Tumbran Domestic Football Newswire

by **Tumbra** » Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:26 am

84TH RUNNING OF THE TUMBRAN SUPERCUP
T-LEAGUE, SEASON 3
132ND RUNNING OF THE REPUBLIC CUP

SUPER CUP
Lakewood United 3–1 Couno Rangers
T Grandelius 17', N Pellegrini 34', E Kruetzberg 55'//E Howard-Dawes 22'

The traditional season opener sees Lakewood United stake their claim on a third Super Cup in five years; Maram Tatsinan is given her debut off the bench to cautious applause long after the game is wrapped up. "We're trying to slowly ease her into the side, not overwhelm her, or push her too hard from the get-go," says United manager Andrea Spinelli. Couno's new-look front-three looks dangerous enough, but miss the critical finishing instinct on several occasions; Erin Robertson is singled out for praise by manager Marco Giuliani after the game, despite having three of her shots on goal saved by Richard Russell.

MATCHDAY 1
Delphi Lionesses 1–2 Kingsbury United
Newark Argyle 1–4 Lakewood City
Fontwell Rovers 1–3 Ridgewell Rovers
Serrapince 3–0 Straton
FC Inter Nantwich 3–0 Columbia City
Couno Rangers 4–2 Fraser Valley
Lakewood United 3–3 Colbrook City
Hesham 2–2 West Couno United

MATCHDAY 2
Kingsbury United 1–1 West Couno United
Colbrook City 2–2 Hesham
Fraser Valley 0–3 Lakewood United
Columbia City 4–1 Couno Rangers
Straton 2–2 FC Inter Nantwich
Ridgewell Rovers 2–2 Serrapince
Lakewood City 2–2 Fontwell Rovers
Delphi Lionesses 0–3 Newark Argyle

MATCHDAY 3
Newark Argyle 4–3 Kingsbury United
Fontwell Rovers 1–2 Delphi Lionesses
Serrapince 3–2 Lakewood City
FC Inter Nantwich 2–3 Ridgewell Rovers
Couno Rangers 4–1 Straton
Lakewood United 2–0 Columbia City
Hesham 3–0 Fraser Valley
West Couno United 4–2 Colbrook City

MATCHDAY 4
Kingsbury United 2–0 Colbrook City
Fraser Valley 1–3 West Couno United
Columbia City 1–3 Hesham
Straton 0–3 Lakewood United
Ridgewell Rovers 2–3 Couno Rangers
Lakewood City 2–2 FC Inter Nantwich
Delphi Lionesses 0–3 Serrapince
Newark Argyle 2–0 Fontwell Rovers

MATCHDAY 5
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 Kingsbury United
Serrapince 1–3 Newark Argyle
FC Inter Nantwich 2–0 Delphi Lionesses
Couno Rangers 1–0 Lakewood City
Lakewood United 3–0 Ridgewell Rovers
Hesham 4–1 Straton
West Couno United 2–1 Columbia City
Colbrook City 1–0 Fraser Valley

T-League, Form Table
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form5 
 1 Lakewood United         5    4   1   0    14    3  +11    13   DWWWW
 2 Newark Argyle           5    4   0   1    13    8   +5    12   LWWWW
 3 Couno Rangers           5    4   0   1    13    9   +4    12   WLWWW
 4 Hesham                  5    3   2   0    14    6   +8    11   DDWWW
 5 West Couno United       5    3   2   0    12    7   +5    11   DDWWW
 6 Serrapince              5    3   1   1    12    7   +5    10   WDWWL
 7 Kingsbury United        5    3   1   1     9    6   +3    10   WDLWW
 8 FC Inter Nantwich       5    2   2   1    11    7   +4     8   WDLDW
 9 Ridgewell Rovers        5    2   1   2    10   11   −1     7   WDWLL
10 Lakewood City           5    1   2   2    10    9   +1     5   WDLDL
11 Colbrook City           5    1   2   2     8   11   −3     5   DDLLW
12 Columbia City           5    1   0   4     6   11   −5     3   LWLLL
13 Delphi Lionesses        5    1   0   4     3   11   −8     3   LLWLL
14 Fontwell Rovers         5    0   1   4     4   10   −6     1   LDLLL
15 Straton                 5    0   1   4     4   16  −12     1   LDLLL
16 Fraser Valley           5    0   0   5     3   14  −11     0   LLLLL

It hasn't been the smoothest of starts to a season for Lakewood City. Five games in, and they've won...one. A comprehensive opening day win against Newark Argyle is marred by an injury to left-back Twilight Mixon; she's carted off, and Kee Tian, the ever-excitable Naixi player, is given her spot for the next few games. But it seems that even after three years at the club, Tian still hasn't really fit into the squad as well as most have hoped; and there are rumours that the club will attempt to go for an experienced name like Sabine Kemp in the summer. He's not to blame for City's woeful form, to be sure, and City have started off the season with five absolutely difficult games — but he seems to have been singled out as a scapegoat for the team's poor form. To his credit, City manager Riedweld shields him from criticism, and takes responsibility for City's poor start to the season; but with Robin Vaughn starting in three games and scoring a grand total of no goals, this does feel very much like a season where City will be in transition.

Even worse is Straton — scoring four and conceding an eye-watering sixteen goals in five games, winning none. Life hasn't exactly been kind to new signing Anni Pellonpekko, who has made two costly errors so far; but the team have been languid and lifeless in their style of play. Michael Aitken puts his own job on the line, pledging improvement within five games or he goes; but most fans don't blame the rookie manager, instead choosing to boo players whom they think haven't been putting in enough effort on the pitch. Starting striker Tino is the main target of the fans' ire; he has looked quite uninterested at certain points in the game, but brushed off the criticism following a 4-1 shellacking at the hands of Hesham by simply stating that the fans were "overly emotional."

Newark have been the big winners; while their opening day loss to City was disappointing, they pulled out a narrow win over Kingsbury in injury time on week three and a nailbiting win against Serrapince in week five — two controversial penalty calls for the Bees not given — leading some to believe that Argyle could be dark horses this year. It is, however, still early days — and Hesham are in fourth, so the status of the league is still extremely in flux and probably won't settle down for the next five weeks. Further down the table, Columbia's return to top flight football has been "rough, but we'll take whatever we can," according to Columbia manager Gerald Scicluna; while Fraser Valley have made themselves early candidates for relegation by losing five in a row.

MATCHDAY 6
Kingsbury United 3–1 Fraser Valley
Columbia City 3–0 Colbrook City
Straton 2–2 West Couno United
Ridgewell Rovers 2–1 Hesham
Lakewood City 2–3 Lakewood United
Delphi Lionesses 4–3 Couno Rangers
Newark Argyle 2–0 FC Inter Nantwich
Fontwell Rovers 0–3 Serrapince

MATCHDAY 7
Serrapince 2–2 Kingsbury United
FC Inter Nantwich 2–0 Fontwell Rovers
Couno Rangers 3–0 Newark Argyle
Lakewood United 4–0 Delphi Lionesses
Hesham 2–0 Lakewood City
West Couno United 2–1 Ridgewell Rovers
Colbrook City 1–3 Straton
Fraser Valley 4–1 Columbia City

MATCHDAY 8
Kingsbury United 0–1 Columbia City
Straton 1–1 Fraser Valley
Ridgewell Rovers 2–1 Colbrook City
Lakewood City 2–1 West Couno United
Delphi Lionesses 1–2 Hesham
Newark Argyle 4–2 Lakewood United
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Couno Rangers
Serrapince 1–0 FC Inter Nantwich

MATCHDAY 9
FC Inter Nantwich 2–0 Kingsbury United
Couno Rangers 1–0 Serrapince
Lakewood United 2–0 Fontwell Rovers
Hesham 3–0 Newark Argyle
West Couno United 2–0 Delphi Lionesses
Colbrook City 1–2 Lakewood City
Fraser Valley 3–3 Ridgewell Rovers
Columbia City 1–0 Straton

MATCHDAY 10
Kingsbury United 3–1 Straton
Ridgewell Rovers 4–1 Columbia City
Lakewood City 2–0 Fraser Valley
Delphi Lionesses 2–3 Colbrook City
Newark Argyle 0–2 West Couno United
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Hesham
Serrapince 0–2 Lakewood United
FC Inter Nantwich 2–0 Couno Rangers

T-League, Form Table
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form5  
 1 Lakewood United         5    4   0   1    13    6   +7    12   WWLWW
 2 West Couno United       5    3   1   1     9    5   +4    10   DWLWW
 3 Ridgewell Rovers        5    3   1   1    12    8   +4    10   WLWDW
 4 Hesham                  5    3   0   2     8    4   +4     9   LWWWL
 5 FC Inter Nantwich       5    3   0   2     8    5   +3     9   LWLWW
 6 Lakewood City           5    3   0   2     8    7   +1     9   LLWWW
 7 Columbia City           5    3   0   2     7    8   −1     9   WLWWL
 8 Kingsbury United        5    2   1   2     8    7   +1     7   WDLLW
   Serrapince              5    2   1   2     8    7   +1     7   WDWLL
10 Couno Rangers           5    2   0   3     7    7    0     6   LWLWL
11 Newark Argyle           5    2   0   3     6   10   −4     6   WLWLL
12 Fontwell Rovers         5    2   0   3     2    7   −5     6   LLWLW
13 Fraser Valley           5    1   2   2     9   10   −1     5   LWDDL
   Straton                 5    1   2   2     7    8   −1     5   DWDLL
15 Colbrook City           5    1   0   4     6   12   −6     3   LLDLW
16 Delphi Lionesses        5    1   0   4     7   14   −7     3   WLLLL

The question now, as it now has been for the past four seasons, is: Can Anyone Stop United? They sit four points atop the table, with all their competitors suffering inconsistent form; Newark win only two from their set of five and tumble to fifth, though crucially beat United at home. Couno, for all their talk of a title challenge, just can't get into consistent form; their first ten games have seen frankly embarrassing losses to Columbia, Delphi, and Fontwell; the sides that Couno are supposed to rack up points against if they're going to actually challenge for the title. It's Hesham, surprisingly, who keep up their form from the first five; sitting pretty in third, on twenty points, having won six of their opening ten games. But United, oh United, look imperious; minor slip-up against Argyle aside, are sitting pretty atop with no sign of losing their form anytime soon.

The tenth match of the season also sees the first resignation of the season; Michael Aitken follows up on his promise to resign after five games if there is no improvement, and...there isn't. Even in resignation there's controversy surrounding the capital city's club; Aitken's resignation was first rejected, but then begrudgingly accepted; the rumour was that Straton couldn't find anyone to take up the job on short notice. Former Under-21 manager Edmund Finnegan and former Macarthur City manager Vince McCarthy are the two frontrunners for the job; but neither seem particularly interested when asked about whether they would take on the mantle at the troubled club.

As expected, trouble seems to be brewing at Couno after their admittedly short-sighted decision to sign two right-backs with the expectation of playing time; while the Rangers' form has been choppy, Rôbé Wîjkár seems to have nailed down the starting right-back spot, and the other right-back on the squad, Kaisa Säfqvist, is allegedly already looking for a way out of the country. Sources close to the wingback report that she feels "betrayed" by the club's decision to sign Wîjkár so close to the transfer deadline; but the news seems to pale in comparison when rumours emerge that billionaire tech magnate Thomas Kim is looking to buy the club from the current co-owners, twins Joachim and Joyce Austridge.

MATCHDAY 11
Couno Rangers 1–1 Kingsbury United
Lakewood United 2–0 FC Inter Nantwich
Hesham 2–4 Serrapince
West Couno United 0–2 Fontwell Rovers
Colbrook City 1–4 Newark Argyle
Fraser Valley 0–1 Delphi Lionesses
Columbia City 3–0 Lakewood City
Straton 1–1 Ridgewell Rovers

MATCHDAY 12
Kingsbury United 1–3 Ridgewell Rovers
Lakewood City 2–0 Straton
Delphi Lionesses 0–2 Columbia City
Newark Argyle 3–0 Fraser Valley
Fontwell Rovers 1–1 Colbrook City
Serrapince 0–3 West Couno United
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 Hesham
Couno Rangers 3–0 Lakewood United

MATCHDAY 13
Lakewood United 3–3 Kingsbury United
Hesham 0–1 Couno Rangers
West Couno United 3–0 FC Inter Nantwich
Colbrook City 1–3 Serrapince
Fraser Valley 1–0 Fontwell Rovers
Columbia City 1–1 Newark Argyle
Straton 3–1 Delphi Lionesses
Ridgewell Rovers 0–2 Lakewood City

MATCHDAY 14
Kingsbury United 0–1 Lakewood City
Delphi Lionesses 1–4 Ridgewell Rovers
Newark Argyle 0–1 Straton
Fontwell Rovers 2–2 Columbia City
Serrapince 3–2 Fraser Valley
FC Inter Nantwich 2–0 Colbrook City
Couno Rangers 1–1 West Couno United
Lakewood United 3–1 Hesham

MATCHDAY 15
Hesham 1–0 Kingsbury United
West Couno United 2–1 Lakewood United
Colbrook City 0–4 Couno Rangers
Fraser Valley 1–2 FC Inter Nantwich
Columbia City 0–2 Serrapince
Straton 2–0 Fontwell Rovers
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Newark Argyle
Lakewood City 3–0 Delphi Lionesses

T-League, Form Table
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form5
 1 Lakewood City           5    4   0   1     8    3   +5    12   LWWWW
 2 Serrapince              5    4   0   1    12    8   +4    12   WLWWW
 3 Couno Rangers           5    3   2   0    10    2   +8    11   DWWDW
 4 West Couno United       5    3   1   1     9    4   +5    10   LWWDW
 5 Ridgewell Rovers        5    3   1   1     9    5   +4    10   DWLWW
 6 Straton                 5    3   1   1     7    4   +3    10   DLWWW
 7 FC Inter Nantwich       5    3   0   2     5    6   −1     9   LWLWW
 8 Columbia City           5    2   2   1     8    5   +3     8   WWDDL
 9 Newark Argyle           5    2   1   2     8    4   +4     7   WWDLL
10 Lakewood United         5    2   1   2     9    9    0     7   WLDWL
11 Fontwell Rovers         5    1   2   2     5    6   −1     5   WDLDL
12 Fraser Valley           5    1   0   4     4    9   −5     3   LLWLL
   Hesham                  5    1   0   4     4    9   −5     3   LLLLW
14 Delphi Lionesses        5    1   0   4     3   12   −9     3   WLLLL
15 Kingsbury United        5    0   2   3     5    9   −4     2   DLDLL
16 Colbrook City           5    0   1   4     3   14  −11     1   LDLLL

It's another Lakewood side atop the form table after the five games leading to midseason, but surprisingly it's not United, who have struck a rough patch of form; losing to both Couno sides within the span of a month. City step up, but are still only sixth in the overall table; their shaky start to the season costing them valuable time with which they can catch up to their long-time rivals. Robin Vaughn's spot on the right wing has essentially been completely taken over by his replacement, Emmanuel Appleby; but this has put more of the creative load on the other two starting attackers, Charlotte Henshaw and Nenad Tejic. "This season is shaping up to be one of transition," says City manager John Riedweld after beating Kingsbury United on week 14. "We're constantly re-assessing how the team lines up, how we want to play, how we adapt to the latest tactical innovations." The double pivot of Lucas McCormick and Serena Philips at the base of midfield has been doing well; with Philips starting over half of City's games so far.

It's all change at the bottom of the table; with just eight points from their opening fifteen games, Graham Lloyd is shown the boot at Fraser as the team desperately try to find someone who can save their floundering season. It's curtains too for David Griffiths at Colbrook; while a fan-favourite, both sides mutually agreed that two wins from fifteen simply wasn't going to cut it. Griffiths leaves on good terms with the club, despite the somewhat-disappointing results that did lead up to the departure; after all, he did bring the Republic Cup home to them.

Over in the capital, Straton under interim manager Anna Napier have shown a marked improvement in their fortunes, winning three of their first five games under her; but the naturalised Schottic is keen to emphasise that she isn't looking to take on the role permanently. The recently-released Griffiths is now the odds-on favourite to take over, though that may involve a pay-out to Colbrook to release him from his gardening leave obligations early. Despite being winless in five, Kingsbury manager William Wight's future is safe (for the time being); the club, however, have disappointed after losing both Edward Maddison and Rôbé Wîjkár to other clubs.

T-League, Season 3

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form15   
 1 Lakewood United        15   10   2   3    36   18  +18    32   DWWWW WWLWW WLDWL
 2 West Couno United      15    9   4   2    30   16  +14    31   DDWWW DWLWW LWWDW
 3 Couno Rangers          15    9   2   4    30   18  +12    29   WLWWW LWLWL DWWDW
 4 Serrapince             15    9   2   4    32   22  +10    29   WDWWL WDWLL WLWWW
 5 Ridgewell Rovers       15    8   3   4    31   24   +7    27   WDWLL WLWDW DWLWW
 6 Lakewood City          15    8   2   5    26   19   +7    26   WDLDL LLWWW LWWWW
 7 FC Inter Nantwich      15    8   2   5    24   18   +6    26   WDLDW LWLWW LWLWW
 8 Newark Argyle          15    8   1   6    27   22   +5    25   LWWWW WLWLL WWDLL
 9 Hesham                 15    7   2   6    26   19   +7    23   DDWWW LWWWL LLLLW 
10 Columbia City          15    6   2   7    21   24   −3    20   LWLLL WLWWL WWDDL
11 Kingsbury United       15    5   4   6    22   22    0    19   WDLWW WDLLW DLDLL
12 Straton                15    4   4   7    18   28  −10    16   LDLLL DWDLL DLWWW
13 Fontwell Rovers        15    3   3   9    11   23  −12    12   LDLLL LLWLW WDLDL
14 Colbrook City          15    2   3  10    17   37  −20     9   DDLLW LLDLW LDLLL
15 Delphi Lionesses       15    3   0  12    13   37  −24     9   LLWLL WLLLL WLLLL
16 Fraser Valley          15    2   2  11    16   33  −17     8   LLLLL LWDDL LLWLL

It's mid-season already; and things are perhaps closer than Lakewood United would like. Despite this, they have been impressive; Tobias Grandelius is probably their player of the season so far for his exploits at left-wing, having taken the starting role from Kendra Considine; Charlotte Eastwood has settled in nicely, serving as a second striker to Jôs Sürréo, who once again leads the scoring charts at this point of the season.

United are, however, leading only by a singular point from West Couno, who've mustered an impressively consistent first half of the season (when the other traditional title candidates have floundered at some point or another); a big part of this consistency has really come down to the depth that they've built up over the years. Most are familiar with the starting names; but Mike Sheppard, even at 35, still plays his role tirelessly and runs like he's ten years younger than that in his defensive role. Zhao Fan has been the breakout star of West Couno so far, with the young Yue centreback striking out on her own.

Ridgewell are the half's big overachievers; their strategy of going for experienced talent in the form of Dimitra Conder and Kirsten Desmond seemingly having paid off. With Nantwich effectively nowhere, the odds have shifted in the Rovers' favour of clinching an IFCF spot at the end of the season. Newark have also impressed, despite their slight fall-off; their lack of depth in experience is "somewhat of a handicap, but allows for greater flexibility," says manager Toby Barton; Heather Hindmarsh has been a particular highlight of Newark's first half, with the team playing noticeably better with her in the starting lineup.

As the country stares down the new year, the question remains — can anyone spoil Lakewood United's title trot? With United's form faltering, the answer might just be yes. Is another surprise title run from West Couno on the cards? Or will practically everyone else come to life in the second half of the season and stop United from winning their third in four seasons?

Republic Cup, First Round
( NC)               Caldwell City   0-1   Heffron City                (D4 )
( D1)            Kingsbury United   1-0   Cheltenham                  (SL )
( D3)                      Coburg   1-2   Tavistock Park              (D3 )
( D2)                     Dorival   2-1   Wintborough United          (D4 )
( SL)           Ilstead Wanderers   0-4   Maxwell Arsenal             (NC )
( D1)            Delphi Lionesses   2-1   Guillemard Town             (D2 )
( SL)                 Stammerford   1-0   Wolskel                     (SL )
( D3)       New Timbourne Knights   0-2   Hendon Cardinals            (NC )
( D3)          Tavistock Athletic   2-1   Mayfield AFC                (SL )
( D2)           Shepperton Ravens   0-3   Haversham City              (NC )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   1-0   Locomotive Harper           (SL )
( D1)             Fontwell Rovers   3-0   Falmouth Athletic           (SL )
( D3)                 Port Marray p 1-1   Clyde Park                  (D2 )
( D3)                    Franport   0-1   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( SL)                Chesterfield   1-0   Pinhal Athletic             (D4 )
( D3)           Harwick Wanderers   2-1   Johnstone Athletic          (SL )
( SL)              Melwood United   4-0   Wilmington Town             (SL )
( SL)               Grange United   0-1   Lakewood United             (D1 )
( D4)           Harchester United   3-0   FC Montrose                 (D4 )
( NC)           Kirkby Railwaymen e 1-0   Millsburgh Revolutionaries  (D2 )
( D3)           Ricci Ironworkers   1-3   Carter United               (D2 )
( D1)               Lakewood City   4-0   Richmond AFC                (SL )
( D4)                 Killiney SC   2-2 p Denhelm Trinity             (D4 )
( D4)                    Hindhede   2-0   Brensley                    (SL )
( NC)            Hesham Wanderers   1-0   Washington City             (D2 )
( NC)         Collett Park United   1-1 p Pomeroy Mountaineers        (D3 )
( D2)           Readale Wanderers   2-1   Brades United               (D4 )
( SL)                 Kellsthorpe   2-0   AFC Gillman                 (D3 )
( SL)      Ruislip and Ipswich FC p 0-0   Kelder Phoenixes            (D3 )
( D4)                Gelder Creek   0-1   Ridgewell United            (D3 )
( D3)                Glenmont AFC e 3-1   Sherwood Town               (SL )
( D2)            Sturrey Athletic   2-0   Harren Armada               (NC )
( NC)                  Staplewood   1-0   Thomson City                (NC )
( SL)                  Dunman Bay   1-5   Fraser Valley               (D1 )
( NC)                Readale City   1-2 e Dover                       (NC )
( D4)             Fort Heatherton   1-2   Hoxford United              (D2 )
( NC)                    Dunsford   1-0   Dynamo Denhelm              (NC )
( NC)                 Dieren City   2-1   Tevandale Athletic          (D3 )
( D1)               Colbrook City   1-1 p Straton                     (D1 )
( SL)               Monroe Quakes   0-3   Columbia City               (D1 )
( D1)            Ridgewell Rovers   2-1   Clifton                     (SL )
( SL)                    Blenheim   2-1   Colney Thorns               (SL )
( D4)             Carrington Town   1-0   Prinsip Street              (SL )
( D4)           Southport Thunder   2-0   Bencoolen City              (D2 )
( D4)               Ashton Rovers   2-0   Enfield                     (SL )
( SL)             Nottingham City   0-1   AFC Cayalon                 (D2 )
( SL)                      Oakton   2-3   West Couno United           (D1 )
( SL)                     Othaven   4-0   Farleigh                    (SL )
( NC)              Rosenberg City   0-2   Clark City                  (D2 )
( D4)               Havelock City   1-3   Hesham                      (D1 )
( D3)        Teignford Academical   2-0   Langley United              (SL )
( D1)                  Serrapince   6-0   Algoma Wanderers            (SL )
( D4)            Trelmont Rangers   0-1   Knapford United             (SL )
( NC)                   Orpington   3-1   Straton Typhoons            (SL )
( D2)              Macarthur City   3-1   Heath Bay Mariners          (NC )
( SL)               Knapford City   0-4   Moresby United              (SL )
( SL)            Cortlandt United   0-1   Rookworth AFC               (NC )
( NC)                Caldecott 93   0-1   Burlington AFC              (NC )
( SL)                  Blakehurst   2-1   Arlington Athletic          (SL )
( NC)       North Thornton United   0-3   Millsburgh Steelers         (D2 )
( D1)               Newark Argyle   3-2   Rosyth                      (SL )
( NC)              Greenford City   1-2   Newton Wanderers            (D2 )
( NC)               Mackay Rovers   1-4   Lambeth                     (SL )
( D3)                 Cobham Town   4-0   Gisbourne                   (SL )

Republic Cup, Second Round
( D4)                Heffron City   0-2   Kingsbury United            (D1 )
( D3)              Tavistock Park   2-3 e Dorival                     (D2 )
( NC)             Maxwell Arsenal   1-2 e Delphi Lionesses            (D1 )
( SL)                 Stammerford   1-4   Hendon Cardinals            (NC )
( D3)          Tavistock Athletic   1-2   Haversham City              (NC )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   3-1   Fontwell Rovers             (D1 )
( D3)                 Port Marray   1-2   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( SL)                Chesterfield   1-4   Harwick Wanderers           (D3 )
( SL)              Melwood United   0-2   Lakewood United             (D1 )
( D4)           Harchester United   5-2   Kirkby Railwaymen           (NC )
( D2)               Carter United   0-3   Lakewood City               (D1 )
( D4)             Denhelm Trinity   1-0   Hindhede                    (D4 )
( NC)            Hesham Wanderers   1-2 e Pomeroy Mountaineers        (D3 )
( D2)           Readale Wanderers   2-0   Kellsthorpe                 (SL )
( SL)      Ruislip and Ipswich FC   2-0   Ridgewell United            (D3 )
( D3)                Glenmont AFC   1-2 e Sturrey Athletic            (D2 )
( NC)                  Staplewood   0-1 e Fraser Valley               (D1 )
( NC)                       Dover e 1-0   Hoxford United              (D2 )
( NC)                    Dunsford   0-2   Dieren City                 (NC )
( D1)                     Straton   1-2   Columbia City               (D1 )
( D1)            Ridgewell Rovers   3-2   Blenheim                    (SL )
( D4)             Carrington Town   1-1 p Southport Thunder           (D4 )
( D4)               Ashton Rovers   1-0   AFC Cayalon                 (D2 )
( D1)           West Couno United   5-1   Othaven                     (SL )
( D2)                  Clark City   0-2   Hesham                      (D1 )
( D3)        Teignford Academical   1-1 p Serrapince                  (D1 )
( SL)             Knapford United   4-1   Orpington                   (NC )
( D2)              Macarthur City   1-0   Moresby United              (SL )
( NC)               Rookworth AFC   0-2   Burlington AFC              (NC )
( SL)                  Blakehurst   1-3   Millsburgh Steelers         (D2 )
( D1)               Newark Argyle   3-2   Newton Wanderers            (D2 )
( SL)                     Lambeth   1-2   Cobham Town                 (D3 )

Republic Cup, Third Round
( D1)            Kingsbury United   4-1   Dorival                     (D2 )
( D1)            Delphi Lionesses   3-1   Hendon Cardinals            (NC )
( NC)              Haversham City   0-2   Couno Rangers               (D1 )
( D1)           FC Inter Nantwich e 2-1   Harwick Wanderers           (D3 )
( D1)             Lakewood United p 0-0   Harchester United           (D4 )
( D1)               Lakewood City   1-0   Denhelm Trinity             (D4 )
( D3)        Pomeroy Mountaineers   1-0   Readale Wanderers           (D2 )
( SL)      Ruislip and Ipswich FC   1-2   Sturrey Athletic            (D2 )
( D1)               Fraser Valley   1-0   Dover                       (NC )
( NC)                 Dieren City   0-3   Columbia City               (D1 )
( D1)            Ridgewell Rovers   1-0   Southport Thunder           (D4 )
( D4)               Ashton Rovers   0-1   West Couno United           (D1 )
( D1)                      Hesham p 2-2   Serrapince                  (D1 )
( SL)             Knapford United   2-3   Macarthur City              (D2 )
( NC)              Burlington AFC   0-0 p Millsburgh Steelers         (D2 )
( D1)               Newark Argyle   2-0   Cobham Town                 (D3 )

by **Tumbra** » Sat Jan 27, 2024 12:37 am

MATCHDAY 16
Kingsbury United 2–1 Delphi Lionesses
Lakewood City 1–0 Newark Argyle
Ridgewell Rovers 3–1 Fontwell Rovers
Straton 0–0 Serrapince
Columbia City 1–1 FC Inter Nantwich
Fraser Valley 1–1 Couno Rangers
Colbrook City 0–2 Lakewood United
West Couno United 3–2 Hesham

MATCHDAY 17
West Couno United 0–1 Kingsbury United
Hesham 2–0 Colbrook City
Lakewood United 5–1 Fraser Valley
Couno Rangers 1–0 Columbia City
FC Inter Nantwich 1–2 Straton
Serrapince 1–0 Ridgewell Rovers
Fontwell Rovers 0–2 Lakewood City
Newark Argyle 0–1 Delphi Lionesses

MATCHDAY 18
Kingsbury United 0–1 Newark Argyle
Delphi Lionesses 1–0 Fontwell Rovers
Lakewood City 1–0 Serrapince
Ridgewell Rovers 0–0 FC Inter Nantwich
Straton 0–2 Couno Rangers
Columbia City 0–0 Lakewood United
Fraser Valley 0–2 Hesham
Colbrook City 2–0 West Couno United

MATCHDAY 19
Colbrook City 1–0 Kingsbury United
West Couno United 2–2 Fraser Valley
Hesham 0–2 Columbia City
Lakewood United 3–0 Straton
Couno Rangers 2–0 Ridgewell Rovers
FC Inter Nantwich 0–1 Lakewood City
Serrapince 1–1 Delphi Lionesses
Fontwell Rovers 0–0 Newark Argyle

MATCHDAY 20
Kingsbury United 0–2 Fontwell Rovers
Newark Argyle 2–2 Serrapince
Delphi Lionesses 1–3 FC Inter Nantwich
Lakewood City 1–1 Couno Rangers
Ridgewell Rovers 0–2 Lakewood United
Straton 2–1 Hesham
Columbia City 1–0 West Couno United
Fraser Valley 0–0 Colbrook City

T-League, Form Table
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form5 
 1 Lakewood United         5    4   1   0    12    1  +11    13   WWDWW
 2 Lakewood City           5    4   1   0    12    3   +9    13   WWWWD
 3 Couno Rangers           5    3   2   0     9    4   +5    11   DWWWD
 4 Columbia City           5    2   2   1     4    2   +2     8   DLDWW
 5 Colbrook City           5    2   1   2     3    4   −1     7   LLWWD
   Delphi Lionesses        5    2   1   2     5    6   −1     7   LWWDL
 7 Straton                 5    2   1   2     4    7   −3     7   DWLLW
 8 Hesham                  5    2   0   3     7    7    0     6   LWWLL
 9 Serrapince              5    1   3   1     4    5   −1     6   DWLDD
10 Kingsbury United        5    2   0   3     3    5   −2     6   WWLLL
11 FC Inter Nantwich       5    1   2   2     5    6   −1     5   DLDLW
12 Newark Argyle           5    1   2   2     3    6   −3     5   LLWDD
13 Ridgewell Rovers        5    1   1   3     3    6   −3     4   WLDLL
14 Fontwell Rovers         5    1   1   3     3    6   −3     4   LLLDW
   West Couno United       5    1   1   3     5    8   −3     4   WLLDL
16 Fraser Valley           5    0   3   2     4   10   −6     3   DLLDD

It's the start of a new year, and things seem to be largely back to normal; United pull out a five-point lead over Couno at the end of the twentieth week. City, meanwhile, start the second half of the season in scintillating form — with Charlotte Henshaw scoring five of the team's twelve goals, and Emmanuel Appleby contributing three assists in five. Recently-promoted Columbia City pull off a much-needed win over West Couno United, which somehow places them fifth in the form table; but is probably more of a reflection of how inconsistent the rest of the league has been rather than how good Columbia actually are.

West Couno, in particular, have had a torrid start to the second half of the season; falling from second to fifth and from one point to ten points behind United after only one win and three losses; while some of that has been attributed to injuries suffered during the off-season by names such as Ezgjan Kobilcov and Christopher Morgan, the team's defensive stability has been, for want of a better word, fairly shaky. Nantwich, Ridgewell, and Newark, too, are suffering from the new years' blues; the wintry weather of January seems to be having an outsized impact on the footballing health of the title challengers.

The injuries have played largely into United's favour; but attention, too, must be paid to Lakewood City; whose second half of the season started off with four scintillating wins in a row before being slightly pegged back by a draw with Couno, who themselves are attempting to get their own season back underway.

