Armchair Amateurs F.C.

Website Merge Completed

2008-09-24T23:41:00.003+01:00

As you will have known if you read the post from a few weeks ago, http://www.armchairamateurs.weebly.com/ were planning to merge with another Amateurs website.

That website has now gone live and is available here:

http://www.armchairamateurs.com/.

Hopefully, this should be a bit easier to remember for anyone wanting to check out any news regarding AAFC on a whim.

Armchair Amateurs Shop

2008-09-23T03:43:00.007+01:00

Yep, you read it correctly - Armchair Amateurs now have a shop! Why not buy an Armchair Amateurs inspired t-shirt or a pair of boxer shorts? How about a mousemat or a mug? All that and many more can be bought from Armchair Amateurs' brand new shop. Click on either the image or the url to get shopping!

http://www.creativecraving.co.uk/shops/armchairamateurs

Merging Of Websites

2008-09-21T17:12:00.002+01:00

Sometime next week will see uber-site, www.armchairamateurs.com form. The site is a joint effort from www.armchairamateurs.weebly.com and www.armchairamateurs.jimdo.com.

The site will be the official home of The Amateurs and cannot be beaten on content and exlusives. The site will likely make it's appearance early next week, so stay tuned for an update regarding this.

GW12 Activity

2008-09-20T13:21:00.002+01:00

Over the last few weeks, there has been a serious lack of activity in GW12. At the beginning of the first season, people were flocking in their droves to get their season under way. It was great. To say that the activity has died down a little would be a bit of a porky. The most I have seen online at once in the last week would be about 45. 45 people out of 1200!

The fact that two new gameworlds were open a couple of days ago really didn't help things. Some of the more regular users decided to jump ship and opt for a new GW, both of which are using the database that will be used in the retail version of the game.

So, if any managers from GW12 are reading this, please, please don't neglect your teams any longer. The lack of games and any real structure is unberable! Signing players is next to impossible. How do you sign a player from another team when their manager is nwever logged in? It can't be done!

Please people, sort it out.

Armchair Amateurs Website

2008-09-18T11:22:00.002+01:00

This is a belated message to say that the club now has an official website. This blog will still be updated regularly but other content such as player profiles and general information on the club can be found at their new home.

So, without further ado, the Armchair Amateurs FC website:

http://armchairamateurs.weebly.com

Please feel free to add comments or feedback, either on here or on the website.

Two Signings In Two Days

2008-09-18T11:13:00.002+01:00

The club yesterday smashed their transfer record on midfield maestro Ibson from Real Ca Bica. The player cost £2,000,000, easily beating the previos record set by Kennedy Bakircioglu.

Ibson operates best in a central position where his passing and defensive ability are put to good use. He adds to the wealth of talent in midfield at The Amateur Arena.

Another midfielder arrived today in the form of German, Caliksan Nizamettin. The 22 year old will give more options in a position where there has been a lack of depth recently. He can play on either wing or in attacking midfield and his versatility will be a huge asset.

ArmchairAmateurs.blogspot.com's new big brother http://www.armchairamateurs.weebly.com, has all the information plus reactions of the manager and fellow teammates.

Nelson Valdez Leaves

2008-09-16T17:48:00.004+01:00

Amateurs striker Nelson Valdez has started pastures new at Team Super Win. The deal cost a whopping £1,000,000 and is by far the record transfer theat the club has been involved in.

Valdez had this to say when addressing his fans, "I have enjoyed every minute of being here at The Armchair Arena. I love the club, the fans and my fellow players and I will never forget them. I learned so much from the boss and the coaching staff and for that I am grateful. I have moved to another big club and I hope I get as much pleasure playing in front of my new fans as I have with all of you. I would like to be remembered at the club for the hard work I feel I put in and I hope to one day come back."

