Tangerine Tales: Diss Town FC (FM 14)

Greyfriars Bobby · 07-25-2016, 12:08 AM

I'm enjoying Football Manager more now than I ever have. My Slovenia career has been a lot of fun so far, but there's one itch it simply can't scratch.

I've always wanted to enjoy a long-running game managing in England.

I usually have at least two concurrent FM games going. When one game starts to feel a bit stale, I'll switch to the other and enjoy it for a while. This time, I've decided to write about it for the forum.

This dynasty will also be a sort of salute to my Football Manager "roots." I was bitten by the football bug three years ago, and started playing FM 12. As I wandered through the web, I discovered this forum. There was a "golden age" of Football Manager dynasties here several years ago; some of them were still active in '13, while the others were easy enough to search for and find. Those stories made FM seem even more immersive and even more fun, and they're a big reason why I'm still an avid Football Manager three years later. (I've bought the game every year since, but this career will be played out on my personal favorite, FM14.)

One of my favorite English lower league dynasty stories was the tale of MacroGuru's exploits as the manager of Diss Town Football Club. He had a successful run at Brewers Green Lane, winning several trophies and leading the Tangerines up the pyramid before making a big move himself and taking a job with Birmingham City. Follow the link above and check out his thread...it's a fantastic read.

I hope MacroGuru won't mind if I give the Tangerines a go myself. I doubt I'll have anything close to the level of success he enjoyed, but I think it will be a fun ride.

MacroGuru · 07-25-2016, 10:35 AM

I am hooked and you haven't started yet!

Its a Dynasty I look back on a lot and want to replicate.

Good Luck!

Greyfriars Bobby · 07-25-2016, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacroGuru

I am hooked and you haven't started yet!

Its a Dynasty I look back on a lot and want to replicate.

Good Luck!

Thanks very much! I'm very glad you'll be following, and I hope I do right by the Tangerines.

Greyfriars Bobby · 07-25-2016, 02:43 PM

Diss is a market town in eastern England, located in the East Anglian county of Norfolk. Its population was listed as 7,572 in the 2011 census. Diss's location is circled in orange on this map of England.

Diss Town play in the Eastern Counties Premier League, which is in the ninth tier of the English football system as the 2013/14 season begins. (I'm using FM 2014). They are a semi-professional club, but with a wage budget of just over £300/week, I won't be able to buy my way to success.

The club are called the Tangerines, and their home kit prominently features that color. Both kits feature dark blue shorts.

Here's a photo of Brewers Green Lane, Diss Town's grounds. The covered stand runs along one touchline, and you can see the terrace behind one goal. The grounds hold 2500 spectators.

Greyfriars Bobby · 07-25-2016, 02:57 PM

July 2013

I decided to keep the existing Diss Town backroom staff in place. They're very solid for this level.

Assistant Manager: Billy Stevens
Head of Youth Development: Jamie Parr
Chief Scout: Steve Evans
Head Physio: Ross Keeling

The board allows me to have one Coach, and I hired Matt Carson to fill that spot.

I also added Nick Jennings to the staff as a Player/Scout.

Stevens and Evans are especially good at their jobs.

Greyfriars Bobby · 07-25-2016, 03:19 PM

August 2013

Note: This is a re-post, with an introduction to the players from my new Diss Town dynasty.

Here's a look at your 2012/13 Tangerines, as they open the Eastern Counties Premier League season.

Goalkeepers

We have two goalkeepers whom I’d be confident putting between the posts for an important fixture. I signed Beesley two weeks ago, when it looked like I’d lose Jenner. Both our ‘keepers are still around, giving us quality and depth.

Beesley is tougher mentally, more composed and determined, and he’s a little better at distribution. Jenner organizes his defense better, and he’s slightly more athletic.

Jenner will get the start for the first weeks of the season, because Beesley is nursing a minor leg injury.

Defenders

Jennings, who is also on the staff as a scout, will start at left back. He has the dribbling and crossing ability to get forward and participate in the attack.

