It’s been a while, but…

As you will be aware, FM2010 came out last week. It’s an excellent game, and the editor is superb – but… – It doesn’t allow you to select which leagues promotion and relegation into is possible.

This has caused a big issue with the SCFLinFM10 project, with the result that it has had to be scaled back quite a lot – at present, we are just looking at County 1 and 2, as well as a handful of Cups – Senior, RUR, John O’Hara, FA Cup, FA Vase and Div 2 Challenge Cup. I have mixed feelings about this – whilst I’m disapointed that I can’t do what I set out to do, it still gives a wonderful opportunity to manage in the County League, something we could only dream of a few months back.

One of the great things about FM is the Community, and Nik Reeves-McLaren has created an excellent file that allows management down to Level 10 across the board. The SCFLinFM10 file is an adaption of Nik’s superb work – basically it’s the same, but with the addition of the John O’Hara Cup and player data, as well as a few misc corrections. Without Nik, this would not have been possible – so massive thanks must go his way. The full version of the release will credit everyone who has contributed properly!

So, without further ado – here is a link to a BETA version of the file. The structure is all there, as are competitions, clubs and colours. Player data for Hailsham, Arundel and Hassocks is also included in full, with limited data for other clubs. Just wanted to throw something out there which you can hopefully enjoy whilst I am completing the time consuming task of editing on >400 players for the other clubs!

http://uploading.com/files/mc49c2ee/Level10_Sussex_v2_BETA.zip/

Now, the Technical bit;

You need to Unzip this file to;

C:\My Documents > Sports Interactive > Football Manager 2010 > editor data

You Then Need to;

Load FM10.

Click; “New Game”.

When clicking ‘New Game’ inside FM, you will get a dialog box appear called Choose Database. Notice in this box it will have section saying Editor Data Files and a ‘Change’ tick button. Clicking this button will allow you to select which of your files to load into your game.

When you are selecting the Leagues, you will need to select ‘England’ and then ‘Level 10’ on the Drop Down box. This will allow you to manage in any Level 10 League, including Sussex.

Any problems, I suggest looking at the SI Forums – http://community.sigames.com – particularly the ‘Editors Hideaway’ Forum.

Enjoy – and remember, this is just a Beta, and there will be a full release with full data in the near future.

The Final Countdown…

Well, it’s a few hours away from the FM10 release, and I thought that it might be an idea to update you on the grand plans.

Firstly, I have been unable to buy FM early this year, so have been unable to access the editor as yet. This means that, Testing permitting, I will be aiming for a Friday evening/Saturday morning release of the SCFLinFM10 project.

So, What’s in it?

Playable Competitions should be as follows;

League Competitions

• Sussex County League Division One
• Sussex County League Division Two
• Sussex County League Division Three
• East Sussex Premier League
• Mid Sussex Premier League
• West Sussex Premier League
• Brighton, Hove & District Premier League

Cup Competitions

• Sussex Senior Cup (1st & 2nd Division Clubs, plus a handful of others from higher levels)
• Sussex John O’Hara League Cup (1st & 2nd Division Clubs)
• Sussex RUR Cup (1st & 2nd Division Clubs)
• Second Division Challenge Cup (2nd Division Clubs)
• Third Division Challenge Cup (3rd Division Clubs)
• Sussex Intermediate Cup (County 3, Mid Sussex, East Sussex, West Sussex & Brighton, Hove & District Premier clubs)
• Vernon Wentworth Cup (County 3, Mid Sussex, East Sussex, West Sussex & Brighton, Hove & District Premier clubs)
• College Cup (Brighton, Hove & District League)
• Montgomery Cup (Mid Sussex League)
• Malcolm Symonds Cup (West Sussex League)
• Blacklands Finance Challenge Cup (East Sussex League)

The first place to get the update will be from this website. Best way to see if it’s been released? – check the twitter feed – it’s @sussexstu .

I now have a long night of editing before me. Wish me luck…

Wick v Hailsham Town – Cup Interest ends…

Wick 4  Hailsham Town 1
RUR Cup Second Round
MacDonald

After what seemed like continual rain on the way, we eventually arrived at Wick (via Billingshurst to pick up a new PC!) virtually on kickoff, and it quickly became apparent that Hailsham had several key men missing – Cumming on holiday as well as Lewis, Reeve and Parsons injured. Wick started by far the brighter, and took an early lead, before adding to the scores on 25 after some poor defending. There was the odd Hailsham spark – Saber a threat down the left – but at the break, the general consenus was that 2 flattered us somewhat. After the interval though, a different story – the visitors looked up for the fight, and within 5 minutes, had pulled one back through MacDonald’s placed free kick (Thanks for the acknowledgement, Macca!).

Wick restored their two goal advantage minutes later – a well worked short corner pulled back for a close range finish. The fourth came in similar circumstances – a cross into the danger area, and the freescoring Wick forwards again profiting. We did have chances in the second period – a couple of dangerous set pieces that evaded MacDonald and Barden, whilst Goatcher worked hard in the middle of the park. Still, there was no denying that Wick were the better team, and on this evidence, they have now gone to my ‘best team this season’ top spot, overtaking Shoreham. Good pitch, nice ground, nice people (don’t think I’ve ever been thanked so profusely for buying a raffle ticket!), and great programme. Good luck for the rest of the season, fellas.