MATCHDAY 21
Fraser Valley 0–1 Kingsbury United
Colbrook City 1–0 Columbia City
West Couno United 2–1 Straton
Hesham 2–2 Ridgewell Rovers
Lakewood United 0–1 Lakewood City
Couno Rangers 1–0 Delphi Lionesses
FC Inter Nantwich 0–3 Newark Argyle
Serrapince 0–2 Fontwell Rovers

MATCHDAY 22
Kingsbury United 1–2 Serrapince
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
Newark Argyle 1–0 Couno Rangers
Delphi Lionesses 0–1 Lakewood United
Lakewood City 2–0 Hesham
Ridgewell Rovers 0–0 West Couno United
Straton 2–1 Colbrook City
Columbia City 1–1 Fraser Valley

MATCHDAY 23
Columbia City 1–1 Kingsbury United
Fraser Valley 0–1 Straton
Colbrook City 0–1 Ridgewell Rovers
West Couno United 1–0 Lakewood City
Hesham 3–1 Delphi Lionesses
Lakewood United 0–2 Newark Argyle
Couno Rangers 2–1 Fontwell Rovers
FC Inter Nantwich 0–1 Serrapince

MATCHDAY 24
Kingsbury United 1–0 FC Inter Nantwich
Serrapince 4–2 Couno Rangers
Fontwell Rovers 0–0 Lakewood United
Newark Argyle 0–2 Hesham
Delphi Lionesses 0–1 West Couno United
Lakewood City 1–0 Colbrook City
Ridgewell Rovers 2–2 Fraser Valley
Straton 1–0 Columbia City

MATCHDAY 25
Straton 2–0 Kingsbury United
Columbia City 1–3 Ridgewell Rovers
Fraser Valley 2–1 Lakewood City
Colbrook City 3–0 Delphi Lionesses
West Couno United 0–1 Newark Argyle
Hesham 1–1 Fontwell Rovers
Lakewood United 1–3 Serrapince
Couno Rangers 3–0 FC Inter Nantwich

T-League, Form Table
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form5 
 1 Newark Argyle           5    4   0   1     7    2   +5    12   WWWLW
 2 Serrapince              5    4   0   1    10    6   +4    12   LWWWW
   Straton                 5    4   0   1     7    3   +4    12   LWWWW
 4 West Couno United       5    3   1   1     5    2   +3    10   WDWWL
 5 Lakewood City           5    3   0   2     8    5   +3     9   WWLWL
   Ridgewell Rovers        5    2   3   0     8    5   +3     9   DDWDW
 7 Couno Rangers           5    3   0   2     8    6   +2     9   WLWLW
 8 Hesham                  5    2   2   1     8    6   +2     8   DLWWD
 9 Kingsbury United        5    2   1   2     4    5   −1     7   WLDWL
10 Colbrook City           5    2   0   3     5    6   −1     6   WLLLW
11 Fontwell Rovers         5    1   2   2     4    4    0     5   WLLDD
12 Fraser Valley           5    1   2   2     5    6   −1     5   LDLDW
13 Lakewood United         5    1   1   3     3    7   −4     4   LWLDL
14 FC Inter Nantwich       5    1   0   4     1    8   −7     3   LWLLL
15 Columbia City           5    0   2   3     3    7   −4     2   LDDLL
16 Delphi Lionesses        5    0   0   5     1    9   −8     0   LLLLL

And all of a sudden, it's all level. Couno pull level with United, on forty-nine points apiece; Newark Argyle surprisingly top the form table, while Straton's season of woe might just be redeemed with their run of form up to ninth in the league. Part of this has been attributed to their hiring of Edmund Finnegan, at least as an interim. Things are looking much closer at the top, thanks at least to United's terrible run of four points in five — including crucial losses to Lakewood City and West Couno — but manager Andrea Spinelli still puts the title race down to 'determination and grit, which is something this team is full of.' In other news, Couno essentially confirm that Kaisa Säfqvist will be moved on after one season, but with a tightening transfer market and an increased anxiety on the TFF's end to move more Tumbran players onto the pitch and "develop" them.

But the most important news surrounding Couno, that of its acquisition by billionaire Thomas Kim, has been put to the side for now; Kim has mentioned that he'll only move on with the acquisition of the club, reportedly for an eye-watering 1.2 billion dollars, in the off-season to avoid 'distracting from the most important thing for Couno' right now. Sources, however, say that the deal has "long been wrapped up", with the transferral of ownership being a mere formality. Questions surround how exactly Kim managed to scrounge up the 1.2 billion to buy out the club, remain unknown; with Kim looking to take a step into politics, too, having recently submitted an application to join the right-wing Federalist Party, there could be more doubts over Kim's sincerity in buying the club out.

Newark are the big winners of this middle stretch of the season, only losing one game to Hesham; Toby Barton's team sits pretty in sixth, with forty-two points. His focus on youth seems to have paid off handsomely, even if there remain doubts over how consistent the team can be. Names such as Heather Hindmarsh have remained consistently excellent in the run-up to the season finale; and there are rumours that Barton is trying to set his team up as a new talent pipeline for the national team.

MATCHDAY 26
Kingsbury United 1–3 Couno Rangers
FC Inter Nantwich 0–1 Lakewood United
Serrapince 3–0 Hesham
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 West Couno United
Newark Argyle 0–2 Colbrook City
Delphi Lionesses 3–2 Fraser Valley
Lakewood City 1–0 Columbia City
Ridgewell Rovers 2–0 Straton

MATCHDAY 27
Ridgewell Rovers 0–1 Kingsbury United
Straton 1–1 Lakewood City
Columbia City 2–1 Delphi Lionesses
Fraser Valley 3–2 Newark Argyle
Colbrook City 1–3 Fontwell Rovers
West Couno United 0–2 Serrapince
Hesham 0–2 FC Inter Nantwich
Lakewood United 0–0 Couno Rangers

MATCHDAY 28
Kingsbury United 0–2 Lakewood United
Couno Rangers 0–2 Hesham
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 West Couno United
Serrapince 0–0 Colbrook City
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Fraser Valley
Newark Argyle 0–2 Columbia City
Delphi Lionesses 0–1 Straton
Lakewood City 0–1 Ridgewell Rovers

MATCHDAY 29
Lakewood City 1–0 Kingsbury United
Ridgewell Rovers 3–2 Delphi Lionesses
Straton 0–0 Newark Argyle
Columbia City 4–1 Fontwell Rovers
Fraser Valley 0–1 Serrapince
Colbrook City 1–0 FC Inter Nantwich
West Couno United 2–1 Couno Rangers
Hesham 1–2 Lakewood United

MATCHDAY 30
Kingsbury United 2–0 Hesham
Lakewood United 2–1 West Couno United
Couno Rangers 0–0 Colbrook City
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 Fraser Valley
Serrapince 2–0 Columbia City
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Straton
Newark Argyle 0–0 Ridgewell Rovers
Delphi Lionesses 0–1 Lakewood City

T-League, Form Table
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form5 
 1 Serrapince              5    4   1   0     8    0   +8    13   WWDWW
 2 Lakewood United         5    4   1   0     7    2   +5    13   WDWWW  
 3 Fontwell Rovers         5    4   0   1     7    5   +2    12   WWWLW
 4 Ridgewell Rovers        5    3   1   1     6    3   +3    10   WLWWD
 5 Lakewood City           5    3   1   1     4    2   +2    10   WDLWW
 6 FC Inter Nantwich       5    3   0   2     8    3   +5     9   LWWLW
 7 Columbia City           5    3   0   2     8    5   +3     9   LWWWL
 8 Colbrook City           5    2   2   1     5    4   +1     8   WLDWD 
 9 Kingsbury United        5    2   0   3     4    6   −2     6   LWLLW
10 Couno Rangers           5    1   2   2     4    5   −1     5   WDLLD
11 Straton                 5    1   2   2     2    4   −2     5   LDWDL
12 Delphi Lionesses        5    1   0   4     6    9   −3     3   WLLLL
13 Fraser Valley           5    1   0   4     5   10   −5     3   LWLLL
   West Couno United       5    1   0   4     3    8   −5     3   LLLWL
15 Hesham                  5    1   0   4     3    9   −6     3   LLWLL
16 Newark Argyle           5    0   2   3     2    7   −5     2   LLLDD

And, unsurprisingly, Lakewood United romp home to the title after one final push; winning four of their last five games in a season where consistency was surprisingly hard to come by and all the title competitors seemed to trip on their own toes at some point or another. But the real surprise of the last few games wasn't United, but rather Fontwell winning four on the trot to condemn Fraser Valley to direct relegation; which ends a rather perfunctory thirteen-year stint in the top flight which saw a gradual decline followed by about a decade of struggle to stay afloat. Much unloading of foreign talent is expected in the downfall; and Fraser aren't expected to resurface any time soon.

Surprisingly, Newark bring up the rear, failing to win any of their last five games; the results see them plunge down the table, though their earlier-season exploits are enough to land them in a position where they can actually make it to a regional competition for the first time.

T-League, Form Table
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form15 
 1 Lakewood City          15   10   2   3    24   10  +14    32   WWWWD WWLWL WDLWW
 2 Serrapince             15    9   4   2    22   11  +11    31   DWLDD LWWWW WWDWW
 3 Lakewood United        15    9   3   3    22   10  +12    30   WWDWW LWLDL WDWWW
 4 Couno Rangers          15    7   4   4    21   15   +6    25   DWWWD WLWLW WDLLD
 5 Straton                15    7   3   5    13   14   −1    24   DWLLW LWWWW LDWDL
 6 Ridgewell Rovers       15    6   5   4    17   14   +3    23   WLDLL DDWDW WLWWD
 7 Fontwell Rovers        15    6   3   6    14   15   −1    21   LLLDW WLLDD WWWLW
 8 Colbrook City          15    6   3   6    13   14   −1    21   LLWWD WLLLW WLDWD
 9 Columbia City          15    5   4   6    15   14   +1    19   DLDWW LDDLL LWWWL
10 Newark Argyle          15    5   4   6    12   15   −3    19   LLWDD WWWLW LLLDD
11 Kingsbury United       15    6   1   8    11   16   −5    19   WWLLL WLDWL LWLLW
12 FC Inter Nantwich      15    5   2   8    14   17   −3    17   DLDLW LWLLL LWWLW
13 Hesham                 15    5   2   8    18   22   −4    17   LWWLL DLWWD LLWLL
14 West Couno United      15    5   2   8    13   18   −5    17   WLLDL WDWWL LLLWL
15 Fraser Valley          15    2   5   8    14   26  −12    11   DLLDD LDLDW LWLLL
16 Delphi Lionesses       15    3   1  11    12   24  −12    10   LWWDL LLLLL WLLLL

T-League, Season 3

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg   Form30  
 1 Lakewood United        30   19   5   6    58   28  +30    62   -0   DWWWW WWLWW WLDWL WWDWW LWLDL WDWWW
 2 Serrapince             30   18   6   6    54   33  +21    60   ▲2   WDWWL WDWLL WLWWW DWLDD LWWWW WWDWW
 3 Lakewood City          30   18   4   8    50   29  +21    58   ▼1   WDLDL LLWWW LWWWW WWWWD WWLWL WDLWW
 4 Couno Rangers          30   16   6   8    51   33  +18    54   ▼1   WLWWW LWLWL DWWDW DWWWD WLWLW WDLLD
 5 Ridgewell Rovers       30   14   8   8    48   38  +10    50   ▲2   WDWLL WLWDW DWLWW WLDLL DDWDW WLWWD
 6 West Couno United      30   14   6  10    43   34   +9    48   ▼1   DDWWW DWLWW LWWDW WLLDL WDWWL LLLWL
 7 Newark Argyle          30   13   5  12    39   37   +2    44   ▲3   LWWWW WLWLL WWDLL LLWDD WWWLW LLLDD
 8 FC Inter Nantwich      30   13   4  13    38   35   +3    43   ▼2   WDLDW LWLWW LWLWW DLDLW LWLLL LWWLW
 9 Hesham                 30   12   4  14    44   41   +3    40   ▲2   DDWWW LWWWL LLLLW LWWLL DLWWD LLWLL
10 Straton                30   11   7  12    31   42  −11    40   ▼1   LDLLL DWDLL DLWWW DWLLW LWWWW LDWDL
11 Columbia City          30   11   6  13    36   38   −2    39   NA   LWLLL WLWWL WWDDL DLDWW LDDLL LWWWL
12 Kingsbury United       30   11   5  14    33   38   −5    38   ▼4   WDLWW WDLLW DLDLL WWLLL WLDWL LWLLW
13 Fontwell Rovers        30    9   6  15    25   38  −13    33   -0   LDLLL LLWLW WDLDL LLLDW WLLDD WWWLW
14 Colbrook City          30    8   6  16    30   51  −21    30   ▼2   DDLLW LLDLW LDLLL LLWWD WLLLW WLDWD
15 Fraser Valley          30    4   7  19    30   59  −29    19   ▼1   LLLLL LWDDL LLWLL DLLDD LDLDW LWLLL
16 Delphi Lionesses       30    6   1  23    25   61  −36    19   NA   LLWLL WLLLL WLLLL LWWDL LLLLL WLLLL

Surprisingly, despite City's proclamations of doom, they come home to "win" the second half of the season; but their spotty first-half form sees them only finish third overall in the table. United, despite their hiccup from February through to March, held on to their massive advantage across the first half of the season; and their heave saw them cross the line to become only the second team in the modern era to win two titles on the trot.

by **Tumbra** » Mon Jan 29, 2024 11:23 am

T-LEAGUE 2
END OF SEASON

Standings after MD30

.  Second Division                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Clyde Park                      30   20   6   4    55   24  +31    66
 2 Sturrey Athletic                30   18   6   6    54   20  +34    60
 3 Bencoolen City                  30   15  10   5    47   30  +17    55
 4 Shepperton Ravens               30   13   6  11    36   34   +2    45
 5 Millsburgh Revolutionaries      30   12   7  11    37   31   +6    43
 6 Readale Wanderers               30   12   7  11    27   34   −7    43
 7 Clark City                      30   11   9  10    59   40  +19    42
 8 Hoxford United                  30   11   9  10    37   41   −4    42
 9 Dorival                         30   10  10  10    23   21   +2    40
10 AFC Cayalon                     30   10  10  10    27   28   −1    40
11 Guillemard Town                 30   11   5  14    26   40  −14    38
12 Newton Wanderers                30    9  10  11    30   32   −2    37
13 Washington City                 30    6  12  12    33   43  −10    30
14 Carter United                   30    7   8  15    19   33  −14    29
15 Macarthur City                  30    7   6  17    26   49  −23    27
16 Millsburgh Steelers             30    3   9  18    21   57  −36    18

PROMOTION-RELEGATION PLAYOFF
Bencoolen City 0-3 Colbrook City
F Yeltsov 16', S Stansfield 25', Sha J 90' + 1'

T-LEAGUE 3
END OF SEASON

Standings after MD30

   Third Division            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 AFC Gillman                30   19   4   7    42   18  +24    61
 2 Port Marray                30   16   7   7    52   26  +26    55
 3 Tavistock Athletic         30   15   6   9    42   25  +17    51
 4 Glenmont AFC               30   14   8   8    53   32  +21    50
 5 Cobham Town                30   13  10   7    40   26  +14    49
 6 Ridgewell United           30   13   7  10    37   33   +4    46
 7 Tavistock Park             30   12   9   9    27   23   +4    45
 8 Harwick Wanderers          30   12   7  11    31   26   +5    43
 9 Pomeroy Mountaineers       30   11   9  10    27   27    0    42
10 New Timbourne Knights      30   11   8  11    37   33   +4    41
11 Tevandale Athletic         30   10   8  12    27   39  −12    38
12 Franport                   30   10   6  14    25   43  −18    36
13 Teignford Academical       30    8   8  14    33   40   −7    32
14 Kelder Phoenixes           30    9   4  17    30   52  −22    31
15 Coburg                     30    8   3  19    23   51  −28    27
16 Ricci Ironworkers          30    5   4  21    24   56  −32    19

T-LEAGUE 4
END OF SEASON

Standings after MD30

   Fourth Division        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Harchester United       30   20   5   5    65   22  +43    65
 2 Killiney SC             30   16   4  10    35   29   +6    52
 3 Brades United           30   12  13   5    32   22  +10    49
 4 Fort Heatherton         30   13   9   8    34   22  +12    48
 5 Southport Thunder       30   13   9   8    41   30  +11    48
 6 Trelmont Rangers        30   14   6  10    33   24   +9    48
 7 Heffron City            30   13   7  10    31   29   +2    46
 8 Pinhal Athletic         30   13   6  11    32   28   +4    45
 9 Wintborough United      30   13   6  11    33   33    0    45
10 Carrington Town         30   11   9  10    35   33   +2    42
11 FC Montrose             30    9  14   7    30   22   +8    41
12 Denhelm Trinity         30    9   8  13    23   34  −11    35
13 Ashton Rovers           30    7  11  12    26   36  −10    32
14 Gelder Creek            30    6   6  18    16   42  −26    24
15 Havelock City           30    6   6  18    17   45  −28    24
16 Hindhede                30    4   3  23    23   55  −32    15

by **Tumbra** » Tue Jan 30, 2024 8:51 am

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 3
POST-SEASON AWARDS

With the dust settling on the T-League season and the priorities of the clubs — IFCF football, another season in midtable, straggling for survival, or gearing up for an entry into the T-League — it was only fair to look back upon the season that had just passed, and hand due recognition to those who had just gone that little bit further than the rest of the pack.

Player of the Year

This award is open to every player from every club who have made at least one appearance, though it's fairly evident that the player must have contributed to the team and done some individual business to separate themselves from the rest of the pack to be worthy of this award.

Bronze Ball: Charlotte Eastwood (SYL, Lakewood United)
Silver Ball: Ceferino Audiol (JUE, Serrapince)
Golden Ball: Jôs Sürréo (RUL, Lakewood United)

Attackers, Midfielders, and Defenders of the Year

The following three awards have been created to celebrate the lesser-celebrated positions in football. Player of the Year awards typically go to attackers; and these awards seek to rectify that. Players who win these awards must not have already won the Player of the Year award, or finished in the top three.

Attacker of the Year
Bronze: Heidi Canavan (TMB, Ridgewell Rovers)
Silver: Charlotte Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)
Gold: Elaine Howard-Dawes (CMT/QUE, Couno Rangers)

Midfielder of the Year
Bronze: Tobias Grandelius (TKT, Lakewood United)
Silver: Sara Vatnarsdóttir (GRF, Serrapince)
Gold: Lucas McCormick (TMB, Lakewood City)

Defender of the Year
Bronze: Belinda Proudfoot (TMB, Lakewood United)
Silver: Spencer Jepson (TKT, Lakewood United)
Gold: Klavida Régine (CMT, Serrapince)

Young Player of the Year

This award is open to players below 23 years of age who haven't already won an award for Player of the Year. Traditionally, breakout seasons are recognised a bit more than playing brilliantly at a consistent level from a young age, to recognise the effort needed to even break through into the first teams of these clubs in the first place.

Bronze Award: Stella Harrington (TMB, Hesham)
Silver Award: Heather Hindmarsh (TMB, Newark Argyle)
Golden Award: Maram Tatsinan (SRS, Lakewood United)

Golden Glove

The Golden Glove is measured by the number of clean sheets kept, with the overall number of goals conceded as a tiebreaker. This award serves to recognise goalkeepers, who traditionally have been under-represented in awards ceremonies.

Bronze Glove: Mick Key (EUR, Serrapince) and Caelan Wright (TLI, Couno Rangers)
- 13 clean sheets, 33 conceded
Silver Glove: Victoria Jones (TMB, Lakewood City)
- 15 clean sheets, 29 conceded
Golden Glove: Richard Russell (TMB, Lakewood United)
- 17 clean sheets, 28 conceded

Golden Boot

The Golden Boot is measured by the number of goals scored, with tiebreakers being decided by minutes played. The player with the lesser amount of minutes played takes precedence, but this season there hasn't been any need for that. 629 goals sees an increase from last season.

Goals per season
S   Goals
1   974   (2.56/game)
2   1045  (2.75/game)
3   847   (2.29/game)
4   1015  (2.67/game)
5   962   (2.53/game)
6   948   (2.49/game)
7   1035  (2.72/game)
8   1127  (2.97/game)
9   1029  (2.71/game)
10  1061  (2.79/game)
11  568   (2.37/game)
12  529   (2.62/game)
13  635   (2.65/game)

Bronze Boot: Charlotte Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)
- 17 goals
Silver Boot: Ceferino Audiol (JUE, Serrapince)
- 18 goals
Golden Boot: Jôs Sürréo (RÜL, Lakewood United)
- 20 goals

Manager of the Year

Of course, the brains behind the entire footballing operation must be recognised, too. Three managers were the obvious choices for this award; the only question was what was the order in which the three would finish. Unusually, this award takes into account performances in both the Republic Cup and the League proper; unlike the awards for players, who are judged based solely on performances in the league.

Third - Lars Hartmansson (GRÆ, Serrapince)
Second - Toby Barton (TMB, Newark Argyle)
First - Andrea Spinelli (SVG, Lakewood United)

Teams of the Season

Two teams of the season were named; with one being the first XI and the second XI. The TFF cited the general standard of play as the reason why two sets of elevens were needed. Both elevens were in a 4-3-3 shape.

First XI

Position    Player
Goalkeeper  Richard Russell (TMB, Lakewood United)
Defender    Ipati Aimée (CMT, Lakewood United)
Defender    Spencer Jepson (TKT, Lakewood United)
Defender    Belinda Proudfoot (TMB, Lakewood United)
Defender    Rôbé Wîjkár (RÜL/FFD, Couno Rangers)
Midfielder  Lucas McCormick (TMB, Lakewood City)
Midfielder  Nurija Papez (MYT, Lakewood United)
Midfielder  Sara Vatnarsdóttir (GRÆ, Serrapince)
Forward     Ceferino Audiol (JUE, Serrapince)
Forward     Jôs Sürréo (RÜL, Lakewood United)
Forward     Charlotte Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)

Second XI

Position    Player
Goalkeeper  Victoria Jones (TMB, Lakewood City)
Defender    Twilight Mixon (CMT, Lakewood City)
Defender    Wilfrid Gouin (DEL, Couno Rangers)
Defender    Ian Narváez (HUA, Serrapince)
Defender    Caointiorn Duncan (TLI, Lakewood United)
Midfielder  Ian Robertson (TMB, Ridgewell Rovers)
Midfielder  Vincent Hicks (TMB, Couno Rangers)
Midfielder  Samuel McTavish (QUE, Lakewood City)
Forward     Elaine Howard-Dawes (CMT/QUE, Couno Rangers)
Forward     Charlotte Eastwood (SYL, Lakewood United)
Forward     Jack Ryland (SYL, Serrapince)

by **Tumbra** » Mon Feb 05, 2024 6:23 am

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 4
TRANSFER WINDOW ROUND-UP

The transfer window for incoming transfers to Tumbra closed at the stroke of midnight; here is a summary of the Tumbran transfer window.

Retirements

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club
Justin Coe          36      GK      TMB     AFC Cayalon
Michael Carter      36      CB      TMB     AFC Cayalon
James Clinton       35      GK      TMB     Clark City
Mason Clark         35      LW      SFD     Clark City
Dominic Kelly       36      CM      TMB     Dorival
James Blackwood     35      CM      TMB     Dorival
Matt Haskell        36      ST      TMB     Glenmont AFC
Mark Lavender       35      CAM     TMB     Glenmont AFC
Brian Isaacs        35      LW      TMB     Glenmont AFC
Nik Shah            36      RW      TMB     Port Marray
John Easton         35      ST      TMB     Port Marray
Bruno Powell        35      RW      TMB     AFC Gillman
Roger Stevens       36      CDM     TMB     Cobham Town
Mark Hailstorm      35      LW      TMB     Guillemard Town
Richard Laycock     35      LB      TMB     Guillemard Town
Paul Morgan         35      RB      TMB     New Timbourne Knights
Callum Latham       36      CAM     TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
Hugh Thomas         35      LB      TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
Paul Collins        36      RM      TMB     Southport Thunder
Bernard Brown       36      ST      TMB     Teignford Academical
Mike Hancy          36      GK      TMB     Clyde Park
Malachite Riester   35      CM      NPH     Ridgewell Rovers
Kendra Considine R. 35      LM      NPH     Lakewood United
Davide Sandino      35      GK      TEQ/TMB Newark Argyle
Ophellie Bernard    35      ST      SVG/TMB Straton

Released

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club
Finlay Hall         32      RB      TKT     Columbia City
Komang T. Kurniawan 25      RB      PCU     Lakewood City
Haradin Moss        30      CM      CMT     Kingsbury United
Romain Coutard      29      CB      SZO/FFD Lakewood United
Bayu Anggara        25      RW      PCU     Serrapince
Mick Key            35      GK      EUR     Serrapince
Tino                30      ST      MVE     Straton
Gethin Stewart      32      LB      TKT     Straton
Vlart Hedberg       32      CDM     SRS     Straton
Ashley Asanta       33      CB      TKT     West Couno United
Eden Wright         32      CM      TKT     West Couno United
A Charron-Becker    34      LB      QUE     West Couno United
Hayley Stanway      29      LW      TKT     West Couno United
Ivar Halgorsen      29      RB      GGU     Sturrey Athletic
Thore Grönholm      33      RM      NRH     Sturrey Athletic
Alex Long           29      CB      TKT     Bencoolen City
Findlay Tran        34      CM      TKT     Clark City
Cole Pearlman       30      CM      TKT     Fraser Valley
Fried Rossum        33      CM      COR     Glenmont AFC
Park Jeong-soo      27      CM      QUE     Macarthur City
Savatije Kralj      32      LB      KRU/FFD Macarthur City
Parramore Haigh     28      ST      TKT     Newton Wanderers
Kenneth Barsham     34      CM      QUE     AFC Gillman
Nick Goulan         31      RW      TKT     Dorival

Departures

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Kaisa Säfqvist      24      RB      SVJ/TKT Couno Rangers           Anchors [CMT]               7.0m
Kee Tian            24      LB      NIX     Lakewood City           Anomalies [CMT]             5.0m
Paul Amos           27      CB      FVA     Kingsbury United        Bavingtor [FVA]             4.0m
Ha Seo-jeong        25      GK      QUE     Fraser Valley           Kingston [QUE]              2.0m
Leigh Eyre          27      LM      MRT     Fraser Valley           Lìjû [PAS]                  2.0m
Cameron Keyes       34      ST      SYL     Lakewood United         Excelsior [SYL]             1.0m
Kwak Seung-hyeok    26      RM      QUE     Ridgewell Rovers        Olympique de Rimouski [QUE] 1.0m
Travis Dolan        30      CM      TKT     Lakewood United         Marbury [SYL]               1.0m
Toshikushi Nakagone 28      CB      KOR     Ridgewell Rovers        Jan Mayen Islanders [PIS]   1.0m
Julie Dufour        32      CM      KSK     West Couno United       Soldarian FC [VAL]          1.0m
Liang Wei           32      ST      YZH     Columbia City           Beian Bats [YZH]            1.0m
Zheng Haidong       32      CM      YZH     FC Inter Nantwich       Nangang Royals [YZH]        1.0m
Wei Haifeng         31      LB      YZH     Kingsbury United        SC Jiangdong [YZH]          0.8m

Internal Transfers

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Kim Sang-wook       27      ST      QUE/CMT Kingsbury United        West Couno United           8.0m
Chris Finney        30      LB      TMB     Serrapince              Straton                     5.5m
Valerie Morris      29      CM      TMB     Lakewood City           West Couno United           5.0m
Tricia Barker       28      ST      TMB     Fraser Valley           Serrapince                  5.0m
Casper Baumgartner  26      RB      TMB     Fraser Valley           Columbia City               4.5m
Elaine Xu           24      GK      YZH/TMB West Couno United       Newark Argyle               3.5m
Holly Willoughby    29      LB      TMB     Hesham                  FC Inter Nantwich           3.2m
Jonathan Hwang      25      CDM     TMB     Fraser Valley           Colbrook City               3.0m
Alex Reid           21      CB      TMB     Lakewood City           Ridgewell Rovers            3.0m
Joyce Hughes        30      LW      TMB     Kingsbury United        Sturrey Athletic            3.0m
Alex Finlay         27      ST      TMB     Colbrook City           Straton                     3.0m
Kirsten McDonald    27      LB      TMB     Straton                 Sturrey Athletic            2.8m
Ellen Vesper        20      ST      TMB     Couno Rangers           Hesham                      2.5m
Vince Cahill        30      CDM     TMB     Serrapince              Couno Rangers               2.5m
Gina Holland        24      CM      TMB     Fraser Valley           Newark Argyle               2.5m
Shana Reed          27      LB      BRE     Colbrook City           Kingsbury United            2.5m
Frances Sinclair    28      CB      TMB     Fraser Valley           Kingsbury United            2.5m
Anthony Sorengard   19      LW      TMB     Fraser Valley           West Couno United           2.3m
Christina Holsworth 21      CDM     TMB     Lakewood United         Newark Argyle               2.3m
Will Nicholson      21      CB      TMB     Newark Argyle           Straton                     2.2m
Alastair Moynihan   26      CM      TMB     Fraser Valley           Lakewood United             2.0m
Luke Simonyan       20      CM      TMB     Fraser Valley           Columbia City               2.0m
Chris Tipple        31      CM      TMB     FC Inter Nantwich       Clyde Park                  2.0m
Thomas Gatera       24      RB      KIG     Macarthur City          Millsburgh Revolutionaries  2.0m
Catherine Taggart   21      RW      TMB     Straton                 Ridgewell Rovers            2.0m
Terence Fordham     21      CDM     TMB     Colbrook City           Kingsbury United            2.0m
Olive Chalmers      20      RW      TMB     Fontwell Rovers         Serrapince                  2.0m
Lauren Whiteley     20      ST      TMB     Colbrook City           FC Inter Nantwich           2.0m
Hannah Edwards      21      CB      TMB     Couno Rangers           Columbia City               2.0m
Helen Haigh         21      RB      TMB     Hesham                  Couno Rangers               2.0m
Rob Brougham        21      CAM     TMB     Serrapince              Straton                     2.0m
Kieran Hofmann      19      RW      TMB     Kingsbury United        Sturrey Athletic            1.7m
Ruth Campbell       20      CB      TMB     Bencoolen City          Fontwell Rovers             1.5m
Joanna Bradford     29      ST      TMB     FC Inter Nantwich       Sturrey Athletic            1.5m
Simon Rushmore      20      CDM     TMB     Bencoolen City          Hesham                      1.5m
Brian Whittaker     20      GK      TMB     Lakewood United         West Couno United           1.2m
Sharon Trethewey    20      ST      TMB     Bencoolen City          FC Inter Nantwich           1.0m
Lucas Russell       33      ST      TLI     Hesham                  Sturrey Athletic            1.0m
Adèle Desjardins    24      CB      CMT     Delphi Lionesses        Millsburgh Revolutionaries  0.6m
Yabūchi Norogumi    24      LB      CMT     Delphi Lionesses        Millsburgh Revolutionaries  0.5m
Basilica Coxeter    33      ST      NPH     FC Inter Nantwich       Lakewood United             0.0m

Transfers into the league

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Valerie Wells       30      LW      TMB     AFC Treason [NPH]       Lakewood United             10.0m
Susan Monaghan      31      CAM     TMB     Sabrefell Athl. [NPH]   Lakewood City               8.0m
Wendy Pritchett     28      CB      TMB     Grande Mountain [CDG]   Lakewood United             6.0m
Annie Renton        29      LB      TMB     Victoriaville [CDG]     Serrapince                  6.0m
Zhaxi Jianzan       25      CDM     YZH     Chardonnay Rngrs [NPH]  Serrapince                  5.0m
Estina McGill       25      ST      SRS     Iron City [NPH]         Kingsbury United            5.0m
Michelle Ferris     27      LW      TMB     Northbury FC [CDG]      Kingsbury United            5.0m
Sabine Kemp         31      LB      TMB     Raven River [NPH]       Lakewood City               4.5m
Dhana Thorsen       25      ST      TKT     Ararat Severyan [MYT]   Straton                     4.0m
Adrian Hewitt       31      CDM     TMB     Concord Heights [CDG]   Straton                     3.0m
Ron Stark           27      CAM     TMB     Winchester Trad [CDG]   FC Inter Nantwich           3.0m
James Larkin        27      RB      TMB     Felswyr [CMT]           Lakewood City               3.0m
Scott Evans         25      LB      TMB     Foxhampton [EUR]        Hesham                      3.0m
Will Tompkins       29      LB      TMB     Bastion Lions [EUR]     Colbrook City               3.0m
Henry Woodhouse     27      GK      TMB     Ulsa Rovers [EUR]       Lakewood United             3.0m
Martin Barker       30      CB      TMB     Omnio [CMT]             Clyde Park                  3.0m
Danilo Sevaljevic   28      CM      MYT     AFC Corvistone [NPH]    West Couno United           3.0m
Sergey Kharlamov    23      RB      PYA     Vantanoch [TKT]         Sturrey Athletic            2.0m

Lower Division Transfers

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Alisha Thompson     33      CM      TLI     Hesham                  Millsburgh Revolutionaries  2.0m
Joanna Harding      29      CM      TMB     Newark Argyle           Millsburgh Revolutionaries  1.8m
Hazel Garlick       29      ST      TMB     West Couno United       Shepperton Ravens           1.7m
Amund Freyrsson     30      CDM     KLD/TMB Straton                 Millsburgh Revolutionaries  1.6m
Corinne Fontana     34      ST      SVG/TMB Serrapince              Millsburgh Revolutionaries  1.5m
Nathan Quinn        32      CB      TMB     Columbia City           Bencoolen City              1.5m
David Burnet        34      CM      TMB     Couno Rangers           Clark City                  1.5m
Clodio Noya         33      CM      TEQ/TMB Straton                 Macarthur City              1.5m
John Turnbull       31      CB      TMB     Straton                 Millsburgh Revolutionaries  1.3m
Marcus Ganley       32      LB      TMB     Sturrey Athletic        Macarthur City              1.3m
Max Mycroft         32      LW      TMB     FC Inter Nantwich       Shepperton Ravens           1.2m
Farzana Patel       27      GK      TMB     Couno Rangers           Millsburgh Revolutionaries  1.0m
Aimée Laurent       34      LB      SVG/TMB FC Inter Nantwich       Shepperton Ravens           1.0m
Gary Shepard        25      GK      TMB     Lakewood United         AFC Cayalon                 1.0m
Samantha Hedges     29      CB      TMB     Fontwell Rovers         AFC Cayalon                 1.0m
Charles Carr        31      ST      TMB     Clyde Park              AFC Cayalon                 1.0m
Philip Chamberlain  29      CB      TMB     Colbrook City           Dorival                     1.0m
Daniel Cowen        32      CM      TMB     Fontwell Rovers         Dorival                     0.5m
David Lloyd         31      LW      TMB     Fontwell Rovers         Newton Wanderers            0.5m
Lisa Hayes          27      RM      TMB     Newark Argyle           Port Marray                 0.3m
Maurice Moore       29      ST      TMB     Newark Argyle           Readale Wanderers           0.2m
Joe Mercer          34      ST      TMB     Sturrey Athletic        Newton Wanderers            0.2m

by **Tumbra** » Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:59 am

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 4
PREVIEWS

Clyde Park

Quick Facts

City and State: Clyde, Clearmont
Last season: 1st, T-League 2, 66 points
Stadium: Clyde Park, 38,500
Nickname: the Lions; the Clarets
Manager: Morcillo Clamidia López, 59, Farolera
Style of Play: Hyper-offensive, fast-paced football
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: LW Lynette Frecklington
Captain: LB Jacob Keene

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
12  GK  Reed Woodward       26  M   TMB
15  LB  Kevin Taylor        31  M   TKT
26  CB  Martin Barker       30  M   TMB
14  CB  Ricardo Wyatt       29  M   TMB
19  CB  Penelope Gorostieta 24  F   TMB/MRT
3   RB  Greg Bailey         24  M   TMB
23  CDM Henry Morgan        27  M   TMB
16  CM  Shirley Gillard     24  F   TMB
8   CM  Patient Habimana    25  M   KIG
7   LW  Lyn Frecklington    23  F   TMB
11  RW  Vikram Chatterjee   22  M   TMB
24  ST  Timothy Haller      26  M   TMB

1   GK  Carmen Moreau       19  F   TMB
25  GK  Mark Leader         26  M   TMB
2   LB  Jacob Keene         35  M   TMB
4   CB  Sarah Sears         23  F   TMB
5   CB  Trevor Marshall     34  M   TKT
6   RB  Isabel Ashcroft     22  F   TMB
20  CDM Robert Anselm       29  M   TMB
22  CM  Neil Adams          24  M   TMB
13  CM  Chris Tipple        31  M   TMB
10  CAM Louise Kelly        23  F   TMB
18  LW  Gerald Steinback    27  M   TMB
21  RW  Daryl Ferguson      30  M   TMB
17  ST  Oscar Browning      21  M   TMB
9   ST  Jason Pearce        31  M   TMB

27  LB  Jeff Howlett        18  M   TMB
28  CDM Lily Chen           18  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Martin Barker from Omnio (CMT), 3.0m
Chris Tipple from FC Inter Nantwich, 2.0m
Outgoing: 
Charles Carr to AFC Cayalon, 1.0m
Mike Hancy, retired
Promoted:
Carmen Moreau, GK
Isabel Ashcroft, RB
Oscar Browning, ST

A one-season exodus didn’t last long — will Clyde be able to stay up in the Prem?

