Scarborough English FC gone forever, who should I play with as now?

[astrosfan64]

I need help.

Ever since I found Championship Manager about 8 years ago, I play with a team called Scarborough. When I first found them they were Division 3. I didn't know a ton about English Soccer and grabbed a team in the lowest playable league.

Scarborough, I thought was a cool name. They are also called the Seadogs. Since that time, I've read about the town and really grew to love the team and players. Back then they had a lower division "star" named Steve Brodie. I've taken this team to the Premiership many times, though I've never been able to win it all.

Well two years ago they got relagated out of Conference. They were also bankrupt, so the English Football Federation penalized them 10 pts to their next season's standings.

It came down to the last match of the year last year, but they did indeed get relagated out of Conference North/South.

They went to court and the courts in England basically liquidated the team. They no longer exist after a 100+ years of soccer history. Well the locale supporters created a new scarborough soccer team in a league that is not supported by Football Manager.

So, who should I play with now. I would like a team in the lowest English League Supported by Football Manager. Someone with history that may have fallen on tough times, or someone with a cool name.

Thank you in advance, this is a hard time for me. I've spent countless hours playing as them for years and for some reason it just seems sad that after 100+ years the club is gone.

[CraigSca]

Wow, that's awful. Not surprisingly, they were my team of choice as well :D

[Critch]

You should use the editor to copy the new Scarborough team into the lowest level English league, then take them back to the Premier.

[Young Drachma]

Bath City

[SirFozzie]

Cambridge United. They were in the playoffs to be in the first English Premier League.. and fallen back all the way to the Conference, which they nearly got relegated out of last year.

A classic team that relies on training future superstars to pay their bills.

[korme]

Are you goin to scarborough fair? parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine

[korme]

I would like ... Someone with history that may have fallen on tough times, or someone with a cool name.


I like your unique blend of passion and shallowness. :D

[astrosfan64]

I like your unique blend of passion and shallowness. :D

I think you just saw into my soul :)

[astrosfan64]

Cambridge United. They were in the playoffs to be in the first English Premier League.. and fallen back all the way to the Conference, which they nearly got relegated out of last year.

A classic team that relies on training future superstars to pay their bills.

Good advice, I think this maybe the front runner so far.

[astrosfan64]

Bath City

Upon Further review this is up with cambridge UTD now. This could be fun and it is a division lower the Camb UTD.

[SunDevil]

I like Cambridge City.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_City_F.C.

[Marc Vaughan]

I always play as Cambridge City and now have a soft spot for them because of it ....

[Neon_Chaos]

Shush! You go back, shut up, and wait until you rake in your money, you diabolical mastermind!

:)

[Warhammer]

I always play Lancaster, but what do I know.

[Passacaglia]

You could start unemployed, and wait for the first job in Conference North/South to become open.

[SunDevil]

I like Cambridge City.

I always play as Cambridge City and now have a soft spot for them because of it ....

This should at least get me a free copy of FM 2008 :D

[ArlingtonColt]

I usually start with a team predicted to finish in 20th or so place in the conference. I'm a glutton for punishment with my "3-4 year plans" which is weird because generally in sports games I love winning championships quick or else I get bored with the game and start over. Just part of the beauty of FM i guess :)

[Icy]

One team i love to play with when i'm tired of playing LLM with conference teams is Crewe Alexandra FC. It's a team formed in 1877, with tons of history that currently plays in Coca-Cola league 1.

What i love for this team appart from the long history is that it's one of the best young players factory in UK. The team is formed mainly by players under 20 years old, a lot of them with a bright future but undeveloped. Their yough academy quality matches the ones from the top premiership teams and as i love to develop players, this team is a dream to work with, as every year you get a good amount of youngsters to develop.

I usually sign a few veterans and develop my young players that is usually a big challenge as some of them will request to move to bigger clubs when they start to get better that the average for Coca-cola league 1 players.

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crewe_Alexandra_F.C.

