Tumbran Domestic Football Newswire

[Tumbra]

[reserved for lakewood united vs cska quebec match report]

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 1
TRANSFER WINDOW ROUND-UP

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

Retirements

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club
Eddie Naylor        70      MGR     TMB     Mackay Robins
Tom Potter          73      MGR     TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
Joe Gorman          68      MGR     TMB     Ridgewell United
Brian Devzies       68      MGR     TMB     --

Neville Marriott    34      CM      TMB     Bencoolen City
Sophie Randall      34      RB      SYL     Clark City
Daniel Grant        34      CB      TMB     Clark City
John Bush           35      CM      TMB     Fraser Valley
Roger Baker         35      CB      TMB     Dorival
Malcolm Murphy      35      GK      TMB     Glenmont AFC
Chris Cowen         35      ST      TMB     Glenmont AFC
Sebastian Covington 35      GK      TMB     Port Marray
Jude Elliott        35      CM      TMB     Port Marray
Ben McAmee          35      CM      TMB     Port Marray
Michael Campbell    36      LB      TMB     Tavistock Athletic
Andrew Dunne        36      ST      TMB     Ridgewell United
Michael Lidington   35      CM      TMB     Ridgewell United
Martin Boyd         35      CB      TMB     Ridgewell United
Kip Gifford         33      CB      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen
Julian Moore        34      GK      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen
Jon Eagleton        34      LW      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen
Andrew Wilson       36      GK      TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
Gwilyn Thomas       35      CM      TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
Max Scott           36      CB      TMB     Readale Wanderers
Martin Murphy       36      CM      TMB     Readale Wanderers
Barry Allen         36      CM      TMB     Readale Wanderers
Sean Delap          34      LM      TMB     Ashton Rovers
Tom Maguire         36      LM      TMB     Gelder Creek
Adam Langley        34      RM      TMB     Gelder Creek
Russell White       37      RB      TMB     Trelmont Rangers
Darren Webb         34      LB      TMB     Carter United
Jack Oliver         35      CM      TMB     Carter United
Jamie Pugh          34      ST      TMB     Carter United
Sean Harris         35      CDM     TMB     Guillemard Town
Aaron Bradley       35      CM      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen
Brian Anderson      35      CAM     TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen
Stephen Brosnan     35      CB      TMB     New Timbourne Knights
Mekhi Overton       36      CM      TMB     New Timbourne Knights
John Williams       36      ST      TMB     New Timbourne Knights
Roger Grindley      35      CB      TMB     AFC Cayalon
Gregory Matthews    35      CB      TMB     AFC Cayalon
Shaun Miller        35      CM      TMB     AFC Cayalon

Departures

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Rachel McNamara     24      ST      EXT     Bencoolen City          Newbanks United             3.0m
Zelimir Slavuljica  30      CB      MYT     Bencoolen City          Energija-Nuklearna [MYT]    0.8m
Eli Apt             32      CDM     CMT     Lakewood City           Chromatik [CMT]             1.0m
Vilovalu Wakajama   29      CB      KOR     FC Inter Nantwich       Romanopolis United [DAR]    4.5m

Internal Transfers

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
William Wight       46      MGR     TMB     Hesham                  Kingsbury United
Michael Hardwick    60      MGR     TMB     Fraser Valley           Hesham
Graham Lloyd        39      MGR     TMB     --                      Fraser Valley

Goron Sauber        26      RB      SRS     Kingsbury United        Ridgewell Rovers            6.3m
Tobi Krzanowski     25      CAM     TJL     Couno Rangers           Fraser Valley               5.5m
Lucas McCormick     26      CDM     TMB     Colbrook City           Lakewood City               5.0m
Mathias Schaerer    24      CAM     TJL     Lakewood City           West Couno United           5.0m
Julie Dufour        29      CM      KSK     FC Inter Nantwich       West Couno United           4.7m
Vivianne Anderson   25      ST      TMB     Macarthur City          Lakewood City               4.5m
Corinne Fontana     31      ST      SVG/TMB Lakewood United         Serrapince                  4.3m
Ophelie Bernard     30      ST      SVG/TMB Lakewood City           Straton                     4.3m
Ian McDermott       27      LM      TMB     Macarthur City          Newark Argyle               3.5m
Brendan Rowling     24      CDM     TMB     Serrapince              Colbrook City               3.5m
Tanya Hughes        23      CDM     TMB     Macarthur City          Sturrey Athletic            3.2m
Kwak Seung-hyeok    23      RM      QUE     Bencoolen City          Ridgewell Rovers            3.0m
Scott Wilson        22      RW      TMB     Macarthur City          Hesham                      3.0m
Craig Anderton      24      LB      TMB     Bencoolen City          Newark Argyle               3.0m
Timothy Decker      27      CDM     TMB     Newark Argyle           Kingsbury United            2.7m
Clay van der Hout   32      RB      TLI     Ridgewell Rovers        FC Inter Nantwich           2.5m
Raymond Perry       33      CB      TMB     Serrapince              West Couno United           2.5m
Hans Ferdinand      22      RB      TMB     Hesham                  Kingsbury United            2.5m
Carol Haywood       25      RM      TMB     Clark City              Fraser Valley               2.4m
Toshikuni Nakagome  25      CB      KOR     AFC Gillman             Ridgewell Rovers            2.0m
Nexev-Kresp Val     28      CB      TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Lakewood United             2.0m
John Fan            22      RW      TMB     AFC Gillman             Columbia City               2.0m
Gerald Steinback    24      LW      TMB     AFC Gillman             Columbia City               1.7m
Susan Moran         26      GK      TMB     AFC Gillman             Port Marray                 1.2m
Greg Bailey         21      RB      TMB     AFC Gillman             Clyde Park                  1.2m
Melanie Dawson      26      CB      TMB     AFC Gillman             Readale Wanderers           1.0m
Felix Rooney        29      LB      TMB     Newark Argyle           Glenmont AFC                0.9m
June Johnson        25      LM      TMB     Newark Argyle           Delphi Lionesses            0.9m
Vicki Slade         23      ST      TMB     AFC Gillman             Delphi Lionesses            0.8m
Natasha Glynn       25      CM      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       AFC Cayalon                 0.8m
Jayne Thompson      26      CB      TMB     Guillemard Town         Bencoolen City              0.7m
Elisabeth Davis     22      GK      TMB     AFC Gillman             AFC Cayalon                 0.7m
Christopher Kilian  22      GK      TMB     Guillemard Town         Glenmont AFC                0.5m
Fried Rossum        30      CDM     COR     Sturrey Athletic        Glenmont AFC                0.5m
Thomas Tarleton     24      GK      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Readale Wanderers           0.5m
Derek Scott         23      ST      TMB/TNL Guillemard Town         Glenmont AFC                0.5m
David Liddell       26      CM      TMB     New Timbourne Knights   Glenmont AFC                0.5m
Mats Andersson      22      ST      TMB/GRF Kirkby Railwaymen       Readale Wanderers           0.4m
Stanley Branthwaite 23      CM      TMB     Guillemard Town         Clark City                  0.3m
Craig McGrath       34      CM      TMB     Serrapince              Newark Argyle               0.0m

Transfers into the league

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Wilfrid Gouin       23      CB      DEL     Colonial Sile [VIL]     Couno Rangers               5.0m
Dino Horvat         24      CM      MYT     Tekstil [MYT]           FC Inter Nantwich           5.0m
Hayden Blamey       26      ST      SYL     Chamberley City [SYL]   Hesham                      4.0m
Farina Sharpe       26      CB      NPH     North Laithland [NPH]   Fraser Valley               3.0m
Shana Reed          24      LB      BRE     Creed United [NPH]      Colbrook City               3.0m
Leo Fisher          27      CB      QUE/TLI Northandryun Rov. [QUE] Clyde Park                  3.0m
Taium Oldauw        24      CM      SRS     Yassaca [SRS]           Sturrey Athletic            2.0m
Barkad Assaf        22      LW      TMZ/QUE Agawa Athletic [QUE]    Clyde Park                  1.0m
Sasha Stepanov      23      CB      CMT     Univ. Islands [CMT]     FC Inter Nantwich           0.0m
Mario Queiros       25      CB      CBZ     Platinastigrade [ZRH]   Ridgewell Rovers            0.0m
Jôs Sürréo          23      ST      FFD/RLD Dí Maozöxê [FFD]        Lakewood United             Undisclosed
Rôbé Wîjkár         24      RB      FFD/RLD Dí Maozöxê [FFD]        Kingsbury United            Undisclosed

Lower Division Transfers

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
Alexis Coxton       21      ST      TMB/TNL Mackay Rovers           Macarthur City              1.5m
Harry Frist         31      ST      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Carter United               1.2m
Arthur Ackerman     25      LB      TMB/TNL Nth Thornton Utd        Bencoolen City              1.1m
Ann Blunt           23      CM      TMB/TNL Hendon Cardinals        AFC Cayalon                 1.0m
Joan Jenkins        28      RB      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Shepperton Ravens           0.9m
Bill Bowen          33      CAM     TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Teignford Academical        0.9m
Sarah Howell        28      RW      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Fontwell Rovers             0.9m
Michael Weatherford 33      GK      TMB/TNL Ashton Rovers           Tavistock Athletic          0.7m
Graham Bishop       30      LB      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Trelmont Rangers            0.6m
David Ellison       27      LB      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Harchester United           0.5m
Janet Ritchie       28      RB      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Trelmont Rangers            0.5m
Stephen Bagnall     31      CM      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Tavistock Athletic          0.4m
Neil Summers        30      ST      TMB/TNL Carrington Town         Trelmont Rangers            0.3m
Kathleen Grant      27      GK      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Harchester United           0.3m
William Collins     30      ST      TMB     Kirkby Railwaymen       Teignford Academical        0.2m
Colin Sinclair      32      CM      TMB/TNL Heath Bay Mariners      Ridgewell United            0.0m
Graeme Lawrence     26      LM      TMB/TNL --                      Glenmont AFC                0.0m

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 1
PREVIEWS

Clyde Park

Quick Facts

City and State: Clyde, Clearmont
Last season: 16th, 39 points
Stadium: Clyde Park, 38,500
Nickname: the Clarets; the Lions
Manager: Edmund Finnegan, 58, Tumbra
Style of Play: Intricate passing play
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: RW Kim Kearnes
Captain: CB Trevor Marshall

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mike Hancy          33  M   Tumbra
15  LB  Kevin Taylor        28  M   Tikariot
5   CB  Trevor Marshall     31  M   Tikariot
26  CB  Leo Fisher          27  M   Quebec*
6   RB  Juul de Bruin       26  F   The Licentian Isles
23  CDM Henry Morgan        24  M   Tumbra
8   CM  Patient Habimana    22  M   Kirungabi
13  CM  Lydia Gomboult      25  F   Mertagne
18  LW  Barkad Assaf        22  M   Al-Tamgazha**
11  RW  Kim Kearnes         28  F   Sylestone
9   ST  Moussa Wague        26  M   Brookstation

12  GK  Reed Woodward       23  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Mark Leader         23  M   Tumbra
2   LB  Jacob Keene         32  M   Tumbra
14  CB  Ricardo Wyatt       26  M   Tumbra
19  CB  Penelope Gorostieta 21  F   Tumbra***
4   CB  Nathan Quinn        29  M   Tumbra
3   RB  Greg Bailey         21  M   Tumbra
20  CDM Robert Anselm       26  M   Tumbra
22  CM  Neil Adams          21  M   Tumbra
16  CM  Shirley Gillard     21  F   Tumbra
10  CAM Mickey Lynch        31  M   Tumbra
7   LM  Brendan May         28  M   Tumbra
21  RW  Daryl Ferguson      27  M   Tumbra
17  ST  Charles Carr        28  M   Tumbra
24  ST  Timothy Haller      23  M   Tumbra

27  RB  Isabel Ashcroft     19  F   Tumbra
28  CM  Monica Searle       20  F   Tumbra****
29  ST  Oscar Browning      18  M   Tumbra
30  LW  Lyn. Frecklington   20  F   Tumbra

*Second Licentian nationality
**Second Quebecois nationality
***Second Mertagnian nationality
****Second Nepharan nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Leo Fisher from Northandryun Rovers, 3.0m
Greg Bailey from AFC Gillman, 1.2m
Barkad Assaf from Agawa Athletic, 1.0m
Outgoing:
Promoted:
Neil Adams, CM

With sixteen teams, it’s do or die — but are the odds in their favour?

Last season: A tumultuous season saw Clyde Park scrabble for survival as Ted Bayh was sacked at Christmas; before Edmund Finnegan, former Lhor and Sturrey Athletic manager, was roped in to save the club from relegation. They managed it, but only just — they were two points away from being relegated into T-League 2; and now face a daunting prospect of not finishing last in the first-ever season of the T-League. Boy, they’ll be hoping that the T-League expands back to 18 or even 20 clubs soon.

New Arrivals: Was it smart or desperate spending? That probably depends on how you view Leo Fisher and Barkad Assaf, the side’s two Quebecois signings. Fisher, by all accounts a solid centre back who helped Northandryun Rovers to sixth in the Q-League last season, came in for a relatively modest three million; Assaf, on the other hand, while coming in for just a million, was on a recently relegated Agawa Athletic team, and questions have been raised over whether he’s a good fit for them. He’s a traditional winger, but Clyde haven’t really fared well with traditional wingers over the years…On the bench, Greg Bailey arrives from Gillman, the club having been sent down to the new third tier of Tumbran football. He’s more of a bench player than anything; but he’ll still expect to make a lot of appearances.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This team’s strength is probably their defence. With Trevor Marshall headlining the defence, and Leo Fisher being an undoubted talent next to him, the defence shouldn’t ship as many goals as they usually do. Their midfield is solid, if young and unproven; Patient Habimana is probably the biggest talent with the highest potential amongst the three starters. Up front, Kim Kearnes is the main star; the explosive winger moving into channels and creating opportunities for the entire front three.

Prediction: Things aren’t looking bright for Clyde Park. They’ve got only a somewhat-strong squad, which should theoretically be able to keep them out of the bottom two relegation spots; but beyond that, things get a little finicky. Most are pinning them to finish fourteenth — which would send them to the relegation playoff against the third-placed team in T-League 2, but a bad run of form could easily see that get even worse.

Colbrook City

Quick Facts

City and State: Colbrook, Grantfeldt
Last season: 14th, 42 points
Stadium: Colbrook Stadium, 30,000
Nickname: the Northerners; the Postmen
Manager: David Griffiths, 58, Tumbra
Style of Play: Moderately attacking, heavy on side-passing play
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: LM Jack Ryland
Captain: CB Rupert Kirkwood

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Adam Stanton        27  M   Tumbra
14  LB  Shana Reed          24  F   Brenecia
13  CB  Claire Steadman     29  F   Tumbra
5   CB  Sarah Robson        28  F   Tumbra
2   RB  Mira Foster         29  F   Tumbra
7   LM  Jack Ryland         23  M   Sylestone
19  CDM Brendan Rowling     24  M   Tumbra
22  CM  Petrasin Djurovic   23  M   Mytanija*
23  RM  Antti Perkkanen     31  M   Tikariot
20  ST  Elaine Calare       29  F   Nephara
24  ST  Alex Finlay         24  M   Tumbra

12  GK  Tobias Matthews     20  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Gilian Bryce        24  F   Tumbra
3   LB  George Calvert      28  M   Tumbra
6   CB  Sonja Connolly      21  F   Tumbra
4   CB  Rupert Kirkwood     34  M   Tumbra
15  CB  Philip Chamberlain  26  M   Tumbra
16  RB  Jennifer Murray     23  F   Tumbra
8   CDM Didier Hennequin    19  M   Juvencus
18  CM  John Hyland         23  M   Tumbra
17  CM  Faye de Vries       21  F   Tumbra*
21  LW  Alistair McGarry    27  M   Tumbra
10  CAM Simon Stansfield    22  M   Tumbra
9   RW  Cynthia Grimley     27  F   Tumbra
26  ST  Sabrina Rigby       21  F   Tumbra
11  ST  Fedya Yeltsov       21  M   Tumbra**

27  LB  Gilian Allison      19  F   Tumbra
28  CDM Terence Fordham     18  M   Tumbra
29  CAM Louise Kelly        20  F   Tumbra
30  ST  Lauren Whiteley     17  F   Tumbra

*Second Licentian nationality
**Second Mytanar nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Brendan Rowling from Serrapince, 3.5m
Shana Reed from Creed United, 3.0m
Outgoing:
Lucas McCormick to Lakewood City, 5.0m
Promoted:
Simon Stansfield, CAM
Sabrina Rigby, RW

A cup victory should promise better things — but will the loss of McCormick put a dent in those expectations?

Last Season: A season in which Colbrook firmly established themselves as midtable regulars also saw them lift the Republic Cup for the first time in their history — Colbrook’s first-ever major trophy. Guided by David Griffiths’ even hand, fourteenth was perhaps a little disappointing, but the club did not seem to be in much trouble for much of the season, and their cup victory was popular and widely deserved. Over the season break, however, Lucas McCormick departed for Lakewood City — and the club has now lost its greatest warrior in midfield.

New Arrivals: Replacing McCormick is Brendan Rowling from Serrapince, who struggled to really break into the Serrapince first team and is now in search of just regular first team football. He arrives laden with expectations; but Griffiths has been keen to ease them, saying that McCormick was ‘generational’. Griffiths is likely to transit to a more vertical style of play that won’t rely as much on the defensive midfielder being a distributor of the ball; either that, or the responsibility could be shifted to the other midfielder on the team. Shana Reed is the other transfer, joining from a relegated Creed United; a solid if possibly unexciting left-back, the Nepharan looks likely to add some muscle in the defence.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The midfield is probably the strength of this team; even without McCormick, this team’s midfield is still one to be reckoned with. Jack Ryland is one of the most highly-rated young Sylestoneans in the world, with a big transfer looking set to be lined up for him in the future. Petrasin Djurovic is a Casari army knife of a player, adept to playing almost any role there; while Antti Perkkanen is an experienced hand. In contrast, the two up front are comparatively weaker when compared to the rest of the squad; while Elaine Calare is the main threat up front, she didn’t broach ten goals last season, which may offer some cause for worry.

Prediction: Like with so many teams in Tumbra’s densely-crowded midfield, it’s difficult to say. Most predict a solid mid table finish; some say that they'll be in for it, because they’ve now lost McCormick, and don’t rate Rowling as highly. How they adjust to playing without easily their most important player for several years will have a great impact on their survival chances; and David Griffiths will be hoping that a McCormick-less squad will be able to hit the ground running.

Columbia City

Quick Facts

City and State: Columbia, Alexandria
Last season: 11th, 51 points
Stadium: Columbus Field, 49,000
Nickname: the Southerners; the Fishermen
Manager: Bradley Kemerer-Lascelles, 54, Quebec & Shingoryeo
Style of Play: Attacking with heavy pressing
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: ST Victoria Thesselborg
Captain: RB Finlay Hall

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  George Danvers      27  M   Tumbra
16  LB  Mariana Budi-Dursun 22  F   Quebec
4   CB  Torcado Fiallo      30  M   Tequilo*
5   CB  Luuk Vennema        26  M   Cap Nord
3   RB  Finlay Hall         29  M   Tikariot
7   LW  Peter Hurst         24  M   Tumbra
8   CM  Enis Crnogorčević   27  M   Mytanija
6   CM  H Gormley-McCowan   24  F   Quebec
10  RW  Nell Youngblood     21  M   Quebec
9   ST  V Thesselborg       27  F   Tikariot
11  ST  Liang Wei           29  M   Yuezhou

13  GK  Laura Fisher        24  F   Tumbra
25  GK  Tom Rakepick        21  M   Tumbra
2   LB  Jolanda MacPierce   31  F   Zwangzug
15  CB  Fiona Harcourt      27  F   Tumbra
19  CB  Linda Marshall      25  F   Tumbra
26  CB  Richard Evanson     20  M   Tumbra
20  RB  Alessandro Baraldi  23  M   Tumbra**
18  CDM Takis Pipades       24  M   Vdara
23  CM  Susan Ramsden       22  F   Tumbra
14  CM  Kálmán Sásk         26  M   Szoirsia
24  CAM Manuel Vaquilar     23  M   Tumbra***
21  LW  Gerald Steinback    24  M   Tumbra
17  RW  John Fan            22  M   Tumbra
22  ST  Rianne Cowling      21  F   Tumbra
12  ST  Jason Pearce        28  M   Tumbra

27  LW  Vanessa Harding     20  M   Tumbra
28  RW  Caleb Hoffman       20  M   Tumbra
29  ST  Jean Starling       20  F   Tumbra
30  LB  Abid Ali            19  M   Tumbra

*Second Tumbran nationality
**Second Juven nationality
***Second Faroleran nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
John Fan from AFC Gillman, 2.0m
Gerald Steinback from AFC Gillman, 1.7m
Outgoing:
Promoted:
Richard Evanson, CB
Rianne Cowling, ST

BKM’s approach is already being questioned — but should he be given more time?

Last Season: There wasn’t much change in Columbus Field, just disappointment; as Columbia failed to make up ground on rivals such as Hesham and Ridgewell, and only really advanced by virtue of nearby rivals like Kingsbury falling behind. At the start of his third season in charge of the club, there are some who are beginning to doubt Bradley Kemerer-Lascelles’ fitness for the job; some have said that his focus on Quebecois talent is not paying off, while others say that he hasn’t been able to leverage the talents of his front four well enough.

New Arrivals: Having very little to talk about when it comes to transfers indicates one of two things. Either there’s nothing in the bank, or the manager is happy with the current balance of the squad. On first look, the second seems to be true; the relatively barren transfer window starring just the signings of John Fan and Gerald Steinback from AFC Gillman would suggest BKM largely thinks his squad is fine. Both are fast wingers; both were signed to boost the club’s depth in those areas, particularly since both Caleb Hoffman and Vanessa Harding were deemed too young to make the step up.

Strengths and Weaknesses: It’s telling that the wings of this squad have Peter Hurst as their oldest; at just 24, he’s the most exciting thing to have emerged from Columbia’s academy for a while. Him being just 24 also highlights how thin Columbia’s depth is in that aspect; their lack of depth is probably also their biggest issue. The squad’s biggest strength is probably their offense; Victoria Thesselborg is the squad’s main talisman, capable of scoring from just about any angle. Last season saw a bit of dip in her form, and fans will be hoping she’ll be able to rediscover that form to bring them back to their best.

Prediction: With not too many changes made to the team’s squad — just Fan and Steinback to buff up the bench — fans are bracing for more of the same. It’s probably worth noting that eleventh in a twenty-team league and eleventh in a sixteen-team league mean markedly different things; and the odds are high on Kemerer-Lascelles being out of a job at the end of the season. For his part, he’s remained resolute that Columbia will be able to crack the top half of the table; and it’s that kind of belief that football managers do need.

Couno Rangers

Quick Facts

City and State: Couno, Napier
Last season: 3rd, 73 points
Stadium: Couno Port Stadium, 54,000
Nickname: the Reds; the Rams
Manager: Marco Giuliani, 57, Savigliane
Style of Play: Short, quick-passing play
Prediction: IFCF Challengers
Key Player: CM Vincent Hicks
Captain: CB Joel Tyler

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Andrew Taylor       33  M   Tumbra
2   LB  Seren Thomson       30  F   The Licentian Isles
26  CB  Wilfrid Gouin       23  M   Delaclava
17  CB  Carlos Coste        26  M   Juvencus
3   RB  Luca Cambiaso       29  M   Savigliane*
18  CDM Mark Finnemore      27  M   Tumbra
5   CM  J-P Vaillancourt    28  M   Quebec
8   CM  Vincent Hicks       31  M   Tumbra
9   LW  K-R Hertel          25  M   Quebec
12  RW  Dimitra Conder      29  F   Nephara
11  ST  Bruce Nolan         29  M   Tumbra

23  GK  Farzana Patel       24  F   Tumbra
25  GK  Cyril Anderton      22  M   Tumbra
16  LB  Hazel Kennedy       23  F   Tumbra
14  CB  Arwen van As        28  F   The Licentian Isles
4   CB  Joel Tyler          33  M   Tumbra
6   CB  Lomar Wellingsley   28  M   Tikariot
20  RB  Ashley Crittenden   25  F   Tumbra
21  CDM Apollinare Quarto   20  M   Juvencus
13  CM  David Burnet        31  M   Tumbra
19  CM  Colin Kearney       27  M   Tumbra
15  CAM Michelle Vaughan    22  F   Tumbra
7   LW  Erin Robertson      23  F   Tumbra
22  RW  Lilith Kendall      22  F   Tumbra**
10  ST  Frederick Prost     30  M   Mertagne
24  ST  Sylvaine Fortier    23  F   Tumbra***

27  GK  Jeanette Portman    18  F   Tumbra
28  CB  Hannah Edwards      18  F   Tumbra
29  ST  Ellen Vesper        17  F   Tumbra

*Second Tumbran nationality
**Second Nepharan nationality
***Second Chromatik nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Wilfrid Gouin from Colonial Sile, 5.0m
Outgoing:
Promoted:
Michelle Vaughan, CAM

Will Couno be able to break out of the third-best mantle, or will that be their legacy for this era?

Last Season: Third saw the Rams return to becoming the best team in Couno — albeit for most of the season they were lagging behind their western rivals. Third, however, was also a long, long way off the duelling Lakewood clubs at arguably the peak of their powers, and there remains a perception that the club has a long way to go to break that gap. That said, despite finishing thirteen points behind eventual league champions Lakewood United, the squad doesn’t look too weak on paper; and Marco Giuliani has been playing up the possibility of another title challenge, even if Couno are most peoples’ picks to finish third in the league once more.

New Arrivals: There’s only one arrival Couno-side; and it’s Delaclav centreback Wilfrid Gouin, who arrives from the Vilitan league. The highly-rated defender shores up an already-stacked centre defence, with names such as Lomar Wellingsley, Joel Tyler, and Carlos Coste; it seems that Giuliani’s route to success this season seems to be lying in the defensive depth and solidity of his side.

Strengths and Weaknesses: There’s no obvious weakness in this squad, which is to be expected of a side challenging for IFCF football. The midfield is probably the squad’s biggest strength; there’s few midfield trios stronger than Jean-Philippe Vaillancourt, who has endless stamina, it seems; Mark Finnemore, who isn’t the fastest but is always positioned perfectly to sweep up rogue balls and stop offensive manoeuvres even from the base of midfield; and Vincent Hicks, who’s taken on the mantle of the team’s main playmaker. Bruce Nolan up top is one of Tumbra’s finest strikers — even if his only mistake was being born in the same generation as Nick Riordan, severely curtailing his abilities to shine on the national team stage.

Prediction: Best of the rest is what most have them pegged for; Gouin may be a spectacular signing, and one that essentially locks down their defensive lineup for the next decade if things permit; but they’re certainly not looked at as title-challenger material. Bruce Nolan will be aching to set the record straight on that front; and while there’s no reason while the midfield trio of Vaillancourt, Finnemore and Hicks will be able to make good, it just feels like there’s something missing from a sustained title challenge.

FC Inter Nantwich

Quick Facts

City and State: Nantwich, Finnley
Last season: 6th, 63 points
Stadium: Nantwich Stadium, 64,000
Nickname: the Black-and-Blues; the Bulls
Manager: Daniel Galbraith, 43, Tumbra
Style of Play: Careful, patient build-up
Prediction: IFCF challengers
Key Player: RW Luo Nanwei
Captain: CDM Aventurine Kolar

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Nick Barker         33  M   Tumbra
14  LB  Martin Hawthorn     25  M   Tumbra
23  CB  Joaquin Santo       27  M   Juvencus
5   CB  Walter Thomas       28  M   Tikariot
3   RB  Klara Verlan        24  F   Quebec
6   CDM Aventurine Kolar    32  F   Nephara
8   CM  Andrew Fisher       31  M   Tumbra
16  CM  Dino Horvat         24  M   Mytanija 
9   LW  Jake Spekman        26  M   The Licentian Isles*
7   RW  Luo Nanwei          28  M   Yuezhou
11  ST  Basilica Coxeter    30  F   Nephara

12  GK  George Lang         21  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Ferdinand Halliwell 22  M   Tumbra
2   LB  Aimée Laurent       31  F   Savigliane**
4   CB  Sasha Stepanov      23  F   Chromatika 
13  CB  Michael Hutchinson  22  M   Tumbra 
26  CB  Susan Fox           20  F   Tumbra 
22  RB  Clay van der Hout   32  M   The Licentian Isles 
20  CM  Sandra Cho          22  F   Tumbra
19  CM  Zheng Haidong       29  M   Yuezhou
10  CM  Esekíel Sváfnisson  20  M   Tumbra***
21  CDM Renata Emmanuelli   19  F   Juvencus
15  LW  Max Mycroft         29  M   Tumbra
18  RW  Richard Baker       29  M   Tumbra
17  ST  Joanna Bradford     26  F   Tumbra
24  ST  Heather Gell        29  F   Mertagne

27  CB  Lionel Cooper       19  M   Tumbra
28  RB  Sean Black          20  M   Tumbra
29  LW  Daniel Hayward      17  M   Tumbra

*Second Chromatik nationality
**Second Tumbran nationality
***Second Graentfjaller nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Dino Horvat from Tekstil, 5.0m
Clay van der Hout from Ridgewell Rovers, 2.5m
Sasha Stepanov from University of the Islands, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Julie Dufour to West Couno United, 4.7m
Vilovalu Wakajama to Romanopolis United, 4.5m
Promoted:
Michael Hutchinson, CB
Susan Fox, CB

An uninspiring debut season means the pressure is on for Tumbra’s greatest — will he sink or swim?

Last Season: Despite expectations of a roaring start and return to success for Nantwich, it all eventually fell to a whimper as Nantwich failed to qualify for international competition. They’ll have slightly more of a cushion this cycle, with the news that CEdC qualification will be extended to the teams finishing sixth and seventh — but there’s a whisper of dissatisfaction even with Galbraith’s more modest outlay in the transfer window last season that Nantwich may have acted a little too hastily when they decided to sack Rachael Schroeder, who did bring them a league title; even if her enthusiasm for the job had visibly waned by the end of her tenure.

New Arrivals: The main arrival this season is Dino Horvat, with Nantwich the latest club to jump on the Mytanija wagon; the patient midfielder acting as a security shield alongside the deep-running Aventurine Kolar. Clay van der Hout was a bit of an oddball signing, considering that he’s 32; but Galbraith has seemingly always admired the Licentian fullback’s tenacity, strength and leadership in the dressing room. With a depleted defence, Sasha Stepanov arrives from that famed talent-spotting machine, the Chromatik university system; she’s expected to shore up the depth that Nantwich have in defence.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Nantwich’s defence seems to be what their chances of success hinge on; Nick Barker is still Tumbra’s finest goalkeeper, while Walter Thomas is a nailed-on starter for Tikariot — which is remarkable, considering the nation’s constant chopping and changing of their national team, highlighting the depth of that team’s talent pool. Yet their lack of depth there is also what could hurt them; outside of Thomas and his Juven defensive partner Joaquin Santo, the defence is paper-thin, with only Stepanov seeming likely to be able to step up readily. A lack of depth is probably this side’s weak point; expect any IFCF title challenge to start falling apart when injuries hit in midseason.

Prediction: Nantwich can probably be at least assured of Esportivan football, but any hope of advancing beyond that probably will have to rely heavily on an ageing Basilica Coxeter. There seem to be troubling times ahead for Nantwich, particularly with Luo Nanwei agitating for a move if Nantwich can’t seem to get back into the IFCF spots. Will Daniel Galbraith be able to right a ship that looks to be listing? It could be a difficult task — and one that many don’t think he’ll be able to achieve.

Fraser Valley

Quick Facts

City and State: (the outskirts of) Serrapince, Bechor
Last season: 12th, 46 points
Stadium: Valley Park, 45,000
Nickname: the Denizens; the Stallions
Manager: Graham Lloyd, 39, Tumbra
Style of Play: Hard pressing, counterattacking football
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: ST Tricia Barker
Captain: CB Thomas Krabb

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Aidan James         27  M   Tumbra
17  LB  Paul Marlin         28  M   Tumbra
22  CB  Farina Sharpe       26  F   Nephara
5   CB  Frances Sinclair    25  F   Tumbra
18  RB  Casper Baumgartner  23  M   Tumbra
8   CM  Cole Pearlman       27  M   Tikariot
6   CM  Alastair Moynihan   23  M   Tumbra
9   LM  Leigh Eyre          24  F   Mertagne
23  CAM Tobi Krzanowski     25  M   Tjorl
7   RM  Anne Beckett        26  F   Tumbra
10  ST  Tricia Barker       25  F   Tumbra

12  GK  Cayden Gillespie    21  M   Tumbra*
25  GK  Michael Kennan      23  M   Tumbra
3   LB  Clarence Tate       21  M   Tumbra
4   CB  Philip Gonzalez     31  M   Tumbra
14  CB  Thomas Krabb        30  M   Tumbra
26  CB  Martin Dennison     21  M   Tumbra
2   RB  Don Blather         29  M   Tumbra
13  CM  Gina Holland        21  F   Tumbra
24  CDM Jonathan Hwang      22  M   Tumbra**
21  CM  Pilta-Blonz Yol     28  X   Qusmo
15  LM  Mike Coonan         32  M   Tumbra
20  RM  Carol Haywood       26  F   Tumbra
19  CAM John Batten         27  M   Tumbra
16  ST  David Greer         28  M   Tumbra
11  ST  Xilix-Oxolt Mal     27  X   Qusmo

27  CB  Gordon Donnelly     20  M   Tumbra
28  RM  Keith Palmer        20  M   Tumbra
29  GK  Nyck Lawson         17  M   Tumbra

*Second Licentian nationality
**Second Quebecois nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Tobi Krzanowski from Couno Rangers, 5.5m
Farina Sharpe from North Laithland, 3.0m
Carol Haywood from Clark City, 2.4m
Outgoing:
John Bush, retired
Promoted:
Martin Dennison, CB
Gina Holland, CM

No Santos, No Hardwick — no hope?

