Forever Felinfach - A Welsh Tier 5 Journey

[QuakerPlays]

Well here we are, 2022. The past few years have been pretty uneventful… so obviously the perfect tonic is a One Club style save with a Welsh Tier 5 club! Let’s get straight into it and find out a bit more about the club shall we?


Club Background and History

Felinfach Football Club were formed in 1980 in the small Welsh village bearing the same name. They enjoyed their best period of success during the early 90’s with a few league cup wins and Ceredigion League titles.


According to the 2011 census (which is incredibly 11 years old!) we are attempting to entertain a population of 673. I would say this is the norm for teams in our league and above, with the talent pool to choose new players from being quite condensed and competitive.

Location within Wales

The Mean Streets of Felinfach!

League Overview

The Ceredigion League Divison One is home to 9 teams from across the region with Lampeter reigning supreme last time out.

Now, although the guys who have created the Tier 5 database for Wales have done a brilliant job I have added playable staff to the teams at this level for that extra amount of realism - rather than going out and with no scouting knowledge and buying a load of unknown quantities. You will meet the lads in the next episode!

Rules and Save Objective
Let's keep it nice and simple. I am setting myself this challenge over 10 seasons in Football Manager 22. I would like to win the Welsh Cup and the Welsh Premier League within that time. As a rule, especially from the 2nd season after our Youth Intake we must include 3 Academy Graduates in our match day squad.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my very first blog post today. Stay tuned for Episode 1 where we will take a look at our squad and see how our first season in Felin has gone.

Diolch yn fawr/Thank you very much!

 

[QuakerPlays]

Day 1. Felinfach Playing Fields, enter Dave Coaches. The moustachioed Barry born disciplinarian who has a tendency to ‘drive’ his team on with his intimidating stance on the touchline is the new man in the Felinfach hot seat. Dave himself would admit that he is not blessed with the greatest managerial attributes but the Felinfach board have shown enough trust in him to send him off on a coaching course right away.

Let’s have a look at the squad Mr Coaches has inherited. Quite a substantial 22 man squad with a variety of ages and interesting nationalities in there. My particular favourite straight away is our 6 foot, 16 Year Old, Danish Centre Back – Thomas Jensen Fredskov(known as TJF from here on out).

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In terms of the youth system, Dave Coaches has quite a small crop of players to choose from but sadly none of them look like cutting the mustard quite yet.

Off we go into pre season, with 6 fixtures planned with teams from Tier 5 and above. It will be interesting to see how the Felinfach team line up in their first game away to Lucas Cwmbran. Coaches goes with a strict 4-4-2 (of course he does) and looks to hit on the counter with direct and high passing. There was a bit of a settling in period in the first half with only 1 shot on target, however, DC celebrates victory in his first game with a 1-0 win thanks to a SCREAMER from central midfielder Matthew Samuel in the 91st minute.

Pre season steadily improves from there and the morale boosting win is followed by a 2-2 draw with Knighton and a closely contested 0-0 with the jetsetting, Cardiff Airport.

It is in the next friendly that we may have witnessed the beginning of a cult hero. Yes that’s right, Mark MacDonald (hereby known as Super Mac) has used all of his 6 foot 2 frame to smash his way into Dave Coaches first XI. He picks up the only goal of the game in the 1-0 win at home to Pwlheli. This is followed by two in the 3-2 home win away to Cardiff Draconians in which incidentally our goalie Kristian Laurie picks up an 8.8 with TWO penalty saves. Super Mac then finishes off pre-season with 2 goals in 4-1 thumping at home to Goodwick United.

Let’s take a look at the players who caught the eye in pre pre-season and who could be ones to watch!

Super Mac – Mark MacDonald
As I mentioned earlier Super Mac helped himself to 5 goals in 6 games over pre-season and looks like he is going to be a real handful for Felin this season. Being 6”1 with 12 heading and 13 jumping reach at this level tends to lead to a lot of goals!

Safe Hands – Krisian Laurie
Buoyed by his penalty saving heroics vs Cardiff Draconians, Laurie has had a very impressive pre season and looks to be a very reliable pair of hands for Tier 5.

Man Mountain – Craig Reynolds
Standing at 6”3, Craig Reynolds has been a tower of strength at the back throughout preseason. His other attributes aren’t fantastic, 1 for Off the Ball in particular, but I think he will be a vital part of Dave Coaches’ back four.

