Cannot proceed as part-time team

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone knows a way around this.

I've been playing as the semi-professional team Ursaria in Spanish tier 4, and after an incredible season managed to get promoted.

Now in the 3rd tier the rules state I must have 18 players on full-time contracts, but I am only capable of offering part-time contracts (I'm not sure how but I do have 2 players on full-time contracts which were already there at the start of the game).

I have spoken to the board about it, but they said no to turning professional.

At one point earlier in the summer I reached an impasse where the game wanted me to submit my squad but wouldn't let me do it because I couldn't select 18 full-time players. I managed to get around this by going on holiday for 1 day allowing my AssMan to bribe someone and submit the squad list, but as this was earlier in the summer when I had not assembled my full squad, I now have barely more than a low quality first 11 to try and get through a season, while tanking wages on about 8 more players I have signed since.

I may have already ruined the save by “rage-holidaying” for a couple of months to see if my assistant manager would step in again to save the day, but I'm quite emotionally attached to the team now after such an incredible season and tempted to try the same thing again from scratch.

Does anyone know a way to get past this, or to force a club to go Pro after getting promoted? I should also add this game was started prior to the most recent update to FM, but unless I missed something in the most recent update I don't think this should make any difference.

Thanks!