Chris Fuller

The Counties Championship: County Cup Round 3

Published on 22 May 20205 February 2024 by Chris Fuller

I hope you’re enjoying my Football Manager 2017 experiment here on Fuller FM. The Counties Championship is in full flow, but that will take a back seat today, as I’ve got a hankering for some knockout action.

We’ve now seen everybody at least once in the County Cup. 16 teams have made it through to the third round, but we’ve also had some major casualties along the way. You can revisit Round 2 right here if you want to see how the carnage unfolded last time out.

When you’re ready, let’s dive into Round 3 and find out if the cup has even more magic to conjure up…

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The Counties Championship: November

Published on 18 May 20205 February 2024 by Chris Fuller

Football Manager 2017 action resumes right here on Fuller FM now, with November’s results from my Counties Championship experiment. By the end of today’s post, we’ll be about a third of the way through the league phase, and the division tables will be taking shape.

Staffordshire were among the big winners in the last chapter, but can they continue their October form and strengthen their lead in the West division? And what will happen in the South, where only six points separate the top five?

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The Counties Championship: October

Published on 11 May 20205 February 2024 by Chris Fuller

We’re two months into the Counties Championship, and some early title challengers have started to emerge. While West Sussex couldn’t continue their strong start in September, other sides – like Greater Manchester and the West Midlands – have shown that they might have what it takes to go all the way.

However, only one team will head into October with an impeccable league record. Take a bow, Chris Hughton and his Essex boys, who’ve won eight matches on the spin. Can anybody stop them from running away with the East title?

We’ve got another four rounds of league matches to get through in this chapter, so let’s get cracking…

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The Counties Championship: County Cup Round 2

Published on 8 May 20205 February 2024 by Chris Fuller

Teams may be jostling for position in the early stages of the Counties Championship season, but it’s worth remembering that there’s another prize at stake for our 48 teams. With its knockout format and potential for upsets, it really is anybody’s guess who will be lifting the County Cup at the end of the campaign.

Last week, we summarised the first round of cup fixtures and saw the dreams of 16 teams killed before they had a chance to be born. Their conquerors will now be joined in the competition by some of the favourites, including Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, and the two London teams.

Seconds out, Round 2!

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The Counties Championship: September

Published on 4 May 20205 February 2024 by Chris Fuller

My Football Manager 2017 project is now in full swing, as it’s time for another month of Counties Championship fixtures!

August’s opening batches of league games saw a fair few surprises, not least in the South division. Can Gareth Southgate and West Sussex pick up where they left off, or will the London clubs start to establish themselves as favourites?

And what does September have in store for our other high-flyers? Let’s find out…

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The Counties Championship: County Cup Round 1

Published on 1 May 20205 February 2024 by Chris Fuller

Welcome back to my new Football Manager 2017 project. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be finding out what would happen if English football had a county league where all the teams could only use the best players and managers to come out of their counties.

Last time out, I summarised the first month of Counties Championship league matches. August’s recaps will bring good news if you’re from Essex (like me), but probably not if you’re from North London (like… er… me). Hey, I’m from Romford, so I technically qualify for both those counties.

August also saw the start of the County Cup, which will be our main focus today. Here’s the lowdown on Round 1…

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The Counties Championship: August

Published on 27 April 202021 July 2024 by Chris Fuller

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…

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The Counties Championship: West Preview

Published on 24 April 20205 February 2024 by Chris Fuller

Welcome back to the Counties Championship – a new blog series on Fuller FM. I’m using Football Manager 2017 to find out what would happen if the 48 English counties took part in a national competition using only the best footballers they have produced. You can read more about it right here.

Ahead of the first matches, I’ll be previewing every team, assessing their strengths and weaknesses to predict who has the best chance of claiming silverware. In this article, I will look at the 12 teams that make up the West division.

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