Regrets and Redemption

A rejuvenating sunshine warmed my face on a pleasant mid-summer afternoon in rural Leicestershire, as I gazed up at the wispy white clouds punctuating what was otherwise a flawless blue sky I could have no idea of what lay ahead of me, stalking me, waiting to pounce at the opportune moment like a lion crouched low, slowly but surely edging towards an unsuspecting prey who remains, for now at least, blissfully unaware of fate conspiring against it.

My name is Richard Beale, on that fateful day back in 2007 I was a somewhat haughty twenty year old with the world at his feet, a reserve striker for Leicester City FC who many were touting as a prodigy after impressing at youth level as well as during loan spells at local sides Loughborough Dynamo and Hinckley United, giving voice to calls for me to be given my chance in the first team, even Leicester and England legend Gary Lineker had appraised me as one to watch, and as with any young man who is doted with praise from all around, I allowed my head to swell and my arrogance to consume me.
As I arrived for training at City's Belvoir road facility ten minutes early, I was greeted by Trevor Peake, the Foxes youth development coach, Trev instructed me to run a lap of the ground whilst he set up cones for the first drills of the session, but who needs to warm up properly when your as good as me? I sauntered through the first few exercises with minimal effort, these tedious passing drills were obviously beneath me anyway. Eventually Trev divided us into groups for five-a-side games, I found myself being marked by a lad by the name of James Russell who had a rather slender frame for centre back, myself being of a muscular build thought that I was going to have some fun and humiliate James during the kick-about, pulling off step-over after step-over much to Trev's, who hated show boating, displeasure. And then in it was over, in the blink of an eye the career that had promised the world was snuffed out like a candle in the wind. Whilst attempting to again humble young James, this time with a lavish turn, my studs had caught in the ground as my leg twisted, an terrible crack that was audible to all those around me. I found out later that I had completely torn my knee ligaments and that the joint would never be the same again.

That night in my hospital bed I wept silently, I wept for the Leicester debut I would now never make, I wept for the millions of pounds my bank account would now never know and I wept for that first England cap that would never proudly adorn my parents wall, all because of my own foolish arrogance. That night as the other patients on the ward slumbered, their chests rising and fallng in a gentle rhythm, I lay wide awake, I wondered if I would ever be able to sleep again.

Very good story writing Rick, a lot of promise from the opening chapter!

Chapter Two

Following the injury that brought about the premature death of my playing career, I spent many weeks brooding over what had transpired that day and what glories had been denied me, snatched cruelly from my future, eventually however I was forced to come to terms with the undeniable truth that I would have to move on from this crushing setback and begin to carve a new destiny for myself from what at the time felt like unworkable stone.
Determined to stay within the warm bosom of football I enrolled upon a coaching course at Loughborough university, not being one for academic life I struggled with my coursework in the classroom but excelled when out in my element on the pitch where I felt entirely at home teaching local school children.

During the three years I spent studiously working towards my UEFA B licence at Loughborough, I maintained contact with my former City coach Trevor Peake who regularly hosted guest lectures at the university, despite my infuriating arrogance as a player Trev could see that my injury had instilled a new sense of humility within me and was only to happy to help by putting me in touch with some of his various contacts, including Stuart McClaren, a young Scottish coach who had just returned from playing and managing in Australia to take up the job as head coach at the university's successful football outfit in the Midland Alliance league. Stuart offered me a coaching position to help me gain experience whilst still working towards my licence where I gained much knowledge from the cultured Glaswegian.

Towards the end of my time at Loughborough I was approached by Trevor with an offer of becoming his assistant manager with the Leicester under-18's on the provision I achieved my licence this year, this incentive really galvanised me and ensured I worked my socks off in the classroom which was still my Achilles heel, however I did scrape a pass on my theory exam which set me up to achieve an outstanding in the practical test, I felt very little apprehension before the practical as three years of coaching not only in my coursework but also with the university team had me fully prepared for this.