Last Season: Arguably the best player to grace the Valley Park in the past ten seasons of Fraser Valley’s history, Anselmo Santos touched down, scored a ton of goals in the hour or so that he was allowed on the pitch, and went home. The club would have been forced to bid an eye-watering eight million dollars for him, if not for the fact that they instead paid 1830 Cathair four million dollars to not have to bid the eight million dollars. Either way, the mess sapped Michael Hardwick’s energy, and after a long time at the helm of the Stallions, he headed south.

New Arrivals: To replace Anselmo Santos was going to be difficult; so Graham Lloyd has instead opted to field just a single striker, and bought Tobi Krzanowski from Couno for a premium. The out-of-favour attacking midfielder, one highlighted as one of Tjorl’s biggest talents, chose to move to Fraser in the same season that counterpart Matthias Schaerer chose to move to West Couno United. Elsewhere, Carol Haywood, one of Clark City’s biggest assets, arrives from the T-League 2 club; while Farina Sharpe, North Laithland’s best defender, arrives from the recently relegated Nepharan club at a price that’s relatively cheap for one of the Terrenans.

Strengths and Weaknesses: And yet this squad seems to be lacking…something. Perhaps it’s the image that this squad presents of being on its last legs and scrabbling down the back of the sofa for a solution; perhaps it’s just that not many have confidence in Graham Lloyd’s abilities to lead Fraser into a relegation battle and survive. The team’s greatest strength is probably their depth on the wings; Leigh Eyre and Anne Beckett are both great wingers, but Mike Coonan and the newly-signed Carol Haywood provide Lloyd with several options on the wings should he make them the focal point of his tactical approach.

Prediction: Fraser seem to be really in for it. Sure, Tricia Barker’s good, but she and Anne Beckett can only do so much. Add a manager that hasn’t had the best of records, the loss of one of Tumbra’s finest defensive managers, and the loss of firepower with Anselmo Santos’ departure, and the general perception is that Fraser will be right in the middle of the relegation fight this season. Will they be? There’s a large cloud of doubt over whether Graham Lloyd was the right man for the job…

Hesham

Quick Facts

City and State: Hesham, Clearmont
Last season: 10th, 56 points
Stadium: George Bowen Stadium, 40,000
Nickname: the Greens; the Ploughmen
Manager: Michael Hardwick, 60, Tumbra
Style of Play: Defence, defence, defence
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: CB Hugo Mornington
Captain: CB Hugo Mornington

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Alan McDermott      26  M   Tumbra
3   LB  Holly Willoughby    26  F   Tumbra
17  CB  Jack Denham         24  M   Tumbra
2   CB  Hugo Mornington     29  M   Sylestone
6   RB  Elsie Houston       26  F   The Licentian Isles*
15  LM  Kurosh Rostami      28  M   SRS
8   CM  Alisha Thompson     30  F   The Licentian Isles
10  CM  V. Loustaunau       29  M   Farolera
7   RM  Harriet Bevins      25  F   Tumbra
9   ST  Gerard Deighton     24  M   Tumbra
22  ST  Hayden Blamey       26  M   Sylestone

12  GK  Alan Tate           24  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Daphne Cross        22  F   Tumbra
24  LB  Miranda Dahlberg    22  M   Tumbra**
14  CB  Mu Weihai           31  M   Yuezhou
4   CB  Nathaniel Edmonds   21  M   Tumbra
26  CB  Alex Holland        22  M   Tumbra
5   RB  Kerry Peck          20  F   Tumbra
18  CM  Pertz-Evela Vet     27  X   Qusmo
16  CM  Min Song-hwan       31  M   Chromatika
13  CDM Andrew Hutton       24  M   Tumbra
19  CM  Matthew Noble       33  M   Tumbra
20  LW  Tom Skelton         21  M   Tumbra
21  RW  Scott Wilson        22  M   Tumbra
11  ST  Lucas Russell       30  M   The Licentian Isles
23  ST  Alessio Gagliardini 23  M   Tumbra***

27  RB  Helen Haigh         18  F   Tumbra
28  LW  Trevor Stewart      19  M   Tumbra
29  RW  James Halliday      21  M   Tumbra
30  ST  Tom Elliot          20  M   Tumbra

*Second Chromatik nationality
**Second Tikariotian nationality
***Second Juven nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Michael Hardwick from Fraser Valley
Hayden Blamey from Chamberley City, 4.0m
Scott Wilson from Macarthur City, 3.0m
Outgoing:
William Wight to Kingsbury United
Hans Ferdinand to Kingsbury United, 2.5m
Promoted:
Alex Holland, CB
Kerry Peck, RB
Tom Skelton, LW

A new manager, a new defensive structure — will it launch them up the order?

Last Season: Patience with William Wight had allegedly already been running thin throughout last season, but it was a disappointing second half of the season — where the team slipped from challenging for an IFCF spot midway through the season to barely holding on to tenth by the end of it — meant that both parties felt it was probably best for them to part ways. And so William Wight departed for the vacant Kingsbury job, and in came someone who would properly be able to take full advantage of their captain Hugo Mornington’s powers…

New Arrivals: Michael Hardwick, defense master extraordinaire, arrives from Fraser to truly help this outfit become the defensive outlet it can truly be. Scott Wilson arrives from Macarthur to provide some support on the right; but the main star of the show is Hayden Blamey, who, having dominated Sylestone’s League N.1 in the goalscoring sheets last year, arrives, purportedly with a large chunk of change in his back pocket and an assurance from team-mate Hugo Mornington that the club will be able to ascend with him.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The defence, marshalled by Hugo Mornington, is probably the best part of this team; the back four is one of the strongest in Tumbra, and Alan McDermott is no slouch of a goalkeeper either. Gerard Deighton up front is one of Tumbra’s best supporting strikers — dropping deep, providing lots of cover to draw attackers away from his strike partner and effectively functioning as a third midfielder.

Prediction: A new manager brings a lot of sea change with it; but somehow, with Hesham’s sizable Sylestonean base, it seems that Michael Hardwick will be right at home with his defensive style of football. Hardwick is often unfairly dismissed as a defense-only manager; but now, with Hugo Mornington at his disposal, there’s a real sense of excitement over what the two of them will be able to achieve together. Add Hayden Blamey — whom rumours have bandied around about how Mornington played a large role in convincing Blamey to sign — and there’s a package that some suspect might be able to crack eighth or higher this season.

Kingsbury United

Quick Facts

City and State: Kingsbury, Georgia
Last season:13th, 43 points
Stadium: Fletcher Park, 45,000
Nickname: the Royals; the Princelings
Manager: William Wight, 46, Tumbra
Style of Play: Steady, patient build-up
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: CB Kira Dormann
Captain: ST James Anderson

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Raphael Brennan     27  M   Tumbra
3   LB  Wei Haifeng         28  M   Yuezhou
15  CB  Paul Amos           24  M   Flavovespia
5   CB  Kira Dormann        25  F   Quebec
2   RB  Rôbé Wîjkár         24  M   Rülândéá
6   CDM Coco                27  M   Montana Verde
21  CM  Haradin Moss        27  M   Chromatika
8   CM  Bede Cheschon       25  M   Brenecia
22  LW  Joyce Hughes        27  F   Tumbra
23  RW  Kim Chae-yeong      21  F   Quebec
11  ST  James Anderson      35  M   Tumbra

12  GK  Thomas Faulkner     20  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Hugh Williams       22  M   Tumbra
13  LB  Mátyás Boullogne    20  M   Tumbra*
4   CB  Louis Paterson      34  M   Tumbra
19  CB  Desimir Gavrilovic  27  M   Kruviš
26  CB  Catherine Martins   22  F   Tumbra
18  RB  Hans Ferdinand      22  M   Tumbra
20  CM  Gordon Lythgoe      20  M   Tumbra
16  CM  Adam Grant          22  M   Tumbra
14  CDM Timothy Decker      27  M   Tumbra
10  CAM Edith Ferguson      27  F   Tumbra
7   LW  Erica Illsley       26  F   Tumbra
9   RW  Cheryl Nightingale  25  F   Tumbra
17  ST  Natasha Caroline    25  F   Tumbra
24  ST  Dannon Larr         30  M   Mertagne

27  RB  Jude McCreary       20  M   Tumbra
28  CM  David Blair         20  M   Tumbra
29  CDM Dominic Gray        20  M   Tumbra

*Second Faroleran nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
William Wight from Hesham
Timothy Decker from Newark Argyle, 2.7m
Hans Ferdinand from Hesham, 2.5m
Rôbé Wîjkár from Dí Maozöxê, undisclosed
Outgoing:
Goron Sauber to Ridgewell Rovers, 6.3m
Promoted:
Catherine Martins, CB
Gordon Lythgoe, CM

This is a team that needs a quick turnaround — is Wight the man for the job?

Last Season: Kingsbury’s collapse over the last season despite having names such as Kira Dormann, Paul Amos, and James Anderson was stunning to see; and it was quite surprising that the owners took as long as they did to shove Vince McCarthy out of the door. It was a thoroughly disappointing season for the Princelings, with a finishing position of thirteenth and their first in the lower half of the table since season one;and changes to the team’s playing staff were made as quickly. That, and a new manager from the East Coast…

New Arrivals: In comes William Wight from Hesham, his six-year tenure at Hesham having finally come to a close; there’s a lot of hype surrounding his appointment, particularly since he’s still regarded as one of the best managerial prospects in the country. Alongside him comes Timothy Decker and Hans Ferdinand, the latter from his former workplace. The main star of the show, however, is Rôbé Wîjkár; the Rulandese left back joining Kingsbury for reportedly a pretty penny but an officially undisclosed sum of money.

Strengths and Weaknesses: There’s no other way to look at it apart from who’s up top. James Anderson is both the team’s greatest strength and greatest weakness; he’s no doubt an excellent striker, but at 35 he’s beginning to look well past it…and the team don’t really have a replacement. Fans were somewhat disappointed that Wight didn’t make the requisite moves to secure a long-term replacement for Anderson. For what it’s worth, Anderson has said he’ll go on as long as possible; but age catches up with everyone.

Prediction: Without a ready-made replacement for James Anderson up top — who’s still a fine striker, don’t get us wrong, but on the wrong side of 35 already — Kingsbury’s attacking output could suffer immensely. But this side’s dismal performances last season should really only be a blip; with the right tactics and guidance, Kingsbury really should be on the way back up to the upper midtable.

[Tumbra]

Lakewood City

Quick Facts

City and State: Lakewood, Severn
Last season: 2nd, 84 points
Stadium: Lakewood City Arena, 58,000
Nickname: the Skyblues; the Skylarks
Manager: John Riedweld, 59, Tumbra
Style of Play: Possession, attacking
Prediction: Title challenge
Key Player: RW Robin Vaughn/ST Charlotte Henshaw
Captain: RW Robin Vaughn

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Victoria Jones      27  F   Tumbra
12  LB  Twilight Mixon      26  F   Chromatika
4   CB  Ian Ashburn         31  M   Tumbra
5   CB  Txomin Huon         25  M   Mertagne
3   RB  Leah Robbins        24  F   Tikariot
8   CDM Lucas McCormick     26  M   Tumbra
10  CM  Samuel McTavish     27  M   Quebec
16  CM  Valerie Morris      26  F   Tumbra
7   LW  Nenad Tejic         24  M   Mytanija
9   RW  Robin Vaughn        35  M   Tumbra
11  ST  Charlotte Henshaw   25  F   Tumbra

13  GK  Nigel Philips       37  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Graham Henderson    22  M   Tumbra
2   LB  Kee Tian            21  M   Naixi
17  CB  Tom Lawrence        30  M   Tumbra
14  CB  Paul Barker         22  M   Tumbra
26  CB  Mark Robinson       21  M   Tumbra
19  RB  Komang T. Kurniawan 22  M   Pemecutan
20  CDM Lewis McCabe        27  M   Tumbra
6   CM  Victor Leighton     23  M   Tumbra
15  CM  Hazel Hills         23  F   Tumbra
23  CM  Sarah Watson        20  F   Tumbra
18  LW  Cedomir Vladmirovic 21  M   Quebec
21  RW  Emmanuel Appleby    25  M   Tumbra
24  ST  Jackie Whittaker    21  F   Tumbra
22  ST  Vivienne Anderson   25  F   Tumbra

27  CB  Benjamin Byrne      20  M   Tumbra
28  CB  Alex Reid           18  M   Tumbra
29  ST  Yvonne Reynolds     19  F   Tumbra

*Second Mytanar nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Lucas McCormick from Colbrook City, 5.0m
Vivianne Anderson from Macarthur City, 4.5m
Outgoing:
Mathias Schaerer to West Couno United, 5.0m
Ophelie Bernard to Straton, 4.3m
Eli Apt to Chromatik, 1.0m
Promoted:
Paul Barker, CB
Mark Robinson, CB
Sarah Watson, CM
Jackie Whittaker, ST

At risk of becoming second-best, will City be able to strike back?.

Last Season: A titanic title battle it may not have been, but City’s valiant effort in the second half of the season to catch up to their neighbours and pursue them all the way to the last day of the season — even forcing them into a situation where United needed to win in order to secure the title. Ultimately, City’s valiant title defence fell just short; but there was also a Challengers’ Cup semi-final run to talk about. Unfortunately, United just went ahead and won the whole thing, meaning that Lakewood City were, almost certifiably, the second-best club in Lakewood last season.

New Arrivals: City — like the rest of the league — were relatively light on arrivals, but the two they did sign were heavy-hitters. Lucas McCormick arrives from Colbrook, slotting right into the base of the midfield as the main number 6 for the club; highly-rated for his maturity and passing skills, City parted with a pretty substantial sum for the defensive midfielder. The other coup was Vivianne Anderson, seemingly happy to play second fiddle to Charlotte Henshaw up top, arriving from a relegated Macarthur. But the biggest changes this season is notably the whole host of youth players that have been promoted to the senior side; these will probably be City’s core for the next decade or so, jealously guarded by Ridweld until they were ready. Now, it seems, they are.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This is Tumbra’s second-strongest squad. There are no weaknesses — or obvious ones, at least. Their offense, previously heavily reliant on a rapidly-aging Robin Vaughn, has two new dimensions in the form of Charlotte Henshaw, who swept all before her last season, and Nenad Tejic, a winger who’s slowly been granted more levity to be a playmaker on the left. In the midfield, Samuel McTavish serves as the team’s playmaker; while Ian Ashburn serves as the team’s defensive linchpin.

Prediction: A new core of youth products, alongside names like Victor Leighton and Hazel Hills, means that there’s some suspicion over whether City will be able to compete with United when it comes to depth. But this is City, and those youth products will have been brought up in the exact way that John Riedweld wanted them to be. They wouldn’t be promoted if John Riedweld didn’t want them to be; and they’re ready if Riedweld says they are. The starting eleven of this club is one of the strongest in the league; and they’ll be looking to deny United a second straight title.

Lakewood United

Quick Facts

City and State: Lakewood, Severn
Last season: 1st, 86 points
Stadium: Trenton Park, 74,500
Nickname: the Reds; the Red Storm
Manager: Andrea Spinelli, 59, Savigliane
Style of Play: Fast-paced pressing, attacking play
Prediction: Title challenge
Key Player: ST Jôs Sürréo
Captain: CM Nicky Atkinson

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Richard Russell     27  M   Tumbra
6   LB  Ipati Aimée         29  F   Chromatika
4   CB  Belinda Proudfoot   25  F   Tumbra
5   CB  Spencer Jepson      31  M   Tikariot
3   RB  Mike Sheppard       33  M   Tumbra
23  CDM Michael Browne      28  M   Tumbra
13  CM  Nicky Atkinson      31  M   Tumbra
10  CAM Kirsten Desmond     28  F   Nephara
14  LW  Kendra Considine R. 32  F   Nephara*
18  RW  Emilie Kruetzberg   26  F   Chromatika
9   ST  Jôs Sürréo          23  M   Rülândéá

12  GK  Joseph Cranston     27  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Gary Shepard        22  M   Tumbra
2   LB  Melvin Skidmore     20  M   Tumbra
16  CB  Nexev-Kresp Val     28  X   Qusmo
21  CB  Almar Hussein       30  M   Tumbra
26  CB  Gareth Richardson   22  M   Tumbra
20  RB  Caointiorn Duncan   24  F   The Licentian Isles
11  CM  Travis Dolan        27  M   Tikariot
8   CM  Tamara Goldwin      21  F   Tumbra
19  CDM Serena Philips      25  F   Tumbra
15  CAM Nicolas Pellegrini  23  M   Tumbra**
24  LM  Tobias Grandelius   24  M   Tikariot
7   RW  Josip Horvat        31  M   Savigliane***
22  ST  Cameron Keyes       31  M   Sylestone
17  ST  Andrew Gillingham   27  M   Tumbra

27  CB  Georgina Byrne      19  F   Tumbra
28  CDM Christina Holsworth 18  F   Tumbra

*Second Schottic nationality
**Second Juven nationality
***Second Tumbran nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Nexev-Kresp Val from Ridgewell Rovers, 2.0m
Jôs Sürréo from Dí Maozöxê, undisclosed
Outgoing:
Corinne Fontana to Serrapince, 4.3m
Promoted:
Gareth Richardson, CDM

The world is their oyster — how far will United go?

Last Season: On top of the world. That’s how Lakewood United fans will essentially feel after securing Tumbra’s first ever piece of IFCF glory; alongside an exhilarating title win that was a decade in the makin, and which came at the expense of their crosstown rivals, which had won five titles in the timespan in which United took to win this one. It may have gone from a triumphant victory lap to a game in which United were looking desperately in their mirrors to avoid City; but the most important thing was the fact that they secured the title nonetheless.

New Arrivals: Only two signings this window — and Nexev-Kresp Val was a depth signing at best, though with a decade of experience in Tumbran football, he’ll provide much needed depth in the defence — meant there wasn't too much to get excited about. But Jôs Sürréo is possibly a generational signing that probably wins a title all on his own; the Rulandean offensive midfielder will be given a chance to stretch his legs up front as an out-and-out striker; and he looks likely to take the chance he’s been given, too.

Strengths and Weaknesses: With Sürréo — who allegedly cost about fifteen million dollars, meaning he would have been the single most expensive signing in the league's modern era if there were concrete numbers to the deal — United’s offence has been transformed into a mighty, versatile being. On the bench, backing up Sürréo, is Cameron Keyes, the secret weapon of Lakewood United; on the right, a one-time Testiculo, is Chromatik winger Emilie Kruetzberg, who hit the ground running last season and is nowhere near slowing down. The midfield might prove to be a bit problematic, however; while Kirsten Desmond is talented, her services as a 10 are increasingly out-of-place in the squad that Andrea Spinelli has built, and she’s been reluctant to convert to being an advanced 8.

Prediction: The addition of Sürréo strengthens an already extremely strong squad; with him being one of the most highly-rated young forwards in the world, there’s no reason why this front three of Considine/Grandelius, Kruetzberg and Sürréo won’t be able to go far. This squad will be competitors for every trophy they’re participating in; and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that they would be favourites to win the domestic treble.

Newark Argyle

Quick Facts

City and State: Newark, Severn
Last season: 7th, 60 points
Stadium: Newark Henza Arena, 38,000
Nickname: the Pilgrims; Argyle
Manager: Desmond Clarke, 66, Tumbra
Style of Play: Uncompromisingly tough defence
Prediction: IFCF Challengers
Key Player: CAM Gemma Rodway
Captain: RB Nigel Harris

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Darcy Lewis         27  M   Tumbra
12  LB  Craig Anderton      24  M   Tumbra
14  CB  Deng Daiyu          27  F   Yuezhou
18  CB  Ochoa Abril         31  M   Tequilo*
3   RB  Nigel Harris        34  M   Tumbra
16  LM  Ian McDermott       27  M   Tumbra
4   CM  Joanna Harding      26  F   Tumbra
8   CM  Gemma Rodway        28  F   Sylestone
11  RM  Simon Oliveira      27  M   Juvencus
7   ST  Rose Fleetwood      31  F   Sylestone
9   ST  Lowen Murdoch       24  M   Nephara**

17  GK  Alan Thorley        20  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Davide Sandino      32  M   Tequilo
2   LB  Amanda Andrews      26  F   Tumbra
5   CB  Jamie Cooper        26  M   Tumbra
13  CB  M Hanson-Hartridge  27  M   Tumbra
20  CB  Nicole Tindall      22  F   Tumbra
15  RB  Jilian Griffiths    23  F   Tumbra
6   CDM Heather Hindmarsh   21  F   Tumbra
24  CM  Gavin Butler        27  M   Tumbra
26  CM  Craig McGrath       34  M   Tumbra
10  CAM Colin Campbell      21  M   Tumbra
21  LM  Roy Wheeler         24  M   Tumbra
23  RM  Lisa Hayes          24  F   Tumbra
22  ST  Anne Fox            27  F   Tumbra
19  ST  Maurice Moore       26  M   Tumbra

27  CB  Will Nicholson      18  M   Tumbra
28  CM  Justin Hudson       17  M   Tumbra
29  RW  Henrietta Colvin    18  F   Tumbra

*Second Tumbran nationality
**Second Brenecian nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Ian McDermott from Macarthur City, 3.5m
Craig Anderton from Bencoolen City, 3.0m
Colin McGrath from Serrapince, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Timothy Decker to Kingsbury United, 2.7m
Felix Rooney to Glenmont AFC, 0.9m
June Johnson to Delphi Lionesses, 0.9m
Promoted:
Heather Hindmarsh, CDM

With a feather in their cap, how far can Newark go?

Last Season: The ultimate surprise of the season. Not many would have expected Newark Argyle, fresh off their first season in the Prem, to finish best of the rest in seventh; but in hindsight, the addition of Coste, Fleetwood and Murdoch essentially meant that their rise was unstoppable. Newark Argyle are here, just two seasons after bursting onto the stage; and they’re not looking to slow down anytime soon, what with the oodles of cash and smart recruitment that they’re throwing around.

New Arrivals: Three players came in in the off-season; two of them slot straight into the starting lineup, while the third’s looking for his last big contract before journeying off into management. Craig Anderton arrives from Bencoolen, the left-back seemingly tailor-made for Clarke’s tactics of a hard-tackling boulder of a full-back. Ian McDermott is the opposite; the midfielder will be running up and down the left wing, moving in and out of channels and essentially becoming a free-roaming playmaker. Craig McGrath, keen for one last paycheck, moves in to provide some much-needed depth in the midfield and leadership in the dressing room.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This team’s starting eleven is what brought them to seventh, but their weaknesses are glaring when it comes to the team’s depth. Players like Gemma Rodway, Deng Daiyu and Simon Oliveira headline the teamsheet and are starters, week in week out; but when they’re out with injuries the decrease in quality between the first-choice and depth is extremely pronounced. Depth is their major issue, and the next few seasons will be spent bridging that gap to ensure that Newark can truly challenge for IFCF places.

Prediction: With three smart signings this cycle, Newark look like they’re gearing up to defend their spot at the top of the midfield. Desmond Clarke has played down the prospect, but it is privately thought that Newark could try to overtake Nantwich and Serrapince this season and an unlikely challenge mounted for the IFCF spots. Whether the club have enough depth to achieve this is unknown; but he's willing to try, and Chromatik have backed the old, wily manager with enough cash to go again next season even if this one doesn’t work out.

Ridgewell Rovers

Quick Facts

City and State: Ridgewell, Westmond
Last season: 9th, 58 points
Stadium: Kensington Stadium, 48,000
Nickname: the Blues; the Rovers
Manager: Chris Haines, 50, Tumbra
Style of Play: Slightly defensive; long passes
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: ST Heidi Canavan
Captain: CM Malachite Riester

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mike Hahn           26  M   Tumbra
19  LB  Hannah McTavish     24  F   Quebec*
5   CB  Romain Coutard      26  M   Szoirsia
15  CB  Mario Queiros       25  M   Cabo Azure
20  RB  Goron Sauber        26  M   SRS
10  CM  Malachite Riester   32  F   Nephara
22  CM  Ian Robertson       27  M   Tumbra
8   CAM Steinar Clemensson  28  M   Graentfjall
17  LW  Amanda Browne       24  F   Tumbra
11  RW  Christopher Steele  27  M   Tumbra
16  ST  Heidi Canavan       25  F   Tumbra

13  GK  Alexia Simmons      21  F   Tumbra
24  GK  Daniel Meredith     22  M   Tumbra
2   LB  Carl Norton         28  M   Tumbra
3   CB  Toshikuni Nakagome  25  M   Ko-oren
18  CB  Donovan Cox         22  M   Tumbra
25  CB  Edmün Îmiév         23  M   Tumbra**
4   RB  Parminder Kaur      22  F   Tumbra
26  CDM Nicole Irving       20  F   Tumbra
21  CM  Angela Makeba       21  F   Tumbra***
6   CM  Fulgencio Ermis     21  M   Brookstation
12  CAM Charles Lyon        25  M   Tumbra
7   LW  Alex Kristensen     33  M   Tumbra
9   RW  Kwak Seung-hyeok    23  M   Quebec
23  ST  Charlie Ross        24  M   Tumbra
14  ST  Oliver Penn         20  M   Tumbra

27  CB  Denise Hopkirk      19  F   Tumbra
28  CAM Iris Steele         18  F   Tumbra
29  RW  Vikram Chatterjee   19  M   Tumbra

*Second Chromatik nationality
**Second Rülândéán nationality
***Second Osarian nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Goron Sauber from Kingsbury United, 6.3m
Kwak Seung-hyeok from Bencoolen, 3.0m
Toshikuni Nakagone from AFC Gillman, 2.0m
Mario Queiros from Plastinagrade, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Clay van der Hout to FC Inter Nantwich, 2.5m
Nexev-Kresp Val to Lakewood United, 2.0m
Promoted:
Nicole Irving, CDM

Their quiet rise up the ranks has been nothing short of remarkable — is this Ridgewell’s breakout season?

Last Season: Ridgewell would have been the league’s most impressive team last season, if it hadn’t been for Newark’s as rapid-rise up the ranks. Ian Robertson, Malachite Riester and Steinar Clemensson formed the backbone of an impressive squad that let Heidi Canavan display her best talents as Ridgewell punched their way up to ninth in the league. The finish remains their best in the ten seasons of Tumbran football post-IFCF entrance; and expectations have been lifted accordingly. Spending has, too.

New Arrivals: In a very surprising move, Goron Sauber changed white for baby blue in the most expensive domestic transfer of the window; the signing is probably indicative of how high Ridgewell are pushing. The club were extremely active this transfer window, signing Toshikuni Nakagone and Mario Queiros to bolster the defence; while Kwak Seung-hyeok will act as support for Christopher Steele on the right.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The way that Chris Haines has gone about patching up this squad means that there aren’t any immediately obvious weaknesses; just the ravages of age meaning that Malachite Riester, the beating heart of this squad, has become a bit less fast and has been asked to slow down a little. The good thing is that Ian Robertson is probably one of the finest midfielders outside of the top six; and the front three of Heidi Canavan, Amanda Browne an Christopher Steele is highly capable and flexible.

Prediction: People expect things from Ridgewell, and rightly so. There’s a solid squad now, with a solid midfield core behind it; Chris Haines is a well-regarded manager, largely seen as having gotten over his slight career bump with Newton that one season; and he’s got the right personnel to try and reach up for the upper midtable this season. The benefit of the T-League is that there’s much more of an impetus for the midtable teams to try and get ahead of each other now; and observers have said that the truly interesting part of the T-League is not the title fight, but rather the midfield scrabble. Ridgewell certainly seem well-enough prepared to go in and come out on top of it all.

Serrapince

Quick Facts

City and State: Serrapince, Bechor
Last season: 5th, 69 points
Stadium: Serrapince Park, 74,500
Nickname: the Bees; the Black-And-Golds
Manager: Danny Haverhead, 59, Tikariot
Style of Play: Relentless attacking
Prediction: IFCF Challengers
Key Player: ST Vazsony Sallay
Captain: CDM Laura Ness

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mick Key            32  M   Eura
2   LB  Chris Finney        27  M   Tumbra
5   CB  Michael Toussaint   29  M   Savigliane*
14  CB  Klavida Régine      29  F   Chromatika
3   RB  Odwin Muir          24  M   Chromatika
23  CDM Vince Cahill        27  M   Tumbra
6   CDM Laura Ness          33  F   Schottia*
18  CAM Dagur Lawrence      26  M   Poafmersia
17  LW  Paul Tucker         23  M   Tumbra
22  RW  Charlotte Ritchie   27  F   The Licentian Isles
9   ST  Vázsony Sallay      31  M   Pasarga

12  GK  Melanie Haywood     21  F   Tumbra
25  GK  Branko Cvitkovic    22  M   Tumbra**
13  LB  Fiona Jones         23  F   Tumbra
20  CB  Martin Barker       27  M   Tumbra
4   CB  Maurice Skilling    22  M   Tumbra
24  CB  Faas Bosman         22  M   Tumbra***
19  RB  Ed Wright           23  M   Tumbra
15  CM  Luciano Matteucci   23  M   Tumbra****
8   CM  Juliet Beecham      21  F   Tumbra
21  CDM John Davies         22  M   Tumbra
10  CAM Mark Coulson        26  M   Tumbra
7   LW  George Hilton       32  M   Tumbra
11  RW  Bayu Anggara        22  M   Pemecutan
26  ST  Corinne Fontana     31  F   Savigliane*
16  ST  August Haller       26  F   Tumbra

27  GK  Max Wallace         17  M   Tumbra
28  CB  Ruth Andersen       17  F   Tumbra
29  CAM Rob Brougham        18  M   Tumbra

*Second Tumbran nationality
**Second Mytanar nationality
***Second Licentian nationality
****Second Juven nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Corinne Fontana from Lakewood United, 4.3m
Outgoing:
Brendan Rowling to Colbrook City, 3.5m
Raymond Perry to West Couno United, 2.5m
Craig McGrath to Newark Argyle, 0.0m
Promoted:
Maurice Skilling, CB
Juliet Beecham, CM
John Davies, CDM

This is a team in need of an overhaul — but is it being left too late?

Last Season: Not many knew what to make of Serrapince last season. Odwin Muir and Klavida Reginé were much-needed additions to an aging defence; and they did help shore up the rearguard as Serrapince performed slightly better than last season. Yet there was concern over the ineffectual midfield and attack; fifth, clinching the final IFCF spot, seemed to be a good enough position. With Danny Haverhead's contract ending this year, there's much to be mulled upon as Serrapince head into another season, with a squad that's not good enough for a title challenge yet not bad enough for a midfield finish to be okay.

New Arrivals: The ongoing feeling of Serrapince being a team in transition was entirely reinforced by the minimal number of arrivals this term — just one, being Corinne Fontana from Lakewood United to provide depth in attack — while Haverhead has focused more on promoting new talent from within. Out went Raymond Perry and Craig McGrath, grizzled veterans near the end of their contracts; in came names like Maurice Skilling and John Davies, hungry starlets with points to prove.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The decision to let Brendan Rowling go to Colbrook was roundly criticised — at a time when Serrapince so painfully needed new talent coming in through the door, they were letting home-grown youngsters leave for little to nothing. Yet this team still retains strength, especially in defence; while Haverhead prefers an all-out attack with wingers bombing forward, he’s grown a bit less reliant on that in recent years.

Prediction: Will Serrapince slip? It’s likely that the board haven’t been willing to give Haverhead a fair hand in hopes that they’ll be able to clear up more resources for the next manager, whomever they are. After nearly a decade at the helm, it seems extremely disrespectful to the man who brought them three league titles — but it also feels like the love between the two is long gone. The odds are that Serrapince will get a new manager after this season; meaning that this one is more of a transition rather than an all-guns-blazing season.

Straton

Quick Facts

City and State: Straton, Straton
Last season: 8th, 59 points
Stadium: Straton Olympic Stadium, 63,000
Nickname: the Senators; the Capitals
Manager: Mark Stevenson, 61, the Licentian Isles
Style of Play: Wide wing play; attacking, generally
Prediction: IFCF Challengers
Key Player: LW Harvey Osbourne
Captain: CB Douglas Moore

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Joe Bonner          27  M   Tumbra
2   LB  Gethin Stewart      29  M   Tikariot
3   CB  Douglas Moore       34  M   Tumbra
17  CB  Carole Bond         25  F   Tumbra
16  RB  Lesley Keller       26  F   Sylestone
18  CDM Vlart Hedberg       29  M   SRS
10  CM  Liang Tao           27  M   Yuezhou
6   CDM Hannah Harwood      24  F   Tumbra
9   RW  Charlie Baker       27  M   Tumbra
7   LW  Harvey Osbourne     27  M   Tumbra
11  ST  Tino                27  M   Montana Verde

23  GK  David Knight        23  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Douglas Campbell    23  M   Tumbra
12  LB  Kirsten McDonald    24  F   Tumbra
5   CB  John Turnbull       28  M   Tumbra
24  CB  Abigail Paterson    23  F   Tumbra
4   CB  Ashley Asanta       30  F   Tikariot
13  RB  Chris Carter        31  M   Tumbra
8   CDM Amund Freyrsson     27  M   Kaldtfjell
19  CM  Casper Hovhannisyan 21  M   Tumbra
22  CM  Kevin Dunstan       27  M   Tumbra
20  CAM Desmond Sartain     24  M   Tumbra
14  LM  Simon Cole          33  M   Tumbra
21  RW  Felicity Woodhouse  24  F   Tumbra
26  ST  Ophelie Bernard     30  F   Savigliane*
15  ST  Duncan Hall         24  M   Tumbra

27  LB  Claudia Maartens    17  F   Tumbra**
28  CB  John Bartlett       17  M   Tumbra
29  RW  Catherine Taggart   18  F   Tumbra
*Second Tumbran nationality
**Second Licentian nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Ophelie Bernard from Lakewood City, 4.3m
Outgoing:
Promoted:

Is Straton stagnating? Will they ever be able to return to the IFCF places?