Valdez clearly left with a heavy heart. The manager has always said how big a player he has been for the club. "Nelson is a big personality. He arrived with a big reputation where I feel we got him for quite a reasonable price. He slot right into the team alongside fellow striker Jean Carlos and immediately made an impact. He linked up play beautifully, and combine well with Carlos and the midfielders. He scored goals and created them and his technique and ability have always stood out. We didn't want to sell at all but we have recently resorted to a 4-2-3-1, and I have found it difficult to choose between the two of them and also the teenager, Sergiy Rud. The money we got from him will be very useful. We have made four times what we payed and I think that is good business."

The team at ArmchairAmateurs.blogspot.com would like to wish Nelson all the best at his new club and hope he scores the goals for his new manager.

XFA Season 2

2008-09-16T00:00:00.005+01:00

The Amateurs got drawn into XFA Division 3a where they have a lot to prove. The club is the highest ranked team in the league so go in as favourites. The rankings don't tell the entire story though and as always, anything can happen.

With the season starting earlier tonight, Armchair Amateurs wanted to ensure a positive start. With surpisingly little activity, the club played it's first games against Fatsa Genclic:

Fatsa Genclik 0-1 Armchair Amateurs

Armchair Amateurs 1-1 Fatsa Genclik

Fatsa Genclik 1-3 Armchair Amateurs

A double-header against Downs United followed:

Armchair Amateurs 1-0 Downs United

Downs United 0-0 Armchair Amateurs

With only a few games gone, The Amateurs are sitting pretty at the top and will be hoping to keep up their good form. Due to the lack of activity so far by other teams, Armchair Amateurs also hold a lot of Records at the moment:

The XFA Non-Premiership Cup drew the club against Portugease side Sport Lisboa BenficaXXX. The game was to be decided over two legs with the first leg at The Armchair Arena. The game saw Sport Lisboa BenficaXXX take a slight advantage into the second leg as the game finished 2-2. This meant that the opposition had an away goal advantage. The second leg was a more straightforward affair with The Amateurs winning 1-0 to put the team through to the next round, 3-2 on aggregate.

The draw saw the club drawn with either Fatsa Genclik - which would be the fourth meeting already this season - or Nerrazurri.

Aquino Leaves

2008-09-13T16:42:00.002+01:00

Daniel Aquino has dramatically left the club in a £600,000 deal. Aquino moved to LeXaRoMa for a large fee but was only sold due to the wage bill problem. The high wage bill meant the club were spending more than they were recieving on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the deal was made above the manager's head.

"I'm very dissapointed that the board have decided to sell Daniel. He is a cracking lad and a cracking player. I can understand that the chairman wanted to lower the wage bill but to sell one of the best players?"

Hales went on to say, "Aquino was our focal point in the team and is only young. His best years are definately ahead of him but unfortunately, his future is elsewhere. We wish him all the best but if we face LeXaRoMa, we will certainly stop him from getting the ball!"

Amateurs' World Ranking

2008-09-13T16:37:00.003+01:00

The Armchair Amateurs broke into the top 200 in the world yestarday and are quickly emerging as one of the fastest improving teams. About a week ago, the team was lingering between 300th and 400th in the rankings. But a recent surge has seen the club rise drastically to 198th. To make things even better, The Amateurs today were announced at 156th in the world and even further improvements are hoped for.

High Profile Signings Arrive

2008-09-09T21:23:00.002+01:00

There has been much exitement in the last hour as Armchair Amateurs confirm the signing of Luizao, Markel Susaeta and Christian Schulz. The three names are a huge boost to the club and adds to an already talented team.

Luizao, the 21 year old defender was said to be delighted with the move, "I felt at my last club, I wasn't challenged enough. I wasn't challenged to further the club or to further myself. At Armchair Amateurs, I can already feel that this is a place with ambitious people, none more so than the gaffer. He helped me to make my decision and once I met him, I knew it was the right choice."

