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As most of my posts to date have been either irrelevant or just plain boring, I thought I’d chance an update. Apologies for the length but it is 6 seasons worth.
I took on Fisher Athletic: the club had no debt and a transfer budget of zero. I immediately promoted my sole coach to assman and hit the jobcentre (which brought me 3 new coaches over the following season). The squad was young (ave age 21) and looked ok although wafer thin. Biggest concern; GKs were both young and didn’t look too good. I brought 2 more in on frees as the season progressed, a young prospect which didn’t ease current worries and another more experienced (ie old, fat and useless – contract not renewed at end of season). Also advertised for GK coach as priority.
06/07 Conf. Sth.
Media prediction 22nd. We prove to be strong in midfield and weak at both ends. Bump along between 20th and 18th for most of the season. Tinkering with tatics/formations makes no appreciable difference. Suddenly and for no obvious reason, we go off on a run of 7 wins and 1 draw (with a goal diff. of +6) from the last 8 games and finish 11th. Board delighted.
P42 W13 D15 L14 F57 A54 GD+3 Pts.54
Players In 3, Out 0
Top Scorer: young FC 13
Top rated: even younger AMR 7.18
Ave Att; 284
End of season finances: -£280k
07/08
Surprised to find us moved to Conf. Nth. Media prediction 22nd. Transfer budget nil. Optimism that the squad showed signs of coming together at end of last season quickly dashed as they come back from holiday as though they’d never previously met. Play crap through a series of very cushy friendlies and continue that way into the season. About halfway in and I finally get an applicant for GK coach and (wonder of wonders!) he’s unemployed and quite good. This changes things for the better and (in spite of persistant injuries to my very thin right midfield) we make steady progess, finishing 4th. The prospect of promotion is obviously too much for my young side and they fail to turn up for the playoffs losing 2-1 agg. to Workington who play marginally less carp than us. Board disappointed!! (I know, I know; this was fixed in the patch).
P42 W18 D14 L12 F52 A36 GD+16 Pts.68
Players In 2, Out 1
Top Scorer: old left-footed FC 16
Top rated: very young left-footed CM 7.21
Ave Att; 947
End of season finances: -£390k
08/09 Conf. Nth.
Media prediction n/k (accidentally saved over it). My scout still unable to find anything in right midfield, in fact whole game seems to have a bias towards left sided players; checking news items shows most teams are having to loan-in for right mid. Good news is I have inherited a couple of decent GKs who just needed some proper coaching. Steady start has us comfortably mid-table and we climb to 2nd. Draw last 5 games but hold onto 2nd (with Southport a full 25pts clear in 1st) in spite of losing my right midfield and all but one of my FCs to injury for several games . We beat Harrogate 2-0 away and then lose 1-0 at home – we have consistently better away form right through the save – and beat Burscough in the final; a 2-1 winning margin not reflecting our comprehensive dominance. Everyone is delighted by the unexpected (not least to me!) promotion; but it’s going to be tough next year.
P40 W23 D7 L12 F66 A39 GD+25 Pts.76
Players In 0, Out 5
Top Scorer: young FC 32
Top rated: very young AML 7.28
Ave Att; 692
End of season finances: -£308k (includes 1st of a series of annual cash injections of between £117k and £170k – thank god the board’s got some money or I’d be out on me a*se)
09/10 Conf. Nat.
Media Prediction 24th, bookies odds for title 40/1 :eek:. Scout finally comes up with some decent players (still nothing on the right though) and I get busy on free signings. We bump along just in and just out of the relgation places 1st half. Mid season I cave in and bust my budget to sign a GK on a free who’s wage demands I refused at start of season. This and the fact that the injury situation seems to be easing results in improvement which sees us climb to 16th with new signings beginning to make their presence felt. Despite finishing with 3 draws & 2 losses we hang on to 17th. Board delighted.
P46 W16 D9 L21 F38 A50 GD-12 Pts.57
Players In 5, Out 10
Top Scorer: New young FC 15
Top rated: New CB 7.10
Ave Att; 732
End of season finances: -£466K (with 2 more injections from the board)
10/11 Conf. Nat.
Media prediction 24th, bookies odds 100/1 (that’s more like it!). Continue bringing in new players. Bump along 18th - 20th with goals hard to come by. New young AMR helping a lot, but long term injury to last season’s top scorer not. The goalie and CB signed lst season are brilliant and we are scratching out lots of narrow losses so GD not looking too bad. Mid season, original FC (still young) finding his feet in the division and we move up to 11th (mostly on 1-0 results). Ridiculously tough run-in sees us play most of the strongest teams in the division but my now brilliant defence (we concede ave. 1 goal per match for the season! ) scratches out draws and only narrow defeats and we hang on to finish a very creditable 13th. Board delighted.