So there we go. A very successful pre-season for Dave Coaches and his Felinfach side. 6 games played with 4 wins and 2 draws. 9 goals collectively and 5 for Super Mac. Everything is going according to plan…

NO! Injuries to Super Mac and Safe Hands Laurie mean that Felinfach start their season without two absolute key players. How will Mr Coaches handle the mini injury crisis? Will Felinfach get off to a good start? Find out in the next installment of Forever Felinfach!

 

[QuakerPlays]

First choice Goalkeeper out injured. Pre-season goal-scoring revelation recovering from a knock. Media prediction of a 9th placed finish (in a league of 9). I wouldn’t say this was an ideal start for Dave Coaches at Felinfach but there were still plenty of positives as we began our very first season of this 10 year challenge. One positive being the fantastic new kits provided for this series by Lorenzo over at @fmcustomkits on Twitter. I tried to stay as close to the original Felin kits as possible but with a nod to the local University as our main sponsor. Great stuff! Let’s see if these snazzy new kits had any impact on the pitch.

The first game of the Coaches era is a home tie against local rivals Crannog. Felinfach are boosted by the fact that they have sold 65 – yes 65 season tickets this season!

Into the action we go with Coaches naming a strong starting XI and using the same 4-4-2 used so successfully throughout pre-season. The first half whimpers by with the visitors taking the lead in the 39th minute. 0-1. In the 75th minute Karal Rozic, our mercurial 15 year old winger, smashes in an equaliser and things get even better when Felinfach are awarded a penalty in the 85th minute! TJF steps up and… blasts it over the bar! Final score, 1-1.

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As you can see above Dave Coaches had seen enough in that first game to know he needed some attacking reinforcements. His first acquisition was striker John Lumb from Cardigan. This signing was closely followed by fellow forward Colin Sugnaux and central midfield dynamo Kevin Morgan.
Next up at the Felinfach Playing Fields were the fantastically named St Dogmaels. Felinfach welcomed back Super Mac for this tie and won 3-1 thanks to a brace from the big man and a debut goal for Canadian Colin Sugnaux. This was followed up by a 3-0 win against Llandysul with Super Mac, Kevin Morgan and an own goal helping the boys along the way.

Two wins on the trot and three games without defeat – a great start for the Felin squad!

Next up was the small matter of the LampeterDerby. Felinfach were boosted by the news that the Playing Fields would be bouncing (300 fans in attendance!) so obviously a 2-1 win with goals from Super Mac and right back Craig Reynolds was the perfect way to repay their faith. Super Mac was in the goals AGAIN in the very next game away to Ffostrasol. Felinfach celebrated another 3-1 win with Johnny Lumbscoring his first for the club, Super Mac smashing in another and fellow striker John Sugnaux grabbing the clincher.

Everything was going simply swimmingly as Felin made the short trip down the road to Bargod. However, two late goals in a six goal thriller saw Felinfach fall to their first defeat of the season. 4-2. Goals from Lumb and Goodridge were not enough as Bargod kept finding holes in the Felin back line. Nevertheless, the players had to dust themselves down and go again as the next match with Llanboidy was a top of the table clash. The stage was set, this was going to be a classic… it ended 1-0 to Felinfach thanks to a Kevin Morgan scuffed shot. We’ll take it!

After moving top of the table, Dave Coaches looked to strengthen his position at the club by asking for more coaching qualifications. This was rejected by the board but never mind, we push on! The next match up against Cardigan at home marked the half way point of the Ceredigion League season and Felin had to get a result to keep themselves top of the shop. They did so with a battling 2-2 draw which saw them fall behind on two occasions. Goals from Super Mac and John Sugnauxwere enough to claim the point that kept Felin top of the pile.

Mid Season Summary
So far it has been a wildly successful season for Dave Coaches and his men. Predicted to finish bottom by the media at the start of the year, they have done brilliantly to be top at this stage of the season. Notable players include marauding full back Craig Reynolds, intelligent central midfielder Kevin Morgan and of course the goal scoring phenomenon that is Super Mac!

Moving forward, DC may look to strengthen his backroom staff as he’s currently working as a lone wolf OR he may look to invest in some defensive reinforcements with only 1 clean sheet recorded so far. Either way, it is going to be an exciting end to the season and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Thanks for reading!

 

[QuakerPlays]

Drama is defined as being, ‘an exciting, emotional, or unexpected event or circumstance’. Drama could also be defined as Felinfach’s end of season run-in during Season 1 of our 10 season challenge!

