Blue Square North title challengers Fleetwood Town hired manager Riddick with the view he could bring greater prospects to the club, but none, not even Riddick himself, truly believed he would bring season after season of glory, upon their long road to league one.
Season Number 1(09/10): Blue Square North:
Taking over Fleetwood Town with a low transfer and wage budget, Riddick knew he had an uphill struggle ahead of him, but those players wearing Fleetwood colours took to heart Riddick's words, and played his tactics to a tee. Primarily the team played through the centre, with Tom Cahill and on-loan Vitor Flora playing the main attacking role. The only transfer action was the loan-signing of Vitor Flora, and the release of assistant manager John Hills, to which a replacement was found in Middlesbrough’s Mark Proktor. Late November brought about a club takeover, with new owner, Alberto Di Chiara, funding 18 million to the club, upgrading all facilities and giving Riddick a hefty 6 million transfer budget, with a 100kp/w wage budget. January brought about the signings of Vitor Flora, who came to be a key player for the team, and also saw Liam Dawson, Chris Smith and Ashley Grimes arrive at the club, with the departure or Richard Ince to Coventry for 70k. Transfers totalled 400k, and did not dent the transfer budget, but it was not needed.
Fleetwood Town saw themselves defeated in the FA Cup first round, and the FA Trophy third qualifying round, but finished the season as champions, seeing Riddick collect 7 Manager of the month awards, and claiming Manager of the season.
Season Number 2(10/11) Blue Square Premier:
Riddick saw himself carry a 6million transfer budget into his second season, but had a complete failure at attracting higher valued players to the club. The initial transfer window saw 5 loan signings, the affiliation of the club with Liverpool, and the 3k signing of Raul Amarilla from Olimpia. Fleetwood had a struggling pre-season, which was congested with fixtures, of which they only won 1, a 3-2 victory of the Glen Hoddle academy. When the season started, nerves where high, but the team got off to a winning start, gathering a valuable foothold in a league they conquered within the year. Nobody had expected Fleetwood to gain a second successive promotion, with the media touting them as favourites for relegation, but vital loan-signings, most-notably being Liverpool’s perpetuini, helped secure them the title. January saw the release of 11 reserve players, deemed an unnecessary expense by the manager.
Season 2 saw Riddick claim another 5 Manager of the month awards, and his second Manager of the season award. Riddick claimed his first cup glory, beating Barnet 2-0 in the FA Trophy final and progressing further in the FA Cup, reaching the fourth round.
Season Number 3(11/12) Coca-Cola League Two:
Again carrying a hefty transfer budget, and seeing all the clubs facilities upgraded yet again, Riddick was looking forward to another successful season in charge of Fleetwood Town. Again, clutching the bull by its horns, Fleetwood took their new environment like a fish to water, although they suffered an early exit with their first experience of the League Cup. There first attempt at the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy saw them fall to a defeat on penalties to League One’s Charlton, finishing the 90 minutes 2-2. Fans also saw their team crash out in the first round of the FA Cup, losing 4-2 in a return leg at Blackpool, after drawing 2-2 in a tightly contested affair. This season saw the signing of Martin Kelly from Liverpool, and Rodri from Fuenlabrada. Perpetuini returned for his second season on loan with the Fishermen, and showed the same class which held him a first team place in his first season with them. Gavin Hoyte, Gauthier Mahoto and Derek Moore also joined on loan for the full season.
A third consecutive, successful year saw Riddick taking Fleetwood Town into League One, Finishing as champions of yet another league. Riddick claimed another 4 Manager of the month awards, taking his total to 16, and collected his third Manager of the season award.
Season Number 4(12/13) Coca-Cola League One: The Story So Far
At the beginning of his fourth season in charge, Riddick released Gareth Seddon and Aaron Grundy on free transfer’s, both players who had done more than their part to see Fleetwood to this stage, but Riddick solidly stated the players did not have what it took to continue at the next level. Having just one goalkeeper, Riddick took Liverpool’s 17 year old Finnish keeper Juha Matti Nuutinen on-loan, but the young keeper found himself injured for seven weeks within 4 days of arriving. Michael Tonge, Adam Matthews and James Wallace also signed for Fleetwood, all on free transfers. Despite another season holding a 6 million pound transfer budget, Riddick only shelled out 350k, bringing in Barcelona’s young left back Jose Carlos Terron. A massive staff haul out also took place, replacing nearly every member of staff on the Fleetwood team, as the team now had a reputation high enough to take on desired members of staff.
Currently 10 games into the league one season, Fleetwood are sitting comfortably in 3rd position, with a game in hand, in which a win would move them second. And despite an early exit from the league cup, in the first round for the second consecutive season, Riddick claimed Manager of the Month for September.
