tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101

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It's the end of another thrilling season here in Wales, and I've got lots to update you on! First of all, regarding my managerial career! I've managed to pass my next coaching badge, and I'm now a Continental Pro Licensed coach, which can only bring good things to me and the club. I believe this is the top badge to have, so look at me go. That didn't take too long, did it? I'll post an update of my personal stats after 10 seasons in the game...

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I thought we had a chance of qualifying for European places through our league position but if you look at our form, you can probably tell that this wasn't the case. We actually went on a run of 8 games where we couldn't find a win no matter how hard we tried. We had a surprise loss against Penybont, and a really surprising draw against bottom side Cambrian & Clydach which was disappointing considering we absolutely spanked them earlier on in the season. We did have some good wins though, as we beat Newton & Llanelli Town to restore some confidence to the team.

We actually narrowly missed out on the top 6, which meant that when the league split into two, we were locked into the bottom half, so we couldn't rise any further than 7th in the league, and had to play the bottom 6 teams twice more. I had lost interest in the season when this happened as there wasn't any real point as I knew wouldn't be relegated but we couldn't rise anymore. You can see how we got on above.

Cup wise, we had some real success. You can see that we progressed, and progressed all the way to the final of the Nathaniel MG Cup after wins against Connahs Quay & Barry via penalties. We set up a final against TNS, who we had kicked out at the first opportunity last season. It was a tight affair, and the fans were going mental. We went 2-0 up early on and just about managed to hold on, although TNS really piled on the pressure. Although we hadn't performed that well in the league, we had redeemed the season with this lovely cup win! 1 more down!

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The other cup, the JD Welsh Cup was fairly successful for us too. In fact we had reached the semi-final stage before getting knocked out by none other than TNS. Our good run against them in cup competitions came crashing down before we could reach another final and fight for another domestic trophy. That's next years job!

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We finished the season in 7th position which is no surprise to anyone considering we couldn't rise anymore after the league split into two. Our total points of 48 would've been enough to finish in 4th position just behind Barry, TNS & Connahs Quay. The two teams getting relegated are Cambrian & Clydach & Llanelli Town.

After the season had finished, I was progressing through the game and I got an email saying that I was in the European Place Playoff Semi-Final. This came as a shock to me, and I'm still not sure why we were in it...but anyway...

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We were up against Cardiff Met Uni, and sent them home in the semi-final thanks to Elliott Hulse & Ethan ap Gareth. In the final, we faced Penybont, and held on after Hulse had put us 1-0 up! Somehow, we have qualified for the EC2 and will be bringing in the European crowds next season, which should bring in some much-needed wonga!

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Another tiring season, but the players committed themselves, and performed excellently, played with desire and did themselves proud. Ethan ap Gareth was once again the best player this season after he achieved a 7.24 rating from 43 games. He scored 11 goals and set up 9 goals too. That's a hell of a performance for a CM. He's also one of the key players in the league now, and it's about time he gets a new contract so we have him for a while.

Elliott Hulse grabbed 22 goals this season which is past the target I set for him. He's done really well in his first season, and hopefully, the young striker can improve once again next season. He ended up with a 7.18 rating from 43 games.

Young goalkeeper Cameron Dixon managed to push our experienced keeper Nick Harrison out of the team half-way through the season and stayed there. He played well, and should kick on next season! Nice to see a youth prospect doing well in the first-team.

Next Post: Pre-Season / 2025/2026

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I also won the manager of the year award somehow. Not bad eh?
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101

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It's the start of the 2025/2026 season, and after last seasons rollercoaster, I'd like a nice easy season where we just walk the league title and win the JD Welsh Cup. That's wishful thinking eh? During pre-season, we've already travelled more than we did last season, as we've been taking part in the Euro Cup II qualifying rounds. You'll see how we got on later on. I've got a couple of pieces of news regarding the club and myself to update you on first...

The club offered me a new contract, and I gleefully accepted. I'm now going to be in charge of Caernarfon Town until the end of this season at least. I'm also now on £230 a week. I may have to buy that new flat screen telly I've had my eye on for the wall in the lounge. Who said us managers can't treat ourselves from time to time eh?

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A couple of seasons ago, the club decided to build a new ground: The Caernarfon Stadium, and this new stadium had potential expansion room. The board have decided to use that, and have started to expand the ground by 500 people. This is more good news for a club on the up.

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It's been a busy summer of incomings and outgoings at the club once again. The squad is really coming along nicely, and we're getting more quality in the door every season, and the weaklings are out of her. I've released a number of players you may have recognised such as Julian Williams, Emelyn Ainsworth, Jay Gibbs, Gareth John Owens & Gethin Prydderch. All of them played a huge part in us being promoted but just didn't cut it in the top league, unfortunately.

Incoming wise this season, I signed 4 players on part-time contracts. The first being an absolutely quality striker that will rotate with Elliott Hulse. I may partner them both upfront if a tactic works. His name is Michael Kirk, and he's come in on a free transfer from Carrick in Ireland. I needed a new left-back that could bomb up and down the wing, and Toby Loveridge can do that. He's come in from Penybont and will be my first-team left-back. Mark Edwards also comes in from Penybont and will be played down the middle just behind the striker. He asked to play there in his interview and I accepted. He should create a lot of goals for us. Cynan Edwards came in late but adds another quality centre half to the ranks. We've been lacking there meaning our current CBs have been getting tired quickly from playing a lot of games. We need to be able to rotate.

Michael Kirk // ST // Carrick // Free
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Mark Edwards // CM // Penybont // Free
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Toby Loveridge // LB // Penybont // Free
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Cynan Edwards // CB // Free
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Friendlies have sort of taken a back seat due to our involvement in the European Cup II Qualification phase. We still played an awful lot of them but it was needed. We carried on our good form against Everton Under 23s with a 5-0 win. We actually won all 7 of our friendlies conceding only 3 goals and scoring 16 goals ourselves. The important thing is that the players got minutes under their legs and I'm happy with that.

