The Gary Speed Challenge

After working for some time on my ongoing Welsh expansion (See the data updates section of the board) I have developed an urge to actually play the game again, and this challenge seemed like an interesting way to return to it. FMBase.



Now I don't care much for the scoring system, Being on the leader board doesn't matter to me, But I do like the overall idea of trying to turn the Welsh nation into a European Powerhouse.

Eligible clubs

Swansea - Premier League
Cardiff - Championship
Wrexham - Conference
Newport - Conferenece
Merthyr Town - Southern League (The Saints will need to be promoted before they become playable as I have only loaded down to BSN/S)
Any Welsh League side
Welsh National sides

As the manager has to be Welsh that ruled myself out of the challenge as I'm as English as they come, So there was only one other man for the job....



Well then, For the land of Saint David!

As a keen Swans fan (who I always choose to manage) I'll be keenly following your progress on this one. I remember I took Wales to the Euro semi in FM12 with Joe Allen & Ramsey being the driving force, very tricky though as Wales just don't have a clinical striker at present, so building a good youth academy with either Swansea or Cardiff will need to be an important step.

Good luck.

It took a while for a Welsh job to become available, Well, Port Talbot sacked their manager quite early on but they weren't willing to take a punt on a plucky comedian turned football manager, Instead opting for that ginger ball of lard John Hartson.
Thankfully mid-way through December a job did come my way, and one I was only to happy to snatch then out of the chairman's hand for...



I must confess I hadn't expected a club as prestigious as Wrexham to give me a job, especially after having being rejected by bloody Port Talbot Town, But I shan't complain! (Mental note: Destroy Port Talbot in a friendly next year )

Wrexham are underachieving, They were one of the pre-season Favorites to go back up to the football league, However the Dragons find themselves marooned in mid-table and have decided to part company with my predecessor Andy Morrall to try and give their season a shot in the arm.

The squad is a fairly strong one, It could do with some re-enforcement in some positions, Most notably in defense, However I'm most concerned about the complete lack of Welsh talent in the squad, Only Robert Salanthiel and Robert Ogleby hail from these fair lands, and neither of those are established first team players yet. That is something I shall have to remedy.

Thanks mate, I think it is a bit soon for me to be thinking about my glourious national team reign just yet, All in good time.
Keep reading through.

My first few games in charge have gone well, Two wins and a draw from three games has seen the club rise to within touching distance of the play-off places, My target is to be occupying one by this time next month...



A credible draw away to title challenging Grimsby before two excellent victories against West Midlands opposition in the forms of Tamworth and Telford, I'm certainly going to be looking to extend Andy Bishop's loan spell after he scored four in those three games.

I've been using a very back to basics approach whilst I get to know my players strenghs and weaknesses, A flat 4-4-2 with a deep line has ade us very solid at the back and having two potent targetmen in Bret Ormerod and Andy Bishop is bagging goals, I'm already very familiar with both Dean Keates and Baxendale from their times with Walsall (Baxendale is still a Saddler who is on loan to us) so I know how to get the best from them, The rest of the squad is a bit of a mystery but I'm getting there.


After just three games I'm not going to get carried away but early signs are encouraging at the Racecourse, I think the play-off's are the absoloute minimum we should be achieving with our squad this season.

January 2013

At the conclusion of my first full month in charge of Wrexham I remain as of yet, unbeaten in all competitions and my team have advanced into the semi finals of the FA Trophy.


League-wise we are very much as your were currently due to being held to a draw in three of our five games, Those results included us throwing away a two goal lead twice in succession against Lincoln and Southport respectively, I was prepared to pardon the result at Sincil Bank as we played much of the second half with just nine men, I was however infuriated by our inability to hold our early impetus against Southport as we allowed them far to much time and space on the ball.



Excitement is building at the Racecourse however with us having qualified for a place in the last four of the FA Trophy, A hard fought tie with Ebbsfleet which required a replay to settle our differences and then an injury time winner against Gateshead have set up a tie with Braintree to decide who goes through to the Wembley final with the first leg in Essex.

This seems to be an interesting challenge and one that should definitely keep your interest in the game going, really hope you stick with it mate. KIU.

