The Blue Toon: my first FM dynasty

[Big Six]

Hi, everybody-

First of all, let me say that I am, by NO means, a soccer expert. I will watch a few World Cup matches or an occasional English Premier League contest on TV from time to time, and my wife and I watch our students play on the soccer teams at the school where we teach. Except for a season as the goalkeeper for my floor's intramural side when I was in college, I've never played the game, either. I know the rules and a few basic tactics, but that's about it. I suppose I'm like a lot of American sports fans in that regard.

I've enjoyed reading the Football Manager dynasty stories on the forum here for several years, and I began thinking about buying the game myself. Yesterday, I downloaded the demo, gave it a go, and enjoyed it very much. A few hours later, I found myself the owner of a full version of Football Manager 12.

I decided to jump right in and chronicle my experiences as a rookie manager on the boards. I have always enjoyed taking on the challenge of leading a lower level team; my favorite EHM dynasties were based on junior teams, and I enjoy coaching the Solecismic Eight when I play TCY. Several outstanding dynasties have been based on teams in the lower levels of English football, so I decided to travel north and base my story in Scotland.

So, I've created a football manager who will take over the Peterhead club in the Scottish Third Division. His name is Ewan Rutherford, and he'll probably make more than his fair share of mistakes.

I hope you'll enjoy reading about his (my) adventures in the lowest (FM-playable) division of Scottish football.

[Big Six]

The town of Peterhead is located in Aberdeenshire, in the far northeast of Scotland. Located on the North Sea, the town is Scotland's easternmost settlement. Since the late 1500s, Peterhead has been an important fishing port.

Natives of Peterhead are sometimes called "Blue Tooners," or "Bloomogganners," which might be a reference to the blue worsted stockings Peterhead fishermen once wore. That's why the Peterhead Football Club is familiarly known as Blue Toon.

Peterhead F.C. was founded in 1891. Their home grounds, Balmoor, accommodates 4,000 fans, 1,000 seated. Their biggest rival is Fraserburgh.

The Blue Toon were relegated from the Second Division in 2010, and are expected to finish near the top of the Third Division table in 2011.

[Big Six]

Here are the other members of the Peterhead staff:

Chairman: Mark Ross
Ross "loves the club," which might mean he won't be too patient with Manager MacKinnon if the Blue Toon don't play well from the start.

Assistant Manager: Ally McInnes (age 32, Scotland)
McInnes is fairly solid all round. He seems to be at least as talented as the other men who have his job at other Third Division clubs. He'll make a fairly good wingman for Rutherford.

Coach: Tony Muirhead (age 33, Scotland)
Muirhead is decent by Third Division standards, too. He is a fairly tough disciplinarian, and he's good with younger players.

Physio: Ian Davidson (age 44, Scotland)
Davidson is as good at his job as any physio in the Third Division.

Scout: Robert Henderson (age 36, Scotland)
Henderson really isn't a very good scout, but he'll accept a low salary. You really do get what you pay for.

[Big Six]

23 June 2011
Peterhead 1-2 Peterhead Reserves

We played a friendly with Peterhead Reserves tonight, and I wish we hadn't.

Looking back, I probably should have noticed that our players were tired BEFORE the match began. By the end, I had an almost entirely new team on the pitch.

Our preferred alignment is a 4-4-2; we will probably also play a 4-3-1-2 at times.

Here is the eleven who started the game for the Blue Toon:

GK Ross Sloan
RB Calum Bowman
RCB Ray Smith
LCB Craig McKenzie
LB Steven Paton
RM Simon Campbell
RCM Allan Brown
LCM Joe Moore
LM Jamie Cameron
ST Giancarlo Salas
ST Ross Russell

Campbell got hurt at the 31' mark, and he was replaced by Danny Milne.

Our only goal was scored by striker Tom McCord, who replaced Salas and tallied at 78'.

On a more positive note, three of the players from our U-19 side played well. Young strikers Roy Siford and Alan Johnston scored goals, and midfielder Gavin Shaw was named the Man of the Match.

Before the match, we signed a goalkeeping coach: David Paterson. He is a good all round coach, whose insights will certainly be welcomed.

[Big Six]

24 June 2011

We received a young central midfielder on loan from Livingston Reserves today whom we think will help us out a great deal.

Keir Gillespie, 18, comes with a glowing recommendation from coach Tony Muirhead, who believes Gillespie "would be a leading star for most Third Division sides," one who would one day be a decent player in the Premier League.

We should have Gillespie in the lineup for our friendly at Fraserburgh on the 27th.

Calum Bowman told the West Lothian Courier that Gillespie's loan is just what the young player needs. Gillespie is under contract to his First Division club for three years.

[Big Six]

27 June 2011
Fraserburgh 1-2 Peterhead

GK: Sloan
D: Daniel Baxter/R. Smith/Daryl Morrison/Chris Clark
M: Campbell/Keir Gillespie/McCord/Wayne Coyne
ST: Moore/Neil Smith

Fraserburgh are our fiercest rival. Last year we faced them in the Highland League, from which we were promoted this year. We were very happy to beat them on their own grounds.

Fraserburgh: Ross Alexander (56)
Peterhead: Joe Moore (22), Wayne Coyne (40)
Attendance: 151

Man of the Match: Joe Moore (1 goal, 1 assist, 8.0 match rating)

[Big Six]

28 June 2011

We're excited about the signing of a 20-year-old central midfielder, Iain Love, who joined our club today.

Love, from Paisley, Scotland, is about as good as Keir Gillespie; furthermore, Iain is under contract to us. He's a pacey player with the ability to work well as an advanced playmaker. Iain is also very good in set pieces.

He'll make his first appearance for us on 1 July, in our friendly at Cowdenbeath.