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After our lucky inclusion in the Euro Cup II for this season, we were drawn against Teutra from Albania in the 1st round. I didn't think we would get through, but then again I don't know much about the Albanian football system, so I guess it's a lottery. We travelled to them in the first leg and came home with a 2-0 win courtesy of a Leighton Jameson header and a well placed shot from Ethan ap Gareth. 2 away goals could be crucial. At home, we went one better and won 3-1 to send them out and earn us a place in the 2nd round.

We got a crap draw against Slavia Prague who were once a giant of European football. At their place, we got a tanking and I expected it. 5-0 and the tie were effectively over. It's a shame because at home we put on a show for our fans and gained a credible 1-1 draw. A goal for Ethan ap Gareth will stay with him forever.

We can be proud of our run, and hopefully, we may get another crack at it next season! It's a good money-spinner.

Next Post: Mid-Season Update // 2025-2026
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101

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Nothing much to update you on regarding the club, besides from having a positive bank balance for once, thanks to the European run. We will probably need to be in Europe next year to be back in the black then as well, but I'm aiming to win the league this season anyway. My new signings have settled in well, and I'm pretty happy with how we are performing.

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The first 11 games have been and gone already, and it happened so quickly! We've had a fairly good start to the season, winning 6 out of the 11, and losing 3 of them. That's good in my eyes, as anything over a 50% winning ratio is good. We've actually played really well against the top teams, gaining wins against TNS (twice), Newtown & Cefn Druids. We've struggled against the lower teams, which is something I need to get right if we want to go ahead and challenge for this title. Our three losses came against Penybont, Llandudno & Haverfordwest.

I've changed our tactic to a front two, and Hulse & Kirk are doing the job up there nicely. The three behind them, Peris-Jones, ap Gareth & Chapman are probably the best midfield trio you can get in this league. It's just our defence that needs sorting and tweaking. We've conceded 16 goals in 11 games, and have only kept 1 clean sheet in the league so far.

In the Nathaniel MG Cup, we've progressed nicely, just like the holders should do. We dispatched Cefn Druids in the 2nd round, before beating Llandudno Junction convincingly 5-0 with Hulse netting a hattrick. I won't be too disappointed if we don't win it all, but I'd like to.

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After 11 games, we sit in 4th position, but it couldn't be closer. TNS are in top spot but are only 3 points ahead of us. We're only 1 point behind Cardiff Met Uni in 2nd and are on the same points as Barry. We're 13 points ahead of Lladudno who are strangely rock bottom of the league. It's a tight old league.

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My squad is performing really well, and it's shown by a vast number of players who are over the magic 7.00 rating. Ethan ap Gareth, Elliott Hulse, Mark Edwards, Leighton Jameson, & Ricky Freeman have all reached this mark after playing more than 10 games each. Nick Harrison also has a rating over 7.00 but has only played the once, since Cameron Dixon has claimed the #1 jersey this season.

Elliott Hulse & Michael Kirk, have both hit a good number of goals so far this season. Hulse has 11, whilst Kirk has 7. That's a good partnership for any team, and it will only get better as they learn to play with each other.

Next Post: End of Season Update / 2025/2026

TinakoFM
10 years ago
2 days ago
1,522
Tight at the top! Despite the disappointing losses, two big wins in there over TNS; that 1-0 late win must've been enjoyable!
SrWer
11 years ago
7 months ago
7,002
Everything to be possible, let's go with this
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101
@r96Skinner, I always enjoy a win over TNS, no matter how we get them! A 1-0 was nerve-wracking but enjoyable! Cheers for reading and keeping up with the career!

@SirWerGaming, I love your inspirational words. They keep me going.


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We've reached the end of another season in Wales, and my enjoyment of this league is running out, but I need to complete it quickly. Not much has happened at the club to improve it as we are still paying off the stadium loan, and I've reached the top coaching qualification so I can't update you on that anymore. I have managed over 100 games for Caernarfon now and things have gone well, but not as quick as I'd have liked it.

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Our season carried on, pretty much as it had started, as we continued to challenge at the top of the table. You'll be able to see that we did qualify for the Champions Phase this season and not the Relegation Phase which is positive. It meant that we had secured our best ever finish in the league as we couldn't finish below 6th now. We continued our good form against TNS as we beat them a further two times. We seem to struggle against Barry which is worrying as they are the main threat to the title and will be for years to come probably. We enjoyed a comfortable win against Haverfordwest where Ioan Peris-Jones netted all 4 goals which was a new club record. In the regular season, we ended with a record of 12 wins, 5 draws & 5 losses.

We went into the Champions Phase in 3rd position, and started off positively. We were staying close to Barry before we finished things off poorly and the challenge for the title ended. We played a title decider against Barry as the penultimate match and ended up getting battered 4-2 which put an end to things. I'm disappointed we couldn't quite nick the title at the death, but we will be back to win it next season. It will probably be my last in charge of Caernarfon Town as it's now or never with them.

We ended up getting knocked out of the Nathaniel MG Cup by Barry once again as they smashed 6 past us. It was probably our worst performance of the season and we weren't going to defend our crown once again. In the JD Welsh Cup, we made it all the way to the semi-final as we beat Bala, Llandudno Junction, Llanelli Town before getting knocked out by Barry in the semi-finals. It's frustrating to always get drawn against them in every competition. It's been a frustrating season to be honest and it knocked my enjoyment of this save already.

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At the end of the Champions Phase we finished in 2nd position which as I said before is Caernarfon's best finish in the league. We have confirmed ourselves a spot in the Euro Cup II for next season too which will help attract some more players into the club. We finished on 61 points, a massive 11 behind Barry. We did have a 5 points gap between ourselves and TNS who finished in 3rd.

