The Alfredians: Wantage Town F.C. (FM13)

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Last September, I started a story about my experiences as a brand-new Football Manager boss. It didn't last long, and I honestly can't tell you exactly why that happened. It was probably a combination of life getting busier, the other games I enjoy distracting me, and a variety of other factors.

Since then, several things have changed. This winter, I became a serious fan of the English Premier League. I'd been intrigued by it since last June, when my wife and I took our kids to the British Isles for a vacation. In January, I stumbled across an EPL match on TV, and that was it. Now I'm getting up on Saturday mornings to watch whichever games are on that day, and then again on Sunday, if I'm lucky. My ten-year-old son has caught the bug, too, and we are enjoying a new favorite activity together.

I bought FM13 last summer, but I hadn't played very much until recently. About a month ago, I started up the game one night after the kids went to bed, and before I knew it, three hours had passed. My bride, who was on the sofa beside me, summed the situation up well when she commented, "Looks like you've found a new favorite game."

In no way am I a Football Manager expert. When I visit other forums dedicated to the game, it's obvious that the posters there speak an entirely different language, of which I understand a few words and which reduces me to nodding and smiling most of the time. However, I've discovered I enjoy the games I play most when I write about them, too. That's what has brought me back here, to record the story of my career as a manager in the lower levels of English football.

After spending a couple hours poking around the English pyramid system, I've decided to take control of the Wantage Town F.C., part of the Hellenic League Premier Division.

Why Wantage Town?

I like history and tradition, so I wanted to manage a club that had been around a while. Wantage Town was founded in 1892, so it certainly qualifies there. The club is nicknamed the "Alfredians," and I quickly discovered that Wantage was the birthplace of King Alfred the Great, born there in 849. Extra points for that.

The Alfredians are an amateur club, and that suits me just fine. In my recent experiences with FM, I've found it difficult to handle every aspect of club management as well as I've liked. One of my pitfalls has been my tendency to either (1) throw away too much money chasing players in an attempt to make my squad better or (2) become frustrated when my poor financial management makes it impossible for me to bring in a player I've decided I have to have. Since I can't pay any of my players or staff, I won't have to worry about screwing up my club's finances too badly.

I've played the Classic version of FM 13, which allows the manager to focus on fewer tasks, but I've decided to use the full-featured version for this game. I like some of the jobs that FM Classic has automated, and it appears that I can delegate some of the others to my staff.

I will definitely be learning on the job here. There are some classic Football Manager stories on this forum, written by some real pros. I don't presume to be nearly that good. I'm a novice, a fact which will almost certainly be very apparent from the beginning.

Any of you who know what you're doing, please feel free to offer suggestions. Whether or not you play a lot of Football Manager yourself, I hope you find my story fun to read, and please comment anytime. I enjoy knowing there's someone out there reading along, and I like replying to your comments, too.



I doubt if anyone will ever compare my reign to that of the King of the Anglo-Saxons, but I hope they won't be coming after me with an axe, either.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

17 July 2012

When I set up my game, I gave myself the status of International Footballer. I realize it's highly unlikely that a player of that stature would be managing an amateur club team, even at age 37, but I hoped that would give my board more patience with my noob struggles.

When I looked at my profile, I realized I'd been given 79 international caps and 32 goals in an England shirt. That would tie me for 17th place all-time in national team appearances, one ahead of John Terry...and sixth in goals, behind only Sir Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker, Jimmy Greaves, Michael Owen, and Wayne Rooney. I've read enough about British football history to know that's very, very exclusive company.

I'm still deciding which Premier League club I support most, but my son has already made up his mind. He's a Liverpool fan, so I gave my managerial self Liverpool as my favorite club.

Apparently, my favorite formation is 4-4-2, and my Playing Mentality is Very Cautious. I don't know how those decisions were made for me, though. I can live with the 4-4-2, although I might change that when I take a closer look at my squad. I think I'd prefer a more offensively-oriented style of football, however. Will my Playing Mentality change if the style of play I implement with The Alfredians turns out to be more direct?

My backroom staff is nothing spectacular, as you might expect for an amateur club. Here they are:

Assistant Manager: Andrew Randall
He's 32 years old, and his highest coaching attribute is a 4 in Defensive Coaching. Still, with those stats, he's still better than average in the Hellenic Premier League. He's also as good at Motivation and evaluating talent as any of his league rivals, which means he's not very good. Can I trust anything Randall says about my players? We'll see.

Chief Scout: Tom Holmes
With a 4 for Judging Ability and a 3 for Judging Potential, Holmes isn't exactly one of the greatest predictors of football talent in England. Again, like Randall, he's pretty good for our league. And, like Randall, he's better than the scouts I could possibly convince to come to Wantage Town. So, like Randall, he'll keep his job.

Head Physio: Jamie Pearce
No physio in our league rates out higher than 6, and Pearce is a 5, so he'll do. I doubt there's anybody out there much better.

I've offered a job to a Director of Football, and I'll introduce him if he takes the job.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

19 July 2012

The last two days have been busy. Yesterday, we played an intra-squad friendly, which the Reserves (mostly made up of Senior Squad members) won, 2-1, on a late goal by striker Richard Claydon. I have my assistant, Andrew Randall, handling all the friendlies, at least for now.

When I realized there were several unemployed physios who were a little better than our guy, I sacked him and made an offer to Lyndsey Veness. She accepted the offer today, and we welcome her to Team Alfredians.

And, today we received word that Dominic Genovese has accepted the position of Director of Football. Genovese is 51, and he played for four English clubs before entering management. After stints with Spalding United, Kettering Town, and Grantham Town, he moved to Peterborough Northern Star, where he was their U-18 manager until today.

I'm going to delegate several tasks to Genovese. He'll find new clubs for our outgoing transfers and loans, and because he's a better scout than Tom Holmes, he'll have quite a bit of authority over our scouting program. Genovese is also an extremely good Motivator (14), so if it's possible for him to take some team talks, I'd like to give him a shot at it sometime.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

21 July 2012

Yesterday, I watched England Trialists IV defeat English Trialists III, 2-1. I'm going to take a closer look at a few of the players I saw there.

As we approach tonight's friendly against Ashford Town (Middlesex) at Alfredian Park, let's meet the players who are currently in the club, starting with the goalkeepers.

Robert Lovegrove
Age: 27 Height: 5'11" Weight: 185
Current Ability: 0.5 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Jumping 12, Communication 11, Handling 11, Command of Area 9
Weaknesses: Aerial Ability 3, First Touch 3, Throwing 3
I like Robert's ability to organize our back line, but otherwise he's a very ordinary goalkeeper. Incidentally, how is it that a player who is already 27 years old could have such a huge upside?

Adie Dykes
Age: 24 Height: 6'1" Weight: 194
Current Ability: 0.5 stars
Potential Ability: 2.0 stars
Strengths: Jumping 15, Handling 10, Reflexes 8, One on Ones 8
Weaknesses: First Touch 3, Aerial Ability 5, Throwing 5
Adie is apparently the kind of goalie who comes up big in important matches, but he's not too impressive otherwise.

Overall Analysis: I've asked our staff to look through the list of goalkeepers who are listed for loan, hoping to find someone who might be better than the guys we have already.

But, on the other hand...how much can I trust the evaluation of an Assistant Manager who rates 4 for Judging Ability and 3 for Judging Potential?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Now, let's meet the players who are most likely to have an impact for us on defence this season.

Each player's strengths and weaknesses are listed in reference to his best role.

Stuart Cattell D(C)
Age: 23 Height: 6'3" Weight: 198
Best Role: Limited Defender/Defend duty
Current Ability: 5.0 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Jumping 11, Positioning 10, Marking 10, Determination 10
Weaknesses: Strength 4, Tackling 6
Our staff thinks Stuart should be a star in the HPL, and we need him to be just that. He can play in the centre midfield, too, where his skills as a team player can be useful.

Tony Beattie D(C), D(RL)
Age: 24 Height: 6'2" Weight: 189
Best Role as D(L): Full Back/Defend duty
Current Ability: 5.0 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Work Rate 13, Teamwork 12, Tackling 11
Weaknesses: Marking 5, Concentration 5, Anticipation 5
I'm going to play Tony on the left side, even though he's better in the middle, because he's miles better than any of the other guys who can play D(L). There's quite a bit to like here.

Cameron Woolsey D(R), D(L)
Age: 22 Height: 6'0" Weight: 185
Best Role as D(R): Full Back/Attack duty
Current Ability: 5.0 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Tacking 11, Work Rate 10, Teamwork 10, Marking 9
Weaknesses: Off the Ball 3, Crossing 3, Dribbling 4
For a guy who is supposedly able to push up and help the attack, Cameron doesn't show much in terms of offensive talent. We might use him in a more defensive role. He does rate a 12 for Flair, which might mean he tries flashy moves that he can't pull off because of his technical problems.

Anthony Lewis D(C), D(L)
Age: 16 Height: 5'11" Weight: 163
Best Role as D(C): Limited Defender/Stopper duty
Current Ability: 5.0 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Bravery 13, Jumping 11, Tackling 11
Weaknesses: Strength 5
Anthony is our resident wonderkid. He needs to add strength, but that will come as he grows up. I can only hope he's in a Wantage Town kit for a long time.

Grant Shaw D(C), D(L)
Age: 27 Height: 5'10" Weight: 174
Best Role as D(C): Limited Defender/Stopper duty
Current Ability: 0.5 stars
Potential Ability: 0.5 stars
Strengths: Determination 11, Bravery 10
Weaknesses: Heading 2, Marking 4, Strength 4, Tackling 5
I wouldn't feature Grant at all, except for the fact that he is a consummate leader. His Influence rates at 20, and his Determination 16. There appear to be few players in the world with Grant's ability as a leader, such as John Terry of Chelsea, Phil Neville of Everton, and Steven Gerrard of Liverpool. How weird would it be for your captain to seldom ever see the pitch?