Last season: Clyde Park’s time in the IFCF era of competition has been full of highlights and lowlights. From winning the Republic Cup a decade ago to relegation in Season 12, Clyde spent one uneventful season in the second tier of Tumbran football, licking their wounds and adjusting to a weaker squad, before smashing the competition and returning to the T-League at the first attempt. They also picked up a Farf — though, as all Farves do, they prefer their specific nationality, namely Faroleran — manager, Morcillo López. His middle name has understandably been avoided by most Tumbran media, but it still appears on most literature, including team sheets. Under López, Clyde Park have become almost a replica of the Farf national team, being hyper-offensive in its outlook; and it was that fast-flowing style which led to them dominating the T-League 2 and securing promotion.

New Arrivals: It’s common knowledge by now that newly-promoted teams must spend to stay up beyond one season. Teams that have done so and succeeded include Fontwell, Colbrook, and Macarthur. Teams that have not done so include Delphi, Guillemard, and Kirkby. Clyde have struck a somewhat strange balance between the two; they’ve brought in talent, sure, but the core of this squad was already Prem-capable, and there wasn’t much adaptation needed to how this team played. The two incoming names are journeyman Martin Barker, who comes off a one-season sojourn in Chromatika where he tried — and failed — to stop Omnio from being relegated, and Chris Tipple from Nantwich, an experienced hand who finally returns to his club of old after departing nearly a decade ago. These aren’t exciting signings by any means, but they’re what Clyde needs, especially with a Prem-capable squad; back-up for a long season.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The good news is that this squad is Prem-capable. That’s about it, however; this squad will face a tough battle if it wants to stay in the Prem beyond this season. The team’s strongest outfit is its midfield; Henry Morgan will be the key player in the middle of the field if Clyde are to pull off rapid transitions, while Patient Habimana, having been given a season to transition into a more attacking midfielder, has shown flashes of quality in the role. Up front, Timothy Haller will be the team’s main attacking point; while he’s serviceable, he’s no Elaine Calare nor Gedeo Escat, who’ve led the line for Clyde in years gone by; and most of the attacking flashiness is expected to come from the wings. where Lynette Frecklington, who has stuck with the team despite their relegation, is expected to shine.

Prospects: Lots of youth promotions have occurred this season too, see this as a generally hungry squad eager to stick two thumbs up to the pundits. Most have them just surviving, whether through the playoffs or in the lower half of the table. Either way, this will be the first time the league has been exposed to Farf football’s attacking outlet. Most pundits, generally, see this going one of two ways; extremely successfully, or with López winning the season’s sweepstakes for “first manager fired”.

Colbrook City

Quick Facts

City and State: Colbrook, Grantfeldt
Last season: 14th, 30 points
Stadium: Colbrook Stadium, 30,000
Nickname: the Northerners; the Postmen
Manager: Vince McCarthy, 54, Tumbra
Style of Play: Heavy, aggressive pressing with one-touch dynamics
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: ST Fedya Yeltsov
Captain: CB Sarah Robson

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Adam Stanton        30  M   TMB
3   LB  Gilian Allison      22  F   TMB
4   CB  Sha Jian            27  M   YZH
5   CB  Sarah Robson        31  F   TMB
2   RB  Gianni Esposito     30  M   SVG/TMB
7   LM  Andrew Everingham   28  M   TKT
19  CDM Brendan Rowling     27  M   TMB
17  CM  Faye de Vries       24  F   TMB/TLI
22  CM  Petrasin Djurovic   26  M   MYT/TLI
23  RM  Akhil Neviud        24  M   SRS
11  ST  Fedya Yeltsov       24  M   TMB/MYT

12  GK  Tobias Matthews     23  M   TMB
25  GK  Gilian Bryce        27  F   TMB
14  LB  Will Tompkins       29  M   TMB
6   CB  Sonja Connolly      24  F   TMB
13  CB  Almar Hussein       33  M   TMB
15  CB  Gareth Williams     20  M   TMB
16  RB  Jennifer Murray     26  F   TMB
8   CDM Didier Hennequin    22  M   JUE
24  CDM Jonathan Hwang      25  M   TMB/QUE
18  CM  John Hyland         26  M   TMB
10  CAM Simon Stansfield    25  M   TMB
21  LW  Alistair McGarry    30  M   TMB
9   RW  Richard Baker       32  M   TMB
26  ST  Sabrina Rigby       24  F   TMB
20  ST  Henry Gerritsen     28  M   TMB

27  CB  Ludwig Pohl         17  M   TMB
28  CM  Damon Fleming       18  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Jonathan Hwang from Fraser Valley, 3.0m
Will Tompkins from Bastion Lions (EUR), 2.0m
Outgoing:
Alex Finlay to Straton, 3.0m
Shana Reed to Kingsbury United, 2.5m
Terence Fordham to Kingsbury United, 2.0m
Lauren Whiteley to FC Inter Nantwich, 2.0m
Philip Chamberlain to Dorival, 1.0m
Promoted:
Gareth Williams, CB

With David Griffiths gone, is there anything stopping this team from the drop?

Last season: Last season saw Colbrook drop dangerously close to the drop; David Griffiths left halfway through the season, with Keenan Pollard filling in for the rest of the season. Pollard’s tenure at the head of the club brought better fortunes to the club, and there were rumours that he would be given the job permanently; but instead the brass brought in Vince McCarthy. McCarthy has had a mixed record in football; he worked wonders with Macarthur City, guiding the side to becoming a solid midtable outfit; a season and a half with Kingsbury ended less spectacularly. The faithful probably would have preferred Pollard; and the rumour surrounding the club is that if McCarthy is given the boot at any time, Pollard will be given the job full-time, no questions asked.

New Arrivals: There haven’t been many incomings that have much strengthened confidence in the squad; the biggest one is Jonathan Hwang, the defensive midfielder from the relegated Fraser Valley side, and who will probably slot in alongside established midfielder Brendan Rowling or be a back-up for him. Either way, the tenacious midfielder, who’s a little short at 177cm, will add much-needed strength for the northern side. The other main signing was Will Tompkins from Eura; but his signing, after having spent the better part of a decade in Eura not doing much of anything, hardly inspired confidence in the fanbase. On the other hand, there were high-profile departures; striker Alex Finlay left for Straton, while Shana Reed, the Brenecian left-back, departed for Kingsbury.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The end result of a somewhat chaotic transfer window is a squad that looks fairly depleted; defender Sha Jian is probably the strongest in a whelming defence, while Brendan Rowling and Petrasin Djurovic are the strongest pieces in a very good midfield. Hwang will be asked to slot in as a more defensive option, or Faye de Vries, the young Tumbran-Licentian, will provide a more offensive outlet. Where this squad falls short, however, is probably the attack; while Fedya Yeltsov is a perfectly decent striker, he’s nowhere near world-beating; and being the sole striker in a formation where midfield strength is the overwhelming option could expose him badly — he’s more used to receiving lots of support from the wings.

Prospects: It’s not looking too good for the plucky club from the north; they’re the current favourites to finish rock bottom. Most have Vince McCarthy atop their “sacked first” sweepstakes, too, reflecting how pessimistic the attitude is up north. And who can blame them? They barely avoided relegation last season, have seen their squad weakened quite a bit, and have a manager who hasn’t been in the game for quite a while. Most pundits say finishing fourteenth would be a miracle; but most also say it’s a bridge too far.

Columbia City

Quick Facts

City and State: Columbia, Alexandria
Last season: 11th, 39 points
Stadium: Columbus Field, 35,000
Nickname: the Southerners; the Fishermen
Manager: Gerald Scicluna, 49, Tumbra
Style of Play: Cautious and counterattacking
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: CDM Takis Pipades
Captain: CB Torcado Fiallo

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  George Danvers      30  M   TMB
16  LB  Aya Kawasaki        27  F   CMT
4   CB  Torcado Fiallo      33  M   TEQ/TMB
19  CB  Vladislav Ilyushin  25  M   PYA
20  RB  Alessandro Baraldi  26  M   TMB/JUE
21  LW  Talla Fetch         22  F   BRE
23  CM  Susan Ramsden       25  F   TMB
18  CDM Takis Pipades       27  M   VDR
24  CAM Manuel Vaquilar     26  M   TMB/FAR/FFD
17  RW  John Fan            25  M   TMB
9   ST  Jean Starling       23  F   TMB

13  GK  Laura Fisher        27  F   TMB
25  GK  Tom Rakepick        24  M   TMB
2   LB  Abid Ali            22  M   TMB
15  CB  Fiona Harcourt      30  F   TMB
5   CB  Hannah Edwards      21  F   TMB
26  CB  Richard Evanson     23  M   TMB
3   RB  Casper Baumgartner  26  M   TMB
14  CM  Kálmán Sásk         29  M   SZO/FFD
8   CM  David Blair         23  M   TMB
6   CM  Joscelin Cable      23  F   TMB
22  CAM Luke Simonyan       20  M   TMB
7   LW  Vanessa Harding     23  M   TMB
10  RW  Caleb Hoffman       23  M   TMB
11  ST  Rianne Cowling      24  F   TMB
12  ST  Andrew Gillingham   30  M   TMB

27  CB  Charon Wilson       17  M   TMB
28  CAM Vicki Brown         18  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Casper Baumgartner from Fraser Valley, 4.5m
Luke Simonyan from Fraser Valley, 2.0m
Hannah Edwards from Couno Rangers, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Nathan Quinn to Bencoolen City, 1.5m
Liang Wei to Beian Bats (YZH), 1.0m
Finlay Hall, released
Promoted:

A respectable return to top-flight football — but can Columbia avoid second-season syndrome?

Last season: Last season — Columbia’s first back in the T-League after a one-season hiatus — saw the Southerners return mostly to form, with a decent eleventh-placed finish and a record which saw them take points from more games than they didn’t — which was always a plus. The focus, according to manager Gerald Scicluna, wasn’t to challenge for anything in their first season; it was to set a firm foundation back on the Prem stage and prepare for a medium-term aim of…for the once taciturn manager, corporate speak seemed to be an easy second language for him to slip back into. Standouts from last season included defensive midfielder Takis Pipades, and Brenecian Talla Fetch, who spent quite a bit of the season injured but showed flashes of promise whenever she did play. If the aim of last season was to establish a firm foothold in the Prem, said foothold was achieved; but now comes the avoidance of second-season syndrome.

New Arrivals: Credit where credit’s due to Scicluna; he’s seemed to go with the approach that not rocking the boat so soon after promotion is good, and has largely kept his squad intact. The incomings include Casper Baumgartner and Luke Simonyan from the relegated Fraser Valley — the first, a right-back who was considered one of the better parts of Fraser’s languid season, and the other an attacking midfielder who’s been deemed old enough to be promoted to the senior squad — as well as Hannah Edwards, who agitated a bit too much for promotion to Couno’s senior squad and was eventually let go, but with a hefty buyback clause on Couno’s part. Either way, none of the three are expected to be immediate starters — though Baumgartner might force his way into the squad sooner rather than later, given how his physical style of play matches up with how Scicluna wants his defences to play — but Edwards and particularly Simonyan might prove to be astute buys for the future.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Does this squad have any glaring weaknesses? In this star-studded era of IFCF football, it can be argued that not having any real star names is a weakness — while Fetch was previously earmarked for international stardom, Brenecia seems to have given up the ghost on their long-suffering football programme, and stopped entering international competitions altogether as economic headwinds buffet their country for what feels like for the fifteenth time this century — but Scicluna knows what he wants from this squad. Takis Pipades is the headliner here, the versatile midfielder, sometimes centre-back, hacking away at ankles and arguing with the ref endearing him to the Columbia faithful; or George Danvers, who stayed loyal to the club despite relegation, batting away balls and being astute with his feet in a manner only he really can. This squad is tight-knit, close, and would probably give their lives for each other; and that can only be a plus in a season that looks set to be the tightest of all time.

Prospects: Most see an unchanged lineup, with some new, young talent placed inside, and most will place them where they finished last cycle — lower half, but with this knowledge comes the follow-up of avoiding complacency and, in Scicluna’s words, “getting the job done.” Survival is the baseline; anything above is a bonus, the playoffs would be a disaster.

Couno Rangers

Quick Facts

City and State: Couno, Napier
Last season: 4th, 54 points
Stadium: Couno Port Stadium, 54,500
Nickname: the Rams; the Reds
Manager: Marco Giuliani, 59, Savigliane/Tumbra
Style of Play: Short, quick-passing play
Prediction: IFCF challengers
Key Player: ST Elaine Howard-Dawes
Captain: CB Joel Tyler

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Caelan Wright       27  M   TLI
16  LB  Hazel Kennedy       26  F   TMB
26  CB  Wilfrid Gouin       26  M   DEL
17  CB  Carlos Coste        29  M   JUE
3   RB  Rôbé Wîjkár         27  M   RÜL/FFD
18  CDM Mark Finnemore      30  M   TMB
5   CM  J-P Vaillancourt    31  M   QUE
8   CM  Vincent Hicks       34  M   TMB
7   LW  Erin Robertson      26  F   TMB
22  RW  Lilith Kendall      25  F   TMB/NPH
11  ST  Elaine Howard-Dawes 24  F   QUE/CMT

23  GK  Jeanette Portman    21  F   TMB
25  GK  Cyril Anderton      25  M   TMB
2   LB  Seren Thomson       33  F   TLI
14  CB  Arwen van As        31  F   TLI
4   CB  Joel Tyler          36  M   TMB
6   CB  Linda Marshall      28  F   TMB
20  RB  Helen Haigh         21  F   TMB
21  CDM Apollinare Quarto   23  M   JUE
13  CDM Vince Cahill        30  M   TMB
19  CM  Morgan Gallagher    26  M   SYL
15  CAM Michelle Vaughan    25  F   TMB
9   LW  Amanda Browne       27  F   TMB
12  RW  A van der Wel       24  F   CMT
10  ST  Holly Howell        28  F   TMB
24  ST  Sylvaine Fortier    26  F   TMB/CMT

27  LB  Norman Chen         19  M   TMB/YZH
28  CM  Sabrina Curtin      17  F   TMB
29  RW  Michael Ofpool      18  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Vince Cahill from Serrapince, 2.5m
Helen Haigh from Hesham, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Kaisa Säfqvist to Anchors (CMT), 7.0m
Ellen Vesper to Hesham, 2.5m
Hannah Edwards to Columbia City, 2.0m
David Burnet to Clark City, 1.5m
Farzana Patel to Millsburgh Revolutionaries, 1.0m
Promoted:
Jeanette Portman, GK

A new era, with a new owner, and a new shirt sponsor — good tidings or signs of turbulence?

Last season: Couno seemed to be neither here nor there last year; not really competitive — third and fourth in the form tables throughout the first and second halves — but not really threatening any of the top three sides. There was intra-squad drama, of course, what with Kaisa Säfqvist constantly mouthing off to the media about a lack of playing time after the deadline-day signing of one Rôbé Wîjkár — but most of the drama happened off-pitch, with the club being involved in a lengthy selling process, from one holding company to another. But that was eventually resolved, and the club is now owned by one Thomas Kim, tech billionaire and sometime-politician, which raised questions over whether the man would be forced to sell the club mere moments after buying it. He announced he’d only sell if he became the Prime Ministerial candidate for the centre-right United Party — and then he absolutely embarrassed himself in the ensuing primary election, so Rams fans are stuck with Tumbra’s most volatile billionaire for the foreseeable future. The main change this season has been a new shirt sponsor; surprisingly, it’s not one of the many companies under Kim’s umbrella, but rather

New Arrivals: To his credit (or discredit, perhaps in a show of how little Kim does know about the sport), Kim let manager Marco Giuliani take control of most business. Fans may have been disappointed at the number of outgoings, however; apart from the expected departure of Kaisa Säfqvist to Anchors after her one-season tenure in Couno, the club also let go of several high-profile youngsters, notably Ellen Vesper and Hannah Edwards. In came Vince Cahill from Serrapince, which was a somewhat confusing signing given his profile wasn’t exactly what Couno need, as well as Helen Haigh as a backup replacement for Säfqvist. The transfers necessarily indicate a desire for stability in the squad as Giuliani approaches a decade in the role; with the news that the other long-serving manager in the series, John Riedweld, is considering retirement, commentators have flocked to the explanation that he may be clearing the table for his successor to do as they wish with the squad.

Strengths and Weaknesses: There aren’t any real, apparent weaknesses with this squad; it’s flush with talent both up top and at the back. Elaine Howard-Dawes, the Chromatik striker, is still hitting the goal with regularity; Erin Robertson and Lilith Kendall have been providing ample support for her, and have grown into the roles of starting wingers quite admirably — Robertson is currently second-string on the national team, and Kendall is in line for a call-up to the Tumbran national team — while in the midfield, Vincent Hicks continues to age like a fine wine, while there are rumours that Jean-Philippe Vaillancourt, as inimitable as he is, may be phased out of the team sooner rather than later; either in favour of Morgan Gallagher, who is keen to become first-choice, or a young prospect from the newly-established links from Farfadillis.

Prospects: Expectations are high. Giuliani’s sole title came seven years ago, and there is more and more pressure on him to deliver a second title, especially with the facilities and personnel at his disposal. Couno haven’t properly challenged for the title since their sole title in the IFCF era then; and with how famously short-tempered Kim is reported to be, Couno will have to challenge, and challenge fast, if he is to have any kind of medium-term job security.

FC Inter Nantwich

Quick Facts

City and State: Nantwich, Finnley
Last season: 8th, 43 points
Stadium: Nantwich Stadium, 64,000
Nickname: the Black-and-Blues; the Bulls
Manager: Rowena Stamper, 64, Brenecia
Style of Play: Hard-working, hard-running, hard-pressing
Prediction: IFCF challengers
Key Player: LW Jake Spekman
Captain: CB Walter Thomas

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Nick Barker         36  M   TMB
14  LB  Martin Hawthorn     28  M   TMB
23  CB  Kira Dormann        28  F   QUE
5   CB  Walter Thomas       31  M   TKT
3   RB  Klara Verlaan       27  F   QUE
6   CDM Isla Bradfield      29  F   SYL
20  CDM Sandra Cho          25  F   TMB
16  CM  Dino Horvat         27  M   MYT
9   LW  Jake Spekman        29  M   TLI/CMT
7   RW  Kim Chae-yeong      24  F   QUE
11  ST  Moussa Wague        29  M   BRO

12  GK  George Lang         24  M   TMB
25  GK  Ferdinand Halliwell 25  M   TMB
2   LB  Holly Willoughby    29  F   TMB
4   CB  Sasha Stepanov      26  F   CMT
13  CB  Michael Hutchinson  25  M   TMB
26  CB  Susan Fox           23  F   TMB
22  RB  Nigel Harris        37  M   TMB
21  CDM Michael Browne      31  M   TMB
8   CM  Andrew Fisher       34  M   TMB
19  CM  Matthias Russelar   20  M   TMB
10  CAM Ron Stark           27  M   TMB
15  LW  Johan Berkenbosch   18  M   TMB/TLI
18  RW  Anne Beckett        29  F   TMB
17  ST  Sharon Trethewey    20  F   TMB
24  ST  Lauren Whiteley     20  F   TMB

27  GK  Lucas Rand          18  M   TMB
28  RB  Janice Henderson    18  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Holly Willoughby from Hesham, 3.2m
Ron Stark from Winchester Traditional (CDG), 3.0m
Lauren Whiteley from Colbrook City, 2.0m
Sharon Trethewey from Bencoolen City, 1.0m
Outgoing:
Chris Tipple to Clyde Park, 2.0m
Joanna Bradford to Sturrey Athletic, 1.5m
Max Mycroft to Shepperton Ravens, 1.2m
Aimée Laurent to Shepperton Ravens, 1.0m
Zheng Haidong to Nangang Royals (YZH), 1.0m
Basilica Coxeter to Lakewood United, 0.0m
Promoted:
Matthias Russelar, CM
Johan Berkenbosch, LW

Are Nantwich destined for midfield mediocrity, or will Rowena Stamper’s summer clear-out signal the start of a turnaround?

Last season: Rowena Stamper presided over Nantwich’s joint-worst finish in the Tumbran top flight in the last fourteen years. That’s an unavoidable part of her first season at the club that now seems to be on a downward slide to the midfield no matter who’s in charge or what the players do. Stamper did, however, say that “tough times” were incoming; and it did seem that said ‘tough times’ culminated in a mass clearout of players, and a lot of promotions.

New Arrivals: On the way out include almost half of the players in the squad above 30, including Chris Tipple (Clyde Park), Max Mycroft and Aimée Laurent (Shepperton), Zheng Haidong (back to Yuezhou) and Basilica Coxeter, who exited in rather more controversial circumstances and whose move to Lakewood United seemed perfectly placed to be a middle finger to the club that she spent the better part of a decade at. And who came in? Quite a few young players — Sharon Trethewey and Lauren Whiteley in particular fit this mould, as well as promoted youngsters Matthias Russelar and Johan Berkenbosch, who seem eager to prove themselves in a squad rife with opportunity. Outside of them, Ron Stark returns from Cassadaigua, his once-boundless potential limited by injuries; he’s being treated “very delicately” because “we all know how talented he can be,” said Stamper at his signing. Holly Willoughby joins from Hesham at left-back; the left-back with a million-dollar smile is said to be relishing the chance to “help the team back up the order.”

Strengths and Weaknesses: At first glance, this team did pick up a lot of weaknesses over the summer. They lost a lot of experience — Laurent and Coxeter in particular will hurt — and picked up a lot of raw talent, who are relatively unknown. But this is Stamper’s chance to shape her squad in her image; and the core talents at the centre of this squad are still there. Kira Dormann, Kim Chae-yeong, and Jake Spekman; those three are now the highest-profile names and will be tasked with dragging Nantwich back into IFCF contestation, at least. Nick Barker remains ever-present at the back; while Dino Horvat and Moussa Wague, who by now have become underrated amongst fans of the Prem, could come in handy too for their upcoming Campionato Esportiva di Campeones campaign.

Prospects: It’s Stamper’s squad, and Stamper will have to take responsibility for whatever results her summer clear-out will bring. It will be tough for this squad to wrestle their way back into the top six — which is where Nantwich have historically been — but there is an outside chance of doing so. Most, however, predict another few seasons of midfield play as the team gets used to its new personnel — which could mean another season of transition.

Fontwell Rovers

Quick Facts

City and State: Fontwell, Marlsbruhe
Last season: 13th, 33 points
Stadium: WesternOil Power Station, 52,000
Nickname: the Rebels; the Westerners; the Wolves
Manager: Russell Lock, 67, Tumbra
Style of Play: Counterattacking football
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: ST Elizabeth Blanc
Captain: LB Nicholas Moss

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Oliver Crossley     31  M   TKT
2   LB  Nicholas Moss       29  M   TMB
4   CB  Tom Lawrence        33  M   TMB
15  CB  Karina Wilkinson    31  F   HAN
20  RB  Gordon Hughes       28  M   TMBf
6   CM  Kevin Dunstan       30  M   TMB
10  CAM Vangelis Anagnakis  26  M   DEL
11  LW  Harvey Osbourne     30  M   TMB
7   RW  Cynthia Grimley     30  F   TMB
9   ST  Elizabeth Blanc     32  F   SVG/TMB
14  ST  Maki Yoshitoshi     24  F   CMT

12  GK  Lawrence Santi      27  M   TMB
21  GK  George Conway       23  M   TMB
13  LB  Michael Jardine     25  M   TMB
23  CB  Ruth Campbell       20  F   TMB
16  CB  Kelly Owens         26  F   TMB
17  CB  Amanda Southwell    27  F   TMB
3   RB  Mira Foster         32  F   TMB
18  CDM Rachel Scott        28  F   TMB
5   CDM Christian Gallagher 34  M   TMB
26  CDM Renata Emmanuelli   22  F   JUE
25  CM  Stephanie Rose      19  F   TMB
8   CM  Roger Scrivener     32  M   TMB
19  LW  Crispin Lombardo    18  M   TMB
24  RW  Sarah Howell        31  F   TMB
22  ST  Robert Holland      22  M   TMB

27  RB  Eunice Smalling     19  F   TMB
28  CM  Tim Crosby          17  M   TMB
29  ST  Paul Hargreaves     17  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Ruth Campbell from Bencoolen City, 1.5m
Outgoing:
Olive Chalmers to Serrapince, 2.0m
Samantha Hedges to AFC Cayalon, 1.0m
Daniel Cowen to Dorival, 0.5m
David Lloyd to Newton Wanderers, 0.5m
Promoted:
Stephanie Rose, CM
Crispin Lombardo, LW

Fontwell have been pulling off several great escapes — how long can they keep it up?

Last season: Fontwell’s terrible first half of the season — three wins in fifteen — saw it hanging in the balance, with only three teams beneath it. Manager Russell Lock allegedly offered his resignation to the club, but it was refused; chairman Lucas Rudolf told Lock that he was going “to be the one who fixed this.” To Lock’s credit, he did turn the situation around. Six wins from fifteen saw the club finish seventh in the second half form table, though they remained in thirteenth near the end of the season. The result, however, was still enough to earn Lock a one-year contract extension; Lock, at the signing ceremony, remarked it was likely to be his “last contract” and was looking to step away from football at the end of the season.

New Arrivals: Perhaps reflecting this being Lock’s last season, there haven’t been many moves made in the off-season; just two promotions from the team’s youth squad, and Ruth Campbell, from the relegated Bencoolen City. Much of the squad still remains the same, however, and the squad’s nominal strongest eleven is the oldest in the Prem, standing at 29.4 years. Lock may be leaving, but his successor, if the squad manages to stay up, with one of the biggest transformations to be made in the club’s history.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The squad’s age is as much a strength as it is a weakness. Names like Nicholas Moss and Karina Wilkinson highlight the defence; Moss being a former national team left-back and Wilkinson being a Hannasean national team starter. This team is full of former national teamers, or those who just missed out — Harvey Osbourne has ten caps, while Elizabeth Blanc and Vangelis Anagnakis add some foreign flair to the team. But this team will need to be slowly phased out over the next few years.

Prospects: Fontwell have seemingly joined the endless list of clubs who made it into the Prem and then…simply not done much with it. This season will be a challenge for Fontwell, having to stay up while dealing with a rapidly-aging squad; and some of the more pessimistic pundits will have them finishing fourteenth. But few say they will go down, though the possibility is always there — and some say, much higher than in the previous few seasons the club have been in the Prem.

Hesham

Quick Facts

City and State: Hesham, Clearmont
Last season: 9th, 40 points
Stadium: George Bowen Stadium, 40,000
Nickname: the Greens; the Ploughmen
Manager: Simon Krajewski, 63, Tumbra
Style of Play: Wing-play emphasised, fast-moving play
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: CB Hugo Mornington
Captain: CB Hugo Mornington

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Alan McDermott      29  M   TMB
24  LB  Miranda Dahlberg    25  M   TMB/TKT
17  CB  Jack Denham         27  M   TMB
2   CB  Hugo Mornington     32  M   SYL
6   RB  Elsie Houston       29  F   TLI/CMT
15  LM  Kurosh Rostami      31  M   SRS
18  CM  Stella Harrington   24  F   TMB
8   CM  Sevda Boulos        26  F   SRS
21  RM  Scott Wilson        25  M   TMB
9   ST  Gerard Deighton     27  M   TMB
22  ST  Lucifer             23  M   TKT

12  GK  Alan Tate           27  M   TMB
25  GK  Daphne Cross        25  F   TMB
3   LB  Scott Evans         25  M   TMB
14  CB  Judith Houghton     30  F   TMB
4   CB  Nathaniel Edmonds   24  M   TMB
26  CB  Alex Holland        25  M   TMB
5   RB  Kerry Peck          23  F   TMB
13  CDM Andrew Hutton       27  M   TMB
16  CM  Nicky Atkinson      34  M   TMB
19  CDM Simon Rushmore      20  M   TMB/TKT
10  CM  V Loustaunau        32  M   FAR/FFD
20  LW  Tom Skelton         24  M   TMB
7   RM  James Halliday      24  M   TMB
11  ST  Ellen Vesper        20  F   TMB
23  ST  Alessio Gagliardini 26  M   TMB/JUE

27  CAM Lily Hurst          20  F   TMB
28  LW  Everton McVeigh     18  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Scott Evans from Foxhampton (EUR), 3.0m
Ellen Vesper from Couno Rangers, 2.5m
Simon Rushmore from Bencoolen City, 1.5m
Outgoing:
Holly Willouhgby to FC Inter Nantwich, 3.2m
Helen Haigh to Couno Rangers, 2.0m
Alisha Thompson to Millsburgh Revolutionaries, 2.0m
Lucas Russell to Sturrey Athletic, 1.0m
Promoted:

Up again, down again — can Hesham ever escape the midfield?

Last season: Hesham, over the course of the past thirteen years, have gained a reputation as midfield warriors. This reputation isn’t unjustified; alongside Kingsbury, Ridgewell, West Couno, and Fraser (the latter two until recently; the former ascending to the ranks of the top six, the latter sliding into the second tier), they were always known as clubs who were perpetually stuck to the midfield. So perhaps it should be no surprise, then, that Hesham spent the last season, again, rooted to the midfield. It says quite a bit about their performance that Newark Argyle, a club that have spent five seasons in the Prem, have a higher average finish (9.2) than Hesham in thirteen (9.4). A good first half gave way to a disappointing second half, with the team only winning five from their last fifteen; but it was enough for ninth in the table overall, just three points and one position off international football.

New Arrivals: Steve Krajewski has been relatively active on the transfer window, choosing to bring in a new crop of youngsters as he lets some older players go; and bring home a player from Eura. The player in question is Scott Evans, who formerly played for Delphi Lionesses (back when they were called the Lions); a leftback who really only identifies as a position so he can be named as such. In truth, he’s more of a free soul who dislikes being pinned down to a single position. Ellen Vesper is a fleet-footed striker who arrived in Hesham on what was basically a swap deal for Helen Haigh; while Simon Rushmore, despite his young age, is a hulking defensive midfielder whose pace might be glacial but is almost Mark Finnemore-like in his positioning and tackling ability.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This team has a surprising amount of star-power behind it; Hugo Mornington, who captains both this and the Sylestone national team; Stella Harrington, who’s quickly gaining renown as a potential long-term successor for Vincent Hicks in the midfield; and the deep-lying striker Gerard Deighton, who’s widely renowned as an assassin from deep infield. But what this club seems to be lacking — and what West Couno had, when they eventually made their push up their leagues, is a single talismanic player. Though individuality isn’t much prized in the Tumbran game — sometimes derided as a ‘game of systems’ by managers come and gone — that could prove to make the difference; and it’s the lack of said prophesied saviour that could prove to be a bridge too far for them.

Prospects: With only relatively minor alterations made to the club’s playing staff, most expect a rerun of last season; while Krajewski outwardly proclaims to be a long-term manager, most see him as a transitional manager until they can get the next managerial big thing which could change their fortunes. Hopes are high that Thomas Branting, current Under-21 manager, could be that man; but for now, Krajewski is doing a much better job than his predecessors to have his job be in danger.

Kingsbury United

Quick Facts

City and State: Kingsbury, Georgia
Last season: 12th, 38 points
Stadium: Fletcher Park, 45,000
Nickname: the Royals; the Princelings
Manager: William Wight, 48, Tumbra
Style of Play: Steady, patient build-up
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: ST Estina McGill
Captain: GK Raphael Brennan

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Raphael Brennan     30  M   TMB
13  LB  Mátyás Boullogne    23  M   TMB/SZO/FFD
4   CB  Joaquin Santo       30  M   JUE
19  CB  Desimir Gavrilovic  30  M   KRU/FFD
2   RB  Luca Cambiaso       32  M   SVG/TMB
6   CDM Coco                30  M   MVE
14  CDM Dominic Gray        23  M   TMB
8   CM  Bede Cheschon       28  M   BRE
22  LW  Michelle Ferris     27  F   TMB
23  RW  Felicity Woodhouse  27  F   TMB
11  ST  Estina McGill       25  F   SRS

12  GK  Thomas Faulkner     23  M   TMB
25  GK  Hugh Williams       25  M   TMB
3   LB  Shana Reed          27  F   BRE
15  CB  Frances Sinclair    28  F   TMB
5   CB  Thora Houghson      25  F   NPH
26  CB  Catherine Martins   25  F   TMB
18  RB  Hans Ferdinand      25  M   TMB
21  CDM Terence Fordham     21  M   TMB
20  CM  Gordon Lythgoe      23  M   TMB
16  CM  Adam Grant          25  M   TMB
10  CAM Edith Ferguson      30  F   TMB
7   LW  Erica Illsley       29  F   TMB
9   RW  Cheryl Nightingale  28  F   TMB
17  ST  Jackie Whittaker    24  F   TMB
24  ST  Gwenaël Beauvais    24  F   CMT

27  LB  Roy Rodriguez       20  M   TMB
28  CB  Titus McMillan      20  M   TMB
29  ST  Duncan Fox          18  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Estina McGill from Iron City (NPH), 5.0m
Michelle Ferris from Northbury FC (CDG), 5.0m
Shana Reed from Colbrook City, 2.5m
Frances Sinclair from Fraser Valley, 2.5m
Terence Fordham from Colbrook City, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Kim Sang-wook to West Couno United, 8.0m
Paul Amos to Bavingtor FC (FVA), 4.0m
Joyce Hughes to Sturrey Athletic, 3.0m
Kieran Hofmann to Sturrey Athletic, 1.7m
Wei Haifeng to SC Jiangdong (YZH), 0.8m
Haradin Moss, released
Promoted:

William Wight seems to be on the brink — can his heavy summer spending save him?

Last season: Oh dear. It seems things haven’t really gone so well for the former Clark City winger and later Hesham manager. Kingsbury followed up on a very respectable eighth placed-finish — enough for a run into the Campionato Esportiva di Campeones — with an altogether more disappointing twelfth place finish. It was a thoroughly uneventful season, with the club also not making it far into the CEdC; a pithy round of 16 exit to Xanneria’s Alexandria City reportedly bringing Wight very close to the sack. It seems he’s bought himself some extra time; but this season brings with itself a whole new bunch of challenges.

New Arrivals: We won’t know if Kingsbury’s transfer business this season seemed motivated by a desire to shed as much weight as possible, or if there were financial considerations behind Kingsbury’s somewhat confusing decisions to get rid of their best striker in Kim Sang-wook, their starting left winger in Joyce Hughes, and a starting defender in Paul Amos. That, and a starting left-back in Wei Haifeng, one of the team’s starting defensive midfielders in Haradin Moss. But Wight may be feeling desperate; which may justify the shake-up of this team. Newcomers include Estina McGill from Iron City, who looks set to be thrust into the role of starting striker immediately; Michelle Ferris, a Tumbran returnee from Cassadaigua, who is leagues more explosive than the relatively calm playstyle of Joyce Hughes; Shana Reed from Colbrook and Frances Sinclair from Fraser, who both look set to buff up the team’s defences respectively. Terence Fordham arrives from Colbrook to provide support to the team’s two starting midfielders.

Strengths and Weaknesses: After a season of disappointment, can shaking up the team really be the best solution? At a pre-season press conference, Wight has defended his approach, saying that “every squad needs a renewal now and then — the only question is whether said renewal is sudden, or gradual; and I think rocking the boat at this moment is something we need.” Whether that will happen remains to be seen. Bede Cheschon remains a calming presence in the midfield, the Brenecian talent now seemingly freed from the duties of international football after the country’s decision to step back from it; while the energetic leftback Mátyás Boullogne could yet prove to be a wildcard in defence. Much hope is being put in the hands of Felicity Woodhouse, as the only member of the team’s starting offense to be retained from last season.

Prospects: Cleaning out the squad one season after an exceptionally disappointing season is a bold move; but it might be one that saves William Wight his job. Kingsbury have always been well-placed to achieve success, especially with their recent stadium expansion; all they need is just a plan to do so. Is this part of it? It reeks more of a sudden correction than anything long-term, but sudden moves could bring about unexpected long-term boons.

by **Tumbra** » Thu Mar 21, 2024 12:10 pm

Lakewood City

Quick Facts

City and State: Lakewood, Severn
Last season: 3rd, 58 points
Stadium: Lakewood City Stadium, 58,000
Nickname: the Skyblues; the Skylarks
Manager: John Riedweld, 62, Tumbra
Style of Play: Possession-based attacking football
Prediction: Title challengers
Key Player: ST Charlotte Henshaw
Captain: RW Robin Vaughn

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Victoria Jones      30  F   TMB
12  LB  Twilight Mixon      29  F   CMT
4   CB  Ian Ashburn         34  M   TMB
5   CB  Txomin Huon         28  M   MRT
3   RB  Leah Robbins        27  F   TKT
8   CDM Lucas McCormick     29  M   TMB
10  CM  Samuel McTavish     30  M   QUE
16  CAM Susan Monaghan      30  F   TMB
7   LW  Nenad Tejic         27  M   MYT
21  RW  Emmanuel Appleby    28  M   TMB
11  ST  Charlotte Henshaw   28  F   TMB

13  GK  Rachel Bullivant    24  F   TMB
25  GK  Graham Henderson    25  M   TMB
2   LB  Sabine Kemp         31  F   TMB
17  CB  Benjamin Byrne      23  M   TMB
14  CB  Paul Barker         25  M   TMB
26  CB  Mark Robinson       24  M   TMB
19  RB  James Larkin        28  M   TMB
6   CM  Victor Leighton     26  M   TMB
20  CDM Serena Philips      28  F   TMB
15  CM  Hazel Hills         26  F   TMB
23  CM  Sarah Watson        23  F   TMB
18  LW  Mairi Taylor        20  F   TMB/TLI
9   RW  Robin Vaughn        38  M   TMB
24  ST  Yvonne Reynolds     22  F   TMB
22  ST  Vivienne Anderson   28  F   TMB

27  CB  Sandy Tobin         18  F   TMB
28  CDM Dylan Byrne         17  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Susan Monaghan from Sabrefell Athletic (NPH), 8.0m
Sabine Kemp from Raven River (NPH), 4.5m
James Larkin from Felswyr (CMT), 3.0m
Outgoing:
Kee Tian to Anomalies (CMT), 5.0m
Valerie Morris to West Couno United, 5.0m
Alex Reid to Ridgewell Rovers, 3.0m
Komang Trisna Kurniawan, released
Promoted:

After nearly twenty seasons at the helm, John Riedweld is looking towards the exit. Who will pick up his legacy?

Last season: Unlike most seasons, where City are usually first out the gate, City were nowhere in the first half of last season. Five losses in the first half of the season meant they finished December in a very disappointing 6th; but they rallied in the second half to win ten of their second half matches and snatch the final Champions’ League spot from Couno. They ended up four points behind the eventual league champions — their local rivals, Lakewood United — but it was a decent recovery for what had been a lacklustre first half of the season. This season will end up bringing a big surprise, however — at his first pre-season press conference, long-serving manager John Riedweld announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. No further reason was given; which led to immediate speculation over the reason he was leaving, but the press quickly caught onto the fact that Riedweld looked thinner and more gaunt than in previous seasons.

New Arrivals: That didn’t stop City from boosting their squad, even with the incoming news; the outgoings of several names like Kee Tian (allegedly after a breakdown in relations between the Naixese player and Riedweld) and Valerie Morris (the team couldn’t come to an agreement with her over a new contract) was counterbalanced with some big names. Susan Monaghan arrives from Sabrefell Athletic, the diminutive attacking midfielder set to be the first pure attacking midfielder in the squad since Phil Cole’s departure; James Larkin returns home after a decade-long sojourn in Chromatika, looking eager to stamp his place on the squad and possibly dislodge a somewhat-unsure Leah Robbins; while Sabine Kemp arrives to buff the left-side of the squad, too. They’re all great, established signings; perfect for his successor to utilise, which will surely be the main mode of contention.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This team has Tumbra’s best striker, Charlotte Henshaw, leading the line. There’s also Nenad Tejic on the left, the aforementioned Monaghan in the centre, supported by names like Lucas McCormick and Samuel McTavish in the midfield. In defence, Ian Ashburn continues to lead the line; and that’s just starters. Bar none, Lakewood City do have the second-best squad on paper, and that’s after counting a 38 year-old Robin Vaughn, who’s sending out strong signals that this season will be his last. The squad haven’t mounted a strong title challenge for a while, however; some have put this down to a lack of player mentality or familiarity with Riedweld’s intricate tactics. With the old manager leaving, however, there’s a bit of unpredictability in this season — how will they react? Will City try to deny United the hat-trick of titles by putting up the fight of its life, to send Riedweld off with style.

Prospects: They’ll be up there, all right: Lakewood City are the only team who have consistently qualified for IFCF competition across all 14 years of the T-League’s IFCF era. The only question is who will succeed Riedweld; the hot favourites include a promotion from within (assistant manager Theodore Houghton) or the Ridgewell manager (Chris Haines).

Lakewood United

Quick Facts

City and State: Lakewood, Tumbra
Last season: 1st, 62 points
Stadium: Trenton Park, 74,500
Nickname: the Reds; the Red Storm
Manager: Andrea Spinelli, 63, Savigliane/Tumbra
Style of Play: Fast-paced pressing, attacking play
Prediction: Title challengers
Key Player: ST Jôs Sürréo
Captains: LB Ipati Aimée, CB Spencer Jepson

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Richard Russell     30  M   TMB
6   LB  Ipati Aimée         32  F   CMT
4   CB  Belinda Proudfoot   28  F   TMB
21  CB  Wendy Pritchett     28  F   TMB
20  RB  Caointiorn Duncan   27  F   TLI
14  LW  Valerie Wells       30  F   TMB
23  CDM Nurija Papez        26  M   MYT
13  CM  Maram Tatsinan      22  F   SRS
7   RW  Emilie Kruetzberg   29  F   CMT
10  SS  Charlotte Eastwood  25  F   SYL
9   ST  Jôs Sürréo          26  M   RÜL/FFD

12  GK  Joseph Cranston     30  M   TMB
25  GK  Henry Woodhouse     27  M   TMB
2   LB  Melvin Skidmore     23  M   TMB
5   CB  Spencer Jepson      34  M   TKT
16  CB  Georgina Byrne      22  F   TMB
26  CB  Gareth Richardson   25  M   TMB
3   RB  Drake L-Ssekitoleko 18  M   BNJ/QUE
11  CM  Alastair Moynihan   26  M   TMB
8   CM  Tamara Goldwin      24  F   TMB
19  CDM Derek Rasmunssen    24  M   GTK
15  CAM Nicolas Pellegrini  26  M   TMB/JUE
24  LM  Tobias Grandelius   27  M   TKT
18  RW  Zheng Hong          25  F   YZH
22  ST  Basilica Coxeter    33  F   NPH
17  ST  Naomi Levinson      19  F   TMB

27  GK  Ramesh Patel        18  M   TMB
28  LB  Charlie Herlinger   17  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Valerie Wells from AFC Treason (NPH), 10.0m
Wendy Pritchett from Grande Mountain (CDG), 6.0m
Henry Woodhouse from Ulsa Rovers (EUR), 3.0m
Alastair Moynihan from Fraser Valley, 2.0m
Basilica Coxeter from FC Inter Nantwich, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Kendra Considine Ramsey, retired
Christina Holsworth to Newark Argyle, 2.3m
Brian Whittaker to West Couno United, 1.2m
Cameron Keyes to Excelsior (SYL), 1.0m
Travis Dolan to Marbury (SYL), 1.0m
Gary Shepard to AFC Cayalon, 1.0m
Romain Coutard, released
Promoted:

Can anyone stop the juggernaut that is Lakewood United?

Last season: Lakewood United became only the second team since Lakewood City to win two titles in a row — though this second title was much less convincing than their first, especially considering they suffered a collapse in form from the twentieth to the twenty-fifth matchday. They only won one game in this time; and came very close to losing the lead of the championship. Eventually, they came through; but there was a widespread perception that this second title was much more hard-fought for than their first. A second consecutive semi-final appearance in the Champions’ League, however, saved most blushes; while Lakewood United have never won the biggest tournament in world football, the club are now at least one of the biggest names to be reckoned with there.

New Arrivals: Any worry that the rate of accumulation of players would slow down when it came to United was assuaged when the club opened the window with the ten million dollar signing of Valerie Wells to replace the retiring Kendra Considine; there have been reports that left winger Tobias Grandelius is scrabbling towards the exit after her signing, reportedly angry that his chance to hold the starting left-wing position was only his for a season. Other signings have been similarly explosive — Wendy Pritchett came home from Cassadaigua for six million dollars, while Basilica Coxeter was signed from Nantwich on a free after she declared her intention to exit the club. The move for the 33 year-old striker came with a hefty signing-on fee; one that some perhaps deemed expensive for a striker of that age, but she is proven quality and is willing to play a secondary role to starting striker Jôs Sürréo. Elsewhere, Henry Woodhouse and Jonathan Hwang join from Eura and the relegated Fraser Valley, mostly to buff up the squad; Hwang in particular has been touted as an underrated gem, and playing time could prove to be vital to his image.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This squad is the strongest in the league. There’s almost no doubt about that; there’s no way names like Jôs Sürréo — Player of the Year for two years running — and Charlotte Eastwood, the Sylestonean supporting striker won’t be on many lips as the season goes by. In the midfield, Squornshelan talent Maram Tatsinan is beginning to turn heads with her mature, composed play in the middle of the park even at her young age; while Nurija Papez, the Mytanar defensive midfielder adds to that Lakewood United domination of the midfield. At the back, Richard Russell is an exceptionally safe pair of hands; a very traditional goalkeeper who doesn’t really leave his box but utterly controls everything that comes into it. This is a team with egos, though; but Andrea Spinelli, whose career includes a short stint at Sanford Falls PREMIER, does have a knack for managing those. He wouldn’t be manager of United for nearly a decade if he couldn’t do that here, either.

Prospects: No obvious weaknesses, and the strongest team the T-League has ever seen. There’s a reason why Lakewood United are favourites to become the first team since Couno in 1956 to win three titles in a row. Make no mistakes, the rest of the league will have to chase United down; but this United team’s biggest strength is its sheer consistency and ability to power through result after result after result.

Newark Argyle

Quick Facts

City and State: Newark, Severn
Last season: 7th, 44 points
Stadium: Newark Henza Arena, 38,000
Nickname: the Falcons; the Greens; Argyle
Manager: Toby Barton, 56, Tumbra
Style of Play: Fast, expressive, youth-focused
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: CM Gemma Rodway
Captain: RM Simon Oliveira

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
25  GK  Elaine Xu           24  F   YZH/TMB
12  LB  Craig Anderton      27  M   TMB
14  CB  Deng Daiyu          30  F   YZH
5   CB  Honorio Menez       27  M   MRT
3   RB  Behai Griffin       23  F   CMT
16  LM  Ian McDermott       30  M   TMB
6   CDM Heather Hindmarsh   24  F   TMB
26  CM  C van der Borght    24  F   CMT
8   CM  Gemma Rodway        31  F   SYL
11  RM  Simon Oliveira      30  M   JUE
9   ST  Lowen Murdoch       27  M   NPH/BRE

1   GK  Darcy Lewis         30  M   TMB
17  GK  Alan Thorley        23  M   TMB
2   LB  Amanda Andrews      29  F   TMB
18  CB  Ochoa Abril         34  M   TEQ/TMB
13  CB  August Wölfflin     24  F   CMT
20  CB  Nicole Tindall      25  F   TMB
15  RB  Jude McCreary       23  M   TMB
4   CDM Christina Holsworth 21  F   TMB
24  CM  Monica Searle       23  F   TMB/NPH
19  CM  Gina Holland        24  F   TMB
10  CAM Colin Campbell      24  M   TMB
21  LM  Trevor Stewart      22  M   TMB
23  RM  Henrietta Colvin    21  F   TMB
7   ST  Rose Fleetwood      34  F   SYL
22  ST  Tom Elliot          23  M   TMB

27  CM  Justin Hudson       20  M   TMB
28  CB  Eve Colvin          19  F   TMB
29  RW  Dominic Brent       18  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Elaine Xu from West Couno United, 3.5m
Gina Holland from Fraser Valley, 2.5m
Christina Holsworth from Lakewood United, 2.3m
Outgoing:
Davide Sandino, retired
Will Nicholson to Straton, 2.2m
Joanna Harding to Millsburgh Revolutionaries, 1.8m
Lisa Hayes to Port Marray, 0.3m
Maurice Moore to Readale Wanderers, 0.2m
Promoted:
Henrietta Colvin, RM

Fresh off a Cup victory, will Toby Barton’s focus on youth finally pay off?

Last season: After half a season of getting used to Toby Barton’s sudden entrance into the role of manager — the rumours were that he was always Newark’s choice after what he’d done with the under-18s, but Desmond Clarke’s removal necessitated he step in earlier than expected — Newark’s form improved drastically. Eight wins in the first half of the season was followed by a slightly muted five in the second half, but it was still enough for them to finish seventh with a very impressive forty-four points. That allowed them to qualify for international competition — the Campionato Esportiva di Campeones, funnily enough. But the real highlight of the season was the team’s cup run; while their path to the final was easier than Lakewood City’s, Newark did outplay City in the final. Overall, it was a surprising season for Newark fans; not just because of the drastic improvement over the season before, where Newark were somewhat in danger of relegation, but because of that sudden Cup run.

New Arrivals: And suddenly expectations are heightened. But a mass of departures — retirements, Will Nicholson choosing to leave for Straton in the face of massive competition for the centre-back spot, and Barton quite brutally offloading some players who’d been with Newark since their time in the second division — meant there were quite a few entrants. Elaine Xu comes from West Couno United, ostensibly earmarked to be the club’s new starting goalkeeper; while Gina Holland and Christina Holsworth arrive to shore up the midfield. Holsworth in particular is an interesting talent; Newark’s midfield is one of the stronger ones in the upper-midfield yet she still chose to make the move. Finally, Henrietta Colvin, the older sister of youth player Eve Colvin, is moved up to the senior squad.

Strengths and Weaknesses: For years, most pundits were said to have overrated Newark’s squad; an impressive debut season aside, they’d never really lived up to the hype that their squad’s personnel warranted. That period seems to be over; with names such as Honorio Menez and Deng Daiyu at the back, Newark have one of the strongest defences outside the top six; Heather Hindmarsh’s rapid improvement at the base of midfield has seen her earn call-ups to the national team, while Gemma Rodway serves as the team’s main creative pivot. Their main weakness — and one that was acknowledged by their former manager, Desmond Clarke — was a lack of depth, and this season’s signings seem to have fixed that at least somewhat.

Prospects: A repeat of the league position will be expected, though Barton (full name Edmund — he just goes by Toby) seems to have adapted well to the demands of full-time club management quite smoothly. The former under-18s manager has also stacked his squad full of young prospects — which, understandably, he finds easier to work with — and seems to be playing well in line with how the club’s Chromatik owners want them to. The Tumbran midtable is always unpredictable, but Newark seem to have a recipe for success here.

Ridgewell Rovers

Quick Facts

City and State: Ridgewell, Westmond
Last season: 5th, 50 points
Stadium: Kensington Stadium, 48,000
Nickname: the Blues; the Rovers
Manager: Chris Haines, 53, Tumbra
Style of Play: Slightly defensive; long passes
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: ST Heidi Canavan
Captain: CM Ian Robertson

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mike Hahn           29  M   TMB
19  LB  Hannah McTavish     27  F   QUE/CMT
5   CB  Antonio Silva       22  M   ELM
3   CB  Mario Queiros       28  M   CBZ
20  RB  Goron Sauber        29  M   SRS
6   CM  Fulgencio Ermis     24  M   BRO
22  CM  Ian Robertson       30  M   TMB
12  CAM Kirsten Desmond     31  F   NPH
7   LW  Lara Beaugemont     26  F   ELM
11  RW  Dimitra Conder      32  F   NPH
16  ST  Heidi Canavan       28  F   TMB

13  GK  Alexia Simmons      24  F   TMB
24  GK  Daniel Meredith     25  M   TMB
2   LB  Charlotte Schöner   24  F   CMT
15  CB  Alex Reid           21  M   TMB
18  CB  Donovan Cox         25  M   TMB
25  CB  Edmün Îmiév         26  M   TMB/RÜL/FFD
4   RB  Parminder Kaur      25  F   TMB
26  CDM Nicole Irving       23  F   TMB
8   CM  Quinten van der Ven 29  M   TLI
21  CM  Angela Makeba       24  F   TMB/OSR
10  CAM Iris Steele         21  F   TMB
17  LW  Clarissa Nunnaro    24  F   TMB/OSR
9   RW  Catherine Taggart   21  F   TMB
23  ST  Charlie Ross        27  M   TMB
14  ST  Oliver Penn         23  M   TMB

27  RB  Jean Lockworth      20  F   TMB
28  CB  Emma Diamond        18  F   TMB
29  ST  Ruth Schneider      17  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Alex Reid from Lakewood City, 3.0m
Catherine Taggart from Straton, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Malachite Riester, retired
Kwak Seung-hyeok to Olympique de Rimouski (QUE), 1.0m
Toshikushi Nakagone to Jan Mayen Islanders (PIS), 1.0m
Promoted:
Iris Steele, CAM

Ridgewell broke all expectations last season by reaching the Challengers’ Cup — will they be able to repeat that performance?

Last season: Taking advantage of Nantwich and West Couno’s slide in fortunes — the former across the season, the latter in the second half — Ridgewell broke through, to most people’s surprise, and finished fifth to break through the glass ceiling of midtable teams and reach the IFCF spots after a decade and a half of near-irrelevance. Key to this was, as ever, the dressing room spirit fostered by ex-captain Malachite Riester (who decided to call it quits in the off-season) and Chris Haines’ entertaining style of football, which has seen him be allegedly courted by Lakewood City. But what can’t be ignored is the general improvement in the squad’s quality over the years; so much so that Haines essentially chose this season’s transfer window to cool off and focus on his existing players.

New Arrivals: Riester’s retirement and the departures of two squad players — Kwak Seung-hyeok and Toshikushi Nakagone — meant that a few spaces opened up. These spots were filled by locals; Alex Reid arrived from Lakewood City seeking more playing time, while Catherine Taggart seemingly didn’t see a path for consistent playtime in Straton, and ventured up to the league’s northernmost club. Iris Steele was promoted to the senior squad after a promising amount of development. Overall, Ridgewell’s activity — or lack thereof — reflects a certain amount of confidence that Haines has in his squad.

Strengths and Weaknesses: And, to be fair to him, it is a pretty strong squad. The team’s surprise moves for names like Kirsten Desmond and Dimitra Conder surprised many, but they ended up fitting in perfectly into the squad — and ended up being the last pieces of the puzzle for Ridgewell’s rise to fifth place. The team’s midfield is probably its strongest piece; names like Quinten van der Ven, Ian Robertson, and Fulgencio Ermis make sure that Haines’ style of controlling the midfield goes quite easily. Up front, Heidi Canavan is probably one of the best strikers, if not the best, outside the top six; the twin-braided striker has one of the best scoring records in the division. Not many know, however, of how big the impact of losing team captain Malachite Riester will be; the Nepharan was quite the dominating influence in the dressing room, and her decision to retire was somewhat of a surprise to most.

Prospects: Teams that hit the big-time often are described as flying too close to the sun. Clyde did it once, over a decade ago, with their Fantastic Four of Fraser, Cresswood, Laishram, and Kwak (Hyeong-joon) reached the dizzying heights of sixth; their slide down the order began almost immediately after. Columbia reached the Challengers’ Cup once, and only once; then they began a slide of their own which culminated in relegation. Time will tell if the same fate will engulf Ridgewell, especially with the loss of Riester; Haines is projecting confidence, but this season will be key in seeing if their performance last season was a genuine effort or if it was, like so many other cases, a flash in the pan.

Serrapince

Quick Facts

City and State: Serrapince, Bechor
Last season: 2nd, 60 points
Stadium: Serrapince Park, 74,500
Nickname: the Bees; the Black-and-Golds
Manager: Lars Hartmansson, 52, Graentfjall
Style of Play: High-pressing, high-intensity football
Prediction: Title Challengers
Key Player: CAM Sara Vatnarsdóttir
Captain: CDM Laura Ness

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Branko Cvitkovic    25  M   TMB/MYT
2   LB  Annie Renton        29  F   TMB
20  CB  Ian Narváez         26  M   HUA
14  CB  Klavida Régine      32  F   CMT
3   RB  Odwin Muir          27  M   CMT
23  CDM Zhaxi Jianzan       25  F   YZH
6   CDM Laura Ness          36  F   SCT/TMB
10  CAM Sara Vatnarsdóttir  28  F   GRÆ
7   LW  Jack Ryland         26  M   SYL
22  RW  Aneurin Wakering    27  M   BRE
9   ST  Ceferino Audiol     28  M   JUE

12  GK  Melanie Haywood     24  F   TMB
25  GK  Max Wallace         20  M   TMB
13  LB  Fiona Jones         26  F   TMB
5   CB  Michael Toussaint   32  M   SVG/TMB
4   CB  Maurice Skilling    25  M   TMB
24  CB  Faas Bosman         25  M   TMB/TLI
19  RB  Ed Wright           26  M   TMB
15  CM  Luciano Matteucci   26  M   TMB/JUE
8   CM  Juliet Beecham      24  F   TMB
21  CDM John Davies         25  M   TMB
18  CAM A-M Hansdottir      26  F   TJL/TMB
17  LW  Paul Tucker         26  M   TMB
11  RW  Olive Chalmers      20  F   TMB
26  ST  Tricia Barker       28  F   TMB[/b]
16  ST  August Haller       29  F   TMB

27  CB  Ruth Andersen       20  F   TMB
28  ST  Jêba Ruelan         19  M   TMB/FFD/RÜL

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Annie Renton from Victoriaville (CDG), 6.0m
Zhaxi Jianzan from Chardonnay Rangers (NPH), 5.0m
Tricia Barker from Fraser Valley, 5.0m
Olive Chalmers from Fontwell Rovers, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Chris Finney to Straton, 5.5m
Vince Cahill to Couno Rangers, 2.0m
Rob Brougham to Straton, 2.0m
Corinne Fontana to Millsburgh Revolutionaries, 1.5m
Bayu Anggara, released
Promoted:
Max Wallace, GK

Are Serrapince really the best that Tumbra can scrounge up as opposition to the juggernaut that is Lakewood United?

Last season: Despite finishing just two points off eventual winners Lakewood United in the championship, there was something distinctly unconvincing about Serrapince last season. Perhaps it was their form, which largely flew under the radar — nine wins apiece in the first and second half of the season — or perhaps it was their more low-key way of approaching games. Distinctly less attention was paid to them this season compared to last, however; which may have been because the novelty of watching their new-look front four had quite worn off. There was only so many times the tidbit of saying Aneurin Wakering was the most expensive signing in T-League history could be phrased, after all. Their second-place passed quite under the radar, however; they were stalking horses for most of the season, and it was ultimately their consistency that netted them a very deserved runner-up spot. But are they really the best that the league can find to compete against United?

New Arrivals: This season has seen Serrapince spend quite a bit, but not on the level that the summer of Season 13 saw them do. There were three big signings — Annie Renton coming home from Cassadaigua, Zhaxi Jianzan from Nephara, and Tricia Barker from the relegated Fraser Valley. Renton, a defensively-oriented left-back and starter on the national team, is expected to slot right into the starting lineup; while Zhaxi is expected to both immediately start next to, and be the long-term successor to, Laura Ness, who’s still chugging along at the age of 36. Barker, despite her national team pedigree, is likely to be back-up to starting striker Ceferino Audiol. The singings went quite a long way to assuaging concerns over Serrapince’s depth, which did become quite a thing in the later Danny Haverhead years.

Strengths and Weaknesses: All the evidence points against it, but the consistent criticism of manager Lars Hartmansson’s tactics is that he sits back and allows Sara Vatnarsdóttir to do all the work. Truth be told, it would have been a pretty good strategy anyway; the outspoken Graentfjaller is a powerhouse in midfield, and one of the two halves of what keeps the cogs in the team going. The other, of course, is Laura Ness; now thirty-six but still going strong, the naturalised Schottic midfielder is part of the last generation of Schottic players to make their way into the international football stage before the World Cup 80 winners stopped their football program. The defensive midfielder is a team leader in every sense of the term; her ability to dictate the pace of play is still unrivalled, even as the veteran midfielder nears the end of her career. Up top, Ceferino Audiol, Juven striker, runs the show; but let’s not forget Sylestonean talent Jack Ryland, with his boyish charm and short-back-and-sides hair proving a deceptively innocent look despite his ability to perform almost any role on the left wing.

Prospects: A title challenge is almost certainly expected; whether they’ll be able to string enough games together to make it count is another thing. Serrapince were strong, but whether that strong was title-winning strong is another matter. The integration of Zhaxi into the team will also be crucial as to whether the team will be able to get going early; getting Aneurin Wakering back to his best form, after he suffered a slight dip in his fortunes near the end of last season, will also be very important.

Straton

Quick Facts

City and State: Straton, Straton
Last season: 10th, 40 points
Stadium: Straton Olympic Stadium, 63,000
Nickname: the Senators; the Capitals
Manager: Edmund Finnegan, 61, Tumbra
Style of Play: Short-passing, moderately attacking
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: LW Peter Hurst
Captain: CB Carole Bond

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Joe Bonner          30  M   TMB
12  LB  Chris Finney        30  M   TMB
3   CB  Anni Pellonpekko    25  F   SRS
17  CB  Carole Bond         28  F   TMB
16  RB  Lesley Keller       29  F   SYL
10  CM  Liang Tao           30  M   YZH
6   CDM Hannah Harwood      27  F   TMB
9   RW  Charlie Baker       30  M   TMB
20  CAM Desmond Sartain     27  M   TMB
7   LW  Peter Hurst         27  M   TMB
11  ST  Dhana Thorsen       25  F   TKT

23  GK  David Knight        26  M   TMB
25  GK  Douglas Campbell    26  M   TMB
2   LB  Claudia Maartens    20  F   TMB/TLI
5   CB  Will Nicholson      21  M   TMB
24  CB  Abigail Paterson    26  F   TMB
4   CB  John Bartlett       20  M   TMB
13  RB  Chris Carter        34  M   TMB
8   CDM Adrian Hewitt       31  M   TMB
19  CM  Casper Hovhannisyan 24  M   TMB
22  CM  Rachel McLaren      20  F   TMB
18  CAM Rob Brougham        21  M   TMB
14  LM  Daniel Hayward      20  M   TMB
21  RW  Harriet Bevins      28  F   TMB
26  ST  Alex Finlay         27  M   TMB
15  ST  Duncan Hall         27  M   TMB

27  GK  Katheryne Broughton 17  F   TMB
28  RB  Bernice Evans       17  F   TMB
29  LW  Chelsea Tartwell    18  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Chris Finney from Serrapince, 5.5m
Dhana Thorsen from Ararat (MYT), 4.0m
Adrian Hewitt from Concord Heights (CDG), 3.0m
Alex Finlay from Colbrook City, 3.0m
Will Nicholson from Newark Argyle, 2.2m
Rob Brougham from Serrapince, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Ophelie Bernard, retired
Kirsten McDonald to Sturrey Athletic, 2.8m
Catherine Taggart to Ridgewell Rovers, 2.0m
Amund Freyrsson to Millsburgh Revolutionaries, 1.6m
Clodio Noya to Macarthur City, 1.5m
John Turnbull to Millsburgh Revolutionaries, 1.3m
Tino, released
Gethin Stewart, released
Vlart Hedberg, released
Promoted:
Claudia Maartens, LB
John Bartlett, CB
Rachel McLaren, CM

It’s clear-out time over at Straton — but is it too fast, too soon?