[Abe Sargent]

I like playing as Wrexham. Cool name. Lotsa history. Note that it is in Wales which is a nice plot agaisnt the English teams. Founded in 1872

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrexham_A.F.C.

Nickname is the Red Dragons, which is uber cool.

EDIT: Oh, and Wrexham are currently in a downswing with barely escaping getting sent down the Conference last year. If you want a bottom team with a cool name, mascot and history and a Welsh underdog attitude and an English rival team, then look no further

[Icy]

I like playing as Wrexham. Cool name. Lotsa history. Note that it is in Wales which is a nice plot agaisnt the English teams. Founded in 1872

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrexham_A.F.C.

Nickname is the Red Dragons, which is uber cool.

EDIT: Oh, and Wrexham are currently in a downswing with barely escaping getting sent down the Conference last year. If you want a bottom team with a cool name, mascot and history and a Welsh underdog attitude and an English rival team, then look no further

Nice one, i might give it a shoot in FM08.

[path12]

You could start unemployed, and wait for the first job in Conference North/South to become open.

I did that once and ended up at Gravesend. That was a fun low level team also. And c'mon -- Gravesend has got to be one of the most depressing town names ever.

[mckerney]

I always play Lancaster, but what do I know.

Go Dolly Blues! :)

[astrosfan64]

I wish someone would put the english style promotion, relagation methods into OOTP or FOF.

That would rock to play FOF with 4 divisions of 10 teams, moving up or down.

Just a dream I suppose.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm continuing my research. I know this sounds dumb, but this is a very serious choice for me. I log TONS of gaming time with FM and I've only ever used one team other then scarborough in the past.

The idea of starting unemployed is actually a pretty good one also. I might actually write a dynasty on this once the new FM comes out.

That is for my MLS multiplayer league. I use the red bulls.

[astrosfan64]

Mark:

Northern Premier League, the Southern League, and the Isthmian League are these leagues in Football Manager this year?

Or is the lowest still conference north and conference south?

[flere-imsaho]

I almost always play as Oxford United (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_United), but that's probably because I lived in Oxford for 4 years. Having said that, they have fallen on tough times lately, going from the Championship in 1998/99 (and an FA Cup 4th round vs. Chelsea) to Conference National now. With plenty of financial trouble along the way. However, they've got a good new stadium, and you can often take them quite far.

Then there's Queen's Park FC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Park_F.C.), which is the only amateur club in the Scottish League, and is also the oldest football club in Scotland. It can be quite difficult to get much past League One with only part-time players, but the management is incredibly forgiving, and there's a lot of history there. Plus, you play in Hampden Park! :D

[path12]

I wish someone would put the english style promotion, relagation methods into OOTP or FOF.

That would rock to play FOF with 4 divisions of 10 teams, moving up or down.

Just a dream I suppose.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm continuing my research. I know this sounds dumb, but this is a very serious choice for me. I log TONS of gaming time with FM and I've only ever used one team other then scarborough in the past.

The idea of starting unemployed is actually a pretty good one also. I might actually write a dynasty on this once the new FM comes out.

That is for my MLS multiplayer league. I use the red bulls.

Be sure and check out some of the other major European countries also. My favorite career was in France. Germany and Scandinavia are fun too. Italy and South America bores me, and Spain is the one major one I've never tried.

[Apathetic Lurker]

or you could trudge up north and play in scotland. I've been playing Stenhousemuir FC pretty much since I found out about champ man back in the mid nineties.

[astrosfan64]

If you had money could you create your own football club in England and eventually work your way up to the premiership?

For example,

I'm a billionaire and I decide I want to create an English Football Club. Could I just make a team, get a stadium and enter one of the feeder leagues?

[SirFozzie]

Yup, look at FC United of Manchester.. they formed due to fans being upset with the Glazer take over of their club (manchester United). They entered at the tenth level of the English footy pyramid (There are four professional levels, (Premier League, Championship, League 1, League 2), 2 mostly professional leagues (The Blue Square National and Regional Leagues, used to be known as the Conference and the Conference Regional). Below it are semi-pro and amateur leagues.