Yeah I'm enjoying it so far, Particularly as I'm winning.
Certainly the biggest challenge will be developing my own Welsh talent that is good enough to eompete with the best players in the world.

Colwyn Bay usually do well in my games, but they only do so by taking punts on eastern-european regens.

We can only hope

Good luck with this, what reputation is your manager?

February 2013

Another month gone and my fantastic start with the Red Dragons continues, My first defeat finally came in the second leg of our FA Trophy semi-final against Braintree as we conceded two late goals, However thanks to our 2-0 victory in the first leg we still progressed to the Wembley final with a 3-2 aggregate victory to set up a clash with Stockport in the showpeice with whom we played out an entertaining 3-3 draw this month.



Despite the club not having suffered a reverse in the league since November we still find ourselves lingering in seventh place, We do however hold two games in hand due to our FA Trophy run.

Your two games in hand could be absolutley vital here buddy, win them both and your sitting in the playoffs with nine games to go, fail to win and I think you will struggled to make it

24th March 2014

There was heartbreak in North Wales this afternoon as Wrexham suffered a penalty shootout defeat at the hands of Stockport as the Hatters clinched the FA Trophy for the first time in their history at the culmination of a riveting final at the home of English football.
Wrexham manger Rob Brydon was forced to field several unfamiliar names for the showpiece, Cameroonian goalkeeper Joslain Mayebi who was away for his first international call up, as was Faroese winger Adrian Cieslewicz and emerging forwards Robert Ogleby and Nathan Salathiel both of who were representing the Welsh under-21's against Norway. The red dragons were also missing regulars Andy Bishop and Brett Lucas forcing Brydon to draft in reserve goalkeeper Andy Coughlin and forgotten striker Danny Wright as well as filling his substitutes bench with untested academy players.

Despite the personnel problems the Dragons got off to a good start, testing County's defense with several teasing balls into the area, The breakthrough came mid-way through the first half as Stockport failed to clear a Jason Banton corner, veteran midfielder Dean Keates was on hand to slam home the loose ball from within the crowded penalty area.
The red contingent of the 40,000 strong crowd at Wembley could have been forgiven for thinking the trophy was on it's way across the border for the very first time when Neil Ashton who was being asked to play out of position on the left flank due to the missing Cieslewicz burst inside from a wide position and slammed home from the edge of the box to put the Reds 2-0 up after just half an hour.

Stockport valienty flowed forward to avoid going into half time two down and allowing Wrexham to close up shop in the second period, They got the break they we looking for with just three minutes left on the clock, cue winger Sean Newton to curl a stunning 30 yard freekick past Coughlin in the Wrexham goal to set up a juicy second half.
Spurred on by pulling a goal back, Stockport came flying out of the traps in the second half, Taking just eight minutes to draw level, Man of the match Newton again scoring from distance, However this time he had to thank the goalkeeper rather than personal skill as 20 year old Coughlin who was clearly not relishing the big occasion completely fluffed his lines when dealing with what should have been a routine catch from Newton, missing the ball entirely and allowing it to drop over his head into the net, much to the dismay of his team mates who had not long ago been strolling towards the silverware.
The remainder of normal time proved to be a flowing and entertaining affair as both sides pushed forward to keen to avoid having to play another half an hour with both having important mid-week games in the Conference play-off race, The Welsh side perhaps had the best opportunity when Brett Ormerod fired straight at the goalkeeper from four yards out but the prospect of extra time had an abounding air of inevitability.

Brydon played his chance cards at the start of extra time, bringing on rookies Nicolas Rushden (21) and Elliot Scotcher (18) for their debut's, It wasn't long before this gamble paid dividends as Scotcher threaded a delightful through ball for Rushden who showed a compose that belied his tender age by rounding Stockport keeper Ian Ormson to put the Dragons back on top with half time in extra time approaching, However the Clwyd based side again couldn't hold on, 19 year old fullback Anthony Stevens was adjudged to have handled a Newton corner right at the end of the first period, a decision which looked harsh on the subsequent replays. Stockport forward Liam Dickinson grasped the lifeline his side had been handed by smashing the ball beyond Coughlin's dive to again level the game.