Wick v Hailsham Town – Sussex RUR Cup Second Round – A Preview

So then, today sees a trip to Wick in the Second Round of the RUR Cup. Wick are a team on fire – top of County One, and, to be honest, I’m not expecting much joy today. However, we live in hope – check back later for a match report and hopefully some better images than last week…

COME ON YOU STRINGERS!

Graphical Goodies…

Well, a week away from release, and the data is still being gathered that will allow the SCFLinFM10 project to work. One thing that I did want to dois have a set of badges for the game – and, thanks to assistance, we will have.

So, who will see their Logo displayed in game?

Well, hopefully, everyone – certainly all County One, Two and Three sides. There are currently a few gaps below that, so if you support or play for an East Sussex Premier, West Sussex Premier, Mid-Sussex Premier or Brighton, Hove & District Premier side – get in touch, and get me a badge!

Bonus Time – Previously unnanounced Competitions to be added

Well, after some research, helped by the guys on Nomad, I can now confirm 5 new, previously unannounced, competitions to be added to the SCFLinFM10 project.

All Four are Cup competitions;

• The Vernon Wentworth Cup – Sussex County Three, Mid Sussex, West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton, Hove & District League sides
• The Montgomery Cup, for the Mid Sussex League sides
• The College Cup for Brighton, Hove & District League sides
• The Malcolm Symonds Cup for West Sussex League sides
• The Blacklands Finance Challenge Cup for East Sussex League sides

So then, that’s five more competitions to go for – and for those of you who plan to start your careers in the feeder leagues, a potential quadruple to chase…

As for what’s still to come before release? – well, that comes in 10 days (and a few hours) – that’s plenty of time for me to unveil a few other suprises…

A closer look at (Day 4) – Sussex County Division One

So then, County One. The pinnacle of the game. Well, in Sussex at least.

County One was formed in 1920, with 12 clubs in the inaugural season. Worthing would claim the title in that 1920/21 season – and would go on to win six more times before the outbreak of World War II. In fact, there would only be six winners before the competition was abandoned at the start of the War – Horsham (6), Southwick (3), Corps Of Signals (2) and Vernon Athletic (1) the only teams to earn the honour in the first 18 years of competition.

Since then, however, things have been far more open, with wins for Burgess Hill Town from 96/97 to 99/00 being the only time a side has won the league more than two seasons in succession since Horsham’s successes in the pre-war years. The League consists of 20 clubs these days, who are listed below;

Arundel, Chichester City, Crawley Down, Crowborough Athletic, Eastbourne United Association, East Grinstead Town, Hailsham Town, Hassocks, Lingfield, Mile Oak, Pagham, Peacehaven & Telscombe, Redhill, Ringmer, Selsey, Shoreham, St Francis Rangers, Three Bridges, Whitehawk and Wick.

Of these clubs, several have had their days in the sun – Ringmer became the first village team to reach the First Round Proper of the FA Cup in the 1970/71 season, whilst several clubs, including Eastbourne United, Whitehawk, and, in the 1988/89 season, Hailsham Town, have had runs to the last 16 and beyond of the FA Vase.

Currently, all eyes are on East Brighton Park, where Whitehawk have assembled a squad containing players with Football League and Blue Square Premier and South experience in a bid to climb the pyramid – the likes of Jay Lovett, James Fraser, Darren Budd, Matt Geard, Marc Whiteman and co are all to be found here, and will provide the rookie manager with players of significant calibre to cut their teeth with – albeit with the associated demands of success that inevitably follow.  It’s not all about Whitehawk – there are, of course, teams at the other end of the spectrum – the likes of Mile Oak, East Grinstead and Crowborough will perhaps prove more of a challenge – but there are a smattering of ex professional players throughout the league – Geoff Pitcher at St Francis Rangers, Simon Funnell at East Grinstead and Chris May, along with his one time Guyana international manager Dean Forbes, at Redhill to name but three.

The League can also prove a stepping stone – Leon Legge captained the Hailsham Town side at 17, and, this summer, at the age of 24, has turned professional with League Two side Brentford. In the management field, the late Ron Greenwood, who would hit the headlines with West Ham and England – began his managerial career with Eastbourne United.

Having said that, it’s not just the League – County One teams compete in several Cup Competitions, all of which can provide a welcome boost when the ‘bread and butter’ of the league is proving a challenge – and of course, there is always that dream of a moneyspinning FA Cup or Vase run…

You will, undoubtedly, have fun in County One – for some it will be the first step on a long and glorious journey in FM10 – for others, the short to medium term goal, for those starting further down Sussex Football’s food chain.

A closer look at (Day 3) – Sussex County Division Two

After yesterday’s look at County Three, today sees a look at County Two.

