This is it: the final installment of my Football Manager 2017 project.

Over the last couple of months, I have simulated a full season of an English league featuring 48 county teams who can only use players and staff from their local area. Those teams have done battle in the main Counties Championship as well as the knockout County Cup – and now those trophies are about to be won.

Today’s post will have full match reports from the Counties Championship and County Cup Finals. I will then wrap things up by handing out the end-of-season awards in all four divisions.

If you haven’t read my last post yet, then please do that before reading this to avoid spoilers. Don’t forget, also, that you can find links to every chapter in this series right here.

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COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF FINAL

It’s 20 May 2017, and after a gruelling 50-match season, it has come down to this for both Essex and North London. One of those teams is about to be crowned Counties Championship winners at Wembley Stadium.

Before we find out where the trophy is heading to, we’ll look at the routes our finalists took in the play-offs:

After winning the East division by 26 points, Essex suffered a surprise 4-3 defeat to Buckinghamshire in the first leg of their first-round match. After emphatically turning the tie around with a 4-0 win in Southend-on-Sea, they battled to a couple of Quarter Final draws with South Yorkshire, eventually prevailing on penalties.

The Semi Final was a similarly difficult affair for the Essex boys, who were narrowly denied an away win by South London in the first leg. They then recovered from 2-1 down at home to force extra-time, where a 119th-minute winner sent them through to the Final by the skin of their teeth.

South division champions North London were shut out by Somerset in their first play-off game, and then had to come back from behind to finish them off at the Emirates Stadium. It almost went disastrously wrong in the Quarter Final, as West Yorkshire took a 3-1 lead into the second leg. However, a stunning first-half fightback saw the Londoners come out on top.

A tough Staffordshire side awaited in the Semi Finals, but they were made to look like amateurs as North London romped to a 4-0 win in the first leg. That effectively made the second leg academic, as the pre-tournament favourites saw out a comfortable away draw to reach Wembley.

Essex welcomed back Andros Townsend to their left wing after an ankle injury had sidelined him from their last five games. Midfielder Alex Gilbey dropped to the bench, while the other change from the dramatic Semi Final second-leg win over South London saw Dominic Iorfa come in defence for Kortney Hause.

North London’s starting XI remained unchanged from that which had finished Staffordshire off in the second leg of their Semi Final. That meant their 76-goal strike partnership of Harry Kane and Jermain Defoe remained intact, while Kevin Stewart – who’d missed just one league game – stayed at left-back.

Ex-West Ham midfielder Josh Cullen had put Essex through with his late winner in the Semis. It seemed apt, then, then he should have the first shot at goal, but he fired a third-minute free-kick well wide after being brought down by fellow Irons alumnus Mark Noble.

Noble had been one of the dirtier players in the Counties Championship, picking up 17 yellow cards and three reds. The North London vice-skipper was cautioned yet again two minutes later for a rough challenge on Benik Afobe that left the Essex forward writing in agony.

Afobe played on through the pain and soon won another free-kick, from which Essex got their first shot on target. Alex Pritchard’s set-piece was cleared back to him by NL defender Adam Smith, but the winger then hit a first-time shot that Lawrence Vigouroux caught.

Vigouroux was also tested by a 19th-minute header from Essex midfielder Isaac Hayden before the East champions developed injury concerns over their other striker. Dwight Gayle bruised his head in a clash with Londoners skipper John Terry and needed some treatment on the sidelines.

While Gayle was being seen to, North London sensed an opportunity to strike. Noble’s corner delivery bypassed the penalty area and found Defoe just outside the ‘D’. The 34-year-old controlled the ball well and then drove it through space in the area to beat Daniel Bentley and break the deadlock.

Defoe’s 38th goal of the campaign had given Harry Redknapp’s team the initiative, but he now wanted to put them in total control. Just before the half-hour mark, Defoe collected a weighted pass from Kane and got past Essex captain James Tomkins before firing over.

Kane then troubled Bentley with a 38th-minute shot before Essex ended the half strongly. Townsend had a 25-yard attempt pushed behind by Vigouroux in the 41st minute, but an attempt from even further out just before half-time flew well over.

Essex boss Chris Hughton didn’t make any changes to his struggling side at half-time, instead waiting until six minutes into the second half before bringing on a substitute. Gilbey came on for Cullen shortly after the latter was brought down by midfielder Ryan Mason, who collected NL’s second booking. The subsequent free-kick was screwed wide by Pritchard.

Less than a minute after Pritchard’s miss, Essex fell victim to an excellent counterstrike. Yannick Bolasie’s route-one ball from the left wing found Kane, who stroked it ahead of a prowling Defoe. The evergreen poacher brushed Iorfa aside and then poked the ball through the advancing Bentley’s legs to make it 2-0 to North London!

