind of player that can drive us onwards and upwards.......
I found there is no 'magic' as you call it with FM either. I still prefer playing using CM 01/02 than any other version. With the availbility of data updates for it too you can play with more or less identical teams as on FM too which is nice.
It's amazing what a win can do for a teams confidence, although eleven minutes into the home match with Worksop it didn't seem to have done all that much good really, as well behind. Eight minutes later though young Byrne scored his second goal in two starts, and he was add another in the final minute of the match. In between those goals, Danny Boshell was also on target and in the end a quite comfortable, and very pleasing win. Suddenly, it seemed we just might be able to challenge for promotion this season after all.
A no scoring draw away to Stalybridge Celtic was a decent enough point and then at home to BarrowByrne made it four goals in four matches, with Gary Jones and Darren Miller also on target. Even a later Barrow consolation couldn't take the shine of an excellent win. Byrne was proving to be a revelation up front, and away to Southport he took his goals tally to six with a fine brace, Gary Jones trying not to be outshone by the young man nearly half his age also managed a goal, and we cruised to another 3-1 win. It was early days, but I had to admit to being pleasantly surprised at the turn around in our fortunes.
As September ended, the draw for the 2nd Qualifying round of the FA Cup gave us a home tie with Maldon and that was a match we had to fancy our chances of winning. It was certainly vital that we get a good cup run, and hopefully draw a plum, money spinning tie in the later rounds.
It was only Maldon, a team we should easily overcome, but nevertheless it was the FA Cup and the excitement was tangible. A decent crowd over 427 turned up to see the match, and in the end the home fans weren't to be dissapointed. Nineteen minutes into the tie we had a penalty, which Danny Boshell converted. Maldon were playing not too bad, but luckily for us lacked any real punch up front and when Michael Byrne made it 2-0 a minute after half time the match was over. A second penalty, this time slotted home by Adam Oldham made the match even surer and in injury time Gary Jones added a 4th. Maldon though were to gain their reward as injury time stretched on and with our defence thinking their days work was over, the visitors gained the consolation goal they probably deserved.
The next round of the FA Cup would take place just a week later, and almost double the crowd that saw us destroy Maldon turned up for a tougher tie with Hyde United. Home advantage and the fact we were in a higher league should have meant another comfortable win, but a shockingly lethargic display saw us go down by 2-0 and out of the FA Cup. It was a huge dissapointment, and I was far from happy with the way we had capitulated.
Back in the League, and the Cup exit seemed to have an effect, as we struggled against Vauxhaull Motors and Stafford Rangers, only gaining 1-1 draws in both matches. That left us in 7th place at the end of October, still in a decent position but we would need to show a lot more commitment if we weren't to go spiralling back down the table.
Originally posted by Bagpuss:
Nah you're not geting old.
I found there is no 'magic' as you call it with FM either. I still prefer playing using CM 01/02 than any other version. With the availbility of data updates for it too you can play with more or less identical teams as on FM too which is nice.
Yeah, with the new FM's it's very difficult not to use the 2D match system (I mean in the sense that it's hard to switch back) and as a result, all the imagination has left the game. Matches are now spelled out for you.
A Final Stroll Along The Avenue 
Linear Mode
