Overview
This is easily one of my favorite supporter features over the past couple of years. They created a team "Hall of Fame" where you can retire players into after they are no longer productive on the pitch. Basically, you can keep players "on" your team for sentimental reasons without paying their salary. There's also places to give some backstory, post about best games, etc.
There are some rules about who can enter, but it's mostly left up to the owners. Obviously, your current coach cannot be inducted. However, you can change coaches and then put the former coach in. They can't be on a national team or on the transfer list- kindof obvious rules. Players have to have been on your team for at least 3 seasons (so, 48 weeks). However, the clock starts when the arrive on your team so if you're buying back a former player- you have to wait almost a year to induct them. Lastly, you get 3 "free slots" to fill at any time. However, after that you are only allowed 1 new player per season so you can't just retire every player instantly to the Hall of Fame- it's going to take some planning (something I forgot about with my most recent one).
Personally, I like to do it "during" the first or last home game of the season. The press announcement writes itself and it's another fun way to add "color" to Hattrick. Unfortunately, with the time restrictions on when and where, I may have to fudge a little but nothing too bad.
This Week
Quote:
(19:17) Vaikhan Satyanarayana, Hall of Famer During halftime of the Hippopotami season opener against the Selma Sumorats, long time defender Vaikhan Satyanarayana will be retired to the Hippo Hall of Heroes. Information on Vaikhan is on his player profile in the Hall of Fame.
His #31 joins #13, #22, and #99 as retired.
Upcoming Hippo Hall Inductees
Season 39: #97 Xacobo Armengol
Season 40: #15 Carlos Alberto Benito
Future Considerations
#1 Tim Kimber
#40 Stephen Williams
#18 Thomas Little
#12 Donald Sidorczak
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Vaikhan's not a legend like some of the Hall of Famers. But not everyone can be Babe Ruth or Willie Mays. My favorite player growing up was Ryne Sandberg- he wasn't the biggest name in the game- but he was one of the couple best hitting second basemen ever and a damn good fielder.
That was Vaikhan- he was never the star on the team, but he was an offensive central defender- a stopper, at least that's the term we used in high school for that position. That extra midfield boost from him gave us an edge against teams who just played a traditional set of defenders. I still do that with the Hippos as a pair of my defense trainees have formidable playmaking as well- tho it's not as effective now since they made defense more useful- and they play every fixture, barring bad form/injuries/etc. He played for the team for over 2 years, mostly back in the IV.21 days, and I was glad to have a chance to buy him back and retire him.
Current Hall of Fame
#13 #22 #31 #99
Quote:
Member of Honour
Vaikhan Satyanarayana (4947607)
39 years and 48 days
This player is 39 years and 48 days old and has been in the Hall of Fame since he was 39 years old.
"#31 I was a long time defender and I returned here to retire to the Hippo Hall of Heroes. I was pretty good at playmaking (passable) and the first offensive central defender used for the purpose of augmenting our midfield attack as well as defense, a tactic still used in Houston to this day."
Current career: | Agent | Last club: | Houston Hippopotami | Retired: | 2-7-2009 (7/39) | Arrived in club: | 2-11-2008 (4/37) |
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Seasons in club: | 4 | Career Goals | 26 | Career Hattricks | 1
| Total matches in club: | 1 |
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Future Plans
Next Couple
Xacabo Armengol (97)- If I could have retired 2 players this season, he'd also have been retired. He just finished his term as coach of the team from seasons 33 until the end of 37. He used to play wingback and set pieces specialist a lot and finished with 21 career goals.
Carlos Alberto Benito (15) - An original Hippo, I got the chance recently to buy him back from GM-CableGuy and he will soon join Starks and Phelan as the three original Legendary Hippopotami. Starks was the first great Hippo winger, Phelan the first striker, and Benito was the (offensive) middie.
Mortal Locks
Tim Kimber (1) - The man, the myth, the legend, and now coach. He was the "almost-excellent" (he was solid, but one week from excellent) keeper of the Hippos for many seasons. His spot is guaranteed in the HHH whenever he wants it.
Thomas Little (18) - Originally, one heck of a youth pull, but even tho he wasn't exactly what we were looking for a in a trainee, we decided to keep him and train him as I was training middies at the time. He ended up a week or two below ET playmaking and always had solid passing when we changed training. He has been with the Hippos his entire career and is the career leader in games played (315 and counting) and 3rd in goals.
Likely Candidates
Donald Sidorczak (12) - When the hattrick economy was at its pick, Houston purchased Donald for a team record $7.4 million. He was a world class winger with world class playmaking ability as well, a perfect winger for the team. He created all sorts of matchup problems as teams couldn't just stack their defense in the middle- they had to cover a wing, too. And I liked to be sneaky about which wing to put him on, depending on the opponent's defense and doing things like playing him on one side for a couple of week's straight coming into a crucial game and then flipping him, often giving Houston an advantage.
Charlie Partridge (11) and Erwin Vickers (17) - For many seasons, every Sunday you could expect these two along and Little manning the midfield for the Hippos. They are 3rd and 5th in games played for the franchise, respectively. Vickers was a naked middie who frequently played extra inner middie while Partridge usually played wing towards middle to boost the midfield and take advantage of his quick speciality for event goals.
Steven Williams (40) - First ever Hippo youth academy product. He was a passable defender and he didn't sell so I hung onto him so he could make the Hall of Fame. I play him whenever I don't have enough trainees to cover all spots and he's up to excellent defending now. He will probably always be a backup but he's the hometown hero.
Current Candidates
Still Out There
Quintin Staples - Timber was the first Hippo keeer legend but he is *the* Hippo keeper legend. I hated letting him go when I bought Bati but he was starting to go downhill and someone still paid almost 3.5M for a 30yo keeper. I hope that someday I will get a chance to buy him back.
Kris Jacobsen - All time leading scorer on the Hippos with 74 goals. He's still putting up 7 and 8 stars for a team in Danmark but I sold him off about a year ago before he got too old to sell.
Sergio Chapin - I was really hoping to retire this guy, what with him being passed around FOFC like the town bicycle. Unfortunately, a certain well known FOFC HT'er let her team go defunct so we may never get that chance.
SI