True to his word Trev immediately took me on as his assistant where he tutored me in the art of tactical awareness, together we studied various formations and approaches, watching endless hours of videos from great sides of the past and present, something I found myself rather adept at despite my lack of enthusiasm towards academic work previously. I soon found myself developing tactics of my own which Trev trustingly adapted into games to great success, the side finished runners up in group B of the Premiership academy league. The following season we went one better and won the group, I was also given the chance to be head coach for the first time by Trev as he offered me the opportunity to take a squad to the Hong-Kong seven's tournament where we defeated the likes of Celtic, Aston Villa and Chelsea in front of 10,000 enthusiastic Chinese fans to see our oriental adventure culminate in success.


For the 2012/13 season Trevor was promoted to the under-21's, as I was left to make the step up to head coach of the under-18's where we took part in the newly formed national development league, finishing a respectable forth place with Fulham taking the crown.
Now having garnered almost six years of coaching youth football I decided I now wanted to climb the ladder and get involved in the senior game, in late June 2013 I notified the club that I did not intend to take charge for the 2013/14 in order to seek the achievements that had been snatched from me as a player. Which brings us conveniently up to the present day...

Once again another very detailed update, brilliant to read, can't wait to see where you go next!

Great read so far !

Two fantastic chapters Rick, KIU chum, I'm looking forward to reading more.

Shortly before departing Leicester I was introduced to Paul Ashworth, an old friend of Trevor's who also failed to establish himself as a professional footballer after starting out at Norwich City, and like myself Paul also opted to remain within the game by taking up youth coaching before being recommended for the vacant managers position at Latvian side FK Ventspils by a former college who was living in the Baltic country at the time. Paul guided Ventspils to three consecutive runners up finishes in the Latvian Higher League as well securing UEFA cup football for the first time in the clubs history via winning the Latvian cup. His success did not go unnoticed by the league's elite club Skonto Riga who employed the Englishman from 2005-2009 where he became known by the moniker 'Mourinho of Latvia' due to his evident managerial prowess despite no significant playing career.
Upon leaving Skonto in 2009 Paul's globe trotting exploits continued when he jetted off to the West African country of Nigeria to take up a role as sporting director at the Kwara Academy, one of Africa's most established football academies.

Paul had heard of my refined tactical knowledge from Trevor and arranged to meet me during his next trip home to England, I drove to Paul's parents home in Norwich in May 2013, where he was staying for two weeks before returning to Nigeria in mid June. Paul informed me that a Nigerian Premiership side Kwara United were currently manager-less after their previous coach was lured away by one of the leagues bigger clubs, Paull wielding much influence at the club due to his role at the academy believed he could land me the role if I was willing to relocate to Africa. After a long discussion with Michaela, my new wife it was agreed we would undertke the monumental 4,000 mile journey from our comfortable life in rural Leicestershire to the city of Ilorin in Kwara state.

Following our long flight from London to the Nigerian capital Lagos we were greeted by Kwara chairman and Nigerian military chief Colonel Michael Onyilo who personally chauffeured us on the five hour drive from the airport to our new home in Ilorin, the colonel informed me that the players were excited to meet me and that would not be the first European to take charge of United as two Swedes and a Serb had also held the post within the last decade, I would be taking over from a chap named Kadiri Ikhana who had done a reasonable job after keeping the club safely mid-table throughout the campaign before being head hunted by the wonderfully named Dolphins FC, my task would be to ensure that the club stays comfortable throughout the second half of the season.

My first musings upon arrival in Ilorin were that the city of 800,000 plus could not have been more different from the home I had just left behind in the sleepy market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, the suburbs we passed through on the outskirts of the city were little more attractive than the Brazilian shanty towns I had studied in a school geography project once, playing home to the cities poorest and most under privileged in squallid conditions. as we delved deeper into the metropolitan labyrinth the building things begin to look much more inviting, Llorin is home to four university's so large academic establishments seem to be dotted everywhere, there is also many high rise tower blocks, playing home to the citys many law offices, in fact we are told that so many of the local scholars go into law that Ilorin has been branded 'the city of lawyers' after making a mental note never to scratch anyone’s car around here I catch site of Ilorin's most breathtaking building, the truly stunning central mosque with it's magnificent golden domes and four high towers in each corner, a true testament to the ingenuity of human engineering.

Finally we arrive at our new flat which is situated within the grounds of the University of Kwara, just a short walk from United's training ground and the 10,000 capacity Kwara state stadium which the club calls home. So we had arrived in our new home, and now it was time for the hard work to begin...