Last season: Michael Aitken’s experiment was short-lived; he was gently told to leave halfway through the season, and former under-21 manager Edmund Finnegan was put into the job. He was unable to do much to rescue the capital team’s flagging season — at one point they were bottom, and ended the first fifteen games with just four wins — but he was able to drag them to a respectable tenth, which included a run of four wins in five from matchdays 21 to 25.

New Arrivals: What happened in the summer, however, then was described as a “massacre”. Lots of players were let go; starting striker Tino, who was unwilling to sign a new contract, was essentially frozen out of the team for the last three months of the season. Experienced fullback Gethin Stewart was let go with little more than a cake and a social media post thanking him for his service; so was Vlart Hedberg, the Squornshelan defensive midfielder. And that was just the free transfers; across the summer, players were shipped out at a somewhat alarming rate; and players were brought in. With the exception of Chris Finney — who was explicitly a signing brought in for experience — the vast majority of signings and promotions were 25 and under. Finnegan explained it by saying that the team needed “shock therapy” to get them back to the top of the table. Whether that will actually work remains to be seen.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The obvious weakness is the sudden squad turnover; pundits were surprised that such a wide-ranging move was done in just one summer. Finnegan will have quite the task on his hands if he is to get the squad playing cohesive football under him; though the manager already has had a bit of time to at least get the nominal starters to understand how he plays. As for specific personnel; Carole Bond is easily the team leader at this point in time, even if she never did achieve the same level of fame as her contemporary Belinda Proudfoot. Peter Hurst is the standout on the offensive side of things, but people will be seeing if Tikariotian striker Dhana Thorsen, who arrived for quite a hefty price from Mytanija, will be able to do the business up front and serve as an adequate replacement for the departing Tino.

Prospects: This is essentially a new squad. Pundits have placed them anywhere from seventh to thirteenth, but nobody sees them cracking the top six — Finnegan’s long-term objective — anytime soon. The consensus is that they’ll be in the upper half of the midfield; and they need to be, or Finengan’s tenure at Straton might come to a rapid end. But if it does, the question remains — who will be the next unlucky person to occupy the post of Straton manager?

Sturrey Athletic

Quick Facts

City and State: Sturrey, Thornton
Last season: 2nd, T-League 2, 60 points
Stadium: Coldfield Lane, 35,000
Nickname: the Maroons; the Lactics
Manager: Dan Crosby, 47
Style of Play: Uncompromising defence
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: LM Joyce Hughes
Captain: CB Ian Coleman

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
23  GK  Colin Kirby         26  M   TMB
2   LB  Kirsten McDonald    27  F   TMB
15  CB  Chris Vowles        29  M   TMB
21  CB  Andrew Parker       27  M   TMB
5   RB  Sergey Kharlamov    23  M   PYA
8   LM  Joyce Hughes        30  F   TMB
16  CDM Tanya Hughes        26  F   TMB
19  CM  Ákos Trouvé         28  M   SZO/FFD
17  RM  Sadbdh Mark         31  F   BRE
7   ST  Lucas Russell       33  M   TLI
11  ST  Joanna Bradford     29  F   TMB

1   GK  Jan Murray          29  M   TMB
25  GK  Kathleen Phelps     25  F   TMB
12  LB  Laurel Hilling      32  F   TMB
4   CB  Ian Coleman         34  M   TMB
18  CB  Barry Hamilton      30  M   TMB
3   CB  David Kavanaugh     20  M   TMB
13  RB  Alan Devine         20  M   TMB
14  CDM Fiona Morrison      30  F   TMB
26  CM  Tammy Swinn         20  F   TMB
20  CM  Alison Foster       26  F   TMB
10  CM  Tyler Goodwin       25  M   TMB
6   CAM Joseph Burgess      23  M   TMB
22  LW  Vanessa Reynolds    21  F   TMB
9   RW  Kieran Hofmann      19  M   TMB
24  ST  Debbie Burrows      25  F   TMB

27  CB  V Ramachandran      17  M   TMB
28  CDM Kim Hawksley        18  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Joyce Hughes from Kingsbury United, 3.0m
Kirsten McDonald from Straton, 2.8m
Sergey Kharlamov from Vantanoch (TKT), 2.0m
Kieran Hoffmann from Kingsbury United, 1.7m
Joanna Bradford from FC Inter Nantwich, 1.5m
Lucas Russell from Hesham, 1.0m
Outgoing:
Marcus Ganley to Macarthur City, 1.3m
Joe Mercer to Newton Wanderers, 0.2m
Ivar Halgorsen, released
Thore Grönholm, released
Promoted:
David Kavanaugh, CB
Alan Devine, RB
Tammy Swinn, CM
Vanessa Reynolds, LW

Sturrey return to the league two seasons after they departed it — how will they fare, and will they survive the relegation fight?

Last season: Sturrey finished quite some distance behind eventual T-League 2 winners Clyde Park, but it was enough for them to secure promotion back to the top tier of Tumbran football after a two-season hiatus. The squad that did looked much the same as it did when they went down, perhaps unsurprisingly, in the first-ever season of the shrunken sixteen-team league; but there were some new additions and some departures. Manager Dan Crosby — himself a former Sturrey player — has been surprisingly laid-back regarding the proposition of immediate relegation; but he seems confident enough in his skills and the calibre of incoming players to beat the drop.

New Arrivals: Quite surprisingly, names like Ivar Halgorsen and Thore Grönholm, who had been mainstays of the team back when the league was still called the Premier Division. But when the signings came in, there was less of a surprise. Names like Lucas Russell, Kirsten McDonald, and Joyce Hughes were surprise signings; not many expected players of that calibre to willingly sign up for a relegation fight. Joanna Bradford and Kieran Hoffmann would join the party later; and to add some foreign flair, Pyazhnayan defender Sergey Kharlamov would join late in the window. It was a surprisingly stacked window for Sturrey; no less than four promotions from the youth ranks to the senior squad, too, marked a window in which the club strengthened rapidly in a very short amount of time.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Most of the new signings will be expected to be the ones who drag Sturrey to safety. Lucas Russell and Joanna Bradford will be expected to provide goals, with Russell looking to play further back and support Bradford. Kirsten McDonald and Sergey Kharlamov will provide added defences on the wings, while Joyce Hughes is expected to be the team’s main creative outlet. As with Straton, however, concern has been raised over the sudden turnover of players at the club; Crosby will have to integrate them into the squad very quickly. Also quite worrying is the lack of experienced depth at the club, though this has been played down by the manager, who’s quite confidently declared that “any player I decide to play is ready to play. No ifs, no buts. I have confidence in my players.”

Prospects: Fans and pundits alike expect a relegation struggle with the likes of Colbrook, Clyde, and Fontwell; but most agree that Sturrey have a better chance than at least Colbrook to survive the season. Crosby generally runs a tight ship, and Sturrey were probably very correct in retaining him even after the club went down; in the five seasons that he’s been in charge, he’s become something of a local hero. Expect this team to surprise.

West Couno United

Quick Facts

City and State: Couno, Napier
Last season: 6th, 48 points
Stadium: Wrenchwelt Stadium, 42,000
Nickname: the Pilots; the Chocolatiers
Manager: Samara Kaniatarii, 52, Quebec/Gatchinggerak Union
Style of Play: Quick-passing, fast-moving play
Prediction: IFCF challengers
Key Player: LW Luka Vujanovic
Captain: ST Vasya Reisinger

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mederick Brown      27  M   QUE
19  LB  Christopher Morgan  28  M   TMB
4   CB  N-H McKinley        28  M   QUE
16  CB  Ezgjan Kobilcov     25  M   MYT
3   RB  Joey Sterling       28  M   TLI/CMT
6   CM  Danilo Sevaljevic   28  M   MYT
18  CM  Valerie Morris      29  F   TMB
8   CAM Muharem Hajdarpasic 25  M   MYT
9   LW  Luka Vujanovic      25  M   MYT/TMB
7   RW  Cyrus Vette         29  M   CMT
22  ST  Kim Sang-wook       27  M   QUE/CMT

12  GK  Brian Whittaker     20  M   TMB
23  GK  Jack Bishop         27  M   TMB
2   LB  Jack Chen           20  M   TMB
17  CB  Zhao Fan            23  F   YZH
5   CB  George Steel        31  M   TMB
25  CB  Lionel Cooper       22  M   TMB
13  RB  Mike Sheppard       36  M   TMB
20  CDM Stephen Goodman     28  M   TMB
15  CM  Rajmund Sitko       30  M   BRE
14  CM  John Lawrence       30  M   TMB
26  CAM Mathias Schärer     27  M   TJL/TMB
21  LW  Anthony Sorengard   19  M   TMB
10  RW  Penny Wilson        27  F   TMB
11  ST  Vasya Reisinger     33  F   NPH
24  ST  Hazel Garlick       29  F   TMB

27  GK  Ross Kinsler        19  M   TMB
28  CB  Marcus Ashwin       20  M   TMB
29  CM  Glenn Tobiasson     19  M   TMB/GRF

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Kim Sang-wook from Kingsbury United, 8.0m
Valerie Morris from Lakewood City, 5.0m
Danilo Sevaljevic from AFC Corvistone, 3.0m
Anthony Sorengard from Fraser Valley, 2.3m
Brian Whittaker from Lakewood United, 1.2m
Outgoing:
Elaine Xu to Newark Argyle, 3.5m
Hazel Garlick to Shepperton Ravens, 1.7m
Julie Dufour to Soldarian FC (VAL), 1.0m
Ashley Asanta, released
Eden Wright, released
Alexis Charron-Becker, released
Hayley Stanway, released
Promoted:
Jack Chen, LB

A disappointing second half of the season gave way to crisis — will Samara Kaniatarii hold on to her job?

Last season: What was shaping up to be a very good campaign for West Couno United ended up turning into a near-disaster, as second at the mid-season break turned into sixth at the end of it. During that time, West Couno won just five games — relegation form — and WCU manager Samara Kaniatarii was allegedly on the verge of being sacked, for want of an adequate replacement for the title-winning Quebecois. Make no mistake, however; tensions are high around the club, and there have been rumours that Kaniatarii might choose to walk instead of being pushed by the club she brought so much success to.

New Arrivals: Part of WCU’s drop in form last season was also because of a major drop in form by Vasya Reisinger, the typically talismanic striker for the Pilots; it was made very clear by Kaniatarii that new signing Kim Sang-wook was meant to light a fire under the Nepharan’s arse. Kim is an exceptional striker who’d probably outgrown Kingsbury by the time he was transferred; though 8 million was seen as daylight robbery for a team that had slumped to twelfth in the table. Other signings included Valerie Morris from City, and perhaps more excitingly, Danilo Sevaljevic from AFC Corvistone to add to WCU’s midfield. The Mytanar contingent at the club grows ever more, and the club has seemingly monopolised support in neighbourhoods with a higher concentration of the Rushmori country’s denizens. Anthony Sorengard comes in to replenish the wings, as does Brian Whittaker from Lakewood United; the latter replacing Elaine Xu, who takes the mantle of starting goalkeeper at Newark Argyle.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The squad went quite an overhaul in the off-season — though not as far-ranging as that of Straton’s or Sturrey’s — reflecting perhaps a frustration of Kaniatarii at her playing personnel over the last season. Four players were released for free and Julie Dufour was let go for a song as Kaniatarii culled highly-paid players who were no longer worthy, seemingly, of wearing the blue of West Couno. There remain a whole host of stars who have kept their place, however; Luka Vujanovic, Couno born-and-bred, and who later declared his international allegiance for Mytanija, is the star of this team; alongside Noel Hercule-McKinley in defence, though he did have some waning performances last season and could see his starting position usurped by Zhao Fan, who impressed when she played in his place. Muharem Hajdarpasic was a target for criticism last season, too, and has been challenged by Kaniatarii to pull his socks up; perhaps literally, considering he likes to play with his socks down; but the laid-back Mytanar attacking midfielder remains a creative presence in midfield.

Prospects: Not many expect a title challenge after the way West Couno collapsed last season. The prospect that Sama K might walk at any time throughout the season — she’s also been linked with the soon-to-be vacant Lakewood City job, though it’s not clear whether she’d want to take a third job in Tumbra — will loom over West Couno as they attempt to jostle their way back into the Champions’ League places. The club’s summer overhaul seemingly set off klaxons on some forums, but Kaniatarii has doubled down on her decisions, saying that the club “had grown complacent” since their title win and “needed a serious wake-up call.” It’s a statement of intent that could very well lead her into direct conflict with her club’s management; and is perhaps indicative that off-field incidents might very well overshadow what happens on the pitch with the Chocolatiers.

by **Tumbra** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 12:19 am

85TH RUNNING OF THE TUMBRAN SUPERCUP
T-LEAGUE, SEASON 4
133RD RUNNING OF THE REPUBLIC CUP

SUPER CUP
Lakewood United 2–0 Newark Argyle
Zheng H 55', C Eastwood 78'

The season's traditional opener starts with a fairly serious moment for United as their star winger, Emilie Kruetzberg, limps off early into the game. But this is exactly the sort of moment Zheng Hong, United's backup right winger, has been waiting for; she comes on and essentially turns the tide for United. It takes a while, but eventually she scores for the defending champions; Charlotte Eastwood, the squad's deep-lying striker, nets the second to put the game away. This game also sees Basilica Coxeter's first appearance in red; after nearly a decade in black-and-blue, it's a look that's a bit unfamiliar, but she fits in well enough as she comes on for Jôs Sürréo late in the game. Newark put up a valiant fight, but ultimately come up short; and United win their fourth Super Cup in six seasons to set an ominous tone for the start of the new season.

MATCHDAY 1
Newark Argyle 2–2 FC Inter Nantwich
G Rodway 18', T Elliot 86'//M Wague 34', 58'
Straton 3–0 Sturrey Athletic
D Sartain 6', D Thorsen 50', A Pellonpekko 72'
Kingsbury United 2–2 Clyde Park
E McGill 24', 29'//J Pearce 72', L Frecklington 90' + 3'
Couno Rangers 2–0 Ridgewell Rovers
E Howard-Dawes 82', L Kendall 89'
Columbia City 2–3 West Couno United
J Fan 28', M Vaquilar 35'//Kim SW 5', G Danvers og 72', V Morris 82'
Colbrook City 1–2 Fontwell Rovers
P Djurovic 90' + 3'//M Yoshitoshi 50', 58'
Lakewood City 2–2 Serrapince
C Henshaw 50', 68'//J Ryland 40', C Audiol 84'
Lakewood United 4–2 Hesham
J Sürréo 34', 80', V Wells 65', M Tatsinan 70'//Lucifer 24', 50'

The first day of the new season sees some markedly different starting elevens. Valerie Wells is now playing in red — she's one of quite a few stars based in Nephara to have come home in the last year. Her impact is apparent almost immediately, even if she takes a while to get started; but it's forgivable, as she's never played top flight football in Tumbra before. She does end her game with a goal on her debut, however, which is respectable by any means as United beat Hesham 4-2 in a rather back-and-forth game which actually saw Hesham take the lead before being pegged back by the inevitability that was United.

Over in the blue half of Lakewood, Susan Monaghan, another one of those returnees, makes her debut; she doesn't get on the scoreboard, but helps City overcome a 1-0 deficit by assisting star striker Charlotte Henshaw twice. It's only a late defensive error from Twilight Mixon — she was too far forward to deal with the ball sent forward by Serrapince right-back Odwin Muir — that sees the Bees level. Assistant manager Theodore Houghton delivers the post-match press conference — he's announced that he'll be taking on the majority of post-match press duties — and puts the draw down to a "momentary lapse in judgement" that was "otherwise forgivable. These things happen in sports, and the more important thing is to see how we can bounce back from here."

Straton get their new season off to the best start possible by beating Sturrey 3-0; for Straton fans, it's a glimpse of hope that Edmund Finnegan's youth-focused management style may work. For Sturrey fans, its a grim reminder that the season is actually quite long, despite being only thirty games instead of thirty-eight. Elsewhere, the other newly-promoted side, Clyde Park, rescue a very late draw against Kingsbury; the game is otherwise notable for the debut of Squornshelan striker Estina McGill, who scores a brace on her debut.

MATCHDAY 2
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 Hesham
J Spekman 22'
Serrapince 1–2 Lakewood United
T Barker 82'//J Sürréo 25', Zheng H 50'
Fontwell Rovers 0–2 Lakewood City
E Appleby 26', S McTavish 79'
West Couno United 2–1 Colbrook City
L Vujanovic 39', V Morris 85'//F Yeltsov 20'
Ridgewell Rovers 0–0 Columbia City

Clyde Park 3–3 Couno Rangers
V Chatterjee 2', T Haller 80', 86'//E Robertson 19', 72', V Hicks 33'
Sturrey Athletic 0–1 Kingsbury United
B Cheschon 20'
Newark Argyle 3–2 Straton
I McDermott 10', L Murdoch 30', C van der Borght 52'//P Hurst 16', A Finlay 85'

Straton supporters are brutally reminded that one swallow does not necessarily equate a summer, as just one week after their opening day demolition of Newark, they're brought back down to earth by a resurgent Newark side. Alex Finlay's late goal can't do much but notch one off Newark's goal difference as Argyle look set to continue their impressive form which brought them to the Campionato Esportiva di Campeones qualification spots last season. For Straton manager Edmund Finnegan, these losses are but "learning experiences" as the squad continues to gel.

Elsewhere, City win their second match of the season as they swoop past relegation-threatened Fontwell Rovers — the nation's westernmost club never really threatening City's overall dominance of the game — while United ease past Serrapince with Zheng Hong scoring the decisive goal. Zheng "has stepped into the role magnificently, and has adapted very well," says United manager Andrea Spinelli; the Yue winger could be in contention for a national team call-up for Yuezhou's World Cup qualifiers. It's early days, but both City and United seem to be in imperious form; the rumours are that those two could be the favourites for the title, as Lakewood City manager John Riedweld's announcement of his departure at the end of the season seems to have lit a fire in City's bellies. Somewhat more reassuring for City's future post-Riedweld is Robin Vaughn's lack of minutes in the first two games of the season; it seems that the club are finally ready to move on from the thirty-eight year-old winger who's had to bail them out time and time again.

Clyde Park hold Couno to a draw, which is surprising enough; less surprising is the fact that manager Marco Giuliani is publicly talking about the club's woes, and how it distracts from preparing his players on the field. The club are bogged down in an investigation regarding front-of-shirt deals and a new owner with links to a multinational company which has acceded to the ranks of nationhood; Giuliani blames the off-field instability for the draw against Clyde. It remains to be seen if Giuliani will remain as manager of Couno beyond the end of the season, or if he'll even make it there; there are rumours that the relationship between him and owner Thomas Kim started acrimoniously and have only gotten worse over time.

MATCHDAY 3
Straton 1–3 FC Inter Nantwich
D Thorsen 72'//M Wague 15', Kim CY 80', R Stark 84'
Kingsbury United 1–2 Newark Argyle
M Ferris 55'//G Rodway 24', H Menez 50'
Couno Rangers 3–0 Sturrey Athletic
A van der Wel 19', S Fortier 48', M Gallagher 52'
Columbia City 2–0 Clyde Park
T Pipades 12', J Starling 84'
Colbrook City 2–1 Ridgewell Rovers
F de Vries 37', 44'//I Robertson 58'
Lakewood City 1–0 West Couno United
S Monaghan 72'
Lakewood United 1–0 Fontwell Rovers
G Byrne 40'
Hesham 0–2 Serrapince
C Audiol 55', A-M Hansdottir 77'

Eight matches, eight winners in this week's football, which is a rare sight in and of itself. What seems to be more worrying is the clubs that are on zero wins — Columbia, which is somewhat reasonable given their status as a lower-half team, and their attempt to avoid a second-season slump after spending the summer not quite strengthening themselves. Hesham, which could be attributed to a slight dip in form, though one that is quite worrying for manager John Krajewski as he tries to play with three at the back (it's not working out as well as he's hoping). And, finally...Ridgewell, who finished fifth last season. They spend most of their game against Colbrook hitting the upright, with only Ian Robertson being able to score; it's also the Rovers' first goal of the season. The loss, according to Chris Haines, is "very disappointing", but he's "quite confident that this is just a small slump in form and they'll be over it soon."

As ever, United try to carve out an early lead in the league as a rotated side beats Fontwell easily; even if the scoreline doesn't quite show it. Other teams playing rotated sides include Couno, playing a second-string lineup against Sturrey; much like their beatdown on the first matchday, Sturrey go down three goals with little response. The pressure is mounting on local hero Dan Crosby, but he insists that his team are trying their hardest; and they could hardly be expected to beat Couno anyway.

Straton's joy at winning their first game seems like a long time ago, as Nantwich takes the victory in Straton; Rowena Stamper's second season in charge seems to be going much better than her first. With a solid attacking lineup comprising of club veteran Jake Spekman, league veteran Moussa Wague (now at his third Premier Division club — fans look on fondly at him in the sky blue of Lakewood City then in the claret of Clyde Park), and young gun Kim Chae-yeong (though rumours persist that she may seek to leave if performances over in Nantwich don't pick up), they've scored six in three so far, and look eager to keep their momentum going against Serrapince.

MATCHDAY 4
FC Inter Nantwich 0–1 Serrapince
W Thomas o.g. 22'
Fontwell Rovers 3–2 Hesham
E Blanc 25', H Osbourne 42', V Anagnakis 65'//K Rostami 6', M Dahlberg 22'
West Couno United 0–1 Lakewood United
N Papez 66'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–4 Lakewood City
H Canavan 79'//S Watson 23', H Hills 50', N Tejic 74', C Henshaw 83'
Clyde Park 2–1 Colbrook City
T Haller 10', 18'//A Everingham 14'
Sturrey Athletic 1–0 Columbia City
J Bradford 32'
Newark Argyle 2–2 Couno Rangers
H Menez 60', C Wright o.g. 82'//E Howard-Dawes 22', E Robertson 75'
Straton 1–1 Kingsbury United
D Sartain 7'//M Ferris 88'

...but Serrapince resolutely stand in their way, a shot from Tricia Barker deflected off Walter Thomas' right leg being the only thing separating the two. Rowena Stamper rues the loss after the game, but criticises her players for not "taking their chances when they could, and not playing as well as I know they could." Nantwich's momentum is seemingly back to square one; they'll need to get a good result against Fontwell to continue their so-far stellar start to the season.

Straton's search for a second win this season is put on hold for yet another week, as an early goal from Desmond Sartain is cancelled out by a late penalty from Michelle Ferris; the winger having been tripped in the box by a clumsily extended foot from Carole Bond. Finnegan rues the missed opportunity, but plays down the draw; saying that there were "encouraging signs" still as the team continues to gel. They do look much better-prepared for the season than a few weeks ago, though; giving hope to long-suffering Straton fans that hope, and change, is indeed on the horizon.

Less hope is present for Ridgewell fans, however, who have to endure a month without winning; Chris Haines' game against City is seemingly his first audition for the soon-to-be-vacant job, but it's a disappointing defeat in which City essentially run riot over the Rovers. There are whispers, murmurs, of the old curse of the Challengers' Cup making its' effect known — the curse essentially states that mid-table teams that reach the heights of Tumbran football will begin to suffer an excruciating fall from grace. The curse has afflicted Clyde and Columbia; but it seems to have avoided West Couno so far. Haines rubbishes the concept of such a curse, but does note that he will likely be first in line to offer his resignation if things "don't get better in a few weeks or so." Their next game against Lakewood United represents a prime opportunity for Ridgewell to get their season underway; but if Ridgewell go five winless then they may have bigger things to worry about.

MATCHDAY 5
Kingsbury United 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
M Wague 43'
Couno Rangers 1–2 Straton
E Howard-Dawes 70'//Liang T 8', P Hurst 33'
Columbia City 2–2 Newark Argyle
T Fetch 15', J Starling 35'//S Oliveira 49', 52'
Colbrook City 2–4 Sturrey Athletic
F Yeltsov 11', B Rowling 84'//S Mark 19', J Bradford 33', 62', 80'
Lakewood City 4–1 Clyde Park
C Henshaw 11', V Anderson 23', S Philips 45', V Leighton 77'//T Haller 40'
Lakewood United 0–0 Ridgewell Rovers

Hesham 0–1 West Couno United
Kim SW 21'
Serrapince 3–0 Fontwell Rovers
Zhaxi JZ 48', Sara V 62', J Ryland 77'

Surprisingly, Ridgewell hold firm to deny United three points and bring their perfect start screeching to a halt. What makes it oh-so-tantalisingly close to a perfect result for Ridgewell fans is the fact that they held the upper hand for most of the game, but Heidi Canavan's best effort on the hour mark was deemed offside after a lengthy and painful VAR review. "It was a good game, that's for sure, and it was more of the Ridgewell that I recognise," said Haines after the game. Some saltier United fans would go on boofer and post that Haines was secretly applying for the City job by letting City smash Ridgewell 4-1 and then holding fast against United; but that would be both a disservice to Ridgewell and an overrating of United, who looked distinctly off-colour for a majority of the game.

City, meanwhile, notch up their second 4-1 win in a row, this time beating Clyde with relative ease. The results put City level with United after five games, with thirteen points apiece; Serrapince and Nantwich follow closely, with ten points. At the bottom of the table, surprisingly, lies Hesham with zero points after five games; their latest defeat to West Couno, with a singular goal scored by Kim Sang-wook, adds to the panic surrounding the club as there are rumours that manager Krajewski may resign sooner rather than later. He plays down the speculation that he might, urging calm, but admits that it's "a very unusual situation which is quite worrying." The club are rumoured to be in talks with former Nantwich and Swangard Athletic manager Daniel Galbraith should Krajewski be pushed or choose to leave; but with the prospect of several jobs opening up soon, the ex-Tumbran national team star may yet choose to stay his hand on fixing the crisis down south.

It's Sturrey's Joanna Bradford that grabs the first hat-trick of the season, with the striker netting three against fellow relegation contenders Colbrook to grab three important points even this early in the season. After the game, the former Nantwich and Delphi player speaks happily of how Sturrey are gelling together. "A lot of us arrived this season, and it's been quite a rough start to the season, but we're all focused on staying up against all odds and bringing pride to our little corner of Tumbra." Sturrey, a post-industrial metropolitan area just north of the far more affluent Bencoolen, were quite famous for being the archetypical "plucky underdog" club; manager Dan Crosby was a long-serving goalkeeper for the club, and their daring escapes from relegation across the first ten seasons Tumbran participation in IFCF football.

REPUBLIC CUP, FIRST ROUND

Republic Cup, First Round
( D4)                      Coburg p 1-1   Colney Thorns               (SL )
( SL)      Ruislip and Ipswich FC   4-1   Gisbourne                   (SL )
( NC)                  Staplewood   0-1 e Port Marray                 (D2 )
( D1)             Fontwell Rovers   3-1   Falmouth Athletic           (SL )
( D4)                Heffron City p 1-1   Fraser Valley               (D2 )
( SL)          Arlington Athletic   0-1   Newark Argyle               (D1 )
( NC)                Thomson City   3-0   Sherwood Town               (SL )
( SL)              Langley United   0-1   Pomeroy Mountaineers        (D3 )
( D3)               Brades United   3-0   Lambeth                     (SL )
( D2)            Delphi Lionesses   1-0   Caldwell City               (D4 )
( SL)                     Wolskel   0-2   Burlington AFC              (NC )
( NC)            Hendon Cardinals   0-1   Straton                     (D1 )
( D2)                     Dorival   0-1   New Timbourne Knights       (D3 )
( SL)                      Oakton   1-3   Millsburgh Revolutionaries  (D2 )
( D4)             Pinhal Athletic   2-0   Denhelm Trinity             (D4 )
( D4)             Fort Heatherton   2-2 p Shepperton Ravens           (D2 )
( NC)              Haversham City   2-0   Blakehurst                  (SL )
( D3)                 Cobham Town   0-0 p Clifton                     (SL )
( D4)                 FC Montrose   1-0   Rosenberg City              (NC )
( SL)               Grange United   1-2   Kingsbury United            (D1 )
( NC)               Havelock City   2-0   Trelmont Rangers            (D4 )
( D4)            Kelder Phoenixes   0-1   Hesham                      (D1 )
( SL)           Locomotive Harper   2-4   Colbrook City               (D1 )
( D2)             Guillemard Town   2-2 p Maxwell Arsenal             (NC )
( D3)                Glenmont AFC   0-1   Dunsford                    (NC )
( SL)                     Enfield   0-3   Serrapince                  (D1 )
( D4)          Wintborough United   0-1   Dynamo Denhelm              (NC )
( NC)                Readale City   0-1 e Cortlandt United            (SL )
( D1)            Ridgewell Rovers   3-0   Tevandale Athletic          (D3 )
( SL)                Chesterfield   1-0   Othaven                     (SL )
( D3)                 Killiney SC   1-3   Ilstead Wanderers           (SL )
( D4)           Ricci Ironworkers   2-0   Melwood United              (SL )
( D1)             Lakewood United   3-0   Southport Thunder           (D4 )
( D2)              Bencoolen City   1-2 e Johnstone Athletic          (SL )
( D2)            Newton Wanderers   1-1 p AFC Gillman                 (D2 )
( SL)            Straton Typhoons   1-4   Macarthur City              (D3 )
( D3)        Teignford Academical   0-3   Couno Rangers               (D1 )
( SL)                 Stammerford   1-0   Monroe Quakes               (SL )
( D1)               Columbia City e 2-1   Hindhede                    (NC )
( D4)           Kirkby Railwaymen   0-1 e Richmond AFC                (SL )
( D1)                  Clyde Park e 2-1   Ashton Rovers               (D4 )
( NC)                   Orpington e 2-1   Greenford City              (NC )
( D2)           Readale Wanderers   1-0   Dunman Bay                  (SL )
( NC)               Harren Armada   1-0   Algoma Wanderers            (SL )
( NC)       North Thornton United   2-3   Sturrey Athletic            (D1 )
( SL)                      Rosyth   1-2   Ridgewell United            (D3 )
( D4)                Gelder Creek p 1-1   Tavistock Athletic          (D2 )
( NC)                 Dieren City   0-3   Kellsthorpe                 (SL )
( SL)                  Cheltenham e 2-1   Franport                    (D3 )
( D3)         Millsburgh Steelers   0-1   Harchester United           (D3 )
( SL)             Nottingham City   0-3   Caldecott 93                (NC )
( D1)               Lakewood City   5-0   Washington City             (D2 )
( SL)                    Blenheim   0-1   Tavistock Park              (D3 )
( D2)              Hoxford United   1-0   Knapford United             (SL )
( D4)             Carrington Town   1-0   Moresby United              (SL )
( NC)               Rookworth AFC   0-4   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( NC)         Collett Park United   1-2   Hesham Wanderers            (NC )
( SL)                Mayfield AFC   2-1   Wilmington Town             (SL )
( SL)                    Farleigh   2-0   Knapford City               (SL )
( D3)           Harwick Wanderers   0-1   Clark City                  (D2 )
( NC)                       Dover   3-1   Brensley                    (SL )
( SL)              Prinsip Street   0-2   Heath Bay Mariners          (NC )
( NC)               Mackay Rovers   2-5   West Couno United           (D1 )
( D2)                 AFC Cayalon e 2-1   Carter United               (D3 )

T-League, Season 4

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lakewood City           5    4   1   0    13    4   +9    13
 2 Lakewood United         5    4   1   0     8    3   +5    13
 3 Serrapince              5    3   1   1     9    4   +5    10
 4 FC Inter Nantwich       5    3   1   1     7    4   +3    10
 5 Newark Argyle           5    2   3   0    11    9   +2     9
 6 West Couno United       5    3   0   2     6    5   +1     9
 7 Couno Rangers           5    2   2   1    11    7   +4     8
 8 Straton                 5    2   1   2     9    8   +1     7
 9 Fontwell Rovers         5    2   0   3     5    9   −4     6
   Sturrey Athletic        5    2   0   3     5    9   −4     6
11 Columbia City           5    1   2   2     6    6    0     5
12 Kingsbury United        5    1   2   2     5    6   −1     5
13 Clyde Park              5    1   2   2     8   12   −4     5
14 Colbrook City           5    1   0   4     7   11   −4     3
15 Ridgewell Rovers        5    0   2   3     2    8   −6     2
16 Hesham                  5    0   0   5     4   11   −7     0

by **Tumbra** » Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:02 am

MATCHDAY 6
FC Inter Nantwich 2–0 Fontwell Rovers
D Horvat 62', J Spekman 78'
West Couno United 2–2 Serrapince
Kim SW 24', C Vette 90' + 1'//C Audiol 35', 39'
Ridgewell Rovers 0–3 Hesham
S Boulos 22', Lucifer 49', E Vesper 78'
Clyde Park 1–1 Lakewood United
J Pearce 44'//V Wells 8'
Sturrey Athletic 0–2 Lakewood City
S Monaghan 16', V Anderson 29'
Newark Argyle 3–0 Colbrook City
H Colvin 22', S Oliveira 29', A Wölfflin 39'
Straton 2–0 Columbia City
C Baker 18', R McLaren 25'
Kingsbury United 1–3 Couno Rangers
J Whittaker 33'//E Howard-Dawes 8', L Kendall 42', V Hicks 85'

Ridgewell-Hesham presents an opportunity for at least one side to make a mark. Ultimately it's Hesham who dominate proceedings, with goals from Boulos, Lucifer, and Vesper proving too much for an ineffectual defence from Ridgewell. Manager Chris Haines decides to put his own reputation on the line, with rumours that the Ridgewell brass might ask David Griffiths or Daniel Galbraith to step in until the end of the season if Haines goes. He challenges the players to two wins in the next four; otherwise, he goes. It's a line in the sand that clearly reflects that he thinks he might not be the best person to take charge of the squad anymore; and with names like those two on the market, it's not difficult to imagine them coming in and guiding Ridgewell out of this situation.

