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(nervous cough) ... sorry, but this is the first time that I've posted in this forum; in fact, it's the first time I've posted in any Championship Manager/Football Manager Forum; anyway, here goes ...
(further nervous cough) ... sorry (again) ... forgot to say - this started out as an attempt at the "official" challenge ...
Season 1 (2006/07) Workington (Conference North)
A very small squad and a poor pre-season (P5 W0 D1 L4 F2 A11) hinted at a tough season ahead ... and that's exactly the way it turned out. It took us 21 games to register our first win (by which time we were rock bottom and 10 points from safety) and things didn't get much better from there.
By the time we won again, we were 18 points adrift with only ten games left and relegation was confirmed with five games remaining. A final game victory against champions Moor Green was small consolation, though I did hope it might alert potential employers to my potential
Final Record (22): P42 W5 D14 L23 F47 A80 PTS29
FA Cup: 2QR 1-2 v Ashford (H)
FA Trophy: 2QR 1-2 v Brigg (A)
Season 2 (2007/08) Unemployed
Amazingly my name was mentioned in connection with the Stockport job, but nothing doing there, and nobody else showed any interest ...
Season 3 (2008/9) Bradford Park Avenue (Conference North)
Middle aged ex-manager (born in Bradford) meets newly promoted local club ... better not mention my love of another Bradford club ...
Offered a three year contract at £80 a week, with an £8k transfer budget and £3k a week for wages - I think the chairman's still looking for his hand!
For some reason, everybody expects a relegation battle, so I'm pleasantly surprised by a first day victory and a run of form that sees us second to Stafford. A home defeat to them followed by a cup exit at Cambridge United deflates the bubble though, and a 2QR defeat in the Trophy seems to have burst it, and we drop to ninth at the half way stage with our leading scorer sidelined with a broken foot. We struggle to win games after that, but the defence bails us out (six draws from our last 10 games), and we finish in ninth place.
Final Record (9): P42 W14 D17 L11 F64 A50 PTS59
FA Cup: 4QR 0-1 v Cambridge United (A)
FA Trophy 2QR 1-2 v Arlesey (A)
Season 4 (2009/10) Bradford Park Avenue (Conference North)
The Board announce that they expect a mid-table finish and hand me a £14k transfer budget to try and achieve one. However, a poor start to the season, both on and off the pitch has them (and me) worried; before a ball's been kicked in anger, my top rated player from last seaon has retired and Charlton have poached my assitant manager, and immediately we get our first win (at the seventh attempt) another coach has left.
However, it turns out we might be better off without him; only three defeats in the next 14 games, and we're up to fifth ... but then we loose another assistant manager and go seven seven games without a win ... :kris102:
Somehow (just don't ask me how) we turn things round and only loose one of the next twelve, and with one game to go we're back in fifth ... and with our destiny in our own hands, a nervy 1-0 win at Burscough is enough to secure a play-off place.
Final Record (5): P42 W17 D13 L12 F54 A44 PTS64
FA Cup: 4QR 0-3 v Exeter (A)
FA Trophy: 2QR 0-1 v Rossendale (A)
Playoffs
The draw for the semi-finals see us paired with Droylsden, who we've already beaten both home and away ...
We win 1-0 at home, but when Droylsden go one up after 44 seconds of the second leg, I'm ruing the number of good chances we missed in the first game. We're under intense pressure for most of the game, and eventually we crack, conceding a penalty in the eighty-sixth minute ... only for the taker to baloon it over the bar!
Into extra time the ref evens up the penalty count and thankfully we take our chance (and for good measure grab a third with ten minutes to go).
So off to Old Trafford and a meeting with Hyde; having drawn both our games with them this season, I expect this to be tight ... and it is. Two minutes gone and one of their defenders hauls down our record siging in the box ... Hyde are down to ten men and we're 1-0 up, but after one of our DCs is sent off in the second half for a second bookable offence, they grab an equaliser. Extra time can't break the deadlock this time, so it's penalties to decide who's going up ...
... but the god of penalties deserts us as Hyde ease through 3-0.
Ho hum ... onwards .... and hopefully upwards ....
Baptism of Fire ... 
Linear Mode