The second name, Susaeta, is a very talented midfielder who can play in any attacking position. "The ability of the players here shows that the team is on the up" said the 20 year old. "The stadium is excellent, as are the facilities. I have only been here a short time but I already feel comfortable. I hope to prove to my old club that I will be the player everyone hoped."

Finally, Christian Shulz is a player known for his speed and agression. He plays best at left back or in a holding midfield position. Christian had this to say, "I don't know where I will play in the coming season but I do know that wherever I play, I will do my best. I feel I have come to club that know my strength and also know how to improve me. Under Hales' guidance, I can become a better player.

When asked of the triple signing, the manager said, "These three players were some of the best players available on the market and I think it is a tribute to our ambition that they were willing to come to the Armchair Arena. I promised the fans big names this season, and I believe I have kept that promise. I think a lot of people will want to watch us next season and I don't blame them!"

End of Season

2008-09-08T21:52:00.002+01:00

It was a disapointing league effort from Armchair Amateurs in the opening season. The team come 16th in XFA Qual. 1, despite winning 8 of the last 10 games. However, the league table may differ due to activity of the other teams. In the XFA, each team must play 75% of their league games. This means upto 25% can be left for the AI to resolve. After the club's secretary did some research, it was found that 10 out of the 20 teams went over that limit. There is a chance that these teams will get removed from the FA and the clubs position may be boosted.

On a more positive note, the team has risen to 267th in the world. The club has been lingering between 400 and 500 but, in the last few days, the club has rocketed up the rankings. The U21 team is currently 38th of the 106 teams that are ranked.

Spaniard Steps In

2008-09-08T21:40:00.002+01:00

Daniel Aranzubia has signed for the club in a deal that cost The Amateurs £400,000. The 29 year old 'keeper will most likely step in as the first choice but Javi Martinez has been very solid this season.

Aranzubia was signed from Wrexham where he somehow managed to play rarely in a team that is 530th in the world.

This deal has coincided with the £120,000 sale of fellow goalkeeper Damir Kahriman. The Serb moved to Erdoglija for a profit of £110,000.

Solid centre back Linvoy Primus has also parted ways with the club for £200,000 to Jayk FC. Again, the club has made a large profit having only paid a quarter of that.

More transfer news is likely as the end of season arrives. There will be lots of activity between clubs, mainly through contracts expiring. Hales said, "The contract situation is a good way to sign some good, experience players. We must exploit it to the best of our abilities as the next season will be tougher than the last."

New home kit unveiled

2008-09-03T04:32:00.003+01:00

The new home kit for the Armchair Amateurs has officially been unveiled today. The kit which is manaufactured by Adidas, features Climacool technology for perfect hydration. The kit sponsor was thought about long and hard and in the end, Virgin was chosen. Virgin is currently one of the biggest and most successful companies in England and we are delighted to have sealed a deal with them for the forseeable future.

We would like to take this chance to apologise for the inconveniance and the time taken to make the kit and we appreciate your patience. We are very pleased with the final design and we hope you are too. Please feel free to let us know.

www.footballmanagerliveonline.com

2008-09-03T04:26:00.002+01:00

I would like to introduce to everyone what I consider one of the best and fastest growing fansites dedicated to FML. It is run by a great guy called Craig who has put a lot of time and effort to make this site everything that it is today.

Please join up people, the more the merrier! There are more things being added all the time and by the time the GWs go live, the forums will be bursting with activity.

I am a mod on there and go by the name of 'Teneyedmonster" which came from my Xbox live gamertag.

Cheers

http://www.footballmanagerliveonline.com/phpbb3

XFA Round-Up

2008-09-03T04:19:00.002+01:00

The Amateurs have dropped down to 13th in the XFA Qual. A. There has still been little activity in the league nad since my last update, I have only played one game, a 0-0 draw against Ase Acadamy. I am hoping that the AI rights rule bights some other the team's managers in the arse. The rule states that you must have less than 25% of your matches played by the AI. There are currently 6 teams that fall outside that though and could be removed from the XFA.

