Football Manager Stole My Life

by Iain Macintosh

  Who made you aware of your in-game prowess?

  My brother, initially. He was a big Sporting fan so it was a bonus I was already in their ranks. I scored a lot of goals for him too! Gradually more and more people mentioned it, and one memory sticks out.

  Go on…

  When I was 17 I travelled with the Sporting squad for the first time, for a friendly match against a Second Division team in the north of Portugal. One small boy from the village came up to the group of players and asked to see me. Remember I was an unknown, in the company of established names like Mario Jardel and Sa Pinto. He said I was the best player in Championship Manager but that he’d signed me for Benfica – the rivals! It gave the other players present a good laugh.

  Did that kind of thing happen a lot?

  It started happening a lot, especially at away games. I’ve had many more messages since the explosion of Facebook. People will get in touch to ask for a signed picture or shirt. In the last year that’s happened around 25 times.

  So the interest has followed you around for the best part of 10 years now?

  I didn’t know how much global appeal there was until I moved to play in Cyprus, where a lot of people wanted to talk to me about it. I understand the interest because I loved the game myself. The only downside was not being able to fulfil my computer game potential in real life.

  JOHN WELSH

  Position: D/DMRLC

  Real-life career: Liverpool, Hull City (loan), Hull City, Chester City (loan), Carlisle Utd (loan), Bury (loan), Tranmere Rovers, Preston North End

  In-game high: Championship Manager 99/00

  French midfield fire-fighter Claude Makelele was regarded as football’s ultimate defensive midfielder.

  But long before he strutted his stuff at Stamford Bridge, John Welsh was bossing the Champ Man scene.

  Equally dependable in a variety of positions, the former real-life Liverpool reserve captain and England Under-21 starlet was the sort of man’s man you could rely upon.

  In the summer of 2012 John moved from Tranmere Rovers to Preston North End.

  It’s said Chuck Norris once cowered from a 50-50 with you, John. How much do you know of your Champ Man alter ego?

  I’ve been a big, big fan of the game for as long as I can remember. I used to stay in to play it with my mates and I still buy it every year without fail. It’s a bonus that I was half-decent too. At the time reporters would often tell me about their saved games over the course of an interview. Even now I still have supporters, particularly at away games, mention it. They’ll tell me I got 50-odd caps for England and ask what I’m doing playing in League One.

  Who do you take charge of when you don that make-believe manager’s jacket?

  I’m a big Liverpool fan so it’s usually them. Back in the day I’d work myself into the team and put myself on penalty duty to boost my goal tally. I got more opportunities than I deserved on the game and I never considered selling myself. Not once. I’ve managed Barcelona and tried lower league challenges for a while but I get frustrated with a lack of transfer funds. Once I was managing Tranmere on the bus to an away game. The lads sitting round about me were after virtual pay rises and I got dogs’ abuse for ditching Tranmere to accept a Premier League job offer. We’ve got quite the Football Manager community going at the club and it’s perfect for those long-haul road trips. We’re always giving each other tips on who to sign.

  Any top tips?

  It sounds simple but it’s worth taking the time to look for the best young players. I remember getting a lot of joy from Billy Jones at Crewe and Phil Jones at Blackburn, though I tend to steer clear of the over-priced English market. And there’s no room for sentiment. I’ve given up on signing myself.

  JUSTIN GEORCELIN

  Position: ST

  Real-life career: Northampton Town

  In-game high: Championship Manager 01/02

  Sadly, not all of our ‘Tonton’ players achieved footballing fulfilment.

  Justin Georcelin was a gifted goal-scorer as he rose through the ranks at Northampton Town – blessed with raw talent that was reflected in the much-heralded 01/02 version of the game.

  However, life doesn’t always go to plan, and he was tackled far harder by his own demons than any centre-back ever could.

  Without even having played a first-team game for the Cobblers, his football career was left in tatters by a dependency on drugs.

  A club source revealed he’d set his sights on pursuing his athletic ambitions in America but that was a non-starter.

  Sucked into a downward spiral, he fell in with a bad crowd and became increasingly desperate in his bid to fund a £500-a-day crack habit.

  On March 9, 2006 Georcelin was jailed for nine years – with a minimum term of four and a half years – for robbing two Northampton-based taxi drivers at knifepoint. He was only 22 years old.

  The attacks were so gruesome that local taxi firms refused to accept fares from the east side of town.

  Georcelin has since been released from prison and has a second chance at achieving something meaningful from life.

  But it won’t be on a football field.

  KENNEDY BAKIRCIOGLU

  Position: AM/FRLC

  Real-life career: Assyriska, Hammarby, Iraklis, Twente, Ajax, Racing Santander; Sweden (14 caps)

  In-game high: Championship Manager 3

  Quite simply, Kennedy Bakircioglu is a stick-on for the Champ Man Hall of Fame. He racked up assists and goals with effortless ease, no matter where you deployed him.

  In the summer of 2012, Kennedy looked like he was on his way out of Racing Santander.

  How does it feel to have one of the most famous names in Championship Manager history?

  It’s fantastic! For the last 10 years now people have mentioned me in relation to the game – friends, team-mates and complete strangers.

  Give us an example…

  I remember, when I was still at Hammarby, travelling to play a game against SK Brann in Norway. After the match one of their players approached me on the pitch and told me what a good player I was for him in the game. That kind of thing happened from time to time. I also recall some people saying I’d refused to sign for their team so I must have been picky about my clubs! I started to play the game myself after hearing that.

  You went on to play for some pretty big clubs – and they don’t come much bigger than Ajax. But is it fair to say you made your name through the game?

  My problem was that I stayed in Swedish football for a long time. If I’d left earlier people may have known about me for more than just Championship Manager. But the way football works you don’t always get what you deserve and my chance didn’t come until later on.

  What about your trial at Manchester United?

  Yes, I trained with them for a couple of months when I was 17. It was a dream come true. I’d train with their first team and play with the second string. It was at a time when their squad was packed with big names like David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, the Neville brothers, Dwight Yorke and Teddy Sheringham. They had Jaap Stam, too, who I later played with again at Ajax.

  Did it inspire you to step into Sir Alex Ferguson’s shoes in the game?

  It did actually. They were always a team I admired anyway and, in particular, I admired David Beckham as a player. So after the trial I managed them and signed myself. It was a case of what might have been. I played in the middle, pushing Beckham out right. I let him take the odd free-kick – he is the master after all. His crosses made me look even better in the game.

  Any other team take your fancy?

  Other than United, the ones that stick out are Inter Milan and Barcelona. I remember signing myself for Barcelona and thinking it was great to see me in their squad – even though it was only a computer game. I played myself in the number 10 position, shunting Ronaldinho out wide to make way. It worked a treat.

  LIONEL MORGAN

  Position: AML

  Real-life career: Wimbledon />
  In-game high: Championship Manager 03/04

  Had his career not been cruelly cut short by injury, there’s every chance Lionel Morgan’s real-life career would have mirrored his explosive impact on the Champ Man 03/04 scene.

  A pacey left wing prospect, Morgan was an essential signing – even for the cool £1million demanded by a stubborn Wimbledon.

  Sadly he was forced into retirement at 21 years of age after sustaining a ‘bruised and lacerated ankle’ courtesy of a Tim Sherwood tackle in January 2003 from which he never fully recovered – almost a year to the day after Tottenham had had a £750,000 bid for him knocked back.

  Spurs had an offer accepted in June 2003, but Morgan failed the medical and was eventually forced to concede that he wouldn’t make it back to the same level he was at prior to the knock.

  Having experienced the highs and lows of professional football, even at such a tender age, he’s now putting that to good use.

  In 2011 he established a player management company, Infinite Sports Management, with his friend and former team-mate, Jobi McAnuff.

  Before there was Lionel Messi, there was Lionel Morgan…

  I do get people asking if I’m THE Lionel Morgan from Championship Manager quite a lot. I was addicted to the game myself so that doesn’t come as a shock. The one thing that’s a bit weird is when Wimbledon fans I talk to on Facebook compare my real life football career to my in-game one. I remember one fan sending me a picture they wanted signed. Stuck to the back was a print-out of my Championship Manager stats, which was quite funny.

  Did you ever mentor your virtual mini-me?

  Funnily enough I never used Wimbledon as me team and I never even bought myself, until friends began advising me to do so because I turned out to be one of the best players in that version of the game. I’m an Arsenal fan so I’d usually go them. My ultimate signing was probably Anatoli Todorov, the young Bulgarian striker. After half a season in the reserves he’d blossom into a guaranteed 25-goals-a-season man. I can vouch for the people who say they can lose all track of time when they’re immersed in it. Two hours would disappear and you hadn’t even started the season.

  It wasn’t a waste of time, though, was it?

  Not at all! I actually got a job with Opta on the back of the game. The guy who interviewed me was a massive man of the game and it definitely helped secure me the gig. It was based around tats and recording them live. I remember, in that interview, that the guy was talking about football and I mentioned playing the game. That’s when he clicked and remembered my name from Championship Manager. The whole tone of the chat changed from there on in. I was there for a season and most people in the company were Champ fans. It was that sort of age group. I managed to a friend a job there – after he put Championship Manager on his CV!

  What does the future hold for you?

  Since leaving Opta, I worked as a coach and for the Press Association. I’ve set up my own football agency with Jobi McAnuff and we also have our own academy, nursing young talent and then putting on showcase matches for them against professional teams. The aim is to get them a contract. I still get little reminders of the past. I played in a football tournament at the Emirates recently. One of my team-mates said he’d like to see how accurate these Championship Manager 03/04 stats were. Fortunately he said it was reliable enough – apart from my fitness, which he’d have scored five out of 20!

  THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY

  Believe it or not, tracking these legends of our time wasn’t a seamlessly smooth process.

  We were met with a wall of silence from the first player we asked to take part – former Manchester United striker Alex Notman, who was last spotted playing for Scottish Highland League outfit Formartine United.

  The vast majority of those we approached were only too happy to tell their own, unique Champ Man/FM stories but a frustrating few proved elusive.

  Despite the best efforts of the Belarusian FA, the shy and retiring Maxim Tsigalko couldn’t be coaxed into a chat.

  We hit dead ends with media shy Ivorian hitman Ibrahima Bakayoko and Icelandic goal machine Andri Sigporsson.

  If anyone’s interested, the latter now helps run his father’s bakery in Iceland but isn’t ‘the type’ to discuss these trivial matters according to a source close to him.

  Two Premier League clubs refused to have anything to do with the book, citing sponsorship deals with a rival video game company who blew the chance to take on Championship Manager back in the day.

  And ‘the people’ surrounding one inconsistent Russian playmaker recently loaned from Arsenal to Zenit St Petersburg, who will remain unnamed, uttered the immortal line ‘Andrey doesn’t do anything for free’.

  Rest assured, if an in-game legend isn’t featured in this chapter it wasn’t for the want of trying.

  MARK KERR

  Position: CM

  Real-life career: Falkirk, Dundee Utd, Aberdeen, Asteras Tripolis, Dunfermline

  In-game high: Championship Manager 01/02

  Truly the stuff of legend, Mark Kerr was the best £40,000 you’ll ever spend.

  Whatever your budget, whatever your level, the Scotsman was the perfect blend of craft and graft in the midfield engine room.

  Kerr carved out a more than respectable career in Scotland’s top-flight, in addition to a short stint in Greece.

  Renowned for his composure and range of passing, he’s most recently been pulling the strings for Dunfermline.

  When did you first realise you were a Champ Man legend?

