Category: Retro

CM99/00 Revisited: Now Or Neverkusen – Part 2

Published on by Chris Fuller

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Welcome back to my latest trip down memory lane – or Gedächtnisspur, as they would say in Germany (according to Google Translate, anyway).

I’m managing Bayer Leverkusen on Championship Manager 99/00 and trying to deliver success to a club that endured far too many near-misses in real-life. You can catch up on Part 1 right here, but in today’s chapter, we will continue our Bundesliga title pursuit and attempt to qualify for the second phase of the Champions League.

So, as I believe the saying goes in Leverkusen, “Ich werde im grab deiner mutter kotzen!”

(Sorry? WHAT did I say about your mother?) Continue reading “CM99/00 Revisited: Now Or Neverkusen – Part 2” →

CM99/00 Revisited: Now Or Neverkusen – Part 1

Published on by Chris Fuller

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Guten tag, und willkommen to a brand new series on Fuller FM. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be bringing you updates from my new save on Championship Manager 99/00, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of that game’s release.

A couple of months ago, I was thinking about teams to manage on CM99/00 that would provide interesting short-term challenges. After racking my brains throughout the evening, I suddenly had a Eureka moment… which took me off to Germany.

It’s the summer of 1999. The United States have just won their first FIFA Women’s World Cup, and Brandi Chastain has become an icon for female athletes everywhere. Alex Ferguson has been knighted after winning an historic treble with Manchester United. The UK Number 1 single is “9pm (Till I Come)” by ATB, which will soon become familiar to anyone who plays the critically-acclaimed FA Premier League STARS.

Oh yes, and I am the new manager of Bayer Leverkusen. Continue reading “CM99/00 Revisited: Now Or Neverkusen – Part 1” →

CM99/00 Revisited: The 2019/2020 Premier League managers

Published on by Chris Fuller

We’re coming up towards the 20th anniversary of the release of Championship Manager: Season 99/00. This was the first full game from the Championship/Football Manager series that I played, when I was nine years old, and I still have very fond memories of it.

Over the next year or so, I will revisit CM99/00 in an occasional series of articles right here on Fuller FM. Who knows, I might even write up a career story somewhere down the line.

In this first post, I will look at the 2019/2020 Premier League and English Football League managers and use CM99/00 to see what they were up to 20 years ago. I’m using the largest possible database with all leagues loaded, so if they’re in the game… they’re in the game. (Oh, wait, wrong franchise.)

This was, of course, inspired by Dave Black and his brilliant CM97/98 blog. Every year for the last few seasons, he’s looked at what contemporary Premier League managers were doing on Championship Manager 97/98. For example, this article shows last season’s PL bosses when they were 21 years younger.

Continue reading “CM99/00 Revisited: The 2019/2020 Premier League managers” →

Viola 93: Part 3

Published on by Chris Fuller

Hello once again, and welcome to the final part of my Championship Manager Italia mini-series. I’ve been managing Fiorentina in Serie B, and with more than half the season gone, things have been going… rather smoothly, I’d say.

In this closing chapter, I’ll round up the final few months of the 1993/1994 season, as the Viola pursue a league championship and two cup competitions. I’d experienced so much disappointment in FM19, but could this Fiorentina career end in glory? Continue reading “Viola 93: Part 3” →

Viola 93: Part 2

Published on by Chris Fuller1 Comment

This is the second part of my Championship Manager Italia mini-series. I’ve taken charge of Fiorentina in the 1993/1994 season, and the aim is to lead them back into Serie A at the first time of asking. A strong run in either the Coppa Italia or the Anglo-Italian Cup would also be quite nice.

However, difficult times could be just around the corner. Mario Cecchi Gori has stepped down as club president due to ill health, with his son Vittorio taking over the reins. Let’s hope that the growing uncertainty around the club’s financial future doesn’t affect us on the pitch. Continue reading “Viola 93: Part 2” →

Viola 93: Part 1

Published on by Chris Fuller1 Comment

Welcome to a new mini-series on Fuller FM. This is something a bit different…

Having just finished my four-season Fiorentina story “Shades of Deep Purple” on Football Manager 2019, I’ve caught a bit of a calcio bug. Before I begin my next FM19 career back in the familiar surroundings of England, I want to enjoy one more fix of Italian football.

So, where better place to go than to a time when Italian clubs were at the very top of the European game? That’s right, folks. It’s time to switch Channel 4 on and spend your Sunday morning in the company of James Richardson, because we’re going back 25 years… to Championship Manager Italia. GOLLLLLLLLLAZOOOO! Continue reading “Viola 93: Part 1” →