Oldham Story — Season 2010-2011 Ends

Hello everyone, welcome back to my Oldham story! After a good month in February we were very close to promotion, I was so keen to get on with playing the game that I played all of March and April very quickly. So, I will conclude the end to the season in one post. We needed just three wins from our final nine games to be promoted, I immediately set about trying to win them so as to take the pressure of as soon as possible.

The first was against Nottingham Forest, they were doing well up in 5th place, I knew this game wasn’t going to be easy. We started well, but overall the first half was quite boring, we missed a clear chance and they didn’t create anything. The deadlock was finally broken in the 65th minute, Febian Brandy did it again, he popped up to put us into the lead. After that we could have scored more, I was surprised by Forest’s lack of creativity and we held on to edge nearer to the Premier League.

Next up we had another tough game, we had to travel to Derby, they were just outside the play offs and playing well. We got off to a great start, and in the 33rd minute we were ahead, Marco Verratti was pushed in the box and he got up to smash the ball home from the spot. Soon after it was 2-0, Brandy crossed for Deane Smalley to head home unmarked. We continued to play well, Derby looked very sluggish, I don’t know what the matter was. It was all over seven minutes from time, Febian Brandy skipped away from a defender, and once he’s clear there’s no catching him, so all he had to do was slot it past the keeper. It was a very good win, and a victory in the next game would seal promotion if Reading didn’t win.

The big game was coming up, a victory at home to Middlesbrough could seal our promotion to the Premier League. The match wasn’t a very good one, we looked nervy and couldn’t create any clear chances. It was to my surprise when we went ahead, Smalley volleyed in at the back post to give us the lead. After that the game was poor, we had many long range shots and they lacked ambition, but my heart was in my mouth when Leroy Lita went clean through only to smash his shot against the bar. After that not much happened, the match became very scrappy, the final whistle blew and we had won! I didn’t know Reading’s score until after the game, I was overjoyed when I saw they had lost, we were in the Premier League! It is a fantastic achievement, my best in FM yet.

With promotion secured and six games to go, I decided to give some backup players a few games. The matches weren’t really very important, but here are the results.

As you can see we only won two games, drawing three and losing one, but I’m not too bothered. The Plymouth game was incredible, it was 3-3 after 20 minutes! They went 4-3 up before half time but we got an equaliser in the last minute, it was another hat trick from Brandy! The Ipswich game was disappointing, but we ended in style with an absolute thumping of Fulham, the perfect way to end a perfect season!

Here is the league table then, we are promoted with 102 points, Reading and Bristol City will come up with us next season, when we will play the likes of Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool!

Here are some player stats, the stars are two youngsters, Verratti and Brandy. Without them we would be nowhere near promotion, they have been incredible. Also very good were the three central defenders, they have been rocks this season.

At the other end of the scale, Dean Furman and Michael Woods have been disappointing. Furman will be sold, but I’m still thinking about Woods, I may keep him as I believe he has potential.

Well then, that’s it, the end of a brilliant season for us. Pre season will be very busy, lots of players will be in and out in preparation for our first season back in the Premier League.

That’s all for now then folks, thanks for reading!