Your FM stories

Reganio 2

Just reading through the National Exploits thread and I think this would be good. Basically what was your favourite time playing the game. You can post 2 one has to be on FM 08 and if your favouirte memory of the game is on a different one you can post that too.

I'll get the ball rolling

My favourite game was when I was Wigan manager, I was doing not too bad just hovering above relegation and noticed the Nigeria job was free so applied for it for the laugh, suprisingly I got it, then the next week Wigan sacked me and I got the Birmingham job they were 19th. Anyway they got relegated on the last day and I resigned as their manager as I hadn't loaded the Championship. Both Wigan and Brum got relegated that year, next season then I took the Boro job as they were in 19th in the end they got relegated though so the 3 clubs I had managed the 3 got relegated . Meanwhile I was clubless but I won the African Cup of Nations, and during the WC Liverpool and Chelsea sacked their managers. I applied for both as I might as well. Then I got a message from Chelsea saying they want me as manager :eek:. I snapped the job up anyway and went onto the quarters in the WC with Nigeria, I got knocked out in ET by Italy .
Went on to finish 2nd in the league and then my laptop broke so I lost the save

Anyway please share.

estebancambias

Eircom League for me. I just love the way that you know success in Europe will bring financial prosperity not seen, but you also face the realisation that a first leg home victory in the third round is the best you can hope for, before being demolished away.

Also its a real test of your management skills because you really have to wheel and deal.

I know this is a generic story but for me EL rules.

horseydevine

eircom league for me too. st pats faithful... bought a few young lads from england for next to nothing, (harry worley, stephen darby, jimmy smith, chris martin and mark mcallister) mixed it with the likes of ndo and maguire,
1st season won the league, 2nd round of champo league qualifiers, next year i got into the uefa cup group stages.. kept tottenham to a 1 all draw and beat a second string monaco side.. otherwise financally i prospered.. Trying to expand the stadium as we speak.. my first seson my average age was 22!!!!!!!!!

Burial

Eircom League is my best memory. Limerick 37. Thought ok, 4 years I'll be in the premier. Won Div 1 in a season. (Bought almost all the squad off Wexford youth), stayed with Limerick 37 til half way through the season,(we were doing terrible, they offered me a better contract to stay because I made Limerick 37 100k in the black in one season.), offered a job in Scotland. Nothing I did was right. Fans hated me. So I resigned. Was jobless for a few months, until I saw Limerick 37 needed a new manager, so I said I'd apply. I got it. Took them back up into the Primier in one season. Didn't get relegated the next. (No matter who I bought or what I did I was just bad. I started off inexperienced though.) At this stage, Limerick 37 were super rich for a EL club. It was shocking. Anyway, next season went a bit better, got into the Uefa (But knocked out quite quickly). Anyway, for the next few seasons I was with them, and being offered "better" jobs elsewhere. Boards and fans loved me and we were making serious cash. I didn't want to leave. I was happy there. Nothing I could do was bad. Anyway, it came to the stage where I had huge deposits of cash more so then any other team. So I bought the best players off mostly every team (I could afford huge wage budgets), anyway, I had a EL super team. So, I started looking for better players abroad, got them due to CL and Wage budget. Anyway 10 or so seasons later, I'm a serious contender for the knock outs of the CL, and I'm being offered other jobs that I don't want. I loved it too much at limerick. It was so easy. Anyway. I really ended up owning the division from that point on. I'd spend what all the clubs would earn in a year on a months wage. I eventually went to Chelseky. Did awful. Hated it. Managerial career went downhill until Limerick 37 needed a new manager. They somehow got a mid-table finish twice in a row. So I re-applied for the position and got it. Brought them back up. I never won the CL, but I did do quite well. I got sick of the game after 20ish season in the game. I called that game a day.

Anyway, I started with Charlton soon after. I wanted to win a CL. That was my goal. Anyway long story short. (Last one was long enough ) Charlton were like Limerick 37. I was the only manager that worked for them, and they were the only club that worked for me. (I suck at international management, so I generally stay away...)

SantryRed

FM 06.

Got Accrington Stanley from Conference to mid-table championship in five seasons.

Then the computer crashed and the hard drive was wiped. Lost it.:(

SantryRed

estebancambias wrote: »

Eircom League for me. I just love the way that you know success in Europe will bring financial prosperity not seen, but you also face the realisation that a first leg home victory in the third round is the best you can hope for, before being demolished away.

Also its a real test of your management skills because you really have to wheel and deal.

I know this is a generic story but for me EL rules.

After seeing this post. I started as Drogheda. In the 2008 season. Was put in the Intertoto. This is my greatest achievement in FM. Just made the Uefa Cup Group Stages. Knocking out VB/Sumba, Aris Salonika, Steaua Bucharest, Tromso and Benfica.