Our first night in Ilorin was an uncomfortable one, a delay at customs had prevented our furniture arriving, leaving us to settle down on camp beds lent to us by the colonel. As I tossed and turned on the uncomfortable bedding that night I was awoken at regular intervals by a sense of dread, had I made a terrible mistake in moving halfway across the world to be here? How would I greet the team tomorrow morning? or more importantly how would they respond to me? a completely unknown Englishman who had only got the job in the first place due to having friends in high places. The inclination that many of my players were likely to have five years or more on my twenty-six was also not lost on me as a maelstrom of scenarios continued to swirl relentlessly in my minds eye, all depicting ways in which my emigration to west Africa could end in disaster.

After what seemed like an eternity sleeping in fits and starts Michaela and I were awoken by a knock at the door, Paul had stopped by to wish me luck and offered to take us out for breakfast before I headed to the training ground, after the night we had just endured I was only to happy to accept his invitation. During the course of a round of omelettes at a nearby internet café Paul asked me if I would like him to become my right hand man until the end of the season, by which time I would hopefully have found my feet in Nigerian football and he would move on, for the second time today I gratefully accepted his proposals, not least because I would feel somewhat more at ease meeting the squad later with another Englishman in my corner.

As it transpired that I need not have been so apprehensive about the moment I finally came face to face with my new charges, upon arrival at the clubs somewhat dilapidated training ground I was welcomed with open arms, the entire playing staff as well as coaches were waiting for me a the gate , crowding Paul's car in order to be the first to shake my hand and embrace me as if we were old friends. Completely taken aback by such a greeting it took me a considerable amount of time to finally get everyone into the rickety club house that adorned one end of the facility. Once inside I set about introducing myself and giving them a brief overview of my history and managerial credentials to date, the injury, working for Leicester, winning the under-18's championship and the success in Hong-Kong two years previously, however what most seemed to impress the assembly was the simple fact I had attended university in England, I would learn that Nigerians prize academic achievement and knowledge above all else, the desire to learn and better themselves is a true flagstone of the culture here and the fact I had been educated at a prestigious British establishment was particularly lofty to them.
Eventually we got to down to the subject of football, I was given a verbal briefing detailing every member of squad, to which there was twenty-six members, including two Brits, who as the only white men in the room aside from me and Paul were not hard to pick out. I shown the league table where United currently occupied twelfth position at the halfway point of the campaign,despite pre-season fears of a relegation dog-fight and that my first game in charge would be at home to Enugu Rangers who sat a place above us in the league in two days time.

After a constructive training session where I began to introduce my tactical approaches to the group me and Paul sat down to discuss whom had impressed us and who we felt may not fit into the style we wished to implement, we decided to start against Enugu with good old reliable 4-4-2 and take it from there.
Tuesday's session followed served much the same purpose as Paul and I continued to evaluate the squad, slowly piecing together our starting line-up for tomorrow night, I was particularly impressed by a striker by the name of Baba Sule, a 34 year old Ghana-an national who looked deadly in front of goal. Equally eye catching were the defensive partnership of Romanus Orjinta and Sari Abacha, both of whom had won caps for Nigeria. I also had chance to meet my fellow ex-pats Martin Callum and Dan Quigley. Martin; a twenty-five year old midfielder from Inverness, Dan; a twenty-three year old anchor man hailing from Northampton. It was warmly reassuring to have two fellow Brits on board, both of whom were around the same age as me, making friends quickly is invaluable when settling a new home with a very different culture to which you are accustomed and along with Paul and my wife Michaela, Martin and Dan formed our cosy little ex-pat circle.

Our furniture finally arrived late on Tuesday evening after being released by Nigerian customs officials, a good night sleep in a real bed saw my spirits sore, as another gloriously warm July morning dawned on the day of my first game as head coach of Kwara United, I felt little in the way of nerves or trepidation, a sense of optimism had beaten away the nagging doubts regarding the move that had clouded my mind. Excitement began consuming me as butterflies danced in he pit of my stomach. In just a few hours time I would realise what six years ago became my dream of a life in professional football management. My time had come.