We also brought in David Docherty, a young central defender, for a two-week trial.

[Big Six]

I'm taking a step outside the story for a moment to mention how much I am enjoying Football Manager 2012. The level of immersion that's possible in this game is incredible. I see how it could be too much for some people, but for me, it's perfect.

Like I said, I've never been a huge fan of professional soccer. That makes the fact I find FM12 so addictive even more of a surprise--a pleasant surprise. Slowly, I am learning more about the game, and that's making the computer game that much more fun. I still have a long, long way to go, but it's been a very enjoyable trip so far. :)

[Big Six]

1 July 2011

Peterhead 2-3 Cowdenbeath

GK: Sean Angus
D: Paton/McKenzie/Dylan Docherty/Bowman
M: Campbell/Danny Milne/Iain Love/Adams
ST: Salas/Moore

Our trip to Cowdenbeath went fairly well, all things considered. They are a Second Division side, so it's not likely we would beat them on their grounds. It took a goal from Steve Smith in extra time to beat us.

Cowdenbeath got their first goal when Kevin Adams took Alan Kidd down, and Kidd converted a penalty.

Danny Milne, a 35-year-old veteran, made his first appearance of the season for us and played well. So did Calum Bowman, who was named Man of the Match.

Peterhead: Calum Bowman (7), Danny Milne (43)
Cowdenbeath: Alan Kidd (pen 14), Paul Milne (18), Steve Smith (90+1)
Attendance: 162

Man of the Match: Calum Bowman (1 goal; 7.6 match rating)

I took some time to talk to the press about Cowdenbeath's player/manager, Scott McKenzie. Scott is a good fellow, and I am looking forward to developing a good working relationship with him. I think he's done a fine job with their club, and I told the press so.

This morning, assistant manager Ally McInnes and I were in Inverness for the Scottish Trial Day. We came away interested in a very talented 16-year-old left-back named Kevin Lavery, and we quickly made him an offer. We think he's got the potentialt to be a star one day.

Unfortunately, someone leaked some information about our offer to Lavery, and it became public knowledge. Ally is furious about it, and I hope it doesn't jeopardize our chances of signing young Lavery.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Danny Milne, a 35-year-old veteran, made his first appearance of the season for us

Umm ... from June 23
Campbell got hurt at the 31' mark, and he was replaced by Danny Milne.

:D

Just yankin' your chain & keeping you on your toes :)

[Big Six]

Umm ... from June 23


:D

Just yankin' your chain & keeping you on your toes :)

I'm glad someone is. I should have said that Milne made his first START. :) Danny Milne and I thank you for your attention.

Actually, I'm glad someone's reading the thread!

[Big Six]

2 July 2011

Today I learned that our offer for full-back Dmitrjs Gorkss went through, and he will be joining our club.

Gorkss is 20, and he is from Latvia. He's been capped 5 times by his national U-21 side, and he is currently its captain.

Our staff believe he's about as good as Steven Paton, with the potential to be much better. Dmitrjs is a very good passer, and his mental attributes are particularly strong--no wonder he was tapped for a leadership role back in Latvia.

Dmitrjs will be available when we play against Heart of Midlothian tomorrow at Balmoor.

[britrock88]

Looks good so far.

[Big Six]

Looks good so far.

Thanks. I'm having a lot of fun and, like I said, I'm learning a lot about the sport.

[Big Six]

3 July 2011
Peterhead 0-4 Heart of Midlothian

GK: Sloan
D: Gorkss/Morrison/Docherty/Baxter
M: Coyne/Love/Gillespie/Brown
ST: Cameron/Russell

A large crowd--over 3,000 strong--came out to Balmoor to watch us face Hearts, a popular Premier Division side. Perhaps the outcome shouldn't surprise us, but the way in which it played out was disappointing.

The match was scoreless until 75', when our keeper knocked it in our net. That opened the floodgates, and Hearts scored three more times. Daryl Morrison committed not one, but TWO fouls in the closing minutes, and both times David Cormack put in the penalty.

Morrison's match rating was 3.6, which looks to me like about as low a rating as it gets.

For 75 minutes, we gave our supporters a great show. For the last 15, not so much.

Peterhead: none
Hearts: Ross Sloan own goal (75), Andrew Webster (78), David Cormack (pen 87, pen 90)

[Big Six]

5 July 2011

The last two days have been eventful ones for our club.

The first round draws for the Scottish League Cup and Scottish League Challenge Cup were held yesterday.

We will be playing Cowdenbeath in the League Cup on 30 July, at Balmoor.

Our draw in the Challenge Cup was especially tough. We will take on Ross County, the current holders of the Cup, at Victoria Park in Dingwall. That match is set for 23 July.

We also announced that Kevin Lavery accepted our contract terms and will be joining the club. "Fans of Peterhead are said to be delighted that manager Ewan Rutherford has shown good vision and ambition by deciding to bring talented youngster Kevin Lavery to the club."

Today I spoke with Ryan Collins of the Peterhead Football Express about Lavery. Collins is a friendly fellow, and I would like very much to get some good coverage for our club, so I'll accommodate him when I can. Lavery was pleased with my comments about his potential.

We also added another coach to our staff. Andy McInnes, 30, is a great hire for us. For $150 per week, we get a coach with a sharp eye for talent, the ability to work well with different positions, and a real talent for assisting young players. Andy compares favorably to the coaches on other Third Division staffs.

Tomorrow we face Brechin City, a Second Division club, at Balmoor.

[Big Six]

6 July 2011
Peterhead 3-1 Brechin City

A highly polished performance from the Peterhead players saw their team run out 3-1 winners over Brechin City at Balmoor Stadium. A brace from Giancarlo Salas helped Peterhead to victory.

Center-back Scott Beveridge got Brechin City off to a flyer by scoring a fine header from point-blank range on 4 minutes.