Just beat Benfica on away goals:eek: Into the Group stages. Can't wait to play:D

P.S. Anyone know how to upload screen shots? Just to prove I ain't lying.

gustavo

SantryRed wrote: »

After seeing this post. I started as Drogheda. In the 2008 season. Was put in the Intertoto. This is my greatest achievement in FM. Just made the Uefa Cup Group Stages. Knocking out VB/Sumba, Aris Salonika, Steaua Bucharest, Tromso and Benfica.

Just beat Benfica on away goals:eek: Into the Group stages. Can't wait to play:D

P.S. Anyone know how to upload screen shots? Just to prove I ain't lying.

Press Print Screen on your keyboard , then go into MS Paint and hit Ctrl + V , save the picture to your desktop and then go to somewhere like imageshack or Awooga.org to upload it

thusspakeblixa

My favourite memory in FM08 would be my game I currently have going.
I started out with Trabzonspor in Turkey, finished 2nd, despite having 500k Transfer Money (ahead of Fenerbahce and Besiktas) and in the summer was offered the job at Fenerbahce.

I took the job, and signed a few players I had at Trabsonspor- Turkish midfielder Inan Selcuk and the now Legendary Mika Aaritalo, but otherwise the squad was unchanged. 1st season I won the Turkish Cup and got to a Uefa Cup Semi Final. 2nd season I brought in Hamit Altintop from Schalke, Emre from Newcastle, and a striker named Raffael from Manisaspor. Won the Turkish League and Cup Double, Turkish Super Cup, and progressed from a tough Champion's League group including Barcelona, Celtic, and Fiorentina. Got bored, so resigned, looking for a new challenge.

Took a job at Bundesliga 2 outfit 1.FC Koln. The squad wa massively depleted, so budget transfers had to be made. The best were Daniel Bierofka from 1860 Munich and Evaldo from my old club Fenerbahce. Managed to get Kenwyne Jones on a season long loan, and he fired us to an impressive promotion,, 14 points clear of the nearest rival. Next season in the Bundesliga we were expected to battle relegation bravely, but I was given 8 million to spend. I brought in Swiss keeper Fabio Coltorti, who turned out to e player of the season, among others. In the end we consolidated nicely, finishing 7th.

After this I was offered the job at Cameroon, and eventually won the 2016 African Cup Of Nations to my surprise. We also became the 1st African country to ever get to a World Cup semi final in 2018.

At the minute I've taken up a job at Spurs, so I'm looking forward to winning lots of stuff with them.

Sorry for the essay, this is just my favourite FM 08 experience because it's the most silverware (and fun) I've ever had in FM!

Wheelhaus

My best memory of FM is my current file. I took over aldershot/ Who are in the blue square premier and took them to the premiership and europe.

I did the triple in my first season. Won the division, the FA trophy and the setanta shield. No, United of 99 triple but still wasnt too shabby.

In my first season in League 2, I won the division. I was getting my ass handed to me for the first half of the season but then an incredible 20 wins on the trot won me the division. I highly recommend Derek Asamoah, Sean Scannel and Simeon Jackson (especially him!) at the lower league level, even though Jackson is scoring even now in the premier league.

I was fearing the worst in my time in league 1 but I secured safety with 4 games to go. In my second season I won the division in style. I bought keeper, Chris Howarth (swindon....I think) who kept an unreal amount of clean sheets.

I assumed I would get my ass kicked in the championship but from being bottom at christmas, a series of draws kept me up, including coming from 3-0 down on the final game of the season to snatch a point and secure safety. Dramatic stuff! I then made a few crucial signings (Michael Spillane, Mark Randall and Andre Bikey) and won the championship in style.

I assumed, once again, I would get murdered in the premiership. On the opening day at home, was beaten 6-1 by portsmouth. Uh Oh. I didnt get my first point till the 8th game of the season. I was just going to take the money from the premier league and build next season but I staged a dramatic fulham style comeback, not as dramatic though but my nerves were shot. I stayed up and got a sexy amount of cash.

I was given an incredible 20 mill transfer kitty which secured an amazing 8th place. Uefa cup and an FA cup semi final run was a distraction and I ended up 14th. I went 8 games without a win so I was fearing a relegation battle but three wins near the end of the season saved me. I am worried about this season though. Randomly, despite strengthening my side, am in trouble. 4 games played, one point, beaten easily 3 times.

So yeah. I love building sides in FM. My ground still only has under 10,000 capacity which is a pain.

The Everlasting

Am I the only one who finds it difficult to manage any team other than the one they support (in my case, Leeds) ?

I just don't have the same passion or drive to do as well if I'm managing someone else, and am a bit 'meh' about how I get on, whereas when I manage my own team, it consumes me!

The Volt

Had an Everton game there a few months back.

Actually started unemployed, took the job up at Recreativo. Was predicted to finish 13th, given no money at all. Got Anichebe on loan, brought in Seyfo Soley from Gambia and Matias Almeida. After half a season we were 10th and going well in the cup, Moyesy left Everton so I decided to jump ship. Saved them from relegation and won the league cup.

Second season in was a rebuilding process, brought in plenty of youth (Ochoa, Brazilian Eduardo, Fernandez and Cacia)

Won the FA Cup but finished in 9th.

Next season the players I'd brought in began to improve, finished 7th and was beaten on away goals in the Uefa Cup semis. After this I managed to sign Kuzmanovic and Barzagli. Comfortably won the league the next season.

pablomakaveli

My best FM game was with my beloved Cork City. Before i stopped playing i had gotten as far as the champions league group stage in europe (we beat teams like arsenal and juventus at home) while i was winning all the domestic trophies every season.

My current game started off with Kettering and i win the league and got to a cup final in my first season. i got them to league one in about 7 seasons but took over at swansea in the championship when kettering were at the bottom of league one :rolleyes:

thusspakeblixa

The Everlasting wrote: »

Am I the only one who finds it difficult to manage any team other than the one they support (in my case, Leeds) ?

I just don't have the same passion or drive to do as well if I'm managing someone else, and am a bit 'meh' about how I get on, whereas when I manage my own team, it consumes me!

Yeah, if I'm managing a team I support I do get more involved
-eg. I really get annoyed at players on FM in real life if they do badly in FM for one of my teams
But still, a change is always good. Try managing a ''fallen giant'' like Ferencvaros or Cadiz, that's always fun. Or else just pick a fairly competitive league like the German Bundesliga, Eircom League, or Polish Estraklasa and manage a top flight team and try win the league, CL etc.

Reganio 2

I am quite the opposite Everlasting, I don't think I have ever managed Liverpool in this game, or pretty much anyother since I was a kid. Don't know why just never have.

conormurphy

My best ever game was with Bohemian FC in the Eircom League in FM 2007...

It started out normally, I won the league which wasn't much of a challenge, lost in the CL qualifiers the next season but again won the league. Major clearout but also an influx of new players the next season got me into the Champions League group stages. Got knocked out in 3rd place, lost to Werder Bremen in the Uefa Cup 1st Knockout Round. Won the Leaguer and Cup again in my fifth season, made it to the Champions League semi-final and lost 2-1 on aggregate to Valencia so I called it a day. Beat many great teams, Barca, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Shakhtar, Spartak, Porto...

Another game, I was in the Slovenian Second Division with NK Livar. I was expected to battle bravely against relegation while another team had landslide odds to win the league (i.e. the team predicted to come second had 50/1 odds to win the league while they had 1/50 or something like that, my guess is that they went bankrupt and got relegated or something along that line) I brought in 3 Brazilian/Russian players and even managed to bring in Dudu Ceasare who has played for Brazil in real life on a free transfer and I even fended off interest from Spartak Moscow! Offered him €1,000 a week with all the bonuses on a one year contract. I discovered some gems of players and won the league. The team that came second was the team that was supposed to win the league and they picked up my top scorer as there manager for the next season which I think is absolutely stupid, (He was 38 but still). At the end of the season I was offered a job in the Slovakian Premier and I accepted stupidly. I looked at the job list and around half of the Russian Premier teams were jobless. Before the season started I got a job at Dynamo Moscow and now I realised why every team was managerless. Zenit had done a Chelsea and I mean literally. They had bought in the region of 50 Russian players, no joke, I no it is actually an unbelievable figure but its true.They had absolutely no greyed out players while I got a few every week just to fill the bench. It was uselss even trying so I just quit...

conormurphy

Wheelhaus wrote: »

So yeah. I love building sides in FM. My ground still only has under 10,000 capacity which is a pain.

It was believeable until you said this. If you had as much money as you said you had, your stadium would have been automatically upgraded by your board from every promotion after league 2:cool:

Eamo87

The Everlasting wrote: »

Am I the only one who finds it difficult to manage any team other than the one they support (in my case, Leeds) ?

I just don't have the same passion or drive to do as well if I'm managing someone else, and am a bit 'meh' about how I get on, whereas when I manage my own team, it consumes me!

I agree. I can only manage Chelsea. The transfer budget really helps aswell

kaimera

Eircom League back in FM05, beating Borussa Dortmund 10-1 in the home leg of a champions league qualifier with pats.