Holloway was the first player I signed for the Tangerines. He’s a big, strong lad, an old-fashioned English center half, but he’s also secure enough on the ball to do more than hoof it up the park. Matthews will be Holloway’s usual partner. He’s a dependable, reliable defender.

Lloyd can play center back, and play well there, but I’d prefer to use him farther up the pitch.

Veteran Castle will feature most often at right back. He’s not a sure tackler, but he works hard and he’s still a good athlete at 34. He strikes a mean dead ball, too. Castle is the team's vice captain.

Erith, who can play all over the pitch, is the best of a very mediocre batch of backups here.

Midfielders

I’m planning on playing 4-4-2 most of the time. It’s not flashy or sexy, but I get how the roles work together.

Preece, who is an absolutely sick athlete, will start at left wing. He’s past the age where he’ll develop better technique, so we’ll try to take advantage of his ability to sprint up and down the touchline and deliver an occasional cross.

Watkins is one of those footballers who lacks a signature skill, so he might not catch your eye right away. He simply does most things well, and that makes him a good fit for either the more creative or more defensive role in my central midfield setup.

I’ve always hesitated to use a box-to-box midfielder, because the role requires such a wide variety of skills, and few players I’ve managed at lower levels possess them. I think Lloyd might be able to do the job.

On the right, Codron and Murrell will compete for playing time. Murrell is the club captain, so it would be wonderful to have him on the pitch. Codron is a lot like Preece, fast but unpolished. Codron’s versatility makes him a good man to have on the bench.

Pegler is a good young depth player, and Erith will fill in here, too.

Attackers

Burt is a lot like Watkins, a good footballer who does no one thing spectacularly. He can play as a number nine or as a number ten, and he is an especially good passer for a striker. Burt can fill in as a central midfielder, too.

Savva is a more dynamic player, but like Burt, he can fill a variety of roles. They’ll form my regular strike partnership.

Lloyd is another possibility up front. He's big, strong, and quick, and a surprisingly good finisher.

The others provide depth, but not much else. Backhouse and Kennedy are quick, at least.

P.S. I'm not using real players in this dynasty. It might be a silly thing, but I wanted to see faces on my player pages, rather than an unending series of black silhouettes. This way, everybody has a face. I'm not sure how many real Diss Town players were in the game's database anyway.

Greyfriars Bobby · 07-26-2016, 03:30 PM

I have bad news, and I have good news.

First, the bad news. After I'd managed the Tangerines through three rounds of the league programme, I noticed something odd about the table. We had a negative goal difference--we'd allowed six and scored five--but we were placed ahead of a team with the same number of points who had scored four and conceded two.

I checked the league rules, and I discovered the person who had made the edited file I'm using had set it up so that the first tiebreaker in the standings was goals scored, not goal difference. I am nearly certain the Eastern Counties Premier League uses goal difference. I really want this aspect of my game world to be realistic.

Now, the good news. I have another edited database that extends as far as Level Nine. I checked it, and it uses goal difference as the first tiebreaker. So, I'm re-starting my Diss Town career, using this database.

Of course, I'll have a different group of players, so I'll either edit the previous post to correspond to my new team, or simply move on from here. Which would you readers find less disruptive to the flow of my story?

At any rate, I'll be back before long with an introduction to the new Diss Town team.

bbgunn · 07-26-2016, 08:35 PM

I say just edit the previous post. No need to post everything all over.

Greyfriars Bobby · 07-26-2016, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbgunn

I say just edit the previous post. No need to post everything all over.

That's a good idea. I'll do that. Thanks for the suggestion!

Greyfriars Bobby · 07-27-2016, 03:09 PM

September 2013

Our season is off to a solid start. Two draws and a victory aren't spectacular, but they have us in the top third of the table; there are 22 teams in the Eastern Counties Premier League. I hope I won't have to include the very bottom of the table in my screen shots.