P46 W17 D13 L16 F51 A46 GD+5 Pts.64
Players In 7, Out 9
Top Scorer: Original FC 15
Top rated: Same CB 7.2
Ave Att; 1023
End of season finances: -£500K (inc. yet more money from the board)
Note: Our youth policy is showing results – one home produced 20yr old gets his first full cap with Australia. He’s worth £5K and provides useful cover at this level – jeez they must be desparate.
11/12 Conf. Nat.
Media Prediction 18th; Odds 30/1. Concern about where my goals are going to come from continues and although I increase the depth of the squad I’m not sure this improves matters (not least because I’m not getting many injuries so I’m struggling to keep them happy – 2 leave by mutual agreement this season), although one left-footed striker looks useful. The same striker as last season is injured for 7mths and his attributes plummet to mostly 1s. Season is absolute crap – defence as magnificent as ever but a complete inability to score leaves us hovering all season around 21st to 18th. The last 5 matches see us in 22nd and in deep sh*t. We scratch out 3 draws against what should have been poor to middling opposition; despite clearly bossing play we can’t find a shot on goal. 2 games to go and we are not out of it yet but now face the mighty Kidderminster. My stalwart McAMR issues a rallying call through the press and I make a ‘do it for the fans!’ pre-match speech. The players repond magnificently!! They put in collectively the worst perfomance of my entire tenure (down to 10 men at half-time, 3 shots – none on target, even my so reliable defence gets depressed on the second-half and give up) and it’s only because Kidderminster play cr*p as well that we only lose 1-0. 23rd. and relegated with 1 to play. In a fit of pique I put all my strikers up for sale at £0, only to quickly backtrack when I remember that they will probably do ok in a lower division.
The board are delighted :eek: and I still have a job.
P46 W8 D18 L20 F28 A48 GD-17 Pts.42
Players In 7, Out 12
Top Scorer: New left-footed FC wait for it…….3
Top rated: New DM 7.09
Ave Att; 224
End of season finances: -£465K (including etc.etc.)
Note: 6 seasons total transfer spending = £0, total transfer income = £42k.
12-07-2006, 06:58 PM
Fischer A; A riddle-a- piddle-a-middle-again. Post #2
Media prediction 3rd. Board expects to win league. Start where we left off last season - only 18 goals for by Christmas and mid-table. Much better 2nd half of season, score a few more and finish 5th. Playoff semi-final v. Weymouth and the inability to score returns. We overwhelmingly boss the home leg but only manage 1 SOT. We overwhelmingly boss the away leg but only manage 1 SOT Lose 1-0 agg. to a disputed penalty in the 71st min of 2nd leg. I start next season serving a touchline ban. Board delighted (with my loyalty) and I decide at last minute to renew my contract.
P42 W17 D18 L7 F50 A29 GD+21 Pts.69
Players In 4, Out 9
Top Scorer: Original FC 14(from 33 apps)
Top rated: Same CB 7.22
Ave Att: 395
End of season finances: -£400k (including cash injections)
12-16-2006, 06:10 PM
Fischer A; A riddle-a- piddle-a-middle-again. Post #7
Media prediction 4th. Board expects respectable position. With no changes at all from last season everything clicks! We go off like a train, winning first 4 and going top - a position we never relinquish; with goals coming from all over the pitch. Never quite get clear of Northwich, who have half of their parent club Everton's reserves on season long loans, so it's especially pleasing to win and draw against them :p. Promoted with 3 to play \0/ and I take the opportunity to keep squad players happy, thus missing out on the magic 100pts. Finally a decent FAC run, beating Lincoln on penalities and taking Doncaster to a replay before succumbing 3-0 at home. Board are absolutely thrilled.
P42 W29 D9 L4 F82 A30 GD+52 Pts.96
Players In 0, Out 0
Top Scorer: Left-footed FC 24
Top rated: AML 7.47
Ave Att: 697
End of season finances: -£402k (including cash injections)
Sailing a bit close on wages & promotion bonuses are going to kill me so there's going to be some enforced changes as we try to survive in Conf. Nat. :worried:
01-02-2007, 01:37 AM
Fischer A; A riddle-a- piddle-a-middle-again. Post #10
Fischer A; A riddle-a- piddle-a-middle-again. 
) scratches out draws and only narrow defeats and we hang on to finish a very creditable 13th. Board delighted.
They put in collectively the worst perfomance of my entire tenure (down to 10 men at half-time, 3 shots – none on target, even my so reliable defence gets depressed on the second-half and give up) and it’s only because Kidderminster play cr*p as well that we only lose 1-0. 23rd. and relegated with 1 to play.
In a fit of pique I put all my strikers up for sale at £0, only to quickly backtrack when I remember that they will probably do ok in a lower division.
, I like it ..KUTDDecidedlyMediocreW :thup:
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