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Michael Kirk stole the show at the end of season awards, collecting the Best Player, Best Signing, & Top Goalscorer awards. He was immense all season, ending up with a 7.19 rating and 19 goals. He also had 3 assists to his name too showing he is a team player. He should kick on next season and break that 20 goal mark.

Ethan ap Gareth was also a top consistent performer, achieving a 7.15 rating from 38 games. He chipped in with 6 goals and a massive 13 assists. He broke the previous assist record at the club which is awesome.

The whole squad performed pretty well, but hopefully, we can perform even better next season. Cameron Dixon did pretty well in between the sticks, but we will probably be looking for a new keeper during the off-season. It's still not where it needs to be.

Next Post: Pre-Season / 2026/2027

tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101

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It's been a busy Summer of change here at Caernarfon Stadium with incomings and outgoings galore. It's not just the playing and coaching staff that's been changing. We've had not one but two takeovers and I'm not sure why. I got an email saying that the Chairman was retiring and would take a more part-time role in the club. This led to us getting two takeover bids, one that would keep me as the manager, and one that would replace me apparently.

Luckily for me, Leighton Day, a local investor, completed the takeover of the club and kept me in charge of managerial duties. He also pumped some cash in to help with the debts. A week later, I had another message to say that a new consortium had taken over the running of the club and that they would be pumping some more cash in to remove some debts. I now have a new chairman called Marc Roberts. Absolute madness at the club this summer but at least it's all settled now.

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We've been busy once again, and have brought in a few new players to help bolster the lines and improve the squad's depth. We were severely lacking off the subs bench so needed more depth to help us see games out once players were tired. First through the door was Scott Leonard, a RB from Bala. He's going to be used off the bench and sparingly throughout the season to provide our current RB Lloyd, rest in between key games. I told you previously that I was going to sign a goalkeeper, so I took 3 in on trial. Scott Craughwell was the best of the bunch and looks to be absolutely quality for this level of football. He's our new number one. Aaron Agnew, is our new left-winger. The Northern Irish winger has a high work-rate and has good physical stats. Hopefully, he can slot in nicely and get a good few assists for the team. Luke Hughes comes in from Penybont, and will provide cover for our star right-winger Ricky Freeman. He probably could be the starter but Freeman is that for now. I added one more face in Bill Wilson who is a strong CB who can rotate in and out with our other 2 first-team CB's.

Scott Leonard // RB // Bala // Free Transfer
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Jason Craughwell // GK // Institue // Free Transfer
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Aaron Agnew // LW // Harland & Wolff Welders // Free Transfer
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Luke Hughes // RW // Penybont // Free Transfer
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Bill Wilson // CB // Free Transfer
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Once again, friendlies were a back seat for us this season, due to the Euro Cup II taking place during them. We did play a lot of friendlies though and won all but one of them. We played a lot of top teams reserve squads and beat them all. We had good wins against Everton U23s, Wolves U23s, Stoke U23s & Wigans U23s. I'm impressed with how well the lads have gelled together, and the way our tactic is performing. We are finally scoring lots of goals, and defending fairly well.

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We did one better this year in the Euro Cup II qualifiers, after reaching the Best Placed 3rd Qualifying Round. We had a good draw in the first round, as we faced B36 from the Faroe Islands. A nice 6-3 aggregate win was enough to send us through to face Hearts in the next round. I didn't think we would get a result against them, but we stayed calm after bringing them back to our place with a 0-0 draw. We scored a 72nd-minute winner to send the crowd crazy and set up a tie with KRC Genk. Ultimately it was a step too far, as we crashed out on a 4-1 aggregate score. I'm proud of the lads for getting this far, and it's brought in over £300k and the financial situation looks good now.

Next Post: Mid-Season Update // 2026-2027
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101

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Things are looking good at the club, and it seems like the new owners are impressed with me, as they have offered me a new contract. I accepted of course, as I want to tick Wales off as quickly as possible so it's best I stay until that's done and dusted. I've signed a contract that keeps me at Caernarfon Town until the end of the 2028 season. I'm now earning £300 per week, and I'm slowly ticking my earnings over. I'll be on the big bucks soon surely?

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I got excited and accidentally played an extra game. Won't happen again guys . Anyway, after 12 games in the league, things are looking alright. We've won more than we've lost and drawn so that's always a good sign. We went on a really good run of wins in the league when we didn't lose for 5 league games. Our good form against TNS went out of the window, as we lost 2-1 on the second game of the season. It's a disappointing record to lose, but it had to come to an end someday. Our other losses came against Connahs Quay, & Cardiff Met Uni. We didn't play great in those games and deservedly lost them. We have played some really good football, with the midfield trio of Peris-Jones, Chapman & Edwards running havoc over the opposition. We had a really good draw against league leaders Barry when we held them to a 1-1 draw at the end of this half of the season.

Cup wise, we've entered the Nathaniel MG Trophy, and have progressed to the Qtr Finals once again. We absolutely hammered Rhyl with a 5-1 victory. We're now moving on to face Llandudno who now play their football in the JD Cymru North after falling from grace a couple of seasons ago.

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Who knows how this league will turn out, but we are currently in 3rd position, only a point behind TNS, and 4 behind Barry who have a game in hand on the rest of us. We've won 7 games, drawn 2 and lost 3. We have a positive goal difference of +8 and sit on 23 points. Can we possibly challenge for the league title this season?

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Mark Edwards is the pick of the players so far this season, having play 19 games, and achieved a rating of 7.37. That's pretty darn impressive and I hope he keeps it up. On his way to this rating, he has scored 5 goals and has picked up 6 assists. I think all his goals have come from the penalty spot but that doesn't matter. It's nice to have a spot kicker who scores them all the time. Ethan ap Gareth has impressed once again, as well as a new boy Aaron Agnew who's chipped in with 6 goals and 1 assist from the left-wing.