Pretty much everything that could’ve gone wrong for Hughton was now starting to go wrong. The former Republic of Ireland defender had to make another sub in the 56th minute, as Hayden had hurt his neck while heading a Pritchard long ball. Replacing him was Darren Pratley – another rugged box-to-box midfielder.

North London now looked odds-on to pull even further ahead. In the 61st minute, a deep cross from Kane picked out winger Bolasie, who got above Pritchard to unleash a header that Bentley awkwardly tipped behind. The former Southend goalkeeper was not used to such big occasions, though he showed rather more confidence to deny Kane a minute later.

By the 65th minute, a desperate Hughton had played his last card, sending 31-goal man Gary Hooper on for an obviously-struggling Gayle. By contrast, Redknapp seemed content not to make any changes just yet, not even after Vigouroux was tested by a 67th-minute Townsend half-volley.

It wasn’t until the game entered its final quarter-hour with North London still 2-0 up that Redknapp turned to his bench. Mason had once again put in a fine midfield shift, but he was almost out of energy, so on went fellow playmaker Jonjo Shelvey.

Meanwhile, Defoe continued defying age by looking as alert in the 80th minute as he’d been in the 8th. As Kane was blocked off by Pratley, Defoe pounced on the loose ball and then weighted a through-ball in anticipation of his strike partner’s run. He timed it to perfection, as Kane smashed in his 40th goal this season.

The North London fans’ excitement at Wembley could not be contained. With a three-goal lead, the Counties Championship was almost certainly theirs now.

Essex’s dreams of a domestic double were surely over, but they wouldn’t give up on the Championship until the very end. In the 83rd minute, some silky passing from Hooper and Gilbey created a chance for Afobe, who could only scuff it tamely into Vigouroux’s hands.

North London certainly didn’t let up until referee Martin Atkinson blew his final whistle. Terry was booked in the third and final minute of injury time for a push on Hooper – the Londoners’ third yellow of the match. By comparison, Essex had only had one player booked – their skipper Tomkins, in the 40th minute.

When Atkinson called time shortly afterwards, Redknapp and his boys could finally begin their celebrations. By three goals to nil, North London were the County Champions!

North London’s players were still celebrating long after Tomkins had walked up the Wembley steps to lift the trophy. Mind you, some of them probably took things a bit too far when they interrupted their manager’s post-match Sky Sports interview:

Don’t they know how much that suit costs? Harry traded Niko Kranjcar for it, for goodness sake!

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PLAY-OFF STATS

MOST GOALS	COUNTY	GOALS
Harry Kane	North London	5
Jermain Defoe	North London	4
Dwight Gayle	Essex	4
Tammy Abraham	South London	3
Stephy Mavididi	Derbyshire	3
Marcus Rashford	Greater Manchester	3
Patrick Roberts	South London	3
Danny Welbeck	Greater Manchester	3

MOST ASSISTS	COUNTY	ASSISTS
Ashley Hunter	Derbyshire	4
Harry Kane	North London	4
Patrick Roberts	South London	4
Alex Iwobi	North London	3
Alex Pritchard	Essex	3
Kieran Trippier	Greater Manchester	3

BEST AVERAGE RATING	COUNTY	AV RAT
Patrick Roberts	South London	8.00
Harry Kane	North London	7.99
Jack Cork	South London	7.70
Marcus Rashford	Greater Manchester	7.63
Tammy Abraham	South London	7.60
Kieran Trippier	Greater Manchester	7.60

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COUNTY CUP FINAL

A week after the Counties Championship Final, Wembley was ready to stage another showdown. Following their play-off heartache, Essex had a second chance to take away some silverware. Standing between them and the County Cup on 27 May were a West Yorkshire side determined to take the trophy back to God’s own country.

Let’s look at how our two Cup finalists got here:

ROUND	ESSEX	WEST YORKSHIRE
Round 2	4-2 vs North Yorkshire	2-2 vs Kent (4-3 PSO)
Round 3	3-2 vs Nottinghamshire (aet)	2-1 vs Hampshire (aet)
Quarter Final	6-1 vs Shropshire	1-1 vs Bristol (3-2 PSO)
Semi Final	3-2 vs Greater Manchester (aet)	2-1 vs South London

Essex began their Cup quest with an impressive win over North Yorkshire, scoring all four goals of their goals in the first half. Nottinghamshire proved more stubborn opposition in Round 3, as two late goals forced extra-time before Hughton’s men finally got the job done.

Shropshire were emphatically dismantled in the Quarter Final, with Hooper alone putting FIVE goals past a dishevelled Joe Hart. The Essex boys’ toughest match came in Greater Manchester, where Pritchard’s injury-time equaliser extended a thrilling contest that was finally decided after 116 minutes. Hooper’s seventh goal in his last two cup games saw Essex home.