Also keep an eye on: Colin Cooper, a 17-year-old left back with very good physical attributes, budding leadership skills, and 5.0-star potential.

Overall analysis: If Andrew Randall is right, we can start four five-star guys along our back row. I hope he's right, because if he is, our goalkeepers' jobs will be significantly easier.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Next up: the midfielders.

Shane Kellow M(L)
Age: 27 Height: 5'7" Weight: 156
Best Role: Wide Midfielder/Support duty
Current Ability: 0.5 stars
Potential Ability: 0.5 stars
Strengths: Work Rate 12, Teamwork 9, Off the Ball 9
Weaknesses: Tackling 2, Anticipation 4, Decisions 6
Shane works hard, but it looks like he's not much good. Sadly, he's the best we have at his position right now. We're looking to change that, ASAP.

Jermaine Botley M(C), DM
Age: 16 Height: 5'11" Weight: 171
Best Role: Ball Winning Midfielder/Support duty
Current Ability: 0 stars, 5.0 silver stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Aggression 19, Bravery 15, Work Rate 12, Stamina 11
Weaknesses: Marking 7, Tackling 7, Passing 8
Our staff thinks Jermaine would be eaten alive in the League right now, but when I look at his attributes, I think he might be able to hold his own. I'd love to get him some playing time with our youth team, but until I bring in some better guys at his position, he'll have to turn out for the senior squad.

Ricky Urry AM(C), M(C)
Age: 22 Height: 5'10" Weight: 169
Best Role: Central Midfielder/Attack duty
Current Ability: 1.0 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Determination 8
Weaknesses: Finishing 2, Creativity 3, Teamwork 3, Long Shots 3
If we were organizing a track meet, Ricky would be a great choice (Pace 12, Acceleration 15). However, we're a football club, and Ricky's not terribly talented at the things an offensively-minded midfielder should do well.

Edward Evans M(C), AM(C)
Age: 16 Height: 5'5" Weight: 132
Best Role: Central Midfielder/Attack duty
Current Ability: 1.5 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Determination 13, Work Rate 10, Off the Ball 8
Weaknesses: Passing 4, Finishing 4, First Touch 4
Tiny Edward is a project, who really needs to be honing his skills with our U-18 side. He's a great kid, though, a future leader whom I'll expect big things from in a few years.

Shane Treleaven M(R), AM(R)
Age: 23 Height: 5'7" Weight: 154
Best Role: Wide Midfielder/Attack duty
Current Ability: 1.0 star
Potential Ability: 4.5 stars
Strengths: Determination 7, Crossing 6, Stamina 6
Weaknesses: Everything else
Not much more to say here, is there? With a Work Rate of 4 and Teamwork of 3, Shane doesn't even bring much to the clubhouse. He'll be transfer listed as soon as we can find a better alternative.

Overall analysis: Frighteningly bad. Stuart Cattell can also play centre midfield, so I could move him there and start Grant Shaw in back. Otherwise, it looks like we could be absolutely destroyed in the middle of the park. Needless to say, I'm looking all over the island for midfielders.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Finally, a look at the strikers.

Richard Claydon ST
Age: 27 Height: 5'10" Weight: 176
Best Role: Advanced Forward/Attack duty
Current Ability: 2.0 stars
Potential Ability: 2.0 stars
Strengths: Off the Ball 11, Pace 10, Composure 9
Weaknesses: Crossing 1, Dribbling 6, Flair 6
Richard probably won't draw all eyes his way like a flashier forward will do, but he might be the kind of guy who finds a way to put the ball past the keeper. They don't ask "how," they ask "how many."

Daniel Cooke ST, AM(R)
Age: 17 Height: 5'10" Weight: 163
Best Role: Deep Lying Forward/Attack role
Current Ability: 1.5 silver stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Balance 9, Composure 8
Weaknesses: Passing 1, Finishing 1, Technique 1, Creativity 2
Daniel, I know an athletics coach who is looking for a good 1600m runner. You have great Natural Fitness (15), good Stamina (10), and decent Pace (8). Our staff says your upside is huge, but it's a very long way away.

Andy Gray ST, AM(L)
Age: 16 Height: 5'9" Weight: 156
Best Role: Deep Lying Forward/Support duty
Current Ability: 0.5 silver stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 gold stars
Strengths: Teamwork 8, Dribbling 5, Off the Ball 5
Weaknesses: Everything else
Andy had an assist in our intra-squad friendly. Will that be the highlight of his Wantage Town career?

Overall analysis: Cooke and Gray might be just fine with the youth squad, but they aren't going to help us much with the first team. Claydon is OK, but I'd really rather have him as the supporting act with a new guy as the headliner.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

21 July 2012

Wantage Town 2-1 Ashford Town (Middlesex)
Alfredian Park

Goals: Ian Brown (22), Andy Gray (45)
Shots: 10-8
On Target: 7-3
Possession: 49-51
Fouls: 7-8
Corners: 9-3

Man of the Match: Gray (7.4 match rating)
Other Standouts: Brown (7.4)
Strugglers: Ricky Urry (6.0), Richard Claydon (6.1)

Ian Brown is 16, an attacking midfielder with potential, a lot like Jermaine Botley and Edward Evans. I hope Ian has a long, productive career at Alfredian Park, after some time in our youth program.

Our third goalkeeper, young Jay Warner, conceded a late goal after Robert Lovegrove kept a clean sheet for 50 minutes.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

24 July 2012

We've brought in two new players over the last two days. Let's meet them.

Ben Cressey D(L), WB(L)
Age: 26 Height: 5'9" Weight: 165
Best Role: Full Back or Wing Back/Support duty
Current Ability: 5.0 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Teamwork 15, Stamina 12, Work Rate 12, Concentration 11, Anticipation 11
Weaknesses: Marking 4, Tackling 4, Crossing 5
Cressey plays a position where we were not in dire need of an infusion of talent, but his ability to play wing back made him more attractive. Before we signed him, we had nobody who could play that role. He can also slide over to the middle of the pitch, and can even play the right side in a pinch.

Lee Darlison M(L), D(L)
Age: 32 Height: 5'7" Weight: 156
Best Role: Defensive Winger/Support duty
Current Ability: 5.0 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Teamwork 11, Work Rate 11, Stamina 9
Weaknesses: Dribbling 4, Crossing 4
Darlison's position really should be classified as "footballer." I've never seen a player as versatile as Lee, who can play every position on the pitch except striker and goalkeeper. He is an immediate upgrade to our midfield corps, and his ability to play many positions give us a tremendous amount of flexibility.

Overall analysis: Cressey and Darlison give us experience, and both have impressive mental attributes which should make our club tougher, more resilient, and more cohesive over the course of the season. They're also very good players who will immediately step in and contribute.

At my opening press conference, I was asked if I would be trying to keep Stuart Cattell in the club. Today I discovered why that question was relevant. There are eight semi-professional clubs interested in Stuart, and one--Metropolitan Police--has made a bid for him. Now the addition of Cressey could be even more important.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

24 July 2012

Wantage Town 0-2 Totton & Eling AFC
Little Testwood Farm

Goals: none
Shots: 7-8
On Target: 0-4
Possession: 56-44
Fouls: 10-10
Corners: 5-3

Man of the Match: Barry O'Sullivan, Totton & Eling
Our Best: Five players with 6.7 match rating
Our Worst: Tony Beattie (5.8)


Totton & Eling scored just before half time and just after it, and we couldn't generate any offensive threat at all in this away fixture against a side from the Wessex Premier League. A very forgettable afternoon, one I hope doesn't become typical. We held the ball much of the time, but didn't do much with it.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

28 July 2012

More good news from some of the players we've offered contracts over the past week or so. Here are the newest Alfredians.

Jamie Dormer M(L), M(C), D/WB/AM (L)
Age: 32 Height: 5'10" Weight: 156
Best Role: Wide Midfielder/Defend duty
Current Ability: 5.0 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Determination 12
Weaknesses: No key attribute lower than 8
Dormer joins Lee Darlison to plug the hole on the left wing. There are no real holes in his game, and he'll make our set pieces more dangerous with his ability to hit corners and free kicks. Jamie is a real pro, with a desire to get into management when he hangs up his boots.

Toby Sumner M(C)
Age: 30 Height: 5'10" Weight: 171
Best Role: Deep Lying Playmaker/Support duty
Current Ability: 5.0 stars
Potential Abiliy: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Composure 11, Decisions 11, Creativity 11
Weaknesses: Technique 3
I'm not sure if you can teach a dog his age any new tricks, but with a bit of work on his technique, Sumner could boss the midfield for us this year. He'll should enable us to relieve our young mids from the responsibility of playing regularly in the first XI; we'll be able to spot them and give them a taste of first team football.

Jack Adams ST
Age: 19 Height: 5'8" Weight: 160
Best Role: Advanced Forward/Attack duty
Current Ability: 5.0 stars
Potential Ability: 5.0 stars
Strengths: Flair 13, Composure 12, Pace 11, Work Rate 10
Weaknesses: Crossing 2, Dribbling 5
Adams is one of the young players I watched on Trial Day, and after we scouted him, I quickly offered him a contract. Jack plays well in a Poacher role, too, and I can see us pairing him up top with Richard Claydon.

Overall analysis: Unless our staff is completely wrong about these guys, they represent a significant step forward in our efforts to put together a competitive side this year. Adams gives us an exciting young striker, which I always love to see on the roster.

We lost out on our bids for two other players I really liked: Neil Grayson, a veteran forward who signed with Beaconsfield SYCOBfor £70 a week, and Steve Jagielka, who is on his way to Ellesmere Rangers.

