I just started an old championship manager game, the 96/97 version..... Lange, Herrera, Blake, Cusack, Angus, Martin Thomas, Freeman, Conroy .... It all seems so long ago but great memories
The very best, IMO, is 00/01 - Kallstrom, Ibrahimovich, Jorgenson, Zola-Moukoko, Hoseth - usually ended up with the same team regardless of who I went
96-97 was the first one I bought. I took that Fulham side from the fourth tier (whatever it was called back then!) to the Premier League in three seasons, won the League cup in my first season and the title the following year. If only real life was so accommodating. I seem to recall there's an excellent keeper available on a free transfer at the start who I always signed and who went all the way through the divisions with me. I can't remember his name though, so that's not much help to you! I also won back to back European Cups with Hearts on that edition of the game.
I always loved 97/98, I used to love bringing them up to the Prem too. Maik Taylor and Andre Adrense in goal, Morgan, Coleman and McGuckin at the back, Paul Trollope in midfield, Paul Peschisolido up front.... good times.
No, it was someone I'd never heard of in real life, a youngish keeper who always - always - turned out to be brilliant.
I loved CM 01/02 and CM4. There was such a good spine to the team on those games and Steed Malbranque was an absolute machine!
Cookie - I have to agree - Great times after dark days. Lange, Herrera, Blake, Cusack, Angus, Martin Thomas, Freeman, etc doesn't seem so far ago - Sorry for the sidetrack, but you talked about the memories .... sitting in the stands at Orient alongside Terry Angus leading the singing ..... Frustration but overall enthusiasm of Darren Freeman running at defenders .... Going delerious at another Micky Conroy goal ..... the workmanlike nature of Robbie Herrera (going off injured at his first love, Torquay) etc etc etc ... and all under the superb Morgs and Keeping the Faith with Micky Adams. Enough nostalgia? Never enough! C O Y W
I loved those days down at the cottage, my mate and I were 16/17 at the time, every home game that season we used to buy an under 16 ticket for a fiver and go straight to the bar in the Stevenage stand to get a pint before putting a bet on at the ladbrokes booth, my first ever bet was Micheal Mison to score the first goal and he did. I remember moaning about Conroy every game for being lazy and not tracking back before he scored his inevitable goal. I remember thinking Paul Brooker to be the best youngster ever in the history of the game. I remember thinking Angus wasn't a great player but couldn't help but love him anyway and I remember wanting to be Nick Cusack ( I was a centre half and did ok myself). I loved those days and is why I love Fulham
I remember my mate getting the 94/5 one, we played it non-stop for four days, just getting naps in & smoking it up, awesome game. Never touched it since, it would spoil the magic.
I recommend NOT getting it if you are not hooked already! Championship manager has been cited in 35 uk divorce cases, my mate swears it ruined 3 years of university for him and I have just bought a booked called " football manager ruined my life" for some holiday reading
I read that book as I am a huge fan of the game but it was such a let-down. Such a gimmicky book, more a compilation of fans emails than anything, it had so much potential too. These divorce cases aren't even mentioned.
My favourite Jason Manford comedy line is the one where he mentioned Football Manager and how he wasn't keen to meet Micah Richards until he remembered the reason he disliked him was just due to a poor performance on the game. I've lost track of how many players I dislike for things they'd done to annoy me on Football Manager. I'm still annoyed that Moussa Sissoko isn't a Fulham player in real life; he was the engine of my Europa League winning Fulham team!
I'm on FM12 and currently entering into the year 2050, everyone is a regen now. Darren Gibson and Jack Cork were such a dynamic duo in midfield during the early years.
