55 replies to this topic

[Chelios]

Yesterday I made a thread asking for suggestions of a team to manage. Vauxhall was suggested, so I'm gonna try to get it to the top of the world. All the updates will be posted in this thread. Yeah, I'm not good with intros.

To start things, I'm in debt, with a very low wage budget and no transfer budget. Gonna cut some wages, and appearance fees are killing the team too.

I'm not good at making stories, so sorry for that.

Edited by Chelios, 06 April 2011 - 03:47 AM.

[Chelios]

Vauxhall Motors F.C.

Chronological History

1963 Vauxhall Motors Football Club was formed by ex West Bromwich Albion player Fred Ward shortly after the opening of the new Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port. Playing at Hooton Park inside the plant complex, the new club joined the Ellesmere Port League.

1965 Early success, results in the club being elected into the Second Division of the West Cheshire League, whilst a reserve team is formed and joins the Wirral Combination.

1967 Dave Edmunds, the present-day secretary of the Sports & Social Club, is appointed club secretary.

1968 Vauxhall win their first piece of silverware in the West Cheshire League, lifting the Second Division Cup, known as the West Cheshire Bowl.

1969 Elected to the First Division of the West Cheshire League from third place.

1970 Reached the semi-finals of both the West Cheshire League's senior cup, the Pyke and the Wirral Senior Cup, under former Welsh international Tecwyn Jones.

1971 Reserves are elected to the Second Division of the West Cheshire League, just six years after the senior side.

1973 Pyke Cup finalists for the first time, losing 2-1 to Willaston at Prenton Park.

1978 Reserve team lose West Cheshire status. 1979 Reached the semi-finals of the Cheshire Amateur Cup for the first time, losing to Crewe Rolls Royce. VMS&SC declare an interest in the 23-acre site of farmland surrounding the clubhouse in Rivacre Road and ultimately, agree a purchase price of £60,000.

1980 VMS&SC become owners of the land adjoining the clubhouse on Rivacre Road. Tony Woodley a future long-time Chairman of the club, is appointed club manager. 1981 Ray Condliffe is appointed club secretary.

1982 A huge football ground improvement scheme is launched for Rivacre Road site, including a permanent pitch surround and a covered standing area.

1983 Reached the semi-final of the Cheshire Amateur Cup and the final of the Wirral Senior Cup, losing in extra time to Poulton Vics. Reserves finish as runners-up in the South Wirral League, but lift both the League Cup and Wirral Junior Cup, and are re-elected to the West Cheshire League. The old New Brighton FC floodlights are erected at Hooton Park and Tranmere Rovers paid the club the compliment of fielding a full first team in a commemorative match. Bank loan of £45,000 repaid after successful club lottery launched. Rivacre Road site is cultivated and land drainage completed.

1984 Plant manager agrees to support future development at Rivacre Road with a cash injection of £50,000 spread over five years. Team were West Cheshire League runners-up and finalists of the Wirral Senior Cup losing 2-0 to West Kirby.

1985 Reached the semi-final of the Cheshire Senior Cup for the first time, losing to then Alliance club, Runcorn. A re-negotiated brewery loan of £90,000 from Tetley Walker enables the club committee to pass plans for the building of a new changing room complex at Rivacre Road. Billy Beckett is club secretary.

1986 Manager Jim Fearns, guides Vauxhall to their first West Cheshire League title, while the reserves lift the Wirral Amateur Cup, defeating Capenhurst Villa 1-0. Work progresses on the new Rivacre Road complex, including the dressing rooms, perimeter wall and sponsors lounge.

1987 Defeated 4-3 by Stork in the Centenary Cheshire Amateur Cup final at Prenton Park, but return to the same venue to lift their first Wirral Senior Cup by beating Poulton Vics 2-1. Rivacre Park is officially opened by then England manager Bobby Robson, before a commemorative match against an England F.A. XI, which attracts 1,500 spectators. Club joins the North West Counties League as Vauxhall GM, leaving two sides in the West Cheshire League under the Motors banner.

1988 Finish a very creditable fourth in their first season in the NWCL Second Division.

1989 Lift the NWCL Second Division championship under Tony McVey, losing just one league match.

1991 Lift the NWC League Cup, defeating Darwen 2-0 at Gigg Lane, Bury, whilst finishing fourth in Division One.

1992 Forced to resign from NWCL and concentrate on West Cheshire League football, as the committee is stretched to the limit, trying to look after three sides.

1994 Motors spurn a 2-0 lead in the Cheshire Amateur Cup final against Cammell Laird at the Deva Stadium, eventually losing 3-2.

1995 Win both divisions of the West Cheshire League and are also finalists in the Wirral Senior Cup, losing 2-1 to Cammell Laird at Prenton Park. Rejoin NWCL as GM once again.

1996 Terry McLean leads the club to a second successive championship, by lifting the NWCL Second Division at the first attempt. Two new terraced stands are built to facilitate promotion. The manager resigns in the closed season and Paul Rowlands is appointed as McLean's successor but lasts just four months, which enables McLean to be installed as boss for a second time at the end of the year.

1998 Beaten 1-0 by champions Kidsgrove Athletic in the NWC League Cup final at Gigg Lane, in monsoon conditions following a freak storm. McLean resigns and Alvin McDonald is appointed club manager that summer.

1999 The club gains it's highest ever league position of third in McDonald's first season in charge. They also reach the last sixteen of the FA Vase and lift the NWC League Cup, defeating Prescot Cables 1-0 in a replay at White Moss Park. The GM club is wound up, enabling the two clubs to come under one umbrella as Motors. Jimmy Butler, a former club manager, becomes the Youth Development Officer and plans are in hand to run teams from Under-11 to Under-15 in the Eastham & District Junior League. Mark Pearson collapses and dies on the pitch at Northwich Victoria's Drill Field, during a Cheshire Senior Cup tie.

2000 New souvenir shop opens and additional turnstiles are installed in readiness for Unibond League football. Reach the semi-final of the FA Vase, losing to an extra time goal at Chippenham Town, but bounce back to lift the NWCL title and the Floodlit Trophy, while the second team capture the Centenary Pyke Cup for the first time in the club's history, defeating Ashville 5-2 (at Rivacre Park). Unfortunately, they were denied a cup double, when losing 2-1 to Cammell Laird after extra time in the Wirral Senior Cup. Those achievements led to Vauxhall Motors FC being named North West Club-of-the-Year by the Non-League Directory.

2001 Surpassing their own expectations, Vauxhall gain a second successive promotion, by finishing as Unibond First Division runners-up to Bradford Park Avenue, at the first attempt. Re-enter the FA Cup, reaching the fourth qualifying round, before losing a home replay to Lancaster City.

2002 Incredibly, McDonald's Motormen end their first season in the Unibond Premier Division as clear runners-up to runaway champions, Burton Albion. They also reach the 4th round of the FA Trophy for the first time, defeated by Northwich Victoria in front of 1,019 at Rivacre Park. Ended the year in front of the televisions cameras, following a terrific FA Cup run. Defeated QPR at Loftus Road in a First Round replay on penalties after a goalless draw at the Deva Stadium (att.3509) but lost their Second Round tie away at Macclesfield, in front of the Sky cameras.

2003 Ended the second Unibond Premier Division campaign in third place, whilst the reserves lifted the West Cheshire League championship under Steve Leyland. Club manager Alvin McDonald resigns in September, to take over at Northwich Victoria. Former Tranmere Rovers and Vauxhall striker Owen Brown is appointed as his successor a month later.

2004 After a difficult first few months in charge, the Motormen hit top form at the end of January and ended the season unbeaten in their final thirteen games, to clinch a place in the new Nationwide Conference North.

2005 Owen Brown resigns as manager and is succeeded by his assistant Carl Macauley.

2007 Andy Mutch is appointed manager following Carl Macauley's decision to stand down to take on the assistant managers role. Macauley resumes as manager again in March.

2008 The club acquired stadium sponsorship for the naming rights of Rivacre Park from local insurance company Motassist which for the next three seasons will be known as the Motassist Arena.

2010 Chev Chelios arrives at the club.

So after taking control of the team, I noticed that it was really awful, and we would only get any chance of success by starting al over. So I sold/dismissed almost all the players in the squad (exception being the Player/Assistant Manager because no one else wanted the job). After an extensive search and negotiation period I was able to get some good players, as in follows:

Goalkeepers
- Danny Woods
- John McGuinness (*)

Defenders
- Colin Miles
- Dylan Robinson
- Gavin Donoghue (*)
- Jack Francis
- John McDowell
- Karl Broadhurst (*)
- Kenny Keys (*)
- Matthew Pike (*)
- Ryan Carolan
- Steven Page (*)

Midfielders
- Andrew Downey
- Christian Nanetti (*)
- Finbar Heffernan (*)
- Joe Lolley (*)
- Kevin Higgins (*)
- Michael McGrath
- Neil Carroll (*)
- Nicholas Barrett (*)
- Steven Foley (*)

Strikers
- Calvin Mooney (*)
- Joe Watson (*)
- Martin Butler (*)
- Martin Smith (*)
- Matt Dinsmore (*)

(*) = First Team Player/Regular

Formation: 4-4-2 Attacking.

Everyone is at Full Time contracts. Screw Part Time.

The team have a good age mix here, with experienced players and new players everywhere. Each position have at least 2 players available for it, so injuries will not hurt me a lot.

And the challenge begins!

Edited by Chelios, 31 March 2011 - 03:25 PM.

[Chelios]

Pre-Season Results

Vauxhall 2 - 1 Vauxhall Reserves
[ Mooney, Smith ] [ Rodgers ]

Rhos 1 - 4 Vauxhall
[ Taylor ] [ Broadhurst (2), Mooney, Heffernan ]

Vauxhall 3 - 0 Aberystwyth
[ Mooney, Watson, Davies o.g. ]

Harrogate Railway 0 - 3 Vauxhall
[ Smith (3) ]

Vauxhall 4 - 0 Tranmere Reserves
[ Smith, Watson (2), Pike ]

Tranmere Squad, please learn to not leave yourself that open when I'm using a Counter Attack instruction. Thanks.

[Jackk!]

Great idea this mate. I've always thought about a Vauxhall Motors game but never gave it a try - so good luck with it!

Looks like a very good pre-season so far and seems Watson and Smith have already found their shooting boots, very promising start.

[Nick]

Great pre-season, brilliant victory over Tranmere Rs too

[Aleksz]

Very simple yet effective, keep it up

[Chelios]

Jackk!, on 30 March 2011 - 06:59 PM, said:

Great idea this mate. I've always thought about a Vauxhall Motors game but never gave it a try - so good luck with it!

Looks like a very good pre-season so far and seems Watson and Smith have already found their shooting boots, very promising start.

Nick, on 30 March 2011 - 07:04 PM, said:

Great pre-season, brilliant victory over Tranmere Rs too

Aleksz, on 30 March 2011 - 07:34 PM, said:

Very simple yet effective, keep it up

Thanks guys.

Watson is out for 3-4 weeks due to a damaged cheekbone.

[Kris]

Will be following this, i managed Vauxhall myself and found it quite a challenge. Good luck my friend !

[Chelios]

Kris, on 30 March 2011 - 08:45 PM, said:

Will be following this, i managed Vauxhall myself and found it quite a challenge. Good luck my friend !

Thanks.

Do like me, give everyone the red card and start from scratch. Vauxhall is too awful to actually use the current team.

[Chelios]

August Results

Vauxhall 4 - 1 AFC Telford
[ Watson, Miles, Carroll, Smith ] [ Meechan ]

Vauxhall 1 - 1 Worcester
[ Butler ] [ Danks ]

Stalybridge 0 - 4 Vauxhall
[ Smith (2), Butler, Pike ]

Vauxhall 3 - 0 Guiseley
[ Butler, Broadhurst, Nanetti ]

Workington 1 - 5 Vauxhall
Half-Time Result: 1 - 0 lol
[ Tinnion ] [ Butler (4), Smith ]

Starting 11
McGuinness; Page, Pike, Broadhurst, Keys; McGrath, Barrett, Higgins, Heffernan; Butler, Smith.

And lol, Bradford want to buy Pike offering $0. They can go screw themselves with that.

Edited by Chelios, 30 March 2011 - 10:19 PM.

[Chelios]

Funny thing to note: At half-time I'm always 1-0, 0-0 or 0-1 lol. Guess the team talk at half time is working very well.

[Chelios]

September Results

Alfreton 1 - 4 Vauxhall
[ Clifford ] [ Heffernan, Butler, Smith, Dinsmore ]

Vauxhall 6 - 0 Harrogate
[ Smith (3), Butler (3) ]

Blyth 1 - 3 Vauxhall
[ Dale ] [ Watson, Butler (2) ]

FA Cup
Lancaster City 1 - 3 Vauxhall
[ McNamara ] [ Mooney (2), Foley ]

Yeah, remaking the team worked very well.

[Pendulum]

Ahh so you took my advice, nice one. Great story aswell.

Edited by Pendulum, 31 March 2011 - 11:52 AM.

[Chelios]

Small update in the second post.

@Pendulum: Yeah, I liked the idea, thanks.

[Nick]

Very good results

Can I have screenies of Butler and Pike please

[Chelios]

Nick, on 31 March 2011 - 03:33 PM, said:

Very good results

Can I have screenies of Butler and Pike please

Thanks.

[Nick]

Pike looks great for the future

[Chelios]

October Results

Blue Square Bet North
Vauxhall 1 - 1 Boston Utd
[ Foley ] [ Yates ]

Vauxhall 4 - 1 Hinckley
[ Foley, Watson (2), Smith ] [ Ricketts ]

Gainsborough 1 - 2 Vauxhall
[ Kendall ] [ Watson, Lolley ]

Vauxhall 4 - 1 Hyde
[ Smith (2), Watson, Foley ] [ Taylor ]

FA Cup
Ashton Utd 2 - 5 Vauxhall
[ Birkett, Flanagan ] [ Watson, Butler, Dinsmore, Smith, Pike ]

Gainsborough 1 - 3 Vauxhall
[ Mettam ] [ Pike, Smith (2) ]

[Chelios]

They're crazy or what?

[Chelios]

I guess everyone here knows how's to manage a team that have no money - you get the players to make them worth something then sell for as much as you can. Since we're barely in the green now (due to winning some rounds of the FA Cup and still alive in tre trophy), I'm gonna sell some of those players (almost EVERYONE have a 'Wnt' symbol on it) and I'm gonna sign some even better players that I just found (Yeah, I was smart enough to load Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, but forgot to search for players here >_<).

Currently managing in November 2010. Will post an update as soon as I'm done with those transfers.