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#359981 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
That's what I'm hoping will happen @Suffolk Seasider but promotion needs to happen as I don't think I could handle a third consecutive season in the bottom tier.
We have had a superb first part of the season and everything was going swimmingly well although I'm still a little 'devastated' we failed to win the Steel & Sons Cup, you shouldn't ever be losing to a reserve team but then in around March/April time the news broke that I'd be leaving the club in the summer to join not only my beloved football club but my home town club as well - but I insisted I was still going to give 100% at Glen Road Heights until my departure.
Just one more cup competition remained in the New Year and that was the Irish Cup, that run would come to an end in the sixth round, losing 2-0 to Dundela at Wilgar Park in a close game - Wakehurst were beaten three goals to one in the previous round at Glen Road Heights.
The final nine league games turned out to be a mixed bag although it was much better than how we ended last season - we lost three games all one nil against Queens University Belfast, Tobermore United and Newry City with the latter proving to be a critical loss but it's one we deserved as I feel with the pressure on us, we failed to show up at the Newry Showgrounds, we did beat the league leaders Limavady United three one in our penultimate league game.
And because of that defeat away to Newry the club had to settle for a runners-up spot but it' was still a season to remember as S&L clearly overachieved in the Premier Intermediate League and will play a two legged relegation/promotion play-off against Championship side Dergview. The club I'm joining, Bangor, have underachieved and finished the season in seventh.
It was a first leg to remember at Glen Road Heights as an excellent 2-0 win was secured and set us up perfectly for the return leg at Darragh Park four days later. Kevin Lynch broke the deadlock on twenty seven minutes and I thought it was going to finish one nil but attacking midfielder Ciaran Doherty doubled the lead with a minute to go to set up the second leg lovely.
Whenever your aggregate lead is snuffed out after only three minutes in the second leg then you know it's not going to be your night. I'm devastated, I truly am as it was a nightmare end to an excellent season as Dergivew won the game 4-2 on the night and then five four on penalties. Former Bangor duo Jordan Lucas and Ross Craig scored our goals. We found ourselves 3-0 down inside the opening twenty five minutes. Heartbreak.
And conformation that I've officially signed my contract with Bangor and now I say goodbye to Sport & Leisure Swifts.
#359776 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
It's coming to an end and that's my time at Premier Intermediate League side Sport & Leisure Swifts regardless of whether we end up getting promoted to the Championship or not and that's because a job I've been chasing previously once again came up and once again I applied for it but they allowed me to delay it until the end of the current campaign which helps me a lot.
Struggling down in ninth position in the Premier Intermediate League, the Bangor chairman decided to pull the trigger and sack former Dundela manager Steven Hyndes after only one hundred and ninety one days at Bangor Fuels Arena and it's def. a job I've made no secret about wanting since I began my managerial career. Bangor were preseason favourites to win the PIL this season but have massively underachieved.
And it's going to be up to me to try and bring the football club back to the Premier League for the first time in 2008 as I've agreed to take the reins at Bangor Fuels Arena effect from the end of this current season, I'll be getting eighty pounds less than I'm currently on but I don't care about the cash when you get to manage your beloved Seasiders. Sport & Leisure will receive one thousand one hundred pounds in compensation and I've agreed a one year deal.
I did ideally want to remain at Sport & Leisure until I attempted to get them promoted to the Premier League but I couldn't turn down the opportunity of managing my home town club.
#359745 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
With a mixed but otherwise decent preseason behind us it was now time to concentrate on my second competitive season in charge of Sport & Leisure Swifts and the pressure is on as last season the club was predicted to finish in eleventh place but this season the football club were expected by the media to finish as high as sixth, no pressure (sarcasm!) is on us then.
First things first though, I was able to add two players to our first team squad as both striker Ross Craig joined from Bangor and Nicky Kerr arrived from "unattached" following his release from Premiership side Coleraine in the summer, the central midfielder was on-loan with us last season. The biggest blow in the outs was striker Rhys Grainger who joined Carrick Rangers which disappointed me a little as he had started the campaign in blistering form - Philip Morgan and Tony McQuade also departed and truth be told won't be overly missed.
