The Only Way Is Forward - FMFormation.net - Football Manager

Dave. · 21-09-08, 08:22 PM

The Only Way Is Forward

After getting bored of my Rayo save, I thought I'd have one more game before FM09 comes out. Having not taken a team from the Blue Square divisions up to the top flight since Sutton Utd on FM07, I thought it would be fitting to do something like that again. I set my reputation to automatic, and waited a couple of years game time before I started applying for jobs. I didn't want a team that had been playable at the start of the game - but one that got promoted into the Blue Square North/South divisions. I felt that they would pose more of a challenge.

The teams I applied to take over were:

Guiseley
Billericay Town
Hednesford
Workington
Margate

I got three offers, but the club I chose to lead onwards and upwards was...

Billericay Town FC is a small football club based in Billericay, Essex. The club was formed in 1880 - twenty-five years before Chelsea - and are the only club in England to have won the FA Vase 3 times. The club did not earn full membership of the Football Assosiation until 1993, and in 2004, local businessman Steve Kent bought the club and repaid all their debts. He has completely refurbished the club, who play at the 3,500 capacity New Lodge. The club's notable former players include Leicester City striker DJ Campbell and former West Ham and Charlton striker Steve Jones. Billericay Town FC have never progressed further than the Isthmian Premier Division... until now.

**Bowser** · 21-09-08, 08:25 PM

Should be interesting, let's see what you can do/

Wednesdayboy · 21-09-08, 08:34 PM

Nice Idea, good luck, will be keeping an eye on this.

FM_Scotland · 21-09-08, 08:45 PM

Good luck, love the lower league games. Cba playing them myself.

Dave. · 21-09-08, 09:27 PM

My first job was to sort out the team. We had just two senior players under contract with the club, both of whom weren't fit to play for their local pub team - which is basically what Billericay is at the moment. With no transfer money, and just £4500 for wages, building a squad was not going to be easy at all.

Somehow, I managed it, albeit going over the wage budget by a fair way. Almost £3000 to be precise. Ahh well, all clubs have to take a step backwards to take two forward!

We brought in a total of 21 players in the July/August window, and I believe that they should be sufficient to meet the media and board's expectations of mid-table. Although our 5-0 opening day win at Weston-super-mare seems to suggest otherwise...

I'll have an end of season update tomorrow hopefully. :)

**kopking2006** · 22-09-08, 10:59 AM

gl mate sounds like a challenge

**ChrisA** · 22-09-08, 03:20 PM

5-0 good result :D:D
keep it up mate!

**oO SioS Oo** · 22-09-08, 03:32 PM

sounds super mate :D wish you all the best ;)

soulzNUFC · 22-09-08, 03:40 PM

Hope you do well mate!
Good luck!

Dave. · 22-09-08, 08:40 PM

2009/10 - Half Season Update

After 21 games of the 42-game Blue Square South season, Billericay sit top of the league at their first time at this level. With the media predicting the club to be battling to avoid relegation, I think we've done pretty well to get this far. I've made some decent firing, and with an ambitious, high-tempo 3-4-3, I've definately got us firing. Below is the league table and a small selection of stats that I feel may interest you. =)

Some Selected Stats
Top League Scorer - Zavon HINES, Nathan JARMAN, Ewan CLARKE (11)
Top Overall Scorer - Ewan CLARKE (16)
Top Assists - Ewan CLARKE (9)
Top Performer - Zavon HINES (7.92)
Best Transfer - Scott BROWN (GK)

Average Attendance - 1171 (2nd in the league)

Wednesdayboy · 22-09-08, 08:58 PM

Great start, Should have bought Nathen Jarman, he's a right good player. Keep it up.