The final period of the game passed by without much incident as cramp really began to bite the players as the game came down to the dreaded penalty shootout, Both teams scored their first three kicks, Wrexham's usually reliable centreback Chris Westwood was first to miss as his shot was saved well by Ormson to his right, Stockport's Tom Kilbey scored his subsequent penalty putting the weight of the world on 18 year old Scotcher who had only kicked a ball for the first time professionally just thirty minutes before hand, The midfielder was unable to convert as Ormson again saved low to his right, handing Stockport County their first ever FA Trophy victory.

In his post match press conference Brydon was keen to absolve Scotcher of any blame by pointing out that much more famous and successful footballers than the rookie have missed decisive kick's under such pressure. The 47 year old also expressed his bitter disappointment that they game had come down to a penalty shootout in the first place after his side had lead 2- before concluding that the club must put this heartbreak behind them and start focusing on Tuesdays game with the Conference's whipping boys Hyde FC with the Dragons looking to secure a play-off place and a possible return to Wembley next month.

Wrexham Team
13.Coughlin, 18.Walker, 5.Creighton(c), 23.Westwood, 22.Stevens, 24.Banton, 12.Keates, 2.S.Wright (28.Scotcher), 3.Ashton, 10.Ormerod, 9.D.Wright(19.Rushden)

Stockport Team
1.Ormson, 2.Halls, 20. Fagbola, 5.McCombe, 3.Newton*, 14.Sheridan, 36.Roberts, 25.McLuckie, 22.Kilbey, 11.Hobson,12.Dickinson

March was a long and difficult month or us but we have come out of it again unbeaten in the league, a run which now stretches twenty games under myself and 22 in all. Of course the aforementioned FA Trophy final defeat was gutting but with just four games to go until the end of the season it's essential we don't let it get us down and focus on cementing our place in the play-off's.



So we are finally in the top five, level on points with Gateshead in sixth, we just have to keep our cool now and continue the amazing run we have been on in the second half of this season.

Unlucky against Stockport in the final, but if you throw away a two goal lead and then throw away the lead again in extra time you can't say Stockport didn't deserve it! nice to see you in the playoffs mate

interesting challenge, may hope onboard this one

April 2013

Well, after being filled with optimimisim and good cheer for the last few months things exploded in our faces right when it mattered, Of course a first defeat in the league had been coming but I didn't expect it to be quite so vicious as we were thrashed 5-1 by Macclesfield in an utterly appalling performance where I could quite easily have chucked the laptop out the window. We did bounce back with an unconvincing win over Woking however our play-off hopes were put out of their misery with further shi*e performances against Kidderminster and champions Mansfield to ruin what had promised to be a fantastic first six months in charge at the Racecourse for me.



My only consolation is that if I'm offered a new contract here at Wrexham (Which is by no means certain) I can at least begin to build my own squad for next season, If I'm not kept on here I think I shall head for the Welsh Premier League in search of success.

What what a horrid way to end the season! unlucky mate, went into the last two months with a chance of promotion and cup success now neither!

Yeah, I blame the Welsh. Sheep diddling bottle drops.

It seems I shall not be granted the opportunity to build a Wrexham squad of my own after all....

I know we ultimately missed out on the play-off's which was disappointing but this sacking seems incredibly harsh as I only got half a season in charge, In that half a season I didn't lose a league game until the final month of the season, a run of over twenty matches unbeaten, including taking the club all the way to the FA Trophy final.

Time to begin looking elsewhere I guess.

You said they offered you a new contract? surely if you accepted that then it would of been your job to keep. And it says with Brydon out of contract, so it seems that you didn't accept the contract they offered so your time at Wrexham ran out meaning they 'sacked' you/yuo parted companies with them

Ah I see, slight misread :L

Slight? Severe misread Daniel.

It's a shame they sacked you as I also thought it was a bit of an "injustice" since you haven't even had a season. You were probably just a "stop gap" until they got someone with more experience, wouldn't be surprised. KIU though and best of luck wherever you end up.