I'm just in pre-season of 2005 with Bradford Park Avenue. I gave the board and fans exactly what they asked for in season one - mid-table obscurity and rebuilding the team. The finances are a disaster and whilst my eight loanees kept us hanging in there was nothing in the squad to suggest we'd go anywhere.
However I kept the faith with the club if not the players. At the end of the season I put every single one up for sale and a surprising number got £1K offers to give me a whopping £6K to splurge. My scouts brought me dozens of mimimum-waged teenagers on trial and in the 2nd pre-season stage I really believe there is some raw quality. New season, new hope.
And the best thing of all - no issue with play-off bug; by the time I get there the patch will be safely bedded in!