Hey guys and welcome to this Football Manager 2012 Scarborough AFC season 3 report. Last season finished with Scarborough winning and gaining promotion from the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier League Division One North. So we are now just one promotion away from the Blue Square Bet North, that is the league in which Scarborough last played before going out of business so reaching that league again would be a huge milestone. We have managed two consecutive promotions so far and I expect the same again, but with every promotion comes tougher opposition so I can’t let my guard down. We’ll start the post with my boards expectations, odds, transfers and squad depth before moving onto the all important results and stats.
The board weren’t as ambitious as myself, just requesting a mid-table finish but I guess its to be expected considering our quick rise through the divisions and the fact only top spot gets promotion while 2nd to 5th fight it out in a play-off. What did impress me though was their willingness to invest in wages yet again. While we can more than cover for £2.7K a week if sensible with arranging mid-season Friendlies, most boards don’t like to install such faith. The minimal transfer budget isn’t even worth mentioning but it’s to be expected for the next few seasons.
The media seemed far more confident in my teams ability, pricing us at 2-1 favorites for the title ahead of Chorley and recently relegated Vauxhall (sorry Johnny.)
Now we move onto transfers, while my side is already capable of challenging at this level I decided to offload some players and then replace them for better and younger additions. Below are the unfortunate lads that were left to leave on a free transfer or offered to clubs for a whopping £0!
Now for my new kids, and believe me the word kids is an understatement :) I brought in 9 new players, eight of which are 16 years old and one is just 20 years old. Crazy I know, but wait until I show you these guys at the end of the post…they are certainly worth waiting for! One thing you should note though, four of the best signings weren’t made until the seasons end and therefore were not available for this years campaign.
My squads depth seemed pretty good and to consider almost every single player has 4.5 or 5* potential too says a lot. My Goalkeeper, center back, right back, two of my central midfielders and main striker have all been with me from season one. So its great to think that they will be leading the line for their third consecutive season. In terms of new recruits, you should note the name Reece Hendrie, he will be massive for many years to come if I can stave off the likes of Leeds, QPR and Stoke.
Results — August to October
A new league, new season but same old results. :) Scarborough dominated in the league winning all 11 matches and managed to progress in the FA Cup and FA Trophy. I also arranged a Friendly versus Aberdeen to raise more cash, but it was nice to gain a shock 1-1 draw at the same time.
Results — November to December
The great league form continued into Winter as my boys lost one game but managed to win the rest. We also did well in the FA Cup beating Stockport before losing to League One’s Luton in the 1st Round. That great Cup run provided a tonne of cash, which was also boosted by our FA Trophy victory over BSP’s Mansfield. The ESL Cup also began in which Scarborough progressed to the Fourth Round. The ESL Cup is basically a knockout competition for teams in the same division as myself and one below. While the FA Trophy is the none league version of the FA Cup.
So with just over half the season remaining Scarborough are already 16 points clear of second with a game in hand after failing to win just once.
Results — January to March
So with the league table looking rather favorable my boys carried on the great form through January, but our fortunes changed come February and March. It all started with two excellent draws to top Scottish teams during some Friendlies arranged to raise cash…those games provided some unwanted injuries which were followed by an FA Trophy defeat to Newport. That wasn’t so bad, but Scarborough then drew two matches and lost one in the league. This run of draws and losses in all competitions had been my worst to date and effected the teams morale. But on the upside we beat Marine in the ESL Cup semi-final to reach our first competitive final.
Results — April to June
With the FA Cup and FA Trophy behind us, Scarborough could finally concentrate on one competition (bar the ESL Cup final of course.) Our previous struggles resulted in one further draw and a loss, but in the remaining months my boys managed to win 12 matches including some scary scorelines.
After a small dip in form we regained some composure and continued our march to the league title. In fact we won the ESL Northern Premier by our biggest margin to date, a whopping 42 points separated us from second. This was largely down to poor performances from the other contenders including a shock relegation for Vauxhall, this was there second consecutive drop.
ESL Northern Premier Cup final vs Eastwood
Venue: Glanford Park, Scunthorpe
Attendance: 2,695
Starting formations:
So this is Scarborough Athletic’s first competitive final, we have already won the league and gained promotion so it would be nice to wrap up another trophy. The ESL Premier Cup basically consists of all the clubs from the same level as myself and the tier below, to be honest we dominated the league so I expected to go far in this competition. The opposition finished their season with a bitter relegation, so I fully expect to beat Eastwood. Rather than delve into detail, I’ll just leave you to watch the match highlights below.
