retired_SMS594

Hello all, long (long, long) time lurker, first time poster here - but hopefully I have gotten all the rules down correctly by now! I've been playing LLM as long as I can remember - definitely the only way to play - and thought that as I am finally getting into FM08 properly (as I at last have a computer that can do it justice), and as I have just completed my 3rd season, I should start my very own update thread, complete with weak pun in the title

Anyhow, loaded up the large database, with all leagues from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Belarus, Poland and the Ukraine, and, with the memories of happy games on '06 and '07, I decided to start with the minnows of Wakehurst in the Northern Ireland Second Division, expecting yet another season of battling relegation...


2007/08...Wakehurst...Northern Ireland Second Division

Media Prediction - 4th
Board Expectations - Promotion

Season Summary - Having never (going back to CM2) been promoted in my first season, I was a bit shocked at the expectations, and even moreso that I had inherited not only an AssMan, but two first team coaches and a GK coach. The extravagance! So I fired two of the coaches and hired a second scout instead, sending him off on many three-day trips around the country. Signed (on frees) a 32-year old striker, an adaptable D/M C and a 38-year old D C, as well as an M C on loan from next-door-neighbours Ballymena Utd.

Named the elderly D C as captain – which pleased most of the squad – and the season started with an awesome run, winning our first six and going 7 points clear at the top of the table. A broken ankle for my only right back soon hit however, and we returned to the kind of form that I’m normally used to. Even with no consistency at all, the early results helped us somehow stay in the top two all season, and with two games left we were second, in a four-way battle for the top-spot. We scraped a draw in the penultimate game, leaving us needing a win, and for one of the other teams to lose in order to clinch promotion. Our collapse was completed however, as although other results went our way, we lost 2-1 at home and finished third.

Highlight – The first 6 games – home wins of 5-1, 2-1 and 2-1, and away wins of 5-0, 6-1 and 5-0 – that counted for almost half our points.
Lowlights – Missing our first FOUR penalties of the year, and the late-season collapse.
My POTY - 16 year old AM/F C who was responsible for almost all our early season scoring, finishing with 22 goals in 26 games

NI2 - P22 W11 D4 L7 F50 A31 Pts37...3rd
NI Cup - 6th round, knocking out 1st Division Lurgan Celtic and Premier Division Limavady on the way.
Intermediate Cup - 1st round loss to (grey) Draperstown
Intermediate League Cup - 3rd in Group Stages, missing out on goal difference.
Antrim Trophy - 4th round loss to (grey) Ballycastle

Second and third seasons to follow in separate posts.

retired_SMS594

2008/09...Wakehurst...Northern Ireland Second Division

Media Prediction - 6th
Board Expectations - Respectable position

Summary - The board didn't really mind about missing out on promotion, however they were 'distraught' at the club's finances - £75k in the red. I can't see much possibility of making any of that back. But, I did sell my right back for £4k and released a whole load of others so that, if nothing else, I was under the wage budget. A replacement D R and a new D LC on frees (teenagers both) were my only signings of the summer.

We made a slower start than last season, but it soon became clear that the media and board had underestimated us. We hit the top after seven games, and stayed there except for after a couple of embarrassing defeats to our promotion rivals. We finally sealed the title with a game to go, largely thanks to our teenage AM/F C who finished as second-top scorer in the league. Our elderly captain announced his retirement, but was ever-present in defence, contributing 8 goals to the cause (including 5 penalties). He's been added to the coaching staff for next year.

Highlight - An inspirational team talk (apparently!) that saw us turn a 2-0 half-time deficit away at bottom-of-the-table Tobermore into a 7-2 thrashing, complete with 80-yard clearance from young D LC that somehow eluded their keeper to round out the scoring.
Lowlight – Getting knocked out of the cup by local rivals Ballymena Utd, despite outplaying them.
My POTY – Has to be young AM/F C again, with 29 goals in 39 games in all competitions

NI2 - P22 W14 D1 L7 F65 A38 Pts43...1st
NI Cup - 6th round loss to Premier League neighbours Ballymena Utd
Intermediate Cup – Quarter Final loss to non-league Rosario
Intermediate League Cup – Semi-final loss to Ballyclare
Antrim Trophy - 4th round loss to non-league Cookstown Olympic

retired_SMS594

2009/10...Wakehurst...Northern Ireland First Division

Media Prediction - 9th
Board Expectations – Stay clear of relegation

Summary – The offseason saw a further clear-out, as I released 6 players, and signed a new midfielder and a back-up centre-back. The board more than doubled the available wage budget, but, trying to stabilise the finances, we are spending barely half of it. I named my 18 year old right back as the new captain. That didn't go down all that well.

