Tag: FM17

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.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: THE FINALS” →

Hello again, ladies and gentlemen. The Counties Championship play-offs have begun, with 16 teams being whittled down to eight after the first round of matches, which you can read about right here if you haven’t yet.

Today, we’ll be going through the Quarter Finals and Semi Finals. By the end, we will know which two teams will be doing battle at Wembley for the right to take home that glittering prize (Simple Minds not included).

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: Play-Offs Quarters & Semis” →

After eight months of thrilling league action, the Counties Championship season has entered its final stages. 16 teams have qualified for the play-offs and remain in contention to lift the national title at Wembley on 20 May.

In today’s post, I will recap the results from Round 1 and reveal which eight sides have moved a step closer to glory. In case you haven’t caught up yet, you might want to read about April’s final round of league fixtures before you continue.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: Play-Offs Round 1” →

This is it, folks. The league phase of the Counties Championship is about to reach its conclusion. After this chapter, we’ll be saying goodbye to 32 teams – and we’ll be seeing how the remaining 16 will line up in the play-offs.

March saw several more teams clinch their play-off places, leaving just five spots still up for grabs as we head into April. These final three rounds of fixtures will decide who’s staying on and who’s heading out.

Will your favourite county make the cut? Read on to find out…

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: April” →

Here we go again for another chapter in my Football Manager 2017 project. We’re into the final quarter of the Counties Championship league campaign, after which we’ll be left with 16 teams battling it out for the national title.

In case you missed the last update, February saw three teams confirm their presence in those end-of-season play-offs. Who else will book their tickets in March, and who will still be under pressure going into April’s finale?

Every team will play four league matches in March before the final international break of the season gives them some respite as they head into the run-in. So, let’s see how it all unfolds…

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: March” →

I’m now into the business end of my Football Manager 2017 project. The Counties Championship league season has intensified, with three teams booking their play-off berths in February.

But now, after a brief hiatus, our focus shifts back to the knockout County Cup. EIGHT of our 48 counties are still standing after an eventful Round 3 – and in this chapter, we’ll find out which TWO will be playing in the Final at the end of the season.

The Quarter Finals took place in January, with the Semi Finals following a couple of months later in March. Would the cream rise to the top, or were there still a few more surprises left in a competition which had already seen its fair share?

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: County Cup Quarters & Semis” →

Welcome back, readers. The Counties Championship play-off race intensified in January, with well over 150 matches taking place. You can revisit all the action by reading Part 1 and Part 2 on the links attached.

The action now continues into February, when a number of teams could secure their play-off places. This bumper post will be the longest of the project so far, so make sure you’re ready for it.

February will see each division play five full rounds of fixtures – except the West division, who are playing an extra round because they love to be different from the others. We’ll also see the leftover games from Round 26, which clashed with the County Cup Quarter Finals.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: February” →

We’re now into the second half of my Counties Championship project on Football Manager 2017. If you were with me last time, you’ll remember just how hectic a month December was. You can revisit all the action in these links to Part 1 and Part 2.

If December was packed with fixtures, though, then January is even more so. Our teams will play as many as NINE matches over the course of a month that really could make or break their play-off hopes.

Be aware, though, that there are a few database quirks with January’s fixtures. Round 26 clashes with the County Cup Quarter Finals, so the eight teams involved in cup action have had their league games from that round postponed until February.

Also, Round 32 is played on Tuesday 31 January, but because the West division plays midweek games on Wednesdays, you won’t find out its results for that particular round until next month’s update.

As with December’s round-ups, I’m splitting the January updates across two posts, with this one covering the South and West divisions. You can read what happened in the North and East divisions right here.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: January – Part 2” →

We’re now into the second half of my Counties Championship project on Football Manager 2017. If you were with me last time, you’ll remember just how hectic a month December was. You can revisit all the action in these links to Part 1 and Part 2.

If December was packed with fixtures, though, then January is even more so. Our teams will play as many as NINE matches over the course of a month that really could make or break their play-off hopes.

Be aware, though, that there are a few database quirks with January’s fixtures. Round 26 clashes with the County Cup Quarter Finals, so the eight teams involved in cup action have had their league games from that round postponed until February.

Also, Round 32 is played on Tuesday 31 January, but because the West division plays midweek games on Wednesdays, you won’t find out its results for that particular round until next month’s update.

As with December’s round-ups, I’m splitting the January updates across two posts, with this one covering the North and East divisions. I’m saving the South and West results for another post later this week.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: January – Part 1” →

We’ve almost reached the halfway point of my Football Manager 2017 project. That means it’s time for some festive football!

December is always a busy time in the football calendar, and it’s no different where the Counties Championship is concerned. We’ve got SEVEN rounds of matches to go through in each of the four regional divisions. You’ll probably understand, then, why I’ve decided to split the December recap into two separate posts.

Today, we’ll be focussing on the South and West divisions to see how things stand going into the new year. You can read about the latest results from the North and East divisions right here.

Continue reading “The Counties Championship: December – Part 2” →