West Yorkshire’s route to the Final was rather bumpier. They almost fell at their first hurdle, going 2-0 down to Kent before triumphing on penalties. Hampshire also took them to extra-time, but the Yorkshiremen won 2-1 to reach the Quarters.

Another nail-biting penalty shoot-out followed, in which WY ended Bristol’s brave Cup challenge following a 1-1 draw. South London were next up in the Semi Final, but surprisingly, that match was finished within the initial 90 minutes. Two goals from Cameron Jerome ensured that the north would be represented at Wembley.

Hayden’s neck injury in the Play-Off Final ruled him out of this match for Essex, whose right-back Jenkinson ruptured his Achilles during a midweek training session. Gilbey and Hause were promoted to the starting XI in their places.

Three weeks after exiting the play-offs, West Yorkshire boss Stuart McCall made three changes to his starting line-up. James Bree and Matty Pearson replaced Jack Hunt and the injured Andre Wisdom in defence. Meanwhile, Lewis Cook was in France playing for England’s Under-20s at the Toulon Tournament, so Jonny Howson filled the midfield vacancy.

There was some controversy when Martin Atkinson – a Leeds fan from Drighlington – was chosen to referee his second Final in eight days. Essex were annoyed by this and expressed concern that Atkinson would favour his home county, but the 45-year-old official insisted that he would be impartial.

Unsurprisingly, it was the Yorkshiremen who made the more encouraging start. Captain Fabian Delph won a free-kick in the second minute off Cullen, who was booked for a mistimed challenge. Delph then laid the free-kick off to winger Aaron Lennon, who charged at the Essex defence before firing a shot into Bentley’s hands.

Essex needed to survive a few more early set-pieces, such as a 4th-minute Howson free-kick which Bentley caught well. The easterners’ first chance came three minutes later, when Afobe’s angled shot was tipped behind the byline by goalkeeper Alex Smithies.

Essex put their opponents under some more pressure in the 14th minute. Pritchard found Gilbey wide open around 25 yards from goal, and the spirited ex-Colchester midfielder hit a speculative effort that didn’t miss the target by much.

Eight minutes later, Hughton saw his team create arguably their best chance yet. Pritchard’s throw into the WY area was nodded to the edge of the six-yard box by Afobe, whose strike partner Gayle could only ripple the side netting.

The deadlock would eventually be broken after 27 minutes, as the pendulum swung back towards West Yorkshire. Duane Holmes’ long-range shot was charged down by Cullen and deflected out right to Lennon. The erstwhile England wideman got past Daniels to square the ball across the area, where Jerome buried the opener.

Lennon almost set up a second goal for Jerome in the 35th minute, but Hause headed the danger away just in time. That began a quickfire Essex counter-attack, which ended with Afobe stroking Gayle’s weighted pass into a grateful Smithies’ hands.

Unfortunately for Essex, disaster would strike just before half-time. Gayle went down in agony after an accidental collision with the elbow of West Yorkshire centre-back Tom Clarke. The 27-year-old had dislocated his jaw and needed to come off.

Hooper came on in Gayle’s place, getting a brief run-out before the referee called half-time. West Yorkshire went into the break still 1-0 up, and McCall saw no reason to bring on any substitutes ahead of the second period.

Essex would start the second half brightly, winning a couple of corners in quick succession. Pritchard’s deliveries weren’t the best, though, and the Yorkshiremen defended them comfortably.

Then came a cause for McCall to be concerned. After getting his head to a booming kick from colleague Smithies, Jerome felt a twinge in his thigh while chasing after the loose ball. The Guyanese striker persevered through the pain for a while until he was replaced in the 58th minute by Clayton Donaldson.

Shortly after Jerome’s exit, West Yorkshire came within inches of going two goals ahead. Delph launched an ambitious 30-yard free-kick towards goal, only just clipping the crossbar.

Essex were soon beset by a couple more injury worries, as Gilbey strained his back, prompting him to be replaced in midfield with Liam Kinsella. Hooper was then left in some bother after pulling a hamstring during a counter-attacking move, but the journeyman forward insisted he could play on.

In the 71st minute, just four minutes after his injury scare, Hooper sensed a chance to draw Essex level. After collecting the ball from Kinsella in the ‘D’, Hooper struck a hopeful shot that Smithies pushed against his right-hand post. Smithies then fumbled his second attempt to catch the ball, but eventually succeeded at the third time of asking.

That near-miss would haunt Essex four minutes later. Milner played a West Yorkshire corner back to Lennon outside the area, and Lennon then dribbled into the box before squaring to Delph. Within moments, the WY captain was celebrating a rare goal, having squirmed the ball underneath Bentley’s despairing dive.