Peterhead's equaliser came through Salas as he seized on Shane Harrison's mistake to score a tidy finish. Salas then added his second goal of the game with an incisive finish on 53 minutes. It was a superb solo effort and Salas looked delighted.

Young striker Neil Smith completed the scoring for Peterhead with a shot from the edge of the area on 77 minutes.

GK: Sloan
D: Gorkss/McKenzie/R. Smith/Kevin Lavery
M: Cameron/Paton/N. Smith/Love
ST: Salas/Moore

Man of the Match: Giancarlo Salas (2 goals; 9.1 match rating)

We used a 4-3-1-2 formation for the first time tonight, with Salas in the role of attacking midfielder. It worked well, and our fans are very pleased with our victory.

We have some well-deserved rest coming, as we don't have another match for a week. On the 13th, we'll entertain Brighton and Hove Albion, from England's npower Championship league.

[Big Six]

13 July 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Blue Toon defeated
Peterhead 0-1 Brighton and Hove Albion

Despite battling hard, Peterhead were unable to prevent a superior Brighton and Hove Albion side from coming away from Balmoor Stadium with a 1-0 victory.

Young centre-back Ray Smith showed a sign of things to come through as he nearly gifted Brighton and Hove Albion a goal on 55 minutes. The visitors finally took the lead when midfielder Stuart Coleman scored a well struck effort on 60 minutes.

Both teams had a number of attempts on goal, which promised much, but the quality of finishing was poor throughout.

GK: Angus
D: Gorkss/McKenzie/R. Smith/Bowman
M: Moore/Love/Gillespie/Campbell
ST: Salas/Russell

To conserve our players' energy, we substituted freely, which seemed to work well. I hadn't been subbing much in our previous matches, and the starting eleven was still pretty much exhausted the next day.

Our highest match rating went to keeper Sean Angus at 7.1.

[Big Six]

18 July 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Coventry held to draw
Peterhead 1-1 Coventry City

Peterhead will have undoubtedly been the more contented of the two teams after clinching a somewhat surprising 1-1 draw against Coventry City.

Centre-back Paul McPherson got Coventry City off to a flyer by scoring a poorly struck effort from inside the penalty area on 3 minutes.

With Coventry City already starting to celebrate their victory, young striker Neil Smith scored an accurate finish in injury-time to snatch the equaliser for Peterhead.

Better late than never for Peterhead and the fans were clearly delighted with Smith's impact.

GK: Sloan
D: Gorkss/Morrison/R. Smith/Bowman
M: Cameron/Love/Salas/Gillespie
ST: Russell/Moore

Once again, we showed well against a British side from the npower league. A large crowd--3,107--showed up to watch the match, so we were happy to put on a good show.

Again, we used our 4-3-1-2 to good effect, and I substituted liberally. After all, we want to be at our strongest when we face Ross County in the Challenge Cup match on the 23rd.

Man of the Match: Neil Smith (1 goal; match rating 7.3)

Earlier in the day, I chose defender Alan Parker to serve as Peterhead captain for the year. He's a 32-year-old veteran with high scores for Influence, Teamwork, and Work Rate, so I think he will set the right kind of example. Alan would like to get into coaching once he hangs up his boots, and thinks he'd like to manage a club one day.

[Big Six]

22 July 2011

Easy win predicted for Ross County

Ross County 2-5 (Fav) Draw: N/A Peterhead: 13-2

Recently relegated Peterhead are unlikely to face a very enjoyable away day when they take on last year's Challenge Cup winners Ross County, according to Sky Bet...

Nevertheless, our supporters expect us to beat Ross County and advance to the second round, at least. It's great to have such avid support, but at the same time, it does create a bit of pressure.

[Big Six]

23 July 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Ross County need shootout in Challenge Cup 1st Rnd deadlock

Ross County 1-1 Peterhead
(Ross County won 5-4 on penalties)

Ross County had much more of the game this afternoon as they saw off the challenge of Peterhead at Victoria Park with a 5-4 win on penalties. The match was certainly not one for the purists, with neither side able to keep the errors out of their game.

Ross County were nearly handed the lead in the 40th minute through Calum Bowman's lapse in concentration but failed to capitalise.

Peterhead striker Joe Moore was able to keep his composure to score from the spot after Richard Gordon gave away a penalty.

Striker Stephen Milne equalised for Ross County after 81 minutes with a well timed finish from close range.

In the shootout that followed, it turned out to be heartache for Peterhead as centre-back Craig McKenzie missed the final penalty.

GK: Sloan
D: Bowman, Lavery, Parker, McKenzie
M: Campbell, Paton, Gillespie, Milne
ST: Salas, Moore
Subs: Love, Russell, Baxter

Man of the Match: Stephen Tracey (Ross County)
Attendance: 2,206

This match was a nail-biter that went 120 minutes before it was decided through penalties. Coming so close to eliminating Ross County, the Challenge Cup holders, is satisfying and frustrating at the same time.

We have one more friendly, against Banks O'Dee in two days, and then we meet Cowdenbeath again in the first round of the League Cup.

Our Third Division competition begins on 6 August with a home match against Annan.

[Big Six]

25 July 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Blue Toon stunned by incisive Banks O'Dee

Banks O'Dee 2-0 Peterhead

In a surprise result at Spain Park, Peterhead were defeated by underdogs Banks O'Dee in their Friendly encounter.

Centre-back Ian Shinnie gave Banks O'Dee the lead with a good header from just inside the six-meter box in the 24th minute.

Experienced striker Peter Collins finally rounded off their victory on 92 minutes with a close range effort.