In the goalscorer ranks, it's Michael Kirk who once again leads the charge for the golden boot. He has 7 to his name, leaving Aaron Agnew & Elliott Hulse in 2nd place with 6 goals each. We've had a lot of players chip in with goals, with a total of 11 players scoring at least once this season.

Next Post: End of Season / 2026/2027

Dragocen
6 years ago
3 years ago
0
Hopefully you can finally win the title, looks like its going to come close!
Dan
12 years ago
4 months ago
16,964
Can't keep up with how quickly you get through the game! A few superb seasons there have put you right in the hunt for the welsh title now mate. keep it going.
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101
@Dan, I'm not sure how I do it, but I just love playing the game. I seem to have a lot of spare time in an evening at the moment. Cheers for keeping up and offering your support as usual man!

@Dragocen, tight isn't the word as you'll find out...cheers for commenting man!


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It's been one hell of an end of the season for us, and I can't wait to update you on this. I thought I best show you the financial situation we now find ourselves in, thanks to the Euro Cup run. We started off my reign, in the red, and we're now well in the black. In fact, we're now well over £200k and at one point, we were over £300k. It's insane how far we've come in my time in charge. It must be my influence right?

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Just look at that set of results. There are only 3 little red icons on that list and only 2 in the league. I'll start off by rounding up the cup competitions. First of all, we progressed all the way to the Semi-Final of the Nathaniel MG Trophy after beating Llandudno in a tight contest that ended with a penalty shootout. We then faced familiar foes Barry in the semis. It was a familiar result as we lost 2-1 and exited the trophy before getting the chance to win it for the 2nd time.

It was definitely much better in the JD Welsh Cup, as we went all the way and won it! A tight win on penalties once again against Camaerthan, before beating Cacrau Ely easily in the 4th round. An extra-time win against Bala in the Qtr Finals, meant that we faced Barry once again in a cup semi-final. We enacted our revenge as we put them to the sword with a 3-1 win courtesy of 2 Aaron Agnew goals. It was a fascinating final and one for the fans as we dominated and battered surprise finalists Gresford 4-1. What a day for the club. It's fair to say we rode our luck with penalty shootouts, extra time wins and a courageous win against Barry.

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Let's move onto the league, which now remained as the only trophy I need to tick off in Wales. If you remember, we were sat in 3rd position (I think), and needed things to go our way. Things definitely went our way, as we managed to grab wins against TNS & Barry to keep the pressure on them at the top. Only losing 2 games in the final section of the league, is some form and it's a testament to the squad we've built. I needed to add depth in the pre-season and that's what I did, which is what has helped us I think. Ultimately it all came down to the final game of the season. We needed to beat Connah's Quay, and we needed Barry to lose or draw against Cefn Druids, which was unlikely, but possible. IT HAPPENED!!

WE ARE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS BABY!!

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Look at that table, it couldn't have been closer! We finish top of the league as champions, on 69 points. We end the season with 21 wins, 6 draws and 5 losses. Barry finish closely behind us in 2nd place on 68 points, and TNS wrap up the last EC2 place in 3rd on 61 points. What a season for the lads.

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A title-winning squad is always going to have played well all season, but we've had a few players that have stood out to me. First of all, is new signing Aaron Agnew who finishes as our top goalscorer with 22 goals from 38 games. That's incredible from the left-wing position. He was pipped to the post on average rating by Ethan ap Gareth who finishes top with 7.31 as Agnew had 7.30. Both of them had terrific seasons and played a key role in the title win.

Rounding off the top goalscorers in the squad, we had Agnew in 1st, Michael Kirk in 2nd with 20 goals, and Luke Hughes in 3rd with 13 goals. 12 players chipped in with at least one goal this season which is good for us. I'm so happy with our goalscoring potential.

Ethan ap Gareth has got to be the player of the season though and has been for the past few seasons. I'll be looking at bringing him to a new club when I move on (if it's around the similar level to the Welsh league.)

Next Post: A new challenge, a new club?

Just a little bonus story for you all, and I've now entered my first hall of fame. I'm in the Welsh Hall of Fame. Something to be proud of eh?

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TinakoFM
10 years ago
2 days ago
1,522
Absolute class, that! Thank you Cefn Druids!
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101
@r96Skinner, haha that was a close finish to the league eh? I owe the Cefn Druids squad and management a drink.



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I've not been out of management that long, but I've been spending my time since enjoying the last of my cottage by the sea in Caernarfon and spending time with the family at the beach. It's been nice to just relax and get away from things for a while. That being said, I spent some time, scouring the job market and one job stood out to me, and I'm now their manager. Limavady United in Northern Ireland offered me the chance to become their manager and guide them to promotion from the Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League. (God, that's a mouthful).

So, I'm off to Northern Ireland, to begin my reign and I think this will be a long stint as well, as there are so many cup competitions to wrap my head around, as well as trying to climb the 3 league system here. It'll be fun, and interesting to see how I can get on. I will try and persuade Ethan ap Gareth to come, but it's a massive step down for him so I doubt it. Worth a go eh?

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Limavady United are a semi-professional team playing in the Bluefin Sport Premier Intermediate League which is the 3rd tier of Northern Irish football. They play their home games at the Limavady Showground which is a 550 capacity stadium in Limavady itself. It has only 274 seats, but it's a lovely cosy ground. The club has basic training facilities and basic youth facilities which may need improving if we are to have continued success here. It does benefit from having adequate youth recruitment and an average academy system.

The team has won a few trophies since they formed in 1884. They have 5 Northern Irish North West Cups, 6 Northern Irish Craig Memorial Cups, 4 Northern Irish Intermediate Cups & 5 Bluefin Sports Premier Intermediate League titles. The latest being in 2021, so not too long ago. We need to get back to winning ways quickly.

