Gripper

Hi there GPTGers.

SI are looking out for experienced FM gamers to research their team for any future data updates for FM2008, and also for FM2009 and beyond. Applicants will have both a huge passion for and extensive knowledge of their club. Vacancies are for the following English clubs:

Accrington Stanley
Bristol Rovers
Colchester United
Doncaster Rovers
Huddersfield Town
Northwich Victoria
Wolverhampton Wanderers

Would any objective season ticket holder or regular matchgoer like to help? The task involves giving as-accurate-as-possible ratings to every aspect of each player’s game, including reserves and youth players, plus keeping us up to date of all transfers at the club, as well as their financial position. In fact, if it is in the database for your club, we want your help to keep it updated! We would expect you to consider yourself THE authority on your club, rather than being a passive observer of them.

The work involves a thrice-yearly thorough working through of the data file, using a provided editing package that is simple to use.

The rest of the year, we obviously need to be kept up to date with transfers and contract news, as well as info on the club debts/finances, so that every bit of information that FM uses about your club is as accurate as it can be. That is the task of the researcher to provide the info, and to be up to date with the news there.

So, it will be the appointed researcher's call as to how your manager's designated formations, or your first-team goalkeeper's decisions attribute read in the expected post-transfer window data update for FM2008. We do need that person to follow (or watch, if possible) the reserves so that we can accurately simulate their abilities in our game too. (For the Arsenal researcher role, you *must* know the qualities of the reserve and youth players as well as the obvious about the first-team). We would prefer the researcher to be a local to the town, to be best positioned to attend as many games as possible.

In the last year we have successfully appointed new researchers for many clubs, including a large majority of those from appeals to these forums.

We do not pay, unfortunately, though we do provide a free advanced copy of FM2009, as well as integrate all researchers to our research team.

Please email me if you are in a position to lend a hand. Your help would be much appreciated.

Gripper
English Research team
Sports Interactive
dean.gripton@sigames.com

* If you are interested in contributing to research for clubs lower than the Conference (Blue Square Premier) then please post in the Non-League Data Issues thread here..

The Data Issues Forum contains threads relating to data for all countries - please visit and post there if you would like to help with the research in those countries.

purefun

nothing for belgian clubs??

Gripper

Belgium is 'another country' apart from England, so is covered in that statement. Please post in the Belgium Data Issues thread and I am sure that Fabrice will be pleased to hear from you.

DaGringoKilla

Do you have to be a local as im a arsenal fan but live in australia i know a fair bit to

Gripper

Thanks for your interest, but I would suspect we could find an Arsenal fan to do their research who actually goes to games, including reserve games. I really do not think you are the best-placed person to assess Arsenal's squad, being from the other side of the world, though of course your thoughts on the data would be welcomed in the Arsenal Data Issues thread.

TomásAliaksandr

Can we trial the position?

I am a silver membership at Arsenal and I go to as many games as possible, but I watch every game regardless, even those not televised by using online streams. I think I'm an objective and accurate judge of ability - not swayed by the bipolar and jaded opinion of many (Hleb was criticised last season and now he is regarded as one of our best players). I'm also a member of ArsenalMania, the top fansite. I also listen to 606, and the world football phone in on 5 live, which I guess represents the level of obsessiveness I have over football and my club. I also find my self editing every football game I have (from PES to Football Manager) because I can't stand the blatant innaccuracies on show.

Gripper

Hi Tomás.

Thanks for your post.

I am disappointed that, given you claim the data in FM2008 to have 'blatant innaccuracies', that you have not visited the Data Forums to record those for our consideration.

What would those 'blatant innaccuracies' be? If they include only increasing Arsenal player attributes across the board, that is not the level of objectivity we are looking for!

TomásAliaksandr

Well I was refering more to PES (the other game I listed) but FM has the occasional slip. If I'm honest the stats are fairly accurate, and we are probably the most appealing club on the game, but I still think there is room for slight improvements of ajustments.

Well a small example, based on my username (Hleb and Rosicky). I think Rosicky's stats are slightly overrated, he is a incredibly good individual playmaker on the game who can really influence a game, while in reality he isn't the kind of player who can lift or carry a team by him self, instead he is the kind of player who fits well into a passing system - someone who compliments the team rather than him self. He is also one of the main underachievers at Arsenal, while in the game he draws all the plaudits.

Hleb on the other hand is severely underrated, which is understandable and fairly accurate judging from his performances last seasons, but this season he has been a revelation and the stats do not represent this at all. His decision making and composure this season has been fantastic, something which is ridiculously low in the game. His positions on the pitch are the most frustrating thing however, this season he has arguable played better on the left wing than the right, but also centrally he is superb. I would say he is natural across the board in the attacking mid positions.

Then there is the obvious ones, Flamini and Gilberto, Walcott, Adebayor ("plays with his back to goal") etc. This is why I am asking if I can trial the position, I just want a chance to give my opinion (ignoring the poor two examples I just gave).

TomásAliaksandr

I'm not really selling my self that well, but I'm rushing, I should be leaving for college (and I am now).

hexhamlad

Since my last application to become a Newcastle United researcher was turn down I have decided to attend a lot more reserve games. I even have ticket stubs to prove it. Obviously I have a season ticket otherwise I wouldn't of orginally applied. May I ask will this aid any future applications? thats assuming one becomes avalible.

I've travelled to our 8 away league games this season and 1 carling cup game at the emirates. I've also been accepted to Wigan, Chelsea and Arsenal away in the comming weeks and applied to Stoke away in the F.A cup.

In all seriousness if you list what else I can do to inhance my next application that would be most helpful.

Thanks again.