Crookes AFC - A club built from youth - Page 3 - FMFormation.net - Football Manager

woodsy · 05-05-08, 01:42 PM

Nice big result for you, like the interview idea aswell :D KUTGW and work your way to the top :D

Wednesdayboy · 05-05-08, 01:47 PM

Jamaican Invasion
Four more players from Jamaica join Onandi Lowe after Darling’s personal scouting of the Jamaican Leagues.
Defender Garfield Reid, Attacking Midfielder Jermaine Hue, Left Winger Robert Scarlett and Right Winger Fabian Taylor have joined Crookes on 2 year deals. The players were announced yesterday and took part in a public training session and they looked good. The wide players were typical Jamaican wingers, they were fast, powerful and Jermaine Hue is an excellent crosser of the ball. Many fans see these players as yet another great find by Darling who has found talents such as Jason Healy and Ryan Taylor who recently signed a deal keeping him at the club till 2009. The players were bought on free transfers as there contract had run out at the end of the season in Jamaica. Rumours had been spreading of a more famous Jamaican joining Crookes AFC when Darling approached ex-Chelsea Hardman Frank Sinclair, everything looked certain but League 2 club and local rivals Chesterfield swooped in and stole him away from Crookes grasp at the 11th hour in a deal worth £7000 which was £6000 more than Crookes had offered. Young stars Rudolf Austin and 24 year old Keith Kelly are also said to be joining Crookes if they can get work permits along with an un-named Player sometime next week.

**Hartynips** · 05-05-08, 04:33 PM

Hold on.... What is this are you turning the mighty crookes into, the Yardies? Unlucky on sinclair, but then he scored a lot of own goals for chelsea, so maybe not much to cry over!!!!!

Super stuff so far mate, though im confuzzed as to which taylor you bought, presumably not the wigan wonderkid?

Kutgw its looking great!

Wednesdayboy · 05-05-08, 04:59 PM

the Taylor is a guy called Ryan Taylor and is a reserve from Rotherham United. He's a good yound striker and has good L1 Potential.

The Yardies lol. Been a fan of the Jamaican players in previous games for low league clubs but this year I got lucky, My best signing from Jamaica was Fabian Taylor and he was worth 750k but his contract ran out along with lots of others and although I can't get a Work permit for Rudolf Austin, his value is going down all the time and he is now worth 30k. thanks for the comment.

Wednesdayboy · 05-05-08, 07:36 PM

League Table

Crookes have won the Blue Square North and have made £500,000 after placing a bet of £100 at the beginning of the season with odds of 5000-1. Darling says that this year has been a rollercoster ride and its not over yet, were still in the Setanta Shield and one more win and were in the final.

Smash and Grab win puts Crookes in Semi-Final.

Crookes are through to the Semi-Final of the Setanta Shield after beating Burton 1-0. Darling got the only goal in a Smash and Grab win in the Quarter Final match at Crookes Road Pitch. Darling scored after 9 minutes after he broke through the defence and slotted home yet another goal in a season that see's him top scorer in the Blue Square North and Setanta Shield. Crookes then stepped off the gas and managed to keep thier lead till the final whistle. The draw for the Semi-Final was made later that day and Crookes will face Droylsden at Crookes Road Pitch on 11th March, the date may change due to T.V or International Call Ups.

Arsenalfan · 05-05-08, 08:31 PM

Wow That is an unhealthy success but I'm happy for you and a fantastic result and hopefully we will be seeing Crookes AFC in league two sooner rather then later. KUTGW

busheyladd · 07-05-08, 10:03 PM

This Is Superbb Buddy

Good Luckk With Thiss , If You Get Too The Premiership , you truly are a Immense Fm Manager

Wednesdayboy · 08-05-08, 07:45 PM

Crookes hold on in last minute to go to Wembley.
2 Crookes AFC Vs Droylsden 1 (aet)

Crookes pulled off another upset infront of a full capacity crowd and around 600,000 people watching Setanta Sport 1, putting them in the Final against Blue Square Premier play-off contenders Forest Green Rovers at the one and only Wembley. It didn't start well for the underdogs as they went 1-0 down after 12 minutes to a well worked goal by Droylsden and they kept at Crookes and looked as if they were going to Wembley themselves but an inspiring team talk by manager Darling seemed to have worked and they came out all guns blazing and were rewarded in the 77th minute when 17 year old wonderkid and the managers son, Joshua Darling JR scored a superb goal taking it past 3 defenders and rounding the keeper to make it 1-1. It stayed like that till the whistle and extra time was needed to separate the teams, a save from Crookes Jason Healy kept them in the game but the hero on the day came from the most controversial player on the pitch, when Fabian Taylor put Onandi Lowe through in the 117th minute to make it 2-1 and send Crookes to the final of thier first trophy in there 5 year history, they were only registered as a semi-professional team last year. In an interview after the game Darling said "It was great to get this far, and I thik we can go one better, The lads are loving it and so am I and lets not forget the fans, after all, Its not everyday you get to go to Wembley, but hopefully in the future we could make it our second home."

