retired_seabury

Having downloaded the "new" update and installed it, before finding the LLaMas slagging it off, I decided to take control of newly promoted Kettering Town in the Conference. I also checked that SI had got Bedford Town correctly in the Isthmian Premier, so that there is a much better chance of them being promoted.

Squad contains a number of names I have actually heard of and the ground has a good size capacity of 6,500 so won't need improving if I ever manage to get promoted to the football league. Board expect a relegation battle, and I don't intend to disaapoint them

Our one scout was sent out to look for some quality youth players, and he came back with a few, who were signed up, although I lost out on the best two to Man City and Bradford. We were £375,000 in debt at the start of the game, but a cash injection from the board has reduced that. Have now managed to sign up four player/coaches and taken a striker and a DMC on loan.

On the playing front, we managed two wins and one loss in pre-season friendlies, all against local sides, which drew crowds of over 5,000. In the league, we have a mixed record and lie 13th after 8 games, but the top crowd has only been about 1,500.

My main aim is to actually get to manage Bedford Town on this update, so fingers crossed that it holds out and that the Eagles actually manage to get promoted.

However, for now it's onwards and upwards (but probably downwards) with the Poppies.

[This message was edited by iajafer on 08 January 2003 at 00:22.]

KingsbayYHPE

GL, KUTGW!! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG], WAHGERTY!11, and other assorted LLM acronyms [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif" alt="cool[/IMG]

retired_nekh_20

Wahey!! In the words of Mr slim shady. "BB's back, back again. BB's back, tell a friend!" [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]

Good luck, Fella! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif" alt="cool[/IMG]

retired_seabury

Different team, same old story for the first season in the Conference.

Indifferent displays against lower sides and good results against teams higher in the league mean the Poppies currently sit 13th in the Conference, nicely mid-table, no chance of promotion, little chance of relegation.

Knocked out in the 3rd round of the FA Trophy by Gravesend, but managed to reach the 4th round of the FA Cup, where we lost 1-0 away to QPR.

Squad has increased in size, with some good looking youngsters found by my scouts (5 of them now [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]), but find of the season is a SC on loan from Farnborough, who I hope to be able to buy come the summer.

A cash injection from the board and the FA Cup run have reduced the debt to under £100K, but the home gates are still only around the 1,000 mark.

If we can become more consistent I will have greater hopes for next season, and maybe a good run to the end of the season could see us qualify for the Vans Trophy.

retired_mj_ducky

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bedford_Bulldog:
(5 of them now [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG])
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

BRAGGING [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG]

retired_mj_ducky

Whoops forgot to say 'KUTGW' [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]

retired_seabury

Season 1 at Kettering finished with a cough and a splutter as the Poppies dragged themselves up to the dizzy heights of 7th place, and with it another cup competition for next season. Doncaster were crowned as champions and Kidderminster replaced them, and coming up from obscurity came Aldershot, Newport County and Stalybridge Celtic. In spite of coming only 7th, the men who dole out the end of season prizes decided that I was the man to be named as Conference Manager of the Season [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]

The close season is upon us, and I am currently waiting for my only Bosman signing to come and join us, and I have tabled a bid for the Farnborough striker who had a couple of loan spells last season. My central defensive rock (and coach) was lured away by Sheffield Wednesday as a coach – yet despite still being in contract, I didn’t get a bean of compensation [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] The bank balance is currently very healthy, and I have a massive £70K to spend on players. A clear out of the higher earners and under-achievers is on the cards, hopefully to boost the coffers some more

During the season our 17 year old reserve team AMC was capped by Wales U-21, and my coaches reckon I have signed a good crop of youngsters. I pretty much stuck with the squad last season, just adding youth players when recommended, a couple of whom have made it into the first team squad, including a 19 year old SC who scored on his debut, and at one point was averaging 9.00 [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif" alt="cool[/IMG]

This season the board still expect a relegation battle, but with a little bit of luck, and the form of the second half of last season, I expect to be there or thereabouts this season [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]

retired_seabury

The close season has come and gone and the Poppies are now nine games into the 2002/3 season. A busy summer of transfer activity has seen a number of new signings joining the club, including a striker from Leyton Orient on a Bosman, who on his performances at the start of the season will be even bigger than the turkey I buy for Christmas [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif" alt="roll eyes[/IMG] , a DC from Cardiff, a DC from Wimbledon, a DMC from Kidderminster and a 20 year old midfielder from Margate, whose performances have firmly cemented his place in the first team.

A couple of the first teamers I inherited have left to ply their trade elsewhere, and one of my youngsters was signed by Motherwell for his release fee - £200K thank you very much [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] . Another went to Crewe for £75K plus a 25% sell-on clause, and this money along with the season ticket sales so far, means I have been in the black and had quite a healthy transfer kitty so far [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif" alt="cool[/IMG] .

Mixed bag of results in the friendlies, was followed by two draws in the first two league games and the same number of sendings-off as I had all of last season. I think my players must have been working on this on the training ground, as both dismissals were for pushing [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] . Three games later and my DMC (who was one of the two red cards) managed to go and do the same thing again, only this time on the last attacker in the penalty area. Result a total ban of five matches, which I managed to reduce to four on appeal. Three losses, four draws and two wins are the story of the season so far as we started like we started last season, as opposed to continuing the form at the end of last season which is what I was hoping for.

Ah well being a LlaMa was never meant to be easy [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif" alt="roll eyes[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif" alt="razz[/IMG]

retired_blondielovespink

Indeed, if you signed a coach from the LA Rams, he must be about 60 now and would be more likely to teach falling into the path of the other team rather than pushing, as they've been in St Louis for a decade now anyway. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] And if you hired one of their coaches, they would actually probably be good for his side, as the Rams defense couldn't stop a high school team this year. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif" alt="wink[/IMG]

KUTGW

retired_seabury

End of season 2, and another qualification for next year's Vans Trophy as we scraped into 8th place. A good run around Xmas and the New Year saw us move from a low of 17th.

In the cups we managed to bow out in the first round of the FA Cup, but a win over 2nd Division Brighton in the Vans Trophy saw us make the second round before crashing to Leyton Orient. However the FA Trophy was another story, and I took my first piece of silverware as a true LLaMa [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] , as we defeated Dagenham and Redbridge 2-1 in the final [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]

Have picked up a couple of new youngsters and a class looking winger from Luton during the close season, but a Bosman signing from Bury was cancelled when he failed a medical. I have lost two of my most influential players to retirement - the DMC signed from Kidderminster and an AMC, both of whom are now firmly installed on the coaching staff. Have now got a 6th scout, but my physio is refusing to sign a new contract.

The new season beckons, and the boards aspirations are increasing as they are looking for a reasonable league position this season. I don't intend to disappoint [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif" alt="roll eyes[/IMG]

New teams in the Conference this season are Burscough, Dover and Enfield (I didn't take any notice of who came down [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif" alt="roll eyes[/IMG] ). Looking at bettering my 7th and 8th so far, and defending the FA Trophy. Good runs in the FA Cup and Vans Trophy wouldn't go amiss either (You've got to have a dream - it is Christmas after all [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif" alt="wink[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] )