On a more positive note, the club has climbed to it's highest ever world ranking - 350th. The team went up 25 places last night from 275th. Part of this success is down to the involvement in the "Games Under The Belt League." There are nine other teams involved and The Amateurs are currently sitting pretty at the top with 6 games played.

We will also be entering a couple of u21 leagues to give some of the kids some much needed experience. These will probably kick off tomorrow.

Valdez Checks In

2008-08-30T12:49:00.006+01:00

Paraguayan striker Nelson Valdez has completed a move to the Amateur Arena. The deal, confirmed just minutes ago, is believed to last two years and becomes the second highest paid player at the club. Valdez cost The Amateurs £250,000 and is their record signing.

Tom Hales on Valdez, "We were dissapointed at losing Mane but the money has been put to good use. We paid exactly the same as what we recieved from the sale so we feel we have done well there."

When asked what attributes Valdez brought to the club, the manager said, "Everything. The lad is the complete package. He is quick, strong, good on the ball and a good finisher. We were also convinced by his movement and this will ensure the midfielders will always have the opportunity to pick him out. All I can say is that I am delighted!"

The 24 year old hitman played for God Squad before moving onto pastures new, where he netted 27 goals in 74 games. He also had a hand in goals by providing ten assists for his team-mates.

"Armchair Amateurs were always my first choice," enthused Valdez. "They are a good club and the ambition of the manager really made this an easy decision. I will always remember my time with God Squad but my loyalties now rest with my new club and I can't wait to meet the lads and get stuck into my training."

Staying with transfer news, John Finnigan has been released from his contract after the club failed to find a new home for him. The club wishes John all the best and hope he finds a new club soon.

XFA Round-Up

2008-08-29T12:50:00.005+01:00

While there has been little activity in XFA Qual. A, the team stays in mid table at 10th place.

The Amateurs Have struggled to find wins in the league all season and have conceded more than I would have liked. There are still plenty of games to go though, and I am hoping that a end of season surge will see me into the top 6.

I have also entered an unnoficial comp called Fast Cash League 3, where I was hoping to pick up some cash. A top three finish would have meant a big cheque, but it wasn't to be. Some teams have yet to play there last couple of games but we are fourth and could well stay there.

In the XFA Cup, we fell at the first hurdle to Lumiar 3-1. They had scored two goals within eight minutes to put the club in a difficult position and added a third just after half time. A consolation arrived as late as the 91st minute through 19 year old Ananias.

I had a bit more luck in the UFFA Gameworld Cup. I started out in the 2nd round with a win against FYBH All Stars. Aquino and Del Nero scored the goals, both of which were in the second half. The game finished 2-0. The 3rd round was a slightly tighter affair against Japanese side ZaRiuS TeaM. Despite having 59% of possession, it took Thiago until the 3rd minute of injury time to put pay to our dominance. Our luck then turned in the 4th round. Our victors were Goias Esporte Clube who dominated the game from start to finish and that dominance was reflected in their 2-0 win.

That pretty much covers all the goings on. I intend to post results a lot more frequently in the coming months so stay tuned.

Mané off to the CIA

2008-08-29T12:34:00.002+01:00

Amateurs winger Mané arrived at the Classified Information Arena today in a deal that cost Area 51 FC £250,000. The mega deal was a cloak and dagger transfer and while the manager didn't want to sell him, he was powerless to resist.

Hales said, "Mané has been an important player for Armchair Amateurs this season. He gave us versatility down the left side and that was important for us. We didn't really want to sell the player but for the amount of money being offered, pressure from the board was increasing. I knew I had to sell before I could buy and, while there was money available already, we need to be looking for top, top players to improve the squad."

He went on to say that no other sales are planned of his established players, "We do not want to sell our best players. I have said it before and I will say it again. However, sometimes a bid comes in that turns your head and this is what happened. We had a bid of the same amount for another club interested in Daniel Aquino. He is important to our future and unless there is serious money being offered, he will not be going anywhere."