Match highlights: Click here to watch the ESL Northern Premier Cup final highlights
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Match stats:
So not only did we gain promotion this season but Scarborough did the double! We beat Eastwood to the ESL Northern Premier Cup and in style too. All the match stats above tell a story and the fact that my lone striker, Aquart, is just 16 years old makes me very excited for the future.
Stats and finances
After an incredible season you can still see some names from our very first season. Hodgkinson my center back, McArdle at right back, Hartley in goal and Bridges upfront have been first team players from the off and are still a huge part of my plan. But the newbies outshone the oldies this season with Parry scoring 21 goals from corners and Hendrie scoring 22 as well as assisting 20 from the right wing.
You may still be wondering about the title ‘year of youth’, well all will be explained now. During this season and the end of last season I found a wealth of talent within clubs I never knew existed. Some finds were thanks to backroom staff meetings, some were from scouts and others were down to my own curiosity in match day squads. Either way, check out the players below as they are the future of Scarborough Athletic FC. Click any of the players names to view their profiles.
Reece Hendrie: Found on a free transfer like all of my signings to date, Reece plays upfront but will be used on the right wing as an inside forward. This wonderkid has already attracted major interest from Leeds, QPR, Peterborough and Stoke. While no offers have been received my asking price of £2.5 million won’t stave off the vultures forever. Hendrie struck 22 goals this season complimented by 20 assists.
Sheldon Aquart: A player with great mental attributes and the ability to grow in other areas. While Aquart still needs to improve he is already good enough for the Blue Square divisions and managed 8 goals this season from as many starts.
Bob Shepherd: Now this is my favorite signing, while Shepherd joined at the end of the season and therefore couldn’t play, he has tonnes of ability. He will be my number one front man next season. As for the rest well I’ll leave you to view their profiles which I seriously recommend.
Nikos Nikolaou (ST/AMR, 16 years old)
Lee Proctor (DR, 16 years old)
Stuart Nancekivell (DC, 16 years old)
Nigel Vetere (GK, 16 years old)
So the future is very bright indeed with all those kids been capable of battling within the BLP already and we are only in the BLN next season. Most seem to have the potential to make it in League’s Two and one but Hendrie in particular may not have a limit judging by the interest from top clubs.
Moving onto finances and I am delighted to report that we enjoyed an excellent year. Due to reaching the FA Cup first round and arranging loads of high profile Friendlies Scarborough made a profit of £175,000 meaning the new bank balance reads £237,000.
Well that about does it for today, Scarborough have enjoyed their third consecutive promotion and title, but now the challenge really begins. The Blue Square North consists of a big step up in quality and I can’t wait to dive in head first. I hope you’ll join me next time for that, but until then I look forward to reading your comments and thanks for dropping by as always. I’ll leave you with the usual ladder image of the Seadogs progression to date.
denson
29 января, 2012 at 11:34
Great Season Darren!
Reaching the FA Cup is a massive achievement.
Those youth players look amazing.
I think you will also win the blue square north!
Good Luck!
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 11:38
Thanks Denson, the FA Cup run was excellent and we gained a lot of cash which will secure the clubs short term future. But the biggest bonus was finding those kids, they’ll be in my side for many years to come.
Kevin
29 января, 2012 at 11:38
Another League victim for Darren «The Hitman» Smith! Those youngsters are all flipping brilliant, just amazing finds. Congrats on doing a league and cup double thanks to Bridges and Hendrie I would imagine. A very handy 21 goals by your central defender too! Well you’ve made it to the BSN and in magnificent style and this story really is turning into a fascinating read :)
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 11:42
Thanks Kevin, every season I feel confident but my team always seems to go one better than I think they can (whether it be league domination or a cup run.) I think we could do the same again next season, but it all comes down to signings and how long I keep hold of those kids.
Jack
29 января, 2012 at 12:02
Here comes your challenge Darren! The BSN will most certantly be a big step up, and one i’ve experienced too. Again a brilliant read and a thorough well done! Also, how did you get the club badges for this level?
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 12:06
Thanks Jack, looking at the youngsters I have they seem more than capable for the step up, but having said that it will be a shock to the system. As for the badges I downloaded them from this page https://footballmanagerstory.com/forum/index.php?topic=1026.0
CsAtlantis
29 января, 2012 at 12:17
Wow, those are pretty good 16 year olds, they should be okay in the Blue Square divisions, but at the rate you’re going you might get through to League 2 in 2-3 seasons more, especially if you keep finding these kids :D
Congratulation on winning the double Darren, good luck for next season
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 12:43
I agree, the 16 year olds (especially the strikers) should make it in the Blue Square divisions for sure and my thought process is that in two to three seasons they may be ready for League Two, but we’ll see what happens.
vaibhavc
29 января, 2012 at 12:28
Some of those 16 year olds are fantastic, hopefully they perform for you in the higher divisions. This league was almost too easy for you, you won the league by 42 points. I hope you can win or get promoted in Blue Square North as well.