Dave. · 24-09-08, 09:52 PM

2009/10 - Season Review

After a fantastic first season with Billericay, I wasn't surprised to achieve what we did. We topped the table for most of the season, and began to run away with it towards the end. Crawley and Forest Green provided stiff competition throughout, but we stayed strong and consistant, and that's what counted in the end. The 3500 capacity New Lodge was an absolute fortress, with no defeats and just three draws there all season. The average attendance was only around 1250, but this was the second highest in the league, and teams travelling to our little Essex seaside town will have certainly been intimidated.

My ambitious plan to play an attacking 3-4-3 formation, with an attacking mentality and very high tempo also paid off, with the goals being hammered in from all areas of the pitch. The first choice front three of Jarman, Clarke and Hines scored a fantastic 69 goals between them during the season, and I'm of the opinion that all three of them will be able to hold their own in the Blue Square Premier next season.

Cup performances weren't very good at all, but I wasn't all that focussed on them; using them as opportunities to test new tactics, and to give reserves and fringe players a run out. We crashed out early in the Setanta Shield, FA Trophy and FA Cup, but for me, the cups are never as important as the league, and I'm glad we were able to deliver the goods where it mattered.

Next season, I feel we can achieve a respectable mid table position in the BSP, and although promotion won't realistically be on the cards this season, I believe we'll be ready to take the step up into the Football League within the next couple of seasons.

Things are getting exciting for Billericay Town FC!

Season Stats

League Stats
Top Scorer - Nathan JARMAN (25)
Most Assists - Ewan CLARKE (23)
Most MOTM - Nathan JARMAN (11)
Best Player - Zavon HINES (7.78)

Transfer Stats
Best Buy - Nathan JARMAN, free
Total Spent - £0, on 20 players
Total Earned - no players sold

Player Stats
Fan's Player of the Year - Ewan CLARKE
Best Eleven - Brown; Jones, Oastler, Duberry; Kargbo, Bennett, Murtagh, Foran; Clarke, Jarman, Hines.
BSS Player of the Season - Zavon HINES

* Forest Green won the playoffs, and will join us in the BSP next season.

Wednesdayboy · 24-09-08, 10:45 PM

Nice going mate, I can see you getting concecutive promotions to the prem :P

**oO SioS Oo** · 25-09-08, 02:01 AM

exellent mate, hope you do well next year and if your lucky gain promotion :D

**abeatty2209** · 25-09-08, 01:20 PM

Thats brilliant mate, i think you should be a good contender to get promotion again mate!!

**Fedorico Roma Fan** · 25-09-08, 02:33 PM

great success so far mate, hopefully you acheive your goal before FM09 comes out!! :P

Dave. · 25-09-08, 05:57 PM

Season 2010/11
Transfer Market Update

I "spent" wisely in the summer, with 6 new players coming in, all on frees. I made sure that I didn't go above my wage budget (of £12,000) this season, as the board were unhappy about our terrible finances last year, and so brought in only players who were happy to play for a reasonable amount. The downside is, of course, that we are slightly lacking in depth, and some of the fringe players are not good enough for the Blue Square Premier. However, I am confident we can finish mid table, and improve on things in the seasons to come.

The best signing (from what I've seen so far) is definately the new left midfielder, Dutch/Surinamer player Matthew Renfurm, who looks already to be a class act, and my assistant and coach are saying already that he has bags of potential, and is of League 1 standard. I'm just hoping that he can haul us up into a position from which we can fight for a playoff spot.

jelly147 · 25-09-08, 06:15 PM

Gl m8 fab 2 season run do u think u can get promotion 2 prem b4 fm09 is released

gav_23 · 26-09-08, 01:17 AM

im confused here, look at the 2 league tables, the first 1 shows you having lost 2 and drawn 6 league games? the 2nd showing the end of the season having lost 0 games and drawn 3? how do you explain this? how have you miraculously changed 6 draws into 3? is it just me being dumb? has anybody else noticed this?

Redhawk · 26-09-08, 01:22 AM

The second table is split into home and away stats. He has 3 draws and 0 losses at home. Overall he had 10 draws and 4 losses.

The first table doesn't show seperate home and away stats - just combined.