The Legend Returns - This Time With Blyth Spartans

Whittywex

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Rules

  • I will not sign more than 3 players a season that over the age of 23.
  • I will not pay double or more of what a player is worth.
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The press conference was a pretty dull one except for one answer.

Sky Sports News - " Mr Herrera, what will be your inspirational words to your team that can lead them to glory? "
Helenio Herrera - " He who doesn't give it all, gives nothing. "


I will be starting with a 4-4-2 formation but may change throughout the season.
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Mixed emotions in pre-season, the strikers are capable of scoring plenty of goals but I will need to tighten up at the back if I am to have a chance of promotion.
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He was grayed out in my youth squad as I was trying to fill up the team and looks to be my best player, hopefully he will stay fit throughout the season and progress at the same time.
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10 games in and I am lying in 6th place, not the worst but could be a lot better. The team has made silly mistakes and I will not be gaining promotion if my defense doesn't shut up shop. Goals haven't been a problem and my strikers have 13 goals between them and look to be getting better.
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Can't seem to win 3 in a row and have let themselves down against weaker teams only to show up against tougher opposition. We are also into the next round of the FA Cup after a 3-0 victory over Lye Town.
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The board have been hard to talk to and have denied all my requests but one, hopefully this will lead on to bigger & better future at the club.
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5 games on from the last time you seen the table and I am now 4th in the table with 1-2 games in hand. The defense has tightened up and the forwards have gone crazy, Gadsby has been in fine form lately and now has 11 goals in 15 games.
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I had a good run in the FA Cup with a very impressive win over Grimsby, all my games had been at home but unfortunely in the 1st round I was away to Hereford. With a few new players the team can progress even further next year.
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The team is also competing in two other cups which are winnable but we will have to make sure there will be no mistakes.
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Hopefully the team can keep this forum up!
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More good news from the board.
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The league is starting to take shape now 20 odd games in. If the team keeps playing like this there is no doubt I will be in a promotion spot, I would be happy with that as we were predicted to finish 5th but we are pushing for first place.
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My defense has to be one of the best in the league if not the best, my strike force is definitely the best and will always have a chance of out scoring my opponent if defense tumbles. I think the 8-2 victory against FC United Of Manchester will be a record for a long time.
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The journey in both cups is still on after 4 hard fought games. We were drawn against North Ferriby United in the Northern League Challenge Cup who are in first place in the league. I thought I had it won in the first game but it wasn't to be. The teams class came through in the replay which was terrific! I beat Goole AFC 3-0 away in the FA Trophy but was then away to Mansfield who are 4th in Blue Square Premier, to win it right at the end shows the strength of the team.
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Ex Newcastle player Phil Airey has been a savior in some games, his 15 pace has been enough to whiz past the defense to cause a lot of problems.
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First time this season where I have been in pole position, we beat North Ferriby United 4-0 at home in our last game and now have 2 games in hand over them and the rest of the clubs. 100 goals in the first season would be an amazing achievement, but securing 1st place is my priority!
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We are also in to the 4th round on the FA Trophy after hammering Braintree Town in their own backyard! We wen't behind early on and I feared the worst, but that man Phil Airey had his shooting boots on. Their defense fell and he took the chance to show why Newcastle shouldn't have let him go.
The team also progressed into the 5th round of the Northern League Challenge Cup with a 5-1 victory over Sunderland Ryhope. 5 different players got on the score sheet and it was an enjoyable moment for Jake Turnbull who got his first goal for us.
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We had a blip in the league right after my last update and lost valuable points, I am putting that down to the teams fitness as we had 3 very important matches before them which I could not afford to rest players.
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Following!, I have trouble with these sort of teams dont know who to buy so I just sign free's that are recommend by my scouts
 
Following!, I have trouble with these sort of teams dont know who to buy so I just sign free's that are recommend by my scouts

Cheers mate! Be sure to check your reserves and youth team for the grayed out players, that's where I got some of my starting team.
 
* note - as I was saving the game it crashed so I had to load it from the fixture against AFC Flyde, the fixtures changed around a bit as the matches weren't abandoned due to the pitches this time.



