Author: Chris Fuller

CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 3

Published on by Chris Fuller

I’m glad that you’ve joined me for the latest installment of my new Championship Manager 3 series. I’m now well into my first season at Napoli, who are flying high in Serie B after averaging nearly two goals per game!

It is now March 1999. CM3 is about to hit store shelves, and the Partenopei look like they are about to celebrate promotion back to Serie A at the first time of asking. Can they finish the job… or will this season reach a nail-biting, perhaps even a heartbreaking conclusion? Continue reading “CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 3” →

CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 2

Published on by Chris Fuller

This is the second chapter of my new Championship Manager 3 series. The year is 1998 – and while Cher is asking us if we believe in life after love, I’m making Napoli fans believe in life after relegation.

In last week’s opener, I took over a Partenopei side who had just slid down into Serie B after years of steady decline. Our season so far is off to a strong start, thanks in no small part to a young Argentinian striker who could become the next Diego Maradona… or at least the first Ezequiel Lavezzi.

We pick up this story in November, where Napoli are looking to consolidate their position in the promotion places. And after knocking out Parma in Round 2, we are aiming to complete another Serie A scalping in the Coppa Italia… Continue reading “CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 2” →

Retro Review: Ally McCoist’s Director of Football

Published on by Chris Fuller

I’ve been feeling in a nostalgic mood lately… so I reckon it’s time for another Retro Review of a football management game from years gone by.

Today, I’m taking you to the 2001/2002 season – a time when Liverpool were challenging Arsenal for the title, and an English midfielder was firing Real Madrid towards continental glory. It was also a time when Championship Manager still had plenty of competition to contend with, even if some of their early rivals had fallen by the wayside.

So what happened when German developers joined forces with a Scottish footballing legend to try and challenge England’s top dogs? Let’s take a closer look at Ally McCoist’s Director of Football. Continue reading “Retro Review: Ally McCoist’s Director of Football” →

CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 1

Published on by Chris Fuller

Welcome to a brand new story on Fuller FM! This week marked the 25th anniversary of the release of Championship Manager 3, and I’ve been thinking for some time about how best to mark the occasion.

My first thought was to recreate my first ever CM save – with Shrewsbury Town, down in Division 3. Maybe I will revisit them on CM3 one day, but I’m still feeling sore about how my FM19 Shrews story ended.

Another idea was to load the Brazilian leagues, start the game in December 1998, and then take over a struggling team in a top European league midway through the season. Unfortunately, this can lead to some very strange scenarios, such as Liverpool or Chelsea fighting relegation, or Piacenza challenging for the Serie A title.

Instead, I have decided to take on a fallen giant in Serie B – at a time when Italian football was coming to the end of its 1990s heyday. Yes, folks, it’s time for some GOLLLLLLLLLAZOOOO! Continue reading “CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 1” →

CM3 Revisited: Cult Icons

Published on by Chris Fuller

Championship Manager 3 celebrates its 25th birthday later this month. In lieu of baking a cake, I thought I’d take the opportunity to celebrate some cult players who would often develop into world-beaters.

I’ve come up with a list of 15 players in the CM3 database – young and, er, not-so-young – and have looked at where their careers went after the turn of the millennium.

I’m looking for cult icons, so I will not be including players like Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola who enjoyed at least some real-life superstardom. I also won’t be revisiting anyone that I’ve already covered on my lists of Championship Manager 99/00 icons (Part 1 and Part 2). Continue reading “CM3 Revisited: Cult Icons” →

Football Manager (And Content Creation) Burnout

Published on by Chris Fuller

Hello, guys. Christopher here. This is not a post I wanted to write, but in light of recent events, there are some things I have to get off my chest.

I want to talk about feeling burnt out – both with playing Football Manager, and with creating content about Football Manager. But first, it’s time to answer a question I’m sure a few of you will be asking… Continue reading “Football Manager (And Content Creation) Burnout” →

The Cracovian Chronicles: Chapter 2

Published on by Chris Fuller

“Witamy spowrotem” to my new Football Manager 2024 series in Poland. Kamila Deyna is about to take charge of her first league matches as manager of Wieczysta Kraków. You can read more about the club in the prologue, and you can meet the squad in Chapter 1.

Today’s chapter will take us through the first four months of the 2023/2024 III Liga season. Wieczysta are expected to win their group at a canter… but if you’ve read any of my previous FM stories, you’ll know that things are never quite that straightforward! Continue reading “The Cracovian Chronicles: Chapter 2” →

The Cracovian Chronicles: Chapter 1

Published on by Chris Fuller

After months of planning, at long last, it is time to kick off my new Football Manager 2024 story on Fuller FM!

It’s been a while since I went off the beaten track and managed an obscure lower-league club on FM. For this challenge, I will start off all the way down in Poland’s fourth division with Wieczysta Kraków. If you want to learn more about the club and why I chose them, please take some time to read the prologue.

“The Cracovian Chronicles” will follow the adventures of sisters Kamila and Joanna Deyna as they begin their coaching careers at their childhood club. Where will the journey take them, and how far can they take Wieczysta? Continue reading “The Cracovian Chronicles: Chapter 1” →

The Cracovian Chronicles: Prologue

Published on by Chris Fuller

“Dzień dobry”, and “witam” to the start of a new Football Manager 2024 series here on Fuller FM!

After a lengthy break, I am refreshed and raring to go for a new challenge that will hopefully last me for the rest of FM24’s life cycle. This challenge has taken me to Poland – the home of Robert Lewandowski, Marie Curie, The Witcher, and Nigel Farage’s plumber (probably).

“The Cracovian Chronicles” will follow the story of two sisters from Kraków as they set out to lead their local football club to glory. But before we meet them and their club, let’s have a closer look at their home city… Continue reading “The Cracovian Chronicles: Prologue” →

CM3 Revisited: Like Father, Like Son

Published on by Chris Fuller

Championship Manager 3 was released in March 1999 – almost 25 years ago – and marked the start of a new generation for the CM series.

CM3 was also the first football management game I ever played, when I was about 8 or 9 years old. Over the coming months, I will revisit this game in various articles, along with a new career story that will begin very soon.

For the first installment, I have found 17 players who are currently playing for Premier League clubs, and whose fathers were themselves players on the CM3 database a quarter-century ago. I’ve taken screenshots of the dads on CM3 – and their lads on Football Manager 2024 – and written a little bit about their careers.

I’ve already done something like this before, when I revisited Championship Manager 99/00 about four years ago. Expect to see a few familiar faces from the past, along with some contemporary stars who’ve already outstripped their fathers’ achievements. Continue reading “CM3 Revisited: Like Father, Like Son” →