ABOUT FICTIONAL FOOTBALL

Fictional Football is a complex but realistic alternative to following a real football season. Fictional Football teams represent the major towns and cities of the U.K. with larger cities having more than one club. Choose your fictional football club and follow their progress through the season.

Each season lasts around 3 to 4 months with matches taking place 2 or 3 times each week. The league system operates on promotion and relegation, similar to real football, including play-offs for the final promotion place. Four divisions of 16 teams for English and Welsh clubs. Only one side is relegated from the bottom division, League 3 and goes into the Conference to be replaced by one promoted club. Conference teams only appear in the early rounds of the major cup competition. The Gaelic League is currently one division of 16 teams for Scottish and Irish clubs but is soon to become two divisions of 12 clubs.

Team line-ups remain unchanged throughout the season with no injuries or suspensions. Player’s names in the team line-ups are displayed along with their ages and also nationality, if different to that of their club. The manager and his assistant/coach are named and the region of origin is noted for the English managers/coaches. All teams play a 4-4-2 formation and player numbers represent their playing positions. Although all players are rated, these ratings are not shown but are apparent from several factors. The Internationals list is a good indication, as is the number of goals scored in relation to their playing position. The age of a player can be significant as a player will peak throughout their 20’s and decline sharply after turning 30. All players age by one year after each season. All ratings added together give the team an overall rating which, along with form and home advantage is used towards the match results. Different numbered dice are used to determine the match result. The difference between the clubs determines which dice is used. So results are formed by a combination of team rating, form, home advantage and the luck of the dice. The names of goalscorers works on a similar basis with a combination of players position, rating and a bit of luck. Big matches, i.e. crucial league games, Cup Finals and Internationals are played out on a computer program. For these matches more details such as man of the match awards and the minutes in which goals are scored, are available.

Transfers and managerial changes only take place between seasons. The best supported clubs are more able to hang on to their better players and the best managers can make the better signings.