GK: Angus
D: Baxter/Gorkss/R. Smith/Morrison
M: Brown/Coyne/Love/Cameron
ST: Russell/Adams

Most of the players who will eventually form our best eleven played little, or not at all, since they were still recovering from the long, tough match against Ross County. Even so, we should have fared better against Banks O'Dee.

There were more players dressed for the game than supporters in the stands. Only 27 people came out to watch the festivities.

[Big Six]

Here is the roster we've registered for the 2011-2012 Third Division season, along with the U-21 players I plan on using during league competition; they didn't need to be included on the registered list:


PLAYER POS HT WT AGE
Kevin Adams M 5-11 160 26
Sean Angus GK 5-11 165 26
Calum Bowman D 5-8 154 24
Jamie Cameron M 6-2 156 25
Simon Campbell M 5-5 143 22
Chris Clark D 6-4 191 17
Wayne Coyne M 5-10 147 27
Keir Gillespie M 5-10 154 18
Dmitrijs Gorkss D 5-11 166 20
Kevin Lavery D 5-4 123 16
Iain Love M 5-10 156 20
Tom McCord M/ST 5-11 136 24
Craig McKenzie D 6-2 171 28
Danny Milne M 6-1 178 35
Joe Moore ST 6-2 169 24
Alan Parker (C) D 5-10 154 32
Steven Paton D/M 5-11 147 30
Ross Russell ST 5-10 158 21
Giancarlo Salas ST 6-1 189 32
Ross Sloan GK 6-3 200 18
Neil Smith ST 5-8 136 20
Ray Smith D 5-11 160 20


All the players are Scottish, with the exceptions of Dmitrijs Gorkss (Latvia), Kevin Lavery (Northern Ireland) and Giancarlo Salas (Peru).

All the Scots were born in Peterhead, except for Simon Campbell (Keith), Keir Gillespie (Carnoustie), and Iain Love (Paisley).

[Big Six]

30 July 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Blue Brazil win battle of Balmoor Stadium

Peterhead 1-2 Cowdenbeath

Cowdenbeath battled their way to a 2-1 victory in this evenly matched contest between two hard-working teams.

Experienced striker Giancarlo Salas gave Peterhead the lead with a fierce effort from eighteen meters out in the 12th minute.

Centre-back John Nicol then equalised for Cowdenbeath in the 56th minute with a close-range finish that was timed impeccably.

Winger Peter Laing scored what proved to be the winner on 75 minutes with a tidy finish.

GK: Sloan
D: Bowman, Gorkss, Parker, McKenzie
M: Campbell, Paton, Love, Gillespie
ST: Salas, Moore

None of us like to lose, but I have to feel a lot better after this match than I did following the debacle at Banks O'Dee. Cowdenbeath were slight favorites, so we expected a good, close contest, and that's what we got.

We played a much, much better match than we did last week. Hopefully it is a sign of better things to come once the Third Division season begins.

[Big Six]

Congratulations to Dmitrijs Gorkss and Kevin Lavery, who will be playing for their national U21 sides this season.

Gorkss is the captain of the Latvian side. He and his teammates will play Bosnia & Herzegovina in the U21 International on 9 August.

Lavery is a member of the Northern Ireland squad, who will face Iceland on 9 August.

Dmitrijs and Kevin will travel to meet their national teams after our match against Annan.

[Big Six]

Wow, it's been over a month since I've posted anything here! I'll update soon. I've been busy with a gazillion other things lately.

Hopefully, if any of you were reading along, you'll be back with the Blue Toon once again.

[Big Six]

Since I last updated my Blue Toon story, I've been spending the time I've had for FM12 trying to become a competent manager. I can tell a good player from a lousy one--particularly with the help of my staff--but at this point in my career, the subtleties of the game are largely lost on me. Learning to use my players in the roles that suit them best and employing the tactics that will work most effectively are the challenges I'm facing now. I feel like I'm a LONG way from being good at running my team during a match.

Fortunately, I'm enjoying the learning process very much. :)

[Big Six]

5 August 2011

We brought in a new player today. Grant McLeod is a 25-year-old right midfielder who comes to us on a loan from Partick Thistle of the Scottish First Division.

Our scouts like McLeod's overall athletic ability, and his high marks for Teamwork, Influence, and Work Rate should enable him to earn his teammates' respect right away.

Grant is severely lacking in match fitness now, but when he's up to speed, he should help us quite a bit. Our young goalkeeper, Ross Sloan, had some positive things to say about McLeod when he talked to the Peterhead Football Express today.

[Big Six]

Saturday, 6 August 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Peterhead miss chance to win

Peterhead 0-0 Annan Athletic (Third Division)

Peterhead fans will have been frustrated by their side's 0-0 draw with Annan Athletic at Balmoor Stadium.

Peterhead had a number of attempts at goal but their profligacy meant they didn't score as many as they maybe would have liked.

Man of the Match: Dmitrijs Gorkss (Peterhead)
Attendance: 559

GK: Sloan
D: Gorkss/McKenzie/Parker/Bowman
M: Paton/Gillespie/Love/Campbell
ST: Salas/Moore

Peterhead fans aren't the only ones who are frustrated. I'm frustrated, too. We outshot Annan 14-2, and had possession 69% of the match. This is the kind of contest we need to win.

Craig McKenzie and Joe Moore both hit the woodwork late in the second half, but we didn't force their keeper to make a single save.

Note: I played this game, and one more, before my latest attempts to learn more about my side and give my players roles that might suit them better. We'll see if my research pays off on the pitch.

[Big Six]

Saturday, 13 August 2011

Good news!

Our staff had been looking at a talented striker named Jim Fulton for a while. Jim is a 31-year-old veteran who was capped twice for Scotland's U-21 side a decade ago.

Jim had been out of football for a while, and today we negotiated a contract that will bring him to Peterhead for $110 per week. He doesn't come cheaply, but we think he'lll be worth the investment.