2012/13

My first few months in charge of Kwara have been reasonably good, not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination but we did achive a top half finish which was all the colonol asked off me when I took charge.

I could hardly of gotten off to a worse start to life in Nigeria as we got thumped 5-1 at home in my first game against Enugu before going down 2-0 in the susequant fixture with Enyimba. Thankfully things picked up from there as we steadily sailed to safety and the cmfort of midtable obscurity.

I'm enjoying the experience in managing in West Africa which is not somewhere I have ever really given a looking to before now, I'll admit I'm quite suprised at the quality some of the teams in this division possess, althgh their is most definatly a top three who do battle for the title wheras the rest of us compete to be the best of the rest, My target for the coming seasons will be to make it a top four and crash that exclusive party.

I've managed to keep the finances in order, we have £48k in the bank, however we are £600 over the salery budget which means I can't offer the sort of wages it would take to hold on to my better players when their contracts expire during the break, a almost complete rebuild may be required in pre-season.

Tactically I have predominatly been utililising 4-4-2 diamond with the below instructions but have on occasion shook things up against weaker teams by employing 4-2-3-1.


Just for transparency purposes the leagues I have loaded are;
Nigeria (NPL only)
South Africa (NFD and above)
China (Jia League and above)
Hong-Kong (Red MR First division only)
Japan (JFL and above)
England (Skrill North/South and above)
Estonia (Meistreliga only)
Latvia (1.Liga and above)
Lithuania (1.Lyga only)
Scotland (League Two and above)
Australia (A-League only)
USA (MLS only)

And here's the profile I started with;

2 more great chapters mate ! And a decent season comfortably in mid table

Good season and another good written update!

Cheer guys

Nice read man, Keep it up!

March 2014


And off we go again! my first full season in Nigeria is under way, albeit in rather underwhelming fashion, but it is of course early days.
Before I get into the business of results, explanations and excuses, I think it would be prudent to first introduce to you my squad, including a pair of new signings who have linked up with Kwara during the off-season;

As you can see it is a very young group of players with a strongish core to the team and plenty of strength in depth, I have never put much stock in the star system, both Dan Quigley and Musa George are very dependable players despite only achieving a half star rating.
As I mentioned previously, I have two new signings among the squad;

Adama joins us on a season long loan from divisional rivals Nasarawa United and looked potent during pre-season, scoring four goals in three games, as of yet though he is yet to find the net competitively.

John was a Nigerian under-20 international who I managed to snap up on free transfer from Swedish division two side Syrianska, he is the archetypical box to box midfielder who could be a key figure this season.

It was John Junior who netted our first goal of the campaign as we suffered an not unexpected 3-1 reverse at the hands of the champions Dolphins FC in Port Harcourt before having to battle back from the same scoreline to earn a point against the Wikki Tourists, Baba Sule getting the last gasp equaliser there.
After a disappointing 1-0 defeat to the Stars I decided to switch things up tactically as we had now only won three of our last ten NPL games, previously I usually employed 442 diamond so I had no wingers in my squad which limited my options considerably, eventually I opted for 532, the back three would seal the leaks in our rather porous defence and with wing backs getting forward when possible we shouldn't lack width any more. The effect was instant as we powered our way to our first win of the season against newly promoted Abuja, the score could easily have been much, much higher as we utterly dominated the league new boys from start to finish. but hey, three will do!
Following the emphatic win against Abuja, I had hoped we could follow up with another three points at home to Nasarawa, however we were forced to settle for just the one as captain Romanus Orjinta headed home his second goal in as many games to cancel out the visitors early opener, push as we might we just couldnt seem to find a winner.

That result has us placed 14th in the NPL, the pre-season expectation is for us to finish in the top half of the table again which I certainly think is do-able once the squad adjusts to my tactical switch. Dolphins are flying at the moment, maintaining 100% start but they are being matched by Heartland so far, it could well be an interesting title race, I have no illusions of being part f it even at this stage, but my ambition is to finish in the top four and qualify for continental competition next season, a tall order but if we can hit a rich vein of form it's far from impossible.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Just a quick question for those of you who regularly play in strange foreign lands; how long does it take for my knowledge of country to expand? I've been in Nigeria for six months now and it hasn't moved a bit yet. Is this a bug or does it always take years?