Last Season: Most would expect that with a front three of Tino, Osbourne and Baker that there would be at least some challenge mounted for the IFCF spots; yet it fizzled out early, never arrived and the result was ultimately disappointing. Mark Stevenson's long term future at the club is being called into question as the club reckons with a long term direction as an upper midtable club; it's been quite a while since Straton saw IFCF football, and the way things are going, it might be some time before that prospect returns to the city yet.

New Arrivals: The team were expected to make a big step forward in the transfer market, and yet rumour after rumour throughout the transfer window ended with…Ophelie Bernard as the team’s sole signing. The Savigliano-Tumbran, known affectionately as a rabbit for both her looks and her work rate, joins from Lakewood City; but she wasn’t exactly the game-changing signing that would launch Straton into the stratosphere. Rumours flew around of centre backs, defensive midfielders, a possible upgrade on Douglas Moore…but deadline day came and went and nothing happened.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Which is probably going to be Straton’s biggest albatross this season; their lack of reinforcement. Whether this is Mark Stevenson thinking that his squad is good enough for a push into the IFCF spaces or whether Straton’s infamous cashflow problems have appeared again, nobody knows; but Straton’s finances have seemingly gotten under control since their infamous financial problems near half a decade ago. Their strength? As with much of the league, their front three is probably the strongest part of their outfit; tiny, slippery Verdean striker Tino continues plugging away at the front for this team, while Lakewood City refugee and the man who would have been Robin Vaughn’s replacement, Charlie Baker, holds out on the right. Fans will be hoping left-winger Harvey Osbourne regains some of the form he lost towards the end of last season; the Straton-born and bred winger looked insipid and colourless, and was a major reason why Straton lost out on seventh to Newark.

Prediction: With minimal investment made into the team, it seems like Straton have wrong-footed themselves here; when sides around them like Ridgewell, Hesham and especially Newark continue to build themselves up, Straton’s lack of investment into their side looks set to cost them dearly. Still, Mark Stevenson has a capable squad at his side, and there’s a chance that they can still challenge for sixth or seventh — bringing with it CEdC qualification and the squad’s first taste of international football for a long while.

Sturrey Athletic

Quick Facts

City and State: Sturrey, Thornton
Last season: 15th, 39 points
Stadium: Coldfield Lane, 35,000
Nickname: the Maroons; the Lactics
Manager: Dan Crosby, 44
Style of Play: Uncompromising defence
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: ST Artur Leonidtzhin
Captain: CB Pat Philips

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Jan Murray          26  M   Tumbra
12  LB  Laurel Hilling      29  F   Tumbra
15  CB  Chris Vowles        26  M   Tumbra
4   CB  Ian Coleman         31  M   Tumbra
5   RB  Roger Turnbull      31  M   Tikariot
14  CDM Fiona Morrison      27  F   Tumbra
8   LM  Rachel Doyle        25  F   Sylestone
26  CM  Taium Oldauw        24  M   SRS
20  CM  Alison Foster       23  F   Tumbra
17  RM  Sadbdh Mark         28  F   Brenecia
11  ST  Artur Lenoidtzhin   23  M   Mytanija

23  GK  Colin Kirby         23  M   Tumbra
25  GK  Kathleen Phelps     22  F   Tumbra
2   LB  Marcus Ganley       29  M   Tumbra
3   CB  Pat Philips         34  M   Tumbra
21  CB  Andrew Parker       24  M   Tumbra
18  CB  Barry Hamilton      27  M   Tumbra
13  RB  Ivar Halgorsen      26  M   Gat. Union
16  CDM Tanya Hughes        23  F   Tumbra
19  CM  Ákos Trouvé         25  M   Szoirsia
10  CM  Tyler Goodwin       22  M   Tumbra
6   CAM Joseph Burgess      20  M   Tumbra
22  LW  Clarissa Nunnaro    21  F   Tumbra
9   RW  Thore Grönholm      30  M   Norrhem
7   ST  Joe Mercer          31  M   Tumbra
24  ST  Debbie Burrows      22  F   Tumbra

27  RB  Alan Devine         17  M   Tumbra
28  CB  David Kavanaugh     17  M   Tumbra
29  LW  Vanessa Reynolds    18  F   Tumbra

*Second Osarian nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Tanya Hughes from Macarthur City, 3.2m
Taium Oldauw from Yassaca, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Fried Rossum to Glenmont AFC, 0.5m
Promoted:

With a smaller T-League, is Sturrey’s time finally coming to a close?

Last Season: Edmund Finnegan, whilst laden with credentials and glorious purpose, couldn't seem to gel with the hard-tackling, direct style of football that Sturrey employ on a regular basis; and was quietly moved on just before Christmas. In his place came Dan Crosby, Sturrey to his core, who brought the Lactics to a solid, if unimpressive, fifteenth place; safe from relegation by two points, but ultimately burdening them with the perhaps unwanted status of "relegation favourites” with a smaller T-League and a squad that most would pinpoint for the second tier.

New Arrivals: To their credit, Sturrey have strengthened. Tanya Hughes arrives from Macarthur, in a situation that some have described as leaping out of the pan and into the fire; but the defensive midfielder has enough panache, flair and toughness to be part of a relegation-threatened squad and still provide somewhat of an offensive threat. Taium Oldauw provides some Squornshelan quality there too; the playmaker is likely to play a rotation role whenever Sturrey are in need of an offensive option.

Strengths and Weaknesses: And yet, despite this squad’s plucky characteristics, the squad’s lack of quality is probably their biggest, most glaring weakness in this equation. Their strength? As alluded to throughout this preview, the team is a machine of teamwork and has been forged by steel (and the constant threat of relegation) and that’s worth at least a few points every season.

Prediction: Sturrey will be right up against it this season. The Lactics are used to battling against relegation — but this season will be a true test of their mettle. And yet they’re not actually favourites to go down; Clyde and Fraser are the two clubs earmarked for the bottom two spots, with Sturrey most likely to finish thirteenth. Football being what it is, however, there’s always a chance things go better (or worse). Yet there’s a quiet sense that Sturrey will be able to beat the odds quite handily; Dan Crosby is very highly-rated as a manager, and he knows how this squad works. He did, after all, captain them for most of his career. Remember, Sturrey may be a consistent lower-half squad, but they’ve clung on to Prem status for over a decade now — they’ve got a lot of tricks up their sleeve.

West Couno United

Quick Facts

City and State: Couno, Napier
Last season: 4th, 71 points
Stadium: Wrenchwelt Stadium, 42,000
Nickname: the Pilots; the Chocolatiers
Manager: Samara Kaniatarii, 50, Quebec/Gatchinggerak
Style of Play: Quick-passing, fast-moving play
Prediction: IFCF Challengers
Key Player: ST Vasya Reisinger
Captain: ST Vasya Reisinger

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mederick Brown      24  M   Quebec
2   LB  A Charron-Becker    31  F   Quebec
4   CB  N-H McKinley        25  M   Quebec
5   CB  George Steel        28  M   Tumbra
3   RB  Joey Sterling       25  M   The Licentian Isles*
15  CM  Rajmund Sitko       27  M   Brenecia
18  CM  Julie Dufour        29  F   Kelssek
8   CAM Muharem Hajdarpasic 22  M   Mytanija
9   LW  Luka Vujanovic      22  M   Mytanija**
7   RW  Cyrus Vette         26  M   Chromatika
11  ST  Vasya Reisinger     30  F   Nephara

12  GK  Elaine Xu           21  F   Yuezhou**
23  GK  Jack Bishop         24  M   Tumbra
19  LB  Christopher Morgan  25  M   Tumbra
16  CB  Raymond Perry       33  M   Tumbra
17  CB  Ben Morgan          32  M   Tumbra
25  CB  Judith Houghton     27  F   Tumbra
13  RB  Shim Seo-yeon       23  F   Tumbra*
20  CDM Stephen Goodman     25  M   Tumbra
6   CM  Eden Wright         29  F   Tikariot
14  CM  John Lawrence       27  M   Tumbra
26  CAM Mathias Schärer     24  M   Tjorl
21  LW  Francis Evers       33  M   Tumbra
10  RW  Penny Wilson        24  F   Tumbra
22  ST  Michelle Broadhurst 26  F   Tumbra
24  ST  Hazel Garlick       26  F   Tumbra

27  CB  Sarah Sears         20  F   Tumbra
28  CM  Joscelin Cable      20  F   Tumbra
29  LB  Jack Chen           17  M   Tumbra

*Second Chromatik nationality
**Second Tumbran nationality

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Mathias Schaerer from Lakewood City, 5.0m
Julie Dufour from FC Inter Nantwich, 4.7m
Raymond Perry from Serrapince, 2.5m
Outgoing:
Promoted:

With much better depth, will West Couno be able to sustain a title challenge?

Last Season: West Couno's season started strong, then gradually faded off; in a story eerily reminiscent of the first few seasons of IFCF football in Tumbra. The main blame for that was attributed to a lack of depth, particularly in midfield. Fourth, albeit just one point below crosstown rivals Couno Rangers in third, seemed a bit harsh for the side; but ultimately, with how disappointing WCU's performances were in the second half of the season, it almost seemed deserved.

New Arrivals: The team have learned from the mistakes of not having enough depth last season; and have strengthened appropriately. By far the highest-spending team (officially, at least) this window, the three names that came in this window were all heavy-hitters. Raymond Perry, with Serrapince trying to offload the aging defender, arrived for a relatively cheap price. Julie Dufour arrived with Nantwich trying to renew their midfield; the Kelssekian midfielder looks set to provide a deep-lying playmaking option. Out-of-favour attacking midfielder Matthias Schaerer arrives from Lakewood City, ostensibly as backup to starting attacking midfielder Muharem Hajdarpasic. The three signings may look like just other team’s unwanted players, but each of these players fit WCU’s style of play more than some might expect; and the depth will be very much welcome for WCU’s challenge as they try to wrest third back from their neighbours in red.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The team’s strength likes largely in their front three; Triple V, as they’ve been nicknamed, for Vasya, Vette, and Vuj. Vasya Reisinger — whose nickname is really Defi — is a hulking, amazonian striker with a cannon of a foot who was transplanted from the Nepharan lower divisions into Tumbra and just would not stop scoring. Cyrus Vette, who suffers from being a Chromatik at a time where Chromatika’s depth just about everywhere is as deep as the Grinshem Sea; and Luka Vujanovic, a Couno-born Mytanar who broke onto the scene just as Mytanija started to play with wingers again. Behind them is, of course, Muharem Hajdarpasic, who struggled to adapt to Couno in his first season but improved by some distance and is well on his way to becoming one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. The team has no obvious weaknesses, though their defence is arguably getting up there in age; Perry being 33 doesn’t help matters, though the Quebecois giant of Noel Hercule-McKinley, who’s almost always one of the first names on the teamsheet, helps a lot.

Prediction: WCU arguably plugged some of their most gaping holes in terms of weak midfield depth; and the addition of Raymond Perry, with his years of experience with Serrapince and Columbia, will help to steady the nerves and add some additional depth. Samara K knows that a title challenge is probably out of the question, with the two Lakewood sides going at it against each other; but there’s still the matter of a better IFCF seeding, and local pride, by going up against the Rams in the north side of the city.

[Tumbra]

81ST RUNNING OF THE TUMBRAN SUPERCUP
T-LEAGUE, SEASON 1
130TH RUNNING OF THE REPUBLIC CUP

The season's finally back; this time, with a fresh coat of paint, even if the T-League executives were quick to adopt the old branding as a means of ensuring "continuity" with the brand. Detractors simply stated that the league was putting a fresh coat of paint and was, for all effects and purposes, the same show; but people still turned out to the matches anyway.

From this season, there were several ways in which the league structure would change.
- Instead of the league winners and runners-up, the 6th and 7th-placed teams would be granted access to the Campionato Esportiva di Campeones.
- Senior player squads were expanded to 26 players.
- Up to four "development" player spots were unlocked for teams to use. Only Tumbrans, or dual nationals with Tumbran citizenship, are allowed to fill these spots. These spots may only be filled by players 21 years of age and below.
- Players from other nationalities, regardless of age, will be required to fill a senior squad spot.

T-Leagues 1, 2, and 3 will all consist of 16 teams each, for a total of 48 teams in the entire league structure. The running of the Supercup and Republic Cup, as TFF-administered competitions, will remain untouched.

SUPER CUP
Lakewood United 1–0 Colbrook City
J Sürréo 7'

Lakewood United and Colbrook City go up against each other in a remix of last season's Republic Cup final; Colbrook ended up being the only sticking point in United's attempt to win the treble, something which still sticks with them. This time, there would be no such mistakes; Jôs Sürréo, the team's new Rulandese signing, scored just seven minutes into his Lakewood United career. The team then shut up shop; Tobias Grandelius came close to scoring a second for United but his effort on goal late in the second half was masterfully deflected by Adam Stanton. It was a hard-fought game that saw United turn out to be the superior team in almost every aspect; the scoreline perhaps reflected United's tactic of scoring one and shutting down rather than taking the game to Colbrook. Either way, United's treble challenge is once again on; and with eight less games in the season, maybe they'll be able to get closer to that elusive achievement earlier.

MATCHDAY 1
Couno Rangers 0–1 West Couno United
R Sitko 44'
Ridgewell Rovers 2–2 Colbrook City
H Canavan 66', C Steele 79'//E Calare 12', J Ryland 81'
Fraser Valley 1–0 Columbia City
T Barker 66'
Kingsbury United 0–1 Serrapince
C Ritchie 71'
Sturrey Athletic 1–0 Straton
R Doyle 44'
Newark Argyle 1–0 Hesham
R Fleetwood 90' + 2'
Clyde Park 2–3 Lakewood United
M Wague 14', P Habimana 35'//J Sürréo 9', 84', E Kruetzberg 88'
Lakewood City 2–2 FC Inter Nantwich
R Vaughn 11', C Henshaw 49'//B Coxeter 20', J Spekman 77'

The start of the season saw a Couno Derby off the bat; and surprisingly, Rangers would not come out on top despite playing at home. Rajmund Sitko's low, angled shot just before injury time in the first half proved to take the wind out of the Rangers' sails and their attempts to get back in the game would be rebuked largely by the heroics of Noel Hercule-McKinley and Mederick Brown. Marco Giuliani would put the loss down to it being early season nerves; but there was an underlying nervousness to his voice on the decidedly mediocre performance of new signing Wilfrid Gouin, who was yanked off after an hour for the much more composed Joel Tyler.

Elsewhere, City's attempt to wrest the title back from United started off with a slight dent, as City and Nantwich played out an entertaining, if frustrating (for City, at least) draw; it was made even more frustrating after the news that United came back from being 2-1 down with ten minutes to go; United's shiny new striker Jôs Sürréo scoring a half-volley in the eighty-fourth minute and then newly-minted Testiculo Emilie Kruetzberg scoring off a header in the eighty-eighth. The two sides — which, according to most pundits, are odds-on to go head-to-head for the title this season — started their war of words early, with City manager John Riedweld said that it would be "nice" to be doing the chasing for once, while United manager Andrea Spinelli said that City, instead, were "still the ones to be chased".

Elsewhere, Sturrey Athletic got their survival campaign off to an excellent start by beating Straton; while Fraser, too, looked set to get their season off to a strong start by beating Columbia. Both were rank outsiders before the game started; most pundits only gave Sturrey about a 25% chance to win their game, while Fraser only had about a 30% chance of winning theirs. "Obviously, I'm very pleased with the three points," said Graham Lloyd after the game. "I know what the odds are facing us are, and to be able to win games like this is massive, especially towards the end of the season when I know we'll be right up against it."

MATCHDAY 2
West Couno United 0–2 FC Inter Nantwich
B Coxeter 33', Luo N 72'
Lakewood United 4–1 Lakewood City
K Considine 19', K Desmond 39', S Jepson 58', E Kruetzberg 79'//C Henshaw 28'
Hesham 0–0 Clyde Park

Straton 0–1 Newark Argyle
S Oliveira 55'
Serrapince 4–1 Sturrey Athletic
O Bernard 11', B Anggara 49', 52', G Hilton 90' + 2'//A Leonidtzhin 55'
Columbia City 0–0 Kingsbury United

Colbrook City 1–0 Fraser Valley
A Perkkanen 73'
Couno Rangers 1–0 Ridgewell Rovers
B Nolan 12'

The Lakewood Derby is scheduled for an extremely early date this season; but with a shrunken schedule and four less clubs in the league, it's almost inevitable that these matches would be taking place in much closer proximity to each other. The T-League vs. Tumbran Football Federation legal wrangling isn't over just yet; with the TFF suing the T-League to stop the T-League from being a closed, 48-team league. Unlike the legal case last season, which established that the T-League did have grounds to break away from the TFF and that it could reasonably be called the "top division" of Tumbran football, the TFF looks much more likely to win this case, which could force the T-League to open up its third division to promotion and relegation to the state leagues, or the new "National Championship" that the TFF is looking to open for clubs like Kirkby Railwaymen, who were not members of the breakaway 48.

Back to the football; United, showcasing their newly-found dominance over their neighbours, thrash City by the scoreline of 4 to 1; an attempted comeback by City after Kendra Considine's first goal lasts all of twenty minutes — though it does feature a goal by Charlotte Henshaw — before Kirsten Desmond catches the Naixese defender Kee Tian unawares and is given acres of space, with which she cuts in and scores. The goal — much like Rajmund Sitko's in WCU's game against Couno last week — takes the wind out of City's sails, and they're uncharacteristically passive in the second half. Riedweld, for his part, was understandably livid after the end of the game; Andrea Spinelli is much more modest in victory than expected.

Elsewhere, Hayden Blamey's career in Tumbra is getting off to a rough start; the game against Clyde Park, originally thought to be a slam dunk victory for Hesham, ends as a 0-0 draw; Blamey is carted off twenty minutes in, and Lucas Russell isn't able to make up for the shortfall. Bayu Anggara, Serrapince's Pemecutanian winger, comes into his own against Sturrey as Ophelie Bernard gets her first game in yellow; she scores, just eleven minutes in. Columbia and Kingsbury play out a wholly droll draw that sees Kingsbury's thirty-five year-old striker, James Anderson, look completely out of it by the end of the first half. Neither Dannon Larr nor Natasha Caroline, who are thrown in on the second half by William Wight, are good enough to make up the difference.

MATCHDAY 3
Ridgewell Rovers 0–2 West Couno United
G Steel 39', V Reisinger 48'
Fraser Valley 1–2 Couno Rangers
T Krzanowski 38'//B Nolan 18', K-R Hertel 77'
Kingsbury United 1–3 Colbrook City
D Larr 55'//Wei H o.g. 29', E Calare 45' + 2', J Ryland 88'
Sturrey Athletic 1–0 Columbia City
J Mercer 90' + 4'
Newark Argyle 0–3 Serrapince
B Anggara 16', V Sallay 29', 49'
Clyde Park 2–0 Straton
M Wague 19', D Ferguson 72'
Lakewood City 2–0 Hesham
N Tejic 18', C Henshaw 82'
FC Inter Nantwich 2–1 Lakewood United
J Bradford 19', A Fisher 33'//E Kruetzberg 82'

Ridgewell Rovers were supposed to be a new-look, improved side attempting to challenge for at least the two CEdC spots; three games in, and they're winless. Of course, they've had two very difficult games — first the Rangers, now their neighbours — but you'd think the Rovers could at least steal some points from WCU. But no; a header from George Steel and a classic powerful finish from Vasya Reisinger puts the game to bed, and Ridgewell are fifteenth after three games. It's three games, but still. Early-season momentum can be crucial to set the tone of the season, and Ridgewell are sorely lacking that.

Kingsbury are the other team in need of some firepower, with a thoroughly uninspiring loss to Colbrook seemingly confirming that the team should have gone in for a striker during the transfer window. Dannon Larr is serviceable, but the Mertagnian lacks any stand-out attribute; and there are rumours that Kingsbury were trying to move the striker on in the summer, but Wight chose not to rock the boat too much when it came to transfers. But the team that takes the cake for a horrifying early-season is Straton; stuck to the bottom of the table after three games, their latest loss to Clyde Park sees Mark Stevenson's job security already scarily close to the cliff even this early in the season. There's no sugarcoating it; Straton need to get good, and fast.

United prove they aren't invincible either, as Joanna Bradford runs the show against the defending champions; Nantwich run out 2-1 victors against United at home, with only a consolation goal for United at the end of the game somewhat lessening the defeat for them. The result means that Serrapince, who themselves beat Newark 3-0, take the lead of the league; and surprisingly, behind them are Colbrook, who are joint second alongside Nantwich. It's still early season, however.

MATCHDAY 4
West Couno United 0–0 Lakewood United

Hesham 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
B Coxeter 22'
Straton 4–1 Lakewood City
Tino 22', 35', C Baker 29', H Osbourne 72'//I Ashburn 87'
Serrapince 2–1 Clyde Park
V Sallay 22', D Lawrence 50'//K Kearnes 33'
Columbia City 1–2 Newark Argyle
V Thesselborg 33'//I McDermott 83', J Harding 85'
Colbrook City 2–1 Sturrey Athletic
F Yeltsov 32', S Stansfield 80'//C Nunnaro 85'
Couno Rangers 1–1 Kingsbury United
V Hicks 22'//J Tyler o.g. 49'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Fraser Valley
C Steele 82'

Straton lift themselves off the bottom of the table in impressive fashion, with a 4-1 victory over City; Charlie Baker scoring against his former club, and choosing not to celebrate. The one-time wonderkid was meant to be the long-term successor to Robin Vaughn, but Vaughn showed (and perhaps continues to show) no signs of slowing down and Baker decided to leave. Now at Straton, the right-winger has carved out a niche for himself — being one of the best right-wings outside of the absolute top clubs — but hasn't really hit the heights expected of him. The second 4-1 loss sees City's start to the season begin in a similarly stop-start manner to last season; which isn't really part of the established recipe for a title challenge.

United, surprisingly, can shoot only blanks against West Couno; Noel Hercule-McKinley and George Steel's defensive partnership holding strong against the barrage of attacks fired at them by Sürréo. Comparisons between the Rulandese striker and City's leading lady, Charlotte Henshaw have already begun; City fans point to the fact that Henshaw scored 25 goals in the league last season, and already has three goals in the league this season, while Sürréo blanked against City and against WCU. United fans defend Sürréo by pointing out the fact that he is new to the league.

Serrapince continue their dalliance at the top of the league by beating Clyde Park 2-1; while Hesham sink to the bottom of the league after failing to overcome Nantwich. It's not been a particularly auspicious start to the Michael Hardwick era at the George Bowen; but Hardwick expresses faith that there'll be a turnaround in fortunes for the Ploughmen. Kingsbury remain winless; though a draw against Couno was really the best they could've hoped for, aided by an unlucky deflection off Joel Tyler's back that went sailing past Andrew Taylor. Columbia, the last remaining side, look to be in crisis early on in the season, falling victim to two late goals from Newark Argyle to remain rooted to near the bottom of the table.

MATCHDAY 5
Fraser Valley 1–3 West Couno United
A Moynihan 22'//M Broadhurst 13', J Dufour 55', V Reisinger 69'
Kingsbury United 1–0 Ridgewell Rovers
J Anderson 55'
Sturrey Athletic 0–2 Couno Rangers
F Prost 18', E Robertson 85'
Newark Argyle 1–2 Colbrook City
R Fleetwood 77'//S Rigby 5', 9'
Clyde Park 0–1 Columbia City
N Youngblood 84'
Lakewood City 3–1 Serrapince
C Henshaw 12', S McTavish 25', R Vaughn 82'//L Ness 48'
FC Inter Nantwich 2–2 Straton
W Thomas 85', B Coxeter 89'//M Hawthorn o.g. 13', Liang T 35'
Lakewood United 3–0 Hesham
J Sürréo 15', K Desmond 29', C Duncan 84'

The signings of Julie Dufour and Matthias Schaerer were somewhat criticised over the summer for being luxury signings, but the truth is that WCU's attempts to really hit the top of the league were hampered a lot by their lack of midfield depth. The team's starting midfielders of Eden Wright, Rajmund Sitko and Muharem Hajdarpasic were excellent, but beneath that the depth was paper-thin. The signing of Dufour, therefore, was regarded as somewhat of a coup; the Nantwich midfielder, after the best part of half a decade with the club, was looking to move on; WCU needed a new midfielder. It was an expensive signing; but it paid off as Dufour scored from a free kick against Fraser. There's a growing sense of confidence in the blue half of Lakewood

Serrapince played Lakewood City this week, and the briefly-tenured league leaders would lose their spot atop the league as City put three past the Bees. Robin Vaughn started on the bench, but came on at the hour mark; John Riedweld's new strategy to save his best player's legs seemed to work out well, as Vaughn would score the third goal in City's victory. The defeat did mean, however, that an unexpected name would be on top of the league. Colbrook City would be top of the league after five games, with their defeat of Newark Argyle; elsewhere, Kingsbury and Hesham pulled off their first victories to leave Hesham at the bottom of the table, the only team remaining winless after United scored three past them.

The T-League bigwigs are looking rather uncomfortable at the prospect of having to open T-League 3 up to relegation to and from the National Championship; and so in what seems like a hurriedly-planned presentation, they've presented a plan to expand the T-League to four divisions, with an additional sixteen teams allowed access to the T-League structure and money. In return, the National Championship — a planned twenty-four team competition, fully linked to the Confederations League — will be allowed to promote and relegate teams to the T-League. The move is widely seen as a way to protect the original 48 members of the T-League — many of whom were said to have signed on with the understanding that they would be safe from potentially dropping very far down the tiers — and avoid the wrath of the Tumbran legal system for setting up a closed shop.

REPUBLIC CUP, FIRST ROUND

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

MATCHDAY 6
West Couno United 1–0 Hesham
V Reisinger 6'
Straton 0–2 Lakewood United
J Sürréo 10', J Horvat 13'
Serrapince 1–1 FC Inter Nantwich
C Ritchie 30'//J Spekman 82'
Columbia City 0–2 Lakewood City
R Vaughn 17', N Tejic 39'
Colbrook City 0–1 Clyde Park
K Kearnes 90' + 2'
Couno Rangers 3–1 Newark Argyle
B Nolan 23', D Burnet 33', M Vaughan 49'//S Oliveira 55'
Ridgewell Rovers 0–1 Sturrey Athletic
A Leonidtzhin 53'
Fraser Valley 0–0 Kingsbury United


It feels like this has been the lowest-scoring season of Tumbran football on record, though the full knowledge will only really be revealed at the end of the season; with previous seasons having stayed solidly above the 2.5 goal per game number. The lowest on record, post-IFCF, would be the 2.29 goals per game recorded in Season 3; the number of goals per game so far is a depressingly low 1.76. Whether that means the standard of defensive football on show has actually improved — to the delight of Ko-orenite, Audioslav and Sylestonean anoraks, presumably — or whether offenses have just been less potent this season remains to be seen. One team — Hesham — has so far failed to score any goals, with the pressure mounting on new signing Hayden Blamey to do, well, anything. When asked whether he would consider changing up his tactics to allow the League N.1 top scorer of last season more opportunities to be creatively free, Hesham manager Michael Hardwick was ambivalent; but even he could probably recognise that Hesham's strict defensive structure wasn't doing much good for the creative side of things.

City continue clawing their way up the table, with a win against Columbia relegating the latter to fifteenth place while hauling themselves up to seventh. Nenad Tejic scored — a rarity from the purer Mytanar winger, who doesn't get on the goalsheet that often — but the eight million dollar man is looking more and more comfortable in sky blue than a year ago, when he noticeably took quite a while to settle into life on the southeastern coast. Straton's dreadful start to the season continues, with United showing up in full force against them; while Ridgewell continue their inconsistent start, dropping to thirteenth in the league after a defeat against Sturrey sees them with just four points from their opening six games.

As soon as it began, Colbrook's time atop the league standings was brought to an end; Clyde Park's goal in injury time — Kim Kearnes delivering the killing blow — meant that the team would pick up its first defeat of the season, meaning Nantwich remained the only team that could still theoretically go the entire season unbeaten. A coincidence of numbers, however, would mean that the top five teams in the league would all end the week on thirteen points.

MATCHDAY 7
Kingsbury United 0–0 West Couno United

Sturrey Athletic 0–0 Fraser Valley

Newark Argyle 0–3 Ridgewell Rovers
H Canavan 66', I Robertson 74', Steinar C 83'
Clyde Park 1–4 Couno Rangers
T Marshall 50'//V Hicks 18, L Kendall 33', 89', J-P Vaillancourt 84'
Lakewood City 4–1 Colbrook City
C Henshaw 24', 37', 45', E Appleby 77'//C Grimley 8'
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 Columbia City
D Horvat 13'
Lakewood United 2–1 Serrapince
E Kruetzberg 40', T Grandelius 79'//C Fontana 85'
Hesham 1–0 Straton
H Blamey 70'

The lack of goals continues; Vasya Reisinger can't produce anything against Kingsbury, though the by-now established partnership of Kira Dormann and Paul Amos at Fletcher Park does remarkably well to keep the "Triple V" attacking lineup of WCU silent. A similarly futile hope for goals at the Sturrey-Fraser game sees both teams turn up with nothing. There's no such problem over in the City-Colbrook game, however; Charlotte Henshaw scores the first hat-trick of the season to further deepen the war of comparison between herself and Sürréo. The result also sees City haul themselves above Colbrook, to fifth in the table; they might be far away from their neighbours, sitting pretty at the top of the league after they beat Serrapince 2-1, but the gap to first is really only three points.

Hesham finally get themselves off the winless chart, with Hayden Blamey scoring his first T-League goal; but Hesham are still rooted to the bottom of the table. Not many would've predicted for Straton, Columbia, and Hesham to be occupying the relegation spots at the start of the season; most would've had their money on Fraser, Clyde, and Sturrey. To be fair to those people, the former two are merely hovering above the relegation zone; but Sturrey, somehow, are in eighth place in the league; helped by their team spirit and defence.

Elsewhere, Ridgewell finally play like the way they're expected to; Heidi Canavan, Ian Robertson, and Steinar Clemensson, who hasn't looked like he's been at full fitness since the start of the season, all score past Newark, whose recent form has been somewhat of a matter of concern. Seventh last season and seventh this season hold very different connotations; but the league's quality has been compressed so much that most predictions have placed Newark anywhere from fifth to thirteenth. It's all looking set to be a very exciting season, especially in the mid-field; where the runners and riders look to claw their way up the greasy pole that is Tumbran football.

MATCHDAY 8
West Couno United 3–0 Straton
J Dufour 18', P Wilson 35', C Vette 86'
Serrapince 0–1 Hesham
H Blamey 38'
Columbia City 0–2 Lakewood United
K Considine 33', S Jepson 35'
Colbrook City 2–2 FC Inter Nantwich
J Ryland 63', A Perkkanen 85'//A Fisher 19', H Gell 25'
Couno Rangers 1–3 Lakewood City
C Coste 60'//V Anderson 23', H Hills 84', S McTavish 89'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Clyde Park
H Canavan 62'
Fraser Valley 1–0 Newark Argyle
L Eyre 80'
Kingsbury United 1–0 Sturrey Athletic
Kim CY 36'

The T-League and TFF settle; from next season onwards, the T-League will expand to four divisions, and allow for promotion and relegation with the TFF-sanctioned National Championship. The TFF will also allow the T-League to use the old Premier Division branding, while the TFF will be given a non-voting seat on the T-League's board. "We look forward to a healthy working relationship with the various football clubs and the new T-League structure in order to ensure a healthy environment for the future of Tumbran football," read the press statement issued by the TFF after the details of the compromise with T-League was announced.

In the football, Kingsbury pick up a second win of the season, with Kim Chae-yeong's goal the only thing separating Kingsbury from Sturrey; meanwhile Newark pick up their fourth loss in a ro, falling behind to Fraser Valley late in the game and never really being able to recover. Rose Fleetwood's shot that bounces off the upright is probably the closest Newark get to salvaging a draw; but worry is beginning to set in southside as the club try to figure out what's going wrong.

In the sack race — hustings for which have opened early this year — the opening sack seems to be between a misfiring Straton's Mark Stevenson, who lost to WCU in pretty dramatic fashion to see the club remain bottom of the table; and Columbia's Bradley Kemerer-Lascelles, whose side slumped to another disappointing defeat against Lakewood United. For how mixed up the league seems to feel this season, United being at the top does feel like there's some consistency on that front; and the table looks recognisable, even if there is still a lot of churn as the season creeps closer to being one-third done.