Grayson is 47, and I confess, I thought it would be cool to have him in the club. He's still got some gas left in his tank, too. Losing out on Jagielka was an even bigger disappointment. He can play all over the pitch and do a good job wherever he's played, and he signed an amateur contract with a similar club. Still, if the guys we've brought in are as good as they seem right now, I can't complain.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

11 August 2012

Today is the opening fixture of our Hellenic Premier League season, away to Flackwell Heath.

Lots has happened in the past two weeks, and here's a quick summary of what's gone on.

WHO'S OUT: On 30 July, Weymouth of the Southern Premier League made Stuart Cattell an offer he couldn't refuse. I tried to get Stuart to resign, but the opportunity to play at a higher level--and make £45 a week--proved too much to resist. The press has asked me twice about what losing Stuart means to the club; all I can say is that I was sorry to see him go.

I also transfer listed midfielder Shane Treleaven and goalkeeper Adie Dykes, and they're both with new clubs now. Shane is at Cray Valley Paper Mills in the Kent Premier League, and Adie is now with Holmer Green of the South Midlands Premier Division. If you're wondering why I would release a keeper, read on.

WHO'S IN: Several more of the targets I selected when I took over at Wantage Town have decided to join the club.

Max Noble is a Welsh M(R) who plays best as an attacking winger. He's tiny--5'3", 134 lbs.--but he can run like the wind, and his Technique (11) and Dribbling (11) are very well-suited for his role. He's now featuring on our first team.

Striker Sam Wilson is another player I liked when I saw him at England Trials Day. At age 17, his skills as a Deep Lying Forward are already well-developed, especially his Teamwork (16) and Dribbling (12). Sam will also make his first team debut today, teamed with fellow youngster Jack Adams.

The supporters are excited about the arrival of right back Jack Hendry. Like Wilson, he's 17 years old, and his Tackling (12) and Positioning (10) are solid. He needs some work on some of his technical skills, but what 17 year old doesn't? Jack is talented enough to push for a spot in the first team.

So is goalkeeper Conor O'Donnell, whom I was very glad to sign after Ipswich Town released him last week. He's 18, and he excels at Communication (10), Kicking (11), and Composure (12). His Reflexes (12) are also quick as a cat. Conor will be in goal for our opening match today.

When Cattell left the club, I began looking for a replacement, and found one in veteran Michael Jatto, a Nigerian who had spent the last several years with Croydon Town. Jatto, 36, is comfortable almost anywhere in the back line, but he's best as a stopper, where his Aggression (16), Strength (13), Tackling (12), Bravery (12), and Jumping (11) make him a formidable presence.

FRIENDLY FIXTURES:

• We drew with Worcester City, 1-1, on 28 July, with Jamie Dormer scoring our goal.
• Enfield Town, a much stronger side, came to Alfredian Park on 1 August, and beat us 1-4. Jack Adams got his first goal with the club that afternoon.
• Three days later, we were back at it, away at Wellingborough Town. Anthony Lewis scored our only goal in a 1-2 defeat, but he also injured his calf, and he'll be out of action for several weeks.

With Lewis out, our lineup for today's fixture will look like this:

GK: O'Donnell
D: Dormer, Beattie, Jatto, Woolsey
M: Darlison, Sumner, Botley, Noble
ST: Adams, Wilson

[Greyfriars Bobby]

I'm going to step out of character to ask a question, which I hope some of you more experienced Football Manager players might answer for me.

Since the beginning of the season, the star ratings that appear on my Assistant Manager's report have changed greatly. Remember my 5.0 star defenders? Tony Beattie is now a 1.5, and Cameron Woolsey a 1.0. Ben Cressey, whom my scout viewed as a 5.0 talent when I signed him, is now showing up as a 2.0. Lee Darlison is an 0.5, and so is Richard Claydon.

The comments my assistant makes are still as glowing as they ever were. Cressey "would be a leading star for most Hellenic League Premier Division sides," despite his downgrade to a two-star player. Which, if either, should I believe?

My scout and my assistant manager are equally good (bad?) at evaluating talent, so the differences between their assessments puzzle me.

I'm putting more stock in my players' attributes, but I'm nonetheless wondering what to make of the changing ratings. Any guidance any of you could offer would be greatly appreciated!

[britrock88]

A couple things that could contribute to a drastic change in perceived ability...

- the player's status with the club. Before you sign a guy, you're going on your scouts' opinions. Once the player arrives at the club, you get your coaches' opinions. They can differ dramatically at lower levels of football, due to the limited skill of your staff.

- the timing of a scouting report. The game keeps scouting reports on hand for a year, but a lot can happen in that time... such as your team promoting or relegating. If that's the case, then the star rating would not be valid for the new level of football in which you're competing.

I'm sure there are others reasons this can be. And I haven't been able to square away inconsistencies between star ratings and verbal feedback, as you mention. But hopefully this is a start.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by britrock88

A couple things that could contribute to a drastic change in perceived ability...

- the player's status with the club. Before you sign a guy, you're going on your scouts' opinions. Once the player arrives at the club, you get your coaches' opinions. They can differ dramatically at lower levels of football, due to the limited skill of your staff.

- the timing of a scouting report. The game keeps scouting reports on hand for a year, but a lot can happen in that time... such as your team promoting or relegating. If that's the case, then the star rating would not be valid for the new level of football in which you're competing.

I'm sure there are others reasons this can be. And I haven't been able to square away inconsistencies between star ratings and verbal feedback, as you mention. But hopefully this is a start.

Thanks for your reply! I figured since both my scout and my assistant are pretty bad at judging current and potential talent, I might get evaluations from them that were...well...pretty bad.

As far as the discrepancies between the star rating and the verbal evaluation, I figured it might be the case that a one-star talent could be a very good player in a British amateur league, if the star rating is meant to compare him with a world-class player. If that's so, then nobody in the Hellenic Premier League should deserve five stars.

But is that really the case? Or, would the Hellenic Premier League's top striker get a 5.0 because he's the most dangerous player in our league?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

As we kick off the Hellenic Premier League season, here's a list of our August fixtures:

Saturday, 11 August: Flackwell Heath (away)
Tuesday, 14 August: Newbury FC (home)
Saturday, 18 August: Wokingham & Emmbrook (away)
Saturday, 25 August: Highmoor Ibis (away)

Three of our first four away from Alfredian Park. It's hard to get a good read on how tough our competition is, but Flackwell Heath are favored to beat us in a close match. We'll see.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

11 August 2012

Flackwell Heath 2-2 Wantage Town
Wilks Park


Alfredians Goals: Jack Adams (60), Remi Cotton (85)
Shots: 10-12
On Target: 3-4
Possession: 47-53
Fouls 14-8
Corners 2-5

Man of the Match: Gareth Maskell, Flackwell Heath (8.3)
Our Best: Michael Jatto (7.5); several at 7.3

We thought we had this one when Cotton put us up 2-1, but they got the equalizer four minutes later and stole back a draw. Sam Wilson was injured midway through the first half, but he looks like he'll be OK.

Jermaine Botley played an especially good game for us, and Jatto looked like the player we hoped we were getting.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

13 August 2012

It was fun while it lasted.

While Anthony Lewis was recuperating, Swindon Supermarine swooped in and offered him a youth contract. £5 a week isn't much, but it's more than we can pay him, and Swindon gave him the opportunity to play at a (slightly) higher level.

Fortunately, scout Tom Holmes remembered a player he'd seen earlier this summer, and we got in touch with him. He's called Geraint Price, he's 21, and he's from Wales.

Geraint is actually fairly similar to Lewis as a player, with a little more offensive capability. His Aggression (17) and Bravery (11) are the marks of an effective stopper, and the rest of his key attributes are good for our league.

In five years, Lewis might be considerably better, but I like Price's game a lot. So do our supporters, who were pleased to see him sign with us; they'll get their first chance to see him on the pitch tomorrow.

[mrtourette]

I'll be reading, I used to play schoolboy football against Wantage Town and as they always beat us I still have a particular disliking for the club and town 25 years later. But good luck!

[mrtourette]

Originally Posted by Greyfriars Bobby

Thanks for your reply! I figured since both my scout and my assistant are pretty bad at judging current and potential talent, I might get evaluations from them that were...well...pretty bad.

As far as the discrepancies between the star rating and the verbal evaluation, I figured it might be the case that a one-star talent could be a very good player in a British amateur league, if the star rating is meant to compare him with a world-class player. If that's so, then nobody in the Hellenic Premier League should deserve five stars.

But is that really the case? Or, would the Hellenic Premier League's top striker get a 5.0 because he's the most dangerous player in our league?

I always assumed that the star rating was based on how good that player is compared to others in that division, as that's what the comment refers to.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by mrtourette

I'll be reading, I used to play schoolboy football against Wantage Town and as they always beat us I still have a particular disliking for the club and town 25 years later. But good luck!

Thanks very much! I can understand why you're not a big supporter of The Alfredians, given your own history with Wantage Town. Thanks for following along, and thanks for commenting. It's good to have you along.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by mrtourette

I always assumed that the star rating was based on how good that player is compared to others in that division, as that's what the comment refers to.

That makes sense. When I run the cursor over the star ratings on my team report, it shows "Average rating for the senior team" for a player with one gold star, and "Good rating for the senior team" for a three-star player.

Thanks for the insight!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

14 August 2012

Wantage Town 3-0 Newbury FC
Alfredians Park

4-4-2
GK: Lovegrove
D: Beattie, Price, Shaw, Hendry
M: Hart, Brown, Urry, Noble
ST: Adams, Claydon

Alfredians Goals: Richard Claydon (5), Jack Adams (32), Geraint Price (67)
Shots: 24-5
On Target: 7-1
Possession: 57-43
Fouls: 7-8
Corners: 5-0

Man of the Match: Geraint Price (8.0)
Our Worst: Nobody lower than 6.9

With many of our players still tired from the match three days earlier, I started a number of different men in today's fixture. The results look good, don't they?