I made my managerial debut at home against Godmanchester Rovers. Richard Watkins netted the first goal of my tenure at Brewers Green Lane, volleying in a Nick Jennings free kick. Ricky Lloyd's game-winner on 86 minutes was disallowed for offsides.

We looked good away to Mindenhall Town. Our first goal was created through the electric pace of Matt Preece, who made a sizzling run up the left touchline and hit a diagonal ball for Josh Burt to tuck past the Hall 'keeper. Burt completed his brace by tapping in Richard Savva's cross. Preece closed out the scoring when Mindenhall left him all alone on the left edge of the area, where he could bundle in a pass from Jonathon Castle.

We faced a stern test at home against Gorleston, who stood on top of the table. I'd have loved to grab three points, but a goal-less draw isn't a bad result against a strong side like Greens.

Greyfriars Bobby · 08-07-2016, 05:09 PM

October 2013

We remain unbeaten in the league, with a penchant for drawing games. I'd prefer to turn some of those draws into victories, but I won't complain about being fifth in the league.

We thought we'd gotten a late match-winner from Jason Burt away to Wivenhoe. It was a pretty goal, too; Nick Jennings smashed a free kick off the bar and Burt hit a left-footed half volley past the 'keeper. Unfortunately, Andy Holloway was whistled for a (questionable) penalty in stoppage time, and they got the equalizer from the spot.

I had to put a lot of backups into the XI for the Vase tie three days later. We never looked like winning, but the lads played hard to the final whistle. No shame there.

Hadleigh eat teams who play 4-4-2 against them for lunch, so I switched to a 4-1-2-2-1. Richard Savva, playing on the left wing today, got the match's only goal...but afterwards, our physio told me Savva had fractured some ribs late in the match and would possibly be out until Christmas.

I'd prefer not to use Ricky Lloyd as a striker, so unless I wanted to play with a single striker most of the time, I needed to look for a forward to fill in for Richard until he mends.

Next, we had Thetford Town at home. The Brecklanders are a good side, and both teams threatened to score in the first half. Michael Beesley turned a dangerous shot round his far post to keep Thetford off the scoreboard.

We took the lead when a Thetford defender tripped Peter Murrell inside the area, and Jennings converted the penalty. I thought we had another goal soon after, but Lloyd hit the post with the 'keeper well beaten.

We should have taken three points from Clacton. They sat back in their own end the entire match, and scored against the run of play as the first half was drawing to a close. The newest Tangerine, Adrian Bowen, finally pulled us level on 89 minutes, when he let Jennings' throw-in drop and hammered it in from 23 yards away.

Transfers

We brought veteran forward Adrian Bowen in on a three-month loan from Enfield Town, and he arrived in time for the Clacton match. Adrian is 35, and he has lost more than a few yards of pace, but he's still in excellent condition. He puts in a shift every time he takes the pitch and makes his teammates better.

We're paying £15/week of Adrian's salary, and if his first match in a Diss Town kit was any indication, we're getting our money's worth.

MacroGuru · 08-09-2016, 03:44 PM

With the draws, wins will eventually show up!

Keep making the moves.

Greyfriars Bobby · 08-20-2016, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacroGuru

With the draws, wins will eventually show up!

Keep making the moves.

'

I hope you're right, MacroGuru. The Clacton match was especially frustrating, because we are a much better side and we played like it all afternoon long. If not for Bowen's late strike, we'd have taken an embarrassing loss.

I have only £20 left in my wage budget, which probably isn't enough to bring in anyone who would make the team much better right now. Of course, I could go over budget...

Anyway, thanks for following along.

Greyfriars Bobby · 09-19-2016, 05:11 PM

November 2013

I've never seen a football team draw so many matches! I'd much rather take one point from a match than none at all, but at the same time, a few three-point hauls would be a big help.

We never really threatened a good Norwich United side, but we defended well and battled to a draw. Ideally, we'd get the result at Brewers Green Lane, but the Planters are a high-scoring team, and keeping a clean sheet against them is a nice accomplishment.