April 2014

We were not taken for fools this April as we took something from all bar one of our eight matches this month;

I'm pretty happy with that kind of form which should see us finish comfortably mid-table again, the 4-0 hammering to Kano was a blip but one we expected before the game as they are one of the traditional title challengers, the biggest problem we have is we alway struggle against Dolphins, Kano and Heartland who are the top sides in the league, thankfully we have done well against everyone else thus far and I'm confident of finishing within the top half again.

With three games in hand we could jump right up to seventh should we win them all.

We're suffering in the injury department at the moment with five players currently sidelined;


As you can see from the results we ensured safe passage to the next round of the challenge cup where we will meet relegated Niger Tornados in the round of 32.

Good to see you enjoying life in Nigeria mate, form isn't bad if you win those games in hand your right back in it!

As for the knowledge I believe it takes a while to go up, I doubt its a bug

May-July 2014

I've jumped ahead in this save after becoming immersed in the action, we're now two thirds of the way through the campaign as we continue to move steadily along in mid-table with the threat of relegation more or less banished, we're now looking up and with our current good form and six game unbeaten run a high finish doesn't seem out of the question.

Since my last update we have only lost twice in the league, and both of those reverses came at the hand of first and second Dolphins and Heartlands, our improved results have caught the attention of would-be employers as I turned down an offer from Sunshine Stars to take over there, I was tempted as at that point they were still alive in the African Champions League, however I decided to stay loyal to United on that occasion, however I received another job offer yesterday that has me in two minds;

I had an enjoyable game in Scotland on FM13, including a season with Dumbarton so a return to Blighty is appealing, however I can't help feeling there is more to be achieved by remaining in Africa for now and continuing to build my Kwara side up to qualify for the Champions League within the next few years. What do you guys think? Should I stay or should I go now?

In the league table we are sitting comfortably in eleventh, if we can keep up our good form there is a great chance of us reaching the continental places as the top half of the table is very tight;
Since April I have brought in one new face to bolster the ranks;

Salifi has slotted right in as our marauding right wing-back and in nine game fr United has already scored three and assisted four goals as well as being dependable when called upon to defend.
Also in a rich vein of form is forward Baba Sule who's found the net in six consecutive games, seventeen times this season in all. not bad for a 35 year old with a finishing attribute of five!

Nice read so far, also nice to see your being noticed around the world. Looks like your team picked up some momentum during the second halve of the season. KIU

Kwara United were today rocked by the news that manager Richard Beale has agreed to take charge of Globacom Premier League rival Kano Pillars for next season.
Beale, 27 has been at the helm at the Kwara State stadium for less than eighteen months after taking charge of the Afonja Warriors in July last year, the Englishman however has been on the radar of Sunshine Stars as well as the Pillars in the last few months with the Akure side making an approach for Beale last month which was rebuffed by the Birmingham born manager who has been widly praised for establishing an attractive possesion based style of play in Kwara as well as earning plaudits for allowing younger players to shine in a league that is dominated by the 30+

Kano currently sit fourth in the NPL, fourteen points behind leaders Heatland FC despite pre-season hopes of mounting a title challenege, leading to the dismisal of Solomon Ogbeide last week wheras Beale's United side are tenth, riding the wave of an impressive run of results.
It is beleived that Beale is keen to take his compatriot assistant Paul Ashworth with him to his new job, it is thus far unclear as to whether fomer Skonto Riga manager and Kwara academy director Ashworth is intrested in following to Kano.

Good luck with the new job coming up mate, done well this far!

So my eighteen months in charge of Kwara is at an end as we finish tenth for the second consecutive season, a run of three defeats in August scuppered any faint hope we were clinging to of sneaking into the continental places, although I'm reasonably happy with how my time with United has gone, I gt them playing some nice football with one of the youngest squads in the NPL and brought in a few good signings to bolster the ranks which should set them in good stead in the coming seasons as I head to Kano.

Baba Sule continued to be immesnse throughout, netting 25 goals during the campaign and I may well try and take him with me to Kano as well as one or two others, my assistant Paul Ashworth has already agreed to accompany me on the 400 mile journey eastwards to what is one of Nigeria's biggest clubs, three times champions Kano who had a bad season this year, missing out n their minimum expectation of qualifying for the Champions League, my target is to return them to that cmpetitin at the first time of asking.