Price was oustanding in his Alfredians debut. He was solid defensively all match long, and the header he fired in was a beauty.

The supporters weren't as happy as they might have been with the result, however. They "were disappointed to see a weakened team fielded." They obviously looked at the roster, not at the result. I'll take this outcome from a "weakened team" anytime.

Note to self, however: When we have fixtures scheduled close together from now on, try to start the stronger side at Alfredians Park, rather than away.

[Izulde]

I forget, what mod are you using to play the teams at this level?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by Izulde

I forget, what mod are you using to play the teams at this level?

I downloaded an edited database that extended the English pyramid system down to Level 9, and made all the leagues playable. I downloaded it last summer, I think, but I hadn't had a chance to play much with it until recently.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy following the Alfredians.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

18 August 2012

Wokingham & Emmbrook 0-2 Wantage Town
Larges Lane, Bracknell

4-4-2
GK: O'Donnell
D: Cressey, Shaw, Price, Woolsey
M: Kellow, Dormer, Sumner, Noble
ST: Adams, Wilson

Alfredians Goals: Wilson (33), Jatto (86)
Shots: 10-10
On Target: 4-4
Possession: 50-50
Fouls: 12-13
Corners: 3-1

Man of the Match: Toby Sumner (8.3)
One to Forget: Jack Adams (6.0)

This match was just about as even as the statistics would indicate. We did a better job of finishing than they did. I was almost positive Wokingham & Emmbrook were going to get a penalty kick after a rough foul by Shaw late in the first half, but the referee didn't award the penalty. I think we got away with one there.

Sumner was outstanding in every respect. He put Adams through with a very nice pass that set up our first goal, and he was a force defensively, too.

Michael Jatto came on in the 73rd minute and scored our second goal on a powerful header from the box.

Four of our players received contract offers, some from higher-level clubs, some from other amateur sides. Kellow, Botley, Beattie, and Cooper are all attracting quite a bit of attention; of the four, I'd most like to hold on to Beattie and Botley.

We have a week before our next fixture, so we can rest before our return to Alfredians Park to face Highmoor Ibis.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

25 August 2012

Wokingham & Emmbrook hired a new manager this week. I'm not sure if they sacked their man before or after our match the other day,but at an rate, they have a new man on the job.

Speaking of new men on the job, we don't have any this week. Hopefully the clubs that are pursuing our players will find some new targets, because I'm happy with the way our side is shaping up.

Highmoor Ibis 3-4 Wantage Town
Palmer Park Stadium, Reading

4-4-2
GK: O'Donnell
D: Cressey, Jatto, Price, Woolsey
M: Kellow, Dormer, Sumner, Noble
ST: Adams, Wilson

Alfredians Goals: Wilson (5, 58, pen 81), Barfoot own goal
Shots: 9-12
On Target: 4-6
Possession: 52-49
Fouls: 9-7
Corners: 2-1

Man of the Match: Sam Wilson (9.5)
Honorable Mention: Jack Adams (8.8)
One to Forget: Geraint Price (5.5), Ben Cressey (5.7)

Sam's hat trick was the highlight of a back-and-forth contest that we trailed 3-2 after 56 minutes. Wilson squared things , and put a penalty past the keeper to win it. A lot of the Highmoor Ibis supporters thought Sam dived, but the opinion that mattered was that of the referee. After the match, all I would say was that the official awarded a penalty, so that was that.

Poor Ed Barfoot, the Highmoor Ibis back, had a rough afternoon. Not only did he score an own goal, he was lucky to escape with only a lecture after he challenged the referee's decision on the penalty.

The victory is our third straight, and we've moved up to second place, behind Oxford Nomads.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 September 2012

I'm beginning to think the life of a manager in an English amateur league centers on an endless cycle of players leaving and others arriving to take their place. I'm glad I enjoy searching for players, scouting them, trying to locate guys who can help our club and bringing them on board. If I didn't, I would be miserable right now.

This week, there seemed to be an invisible sign at our grounds that read "Midfielders Available Here, Free to Good Homes." Lymington Town (Wessex League Premier) were the first to pounce, luring Shane Kellow away from us (and several other clubs who put in bids for him). Now that I'm learning to trust my own judgment when I look at a player's attributes and not blindly trust my staff evaluations, I can see the staff were probably right: Shane probably isn't good enough to make an impact on our club. I hope he goes on to a fine career with Lymington.

Losing Ian Brown hurt more. For one thing, Ian is only 16, and he looks like he has a bright future in football. For another, he signed with a league rival--Witney Town. He scored a goal in his first appearance with the Blanketmen. Again, I wish him well...except when he plays against Wantage Town.

Now it's time to shop for midfielders. Chris Cumming-Bart spent two seasons with Brighton & Hove Albion before his release this summer. He's 18, and he can play in the middle or on the left side. Chris is a creative player with good speed and instincts, and we'll need him to step in and contribute right away. If he plays M(C), w(e can move Jamie Dormer to M(L).

Paddy Hester, who's also 18, is really more comfortable on the back line than he is in the middle of the park, but when I saw his profile, I decided to offer him a contract. Paddy will need to work on his defensive game, but he is very athletic, he works hard, and his game is fairly polished for a teenager. Paddy is a bit banged up, so his debut will probably come in a week, rather than today.

And, a guy we had offered a contract a week or so ago finally came on board. His name is Joe Conkleton, he plays several positions on defense and in the midfield and, like Hester, he is a fast, athletic player. Joe is 22, and between him and Hester, he'll shore up a soft spot we had at D(L).


Wantage Town 0-2 Thame United
Alfredian Park, Wantage
Attendance: 98

4-4-2
GK: O'Donnell
D: Conkleton, Price, Jatto, Hendry
M: Dormer, Cumming-Bart, Sumner, Noble
ST: Adams, Wilson

Shots: 12-2
On Target: 6-2
Possession: 56-44
Fouls: 12-8
Corners: 9-0

Honorable Mention: Nobody; a bunch of guys at 6.7
One to Forget: Joe Conkleton (6.0 and a booking)

What a frustrating match! We did everything right but finish. Their captain, Jonathan Mole, scored both their goals, and they were good ones, so it's hard to fault our defense. Michael Jatto saved us another goal when he headed the ball off the line after O'Connell seemed to slip and fall.

Adams hit the woodwork in the first minute of play, Dormer barely missed with a half-volley off a pretty pass from Wilson, and their keeper made a phenomenal save on a laser shot from Cumming-Bart. I let Andrew Randall give the halftime team talk, and I don't recall what he said...only that he managed to confuse all 11 players. Andrew, you won't be doing that task again.

Our winning streak has been halted, and we've dropped back to fifth place.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Here's our fixture list for the rest of September:

8 September: Marlow (home)
15 September: Holyport FC (away)
25 September: Shrivenham FC (home)

I'm thinking we have to begin cup play this month, so we'll probably see a few additions to this schedule before long. Otherwise, we'll be doing a lot of things other than playing matches.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

8 September 2012

Our match with Marlow is shaping up to be an important one, even at this stage of the season. They are second right now, they've scored 11 goals, and they've conceded only two. We'll have them here at Alfredians Park, so we want to give our supporters a good show.

Our first-team goalkeeper, Conor O'Donnell, is occasionally away with the Ireland U-19 squad, so our staff recommended a couple of young prospects for me to take a look at. I signed one of them, a lad named Tom Halsall. He is very similar to Conor--a little more Eccentric, a little less adept at distributing the ball--but he will definitely be a regular in our net when Conor is on international duty. He'll get a fair share of time when we have our whole squad, too. Tom is 19, a year older than Conor.

The first round draw for the Hellenic Challenge Cup took place this week. We will face Tuffley Rovers at Alfredian Park on 2 October.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

8 September 2012

Wantage Town 3-2 Marlow
Alfredians Park, Wantage
Attendance: 86

4-4-2
GK: O'Donnell
D: Conkleton, Price, Jatto, Hendry
M: Dormer, Cumming-Bart, Sumner, Noble
ST: Claydon, Adams

Alfredians Goals: Noble (29, 74), Adams (82)
Shots: 11-8
On Target: 3-3
Possssion: 52-48
Fouls: 12-9
Corners: 1-3

Man of the Match: Max Noble (9.1)
Honorable Mention: Chris Cumming-Bart (7.9)
One to Forget: Michael Jatto (6.3)

I promised the supporters some exciting, attacking football in my pre-match press conference, so we went out with an attacking mentality. Max's first goal banged off the crossbar and dropped behind their keeper, just inside the goal line. We took the 1-0 advantage into the half, and made it 2-0 when Max took advantage of a Marlow error and chipped one in from close range.

I chose a more defensive game plan at that point, and for a while I wondered if I had done the right thing. Marlow scored their first goal right after I switched tactics. Good thing that Jack Adams quickly responded with a goal, because the Blues scored another goal before we could close things out.

I know conventional wisdom says that you play defensively when you have a lead to protect, but could it be that this side simply doesn't play well that way? I know how to use the Reports menu to see how well we play using/facing different formations, but is there a way to see how well we do with different tactics?

Anyway, it was a big win for us, on our own ground. We scored more goals against Marlow today than they had conceded in league play up to that point.

Oxford Nomads are still on top of the table with 15 points; Ardley United are second (14) and we are third (13). Abingdon Town also have 13 points, but our goal advantage (+5) is one better than theirs.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

12 September 2012

The week started out with some positive excitement. I'd resigned myself to the fact that The Alfredians were going to have to make do with less-than-expert coaching. The fact that no club in the Hellenic Premier League has a large, talented staff made me feel some better, but I still wished there was something I could do about the situation.

