Running Story Achievements
Career To Date
10/04/2025 - Present - Vit. Guimaraes (Portugal)
20/01/2023 - 01/12/2024 - Sampdoria (Italy)
25/07/19 - 20/01/2023 - IFK Norrkoping FK (Sweden)
25/07/16 - 25/07/19 - Ange IF (Sweden)
Job Statistics
Sampdoria (until end of 2023/24 season) - Played 75, Won 29, Drawn 19, Lost 27, Win Percentage: 39%
IFK Norrkoping - Played 137, Won 90, Drawn 34, Lost 13, Win Percentage: 65%
Ange IF - Played 80, Won 44, Drawn 19, Lost 17, Win Percentage: 55%
League Positions
2023/24 - Sampdoria - Italian Serie A - 9th
2022/23 - Sampdoria - Italian Serie A - 9th
2022 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division - 1st
2021 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division - 2nd
2020 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division - 2nd
2019 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division - 8th
2018 - Ange IF - Swedish Second Division North - 1st
2017 - Ange IF - Swedish Second Division North - 3rd
2016 - Ange IF - Swedish Second Division North - 9th
Running Trophy Count
2022 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division
2022 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Cup
2021 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Cup
2020 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Cup
2018 - Ange IF - Swedish Second Division North
Intro
My name is Chris Ball. I'm 31 from Kent in England. Having played Football Manager for as long as I can remember now, going back a number of years and so a number of different games, I have to admit that things have become a little stale for me over the past couple of months. I've struggled with motivation, starting multiple games over and over, never getting past a couple of months before I am inevitably bored.
So I wondered what I could do to inspire myself and keep myself interested and motivated. Now I'm a guy that likes praise - like most of us I enjoy being told when I'm doing anything good. So I thought I'd write a story for the first time. I started a new save as Nottingham Forest and cracked on. Now the story side of the game I really enjoyed and this interested me, but by October on my game I was bored AGAIN!!
Feeling frustrated and requiring some inspiration, I went back through the FM Base archives and read a number of other people's stories and I think I've found what I was looking for. I need to do something I've never done before, start a game I've never played before...
In all my time playing the Football Manager series, I've probably spent 90% of my time managing in England. I've dabbled in the likes of Serie A, Ligue 1 and La Liga but have always focussed on England. And I think this where I'm going wrong....there's a whole world of Football Management out there for me to tackle and I've left it totally unexplored.
So to spark my love for this wonderful game again, I'm going to give something a go that I've never done. A proper career....starting as an unknown coach with no real qualifications or experience....and starting unemployed for the first time ever! And this is going to be a career....I want to rise through the ranks and make my name in the world of football management from scratch....and I have to say that for the first time in a long time I am kicking off a new game of Footy Man with some genuine excitement.
So where will this story begin....
As mentioned above, I am starting my game unemployed and with no coaching badges and experience as only a sunday league footballer. So I know opportunities are going to be few and far between to get myself a job! Therefore, there's no point loading any of the major leagues to start with as I know nobody in their right mind will touch me....
No, I need to go to the lower leagues of the lesser countries in Europe. Oh Europe, yes I've decided to stick with Europe only and this will be a story of my rise through the European ranks and countries, with a view to increase the reputation and stature of every club I am lucky enough to manage. Europe is the focus as I know the countries and major competitions pretty well.
So the leagues I'm starting off with are...
Austrian First Division and above
Croatian Second League and above
Danish Second Division and above
Finnish First Division and above
Hungarian Division II and above
Icelandic First Division and above
Israeli National League and above
Norwegian Second Division and above
Swedish Second Division and above
Let's see where I end up!
Career To Date
10/04/2025 - Present - Vit. Guimaraes (Portugal)
20/01/2023 - 01/12/2024 - Sampdoria (Italy)
25/07/19 - 20/01/2023 - IFK Norrkoping FK (Sweden)
25/07/16 - 25/07/19 - Ange IF (Sweden)
Job Statistics
Sampdoria (until end of 2023/24 season) - Played 75, Won 29, Drawn 19, Lost 27, Win Percentage: 39%
IFK Norrkoping - Played 137, Won 90, Drawn 34, Lost 13, Win Percentage: 65%
Ange IF - Played 80, Won 44, Drawn 19, Lost 17, Win Percentage: 55%
League Positions
2023/24 - Sampdoria - Italian Serie A - 9th
2022/23 - Sampdoria - Italian Serie A - 9th
2022 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division - 1st
2021 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division - 2nd
2020 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division - 2nd
2019 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division - 8th
2018 - Ange IF - Swedish Second Division North - 1st
2017 - Ange IF - Swedish Second Division North - 3rd
2016 - Ange IF - Swedish Second Division North - 9th
Running Trophy Count
2022 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Premier Division
2022 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Cup
2021 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Cup
2020 - IFK Norrkoping - Swedish Cup
2018 - Ange IF - Swedish Second Division North
Intro
My name is Chris Ball. I'm 31 from Kent in England. Having played Football Manager for as long as I can remember now, going back a number of years and so a number of different games, I have to admit that things have become a little stale for me over the past couple of months. I've struggled with motivation, starting multiple games over and over, never getting past a couple of months before I am inevitably bored.
So I wondered what I could do to inspire myself and keep myself interested and motivated. Now I'm a guy that likes praise - like most of us I enjoy being told when I'm doing anything good. So I thought I'd write a story for the first time. I started a new save as Nottingham Forest and cracked on. Now the story side of the game I really enjoyed and this interested me, but by October on my game I was bored AGAIN!!
Feeling frustrated and requiring some inspiration, I went back through the FM Base archives and read a number of other people's stories and I think I've found what I was looking for. I need to do something I've never done before, start a game I've never played before...
In all my time playing the Football Manager series, I've probably spent 90% of my time managing in England. I've dabbled in the likes of Serie A, Ligue 1 and La Liga but have always focussed on England. And I think this where I'm going wrong....there's a whole world of Football Management out there for me to tackle and I've left it totally unexplored.
So to spark my love for this wonderful game again, I'm going to give something a go that I've never done. A proper career....starting as an unknown coach with no real qualifications or experience....and starting unemployed for the first time ever! And this is going to be a career....I want to rise through the ranks and make my name in the world of football management from scratch....and I have to say that for the first time in a long time I am kicking off a new game of Footy Man with some genuine excitement.
So where will this story begin....
As mentioned above, I am starting my game unemployed and with no coaching badges and experience as only a sunday league footballer. So I know opportunities are going to be few and far between to get myself a job! Therefore, there's no point loading any of the major leagues to start with as I know nobody in their right mind will touch me....
No, I need to go to the lower leagues of the lesser countries in Europe. Oh Europe, yes I've decided to stick with Europe only and this will be a story of my rise through the European ranks and countries, with a view to increase the reputation and stature of every club I am lucky enough to manage. Europe is the focus as I know the countries and major competitions pretty well.
So the leagues I'm starting off with are...
Austrian First Division and above
Croatian Second League and above
Danish Second Division and above
Finnish First Division and above
Hungarian Division II and above
Icelandic First Division and above
Israeli National League and above
Norwegian Second Division and above
Swedish Second Division and above
Let's see where I end up!
Last edited: