By Rebelstar without a
cause
Genre: Football: hapless
manager management
Well Saturday 17th August marks the start of the football season, which on a personal level means there is less time available on Radio 4’s today programme for cricket news. However, this is the CGC and it is not the platform to entertain such gripes, nor is it the place to bemoan the absence of any ashes themed cricket games thus far.
This excellent management game by RebelstarWAC is reminiscent of Kevin Tom’s seminal 1982 game football manager (just without the cool UDGs and more swearing). You start the season as a manager of your choice, I chose the most ‘football managery’ name I could think of, in this case Roy Briggs (for 'foreign' readers I also tried as Marizio Peroni). At the start of the season you have, as seems to be suggested by the tedious farrago that is the media storm, the full 100% support of both the fans and the chairman. Your team is the promising WOSFC and it’s you versus the premiership.
Before each match day is the team selection, and WOSFC roster is naturally comprised (mostly) of ZX-Spectrum legends. Using Rebelstar’s advanced team setup, you move players on or off the bench according to their skill and aggression. You don’t get any new players, and the players you have keep the same attributes throughout the season.
Although this does seem to
be based on the RND seed, for some reason poor old (Steve) Crow seems unfairly
down on both every time! It also broke
my heart to put Smith on the bench (though I couldn’t decide if it was Matthew
or Jonathan).
I gather the idea of the game is that fan & chairman support is linked to performance, and the lower support is the higher the likelihood is of being sacked. However, unless I’m doing something wrong, it seem totally random as and when you get sacked! I have been sacked in week 3 with a >90% rating, yet also survived to week 7 with a <56% rating! I can only assume this is an intentional part of the game, and as such is a comment on the transient, potentially unecessary and haphazard nature of the football manager’s profession (in which case may I congratulate Rebelstar on an ingenious satire). I’ve been assured it’s not the case but I’d swear blind that the more changes I made to my team the worse they did!
So after putting my all
star team together you get to play the giants of the premiership: Manchester
UTD, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Swansea. Each
game is a 90 minute thriller, with a written commentary throughout. Watch (,
chuckle) and be enthralled by missed goals from Kevin Toms, well wides from
Ritman and over the bars from Gollop.
I’m still not sure if that missed chance by ‘Jones’ was Mark R or John George, but either way this is a corker of a game, and also that Cauldwell chap needs to be played up front more often. Despite the games shortcomings I really watched each match with interest and got excited about the result, so there is still a good idea at the heart of this game (who knows Kevin Toms may even be in touch for some tips). Thankyou Rebelstar!
Can you think of a more ‘football manager’ name than Roy Briggs? If so please post here!
Tipshack:
Even if common sense suggests to select a better team, don’t – it may or may not be worth the risk.
HACKSACK:
Near infinite mercy: Line 50: change fansup and chairsup to 10000%
Download here.
Well Saturday 17th August marks the start of the football season, which on a personal level means there is less time available on Radio 4’s today programme for cricket news. However, this is the CGC and it is not the platform to entertain such gripes, nor is it the place to bemoan the absence of any ashes themed cricket games thus far.
This excellent management game by RebelstarWAC is reminiscent of Kevin Tom’s seminal 1982 game football manager (just without the cool UDGs and more swearing). You start the season as a manager of your choice, I chose the most ‘football managery’ name I could think of, in this case Roy Briggs (for 'foreign' readers I also tried as Marizio Peroni). At the start of the season you have, as seems to be suggested by the tedious farrago that is the media storm, the full 100% support of both the fans and the chairman. Your team is the promising WOSFC and it’s you versus the premiership.
Before each match day is the team selection, and WOSFC roster is naturally comprised (mostly) of ZX-Spectrum legends. Using Rebelstar’s advanced team setup, you move players on or off the bench according to their skill and aggression. You don’t get any new players, and the players you have keep the same attributes throughout the season.
I gather the idea of the game is that fan & chairman support is linked to performance, and the lower support is the higher the likelihood is of being sacked. However, unless I’m doing something wrong, it seem totally random as and when you get sacked! I have been sacked in week 3 with a >90% rating, yet also survived to week 7 with a <56% rating! I can only assume this is an intentional part of the game, and as such is a comment on the transient, potentially unecessary and haphazard nature of the football manager’s profession (in which case may I congratulate Rebelstar on an ingenious satire). I’ve been assured it’s not the case but I’d swear blind that the more changes I made to my team the worse they did!
I’m still not sure if that missed chance by ‘Jones’ was Mark R or John George, but either way this is a corker of a game, and also that Cauldwell chap needs to be played up front more often. Despite the games shortcomings I really watched each match with interest and got excited about the result, so there is still a good idea at the heart of this game (who knows Kevin Toms may even be in touch for some tips). Thankyou Rebelstar!
Can you think of a more ‘football manager’ name than Roy Briggs? If so please post here!
Even if common sense suggests to select a better team, don’t – it may or may not be worth the risk.
HACKSACK:
Near infinite mercy: Line 50: change fansup and chairsup to 10000%
Download here.
