Championship Manager 01-02! Couldn never afford any of the new ones, bought this one second hand from a mate in 2004-ish, and you can download updates for it from the website, so all the squads are for the 10-11 season.
My current game, I started off with Hibs, built up the squad, and eventually won the SPL after 5 seasons of trying. Back to back UEFA cups were the highlight of my time there, the second with an aging strikeforce of Eto'o and Ibrahimovic. After UEFA Cup #2, I felt that I couldn't take the club any further and stepped down after 7 seasons in charge.
A few weeks later, Stoke offered me their vacant manager position. They had been struggling in mid-table in the championship for the past two seasons, and decided a fresh start was needed. After a rocky first few games in charge, the players got used to the staggered 5-3-2 formation, and Stoke cruised past early leaders Bolton for an emphatic promotion. In the first season back up, a comortable mid-table finish, with a few high-profile scalps was enough for the board, and I felt that the jigsaw needed just a few more pieces for Stoke to push on.
Season 2 back in the top flight, and Stoke shocked the world when we not only won our first major silverware since 1972, capturing the League Cup with a 3-0 win over dominated Manchester City, but powered to a first ever Premier League title with a stunning second half to the season, denying Man Utd a third consecutive crown. History was made when a tired Stoke team overcame Arsenal on penalties after a dour, goalless FA Cup final at Wembley. This season, Stoke face European Cup football for the first time.
Current first team:
Neil Thomas (academy)
Anders Jacobsen (Norwegian, 250k, FC Molde).......Goncalo Rosa (Spanish, academy)
Richard Mols (Dutch, 2.5M, FC Twente).....Jim Clarke (350k, Wolves)......James Mead (academy)
Jean-Eudes Carré (Malian, Guignamp, 650k).......MartÃÂn Gallego (naturalised Scottish, Hibs, 2.5m)
Ernesto Veronese (naturalised Irish, Newcastle, 5m)
Gonzalo Alvarez (naturalised Dutch, Telstar, 2.3m).......Etien Velikonja (Slovenian, Racing Santander, Free)
I've also got a "director of football" thing going on with the League of Ireland, so I'm controlling transfers, but not matchday stuff. The policy of snapping up the best young talent in Europe and bringing it to Irish academies is working well, with Galway making the last 16 of the Champions League the previous season, and Sligo and St. Pat's Athletic both reaching the group stages. Dundalk have also made a UEFA cup final.
Amazing the amount of CM you get to play when you've no job really!