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We have a small squad, of players all on non-contracts so anyone could go at any time. I can't sign any of them to a proper professional contract as we need to be professional to do so apparently. Anyway, I'll be looking to add some more depth in during pre-season and will probably keep adding during the season until I'm happy with what we've got.

The current best player at the club is striker Matthew Shaw who finished as the second top goalscorer in the league last season so we will be pinning most of our hopes on him this season I reckon. Can I get him a strike partner maybe? The 23-year-old striker has some insane stats for this level with16 finishing being outstanding. I can't wait to see him 1 on 1.

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The team finished bang smack in the middle of the league last season with a 6th place finish. They had 8 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses. We need to turn those draws into wins and we will be challenging easily I reckon. Time to get to work.

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Next Post: Pre-Season Update 2027/2028

TinakoFM
10 years ago
2 days ago
1,522
Gotta love the Northern Irish system. Best of luck with Limavady United!

About the contracts: This could've been just in my experience there or maybe a bug, but a frankly ridiculous amount of clubs tried to poach my players; it truly felt like almost everyday, most of the time from random reserve teams. I always offered minor improved terms to avoid losing the players, so not sure how many would've actually departed.
Dan
12 years ago
4 months ago
16,964
Well done dude, that was tight but always makes an exciting final day!
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101
@Dan, It's always exciting when it comes down to the last day, but it's also nerve-wracking. I think I would've left anyway and come back to Wales later on in the career. I needn't have to now.

@r96Skinner, contracts in this league baffle me, but I'll be looking at getting some of the key players on a part-time contract somehow so we don't constantly lose them. Once we are out of this league it'll be easier eh?


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Pre-Season is over with, and I'm ready to get on with getting out of this league with my new team Limavady United. It's been a hectic couple of weeks, with teams coming in with offers for my players every day. To be quite honest, I have no idea who's left the club and whether I've replaced them with suitable players. All that I do know, is that the season preview is out and they put us as 2nd favourites to win the league. That's got to be good right...? It's only relegated Ards who have a better shot apparently.

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One major player has departed us, with the name of Matthew Shaw. I had identified him as the key to our success and really wanted him to stay with us so we could charge up the N.Irish league system quickly. Unfortunately, Newry City AFC came in and offered him a contract, so he would've been stupid to turn that down. Anyway, I've brought in a few players that hopefully will be good enough to help us challenge for the title this season. I'll continue to bring in players all season I'm guessing.

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Of these new players, Marcus Mathisen seems to be the best prospect, and slots straight into the holding role in my midfield 3. I've decided to play striker Lee Carey as my main option upfront but will be looking at replacing him if he can't produce the goods.

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We've only had time for 5 friendlies, before the chaotic cup competition start, but I'm happy with how we performed. We got 4 wins, and 1 draw in our 5 friendlies. Two of these were testimonials so we had ex-players playing for us so I'm not sure what that actually achieves for us. We actually only conceded 1 goal in these 5 games which are nice to see. Our defence looks to have gelled really nicely!

Next Post: Mid-Season Update // 2027-2028
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101

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So it actually turns out that the cup competitions aren't too complicated. There is an awful lot of them but not every team is in every one of them. We managed to retain the rest of our squad until after the transfer deadline day came and went, so we now have a settled squad and I think we are beginning to see the best of them. Also, Matthew Shaw leaving, may have been the best thing to happen to us...

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We've played 11 games in the Bluefin Sports Premier Intermediate League, and we've got another 11 to go. Things have gone really, really well as you can see from that fixture list. We've had way more green on there than yellow or red. We've only lost the once in the league, against Bangor, on an opening day, after they came from behind at the death to turn it around. I thought it was going to be a long, hard season at that point, but since then it's been pretty much nothing but roses. We've had really impressive wins against Loughgall, Tobermore United & Ards, all who have been playing fairly well. We're actually in the middle of an unbeaten run now, and it currently stands at 11 matches. Can it go until the end of the season? Probably not, but we will give it a go.

I'll start with the Intermediate Cup, as that's the one I want to win this season. I think we have a good chance of doing that, as we have one of the strongest squads in the competition. We had a convincing 5-0 win against Markethall, in the 1st round. This set us up with a 2nd round matchup against Ballymacash Rangers. We sent them packing too, as we beat them 3-0. We're not there yet, but it's looking good so far. Can we go all the way? I think so...

In the rest of the cups, we played teams of a higher quality than us, and it showed. We managed to get through the 1st round of the Bet McClean Cup with a win against Loughgall. It set up a 2nd round match against the current holders Glentoran who are one of the biggest N.Irish teams. We did really well against them and only lost 2-1. It shows we have the quality to at least challenge the top teams in the leagues. We also crashed out of the Irish Cup, this time against lower-ranked opposition which wrangles me a bit. We lost 1-0 to Castle Star, but the least said about that the better.

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The media had predicted us to finish in 2nd position at the start of the season, and that's where we lie at the moment. We have 22 points from 11 games, whilst Donegal Celtic sit in the top spot, on 24 points. It's close, but I believe we have the quality to go on and win this thing. Coagh United is chasing us hard in 3rd spot.

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It's been a great effort from this bunch of non-contract players at the club. Lee Carey has been the standout performer, and it's not even been close. He was given the chance after Matthew Shaw left us in the Summer. He's definitely taken it, as he's now got an average rating of 8.08 from 16 games. He's been our highest goalscorer all season and currently has 18 goals. That's a hell of a scoring record for this league.

Special mention to Liam Hassain, who has a rating of 7.57 from 16 games. The centre-midfielder has been a holding force in there and has 6 assists and 2 goals himself. He's been quality in there.