The highlight of the CRC match came from Jason Burt, who hammered home a perfect cross from Peter Murrell. An own goal brought the Scholars level. Late in the first half, Adrian Bowen made a crafty move to open up some space and tucked the ball inside the far post. We protected our lead against a series of attacks from the Scholars, and Bowen nearly got another goal that would have put the match away in the final minutes.

Against Ely City, it was Burt with an early goal once again, and again Murrell provided the service. Any momentum we took from that match faded the next weekend, however, as poor defending cost us three points at home to Walsham-le-Willows. We allowed the Willows to launch a pass over the top of our defense that a schoolboy team should defend with ease, and their forward rounded 'keeper Michael Beesley for the goal that ended up winning the match.

We're still in seventh, where we were a month ago, with some good teams on the schedule for November.

07-25-2016, 10:35 AM	#2
MacroGuru Coordinator Join Date: May 2003 Location: Utah	I am hooked and you haven't started yet! Its a Dynasty I look back on a lot and want to replicate. Good Luck! __________________ "forgetting what is in the past, I strive for the future"

07-25-2016, 02:57 PM	#5
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	July 2013 I decided to keep the existing Diss Town backroom staff in place. They're very solid for this level. Assistant Manager: Billy Stevens Head of Youth Development: Jamie Parr Chief Scout: Steve Evans Head Physio: Ross Keeling The board allows me to have one Coach, and I hired Matt Carson to fill that spot. I also added Nick Jennings to the staff as a Player/Scout. Stevens and Evans are especially good at their jobs. Last edited by Greyfriars Bobby : 07-26-2016 at 11:41 PM.

07-25-2016, 03:19 PM	#6
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	August 2013 Note: This is a re-post, with an introduction to the players from my new Diss Town dynasty. Here's a look at your 2012/13 Tangerines, as they open the Eastern Counties Premier League season. Goalkeepers We have two goalkeepers whom I’d be confident putting between the posts for an important fixture. I signed Beesley two weeks ago, when it looked like I’d lose Jenner. Both our ‘keepers are still around, giving us quality and depth. Beesley is tougher mentally, more composed and determined, and he’s a little better at distribution. Jenner organizes his defense better, and he’s slightly more athletic. Jenner will get the start for the first weeks of the season, because Beesley is nursing a minor leg injury. Defenders Jennings, who is also on the staff as a scout, will start at left back. He has the dribbling and crossing ability to get forward and participate in the attack. Holloway was the first player I signed for the Tangerines. He’s a big, strong lad, an old-fashioned English center half, but he’s also secure enough on the ball to do more than hoof it up the park. Matthews will be Holloway’s usual partner. He’s a dependable, reliable defender. Lloyd can play center back, and play well there, but I’d prefer to use him farther up the pitch. Veteran Castle will feature most often at right back. He’s not a sure tackler, but he works hard and he’s still a good athlete at 34. He strikes a mean dead ball, too. Castle is the team's vice captain. Erith, who can play all over the pitch, is the best of a very mediocre batch of backups here. Midfielders I’m planning on playing 4-4-2 most of the time. It’s not flashy or sexy, but I get how the roles work together. Preece, who is an absolutely sick athlete, will start at left wing. He’s past the age where he’ll develop better technique, so we’ll try to take advantage of his ability to sprint up and down the touchline and deliver an occasional cross. Watkins is one of those footballers who lacks a signature skill, so he might not catch your eye right away. He simply does most things well, and that makes him a good fit for either the more creative or more defensive role in my central midfield setup. I’ve always hesitated to use a box-to-box midfielder, because the role requires such a wide variety of skills, and few players I’ve managed at lower levels possess them. I think Lloyd might be able to do the job. On the right, Codron and Murrell will compete for playing time. Murrell is the club captain, so it would be wonderful to have him on the pitch. Codron is a lot like Preece, fast but unpolished. Codron’s versatility makes him a good man to have on the bench. Pegler is a good young depth player, and Erith will fill in here, too. Attackers Burt is a lot like Watkins, a good footballer who does no one thing spectacularly. He can play as a number nine or as a number ten, and he is an especially good passer for a striker. Burt can fill in as a central midfielder, too. Savva is a more dynamic player, but like Burt, he can fill a variety of roles. They’ll form my regular strike partnership. Lloyd is another possibility up front. He's big, strong, and quick, and a surprisingly good finisher. The others provide depth, but not much else. Backhouse and Kennedy are quick, at least. P.S. I'm not using real players in this dynasty. It might be a silly thing, but I wanted to see faces on my player pages, rather than an unending series of black silhouettes. This way, everybody has a face. I'm not sure how many real Diss Town players were in the game's database anyway. Last edited by Greyfriars Bobby : 07-27-2016 at 02:08 AM. Reason: new game, new players