The 1952/53 season will be most remembered for Arsenal’s league win, coming at the end of a long battle with Preston North End – or for the famous ‘Matthews Final’, when Sir Stanley led Blackpool to a 4-3 win over Bolton at Wembley. It will also be remembered as the year that the Sussex County League introduced a Second Division, with Wigmore Athletic (who now play as Worthing United), taking the crown in that debut year.

Sussex County Two consists of 18 teams, with three promotion places, and two relegation spots, and currently include Littlehampton Town – County League winners as recently as 1990/91. ‘The Marigolds’, who reached the First Round of the FA Cup in that same season (Losing to Northampton Town), are though just one of the clubs you can manage, the full list being;

Clymping, East Preston, Lancing, Little Common, Littlehampton Town, Loxwood, Midhurst & Easebourne, Oakwood, Rustington, Rye United, Seaford Town, Sidley United, Southwick, Steyning Town, Storrington, Wealden, Westfield and Worthing United.

The Division Two sides cover a wide geographical area – Rye to Midhurst & Easebourne, for example, is a 158 mile round trip, although there are also some very local derbies – East Preston to Rustington, for example, is a mere 2 mile journey, whilst Sidley to Little Common comes out at the same distance.

Talking of East Preston, they were one of two Sussex County League sides to reach the Second Qualifying Round of this year’s FA Cup – an 8-0 defeat to Dover may, on paper, look like a hammering – but four of those goals came in the last 10 minutes, and, by all accounts, East Preston were by no means outclassed by a side who are currently flying high in the Blue Square South – no less than four divisions higher.

There is, of course, the odd sad tale – and this season, Westfield have been the victim of a Clubhouse fire. This has brought out the best in Sussex – and indeed, Non League – football, with various clubs and individuals offering assistance, including Hastings United and Eastbourne Borough, both of whom have hosted Westfield matches since. If you wish to help, the club website at Westfield FC will be able to give you the relevant details.

So then – Division Two. Second Division yes, but Second Class? – Definatley not.

Arundel Agonies

Mill Road, Arundel, 17/10/2009

Arundel 2 – Hailsham Town 1

John O’Hara League Cup, Second Round
MacDonald

After a decent run down to Arundel, and a quiet opening five, the hosts took an early lead with a scrappy goal after a mixup at the back. Arundel had the better of the first half, but Hailsham did have a couple of half chances, which set the tone for the second half. Hailsham began well after the break, and several encouraging probings led to chances, although the majority were blocked or just didn’t fall right without troubling the ‘keeper. After a couple of corners, came the equaliser – a break involving the tenacious sub Ben Saber leading to Ryan Alexander being tripped in the box – Scott MacDonald making no mistake from the penalty spot. Encouraged by this, Hailsham continued to pressure, with the quick Saber having an excellent debut – Nick Barden the closest after a lovely turn on the edge of the box, with a shot against the post. As time wore on however, tired legs began to show – Hailsham affected no doubt by 120 Minutes of all action football on Tuesday night – and after a couple of chances, a ball over the top was allowed to go past Bailey, who was unable to get back in time to block the cross which resulted in a simple tap in. Like Tuesday, a defeat was undeserved – a draw certainly would have been fairer – but that’s the way it goes sometimes, and you can’t fault the commitment of any of the Hailsham side today. For Arundel, it’s St Francis or East Preston in Round Three, whilst for us, it’s Wick next week in the RUR.

A closer look at (Day 2) – The Sussex County League Division Three

The Third Division of the Sussex County League was formed in the 1983/84 season, as a way of encouraging Intermediate teams to progress up the pyramid – and progress they have.

Perhaps the biggest success story in Sussex Football in recent times has been that of Eastbourne Borough – in less than 12 years they have gone from County League Football to the pinnacle of the Non League Game, the Blue Square Premier. I remember watching Hailsham face Langney Sports, as they were then known, on Easter Monday back in 1996 ish – and winning 3-0.

Currently, County Three comprises 15 clubs, from Bexhill United in the East of the county to Dorking Wanderers in the North, to Sidlesham in the West – there certainly is a fair bit of travelling involved. The League has it’s own League Cup, played on a knockout basis.

So, who can you manage in County Three?

Well; Bexhill Utd, Broadbridge Heath, Bosham, Dorking Wanderers, Forest, Haywards Heath Town, Hurstpierpoint,  Ifield Edwards, Newhaven, Pease Pottage Village, Rottingdean Village, Saltdean Utd, Sidlesham and TD Shipley.

Of these, many have progressed over the years from the Feeder Leagues, whilst some have come in the other direction – back in 1946, Newhaven travelled to Lewes, and played in front of 2500. Today, their crowds are not even a tenth of that figure. In the future? Who knows – maybe you are the one to bring the glory days back to Fort Road.

Pease Pottage Village also merit a mention – a club who’s new stand was once described by ‘When Saturday Comes’ magazine as looking like a ‘glorified bus stop’ – and who also had the unfortunate honour of recording an official attendance of 10 a couple of years back. They too though, are there, ripe for management, ripe for someone who enjoys a real challenge.

Sussex County Three may not be the most glamourous of leagues – but it sure looks like it could be fun. Maybe you’ll choose to find that out for yourself in a couple of weeks…