I was reading some scouting reports when I noticed one of the players I was looking at had both player and staff attributes. He was a player/manager! I discovered that if I wanted to offer him a contract, I had all kinds of choices. He might be hired for all kinds of "slash jobs"--player/coach, player/assistant manager, etc. It appeared the Wantage Town board would allow me to hire a player/coach!

Now, to find a good candidate. I began looking through the list of veteran players my staff knew about, and I discovered midfielder Jo Tessem. A Norwegian international (9 caps), Jo played for a number of years in the Tippeligaen, his homeland's highest league, and came to England in 1999 when he signed for Southampton. There, he made 110 appearances in the Premier League.

For the past several seasons, Jo has been a player/coach at Totton & Eling AFC (Wessex Premier League). He's 40 now, and while he wouldn't be too well suited for the Premier League any longer, he looked more than good enough for us. And his staff attributes looked great--much better than anyone Wantage Town F.C. has available.

I offered Tessem a contract as a player/coach, and today, he accepted the offer. Jo has lost a lot of speed (Pace 3, Acceleration 2), but his savvy and his technical ability should allow him to be a very useful player for us. And, even if he's close to hanging up his boots, he will definitely add some real quality to our backroom staff.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 October 2012

In the past weeks, we lost two more players, one of whom I really wanted to keep. Tony Beattie accepted a contract with Worthing FC (Isthmian League First Division South), only to have them stash him on their reserve team almost immediately. I guess they think Tony needs more time to develop, since he's moving up a level. The other player we lost, Ricky Urry, didn't figure too much i our plans. He's off to Lancing FC (Sussex County League Div. One), which is really a parallel move for him.

We brought in Gary Pryde, who can play anywhere along the back line. Gary is 23, two years younger than Beattie, and his physical and mental attributes are very good. His game is a lot like Beattie's, but he's a bit faster. Gary is a positive influence in the clubhouse, too.

There's a lot of attention being given to Cameron Woolsey and Grant Shaw by other clubs. For a while, it was our midfield that was being shopped over; now it looks like it's our defence.

We played twice in the last weeks of September, away to Holyport FC and home against Shrivenham FC.

15 September
Holyport FC 0-0 Wantage Town
Summerleaze Village, Maidenhead
Attendance: 84

4-4-2
GK: Halsall
D: Hester, Jatto, Price, Hendry
M: Dormer, Cumming-Bart, Botley, Noble
ST: Adams, Wilson

Honorable Mention: Geraint Price (7.0)
One to Forget: Nobody that bad

A boring contest, with only seven shots taken the entire time. We did a good job controlling the ball, but we never really threatened to score. Tom Halsall made his debut for us in goal, and Jo Tessem also appeared for us, coming on in the 61st minute when Chris Cumming-Bart got a knock.

25 September
Wantage Town 2-1 Shrivenham FC
Alfredians Park, Wantage
Attendance: 109

4-4-2
GK: Halsall
D: Woolsey, Jatto, Price, Pryde
M: Dormer, Sumner, Tessem, Noble
ST: Adams, Wilson

Alfredians Goals: Woolsey (13), Hester (61)
Man of the Match: Geraint Price (8.2)
Honorable Mention: Cameron Woolsey (7.6)

Shrivenham are one of our biggest rivals, so the supporters were happy to see us win this one. We took a quick lead on Woolsey's goal before Shrivenham pulled one back right after halftime, but Hester gave us back the lead and we held on. I kept us in a more offensive mind-set, and it worked much better, even when we were holding on to our lead.

We've drawn Tuffley Rovers as our opponent in the first round of the Hellenic Challenge Cup. Our supporters are confident of a big win; the match will be played at Alfredian Park tomorrow.

The board gave me a positive review this month. They're pleased about the signing of Jack Adams (so am I), but they're afraid I might have made a mistake bringing in Conor O'Donnell. I disagree there; I think O'Donnell is a good young goalkeeper. They're pleased with the fact that the club made some money last month (£2,950).

We're currently standing fifth, which I'm very pleased with. I'm a little worried about our club's cohesion, though, since we're still moving a lot of players in and out. On the whole, the new men are better than the ones we had, so I'm hopeful we will come out ahead in the long run.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

The building on the left is the Old Town Hall in Wantage, which was built in 1877. It's on the left. The building beside it was built in the 1600s.



I'll post more scenes from in and around Wantage Town from time to time.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

2 October 2012

Wantage Town 0-0 Tuffley Rovers
Alfredian Park, Wantage
Attendance: 89

4-4-2
GK: O'Donnell
D: Woolsey, Shaw, Price, Hendry
M: Dormer, Cumming-Bart, Sumner, Noble
ST: Adams, Wilson

Man of the Match: Grant Shaw (7.3)
One to Forget: Max Noble (6.1)

Ugly, ugly, ugly. It was a chilly (8° C), drizzly day, and the game was just as grim. We passed the ball around the park without much problem and took a few cracks at the goal, but even after I set our strategy to Aggressive, we couldn't manage a goal against a side we should have had no problems with at all.

We should have had a couple goals in hand when we go to their grounds for the other leg. Tuffley Rovers have to feel confident about their chances now.

It's clear that I still have a lot to learn about in-game management. At the same time, I've never enjoyed getting involved in any management game nearly as much as I am right now. I catch myself at odd moments, thinking about different things I might try.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

6 October 2012

Wantage Town 2-0 Binfield FC
Alfredian Park, Wantage
Attendance: 99

4-4-2
GK: O'Donnell
D: Conkleton, Jatto, Price, Woolsey
M: Hester, Dormer, Tessem, Noble
ST: Adams, Wilson

Alfredians Goals: Jack Adams (5, 77)
Man of the Match: Adams (8.8)
Honorable Mention: Max Noble (8.0)

Much better. Our first goal was a perfect example of the way I want us to play. Jo Tessem skipped past their back and pushed the ball out to Max Noble on the right wing. Max spotted Jack Adams and crossed the ball to him, and Jack had no problem putting it away.

Adams completed the brace with a header from very close range, once again off a cross by Noble. For a player with a 2 for Crossing, Max did some work in this one. He now has 5 assists in 9 league contests, to go with 3 goals.

We face Oxford Nomads next, on their grounds. They've fallen off form a little bit recently--they're now 7th in the league--but they will still put us to the test.

The only negatives: Sam Wilson was hurt in the 6th minute of the match, and had to leave the game. It didn't seem serious (his fitness level was in the 80s AFTER it happened), so hopefully he won't miss much time.

And, I was told after the game that Mark Ryan, manager of East Grinstead Town (Sussex County League Division One), was in the stands today. He was supposedly watching Cameron Woolsey, whom they are trying to sign.

For the next few days, Conor O'Donnell and Sam Wilson will be away on international duty.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

10 October 2012

Oxford City Nomads 1-1 Wantage Town
Court Place Farm, Oxford
Attendance: 32

4-4-1-1
GK: Halsall
D: Hester, Jatto, Price, Hendry
M: Dormer, Sumner, Cumming-Bart, Noble
AM: Tessem
ST: Adams

Alfredians Goal: Noble (79)
Man of the Match: Michael Jatto (7.7)
Honorable Mention: Max Noble (7.3)
One to Forget: Jack Hendry (6.0)

With Sam Wilson away with the Northern Irish U-19 side, I switched the formation to a 4-4-1-1, making use of Tessem's versatility. Gary Pryde, who came on for Hendry at 62 minutes, assisted on the goal that pulled us even. I would have liked to come away from this one with three points, since Nomads haven't been playing too well, but I'm OK with the draw away from home.

Over the past few days, I've been working on a plan I devised when I was looking over player/coach candidates. I got the man I wanted most--Jo Tessem--but there were several others who were better than the guys currently making up the Wantage Town staff.

Andrew Randall's recent antics--the incomprehensible team talk, his inability to provide me with any tactical assistance, his constant parroting of the same advice during matches--made him expendable, so I relieved him of his Assistant Manager duties, shook his hand, and wished him well. I offered his position to Tessem, who happily accepted the Player/Assistant Manager title.

Now I could hire a new coach. I looked up Jody McKay and offered him a Player/Coach gig. Jody had been out of football for a while; he spent time with Banbury United and Hook Norton and, at 39, he can still contribute some as a winger and an attacking midfielder. It's Jody's talents as a coach that intrigued me, however. He's a better Attacking (6) and Defending (6) coach than Randall was, he can work some with goalkeepers (3), and he's very good with young players (12). His Tactical Knowledge (10) and his Motivation (10) are also upgrades, and his ability to Judge Talent and Potential (7,7) are excellent for the Hellenic League.

Next to go was our Chief Scout, Tom Holmes. Tom's a nice enough fellow, but he's throwing darts when he evaluates talent. After I sacked him, I hired Player/Scout Anton Sambrook. Ironically, Anton also spent time with Banbury and Hook Norton. He's 38, and he's going to see spot duty as a full back while giving us a significant scouting upgrade. His Judging Ability (9) and Judging Potential (7) are both much better than Holmes' were.

I'm hoping to keep Jo, Jody, and Anton with me on my backroom staff after they hang up their boots. I'm already noticing a difference in the content and usefulness of the advice I'm getting from them, compared to what my old staff had to offer.

By the way, our physio, Lyndsey Veness, is doing just fine. She doesn't have to worry about her job.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 November 2012

I decided I wanted to write a little less often, because I get caught up in the game and don't want to stop playing.

The month ended with us in fourth place, three points behind leaders Ardley United. We rose as high as second, but as you'll see, if you don't come away from a match with three points sometime, you won't stay up with the leaders.

On the 13th, we lost 1-2, away to Cheltenham Saracens. It was a match I thought we'd win, and so did everyone else. Conor O'Donnell and Sam Wilson were still away on international duty, but we should have had enough to beat them.