07-26-2016, 08:35 PM	#8
bbgunn College Benchwarmer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Osaka, Japan via Honolulu, Hawaii via Birmingham, Alabama	I say just edit the previous post. No need to post everything all over. __________________ U of Hawaii \| U of Alabama \| Montreal Impact \| Montreal Canadiens \| West Ham \| West Indies cricket \| Portland Trail Blazers

07-27-2016, 03:09 PM	#10
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	September 2013 Our season is off to a solid start. Two draws and a victory aren't spectacular, but they have us in the top third of the table; there are 22 teams in the Eastern Counties Premier League. I hope I won't have to include the very bottom of the table in my screen shots. I made my managerial debut at home against Godmanchester Rovers. Richard Watkins netted the first goal of my tenure at Brewers Green Lane, volleying in a Nick Jennings free kick. Ricky Lloyd's game-winner on 86 minutes was disallowed for offsides. We looked good away to Mindenhall Town. Our first goal was created through the electric pace of Matt Preece, who made a sizzling run up the left touchline and hit a diagonal ball for Josh Burt to tuck past the Hall 'keeper. Burt completed his brace by tapping in Richard Savva's cross. Preece closed out the scoring when Mindenhall left him all alone on the left edge of the area, where he could bundle in a pass from Jonathon Castle. We faced a stern test at home against Gorleston, who stood on top of the table. I'd have loved to grab three points, but a goal-less draw isn't a bad result against a strong side like Greens. Last edited by Greyfriars Bobby : 08-06-2016 at 07:56 PM.

07-25-2016, 02:43 PM	#4
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	Diss is a market town in eastern England, located in the East Anglian county of Norfolk. Its population was listed as 7,572 in the 2011 census. Diss's location is circled in orange on this map of England. Diss Town play in the Eastern Counties Premier League, which is in the ninth tier of the English football system as the 2013/14 season begins. (I'm using FM 2014). They are a semi-professional club, but with a wage budget of just over £300/week, I won't be able to buy my way to success. The club are called the Tangerines, and their home kit prominently features that color. Both kits feature dark blue shorts. Here's a photo of Brewers Green Lane, Diss Town's grounds. The covered stand runs along one touchline, and you can see the terrace behind one goal. The grounds hold 2500 spectators.

07-26-2016, 03:30 PM	#7
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	I have bad news, and I have good news. First, the bad news. After I'd managed the Tangerines through three rounds of the league programme, I noticed something odd about the table. We had a negative goal difference--we'd allowed six and scored five--but we were placed ahead of a team with the same number of points who had scored four and conceded two. I checked the league rules, and I discovered the person who had made the edited file I'm using had set it up so that the first tiebreaker in the standings was goals scored, not goal difference. I am nearly certain the Eastern Counties Premier League uses goal difference. I really want this aspect of my game world to be realistic. Now, the good news. I have another edited database that extends as far as Level Nine. I checked it, and it uses goal difference as the first tiebreaker. So, I'm re-starting my Diss Town career, using this database. Of course, I'll have a different group of players, so I'll either edit the previous post to correspond to my new team, or simply move on from here. Which would you readers find less disruptive to the flow of my story? At any rate, I'll be back before long with an introduction to the new Diss Town team.