They've won two straight promotions and are at the 8th level of the pyramid now. IF they continue that way, they will move up to the Blue Square Regional League in two years.

[Ramzavail]

Yup, look at FC United of Manchester.. they formed due to fans being upset with the Glazer take over of their club (manchester United). They entered at the tenth level of the English footy pyramid (There are four professional levels, (Premier League, Championship, League 1, League 2), 2 mostly professional leagues (The Blue Square National and Regional Leagues, used to be known as the Conference and the Conference Regional). Below it are semi-pro and amateur leagues.

They've won two straight promotions and are at the 8th level of the pyramid now. IF they continue that way, they will move up to the Blue Square Regional League in two years.


Wow thats a great bit of information, I didn't know that there were 10 levels.

[SirFozzie]

Wow thats a great bit of information, I didn't know that there were 10 levels.

There are actually 24 levels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_football_pyramid

[Ramzavail]

seriously, holy shit.

[Buccaneer]

I like playing as Wrexham. Cool name. Lotsa history. Note that it is in Wales which is a nice plot agaisnt the English teams. Founded in 1872

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrexham_A.F.C.

Nickname is the Red Dragons, which is uber cool.

EDIT: Oh, and Wrexham are currently in a downswing with barely escaping getting sent down the Conference last year. If you want a bottom team with a cool name, mascot and history and a Welsh underdog attitude and an English rival team, then look no further

Go Wales!

[path12]

Can you imagine how goddamn cool it would be to have relegation/promotion in US major league sports?

[flere-imsaho]

If you had money could you create your own football club in England and eventually work your way up to the premiership?

Sure, as Fozzie pointed out.

However, I wouldn't do it that way, to be honest. If I was a billionnaire I'd find a club that's fallen on hard times, has a good fan base, and (ideally) has had its hard times inflicted upon it by one or a succession of idiot chairmen.

Leeds United springs to mind, of course. :)

Take control, put good people in key positions (including the business side, everyone always seems to forget about that), cut ticket prices for a while, and be hailed as a savior.

Now, to win a really big lottery....

[Icy]

If you had money could you create your own football club in England and eventually work your way up to the premiership?

For example,

I'm a billionaire and I decide I want to create an English Football Club. Could I just make a team, get a stadium and enter one of the feeder leagues?

Sure, it's the same in Spain and in any other European country that uses a ladder system.

In Spain you can pay the fees to inscribe a team in the lowest league (usually leagues with teams only from the same city). The fees are pretty low for a lowest division team, like $1000 per year that includes a referee for every game. You must also pay the football field renting expenses that are around $1000 per year if you use a government public field in Spain. Of course those fields are usually made of sand instead of green and have no sits for the public etc.

If after a great performance you win a spot for the next division, the costs are raised, first the inscription fee and later renting a better stadium if you want any other person besides your family to attend the games. Also in some higher divisions you are forced to have a green field, medical staff etc.

I have friends creating teams and playing in the lowest leagues that way for years and i did too in the past when younger. We won two times a spot in the next division, but we had to reject it as the costs were higher and we were just playing for fun. It happens all the time in the lowest divisions, teams winning them and rejecting to move to the next division to avoid higher expenses.

[Izulde]

It would be awesome if all 24 levels were included.

Imagine taking a team on the 24th step and climbing your way up to the top.

[BYU 14]

I always play as Cambridge City and now have a soft spot for them because of it ....

+1 always play CC as my team of choice in lower leagues.

Leeds or Milwall are good choices too.

[Young Drachma]

Can you imagine how goddamn cool it would be to have relegation/promotion in US major league sports?

Along with ownership groups that aren't controlled by meglomanic billionaires with no concept of reality.

Or no Bud Selig.

But yeah, totally it would be cool to have promotion/relegation in US sports. Especially in baseball.