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 12:44
Thanks mate, I too love the new 16 year olds, its surprising what you can find and where if you’re forced to look. I can’t see us dominating any future league campaigns like this one, but another promotion may be on the cards next season.
Laxeyman
29 января, 2012 at 12:38
Another incredible season Darren! Your team continues to sweep all before you, and with those excellent youngsters, who will continue to get better and better, I can certainly see the rise of Scarborough continuing :)
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 13:24
Thanks Laxeyman, its been an amazing ride so far and I can’t see this train stopping at the next station either. ;) Hopefully we can continue to progress.
MRDNRA
29 января, 2012 at 13:14
Amazing season, and I reckon with those players you’ll get promotion again next season.
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 13:24
Thanks mate, I’m hoping for promotion again next season.
Woody
29 января, 2012 at 13:20
Another promotion as expected
Another great season for the cups and another trophi to add to the growing collection of league titles
Anyway good luck and well done
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 13:25
Yeah, it has been rather predictable so far and while I am hoping for another promotion next season I think every season will get less predictable so the challenge is heating up soon.
TheZiggy
29 января, 2012 at 13:29
An excellent season, and nothing short of a massacre. Some excellent finds as well, which have certainly given you a bright outlook for the future. The longer you can hold onto those players the better.
I’m big into checking out players from teams we’re about to play, and getting my staff to give their opinions on them, especially the youngest players. From my backroom meetings I rarely seem to get any decent suggestions, but my scouts have started to turn up some very interesting 15 and 16 year old players.
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 13:32
Thanks mate, it was a really great season and capped off by the great cup runs. As for those youngsters I couldn’t believe my eyes when they popped up. Most were from my scouts who are roaming the UK, but a couple came from backroom meetings as the coaches voiced their opinion…now that shocked me as like you I rarely receive anything of note in that area. I just hope I can hold onto them.
Martin - F.M.J.S
29 января, 2012 at 14:10
Another great season Darren. You have created a great side and those youngster are something else. I really liked the fact that at 17 years old Reece Hendrie scored 20 goals and 20 Assists is pretty amazing. Well done mate and good look next season.
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 14:55
Thanks Martin, its always nice to build a team on youth and Hendrie was outstanding this season.
Johnny Karp
29 января, 2012 at 14:46
Another fantastic season Darren, congratulations! Those youngsters are really good indeed and I think that a few of them could stay with the team up to League One or even higher.
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 14:56
Cheers Johnny, I agree that the youth is fantastic and the attacking minded players will certainly make it to League One and should be first team players until League Two at least.
Hoody
29 января, 2012 at 14:57
Great read Darren, see you play 433 what kind of player and team instructions do you use for that, Is the like the Arsenal tactic or do you play more direct?
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 15:01
Cheers Hoody, I am actually using the Arsenal tactic and just changed the CB that is usually a ball playing defender to limited and always play poacher upfront. I also knock off the ‘more expressive’ in team instructions but bar that its the same. I look for determined youngsters with very good physical attributes but other than that it comes down to the position really.
Dan Ireland
29 января, 2012 at 16:09
Well done Darren your team looks sharp and you should dominate the blue square easily :) But just one question are you stopping the story once you get to league one or are heading up to the premiership? Anyway Brilliant story mate! :)
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 16:23
Thanks Dan, I reckon these kids will do well next season then the BSP may be more of a challenge. But don’t worry, this save will go on past League One providing there are no glitches.
Ana Garcia
29 января, 2012 at 19:49
Great season Darren!!
I totally agree with your response to vaibhavc it can be amazing at the players you can find when you are forced into it.
Even at the lowest levels where you are to places like lower league South Africa there can be some really promising players that have the ability to play a few leagues higher.
My knowledge of English football isnt brilliant but essentially you started managing nine divisions below the premier league?
If so I presume you are still semi-professional and what league are you able to turn professional?
With your talent spotting and free scoring side am sure another promotion is on the cards, so as always the very best of luck. :)
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 19:55
Thanks Ana, as you say its crazy how talent can be found at any level and the youngsters I’ve got for next season are very exciting indeed.