MATCHDAY 9
Sturrey Athletic 0–1 West Couno United
M Schärer 40'
Newark Argyle 1–0 Kingsbury United
L Murdoch 83'
Clyde Park 3–1 Fraser Valley
M Wague 22', P Habimana 25', R Wyatt 89'//R Wyatt o.g. 35'
Lakewood City 3–1 Ridgewell Rovers
S McTavish 49', R Vaughn 53', L McCabe 83'//A Browne 62'
FC Inter Nantwich 2–0 Couno Rangers
R Baker 29', H Gell 35'
Lakewood United 3–1 Colbrook City
A Gillingham 48', M Sheppard 75', J Ryland o.g. 79'//A Finlay 23'
Hesham 1–0 Columbia City
L Russell 30'
Straton 1–3 Serrapince
Tino 55'//A Haller 8', V Cahill 15', P Tucker 22'

Columbia pick up their fourth loss in a row, falling to Hesham as the club finally seem to string a couple of victories together; they've all been 1-0 victories, and the team have only scored three goals this far into the season, but fans put that down to signing a deal with the prince of defensive football. Michael Hardwick's reputation is perhaps misleading, though the title is hardly unearned; the former midfielder puts himself down as a proponent of proper "football, Tumbra-style," though most tacticians and purists would probably say that "Hardwickism" is "football, Tumbra-style" carried out to its most logical extreme and physical; his teams were renowned in the lower tiers for being ankle-breakers. It lightened up slightly as he guided Delphi to the top tier, and became more refined at his time with Fraser Valley as he slowly came to accept that: 1.) it was possible to pass the ball, and not just boot it up field for the striker to reach, and 2) players on the opposite teams did not deserve to be hacked down just for existing, and 3) having a team full of suspended players is not a conducive dressing room environment. Moderated Hardwickism is probably the most defensive style of football in the league today; but it did bring results, and with proper investment, a rise up the ranks is possible. Whether or not it will work at Hesham remains to be seen; Hardwick typically requires a season or two for his style of football to bleed in, but Hardwick essentially has the ideal toy to play with at Hesham, that being Sylestone captain and centre defender Hugo Mornington. But in a world where results are expected immediately and patience is low, Hardwick doesn't usually have the luxury of time. There were calls for his sacking after Hesham went six games winless; but Hardwick's strengths do seem to be shining through.

Elsewhere, the Clyde-Fraser game sees Ricardo Wyatt both score a goal for Clyde and an own goal; the overall result wasn't in doubt, though Wyatt did look visibly relieved after he headed the goal in. Wyatt, nearing 30, is part of the Tumbran squad that went to Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom and won the Under-18 World Cup trophy there, arguably jump-starting Tumbran football development; but the fates of that squad have diverged significantly. Names like David Greer and Paul Harding have fallen into obscurity; Mark Finnemore and Ian Robertson have become regular starters for the national team, while names like Trudy Harrison and Stephen Kerr are household names worldwide. Wyatt falls somewhere between Greer and Finnemore on the name recognition index, but hasn't been bitter about it. "Some of us are just destined for different things," he said in a retrospective on the cup.

City are now up to joint third with Nantwich after they power their way past Ridgewell; the two are level on nineteen points. Officially, Nantwich are ahead, because "FC Inter Nantwich" is further up alphabetically than "Lakewood City"; but there has been some concern that the league's established tiebreakers — namely, points, goal difference, head-to-head points, then head-to-head goal difference — might not be enough to separate two teams. But teams have adamantly refused to establish further tiebreakers; using goals has been rejected for favouring teams predisposed to attacking, while wins has been rejected for the same reason — defensive teams are slightly more likely to draw, for instance — meaning that the established four tiebreakers (plus alphabetical order) look set to stay. But proposals to add "Wins" as a tiebreaker have gained traction, even to encourage less 0-0 games and to get teams to go for the win; but that's more a reflection of people being disgruntled with the perceived lack of goals being scored this season more than anything.

REPUBLIC CUP, SECOND ROUND

Republic Cup, Second Round
( D2)              Bencoolen City   2-0   Newton Wanderers            (D2 )
( D1)               Columbia City   3-1   FC Montrose                 (SL )
( SL)                Thomson City   0-0 p Hoxford United              (D2 )
( SL)                  Cheltenham   0-2   Harchester United           (D3 )
( SL)             Denhelm Trinity   0-2   Lakewood United             (D1 )
( SL)                Heffron City   1-2   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( SL)                Mayfield AFC   0-2   Readale City                (SL )
( D1)               Fraser Valley   2-1   Collett Park United         (SL )
( SL)              Dynamo Denhelm   0-2   Enfield                     (SL )
( D1)            Ridgewell Rovers   2-0   Johnstone Athletic          (SL )
( D3)            Trelmont Rangers   2-0   Franport                    (SL )
( D1)               Lakewood City   2-0   Glenmont AFC                (D2 )
( SL)           Falmouth Athletic   0-3   West Couno United           (D1 )
( D2)             Fontwell Rovers   0-1   Millsburgh Revolutionaries  (D2 )
( SL)              Langley United   1-3   Colbrook City               (D1 )
( D2)         Millsburgh Steelers   4-0   Prinsip Street              (SL )
( SL)               Havelock City   0-3   Sturrey Athletic            (D1 )
( D2)              Macarthur City   0-2   Hesham                      (D1 )
( D3)            Ridgewell United   0-1   Pinhal Athletic             (SL )
( D2)                     Dorival   1-1 p Newark Argyle               (D1 )
( SL)               Sherwood Town   1-2   Straton                     (D1 )
( SL)             Nottingham City   2-3 e Oakton                      (SL )
( D1)            Kingsbury United   4-1   Caldecott 93                (SL )
( SL)             Carrington Town   2-0   Moresby United              (SL )
( D1)                  Clyde Park   1-0   Guillemard Town             (D3 )
( SL)                Gelder Creek   2-2 p AFC Gillman                 (D3 )
( SL)               Rookworth AFC   2-2 p Wolskel                     (SL )
( SL)            Hendon Cardinals   0-4   Serrapince                  (D1 )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   5-0   Washington City             (D2 )
( SL)      Ruislip and Ipswich FC e 1-0   Fort Heatherton             (SL )
( D2)                 Port Marray e 2-1   Locomotive Harper           (SL )
( SL)               Monroe Quakes   0-1   Greenford City              (SL )

MATCHDAY 10
West Couno United 1–1 Serrapince
L Vujanovic 37'//P Tucker 39'
Columbia City 3–4 Straton
J Fan 19', H Gormley-McCowan 25', V Thesselborg 58'//C Baker 2', D Sartain 35', C Bond 40', O Bernard 89'
Colbrook City 1–0 Hesham
J Denham o.g. 68'
Couno Rangers 1–2 Lakewood United
C Coste 13'//C Keyes 77', 85'
Ridgewell Rovers 2–1 FC Inter Nantwich
C Ross 8', 35'//M Mycroft 55'
Fraser Valley 1–4 Lakewood City
C Pearlman 42'//C Henshaw 13', V Morris 48', R Vaughn 57', C Vladmirovic 82'
Kingsbury United 0–3 Clyde Park
M Wague 12', C Carr 73', 85'
Sturrey Athletic 0–0 Newark Argyle


We're finally a third through the season. Who had Straton to be fifteenth in the league, with just two wins from ten at this stage? Practically nobody. It is incredibly tight in the lower half of the league, with eighth to fourteenth being separated by five points; wins and losses against each other at this stage will be absolutely crucial as the season crawls into the second half of the season. Quite surprisingly, Clyde Park, a team fancied for relegation, is at the top of this pack; their victory against a Kingsbury who are in major trouble, seemingly being unable to score for nuts. Rumours are emerging from the club that William Wight is gently pressuring James Anderson to retire mid-season, while the club signs someone on a free before heading in for someone like Anselmo Santos (now plying his trade back in Audioslavia after Fraser paid 1830 Cathair 4 million dollars to not have to spend 8 million dollars on him) at the end of the season. Either way, Kingsbury's troubles need fixing, and fast; and the aging striker up front seems like the easiest person to scapegoat at this stage.

City finally have United in firing distance, with the club notching their sixth win in a row to pull themselves to be within three points of United; unfortunately for City, United have also won six games in a row. Behind the dueling Lakewood clubs, WCU have put in a stellar first third of the season — conceding only four goals, a remarkable effort at this point in the season — to be essentially keeping pace with the top two. Colbrook are another side performing well above expectations, while fans of the Rams will be hoping that Couno Rangers will be able to kick their season back into gear soon.

Nantwich, meanwhile, have their hopes of an unbeaten season ended by Ridgewell, meaning that after ten games, no club can go unbeaten. The feat has never been achieved by any club in Tumbra's footballing history — not even in 1910, when there were only 12 clubs in the league — meaning that achieving thirty-eight (or even thirty, as things stand now) going unbeaten is the Holy Grail of achievements for the league.

It's now the start of November, and the teams now have a week-long break for international fixtures; domestic football returns with the eleventh week of football.

T-League, Season 1

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form10
 1 Lakewood United        10    8   1   1    22    8  +14    25   WWLDW  WWWWW
 2 Lakewood City          10    7   1   2    25   15  +10    22   DLWLW  WWWWW
 3 West Couno United      10    6   3   1    12    4   +8    21   WLWDW  WDWWD
 4 FC Inter Nantwich      10    5   4   1    16   10   +6    19   DWWWD  DWDWL
 5 Serrapince             10    5   2   3    17   11   +6    17   WWWWL  DLLWD
 6 Colbrook City          10    5   2   3    15   15    0    17   DWWWW  LLDLW
 7 Couno Rangers          10    5   1   4    15   12   +3    16   LWWDW  WWLLL
 8 Clyde Park             10    4   1   5    13   12   +1    13   LDWLL  WLLWW
 9 Ridgewell Rovers       10    4   1   5    10   11   −1    13   DLLWL  LWWLW
10 Newark Argyle          10    4   1   5     7   13   −6    13   WWLWL  LLLWD
11 Sturrey Athletic       10    3   2   5     5   10   −5    11   WLWLL  WDLLD
12 Kingsbury United       10    2   4   4     4    9   −5    10   LDLDW  DDWLL
13 Hesham                 10    3   1   6     3    9   −6    10   LDLLL  LWWWL
14 Fraser Valley          10    2   2   6     6   14   −8     8   WLLLL  DDWLL
15 Straton                10    2   1   7    11   19   −8     7   LLLWD  LLLLW
16 Columbia City          10    1   1   8     5   14   −9     4   LDLLW  LLLLL

[Tumbra]

MATCHDAY 11
Newark Argyle 2–0 West Couno United
G Rodway 67', C Campbell 75'
Clyde Park 1–0 Sturrey Athletic
B Assaf 19'
Lakewood City 4–1 Kingsbury United
V Anderson 12', 25', R Vaughn 62', C Vladmirovic 84'//J Hughes 48'
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 Fraser Valley
Luo N 73'
Lakewood United 3–2 Ridgewell Rovers
J Sürréo 8', N Pellegrini 45', N Atkinson 87'//Steinar C 62', C Steele 68'
Hesham 2–1 Couno Rangers
G Deighton 4', V Loustaunau 88'//B Nolan 36'
Straton 2–1 Colbrook City
Tino 69', D Sartain 79'//A Perkkanen 35'
Serrapince 0–0 Columbia City


United and City continue their seemingly never-ending duel by pushing Ridgewell and Kingsbury aside; though United's win against Ridgewell was particularly nervy, with only a Nicky Atkinson goal from deep keeping United's three-point gap to City alive. City, meanwhile, pile on the pressure on Kingsbury; William Wight's season goes from bad to worse as his team drop into the relegation playoff spot. The main admission right now is that bar a free agent signing for Kingsbury and James Anderson willingly ending his contract early, there's no way that Kingsbury will be able to solve their problem up top. But that might also be doomsaying; things are still remarkably close at this point in the season, however; and it's still really anyone's league.

One team hoping for that possibility to happen is Nantwich; who've been silently keeping pace with the top two. Criticism was levelled at Daniel Galbraith for not spending more and instead simply promoting players to the defence; but it seems to have paid off. Nantwich's victory over Fraser Valley wasn't flashy, but it was very much a committed Nantwich side going through the motions and grinding out a victory against a side that have looked remarkably difficult to take down. Elsewhere in the relegation fight, it's not getting much better for Columbia — they're still three points behind anyone in the table — but at least it didn't get worse, as they managed to hold Serrapince to a draw.

Things are slightly looking up for Hesham — they pull off an unlikely, late victory against Couno Rangers which sees the team still rooted in seventh. Hayden Blamey, who's come in for some flak, looks good even if he doesn't get onto the scoresheet; but he looks frustrated still as he's yanked off at the seventy minute mark for Lucas Russell. Newark put a dent in West Couno's ambitions to catch up to the top two; their unlucky loss also sees WCU fall to fourth.

MATCHDAY 12
West Couno United 2–0 Columbia City
V Reisinger 20', L Vujanovic 39'
Colbrook City 0–0 Serrapince

Couno Rangers 0–1 Straton
O Bernard 69'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Hesham
H Canavan 82'
Fraser Valley 4–1 Lakewood United
T Krzanowski 34', C Haywood 50', 69', T Barker 88'//J Sürréo 12'
Kingsbury United 1–0 FC Inter Nantwich
B Cheschon 8'
Sturrey Athletic 0–3 Lakewood City
H Hills 24', V Leighton 56', C Henshaw 80'
Newark Argyle 1–0 Clyde Park
G Rodway 55'

It's a second scoreless draw in a row for Serrapince; Corinne Fontana is thrown on at half time for a misfiring Sallay but she can't find a way past Colbrook's defence. They fall down to nine points behind the league leaders; and they're now level on points with Newark, who make their way past Clyde Park to sneak their way into sixth. Even at this early point in the season, there's speculation regarding Danny Haverhead's time at Serrapince will be coming to a close; his contract's up at the end of this season and it's been a couple of mediocre years with him at the helm, with nearly half a decade since his last title. Speculation abounds over his successor, though it's more likely Serrapince once again venture out of the country to secure a replacement.

The title race gets ever closer, as Fraser Valley of all teams delivers a beatdown on United; while United, through Sürréo, open the scoring, Fraser come back, aided by Tobi Krzanowski's heroics behind Tricia Barker, and hard. Four goals are fired past Richard Russell as United suffer their second loss of the season; but it's so severe, and City's win against Sturrey so dominating, that the lead of the league is lost to City after twelve matchdays. It's an impressive turnaround for the sky blue Lakewood club, whose season began in rather a stop-start fashion.

Bradley Kemerer-Lascelles is apparently one bad result away from being sacked; the way Columbia crumpled against West Couno didn't do his job security much of a favour either. Still rooted to the bottom of the table, nobody's really been able to pinpoint what's gone wrong at Columbia. Reportedly, however, a large chunk of the squad will be able to walk for a pittance if the club falls down to the second tier, particularly the club's foreign contingent; names like Victoria Thesselborg, Luuk Vennema and Enis Crnogorčević will be in particularly high demand should Columbia go down. With eighteen games to go, and six points to the club in fifteenth, can Columbia turn it around? Or will they end up being a surprise relegation?

MATCHDAY 13
Clyde Park 0–4 West Couno United
V Reisinger 13, 69', C Vette 36', E Wright 74'
Lakewood City 3–0 Newark Argyle
S McTavish 48', L McCabe 80', C Henshaw 90' + 2'
FC Inter Nantwich 2–0 Sturrey Athletic
A Laurent 13', I Coleman o.g. 43'
Lakewood United 2–0 Kingsbury United
E Kruetzberg 80', J Sürréo 90' + 1'
Hesham 1–0 Fraser Valley
H Blamey 76'
Straton 0–1 Ridgewell Rovers
I Robertson 58'
Serrapince 1–3 Couno Rangers
V Sallay 12'//E Robertson 25', V Hicks 36', D Conder 85'
Columbia City 1–0 Colbrook City
P Hurst 25'

Kemerer-Lascelles ensures his survival for at least another week as Colbrook fall to Columbia; a solitary goal from Peter Hurst is enough to see the Southerners past the Northerners. West Couno muscle their way back up to third on goal difference; an imperious 4-0 demolition of Clyde Park sees them angle themselves for a run up the table. City and United as usual, win their games; City park three past Newark while United put two past Kingsbury with no chance of response for either side. It's an entertaining three-horse race, even if WCU are a bit behind right now; but there's still a chance the Pilots can come back from behind and throw themselves into the middle of it all.

The midfield now seems to be horrifically clumped together; from Serrapince in 5th with 19 points, just six points separate the next eight teams down to Kingsbury in 13th, with 13 points. It's exciting, but also nerve-wracking; any misstep from any of the clubs right now could result in a massive drop down the ranks. Serrapince are particularly at risk of this; while they got off to a good start at home against Couno, Erin Robertson took advantage of a mistake from Odwin Muir to draw level; then Couno took advantage of the momentum to come right back at Serrapince. The Bees are still sixth, but only by one goal's worth of goal difference; and with four clubs on nineteen points, nobody really knows what will happen in the run-up to the midseason.

After their stop-start start to the season, Ridgewell have finally seemed to get into the rhythm of winning games; this was a side, that before the season began were tipped to be fighting for the Esportiva spots. They're finally making good on that; but at the same time, they're only seventh, which shows how close this league can really get outside of the Lakewood duopoly that could be fighting for the next half decade or so.

REPUBLIC CUP, THIRD ROUND

Republic Cup, Third Round
( D2)              Bencoolen City   1-3   Columbia City               (D1 )
( SL)                Thomson City   0-2   Harchester United           (D3 )
( D1)             Lakewood United   1-0   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( SL)                Readale City   0-1   Fraser Valley               (D1 )
( SL)                     Enfield   1-1 p Ridgewell Rovers            (D1 )
( D3)            Trelmont Rangers   0-1   Lakewood City               (D1 )
( D1)           West Couno United   2-0   Millsburgh Revolutionaries  (D2 )
( D1)               Colbrook City e 4-3   Millsburgh Steelers         (D2 )
( D1)            Sturrey Athletic e 1-0   Hesham                      (D1 )
( SL)             Pinhal Athletic   0-1   Newark Argyle               (D1 )
( D1)                     Straton   2-0   Oakton                      (SL )
( D1)            Kingsbury United   2-0   Carrington Town             (SL )
( D1)                  Clyde Park   4-0   AFC Gillman                 (D3 )
( SL)                     Wolskel   1-4   Serrapince                  (D1 )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   3-0   Ruislip and Ipswich FC      (SL )
( D2)                 Port Marray   2-1   Greenford City              (SL )

MATCHDAY 14
West Couno United 3–1 Colbrook City
R Sitko 40', V Reisinger 67', 75//A Perkkanen 56'
Couno Rangers 0–0 Columbia City

Ridgewell Rovers 0–1 Serrapince
P Tucker 24'
Fraser Valley 2–1 Straton
C Baumgartner 13', T Barker 66'//D Moore 83'
Kingsbury United 0–1 Hesham
H Bevins 7'
Sturrey Athletic 0–1 Lakewood United
T Grandelius 23'
Newark Argyle 0–2 FC Inter Nantwich
Luo N 12', D Horvat 85'
Clyde Park 1–3 Lakewood City
L Gomboult 23'//S McTavish 4', C Henshaw 33', R Vaughn 82'

It's another good result for Columbia as they hold Couno to a draw; Kemerer-Lascelles' Columbia side are still stuck at the bottom of the table but at least they're not losing so often, which is somewhat of an improvement. He's not out of the woods entirely, however; the decision will apparently be made at the mid-season mark as to whether Kemerer-Lascelles should continue with his job. Already there are many people calling for his head; but as the sacking of David Griffiths, their long-serving manager, proved: Columbia can be fairly reluctant to let bosses go. If they were let go, however, nobody would be able to argue that it was undeserved in any sense; the side have massively underperformed this season relative to expectations, even with the churn of the midfield.

Another manager in lots of trouble is Straton's Mark Stevenson; the Licentian's Straton side has been thoroughly unimpressive this season, and instead of progress being made on the club's situation as they desperately try to claw their way back into the top half of the table, they're stuck in thirteenth with thirteen points after fourteen games. Similarly to Kemerer-Lascelles, if there's any review made to his job performance, it'll be over the mid-season break; but there's a general consensus that any sacking would probably have to be early on in the window, to give the new manager time to get his tactics into the squad.

Up top in the table, Nantwich solidify their hold on fourth by beating a Newark team in flagging form; Serrapince squeak past Ridgewell in a not-entirely-convincing win that sees Ridgewell get "Netted" after dominating the proceedings of play but unable to find their way past Mick Key. City, United, and West Couno all win their respective games to keep the pressure up on each other; but the next week will be a big one, considering that City and West Couno will play each other in a game that will probably set the tone for the rest of the season.

MATCHDAY 15
Lakewood City 1–2 West Couno United
R Vaughn 12'//M Hajdarpasic 3', 48'
FC Inter Nantwich 2–1 Clyde Park
B Coxeter 22', J Spekman 85'//T Haller 85'
Lakewood United 2–0 Newark Argyle
B Proudfoot 13', K Considine 83'
Hesham 0–1 Sturrey Athletic
J Mercer 35'
Straton 2–1 Kingsbury United
C Baker 40', K Dunstan 85'//J Anderson 38'
Serrapince 1–1 Fraser Valley
V Sallay 29'//A Moynihan 77'
Columbia City 1–1 Ridgewell Rovers
N Youngblood 38'//H Canavan 32'
Colbrook City 3–0 Couno Rangers
J Ryland 15', E Calare 68', 74'

The advantage of cutting eight games from the season is that the mid-season break can start a few weeks earlier; it's now the second week of December and players are getting ready for their midseason holidays. The two managers most under pressure — Kemerer-Lascelles and Stevenson — end their first half of the season on a strangely comforting note, with Straton pushing their way past Kingsbury and Columbia holding Ridgewell to a draw, which considering Ridgewell's run of form seems to be quite the achievement. Whether it'll be enough for Kemerer-Lascelles remains to be seen, however; the club are still some three points down on Kingsbury in fifteenth.

Speaking of Kingsbury, the board have established that they have "complete confidence" in Vince McCarthy; it's not about to be any kind of sudden mid-season sacking for the new manager, even if he could arguably be blamed for not recognising that James Anderson was rightly past it and not signing, say, Anselmo Santos. He's high on the target list for the next season, alongside whatever striker the world of football deems good enough for the transfer window.

Back to football; and while United beat Newark, West Couno United pull a blinder and beat Lakewood City in their own stadium to go within one point of the Skyblues, and allow for Lakewood United to pull three points ahead just as the winter break hits. It's a massive, massive result for the Pilots and the Red Storm; Muharem Hajdarpasic's brace is, in particular, stunning for how it's been orchestrated. The Mytanar attacking midfielder has been a dynamo in the midfield (though not a dynamo in the traditional Tumbran sense — in Tumbran footballing vocabulary Hadjarpasic would probably be the purest creator that's touched the pitch in a while) and the win was rightly deserved for WCU.

MATCHDAY 16
West Couno United 2–0 Couno Rangers
C Vette 12', V Reisinger 39'
Colbrook City 0–1 Ridgewell Rovers
A Kristensen 75'
Columbia City 1–0 Fraser Valley
E Crnogorčević 7'
Serrapince 0–0 Kingsbury United

Straton 4–1 Sturrey Athletic
Tino 10', F Woodhouse 38', 66', O Bernard 86'//C Nunnaro 25'
Hesham 1–0 Newark Argyle
M Noble 55'
Lakewood United 0–0 Clyde Park

FC Inter Nantwich 1–2 Lakewood City
W Thomas 75'//C Henshaw 12', S McTavish 34'

It's now the last week of January; and, perhaps surprisingly, neither Kemerer-Lascelles nor Stevenson were sacked over the winter break, though it's probably understood that the two of them will have to haul a lot of arse to keep their jobs come the end of the season. It's been a surprisingly quiet season when it comes to managerial turnover; owners just seem more understanding of manager's situations this season, particularly given the crowded midfield. United's slender lead at the top of the table is almost immediately gobbled up as they fire blanks against Clyde Park; and it's now a situation in which United, City, and West Couno are separated by just two points at the top of the table. City grab a win against Nantwich, holding off a late resurgence as the club sub off their entire front trio in a bid to overwhelm City's defence in the last minute of the game; while WCU pick up their second Couno derby win of the season, a relatively routine victory over the Rams — who look nowhere near their former self — sees WCU cement their status as title challengers, even if they are wildly behind in the betting markets for the

Straton score an impressive win against Sturrey — whose previously solid season has now given way to turmoil — while Columbia also pull off a significant victory against Fraser Valley. Still bottom of the table, but their upcoming schedule is extremely favourable to them — games at Kingsbury, Sturrey, Newark, and Clyde await, in what will probably be the easiest run of fixtures remaining for the Fishermen. Newark pull off their fourth consecutive loss of the season, falling behind to Hesham in the second half. Their drop in form has been somewhat worrying for Desmond Clarke; but whether it's second season syndrome or just his tactics being figured out is anybody's guess. His contract runs out at the end of next season, and by most estimations, he'll be riding the Chromatik paycheck off into the sunset; which provides a further problem for the brains at Henza as they try to get their (slightly floundering) project going again.

In non-football related news, the initial line of sixteen T-League 4 clubs is confirmed; there's a good geographic balance, with eight eastern and eight western clubs, but, perhaps annoyingly for fans of the Railwaymen, the one-time Prem club are shafted and will be forced to play in the National Championship next season. There are rumours that this is an act of revenge for Kirkby being the most prominent club that refused to jump ship to the T-League, with their chairman actively taking the side of the TFF; but nothing can actually be proven. Either way, the working relationship between the T-League and the TFF is now finalised, even if it's a wary one.

MATCHDAY 17
FC Inter Nantwich 2–1 West Couno United
J Santo 15', B Morgan o.g. 82'//M Broadhurst 55'
Lakewood City 1–0 Lakewood United
R Vaughn 67'
Clyde Park 1–0 Hesham
M Wague 88'
Newark Argyle 1–4 Straton
C McGrath 69'//O Bernard 11', 34', 88', C Bond 48'
Sturrey Athletic 0–1 Serrapince
D Lawrence 55'
Kingsbury United 0–4 Columbia City
R Cowling 12', P Hurst 58', V Thesselborg 62', 76'
Fraser Valley 0–0 Colbrook City

Ridgewell Rovers 2–1 Couno Rangers
H Canavan 6', M Riester 42'//B Nolan 73'

And right as WCU try to make a claim to being title challengers, a surprise loss to Nantwich puts those hopes into question again; an unfortunate Ben Morgan deflection gives Nantwich the three points from their encounter. It's still early days into the half of the season that arguably matters more, however; and WCU still have a ton of opportunities to force their way back into the equation. Their situation is helped by the fact that the second Lakewood derby of the season sees City eke out a narrow win over United; seeing City go clear on top by two points. It was a dubiously onside Robin Vaughn goal that sealed the game for the home team, but United were, once again, less than effective in the attacking department and can't really complain.

Newark make it five losses in a row with a loss to Straton; Ophelie Bernard showing that she's still got plenty left in the tank despite the perceived step down from Lakewood City that her transfer to Straton was. Columbia, too, beat Kingsbury by a similarly dominant 4-goal margin; it's pretty safe to assume that both Mark Stevenson and Bradley Kemerer-Lascelles' jobs are borh safe now. Things are still remarkably close in the midtable; Straton's recent run of form has seen them rise to seventh, when seven matchweeks ago they were fifteenth in the league.

Couno, too, are going through a similarly rough time of it; their loss to Ridgewell pushes them down to tenth in the table with just twenty points. There are rumours hanging around that Marco Giuliani will be quietly removed from the job and a new face thrown in to revitalise the squad — names like Kingsley-Roger Hertel and Dimitra Conder could be moved on — but the Couno faithful retain confidence in their manager which ended their two-decade long title drought. This comes despite the torrid run of form; but there is hope that things can be improved on this end.

MATCHDAY 18
West Couno United 3–1 Ridgewell Rovers
N-H McKinley 7', M Hajdarpasic 63', C Vette 84'//I Robertson 54'
Couno Rangers 2–0 Fraser Valley
B Nolan 1', 18'
Colbrook City 1–3 Kingsbury United
A Finlay 81'//D Larr 24', N Caroline 63'. H Moss 82'
Columbia City 2–2 Sturrey Athletic
L Vennema 18', Liang W 26'//A Lenoidtzhin 34', 75'
Serrapince 2–0 Newark Argyle
G Hilton 19', C Ritchie 35'
Straton 2–1 Clyde Park
C Baker 30', Tino 55'//D Ferguson 22'
Hesham 1–2 Lakewood City
K Rostami 19'//S McTavish 11', C Henshaw 85'
Lakewood United 0–0 FC Inter Nantwich


WCU move into second place in the standings with an oh-so-crucial game against Lakewood United coming up; it's the third match in a row where United have failed to score goals; a dithering draw against Nantwich sees City take a four-point lead in the standings. City, for their part, have been nigh unstoppable; their insane depth has meant that they're able to keep their best players in reserve for when they're actually needed. Vivi Anderson, City's backup striker, has been called the signing of the season by some in this regard; she plays so much like Charlotte Henshaw, with just a little bit less of that killer finishing edge, that she's basically being treated as the same as Henshaw when she's on the pitch.

Things are looking to slightly settle into where they might be at the end of the season; the three title contenders — City, United, and WCU — are some way in front of the rest of the pack. Nantwich have quietly assembled a capable squad, and are sitting pretty in fourth; the final IFCF spot is heavily contested, and so on. Of course, with the season this close, there's still tons of things that could change; but the odds are lengthening substantially on, say, a title challenge by Couno.

Speaking of Couno, the Rams finally get their season back on track, with a 2-0 beatdown of Fraser Valley where Bruce Nolan scored after just fifteen seconds. Couno manager Marco Giuliani is more honest than usual when it comes to the post-match press conferences; "I'm not sure what went wrong this season, but if anything it's on me — and we'll be back next season to try again, and again, and again." For the club that finished third last season, being in tenth is a major confidence deadener; and they've practically accepted that they'll have to try again next season.

MATCHDAY 19
Lakewood United 1–2 West Couno United
J Sürréo 38'//P Wilson 22', L Vujanovic 70'
FC Inter Nantwich 0–1 Hesham
H Blamey 90' + 3'
Lakewood City 3–1 Straton
V Morris 35', V Anderson 47', R Vaughn 82'//C Baker 20'
Clyde Park 0–1 Serrapince
C Finney 22'
Newark Argyle 0–0 Columbia City

Sturrey Athletic 1–0 Colbrook City
S Mark 23'
Kingsbury United 1–1 Couno Rangers
Kim CY 68'//S Fortier 6'
Fraser Valley 2–1 Ridgewell Rovers
L Eyre 78', T Krzanowski 90' + 1'//H Canavan 23'

United slip further down the order as WCU take advantage of their win against United to cement their status as second in the table; the defending champions' hold on the title now looks extremely wary, as United are now five games winless. It's not worrying by any sense — of all the games, this is probably one they could afford to lose — but there is a sense that they're losing major ground to their competition, especially as City pull out the stops against Straton to go four points clear of WCU and seven of United. Time's ticking; the season's two-thirds' done, and United cannot afford another slip-up in form if they are to defend their title.

Newark end their six-game losing streak, only to make up for it by drawing against Columbia; it's been a frustrating few months for Newark fans. Still, even though they probably won't be able to match their finish of seventh last season, they can at least try to make up for it in other ways; though preferably not finishing twelfth of sixteen teams in the league would be a start. Down in the relegation fight, it's now Kingsbury's turn to try and desperately scrabble for survival; this season has truly thrown up some unexpected relegation candidates, even as the expected ones (Fraser and Sturrey) are now well in it. The third side expected to fall to a relegation challenge, Clyde Park, are doing alright for themselves; though, once again, with the way that the league is so volatile this season, a bad run of form could well see them relegated before they know it. Their loss to Serrapince this week was expected, though there was the expectation about halfway through that they could have fought for a draw; Edmund Finnegan, however, reassured the Clyde faithful that everything was going to be okay.

A narrative that's perhaps fallen under the radar because of all the volatility is Colbrook's drop in form; the team were sixth after ten games, and still sitting comfortably in the upper half of the table, but have only picked up one win in the past nine games. They've fallen to tenth; and with a must-win game against Newark coming (the so-called Battle of Mid, according to social media) they'll be hoping for a good result to get them back on track.