Elsewhere, Newark set down a marker of their ambition by remaining one of three teams to not have lost yet; it's a thundering victory against Newark Argyle in autumnal rains that sets them apart. The other two are the ever-bickering Lakewood clubs; United, surprisingly, are held to a draw by Clyde after a rotated side fails to make much headway against the surprisingly strong promoted side; while City run 2-0 victors away in Sturrey. But the game is more notable for the absence of manager John Riedweld as assistant manager Theodore Houghton is in charge today; he doesn't dwell too much on Riedweld's absence but says it's for personal reasons. That's all the context fans are given.

Serrapince and West Couno go up against each other, but the eventual outcome is frustrating for both; there isn't a result to speak of as both teams leave Wrenchwelt level. It's a contentious game, with WCU going 1-0 up, then 2-1 down, before drawing level at the very end of the game thanks to Cyrus Vette. The draw sees them both potter in sixth and eighth, well below where they'd want to be at this point of the season; but it still is early days.

MATCHDAY 7
Couno Rangers 2–2 FC Inter Nantwich
JP Vaillancourt 34', A Browne 65'//Kim CY 28', M Wague 41'
Columbia City 1–1 Kingsbury United
J Starling 90' + 3'//E McGill 14'
Colbrook City 1–0 Straton
A Everingham 48'
Lakewood City 4–2 Newark Argyle
C Henshaw 12', 48', S McTavish 29', T Huon 55'//L Robbins o.g. 50', I McDermott 72'
Lakewood United 3–1 Sturrey Athletic
J Sürréo 24', C Eastwood 70', Zheng H 80'//T Hughes 50'
Hesham 4–0 Clyde Park
S Wilson 2', V Loustaunau 35', G Deighton 66', 69'
Serrapince 3–1 Ridgewell Rovers
C Audiol 25', J Ryland 60', 66'//I Steele 45'
Fontwell Rovers 1–2 West Couno United
C Grimley 29'//A Sorengard 24', V Reisinger 58'

Hesham's win over Ridgewell seems to have given them quite a bit of momentum, as they go on to face relegation-threatened Clyde Park and beat them comprehensively 4-0; but the story of the week is still Ridgewell being rock bottom of the league with zero wins. Murmurs of the Challengers' Cup curse persist as Ridgewell fall to a well-hit Jack Ryland double on the hour mark; Chris Haines freely admits that the situation is grim. "At some point, you have to believe that things will turn around...but I'll freely admit that we're playing like we want to be relegated, and it simply isn't acceptable." His offer to resign is still on the table, and he'll reportedly take until the end of November to decide his future. It hasn't helped that Ridgewell have had somewhat of an injury crisis this season, with both stalwarts Kirsten Desmond and Dimitra Conder out;

Elsewhere, Riedweld returns for a 4-2 win over Newark at home; he makes a rare press conference appearance in which he says he's very proud of the team's hard-fought victory. The assembled press seemingly give him an easier ride, though there are questions over his successor, to which he gives a rare quip. "You lot talk about me as if I'm dead...well, that's not going to be the case for a while. We're looking at people. Teddy (Theodore Houghton, City assistant manager) is one of them, though he's not too keen on stepping in. It's all about who's available on the market next window, and who wants to take over from me. I know it's not an easy job, only for idiots, but then to be a football manager you have to be kind of an idiot anyway."

Straton's hype train seems to have fallen off a cliff with a defeat to Colbrook; for once, it seems, the relegation-threatened team play their defensive game to perfection, with Andrew Everingham performing a classic hit-and-run on the Straton defence. Couno draw with Nantwich over increasing rumours that the club may be sanctioned for a potentially overinflated front-of-shirt sponsor deal and more tensions amongst manager Marco Giuliani and team owner Thomas Kim; Giuliani and Kim both refuse to comment on the matter.

MATCHDAY 8
FC Inter Nantwich 3–2 West Couno United
M Wague 14', 44', D Horvat 80'//M Hajdarpasic 28', L Vujanovic 66'
Ridgewell Rovers 3–1 Fontwell Rovers
F Ermis 20', A Silva 29', D Conder 85'//V Anagnakis 62'
Clyde Park 1–2 Serrapince
G Steinback 80'//K Regine 24', J Davies 50'
Sturrey Athletic 2–2 Hesham
K McDonald 15', L Russell 80'//T Skelton 19', N Atkinson 23'
Newark Argyle 1–2 Lakewood United
G Rodway 24'//C Eastwood 5', E Kruetzberg 82'
Straton 1–2 Lakewood City
A Finlay 82'//C Henshaw 22', V Leighton 35'
Kingsbury United 2–0 Colbrook City
F Woodhouse 8', 31'
Couno Rangers 3–1 Columbia City
E Robertson 22', 40', A van der Wel 88'//A Gillingham 75'

And finally, Ridgewell get their season off the ground at long last; all it took was a win at home against Fontwell. The return of Dimitra Conder and Kirsten Desmond speeds up Ridgewell's game dramatically, with Ridgewell playing like they did last season; while there's visible relief on Chris Haines' face after, it raises more questions on how Ridgewell are about to strengthen their depth. Conder and Desmond's rotation options (Catherine Taggart and Iris Steele, respectively) are both very young with little experience of top-flight football; a few more injuries to Ridgewell's rather thin squad and they could be on task for a weak finish this season. But Haines resolutely retains "absolute faith" in his players.

It's a rather vanilla weak in the Prem — most teams that were expected to lose, did. Sturrey's ongoing plan to hatch a great escape from relegation receives a massive boost as they tie their game with Hesham — albeit with a few controversially denied penalties for the visiting side — and Sturrey are lifted to eleventh in the league immediately. It's still exceptionally tight down there, however; they are only two points off the bottom even with this draw. Manager Dan Crosby hits out against a "two-tiered league" in his post-match conference. "Even with sixteen teams we've got a clear delination between who gets to be in intercontinental football and who doesn't. Back when the league was at twenty teams we had a three-tier league; now there's only two, and the upper tier looks more and more unattainable for everyone who wasn't there a few seasons ago. You get the occasional interloper, but the league needs to be more fluid."

His statements are somewhat echoed by Clyde Park manager Morcillo Lopez, who joined Clyde last season and led them through their promotion push. "Quite quickly we're seeing the T-League 2 turn into a bit of a yo-yo league for a few clubs. Us, Sturrey, Bencoolen, Clark, Newton. Before Macarthur were relegated from the second tier, them too. I have no doubt — absolutely none — that Fraser and Delphi (the two teams relegated last year) will join those ranks. The league, I think, is going to quickly become a league where we have teams that are not good enough to survive relegation but are too good for the second tier. Churn is good, and I think long-term there definitely will be churn, but the longer it takes for them to happen the more entrenched the current top clubs become."

MATCHDAY 9
Columbia City 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
M Wague 2'
Colbrook City 1–4 Couno Rangers
H Gerritsen 20'//E Howard-Dawes 10', M Gallagher 39', J Tyler 45', S Fortier 90' + 2'
Lakewood City 1–1 Kingsbury United
V Anderson 66'//Coco 4'
Lakewood United 4–2 Straton
V Wells 23', 84', 88', S Jepson 70'//D Thorsen 39', Liang T 70'
Hesham 1–0 Newark Argyle
G Deighton 40'
Serrapince 4–1 Sturrey Athletic
C Audiol 12', 29', 49', Sara V 18'//J Bradford 82'
Fontwell Rovers 2–2 Clyde Park
E Blanc 14', C Lombardo 81'//C Tipple 22', T Haller 27'
West Couno United 2–2 Ridgewell Rovers
L Vujanovic 24', M Hajdarpasic 39'//A Reid 19', C Ross 33'

More points on the board for Ridgewell as they finally, perhaps belatedly, move themselves off the bottom of the league table to fifteenth. It's a long way for them to reach mid-table — that's where most have pegged them to finish after their absymal start to the season — but there's finally some momentum on their side. It's still somewhat disappointing — Luka Vujanovic's goal, largely down to a defensive mishap from Donovan Cox, proved to be too much to overcome — but there's something to build on now.

There are two hat-tricks this week; one from United left-winger Valerie Wells, who seems to have monopolised playing time (perhaps to the chagrin of Tikariotian winger Tobias Grandelius, who is allegedly seeking an exit at the end of the season); and one from Juven striker Ceferino Audiol. Both beat their opponents with little difficulty; United, in particular, appreciate the win against Straton as it pulls them level with league leaders City. Both teams have yet to lose a game this season, and the narrative that's shaping up — United's search for a third title on the trot, versus City's search for a final title for John Riedweld — promises scintillating football.

Behind them, Newark have seemingly fallen into a kind of slump — their most recent loss to Hesham marks their third on the trot, and Newark manager Toby Barton is keen to keep fans and the media calm. "Every team has a dip in form sometimes. We're just working our way through one right now." Less confident is West Couno manager Samara Kaniatarii, whose stop-start beginning of the season seems to have made some worry about her long-term future. Her contract runs out at the end of the season, and there seems to be little appetite from either side to begin contract negotiations. But she doesn't mention it — and why should she? — in the post-mortem of a draw with a resurgent Ridgewell. The signs are on the table for a major managerial reshuffle for the T-League's fifth season.

MATCHDAY 10
FC Inter Nantwich 0–1 Ridgewell Rovers
H Canavan 66'
Clyde Park 1–1 West Couno United
M Barker 54'//Zhao F 90'
Sturrey Athletic 3–1 Fontwell Rovers
K Hofmann 25', J Hughes 34', D Burrows 80'//M Yoshitoshi 55'
Newark Argyle 2–2 Serrapince
H Colvin 23', L Murdoch 29'//F Bosman 22', A-M Hansdottir 85'
Straton 1–1 Hesham
H Harwood 6'//S Boulos 35'
Kingsbury United 2–1 Lakewood United
E McGill 54', F Woodhouse 77'//M Tatsinan 39'
Couno Rangers 1–3 Lakewood City
S Fortier 86'//E Appleby 20', V Anderson 59', 90' + 2'
Columbia City 2–2 Colbrook City
L Simonyan 25', V Harding 31'//S Rigby 16', B Rowling 85'

Are Columbia City heading for second-season syndrome? That seems to be the question being asked about town as a late goal by Colbrook's Brendan Rowling snatches two points from the league's southernmost team. The result leaves them fourteenth in the league with just one win from ten; but there's little appetite for manager Gerald Scicluna's head, even with the team in such a precarious position. The league's relegation battle seems to be very much a wide-ranging affair this season; there aren't any actual relegation favourites, and both newly-promoted teams, Sturrey and Clyde, look set to hold on to their league status early on. Sturrey in particular seem to be making a very strong case for themselves by beating fellow relegation contenders Fontwell 3-1; that result leaves the Westerners fifteenth in the league with just seven points from a maximum of ten games.

In other news, Lakewood City now remain the only team to be undefeated in the league, as United go to Kingsbury and are ground down to dust by a determined, hard-tackling Kingsbury United team. Kingsbury manager William Wight calls it an amazing result, while United manager Andrea Spinelli calls foul. "Sometimes in football there is hard but fair play, and sometimes there is what you see on the pitch today. I cannot manage a team of football players when you seem to have an opposition going for the tackle every time, and then it's also not very fair when you have a run of play that keeps going, and going, and going." Spinelli's critique of Kingsbury's physical play seems to also be a stealth shot at the refereeing that game; the United manager was seen making gestures throughout the game showing his incredulity at some of the things that the referee seemed to let go.

West Couno slump to another draw, this time against Clyde Park; and it would have been a loss if not for an enterprising Zhao Fan's header from a corner kick to draw the scores level at the last possible moment. The team, while far from a crisis, seems to have lost some of the title-winning impetus that brought them one last season; and it looks increasingly likely that Kaniatarii and West Couno will mutually part ways at the end of the season. WCU vice-captain Christopher Morgan speaks honestly about the dynamic of the squad in a post-match interview; it's not exactly roses over in Wrenchwelt.

REPUBLIC CUP, SECOND ROUND

Second Round
( D4)                      Coburg   1-0   Ruislip and Ipswich FC      (SL )
( D2)                 Port Marray   1-2   Fontwell Rovers             (D1 )
( D4)                Heffron City   0-3   Newark Argyle               (D1 )
( NC)                Thomson City   2-3   Pomeroy Mountaineers        (D3 )
( D3)               Brades United   2-0   Delphi Lionesses            (D2 )
( NC)              Burlington AFC   0-1   Straton                     (D1 )
( D3)       New Timbourne Knights   0-2   Millsburgh Revolutionaries  (D2 )
( D4)             Pinhal Athletic   1-2 e Shepperton Ravens           (D2 )
( NC)              Haversham City   1-1 p Clifton                     (SL )
( D4)                 FC Montrose   0-1   Kingsbury United            (D1 )
( NC)               Havelock City   1-3   Hesham                      (D1 )
( D1)               Colbrook City   3-1   Maxwell Arsenal             (NC )
( NC)                    Dunsford   0-1   Serrapince                  (D1 )
( NC)              Dynamo Denhelm   2-1   Cortlandt United            (SL )
( D1)            Ridgewell Rovers   2-1   Chesterfield                (SL )
( SL)           Ilstead Wanderers   2-3   Ricci Ironworkers           (D4 )
( D1)             Lakewood United p 1-1   Johnstone Athletic          (SL )
( D2)                 AFC Gillman p 0-0   Macarthur City              (D3 )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   2-0   Stammerford                 (SL )
( D1)               Columbia City   1-0   Richmond AFC                (SL )
( D1)                  Clyde Park p 0-0   Orpington                   (NC )
( D2)           Readale Wanderers   2-0   Harren Armada               (NC )
( D1)            Sturrey Athletic   1-0   Ridgewell United            (D3 )
( D4)                Gelder Creek   2-0   Kellsthorpe                 (SL )
( SL)                  Cheltenham   0-0 p Harchester United           (D3 )
( NC)                Caldecott 93   1-4   Lakewood City               (D1 )
( D3)              Tavistock Park   0-2   Hoxford United              (D2 )
( D4)             Carrington Town   0-6   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( NC)            Hesham Wanderers   1-0   Mayfield AFC                (SL )
( SL)                    Farleigh   0-1   Clark City                  (D2 )
( NC)                       Dover   1-0   Heath Bay Mariners          (NC )
( D1)           West Couno United   4-0   AFC Cayalon                 (D2 )

T-League, Season 4

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Chg 
 1 Lakewood City          10    8   2   0    25    9  +16    26    -0
 2 Lakewood United        10    7   2   1    19   10   +9    23    -0
 3 Serrapince             10    6   3   1    22   11  +11    21    -0
 4 FC Inter Nantwich      10    6   2   2    15    9   +6    20    -0
 5 Couno Rangers          10    5   3   2    24   15   +9    18    ▲2
 6 West Couno United      10    4   3   3    15   14   +1    15    -0
 7 Newark Argyle          10    3   4   3    19   18   +1    13    ▼2
 8 Kingsbury United       10    3   4   3    12   12    0    13    ▲4
 9 Hesham                 10    3   2   5    15   14   +1    11    ▲7
10 Straton                10    3   2   5    15   16   −1    11    ▼2
11 Sturrey Athletic       10    3   1   6    12   21   −9    10    ▼1
12 Ridgewell Rovers       10    2   3   5     9   17   −8     9    ▲3
13 Clyde Park             10    1   5   4    13   22   −9     8    -0
14 Columbia City          10    1   4   5    10   15   −5     7    ▼3
15 Fontwell Rovers        10    2   1   7    10   21  −11     7    ▼6
16 Colbrook City          10    2   1   7    11   22  −11     7    ▼2

by **Tumbra** » Fri Mar 29, 2024 10:43 am

MATCHDAY 11
Colbrook City 0–2 FC Inter Nantwich
M Wague 61', 85'
Lakewood City 2–0 Columbia City
C Henshaw 29', N Tejic 49'
Lakewood United 2–1 Couno Rangers
J Sürréo 44', W Pritchett 87'//E Howard-Dawes 55'
Hesham 1–0 Kingsbury United
S Harrington 66'
Serrapince 1–1 Straton
A Haller 80'//C Baker 22'
Fontwell Rovers 1–2 Newark Argyle
K Dunstan 20'//C van der Borght 11', R Fleetwood 14'
West Couno United 3–1 Sturrey Athletic
Kim SW 25', V Reisinger 85', V Morris 88'//J Hughes 34'
Ridgewell Rovers 2–0 Clyde Park
K Desmond 20', H Canavan 28'

Emilie Kruetzberg is back in action for Lakewood United, as the Chromatik winger starts in United's game against Couno Rangers; the Tumbran Classic is mostly a dead game, however, until just before the half-time whistle, when Jôs Sürréo scores with a controversial goal. Now, almost every Classic will be a controversial one (it's not the most card-happy game in Tumbra for nothing), but the length of time given to the VAR review before the goal was given intensifies conversations over whether games should be shortened to 30 minute-halves, but the clock is stopped when the ball goes out of play. It's an argument that probably gets a thinkpiece or two on Matchday, but probably won't get anywhere further than that. Elaine Howard-Dawes draws Couno level, but the game is put to bed by Wendy Pritchett, who scores the decisive goal with a header; it's a narrow loss for Couno, but one that only adds to speculation over Marco Giuliani's job safety as rumours are he's near the sack.

Serrapince's would-be title challenge hits yet another snag as they draw with Straton; the game against the struggling Capitals being rather in favour of Straton, with only a goal from August Haller bringing things level. It's not the end of the world for them — they're still fourth in the league — but there is a deep sense that this was quite a big opportunity to close the gap to the top two. The other member of that top two, City, win their game handily; they remain the only undefeated team in the league. Riedweld chooses to skip this match too, as assistant manager Theodore Houghton takes control; it's a solid 2-0 win over a Columbia club struggling at the bottom of the table.

With just one win from eleven, there is a suspicion that Gerald Scicluna might quietly quit and be replaced by his assistant manager, the naturalised Schottic Donald Craiglethy; it certainly seems quite woeful down south, and the odds of them being relegated have shot up to 33% in recent sports-science-polling aggregation that uses big data to do...something. Scicluna acknowledges that the situation is in fact dire, and that he will indeed step down if he thinks that "it's the right thing to do."

MATCHDAY 12
FC Inter Nantwich 1–2 Clyde Park
S Stepanov 47'//T Haller 20', 38'
Sturrey Athletic 0–2 Ridgewell Rovers
Q van der Ven 7', C Ross 25'
Newark Argyle 1–4 West Couno United
H Colvin 25'//Kim SW 11', C Vette 24', V Morris 38', E Kobilcov 47'
Straton 3–0 Fontwell Rovers
R McLaren 15', D Thorsen 28', A Finlay 77'
Kingsbury United 0–0 Serrapince

Couno Rangers 2–1 Hesham
A Browne 8', V Hicks 38'//S Wilson 58'
Columbia City 3–4 Lakewood United
J Fan 21', J Starling 40', 49'//B Coxeter 11', 24', V Wells 58', G Byrne 72'
Colbrook City 1–4 Lakewood City
F Yeltsov 20'//V Anderson 29', 48', S McTavish 33', B Byrne 59'

Scicluna's resignation doesn't happen this week, however, as Columbia produce a somewhat entertaining result against United which sees them lead for a good few minutes before the inevitable happens and United get back on top. It's a game that's less entertaining than the scoreline suggests — after Jean Starling's goal four minutes into the second half, United asserted themselves over the game and basically played Columbia out of it, scoring twice in the process — but the first half did produce some genuinely entertaining stuff.

Rachel McLaren, Di Bradini Cup winner, continues to make her case for an early graduation to the senior national team by being the main conductor of Straton's very satisfying 3-0 victory over Fontwell. Yes, Fontwell are relegation candidates, but at this point in the season — where Straton's spring barely lasted five weeks before they were brought rather rudely down to Earth — fans will take anything. Manager Edmund Finnegan's time at the club has been somewhat mixed; some praise his willingness to be daring and bleed youth into the team, while others say his approach was too fast, too soon.

Ridgewell seem to have properly shaken off their early-season malaise; their second win in a row might be against Sturrey, but at least the club are playing like their usual selves again. Now theoretically safe from relegation (and manager Chris Haines from the sack), they seem a bit more relaxed; and while it'll probably be a challenge to get back into the IFCF spots, a Campionato Esportiva di Campeones spot is still on the table. With their win, they're now up to ninth, which does get them a spot in the CEdC. It does raise a few eyebrows to have a club that can finish in the lower half of the table technically go to international club football, but the clubs seem fairly convinced that doing this is good for player health and for revenue distribution.

MATCHDAY 13
Lakewood City 3–2 FC Inter Nantwich
C Henshaw 24', R Vaughn 59', S Monaghan 85'//Kim CY 65', M Wague 72'
Lakewood United 3–0 Colbrook City
J Sürréo 12', E Kruetzberg 56', T Goldwin 72'
Hesham 1–1 Columbia City
H Mornington 62'//T Fiallo 82'
Serrapince 3–2 Couno Rangers
C Audiol 22', J Ryland 40', 58'//E Howard-Dawes 29', 55'
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 Kingsbury United
E McGill 4'
West Couno United 2–0 Straton
H Garlick 28', J Lawrence 51'
Ridgewell Rovers 2–2 Newark Argyle
L Beaugemont 11', F Ermis 37'//S Oliveira 42', C Ross 80'
Clyde Park 1–2 Sturrey Athletic
V Chatterjee 29'//J Bradford 79', J Burgess 84'

And it's over. One win in thirteen games sees Gerald Scicluna voluntarily step down from the position of Columbia City manager; his assistant Donald Craiglethy is appointed as temporary manager as the club looks to hire a new permanent manager to save them from being relegated. There are several local candidates — Colin Barrendale (formerly of Sturrey and then the Northlander national team), Graham Lloyd (formerly of Macarthur and Fraser, with a less-than-stellar record in avoiding relegation), Michael Hardwick (the Dark Prince of Defense, formerly from Delphi, Fraser, and Hesham) or even the return of the once and future Son of Columbia, David Griffiths (formerly of Columbia and Colbrook). Foreign options reportedly include Nicoletta Arnaudo and Alyonka Stenberg; but Columbia seem more keen to return to some sort of stability before the mid-season break than anything.

Kingsbury pull off a narrow, but workmanlike, 1-0 victory over Fontwell to continue their rise up the table; they're currently in seventh, but the more interesting thing about them is that they've only scored (and conceded) thirteen goals this season, by far the lowest of teams amongst them. The good thing is that Kingsbury's defence — starring one Joaquin Santo, who seems to have put his injury worries behind him — seems to be equally strong. There are questions over whether Michelle Ferris was a good signing for Kingsbury; but manager William Wight defends her slight dip in recent form. A long-term injury to Erica Illsley means there's not much choice on the left flank, either.

Couno-Serrapince promises to be an interesting match, and is — if not for the fact that Marco Giuliani is widely speculated to basically be a dead man walking at this point. His attitude during the post-match press conference indicates as such; but who would possibly want to manage Couno? There is speculation that a Farf could be brought in to further cement Kim's control over the club, and solidify the club's links to Lithico^TM; but nothing is yet official. Serrapince ultimately come out on top thanks to a Jack Ryland double; the Sylestonean winger running the second half of the game, essentially. Elaine Howard-Dawes' own brace isn't enough to overcome the gap. It's widely expected that the axe won't fall until Kim can line up a proper replacement; assistant Marcus Sheldon, a Couno hero and long-time starting striker for the Rams, is also expected to leave when Giuliani goes.

MATCHDAY 14
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 Sturrey Athletic
O Browning 40'
Newark Argyle 2–1 Clyde Park
S Oliveira 55', 89'//P Habimana 48'
Straton 1–1 Ridgewell Rovers
Liang T 18'//H Canavan 81'
Kingsbury United 0–1 West Couno United
Kim SW 64'
Couno Rangers 0–1 Fontwell Rovers
R Holland 53'
Columbia City 1–1 Serrapince
T Pipades 88'//C Audiol 32'
Colbrook City 4–1 Hesham
J Hyland 11', P Djurovic 28', A Neviud 45' + 3', F Yeltsov 53'//G Deighton 34'
Lakewood City 4–2 Lakewood United
C Henshaw 6', 19', 87', E Appleby 55'//J Sürréo 39', M Tatsinan 72'

It's Lakewood Derby week; and City break recent historical trends by beating United 4-2, possibly foreshadowing how this season's title race will end. Charlotte Henshaw nets a hat-trick, while United can barely bring a response; a goal from Sürréo and a goal from Squornshelan midfield wonderkid Maram Tatsinan is what United can muster. It's a more muted Lakewood derby than previous seasons, with less verbal barbs being traded between the two long-serving managers of Lakewood's clubs; City manager John Riedweld doesn't seem much interested in playing mind-games this time around, and United manager Andrea Spinelli seems reluctant to start verbal beef with a man who is so obviously not at the peak of his health. Riedweld himself is more gracious in victory than he normally would be; when quizzed on the prospect of ending the first half of the season undefeated, he says it's "not something that dominates the conversation" and there are "things, within and outside football, that are occupying my mind now."

Columbia's first game under Donald Craiglethy ends in a draw; but it's an important draw, as it comes against Serrapince. Vdaran centreback Takis Pipades scores off a late header — Serrapince manager Lars Hartmansson visibly facepalms when the goal goes in; and Serrapince try to break the deadlock in the last few minutes, but it's not happening. Columbia still remain rooted to the table — Craiglethy states that his task is simply to stabilise the team — but there's every chance that Columbia's second-season syndrome hits hard and the Southerners go down after just one season in the Prem.

The biggest surprise of the week, however, is Fontwell holding on against Couno to deal Marco Giuliani's chances of staying on as manager a mortal blow; it's widely expected he'll be in the saddle for one last game against WCU next week, but he'll be quickly shoved off stage after. Which brings even more speculation over the nature of his successor; could it be a Farf? The return of Rohan Cammers, last seen at St. Thomas in the Licentian Isles? Or perhaps a recently-unemployed Dale Hartford-Phelps, fresh out of a job with South Newlandia? There's much speculation, but so little time, as a disappointing performance from Couno sets the stage for a WCU victory in next week's Couno derby.

MATCHDAY 15
Lakewood United 1–0 FC Inter Nantwich
J Sürréo 63'
Hesham 0–0 Lakewood City

Serrapince 0–1 Colbrook City
H Gerritsen 90' + 4'
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Columbia City
V Anagnakis 35'
West Couno United 2–2 Couno Rangers
M Hajdarpasic 72', N-H McKinley 80'//S Fortier 50', E Robertson 59'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Kingsbury United
H Canavan 19'
Clyde Park 1–0 Straton
L Frecklington 2'
Sturrey Athletic 0–1 Newark Argyle
H Menez 66'

And it happens less than a few hours after the Couno derby; Marco Giuliani is relieved of his duties. Marcus Sheldon, too, goes with him; the naturalised Savigliano delivers his last post-match press conference after he sees WCU come back from 2-0 down to finish level. For Thomas Kim, it's perhaps an appropriate time to clear house; the biggest names on the market right now are Daniel Galbraith and Ted Bayh, but both are known for being headstrong. Galbraith doesn't exactly have a stellar record in Tumbra — three seasons at Nantwich that didn't really go anywhere — and Bayh has a season and a half of baggage from United which would probably disqualify him from the job.

It seems, too, that Serrapince are in a bit of a form crisis; with just one win from their last five games, they drop to fourth in the chase for the title, an eye-watering eight points behind Lakewood United. Manager Lars Hartmansson all but admits that the Bees' title challenge this season is over after they drop to a disappointing loss to relegation-threatened Colbrook City; he also fires a warning shot at his players after a second late loss in as many games. "I see a growing sense of complacency in our game," says Hartmansson. "We'll have a lot to work on over the winter."

City manage to end the first half of their season undefeated, but only narrowly; a 0-0 draw against Hesham is much more remarkable than the scoreline suggests, with captain and Sylestone national team regular Hugo Mornington working brilliantly to deny City anything. His contract ends at the end of the season, and he's been linked with short-term contracts at both Lakewood City and Couno Rangers; this is amidst rumours that the shake-up at City at the end of the season will see a few more names departing, like Ian Ashburn — even though he's the son of the owner, he's reportedly looking for a new challenge outside Tumbra. Hesham manager John Krajewski praises his players for their resolute performance; "it's a great defensive showing, and although we weren't able to make headway offensively, our players can be proud of what they achieved." He'll have to hope Hesham have a better second half of the season; four wins from fifteen isn't exactly a glowing record for the team from the south-east.

So City lead by four points, and are in pole position to record their first league title in half a decade as of the current moment; United, searching for their third title in a row, are second, and then it's the rest of the IFCF contenders bickering amongst themselves for the remaining two Champions' League slots. Such is the renown of the league nowadays that they can send four teams to the IFCF's top-tier competition; but most don't expect it to last very long, with churn in the top ranks of the IFCF being very common. Newark, having run a slick campaign so far, are sixth; while Ridgewell have recovered enough to be eighth in the table. Five clubs are in the relegation conversation; but interestingly enough, none of them look like they're about to go down without a fight. Even Columbia, rock bottom with just one win in fifteen, have gained points from seven of their fifteen matches; which is more than the three clubs above them can say for themselves.

Football leaves for a mid-season break, and returns in the last week of January.