We reached our first cup final since I arrived at the club but unfortunately it turned out to be a heartbreaking Christmas Day as Cliftonville Olympic (Cliftonville's reserve team) beat us 2-0 in the final and it's a little "ironic" as their first team dumped us out of the League Cup at our first hurdle, Limavady threw us out of the Intermediate Cup in the second round while I'll expect progress in the Irish Cup as we welcome Wakehurst to Glen Road Heights in the fifth round.
Oh my, I'm shocked because we've had an excellent first period of the campaign as the team have only tasted defeat twice in thirteen games (4-1 at home to Annagh, 2-0 away to Limavady). I couldn't have asked for a much better start to the league season after how we ended last campaign as not only did we win our opening three games but the side only scored sixteen goals and conceded the four. Our final two league games of the year ended with back-to-back wins and back-to-back clean sheets against Donegal Celtic and basement club Immaculata.
And although I'd be quite surprised if we could maintain this form, I'm chuffed to see we are sitting top of the Premier Intermediate League and also five points clear of second placed Limavady United and the most shocking thing, take a look at our goal difference, +22. Bangor, whose chairman turned me down in the summer are down in fifth place while newly promoted Immaculata are bottom.
#359619 Asian Adventure
Shedender
#359605 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
Season two is about to begin for me in west Belfast and improvements are needed after how last season in ended with a nine match win-less run in the Premier Intermediate League but although I was glad we were pretty much safe from relegation, it was embarrassing and the worst run I've had in my 'short' managerial run thus far. The pressure is on now because of the signings I've made, Sport & Leisure are predicted to finish in SIXTH place.
It ended up being a case of three in and three out this summer for Sport & Leisure as I struggled to add to the squad before the end of pre season although I'd suspect more signings and possible departures to happen throughout the season. We will start with the ins and I'm pleased to have brought in left winger Jordan Lucas from "unattached", centre back Kevin McLaughlin from Crumlin Star and goalkeeper Jack McCrea from Coagh United - leaving the club was Lithuanian left winger Emiljus Grabys after no goals in thirteen appearances, striker Neil Corr retired and is now a scout at the club and shot stopper Damian Nugent was released after becoming unhappy at the club.
Our pre season program turned out to be a mixed bag and rightly so considering I arranged three 'big' friendlies at our Glen Road Heights home and it was those games we ended up losing as both Premiership side Crusaders and English Football League side Carlisle United both won one nil while Cliftonville went one better and won two nil but we did beat the teams we should've beat as Dollingstown, Holywood, 1st Bangor and Groomsport were all defeated.
But I was hoping I wouldn't have been at S&L this season whenever another certain Premier Intermediate League job became available and it was one I would've loved and still do. Garth Scates decided to resign at the end of June (along with the rest of the coaching staff) which meant the Bangor job was available for the first time in this career (although I've only played a season) but sadly after attending an interview they told me I was unsuccessful and gave the job to the former Dundela manager who stepped down following their PIL win.
If only I had more coaching badges, I could've been success. If only.
#359553 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
It's been an enjoyable first campaign for me thus far at Sport & Leisure Swifts even though we've only tasted victory in three of our first sixteen league games, I'm delighted we aren't stranded at the bottom. Just nine league games are remaining this season, regardless of what happens this has been a season to remember at times for the S&L support and it would take a disaster for us to finish bottom.
Even though we had the 'audacity' to take the lead at home to our illustrious opponents our run in the Irish Cup ended as expected at Crusaders progressed with a 4-1 victory at Glen Road Heights, I was surprised at how well we played against a much bigger club and was a little disappointed we could only score the once but I wasn't expecting a win against the Crues and would've been foolish to think otherwise.
Er, enough said about our final nine league games the better as I've no idea what happened. We just couldn't buy a win nor a clean sheet for that matter as only one was kept and that came in an undeserved 0-0 draw away to Donegal Celtic. When the side took the lead, we couldn't hold on for the win. Our final nine games brought four defeats and five draws and I'm glad this season is done.
So because of that poor run of form it ended up being a tenth place finish for Sport & Leisure in my first season in charge and I can't pretend to be a little disappointed because I am but I was offered, and signed a new one year deal. The major problem I had was a goal scoring striker as my first choice bagged only five goals in the league and that's simply not good enough and will hopefully be addressed in the summer. Lisburn Distillery somehow survived relegation by finishing bottom.