  I was just coming through the ranks at Falkirk when it all kicked off, so I could only have been about 17 or 18. My friends were all mad on it and let me know pretty quickly that I was half-decent.

  ‘Half-decent’ doesn’t really do it justice. Did your in-game fame transfer to the real world?

  It was pretty crazy for a year. I did an interview about it for Match magazine back in the day. And when I won Young Player of the Month I’d have people from computer magazines or the game itself up asking questions. Supporters mention it to me all the time, wherever I go, but there’s been nothing too weird thankfully.

  Any fanatics stick out?

  I saw an interview with the comedian, Kevin Bridges. He talks about winning the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund against AC Milan – and I scored the goal. I posted that on my Facebook Wall. That did make me laugh. I mean, it’s Kevin Bridges! The man’s a legend.

  When Portuguese striker Pedro Moutinho signed for Falkirk his only previous knowledge of the club was from signing you in CM. Any similar stories to share?

  It’s funny hearing that, because in 2010 I moved to Greece to play for Asteras Tripolis. I walked into a new dressing room, not knowing anyone, but it turned out a good few of them knew who I was – just from Champ Man. It’s weird to think I’ve got that kind of profile from a computer game.

  OK, Mark, time for the biggie. Did you play the game yourself?

  I’m sorry to say that I never really got into it. I did play for a while at Aberdeen, when a few of the lads were obsessed with it, but never really got the bug. Maybe I’ll have more time for it when I hang up my boots.

  MICHAEL ‘MIKE’ DUFF

  Position: D/DMR

  Real-life career: Cheltenham Town, Cirencester Town (loan), Burnley; Northern Ireland (24 caps)

  In-game high: Championship Manager 97/98

  Michael Duff is right-back royalty.

  The Guardian’s Rob Smyth, in a feature entitled ‘The Joy of Six: great Championship/Football Manager players’, described Duff perfectly as “The model pro. Mr Reliable. Gary Neville without the shop stewardry and bumfluff moustache. Cafu without a free bus pass.”

  We gamers know you better as ‘Mike’…

  Every match programme and stadium announcer calls me Mike, whereas I’ve always called myself Michael. My Mum asks why that is. I blame the game!

  Ah, yes, ‘the game’. Were you aware you were Cheltenham’s cyber Cafu?

  It all k
icked off around 1998, and then I remember doing an interview with Championship Manager’s magazine for their 10-year anniversary. I cost around £50,000 and always ended up at one of the big teams. I reckon I could walk down any street un-noticed, but so many people will know me through Champ Man.

  Do you play?

  Five or six of us at Burnley are hooked. We fire up the iPads and trade tips, especially those of us managing in the lower leagues. I knew I was in deep when I was watching Sky Sports News and knew all about a young Middlesbrough striker, Jonathan Franks, who had just gone on loan to Yeovil – purely because I’d signed him in the game.

  Talk us through your memorable managerial quests.

  I won the Champions League recently with Atletico Madrid, but it got to 2024 and I’d been unbeaten for 65 games so I started again with Nuneaton Borough. There I discovered an Icelandic regen at Forest Green Rovers, who cost £100,000 and is now worth £28 million. In terms of ‘real’ players I’d recommend Jack Robinson at Liverpool.

  What about the ever-reliable ‘Mike’ Duff?

  Sadly I’m not very good on the latest version. I flogged myself to Ipswich but it’s fine – the virtual ‘me’ earns more money there than I do in real life.

  What’s this about you stalking poor Ishmael Miller?

  We played Nottingham Forest in January 2012 and at the time I was managing them in the game. I’d been telling my room-mate, Dean Marney that I’d take the chance to personally thank Ishmael Miller for his five years of non-stop goals that propelled me to the Premier League title. The game stopped when someone got a head knock and I took my chance. Dean was in stitches as I told Ishmael that he’d done unbelievably well for me. He didn’t have a clue what I was talking about at first but then said ‘It’s a shame it’s only a game – I’m s*** in real life’.