Our goal was scored by Chris Hall, whom we brought in from Spalding United to shore up our attack, after Richard Claydon left us for league rival Newbury. Since Wilson will be away with Northern Ireland at the U-19 International tournament from time to time, Chris will get a decent amount of playing time up front.

Hall is 29 years old, and he can play anywhere from striker to the defensive m midfield, on either wing, or in the center. His technical skill is very good (Corners 12, Crossing 11, Dribbling 11), and he plays with Creativity (10) and Flair (11). I imagine we'll use Chris in several positions, almost like a super-utility player.

Anton Sambrook has found several other enticing young players, and we signed two of them: midfielder Bobby Medjedoub and full back Chris Sim. They are both 18, and we will give them some first team action while we groom them for the future.

After our loss at Saracens, we spent the next two weeks getting knocked out of cup competitions. We lost our Hellenic Challenge Cup tie to Tuffley Rovers; after neither side scored in 120 minutes of play, we lost on penalties.

Three days later, still worn out from that grueling contest, we lost 1-2 to Molesey FC. Center backs Michael Jatto and Geraint Price, who had been brilliant against Tuffley Rovers, were simply too tired to play their usual games, and Molesey scored twice in the second half. Jo Tessem pulled one back, but we weren't able to equalize.

After that loss, I called my first team meeting, and it went well. We also had five more days to recuperate before returning to Hellenic League play, hosting Slimbridge FC on the 26th. A brace by Jack Adams and another outstanding game from Jatto were the keys to a 2-0 victory; O'Donnell had to make only two saves the entire afternoon.

I'm still struggling with my strategic decisions. We get good results from an attacking style at home, like we displayed against Slimbridge. However, when we play away, it seems anyone can beat us. I've been using Control against bottom-of-the-table teams away, but I might start going with something even more defensive-minded. I feel like the weaker teams are "parking the bus" and congregating around their goal, and taking advantage of the fact that our back line is pushed fairly far up. We give up easy goals when our opponents get a man behind our back line in a position to score.

It's a fun challenge, trying to figure out what works best.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 December 2012

Pos  Team                  Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   G.D. Pts
1st  Marlow                 15   10    1    4   31  14   +17   31
2nd  Wantage Town           16    9    3    4   28  18   +10   30
3rd  Ardley United          15    9    3    3   23  15    +8   30    
4th  Chelthenham Saracens   15    8    3    4   17  10    +7   27
5th  Abingdon Town          16    7    5    4   20  16    +4   26
6th  Oxford City Nomads     14    7    4    3   18  10    +8   25
7th  Flackwell Heath        15    7    4    4   17  12    +2   25
8th  Shrivenham FC          16    7    3    6   29  21    +8   24    
9th  Slimbridge FC          15    7    2    6   19  17    +2   23
10th Highworth Town         16    7    2    7   14  19    -5   23

We enter the month of December in the middle of a closely-packed group of clubs at the top of the table. Most of the other front-runners have a game in hand on us.

Today, we face Ardley at Alfredian Park, in what might be our most important match of the season to date. Ardley can move into the lead with a victory, so we know they will be gunning for us.

We opened the month on 6 November with a 1-0 victory over Highmoor Ibis in the second round of the Oxfordshire Senior Cup. Chris Hall scored an early goal and we made the lead hold up, even after Geraint Price drew his second yellow card of the contest and was sent off on 69 minutes. Young midfielder Bobby Medjedoub made his Alfredians debut as a substitute.

Price was unavailable for our next league fixture, four days later at Reading Town. We fell behind 1-3 when Chris Cumming-Bart tripped a Town player to draw a penalty and Allan Douglas scored from the spot. Jack Adams pulled one back late in the contest, but it wasn't enough; we came back home with a 2-3 loss.

We had a week to recover and prepare for a visit from Highworth Town on the 17th. Adams and Hall scored, and Jamie Dorner converted a penalty en route to a 3-1 victory that pleased our supporters more than any victory thus far.

Now back up in second place, a point behind Marlow, we promptly squandered our position with a 1-2 loss to Witney Town at Alfredians Park. Michael Jatto, who has played so well for us, fluffed a header from right in front of our goal that was intercepted by Jon Jennings, setting up an easy Blanketmen goal. Michael felt terrible, but I was sure he would bounce right back, and I told the press so after the match.

"Wantage Town face the impossible" was the headline for the story about our 26 November match at rival Abingdon Town. Granted, with only one win from our last five away games, it was natural for most people to think we stood little chance of coming away with a victory.

I tried playing a little less aggressively, using a Counter strategy for most of the match. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. Chris Hall scored the game's only goal, "a cheeky lob from all of 54 yards." Their goalkeeper, Ricky Perks, (Eccentricity 14) ventured out of the box to make a long diagonal pass. Hall alertly intercepted it behind the midline and, when he saw Parks still lollygagging well away from the goal, he punched it back down the field and into the net on one hop.

Our goalie, Conor O'Donnell, saved the game when he stopped a penalty on 54 minutes. (Incidentally, I've been playing FM13 regularly for about a month now, and it's the first time I've seen my keeper make a save on a PK.)

Anton Sambrook continues to spot talented younger players. With an eye more to the future than to the present, we signed three of them this month: strikers Shane Bennett and Lee Weemes, both 20, and attacking midfielder Kevin Asare-Addai, an 18-year-old Ghanaian with English citizenship. Shane got his debut against Witney Town, and Kevin came on as a sub against Abingdon Town.

Then there was the Lee Darlison kerfuffle. Lee went to the press, complaining about playing time, and I called him in for a chat. The fact is that when Lee did play, he played terribly. He brought his attitude, and when the talk was over, I'd released him on a free transfer. Last week he signed for Melksham Town (Western League Premier Division), where he's awaiting playing time for a team that's 17th in their league. Good luck, Lee.

The board is satisfied with my performance; they like the Jack Adams signing very much. The fans, however, "are slightly concerned that despite good results the football played by the club has been less than exciting."

I'll keep trying to find the key to winning, attractive football.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 January 2013

Pos  Team                  Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   G.D. Pts
1st  Ardley United          20   11    4    5   28  24    +4   37
2nd  Wantage Town           20   11    3    6   36  23   +13   36
3rd  Marlow                 19   11    2    6   37  20   +17   35    
4th  Shrivenham FC          21   10    5    6   36  24   +12   35
5th  Highworth Town         21   11    2    8   26  25    +1   35
6th  Abingdon Town          22    9    7    6   26  19    +7   34
7th  Cheltenham Saracens    20   10    4    6   22  16    +6   34
8th  Witney Town            21    8    8    5   42  33    +9   32    
9th  Ascot United           21    8    6    7   28  24    +4   30
10th Reading Town           20    9    3    8   30  29    +1   30

We remain right where we were last month, one point shy of the top of the league, in a month where we played our best football at the beginning and the end.

The month opened with a big victory against Ardley. I decided to unveil a new formation: a 4-4-2 diamond, with Chris Hall at AMC and Jo Tessem at DMC. I also opened up in attack mode, and the result could not have been much better. Sam Wilson netted a hat trick and set Hall up for our other goal. We out-shot Ardley 16-2, generated five clear cut chances, and gave the fans at Alfredian Park a great show.

Four days later, we took on Cheltenham Saracens in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup quarterfinal. The match was played away, and we left our scoring boots back in Wantage. We allowed an almost immediate goal that Geraint Price answered by heading in a corner on 17 minutes. That score held up through almost two more hours of football, and we won on penalties when Conor O'Donnell punched one clear of the net and Michael Jatto drilled one past their keeper.

Needless to say, we were exhausted when we traveled to Kidlington three days later for a league match, and it showed. We lost 1-2, on a brace from a talented teenage striker called Dwayne Ruddy. Several of our regulars were resting, and their replacements weren't too bad. One of them, Shane Bennett, scored his first Alfredians goal.

The weather became cold, windy, and rainy, and our scheduled fixture against Ascot United was postponed due to a saturated pitch. That meant we didn't see action again until the 22nd, away to bottom-of-the-table Newbury.

In the meantime, I strengthened our squad with the signing of right back Rob Gier. Rob is a Philippines international with three caps to his credit. He not only gives us a powerful defensive presence, he is also a real professional who has already begun tutoring young Jack Hendry. I was delighted to give Rob his Alfredians debut against Newbury.

I still can't seem to figure out how to win a game away from home. Following the logic that I should play more conservatively on the road, I tried a Standard strategy against a side that was clearly not as talented as we are. We did a fine job of keeping the ball away from Newbury, but we couldn't generate a decent scoring chance all day, and lost 0-2.

I got a lecture from the FA for protesting a terrible call. Wilson had a goal called back for supposedly being offside, and after I watched the replay a half-dozen times, I took offense to the call in my post-match presser.

After a week off around Christmas, we welcomed Wokingham & Emmbrook to Alfredians Park on the 29th. In a chippy match (referee Adams showed three yellow cards to each side), Jack Adams was the star in a 3-1 triumph.

We spotted the Satsumas an early goal before Adams' equalizer just before the half. Jack put us ahead on 61 minutes, and when he got bulldozed in the box about 20 minutes later, I let him take the penalty and he buried it to complete his hat trick--the second of the month for our side.

We got a scare when Chris Hall had to leave the pitch late in the first half. I don't have many players who can play the attacking and defending midfield spots that I need to run my 4-4-2 diamond. I had to move Tessem up to AMC and plunk Chris Cumming-Bart into the midfield to create a funky 4-3-1-2 shape that somehow managed to work. I'm going to look for a player or two to provide some midfield depth, and we're training Cumming-Bart and Paddy Hester to play new positions.

Right now, I'm really missing Ian Brown. He has 12 goals for Witney Town this season, and his best position is AMC. I'm always going to be sorry Ian slipped away from us.

We are 8-0-2 at home this season, best in the league, with a 22-8 goal differential. Away, we're 3-3-4, 13th best, with a 14-15 differential. If I can solve that disparity, we might well be in line for a promotion by the end of the season.