#359551 Gibraltar - A Country On The Rise
Shedender
#359548 FM 2017 - Blackburn Rovers RTG
Shedender
#359436 My British Steel Challenge Story
Shedender
Hope you recover soon.
#359376 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
With a good preseason on and off the field concluded it's now time to begin with the competitive season which begins with a trip to potential struggler's Lisburn Distillery. As you can see on the previous update, THIRTEEN signings were made but I'm confident they can quickly gel together and we can have an excellent campaign. Right now, I would take a Steel & Sons or Intermediate Cup run along with at least a mid-table finish.
But before I get on with the results throughout the first part of the season I made four more signings - Luke Murtagh and Rhys Grainger both signed from fellow Premier Intermediate League side Lisburn Distillery, Matt Lowe is a central midfielder who joined from Silverwood and Lithuanian winger Emilijus Grabys came in from 'unattached'.
The club still remain in the Irish Cup with the visit or Crusaders coming up, well, I expect us to be dumped out. I'm a little disappointed we couldn't have success in the Steel & Sons Cup, losing in the semi final stage to 'non league' side Coagh United as we had beaten Crumlin United, Glebe Rangers, Glentoran Seconds and Ballymoney United (all at home) before our exit. Loughgall dumped us out of the League Cup in the first round while Championship side Dergview beat us in the third round of the Intermediate Cup - we beat Rathfern and Dollingstown in the previous two rounds.
As expected it's been a tough league season at Glen Road Heights as we've won four games out of the thirteen that's been played as we've secured just the one away win thus far, on the opening day against Distillery while our other three wins against Queens, Donegal Celtic and Distillery have all come at home. We've had six draws thus far and if we had managed to turn a few of them into wins then we could've been a few positions higher but c'est le vie. The side have lost only three times thus far.
Just nine league games are remaining but surely it would take a disastrous run of form for us to be relegated, right? Sport & Leisure are currently in eighth place which I'm pleased enough win - four wins, six draws and three defeats from our thirteen PIL games - Dundela, as expected, are top while Distillery are bottom and win-less at present.
#359240 Gibraltar - A Country On The Rise
Shedender
#359236 Gibraltar - A Country On The Rise
Shedender
#359177 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
With my first preseason done and dusted and signings needed to be made, I had been expecting an almost new starting eleven before the campaign had begun and I didn't disappoint myself as I was "forced" to make over a dozen signings ahead of the new campaign in which we're predicted to finish rock bottom of the Premier Intermediate League but I'm confident we can avoid that.
We have made thirteen signings ahead of the new campaign with maybe a few more still to come throughout the month of August and bar Nicky Clarke (on loan from Premiership side Coleraine) all players are on non-contracts so can leave at any time. Gareth Agnew, Sam Knox, Luke McDowell and Danny Magill all signed from "unattached" hile Chris McElroy (Annagh United), Joseph McClenaghan (Brantwood), Stuart Millar (Portstewart), Matthew Clarke (Lurgan Celtic), William Kempton (Ballinamallard United), Glen Clarke (Coagh United), Ross Wilson (Annagh United) and Scott McMillan (Harland & Wolff Welders) all signed.
And this is how the squad looks going into the opening day of the Premier Intermediate League season and it looks a lot better than it did whenever I originally took the reins at Glen Road Heights, we now have depth although I'm still looking for at least one more central midfielder, attacking midfielder and striker but if I'm unable to find then whatever, I'm happy enough with the squad currently.
Bar the defeat at home to Glebe Rangers, pre-season went down a treat as we won our other four games and scored goals as well, only thing I'm a tad disappointed in was no clean sheets but c'est le view as it was pretty much a new back four + goalkeeper iirc. Following the home loss to Glebe we travelled to Ardoyne (won 3-1), Nortel (won 4-1), Bryansburn Rangers (won 6-3) and Newtowne (won 2-1). I feel we're ready.
#359150 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
These kits are custom made.
As you can see, I've made my decision on where I'm going to begin this career and an attempt to rise the football in Northern Ireland and I've decided to begin with the worst club in the bottom tier (going by media predictions) so I've chosen to take the reins at Sport & Leisure Swifts, a club from west Belfast who overachieved last season in real life, finishing the Premier Intermediate Cup (then Championship 2) in third position but despite that, they're predicted to finish this campaign rock bottom.
