Promoted from Conference South - now absolutely screwed! What?

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So after a long and gruelling Conference South campaign managed to squeeze through in the play offs... Great!

Achieved above all expectations (was predicted to finish quite low this season), so was really pleased with how things went, however as soon as the season ended I realised that the team was absolutely screwed... Let me talk you through the problems:

1) My best players all got agents towards the end of the season, I couldn't afford to renew contracts... Fans called these sales aberrations, despite me having literally no choice.
2) Any player that is scouted that is good enough to sign for the Conference... I can't afford, my max wage I can offer is £400 p/w, they all want upwards of £700 p/w.
3) Literally every player I have / have the ability to sign is "decent for conference north/south".
4) The board can't make any more finances available..

How the **** can I possibly survive this season!? All my promotion winning players (well the good ones) have already left, I can't bring in replacements that are anywhere near as strong... I had a squad that was barely good enough to get promoted, and now I have a much much much weaker squad in the Conference proper with no way to strengthen...
 
You will have to put together the best squad you can mate,
Only sign them on 1yr deals, id look for players in high workrate/determination, atleast they will fight for yea
 
ul prob have to use alot of youth and u might go down next time u think ur gona be promoted u should try updating ur players contracts before the season ends. if i were u id try get 1 or 2 experienced layers for free and then use your youth. u have a hard season ahead of u gl
 
You'll have to use all the players at your disposal. I've started plenty LLM saves, and injuries/money always provides a huge problem. Get use to playing your youth.
 
Tracz - Very good shout on the work rate / determination! At least have some strong players mentally, because we're going to get demolished at least a few times this season!

peppilepew - I've got a fair few young players (some of whom were part of my team last year), who I'm going to be relying heabilty on. Good shout on the experienced players though, will have to bring in a few oldies to help tutor/strengthen on the cheap..

Thanks for the input guys!

Going to be a very trying save for the next season, this.
 
Also look through any greyed out players, sounds strange but i have uncovered a few jems doing this when squad numbers get low. Good luck.
 
I dont have experience in the lower leagues, but what i find usefull when playing against regelation or midtable is to loan some players. You often don't have to pay full wages, and if they're listed players and clubs are easier to attract than to contract a player for 1 or a few years. The other plus-side is that they won't really moan if they're not playing alot, and it won't matter since they'll leave after a few months (altough i guess you'll use all players available).
 
All good advice guys, going through every available option at the moment!

Just lost a friendly to Oxford 1-9, the sense of impending doom is growing by the minute.
 
I haven't had this problem... however you can try getting players on short/long term loans....
 
Loans are proving difficult as well to be honest - very few players who want to join me on loan are actually adding anything to the team!
 
I don't often play lower league teams but when I do I "tank" a season, achieving a play off position but tanking the play offs by fielding a youth team, that way the board is pleased we are moving up and my finances can catch up, I hate to have a team that can't handle the next division.
 
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After hours of scouring for players I came across a really promising looking young striker. He'll be getting some game time for sure, as this season is looking like a write-off might as well blood young players..

Still looking to bring in solid older players but no luck yet.. Let's see how they fare in the Conference!
 
What are your finances like? Stadium capacity? Attendences last season?
 
I certainly feel your pain. Had a similar problem with FM13, managed to get promoted with Leamington but my wage budget would be similar & had the same problem attracting any players. Unless you want to continue with your (hard) challenge, I normally stick it out a couple of seasons in the low leagues then wait for a club with a bit of money to get promoted from a non playable league into the VCN / VCS. Last year was FC United & my current file is Hereford. Both have a little bit of money to spend on wages so it gives you a chance to attract some decent players.

I expect you have already done this, but with Hereford I clicked through all the countries U21 / U19 teams & target all the out of contract players. In your case, you *may* have an oppurtunity to offer contracts to NI / Rep Ireland or Wales youngsters that have good potential.
 
Tracz: Finances are poor - £12k balance after promotion - expected to deteriorate. Stadium is being expanded, currently at 2.7k and the average attendance last year was 378.

FrankFizzle: I was thinking of accepting another job, but at the moment I want to stick with this club for the season, see if I can actually stay up! Good idea on the U21 / U19 thing - I actually hadn't done that yet. Will start and see if any gems show up! Thanks

Despite being battered 4 times in the first 7 league games (including a 6-2 home defeat after being 2-0 up at 50 mins), it's not going tooo badly right now - that 16 year old striker even nabbed a hattrick in a 6-2 away win over Barrow!
 
Why are they expanding the stadium? Did you ask them to?
If your not even half filling it then it seems pointless!
 
jr866: I'm Hemel Hempstead.

Tracz: I didn't ask them to at all! As soon as we secured promotion they announced it.. Wish they didn't seems like an utter waste of finances.

Never had such a difficult experience before in this game.. Going in to a league which has professional teams as a (very bad) semi professional team! A board that slates me for letting go of a player we can't afford because they don't want to turn professional, and instead expand the half empty stadium..

!
 
Id say there must be minimum stadium requirements for the higher league, may not nessesarily be a capacity increase but expanded coporate facilities & the like. I have had it happen to me too.
 
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