I'm There

I've done it! Little ole Rochdale have progressed to the Premiership under my stewardship. What I like about this game over others is the financial side.

Other games only increase you revenues by say 10% a promotion. So you could get into the Premiership with attendances of 3,000 because you started out with only 500 fans in League 2.

This game gives you a relatively competitive budget each level you climb, growing if you survive the first season.

I do confess though to using the Sugar Daddy cheat to boost funds in my first year in the Premiership. I grabbed seven new players and finished a respectable seventh.

Scout & About

While you maintain your push through the lower leagues finding good players is crucial. You are losing them hand over fist with the big club release clause but you still need the quality.

Your scout is crucial. But there is no point searching far flung lands looking for players as they either wont come or will not be good enough to get a work permit. In fact usually he wont find anyone at all.

Keep it local…UK & Ireland and snap up what you can. I had a run of good signings from the Sussex non-league side Lewes to get me out of League 1. I am now a Championship side with the big time in my sights.

The Wonder Of Youth - Part IV

Would you believe it? For years I sent out my scout with the Youth setting on with no results while at a Premier League club. I now drop down a few levels (we are League 1 after three seasons) and low and behold I get two youth signings from within the club.

The turn out to be good additions too. One is a first team regular with the other a handy sub. Both suffer from low stamina and I have to rest them on a regular basis.

I have no idea how I came to get them. All I know is I have run a tight ship with only 25 players so perhaps there is room for them in the team…

Your comments are welcome on this one.

Small Print

It may sound obvious but when you are signing players in the lower levels they all want one thing... a get out clause. Try changing the Big Club release clause to no if you are worried about losing a player that is crucial to your chances of survival / promotion. They can only say no!

I on the other hand quite liked it as it made it more real and if you say no and there is no clause they only sulk on you and play badly anyway. Besides, you seem to get more money to invoke the clause and you can reinvest wisely...