Here's a little information on the football for those who don't know them (which will be everyone I'm sure) but just like all the clubs in the Premiership, Championship and Premier Intermediate League's they're semi-professional and have a local reputation. Sport & Leisure play their home games at Glen Road (Heights) in west Belfast. The football club was founded in 1978 and played in the County Down Premier League and the Dunmurry League, before joining the Northern Amateur League in 1990 and had used Larne's Inver Park in 2009 while their Glen Road home was being improved to Championship standard.
And this is conformation that I've been appointed the first team manager of Sport & Leisure Football Club for the 2016/17 campaign and I cannot wait to get started as it's going to be a challenge not finishing bottom and getting the sack in my first season in management. Unless I'm mistaken, I've agreed a one year deal at the football club with zero philosophies so I won't feel the pressure on that bit.
Wow, the pressure is on because this is my ENTIRE first team squad, a whole fourteen players so I'll need to head straight into the transfer market and start looking for potential signings, especially centre backs and central midfielders as those are seriously lacking at the moment. I'd like to try and "edge out" the 30+ of age players which would be Darren Munster, Neil Corr, Kevin Duff, Ciaran Gargan and Tony McQuade but then again, they may end up being kept for not only experience but also if I fail to bring better players in to replace them.
This is the final piece of news, I asked the board for a 'laugh' if I could go on a coaching course expecting them to say "no, we don't have the money" but instead, they accepted and the first day on the job and I'm already heading to get my National C Licence and that will take approx. four months to study and S&L will be covering the six hundred pounds.
#359104 [FM17] The Career Of Fola
Shedender
#358987 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
I'm all about doing challenges now and again @r96Skinner and this'll be no different, even if it's going to be done within the combines of one country. Due to supporting my local club (who happen to play in Northern Ireland), I won't be beginning with them.
Please note, this is not me.
So not only am I a twenty nine year old manager attempting to make a break in football management in my homeland, the problem is I've no coaching qualifications (for now at least) and a past playing reputation of a Sunday League Footballer but that's only because a Boys Brigade (the last time I played a game competitively) wasn't available. I was born in Dundonald which is located in east Belfast while I'm a fan of my local football club Bangor.
And if I'm to start unemployed then I've got my choice of three clubs - Dundela from the Premier Intermediate League but @Dan has already managed them so that'll be out but are favourites for the league, Newry City who also play in the Premier Intermediate League and predicted to finish fourth and the third club are Championship side Loughgall.
#358925 Mark Tonge: Metropolitan Man.
Shedender
#358921 Gibraltar - A Country On The Rise
Shedender
#358845 Building a Nation: Northern Ireland
Shedender
Unfortunately because I had the same issues at @Dan and @tongey my attempt to not only conquer Europe but the entire World has had to end and that's a damn shame as I was thoroughly enjoying it and had just completed an excellent season at Dundalk before the problem occurred.
So like Dan himself, I'm attempting to build up an entire nation but it won't be Gibraltar as that'll be boring but instead I've decided to choose my 'homeland', yes I'll be managing in Northern Ireland in an attempt to not just build the nation up but 'changing' the entire Premiership without using the editor.
Eleven leagues have been loaded but only all playable divisions in Northern Ireland will be playable as I've no interest in jumping to another country throughout this career but I will be jumping around clubs in Northern Ireland but it won't be every single season, unless I get sacked.
The plan is to start in the bottom tier (Premier Intermediate League) and try and build the club up until they reach the top flight and establish themselves there as well, once I feel they're established then I'll step down and take charge of another club in the bottom tier whenever one becomes available and then rinse and repeat until the majority/all Premiership clubs have changed although seems impossible but it'll be fun I'm sure.
There's three playable divisions in Northern Ireland just like always - the Premier Intermediate League is ranked three hundred and fifty seventh in the rankings, Championship is ranked two hundred and eighty second (three worse than the sixth tier in Austrian football) while the Danske Bank Premiership is currently ranked in one hundred and second position - these will be checked at the end of every season but I don't expect an immediate change.
But while there's three playable league, we still have cup competitions that could potentially be won.
And there's six overall that could potentially be won throughout our attempt at building up this nation. The major competition, Irish Cup is currently ranked at a "lofty" ninety sixth while the League Cup is four positions lower in one hundredth. Down in one hundred and eighteenth is the Co. Antrim Shield.