Things start off quite smoothly for Dave Coaches’ outfit after our last update. An entertaining, albeit temperamental, 3-3 draw with Crannog sees two Felin players sent off! This was followed up by a brilliant 5-2 win against St Dogmaels. David Goodridge, our marauding right back, picked up the first, with Jacka and Johnny Lumb netting as well. Of course, our main man, our hero Super Mark MacDonald, picked up a brace. We would be lost without him!

Oh dear god. Average Mac has left a goal machine shaped hole in DC’s frontline and he moved quickly to reinforce the squad before the remaining 6 games of the season. Right back, Tomas Howatson-Jones, left back Corey Saunders and midfielders, Alyn Roberts, Matty Robinson and Chris Hughesall sign in a mass scramble.

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With an influx of signings, a loss of a figurehead and a moustache groomed within an inch of its life Dave Coaches readied his side to take on Llandysul and Ffostrasol respectively. Back to back 3-0 wins send Felinfach up to top spot. What a difference two games make!

With the new team settling in nicely and Coaches’ backroom staff taking shape, Felinfach seemed to be in a great position to take on local rivals Lampeter. They started well with new striker Oliver Davies and defender Mario Gashi grabbing a goal a piece. 2-0 at half time. Oliver Davies netted a penalty in the 81st minute – game, set and match. Or not. We drew 3-3, unbelievable! Felinfach fell down to 2nd behind Llanboidy and Dave Coaches went berserk.

His mood is tempered slightly with the news he will be gaining his next coaching qualification, thank goodness for that!

Three games remain in the run-in with Llanboidy, Crannog and Felinfach all fighting for the top two positions. Felinfach beat relegation candidates 3-2, goals from John Lumb and Oliver Davies but that is not the story of the day. St Dogmaels draw 4-4 with Llanboidy in an unbelievable game which sends Felinfach top with two games to go!

Next up, a season-defining match with Llanboidy. Looking at the league table, it is incredibly close!

Llanboidy took the lead in the 3rd minute through Dominic Evans but midfielder Matty Robinson leveled six minutes later with his first for the club and it’s an absolute screamer! 1-1. Evans gets the second for the visitors, however, Oliver Davies equalises from the spot to make it 2-2 before the break. That is how it finishes, Felinfach sit top with one game remaining.

All Felinfach must do is BETTER Llanboidy’s goal difference. They don’t. They must equal Llanboidy’s result. They don’t. Felinfach go on to lose 4-2 to 6th placed Cardigan… oh dear.

Finishing 2nd in the Ceredigion League ensures Felinfach take part in the Tier 5 play offs. Coaches readied his squad for the semi final against Bagillt by bringing in former Wales Under 21 goalkeeper, Kelland Absalom. He goes straight into the squad as Felinfach run out 4-1 winners in a comprehensive victory! Oliver Davies grabbed two with Johnny Lumband Chris Reid scoring the rest.

Into the final and into the biggest game of Dave Coaches’ aspiring managerial career. Felifach lineup against Newcastle-On-Clun, probably the tougher of the Newcastle teams! TJF, our young central defender replaces Reynolds at the back in the only change from the semi final. Felinfach burst into the league with fox in the box Johnny Lumb netting in the 6th minute. He doubles his tally with a screamer on the stroke of half time and Felinfach lead 2-0 going into the break. Think back dear reader to the 3-3 draws with Lampeter and Bargod. Surely DC’s men can’t bottle promotion now…

Tier 4 here we come!!!

Wow, where to start? Losing Average Mac, continuous draws after holding comfortable leads and yes, that awful end to the season against Cardigan. Felinfach were predicted to finish bottom yet ended up winning the playoffs and scoring a heap load of goals. Dave Coaches has gained two coaching badges, sculpted his backroom staff and began the process of getting the youth system moving in the right direction. David Goodridge, Johnny Lumb and Average Mac take home the rewards at the end of year shindig.

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So there we go. What a fantastic season! Thank you very much for being part of it and getting involved. Season 1 done, 9 to go. Up the Felin!

 

[QuakerPlays]

Second season syndrome. No, it is not a curse that exclusively befalls American TV shows but a common ailment for football teams after achieving something momentous (see Sheffield United IRL).

Hoping to stay clear of this mishap was Dave Coaches and his Felinfach squad as they began to look forward to their very first season in Tier 4. After last season’s dramatic play off final and subsequent promotion from the Ceredigion League (Tier 5) Coaches had to piece together a tactic and a group of players capable of taking the next step.