REPUBLIC CUP, FOURTH ROUND

Republic Cup, Third Round
( D1)               Columbia City   5-0   Harchester United           (D3 )
( D1)             Lakewood United   3-0   Fraser Valley               (D1 )
( D1)            Ridgewell Rovers   3-4 e Lakewood City               (D1 )
( D1)           West Couno United   3-1   Colbrook City               (D1 )
( D1)            Sturrey Athletic   1-2   Newark Argyle               (D1 )
( D1)                     Straton   1-0   Kingsbury United            (D1 )
( D1)                  Clyde Park   3-1   Serrapince                  (D1 )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   3-1   Port Marray                 (D2 )

MATCHDAY 20
West Couno United 3–1 Fraser Valley
V Reisinger 16', C Vette 28', M Schärer 90' + 2'//A Beckett 73'
Ridgewell Rovers 0–1 Kingsbury United
C Nightingale 82'
Couno Rangers 3–3 Sturrey Athletic
C Kearney 12', V Hicks 38', L Kendall 80'//A Lenoidtzhin 15', 72', T Oldauw 24'
Colbrook City 0–1 Newark Argyle
S Oliveira 82'
Columbia City 1–0 Clyde Park
V Thesselborg 18'
Serrapince 3–1 Lakewood City
V Sallay 24', 83', M Coulson 28'//N Tejic 16'
Straton 0–2 FC Inter Nantwich
B Coxeter 11', J Spekman 72'
Hesham 2–4 Lakewood United
H Blamey 23', H Bevins 85'//J Sürréo 17', 75', K Desmond 32', J Horvat 83'

It might not feel it, because twenty matches would normally be where the league picked up following the mid-season break; but there are only ten games left in the season, and the league is properly entering its business era. Newark finally win their first game in seven matches, a slim win against Colbrook City putting them in tenth — which is where they were ten games ago, and is probably a testament to how a bit more mediocre they've been — while tenth in the twenty-team league would have been regarded as being okay, tenth in a sixteen-team league? Not so much.

Serrapince do the chasing pack a favour and do the equivalent of sticking a leg out against Lakewood City and tripping them; City fall victim to Serrapince's second wind, with Vazsony Sallay scoring a brace against City and backup attacking midfielder Mark Coulson scoring the third. Nenad Tejic led off the scoring at the start of the game, but City couldn't capitalise, and the league is much closer for it. WCU and United make up the three points on City; the gap is now one and four points to the league leaders respectively. It'll be an exciting last ten matches, but particularly for WCU fans; this is a title challenge not many people expected to occur, but they'll probably take the fact that they're duelling with the two biggest clubs of the decade and holding their own. Whisper it quietly, but WCU can afford to be confident. How far that confidence will bring them, nobody knows.

Both Straton and Columbia are probably safer — Straton substantially more than Columbia at this point — than they are. Clyde Park, somehow, slip into the relegation playoff spot after a loss to Columbia; but them and the Esportivan spots are separated by just five points, so it's still entirely reasonable that Clyde Park could make a miraculous comeback. Or, in what would probably be a funnier outcome, Couno could still be relegated. Ten games left, and for the first time, it's probably realistic to say that there's everything to play for.

T-League, Season 1

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg   Form10
 1 Lakewood City          20   15   1   4    48   25  +23    46   ▲1   WWWWL WWWWL
 2 West Couno United      20   14   3   3    34   13  +21    45   ▲1   LWWWW WLWWW
 3 Lakewood United        20   13   3   4    36   19  +17    42   ▼2   WLWWW DLDLW
 4 FC Inter Nantwich      20   11   5   4    28   16  +12    38   -0   WLWWW LWDLW
 5 Serrapince             20   10   6   4    27   16  +11    36   -0   DDLWD DWWWW
 6 Ridgewell Rovers       20    8   2  10    20   23   −3    26   ▲3   LWWLD WWLLL
 7 Couno Rangers          20    7   4   9    26   27   −1    25   -0   LLWDL LLWDD
 8 Straton                20    8   1  11    28   32   −4    25   ▲7   WWLLW WWWLL
 9 Hesham                 20    8   1  11    12   19   −7    25   ▲4   WLWWL WLLWL
10 Newark Argyle          20    7   2  11    12   27  −15    23   -0   WWLLL LLLDW
11 Colbrook City          20    6   4  10    21   27   −6    22   ▼5   LDLLW LDLLL
12 Columbia City          20    5   6   9    15   19   −4    21   ▲4   DLWDD WWDDW
13 Kingsbury United       20    5   6   9    12   24  −12    21   ▼1   LWLLL DLWDW
14 Clyde Park             20    6   2  12    18   26   −8    20   ▼6   WLLLL DWLLL
15 Fraser Valley          20    5   4  11    16   26  −10    19   ▼1   LWLWD LDLWL
16 Sturrey Athletic       20    5   4  11    13   27  −14    19   ▼5   LLLLW LLDWD

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE 2
STANDINGS AFTER MD20

MATCHDAY 1
Glenmont AFC 2–1 Delphi Lionesses
Clark City 3–2 Shepperton Ravens
Hoxford United 1–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Dorival 5–3 Port Marray
Macarthur City 1–0 Fontwell Rovers
Millsburgh Steelers 0–2 Newton Wanderers
Washington City 1–3 Readale Wanderers
AFC Cayalon 0–1 Bencoolen City

MATCHDAY 2
Delphi Lionesses 1–1 Bencoolen City
Readale Wanderers 3–1 AFC Cayalon
Newton Wanderers 3–0 Washington City
Fontwell Rovers 2–2 Millsburgh Steelers
Port Marray 1–2 Macarthur City
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–0 Dorival
Shepperton Ravens 0–1 Hoxford United
Glenmont AFC 1–0 Clark City

MATCHDAY 3
Clark City 1–0 Delphi Lionesses
Hoxford United 1–0 Glenmont AFC
Dorival 2–3 Shepperton Ravens
Macarthur City 2–2 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Millsburgh Steelers 0–2 Port Marray
Washington City 0–0 Fontwell Rovers
AFC Cayalon 4–2 Newton Wanderers
Bencoolen City 0–1 Readale Wanderers

MATCHDAY 4
Delphi Lionesses 2–1 Readale Wanderers
Newton Wanderers 3–1 Bencoolen City
Fontwell Rovers 2–1 AFC Cayalon
Port Marray 2–0 Washington City
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 0–2 Millsburgh Steelers
Shepperton Ravens 1–1 Macarthur City
Glenmont AFC 2–4 Dorival
Clark City 3–2 Hoxford United

MATCHDAY 5
Hoxford United 0–2 Delphi Lionesses
Dorival 4–3 Clark City
Macarthur City 4–3 Glenmont AFC
Millsburgh Steelers 0–2 Shepperton Ravens
Washington City 1–3 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
AFC Cayalon 4–0 Port Marray
Bencoolen City 0–2 Fontwell Rovers
Readale Wanderers 0–0 Newton Wanderers

MATCHDAY 6
Delphi Lionesses 2–1 Newton Wanderers
Fontwell Rovers 3–1 Readale Wanderers
Port Marray 1–0 Bencoolen City
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–5 AFC Cayalon
Shepperton Ravens 5–2 Washington City
Glenmont AFC 1–0 Millsburgh Steelers
Clark City 4–2 Macarthur City
Hoxford United 3–1 Dorival

MATCHDAY 7
Dorival 3–2 Delphi Lionesses
Macarthur City 2–1 Hoxford United
Millsburgh Steelers 2–2 Clark City
Washington City 0–0 Glenmont AFC
AFC Cayalon 3–2 Shepperton Ravens
Bencoolen City 2–1 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Readale Wanderers 0–3 Port Marray
Newton Wanderers 2–1 Fontwell Rovers

MATCHDAY 8
Delphi Lionesses 1–0 Fontwell Rovers
Port Marray 2–0 Newton Wanderers
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 2–3 Readale Wanderers
Shepperton Ravens 0–5 Bencoolen City
Glenmont AFC 2–2 AFC Cayalon
Clark City 4–3 Washington City
Hoxford United 0–1 Millsburgh Steelers
Dorival 3–1 Macarthur City

MATCHDAY 9
Macarthur City 1–1 Delphi Lionesses
Millsburgh Steelers 1–1 Dorival
Washington City 1–2 Hoxford United
AFC Cayalon 1–0 Clark City
Bencoolen City 4–1 Glenmont AFC
Readale Wanderers 3–1 Shepperton Ravens
Newton Wanderers 2–2 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Fontwell Rovers 3–0 Port Marray

MATCHDAY 10
Delphi Lionesses 4–0 Port Marray
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–1 Fontwell Rovers
Shepperton Ravens 2–2 Newton Wanderers
Glenmont AFC 5–4 Readale Wanderers
Clark City 3–3 Bencoolen City
Hoxford United 2–4 AFC Cayalon
Dorival 3–1 Washington City
Macarthur City 3–1 Millsburgh Steelers

MATCHDAY 11
Millsburgh Steelers 1–2 Delphi Lionesses
Washington City 0–0 Macarthur City
AFC Cayalon 1–0 Dorival
Bencoolen City 3–1 Hoxford United
Readale Wanderers 1–2 Clark City
Newton Wanderers 1–0 Glenmont AFC
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Shepperton Ravens
Port Marray 0–1 Millsburgh Revolutionaries

MATCHDAY 12
Delphi Lionesses 1–1 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Shepperton Ravens 0–1 Port Marray
Glenmont AFC 0–1 Fontwell Rovers
Clark City 5–1 Newton Wanderers
Hoxford United 1–0 Readale Wanderers
Dorival 2–1 Bencoolen City
Macarthur City 3–2 AFC Cayalon
Millsburgh Steelers 5–1 Washington City

MATCHDAY 13
Washington City 1–1 Delphi Lionesses
AFC Cayalon 1–0 Millsburgh Steelers
Bencoolen City 2–0 Macarthur City
Readale Wanderers 1–0 Dorival
Newton Wanderers 2–3 Hoxford United
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Clark City
Port Marray 1–1 Glenmont AFC
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–0 Shepperton Ravens

MATCHDAY 14
Delphi Lionesses 4–1 Shepperton Ravens
Glenmont AFC 1–2 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Clark City 3–0 Port Marray
Hoxford United 2–3 Fontwell Rovers
Dorival 1–1 Newton Wanderers
Macarthur City 1–1 Readale Wanderers
Millsburgh Steelers 1–2 Bencoolen City
Washington City 1–0 AFC Cayalon

MATCHDAY 15
AFC Cayalon 1–2 Delphi Lionesses
Bencoolen City 5–2 Washington City
Readale Wanderers 1–0 Millsburgh Steelers
Newton Wanderers 1–0 Macarthur City
Fontwell Rovers 2–0 Dorival
Port Marray 0–1 Hoxford United
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–0 Clark City
Shepperton Ravens 4–2 Glenmont AFC

MATCHDAY 16
Delphi Lionesses 3–0 Glenmont AFC
Shepperton Ravens 2–2 Clark City
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 0–0 Hoxford United
Port Marray 1–2 Dorival
Fontwell Rovers 6–1 Macarthur City
Newton Wanderers 2–2 Millsburgh Steelers
Readale Wanderers 1–3 Washington City
Bencoolen City 4–2 AFC Cayalon

MATCHDAY 17
Bencoolen City 1–1 Delphi Lionesses
AFC Cayalon 1–0 Readale Wanderers
Washington City 2–1 Newton Wanderers
Millsburgh Steelers 1–2 Fontwell Rovers
Macarthur City 1–0 Port Marray
Dorival 2–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Hoxford United 3–1 Shepperton Ravens
Clark City 3–2 Glenmont AFC

MATCHDAY 18
Delphi Lionesses 1–2 Clark City
Glenmont AFC 3–2 Hoxford United
Shepperton Ravens 1–0 Dorival
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–0 Macarthur City
Port Marray 1–2 Millsburgh Steelers
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Washington City
Newton Wanderers 1–2 AFC Cayalon
Readale Wanderers 1–3 Bencoolen City

MATCHDAY 19
Readale Wanderers 4–4 Delphi Lionesses
Bencoolen City 2–1 Newton Wanderers
AFC Cayalon 0–0 Fontwell Rovers
Washington City 1–2 Port Marray
Millsburgh Steelers 1–4 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Macarthur City 4–1 Shepperton Ravens
Dorival 0–0 Glenmont AFC
Hoxford United 1–2 Clark City

MATCHDAY 20
Delphi Lionesses 2–0 Hoxford United
Clark City 1–2 Dorival
Glenmont AFC 2–2 Macarthur City
Shepperton Ravens 1–2 Millsburgh Steelers
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 0–1 Washington City
Port Marray 1–1 AFC Cayalon
Fontwell Rovers 1–2 Bencoolen City
Newton Wanderers 0–1 Readale Wanderers

.  T-League 2                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Fontwell Rovers                 20   12   4   4    32   15  +17    40
 2 Bencoolen City                  20   12   3   5    42   25  +17    39
 3 Delphi Lionesses                20   10   6   4    37   22  +15    36
 4 Clark City                      20   11   3   6    43   32  +11    36
 5 AFC Cayalon                     20   10   3   7    36   27   +9    33
 6 Dorival                         20   10   3   7    35   29   +6    33
 7 Macarthur City                  20    8   6   6    31   33   −2    30
 8 Millsburgh Revolutionaries      20    8   5   7    24   25   −1    29
 9 Hoxford United                  20    9   1  10    27   30   −3    28
10 Readale Wanderers               20    8   3   9    30   33   −3    27
11 Newton Wanderers                20    6   5   9    28   32   −4    23
12 Port Marray                     20    7   2  11    21   31  −10    23
13 Glenmont AFC                    20    5   5  10    28   39  −11    20
14 Millsburgh Steelers             20    5   4  11    24   32   −8    19
15 Shepperton Ravens               20    5   3  12    29   42  −13    18
16 Washington City                 20    4   4  12    21   41  −20    16

T-LEAGUE 3
STANDINGS AFTER MD20

MATCHDAY 1
Cobham Town 1–0 Ridgewell United
Harchester United 1–0 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Tavistock Park 2–2 Kelder Phoenixes
Harwick Wanderers 1–0 Guillemard Town
AFC Gillman 1–3 New Timbourne Knights
Carter United 3–0 Ricci Ironworkers
Southport Thunder 3–0 Teignford Academical
Tavistock Athletic 3–2 Trelmont Rangers

MATCHDAY 2
Ridgewell United 6–3 Trelmont Rangers
Teignford Academical 2–2 Tavistock Athletic
Ricci Ironworkers 3–0 Southport Thunder
New Timbourne Knights 1–3 Carter United
Guillemard Town 2–2 AFC Gillman
Kelder Phoenixes 1–1 Harwick Wanderers
Pomeroy Mountaineers 0–1 Tavistock Park
Cobham Town 4–2 Harchester United

MATCHDAY 3
Harchester United 0–0 Ridgewell United
Tavistock Park 0–1 Cobham Town
Harwick Wanderers 3–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
AFC Gillman 2–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Carter United 1–1 Guillemard Town
Southport Thunder 1–3 New Timbourne Knights
Tavistock Athletic 1–3 Ricci Ironworkers
Trelmont Rangers 2–2 Teignford Academical

MATCHDAY 4
Ridgewell United 4–3 Teignford Academical
Ricci Ironworkers 2–0 Trelmont Rangers
New Timbourne Knights 3–2 Tavistock Athletic
Guillemard Town 0–1 Southport Thunder
Kelder Phoenixes 0–0 Carter United
Pomeroy Mountaineers 0–3 AFC Gillman
Cobham Town 6–3 Harwick Wanderers
Harchester United 1–0 Tavistock Park

MATCHDAY 5
Tavistock Park 2–1 Ridgewell United
Harwick Wanderers 5–2 Harchester United
AFC Gillman 4–1 Cobham Town
Carter United 1–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Southport Thunder 1–3 Kelder Phoenixes
Tavistock Athletic 1–0 Guillemard Town
Trelmont Rangers 2–2 New Timbourne Knights
Teignford Academical 2–1 Ricci Ironworkers

MATCHDAY 6
Ridgewell United 1–0 Ricci Ironworkers
New Timbourne Knights 1–0 Teignford Academical
Guillemard Town 1–0 Trelmont Rangers
Kelder Phoenixes 2–4 Tavistock Athletic
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–2 Southport Thunder
Cobham Town 1–2 Carter United
Harchester United 0–0 AFC Gillman
Tavistock Park 0–2 Harwick Wanderers

MATCHDAY 7
Harwick Wanderers 3–0 Ridgewell United
AFC Gillman 2–2 Tavistock Park
Carter United 0–1 Harchester United
Southport Thunder 0–0 Cobham Town
Tavistock Athletic 0–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Trelmont Rangers 0–0 Kelder Phoenixes
Teignford Academical 1–0 Guillemard Town
Ricci Ironworkers 2–2 New Timbourne Knights

MATCHDAY 8
Ridgewell United 1–0 New Timbourne Knights
Guillemard Town 2–0 Ricci Ironworkers
Kelder Phoenixes 1–1 Teignford Academical
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–0 Trelmont Rangers
Cobham Town 2–5 Tavistock Athletic
Harchester United 1–0 Southport Thunder
Tavistock Park 0–1 Carter United
Harwick Wanderers 0–1 AFC Gillman

MATCHDAY 9
AFC Gillman 2–2 Ridgewell United
Carter United 2–0 Harwick Wanderers
Southport Thunder 2–1 Tavistock Park
Tavistock Athletic 1–1 Harchester United
Trelmont Rangers 0–2 Cobham Town
Teignford Academical 2–0 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Ricci Ironworkers 4–1 Kelder Phoenixes
New Timbourne Knights 2–1 Guillemard Town

MATCHDAY 10
Ridgewell United 1–1 Guillemard Town
Kelder Phoenixes 1–1 New Timbourne Knights
Pomeroy Mountaineers 1–1 Ricci Ironworkers
Cobham Town 1–1 Teignford Academical
Harchester United 3–1 Trelmont Rangers
Tavistock Park 0–0 Tavistock Athletic
Harwick Wanderers 2–1 Southport Thunder
AFC Gillman 2–1 Carter United

MATCHDAY 11
Carter United 3–2 Ridgewell United
Southport Thunder 1–1 AFC Gillman
Tavistock Athletic 1–0 Harwick Wanderers
Trelmont Rangers 3–3 Tavistock Park
Teignford Academical 2–0 Harchester United
Ricci Ironworkers 0–0 Cobham Town
New Timbourne Knights 3–2 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Guillemard Town 1–0 Kelder Phoenixes

MATCHDAY 12
Ridgewell United 3–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–1 Guillemard Town
Cobham Town 0–1 New Timbourne Knights
Harchester United 2–2 Ricci Ironworkers
Tavistock Park 2–0 Teignford Academical
Harwick Wanderers 0–0 Trelmont Rangers
AFC Gillman 2–0 Tavistock Athletic
Carter United 1–0 Southport Thunder

MATCHDAY 13
Southport Thunder 0–1 Ridgewell United
Tavistock Athletic 1–1 Carter United
Trelmont Rangers 0–1 AFC Gillman
Teignford Academical 6–1 Harwick Wanderers
Ricci Ironworkers 3–2 Tavistock Park
New Timbourne Knights 0–1 Harchester United
Guillemard Town 2–2 Cobham Town
Kelder Phoenixes 2–3 Pomeroy Mountaineers

MATCHDAY 14
Ridgewell United 1–2 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Cobham Town 0–0 Kelder Phoenixes
Harchester United 2–3 Guillemard Town
Tavistock Park 0–3 New Timbourne Knights
Harwick Wanderers 2–2 Ricci Ironworkers
AFC Gillman 3–0 Teignford Academical
Carter United 0–1 Trelmont Rangers
Southport Thunder 2–2 Tavistock Athletic

MATCHDAY 15
Tavistock Athletic 2–3 Ridgewell United
Trelmont Rangers 0–1 Southport Thunder
Teignford Academical 3–0 Carter United
Ricci Ironworkers 1–3 AFC Gillman
New Timbourne Knights 1–2 Harwick Wanderers
Guillemard Town 1–3 Tavistock Park
Kelder Phoenixes 3–1 Harchester United
Pomeroy Mountaineers 1–2 Cobham Town

MATCHDAY 16
Ridgewell United 0–0 Cobham Town
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–1 Harchester United
Kelder Phoenixes 3–3 Tavistock Park
Guillemard Town 2–3 Harwick Wanderers
New Timbourne Knights 1–1 AFC Gillman
Ricci Ironworkers 2–5 Carter United
Teignford Academical 0–3 Southport Thunder
Trelmont Rangers 2–4 Tavistock Athletic

MATCHDAY 17
Trelmont Rangers 3–1 Ridgewell United
Tavistock Athletic 2–1 Teignford Academical
Southport Thunder 1–1 Ricci Ironworkers
Carter United 3–3 New Timbourne Knights
AFC Gillman 0–0 Guillemard Town
Harwick Wanderers 1–0 Kelder Phoenixes
Tavistock Park 2–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Harchester United 1–2 Cobham Town

MATCHDAY 18
Ridgewell United 1–2 Harchester United
Cobham Town 0–1 Tavistock Park
Pomeroy Mountaineers 3–3 Harwick Wanderers
Kelder Phoenixes 1–1 AFC Gillman
Guillemard Town 0–0 Carter United
New Timbourne Knights 1–3 Southport Thunder
Ricci Ironworkers 1–0 Tavistock Athletic
Teignford Academical 1–0 Trelmont Rangers

MATCHDAY 19
Teignford Academical 0–1 Ridgewell United
Trelmont Rangers 2–1 Ricci Ironworkers
Tavistock Athletic 0–1 New Timbourne Knights
Southport Thunder 0–2 Guillemard Town
Carter United 3–1 Kelder Phoenixes
AFC Gillman 2–2 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Harwick Wanderers 1–2 Cobham Town
Tavistock Park 1–0 Harchester United

MATCHDAY 20
Ridgewell United 4–0 Tavistock Park
Harchester United 2–2 Harwick Wanderers
Cobham Town 2–2 AFC Gillman
Pomeroy Mountaineers 3–3 Carter United
Kelder Phoenixes 1–0 Southport Thunder
Guillemard Town 3–3 Tavistock Athletic
New Timbourne Knights 1–0 Trelmont Rangers
Ricci Ironworkers 4–2 Teignford Academical

.  T-League 3                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 AFC Gillman                20    9  10   1    35   20  +15    37
 2 New Timbourne Knights      20   10   5   5    33   26   +7    35
 3 Carter United              20    9   7   4    33   23  +10    34
 4 Harwick Wanderers          20    9   5   6    35   33   +2    32
 5 Ridgewell United           20    9   4   7    33   28   +5    31
 6 Cobham Town                20    8   7   5    29   26   +3    31
 7 Tavistock Athletic         20    7   6   7    34   32   +2    27
 8 Ricci Ironworkers          20    7   6   7    33   32   +1    27
 9 Tavistock Park             20    7   5   8    25   30   −5    26
10 Harchester United          20    7   5   8    24   29   −5    26
11 Teignford Academical       20    7   4   9    29   31   −2    25
12 Pomeroy Mountaineers       20    6   6   8    29   34   −5    24
13 Southport Thunder          20    6   5   9    22   25   −3    23
14 Guillemard Town            20    5   7   8    23   25   −2    22
15 Kelder Phoenixes           20    3   9   8    24   32   −8    18
16 Trelmont Rangers           20    3   5  12    21   36  −15    14

[Tumbra]

MATCHDAY 21
Hesham 1–0 West Couno United
K Rostami 19'
Lakewood United 1–1 Straton
K Desmond 90' + 3'//Tino 25'
FC Inter Nantwich 0–0 Serrapince

Lakewood City 2–1 Columbia City
S McTavish 18', E Appleby 22'//H Gormley-McCowan 63'
Clyde Park 1–0 Colbrook City
M Wague 5'
Newark Argyle 1–4 Couno Rangers
I McDermott 22'//B Nolan 5', 73', K-R Hertel 25', V Hicks 38'
Sturrey Athletic 1–0 Ridgewell Rovers
S Mark 11'
Kingsbury United 0–1 Fraser Valley
T Krzanowski 83'

City go four points clear as they beat Columbia, while both United and West Couno drop points. United's is slightly less embarrassing — they drew 1-1 to a spirited Straton, though it did require Kirsten Desmond to score a goal in injury to bail out the Red Storm. Still, everything still seems to be up for grabs; it wasn't like City's win over a now severely relegation-threatened Columbia was very convincing, either. Robin Vaughn's supposed successor, Emmanuel Appleby, got on the scoresheet, but was unimpressive for the rest of the game. Still, though, wins are wins; which is certainly a statement Fraser Valley would agree with.

Far from being the relegation-threatened season that was initially speculated, Fraser's season has actually been...solid, if unspectacular. Sure, they're thirteenth, level on points with a Colbrook side rapidly slipping in the points and form, and a Sturrey side that's currently occupying the relegation playoff zone, but their performances thus far have hardly been relegation worthy. Thus far, at least, despite only winning six games and scoring seventeen goals in twenty-one games, the team have looked, for the most part, defensively solid and good for money. Of course, nobody's expecting any worldbeaters from this team — the only few people to have international experience from this side are Tobi Krzanowski, Leigh Eyre, and Tricia Barker — but they could very well be the new Sturrey. So long as Sturrey are relegated from the Prem, at least; and they themselves put some fair distance between them and that fate by beating the up-and-coming Ridgewell Rovers 1-0 at home.

Newark Argyle, previously slated for big things, go down to Couno Rangers; Rangers thoroughly skewer Newark's midfield, allowing Bruce Nolan to run riot all around them. The 4-1 scoreline is flattering to Newark, who should have been six down; manager Des Clarke says that the result is a big wake-up call for the team. Outside opinions are more inclined to say that it's more on the team's depth; while stars ike Deng Daiyu, Simon Oliveira, and Gemma Rodway start match after match, who comes in after them is slightly more forgettable.

MATCHDAY 22
West Couno United 0–0 Kingsbury United

Fraser Valley 2–0 Sturrey Athletic
T Krzanowski 18', T Barker 82'//
Ridgewell Rovers 1–1 Newark Argyle
Kwak S-H 20'//R Fleetwood 39'
Couno Rangers 1–0 Clyde Park
E Robertson 18'
Colbrook City 1–1 Lakewood City
P Djurovic 70'//N Tejic 63'
Columbia City 0–0 FC Inter Nantwich

Serrapince 0–1 Lakewood United
T Grandelius 13'
Straton 2–1 Hesham
D Sartain 19', 39'//S Wilson 55'

WCU continue to slip up, drawing at home to bottom-of-the table Kingsbury in a match that was best described as "forgettable" to outside fans and "frustrating" to fans of West Couno. WCU played a rotated lineup, which wasn't half bad; except that Kaniatarii had neglected to play midfielders with attacking poise, fielding John Lawrence, Stephen Goodman and youngster Joscelin Cable against Kingsbury. The result was a placid game which saw creative spark Muharem Hajdarpasic subbed on too late for much to happen and another two points dropped in the title race. United, having won away at Serrapince through an early Tobias Grandelius goal, pull level with WCU — 46 points — while Lakewood City drawing with Colbrook means that the gap, at least, is down to four points at the top.

City may be leading the title charge at this point in time, but they've hardly looked convincing; their draw with Colbrook was perhaps the prime example of this. With Robin Vaughn now 35, and his legs now a resource that must be preserved at all costs, he's been given much less playtime; yet without him City's play has looked substantially more one-dimensional, and against teams like Colbrook, who employ a low block against a high-pressing team like City, they've looked less dominant than they usually are. Some say that this is the start of a long goodbye to this era-defining City team, but even then this team looks nothing like the one that won the first-ever season of Tumbran domestic football in the IFCF era. They, more than clubs like Serrapince or Straton, are more likely to reinvent themselves as long as John Riedweld stays at the helm; the man is 59, and shows no signs of slowing down or quitting any time soon, even as he grows greyer and greyer.

Straton and Hesham go up against each other for the second time this season; both have had severely underwhelming seasons so far, though Straton's season has been on the up and up since their harrowing moment of being bottom of the table in late autumn. Their win against Hesham — a routine, clean win in which Desmond Sartain struck twice against the Ploughmen — meant that the Senators moved back into seventh. Whether this late-season charge will be enough to get Mark Stevenson a contract extension will be up in the air; but at least Straton are safer than at the start of the season.

MATCHDAY 23
Straton 0–2 West Couno United
V Reisinger 14', M Hajdarpasic 19'
Hesham 2–2 Serrapince
L Russell 38', K Rostami 44'//V Sallay 18', D Lawrence 58'
Lakewood United 3–1 Columbia City
J Sürréo 20', 28', E Kruetzberg 90' + 3'//P Hurst 49'
FC Inter Nantwich 0–3 Colbrook City
A Perkkanen 20', S Rigby 83', 88'
Lakewood City 2–2 Couno Rangers
C Henshaw 19', 72'//M Finnemore 30', V Hicks 85'
Clyde Park 1–3 Ridgewell Rovers
T Haller 18'//A Kristensen 30', H Canavan 55', 82'
Newark Argyle 3–0 Fraser Valley
S Oliveira 20', G Rodway 29', A Fox 72'
Sturrey Athletic 0–0 Kingsbury United


A must-win game for City results in another frustrating draw — the Couno midfield, that powerhouse comprised of Finnemore, Vaillancourt, and Hicks, striking back and striking hard to deny City a win that would have seen them maintain their four-point lead in this crucial point of the season. WCU get back on the winning trail by beating Straton — scoring early and then pulling back seems to be the strategy as WCU try to keep their title challenge on the rails — while Lakewood United go on a tear against Columbia, who are seriously mulling pulling the trigger on Bradley Kemerer-Lascelles. The only thing preventing them from doing so, the rumours go, is that the ship is already sinking, and nobody would be willing to come aboard to see the team through what is slowly beginning to feel like an inevitability.

In non-football related news, the sixteen teams of the T-League 4 have been revealed; as have the 24 teams comprising the new fifth-tier National Championship. Promotion and relegation to the top tier of national football has been restored for teams not in the T-League; the original 48 are reportedly not very happy at this prospect, but the alternative was a lawsuit that would probably have blown the T-League wide open. Bend before break seems to be the mantra here; the T-League seems keen to reconcile with the TFF, particularly after the acrimonious start and split from the TFF that gave birth to this league.

Serrapince draw with Hesham, 2-2, but that result is quickly overshadowed by the announcement by Danny Haverhead that he'll be stepping down at the end of the season. A decade at the head of the Bees has seen three titles come to Serrapince; but results have taken a dip, and Haverhead's general enthusiasm for the job has seemingly dipped as of late. The job search is now on; the favourite to take on the job is David Griffiths, of Colbrook; but other names could be tempted to take on the job of Tumbra's second-most successful club of the modern era.

REPUBLIC CUP, QUARTER FINAL

Republic Cup, Quarter-Final

( D1)               Columbia City   0-2   Lakewood United             (D1 )
( D1)               Lakewood City   0-3   West Couno United           (D1 )
( D1)               Newark Argyle   1-1 p Straton                     (D1 )
( D1)                  Clyde Park   1-4   Couno Rangers               (D1 )

MATCHDAY 24
West Couno United 4–0 Sturrey Athletic
J Dufour 18', M Broadhurst 25', E Wright 35', F Evers 40'
Kingsbury United 0–1 Newark Argyle
R Fleetwood 30'
Fraser Valley 2–2 Clyde Park
A Moynihan 2', L Eyre 35'//D Ferguson 15', 75'
Ridgewell Rovers 3–4 Lakewood City
H Canavan 16', 22', C Steele 84'//R Vaughn 61', 68', T Huon 75', V Anderson 90' + 4'
Couno Rangers 2–1 FC Inter Nantwich
B Nolan 19', C Coste 24'//D Horvat 35'
Colbrook City 0–1 Lakewood United
K Desmond 82'
Columbia City 0–0 Hesham

Serrapince 3–0 Straton
V Sallay 18', C Ritchie 28', G Hilton 80'

WCU seem to be hitting some kind their stride; a dominating 4-0 victory against Sturrey to follow up on their 2-0 victory against Straton last week. Another rotated side that involves Eden Wright (a deep-lying playmaker who's an actual viable alternative to Hajdarpasic) is the main reason why WCU can score four against Sturrey in the first half of the game. The absolute blowout of Sturrey isn't part of the conversation as much as City's 4-3 win against Ridgewell away; which writes itself into modern legend as one of the best games of the modern era. Heidi Canavan scores a quick brace — the first one a tap in from an Amanda Browne cross, the second a free kick from outside the box. It stays that way through half time; but the second half, crucially, sees Robin Vaughn come on in Emmanuel Appleby's place. He scores twice in seven minutes; and then sends in a corner for Txomin Huon to give City the lead.

Somehow, it's not enough; Christopher Steele nets a goal after a lengthy goal-mouth scrabble; meaning that for a brief, shining moment, all three title competitors are level on 52 points. Yet, Vivi Anderson comes on for a limping Charlotte Henshaw, and with the last kick of the game, secures the three points for City. "Absolutely vital, humongous goal from Vivi," said manager John Riedweld after the game; and City hold on to their two-point advantage at the top of the table.

Lower down the table, Sturrey's loss to WCU mean that they're now rock bottom of the table; but the relegation fight is still wide open. Six teams — Colbrook, Fraser, Clyde, Columbia, Kingsbury, and Sturrey — are all within three points of each other, and it's equally conceivable that any of them could go down at this point in time. None of the team's managers are willing to provide much of a guess as to who will go down; though they're all confident it won't be their side. If the T-League wanted to create more exciting football by making the relegation battle more exciting to watch, they've succeeded; Columbia, Kingsbury and Colbrook weren't much in the conversation for relegation battlers in any of the 20-team seasons, but with six games remaining in the season? It's anyone's game.

