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Frank immediatly gave me what I desired, a football minnow I hadn't managed before with little prospect and one miserable excuse called starting eleven. Stalybridge Celtic would be the team I bring greatness.
2006-2007
First day at the office...
- Team sucks :: panicky :: no GK worthy of the name, 2 decent defenders, an ok winger and a good striker is what I see.
- Stalybridge Trials: 22 free agents come on a 3 week trial resulting in a whopping 14 signings. My scout and I see a very hopeful striker, a couple decent role-players to fill the holes and some young talent for future sales
- 4 players immediatly get the boot. my player-assistant is kept solely because he's the only alternative at MR.
League
After a slow start the old and new players on my team started to click. The hopefull striker did not disappoint and even mounted a brief challenge to be the league's top scorer. The newly acquired GK and ML firmly took hold of a starting spot and most of the other newcomers had regular spells in the team.
Against all odds - and to the delight of the chairman who just asked for a respectable position - Celtic ended as runners-up. I led my team with great confidence into the playoffs, brushing aside our semi-final opponents 3-0.
The final brought us back to the ground with a bang. After largely being the more deserving team, Scarborough - starting the season with a 10 point deduction - managed to clinch a late winner and subsequent promotion.
2nd (75) | FAC: 4th Q | FAT: 3rd | Top Scorer: Hopeful Trial Guy (21) | Fans player: Top Scorer
Still I am happy with my teams progress, promotion will come soon ...
2007-2008
...not
The new season started shaky and kept on shaking until the end. It's a page I want to turn very quickly.
Round-up
- Some hopeful signs for seasons to come:
- My youth academy promoted six youngsters among which a very promising MR. As a result I started stalling on my Assistant-MR new contract
- My scout failed to bring in new players. Sure he got me a large enough list, but none of them could cope with my terms. Set a job ad for a new scout, not renewing the old one's.
- Seven players that caught my eye me during the 06-07 season come on trial. Unfortunatly we decide that only two were worthy of the blue and white.
- Seven players get the boot and seven new players come in for a total of 3k. Five of them grow to be regular starters this season.
- Luckily the board deemed 8th respectable enough to keep me on the job
Season
8th (59) | FAC: 4th Q | FAT: 1st | Top Scorer: Surprising rotational striker I kinda disliked (23) | Fans player: Hopeful Trial Guy (21)
2008-2009
New season, new hope! This time I will go up .. surely .. believe it .. it's gonna happen.. you just watch me ...
Season even starts well enough with Celtic briefly occupying top spot. My 'ambitious' chairman - again - wants a respectable position. Not me I want to romp the league and be done with this Conference North hellhole.
Round-up
- 6 youngsters get the thumbs up from the youth coaches. I don't see any of them ready for the first team in the near future. My oldest player/assistent agrees.
- The new scout did some good work. He brings in four trialists - none were signed, but also some good players for key positions. A transfer kitty of 2k brought me a new GK, a - I can't believe he wants to play for me! - quality MR and a versatile DC/DM. All of 'em bound to claim a regular team spot.
- A new training regime boosts injuries. Not that i care much, I feel I have dependable back-up for every position and rotating through injury keeps them all happy and playing.
- A disappointing final five games cost us the title. Hinckley taking it with a mere three points. It's into the nerve-wrecking playoffs again.
- I'm a broken man. Really these playoffs ruined my day, well ...night
- After happily disposing of Gateshead in the semi's it's dreaded Lancaster barring my way to the Conference Walhalla. Celtic dominates but is robbed of the title by an own-goal in the 28th minute, 2-1 the final score.
- I'm doubting my future at the club.
Season
2nd (84) | FAC:3th Q | FAT: 3th | Top scorer: Hopeful Trial Guy (34) | Fans player: Top Scorer
Took me some time to get to grips with the lost final, but I returned fresh and with a new battle plan. Figuring if I was there to stay in the Conference North, I might as well try and make the team financialy healthy. The board seems to think I have little financial control, and I intend to prove 'm wrong. The axis of my team is good enough to keep contending.
- Nine players that are out of contract get the boot, I'm going for a quality player on every position backed up by own youth.
- A scouting report points my attention to a good MC and a two good DC's on expiring contracts. My defense proved to be a bit leaky, especially against the minnows of the league, so I can use these guys. I signed the MC and one DC on a permanent contract, the other one is loaned.
- My 'minimal facilities' (?) youth academy promotes a very talented generation. One MC in particular looks to be very talented. He'd end up making three appearances in the first team!
Round-up
A new season, a new dawn. In the annual pre-season meeting with 'mr. ambitious', he tells me to get a respectable position. I am not surprised...
- A quick look at the newcomers in the league does little to lift my spirits. Three out of four relagated teams from the Conference Walhalla ended up in my division. Looks like storming the league -as I annualy dream to- won't be an option this year...
- Still I'm happy with my new signings and my self-styled youth develepment program.
- Season start is pretty standard. Celtic safely settle into the top 5. Dreaded Nuneaton goes top of the league from day one though, building up a 10-point lead by midseason - playoffs it would be it seems.
- 2009-2010 sports several hopeful signs for my team though. The strikers seem to get a long extremely well, scoring and delivering as they please. They happily combine for six goals in the 7-1 throuncing of arch-rivals Hyde. hyde would go down this season... pity.
- I manage to slip my team into the main FA Cup draw and end up facing Championship side Stoke City! A thrilling game on Bowler Fold ends up a very satisfying 2-3. The fans loved it, as did my warchest.
- The league ends with Celtic as runners' up for the third time in four seasons. In the semi-finals we face Northwitch. We've comfortably beaten them twice during regular season so I don't really worry much.
- oh ow.. First game on the Bowler Fold ends up in a 0-0 draw. I'm furious and it shows, facilities at the Fold have just become a bit more minimal (less minimal? minimaler? ;o)).
- It seems to be a different team i'm playing in the playoffs! The players never even get a glimpse at the final. Northwitch dominates and deservedly takes a 1-2 victory. They go on to lose from Stafford in the finals.
- Surprisingly I can cope with the defeat. I have the feeling, a league without Nuneaton and maybe one or two extra signings, could well prove the difference next time.
- A lot of my players are on expiring contracts I don't intend to renew.
- Can't wait for next season :o)
Conference North Woe 
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