

So how could I cheat? Well for those experienced veterans out there, you already know. I could cheat! Screenshot from CM96/97 Tactics I was ready for quitting, until I discovered I could do one thing to help me beat this game. I tried my best, I really did, however we are talking about the days where, when you tried to sign players, for example Shearer, Ronaldo, Zidane, you don’t even get to the negotiation page, simply an error message stating ‘Player is unavailable at any price’. I needed better players and was thus thrown into the deep end of the Transfer Market. However, I was still losing, being a kid, clearly it wasn’t my fault, so the computer must have been cheating. Over time, I worked out the importance of player’s stats and my dad explained the importance of Morale. All I knew was Liverpool – and that was sketchy at best. Learning the game as a 9-10 year old was hard, very hard – I didn’t understand Formations, Tactics, and Transfers/Wages. This one may have been the old version, but it didn’t matter, I didn’t care, my life as a Football Manager had begun. It must have been fate, I had only heard about this game at school just that day. That night would be different however, that night I managed to persuade my dad to buy me my first Football Management Game – Championship Manager 96/97. Needless to say, we do not like this place. The only symbol left of it’s great past is a 6ft Bronze Rugby Ball on the roundabout. The shop in question was the new Tesco Superstore, and both me and my dad try to avoid it, why? Well this supermarket was built on the land where our Rugby Team used to be. It is a cold wet night in Stoke – I mean Wigan, almost 20 years ago, Dad has to run to the shop for groceries – I opted to go. The above may seem irrelevant however, it allows me to move onto one of my most treasured memories – one which will seem completely bemusing to you readers. Wigan also sold their traditional home stadium of Central Park to move to a modern day football stadium, and I am the first to admit, although the Wigan Warriors are one of the best teams in the country, their dominance of previous years is now just an old memory – unfortunately for me, exactly like my beloved Liverpool. Such was the success of Wigan Rugby League, the governing body of the sport introduced various rules to end the dominance such as Salary Caps. Imagine Liverpool in the late 80’s, Manchester United’s ‘ Class of ’92‘, or the Barcelona today – only more dominating. Wigan were once the greatest team in the world, showcasing the world’s greatest players alongside youth which had graduated from the best academy in the world. Being from Wigan, Rugby League is a big part of life – it’s in our blood.

With the awkward part out of the way, here’s a quick overview of where I’m from. Hi, I’m Tom, 28 years old and I’m addicted to Football Management games. The Simulated World of Football Management Childhood Dreams turn into Adult Frustrations.