It's a fight for 1st now with North Ferriby United, as you can see I have two games in hand but the team is capable of making mistakes. The team have got stronger as the season progressed and I think they will win the league if they stay injury free! A lot of players have been let go and new players will have to be brought in next season.
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I was paired with Gateshead in the FA Trophy 4th round and expected a much tougher tie than against Braintree Town. I got what I expected. The team was at home but we could only manage a 1-1 scoreline which meant there would be a replay. I should have put them away in the first game with a goal that was wrongfully disallowed for offside, the officials kept quiet after the game. The replay wen't right to penalties, I thought I had it won twice scoring in the last 10 minutes of the second half and extra time but they popped up with late equalizers. The team pulled through penalites and got what they deserved, a semi-final in the FA Trophy!
In the other cup, the Northern League Challenge Cup, we beat Clitheroe 5-0 away in the quarter final and it was fully deserved, full steam ahead to the semi's!
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Coming towards the end of the season and they still have their shooting boots on!
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With 6 games left I have already qualified for the playoffs, brilliant achievement as at the start of the season we were set for a rocky season but the team gelled quickly! We are also 10 points ahead of North Ferriby United and I'm sure if we gain 6 more points we'll have the title in the bag, and we're only 3 goals away from reaching 100!
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After two hectic ties with Gateshead in the FA Trophy 4th round next up was Southport in the semi final, there was no matches in between the two legs so there was no tired legs! We were away in the first leg and wen't behind twice, when it 2-2 I decided to switch to counter style having belief in the squad to finish it off at home. But what I got was totally unexpected, the match finished 5-2 to me with Gadsby grabbing 4 goals! Was that enough to secure a place in the final? Of course it was! We lost 1-0 at home but wen't through with the total score being 5-3. Next up, the final.
We were up against Stockport Sports in the semi final of the Northern League Challenge Cup. The first match was played at home and we cruised past them with a 4-0 victory, with Phil Airey netting twice. I decided to start off with counter style at their pitch and we demolished them 5-0, the pace of our forwards was far too strong for them and Gradsby slotted a hat-trick for himself. Is there a treble coming to Blyth Spartans?
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It's also the time of the year for the youth intake, an exciting part of the season! I wasn't expecting much but I was happy with what I got, hopefully these three players can soon work their way on to the starting squad!
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The defense has been a big part of my success this season, few goals let in, I can build on this next season.
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We've done it! Blyth Spartans have won the FA Trophy surpassing all odds! The game was played in Wembley in front of 19,362 fans. Controversial but regarded as one of the best referees Howard Webb took control of the game. No team wen't out guns blazing and no team really had any clear cut chances throughout the game. Both managers thought it was heading to extra time but up stepped Emmanuel Joseph in the 72nd minute with a finish from 17 metres out which decided the game! It finished 1-0 to Blyth Spartans and hopefully it is the first of many trophies.
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Blyth Spartans have completed the double! It was a 3-0 victory over Kendal Town who have been in great form recently, two goals were scored by Emmanuel Joseph who seems to go crazy in finals! The other goal was scored by Gadsby who finishes the cups top goalscorer with 13 goals. We knew it was less of a challenge than the FA Trophy but we also knew that there was some tough teams in it that could cause some serious problems. North Ferriby United were our toughest opponent in the cup bringing us to a replay but the team played to their full potential on match day. It has caused lack of fitness and injuries throughout the season but it was all worth it because another piece of silverware is added to the cabinet! Can we complete the treble?
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The mighty Blyth Spartans have finished the league in 1st position, it was a long season because of also reaching the final of two cups. North Ferriby United drove me to the end but eventually my team stepped up a gear and rallied to the finish line. North Ferriby United didn't even get promoted, the team who finished in 5th did, Matlock Town. Only 5 losses throughout the league is an incredible achievement for this club! We also scored 114 goals, my strikers were more than capable for this league but I think I will fresh legs if I am to not get relegated next season.
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The fixtures near the end of the season which included two finals, I wasn't too saddened with the last two results even if I did lose 5-0 as I was trying out new players and already had the league wrapped up!
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At the start of the season I said Gadsby looked like my main player and I was 100% spot on. The young guy scored 62 goals in 64 appearances with an added 17 assists! Will he be able to step up to the play in a higher league? We'll have to wait and find out.
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I will be looking to get the club a professional status as I can't operate on a semi-professional basis. I might have to let a few of my players who preformed this season to reach this status but it is the only way I can progress and make this club even stronger!



Next update will be what has happened during pre-season, transfers, board meetings etc.