The Steel & Sons Cup, a competition for only Intermediate and some top flight reserve teams is ranked at one hundred and ninety second, the Intermediate Cup is one hundred and ninety third and the Mid Ulster Cup, a cup just for clubs from, well, the Mid Ulster area is ranked in one hundred and nineteenth.
#358841 Gibraltar - A Country On The Rise
Shedender
#358812 Gibraltar - A Country On The Rise
Shedender
Stay out of Northern Ireland.
#358795 Gibraltar - A Country On The Rise
Shedender
#358744 On a quest to be the best II
Shedender
Only downside with it is, I can't recall if I've used any foreign players or not - can guarantee I didn't at Dundalk but can't recall at either Stirling, Sutton or Institute.
#358692 On a quest to be the best II
Shedender
What I'm now proposing, instead of starting a new career (at present) I have been thinking of turning this into the British Steel challenge and try and become the latest person to conquer - I believe only one person (@Gendo) has actually completed it and that would've been a good few years ago - now bar one game (was a pointless Scottish League Cup game) I don't recall using any foreign based players so that shouldn't be an issue now. Even though it's all about winning trophies, I will need the feel to show loyalty.
@Dan @tongey @Parker26 @r96Skinner @Sean_ - do you guys this is a good idea?
#358687 The British Steel Challenge 2017
Shedender
Trophy #2 - FA Trophy
Trophy #3 - National South
Trophy #4 - Intermediate Cup
Trophy #5 - Airtricity First Division
Trophy #6, #7, #8 & #9 - President's Cup, Leinster Senior Cup, EA Sports Cup, Ford Cup
Trophy #10 - Airtricity Premier Division
#358684 Dans Journey Around The World [Take ll]
Shedender
You could get bored and suffer motivational issues with a top two pal.
#358654 On a quest to be the best II
Shedender
Nowhere, sadly.
Unfortunately after seeing the problem @Dan and @tongey came across when they started on the beta, I decided to holiday the game until Belarus became "unlocked" and sadly my career, just like Dan's and tongey's is f*cked. Thirty clubs are playable in Belarus and whenever the country finally became "unlocked" when I checked how many jobs were available, there ended up being 30. an entire country.
And then I decided to load up a "test" save with just the English Premier League loaded and holidayed until Belarus became "unlocked" once again and then only two jobs were available. Clearly a beta problem, sadly.
#358647 From Unemployed To Wherever...
Shedender
#358586 On a quest to be the best II
Shedender
It's been an enjoyable first part of the campaign at Dundalk as not only are we seven points clear at the top of the table but we've already won two trophies (President's Cup & Leinster Senior Cup) while we still remain in the EA Sports Cup and FAI Ford Cup so it's very possible FIVE trophies could be signed sealed and delivered in my first season at Dundalk which would be incredible, perhaps expected but incredible nonetheless.
We've won every domestic cup competition Republic of Ireland threw at us although the side needed a penalty shoot-out to get past Sligo Rovers in the Ford Cup but we did beat the same opposition in the EA Sports Cup final, winning that one 2-0. We didn't have the worse run in Europe as Swansea City ended up beating us four nil on aggregate in the Europa League play-off.
The league campaign could've ended better as the side failed to win any of it's last four games - drawing against Sligo and St. Pats while losing against Shamrock Rovers and more surprisingly at home to Limerick. The side did thump Shamrock Rovers 5-1 but they had went down to ten men very early on while the club had also secured excellent wins at Cork and Derry.
And as predicted Dundalk won the league but the most surprising thing was we only finished four points clear of St. Patrick's Athletic at the summit but if it wasn't for being complacent then it would've been more. Galway finished rock bottom, Cobh Ramblers will go into the relegation/promotion play-off which meant my former employers Shelbourne survived and quite comfortably in the end.
So I've resigned. I had won everything possible at Dundalk so I didn't see the need to stay on. Just one season was spent at Oriel Park.
But before I resigned, our run in Europe meant the club was no longer in the red and it also meant I was finally able to ask to go on a coaching course a few weeks before I would end up tendering my resignation and once I'm success, I'll have my Continental C Licence which will then mean I will be three away from getting all my required badges. Just like all the courses, it's going to take approx. four months to study and Dundalk will be paying near a grand to cover it.
#358585 Celtic - A Squad Building Exercise
Shedender