The manager also mentioned the clubs future. "We have some fantastic youngsters here and if they keep their fantastic attitude and continue working hard, we will have some serious talents on our hands."

One player that is available though is experienced midfielder John Finnigan. The Englishman hasn't had much match practice this season and may be looking to move on if a deal can be manufactured.

Amateurs miss out on Lucas

2008-08-27T06:48:00.002+01:00

It has been reveiled that Armchair Amateurs were close to signing Lucas Pezzini Lieva yesterday. Lucas was top of manager Tom Hales' wishlist and an offer was lodged for the free agent. However, the wage offered came well short of the £45,000 contract that saw his head turned elsewhere.

"Lucas is a great midfielder and it is true that we courted his signature recently. Lucas has a lot of experience at the highest level and that was a big factor in the club approaching him."

Being a fan of Liverpool in real life, the gaffer saw first hand the qualities that Lucas could have offered. "Lucas has got everything. He's quick, tenacious and never gives up a battle. He is the perfect midfield player. Whilst I am disappointed about losing out on him, I am more than happy about our first choice defensive-midfielder Rodrigo Brana. He has only been here a few days but has already looked like part of the team."

In other news, Miquel Robuste has transferred to a club in which I can't remember the name of. They payed £50,000 for his services and the centre-half is wished all the best by everyone at the club.

New Screens

2008-08-25T09:46:00.003+01:00

As there has been a lack of screenshots in this blog, here are some new ones to check out:

The first screenshot shows my first team squad. The team has a mixture of youth and experiance and are a pretty well balanced bunch.

As you can see from the second screen, The Amateurs are struggling a little in the XFA Qual. A. They are just struggling to score at the moment, while letting in goals at the other end. I'm just hoping the bad luck ends soon. We are in mid-table but that doesn't reflect the fact that several teams have hardly played any games.

The last two are profiles of a couple of players. Jean Carlos is my top goalscorer and nearly every goal seems to come from him. Linvoy Primus is a new signing. A bid of £50,000 was enough to secure his transfer from Italian manager Salvatore Patteri's surprise package Gli Spacinnati on a 2 season contract. As you can see, Jean Carlos has been training very well of late while Primus is unfortunately on the decline. At the age of 35, he adds a lot of experience and is an important part of the back four.

I hope to keep you all updated on the leagues standing regularly, but at the minute there aren't many people online.

Big Arrival Confirmed

2008-08-22T08:54:00.003+01:00

The club is proud to announce the signing of Jakub Błaszczykowski for £140,000. Jakub is a Polish full back but can also operate further up in a midfield position.

Armchair Amateurs have been trying to secure a big-name signing and having assessed several options, have stumped up the cash for the young defender. The Amateurs beat off a host of other clubs to the signature of the player and it is seen as a statement of ambition that he has arrived at The Armchair Arena. The Pole is known for being a very attacking player who is quick and agile but, at the same time, has the defending skills and the awareness that a full back needs.

"We have signed one of the best right backs money can buy and obviously I am delighted to have him working with me and the rest of the staff", said Błaszczykowski's new boss. "There comes a time when, to compete with the bigger teams in the league, you have to spend big. I am confident we have made the right signing. We went through a vigourous process and made a decision that ultimately, we are all very happy with. We underwent several scouting trips to determine his strengths, weaknesses, personality and most importantly, mentality."

While The Amateurs are currently 8th in the XFA Qual. A, Tom Hales has admitted that there was more to come from his side, "We need to find that rythm that served us well in pre-season. The injuries to Aquino and most recently our top-goalscorer Jean Carlos, really hampered our form and now that they are both back, we are confident of pick up more point in the coming games. Add to that our games in hand and, in my opinion, we should be in a strong position come the business end of the season."

...replaced with delight

2008-08-17T22:02:00.003+01:00

The club's managing director today confirmed that he had secured the contract of another Brazilian central defender. Jorge Luis will provide competition for the two only centre halves and arrives at the perfect time as Durval suffered an injury earlier tonight.

Jorge Luis is a real athlete. His is both quick and strong and is described by his new manager as, "A real handful in the air." He arrives as the 6th Brazilian at the club and everyone concerned will be hoping this helps him settle in.

"I know a few of the Brazilians here from back home and I actually played in the same youth team as Jean Carlos at international level. I remember he was a few years younger than me when he broke into the team. He used to just accelerate past defenders with his incredible control. I am looking foward to playing alongside him and I am happy I don't have to mark him!" laughed Jorge.

Season Setback...

2008-08-17T21:58:00.003+01:00

The club has confirmed that powerful centre half, Durval, has picked up an injury. It is believed that the 28 year old will be back sometime tommorow. But with the new season kicking off the same day, Amateur fans will be hoping that the Brazilian will be back for the first match.

Garrido an Amateur

2008-08-16T19:42:00.003+01:00

Armchair Amateurs have confirmed the transfer of Francisco Garrido on a two year deal. The 16 year old Chilean is believed to have signed a deal in the region of £200 a day. The deal will cost The Amateurs just £14,000 and adds to the wealth of young talent already at the club.

The manager had this to say, "Garrido has played well at youth level and we hope he will be an important part of the future. He has to work hard and improve but he has time."

The left sided midfielder is not likely to pull on the red and blue stripes of the Amateurs any time soon but will most likely play in the U19s team.

Al-Sefri Passes Medical

2008-08-16T16:47:00.004+01:00

As stated in an earlier interview, manager Tom Hales was on the luckout for another striker. The striker in question was Saudi Arabian Mohammed Al-Sefri who, at 18, has the world quite literally at his feet.

The move which was quite a 'cloak & dagger' one, despite knowledge of Hales' desire to add a striker to the squad, and will cost the club only £10,000.

Mohammed politely declined to comment due to language difficulties. On his arrival though, sidelined striker Daniel Aquino had this to say, "Al-Safri is a good player and will help in my absence. We only have a small squad so it was important to get him. Me and a few of the lads have seen clips of him on Youtube and we are excited about his ability."

When asked about his injury, Aquino smiled and said "I'm working hard on getting back to match fitness but at least I get more time to play Football Manager Live!"

Wise words indeed from the youngster.

Aquino to miss start of season

2008-08-16T16:00:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, in the match against Barcelona Ice FC, which finished 3-3, Aquino picked up an injury. It was believe that the knock would only keep Daniel out for a few hours but, after further tests and x-rays, it has been reveiled that he could be out for as long as 5 days. If this is the case, it would mean that the 18 year old will miss the first couple of days of the season.

On finding out the extent of the injury, manager Tom Hales made this statement, "Daniel is an important part of our plans and we are dissapointed to have lost him for the start of the season. We just need the boy to concentrate on getting fit again."

In the meantime, Sergiy Rud will most likely be selected to partner Jean Carlos up front.
"Rud is only 16 so we have to be careful how we use him, but at the same time he is our only other fit striker and will most likely be used in Aquino's absence. We are looking at some other options and the fans, of course, will be the first to find out on the situation."

New signings

2008-08-16T15:38:00.002+01:00

In the past few days, The Amateurs have been busy adding the final touches to their already impressive squad. We are delighted to announce the signing of three new players:

Firstly, we have Roberto Carlos Mosquera. Roberto is an 16 year old defensive midfielder in the mould of current fans faivorite Caicedo. Mosquera loves a tackle and will hopefully improve the depth of the squad.

"I am delighted to have signed for Amateurs and can't wait for my first game" enthused Mosquera. "I am learning the language all the time and I have settled in quite well as I know a couple of the lads already."

Another DM comes in the form of Tom Taiwo. Lots of people are very exited about the prospect of the 18 year old establishing himself in the XFA.

