[Butter]

May
Cash balance: ($234,062)

Central midfielder Palmi Rafn Palmason wins Young Player of the Month in League Two, while defender David Van Den Broeck comes in 2nd for the award.

Striker James Quinn complains about not having been in the first team most of the season, and threatens to explore his options should that not change. I offer him a mutual contract termination, but he refuses.

I really need to sign another defender or two… but I don’t want to break the bank. Fortunately for us, Feyenoord is more than willing to essentially hand us Evander Sno for no transfer fee. And Sno wants to work cheap, for just $45k per year for 3 seasons. I try to lowball him a bit, offering $40k through 2008/09, with a $5k signing bonus… Sno agrees, and our defense looks to be much better. One more left-sided defender would clinch it. Sno is only 19, but with tremendous upside.

Chelsea have won the English Premier League, while Sunderland and West Ham have earned demotion… while Portsmouth lose on the final weekend to Newcastle to become the last of the 3 relegated. Wigan finish a surprise 7th.

UEFA Cup Final
Galatasaray 0:1 Ajax
-A 69th minute Wesley Sneijder goal proves the difference in this one.

FA Cup Final
Newcastle 0:1 Arsenal
-Francesc Fabregas made Newcastle pay for an early missed PK, as he headed in a corner in the 80th minute to win the hardware for the Gunners.

UEFA Champions League Final
Arsenal 0:2 Chelsea
Chelsea win the Champions League for the first time in their history.

League Two Playoffs
Semis:
Cheltenham 1:0 Torquay
Notts Co 9:4 Mansfield

Final:
Cheltenham 1:2 Notts Co

The hammer finally falls, as Trevor Benjamin voices his concern at being so poorly compensated for being such a high caliber player. I tell him to wait until the start of the new season… and Benjamin responds with relief that I would consider a new deal. Frankly, it all depends on how our finances work out.

We may well have to try unloading Peter Kennedy (our most expensive current player) in order to afford Benjamin.

Trevor Benjamin and Peter Gain are both selected to the League Two Team of the Year. I pick up the Manager of the Year award.

June
Cash balance: ($818,999)

Ugh, even though the season is over, our money worries never cease. Luckily, another season is just around the bend.

Following a 5th place table finish, Manchester United sack Alex Ferguson and appoint assistant manager Carlos Queiroz as head man.

The board announce that there will be no transfer money available for the upcoming season… and “they recommend that you use this opportunity to give some of the club’s youth squad first-team experience.” Yeah, thanks a bundle.

World Cup 2006
Group standings:
Group A:Brazil 7, South Africa 5, USA 4, Greece 0
Group B:Croatia 5, France 5, South Korea 3, Ecuador 1
Group C:Cote d’Ivoire 7, Mexico 6, Sweden 3, Ukraine 1
Group D:Portugal 7, Germany 6, Nigeria 2, Bahrain 1
Group E:England 6, Spain 5, Uruguay 4, Japan 1
Group F:Italy 5, Russia 5, Iran 2, Paraguay 2
Group G:Argentina 9, Czech Rep. 6, Togo 1, Jamaica 1
Group H:Holland 7, Poland 5, Morocco 4, Saudi Arabia 0

-Crushing loss for the US, as they give up a goal to Brazil on literally the last kick of the game, blowing what would have been an advancement-clinching 0-0 draw.

Round of 16
Brazil 2:0 France
Croatia 2:1 South Africa
Mexico 1:1 Portugal (MEX advance on PK’s)
Cote d’Ivoire 2:1 Germany
Spain 0:0 Italy (ITA advance on PK’s)
England 2:1 Russia
Holland 1:0 Czech Rep.
Poland 0:2 Argentina

Quarterfinals
Croatia 2:1 Cote d’Ivoire
Brazil 1:0 Mexico
Italy 1:0 Argentina
England 1:0 Holland

Semifinals
Brazil 1:1 Italy (ITA advance on PK’s)
Croatia 0:1 England (in extra time)

Final
England 0:0 Italy
-In a largely negative match, Ashley Cole scores the 5th of 5 PK’s for England, making Vincenzo Iaquinta’s miss the loser for Italy, and the winner for England.

France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain among others fire their head coaches.

Trevor Benjamin has been named the Fans’ Player of the Year.

We have been given $575k for TV rights for the upcoming season. That and ticket sales for the upcoming season reduce our debt to $121k. But that will soon shoot back up as our new players and their salaries begin to arrive.

The board expects us to avoid relegation this year… they and the fans are “very pleased” with my management of the club.

I offer Peter Kennedy and his $200k per season salary around for $10k. Hull of the Coca-Cola Championship League agree to our fee, and begin contract talks with the Northern Irish left winger. Kennedy soon agrees to a deal with the Tigers, and another $200k is off our books with a bunch more getting set to arrive.