Fulton's skill set compares well with that of Joe Moore, our most dangerous striker. We have a match with Clyde tonight, and even though Jim's not match fit yet, he'll make his Blue Toon debut.

Our supporters are glad to have Jim on board, and so are we. He becomes the only Blue Tooner with experience at the national level.

[Big Six]

Saturday, 13 August 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Honours even at Broadwood Stadium

Clyde 2-2 Peterhead (Third Division)

Peterhead were held to a draw by Clyde in a close-fought Third Division match played at Broadwood Stadium.

Young midfielder Iain Love gave Peterhead the lead with a powerful effort which blasted against the inside of the post before hitting the back of the net in the 16th minute.

Young striker Douglas Evans then equalised for Clyde in the 35th minute with an accurate finish.

Experienced striker Giancarlo Salas then put Peterhead in front after 60 minutes with a fierce shot.

Evans went on to equalise for Clyde after 71 minutes with a real poacher's effort.

Blue Tooner Keir Gillespie's red card for a vicious foul on 93 minutes put Peterhead's position under question.

Man of the Match: Douglas Evans (Clyde)
Attendance: 619

GK: Sloan
D: Bowman, Gorkss, Lavery, McKenzie
M: Campbell, Paton, Love, Gillespie
ST: Fulton, Salas

Clyde were a slight favorite, so playing them to a draw on their grounds wasn't a bad outcome. Our supporters are a little disappointed; I think the arrival of Jim Fulton had them primed for a victory. Fulton played well for a man who hadn't been in a match all summer.

I'm thoroughly pleased with Iain Love's play tonight, and Keir Gillespie had played a very good match until his red card in stoppage time. We'll have to play without Keir against Alloa next Saturday. I'll appeal the suspension, but I doubt it will matter much.

[Big Six]

Tuesday, 16 August, 2011

Iain Love was named to the Third Division Team of the Week first eleven today. His honour ought to put him in high spirits as we head into our contest with Alloa Athletic this Saturday afternoon.

[Big Six]

Saturday, 20 August 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Vintage display ensures Peterhead victory

Peterhead 2-1 Alloa Athletic (Third Division)

Peterhead taught Alloa Athletic a lesson at Balmoor Stadium this afternoon.

The match began in controversial circumstances as Peterhead were denied claims by Simon Campbell for a penalty. However, the Blue Toon did receive a chance when Alloa defender Michael Smith gave away a penalty on 19 minutes. Jim Fulton then scored from the penalty spot.

Striker Joe Moore doubled Peterhead's lead with an incisive finish on 34 minutes.

Striker Allan Kenny's 45th minute strike provided the only consolation for Alloa Athletic.

Things went from bad to worse for Alloa Athletic, as young full back Hugh Laing earned himself an early bath for persistent fouling on 89 minutes.

Peterhead are currently on a three-match unbeaten run, and the promotion contenders are enjoying 4th place in the Scottish Third Division.

Man of the Match: Joe Moore (Peterhead)
Attendance: 558

GK: Sloan
D: Bowman, Parker, McKenzie, Gorkss
M: Campbell, Love, Cameron, Paton
ST: Moore, Fulton

The striker combination of Moore and Fulton worked like a charm today. I used Fulton as a complete forward and Moore as a target man, and the new roles seemed to suit them well.

We outshot Alloa 10-4, and Alloa got only one real scoring chance. Both Moore and Campbell tallied assists, and we kept possession 62% of the time.

All in all, a fine win in front of an appreciative home crowd.

[Big Six]

Saturday, 20 August 2011

I learned today that "a disciplinary committee" decided to extend Keir Gillespie's ban to THREE games. I'm not sure whether my appeal of the original one-game ban made the "disciplinary committee" mad, but at any rate, we'll have to face two more games without Keir.

We played well in his absence today, but our next match is with Queen's Park, who currently sit atop the table with a 3-0 record and a +8 goal differential. I would feel a lot better about our chances with Gillespie in our midfield.

[Big Six]

Tuesday, 23 August 2011

Joe Moore has been the talk of the Third Division this week. On Saturday, The Peterhead Football Express ran a short feature about Joe's outstanding play against Alloa, calling him "the best player on the park" and commending his speed and pace.

Today Joe was named to the Third Division Team of the Week's first eleven. He's the second Peterhead player to be so honored; Iain Love was tapped for the TotW last week.

On another note, assistant coach Andy McInnes suggested that I "drop" two players--Simon Campbell and Ross Sloan--for poor form. I confess; I'm not sure what Andy means about "dropping" Simon and Ross.

Is Andy telling me he doesn't think they should start our next match? Or is he suggesting I drop them from the squad completely? I can't imagine he'd suggest I release Sloan...and it's hard to believe he's suggesting I bench him, either.

(OOC: Could someone who's more familiar with the game's lingo help me out here?)

[JonInMiddleGA]

(OOC: Could someone who's more familiar with the game's lingo help me out here?)

I wish I knew, haven't seen that phrasing before (remember, you've got more experience with FM12 than I do at this point).

Meanwhile, if you can scout clubs in England, take a look at the Blyth Spartans in England's Blue Square Bet North. That's the club I'm playing with for my own first campaign & my roster had several players out of contract that might be of some use to you on a free (and they might be happy to have the work). Nothing special at all about them, but it'd be kind of cool to see a guy that's played for me pop up in another dynasty :)

[Big Six]

I wish I knew, haven't seen that phrasing before (remember, you've got more experience with FM12 than I do at this point).

Meanwhile, if you can scout clubs in England, take a look at the Blyth Spartans in England's Blue Square Bet North. That's the club I'm playing with for my own first campaign & my roster had several players out of contract that might be of some use to you on a free (and they might be happy to have the work). Nothing special at all about them, but it'd be kind of cool to see a guy that's played for me pop up in another dynasty :)

Thanks, Jon. I'm not using real players, so the guys you're referring to might not have counterparts in my football world. If you'll tell me what they're like (position, age, etc.) I might be able to look at them.

[Grover]

Is Andy telling me he doesn't think they should start our next match? Or is he suggesting I drop them from the squad completely? I can't imagine he'd suggest I release Sloan...and it's hard to believe he's suggesting I bench him, either.

(OOC: Could someone who's more familiar with the game's lingo help me out here?)

Correct, dropping them means just that, taking them out of the starting XI.

A tip, if someone's on a run of bad form (average rating over past five games is <6.5) have a private chat with them and tell them you expect better from them.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Thanks, Jon. I'm not using real players, so the guys you're referring to might not have counterparts in my football world. If you'll tell me what they're like (position, age, etc.) I might be able to look at them.

The game isn't here at the moment (son's laptop, which is with him) but looking at the initial notes in my thread there's a 25 y/o striker with decent physical ratings & a 31 y/o DC who doesn't have much left but could conceivably be a mentor for a younger player. Neither is great shakes by BSNorth standards & might not be any help for you even a couple of levels lower ... but it's possible I suppose.

The best player for Blyth - Jamie Mole - also starts the game out of contract, a 23 y/o striker with 12's for finishing, flair, and pace. Not sure whether he'd look at a team two levels lower but he's the key to my offense & would surely be useful for you if he'd come in.

[Big Six]

Correct, dropping them means just that, taking them out of the starting XI.

A tip, if someone's on a run of bad form (average rating over past five games is <6.5) have a private chat with them and tell them you expect better from them.

Thanks, Grover. I appreciate the "translation."

It's still strange that the assistant wants to make a change in goal. Ross Sloan's lowest rating all year is a 6.6. Our upcoming opponent scored 11 goals in three Third Division matches, so I don't think it's time to change to a goalkeeper whose ratings aren't nearly as good.

[Big Six]

The game isn't here at the moment (son's laptop, which is with him) but looking at the initial notes in my thread there's a 25 y/o striker with decent physical ratings & a 31 y/o DC who doesn't have much left but could conceivably be a mentor for a younger player. Neither is great shakes by BSNorth standards & might not be any help for you even a couple of levels lower ... but it's possible I suppose.

The best player for Blyth - Jamie Mole - also starts the game out of contract, a 23 y/o striker with 12's for finishing, flair, and pace. Not sure whether he'd look at a team two levels lower but he's the key to my offense & would surely be useful for you if he'd come in.

Thanks, Jon. I have a scout in England, and I'll find out if there are players who fit those descriptions on their squad. I'm fairly well set for strikers--Joe Moore and Jim Fulton seem very good for this level, and Giancarlo Salas isn't much behind them--but guys like the ones you mention might be very good additions.

[Grover]

Thanks, Grover. I appreciate the "translation."

It's still strange that the assistant wants to make a change in goal. Ross Sloan's lowest rating all year is a 6.6. Our upcoming opponent scored 11 goals in three Third Division matches, so I don't think it's time to change to a goalkeeper whose ratings aren't nearly as good.

I never listen to my assistant about pulling the keeper. In most cases the backup keeper is a much worse option. Keeper form is a different beast from outfield players. If I can get a 6.75-6.90 form for a keeper, I'm happy. Especially at lower level leagues.

[Big Six]

I never listen to my assistant about pulling the keeper. In most cases the backup keeper is a much worse option. Keeper form is a different beast from outfield players. If I can get a 6.75-6.90 form for a keeper, I'm happy. Especially at lower level leagues.

Thanks for the advice, Grover. My starting keeper's ratings are significantly better than his backup's. I'm going to give my #2 keeper some playing time, but not against the top scoring team in the division.

[Big Six]

I am enjoying this dynasty. How many coaches you recommend to have? Do you let the coaches do your tactics or you do them yourself?

Thanks, brassmonkey32. I hardly feel qualified to offer advice about FM12, as I'm about as raw a rookie as there could be. There are lots of great resources about FM strategies, etc. online, and I seem to remember reading somewhere that money spent to hire a stable of good coaches is money well spent.

I currently have an assistant manager and three coaches, two of whom I've hired since I took over the club. I've played a lot of Eastside Hockey Manager, and there I learned that if you have several coaches on your staff, each of them can handle fewer responsibilities and, therefore, perform them better. I'm using that philosophy with my Peterhead club in FM.

One of my coaches was hired for his expertise working with goalkeepers, and that's all he does. I've split the other coaching duties between the other staff members.

At first, I deferred to my coaches about almost everything regarding tactics. I'm starting to make some of my own moves now, but I'm a long way from feeling like I have any real skill.

Thanks for reading, and I hope my comments are helpful!

[Big Six]

Saturday, 27 August 2011

With the transfer deadline coming up in a week, we have kept our scouts busy looking for players who could possibly help us. This week, we spotted a promising young striker from the Faroe Islands named Magni Poulsen. Magni will turn 19 next week, and he is currently serving as captain of the Faroese Under 21 side.

We signed Magni to a deal today, and we think we got ourself a good one. The staff's consensus is that he'll one day be as good as Joe Moore, and that he's already ready to take the field with our first team.

All my assistants suggest we start Poulsen against Queen's Park today, despite the fact he's sorely lacking in match fitness. Magni can also play as an attacking midfielder, so that's a possibility for today's match.



Another note/ question: On Poulsen's "Positions" screen, he is described as being Accomplished as an attacking midfielder on both sides- the position dots are green. However, when I go to the Tactics view for the squad and put Poulsen in the lineup as a winger, the dot beside him is red, and he's labeled Ineffectual. This has me confused- it seems Magni should be just fine there; the only position where he shows up as a green dot is striker, his Natural position. What am I missing or doing wrong? Thanks...