Barca's Lionel Messi won the World Golden Ball and World Player of the Year prizes.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

2 January 2013

Wantage Town 6-2 Ascot United
Alfredians Park, Wantage
Attendance: 83

GK: O'Donnell
D: Sim, Price, Jatto, Hendry
DM: Tessem
M: Hester, Noble
AM: McKay
ST: Wilson, Adams

Alfredians Goals: Jody McKay (19), Jack Adams (41), Sam Wilson (51, 59, pen 64, 71)

We're at the top of the table after tonight's big victory, on a cold, rainy, muddy night in Wantage Town. Happy New Year, indeed!

Chris Hall was still a bit wonky, so I had player/coach Jody McKay dust off his kit and start the game at AMC. Jody is 39, a year younger than Jo Tessem, and the two of them teamed up to score our first goal. Tessem fed McKay a pretty pass that Jody calmly put past a diving Ascot goalkeeper. Almost 80 years' worth of experience on the planet went into that one.

We conceded a weird goal tonight, when Conor O'Donnell decided to kick the ball up the center of the pitch, neatly putting it between clueless Michael Jatto and Geraint Price, neither of whom seemed to make any effort to receive it while they jogged up the pitch. A surprised Ascot striker, Graham Metcalf, found the ball bouncing merrily right to him, and Graham promptly hammered it past a sprawling O'Donnell into the net. Really, boys? Really?

Fortunately, Sam Wilson saw to it that this mistake would not prove costly.

Speaking of costly, however, Paddy Hester tore his Achilles tendon. Lyndsey Veness says he'll be out for 3-4 months. If it's four, his season could very well be over. Chris Sim will get his wish--regular first team football--but I'm sure he'd rather it didn't come at such a huge cost to his mate Paddy.

And, speaking of mates, I'm listed as "favoured personnel" for a bunch of Alfredians: Adams, Conkleton, Cumming-Bart, Dormer, Hall, Hendry, Hester, Jatto, Noble, O'Donnell, Price, Tessem, and Wilson.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

5 January 2013

Thame United 0-1 Wantage Town
Meadow View Park, Thame
Attendance: 90
Breezy, Drizzle 13° C

4-4-2 Diamond
GK: Halsall
D: Conkleton, Jatto, Price, Gier
DM: Cumming-Bart
M: Dormer, Asare-Addai
AM: Dyer
ST: Wilson, Hall

Alfredians Goal: Geraint Price (30)

Maybe I should't read much into any victory over the 18th place club in the league, but I was much more pleased with our match away at Thame today. I used some different men, resting a few of the guys who played a lot against Ascot three days ago. I also opened with an Attacking strategy, leaving it in place until about 55 minutes, when I gradually adopted more defensive mindsets.

Price, the Man of the Match, scored off a nice corner from Chris Hall, who seems to do something every match that helps us win. Rob Gier had another fine game at right back; he looks like a great acquisition.

If you don't recognize the name "Dyer" in our starting XI, it's because he's new. Samuel Dyer was the result of my search for AMCs last week. HE comes to us from Bitton FC (Western League Premier Division), where he scored two goals and had seven assists in 14 matches. He's 24, and he reminds me a little of Chris Hall, but with slightly better athleticism and slightly less polish.

We're still a little wobbly at DM, aside from Jo Tessem. Chris Cumming-Bart played there today, and I hate to see that red dot beside his name while he's learning the position. I might give one of the youth players a go when Tessem needs a rest, and I'm also looking to see if there are any defensive mids listed for loan. I like this attacking 4-4-2 diamond I'm using, and with the fixture congestion we're experiencing right now, depth will be a necessity.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

12 January 2013

Marlow 0-3 Wantage Town
Alfred Davis Memorial Ground, Marlow
Attendance: 96
Dry 13° C

4-4-2 Diamond
GK: O'Donnell
D: Sim, Price, Jatto, Gier
DM: Tessem
M: Dormer, Noble
AM: Hall
ST: Adams, Wilson

Alfredians Goals: Jack Adams (4, 47), Michael Jatto (65)

This one was HUGE. Huge, huge, huge.

Like I did against Thame United, I went out in attack mode, and Adams struck hard and fast. Then he added another right before the halftime whistle.

Meanwhile, our back line was playing like titans. Their ratings: 7.5, 7.5, 9.0, 8.1, respectively. Jatto, our stopper, didn't put a foot wrong all match, and he topped it off by heading in a corner. He was Man of the Match, with that 9.0 rating.

Chris Hall directed the show brilliantly, earning an 8.8. And Adams' two goals give him 15 on the season, one more than Marlow's dangerous striker, Jermaine Roche. The supporters have made up a chant especially for Jack.

We are three points clear at the top of the table now and, what's more, we've won our last two away fixtures.

Strange news of the week: I found a good young DMC, Charlie Hunter, who had been listed for loan by Boreham Wood. I made an offer, his club accepted it, and then Charlie OKed the move, too. It looked like I had a nice, short-term answer to the question of how I would keep from running poor Jo Tessem's 40-year-old legs completely off.

The only problem is: Charlie is constantly declared "unavailable for next match." What's the deal? Where is he?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

15 January 2013

Wantage Town 2-2 Flackwell Heath
Alfredian Park, Wantage
Attendance: 92
Shower 9° C

4-4-2 Diamond
GK: Halsall
D: Conkleton, Jatto, Price, Hendry
DM: Tessem
M: Cumming-Bart, Hall
AM: Dyer
ST: Adams, Bennett

Alfredians Goals: Jack Adams (1), Geraint Price (45+2)

Naturally, with only three days between fixtures, I had to rotate a few guys into the side today. It would have been great to take three points today, but we'll take the one we got.

Jack scored in the first 20 seconds of the match, and at first I think we all thought we'd roll to another victory. But Flackwell Heath played us tough in the first match of the Hellenic League schedule, and they did the same thing today. They equalized at 23 minutes, and then Joe Conkleton was called for a penalty that they converted. It was a harsh call, but I have to keep my mouth shut; I've been warned by the FA already.

Fortunately, Geraint beat one of their center backs to the ball off a corner and put it in the back of the net to square the match back up.

The second half was mostly uneventful until the 83rd minute, whenConkleton tangled up with Heathens' Steffen Ball and fell awkwardly. The injury was even worse than it looked; Joe's leg is broken, and he won't be able to play again until next summer. I feel terrible for him; he's a good guy and a talented player, and I hope he comes all the way back next year.

The fixtures are coming fast and furious now. Highmoor Ibis comes to town in three more days.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

9 March 2013

I'm discovering why so many people, all over the world, play Football Manager. I've never been so caught up in a game world as I am right now. I didn't want to stop playing long enough to write game stories, because there always seemed to be a plot line I wanted to follow. Would the player my staff discovered for me be willing to sign with Wantage Town? Will we win this tough upcoming road fixture? Next thing I knew, January had turned to February, and then to March.

The Alfredians are still on top of the table, but now we're only two points clear of Marlow. Both clubs have played 31 matches; we have 57 points to their 55. Highworth Town, who have been in very good form lately, have 53, and Reading Town, another hard charger, are at 52 with a game in hand on the other leaders.

Our goal differential (54 scored, 31 conceded) is the league's best. Only Witney Town (57) have scored more times in league play than we have. Oxford City Nomads (28) and Abingdon Town (29) have conceded fewer.

A quick run-down of our results looks like this:

18 January: Wantage Town 2-1 Highmoor Ibis
26 January: Shrivenham FC 1-0 Wantage Town
30 January: Wantage Town 0-0 Holyport FC
2 February: Wantage Town 2-0 Oxford City Nomads
9 February: Wantage Town 1-0 Cheltenham Saracens
12 February: Thame United 1-2e Wantage Town (Oxfordshire Sr. Cup Semi-final)
2 March: Binfield FC 1-0 Wantage Town
9 March: Slimbridge FC 1-1 Wantage Town

It seems like the league has caught up to us a little bit. We've scored only eight goals in our last eight matches. I apparently have a lot to learn about staying ahead of the computer manager, which makes the game a fun challenge.

Jack Adams is tied with Danny Egan of Binfield for the league lead in goals, with 19 apiece. His average rating of 7.40 is third in the league; former Alfredian Ian Brown is just ahead of him at 7.43.

Max Noble leads in assists with 12, but he is probably finished for the season as he recovers from a bad case of shin splints. Max joins Paddy Hester and Joe Conkleton on the injury list. Kevin Asare-Addai is playing right wing in Max's place.

I signed a defensive midfielder in January, and he's cracked our starting eleven. John Halls had been without a team for a while, and we were delighted to discover what a good fit he seems to be in our club. John is a 31-year-old veteran who can fill in at several other positions, too.

I also discovered the joy of bringing in players on loan. It pays sometimes to investigate players whom your staff believe might be "unrealistic transfers." I was able to deal with the spate of injuries along our back line by loaning in Alex White from Eastleigh (Blue Square Bet South) and Dean Overson from Bradford City (League 2). Both Alex and Dean were considered "unrealistic" targets, but they're going to be in Alfredians green and white for the remainder of the season.

Seven fixtures remain in our Hellenic Premier League schedule. Can we hang on for the championship? On 4 and 16 April, we face Reading Town in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup Final ties, away and then home. It's looking like an exciting spring for The Alfredians, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the ride.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

29 March 2013

The transfer deadline for English clubs was yesterday. My press officer invited me to take part in the media coverage, and I accepted. What a day...my staff and I were kept busy until the clock struck midnight.

I didn't go into Deadline Day with any real needs; I'm happy with the way our squad looks but, at the same time, I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to add a talented player or two. I got together with Anton Sambrook to see what his scouting efforts had uncovered.

