Well hello there. I’ve been looking at some short term saves to bring you and thanks to VB on the comments section, I’ve got one that captured my attention.

Doncaster are abysmal, make no mistake. They would finish the 1997/98 season bottom of Division 3 with just 30 goals scored in 46 games and 113 shipped. As you would expect, the fine people of CM9798 research towers have captured their misery pretty well. There’s a lot of 0 entries in the database but as you can see, the game has given me 7 wide midfielders to work with…and I tend not to use wingers.

Obviously, I will replace most of these goons with the usual free transfers. I’m going to have to Eddie Guerrero this one and list these players for loan so nobody takes them. We haven’t got long, so I best get into the market. Bring me the Micker.

We’re immediately dealt a blow when our number one target opts for Cambridge instead. Cambridge don’t need him, they have Tom Youngs and friends. We really needed him.

We do manage to sign a lot of other players to fill out the squad before the first game of the season. Most of the young lads are listed for loan to avoid them being stolen, or at least stolen on the cheap. Heidenstrom is, as ever, a ridiculous pick up.

The squad is full. Nobody wants the other knackers, I fear I will be stuck with them.

This is what we’re going with. It may change. Remember, we’re in this to win the FA Cup, so even though these league games don’t matter to the result of this challenge, it’s all about building a team and improving these players to make sure we’re on it come FA Cup Round 1 and hopefully beyond.

Now because this isn’t about the league I’m not going to give you every single result. But obviously it’s important to see the context of what we’re building towards. I am also aware we could get a top Division 2 side away in Round 1 and this will all be over.

We get off to a winning start

However we get an early test of what life might be like if we draw a higher tiered opponent. A narrow defeat over two legs to Division 1 Huddersfield is a reminder of the enormity of the task at hand.

That Twiss injury is for 6 weeks, which means my front 2 is Mainwaring and Quinn. Not massively mobile but I don’t think that seems to matter on this game.

When we’re good, we’re a goalscoring machine

As usual though shipping goals can be an issue. Bartram has the gloves and I’m really not sure how good he is. Barnet are good but we shouldn’t concede three in 15 minutes.

We nearly rescued a point there. This though, I am pretty sure is a first for me. 4-0 down to Cambridge, Tomlinson running riot and then the maddest of recoveries. Incredible.

This is a good draw, I think. Any non-league opposition has to be considered a result given my earlier fears about getting any of the 24 teams in the Division above. It’s only going to get worse…

With that date in the diary for 5 weeks time, we can now plan. We just have to make sure anybody who might get suspended doesn’t play two weeks prior to the game, as I’m pretty sure all suspensions kick in after 2 weeks back in 1997. The other issue is that Duncan is out for 2 months and I’m pretty sure Gislason will be cup tied in the FA Cup. He was in the League Cup anyway. That might mean Heidenstrom at centre back.

All the wanted players are listed for loan, and other than Stockport offering to borrow Mainwaring, nothing has come to fruition thus far.

This team is ridiculous though. We’re awful for 88 minutes in a top of the table clash but then somebody always comes up with something.

We are however in debt, so if somebody could bid for somebody that would be kind of helpful.

This is how the table looks for us, just to give you the full picture. The goals scored column is very healthy.

So then to the main event. Kingstonian away, hopefully the first step on a fruitful journey. It goes off without too many alarms, the Micker takes the headlines and we’re in to round two.

Walsall away…it’s a tough draw but they’re 17th in Division 2 so only about 8 places above us in the ladder.

We’ll do a deep dive on them next week, they have Roger Boli and a young Michael Ricketts. But we have Mick Quinn and Captain Mainwaring.

Hopefully that has been sufficient to see you return next week for what I hope will be more than one match. Join me then to find out!