Somehow over the summer we had turned from a great attacking team with an average defence, into a team with a watertight defence and average attack. It seemed to work though as we got off to a solid start, cementing ourselves in the top three before having a mini-stumble in December. We then went unbeaten in our last 10 games, including 7 straight wins, the last of which clinched the title with a game to spare. The First Division is obviously easier than the Second, as fellow promotees (is that a word?) Moyola Park were our main challengers for the second season in a row.

Highlight – Beating Moyola Park in March to give us the lead in the title race – our first win against them in 8 attempts.
Lowlight – Only selling 46 season tickets, for the third year in a row.
My POTY – Teen sensation AM/F C scored 28 in 38 games, but I’ll go for young D LC who was rock solid at the back, and scored 10 goals himself (mostly freekicks).

NI1 – P22 W15 D4 L3 F46 A24 Pts49...1st
NI Cup – Quarter-Final loss to Premier League Coleraine
Intermediate Cup – Semi-Final loss to non-league Tobermore
Intermediate League Cup – Winners – possibly the luckiest cup final win ever, a 3-1 win in extra time. Having missed a penalty in the first half, we equalised with a second penalty in the 90th minute, before taking the lead with a third penalty, and adding another with a direct free-kick.
Antrim Trophy - 2nd round loss to (grey) Downpatrick

Back-to-back promotions in my first update is almost embarrassing...and quite unlike me as well!

retired_jleb04

3 Seasons 2 promotions!! :eek:

TG!KUTGW!!

Consolidation is the order of the day!

fatcatbetsy2007

Have you seen what nation he is managing in?

N.Ireland is one of the easiest nations to get successive promotions in.

I know, because I have managed there.

KUTGW r&w_john!!

retired_corbettk4

Reading this thread makes me wish FM had the Central American Leagues going... Those would be so much fun!

sevenseasofrhye

Welcome and KUTGW!

retired_ms_readytochang

KUTGW! I expect a league title within two years boss! Whether that's a relegation and THEN a league title, well I'll let you decide that
Good stuff enjoyed reading so far, inspiring me to start my own I think.

retired_SMS594

You can tell that it must be easy to get successive promotions in Northern Ireland, because I managed it! Thanks for the welcome everybody

retired_SMS594

2010/11...Wakehurst...Northern Ireland Premier League

Media Prediction - 13th
Board Expectations – Enjoy the experience

Summary – Successive promotions convinced the board to give me a new 3-year contract, and a hugely increased wage budget – up to almost £5k p/w. We signed three new players – a striker, a midfielder and a left back – but even so are only spending £1900p/w on wages. Maybe the bank balance will start to head in the right direction.

After a win in our first ever Premier League match, we then had EIGHT consecutive away games that really didn't help us settle. Still, we were never really in any danger of the drop, and a solid string of results after Christmas saw us move into a very respectable 6th place finish. In other news, our captain and vice-captain were also given those roles for the Northern Ireland under-19s.

Highlight – The final game of the season, a 4-0 thrashing of Champions Linfield – their only defeat of the season.
Lowlight – Our away game with Linfield two months earlier, where we went 3-0 up after 20 minutes only to lose 4-3.
My POTY – Young AM/F C was third in the NI Player of the Year behind two Aston Villa players, but I'll go for new Striker, who top scored with 23 goals in 38 games.

NIP – P30 W13 D6 L11 F54 A43 Pts45...6th
NI Cup – 5th round loss to Portadown
League Cup – 3rd in group stages
County Antrim Shield – Quarter-final loss to Cliftonville
Intermediate Cup – Won by our reserve team in their first year in the competition, under the management of ex-elderly captain.