[Big Six]

Saturday, 27 August 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Peterhead edge narrow Queen's Park game

Queen's Park 0-1 Peterhead (Third Division)


Peterhead won a hard fought battle against Queen's Park on a hard and bouncy surface at Hampden Park.

The match began in controversy with Queen's Park seeing a goal disallowed in controversial circumstances.

Experienced striker Jim Fulton gave Peterhead the lead with an incisive finish in the 23rd minute.

Peterhead were carved open a number of times but despite the ability of their opponents to create chances, they struggled to put them away.

Peterhead are currently on a four match unbeaten run and the promotion contenders are enjoying 4th place in the Scottish Third Division.

Man of the Match: Craig McKenzie (Peterhead)
Attendance: 575

GK: Sloan
D: Gorkss, McKenzie, Parker, Bowman
M: Paton, Milne, Love, Poulsen
ST: Fulton, Moore

It wasn't a brilliant exhibition of football by any means, but anytime we can beat the team at the top of the table--on their own pitch--we'll take it.

Magni Poulsen seemed nervous, but he held his own until we subbed for him in at 73'. Giancarlo Salas came on for him and hit the post with a pretty shot that would have given us a 2-0 lead.

It seems that Poulsen has always been a fan of Giancarlo's, and he's excited to be playing on the same club as his idol.

Kevin Lavery came on for Danny Milne in the second half, but he suffered a minor injury that held him back. We had little choice but to take Kevin out, too; we hope he'll be back to 100 percent soon.

This week's matches tightened up the top of the table considerably. Three clubs have 9 points each: Queen's Park, Berwick, and Elgin City. We are one point back in fourth. We face Berwick on Tuesday, with a chance to shake up the standings even more.

[Izulde]

Are you sure he's at AML and not ML?

[Big Six]

Are you sure he's at AML and not ML?

Thanks, Izulde. He was at ML, which I didn't realize was an entirely separate position from ML. I figured if I put him at ML and gave him an Attack duty, he became an Attacking Midfielder.

Now I need to find a formation that will allow Poulsen to use his talents well. He's too intriguing a player to NOT use.

Any suggestions from any of you would be helpful...

[Big Six]

Tuesday, 30 August 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Borderers win battle of Shielfield Park
Berwick Rangers 2-1 Peterhead (Third Division)

Berwick Rangers battled their way to a 2-1 victory in this evenly-matched battle between two hard-working teams.

Latvia Under 21s captain Dmitrijs Gorkss suffered the ignominy of scoring a calamitous own goal in the 33rd minute. The hapless Gorkss ensured things went from bad to worse for Peterhead on 48 minutes with a second own-goal.

Young midfielder Iain Love's 87th minute strike provided the only consolation for Peterhead.

Peterhead are currently in 4th place, four points behind league leaders Berwick, whose victory vaulted them into the top spot.

Man of the Match: Iain Love (Peterhead)
Attendance: 448

GK: Sloan
D: Gorkss, McKenzie, Parker, Baxter
M: Moore, Cameron, Love, Campbell
ST: Salas, Fulton

I couldn't do anything but pat Dmitrijs on the back and remind him that, over the course of what I believe will be a long, illustrious football career, he will have many far, far better days.

We didn't play terribly well, barely losing the possession battle, but we put four shots on target to their two. Playing two matches in four days took its toll, but Berwick faced the same situation.

After the match, I experienced my first clash with a rival manager. Berwick's Nicky Fox went on BBC Newcastle and said, "If Peterhead continue to play as badly as they did against us, they're going to find it hard to get promoted." That, after Nicky's lads didn't put a ball past our keeper.

After I heard what Nicky said, I sought out Ryan Collins, my pal from the Petershead Football Express. Part of me wanted to rip Fox, but I decided to take the higher ground; after all, we did lose the match. I told Ryan "we're definitely on course for promotion."

Dmitrijs will soon get a chance to redeem himself somewhat, in a game with his national side. He will be leaving tomorrow to join his national U21 team, as will Kevin Lavery. Magni Poulsen will have an even bigger thrill: he'll make his debut for the Faroe Islands senior national side. Our next league match won't be until 10 September.

We'll spend some of that time working on a new formation or two.

[Big Six]

Thursday, 1 September

Today we learned that Iain Love was named the Scottish Third Division Young Player of the Month

In five league matches, Iain has scored two goals and recorded an assist. His average form is a fine 7.24.

I also received a confidence update from the board. They are pleased with my performance so far, especially my decision to sign Love. However, the fans are apparently not thrilled with the play of our goalkeeper, Ross Sloan. I don't get it at all. He's conceded only five goals in five league games, with two clean sheets.

The club lost $14,750 last month, but that didn't seem to bother the board.

We also learned that Giancarlo Salas has been granted UK citizenship. Congratulations, Giancarlo!

[Big Six]

Friday, 2 September 2011

Today, Peterhead's three international players participated in matches with their national sides.

In Belfast, Kevin Lavery's Northern Ireland U21 side lost 2-1 to Albania in an European U21 Championships Group 10 qualifier.

Dmitrijs Gorkss and his Latvia U21 teammates tied Armenia 1-1 in Yerevan. They're playing in Group 6 of the European U21 tournament.

And, before a capacity crowd of 5,000 Faroese, Magni Poulsen made his debut with his national team. They lost 4-0 to Italy, but at age 19, Magni has a thrill he'll never forget. The Faroese are playing in Group C of the European Championships.

Their next matches are on 6 September.