A new tactic was put together with the key ideas: get it wide and get it in the box! 4-4-2 was still the order of the day as the gaffer gutted the first team squad and brought in a whole host of new faces, the most notable being 22 year old attacker Mason Jones-Thomas. The former Swansea youngster had been playing in the Cymru Premier with Haverfordwest in the previous season which showed his pedigree at this level. He was then joined by full back Elliot Wright, striker Sam Molyneux, winger Tom Williams and a few other good young players.

Only one of Felinfach’s play off winning heroes remained in the starting line up with the fantastically named Kelland Absalom retaining his place between the sticks. Other favourites such as David Goodridge and TJF were sent packing down to the Under 19’s where their development will be monitored by the new youth staff. Previous goal scoring heroes Johnny Lumb and Oliver Davies were deemed not good enough for this level by the boss so they were released. As the old saying goes, there is no room for morality in the fourth tier of Welsh football.

Before we continue, in the prologue I mentioned that one of the aspects of the challenge was to include 3 Youth Academy products in the matchday squad. Obviously in the first season there were limitations to this, however, now we should be able to accomplish this without a problem. Players such as Barry Coleman, Giovanni Bosis and Arwel Burrows had come through the Felinfach academy and were available for selection.

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With the squad assembled and the tactic embedded, Dave Coaches was looking forward to his second season in charge despite his first choice right back Tomas Howatson-Jonespulling up injured. He’ll be back in no time though!

Felinfach’s dealings in the free agent market had marked them out as clear favourites for the title and this could be seen in the media’s season preview.

Boasting a spirited squad and three youth products on the bench, Felinfach welcomed Machynlleth to the Playing Fields for the first game of the new season. A nervy 1-0 win followed with Mason Jones-Thomas (MJT) netting on his debut. Next up was a trip to the Llandarcy Academy of Sport to take on Cwm. Fellow new arrival Sam Molyneux bagged a brace with Jones-Thomas scoring again in a 3-1 win. This was followed by a 5-2 demolition of Tywyn with MJT and Molyneux in the goals. 3 wins from 3. So far so good!

As the boys moved into the second month of the season they picked up wins against Giants Grave and Trallwm, 1-0 and 2-1 respectively. The wins kept coming as Dave Coaches’ side looked to establish themselves as a defensively strong force of nature and this was seen in consecutive 1-0 wins against Camford and Calsonic Kansei SV. With Absalom performing miracles at one end and Molyneuxand MJT scoring for fun at the other, the first 7 games were simply brilliant for Felinfach! Up next was Kyrptonite FC Llanboidy, the team that pipped us to the top of the table back down in Tier 5.

Yes it was only 1-0 and yes we desperately under-performed but that victory signalled 8 wins in a row and cemented us at the top of the table. Everything was going smoothly for Mr Coaches and his marvellous moustache, right back Tomas Howatson Jones was even returning from injury!

Oh dear.

Anyway, October ended with another three victories against Goodwick United, Tregaron and Abaraeron. MJT scored a brilliant hat trick against Goodwick while Molyneux scored a brace in a 2-0 win against local rivals Tregaron. Sam Molyneux went on to score two more in a 3-1 win away to Barmouth & Dyffrn, midfielder Matty Robinson scoring the other. With the season reaching the halfway stage, Felinfach welcomed league strugglers Evans & Williams to the Playing Fields. What happened next was a surprise to everyone! Goals from full back Elliot Wright, Sam Molyneux and Matty Robinson were sandwiched between 5 (yes 5) goals from young striker Mason Jones-Thomas in an 8-1 win!

With a 13 match consecutive winning run in the back pocket and a packet of Malboros up the sleeve, Coaches was not surprised to check his inbox on a cold November morning and see a message from Bangor City in the Cymru Premier. Flattered but not persuaded, Coaches decides to push on with his Felin project.

A 1-1 draw away to Neath disappointed fans as December arrived, however, I am sure you will all agree that was a brilliant start to the season. 14 games played with 13 wins and only 1 draw – not bad at all. Mason Jones-Thomas leads the way with Sam Molyneux not far behind in the race for the Golden Lovespoon (Top Goalscorer). Absalom also holds the top spot for the most clean sheets so far, 8 from 14.

So there we go! What Second Season Syndrome?! Join us next time as we see if Felinfach can hold onto top spot and make their way into the third tier of Welsh football.
Thanks for reading!