Season Number 1(09/10): Blue Square North:
Taking over Fleetwood Town with a low transfer and wage budget, Riddick knew he had an uphill struggle ahead of him, but those players wearing Fleetwood colours took to heart Riddick's words, and played his tactics to a tee. Primarily the team played through the centre, with Tom Cahill and on-loan Vitor Flora playing the main attacking role. The only transfer action was the loan-signing of Vitor Flora, and the release of assistant manager John Hills, to which a replacement was found in Middlesbrough’s Mark Proktor. Late November brought about a club takeover, with new owner, Alberto Di Chiara, funding 18 million to the club, upgrading all facilities and giving Riddick a hefty 6 million transfer budget, with a 100kp/w wage budget. January brought about the signings of Vitor Flora, who came to be a key player for the team, and also saw Liam Dawson, Chris Smith and Ashley Grimes arrive at the club, with the departure or Richard Ince to Coventry for 70k. Transfers totalled 400k, and did not dent the transfer budget, but it was not needed.
Fleetwood Town saw themselves defeated in the FA Cup first round, and the FA Trophy third qualifying round, but finished the season as champions, seeing Riddick collect 7 Manager of the month awards, and claiming Manager of the season.
Season Number 2(10/11) Blue Square Premier:
Riddick saw himself carry a 6million transfer budget into his second season, but had a complete failure at attracting higher valued players to the club. The initial transfer window saw 5 loan signings, the affiliation of the club with Liverpool, and the 3k signing of Raul Amarilla from Olimpia. Fleetwood had a struggling pre-season, which was congested with fixtures, of which they only won 1, a 3-2 victory of the Glen Hoddle academy. When the season started, nerves where high, but the team got off to a winning start, gathering a valuable foothold in a league they conquered within the year. Nobody had expected Fleetwood to gain a second successive promotion, with the media touting them as favourites for relegation, but vital loan-signings, most-notably being Liverpool’s perpetuini, helped secure them the title. January saw the release of 11 reserve players, deemed an unnecessary expense by the manager.
Season 2 saw Riddick claim another 5 Manager of the month awards, and his second Manager of the season award. Riddick claimed his first cup glory, beating Barnet 2-0 in the FA Trophy final and progressing further in the FA Cup, reaching the fourth round.
Season Number 3(11/12) Coca-Cola League Two:
Again carrying a hefty transfer budget, and seeing all the clubs facilities upgraded yet again, Riddick was looking forward to another successful season in charge of Fleetwood Town. Again, clutching the bull by its horns, Fleetwood took their new environment like a fish to water, although they suffered an early exit with their first experience of the League Cup. There first attempt at the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy saw them fall to a defeat on penalties to League One’s Charlton, finishing the 90 minutes 2-2. Fans also saw their team crash out in the first round of the FA Cup, losing 4-2 in a return leg at Blackpool, after drawing 2-2 in a tightly contested affair. This season saw the signing of Martin Kelly from Liverpool, and Rodri from Fuenlabrada. Perpetuini returned for his second season on loan with the Fishermen, and showed the same class which held him a first team place in his first season with them. Gavin Hoyte, Gauthier Mahoto and Derek Moore also joined on loan for the full season.
A third consecutive, successful year saw Riddick taking Fleetwood Town into League One, Finishing as champions of yet another league. Riddick claimed another 4 Manager of the month awards, taking his total to 16, and collected his third Manager of the season award.
Season Number 4(12/13) Coca-Cola League One: The Story So Far
At the beginning of his fourth season in charge, Riddick released Gareth Seddon and Aaron Grundy on free transfer’s, both players who had done more than their part to see Fleetwood to this stage, but Riddick solidly stated the players did not have what it took to continue at the next level. Having just one goalkeeper, Riddick took Liverpool’s 17 year old Finnish keeper Juha Matti Nuutinen on-loan, but the young keeper found himself injured for seven weeks within 4 days of arriving. Michael Tonge, Adam Matthews and James Wallace also signed for Fleetwood, all on free transfers. Despite another season holding a 6 million pound transfer budget, Riddick only shelled out 350k, bringing in Barcelona’s young left back Jose Carlos Terron. A massive staff haul out also took place, replacing nearly every member of staff on the Fleetwood team, as the team now had a reputation high enough to take on desired members of staff.
Currently 10 games into the league one season, Fleetwood are sitting comfortably in 3rd position, with a game in hand, in which a win would move them second. And despite an early exit from the league cup, in the first round for the second consecutive season, Riddick claimed Manager of the Month for September.