Tom said this when interviewed, "Armchair Amateurs are serious in their ambitions and the feeling I got when I visited the stadium was overwhelming. I immediately felt at home here and am looking foward to the coming season."

The big signing which will most likely send the fans into raptures, is Spanish midfielder Mane.
Mane is a highly technical player who has scored plenty of freekicks in the passed. He can play anywhere down the left and it is believed that he will be implemented on the left wing to give some much needed competition to Simone Del Nero.

On signing, Mane was clearly confident in his ability, "I hope I can show the fans what I am made of and make them stand on their feet. I feel I am a skillful player and will bring to the team some much needed flair." Strong words from the Spaniard and the fans and manager alike will be hoping he matches his statement with performances on the pitch.

The Armchair Arena

2008-08-16T15:28:00.002+01:00

As season ticket holders will know, the current stadium has only the one stand which, holds approximately 750 people. With the The Amateurs entering into the Xtreme Football Assocation, a representative of the XFA, by ruling of Venglos, had to inspect the stadium and the playing facilities. The inspector, Dave Evans was happy with what he saw. Well, that is apart from the stadium. XFA rules state that a stadium must have a minimum of 15,000 which the Armchair Arena falls well short of. with that in mind, the board have decided to stump up there own money for a brand new stadium! It will boast:

*28,000 seats
*Undersoil Heating
*Roofing
*Toilets

We are delighted to be anouncing this and we hope you will be delighted with the results come the time of unveiling.

Any comments on this breaking news is very welcome and we want to hear your views.

Killer Skills

2008-08-14T12:54:00.005+01:00

So when you are going through your team wizard, something else comes up. This is the skills selection part. There are different options to suit your needs and preferences and the ones I remember are coaching, physiotherapy, tactics, learning and scouting. These are pretty self explanatory:

Coaching

This option allows your players to improve. There is first team coaching and youth coaching. These are good if you like to develop your kids.

Physio

This allows your players to recover quicker from injury. There are more specific sub-categories for specific parts of the body (foot, shoulder etc)

Tactics

Tactics is viewed as an important category by many, including me. This gives you more options such as increasing slider notches in, say mentality or width. They also allow you to use "player runs" arrows.

Learning

This category gives you skills to improve certain aspects of other categories. For instance, "coaching badge" gives you a faster learning speed for coaching. The higher level of each skill, the bigger the increase in speed.

Scouting

In my opinion, this is the most important category (for the way I play) and so that's why I chose it. Scouting gives you the ability to see more players when you go to a player search. Specific regions are also available as skills so, if you want to find hidden players from South African countries, you can learn the relevent skill and find more players from this region. Scouting potential is also very important. To get to this, you have to get Scouting up to level 5 but if you do, you get a star rating for the potential of every youngster.

So I think that covers everything. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a message or contact me.

In the beginning...

2008-08-12T23:37:00.005+01:00

So after hours of trying to log in for the first time along with anyone else, I was met with frustration as I couldn't get in. I logged on at 7am this morning and originally, I manually selected my squad. However, I had a bit of trouble keeping under my transfer budget. I then automatically selected 13 players and then signed a few myself these are some of my key players:

These players give me experience and quality in some key areas. I also soigned some great youngsters. Most managers from FM08 will recognise the names Aquino and Thiago from Murcia and Barca respectively. On signing for Armchair Amateurs, Daniel Aquino was clearly delighted, "I feel I have finally been awarded with a chance to prove myself on the big stage. I am an ambitious person and I believe that The Amateurs share my ambition. I will concentrate on my development but I believe that a first team place is possible."

The game itself seems brilliant, despite the occasional lag and server problems but since the initial difficulties, things seem to have settled down. I have so far played 16 matches and my record is W6-D3-L7. Consistency is currently a problem but I am hoping to clarify this.

The time has come...