TBH, they've all been pretty impressive, just take a look for yourself.

Next Post: End of Season / 2027/2028

tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101

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It's the end of my first season here in Northern Ireland, and things have gone really well. Just a little message to announce that the board were impressed with my management of the club, and offered me a brand new contract, which of course, I accepted. I'm now earning a huge £350 a week up until 31.05.2029. I reckon I'll be here for a long time, as I'll need to progress up the leagues. If a bigger team in N.Ireland wants me though, I'll probably accept, but that's a big IF right now.

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AH WE WERE SO CLOSE TO AN UNBEATEN END OF THE SEASON! We lost the final game of the season against Ards which gave us our only loss on the second half of the season. This loss meant that we had only lost two games this season. That's a pretty impressive first season if you ask me. We had really good wins against Donegal Celtic, Tobermore United & Croagh United. All of these games could've been tricky matchups, but the squad performed excellently to make sure we won those key games. Apart from the loss, we had a particularly poor draw against Loughgall who we should've beaten comfortably, but we put in a bang average performance. Where do you think we finished in the league after that run of form?

Anyway, moving on to the only remaining cup we were in, the Intermediate Cup. It took extra time to force through a win against lower-ranked Institute Reserves as a winger Adrian Rice fired home in the 103rd minute. This meant that we had to go and beat Donegal Celtic in the 4th round. We turned in a performance of the highest degree as we spanked them 4-1. We then went on to beat Bangor, 1-0 in the Qtr-Finals, before a semi-final victory against Coagh United meant that we had the chance to win our first piece of silverware here in N.Ireland. The final was against Glentoran II (if you remember, their 1st team had knocked us out of the Irish Cup). It was another close match, that required a nervy penalty shootout to separate us and decide who would win the trophy. We held our nerve as CB Coffey sent the keeper the wrong way and fired into the bottom left corner to secure the trophy.

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Our media prediction of 2nd was wrong, as we went one place better and secured the title. It was comfortable in the end and we won it with a game to spare. Our defeat on the last day of the season made it look close, but it was easier than it looked. I reckon the hard work will start now, as we won't be anywhere near the favourites to go and win the league above.

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The main man Lee Carey didn't carry on his amazing form, but still had a fine season leading the line. I did bring in another striker to challenge him who maybe put him off his game slightly. He ended the season after scoring 19 goals in 29 appearances. He achieved a rating of 7.52. Our best player statistically was Stephen Holden, the right-winger who secured a 7.57 rating from 32 games. He scored 3 goals and led the team with 14 assists.

Next Post: Pre-Season / 2028/2029

tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101

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Another pre-season is in the bag, and I'm not as confident as I was last season. Last season was all too easy for us, as we were one of the strongest teams in the division. I think this season is all about establishing ourselves in this league: Bluefin Sports Championship. I'll be trying to progress as far as we can in the cup competitions, with no real aim of winning any of them due to us being a mid-range team in them. It's about setting ourselves up for the future here, and then maybe challenging next season? I could be wrong though and we go on a crazy winning run and win the league this season. The media actually predicts us to finish in the mid-table position of 8th.

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I've only actually brought 3 players into the club this summer, although I could do with maybe a couple of more to help us with the depth issue. I've sent a few youth prospects out on loan to gain first-team experience so hopefully, they will continue to improve and be back next season to challenge for a first-team place with us.

The first player I brought in was Connor Hazley, from Ards. He's an AMC who can flick on his creativity with a switch and has pretty impressive physical stats. He's really pacey and I look forward to him setting lots of goals up this season. I then went and signed Chris Murray, from Portadown, who is a more defensive-minded midfielder. He's got average stats but across the board so should be able to help solidify the midfielder for me. The final player we signed is Michael Coulter, who had no previous club. He's an attacking left-winger, who should provide competition to Adrian Rice.

Chris Murray // MC // Portadown // Free
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Connor Hazley // AMC // Ards // Free
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Michael Coulter // AML // Free
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Once again, we only played a few friendlies, and once again a couple were testimonials. We performed well and the new players came in an got up to speed with the tactic. Players got much-needed game time in their legs, and we are set for the season now...

Next Post: Mid-Season Update // 2028-2029
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/6p7MHPEbdgmBT3D7IRn2aCeoQ8hZcvOZrLvKRz5F.png
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I've only just realised that I can't actually conquer the whole of N.Ireland with Limavady United, due to the fact they don't enter 2 of the cup competitions, so N. Ireland will definitely be at least a 2 team mission. That being said, I'm enjoying my time at this club. Things are going well, and with a few more key additions, things could be special for us. Anyway, nothing else to report on club wise, apart from the fact that the chairman has rubbished some takeover reports. Nothing drastic though.

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Considering we have only just been promoted to this league, we're not doing as bad as I thought we would do. We could do with a few more wins, as we've only managed 3 in total this campaign so far. Our wins came against Newington, Armagh & Dollingstown. In all 3 games, we scored 3 goals, so maybe there is something to that. Whenever we score 3, we win. That's the secret recipe. We did have an unbeaten month in the middle, where we didn't lose for 5 games. We gained a few credible draws against Ballinmallard & Dergview. Our form against the top teams in the league is not good, and that will need changing if we are to challenge next season.

In the only cup, we've entered so far, it was an early exit for us, as we lost to Armagh who beat us 1-0 in the Bet McClean Cup 2nd Round. A disappointing run in the cup which never got started and ended far too prematurely.

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At the midway point of the season, we are doing better than the media thought. They put us down in 8th position, when in fact we are in 7th. I'll take that, and it could quite easily be higher than it is. We have 14 points and sit 8 points above the relegation zone so a few more wins, will mean that we are safe this season. We are also only 6 points off the playoffs, so you never know. We could be one and done in this league if all goes to plan...