REPUBLIC CUP, THIRD ROUND

Third Round
( D4)                      Coburg   1-2   Fontwell Rovers             (D1 )
( D1)               Newark Argyle   1-0   Pomeroy Mountaineers        (D3 )
( D3)               Brades United   1-3 e Straton                     (D1 )
( D2)  Millsburgh Revolutionaries   0-0 p Shepperton Ravens           (D2 )
( SL)                     Clifton   0-1   Kingsbury United            (D1 )
( D1)                      Hesham   3-0   Colbrook City               (D1 )
( D1)                  Serrapince   3-0   Dynamo Denhelm              (NC )
( D1)            Ridgewell Rovers   5-0   Ricci Ironworkers           (D4 )
( D1)             Lakewood United   7-1   AFC Gillman                 (D2 )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   4-2   Columbia City               (D1 )
( D1)                  Clyde Park   2-1   Readale Wanderers           (D2 )
( D1)            Sturrey Athletic   3-2   Gelder Creek                (D4 )
( D3)           Harchester United   1-2   Lakewood City               (D1 )
( D2)              Hoxford United   0-2   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( NC)            Hesham Wanderers   0-1   Clark City                  (D2 )
( NC)                       Dover   1-3   West Couno United           (D1 )

T-League, Season 4

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg   Form15
 1 Lakewood City          15   12   3   0    38   14  +24    39   -0   DWWWW WWWDW WWWWD
 2 Lakewood United        15   11   2   2    31   18  +13    35   -0   WWWWD DWWWL WWWLW
 3 West Couno United      15    8   4   3    27   18   +9    28   ▲4   WWLLW DWLDD WWWWD
 4 Serrapince             15    7   6   2    27   16  +11    27   ▼1   DLWWW DWWWD DDWDL
 5 FC Inter Nantwich      15    8   2   5    21   15   +6    26   ▼1   DWWLW WDWWL WLLWL
 6 Newark Argyle          15    6   5   4    27   26   +1    23   ▲1   DWWDD WLLLD WLDWW
 7 Couno Rangers          15    6   4   5    31   24   +7    22   ▼2   WDWDL WDWWL LWLLD
 8 Ridgewell Rovers       15    5   5   5    17   20   −3    20   ▲4   LDLLD LLWDW WWDDW
 9 Kingsbury United       15    4   5   6    13   15   −2    17   ▼1   DWLDL LDWDW LDWLL
10 Straton                15    4   4   7    20   21   −1    16   -0   WLLDW WLLLD DWLDL
11 Hesham                 15    4   4   7    19   21   −2    16   ▼2   LLLLL WWDWD WLDLD
12 Clyde Park             15    3   5   7    18   29  −11    14   ▲1   DDLWL DLLDD LWLLW
13 Sturrey Athletic       15    4   1  10    15   29  −14    13   ▼2   LLLWW LLDLW LLWLL
14 Fontwell Rovers        15    4   1  10    13   27  −14    13   ▲1   WLLWL LLLDL LLLWW
15 Colbrook City          15    4   1  10    17   32  −15    13   ▲1   LLWLL LWLLD LLLWW
16 Columbia City          15    1   6   8    15   24   −9     9   ▼2   LDWLD LDLLD LLDDL

by **Tumbra** » Fri Mar 29, 2024 10:44 am

T-LEAGUE 2
MID-SEASON

Standings after MD15

   T-League 2                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Millsburgh Revolutionaries      15   10   3   2    24    8  +16    33
 2 Readale Wanderers               15    9   2   4    28   17  +11    29
 3 Shepperton Ravens               15    9   2   4    20   14   +6    29
 4 Delphi Lionesses                15    8   4   3    21   14   +7    28
 5 Bencoolen City                  15    8   3   4    27   17  +10    27
 6 Fraser Valley                   15    8   3   4    21   14   +7    27
 7 Hoxford United                  15    8   2   5    20   12   +8    26
 8 Port Marray                     15    7   1   7    18   15   +3    22
 9 AFC Cayalon                     15    7   1   7    21   25   −4    22
10 Newton Wanderers                15    5   4   6    14   10   +4    19
11 Dorival                         15    4   7   4    13   12   +1    19
12 Clark City                      15    4   4   7    14   20   −6    16
13 AFC Gillman                     15    4   0  11    14   26  −12    12
14 Guillemard Town                 15    3   3   9     5   20  −15    12
15 Washington City                 15    3   1  11     7   26  −19    10
16 Tavistock Athletic              15    3   0  12    13   30  −17     9

T-LEAGUE 3
MID-SEASON

Standings after MD15

   T-League 3                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Macarthur City             15    9   3   3    26   13  +13    30
 2 Carter United              15    9   3   3    25   14  +11    30
 3 Millsburgh Steelers        15    8   4   3    21    8  +13    28
 4 Ridgewell United           15    8   3   4    29   18  +11    27
 5 Brades United              15    8   1   6    27   27    0    25
 6 Cobham Town                15    8   0   7    14   14    0    24
 7 New Timbourne Knights      15    6   3   6    12    9   +3    21
 8 Tavistock Park             15    6   3   6    17   15   +2    21
 9 Killiney SC                15    6   3   6    20   27   −7    21
10 Harwick Wanderers          15    6   2   7    16   20   −4    20
11 Pomeroy Mountaineers       15    5   3   7    12   24  −12    18
12 Teignford Academical       15    4   4   7    15   17   −2    16
13 Harchester United          15    4   3   8    14   23   −9    15
14 Glenmont AFC               15    3   5   7    15   19   −4    14
15 Franport                   15    4   2   9    11   17   −6    14
16 Tevandale Athletic         15    4   2   9    18   27   −9    14

T-LEAGUE 4
MID-SEASON

Standings after MD15

   T-League 4             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kelder Phoenixes        15   10   3   2    29   14  +15    33
 2 Ricci Ironworkers       15   10   3   2    21   10  +11    33
 3 Fort Heatherton         15    8   4   3    22   10  +12    28
 4 Southport Thunder       15    8   1   6    17   15   +2    25
 5 Coburg                  15    8   1   6    15   14   +1    25
 6 Wintborough United      15    7   2   6    17   16   +1    23
 7 Trelmont Rangers        15    6   4   5    14   10   +4    22
 8 Kirkby Railwaymen       15    6   3   6    15   15    0    21
 9 Pinhal Athletic         15    6   3   6    17   18   −1    21
10 Gelder Creek            15    5   3   7    14   18   −4    18
11 FC Montrose             15    4   6   5    13   18   −5    18
12 Heffron City            15    5   2   8    15   17   −2    17
13 Caldwell City           15    4   4   7    16   19   −3    16
14 Ashton Rovers           15    3   4   8    15   20   −5    13
15 Denhelm Trinity         15    2   5   8    11   22  −11    11
16 Carrington Town         15    3   2  10    10   25  −15    11

by **Tumbra** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 12:06 pm

MATCHDAY 16
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 Newark Argyle
L Whiteley 42'
Sturrey Athletic 2–0 Straton
L Russell 19', J Hughes 40'
Clyde Park 1–1 Kingsbury United
J Pearce 55'//M Ferris 29'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–2 Couno Rangers
H Canavan 70'//E Howard-Dawes 19', H Howell 77'
West Couno United 1–3 Columbia City
M Hajdarpasic 29'//J Fan 20', J Starling 39', 49'
Fontwell Rovers 1–2 Colbrook City
E Blanc 25'//J Hwang 80', F de Vries 83'
Serrapince 1–1 Lakewood City
Zhaxi JZ 34'//S McTavish 12'
Hesham 2–0 Lakewood United
H Mornington 19', S Jepson o.g. 40'

The winter break ends, unsurprisingly, with the announcement of two new managers. As previously rumoured before the mid-season break, Squornshelan manager Alyonka Stenberg is drafted in at Columbia; her appointment comes relatively early in the window, and gives her enough time to prepare for the second half of the season — a daunting task, considering Columbia's position at the bottom of the table. The other managerial appointment takes almost everyone by surprise; Couno's new manager is Frank Thornton, the Serrapince assistant manager. It's a befuddling choice, considering Thornton has never had top-level managerial experience — the Serrapince assistant job is the only one he's had in top-level management. Kim says that Thornton has "a lot of potential", but Thornton himself looks a bit confused as to what he himself is doing here.

Thornton's first game in charge of Couno goes fine, however. An inspired substitution for Holly Howell for Elaine Howard-Dawes pays dividends just five minutes after the striker is let on; Ridgewell had been edging the game in their favour beforehand, but Howell's powerful strike puts the game to an end; a penalty call for Ridgewell is also un-awarded after a lengthy VAR review. Columbia also get off to a good start to their second half of the season, completely dominating West Couno; coupled with Fontwell and Clyde losing, the result instantly brings them closer to the other teams in the relegation battle.

Lakewood United's second half of the season gets off to the worst possible start; Sylestone captain Hugo Mornington rises up above the United defence and basically nods the ball in off a corner; a shot from Lucifer that bounces off Spencer Jepson's right thigh into the net doubles Hesham's lead, and Mornington rallies the troops to lock up and deliver three points to the Ploughmen. Luckily, they're not as punished as they would otherwise have been; because Serrapince hold on to draw against City, with John Riedweld expressing his clear disappointment at the situation. But he says these results are "sometimes expected" after the game; and the focus is on racking up as many points as possible in their next games against Fontwell, West Couno, Ridgewell, and Clyde — a set of results, he says, which he could see three wins from four from.

MATCHDAY 17
Hesham 0–0 FC Inter Nantwich

Lakewood United 3–0 Serrapince
C Eastwood 60', V Wells 64', E Kruetzberg 90' + 2'
Lakewood City 1–0 Fontwell Rovers
E Appleby 24'
Colbrook City 0–3 West Couno United
Kim SW 26', C Vette 32', 41'
Columbia City 1–0 Ridgewell Rovers
J Starling 40'
Couno Rangers 2–0 Clyde Park
V Hicks 16', M Gallagher 39'
Kingsbury United 1–0 Sturrey Athletic
F Woodhouse 82'
Straton 0–2 Newark Argyle
S Oliveira 52', 64'

WCU get their season back in order again, however, this time by dunking on a poorly-functioning Colbrook City; the league's northern-most club returned from the winter break with a whole host of injuries, and manager Vince McCarthy admitted that their win against Fontwell the previous week was "relatively lucky." The 3-0 thrashing from WCU perhaps more accurately reflects their level of play; which is worrying, considering they're in the middle of a relegation campaign.

Columbia get their own relegation-avoidance campaign off to an amazing second game under Stenberg — whether it's a new manager bounce or whether she's truly stabilised her team is disputed, but she does have a known reputation for the latter — as Columbia star Jean Starling takes a free-kick that sails over Columbia goalkeeper George Danvers' head. Couno, too, get off to a second win in a row; Sylestonean midfielder Morgan Gallagher slowly but surely starting to displace established Quebecois superstar Jean-Philippe Vaillancourt from the team. But, Thornton is easy to warn, it's still "early days" and he's still "trying out the various capabilities of his players." Gallagher starting twice in two games does mean that there's something there that impresses the former Serrapince assistant, however.

Quietly, amidst all the noise that's happening around managers being replaced and turnovers becoming rampant, Newark have carried out an impressive campaign so far; they stand seventh in the league, with an excellent record, and just beat Straton — whose fans are increasingly concerned that Edmund Finnegan might not be the right man for the Straton job — away from home. It's a match of former Under-18 manager against former Under-21 manager; both with one under-aged World Cup win apeice, and Toby Barton comes out atop. "It's not the easiest thing, focusing on youth development especially at a high level," says Barton after the match. "What Finnegan is doing at Straton is exceptional."

MATCHDAY 18
FC Inter Nantwich 0–0 Straton

Newark Argyle 2–2 Kingsbury United
S Oliveira 59', L Murdoch 82'//B Cheschon 13', F Woodhouse 32'
Sturrey Athletic 1–2 Couno Rangers
K McDonald 28'//JP Vaillancourt 8', L Kendall 80'
Clyde Park 1–1 Columbia City
O Browning 24'//R Cowling 27'
Ridgewell Rovers 2–1 Colbrook City
I Robertson 39', H Canavan 75'//R Baker 62'
West Couno United 1–3 Lakewood City
V Reisinger 69'//R Vaughn 14', S Monaghan 64', V Leighton 73'
Fontwell Rovers 1–1 Lakewood United
E Blanc 84'//C Eastwood 45' + 4'
Serrapince 4–1 Hesham
C Audiol 15', P Tucker 44', A-M Hansdottir 63', 80'//Lucifer 24'

Nantwich fail to score for the second game in a row. This would usually be concerning, but given that they haven't conceded either, manager Rowena Stamper is more inclined to pass it off as a temporary dip in main striker Moussa Wague's form than anything. Wague's Tumbra-based career has been interesting — he's been around the league for six seasons now, but has now played for three teams; Lakewood City, who initially brought him to Tumbra from Brookstation; Clyde, where he first really made his name, and now Nantwich, where he's now the main man. He's looked a bit more tired since the season restarted, but he has been playing almost every single game Nantwich since the start of the season — because his back-ups are two twenty year-olds whom Stamper has apparently deemed in need of more development.

Seemingly eager to keep his place in the team, Jean-Phillipe Vaillancourt takes his start against Sturrey as a means to prove himself to his new manager; and does so by scoring in the first ten minutes. It's a decent, routine victory for the Rams in Sturrey; albeit one that sends Athletic to the bottom of the table. Interestingly enough, this doesn't mean much at this point in the season; they're bottom, yes, but a grand total of one point separates them from the next four teams in the league — a list that includes, unsurprisingly, Fontwell, Colbrook, and Clyde, but more surprisingly, Straton, whose goalless draw puts them on seventeen points alongside the other relegation challengers. Some say this is too much, and call for Finnegan's head; but much like the departure of their previous manager, there remains a lack of convincing successors to his post if he is relieved of his job — though former under-21 manager Thomas Branting is available, Straton likely would not go in for someone who occupied the same role as Finnegan did. The other alternative is Daniel Galbraith; but it's unknown how enthusiastic he would be to return to his team. But anyway, all this speculation is useless, considering Finnegan still occupies the manager's chair.

Whisper it quietly, but City could go undefeated in Riedweld's final season — an honour which would probably be very difficult to ever match. City breeze past WCU, with Robin Vaughn dragging his 38 year-old body off the bench to play on the right for one of the last few times in a sky blue shirt; he's mum on his plans after. Some say that a big-money move to...somewhere...is probably on the cards; but he's expressed his desire to be a one-club man, and retirement does seem the most likely option. Still, in a forty-five minute cameo, he scores a goal; which shows that he still is effective, even at this age. His chance at a World Cup might have come and gone — much like his contemporaries, most famously probably being Vincent Hicks — but he's still driven. According to himself, at least.

MATCHDAY 19
Serrapince 2–2 FC Inter Nantwich
Sara V 66', C Audiol 82'//Kim CY 14', W Thomas 89'
Hesham 1–2 Fontwell Rovers
N Atkinson 57'//H Osbourne 36', M Yoshitoshi 90' + 2'
Lakewood United 2–2 West Couno United
C Eastwood 14', J Sürréo 29'//V Morris 50', D Sevaljevic 59'
Lakewood City 1–1 Ridgewell Rovers
S Monaghan 24'//G Sauber 58'
Colbrook City 1–1 Clyde Park
A Hussein 66'//J Pearce 31'
Columbia City 3–0 Sturrey Athletic
T Fetch 19', J Starling 48', 72'
Couno Rangers 2–2 Newark Argyle
E Howard-Dawes 15', E Robertson 30'//C van der Borght 60', J McCreary 75'
Kingsbury United 1–0 Straton
F Woodhouse 88'

City are held to a draw against Ridgewell, but United once again fail to capitalise on this by also failing to beat West Couno, meaning that the gap with eleven games to go is seven points. The promise of the hat-trick of league titles is still strong, but opportunities for it to happen are falling quick. Andrea Spinelli, however, seemingly isn't worried. "My current focus is on playing well. City are on an entirely different level, and we are playing to catch them — but if it gets too difficult, there is no shame in letting go. We have won three of the last four titles, after all." His suspiciously calm interview is very much at odds at his demeanour on the pitch when Danilo Sevaljevic's shot goes in.

Nantwich finally get back into their goal-scoring oeurve, but don't get back into game-winning form. Kim Chae-yeong puts Nantwich ahead in a goal that would be worthy of a Tornados effort (if those still ran), but a second-half rally from the Bees drags Nantwich back down. Only an eighty-ninth long-shot from Walter Thomas, Tikariotian bearded warrior, saves Nantwich from further blushes; but Stamper seems to express some frustration after the game at the lack of a win.

In the relegation fight, things remain just as narrow; Straton's failure to beat Kingsbury drags them into the relegation fight. Edmund Finnegan takes a calming tone in the press conference, but the late goal from Kingsbury right-winger Felicity Woodhouse sees him storm off into the tunnel, leaving his assistant Anna Napier to take charge for the rest of the match. He apologises for his conduct — calling it a "temporary moment of insanity" — but his frustration is evident.

MATCHDAY 20
FC Inter Nantwich 1–1 Kingsbury United
S Cho 23'//E McGill 49'
Straton 1–0 Couno Rangers
D Thorsen 23'
Newark Argyle 1–0 Columbia City
R Fleetwood 30'
Sturrey Athletic 1–1 Colbrook City
Á Trouvé 65'//P Djurovic 14'
Clyde Park 0–3 Lakewood City
N Tejic 18', I Ashburn 66', V Anderson 75'
Ridgewell Rovers 0–2 Lakewood United
C Eastwood 40', N Papez 63'
West Couno United 1–0 Hesham
L Vujanovic 69'
Fontwell Rovers 2–4 Serrapince
M Yoshitoshi 50', C Grimley 64'//T Barker 11', J Ryland 28', A Wakering 34', L Ness 75'

Straton finally get a win, and what a side to do it over but Couno Rangers; Frank Thornton says it "is now something we've got to pick ourselves back from and work towards at the end of the season." His tone seems to assuage almost everyone; and his adaptability in the job seems to put the claims that Thornton is a) an out-of-season April Fool's Joke and b) a transitional figure to rest. Thomas Kim, Couno owner, seems to demurr away from claiming credit for his stunning new hire; which raises suspicions over who really hired Thornton for the Couno job.

Elsewhere, there are rumours that no matter the outcome of the season, Ridgewell manager Chris Haines will depart the club at the end of it; the rumour comes after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to United which sees the Rovers only having picked up one win from five since the winter break. Chris Haines is grim at the prospect of yet another loss, and acknowledges that it's been a wholly disappointing season for Rovers fans, but refuses to comment on the prospect of leaving. The game itself is a classic Lakewood United game; they take control from the off and effectively play Ridgewell off the park — something that's worked for the past four, five seasons but seems to have dampened in effectiveness somewhat this time around.

City do manage to fulfill Riedweld's quasi-prophecy of three wins from four, winning their game against Clyde Park with little difficulty. Whisper it quietly, but with just ten games left in the season, there is a possibility that City could go undefeated throughout the season. Riedweld, in what he says is probably his third-last press conference of the season, says that it's not "something that is really on his mind, but it would be nice to achieve." The session is unusually grilling; reporters, perhaps seeing that this is their third-last chance to ask Riedweld questions, flood him. There are, of course, retrospectives; which Riedweld says are for his memoirs, "if he gets them out"; on his successor ("I'm not the king of Lakewood, and I've already made my preference on my successor known"); but in what seems to be gold for reporters, when he's asked why he's resigning, he answers honestly. The answer is shocking to many, but to some, unsurprising; given Riedweld's gaunter appearance throughout the season and frequent absences from press conferences and games.

John Riedweld, the long-term manager of Lakewood City, has cancer.

REPUBLIC CUP, FOURTH ROUND

Fourth Round
( D1)             Fontwell Rovers   1-3   Newark Argyle               (D1 )
( D1)                     Straton   3-1   Shepperton Ravens           (D2 )
( D1)            Kingsbury United   0-2   Hesham                      (D1 )
( D1)                  Serrapince e 3-2   Ridgewell Rovers            (D1 )
( D1)             Lakewood United   2-3 e Couno Rangers               (D1 )
( D1)                  Clyde Park   1-0   Sturrey Athletic            (D1 )
( D1)               Lakewood City   2-1   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( D2)                  Clark City   2-5   West Couno United           (D1 )

T-League, Season 4

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg 
 1 Lakewood City          20   15   5   0    47   17  +30    50   -0
 2 Lakewood United        20   13   4   3    39   23  +16    43   -0
 3 Serrapince             20    9   8   3    38   25  +13    35   ▲1
 4 West Couno United      20   10   5   5    35   26   +9    35   ▼1
 5 FC Inter Nantwich      20    9   6   5    25   18   +7    33   -0
 6 Couno Rangers          20    9   5   6    39   29  +10    32   ▲1
 7 Newark Argyle          20    8   7   5    34   31   +3    31   ▼1
 8 Kingsbury United       20    6   8   6    19   19    0    26   ▲1
 9 Ridgewell Rovers       20    6   6   8    21   27   −6    24   ▼1
10 Hesham                 20    5   5  10    23   28   −5    20   ▲1
   Straton                20    5   5  10    21   26   −5    20   ▼1
12 Columbia City          20    4   7   9    23   27   −4    19   ▲4
13 Colbrook City          20    5   3  12    22   40  −18    18   ▲2
14 Clyde Park             20    3   8   9    21   37  −16    17   ▼2
15 Sturrey Athletic       20    5   2  13    19   36  −17    17   ▼2
16 Fontwell Rovers        20    5   2  13    19   36  −17    17   ▼2

by **Tumbra** » Sat Apr 13, 2024 11:25 am

MATCHDAY 21
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 FC Inter Nantwich
T Lawrence 59'
Serrapince 3–1 West Couno United
Sara V 38', M Toussaint 42', J Ryland 75'//O Muir o.g. 28'
Hesham 2–1 Ridgewell Rovers
S Wilson 50', G Deighton 84'//K Desmond 80'
Lakewood United 4–1 Clyde Park
J Sürréo 29', Zheng H 40', D Lokombo-Ssekitoleko 77', N Papez 81'//L Frecklington 35'
Lakewood City 3–1 Sturrey Athletic
T Huon 6', E Appleby 72', 88'//L Russell 50'
Colbrook City 1–4 Newark Argyle
S Rigby 66'//I McDermott 28', H Colvin 40', S Oliveira 58', B Griffin 80'
Columbia City 1–0 Straton
J Fan 80'
Couno Rangers 0–1 Kingsbury United
F Woodhouse 62'

What seems to be something whispered in hushed tones at the start of every season, until the last team falls, slowly creeps toward coming true. The prospect that Lakewood City could potentially end the season unbeaten looms large over proceedings; especially as they run out emphatic 3-1 winners over a Sturrey side looking to hold on to their status as a Prem team. Their closest rivals, Lakewood United, are seven points back; but the prospect of catching up and overtaking City seems remote, especially with how City are playing. Could it be Riedweld's announcement of his cancer that spurred them to play so well this season? TikFlix shows and books will be written about this season, for sure, if City end up winning it all; but they might be written anyway, as John Riedweld's final goodbye to the team he dragged from midfield to the world stage grows ever closer.

After a definitively sunny honeymoon period, it seems that Couno are going through it again; they flounder to a loss against Kingsbury, a well-hit shot from Felicity Woodhouse smacking the bar and ricocheting in. But that's not all; Ridgewell fall to ninth after a disappointing defeat to Hesham. It's not curtains for manager Chris Haines — he is still respected as the manager that brought Ridgewell from midtable obscurity to the cusp of greatness, and may yet follow in the footsteps of Bill Thompson, who brought West Couno so far before Samara Kaniatarii finished the job — but there is a distinct sense that Haines' avenue to the Lakewood City job has closed.

Elsewhere, in the scrabble for the lower two IFCF Champions' League spots, Serrapince win a crucial three points against West Couno to go three points clear of the Westerners; while there's a distinct sense that the door to the top two has closed, there's still plenty to fight for. Tumbra's race up to near the top of the IFCF rankings has meant that it now has an eye-watering four slots in the IFCF Champions' League; but that is often pegged with a warning that churn, at this level, is highly likely and the top ranks of the IFCF are always volatile. Eyebrows are also raised at the prospect of nine teams heading to international competition; but then pundits raise the fact that too many matches is likely to play a heavy toll on players' fitness, and the eyebrows go back down almost immediately.

MATCHDAY 22
FC Inter Nantwich 0–2 Couno Rangers
E Robertson 55', E Howard-Dawes 66'
Kingsbury United 3–1 Columbia City
M Ferris 28', D Gray 45' + 1', F Woodhouse 82'//A Baraldi 48'
Straton 0–0 Colbrook City

Newark Argyle 1–1 Lakewood City
I McDermott 20'//C Henshaw 28'
Sturrey Athletic 0–1 Lakewood United
V Wells 62'
Clyde Park 0–4 Hesham
J Halliday 18', T Skelton 50', Lucifer 58', 66'
Ridgewell Rovers 0–0 Serrapince

West Couno United 2–1 Fontwell Rovers
V Reisinger 24', L Vujanovic 63'//V Anagnakis 5'

The gap between the two sides goes down to six points as a resurgent Newark hold City to a draw; while Newark draw first blood, City strike back less than ten minutes later, but Newark hold fast — courtesy of a stunning performance from Deng Daiyu — for the rest of the game. It's not enough to turn City's zero losses to one loss; but it is enough to scare City. Manager John Riedweld, who has taken it upon himself to re-assume press duties for this last stretch of the season — tries to calm and rally at the same time. For the first time, he seems to dangle the prospect of finishing the season unbeaten in front of his team's eyes after saying previously saying it was not a big deal. Is it something he wants as a fitting way to cap off his legacy? Or is it the simplest way of avoiding dropping more points to United? It could be both.

There is slight controversy after the T-League organisation says it wishes to sell off TV broadcasting rights for a higher price for the next five seasons; critics quickly point at Audioslavia's failed attempt to get their own TV package up to snuff, and T-League CEO Heather Cartwright acknowledges this — but says that T-League broadcast package prices have been "systematically undervalued," especially abroad, and that the T-League was still a 'growth league' despite having been in the top 32 of the IFCF rankings for nearly a decade now. Whether the package will sell well is anyone's guess; pundits, economic ones this time, seem equally divided on whether the T-League is lucrative.

It's now Clyde's turn to take their place at the bottom of the league table as they lose to Hesham, 4-0; but Farf manager Morcillo López retains the confidence of the Clyde board. And, this late in the league campaign, it's perhaps foolish to change horses midstream. It is worth nothing that they're only one point off the playoff spot; and the four-team tango to avoid relegation seems to be working well. Nobody really wants to see these teams relegated; they have all put forth arguments as to why they should stay in the league. Some say that the league should expand to eighteen, but those people are quickly beaten back down with a stick. Two more teams means four more games for everyone; which, in the long run, would be terrible for player health.

MATCHDAY 23
West Couno United 2–0 FC Inter Nantwich
C Vette 14', Zhao F 23'
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 Ridgewell Rovers
F Ermis 80'
Serrapince 2–0 Clyde Park
P Tucker 40', C Audiol 86'
Hesham 0–0 Sturrey Athletic

Lakewood United 3–0 Newark Argyle
W Pritchett 41', J Sürréo 60', 66'
Lakewood City 1–1 Straton
V Anderson 20'//P Hurst 49'
Colbrook City 0–1 Kingsbury United
E Ferguson 13'
Columbia City 1–3 Couno Rangers
J Cable 25'//A van der Wel 8', A Browne 40', H Howell 53'

Who's on television? Well, it depends on who you watch. Two games a week are on free-to-air television; that's one on TBC Sports. They also get exclusive access to the highlights show Gameday!; that's a clip show presented by former Tumbran footballer Lewis Jennings. The other is on NBS, the National Broadcasting Service; which typically broadcasts content that's more tailored to Tumbra's various ethnic communities, but does get one game too. The other six are on Aurora, which signed an exclusivity deal for the other six games on television when the T-League started. All eight games, however, are available a week after being played on the over-the-counter service provided by the T-League; it's known as T-League Direct. All the lower-league games are broadcast over-the-table on the streaming service.

This week, the Colbrook-Kingsbury game is on TBC Sports; that one is won by Kingsbury, who launch themselves into a very strong sixth position with the win. The NBS game is Fontwell-Ridgewell; that one is won by Ridgewell after a late Fulgencio Ermis strike. It should be obvious by now that Aurora get the pick of the games they wish to broadcast; in a given season it's nearly impossible to see a game from one of the Big Six on free-to-air TV. But that is somewhat made up for by the fact that TBC and NBS get first pick for Cup games. The cup, of course, is the nearly-exclusive domain of the free-to-air broadcasters; that is enshrined, surprisingly, by law. But that hasn't stopped the Tumbran Football Federation from letting Aurora broadcast some games; the argument that the TFF is using is that the TBC and NBS can't broadcast all the games at once.

Elsewhere, the gap shrinks again; it's now at three points as United pick up three against Newark and City draw Straton. What was once seen as a foregone title race now hurtles to its conclusion, seemingly with United playing catch-up; manager Andrea Spinelli hails his team's "passion and strength." But will United be able to hold up against a Straton that played exceptionally well against City? It could be a trap game for them.

MATCHDAY 24
FC Inter Nantwich 0–0 Columbia City

Couno Rangers 2–0 Colbrook City
M Vaughan 22', M Gallagher 80'
Kingsbury United 1–1 Lakewood City
G Beauvais 19'//S McTavish 77'
Straton 3–0 Lakewood United
D Sartain 5', D Thorsen 29', A Finlay 88'
Newark Argyle 0–1 Hesham
K Rostami 77'
Sturrey Athletic 1–0 Serrapince
J Hughes 82'
Clyde Park 1–0 Fontwell Rovers
V Chatterjee 43'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 West Couno United
L Beaugemont 64'

And it is. Straton knock three past Lakewood United when they can least afford to; in another week where City stumble to a draw against Kingsbury, United's slip up could be title-deciding. Rueing the missed opportunity to pull level with their local rivals, manager Andrea Spinelli lays into what he thinks is the shoddy refereeing and the state of Straton's pitch. It's not exactly received well; Riedweld, never one to let a press opportunity go to waste, says that Spinelli should "stop blaming everything but himself" and in doing so deflects attention from the three-draw streak his own team has embarked upon. Even while riddled with cancer, Riedweld continues to rile up his rivals with ease.

Serrapince are stunned by Sturrey — the three points from their surprise win over Serrapince at home lifting them to thirteenth in the league — while the other relegation canaidates kick each other to bits. Clyde beat Fontwell, the latter of whom are now favourites to go down; Colbrook go to Couno and also get battered. Vince McCarthy offers his resignation after the game, but the board seem unwilling to accept it; evidently not trusting his assistant, Keenan Pollard, with the gig for the rest of the season.

In the Duel of Teams That Have Been Slightly Disappointing All Season, Lara Beaugemont is the difference-maker as Ridgewell squeeze past West Couno; by now it's practically understood that Samara Kaniatarii and WCU will be parting ways at the end of the season, with the success gone and mutual love-in having disappeared. While there hasn't been an official announcement, it's understood that Samara K, as she's known, will be given the liberty of announcing her departure on her own terms.

MATCHDAY 25
Ridgewell Rovers 1–1 FC Inter Nantwich
H Canavan 69'//M Wague 42'
West Couno United 1–2 Clyde Park
Kim SW 40'//O Browning 9', C Tipple 45' + 2'
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 Sturrey Athletic
J Bradford 2'
Serrapince 2–1 Newark Argyle
A-M Hansdottir 25', A Haller 83'//H Colvin 40'
Hesham 2–4 Straton
S Boulos 60', S Wilson 62'//D Thorsen 5', P Hurst 40', D Sartain 43', 49'
Lakewood United 2–0 Kingsbury United
E Kruetzberg 40', B Coxeter 82'
Lakewood City 2–2 Couno Rangers
C Henshaw 28', S Monaghan 50'//E Robertson 42', L Kendall 51'
Colbrook City 1–1 Columbia City
F Yeltsov 60'//A Kawasaki 13'

And she does so, after yet another disappointing loss in the league, this time to Clyde Park. West Couno manager Samara Kaniatarii officially announces that she's leaving West Couno at the end of the season; her greatest legacy, of course, will be West Couno United's surprise league title; but questions will be asked over the lack of capitalising on that success. The game itself is a non-starter; Clyde outfire West Couno in every relevant metric, and the Pilots' sluggish play in the second half indicate they're in dire need of a change. That's not to say that the new signings have turned out badly — Danilo Sevaljevic and Valerie Morris have been good — but there seems to be a sense that this team just needs some new tactics.

City run out with four consecutive draws from five games; but the sole measure of contentment, however, is that City still haven't lost. By now the whispers of an unbeaten season have transcended to become conversations; manager Riedweld says that things are "being mentioned" but "winning the league" is the main focus; United manager Andrea Spinelli fires back after last week's comments, wryly saying that "God has clearly chosen their protagonists for the season, and nobody can say no to the word of God." For their part, their defeat of Kingsbury might be one of their finest games of the season, running a rotated side; they might just run out of time to catch a clearly limping City side to the post. City lead by two points; United's best opportunity to flip the tide would be the Lakewood derby at home on the penultimate day of the season

In a result that has given Nantwich fans a lot of cause for worry, they're now on nine games without a win; the last time they won three points was all the way back in January. Since then, they've endured a torrid run of form of six draws and three losses; and while Rowena Stamper's job is secure for now, a disappointing final five games of the season could see her time in the westernmost member of the Big Six shorn short. Nantwich clearly have the personnel to make it further than seventh in the league — so why have they had so much trouble in the post-Schroeder era in making things work?

REPUBLIC CUP, QUARTER-FINAL

Quarter-Finals
( D1)               Newark Argyle   0-1   Straton                     (D1 )
( D1)                      Hesham   0-3   Serrapince                  (D1 )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   1-0   Clyde Park                  (D1 )
( D1)               Lakewood City   3-1   West Couno United           (D1 )

T-League, Season 4

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg 
 1 Lakewood City          25   16   9   0    55   23  +32    57   -0
 2 Lakewood United        25   17   4   4    49   27  +22    55   -0
 3 Serrapince             25   12   9   4    45   28  +17    45   -0
 4 Couno Rangers          25   12   6   7    48   33  +15    42   ▲1
 5 West Couno United      25   12   5   8    41   33   +8    41   ▼1
 6 Kingsbury United       25    9   9   7    25   23   +2    36   ▲2
 7 FC Inter Nantwich      25    9   8   8    26   24   +2    35   ▼2
 8 Newark Argyle          25    9   8   8    40   39   +1    35   ▼1
 9 Ridgewell Rovers       25    8   8   9    25   30   −5    32   -0
10 Hesham                 25    8   6  11    32   33   −1    30   -0
11 Straton                25    7   7  11    29   30   −1    28   -0
12 Columbia City          25    5   9  11    27   34   −7    24   -0
13 Sturrey Athletic       25    7   3  15    22   40  −18    24   ▲2
14 Clyde Park             25    5   8  12    25   48  −23    23   -0
15 Fontwell Rovers        25    6   2  17    21   41  −20    20   ▼1
16 Colbrook City          25    5   5  15    24   48  −24    20   ▼3

by **Tumbra** » Sun Apr 14, 2024 10:01 am

MATCHDAY 26
FC Inter Nantwich 3–1 Colbrook City
M Wague 18', K Dormann 38', J Spekman 60'//J Hyland 32'
Columbia City 1–1 Lakewood City
J Starling 89'//R Vaughn 16'
Couno Rangers 0–4 Lakewood United
J Sürréo 23', 75', Zheng H 40', E Kruetzberg 66'
Kingsbury United 1–2 Hesham
B Cheschon 19'//T Skelton 66', S Harrington 79'
Straton 0–0 Serrapince

Newark Argyle 1–1 Fontwell Rovers
H Colvin 53'//C Grimley 23'
Sturrey Athletic 1–0 West Couno United
J Hughes 21'
Clyde Park 2–1 Ridgewell Rovers
N Adams 24', H Morgan 38'//K Desmond 50'

City are held back by yet another draw — their fifth in as many games — as they go ahead against Columbia through Robin Vaughn but are pegged back by a late goal from Jean Starling. That slip-up allows United to go level, having demolished Clyde Park 4-0 away from home; it's evident that United are chasing that third title in a row with all they can get. Both teams are on fifty-eight points; Andrea Spinelli is keen to emphasise that the title race "starts here," while John Riedweld says that ultimately he is just "looking back on [his] career with pride." The focus now, it seems, is on City securing the unbeaten season; something that would be much rarer than another title for the Skylarks. "It is something we are definitely looking at, for sure, and if we can finish the season undefeated, we can win the title," says Riedweld.

