So anyway, I'm not usually one to write about my FM experiences but in the first 30 months with Blackpool things are going...interestingly! I've never been one to enter at the top in this game. The Chelsea's of this world really don't present much of a challenge. Equally my patience is limited so starting in the Conference is a rare experience. In the end I went for Blackpool. They've not been above League 1 level since 1977, have a 9100 capacity stadium, few talented players of note and and a transfer budget of £40k to start off with. Hardly the stuff dreams are made of! I decided they'd provide enough of a challenge with a good base to build on. Sure enough the squad was pretty thin and no real notable signings were able to be made within the first season - with the minor exception of Daryl Knights from Ipswich for £20k. I had to rely on the players I had. Managed to link up with Everton and sign the highly rated James Vaughan on loan for the season - unfortunately the club's low rep meant most other loan targets wouldn't give us the light of day. So the season started and nine games in the record was: P9 W9 D0 L0 F23 A5 Pts 27 Now this was a surprise to (a) the players (b) the board (c) the fans and most importantly (d) me! The target was to rebuild the squad and I fully expected a relegation scrap to start the season. Yet here we were steaming clear of the rest by the end of September. James Vaughan was smashing in the goals and my very standard 4-4-2 formation seemed to be getting the best out of a very medicore set of players. Of course, it couldn't last. We eventually lost in game 11 but still kept up reasonable enough form to be several points clear of Scunthorpe and Northampton come Xmas. Then the blip. It started with the enforced sale of 22yo club captain Keith Southern on the 4th January to Ipswich for £300k. 14 games. January 1st until early March not a single win came our way. Vaughan and his partner Knights couldn't buy a goal. The lead shortened, then Scunthorpe and Northampton overtook us. Suddenly we were staring down the barrel of a Play Off campaign. Oh no we weren't! Victory over Northampton at home in the penultimate game of the season sealed promotion, much to the delight of an amazed board. 30yrs without being in the second tier of English football yet I'd gone and done the impossible in a single season. Needless to say my contract was renewed immediately Progression to the 4th Round of the League Cup (where we bowed out 1-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium) made us a cool £600k which gave the finances a nice look to them. At least, I thought it did. The board added £15k/wk to the wage budget and gave me £60k to spend to keep them in the division. Hardly the ambitious statement I'd hoped for! Taking my inspiration from Aidy I went back to Moyes and bullied him into loaning Vaughan to us for another season. Also took advantage of the increased budget to add Patrick Berger to the squad as a still very able left winger at the age of 34. Jari Litmanen showed amazing confidence in me by signing a 5yr cheap contract to pull the strings in midfield. Unfortuntely injury proneness was high but he's worth it for the tutoring alone. So on with survival. We went out of all cup competitions in the first round of participation so it was all down to the league. No away league wins until October kept us in the bottom three - until a glorious last minute 4-3 victory at Coventry got me jumping around the room :]] From there on the season was pretty standard. Away wins were hard to come by but the home form was strong and with Vaughan scoring just enough goals to keep us ticking over we ended up my second season (and first Championship season) a comfortable 16th. Compared to the league prediction of 23rd I was mighty proud. Good signings included 17yo Matt Richards from Derby (amazing young DM), Martin Scott from Ross County, Jamie Ashdown as my new number one (without fault according to my optimistic scout) and Robbie Elliott late in the season on a free. Loan signings were still pretty difficult to come by. It seems the club's repuation was rising slower than the club itself. With no cup run the finances took a bit of a hammering as well. The balance was well under £1m going into the summer. Then the board surprised me. They took out a bumper loan of £3.4m, upgraded the training facilities and added 5,500 seats to Bloomfield Road. Now we were talking Leon Knight, trouble maker in chief was freed by Swansea and I thought "Why not? Maybe I can succeed where others failed" and went and snapped him up. A big risk at £5,500/wk and a 4yr contract. He's not exactly known in the game for his harmonious team spirit. I'm currently in the December of my third season and the league is looking good. Although we're 17th we're 100% comfortable. Haven't been in the relegation zone once. Historic victories at Carrow Road and Pride Park have really boosted the confidence as it looks like we're starting to compete with the big spenders. Leon Knight has chipped in with 17 goals in all competitions, is worth £1.1m and has been happy all season. Oh and Vaughan is back again! Anyway, my reason for posting this long and rambling story is because of what is happening now...standard victories over Oldham (a) and Rochdale (h) set us up for a League Cup 3rd Round tie at home to League 1 Wrexham. Shouldn't be a problem for my now competent but youthful Championship side? Nope, they took us to penalties which we fortunately won. Teacups were thrown I assure you! On to a 4th Round tie at home to Premiership Wigan. This time my boys fought bravely and won another nervy sudden death shootout after a 1-1 draw AET. Suddenly the bank manager was looking pleased with himself. With Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd possibilites for the Quarter Finals it was looking good. Fate intervened. Doesn't it always? A home tie against....fellow Championship side and local rivals Preston. Not one for the money but for bragging rights and chance to progress it was an excellent prospect. Losing 4-1 to Preston at Deepdale just 3wks before the QF didn't exactly fill us with hope though and our home form has been patchy at best. On to the game - just 11 minutes in and Nugent does what he does best. We're 1-0 down Not looking good. Then Leon Knight wakes up. I love it when he does that. Bang! 1-1. Dribble, bang! 2-1 Blackpool A good lead at half time and amazingly we held on. Semi Finalists in the League Cup!! Now I have an admission to make. I've never won an English domestic trophy in all my time playing the game. Tis odd and I've won plenty on the continent but never at home. I certainly never expected my best shot in ages to come via only my third season at Blackpool! Of course, still thinking of the money I licked my lips at the thought of two semi final legs against Man Utd. Yet the draw did an odd thing... PREM Man City v Man Utd PREM CH Ipswich v Blackpool CH Amazing! Probably the best Semi Final draw we could have asked for from a progression point of view. A trip to Portman Road first off, a good result and we could have one foot at Wembley! So far our record against Ipswich reads: P5 W0 D0 L5 F4 A10 Lol! Hardly impressive or encouraging. But I believe. Maybe the team believe. I guess we'll wait and see. Update to come (if you're interested) sometime this weekend. Game on!
Fascinating read, from someone who has never played one of those type of games it is very interesting. Kieran has a rival
