The wait is over. My new Football Manager 2017 project is about to begin for real.
This is the Counties Championship, where I’m pitting the 48 counties of England against each other to determine which ones have produced the best footballers. Just to remind you, each team can only select players who were born or raised in their counties. Everything is explained right here.
In today’s post, I’ll take you through the opening five rounds of league fixtures in each of the four regional divisions. Will the pre-season favourites hit the front quickly, or will August see some early surprises? Let’s find out…
NORTH DIVISION
ROUND 1 (6 August)
What should’ve been a close contest between Greater Manchester and Lancashire was anything but. A string of Lancastrian defensive disasters were exploited by Danny Welbeck, whose brilliant hat-trick got Gary Neville’s hosts off to the perfect start.
West Yorkshire also enjoyed a winning penalty, as two James Milner penalties helped them see off an ill-disciplined County Durham. North Yorkshire were efficient in beating Northumberland, and Cheshire edged a low-key meeting with Tyne & Wear.
The other two teams from ‘God’s own country’ started with home draws. Jamie Vardy twice put South Yorkshire ahead against Merseyside before the Scousers saved a point. East Yorkshire had left-back Conor Townsend sent off for a reckless challenge before being held by Cumbria.
ROUND 2 (9 August)
Lancashire didn’t take long to bounce back from their opening-day blues. Two quickfire goals from Kyle Bartley and Matt Derbyshire sent them on their way to a comfortable 4-0 win over East Yorkshire, who paid the price for another red card.
Welbeck scored another two goals as Greater Manchester recovered from a poor start to the second half to defeat Tyne & Wear. However, they ceded top spot after West Yorkshire romped to victory over South Yorkshire, who gave up 26 fouls. Well… their best striker did warn opponents that they would “get banged”.
County Durham recovered from a Lee Cattermole red card and drew 3-3 in Cumbria. James Coppinger got North Yorkshire a late draw at home to Cheshire, whose star winger Jesse Lingard broke his leg in a robust challenge from Jonathan Hogg. Merseyside beat up Northumberland without resorting to GBH, much to Joey Barton’s chagrin.
ROUND 3 (13 August)
There was just no stopping Welbeck when Greater Manchester’s lightning-quick striker got a second hat-trick in eight days. North Yorkshire just couldn’t handle the Mancunians, for whom midfielder Danny Drinkwater also got on the scoresheet.
Neville’s reds regained the lead on goal difference from West Yorkshire, who maintained their 100% record at Northumberland. Their neighbours from South Yorkshire claimed maximum points for the first time, not allowing Cumbria any shots on target in a 2-0 win.
Pity the referee at Darlington, who handed out TEN yellow cards during County Durham’s 3-0 demolition of a sorry East Yorkshire side. Merseyside won at rivals Cheshire after a 2nd-minute Wayne Rooney strike, while Jordan Henderson left it until the 90th to get Tyne & Wear their first win against Lancashire.
ROUND 4 (20 August)
There was always likely to be drama between Merseyside and Greater Manchester, but nobody really expected the leaders to falter so abruptly. Playmaker Ross Barkley was in fine fettle for the Liverpudlians, scoring the opener before assisting for a Rooney brace which ended GM’s perfect start.
By contrast, West Yorkshire showed no signs of letting up against Cheshire, as Cameron Jerome’s double delivered them a fourth straight win. North Yorkshire had few problems against Tyne & Wear, but Lancashire’s blunt attack let them down in a 0-0 draw with a dogged County Durham.
East Yorkshire snatched their first victory, with defender Sonny Bradley and substitute midfielder Ben Hinchliffe getting them past South Yorkshire. Cumbria were the only winless team in the North after they were beaten 2-1 at home by Northumberland.
ROUND 5 (27 August)
The top two clashed in Greater Manchester, where a dominant home display saw West Yorkshire lose their first game – and 1st position. Welbeck and Morrison each struck just before half-time in a previously fierce contest, and Stuart McCall’s side never really recovered.
Merseyside claimed a dramatic 2-2 draw at Tyne & Wear, with Rooney scoring a 90th-minute penalty that was controversially given against home left-back Steven Taylor. There were no such disputes when four second-half goals saw South Yorkshire blow County Durham out of the water.
Northumberland claimed back-to-back wins by beating East Yorkshire 3-1, while Sam Johnstone saved a late Michael Dawson penalty in Lancashire’s victory at North Yorkshire. Poor old Cumbria continued to flounder after going down 3-0 at Cheshire.
Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire established themselves as early frontrunners after recording the same 12-point records over five games. 3rd-place Merseyside’s unbeaten record just about stays intact, while 4th and 11th are separated by just three points. Sadly, Cumbria already have a lot of work to do.
MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Gary Neville (Greater Manchester).
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Danny Welbeck (Greater Manchester).
EAST DIVISION
ROUND 1 (6 August)
Having been drawn at home to Rutland first up, it wasn’t a surprise that Cambridgeshire topped the East division after the opening round. Goals in either half from Luke Berry and Alex Revell made simple work of the league’s big outsiders.
The rest of the opening day followed a similar pattern. Bedfordshire 1, Lincolnshire 0. Derbyshire 1, Norfolk 0. Essex 1, Hertfordshire 0. Nottinghamshire 1, Northamptonshire 0. I can only imagine what Alan Lambourn on Soccer Saturday would’ve made of all that.
The only game that really broke the mould was in Ipswich. Chris Martin had put Suffolk on course for a 1-0 home win, but Hamza Choudhury soon equalised for Leicestershire. Then, in the 90th minute, Che Adams volleyed in Harvey Barnes’ 30-yard ball to secure victory for the visitors!
ROUND 2 (9 August)
Away wins were more in vogue come midweek. The standout result saw Essex thrash Rutland 7-0, with Dwight Gayle hitting a first-half hat-trick. It was a particularly miserable evening for Rutland defenders Kev Milewhite (who was sent off) and Anders Nerdrum (who got a match rating of 4.6).
Bedfordshire also had a red card when they travelled to Norfolk, but they were already heading towards a 3-0 win when Ben Chilwell headed towards an early bath. Suffolk conceded in the 90th minute again, but not before putting four goals past Northamptonshire.
Cambridgeshire also enjoyed victory on the road at Lincolnshire. The only home winners were Hertfordshire, courtesy of Henri Lansbury’s late strike against Nottinghamshire. Adams left it late again for Leicestershire, this time to deny Derbyshire a win.
ROUND 3 (13 August)
Essex stayed top after a dominant 5-1 win over struggling Lincolnshire. Gayle scored just the once this time, instead leaving Benik Afobe to claim his hat-trick before left-back Charlie Daniels rounded it off from the spot.
Cambridgeshire also made it three straight wins while inflicting a third consecutive defeat on Norfolk. For 83 minutes, Rutland looked like avoiding the same fate as Norfolk – but then Nottinghamshire struck thrice in four minutes to overwhelm the resistance.
Sean Dyche’s Northamptonshire got their campaign up and running, coasting to a 4-1 win over Leicestershire. Hertfordshire almost let a 3-0 lead slip at Suffolk but held on, but Bedfordshire lost to Derbyshire after Michael Cain was dismissed. He was only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!
ROUND 4 (20 August)
To be fair, Cain successfully appealed against his ban and played in Bedfordshire’s comeback victory at Cambridgeshire. This was an ill-tempered affair which saw two red cards – including one for visiting left-back Darnell Furlong just after Calvin Andrew had scored an injury-time winner.
While Cambridgeshire’s perfect record went up in smoke, Essex’s remained intact after a hard-fought win over Derbyshire. Hertfordshire – who lost to the leaders on the opening day – put three goals past Leicestershire for their third win on the trot.
Norfolk got off the mark, drawing 1-1 with Nottinghamshire despite conceding to David McGoldrick in the fifth minute and having captain Chris Cohen sent off. In the other games, Northamptonshire and Suffolk were narrow victors over pointless Rutland and Lincolnshire respectively.
ROUND 5 (27 August)
Chris Hughton led Essex to a fifth consecutive victory after his charges made light work of Norfolk’s flimsy defence. Gayle scored two more goals either side of strikes from Afobe and Daniels.
Keeping the leaders under some pressure were Hertfordshire, who won 2-1 against Northamptonshire but had their resolve tested late on. Bedfordshire had also enjoyed a good start to the competition, and they beat Leicestershire by the same scoreline.
Mason Bennett’s double inspired Derbyshire to a fantastic 4-1 victory over Cambridgeshire. Things didn’t go so well for either Lincolnshire or Rutland, following their latest defeats on home soil to Nottinghamshire and Suffolk.
Even at this stage, Essex already look the team to beat in the East. They have a huge goal difference and hold a three-point lead on Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. In the bottom three, Norfolk are still looking for their first win, Lincolnshire their first point, and Rutland their first goal.
MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Chris Hughton (Essex).
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Dwight Gayle (Essex).
SOUTH DIVISION
ROUND 1 (6 August)
The South campaign began with a huge shock in Milton Keynes. Buckinghamshire captain Sam Baldock played out of his skin against North London, scoring four goals to stun the favourites, whose upstanding model citizen midfielder Mark Noble was sent off.
South London avoided an opening-day defeat, as Michail Antonio and Tammy Abraham proved too strong for Hampshire. Berkshire also asserted their dominance on the Isle of Wight, as late strikes from Matty Cash and Charlie Austin secured a 3-0 win.
West Sussex caused a surprise at Oxfordshire, who made some costly defensive errors in a five-goal thriller. Surrey recovered from falling 2-0 behind early on against Kent, ultimately sharing the spoils. Meanwhile, East Sussex vs Wiltshire finished 1-1 on both goals and red cards.
ROUND 2 (9 August)
South London stormed to 1st place by thrashing the Isle of Wight. Despite having a first-minute saved by Simon Moore, midfielder Harry Arter went on to score the fourth goal in a five-star performance.
They weren’t the only team to win 5-0, though. Buckinghamshire were sent crashing back to earth by Hampshire, for whom Sam Vokes scored a hat-trick of goals and Danny Ings made three assists. Also hitting five without reply were Kent, whose former England right-back Glen Johnson played a key role in dismantling Oxfordshire.
After their early setback, North London were unconvincing 1-0 winners over East Sussex. Surrey showed a bit more style to defeat Wiltshire 4-2, while a breathtaking first half ended with West Sussex and Berkshire sharing four goals.
ROUND 3 (13 August)
What’s better than one hat-trick? Two hat-tricks, said Hampshire boss Kit Symons after a 6-1 crushing of the Isle of Wight. Captain Andrew Surman completed his treble 56 minutes in, but just 10 minutes later, Ings laid claim to a match ball of his own.
North London’s struggles continued in Woking. Jermain Defoe twice got quick equalisers after Surrey went ahead, but the veteran poacher had no response to George Saville’s 88th-minute winner. 10-man South London had their first slip-up when West Sussex defender Adam Webster beat them in the 93rd minute.
Oxfordshire tasted victory for the first time thanks to James Lawrence’s 12th-minute finish against Wiltshire. Simon Cox scored the decisive goal for new leaders against Kent, but the deadlock between East Sussex and Buckinghamshire remained unbroken.
ROUND 4 (20 August)
Now that’s more like it from North London! Defoe and Harry Kane each got a couple of goals past Oxfordshire goalie Luke Southwood, who was also beaten by his own skipper Alex Pearce. A much-needed win eased the pressure on home boss Harry Redknapp.
The lead changed hands again after Berkshire could only manage a 1-1 draw in Wiltshire. That allowed outsiders West Sussex to improbably hit the front, courtesy of Dom Dwyer’s hat-trick against the pointless Isle of Wight.
Hampshire moved to 2nd after seeing off East Sussex, and South London claimed 3rd place after proving too strong for Kent. There was drama in Buckinghamshire, where Dele Alli’s last-gasp cross-shot slid through the Surrey box and secured a home win.
ROUND 5 (27 August)
West Sussex’s dream start continued with a narrow and hard-fought home victory over Hampshire. The visitors struggled after losing James Ward-Prowse to a red card, and after falling 2-0 behind, they could only pull one goal back.
Austin put Berkshire 1-0 up on North London after just three minutes. Unfortunately, left-back Marvin Bartley sustained a serious hip injury soon afterwards, and his colleagues eventually crumbled to a 5-1 defeat. Oxfordshire were beaten by the same scoreline at home to Buckinghamshire.
You know you’ve had a bad day when Conor Washington puts three goals past you. The Isle of Wight’s baptism of fire only got worse in a 4-1 reverse against Kent. Surrey showed their resolve again to draw 2-2 with East Sussex, while Wiltshire surprisingly took a point from South London.
Despite being predicted to finish 10th, it’s West Sussex who lead the South division early on with an unbeaten record. Mind you, both South London and Buckinghamshire are hot on their heels, and North London will surely surge soon. The Isle of Wight look helpless already after conceding 22 goals in five games.
MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Gareth Southgate (West Sussex).
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Harry Kane (North London).