Lost the second league 8-0 due to a **** list of injuries.

Quite a few seasons into the game at that stage

Carturo

Remember Mads Jorgensen from a few seasons back?! He was class. Won the league and cup double with Spurs because of him.

I actually find it more difficult to manage Utd. I don't think I do Man U justice in FM!! I do have some success with them (it would be hard not to) but I just like to manage the likes of Everton and Blackburn or someone like that, see if I can get them somewhere!

Man City should be fun in the new one!!

Daemonic

Sporting Fingal bring Champions League glory to the Eircom League.

Burial

And it only took 13 years!

Daemonic

Burial wrote: »

And it only took 13 years!

I did it as part of the challenge mentioned here.
On the SI forum thread it's been done in less than 13 seasons in a few countries.
It is pretty unrealistic having a team consisting of 5 Ireland regulars, a few Brazilian U-21's and 3 or 4 Czech Internationals playing in the Eircom League though

Burial

Yeah, I'm trying to do that Fenervacs one and it is impossible (At least in 2006 anyway) because only 3 foreigners allowed! I'm never going to win the champions league! However, I must get out of my league. So much pressure and no money

Daemonic

Stick with it. The big turning point in any game I've played in a smaller nation is getting qualified for the Champions League Group Stages. 3m prize money for just getting there transforms the game. Suddenly you have a decent wage budget and can attract better players.

Burial

Problem with that is I'm WAY too far in debt and I don't have any good players, and I'm forced to employ a strategy of playing inexperienced players and selling them [That's long-term if I don't get promoted] Right now, I have a few players who don't want to sign contracts with me because they could do better and I'm going to lose them next year. So my immediate strategy was getting a better goal-keeper and right winger, and left defender and left winger, however NONE of that happened. Noone wants to go to me. So, I signed a 37-year old left back (My club had none). He should be ok for one season and after that he's gone. But, my wage budget was all-ready 250 euro over-budget and my fans hate me (As I've started off with no experience.) It's so hard. All the odds are against me. I won my first game[it was away] though in the hungarian cup against a non-league side 5-1 (1-1 at full time 5-1 after extra time.)

Blarney92

Started with wigan and a media prediction of 16th. Absolutely pillaged south America for talent( Banega, david, sidnei,lulinha, lenny, lindado) and managed to sneak seventh place which got me a european spot. Next season came fourth pipping spurs on the last day with a 94th minute leveller from Emile Heskey. Also got to the semi- finals of the UEFA cup before a ridiculously powerful Valencia team beat me 6-2.

Next season came second, 4 points behind Chelsea but nobody would join wigan because i hadn't champons league football- beaten by newcastle and obefami martins 31 goals!! Rounded up most of spains under 20 team (nsue,cesar, martinez) and this season i'm leading by 6 points after Christmas with lulinha winning world footballer of the year.

bmcgov86

a few years back i won the champions league with bray wanderers! beat bohemians in the final, think it was 2019. anyone else won it with an irish club?

HalloweenJack

I had two great games on FM 2007.

First was with Schalke. Won the Bundesliga three years in a row but my biggest achievment was winning the CL by beating Barca on penos and then retaining by thrashing Man U 4-1 in Old Trafford.

The second was an epic journey. Started with Betis and won the league in ym second season. Resigned midway throught he next season because the board wouldn't give me more money.

Took over at Modena (who were rock bottom) straight away and saved them from relegation to Serie C. In the end I just missed out on the promotion play-offs.

That summer I took over at Barca and won a quadruple (La Liga, CL, Copa del Rey and Supercopa) in my first season. Second season, I scraped to win the league again before quitting to replace MArtin O'Neill at Sporting Lisbon.

I won five titles in a row at Sporting. Also won the CL and WCC and a few Portuguese Cups and Super Cups in those five seasons. It was great.

Daemonic

bmcgov86 wrote: »

a few years back i won the champions league with bray wanderers! beat bohemians in the final, think it was 2019. anyone else won it with an irish club?

3 times with Sporting Fingal

Best of the lot was an 8-0 hockeying of Real Madrid in the final :eek:

thusspakeblixa

I once won it with Shels... think it was 2023...
Conor Clifford scored the winner against CSKA Moscow in the final :P

anonymous_joe

Remember taking Blackpool to the Premiership title years ago.

Usually manage United or Barcelona for whom I have a soft spot. Find managing in England boring because it's too hard to sign non-Eu players.

Currently planning on holidaying a game a few seasons in, taking over a biggish club not doing well, and also seeing if I can take the San Marino club in Italy to Serie A. Mainly because I want to see if I can get high potential San Marinese rgens. :pac: