Category: Retro

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…

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: October” →

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!

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: County Cup Round 2” →

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…

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: September” →

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…

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: County Cup Round 1” →

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…

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: August” →

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.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: West Preview” →

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 South division.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: South Preview” →

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 East division.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: East Preview” →

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 North division.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: North Preview” →

Hello there, and I’m grateful you could join me for a new Football Manager blog series on Fuller FM. This adventure is going to be… quite different from my previous ones.

Over the last few months, I’ve been working on an FM database where the best English footballers represented counties instead of clubs. It’s like cricket in a way, except that the sport is much more exciting, and matches don’t grind on for five days.

I will be using Football Manager 2017 to see what would happen if the FA replaced the money-rich, import-heavy Premier League with a 48-team English Counties Championship. Teams can only use players who were born or raised in their respective counties, and any non-English players who don’t meet the eligibility criteria have been ‘sent home’.

Just to be clear, there are no political motives behind this project. It’s just a fantasy scenario that has interested me for a while now. Perhaps it might have piqued your interest as well…

In today’s opening post, I will explain this experiment and outline how the Counties Championship – and the knockout County Cup – will work. Continue reading “The Counties Championship: Introduction” →