As for the leagues, I started my first season 9 leagues below the EPL and next season we will be 6 leagues below, so theres along way to go but we’re getting there in good time so far. I think most clubs usually turn professional when reaching League Two (which is classed as the official football leagues.) That is still two promotions away and while we are semi pro right now I expect to turn pro in two promotions time at the latest. Lets hope that is soon. :)
Sears
29 января, 2012 at 20:45
Yet another straightforward promotion for you pal! Again, you easily dominated and you had quite a journey in the cup competitions. Your finances look extremely impressive as well, which is terrific as one of the biggest challenges managing a lower league club is trying to prevent your finances from going out of control. Top marks mate!
Darren Smith
29 января, 2012 at 20:51
Thanks Sears, I agree with the your finance point, it can be very difficult to keep them in check and I always struggled with this but its good to get off to the best start,
Malhar Bhadbhade
30 января, 2012 at 00:57
Hey Darren,
seems like the only way to go is up. brilliant season as usual. have to say you made some great young signings…and seeing as they all came in for free and are going to be even better for the seasons to come, you certainly got yourself a good deal :) not so far away from the football league anymore…this story is shaping up to be a cracker. every bit as good as it promised to be when you announced it. keep up the good work. cheers!
Darren Smith
30 января, 2012 at 11:38
Thanks Malhar, the football league feels very close now and lets just hope we can get there in good time.
Al
30 января, 2012 at 08:54
Hi Darren, Great story as usual. I started a similar one inspired by you with my local club in the Spartan Div 1. I wanted to ask if you had noticed any bugs in the edited game? For example, in my first season league clubs have been involved in FA cup qualifying games?!?! Have you seen anything similar? It made me a bit skeptical about investing more in my game …
Darren Smith
30 января, 2012 at 11:37
I haven’t seen any glitches as yet.
Rob Yeats
30 января, 2012 at 15:29
Keep up the good work Darren, onwards and upwards!
Darren Smith
30 января, 2012 at 18:43
Thanks Rob.
Sasho
30 января, 2012 at 17:37
You have to put a link for downloading this tactic. Please :)
Darren Smith
30 января, 2012 at 18:38
Here you go mate, this is my tactic http://www.mediafire.com/?pqu0aera2ipb9zi
phil
30 января, 2012 at 19:09
congratz darren will you please send me a link how to download those leagues because i want to start one with my local team and want to try to get to the football league like you thanks
Darren Smith
30 января, 2012 at 19:14
http://fmadvanced.forumfree.it/?t=59060264
Sasho
30 января, 2012 at 19:16
Match preparation? :)
Darren Smith
30 января, 2012 at 19:27
I always leave that to my assistant manager.
Chris Haigh
31 января, 2012 at 00:52
Fan-bloody-tastic. I’m doing a Pentagon Challenge on youtube so i know how hard it is to find good young players. It really doesn’t help starting my career in South Korea but hey, that’s half the fun. It’s a little easier finding quality young players in England but still a great feat and these young players really are awesome. If you’d like to check out my youtube playthrough just go to http://www.youtube.com/haighyorkie there’s a playlist there. It was Ana Garcia who gave me the idea to do one so it’s to her i say thanks for that. If it wasn’t for this website though i’d never have known of it so it’s thanks to all you story writers for doing an awesome job!
Darren Smith
31 января, 2012 at 11:46
Thanks for the kind words Chris, I’m glad you are enjoying the stories. I’ll check your YouTube page out later.
Lye
31 января, 2012 at 01:50
Hi Darren,
Wonderful achievement with your third consecutive promotion. You have signed some fantastic young talents in pre-season and they really repay your faith well. The target of going to league 2 should not be too far away. I am looking forward to it.
Darren Smith
31 января, 2012 at 11:44
Thanks Lye, I think we are closing in on league two much faster than anticipated.
Rod
4 февраля, 2012 at 04:01
Hi! I don’t remember if i commented in this new adventure of yours, but i’ve already read it all. That’s what i most enjoy in Football Manager, building a brand new team of youngsters, and a champion team is, of course, a big plus! Those kids seems to have the potential to face bigger challenges! Your flight to the top of England looks bright, so i have not much to say about the performance, only congratulations. I love seasonal updates, keep it like that. Good luck!
Darren Smith
4 февраля, 2012 at 09:07
Thanks Rod, I agree with your comment on youth, building a team of youngsters that can win is the best feeling. My biggest challenge will be holding them all together though.
Bhargav
4 февраля, 2012 at 11:53
Quite an achievement, sir! It seems that your youth to gold system is slowly starting up again as well ;)
Darren Smith
4 февраля, 2012 at 12:04
Thanks Bhargav, as long as I can keep finding these wonderkids then the Y2G system may well be in place.