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I've changed our system to a more cautious, counter-attacking system with a 4-4-2 formation. This means I can play Lee Carey & Kris Frame upfront together which seems to work better in this league. The two lead us on average rating standings, with Carey having 7.17 and Frame, 7.21. That's not bad considering we aren't winning many games. The effort is there and the results will come.

In regards to goalscoring and setting them up, Frame & Carey both have 5 goals apiece, but Frame has 4 assists to Carey's 1. My favourite stat is that the goalkeeper Jack Hazard has himself an assist. I love the fact that we are going route one and it's paying off. Go on Jack lad.

Next Post: End of Season / 2028/2029

SrWer
11 years ago
7 months ago
7,002
First of all congratulations for your work at Caernarfon!


And now you come to a new club and do it right in the first time. What a show.

But... The second season is not going well at all. I wish you luck for the rest of the season, at least if you can make it to the podium it would be good.
Dan
12 years ago
4 months ago
16,964
Another couple trophies in the bag, well done fella, looking strong this season too following promotion.
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101
@Dan, Thanks for catching up once again. Trophies are definitely the aim of the game, so a couple more were very nice. Things have changed though...

@SirWerGaming, you're the man for catching up! You're right, things aren't going great this season, but that is about to change...

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/pI15Ppqz4UJFzfH3ZzGQgOeZPQxTtKuFZfUA8GBU.png

As you can see from the new banner, things have changed a little bit. I've not moved country, but I've moved up a league and to a new team. Things had started to stagnate at Limavady United and we weren't progressing as quickly as I would have liked to. Basically, after finishing in the bottom half of the league during the regular phase, we had entered the 'relegation phase' meaning we could finish no higher than 7th. That's not where I want to be, and we were being drawn into playing defensive football. Again, that's not what I want to do, so when Larne came calling for an interview, I gladly accepted and they in return offered me the managers job.

So, here I am, sat here today, as the new Larne Football Club manager, sitting on an £800 per week contract, which runs up until the 31st May 2030. It's nearing the end of the season and I'll show you how they have got on so far in the rest of this post, but I'm glad to have moved on, and with a club that has a strong possibility of trophies next season. (if not this one).

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Larne play their football in the Danske Bank Premiership which is the top tier in Northern Ireland football pyramid. The club was formed in 1889 and is a semi-professional outfit. They also go by the name of the Inver Reds. They have one main fierce rival in Carrick, and two other rivals in Ballyclare & Ballymena United.

The team play their home games at Inver Park, which has a capacity of 2,050 including 1,250 seats. The club benefits from having 'good' training facilities. as well as 'adequate' youth facilities.

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This is the squad that I have inherited, and it looks to be very strong. Just by looking generally at it, we are strong all over the pitch but could do with a bit more depth in the full-back positions. We have a lot of central midfielders so I'll have to evaluate them all and see who fits my plans. I do tend to use a lot of them in rotation so they may all stay. Aaron Monaghan is the strongest player at the club apparently, and the right full-back will be key to my plans. He's only 25, so keeping him around will be key. The player with the most potential according to my assistant is Darren Kelly who is an attacking playmaker. He's only 19 but has 4* potential (5 if you count the black star). I'll be looking at getting him game time too.

Aaron Monaghan
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Darren Kelly
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As I said earlier, we are very nearly at the end of the season here in Northern Ireland, but the club still has a little bit to play for, and even a trophy. We've only got 2 games to play in the league, and one in a semi-final. So we potentially have 4 games to play this season. You can see how we've gotten on in the rest of the competitions below. The team actually played in the Euro Cup this season, so shows the quality they have. They've performed well below-par this season and are currently in 7th position, with the possibility of rising to 6th (which is possibly why the previous manager got sacked).

My aim this season is to win the Northern Irish Cup. If we can manage that, then I'll be super pleased with taking this job, as I can then start to tick the others off next season.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/611RWvJF9LD9r0SKowUDOGmk6BzgRnErQNI79uuz.png


Next Post: End of Season Update 2029/2030

tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101
https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/pI15Ppqz4UJFzfH3ZzGQgOeZPQxTtKuFZfUA8GBU.png

I thought I only had 3 games in charge of the club to bring the season to an end, but the league splits as it does in the other N.Irish leagues, so I actually had a few more to get through. We finished the regular season in 7th, which meant we qualified for the relegation phase (URGH). To be honest, I just wanted to see the season out so I could start to get my own players in and get them trained in a tactic that we can use going forward. You can see how I got on in my first little bit of Larne management below.

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As I said above, we had a few league games remaining, and then the relegation phase to oversee. I'll start off by summing up the league performance before heading onto the cup competition. Things weren't great in the league, but they could've been worse. We managed a total of 3 wins (out of the 8 I took charge in). The wins came against Portadown, Newry City AFC & Ballymena United. The win against our rivals Ballymena pleased the fans and showed what a force we can be in this league. We had a convincing win against Portadown as well. In these wins, we scored a combined 13 goals. That's some firepower in the team. We did, however, lose 3 matches as well, against Linfield, Portadown & Glenavon. I'm not disheartened by our form, but things need to change in the off-season, and we will need to get rid of the deadwood and bring in fresh faces.

In the Irish Cup, we had reached the Quarter Finals and had set up a tie against Cliftonville. Unfortunately, we ended up losing a thriller. 3-2 was the final scoreline, but it wasn't in our favour. It was a great game but Cliftonville showed their class and ended up nicking the win from us. Not to be this year, but I expect to go and win it next year.

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Not much to say here, but we finished in 7th position, which is as high as we could considering we were in the relegation phase. This isn't where a club like Larne should be, but we will be looking to build on this and challenge for the title next season. We are much better than how they performed in the league this season.