Kingsbury slip a whole two positions after they give up a narrow 1-0 lead at home to Hesham; Tom Skelton comes off the bench at half-time to start Hesham's comeback and Stella Harrington, linked with a big move overseas, scores the second; and while Hesham seem destined to be a midfield team for the forseeable future, Harrington's quality is undeniable. She's already broken into the national team set-up, and is highly rated there too; her link-up play really showed itself as the club ran out 2-1 winners.

Putting more points into their account, Sturrey hold on at home against West Couno; Joyce Hughes scores a penalty after twenty minutes and then Sturrey pull off the mother of all defences to hold on for the next sixty-nine minutes; it's another exceptionally disappointing night for West Couno, who quite frankly look even more out of it after Samara Kaniatarii says she's leaving. It looks set to be an exceptionally disappointing season for West Couno; and Nantwich in seventh look poised to take advantage.

MATCHDAY 27
Clyde Park 3–2 FC Inter Nantwich
T Haller 67', P Habimana 84', L Frecklington 87'//S Trethewey 35', D Horvat 82'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Sturrey Athletic
H Canavan 24'
West Couno United 2–1 Newark Argyle
V Reisinger 28', M Hajdarpasic 50'//C Campbell 68'
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 Straton
R McLaren 80'
Serrapince 1–1 Kingsbury United
I Narváez 40'//M Ferris 28'
Hesham 1–1 Couno Rangers
G Deighton 84'//M Finnemore 23'
Lakewood United 1–0 Columbia City
C Eastwood 9'
Lakewood City 1–0 Colbrook City
S Monaghan 79'

Or they would, rather, if Clyde hadn't scored two goals in the final ten minutes of their game against Nantwich to come out 3-2 ahead. Nantwich manager Rowena Stamper lambasts her team's turning off after Nantwich's second goal; saying that the "lack of focus was utterly unacceptable" and that their performances were "unlike what I have come to expect from Nantwich." Clyde manager Lopez, on the other end, is extremely excited by the result; he says that it is a "true feather in the caps of Clyde to have beaten a traditional member of the Tumbran footballing elite." More controversial, however, is Lynette Frecklington's third goal; it was subject to a lengthy intervention on VAR, and was eventually ruled onside.

Elsewhere in the title race, United and City keep good pace; though City keep their fans waiting for their win against Colbrook, necessitating Susan Monaghan to come off the bench to rescue City. Both are level on sixty-one points; both keep up the war of words, knowing that the Lakewood derby in two weeks' time will most likely be the title-deciding game. Both teams conceivably have a shout for the title; United have made the most out of City's penchant to draw in recent weeks, and City have been the stronger team for most of the season. City have won two less games than United, but more crucially, United have lost four more games than their cross-city neighbours.

Couno seem to be stuttering their way to the last IFCF Champions' League spot; drawing to Hesham after conceding an entirely late, un-needed goal courtesy of striker Gerard Deighton. It's been a rather rougher patch for Frank Thornton, particularly as he gets to grips with managing a Big Six club as his very first job; but he's doing admirably, and Thomas Kim is exceptionally vocal at the prospect of him having a long career with the Rangers. The case with the TFF regarding the overvaluation of Couno's front-of-shirt sponsor, which dominated the first half of the season, inches towards a resolution; the Rams might have to pay a fine, but otherwise the club seems to have come out of it unscathed.

REPUBLIC CUP, SEMI-FINAL

Semi-Finals
( D1)                     Straton   0-3   Serrapince                  (D1 )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   0-2   Lakewood City               (D1 )

MATCHDAY 28
FC Inter Nantwich 1–1 Lakewood City
Kim CY 85'//C Henshaw 22'
Colbrook City 1–1 Lakewood United
S Rigby 24'//W Pritchett 30'
Columbia City 3–1 Hesham
H Edwards 29', S Ramsden 43', J Starling 55'//A Holland 20'
Couno Rangers 1–1 Serrapince
V Hicks 61'//C Audiol 82'
Kingsbury United 3–0 Fontwell Rovers
E McGill 12', 55', M Ferris 38'
Straton 0–3 West Couno United
V Morris 12', C Morgan 48', C Vette 72'
Newark Argyle 1–1 Ridgewell Rovers
Deng D 25'//D Conder 7'
Sturrey Athletic 1–0 Clyde Park
J Bradford 56'

In a week where City fumbled the Friday night game, United somehow managed to fail to capitalise by drawing with relegation-threatened Colbrook; both teams also remain level on sixty-one points. The two teams now have the Lakewood derby next week to settle the title, most likely; City make the cross-city trip to Trenton Park to see if they can possibly make the difference and maybe get a lead on their cross-town rivals. But the circumstances of each game differ; where Nantwich have to rely on a late goal from Kim Chae-yeong to force City to a draw, Colbrook are the stronger team at home, scoring first and forcing United to have to play catch-up.

It's a shame, then, that Colbrook's draw and Fontwell's defeat to Kingsbury set them as the two teams to be relegated; the gap to fourteenth-placed Columbia is now seven points with two games left to play. It's a huge relief for both promoted sides — Sturrey and Clyde — as the only thing left for both of them to worry about is who might end up fourteenth and be forced to play in the promotion-relegation playoff. For Fontwell manager Russell Lock, it's a "massive disappointment," and he "doesn't expect to be back in the manager's seat next season"; players have already been told that they are free to pursue careers elsewhere. Meanwhile, in Colbrook, the recrimination is swift; Vince McCarthy is relieved of his duties a few hours after the game ends; Keenan Pollard is promoted to manager for the last two games of the season.

The fight for the final IFCF Champions' League spot seems to come down to the two Couno teams; third-placed Serrapince have essentially secured their spot, and sixth-placed Kingsbury are too far back to have any effect on the game. The Couno derby, which will take place on the last matchweek, will likely decide everything; but West Couno still lead their red-shirted neighbours by three points. Couno's case is not helped by their draw against Serrapince, while WCU smash Straton away from home; the game makes rumours about Edmund Finnegan's sacking intensify, but the club maintain that he has their full backing.

MATCHDAY 29
Sturrey Athletic 1–1 FC Inter Nantwich
S Kharlamov 29'//S Cho 55'
Clyde Park 0–1 Newark Argyle
G Rodway 38'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Straton
L Beaugemont 40'
West Couno United 1–0 Kingsbury United
Kim SW 29'
Fontwell Rovers 0–2 Couno Rangers
L Kendall 28', H Howell 85'
Serrapince 4–0 Columbia City
A Haller 14', AM Hansdottir 35', Sara V 66', J Ryland 84'
Hesham 2–3 Colbrook City
M Dahlberg 29', A Hutton 35'//A Neviud 20', F Yeltsov 60', 65'
Lakewood United 0–1 Lakewood City
R Vaughn 62'

In a way, it's perhaps fitting that Robin Vaughn's final Lakewood derby ends up with him as the star of the show. Even at 38, he still dictates the run of play; he's lost quite a bit of his speed, but still outmaneuvers Ipati Aimée — herself 32 — with ease; and scores on the hour mark, outstretching his arms after sprinting the length of the pitch to slide in front of the City fans. It's an almost-fitting sendoff for the City legend — he doesn't know if he'll play in either the final game of the season or in the Republic Cup final, such is the extent to which his game-time has been managed — and it definitively swings the title race in City's favour. The first to admit it is manager Andrea Spinelli, United manager; who says after the game that "it's over". And it probably is; a three-point lead with an eight-goal difference swing means that City shoot up to become 89% favourites to win the league on most sport punditry websites.

Elsewhere, Colbrook edge ahead of Fontwell in the race to finish fifteenth — the only trophy those two can realistically fight it out for — after Colbrook come out on top of a contested game against Hesham and Fontwell lose in an expected defeat to Couno. Fontwell manager Russell Lock confirms that he will be stepping down at the end of the season; and that he "will always have been proud of Fontwell's three-season journey in the league," saying it the Stokers' Park atmosphere was really the defining reason why the players "could give their all, every game." The post-mortem for both of these relegations, surprisingly, is not going to provide many compelling reasons as to why they went down; both had moments of brilliance, and quite conceivably any of the five teams involved in this season's relegation scrap could have gone down as easily as the two teams that will be defeated will.

Thankfully, they'll have parachute payments to help them stabilise; but both teams will be looking to return at the first instance. Colbrook are already rumoured to either be looking to promote Pollard to the permanent job, or hire someone like Colin Barrendale, who's been out of a job for a fair while now; Fontwell are reportedly looking at Russell White, who was last managing the Qi'e in Naixi's league. But a tough time awaits them both; the T-League 2 is renowned for its unpredictability. After all, Macarthur, just five seasons after their relegation from the T-League 1, were relegated to the third tier just last season. New foes like Millsburgh Revolutionaries, flush with Sylestonean cash, are looking to promote; while the Shepperton Ravens, previously looked upon as ne'er-do-wells, have gotten their act together and could be promoted to the league next season.

MATCHDAY 30
FC Inter Nantwich 1–1 Lakewood United
Kim CY 85'//V Wells 16'
Lakewood City 2–1 Hesham
C Henshaw 16', E Appleby 84'//S Boulos 55'
Colbrook City 1–2 Serrapince
F de Vries 65'//C Audiol 49', 58'
Columbia City 1–1 Fontwell Rovers
T Fetch 33'//R Holland 48'
Couno Rangers 3–0 West Couno United
E Howard-Dawes 15', C Coste 30', M Gallagher 49'
Kingsbury United 0–2 Ridgewell Rovers
H Canavan 22', Q van der Ven 84'
Straton 1–0 Clyde Park
R McLaren 40'
Newark Argyle 3–0 Sturrey Athletic
S Oliveira 67', B Griffin 81', L Murdoch 88'

And with a clash, the season comes to an end. As is tradition, all matches on the final day started at the same time. But with most of the season already settled, the most interesting thing really is the Couno-WCU match to determine who goes to the Champions' League. And it's a whitewash; Elaine Howard-Dawes scores on the quarter-hour mark, Carlos Coste scores off a header fifteen minutes later, and Morgan Gallagher finishes off the scoring four minutes after the second half begins. Samara Kaniatarii's time at West Couno ends with rather a whimper, rather than a bang; and the question of who comes next will be echoing uncomfortably throughout the streets of West Couno.

Those same questions revolve around Lakewood City, though they're not asked as much; right now, the title is what everyone is focusing on. It's essentially over when Charlotte Henshaw scores in the sixteenth minute — amusingly, Valerie Wells in the Nantwich-United game scores just seconds later — but it does take a bit of a scare from Hesham, with Sevda Boulos scoring against them and levelling the scores, before City wrap it up with an Emmanuel Appleby goal with six minutes to go. At 28, Robin Vaughn's final successor — having outlasted the likes of Charlie Baker — finally looks to grab the position with his own two hands, but how long he will get to hold onto it is unknown.

But all that is forgotten, as City's fifth title in the fourteen contested seasons is safely theirs; and Robin Vaughn and John Riedweld are fêted not just by the home crowd, but also their team. Vaughn is given a shoulder ride by his teammates, Lucas McCormick in particular, Riedweld is embraced by many of the team's staff. It marks, definitively, the end of an era, but also John Riedweld's greatest achievement; having not just made Lakewood City the most successful team of his time, he also lays claim to the modern league's first, and so far only, undefeated season. Celebrations go on long into the night, with several arrests for public disturbances; but for one more year, the city of Lakewood's duopoly has been secure, and solidly sky blue.

REPUBLIC CUP, FINAL

Final
( D1)                  Serrapince   0-2   Lakewood City               (D1 )

But the final party is yet to come; Lakewood City win the rare double, and this is the true finale to City's season. City win a rather routine and low-key Republic Cup final 2-0; with most of their usual personnel rotated, Vivienne Anderson scores a brace to bring City's first cup in fifteen years home. Tributes to both Vaughn and Riedweld come from all over the place; and the league, quite plainly, will be much worse off without them.

And that really is it for the season.

T-League, Season 4

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg 
 1 Lakewood City          30   19  11   0    61   26  +35    68   -0   Champions, IFCF CL, IFCF CWC
 2 Lakewood United        30   19   6   5    56   30  +26    63   -0   IFCF CL
 3 Serrapince             30   14  12   4    53   31  +22    54   -0   IFCF CL
 4 Couno Rangers          30   14   8   8    55   39  +16    50   -0   IFCF CL
 5 West Couno United      30   15   5  10    47   38   +9    50   -0   IFCF CC
 6 Newark Argyle          30   11  10   9    47   43   +4    43   ▲2   IFCF CC
 7 Ridgewell Rovers       30   11   9  10    31   33   −2    42   ▲2   IFCF CC
 8 FC Inter Nantwich      30   10  11   9    34   31   +3    41   ▼2   CEdC
 9 Kingsbury United       30   10  10  10    30   29   +1    40   ▼1   CEdC
10 Straton                30    9   8  13    31   34   −3    35   ▲1
11 Hesham                 30    9   7  14    39   43   −4    34   ▼1
12 Sturrey Athletic       30    9   4  17    25   45  −20    31   ▲1
13 Columbia City          30    6  11  13    32   42  −10    29   ▼1
14 Clyde Park             30    7   8  15    30   54  −24    29   -0   Relegation Playoff
15 Colbrook City          30    6   6  18    30   57  −27    24   ▲1   Relegated
16 Fontwell Rovers        30    6   4  20    23   49  −26    22   ▼1   Relegated

by **Tumbra** » Sun Apr 14, 2024 10:02 am

T-LEAGUE 2
END OF SEASON

Standings after MD30

   T-League 2                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Shepperton Ravens               30   18   5   7    44   25  +19    59   Champions; Promoted
 2 Millsburgh Revolutionaries      30   17   7   6    43   17  +26    58   Promoted
 3 Delphi Lionesses                30   16   8   6    42   27  +15    56   Play-off
 4 Readale Wanderers               30   17   3  10    45   30  +15    54
 5 Bencoolen City                  30   16   4  10    44   27  +17    52
 6 Fraser Valley                   30   12  10   8    38   27  +11    46
 7 Dorival                         30   12   9   9    25   24   +1    45
 8 Clark City                      30   13   6  11    33   34   −1    45
 9 Hoxford United                  30   13   5  12    34   27   +7    44
10 Newton Wanderers                30   12   7  11    27   22   +5    43
11 AFC Cayalon                     30   13   3  14    36   43   −7    42
12 Guillemard Town                 30    9   7  14    21   34  −13    34
13 Port Marray                     30   10   3  17    31   41  −10    33
14 AFC Gillman                     30    9   1  20    22   40  −18    28   Relegated
15 Washington City                 30    6   6  18    14   40  −26    24   Relegated
16 Tavistock Athletic              30    5   0  25    23   64  −41    15   Relegated

RELEGATION PLAYOFF
Delphi Lionesses 1–4 Clyde Park
V Slade 66'//T Haller 20', L Frecklington 34', L Kelly 70', C Tipple 82'

T-LEAGUE 3
END OF SEASON

Standings after MD30

   T-League 3                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Macarthur City             30   18   5   7    51   27  +24    59   Champions; Promoted
 2 Millsburgh Steelers        30   18   5   7    41   18  +23    59   Promoted
 3 Carter United              30   16   8   6    52   32  +20    56   Promoted
 4 Ridgewell United           30   15   7   8    48   29  +19    52
 5 Cobham Town                30   16   2  12    42   36   +6    50
 6 Harwick Wanderers          30   13   6  11    34   34    0    45
 7 Brades United              30   12   6  12    38   42   −4    42
 8 Pomeroy Mountaineers       30   12   6  12    26   35   −9    42
 9 Tavistock Park             30   11   7  12    37   32   +5    40
10 Glenmont AFC               30   11   6  13    35   35    0    39
11 Killiney SC                30   10   8  12    34   48  −14    38
12 New Timbourne Knights      30    9   7  14    23   27   −4    34
13 Harchester United          30    8   9  13    28   40  −12    33
14 Tevandale Athletic         30    9   4  17    30   51  −21    31   Relegated
15 Franport                   30    8   6  16    28   39  −11    30   Relegated
16 Teignford Academical       30    4   8  18    25   47  −22    20   Relegated

T-LEAGUE 4
END OF SEASON

Standings after MD30

   T-League 4             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ricci Ironworkers       30   18   7   5    45   26  +19    61   Champions; Promoted
 2 Kelder Phoenixes        30   17   8   5    45   26  +19    59   Promoted
 3 Fort Heatherton         30   15  10   5    45   22  +23    55   Promoted
 4 Coburg                  30   16   7   7    38   23  +15    55
 5 Southport Thunder       30   16   6   8    45   28  +17    54
 6 Wintborough United      30   13   9   8    32   24   +8    48
 7 Pinhal Athletic         30   12   7  11    33   32   +1    43
 8 Kirkby Railwaymen       30   11   6  13    25   33   −8    39
 9 Trelmont Rangers        30    9  11  10    26   28   −2    38
10 FC Montrose             30    9   9  12    30   44  −14    36
11 Gelder Creek            30    9   8  13    29   36   −7    35
12 Heffron City            30    9   7  14    35   36   −1    34
13 Caldwell City           30    7   9  14    27   39  −12    30
14 Ashton Rovers           30    5   9  16    26   40  −14    24
15 Carrington Town         30    6   6  18    29   50  −21    24   Relegated
16 Denhelm Trinity         30    3  11  16    16   39  −23    20   Relegated

by **Tumbra** » Tue Apr 16, 2024 1:41 am

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 4
POST-SEASON AWARDS

With the dust settling on the T-League season and the priorities of the clubs — IFCF football, another season in midtable, straggling for survival, or gearing up for an entry into the T-League — it was only fair to look back upon the season that had just passed, and hand due recognition to those who had just gone that little bit further than the rest of the pack.

Player of the Year

This award is open to every player from every club who have made at least one appearance, though it's fairly evident that the player must have contributed to the team and done some individual business to separate themselves from the rest of the pack to be worthy of this award.

Bronze Ball: Ceferino Audiol (JUE, Serrapince)
Silver Ball: Valerie Wells (TMB, Lakewood United)
Golden Ball: Charlotte Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)

Attackers, Midfielders, and Defenders of the Year

The following three awards have been created to celebrate the lesser-celebrated positions in football. Player of the Year awards typically go to attackers; and these awards seek to rectify that. Players who win these awards must not have already won the Player of the Year award, or finished in the top three.

Attacker of the Year
Bronze: Charlotte Eastwood (SYL, Lakewood United)
Silver: Elaine Howard-Dawes (CMT/QUE, Couno Rangers)
Gold: Moussa Wague (BRO, FC Inter Nantwich)

Midfielder of the Year
Bronze: Morgan Gallagher (SYL, Couno Rangers)
Silver: Jack Ryland (SYL, Serrapince)
Gold: Susan Monaghan (TMB, Lakewood City)

Defender of the Year
Bronze: Twilight Mixon (CMT, Serrapince)
Silver: Belinda Proudfoot (TMB, Lakewood United)
Gold: Txomin Huon (TMB, Lakewood City)

Young Player of the Year

This award is open to players below 23 years of age who haven't already won an award for Player of the Year. Traditionally, breakout seasons are recognised a bit more than playing brilliantly at a consistent level from a young age, to recognise the effort needed to even break through into the first teams of these clubs in the first place.

Bronze Award: Henrietta Colvin (TMB, Newark Argyle)
Silver Award: Rachel McLaren (TMB, Straton)
Golden Award: Jean Starling (TMB, Columbia City)

Golden Glove

The Golden Glove is measured by the number of clean sheets kept, with the overall number of goals conceded as a tiebreaker. This award serves to recognise goalkeepers, who traditionally have been under-represented in awards ceremonies.

Bronze Glove: Nick Barker (TMB, FC Inter Nantwich)
- 10 clean sheets, 31 conceded
Silver Glove: Mike Hahn (TMB, Ridgewell Rovers)
- 12 clean sheets, 33 conceded
Golden Glove: Richard Russell (TMB, Lakewood United)
- 12 clean sheets, 30 conceded

Golden Boot

The Golden Boot is measured by the number of goals scored, with tiebreakers being decided by minutes played. The player with the lesser amount of minutes played takes precedence, but this season there hasn't been any need for that. 624 goals sees a slight decrease from last season.

Goals per season
S   Goals
1   974   (2.56/game)
2   1045  (2.75/game)
3   847   (2.29/game)
4   1015  (2.67/game)
5   962   (2.53/game)
6   948   (2.49/game)
7   1035  (2.72/game)
8   1127  (2.97/game)
9   1029  (2.71/game)
10  1061  (2.79/game)
11  568   (2.37/game)
12  529   (2.20/game)
13  635   (2.65/game)
14  624   (2.60/game)

Bronze Boot: Jôs Sürréo (RÜL, Lakewood United)
- 14 goals
Silver Boot: Ceferino Audiol (JUE, Serrapince)
- 16 goals
Golden Boot: Charlotte Eastwood (TMB, Lakewood City)
- 16 goals

Manager of the Year

Of course, the brains behind the entire footballing operation must be recognised, too. Three managers were the obvious choices for this award; the only question was what was the order in which the three would finish. Unusually, this award takes into account performances in both the Republic Cup and the League proper; unlike the awards for players, who are judged based solely on performances in the league.

Third - Toby Barton (TMB, Newark Argyle)
Second - Andrea Spinelli (SVG/TMB, Lakewood United)
First - John Riedweld (TMB, Lakewood City)

Teams of the Season

Two teams of the season were named; with one being the first XI and the second XI. The TFF cited the general standard of play as the reason why two sets of elevens were needed. Both elevens were in a 4-3-3 shape.

First XI

Position    Player
Goalkeeper  Richard Russell (TMB, Lakewood United)
Defender    Twilight Mixon (CMT, Lakewood City)
Defender    Txomin Huon (MRT, Lakewood City)
Defender    Belinda Proudfoot (TMB, Lakewood United)
Defender    Rôbé Wîjkár (RÜL/FFD, Couno Rangers)
Midfielder  Lucas McCormick (TMB, Lakewood City)
Midfielder  Susan Monaghan (TMB, Lakewood City)
Midfielder  Sara Vatnarsdóttir (GRÆ, Serrapince)
Forward     Jôs Sürréo (RÜL, Lakewood United)
Forward     Charlotte Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)
Forward     Valerie Wells (TMB, Lakewood United)

Second XI

Position    Player
Goalkeeper  Mike Hahn (TMB, Ridgewell Rovers)
Defender    Annie Renton (TMB, Serrapince)
Defender    Wendy Pritchett (TMB, Lakewood United)
Defender    Carlos Coste (JUE, Couno Rangers)
Defender    Leah Robbins (TKT, Lakewood City)
Midfielder  Zhaxi Jianzan (YZH, Serrapince)
Midfielder  Morgan Gallagher (SYL, Couno Rangers)
Midfielder  Maram Tatsinan (SRS, Lakewood United)
Forward     Emmanuel Appleby (TMB, Lakewood City)
Forward     Ceferino Audiol (JUE, Serrapince)
Forward     Moussa Wague (TMB, FC Inter Nantwich)

by **Tumbra** » Tue May 14, 2024 1:40 am

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 5
TRANSFER WINDOW ROUND-UP

The transfer window for incoming transfers to Tumbra closed at the stroke of midnight; here is a summary of the Tumbran transfer window.

Retirements

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club
John Riedweld       63      MGR     TMB     Lakewood City
Russell Lock        68      MGR     TMB     Fontwell Rovers
Desmond Clarke      70      MGR     TMB     Newark Argyle [entered scouting]

Jacob Keene         36      LB      TMB     Clyde Park
Trevor Marshall     35      CB      TKT     Clyde Park
Andrew Fisher       35      CM      TMB     FC Inter Nantwich
Ochoa Abril         35      CB      TEQ/TMB Newark Argyle
Rose Fleetwood      35      ST      SYL     Newark Argyle
Laura Ness          37      CDM     SCT/TMB Serrapince
David Miller        36      ST      TMB     AFC Gillman
Richard Adams       36      ST      TMB     AFC Gillman
Baptiste Ndosi      36      RB      TEQ/TMB Bencoolen City
Josh Hindley        36      LB      TMB     Dorival
Mike Coonan         36      LM      TMB     Fraser Valley
Paul Fenwick        36      RB      TMB     Glenmont AFC
Gianluca Cardini    36      ST      TMB     Glenmont AFC
Halyos le Gall      36      ST      APX/TMB Guillemard Town
Shaun Healey        36      RW      TMB     Guillemard Town
Alan Morgan         37      CM      TMB     Macarthur City
James Hunter        37      CAM     TMB     Macarthur City
Anthony Cooper      37      CM      TMB     New Timbourne Knights
Andrew Morrison     36      LB      TMB     Port Marray
Ryan Morgan         37      CM      TMB     Port Marray
Craig Parker        37      LWB     TMB     Readale Wanderers
Eric Snyder         35      CM      TMB     Readale Wanderers
Colin Sinclair      36      CM      TMB/TNL Ridgewell United
Ian Coleman         35      CB      TMB     Sturrey Athletic
Andrew Taylor       37      GK      TMB     Mayflower [CAD]
George Hilton       36      LW      TMB     Real Alegria [CAD]
Raymond Perry       37      CB      TMB     Ciudad Les Bois [CAD]

Released

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club
Vince McCarthy      55      MGR     TMB     Colbrook City [relegation]
Samara Kaniatarii   54      MGR     QUE/GGU West Couno United [contract end]

Kevin Taylor        32      LB      TKT     Clyde Park
Kurosh Rostami      32      LM      SRS     Hesham
V Lostaunau         33      CM      FAR/FFD Hesham
Coco                31      CDM     MVE     Kingsbury United
Joaquin Santo       31      CB      JUE     Kingsbury United
Spencer Jepson      35      CB      TKT     Lakewood United

Departures

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Tobias Grandelius   28      LM      TKT     Lakewood United         Tihon United [CMT]          5.0m
N Hercule-McKinley  29      CB      QUE     West Couno United       Union Port-la-Ville [PTR]   5.0m
Akhil Neviud        25      RM      SRS     Colbrook City           Latrobe Athletic [KSK]      3.0m
Liang Tao           31      CM      YZH     Straton                 Fleftic Air Force [AFT]     2.5m
Sha Jian            28      CB      YZH     Colbrook City           Knetyohai City [CMT]        2.5m
Vangelis Anagnakis  27      CAM     DEL     Fontwell Rovers         Burnaby SC [DEL]            2.0m
Shana Reed          28      LB      BRE     Kingsbury United        Halpenley United [CMT]      1.5m
Petrasin Djurovic   27      CM      MYT/TLI Colbrook City           Pamuk Trunca [MYT]          1.5m
Oliver Crossley     32      GK      TKT     Fontwell Rovers         Clayquot City [KSK]         1.0m
Robin Vaughn        39      RW      TMB     Lakewood City           Chromatik                   0.0m
Sasha Stepanov      27      CB      CMT     FC Inter Nantwich
Andrew Everingham   29      LM      TKT     Colbrook City

Internal Transfers

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Donovan Cox         26      CB      TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Millsburgh Revolutionaries  5.5m
James Halliday      25      RW      TMB     Hesham                  Millsburgh Revolutionaries  5.2m
Penny Wilson        28      RW      TMB     West Couno United       Shepperton Ravens           4.3m
Hugo Mornington     33      CB      SYL     Hesham                  FC Inter Nantwich           4.0m
Laura Fisher        28      GK      TMB     Columbia City           Hesham                      4.0m
Carole Bond         29      CB      TMB     Straton                 West Couno United           4.0m
Damian Fong         25      CB      TMB     Bencoolen City          Sturrey Athletic            3.5m
Henrietta Colvin    22      RW      TMB     Newark Argyle           Lakewood City               3.5m
Michael Toussaint   33      CB      SVG/TMB Serrapince              Clyde Park                  3.0m
Nicolas Pellegrini  27      CAM     TMB     Lakewood United         Millsburgh Revolutionaries  2.5m
Arwen van As        32      CB      TLI/TMB Couno Rangers           Straton                     2.5m
Ludwig Pohl         18      CB      TMB     Colbrook City           Lakewood United             2.3m
Keith Palmer        24      RW      TMB     Fraser Valley           Hesham                      2.5m
Hazel Garlick       30      ST      TMB     West Couno United       Shepperton Ravens           2.0m
Vicki Brown         19      CAM     TMB     Columbia City           Kingsbury United            2.0m
Alessandro Baraldi  27      RB      TMB/JUE Columbia City           Shepperton Ravens           1.8m
Marcus Ashwin       21      CB      TMB     West Couno United       Newark Argyle               1.7m
Clarence Tate       25      LB      TMB     Fraser Valley           Sturrey Athletic            1.7m
Cayden Gillespie    25      GK      TMB/TLI Fraser Valley           Columbia City               1.5m
Glenn Tobiasson     20      CM      TMB/GRF West Couno United       Straton                     1.5m
Gordon Donnelly     24      CB      TMB     Fraser Valley           Ridgewell Rovers            1.5m
Sean Black          24      RB      TMB     Fraser Valley           Columbia City               1.3m
Damon Fleming       19      CM      TMB     Colbrook City           Millsburgh Revolutionaries  1.3m
George Lang         25      GK      TMB     FC Inter Nantwich       Millsburgh Revolutionaries  1.0m
Gareth Williams     21      CB      TMB     Colbrook City           Columbia City               1.0m
Chelsea Tartwell    19      LW      TMB     Straton                 Lakewood United             1.0m
Lily Chen           19      CDM     TMB     Clyde Park              Kingsbury United            1.0m
Henry Woodhouse     28      GK      TMB     Lakewood United         Shepperton Ravens           1.0m
Eunice Smalling     20      RB      TMB     Fontwell Rovers         Serrapince                  0.5m
Tim Crosby          18      CM      TMB     Fontwell Rovers         Kingsbury United            0.5m
Paul Hargreaves     18      ST      TMB     Fontwell Rovers         FC Inter Nantwich           0.5m

Transfers into the league

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Intov-Helek Duk     46      MGR     QUS/SRS Brantisvogan [SRS]      West Couno United

Jake Blackall       24      CB      SYL     Capitol Athletic [SYL]  Couno Rangers               12.0m
Sophia Kyprianou    23      ST      VDR     Asteras Chania [VDR]    Newark Argyle               6.0m
Susie Knight        29      CAM     TMB     Anomalies [CMT]         Lakewood United             6.0m
Alessia La Rosa     24      CM      VDR     Panirakleios [VDR]      Serrapince                  5.0m
Jimmy Robinson      29      LW      BRO     Sanar [CMT]             Hesham                      3.0m
Diogo Saliba        21      ST      CBZ     SC Filwarfin [PAS]      West Couno United           3.0m
Euan Coward         22      CB      KOR     Castelo e Calvente [KOR]Shepperton Ravens           3.0m
Nikolas Zografides  16      CB      VDR     Akadimia Asteras [VDR]  West Couno United           2.0m
Bruno Baumer        24      CB      STL     Taifun Vorstock [STL]   Hesham                      2.0m
Daniel Falcone      22      CB      TER     Indep. Escobar [TER]    Columbia City               2.0m
Sapphira Mariou     19      CM      VDR     Aka. Panirakleios [VDR] FC Inter Nantwich           2.0m
Caroline Doueihey   21      ST      KSK     Colwynian Vale [KSK]    Clyde Park                  2.0m
Gao Renliang        22      CAM     YZH     Beian City [YZH]        Lakewood United             2.0m
Davíð Steinmóðsson  25      ST      GRF     Capitolians [KYP]       Millsburgh Revolutionaries  2.0m
Baćo Radojičić      18      CB      MYT     1923 Esca [MYT]         Couno Rangers               0.0m
Andrew Maximoff     25      LB      DOU     Free agency             Clyde Park                  0.0m
Jenna Wiens         21      RW      KSK     Kirkenes FC [KSK]       West Couno United           0.0m
Antonio Margetić    18      CDM     MYT     CDSA [MYT]              Serrapince                  0.0m

Lower Division Transfers

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Fiona Harcourt      31      CB      TMB     Columbia City           Readale Wanderers           2.0m
Seren Thomson       34      LB      TLI/TMB Couno Rangers           Readale Wanderers           2.0m
Torcado Fiallo      34      CB      TMB/TEQ Columbia City           Guillemard Town             1.5m
Linda Marshall      29      CB      TMB     Couno Rangers           Colbrook City               1.5m
Parminder Kaur      26      RB      TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Readale Wanderers           1.5m
August Haller       30      ST      TMB     Serrapince              Harchester United           1.5m
Alan McDermott      30      GK      TMB     Hesham                  Clark City                  1.5m
John Davies         26      CDM     TMB     Serrapince              Port Marray                 1.5m
Jack Bishop         28      GK      TMB     West Couno United       Fraser Valley               1.5m
George Steel        32      CB      TMB     West Couno United       Fraser Valley               1.2m
Jason Pearce        32      ST      TMB     Clyde Park              Guillemard Town             1.0m
Edith Ferguson      31      CAM     TMB     Kingsbury United        Clark City                  1.0m
Laurel Hilling      33      LB      TMB     Sturrey Athletic        Fraser Valley               1.0m
Fiona Morrison      31      CDM     TMB     Sturrey Athletic        Hoxford United              1.0m
Gina Holland        25      CM      TMB     Newark Argyle           Colbrook City               0.5m
Joe Bonner          31      GK      TMB     Straton                 Hoxford United              0.5m
Chris Carter        35      RB      TMB     Straton                 Fraser Valley               0.3m

Tumbran Domestic Football Newswire

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