Following two straight promotions, scoring over 100 goals in each season, gaining 100+ points and winning the Auto Windscreen Shield twice we embark on life in Division one aiming to go three for three and maybe another couple of 100s in the bag.

The rules are simple, we can only spend 75% of the money we make, and we can’t cheat the game using the loan trick to circumvent the big club release clause.  Our aim, to see how far we can get after five seasons starting in Division three with no players.

Some sad news breaks in the close seasons as we say goodbye to three good, if not slightly ill-disciplined eggs.

We begin season two/end season one of our five season challenge by making a couple of key signings.  Croatian legend Slaven Bilic joins on a free, I think because Everton were relegated and Azerbaijani international Demis Ohandjanian signs from Macclesfield, the club I replaced in Division three.  I make another couple of signings, Andy Tennant for £190k, I think he is Maurice Malpas’s regen and aging Belarussian AMC Sergei Gerasimets for free.  I try to sign the Icelandic regen but he’s not interested.

As has become tradition, well, for the second year running, the blog squad bought each other random football shirts for Secret Santa.  I was lucky enough to receive this beauty from King of the Rook (Andrew Chapman), a Gateshead keepers jersey. 

Along with the gift, I now needed to create a blog.  Gateshead are non-league on CM9798, so I moved them into Division 3 to replace Macclesfield (I think) and begin my five-season adventure.  The rules and challenge are simple enough:

Challenge:

• How far can you get in five seasons, starting with a team full of grey players?

Rules:

• PSR, I can only spend 75% of the money I make through player sales and prize money.  I’ve made a handy little spreadsheet to ensure compliance.
• No using the loan trick to mitigate the big club release clause.