08-07-2016, 05:09 PM	#11
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	October 2013 We remain unbeaten in the league, with a penchant for drawing games. I'd prefer to turn some of those draws into victories, but I won't complain about being fifth in the league. We thought we'd gotten a late match-winner from Jason Burt away to Wivenhoe. It was a pretty goal, too; Nick Jennings smashed a free kick off the bar and Burt hit a left-footed half volley past the 'keeper. Unfortunately, Andy Holloway was whistled for a (questionable) penalty in stoppage time, and they got the equalizer from the spot. I had to put a lot of backups into the XI for the Vase tie three days later. We never looked like winning, but the lads played hard to the final whistle. No shame there. Hadleigh eat teams who play 4-4-2 against them for lunch, so I switched to a 4-1-2-2-1. Richard Savva, playing on the left wing today, got the match's only goal...but afterwards, our physio told me Savva had fractured some ribs late in the match and would possibly be out until Christmas. I'd prefer not to use Ricky Lloyd as a striker, so unless I wanted to play with a single striker most of the time, I needed to look for a forward to fill in for Richard until he mends. Next, we had Thetford Town at home. The Brecklanders are a good side, and both teams threatened to score in the first half. Michael Beesley turned a dangerous shot round his far post to keep Thetford off the scoreboard. We took the lead when a Thetford defender tripped Peter Murrell inside the area, and Jennings converted the penalty. I thought we had another goal soon after, but Lloyd hit the post with the 'keeper well beaten. We should have taken three points from Clacton. They sat back in their own end the entire match, and scored against the run of play as the first half was drawing to a close. The newest Tangerine, Adrian Bowen, finally pulled us level on 89 minutes, when he let Jennings' throw-in drop and hammered it in from 23 yards away. Transfers We brought veteran forward Adrian Bowen in on a three-month loan from Enfield Town, and he arrived in time for the Clacton match. Adrian is 35, and he has lost more than a few yards of pace, but he's still in excellent condition. He puts in a shift every time he takes the pitch and makes his teammates better. We're paying £15/week of Adrian's salary, and if his first match in a Diss Town kit was any indication, we're getting our money's worth.

08-09-2016, 03:44 PM	#12
MacroGuru Coordinator Join Date: May 2003 Location: Utah	With the draws, wins will eventually show up! Keep making the moves. __________________ "forgetting what is in the past, I strive for the future"

09-19-2016, 05:11 PM	#14
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	November 2013 I've never seen a football team draw so many matches! I'd much rather take one point from a match than none at all, but at the same time, a few three-point hauls would be a big help. We never really threatened a good Norwich United side, but we defended well and battled to a draw. Ideally, we'd get the result at Brewers Green Lane, but the Planters are a high-scoring team, and keeping a clean sheet against them is a nice accomplishment. The highlight of the CRC match came from Jason Burt, who hammered home a perfect cross from Peter Murrell. An own goal brought the Scholars level. Late in the first half, Adrian Bowen made a crafty move to open up some space and tucked the ball inside the far post. We protected our lead against a series of attacks from the Scholars, and Bowen nearly got another goal that would have put the match away in the final minutes. Against Ely City, it was Burt with an early goal once again, and again Murrell provided the service. Any momentum we took from that match faded the next weekend, however, as poor defending cost us three points at home to Walsham-le-Willows. We allowed the Willows to launch a pass over the top of our defense that a schoolboy team should defend with ease, and their forward rounded 'keeper Michael Beesley for the goal that ended up winning the match. We're still in seventh, where we were a month ago, with some good teams on the schedule for November. Last edited by Greyfriars Bobby : 09-19-2016 at 05:11 PM.

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