For the very first time i would like to share my Football Manager experience with you.
I grew up in Margate, although have lived away for the last 8 years, returning to see my family intermittently. I grew up going to Margate games with my Granddad, when we got ourselves into the Conference back in the late nineties and early naughties and were only relegated after the council messed our ground up and we had to be removed from the league. (SEE BELOW 2005)
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Margate has started getting a lot better in the last few years but it was a town on its knees for a long time and i remember as youngsters the hope that football gave us. Even though we all supported West Ham, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal etc, we would always be brought together by our little local club [video=youtube;fkCDzorLN10]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCDzorLN10[/video]
So here we go, trying to make this weird, wonderful little club a World Superpower, and drag the town up with it.
After entering Hartsdown Park as Manager I looked around me and saw good men, good men i could work with, men who had sweated blood to get this club to where they are. Things aren't bad financially. 150,000 pounds balance, a 20k transfer budget and a 15k wage budget in the Vanarama Conference South is nothing to be sniffed at. Newly promoted Margate are tipped for big things and the board and media are expecting a play-off finish and have hired a 27 year old with no badges and only Sunday league experience, but the 1 journalist who shows up to the press conference is excited for some reason. He knows the local Thanet Works League inside out and knows this guy. "Forced" to stop playing after getting too fat and lazy, with a 20 a day cigarette habit and a nasty football manager addiction, I once turned up to a fourth division game where only 10 of my teammates had turned up, and I was still made to run the line. After moving away in 2007, I plied my trade in Leeds, Manchester and Norwich, my peak being scoring the opener and winning a penalty in a 4-2 win for my University halls.
After filling my staff roles i turned my attention to the first team squad signing RB Paul Rodgers from Bromley for 4k, M/AM RL Kaine Felix from Boston Utd for 3k and a 22 year old RB called Bradley Hamilton on a pay by play basis.
View attachment 195782
Who cares about friendlies and i left them to my assistant to get straight into the action, Which is where i leave you.
Margate 0 - 0 Truro
A blustery day makes me realise how big a task and how difficult this challenge is going to be on this FM. Hardly any chances from either side but Nikki Bull repaid the faith he was shown to remain as captain with a couple of good stops. The goalkeeper the only performer in a drab game. Already questions are asked about whether a 4-2-3-1 will work at this level and we shall see
I grew up in Margate, although have lived away for the last 8 years, returning to see my family intermittently. I grew up going to Margate games with my Granddad, when we got ourselves into the Conference back in the late nineties and early naughties and were only relegated after the council messed our ground up and we had to be removed from the league. (SEE BELOW 2005)
View attachment 194717
Margate has started getting a lot better in the last few years but it was a town on its knees for a long time and i remember as youngsters the hope that football gave us. Even though we all supported West Ham, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal etc, we would always be brought together by our little local club [video=youtube;fkCDzorLN10]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCDzorLN10[/video]
So here we go, trying to make this weird, wonderful little club a World Superpower, and drag the town up with it.
After entering Hartsdown Park as Manager I looked around me and saw good men, good men i could work with, men who had sweated blood to get this club to where they are. Things aren't bad financially. 150,000 pounds balance, a 20k transfer budget and a 15k wage budget in the Vanarama Conference South is nothing to be sniffed at. Newly promoted Margate are tipped for big things and the board and media are expecting a play-off finish and have hired a 27 year old with no badges and only Sunday league experience, but the 1 journalist who shows up to the press conference is excited for some reason. He knows the local Thanet Works League inside out and knows this guy. "Forced" to stop playing after getting too fat and lazy, with a 20 a day cigarette habit and a nasty football manager addiction, I once turned up to a fourth division game where only 10 of my teammates had turned up, and I was still made to run the line. After moving away in 2007, I plied my trade in Leeds, Manchester and Norwich, my peak being scoring the opener and winning a penalty in a 4-2 win for my University halls.
After filling my staff roles i turned my attention to the first team squad signing RB Paul Rodgers from Bromley for 4k, M/AM RL Kaine Felix from Boston Utd for 3k and a 22 year old RB called Bradley Hamilton on a pay by play basis.
View attachment 195782
Who cares about friendlies and i left them to my assistant to get straight into the action, Which is where i leave you.
Margate 0 - 0 Truro
A blustery day makes me realise how big a task and how difficult this challenge is going to be on this FM. Hardly any chances from either side but Nikki Bull repaid the faith he was shown to remain as captain with a couple of good stops. The goalkeeper the only performer in a drab game. Already questions are asked about whether a 4-2-3-1 will work at this level and we shall see
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