2008-08-09T05:50:00.004+01:00

I was reading a thread on the fm live forums last night, and I stumbled across a thread about two new gameworlds. It basically said that two new gameworlds are to arrive on Monday night and that they had earned an invite through email. Now, apparently they were sending out emails to everyone who declared their interest in being a beta tester. So I immediately rushed to check my emails after signing up about a year ago and, to my annoyance and dismay, I hadn't received anything from SEGA. Dissapointed, i thought i would try my brother's emails (he had only registered a few months ago!). I could barely avoid screaming with delight as, frantically I clicked on the link on the email telling me I had a chance to be in the beta. I went through the process, typing in my club name (which was luckily available) and my team colours along with a couple of other questions. At the end of this a message told me "Congratulations" and confirmed I had won a place after I had signed up to the gameworld "Venglo."

So, finally, as of Monday evening I will officially be able to play Football Manager Live. I was wondering how long a post along these lines would take, but alas, it is here. In my next post I will tell everyone what the proccess of building your team and starting games is like. Expect many posts about my rollercoaster ride to appear soon. And if you are one of the other lucky winners, I will see you on there.

In the mean time, you can do the same as me and stare blankly at the FML home screen!

Me, My Team and I

2008-06-17T23:47:00.000+01:00

Armchair Amateurs, founded in 2008, are an ambitious team managed by me, Tom Hales. The Amateurs have a proud youth policy and find it a very rewarding way of running the club by bringing in young talent to compete at the highest level.

The club, despite its young years, is one with tradition and passion and one where a player must work not as an individual, but as a collective, giving everything to the greater cause. It is in this philosophy that the players are signed. Any player that is coveted by The Amateurs hierarchy should feel pride towards pulling on the red and blue stripes of the club.

I have been an avid FMer since CM 01-02, when I was only 12, a starry eyed kid, fascinated with football and looking profoundly at the plethora of numbers and statistics that makes up the wonderful world of computer-based football management. I have always enjoyed signing little known youngsters in the hope of seeing them develop into world-beaters. This is how I will continue my management for the ambitious Armchair Amateurs. I hope that this system will see me rise to the fore of the gameworld and have success in future competitions.

I was introduced as the manager of The Amateurs in front of a packed out press conference and have never shyed away from the limelight. I also never shy away from a challenge and that was the underlying decision to take over as the first manager of the club. I feel that I have a pretty impressive CV, having managed giants like Liverpool and Inter to prolonged success and also boosted the reputation and status of smaller clubs such as Oxford United, Stuttgarter Kickers and possibly the most obscure of all, Hong Kong F.C.

I hope to be seen as an astute and clever manager and the only way of doing that is by results on the pitch. Over the next few seasons I will look to build my reputation and cement a good place in the world rankings. I’m just going to have to beat alot of teams to get there.

Intro

2008-06-17T22:31:00.000+01:00

Hi , I'm Tom and this is where, eventually, you will find the trials and tribulations of none other than the mighty Armchair Amateurs F.C. Now, AAFC don't officially exist YET, but this is me being prepared for when Football Manager Live eventually becomes available (not just to the lucky gits that get to play the beta lol).

For anyone that doesn't know about FM Live, it is a MMO football management game where u start with a minimal wage budget and transfer kitty in which to buy a team completely from scratch. You may now be scratching your head and thinking, "What, no Liverpool or Man Utd?". Well you would be correct. The game sees you creating a team name, stadium name and kit colours and then begins the team building.

In FML, the game is split up into gameworlds, in which a thousand players can fight it out for the number one spot. Each gameworld is then split up into federations. These feds are usually time based so if you work 9-5 you can join the Evening Football Association, etc. The game I'm sure will have a great community feel to it and I for one simply can't wait for it.

Anyway, for those that are hearing about this for the first time, FML has been promised a Summer 2008 kick-off (haha, see what I did there) and more details can be found at http://www.footballmanagerlive.com/. I'll leave you alone now to give you a chance to figure out a name for your team.

Bye!