WEST DIVISION
ROUND 1 (6 August)
If their first game is anything to go by, both Cornwall and Devon should serve up plenty of entertainment this season. The Cornish hosts went ahead after half an hour, but it was their neighbours who prevailed 5-2 after an excellent hat-trick from Joe Mason.
Slightly further east in Dorset, Eddie Howe’s side recovered from a 1-0 half-time deficit to defeat Worcestershire 2-1. It was a similar story for Gloucestershire when their comeback deprived underdogs Herefordshire of some early points.
The West Midlands’ title credentials were dented after they failed to score in Bristol. Somerset also started with an away draw against Warwickshire, but Shropshire made a flying start, effectively countering Staffordshire’s attacks en route to a 3-0 win.
ROUND 2 (10 August)
The West Midlands played more like what they were capable of against Gloucestershire. Daniel Sturridge got things going, with Craig Gardner and Danny Batth putting them 3-0 up before the break. Only a pointless late red card for Ashley Williams soured a good evening’s work.
Shropshire went to the summit after their front two of Tom Bradshaw and Steven Fletcher overcame Bristol’s defences. Devon weren’t so convincing in a 1-0 win over Dorset, which came about after the latter’s goalkeeper Lewis Price spilled Nicky Law’s cross into his own net.
Ryan Dickson had one penalty saved but scored another as Cornwall got a big win at the home of fellow outsiders Herefordshire. James Wilson’s brace got Staffordshire up and running against Somerset, and Worcestershire edged out their rivals Warwickshire.
ROUND 3 (13 August)
With Williams suspended, Troy Deeney took the captain’s armband as the West Midlands hosted Herefordshire. Sam Allardyce’s outside had 17 shots on target and scored from five of them, with Deeney claiming a hat-trick. Now that’s what I call dominant.
Will Grigg was on fire for Warwickshire, and Devon’s defence was terrified after conceding an 89th-minute winner. It wasn’t a Gray day for Andre when he scored the only goal for Staffordshire against Worcestershire.
The other three games ended in draws. Dorset’s Jayden Stockley and Cornwall’s Isaac Vassell each got braces when their teams went head-to-head. Elsewhere, both Bristol vs Somerset and Gloucestershire vs Shropshire offered some entertainment but no goals.
ROUND 4 (20 August)
Time to put that Gala song on again! Warwickshire fans were Eurodancing to Grigg’s favourite tune after he bagged THREE goals in Nuneaton. Brandon Goodship scored one of two late consolations before the good ship Dorset sank without trace.
Having gone top the week before, the West Midlands consolidated their new status by scoring four of the five goals in their encounter with Somerset. Staffordshire were just as dominant when they prevailed 4-1 over Cornwall, whose first four matches had seen 19 goals.
Bristol continued to splutter, falling prey to Nicky Law’s late clincher for Devon. Shropshire midfielder Jack Price suffered a serious Achilles tear as his team-mate Fletcher’s brace saw off Herefordshire. Meanwhile, Gloucestershire had another goalless home draw – this time against Worcestershire.
ROUND 5 (27 August)
The West division’s last two unbeaten records went on the line in Shrewsbury. It was Shropshire whose ‘O’ had to go in the end, after West Midlands forward Demarai Gray fired a stunning strike beyond Joe Hart. Despite strengthening their lead, the visitors picked up another red card through Craig Gardner.
Warwickshire’s good recent form continued at Cornwall, with you-know-who netting another brace in a very scrappy contest. To be fair, you could also apply that description to Devon’s 1-1 draw with Staffordshire.
Bristol won for the first time as Reuben Reid’s penalty accounted for Worcestershire. Somerset also popped their cherries, defeating Gloucestershire 2-0. The only team left without a point – let alone a win – were Herefordshire, whose misery was compounded by Dorset.
It’s the West Midlands who unsurprisingly head the West division after the opening month – and they lead by three points. Only 2nd-placed Shropshire can match their impressive defensive record, though there are three teams who currently trail Salop only on goal difference. A thrilling play-off race could be in store.
MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Sam Allardyce (West Midlands).
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Will Grigg (Warwickshire).
It’s so far, so good for Greater Manchester, Essex, West Sussex and the West Midlands at the top of their divisions. Will they retain their advantages in September? We’ll find out in the next league update next Monday.
Before then, though, we have the opening round of the knockout County Cup to get through. Please come back on Friday to discover which teams have progressed to Round 2, and which ones have made an early exit from the competition.
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