We spotted a goalkeeper called Matthew Trott, an Australian with tremendous athleticism for a keeper and a cool head. We quickly reached an agreement with him, and had only one further hurdle to clear: his application for a work permit.

I called the backroom staff together to find out what they had to say, and Jo Tessem told me about another goalie: George Lawton, with Loughborough University FC of the Midland Football Alliance. He'd conceded 8 goals in 12 appearances and, at 21, he's younger than Trott. I put in a bid for him, too. We have two talented goalkeepers in Conor O'Donnell and Tom Halsall, but Conor is off on international duty a few times a season and it's good to have another keeper on the roster.

In the meantime, I saw Lee Canoville on Anton's list. He's a veteran who is best at right back, but can literally play anywhere on the back half of the formation. Lee has spent much of his career with Boston United and other clubs in League Two and the Blue Square Bet North, but this season he's been with Spalding United, an amateur club like we are. He scored six goals and posted an average rating just over 7.00, so he's had a solid season. Earlier in the year, I tried to sign him and he turned me down cold. I decided to give it another try, despite the fact that Lee admitted the offer didn't exactly thrill him.

Meanwhile, Trott's application for a work permit was rejected, and I quickly appealed the decision. I was fielding questions from Neil Abel, a journalist from the Non-League Paper, throughout the day and evening, and I told him I hoped the Trott signing would happen before the window closed.

At 22:45, I learned my appeal was denied. Then Jo told me that our interest in George Lawton had somehow become public knowledge. Had Neil been sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong?

With less than an hour remaining, I received word that Lawton had signed for us. And, very quickly after that, Lee Canoville let us know he was on his way to Alfredian Park, too! He's impressed with our standing in the league.

Transfer deadline day is a heck of a lot of fun in FM 13. Add that to the list of things I am starting to really, really love about this game.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

The Alfredians are contending in a tight battle for the Hellenic Premier League title, but we've also had our eyes on the Oxfordshire Senior Cup. The final ties were played this month, and here's how they turned out.

9 April 2013
Oxfordshire Senior Cup Final Leg 1

Reading Town 1-2 Wantage Town

Scours Lane, Tiehurst
Attendance: 438
Wet, 9° C

4-4-2
GK: O'Donnell
D: White, Overson, Price, Canoville
M: Dormer, Halls, Cumming-Bart, Hall
ST: Reece, Adams

Alfredians Goals: Matthew Reece (1), Jack Adams (32)

We decided to give Reading something different, switching to a flat 4-4-2. That enabled me to spread the playing time around a bit as we alternate between league fixtures and cup ties for the next two weeks. I got Chris Cumming-Bart, a very good CM, into the lineup this way, too.

Matthew Reece was signed in early March to give us some insurance at striker. He was once in Fulham's youth program, but he didn't get much time here, and Staines Town let him go on a free earlier in the season. He's a hell of a good third striker for this level, and he's only 20. His first Alfredians goal will be one to remember, as it got us off on a flyer and quieted a good-sized crowd at Scours Lane.

Adams scored to give us a 2-0 lead at the half. I slowed our tempo and directed the players to retain possession, and it seemed to work well. Reading pulled one back on 58 minutes, but we held on to bring a 2-1 advantage back to Alfredian Park.

16 April 2013
Oxfordshire Senior Cup Final Leg 2

Wantage Town 4-1 Reading Town

Alfredian Park, Wantage
Attendance: 442
Wet, 13° C

4-4-2 Diamond
GK: O'Donnell
D: Hester, Price, Overson, Canoville
DM: Halls
M: Dormer, Noble
AM: Hall
ST: Adams, Reece

Alfredians Goals: Jack Adams (2, 6, pen22), Chris Hall (56)

I could hear the crowd, chanting and roaring, as I gave my pregame talk to the team. It wasn't difficult to motivate them to play tonight. We came out in attack mode, hoping to take a quick lead. I have to say that worked pretty well for us.

The supporters didn't have time to quiet down before Jack scored one, and then another. He was cut down in the box a short time later, and he buried the penalty to put us up 3-0, and 4-1 on aggregate.

After the half, Chris hit a laser shot from 25 yards that beat their keeper, and from that point forward we went back to our standard mentality, slowed things down, and enjoyed the ride a little bit.

We had a league game, away at Ardley United, on the 13th (we drew, 2-2), so we had to make use of our depth. Fortunately, Paddy Hester and Max Noble returned from their injury lay-offs in time. We subbed in Kevin Asare-Addai, Michael Jatto, and Chris Sim during the second half, so we could rest a few of the lads a bit more.

Jamie Dormer became our captain when Grant Shaw dumped us for Newcastle Benfield back in February, so we got to proudly watch Jamie hoist the Oxfordshire Senior Cup.

The board and the supporters are delighted with our cup victory, and the press has been very complimentary, too. Now, it's time to take care of business in the League. We are a point behind Marlow, 64-63, with three matches left; away to Witney Town (17th in the League), away to Ascot United (9th), and home with Kidlington FC (19th). Marlow has Oxford City Nomads(5th) and Cheltenham Saracens (8th) at home, and end their season away to Binfield FC (18th). And neither of us can count out Highworth Town, third with 60.

Reading Town is still in it, too, with 59. And I'm sure their manager, Keith Wallis, would love to reel us in. Keith and I had quite a smack-talk fest in the days leading up to the final tie.

For now, I'm going to enjoy the satisfaction of my first cup victory as a manager.

This is the Oxfordshire Senior Cup and shield. They've been awarded since 1884-85, and this is the first time Wantage Town have won.
They're shown with a map of Oxfordshire, and the background is (unfortunately) Oxford United's club badge.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

4 May 2013

Season One is officially in the books.

On 20 April, we went away to Witney Town and beat them, 3-0. Michael Jatto got a rare treat--he knocked in a goal off a pretty corner by Chris Hall. Jack Adams and Lee Weemes also scored. Alfredians "old boy" Ian Brown sprained his wrist and had to leave the game. Ian had a fine year for Witney Town: 12 goals and 10 assists, and an average rating of 7.23.

The same day, Marlow beat Oxford City Nomads, 2-1, on a tragic own goal by Nomads' Rob Kean. That preserved Marlow's one-point advantage over us.

Four days later, we beat Ascot United, 3-1. Matthew Reece, who has turned out to be a fantastic find, had a brace, and Max Noble got the other goal. Ascot's smooth young striker, Graham Metcalf, spoiled George Lawton's clean sheet with his 16th goal in League play. That victory put us on 69 points, and we had to wait until the 27th for Marlow to play again. When they did, Matt Axell had a hat trick in 4-1 routing of Cheltenham Saracens.

By now, it was a two-team battle; the other contenders had fallen off our pace. Today's fixtures would decide the championship.

• Marlow control their own destiny. If they win, they win the championship, simple as that.
• If we lose, Marlow win the League. Again, very simple.
• If Marlow lose, they can still win the title if we also lose, home to Kidlington FC. If Marlow lose and we draw, we will beat them out on goal differential.
• If we both draw our matches, Marlow keep their one-point edge and win it all.

To put it simply, we needed to win, and we had to trust Binfield FC, 15th in the table, to pull off an upset.

It was a dreary, rainy afternoon at Alfredian Park, but a crowd of 221--our biggest for a League match all season--came out to cheer us on. Thirteen minutes in, tiny winger Max Noble took a beautiful cross from our maestro of the attacking midfield, Chris Hall, and popped it into the open right corner of the net. Wantage 1, Kidlington 0.

On 41 minutes, Gary Pryde, a right back who hadn't played much lately, showed me that perhaps I need to make sure he's in Wantage green next year. He crossed the ball to a wide-open Jamie Dormer. The captain took it on one hop and put it in the goal. Wantage 2, Kidlington 0.

By the time we went in at half time, we knew that Binfield had scored and led Marlow, 1-0. And, when the second half commenced, Binfield scored another. Could the title be ours? I let myself dream a little.

We slowed the tempo down, as usual, and on 85', Hall took a pass from Rob Gier and scored from close range. We'd done what we had to do. Kidlington scored in extra time, but that didn't matter at all.

I had deliberately been trying to avoid seeing Marlow's score, so I'd missed the fact that Axell pulled one back for the Blues on 64 minutes. So, when the news that Jermaine Roche, their captain, had scored on 80'--to EQUALIZE--popped up, I was caught off guard. Roche did what a leader does; he put his team on his back and said "This one's not over yet, lads." The goal was Jermaine's 20th in League play. Only our Jack Adams (22) has more.

That's all right, I thought. If that score holds up, we'll win by a point.

Matt Axell is 27 years old, and he's primarily a center midfielder, although his position chart is full of different colored circles. Marlow signed him from East Preston on a free, and he made 19 appearances for the Blues. In his first 17 matches, he scored one goal. Then came the hat trick against Saracens, which I mentioned earlier, and you might recall he scored Marlow's first goal today.

In the 90th minute of Marlow's game, with their championship hopes all but gone, Matt Axell patiently stayed onside while his teammate Jason Hawes passed the ball to captain Roche. Jermaine saw him and flicked the ball in front of him, right at the edge of the box. From there, Axell had a clear shot at the goal, and he did not miss.

Marlow 3, Binfield 2.

With five goals in his last two matches, Matt Axell led Marlow to the Hellenic Premier League crown. All I can say is "well done."

Marlow signed Matt Axell on Christmas Day. Don't try to tell anyone in Marlow there's no Santa Claus.

[britrock88]

Woof. Who promotes? Just the winner?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by britrock88

Woof. Who promotes? Just the winner?

Just the winner. The Alfredians will return to the Hellenic Premier League again for 2013-14.

I'm not sure if that will make it more or less likely I can bring the core of this year's side back for next season. I'm attached to quite a few of these guys, and I'd like to manage them again.

Thanks for the comment. Good to have you reading along!