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This is my first attempt at LLM with FM2005, having only just upgraded from CM02-03 last week. I'm an Aussie, so I have absolutely no idea about any of the players or clubs I'm playing with. I've chosen to start with Barrow only because it's where my grandparents grew up.
I'm running the game with the home countries and irish leagues, the usual European suspects, and the Aussie A-league.
I really want to take Barrow to the top and win it all, but failing that I want to achieve as much as I can as a manager.
And yeah, I already have permission to start a thread even though I've only finished two seasons.
*****
IT BEGINS...
Season 2004-05: Barrow - Conference North
Pos Pld Won Drn Lst For Agt G.D. Pts
2nd 42 24 8 10 84 40 +44 80
Transfer Budget: 8k
Expectations: Mid-table
Signed a young released Prem club winger and a couple of Scots to booster the squad. Got off to an absolute flyer, and by Christmas was 8 points clear on top. However squad depth and fatigue told, and with indifferent form in the second half of the season, my club slipped away just enough to be put out of the promotion spot by Nuneaton Borough.
The Playoffs saw my club beat the Motormen comfortably, before losing out 2-1 to the league's form team, Southport. Southport eventually lost the final.
Had a good FA cup run to the third round, including a reasonably comfortable 2-0 replay win away at Colchester. FA Trophy run wasn't as successful, being beaten in the second round by eventual winners Grays.
I'm advertising to try to attract an Aussie scout to the club so that I can scout and sign talent from my home country. So far, I haven't had one apply.
All in all, not an awful start to my career - a little disappointed that I missed out on promotion, but the squad probably isn't quite ready for National Conference anyway. Having three strikers score more than 20 goals each is very promising.
End of season finances: +125k
*****
DOIN' IT <STRIKE>FOR</STRIKE> WITH THE KIDS
Season 2005-06: Barrow - Conference North
Pos Pld Won Drn Lst For Agt G.D. Pts
1st 42 29 10 3 96 25 +71 97
Transfer Budget: 20k
Expectations: Respectable position
I thought I would be in some trouble at the beginning of the season, losing my best keeper to Yeovil on a free (I was waiting for his demands to go down - that's gotta suck), then losing what I thought to be my best striker with a broken leg for nine months - I felt that I couldn't aspire to do anything else but meet the board's expectations.
Enter the dark horse striker and the kids. Dark Horse - I call him that because he doesn't look special but his ability seems amazing - followed up his 20+ goals scored last season with a bag of 37 from 38 apps. Add to that the two young wingers I signed last season, and another leftsided Scotsman I'd been headhunting since the start of last season, and the Barrow side was dominating, if not a little inconsistent. Clubs from Wigan to West Ham were banging down my door to get a hold of Dark Horse and the Winger Kids, but I've held strong... at least for now.
The FA Cup run, however, was what could be expected from a club of Barrow's calibre, a few easy wins against lowly opponents before being easily dispatched 3-0 at Oxford in the first round. FA Trophy run went similarly, cruising along against weak opponents before being beaten by the mighty Dag & Red in the third round. There's nothing like a few good losses to bring you back to earth, is there?
The most beautiful moment of the season was sealing the title with a 2-0 home win against Southport. Revenge never tasted so sweet. That and finishing the season on an unbeaten run of 20 matches.
Finances are good, so I asked the board to improve facilities. Got knocked back, naturally. My playing AssMan decided to retire, too, so I think I may replace him - I only had him signed as a backup player, and he's not a very good AssMan.
So there you are: a quality season in review. One big question though; how the flerk am I going to keep up this momentum? I hope the board doesn't expect too much next season.
End of season finances: +250k
07-19-2005, 07:13 AM
Diving In Head First: An Aussie In Cumbria Post #2
THE BARROW BANDWAGON - ALL ABOARD!
Season 2006-07: Barrow - Conference National
Pos Pld Won Drn Lst For Agt G.D. Pts
1st 42 25 11 6 77 35 +42 86
Transfer Budget: 20k
Board Expectations: Fight Relegation
Bookies' Odds: 20/1
Started off the season by replenishing my staff with a new AssMan and a coach - both quality and both strangely enough from the same Eastern European country. As far as transfers go, there isn't much to report - a few older fringe players released on frees and about the same amount of young players joining the club on frees. I particularly like the look of a seventeen year old midfielder I signed. With a lot of hard work, he could prove to be a real champion.
Like I mentioned last season, my expections for the season weren't high, but eleven wins in thirteen matches to kick off the season and I found myself dreaming of title glory. Dark Horse started the season excellently, but after I knocked back one too many transfer offers for him, he confronted me about ruining his chances of leaving, and his on-pitch form dropped significantly. Regardless, the Barrow bandwagon rolled on, and with my particularly attacking brand of play, and a steely resolve to keep the side together, I was able to drive home another title winning season.
And I still haven't mentioned the FA Trophy win, although the victory lacked some merit as the clubs' series of round wins didn't involve any clubs finishing in the top half of the Conference until the final against Carlisle. In what will forever be known as the Battle of Cumbria, Barrow outgunned to post a 1-0 win.
The FA Cup run wasn't anything to write home about, fighting through a couple of scrappy replays before being genuinely outclassed at home to Blackpool 3-0.
The search continues for a scout to base in Australia... I still haven't had an Aussie respond to my adverts, although who would want to go half way around the world to work for a semi-pro club?
I requested that the club invest in facilities and the stadium - the training facilities are just awful at the moment, and again I was knocked back.
After the Confederations Cup, the current Aussie boss stepped down and while I didn't apply for the job, the Aussie FA approched me to take the job. Now, if you couldn't guess, I'm a fairly patriotic type of guy, and I thought the job might prove an extra challenge and help improve my reputation, so I took the job with a view to taking the Aussies to the 2010 World Cup.
Diving In Head First: An Aussie In Cumbria 
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