retired_mayasmomma

END OF SEASON UPDATE -- 2007/08***

Among my most enjoyable ever, Alfreton began buoyed by their improbable position as Conference Runners Up at the end of last season. While the playoff final had gone poorly, my boys looked great through the preseason and were 2:1 favorites to take the league. August, however, saw the side drop the first 3 and September watched us win 1 and draw 4 in a row – 1:1 each match. With my higher wage budget, I was already a manager with whom the board was only 'satisfied' – overseeing a club sitting 14th.

Suddenly in October the squad caught fire managing 20 without a loss and winning most of those. By late March we were genuine contenders only five points behind streaky Barnet.

With three matches remaining we had cut that advantage to two points. Barnet lost on the same day we got shredded by mid-table Woking and we went into the penultimate game against them desperately needing the win. A key injury forced a new acquisition to play at forward and he came up HUGE knocking in two to give us the win.

The final match (against a Dag & Red side to whom I had yet to lose in 9 tries) meant a win would seal the Conference. Sadly, two late goals by D&R destroyed all hope as Barnet were two goals up on lowly Hendon at the half. I click continue to see my playoff draw only to discover that Hendon rallied on 75 to score two goals in 4 minutes leaving Barnet and my lads level – a healthy goal differential decided it and Alfreton Win the Conference!

My scouting has reverted to normal with each recommendation looking worse than the last – fortunately I have the two talented youngsters (we talked about them in an earlier update) progressing nicely and if my now two (yes, I have two scouts now) scouts find nothing else, I will still call this the most successful scouting I have ever had.

For the rest: FA Trophy Semi-Final kicking to Forest Green, FA Cup exit in my first try (yes, cups suck – I see the wisdom now). Liverpool took the Premiership, yada yada.

Hopefully our ‘out of the red’ finances will allow me to have a transfer budget greater than the 8k I was given in Conference.

L2 here I come (even if I backed in)!

retired_mayasmomma

I apologize for the length of the above post. Most of my updates do not feature much detail, and I would not normally bother with any match detail but for the total (and literal) heart pounding final days of the 07/08 campaign.

Please forgive my exhuberence and feel free to ignore the update above.

Quick question - how far afield would a League 2 team scout? We've only scouted England, Scotlandm, Wales to date. Is a jaunt across the channel in order now or is that something to wait for until League 1?

retired_kswansonwoolf

Scout Where YOu Can Tour.

retired_mayasmomma

Ah, right, I remember that being the rule of thumb now- many thanks!

retired_mayasmomma

So graduate studies have slowed our pace somewhat - thus:
MID SEASON UPDATE -- 2008/09

We are currently 8th, about 6 points off the lead in D2. Players are desperately trying to leave the squad, however, and it looks as though I'll make a fair amount in transfer money but be left with nary a quality player on the pitch.

Since most of my guys are signed trhough 2010, next season could see a lot of players leaving - My hope is to stay in D2 this season, sell on the unhappy next before dropping down. End of season update forthcoming following finishing a fair amount of study.

retired_cathylynn820

Funny user name, polite fella. I like it :thup:

retired_stelutaivan

KUTGW :thup:

retired_Wnt2Bamodel

FM > study. I wish I'd had a footie sim when I was at uni.

retired_mayasmomma

Yeah, problem is, CM3 and it's children took too much time as an undergrad barely got through. This grad school thing means I'm going to have to set some different priorities - only getting in about two hours of FM weekly and none this week! ****gghh

retired_a4anish

two hours a week? how do you survive?!

well at least it's better than none eh?