Good luck at Kano, Rick.

Good luck at your new club. You think you can push for a top place finish?

Cheers dude.

Hopefully, although for my first season I'm just aiming for the top four in order to qualify for continental football and take it from there.

As I embark upon my third season in the Nigerian Premier League I wanted to take a while to look over my new charges. The Kano Pillars are Nigeria's top side having won the NPL three times in the last eight years and are also ranked in the top twenty of the CAF club rankings. they possess a healthy fan base, averaging attendances of over 16,000 at the Sani Abacha stadium, a bit of a step up from 300 people at Kwara!
Kano are also Nigeria's wealthiest club with a valuation of over half a billion Nigerian Naira (£2M) which will enable me to build a squad of my own design for the coming seasons.
Last year the club suffered a poor season and finished well below expectations in seventh place, meaning they are not qualified for continental competition in 2015/16, the board however does expect us to challenge for the championship, in order to facilitate this I have already brought in a few new faces;

John, Segun and Philemon all follow me from Kwara to form the heart of the Kano midfield for a combined total of £71k, it certainly helps settle to a club if you already have some players your familiar with.
Also joining the Kwara trio are;

Promise was a transfer arranged by the previous manager from Niger Tornadoes, however he does look a decent ball winner, Efe, who joins from Danish club Aalesund, will hopefully breath some creativity into the side with his passing and dribbling ability’s.
And here's a look at the squad as a whole;

Goalkeepers

Possibly the weakest area of the squad Oladele Ajiboye is a decent shot stopper and Adebayo Nnanna will likely become our #1 eventually, Yusuf however is nothing more than a back-up for Ajiboye.

Defence

A good blend of experience and youth here, Ado Ali and Uche Oguchi will be my initial pairing in the heart of the defence, however talented youngsters Sunday Ajala and Adebayo Sani will no doubt push them hard for a place as time goes on.

Midfield

The scene of great upheaval this summer with four new signings in the middle of the park, but again there is a nice mix of young and experienced players here. My former Kwara pairing of Philemon Daniel and John Junior will act as box to box midfielders with Promise Onuh protecting the defence in the holding role.

Wingers

Unlike at Kwara where I employed wing-backs, I now have some decent attacking wingers to work with and as such will be utilising 4-5-1 in order to make the most of them, in games where we are heavy favourites I may change them to inside forwards in order to increase our attacking threat.

Strikers

With 4-5-1 only needing one striker I decided I only need three forwards on the books, which could possibly be a mistake should be suffer with injury’s and suspensions, time will tell. All three are proven goal scorers, however Bello Korfmata who scored 26 times last season will lead the line to begin with.

So that's the team, the season kicks off at home to the newly promoted Bendel Insurance FC before the daunting prospect of returning to Kwara four days later! The target is to qualify for the African Champions League, preferably as Champions!

Good luck with the new season Rick, looks like a good squad at your disposal!

Good luck with your new job !

My first month in charge of Kano could not have gone any better, five wins out of five, including two games where we hit the opposition for six, although it's early days at the moment we look as if we could be serious title contenders if the team mantains it's current momentum.

As you can see, I enjoyed my return to Kwara immensley as we thumped my former emloyers 6-0 away from home, It's hard to beleive now that less than six months ago I lead Kwara to a shock 3-2 victory against Kano!

If not for Enugu being even more emphatic in the goalscoring department we would be top, however I don't expect them to stay in the ttle race long, they are a mid table club at best.

Our main title rivals will be Dolphins and Heartland, Dolphins have already suffered a couple of defeats but champions Heartland have a 100% record and have two games in hand so they could well be rght up there with us soon.

Pre-season went well with only our own under-20's side able to resist our awesome attacking power, which I take as a sign of great encouragement for the future!


In other news, we have announced a partnership with Norwegian giants Rosenborg which is worth a cool £1.28M per season, securing our finacial future for years to come!

Fantastic start here at the new club mate!

Good job in getting Rosenborg as your parent club, I'd like to see if they'll ever send you players on-loan.