MATCHDAY 25
Serrapince 0–4 West Couno United
V Reisinger 22', 86', L Vujanovic 38', E Wright 75'
Straton 2–1 Columbia City
Liang T 30', C Baker 84'//R Cowling 8'
Hesham 1–0 Colbrook City
H Mornington 22'
Lakewood United 0–1 Couno Rangers
V Hicks 65'
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 Ridgewell Rovers
B Coxeter 22'
Lakewood City 1–1 Fraser Valley
L McCormick 80'//T Barker 9'
Clyde Park 0–1 Kingsbury United
Kim CY 60'
Newark Argyle 2–0 Sturrey Athletic
C McGrath 20', M Moore 26'

Five games remaining, and the league is starting to take shape; though there's another change in the lead of the league. Lakewood City's draw with Fraser Valley is a potential title-losing result, just a week on from a potentially league-winning result against Ridgewell; their only consolation for the draw is that in the second Tumbran Classic of the season, United lost to Couno Rangers...at home. So far, so good; Couno aren't in title contention, and will be lucky to make it to the IFCF slots this season. But in West Couno's case, their 4-0 demolishing of Serrapince — a result not many expected — sees the Pilots take the lead of the league on goal difference. With Mederick Brown conceding just fourteen goals this season, he's odds-on to win the Golden Glove again this season; which would see him take centre stage as the prime candidate to replace Sandra Middleton if she steps down from the Quebecois national team.

In the midtable, or what has become popularly known as the fight for the two CEdC spots, Hesham force their way up to seventh with a win against Colbrook. The fight for the second CEdC spot — it's universally accepted that one of the two will go to either Couno or Serrapince, depending on who comes out worse in their dogfight. In it? Teams like Hesham, Newark, Straton, and Ridgewell; those four are the ones that are commonly accepted as fighting it out for that second spot. So who's the favourite? Well, nobody, really; all four teams are stuck within three points of each other, and there's still enough time left in the season for momentum to swing anywhere.

And what of transfer rumours? Luo Nanwei's time at Nantwich seems to be coming to a close — the Yue winger has increasingly indicated that he wants out of the club, with success thin on the ground at Nantwich. Whomever ends up relegated will evidently be having a serious firesale; names like Kira Dormann and Kim Chae-yeong will be going on sale at Kingsbury, or Victoria Thesselborg and Luuk Vennema at Columbia if the hand of fate does end up not swinging in their favour. Anselmo Santos is a target of Kingsbury United; the KT Moreazerua striker looks set to be making another move to Tumbra just one year after his loan to Fraser Valley. But with the end of the season so close yet so far, who can really say that they can tell who's going to move to Tumbra? Might Felixe Vetiver just move to Nantwich one day, out of the blue? (No.)

MATCHDAY 26
West Couno United 1–2 Newark Argyle
M Schärer 25'//R Fleetwood 3', L Murdoch 82'
Sturrey Athletic 1–4 Clyde Park
A Lenoidtzhin 35'//L Gomboult 11', R Anselm 35', T Haller 58', K Kearnes 83'
Kingsbury United 1–1 Lakewood City
J Anderson 22'//R Vaughn 40'
Fraser Valley 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
Luo N 7'
Ridgewell Rovers 3–4 Lakewood United
C Ross 22', I Robertson 40', Kwak SH 43'//E Kruetzberg 25', 45' + 2', K Considine 8', J Sürréo 88'
Couno Rangers 2–0 Hesham
J-P Vaillancourt 19', W Gouin 35'
Colbrook City 1–1 Straton
A Perkkanen 22'//H Osbourne 4'
Columbia City 2–1 Serrapince
P Hurst 30', V Thesselborg 71'//B Anggara 55'

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune continue, as West Couno's resurgent momentum is unceremoniously stopped by Newark Argyle. Lowen Murdoch's goal in the eighty-sixth minute is surprisingly allowed onside; even though Murdoch's shoulder is arguably past Raymond Perry's leg; but the VAR lines are drawn as they fall, and WCU fall back to second in the league. City, for their part, return to pride of pace despite drawing against Kingsbury — another potentially league-losing moment in the final few matches of the season. The big movement, however, is United taking advantage of City and WCU's slip-ups to pull level with the Pilots and within one point of their neighbours, opening the door to a title defence.

Tumbran football titles are notoriously difficult to defend; City at the start of the IFCF era were the only team to manage this, winning two in a row before that famed front four of Hermaeus Mora, George Hilton, Josip Horvat and a still-green Nick Riordan managed to beat City at their own game. If anything, Serrapince walked the league that season; they lost only once and scored 95 points as they denied City a third straight title. Since City's double, however, nobody's managed to win two in a row; United managing it with their new boy Jôs Sürréo would be an impressive achievement.

Title Contenders' Form
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Lakewood City          26   17   5   4    59   34  +25    56   DLWLW WWWWW WWWWL WWWWL WDDWD  D
 2 West Couno United      26   17   4   5    45   16  +29    55   WWLDW WWWWW LWWWW WLWWW LDWWW  L
 3 Lakewood United        26   17   4   5    46   25  +21    55   WLWDW WDWWD WLWWW DLDLW DWWWL  W

The three title contenders have all looked impressive and less-than-impressive at certain points in the season. At the start of it, United were odds-on to retain their title; and certainly got off to a roaring start, while West Couno had to pull their form together at the start to muster third after the first third of the season. The same went for City; after a disappointing first few matches, they then pulled off five wins in a row to pull level with United at the end of the first third. Then it was United's turn for their form to suffer after the midseason break; four games winless saw them dragged back down to third. Now, it's City that seem to be stuttering; three draws in the past six matches when WCU and United are on a roll isn't title-winning form in the slightest. It's worth noting that they have gone on an unbeaten run since Matchweek 20; and they'll be hoping for this form to at least hold when they face off against West Couno in what will be, in all likelihood, a title-deciding game on the last matchday.

MATCHDAY 27
Columbia City 2–3 West Couno United
Liang W 74'. 77'//L Vujanovic 19', C Vette 25', R Sitko 55'
Serrapince 1–0 Colbrook City
V Sallay 25'
Straton 1–5 Couno Rangers
C Bond 23'//D Conder 11', B Nolan 30', 75', 90' + 2', E Robertson 56'
Hesham 1–3 Ridgewell Rovers
A Thompson 36'//H Canavan 25', A Kristensen 39', C Lyon 55'
Lakewood United 4–0 Fraser Valley
J Sürréo 24', T Grandelius 19', C Keyes 74', N Atkinson 79'
FC Inter Nantwich 0–1 Kingsbury United
J Anderson 35'
Lakewood City 1–1 Sturrey Athletic
R Vaughn 7'//A Lenoidtzhin 90' + 1'
Clyde Park 1–1 Newark Argyle
M Wague 28'//J Harding 30'

If there was a single moment that could be pointed to as a title-losing moment — would it be the three game-draw streak that Lakewood City have now embarked on? The goal by Artur Leonidtzhin that saw City's slender one-point lead be transformed into a one-point deficit with just three games to go, against Newark, Clyde, and crucially, against West Couno? Or would it have been any of the earlier draws against Kingsbury, or Fraser, which were arguably both matches that should have been won extremely easily? The look of abject horror on Ian Ashburn's face as Lenoidtzhin sailed away, knowing that his team had rescued a draw — and an infinitely valuable lifeline in a table of thin, finely-cut margins dominated the back pages the next day.

On paper, the game should have been a walk for City; Lenoidtzhin's shot in the ninetieth minute and thirty-eighth second was Sturrey's sixth of the game, and only their second on target. City had walked almost every metric of the game; possession, 69-31; pass completion, 89-61, more corners, higher expected goals, the lot. But City had failed, somehow, to prepare themselves for the fact that football matches are not played on paper. Artur Lenoidtzhin's goal was not the fault of any individual City player, but the result of a sequence of play that Sturrey had carefully choreographed to take opponents like City by storm.

Titles are rarely lost; they are often won, with teams stretching out with gloved hands to claw at destiny. But Artur Leonidtzhin's goal at 90:38, in the Lakewood City Arena, managed to send a shocked stadium into silence; and in the knowledge that United had just smashed Fraser Valley 4-0 and WCU had held Columbia's late charge off 3-2, their task to win a fifth title in this IFCF era had become exponentially more difficult, even with three games left where anything, anything could happen.

MATCHDAY 28
West Couno United 2–0 Clyde Park
V Reisinger 38', 75'
Newark Argyle 1–2 Lakewood City
O Abril 35'//E Appleby 24', 49'
Sturrey Athletic 1–1 FC Inter Nantwich
J Mercer 29'//B Coxeter 73'
Kingsbury United 0–3 Lakewood United
J Horvat 56', A Gillingham 70', 72'
Fraser Valley 1–2 Hesham
D Greer 34'//H Blamey 21', V Loustaunau 30'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–1 Straton
O Penn 18'//H Harwood 35'
Couno Rangers 2–2 Serrapince
JP Vaillancourt 56', V Hicks 84'//D Lawrence 23', L Ness 64'
Colbrook City 2–0 Columbia City
S Stansfield 19', S Rigby 38'

But could anything happen? City win, United win, WCU win; in all three games, the title contenders didn't face much opposition in their opponents. In the battle for the second IFCF spot, Nantwich slipped up by "doing a City" and drawing to Sturrey, putting them within chasing distance of Couno and Serrapince. Yet the two couldn't capitalise on this, either; their game ended up with a draw. An exciting, exhilarating draw, but a draw nonetheless; which left Nantwich in a much safer place than they otherwise would be had either Couno or Serrapince triumphed in their game.

In the relegation fight, Kingsbury and Colbrook can finally breathe sighs of relief as they hit 30 points; while Kingsbury hit it last week with a win against Nantwich, the margin means that they're essentially safe from the fight. This means that it's now down to four teams trying to avoid two spots; Clyde (28 points), Fraser (27), Columbia (26) and Sturrey (25). Columbia and Sturrey are odds-on to go straight down, while surprisingly Clyde are favoured to go to the playoff against Fraser. Despite the speculation, Edmund Finnegan's job is safe, as is Dan Crosby's, no matter what happens; while Kemerer-Lascelles

As to who wins the title? Well, United are still the betting market's favourites; they next play Sturrey and then Newark. City have Clyde, and then WCU; WCU have Colbrook, and then City. It's unsurprising, then, as to why United are still the favourites; that City and West Couno hold the fates to each other's title challenges in their palms means that there's a very large chance that United power through both matches and win the league. At the very least, they're favoured to finish second.

REPUBLIC CUP, SEMI-FINAL

Republic Cup, Semi-Final
( D1)             Lakewood United   2-1   West Couno United           (D1 )
( D1)                     Straton   0-3   Couno Rangers               (D1 )

MATCHDAY 29
Colbrook City 0–3 West Couno United
P Wilson 22', J Houghton 39', M Hajdarpasic 77'
Columbia City 1–1 Couno Rangers
V Thesselborg 75'//B Nolan 22'
Serrapince 0–2 Ridgewell Rovers
H Canavan 28', Steinar C 50'
Straton 1–2 Fraser Valley
C Carter 24'//T Barker 20', 29'
Hesham 0–0 Kingsbury United

Lakewood United 4–2 Sturrey Athletic
J Horvat 18', N Atkinson 35', J Sürréo 55', 62'//R Doyle 20', J Mercer 69'
FC Inter Nantwich 1–1 Newark Argyle
A Fisher 20'//G Rodway 4'
Lakewood City 5–0 Clyde Park
C Henshaw 10', 24, R Vaughn 75', S McTavish 60', H Hills 80'

And then everything became clear. City won, United won, WCU won to set up a massive title fight on the last day where all any side had to do was to win; Columbia need to win against Ridgewell to secure survival, while Sturrey's loss to United have essentially consigned them to relegation. For eleven years, the plucky Southwestern side held strong, finishing in the bottom half of the table and giving their fans heart attacks year on year on year. It seemed their greatest escape was escaping the fate that befell Macarthur, Bencoolen, Clark and Dorival's fate the previous season, and becoming one of the sixteen clubs in the inaugural run of the T-League. Dan Crosby has confirmed he will stay on, while shedding most of the club's foreign contingent; this means that names like Lenoidtzhin, Sabadh Mark and Taium Oldauw will likely be finding new homes next season.

With one game to go, Serrapince drop out of the top five for what feels like for the first time in forever; the end of Danny Haverhead's tenure feels more like a whimper than a bang, with just two wins in their last four games. The match itself functions more as a goodbye for their long-serving manager; it being Haverhead's final home game, the result feels a bit of a sting to go out on, but it's perhaps apt as a metaphor for the later half of Serrapince's tenure. It was rumoured that Haverhead was about to leave regardless of what happened this season; his reluctance to renew the squad beyond what needed to be renewed was a "calculated move" to allow the next manager a free hand to shape the squad however they like. It does, however, leave them with a lot of work to do; this is a squad which is beginning to lack in several departments, faced with an aging midfield and an offense that has increasingly looked like it's not up to snuff. Few can name people who would be willing to take the job.

Straton's loss to Fraser Valley precipitates the second departure of the off-season; Mark Stevenson will be leaving Straton after the end of the season. The Licentian tried to drag Straton up the league table; the best he could manage was a pair of seventh places, and the team looked like it was going backwards as time went on. Despite the very talented front three of Tino, Osbourne and Baker at the team' disposal, Straton have failed to get over the hump and return to the IFCF spots since their financial troubles and move to the Olympic Stadium. At least one more sacking is expected; it is widely expected that Kemerer-Lascelles' time at Columbia is at an end no matter what happens at the end of the season. The stage is set for an exhilarating final matchday; with three teams who can still win it, and two playing each other, all attention will be focused on Wrenchwelt Stadium — the home of West Couno United, as they try to win their first title since 1976.

MATCHDAY 30
West Couno United 2–1 Lakewood City
V Reisinger 81', 89'//R Vaughn 32'
Clyde Park 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
B Coxeter 24'
Newark Argyle 2–2 Lakewood United
R Fleetwood 18', L Murdoch 80'//J Sürréo 23', S Jepson 37'
Sturrey Athletic 0–0 Hesham

Kingsbury United 1–1 Straton
J Hughes 38'//C Bond 85'
Fraser Valley 3–3 Serrapince
T Barker 20', 66', T Krzanowski 81'//V Sallay 12', 38', 55'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Columbia City
M Riester 64'
Couno Rangers 3–1 Colbrook City
C Kearney 38', D Burnet 59', E Robertson 72'//F Yeltsov 41'

Like all good league finales, this one took until the last ten minutes of the season to settle. But the best way to tell the story of the day, where every match started at the same time on the final matchday, was through tables.

START OF MD30
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 West Couno United      30   20   5   5    53   18  +35    65
 2 Lakewood United        30   20   5   5    57   27  +30    65
 3 Lakewood City          30   19   7   4    67   36  +31    64

This is how they were at the start of the game; with WCU set to win the league on goal difference, and City just one point behind. But just eighteen minutes later...

18TH MINUTE — ROSE FLEETWOOD (NEWARK ARGYLE) SCORES
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 West Couno United      30   20   5   5    53   18  +35    65
 2 Lakewood City          30   19   7   4    67   36  +31    64
 3 Lakewood United        30   20   4   6    57   28  +29    64

Rose Fleetwood puts Newark 1-0 ahead, a spectacular effort from the edge of the box; and WCU are now one point clear of both their challengers. But just five minutes later...

23RD MINUTE — JÔS SÜRRÉO (LAKEWOOD UNITED) SCORES
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 West Couno United      30   20   5   5    53   18  +35    65
 2 Lakewood United        30   20   5   5    58   28  +30    65
 3 Lakewood City          30   19   7   4    67   36  +31    64

...things are put back to their order at the start of the game, where WCU are level with United. Sürréo, the Rülândése striker nets another effort for United; he's almost a lock for Player of the Season, with how much he's done for United this season. But if United don't win, then that's put into jeopardy.

32ND MINUTE — ROBIN VAUGHN (LAKEWOOD CITY) SCORES
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lakewood City          30   20   6   4    68   36  +32    66
 2 Lakewood United        30   20   5   5    58   28  +30    65
 3 West Couno United      30   20   4   6    53   19  +34    64

City seek to seize control of the narrative, with Robin Vaughn pulling off another one of his immaculate goals; putting City in front for the first time since their three draws in a row. Maybe, just maybe, if things hold like this for the next hour, City can sneak a title out of nowhere...

37TH MINUTE — SPENCER JEPSON (LAKEWOOD UNITED) SCORES
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Lakewood United        30   21   4   5    59   28  +31    67
 2 Lakewood City          30   20   6   4    68   36  +32    66
 3 West Couno United      30   20   4   6    53   19  +34    64

...but United, who can properly have the term juggernaut applied to them now that they've shrugged off their decade of pain, strike back. It's almost inevitable; Spencer Jepson's header past Darcy Lewis, rising above Craig Anderton, puts United back in the driving seat after just five minutes. The three duelists head into half-time this way; and agonisingly, for the next twenty-five minutes, missed shots are met with ooohs and aaahs, until finally, the deadlock is broken...

80TH MINUTE — LOWEN MURDOCH (NEWARK ARGYLE) SCORES
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lakewood City          30   20   6   4    68   36  +32    66
 2 Lakewood United        30   20   5   5    59   29  +30    65
 3 West Couno United      30   20   4   6    53   19  +34    64

...not by City, United, or West Couno, but rather by Lowen Murdoch; the Severn team proving to be yet another thorn in the side of the red Lakewood side, by pegging them back and giving City the lead of the title; but even they can't make good on it, because just a minute later, Vasya Reisinger receives the ball from Luka Vujanovic, and thwacks it...

81ST MINUTE — VASYA REISINGER (WEST COUNO UNITED) SCORES
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 West Couno United      30   20   5   5    54   19  +35    65
 2 Lakewood United        30   20   5   5    59   29  +30    65
 3 Lakewood City          30   19   7   4    68   37  +31    64

...right past Victoria Jones. The news that City have taken the lead of the league hasn't even set in yet before it's lost; and WCU are now back in control of their own destiny, willing the next ten minutes to pass without anything happening. The worst-case scenario would be, of course, United scoring now; and West Couno go desperately on the hunt. Back in Lakewood, Emilie Kruetzberg hits the post almost immediately after play restarts, but Newark hold strong...

89TH MINUTE — VASYA REISINGER (WEST COUNO UNITED) SCORES
                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 West Couno United      30   21   4   5    55   19  +36    67
 2 Lakewood United        30   20   5   5    59   29  +30    65
 3 Lakewood City          30   19   6   5    68   38  +30    63

...and then, in what might turn out to be the most controversial goal of the season, Vasya Reisinger's tap-in in the eighty-ninth minute is deemed onside; and WCU have the lead of the championship. Charlotte Henshaw surges forward again, and again, and again in injury time, but can't seem to score the goal that seems to matter. The news that United have ended the day all square filters through; and heavy anticipation, the tension palpable, builds in Couno, as the blue, western half of Couno, who haven't won a title in sixty years, who've relied on just scraping by, who've survived relegation countless times by the skin of their teeth, who were always second best ——

And after four long, agonising minutes of injury time, the whistle blows.

The stadium goes wild.

Samara Kaniatarii falls to her knees as the magnitude of her achievement dawns on her.

In a season where the only two title challengers were expected to be the Lakewood sides, her side stole the title — not by goal difference, or head-to-head, but by two whole points.

Her side, after falling short two seasons ago, and not remotely challenging last season, came through at last; delivered when it mattered, and Vasya Reisinger's name will be forever feted by the West Couno faithful for years to come.

REPUBLIC CUP FINAL

Lakewood United 0–1 Couno Rangers
B Nolan 38'

Couno rescue some of their poor season by denying United any sort of silverware this season bar the CEdC; a thirty-eighth minute goal by Bruce Nolan is enough to separate the two. There's not much else to say; this edition of the Republic Cup largely sailed past without much fanfare or commentary, with much of the focus now on the TFF-T-League struggle and how the two of them interacted. But Couno cap off their season with a fifth place in the league and entry into international competition; which, considering that their season didn't much go the way they wanted, is at least some consolation.

T-League, Season 1

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg   Form10
 1 West Couno United      30   21   4   5    55   19  +36    67   ▲1   LDWWW  LWWWW   Champions; IFCF Champions' League
 2 Lakewood United        30   20   5   5    59   29  +30    65   ▲1   DWWWL  WWWWD   IFCF Champions' League
 3 Lakewood City          30   19   6   5    68   38  +30    63   ▼2   WDDWD  DDWWL   IFCF Challengers' Cup
 4 FC Inter Nantwich      30   14   9   7    34   24  +10    51   -0   DDLLW  WLDDW   IFCF Challengers' Cup
 5 Couno Rangers          30   14   7   9    49   36  +13    49   ▲2   WWDWW  WLDDW   IFCF Challengers' Cup
 6 Serrapince             30   12  10   8    39   32   +7    46   ▼1   DLDWL  LWDLD   Campionato Esportiva di Campeones
 7 Ridgewell Rovers       30   12   4  14    37   37    0    40   ▼1   LDWLL  LWDWW   Campionato Esportiva di Campeones
 8 Newark Argyle          30   11   6  13    27   39  −12    39   ▲2   LDWWW  WDLDD
 9 Hesham                 30   11   5  14    20   29   −9    38   -0   WLDDW  LLWDD   Vilitan Cove International
10 Straton                30   10   5  15    38   50  −12    35   ▼2   DWLLW  LLDLD
11 Kingsbury United       30    7  11  12    16   31  −15    32   ▲2   LDDLW  DWLDD
12 Fraser Valley          30    8   7  15    28   43  −15    31   ▲3   WWLDD  LLLWD
13 Colbrook City          30    8   6  16    29   39  −10    30   ▼2   LDWLL  WLWLL
14 Clyde Park             30    8   4  18    27   43  −16    28   -0   WLLDL  WDLLL   Promotion-Relegation Playoff
15 Columbia City          30    6   9  15    23   34  −11    27   ▼3   LDLDL  WLLDL   Relegation
16 Sturrey Athletic       30    6   8  16    19   45  −26    26   -0   WLDLL  LDDLD   Relegation

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE 2
END OF SEASON

MATCHDAY 21
Newton Wanderers 1–1 Delphi Lionesses
Readale Wanderers 1–0 Fontwell Rovers
Bencoolen City 2–0 Port Marray
AFC Cayalon 0–2 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Washington City 2–3 Shepperton Ravens
Millsburgh Steelers 0–1 Glenmont AFC
Macarthur City 4–2 Clark City
Dorival 2–0 Hoxford United

MATCHDAY 22
Delphi Lionesses 0–0 Dorival
Hoxford United 0–0 Macarthur City
Clark City 4–1 Millsburgh Steelers
Glenmont AFC 2–1 Washington City
Shepperton Ravens 0–0 AFC Cayalon
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–2 Bencoolen City
Port Marray 3–2 Readale Wanderers
Fontwell Rovers 0–2 Newton Wanderers

MATCHDAY 23
Fontwell Rovers 3–3 Delphi Lionesses
Newton Wanderers 1–1 Port Marray
Readale Wanderers 0–1 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Bencoolen City 2–1 Shepperton Ravens
AFC Cayalon 1–2 Glenmont AFC
Washington City 0–1 Clark City
Millsburgh Steelers 0–1 Hoxford United
Macarthur City 1–2 Dorival

MATCHDAY 24
Delphi Lionesses 0–0 Macarthur City
Dorival 3–0 Millsburgh Steelers
Hoxford United 2–1 Washington City
Clark City 2–0 AFC Cayalon
Glenmont AFC 0–0 Bencoolen City
Shepperton Ravens 3–1 Readale Wanderers
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 0–1 Newton Wanderers
Port Marray 1–2 Fontwell Rovers

MATCHDAY 25
Port Marray 0–0 Delphi Lionesses
Fontwell Rovers 1–3 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Newton Wanderers 4–3 Shepperton Ravens
Readale Wanderers 2–0 Glenmont AFC
Bencoolen City 1–0 Clark City
AFC Cayalon 3–1 Hoxford United
Washington City 0–1 Dorival
Millsburgh Steelers 3–2 Macarthur City

MATCHDAY 26
Delphi Lionesses 2–1 Millsburgh Steelers
Macarthur City 4–2 Washington City
Dorival 3–3 AFC Cayalon
Hoxford United 1–3 Bencoolen City
Clark City 2–1 Readale Wanderers
Glenmont AFC 1–2 Newton Wanderers
Shepperton Ravens 0–1 Fontwell Rovers
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 3–0 Port Marray

MATCHDAY 27
Delphi Lionesses 2–1 Millsburgh Steelers
Macarthur City 4–2 Washington City
Dorival 3–3 AFC Cayalon
Hoxford United 1–3 Bencoolen City
Clark City 2–1 Readale Wanderers
Glenmont AFC 1–2 Newton Wanderers
Shepperton Ravens 0–1 Fontwell Rovers
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 3–0 Port Marray

MATCHDAY 28
Delphi Lionesses 2–1 Washington City
Millsburgh Steelers 2–2 AFC Cayalon
Macarthur City 0–1 Bencoolen City
Dorival 2–2 Readale Wanderers
Hoxford United 3–0 Newton Wanderers
Clark City 2–3 Fontwell Rovers
Glenmont AFC 2–1 Port Marray
Shepperton Ravens 1–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries

MATCHDAY 29
Shepperton Ravens 1–4 Delphi Lionesses
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 3–3 Glenmont AFC
Port Marray 2–3 Clark City
Fontwell Rovers 3–0 Hoxford United
Newton Wanderers 0–1 Dorival
Readale Wanderers 2–0 Macarthur City
Bencoolen City 0–0 Millsburgh Steelers
AFC Cayalon 2–2 Washington City

MATCHDAY 30
Delphi Lionesses 1–0 AFC Cayalon
Washington City 1–2 Bencoolen City
Millsburgh Steelers 5–3 Readale Wanderers
Macarthur City 2–2 Newton Wanderers
Dorival 0–1 Fontwell Rovers
Hoxford United 3–2 Port Marray
Clark City 4–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Glenmont AFC 1–3 Shepperton Ravens

.  T-League 2                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
 1 Bencoolen City                  30   19   6   5    56   30  +26    63   Champions; Promoted
 2 Fontwell Rovers                 30   17   6   7    47   28  +19    57   Promoted
 3 Delphi Lionesses                30   15  11   4    51   29  +22    56   Promotion-Relegation Playoff
 4 Clark City                      30   17   3  10    63   45  +18    54
 5 Dorival                         30   15   7   8    50   37  +13    52
 6 Millsburgh Revolutionaries      30   12   6  12    37   38   −1    42
 7 AFC Cayalon                     30   11   8  11    47   42   +5    41
 8 Newton Wanderers                30   11   8  11    42   44   −2    41
 9 Hoxford United                  30   13   2  15    40   48   −8    41
10 Readale Wanderers               30   12   4  14    48   51   −3    40
11 Macarthur City                  30   10  10  10    44   47   −3    40
12 Glenmont AFC                    30    9   8  13    41   53  −12    35
13 Shepperton Ravens               30    9   4  17    46   60  −14    31
14 Port Marray                     30    9   4  17    34   51  −17    31   Relegation
15 Millsburgh Steelers             30    7   7  16    39   53  −14    28   Relegation
16 Washington City                 30    4   6  20    34   63  −29    18   Relegation

PROMOTION-RELEGATION PLAYOFF
Delphi Lionesses 0–3 Clyde Park
M Wague 18', K Kearnes 39', L Gomboult 77'

T-LEAGUE 3
END OF SEASON

MATCHDAY 21
Ricci Ironworkers 0–0 Ridgewell United
Teignford Academical 1–1 New Timbourne Knights
Trelmont Rangers 2–2 Guillemard Town
Tavistock Athletic 2–0 Kelder Phoenixes
Southport Thunder 2–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Carter United 3–2 Cobham Town
AFC Gillman 2–0 Harchester United
Harwick Wanderers 1–3 Tavistock Park

MATCHDAY 22
Ridgewell United 3–1 Harwick Wanderers
Tavistock Park 1–3 AFC Gillman
Harchester United 0–1 Carter United
Cobham Town 3–1 Southport Thunder
Pomeroy Mountaineers 3–1 Tavistock Athletic
Kelder Phoenixes 3–1 Trelmont Rangers
Guillemard Town 3–2 Teignford Academical
New Timbourne Knights 2–1 Ricci Ironworkers

MATCHDAY 23
New Timbourne Knights 3–0 Ridgewell United
Ricci Ironworkers 1–1 Guillemard Town
Teignford Academical 2–4 Kelder Phoenixes
Trelmont Rangers 0–3 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Tavistock Athletic 2–1 Cobham Town
Southport Thunder 1–0 Harchester United
Carter United 4–2 Tavistock Park
AFC Gillman 2–0 Harwick Wanderers

MATCHDAY 24
Ridgewell United 0–3 AFC Gillman
Harwick Wanderers 1–0 Carter United
Tavistock Park 2–1 Southport Thunder
Harchester United 2–0 Tavistock Athletic
Cobham Town 0–0 Trelmont Rangers
Pomeroy Mountaineers 4–4 Teignford Academical
Kelder Phoenixes 5–2 Ricci Ironworkers
Guillemard Town 2–2 New Timbourne Knights

MATCHDAY 25
Guillemard Town 2–1 Ridgewell United
New Timbourne Knights 2–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Ricci Ironworkers 3–2 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Teignford Academical 5–3 Cobham Town
Trelmont Rangers 1–3 Harchester United
Tavistock Athletic 0–1 Tavistock Park
Southport Thunder 0–3 Harwick Wanderers
Carter United 5–2 AFC Gillman

MATCHDAY 26
Ridgewell United 2–3 Carter United
AFC Gillman 2–0 Southport Thunder
Harwick Wanderers 1–2 Tavistock Athletic
Tavistock Park 2–2 Trelmont Rangers
Harchester United 2–5 Teignford Academical
Cobham Town 2–1 Ricci Ironworkers
Pomeroy Mountaineers 3–1 New Timbourne Knights
Kelder Phoenixes 0–2 Guillemard Town

MATCHDAY 27
Kelder Phoenixes 3–1 Ridgewell United
Guillemard Town 0–2 Pomeroy Mountaineers
New Timbourne Knights 2–1 Cobham Town
Ricci Ironworkers 1–1 Harchester United
Teignford Academical 1–0 Tavistock Park
Trelmont Rangers 3–2 Harwick Wanderers
Tavistock Athletic 0–0 AFC Gillman
Southport Thunder 3–5 Carter United

MATCHDAY 28
Ridgewell United 2–4 Southport Thunder
Carter United 1–1 Tavistock Athletic
AFC Gillman 5–0 Trelmont Rangers
Harwick Wanderers 2–0 Teignford Academical
Tavistock Park 1–1 Ricci Ironworkers
Harchester United 0–2 New Timbourne Knights
Cobham Town 0–2 Guillemard Town
Pomeroy Mountaineers 0–0 Kelder Phoenixes

MATCHDAY 29
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–0 Ridgewell United
Kelder Phoenixes 2–1 Cobham Town
Guillemard Town 1–1 Harchester United
New Timbourne Knights 6–2 Tavistock Park
Ricci Ironworkers 1–0 Harwick Wanderers
Teignford Academical 0–1 AFC Gillman
Trelmont Rangers 0–1 Carter United
Tavistock Athletic 1–0 Southport Thunder

MATCHDAY 30
Ridgewell United 2–2 Tavistock Athletic
Southport Thunder 2–1 Trelmont Rangers
Carter United 4–1 Teignford Academical
AFC Gillman 2–2 Ricci Ironworkers
Harwick Wanderers 2–1 New Timbourne Knights
Tavistock Park 1–0 Guillemard Town
Harchester United 3–5 Kelder Phoenixes
Cobham Town 2–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers

.  T-League 3                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 AFC Gillman                30   16  12   2    57   28  +29    60   Champions; Promoted
 2 Carter United              30   17   8   5    60   37  +23    59   Promoted
 3 New Timbourne Knights      30   16   7   7    55   39  +16    55   Promoted
 4 Harwick Wanderers          30   13   5  12    48   48    0    44
 5 Tavistock Athletic         30   11   9  10    45   43   +2    42
 6 Pomeroy Mountaineers       30   11   8  11    50   47   +3    41
 7 Cobham Town                30   11   8  11    44   45   −1    41
 8 Tavistock Park             30   11   7  12    40   49   −9    40
 9 Guillemard Town            30    9  11  10    38   37   +1    38
10 Ricci Ironworkers          30    9  11  10    46   48   −2    38
11 Kelder Phoenixes           30    9  10  11    47   48   −1    37
12 Teignford Academical       30   10   6  14    50   55   −5    36
13 Ridgewell United           30   10   6  14    44   51   −7    36
14 Southport Thunder          30   10   5  15    36   45   −9    35
15 Harchester United          30    9   7  14    36   48  −12    34
16 Trelmont Rangers           30    4   8  18    31   59  −28    20

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 1
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 Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)
Silver Ball: Jôs Sürréo (RUL, Lakewood United)
Golden Ball: Vasya Reisinger (NPH, West Couno United))

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - NOMINEES
Bruce Nolan (TMB, Couno Rangers)
Charlotte Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)
Emilie Kruetzberg (CMT, Lakewood United)
Heidi Canavan (TMB, Ridgewell Rovers)
Jôs Sürréo (RUL, Lakewood United)
Mederick Brown (QUE, West Couno United)
Noel Hercule-McKinley (QUE, West Couno United)
Robin Vaughn (TMB, Lakewood City)
Samuel McTavish (QUE, Lakewood City)
Spencer Jepson (TKT, Lakewood United)
Vasya Reisinger (NPH, West Couno United)
Walter Thomas (TKT, FC Inter Nantwich)

---

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: Bruce Nolan (TMB, Couno Rangers)
Gold: Robin Vaughn (TMB, Lakewood City)

Midfielder of the Year
Bronze: Julie Dufour (KSK, West Couno United)
Silver: Samuel McTavish (QUE, Lakewood City)
Gold: Emilie Kruetzberg (CMT, Lakewood United)

Defender of the Year
Bronze: Walter Thomas (TKT, FC Inter Nantwich)
Silver: Spencer Jepson (TKT, Lakewood United)
Gold: Noel Hercule-McKinley (QUE, West Couno United)

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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: Luka Vujanovic (MYT, West Couno United)
Silver Award: Muharem Hajdarpasic (MYT, West Couno United)
Golden Award: Erin Robertson (TMB, Couno Rangers)

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR - NOMINEES
Bayu Anggara (PCU, Serrapince)
Cedomir Vladmirovic (MYT/QUE, Lakewood City)
Erin Robertson (TMB, Couno Rangers)
Fedya Yeltsov (TMB/MYT, Colbrook City)
Hazel Hills (TMB, Lakewood City)
Kim Chae-yeong (QUE, Kingsbury United)
Muharem Hajdarpasic (MYT, West Couno United)
Luka Vujanovic (MYT, West Couno United)
Nicolas Pellegrini (TMB/JUE, Lakewood United)
Shim Seo-yeon (TMB/CMT, West Couno United)
Tamara Goldwin (TMB, Lakewood United)
Victor Leighton (TMB, Lakewood City)

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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: Ian McDermott (TMB, Hesham) & Richard Russell (TMB, Lakewood United)
- 13 clean sheets, 29 conceded
Silver Glove: Nick Barker (TMB, FC Inter Nantwich)
- 14 clean sheets, 24 conceded
Golden Glove: Mederick Brown (QUE, West Couno United)
- 16 clean sheets, 19 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. 568 goals sees a severe drop from last season, with the average number of goals being at the lowest ever in the IFCF era. Even with 8 less matches, defences seemed to be much, much stronger this year. This year, three players scored the same amount of goals; ignoring the traditional tiebreaker, all three were awarded the Golden Boot award.