Next Post: Pre-Season Update | 2030/2031

Dragocen
6 years ago
3 years ago
0
Love the new graphics, what skin do you use, i need a new one as im just using the default atm
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101
@Dragocen, cheers mate, finally taken the steps to do it! I'm using the TCS skin, not sure where I found it, but should be able to google it and it'll come up I think.

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It's been an absolutely manic off-season, bringing in no less than 14 players into the club. Not all of these are first-team players and will be sent to the reserves or out on loan to improve. I'm pleased with who we've brought in and we're actually being predicted to finish 4th in the league. That's a lot better than the 7th we finished in last season. I won't be happy if we don't at least get top 3, but that's just me. I think this is the season where we should concentrate more on winning the domestic cups, as we still need to tick them off.

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The only teams that are expected to have a better season than us in the league, are Linfield, Glentoran & Cliftonville. It should be a fun one.

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I told you it's been a manic transfer window. I won't go through the details of every player, but will just pick out some of the key ones.

The first area of the pitch we needed to strengthen, was the goalkeeper. We had a serious weakness here last season, conceding a massive 55 goals last season. I immediately set out to find a new keeper and incomes Alex Wright. The new number one comes in from Afan Lido, and looks to be a confident, young keeper who has room to grow in this team.

Alex Wright // GK // Afan Lido // Free
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Ricky Young & Shea Adair, both were here last season on loan, so I made their loans permanent on free transfers. Both had good campaigns and I'm happy to have them here on long term deals.

Dean Fanthorpe, comes into marshall the defence, and take control back there. After having no club for a while, he's going to captain the defence and hopefully make them become a formidable opponent. He's got everything a CB should have, but his natural fitness is outstanding. He's going to be a key player for us this season.

Dean Fanthorpe // CB // Free
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The last player I want to introduce you too is Steven Todd. He's a versatile midfielder, who brings an attacking threat. He can play in the middle of the park, or out on the right-wing. He's pacey and has a cracking first touch. I'm not sure where he will mostly play, but he's definitely in my plans.

Steven Todd // MC/AMR // Free //
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I know I say this every year, but friendlies don't really matter to me, and I don't really take much notice of them. I do love how the team has come together though and how they played together. There have been a lot of additions and their performances show they are onto something special. We had great wins against Stranraer, Barrow, Wellington Rec & Portstewart. We only conceded 2 goals throughout these 4 games and scored a massive 14 goals at the same time. Impressive going into the season.

Next Post: Mid-Season Update | 2029/2030

bigmattb28
10 years ago
4 days ago
1,474
Premium
Great read as always mate. Am sure you can tick Northern Ireland premier league off the list with Larne very soon.
tongey
14 years ago
1 month ago
1,101
@bigmattb28, thanks mate, hopefully, I can tick it off sooner rather than later and crack on with a few more countries.

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We're 14 games into the league season, and things are looking pretty good for us at Larne. There has been no club updates to update you on, but the club is in serious debt, leaving me with 0% transfer revenue, and a very small wage bill to try and win the title with. It's not an easy job that's for sure. I'm doing my best though and hopefully, that will be enough.

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Well look at that, things are going pretty fine and dandy for us at Larne. The amount of green on that fixture list is definitely pleasing on the eye. There have been some negative moments but the positives definitely outweigh them. I'll focus on the league first as normal, and we've played 14 games so far. Of the 14 games, we have 10 wins. The most impressive wins included a league double over much-fancied Linfield, and a nice 1-0 win at Cliftonville. We did, however, get mullered by a strong Glenavon side who are running away with things a little bit as you'll see in the league table. They battered us 5-0 at their place, and I'm hopeful we can put on a much better showing at our place. We're currently on a 6 match winning run in the league and I'm confident this can continue as we push on for the league title.

In the cup competitions, we've had mixed success. The County Antrim Shielf ended early for us as we were knocked out in the Quarter-Finals by Linfield after a 2-1 defeat. It's a shame as it was one of the trophies I wanted to win this year. It'll have to wait until next year though.

In the Bet McClean Cup, we're on our way to a good run, as we've made it all the way to the Quater-Finals, where we face an inform Ballyclare side. On the way to the Quarters, we've beaten Ballymena United & Crusaders. Hopefully, this strong form can continue and give me my first trophy in charge of Larne.

We also have the Irish Cup to enter, and we will enter at the 5th round stage.

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Well, well, well we're currently in 3rd position in this very tight league. Glenavon are running away with things at the top of the league as they have a 7 point lead from ourselves and Linfield. We have the exact same record as Linfield, but they sit above us due to goals scored (I think). I will be hoping to put the pedal down, and push on and try and reel in Glenavon. It's a tough ask, but I think we may surprise people and the bookies.

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I haven't got too much to say about the lads, but they've put in some really solid performances through the first half of the season. Our most in-form player is Klodian Lala, the Albanian U21 as he's averaged a 7.27 rating through 15 games. He's scored 4 goals and has 5 assists too which is decent for an attacking midfielder. I think he has been the key so far this season and can unlock any defence on his day.

Goal scoring-wise, we have a runaway leader in Sean McGovern who has 10 goals from 18 games. That's not prolific but he's won us some matches on the way. Winger Steven Todd is in 2nd place with 8 goals. Most have been tap-ins from crosses, but I'll take any goal obviously.

Alex Wright has been immense between the sticks and has 6 clean sheets so far. He's made so many key saves and kept us in so many matches. It's definitely a good thing to have a strong umber one.

Next Post: End of Season Update | 2029/2030

TinakoFM
10 years ago
2 days ago
1,522
Larne is a good step up from Limavady. I managed Larne on a few FMs back, before their takeover when they were a Championship team.
Hopefully you can snag a trophy this season.
bigmattb28
10 years ago
4 days ago
1,474
Premium
Looking good so far mate, as long as you don't hit a poor run of form, am sure you'll end the season with at least 1 trophy

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