Essex were 2-0 down, but they weren’t completely out of this Final. A foul from Pearson on Hooper just moments after the restart earned them a free-kick, which Pritchard swerved inches wide of the target.

Another opportunity arose for Hughton’s Essex boys on 79 minutes. Hooper defied his dodgy hamstring and muscled the ball off Lennon before hitting it upfield to Cullen, who then found Pritchard in the penalty area. A simple square ball was followed by an even more basic tap-in from Afobe, which halved the deficit.

Essex had got themselves back in the game, but this put the pressure right back on them again. They were steadily running out of time when, in the 87th minute, Kinsella picked up their fourth yellow card of the game for a clumsy tackle on Holmes. By contrast, Atkinson had only booked two of his fellow West Yorkshiremen.

Then came the killer moment, in the 89th minute. Hooper couldn’t get a clean connection to a Bentley goal-kick, allowing Clarke to hoof the ball back into Essex territory. With Tomkins misjudging his attempt to intercept the clearance, he left Donaldson free to go through on goal and seal West Yorkshire’s victory with a clever chip over Bentley.

For the second time in eight days, Essex had wilted at Wembley. The County Cup was on its way to West Yorkshire – victors by three goals to one!

As a crestfallen Essex side saw a second shot at glory slip away, West Yorkshire toasted the perfect end to a season that had surpassed their expectations. Somebody had better tell McCall to go easy on the champagne…

…oh, too late.

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COUNTY CUP STATS

MOST GOALS	COUNTY	GOALS
Gary Hooper	Essex	8
Zach Clough	Greater Manchester	4
Danny Graham	Tyne & Wear	4
Keshi Anderson	Bedfordshire	3
Tom Bradshaw	Shropshire	3
Clayton Donaldson	West Yorkshire	3
Cameron Jerome	West Yorkshire	3
Ravel Morrison	Greater Manchester	3
Danny Welbeck	Greater Manchester	3

MOST ASSISTS	COUNTY	ASSISTS
Benik Afobe	Essex	4
Ian Henderson	Norfolk	3
Aaron Lennon	West Yorkshire	3
Ravel Morrison	Greater Manchester	3
Marcus Rashford	Greater Manchester	3

MOST CLEAN SHEETS	COUNTY	CS’s
Jack Butland	Bristol	2
Rob Elliot	South London	2
Matt Ingram	Buckinghamshire	2
Keiren Westwood	Greater Manchester	2

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END-OF-SEASON AWARDS

NORTH TEAM OF THE SEASON:

NORTH MANAGER OF THE SEASON:

1st – Mick McCarthy (South Yorkshire)

2nd – Stuart McCall (West Yorkshire)

3rd – Phil Parkinson (Lancashire)

NORTH PLAYER OF THE SEASON:

1st – Marcus Rashford (Greater Manchester)

2nd – Jamie Vardy (South Yorkshire)

3rd – Ravel Morrison (Greater Manchester)

EAST TEAM OF THE SEASON:

EAST MANAGER OF THE SEASON:

1st – Chris Hughton (Essex)

2nd – Garry Monk (Bedfordshire)

3rd – Simon Rusk (Cambridgeshire)

EAST PLAYER OF THE SEASON:

1st – Dwight Gayle (Essex)

2nd – Ashley Hunter (Derbyshire)

3rd – Benik Afobe (Essex)

SOUTH TEAM OF THE SEASON:

SOUTH MANAGER OF THE SEASON:

1st – Harry Redknapp (North London)

2nd – Alan Pardew (South London)

3rd – Paul Clement (Berkshire)

SOUTH PLAYER OF THE SEASON:

1st – Harry Kane (North London)

2nd – Jason Puncheon (South London)

3rd – Raheem Sterling (North London)

WEST TEAM OF THE SEASON:

WEST MANAGER OF THE SEASON:

1st – Dean Smith (Staffordshire)

2nd – Graham Potter (Warwickshire)

3rd – Keith Curle (Bristol)

WEST PLAYER OF THE SEASON:

1st – Troy Deeney (West Midlands)

2nd – Craig Gardner (West Midlands)

3rd – Scott Sinclair (Somerset)

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So there you have it! Congratulations to North London on being crowned county champions, and to West Yorkshire on winning the County Cup! I must also send my commiserations to Essex on losing both Finals – it just wasn’t to be, lads.

I hope you’ve found this project interesting, even if is a little outdated. As you might know, I didn’t buy Football Manager 2020, which explains why I haven’t written much about that game and have instead gone back to older titles.

There will hopefully be more Football Manager content on this blog later in the year, when Football Manager 2021 is released (in whatever form it takes). In the meantime, I will continue my Championship Manager 99/00 story with the Scotland national team over the summer.

Until next time, thank you for reading.