[Big Six]

Saturday, 3 September 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Poulsen in dreamland

In an interview with The Peterhead Football Express, Magni Poulsen has revealed his delight in winning his first cap for Faroe Islands.

The striker commented that it had been a great few weeks for him, firstly signing with Peterhead and now being handed his Faroe Islands debut by manager Michael Rogers.

[Big Six]

Tuesday, 6 September 2011

The awards keep rolling in for central midfielder Iain Love.

Today Iain was named to the Third Division Team of the Week first eleven, his second of the season.

We'll also be keeping an eye out for results from international play, with Dmitrijs Gorkss, Kevin Lavery, and Magni Poulsen all scheduled to take to the pitch this afternoon.

[Big Six]

Wednesday, 7 September 2011

Yesterday, Dmitrijs Gorkss got to return home to Riga, Latvia, for a U21 match between Latvia and Belgium. Dmitrijs played well in Latvia's 2-1 victory.

Kevin Lavery wasn't so lucky. While his Northern Ireland side defeated Germany, 1-0, Kevin tore a calf muscle. It appears he'll be out of action for about three months.

For Magni Poulsen, the dream continues. He and his Faroe Islanders traveled to Belgrade to play Serbia, in front of a crowd of nearly 35,000 fans--an aggregation that was over two-thirds the size of the population of Magni's home country.

At four minutes, Magni took a pass from Jonstein Hentze in the box and fired a hard shot past Serbian goalkeeper Branislav Labus into the top left corner of the goal.

The game ended in a 2-2 draw, somewhat spoiling Magni's storybook ending. Hopefully his goal will be the first of many I'll report here.

[Big Six]

Thanks in part to Izulde's question a few days back about Magni Poulsen's positioning, I started experimenting with the Tactics screen. I realized something I'm sure many of you who are longtime FM players already know: that it is possible to alter your team's formation from its "standard" alignment by dragging a player to a slightly different spot on the field.

I discovered this entirely by accident while trying to shift one of my players from striker to midfielder. When I tried moving Poulsen up the pitch a little bit, the annoying red dot that indicated his Ineffectual status at winger changed to green, because he's now being used as an attacking midfielder.

For Peterhead's match against Elgin City, I'm going to try using Poulsen and Giancarlo Salas as attacking midfielders, with Jim Fulton and Joe Moore as strikers. If it doesn't work, I can always try something different next time.

[Big Six]

Saturday, 10 September 2011

The Peterhead Football Express

Peterhead demolish Elgin City in Third Division encounter
Peterhead 6-2 Elgin City (Third Division)

A close-fought game at Balmoor Stadium ended in a one-sided result as Peterhead defeated Elgin City 6 - 2. The highlight of the game was undoubtedly a superb hat-trick from Peterhead's Joe Moore.

Young winger Calum Campbell got Elgin City off to a flyer by scoring an incisive finish on 6 minutes. Moore equalised for Peterhead in the 16th minute with an incisive finish.

Moore then added his 2nd goal of the game with an incisive finish on 25 minutes. His third score came on a deftly executed finish on 27 minutes.

The Blue Toon's Giancarlo Salas then added to the lead with a placed shot on 44 minutes. Jim Fulton had no trouble in scoring from the spot when Elgin City's Josh Kerr conceded a penalty on 53'.

Campbell managed to pull one back for Elgin City after 55 minutes with a close range finish which was timed impeccably, but it was to be nothing more than a consolation.

Midfielder Iain Love completed the rout with a shot from eighteen yards out on 68 minutes.

Peterhead have climbed above Queen's Park and Annan Athletic to 3rd in the Scottish Third Division.

Man of the Match: Joe Moore (Peterhead)
Attendance: 575

GK: Sloan
D: Paton, McKenzie, Parker, Bowman
CM: Gillespie, Love
AM: Salas, Poulsen
ST: Fulton, Moore

Needless to say, the tweaks I made to our basic 4-4-2 formation worked wonders today. Not only did we put six balls into their net, we played the kind of exciting, dynamic football our supporters like to see.

Our tempo was high and our passing was crisp and accurate--81% completed, 87% in our attack zone. Five of our goals were assisted; Love, Salas, and Fulton had one assist each, and Magni Poulsen had two before we replaced him at 56 minutes. Magni was worn out from playing two games for Faroe Islands this week.

Fulton's match rating was 9.6, easily the highest I've seen. Salas came in at 9.1, Love at 8.5, and Poulsen at 8.4.

It was great to see Keir Gillespie back on the pitch, his suspension completed.

Hopefully there will be more days like this in the months to come.

[Big Six]

Saturday, 10 September 2011

Supporter spokesperson Tony Donaldson feels the fans are delighted with Peterhead's convincing victory over Elgin City.

Tony believes the fans were pleased with the entertaining football on display.

Ross Sloan, Iain Love, and Jim Fulton particularly impressed. (I'm

I'm glad to see Sloan get some love. Everybody, from the board to my backroom staff, keeps telling me to demote Ross, but I haven't listened.

Ross Allison is considered a Peterhead football Legend. Ross is now a player/assistant manager for Fomartine Utd in the Highland League. He spoke to the Express today and had nothing but wonderful things to say about Joe Moore. Whenever Ross says anything about our club, his many fans pay attention, so it's great to hear him praise Moore so sincerely.

Ross is 36 now, but he might still have some decent football left in him. I think I'll have one of our scouts check him out, and see if he could help us on defence...

[Big Six]

Monday, 12 September 2011

The Third Division Team of the Week was announced today, and almost half the first eleven are Blue Tooners!

Ross Sloan, Magni Poulsen, Iain Love, Giancarlo Salas, and Joe Moore were all recognised for their outstanding play.

Joe's four goals are tied for the lead in league play, and his average rating of 7.64 is best in the league. Iain ranks fifth at 7.45.