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)

Golden Boot: Vasya Reisinger (NPH, West Couno United)
- 17 goals
Golden Boot: Charlotte Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)
- 17 goals
Golden Boot: Jôs Sürréo (RUL, Lakewood United)
- 17 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 - John Riedweld (TMB, Lakewood City)
Second - Andrea Spinelli (SVG, Lakewood United)
First - Samara Kaniatarii (QUE, West Couno 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  Mederick Brown (QUE, West Couno United)
Defender    Alexis Charron-Becker (QUE, West Couno United)
Defender    Spencer Jepson (TKT, Lakewood United)
Defender    NH McKinley (QUE, West Couno United)
Defender    Mike Sheppard (TMB, Lakewood United)
Midfielder  Muharem Hajdarpasic (MYT, West Couno United)
Midfielder  Samuel McTavish (QUE, Lakewood City)
Midfielder  Emilie Kruetzberg (CMT, Lakewood United)
Forward     Jôs Sürréo (RUL, Lakewood United)
Forward     Charlotte Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)
Forward     Vasya Reisinger (NPH, West Couno United)

Second XI

Position    Player
Goalkeeper  Nick Barker (TMB, FC Inter Nantwich)
Defender    Martin Hawthorn (TMB, FC Inter Nantwich)
Defender    George Steel (TMB, West Couno United)
Defender    Walter Thomas (TKT, FC Inter Nantwich)
Defender    Joey Sterling (TLI/CMT, West Couno United)
Midfielder  Vincent Hicks (TMB, Couno Rangers)
Midfielder  Lucas McCormick (TMB, Lakewood City)
Midfielder  Julie Dufour (KSK, West Couno United)
Forward     Heidi Canavan (TMB, Ridgewell Rovers
Forward     Bruce Nolan (TMB, Couno Rangers)
Forward     Robin Vaughn (TMB, Lakewood City)

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 2
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
Mark Pryor           69     MGR     TMB     Millsburgh Revolutionaries

Nigel Philips        38     GK      TMB     Lakewood City
Gary Lewis           35     CB      TMB/TNL AFC Gillman
Tony Baldwin         35     LB      TMB     Guillemard Town
Graham Green         35     LB      TMB     New Timbourne Knights
Paul Brown           35     LB      TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
Robert Walsh         35     ST      TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
Francesco Rossi      35     ST      TMB     AFC Cayalon
John Pepper          35     CM      TMB     Glenmont AFC
Kilarul Dhaundhen    35     RB      KOR     Macarthur City
Michael Gore         35     CB      TMB     Port Marray
Xaime Medal          35     LW      TMB/TEQ Port Marray
Alex Anderson        35     RW      TMB     Shepperton Ravens
Vic Nelson           35     RB      TMB     Washington City
Gordon Jennings      36     LW      TMB     Port Marray
David Eldridge       35     CB      TMB     AFC Gillman
Eric Graham          36     CM      TMB     Readale Wanderers
Robert Park          36     CM      TMB     Readale Wanderers
Michael Swann        36     RM      TMB     Brades United
Graham Cooper        35     LW      TMB     Tavistock Park
Gareth Roberts       34     ST      TMB     Teignford Academical
Liam McGrath         32     LB      TMB     Pomeroy Mountaineers
Nigel Erskine        35     ST      TMB     Anomalies [CMT]
Leo Hooper           35     CM      TMB     Lanar [CMT]

Released

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club
Danny Haverhead      60     MGR     TKT     Serrapince              The Grenadiers [DAN]
Mark Stevenson       62     MGR     TLI     Straton                 Tikariot City [TKT]
B Kemerer-Lascelles  54     MGR     QUE     Columbia City           FC Stadeli [TAX]

Departures

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                     Fee
K-R Hertel           26     LW      QUE     Couno Rangers           Hellenic SC [ELM]          12.0m
Nell Youngblood      22     RW      QUE     Columbia City           Wirr Tsi [CMT]              7.0m
H Gormley-McCowan    25     CM      QUE     Columbia City           Perce Town [QUE]            6.0m
Victoria Thesselborg 28     ST      TKT     Columbia City           Capitol Athl. [SYL]         4.5m
Luuk Vennema         27     CB      CNR     Columbia City           Real Alegria [CAD]          4.0m
Steinar Clemensson   29     CAM     GRÆ     Ridgewell Rovers        Sareña FC [CAD]             4.0m
Bruce Nolan          29     ST      TMB     Couno Rangers           CSKA Quebec [QUE]           4.0m
Enis Crnogorčević    28     CM      MYT     Columbia City           Tekstil Ibon [MYT]          3.0m
Rachel Doyle         26     LM      SYL     Sturrey Athletic        Betham [SYL]                3.0m
Charlotte Ritchie    28     RW      TLI     Serrapince              Cleorough [SYL]             3.0m
Dagur Lawrence       27     CAM     PFA     Serrapince              Bikarish [PFA]              3.0m
Esekíel Sváfnisson   21     CM      TMB/GRÆ FC Inter Nantwich       1896 Ebor [MYT]             2.5m
Artur Lenoidtzhin    24     ST      MYT     Sturrey Athletic        Lok. Cassia [MYT]           2.3m
Arthur Ackerman      26     LB      TMB/TNL Bencoolen City          La Querida [FFD]            2.0m
Frederick Prost      31     ST      MRT     Couno Rangers           Destin Easteners [XAN]      2.0m
Vázsony Sallay       32     ST      PAS     Serrapince              Basikta [PAS]               2.0m
Taium Oldauw         25     CM      SRS     Sturrey Athletic        Shenmi [NIX]                1.5m
George Hilton        33     LW      TMB     Serrapince              Real Alegria [CAD]          0.0m
Andrew Taylor        34     GK      TMB     Couno Rangers           Mayflower [CAD]             0.0m
James Anderson       36     ST      TMB     Kingsbury United        Lion City FC [DAN]          0.0m
Louis Paterson       35     CB      TMB     Kingsbury United        Dartford Devils [DAN]       0.0m
Alex Kristensen      34     LW      TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Apollo FC [DAN]             0.0m 
Francis Evers        34     LW      TMB     West Couno United       Portland Pirates [DAN]      0.0m
Luo Nanwei           29     RW      YZH     FC Inter Nantwich       La Querida [FFD]            und.

Internal Transfers

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                     Fee
Kim Chae-yeong       22     RW      QUE     Kingsbury United        FC Inter Nantwich           8.5m
Jack Ryland          24     LW      SYL     Colbrook City           Serrapince                  7.0m
Felicity Woodhouse   25     RW      TMB     Straton                 Kingsbury United            6.2m
Kira Dormann         26     CB      QUE     Kingsbury United        FC Inter Nantwich           6.0m
Amanda Browne        25     LW      TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Couno Rangers               5.5m
Peter Hurst          25     LW      TMB     Columbia City           Straton                     5.2m
Michael Browne       29     CDM     TMB     Lakewood United         FC Inter Nantwich           5.0m
Cynthia Grimley      28     RW      TMB     Colbrook City           Fontwell Rovers             4.0m
Joaquin Santo        28     CB      JUE     FC Inter Nantwich       Kingsbury United            4.0m
Anne Beckett         27     RM      TMB     Fraser Valley           FC Inter Nantwich           3.5m
Romain Coutard       27     CB      SZO/FFD Ridgewell Rovers        Lakewood United             3.3m
Sarah Sears          21     CB      TMB     West Couno United       Clyde Park                  3.0m
Jude McCreary        21     RB      TMB     Kingsbury United        Newark Argyle               3.0m
Monica Searle        21     CM      TMB/NPH Clyde Park              Newark Argyle               2.9m
Almar Hussein        31     CB      TMB     Lakewood United         Colbrook City               2.8m
Harvey Osbourne      28     LW      TMB     Straton                 Fontwell Rovers             2.5m
Harriet Bevins       26     RM      TMB     Hesham                  Straton                     2.5m
Josip Horvat         32     RM      TMB/SVG Lakewood United         Clark City                  2.5m
Kevin Dunstan        28     CM      TMB     Straton                 Fontwell Rovers             2.3m
Tom Lawrence         31     CB      TMB     Lakewood City           Fontwell Rovers             2.2m
Tom Elliot           21     ST      TMB     Hesham                  Newark Argyle               2.0m
Mariana Budi-Dursun  23     LB      QUE     Columbia City           Bencoolen City              2.0m
Sean Black           21     RB      TMB     FC Inter Nantwich       Fraser Valley               2.0m
Hayley Stanway       27     LW      TKT     Newton Wanderers        West Couno United           2.0m
Jilian Griffiths     24     RB      TMB     Newark Argyle           Bencoolen City              2.0m
Louise Kelly         21     CAM     TMB     Colbrook City           Clyde Park                  2.0m
Joscelin Cable       21     CM      TMB     West Couno United       Columbia City               2.0m
Clarissa Nunnaro     22     LW      TMB/OSR Sturrey Athletic        Ridgewell Rovers            1.8m
David Blair          21     CM      TMB     Kingsbury United        Columbia City               1.7m
Claire Steadman      30     CB      TMB     Colbrook City           Shepperton Ravens           1.5m
Jamie Cooper         27     CB      TMB     Newark Argyle           Shepperton Ravens           1.5m
Richard Baker        30     RW      TMB     FC Inter Nantwich       Colbrook City               1.5m
Timothy Decker       28     CDM     TMB     Kingsbury United        Glenmont AFC                1.4m
Gavin Butler         28     CM      TMB     Newark Argyle           Readale Wanderers           1.4m
Mira Foster          30     RB      TMB     Colbrook City           Fontwell Rovers             1.3m
Ben Morgan           32     CB      TMB     West Couno United       Glenmont AFC                1.2m
Brendan May          29     LM      TMB     Clyde Park              Dorival                     1.5m
Pertz-Evela Vet      28     CM      QUS     Hesham                  Hoxford United              1.5m
Natasha Caroline     26     ST      TMB     Kingsbury United        AFC Cayalon                 1.5m
Anne Fox             28     ST      TMB     Newark Argyle           Delphi Lionesses            1.3m
Nathan Quinn         30     CB      TMB     Clyde Park              Columbia City               1.4m
Renata Emmanuelli    20     CDM     JUE     FC Inter Nantwich       Fontwell Rovers             1.0m
Alex Long            27     CB      TKT     Dorival                 Bencoolen City              1.0m
Mickey Lynch         32     CAM     TMB     Clyde Park              Readale Wanderers           0.7m
Richard Evans        32     RB      TMB     Bencoolen City          AFC Cayalon                 0.5m
Philip Gonzalez      32     CB      TMB     Fraser Valley           AFC Cayalon                 0.5m
Don Blather          30     RB      TMB     Fraser Valley           Macarthur City              0.3m
Hermione Moore       22     LM      TMB     Dorival                 Delphi Lionesses            0.3m
Rupert Kirkwood      35     CB      TMB     Colbrook City           Port Marray                 0.0m

Transfers into the league

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                     Fee
Lars Hartmansson     50     MGR     GRÆ     Brantisvogan [SRS]      Serrapince                   ---

Aneurin Wakering     25     RW      BRE     CS St. Remy [KSK]       Serrapince                 15.0m
Nurija Papez         24     CDM     MYT     1923 Esca [MYT]         Lakewood United            12.5m
Ceferino Audiol      26     ST      JUE     Kirkenes [KSK]          Serrapince                 12.5m
Quinten van der Ven  27     CM      TLI     Kirkenes [KSK]          Ridgewell Rovers            7.0m
Caelan Wright        25     GK      TLI     Corinthians NL [NPH]    Couno Rangers               7.0m
Honorio Menez        25     CB      MRT     Strathcona Intls. [KSK] Newark Argyle               6.0m
Sara Vatnarsdóttir   26     CAM     GRÆ     Urrheddiao [CMT]        Serrapince                  6.0m
Holly Howell         26     ST      TMB     Latrobe Athl. [KSK]     Couno Rangers               6.0m
Kim Sang-wook        26     ST      QUE/CMT Clayquot City [KSK]     Kingsbury United            6.0m
Chris Tipple         29     CM      TMB     Capitol Athl. [SYL]     FC Inter Nantwich           4.0m
Lara Beaugemont      24     LW      ELM     AS Samita [ELM]         Ridgewell Rovers            4.0m
Antonio Silva        20     CB      ELM     AS Samita [ELM]         Ridgewell Rovers            4.0m
Elizabeth Blanc      30     ST      SVG/TMB Coquitlam Utd. [KSK]    Fontwell Rovers             3.0m
Thora Houghson       23     CB      NPH     Stahlburg City [NPH]    Kingsbury United            3.0m
Nicholas Moss        27     LB      TMB     Miruan City [TKT]       Fontwell Rovers             2.0m
Oliver Crossley      29     GK      TKT     Burnaby SC [KSK]        Fontwell Rovers             2.0m
Alex Salvaggione     26     RW      TKT     Hamiltonian Camb. [KSK] Bencoolen City              2.0m
Zhao Fan             21     CB      YZH     Yincheng Phoen. [YZH]   West Couno United           2.0m
Zheng Hong           23     RW      YZH     Xi'hai Warriors [YZH]   Lakewood United             2.0m
Andrew Everingham    26     LW      TKT     Wynleth Flyers [KSK]    Colbrook City               1.5m
Gianni Esposito      28     RB      SVG/TMB Burnaby SC [KSK]        Colbrook City               1.5m
Sha Jian             25     CB      YZH     Passerine [KSK]         Colbrook City               1.2m
Simon Vlammenzee     22     LM      TKT     Miruan City [TKT]       Bencoolen City              1.0m
Clodio Noya          31     CDM     TEQ     Mazinaw Vanorian [KSK]  Straton                     1.0m
Bill Allison         32     LW      TMB     Union Laguardia [XAN]   Clark City                  1.0m
Stephen Williams     27     CM      TMB     Holhot United [PFA]     Glenmont AFC                1.0m
Rachel Bullivant     22     GK      TMB     Eyrods Tech [CMT]       Lakewood City               0.0m
Edward Maddison      22     ST      TMB     Chromia C.C.U. [CMT]    Kingsbury United            0.0m
Stella Harrington    22     CM      TMB     Pria Tech [CMT]         Hesham                      0.0m
Elaine Howard-Dawes  22     ST      QUE/CMT Z'ai'ai Tech [CMT]      Couno Rangers               0.0m

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 2
PREVIEWS

Bencoolen City

Quick Facts

City and State: Bencoolen, Bencoolen
Last season: T-League 2, Champions, 63 points
Stadium: Bencoolen City Stadium, 55,000
Nickname: the Merchants; the Yellows
Manager: George Lascelles, 60, Tumbra
Style of Play: Counterattacking long-ball play
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: ST Frank Wilson
Captain: GK James Kent

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  James Kent          30  M   TMB
2   LB  Mariana Budi-Dursun 23  F   QUE
21  CB  Damian Fong         22  M   TMB
5   CB  Jane Palmer         26  F   TMB
22  RB  Jilian Griffiths    24  F   TMB
12  LM  Simon Vlammenzee    22  M   TKT
6   CM  Rim Myung-hee       25  F   CMT
25  CDM Hugo Lofthouse      26  M   TMB
16  RM  Alex Salvaggione    26  M   TKT
10  ST  Frank Wilson        31  M   TMB
11  ST  Sarah Matthews      29  F   TMB

13  GK  Peter Dryden        34  M   TMB
24  GK  Ewan McCann         25  M   TMB
18  LB  Frankie Valentino   32  M   TMB
4   CB  Peter Bassett       32  M   TMB
19  CB  Alex Long           27  M   TKT
26  CB  Jayne Thompson      27  F   TMB
3   RB  Baptiste Ndosi      33  M   TEQ/TMB
7   LM  Pearline Doyle      27  F   TMB
8   CM  Rita Ingwood        31  F   TMB
20  CM  Christine Halse     30  F   TMB
15  CAM Vincent Schiff      28  M   TMB
14  CM  Adam Woodcock       23  M   TMB
9   RM  Dave Yannick        31  M   TMB
17  ST  Ben Dixon           31  M   TMB
23  ST  Paul Harding        30  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Mariana Budi-Dursun from Columbia City, 2.0m
Jilian Griffiths from Newark Argyle, 2.0m
Alex Salvaggione from Hamiltonian Cambria [KSK], 2.0m
Alex Long from Dorival, 1.0m
Simon Vlammenzee from Miruan City [TKT], 1.0m
Outgoing:
Arthur Ackerman to La Querida [FFD], 2.0m
Richard Evans to AFC Cayalon, 0.7m
Promoted:

Up again, down again; are Bencoolen too good for the second tier while too bad for the first tier?

Last Season: Back into the Tumbran top tier after just one season, Bencoolen proved that their exodus from the Premiership was merely temporary. In their sole season in the second tier, they shed Rachel McNamara back to Saint Eleanor; but picked up Frank Wilson from the Cordian league and used his striking power to win the T-League 2 at a canter. The question now is whether they — along with manager George Lascelles, back for a second shot at the Premiership — can make it stick.

New Arrivals: The team went with a mix of players who had experience in Tumbra — in particular, Mariana Budi-Dursun, a last-minute signing after Arthur Ackerman had his head turned by the Lithico™ money and decided to up sticks to the warzone of the newly-founded nation. Alex Long, a Tikariotian defender from Dorival who stuck it out in the second tier, gets a second chance in the Prem; manager Lascelles described him as “excellent in the air” with his height. Lascelles signed two more Tikariotians — Alex Salvaggione from the Kelssek leagues, as well as Simon Vlammenzee; both are fairly flexible and look set to fit into Lascelles’ hard-running, hard-working style of play.

Strengths and Weaknesses: That’s really their main strength; the fact that they can seemingly run forever and ever without stopping, allowing for a constant counter-press which suits them as they don’t run with a lot of possession. Frank Wilson, former Columbia striker, is probably their best player; he’s got an unparalleled eye for goal. Damian Fong is an up-and-coming player who’s renowned for his skills on the ball; while Hugo Lofthouse is a hard-tackling midfielder with an eye for ankles.
Prediction: Overall, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to say that Bencoolen are up against it; there’s a reason why they and Fontwell are poised to go straight back down. But not many people predicted that Columbia would end up getting relegated next season. Lascelles has been at the helm of Bencoolen for quite a while now, and he’s forged a sense of togetherness at the club that’s difficult to shake. Regardless of the outcome of the season, Bencoolen’s owner — Kotzellach shipping tycoon Helmuth Kerner — has reassured Lascelles he has his job as long as he wants it, meaning that there’s at least that weight of expectation lifted from their shoulders.

---

Clyde Park

Quick Facts

City and State: Clyde, Clearmont
Last season: 14th, 28 points
Stadium: Clyde Park, 38,500
Nickname: the Lions; the Clarets
Manager: Edmund Finnegan, 59, Tumbra
Style of Play: Intricate passing play
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: RW Kim Kearnes
Captain: CB Trevor Marshall

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mike Hancy          34  M   TMB
15  LB  Kevin Taylor        29  M   TKT
5   CB  Trevor Marshall     32  M   TKT
26  CB  Leo Fisher          28  M   QUE/TLI
6   RB  Juul de Bruin       27  F   TLI
23  CDM Henry Morgan        25  M   TMB
8   CM  Patient Habimana    23  M   KIG
13  CM  Lydia Gomboult      26  F   MRT
18  LW  Barkad Assaf        23  M   TMZ/QUE
11  RW  Kim Kearnes         29  F   SYL
9   ST  Moussa Wague        27  M   BRO

12  GK  Reed Woodward       24  M   TMB
25  GK  Mark Leader         24  M   TMB
2   LB  Jacob Keene         33  M   TMB
14  CB  Ricardo Wyatt       27  M   TMB
19  CB  Penelope Gorostieta 22  F   TMB/MRT
4   CB  Sarah Sears         21  F   TMB
3   RB  Greg Bailey         22  M   TMB
20  CDM Robert Anselm       27  M   TMB
22  CM  Neil Adams          22  M   TMB
16  CM  Shirley Gillard     22  F   TMB
10  CAM Louise Kelly        21  F   TMB
7   LW  Lyn. Frecklington   21  F   TMB
21  RW  Daryl Ferguson      28  M   TMB
17  ST  Charles Carr        29  M   TMB
24  ST  Timothy Haller      24  M   TMB
27  RB  Isabel Ashcroft     20  F   TMB
                
29  ST  Oscar Browning      19  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Sarah Sears from West Couno United, 3.0m
Louise Kelly from Colbrook City, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Brendan May to Dorival, 1.5m
Nathan Quinn to Columbia City, 1.4m
Mickey Lynch to Readale Wanderers, 0.7m
Promoted:
Lynette Frecklington, LW

Last season was a warning shot; but what’s the chance Clyde actually go down this season?

Last Season: For a team that were in the relegation zone for most of the season, Edmund Finnegan sure didn’t act like his job was under threat for most of it. It was probably this confidence in his playing squad that helped them to pull themselves out of being directly relegated — Columbia and Sturrey were the ones subject to this ignominious fate — but Clyde were still subject to the whims of a relegation playoff. Ultimately, they pulled through in dominant fashion; but it was a warning shot that their time in the Prem might be ending sooner rather than later.

New Arrivals: Major improvements were needed; required, even; the signing of Barkad Assaf on the left could only be politely described as “disappointing”, while the performances of long-serving players like Brendan May were also extremely lacklustre. Most fans expected big-money signings; instead they got Sarah Sears and Louise Kelly from West Couno and Colbrook respectively, and promoted Lynette Frecklington to their senior squad. Were they the heavy hitters that the squad needed? Not by a long shot.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The lack of big signings reflected perhaps just how tight things have gotten in northern Clearmont; this could easily be a squad preparing for relegation. The saving grace of this squad will have to be Moussa Wague, the Brookstation striker who is reportedly agitating for a way out; the striker is entering his prime but perhaps could feel like he’s being chained down to this particular team. Besides him, Kim Kearnes, speedy and agile, will have to carry the team’s offence on the right flank; while Henry Morgan at the base of midfield will be called upon to start attacks. Trevor Marshall, while still a stalwart at the back of the pitch for Clyde, has been becoming more and more injury-prone across the years, and games in which his leadership will be missing makes Clyde’s defence that much less secure.

Prediction: Most fans and pundits are realistic in their expectations that Clyde will end up in the lower half of the table again. The question is whether they’ll survive or not; while Finnegan is one of the most capable managers in Tumbra, having delivered the country their only Di Bradini Cup trophy, the playing squad he has at his disposal isn’t as strong as many would like.

---

Colbrook City

Quick Facts

City and State: Colbrook, Grantfeldt
Last season: 13th, 30 points
Stadium: Colbrook Stadium, 30,000
Nickname: the Northerners; the Postmen
Manager: David Griffiths, 59, Tumbra
Style of Play: Moderately attacking, heavy on side-passing play
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: RW Antti Perkkanen
Captain: CB Sarah Robson

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Adam Stanton        28  M   TMB
14  LB  Shana Reed          25  F   BRE
4   CB  Sha Jian            25  M   YZH
5   CB  Sarah Robson        29  F   TMB
2   RB  Gianni Esposito     28  M   SVG/TMB
7   LM  Andrew Everingham   26  M   TKT
19  CDM Brendan Rowling     25  M   TMB
22  CM  Petrasin Djurovic   24  M   MYT/TLI
23  RM  Antti Perkkanen     32  M   TKT
20  ST  Elaine Calare       30  F   NPH
24  ST  Alex Finlay         25  M   TMB

12  GK  Tobias Matthews     21  M   TMB
25  GK  Gilian Bryce        25  F   TMB
3   LB  George Calvert      29  M   TMB
6   CB  Sonja Connolly      22  F   TMB
13  CB  Almar Hussein       31  M   TMB
15  CB  Philip Chamberlain  27  M   TMB
16  RB  Jennifer Murray     24  F   TMB
8   CDM Didier Hennequin    20  M   JUE
18  CM  John Hyland         24  M   TMB
17  CM  Faye de Vries       22  F   TMB/TLI
21  LW  Alistair McGarry    28  M   TMB
10  CAM Simon Stansfield    23  M   TMB
9   RW  Richard Baker       30  M   TMB
26  ST  Sabrina Rigby       22  F   TMB
11  ST  Fedya Yeltsov       22  M   TMB/MYT

27  LB  Gilian Allison      20  F   TMB
28  CDM Terence Fordham     19  M   TMB
30  ST  Lauren Whiteley     18  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Almar Hussein from Lakewood United, 2.8m
Richard Baker from FC Inter Nantwich, 1.5m
Andrew Everingham from Wynleth Flyers [KSK], 1.5m
Gianni Esposito from Wynleth Flyers [KSK], 1.5m
Sha Jian from Passerine [KSK], 1.2m
Outgoing:
Jack Ryland to Serrapince, 7.0m
Cynthia Grimley to Fontwell Rovers, 4.0m
Louise Kelly to Clyde Park, 2.0m
Claire Steadman to Shepperton Ravens, 1.5m
Mira Foster to Fontwell Rovers, 1.3m
Rupert Kirkwood to Port Marray, 0.0m
Promoted:

This team struggled last season — will the new signings plug the gaping hole in their defense?

Last Season: Despite being reigning Republic Cup champions, Colbrook’s season didn’t go exactly to plan. They started the season explosively — being sixth after ten games, winning five games — then won three from the following twenty. From a certain point of view, it’s miraculous that David Griffiths still has a job. But they pulled through — even if it meant that Colbrook fans’ mental sanity kept steadily slipping the further people got into the season — and they’re ready for a sixth crack at this Premier Division thing.

New Arrivals: There were several high-profile departures from Colbrook in the summer; chief amongst which were Jack Ryland, swept up by Serrapince in their summer spending spree, as well as Cynthia Grimley to Fontwell. There was a defensive shake-up as well; Rupert Kirkwood ended his long association with the club, as did Claire Steadman and Mira Foster, the last of which joined Grimley in the west. In came Almar Hussein from Lakewood United, contract running out and United eager to sell; but the real coups were Gianni Esposito and Sha Jian from Kelssek, whose league had become rather eager to sell their foreign stars overnight. Esposito in particular made waves when he announced his intention to naturalise and declare his open-ness to being selected for the Tumbran national team in his first press conference with the club; and hoped that his performances would help him be in contention for a future Campionato Esportiva, at the very least. Richard Baker and Andrew Everingham come in to support the wings; Baker brings experience, whilst Everingham brings a touch of speed and flair that Ryland took with him when he left the club.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The departure of Jack Ryland means that this squad has been severely weakened. There’s no doubt about it; but there’s a hope that Everingham will be able to fill up the gaps well enough. The departure of the 35 year-old Kirkwood also means there’s less leadership at the back, though the newly-minted captain Sarah Robson has long been preparing for the role. When it comes to playing personnel, Antti Perkkanen is probably the best player on the team right now; while he’s beginning to show a slow-down in his pace, his playmaking abilities remain as strong as ever. Petrasin Djurovic is a calming, playmaking presence in midfield; while Alex Finlay has matured into a consummate finisher.

Prediction: How well Colbrook do will largely depend on how well this new-look defence gels together. The loss of Kirkwood will hurt in the dressing room — though most will admit he was well past his prime. Most expect another relegation fight; some hope for a midtable scrap, though with the shrink to 16 teams in the league has effectively eliminated that discussion; it’s either eat or be eaten these days.

---

Couno Rangers

Quick Facts

City and State: Couno, Napier
Last season: 5th, 49 points
Stadium: Couno Port Stadium, 54,500
Nickname: the Rams; the Reds
Manager: Marco Giuliani, 58, Savigliane/Tumbra
Style of Play: Short, quick-passing play
Prediction: IFCF challengers
Key Player: CM Vincent Hicks
Captain: CB Joel Tyler

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Caelan Wright       25  M   TLI
2   LB  Seren Thomson       31  F   TLI
26  CB  Wilfrid Gouin       24  M   DEL
17  CB  Carlos Coste        27  M   JUE
3   RB  Luca Cambiaso       30  M   SVG/TMB
18  CDM Mark Finnemore      28  M   TMB
5   CM  J-P Vaillancourt    29  M   QUE
8   CM  Vincent Hicks       32  M   TMB
7   LW  Erin Robertson      24  F   TMB
12  RW  Dimitra Conder      30  F   NPH
11  ST  Elaine Howard-Dawes 22  F   QUE/CMT

23  GK  Farzana Patel       25  F   TMB
25  GK  Cyril Anderton      23  M   TMB
16  LB  Hazel Kennedy       24  F   TMB
14  CB  Arwen van As        29  F   TLI
4   CB  Joel Tyler          34  M   TMB
6   CB  Lomar Wellingsley   29  M   TKT
20  RB  Ashley Crittenden   26  F   TMB
21  CDM Apollinare Quarto   21  M   JUE
13  CM  David Burnet        32  M   TMB
19  CM  Colin Kearney       28  M   TMB
15  CAM Michelle Vaughan    23  F   TMB
9   LW  Amanda Browne       25  F   TMB
22  RW  Lilith Kendall      23  F   TMB/NPH
10  ST  Holly Howell        26  F   TMB
24  ST  Sylvaine Fortier    24  F   TMB/CMT

27  GK  Jeanette Portman    19  F   TMB
28  CB  Hannah Edwards      19  F   TMB
29  ST  Ellen Vesper        18  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Caelan Wright from Corinthians No Longer [NPH], 7.0m
Holly Howell from Latrobe Athletic [KSK], 6.0m
Amanda Browne from Ridgewell Rovers, 5.5m
Elaine Howard-Dawes from Z’ai’ai Tech [CMT], 0.0m
Outgoing:
Kingsley-Roger Hertel to Hellenic SC [ELM], 12.0m
Bruce Nolan to CSKA Quebec [QUE], 4.0m
Frederick Prost to Destin Easteners [XAN], 2.0m
Andrew Taylor to Mayflower [CAD], 0.0m
Promoted:

Controversy over a last-minute signing — but will she come good?

Last Season: Rangers were expected to be third in the title race behind the two Lakewood clubs; but they fell off early in the season and never really recovered. Fifth was probably about deserved for the side’s at-times placid style of play; and some have wondered if Spinelli, now entering his eighth season with the Rams, could be entering the same funk that engulfed Danny Haverhead before his eventual departure from Serrapince at the end of the last season.

New Arrivals: Any suggestion of that, however, was rubbished by Couno’s moves in the transfer market. An early departure by Kingsley-Roger Hertel to Elmyia was assuaged by the early signing of Amanda Browne from Ridgewell; Erin Robertson, however, should be the starting winger for Couno still. Holly Howell joined from Latrobe Athletic for a princely six million; the striker, taking the place of the departing Frederick Prost, was expected to serve as back-up to Bruce Nolan. With Andrew Taylor out of contract, Caelan Wright was bought from Corinthians No Longer in another eye-watering deal which sees him potentially be only the third non-Tumbran starting goalkeeper in the T-League. That was expected to be all the transfer business Couno would do this summer. 24 hours after the deadline passed, however, Couno suddenly announced the transfer of Bruce Nolan to CSKA Quebec; it was not a good morning to be a Couno fan.

Then, at the end of the day, the club announced the signing of Elaine Howard-Dawes. Questions were raised over how this was possible, considering that the transfer window was, well, closed; but once it became clear that the transfer of Howard-Dawes to Couno was not a fee-paying transfer (rather, a contract was just offered to her — and free agents could be signed at any time), much was cleared up. Don’t expect the chants from opposing fans of “transfer cheats” to stop any time soon, however.

Strengths and Weaknesses: There are no immediately obvious weaknesses in this squad. The midfield is probably the strongest part of this equation —how can it not be with the trio of Mark Finnemore, Jean-Philippe Vaillancourt and Vincent Hicks? With the signing of Elaine Howard-Dawes, Couno have also put a hand on one of the most promising talents in the world; and that’s probably raised their chances of winning the title from ‘longshot’ to ‘within reach’.