 
It was a very busy transfer market here at Blyth Spartans with 12 incoming players and 10 outgoing players. I spent a couple of hours looking through every nations U 21, 20 & 19 squads as my scout was not good enough even though I hired a new one. The only fee I received for a player was 26k for Neil Hooks who played in the center of the park, I didn't expect that much so it was a nice fee. Other players who left were ones that were only fringe players and ones that were on wages as I could now replace them after achieving a professional status for the club. The players I brought in are young, but way above the standard of the league, I also didn't pay any transfer fee's as all of my finances wen't into my wage budget.
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I found 3 players in the the U 20 USA squad. They were all free agents and didn't require a big wage, I had to try to sign all 3 players twice as their permit got turned down. Todd Reyes looks to be the brightest of the 3 and will slot into the center of the field replacing Neil Hooks. I think he could improve a lot but I will have to upgrade my facilities. The second is Justin Kirby, again another free agent. Currently he is not in my starting squad as last years Eren Boland is more of an attacking option. I will be looking to play Kirby in games where I need to hold on to the result or teams who are a lot stronger than me, he might be a short term player if I get a decent offer for him sometime as I could strengthen elsewhere with the money. Next up is Simon Jackson who won't be joining my squad until the 30.10.2013. Once he joins the squad he will replace Eren Boland as he has the stats I am looking for, at only 17 years of age he will surely improve and do well next to his American teammate!
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A nice award for last seasons top scorer, won't be starting this year but will be used as I know what he is capable of.
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Was happy to see this at the end of the season, hopefully the clubs finances will continue to grow and allow me to bring in better players.
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I am also impressed by the board who has allowed the club to grow with these important changes!
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This storie is looking very promising. Following
 
10 games in and we are in second place 3 points behind Barrow who beat us 2-1 in our own stadium which was a huge disappointment. But there is plenty of positives as we have scored the most in the league and we have only let in 6 goals. Barrow are a strong team and we will have to keep up with them if we are going to have a chance of automatic promotion.
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First game in I thought we were set for a tough season but I was wrong, the strikers were shooting and scoring nearly every shot! The team let themselves down in the two straight home defeats to Barrow and Vauxhall Motors by going a goal behind early on in the game. But they quickly got themselves back on their feet and back to fine form beating Guiseley AFC and Hitchin Town.
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One of the strikers I have brought in has done exceptionally well netting 9 goals in 10 games. At 28 years of age I will be hoping he will keep that form up and also higher his value.
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4 games on from the last time you seen the table and we are top, 1 point ahead of Barrow with also a game in hand. The top two seem to be too strong for the rest of the table but who knows, there is plenty of time for a bad run!
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Back to the FA Cup! After being put out by Hereford early in the FA Cup last season we were looking to make it even further! Our first challenge was away to Ashton Town and we brushed by them with a 3-0 away victory, last years star Gadsby grabbing a goal. In the 3rd qualifying round we were up against Bedford Town, this was a walk in the park with 6 different players grabbing a goal, it was a 7-1 home victory. In the 4th qualifying round we were handed another home draw this time against Cambridge City, it ended 7-0 with two players getting a hat-trick, Neville Thompson and Rhema Gadsby. Gadsby came on at half time so his hat-trick was very impressive! We were now into the 1st round of the FA Cup! It was an away trip to League 1 side, Yeovil Town. It was also the first match USA player Simon Jackson was to play after joining the club. We started off in counter style and finished the match in the same way, future star Todd Reyes netted a hat-trick for himself and English striker Neville Thompson grabbed 2! It finished a worthy 5-0 to us! In the 2nd round, we are home to League 2 side Torquay United or league rivals Barrow!
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Team has been scoring at will now, hoping for no injuries and that they can stay in current form!
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really enjoying this one, keep it up!
 
Hi Whittywex,

Good story on Blyth Spartans. I started my game from the same level, with AFC Totton in the Southern Premier League.

Before I started my game, I went online and found team logos for every non-league team in England. As you can see from my screenshots, the quality of the logos is variable - just took the best available from Google Images - but they are properly formatted and give my game that added level of realism in comparison to the game's generic shields. If you'd like me to send them to you, complete with the relevant config files, contact me with your email address and I will YouSendIt them to you.

Just one word of caution though: I have a brand new iMac with the added memory option from purchase, so it can run these graphics no problem. But if you're on a less powerful machine, it might be worth putting your existing logo images onto your desktop before you put the new files into the relevant directory location for the game - just to make sure that it doesn't slow down your game to an unbearable degree.

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