Setanta Shield Semi-Final other results
Aldershot 1-1 Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers win 4-2 on Penalties

Neil Lennon playing for Celtic as Captain.
Crookes close in on ex-Northern Ireland International

Crookes are set to sign 36 year old ex-Northern Ireland International Neil Lennon. Neil Lennon is currently playing for Nottingham Forest but has been a out of the first team and says he would like to step down a few divisions to get first team football, his contract runs out at the end of the year a Crookes are one of many lower league clubs after the 36 year old defensive midfielder and we have managed to speak to Lennon about the matter and here is what he said. "Crookes are a great club with a bright future and I would love to be part of at least the beginning of that. I feel that I could make a difference there, Joshua Darling has contacted me and I have expressed my interest but nothing is final until I sign that dotted line." He then went on to say, "Darling is a fantastic young Manager and I would love to finish my footballing years under him. He will definately be managing in the big leagues one day."

busheyladd · 08-05-08, 08:48 PM

good look with this..

lennon will give you a few years of experience :P

**Hartynips** · 08-05-08, 09:15 PM

Lennon wuld be very beneficial to the club if you can get him.

Congrats with your successes, look forward to seeing more updates soon

Wednesdayboy · 09-05-08, 06:29 PM

ex-Wednesday Player joins Crookes

Ex-Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham's strong centre back Guy Branston has signed on a free to Blue Square North side Crookes AFC. The deal will keep him at the club until the end of next season, meaning that he will be the first team choise next year for Crookes first season in the Conference. The 29 year old has made 235 apperences in his 10 year playing career scoring 18 goals.

UK youth targeted by Crookes AFC

The word on the street is that Crookes Chairman and Manager Joshua Darling has his eye on the next Robbie Keane or Ryan Giggs as he goes on a extensive search throughout the UK and Ireland to find new talent. Darling has said that he has found some real gems so far but cannot sign them until next year but that some will be training with them soon. We will bring you more on this shortly.

**WozzaWolves** · 09-05-08, 06:49 PM

This is a class story mate. Hope Branston does well for you, he always seems to play crap under me.

KIU!

Wednesdayboy · 10-05-08, 10:56 PM

Lennon playing for Nottingham Forest

Crookes Fail in Lennon Bid

Crookes have failed to sign ex-Celtic captain Neil Lennon despite the interest shown by Lennon to join the newly promoted club. Early suggestions show that talks broke down because Crookes didn't have the resourses needed to secure the Defensive Midfielder. Crookes will have to look elsewhere for the central midfielder they need.

Wednesdayboy · 11-05-08, 01:49 PM

Ryan Taylor shielding the ball for Rotherham.

Taylor out of Cup Final

Crookes AFC's Ryan Taylor will miss the Setanta Shield Final against Forest Green Rovers at Wembley next Saturday after being sent off during Crookes 4-3 defeat to Workington for Violent Conduct. He will miss the Cup Final butthe FA may extend the ban so he will miss the rest of the season. Crookes play Forest Green Rovers at Wembley in the Setanta Shield Final on Saturday 19th April and it is live at 3:00pm on Setanta Sports 1. The game is currently sold out and the FA have urged fans without tickets not to travel to London. BBC Radio Sheffield will be at Wembley for the game and it will be Crookes AFC's first apperence in the SS Final, Wembley and on BBC Radio Sheffield.

Wednesdayboy · 11-05-08, 05:25 PM

A massive upset and an unbelievable match ended with Crookes AFC winning the Setanta Shield for the first time in there History, beating Forest Green Rovers 4-3, but it nearly went to extra time, just after Forest Green Rovers made it 4-3, Crookes Keeper Jason Healy was called up again to produce a key save and he did, diving to his side to save a 35 yard strike by Stuart Fleetwood (pictured below).

Jason pulls off save of the season in the last minute to keep Crookes infront.

This is the second trophy Crookes have won this year, last month they were crowned Blue Square North champions and with this win have secured the greatest season in the clubs history, and it seems that the reason why they have had success this year is because of 17 year old superstar, Joshua Darling JR, son of the Crookes Boss. If they can keep hold of him then they could be storming up those leagues faster than anyone could believe but with interest from Manchester United, Sheffield Wednesday, Liverpool and Aston Villa, its going to be a big if. Lets see if Father/son relations affect the young mans decisions or whether the chance to play in the big leagues will prove too strong for him to reject.

Crookes holding the Setanta Shield Trophy after beating Forest Green Rovers.

kkmh · 12-05-08, 08:35 PM

Well done with that looked like you played that game confidently loving the story mate :)

Wednesdayboy · 17-05-08, 02:56 PM

sorry for not updating, had lots of work to do, GCSE's etc. will update soon

**Hartynips** · 18-05-08, 05:23 AM

Looks brill mate, love the pictures! Great result in the final, well done!

Oddly enough as a bit of trivia, I went to the same school as Simon Clist (FGR scorer) he was two or three years below me.