Prediction: Before the Howard-Dawes signing, most were expecting a run to the lower IFCF spots; with Howard-Dawes, however, that equation changes. She’s one of the best young strikers in the world; and, quite frankly, the world is her oyster. Couno are a dedicated team, egged on by the most dedicated of Tumbran fans; and with the new girl leading the line, there’s no reason why they can’t go on a run to the very top.

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FC Inter Nantwich

Quick Facts

City and State: Nantwich, Finnley
Last season: 4th, 51 points
Stadium: Nantwich Stadium, 64,000
Nickname: the Black-and-Blues; the Bulls
Manager: Daniel Galbraith, 44, Tumbra
Style of Play: Careful, patient build-up
Prediction: IFCF Challengers
Key Player: LW Jake Spekman
Captain: CDM Aventurine Kolar

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Nick Barker         34  M   TMB
14  LB  Martin Hawthorn     26  M   TMB
23  CB  Kira Dormann        26  F   QUE
5   CB  Walter Thomas       29  M   TKT
3   RB  Klara Verlaan       25  F   QUE
6   CDM Aventurine Kolar    33  F   NPH
8   CM  Andrew Fisher       32  M   TMB
16  CM  Dino Horvat         25  M   MYT
9   LW  Jake Spekman        27  M   TLI/CMT
7   RW  Kim Chae-yeong      22  F   QUE
11  ST  Basilica Coxeter    31  F   NPH

12  GK  George Lang         22  M   TMB
25  GK  Ferdinand Halliwell 23  M   TMB
2   LB  Aimée Laurent       32  F   SVG/TMB
4   CB  Sasha Stepanov      24  F   CMT
13  CB  Michael Hutchinson  23  M   TMB
26  CB  Susan Fox           21  F   TMB
22  RB  Clay van der Hout   33  M   TLI
20  CM  Sandra Cho          23  F   TMB
19  CM  Zheng Haidong       30  M   YZH
10  CM  Chris Tipple        29  M   TMB
21  CDM Michael Browne      29  M   TMB
15  LW  Max Mycroft         30  M   TMB
18  RW  Anne Beckett        27  F   TMB
17  ST  Joanna Bradford     27  F   TMB
24  ST  Heather Gell        30  F   MRT
27  CB  Lionel Cooper       20  M   TMB

29  LW  Daniel Hayward      18  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Kim Chae-yeong from Kingsbury United, 8.5m
Kira Dormann from Kingsbury United, 6.0m
Michael Browne from Lakewood United, 5.0m
Chris Tipple from Capitol Athletic [SYL], 4.0m
Anne Beckett from Fraser Valley, 3.5m
Outgoing:
Joaquin Santo to Kingsbury United, 4.0m
Esekíel Sváfnisson to 1896 Ebor [MYT], 2.5m
Sean Black to Fraser Valley, 2.0m
Richard Baker to Colbrook City, 1.5m
Renata Emmanuelli to Fontwell Rovers, 1.0m
Luo Nanwei to La Querida [FFD], undisclosed
Promoted:

With a rebuild on the horizon, will Galbraith be able to deliver regular IFCF football?

Last Season: Nantwich surprised with a quiet, confident campaign to finish fourth in a season where they were widely expected to not really do much. At the end of the day, however, it was consistency that was able to get Nantwich as high as they were — returning to the IFCF spots after a one-year hiatus. There were good results — after all, the season started with a draw against City, while victories against WCU, United, and Couno followed — but ultimately the squad seemed to lack that x-factor to truly turn them into a team competing for the championship.

New Arrivals: Two seasons into his career with Nantwich, and Daniel Galbraith’s transfer policy so far seems to trend towards experience. Chris Tipple returns from Sylestone — ending a cross-Esportiva journey that saw him also land in the Licentian Isles after leaving Clyde Park nearly a decade ago — while Michael Browne makes the much shorter hop over from Lakewood United. Both signings — along with Anne Beckett — are more likely to shore up the team’s midfield, which has looked a little old at times. It’s the two Quebecois signings that should be examined with a finer microscope. There’s Kim Chae-yeong, an exciting winger who broke through at Kingsbury and who will be the long-term successor to Luo Nanwei; and there’s Kira Dormann, a solid centre-back, great with her feet, with national team ambitions. Both were plucked from Kingsbury; both were Quebecois, a nationality Galbraith has great experience with.

Strengths and Weaknesses: If anything, this squad’s greatest strength may also be its biggest weakness. The squad has an average age of 27.4; that’s the third highest in the league behind Bencoolen and Straton. It’s got a load of intelligence; the bottom of the midfield consisting of Aventurine Kolar and Andrew Fisher is probably the most cerebral in the league; but it’s also old. Pace was never Kolar’s strong suit, and it’s only gotten markedly worse in recent years, meaning Dino Horvat has had to run a lot more to cover for her. Similarly, Nick Barker is probably Tumbra’s best goalkeeper of the modern age, but he’s also getting a bit long in the tooth. Yes, 34 is probably still in a goalkeeper’s prime, but it’s never too early to start succession planning. After all, he’s one of nine 34 year-olds in the league, and there are only four people older than him. Many of the team’s depth players are also on the older side of matters; Aimee Laurent, Clay van der Hout, Zheng Haidong, Max Mycroft, and Heather Gell are all 30 and up, and the club did sell Esekíel Sváfnisson to 1896 Ebor immediately, despite their offer of a loan back to Nantwich. It does seem like Galbraith chooses to place his stock in more experienced players; but he’ll have to manage the pitfalls that come with them accordingly.

Prediction: An eleventh-hour change here; before the signing of Howard-Dawes Nantwich could reasonably have a claim to challenging for the IFCF spots and coming off better. But while Nantwich’s signings have been impressive — Kim and Dormann particularly — there is an argument to be made that with that one singular signing, Couno have leapfrogged Nantwich into having a stronger claim on the top five.

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Fontwell Rovers

Quick Facts

City and State: Fontwell, Marlsbruhe
Last season: T-League 2, 2nd, 57 points
Stadium: WesternOil Power Station, 52,000
Nickname: the Rebels; the Westerners; the Wolves
Manager: Russell Lock, 65, 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     29  M   TKT
2   LB  Nicholas Moss       27  M   TMB
4   CB  Tom Lawrence        31  M   TMB
16  CB  Kelly Owens         24  F   TMB
20  RB  Gordon Hughes       26  M   TMB
5   CDM Christian Gallagher 32  M   TMB
6   CM  Kevin Dunstan       28  M   TMB
8   CM  Roger Scrivener     30  M   TMB
11  LW  Harvey Osbourne     28  M   TMB
7   RW  Cynthia Grimley     28  F   TMB
9   ST  Elizabeth Blanc     30  F   SVG/TMB

12  GK  Lawrence Santi      25  M   TMB
21  GK  George Conway       21  M   TMB
13  LB  Michael Jardine     23  M   TMB
23  CB  Samantha Hedges     27  F   TMB
15  CB  Eric O'Halloran     32  M   TMB
17  CB  Amanda Southwell    25  F   TMB
3   RB  Mira Foster         30  F   TMB
26  CDM Renata Emmanuelli   20  F   JUE
18  CDM Rachel Scott        26  F   TMB
25  CM  Daniel Cowen        30  M   TMB
10  CAM Keith Nakamura      22  M   TMB
19  LW  David Lloyd         28  M   TMB
24  RW  Sarah Howell        29  F   TMB
22  ST  Robert Holland      20  M   TMB
14  ST  Henry Gerritsen     26  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Cynthia Grimley from Colbrook City, 4.0m
Elizabeth Blanc from Coquitlam United [KSK], 3.0m
Harvey Osbourne from Straton, 2.5m
Kevin Dunstan from Straton, 2.3m
Tom Lawrence from Lakewood City, 2.2m
Nicholas Moss from Miruan City [TKT], 2.0m
Oliver Crossley from Burnaby SC [KSK], 2.0m
Mira Foster from Colbrook City, 1.3m
Renata Emmanuelli from FC Inter Nantwich, 1.0m
Outgoing:
Promoted:

They’ve spent enough — but is it enough to avoid the drop?

Last Season: Fontwell are lucky to be here. One of the most storied teams in Tumbran footballing history — a veritable powerhouse, winning four (it’s a lot in the Tumbran context) titles across their hundred or so years of history. They first joined the Tumbran Premier Division in 1903; winning two consecutive titles in 1951/52 and 1952/53, and book-ending the 1980s with two titles at the start and end of that decade. They’ve been a mainstay in Premiership football — always threatening, always big enough to challenge — but always ended up, for lack of a better word, bottling all of that. About fifteen years ago they were relegated to the second tier; and were struggling there, spending intermittent time in the third tier — and then they jumped ship. Their reward for being an early backer was a spot in the new second tier; they managed to attract Russell Lock, the ever sardonic manager, and with smart investment they charged their way up to first in the second tier by the two-thirds mark. They had to settle for second; but they’re now back in the Prem. Or, as it’s now called, the T-League.

New Arrivals: And they have spent. Nine transfers have seen Fontwell hastily assemble a T-League starting eleven; with seven going straight into the starting lineup. And they could have done worse. Nicholas Moss is easily the most high-profile signing Fontwell made; the left-back returns from Tikariot in a deal that really felt like it could have been more expensive. Cynthia Grimley, a speedy winger from Colbrook, is the highest-costing transfer of Fontwell’s window. Harvey Osbourne, the now-unloved scion of Straton, as well as Kevin Dunstan, who never seemed to be good enough for highly-demanding Straton fanbase, make the long flight from the nation’s capital. Elizabeth Blanc, a deep-lying forward, will be supplying both Osbourne and Grimley; while the team will be hoping Oliver Crossley will be keeping the goals out.

Strengths and Weaknesses: As the long list of summer signings will suggest, this team’s main strength is that they’ve managed to assemble a capable lower midtable (if that concept still exists) team in one transfer window. Christian Gallagher has Prem experience with Colbrook; Keith Nakamura might be young, but he is exciting and comes from the local Katashi community. Their weakness? If it doesn’t come together, and quickly, then this ship is bound for a quick trip back down to the second tier. Manager Russell Lock has Prem experience; so does more than half his squad, and the foreign imports have experience in much more powerful leagues— Kelssek and Tikariot.

Prediction: Interestingly, the betting markets — famously reliable for their ability to predict outcomes — have Fontwell tipped for survival. This is perhaps fair; most see them as having a shot of finishing 14th, ahead of Clyde and Bencoolen. Maybe Colbrook too, if they’re lucky. But it all depends on how quickly this team gels; and many a Fontwell fan will quietly be hoping that their latest sojourn in the top tier of Tumbran football won’t be a one-season cameo like many of the clubs that have been in their position before.

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Fraser Valley

Quick Facts

City and State: (the outskirts of) Serrapince, Bechor
Last season: 12th, 31 points
Stadium: Valley Park, 45,000
Nickname: the Stallions, the Denizens
Manager: Graham Lloyd, 40, Tumbra
Style of Play: Hard counterpressing, counterattacking football
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: ST Tricia Barker
Captain: CB Thomas Krabb

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Aidan James         28  M   TMB
17  LB  Paul Marlin         29  M   TMB
22  CB  Farina Sharpe       27  F   NPH
5   CB  Frances Sinclair    26  F   TMB
18  RB  Casper Baumgartner  24  M   TMB
8   CM  Cole Pearlman       28  M   TKT
6   CM  Alastair Moynihan   24  M   TMB
9   LM  Leigh Eyre          25  F   MRT
23  CAM Tobi Krzanowski     26  M   TJL
20  RM  Carol Haywood       27  F   TMB
10  ST  Tricia Barker       26  F   TMB

12  GK  Cayden Gillespie    22  M   TMB/TLI
25  GK  Michael Kennan      24  M   TMB
3   LB  Clarence Tate       22  M   TMB
4   CB  Gordon Donnelly     21  M   TMB
14  CB  Thomas Krabb        31  M   TMB
26  CB  Martin Dennison     22  M   TMB
2   RB  Sean Black          21  M   TMB
13  CM  Gina Holland        22  F   TMB
24  CDM Jonathan Hwang      23  M   TMB/QUE
21  CM  Pilta-Blonz Yol     29  X   QUS/TMB
15  LM  Mike Coonan         33  M   TMB
7   RM  Keith Palmer        21  M   TMB
19  CAM John Batten         28  M   TMB
16  ST  David Greer         29  M   TMB
11  ST  Xilix-Oxolt Mal     28  X   QUS/TMB

29  GK  Nyck Lawson         18  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Sean Black from FC Inter Nantwich, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Anne Beckett to FC Inter Nantwich, 3.5m
Philip Gonzalez to AFC Cayalon, 0.5m
Don Blather to Macarthur City, 0.3m
Promoted:
Gordon Donnelly, CB
Keith Palmer, RM

A surprisingly confident campaign — but will the good times continue?

Last Season: Fraser were surprisingly good last season — by which they neatly avoided the worst of the relegation fight for almost the entirety of the season and secured survival early. Most had them pegged for relegation alongside Clyde and Sturrey; they ended up being the only one to avoid the relegation spots entirely. Graham Lloyd, whose appointment was originally regarded as a disastrous one, is suddenly being regarded as someone who could possibly hold his own in a relegation fight. The results last season weren’t pretty — the team only won eight games and drew seven — but at least they survived.

New Arrivals: Those expecting major transfer activity this season will be very disappointed, but there’s at least a method behind the lack of transfer activity. Fraser’s only signing was that of Sean Black from Nantwich; the right-back is likely to provide backup to Casper Baumgartner. Gordon Donnelly and Keith Palmer are the other two new entrants to the squad; both are junior players who’ve been introduced to the senior squad. They did lose Anne Beckett to Nantwich; but in her place, Carol Haywood is stepping up, and she’s more than a capable replacement. Tricia Barker reportedly received an offer from local rivals Serrapince; but chose to stay to lead the line for the Stallions.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This squad has retained its core from the last season — that’s good. The squad’s quality is relatively decent — Tobi Krzanowski, Leigh Eyre and Tricia Barker are probably the standouts from this squad — but around them, Fontwell, Kingsbury, Straton, and Colbrook have all strengthened their squads, and by a lot. Fraser have already fallen behind in this aspect; though Graham Lloyd did say that he preferred his squads to retain continuity from previous years.

Prediction: They’ll be up against it. The shrink to 16 teams effectively turned the old midfield battle into what is now a relegation battle; before the shrink they’d be looking at plodding on comfortably in midtable season after season. But there’s a feeling that Fraser won’t be able to escape the drop twice; after all, while Lloyd has had a decent record with relegations, the escape last season felt more miraculous than anything. Despite their record last season, they’ll be on bookies’ lists to go down; alongside Bencoolen, Clyde, Fontwell, and maybe Colbrook at a stretch.

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Hesham

Quick Facts

City and State: Hesham, Clearmont
Last season: 9th, 38 points
Stadium: George Bowen Stadium, 40,000
Nickname: the Greens; the Ploughmen
Manager: Michael Hardwick, 61, Tumbra
Style of Play: Defence, defence, defence
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: CB Hugo Mornington
Captain: CB Hugo Mornington

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Alan McDermott      27  M   TMB
3   LB  Holly Willoughby    27  F   TMB
17  CB  Jack Denham         25  M   TMB
2   CB  Hugo Mornington     30  M   SYL
6   RB  Elsie Houston       27  F   TLI/CMT
15  LM  Kurosh Rostami      29  M   SRS
8   CM  Alisha Thompson     31  F   TLI
10  CM  V. Loustaunau       30  M   FAR/FFD
21  RM  Scott Wilson        23  M   TMB
9   ST  Gerard Deighton     25  M   TMB
22  ST  Hayden Blamey       27  M   SYL

12  GK  Alan Tate           25  M   TMB
25  GK  Daphne Cross        23  F   TMB
24  LB  Miranda Dahlberg    23  M   TMB/TKT
14  CB  Mu Weihai           32  M   YZH
4   CB  Nathaniel Edmonds   22  M   TMB
26  CB  Alex Holland        23  M   TMB
5   RB  Kerry Peck          21  F   TMB
18  CM  Stella Harrington   22  F   TMB
16  CM  Min Song-hwan       32  M   CMT
19  CM  Matthew Noble       34  M   TMB
13  CDM Andrew Hutton       25  M   TMB
20  LW  Tom Skelton         22  M   TMB
7   RM  James Halliday      22  M   TMB
11  ST  Lucas Russell       31  M   TLI
23  ST  Alessio Gagliardini 24  M   TMB/JUE

27  RB  Helen Haigh         19  F   TMB
28  LW  Trevor Stewart      20  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Stella Harrington from Pria Technical College [CMT], 0.0m
Outgoing:
Harriet Bevins to Straton, 2.5m
Tom Elliot to Newark Argyle, 2.0m
Pertz-Evela Vet to Hoxford United, 1.5m
Promoted:
James Halliday, RM

Hesham — treading water or at their ceiling?

Last Season: Hesham were relatively disappointing last season — scoring less than a goal per game on average, though they surprisingly weren’t the worst team offensively; that dishonour instead goes to Kingsbury, who scored half a game per goal. But after seasons of progress, it still felt disappointing to only finish ninth in the league. New star signing Hayden Blamey took what felt like years to settle in, and even then he only really showed up against the teams around him in the league. Michael Hardwick wasn’t sacked — presumably the team’s stellar performances at the back were what he wanted to be judged on, and the master of the defensive dark arts was granted a reprieve based on that — but there is a general sense that the years of optimism, cultivated under Bill McKenzie and then William Wight, have ground to a screeching halt.

New Arrivals: Those wishing that Hesham would at least flex a bit of their financial muscle will be disappointed; the club were on track to make no signings at all before the club signed Stella Harrington from Pria Tech in Chromatika, returning to Tumbra after four years in the university system. She’ll be a much-needed shot in the arm for Hesham’s ageing midfield; considering that she’ll be one of two central midfielders in the squad below the age of 30, it’ll be needed. Apart from her, there was nothing. Harriet Bevins left for Straton; but James Halliday was promoted to fill that gap in squad depth, while youth striker Tom Elliot was sniped by Newark Argyle after it became clear that the club was not willing to let go any of their current strikers to accommodate the fast, flashy forward. Pertz-Evela Vet, meanwhile, ends his short stay in Hesham, departing to the southwest to help Hoxford win promotion.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The offence, simply put, was (and kind of remains) disappointing. Hayden Blamey will need to step up substantially for the team to make any sort of offensive improvement; while the departure of Harriet Bevins was disappointing, Scott Wilson on the right will be chomping at the bit to prove himself on a T-League team. Alisha Thompson will keep the midfield running, with what feels like her endless lung capacity; and who can forget Hugo Mornington at the back — who’s properly turned himself into a lion at the back. If he were five years younger, the common refrain goes, he’d have been snapped up by one of the big clubs of Tumbra already. The captain of both club and national team is a big reason why the club only conceded twenty-nine goals last season; and his leadership can and will continue to be key to that defensive solidity.

Prediction: Another season in midtable would be the smart prediction. Hesham haven’t taken any major steps forward — though they arguably missed an opportunity to strengthen their offensive capabilities this window. They’ll have to hope Blamey comes good against other teams this season, or their previously-stable hold on a midtable spot could start slipping.

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[Tumbra]

Kingsbury United

Quick Facts

City and State: Kingsbury, Georgia
Last season: 11th, 32 points
Stadium: Fletcher Park, 45,000
Nickname: the Royals; the Princelings
Manager: William Wight, 47, Tumbra
Style of Play: Steady, patient build-up
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: ST Kim Sang-wook
Captain: LB Wei Haifeng

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Raphael Brennan     28  M   TMB
3   LB  Wei Haifeng         29  M   YZH
15  CB  Paul Amos           25  M   FVA
5   CB  Thora Houghson      23  F   NPH
2   RB  Rôbé Wîjkár         25  M   RÜL/FFD
6   CDM Coco                28  M   MVE
21  CM  Haradin Moss        28  M   CMT
8   CM  Bede Cheschon       26  M   BRE
22  LW  Joyce Hughes        28  F   TMB
23  RW  Felicity Woodhouse  25  F   TMB
11  ST  Kim Sang-wook       25  M   QUE/CMT

12  GK  Thomas Faulkner     21  M   TMB
25  GK  Hugh Williams       23  M   TMB
13  LB  Mátyás Boullogne    21  M   TMB/FAR/FFD
4   CB  Joaquin Santo       28  M   JUE
19  CB  Desimir Gavrilovic  28  M   KRU/FFD
26  CB  Catherine Martins   23  F   TMB
18  RB  Hans Ferdinand      23  M   TMB
20  CM  Gordon Lythgoe      21  M   TMB
16  CM  Adam Grant          23  M   TMB
14  CDM Dominic Gray        21  M   TMB
10  CAM Edith Ferguson      28  F   TMB
7   LW  Erica Illsley       27  F   TMB
9   RW  Cheryl Nightingale  26  F   TMB
17  ST  Edward Maddison     22  M   TMB
24  ST  Dannon Larr         31  M   MRT

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Felicity Woodhouse from Straton, 6.5m
Kim Sang-wook from Clayquot City [KSK], 6.0m
Joaquin Santo from FC Inter Nantwich, 4.0m
Thora Houghson from Stahlburg City [NPH], 3.0m
Edward Maddison from Chromia C.C. Univ. [CMT], 0.0m
Outgoing:
Kim Chae-yeong to FC Inter Nantwich, 8.5m
Kira Dormann to FC Inter Nantwich, 6.0m
Jude McCreary to Newark Argyle, 3.0m
David Blair to Columbia City, 1.7m
Timothy Decker to Glenmont AFC, 1.4m
Natasha Caroline to AFC Cayalon, 1.5m
James Anderson to Lion City [DAN], 0.0m
Louis Paterson to Dartford Devils [DAN], 0.0m
Promoted:
Dominic Gray, CDM

Another disappointing season, another rebuild — but will it be enough?

Last Season: The wheels finally stopped turning. Kingsbury turned in a thoroughly horrid season, scoring sixteen goals in thirty games — that’s an average of 0.53 goals a game — while James Anderson’s legs finally gave out and he scored…four goals all season. Seeing him potter around up top ineffectively hammered home Kingsbury’s failure to score a striker last season — Anselmo Santos was there, he had experience from Fraser and he wouldn’t have cost 8 million. At the end of the season, it was a miracle William Wight wasn’t sacked; but the owners apparently have a lot more patience than many of the fans.

New Arrivals: Thankfully, the squad was properly buffed up during the off-season. While the team did lose Kim Chae-yeong and Kira Dormann to Nantwich, the two freed up valuable funds for the revitalisation of the squad. The team managed to offload James Anderson and Louis Paterson, two of the oldest members of the squad, to the rising footballing power of Dantopia; while other members of the squad deemed surplus to requirements — Timothy Decker and Natasha Caroline — were offloaded. In, however, comes a whole host of new players; Kim Sang-wook comes in from Kelssek — the striker is pretty much the complete package and a veritable successor to Anderson, and with working legs. Felicity Woodhouse gets her big break, moving from Straton where she got limited playing time; while the defence is shored up with the additions of Joaquin Santo from Nantwich and Thora Houghson from Nephara; both injecting some much-needed youth into the squad, particularly with Houghson. And to just buff up the team’s attacking department even more, the highly-rated Edward Maddison arrives from the Chromatik university system to provide backup in attack.

Strengths and Weaknesses: If this team can get over its offensive hump — which they look likely to do, now that they don’t have a 35 year old past his prime up top — then they’ll have had one of the better transfer windows. While the only member of the team’s offensive line that remains is Joyce Hughes, she’s a wonderful wide playmaker who’ll be able to feed chances in to Woodhouse and Kim. The midfield has stayed largely intact, too — the duo of Haradin Moss and Bede Cheschon, as well as the deep-lying destroyer of Coco, was one of the better parts of a thoroughly lacklustre season.

Prediction: How this team does, like many of the teams that have made big overhauls to their squads season after season, will largely depend on how well their squads meld. William Wight has more than made up for his disappointing debut season by spending deep, but the loss of names like Dormann and Kim will hit hard — and he’ll be hoping Houghson, or even Paul Amos, will be stepping up at the back. Up top, he’ll just be hoping Kim Sang-wook will be able to score some goals for a side that a few years ago seemed to have a lot of momentum, but has had it grind to a screeching halt the moment Samara Kaniatarii left the club four seasons ago.

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Lakewood City

Quick Facts

City and State: Lakewood, Severn
Last season: 3rd, 63 points
Stadium: Lakewood City Stadium, 58,000
Nickname: the Skyblues; the Skylarks
Manager: John Riedweld, 60, Tumbra
Style of Play: Possession-based attacking football
Prediction: Title challengers
Key Player: RW Robin Vaughn/ST Charlotte Henshaw
Captain: RW Robin Vaughn

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Victoria Jones      28  F   TMB
12  LB  Twilight Mixon      27  F   CMT
4   CB  Ian Ashburn         32  M   TMB
5   CB  Txomin Huon         26  M   MRT
3   RB  Leah Robbins        25  F   TKT
8   CDM Lucas McCormick     27  M   TMB
10  CM  Samuel McTavish     28  M   QUE
16  CM  Valerie Morris      27  F   TMB
7   LW  Nenad Tejic         25  M   MYT
9   RW  Robin Vaughn        36  M   TMB
11  ST  Charlotte Henshaw   26  F   TMB

13  GK  Rachel Bullivant    22  F   TMB
25  GK  Graham Henderson    23  M   TMB
2   LB  Kee Tian            22  M   NIX
17  CB  Benjamin Byrne      21  M   TMB
14  CB  Paul Barker         23  M   TMB
26  CB  Mark Robinson       22  M   TMB
19  RB  Komang T. Kurniawan 23  M   PCU
20  CDM Lewis McCabe        28  M   TMB
6   CM  Victor Leighton     24  M   TMB
15  CM  Hazel Hills         24  F   TMB
23  CM  Sarah Watson        21  F   TMB
18  LW  Cedomir Vladmirovic 22  M   QUE/MYT
21  RW  Emmanuel Appleby    26  M   TMB
24  ST  Jackie Whittaker    22  F   TMB
22  ST  Vivienne Anderson   26  F   TMB
                
28  CB  Alex Reid           19  M   TMB
29  ST  Yvonne Reynolds     20  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Rachel Bullivant from Eyrods Tech [CMT], 0.0m
Outgoing:
Tom Lawrence to Fontwell Rovers, 2.2m 
Nigel Philips, retired
Promoted:
Benjamin Byrne, CB

With worryingly little movement on the transfer market, will City still challenge for the title?

Last Season: City’s title challenge was a lot more tame than some thought, although the team did show its strength in the middle third of the season; between matchweeks 5 and 20 they won thirteen of the fifteen games scheduled then. The title seemed destined to land in their lap, but several high profile missed opportunities to pull away from the chasing pack — against Fraser, Kingsbury, and Sturrey in three agonising draws in three consecutive weeks — saw them play catch-up. A title-winning game against West Couno saw Vasya Reisinger score two goals in eight minutes to bring the Pilots to the title at City’s expense; and that marked the end of a relatively disappointing season by City’s standards. To make things worse, they made the final of the Campionato Esportiva di Campeones — and then promptly lost to United.

New Arrivals: Most expected an overhaul of the squad; and some changes were made. Veteran defender Tom Lawrence was moved on to Fontwell, while Nigel Philips retired; but the club didn’t dip into the transfer window to replace them. Instead, Benjamin Byrne was promoted from the development side to the main squad; while Rachel Bullivant was swept up from the Chromatik university system. Both are young, promising players; typical of the type of player that manager John Riedweld has been stacking on his bench recently. Riedweld has also famously expressed a preference for younger squads; their ability to be “malleable” and flexible plays in line with how he wants to play. So there’s not much to be worried about; Riedweld is, pound for pound, one of the best managers in Tumbra; so it’s not entirely surprising that the lack of transfer market has been met with less consternation than, say, Hesham or Fraser’s lack of movement on the window would have otherwise been.

Perhaps the more interesting story was the transfer that never materialised; Phil Cole was apparently in talks to return from Osarese Marcadia, but talks broke down after it became clear there wasn’t really a space in City’s squad for him. Riedweld, however, assured him that he had his blessing to return to Tumbra with any club — so long as that club wasn’t Lakewood United — so the league will probably see the return of Osarese Marcadia’s best-ever player sooner rather than later. Will it be with City? Nobody knows.

Strengths and Weaknesses: It’s not possible to talk about Lakewood City without talking about Robin Vaughn. Now 36, Tumbra’s best ever player is now slowly starting to hang back — he’s no longer as explosive as he was, and has begun to become more of a playmaker than an out-and-out winger; but he’s still able to put in a shift when he needs to. Charlotte Henshaw, an explosive, breathtaking striker (in more ways than one) has taken over most of the real offensive duties up in the middle; she’s a perpetual candidate for Golden Boot — sharing the accolade with both Vasya Reisinger and Jôs Sürréo last season. The squad has no real obvious weaknesses — perhaps the reliance on youth could be construed as one, but Vaughn’s leadership in the dressing room does take away some of the worry for that somewhat. Elsewhere, there’s Nenad Tejic, Samuel McTavish, Ian Ashburn, Victoria Jones...this squad is laden with talent from the best of Tumbra and abroad.

Prediction: There’s an enduring belief that City will be up there no matter what. They’re the only club who have qualified for IFCF competitions eleven out of eleven previous times; they’re the club with Robin Vaughn, Tumbra’s best ever. A title challenge is an expectation; whether City can actually convert on that is another question.

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Lakewood United

Quick Facts

City and State: Lakewood, Tumbra
Last season: 2nd, 65 points
Stadium: Trenton Park, 74,500
Nickname: the Reds; the Red Storm
Manager: Andrea Spinelli, 61, Savigliane/Tumbra
Style of Play: Fast-paced pressing, attacking play
Prediction: Title challengers
Key Player: ST Jôs Sürréo
Captain: LM Kendra Considine

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Richard Russell     28  M   TMB
6   LB  Ipati Aimée         30  F   CMT
4   CB  Belinda Proudfoot   26  F   TMB
5   CB  Spencer Jepson      32  M   TKT
3   RB  Mike Sheppard       34  M   TMB
23  CDM Nurija Papez        24  M   MYT
13  CM  Nicky Atkinson      32  M   TMB
10  CAM Kirsten Desmond     29  F   NPH
14  LW  Kendra Considine R. 33  F   NPH/SCT
7   RW  Emilie Kruetzberg   27  F   CMT
9   ST  Jôs Sürréo          24  M   RÜL/FFD

12  GK  Joseph Cranston     28  M   TMB
25  GK  Gary Shepard        23  M   TMB
2   LB  Melvin Skidmore     21  M   TMB
16  CB  Nexev-Kresp Val     29  X   QUS/TMB
21  CB  Romain Coutard      27  M   SZO/FFD
26  CB  Gareth Richardson   23  M   TMB
20  RB  Caointiorn Duncan   25  F   TLI
11  CM  Travis Dolan        28  M   TKT
8   CM  Tamara Goldwin      22  F   TMB
19  CDM Serena Philips      26  F   TMB
15  CAM Nicolas Pellegrini  24  M   TMB/JUE
24  LM  Tobias Grandelius   25  M   TKT
18  RW  Zheng Hong          23  F   YZH
22  ST  Cameron Keyes       32  M   SYL
17  ST  Andrew Gillingham   28  M   TMB

27  CB  Georgina Byrne      20  F   TMB
28  CDM Christina Holsworth 19  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Nurija Papez from 1923 Esca [MYT], 12.5m
Romain Coutard from Ridgewell Rovers, 3.3m
Zheng Hong from Xi’hai Warriors [YZH], 2.0m
Outgoing:
Michael Browne to FC Inter Nantwich, 5.0m
Almar Hussein to Colbrook City, 2.8m 
Josip Horvat to Clark City, 2.5m
Promoted:

Snubbed from a second title from which they were favourites — how hard will United strike back?

Last Season: The title was United’s to lose. They’d just splashed out on an obscenely high amount of cash on Jôs Sürréo; they had Kruetzberg and Considine; they had Proudfoot and Jepson at the back; and so on. But they were just woefully, frustratingly inconsistent. One win in the five weeks after the return from the winter break put a major dent in their title hopes; and while they plodded on, nothing could stop the surprise run of West Couno from snatching the inaugural T-League trophy from United’s cold grasp. United had won the last-ever Tumbran Premier Division; but they weren’t able to replicate that success the next season, continuing the trend of teams being unable to win the title two seasons in a row.

New Arrivals: And it seems that United’s response to that title snub was to…spend. Again. Romain Coutard joined the side early in the transfer window, replacing the departing Almar Hussein; he’ll likely be called upon for games where United need him to start attacks from deep. Zheng Hong, a mercurial, hard-working winger, joins from Yuezhou; the one-time Yue! Super League Young Player awardee will be looked on as a depth option, but also offers another dimension of play to United’s already stacked attacking options. And the coup of the summer (at least for the first part of it); Nurija Papez from Mytanija, a consummate director of play from deep within the midfield. Tumbrans are more used to deep-lying midfielders being engines, running tirelessly and tackling players; but Papez brings a more refined side to the game that has fans excited and managers puzzled over someone who doesn’t really demonstrate a direct threat to a team yet could turn the game on its head.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This squad probably has the strongest offense in the league; the front three of Sürréo, Emilie Kruetzberg, and Kendra Considine (and, increasingly, Tobias Grandelius in the spot behind her) is probably unmatched in terms of skill and leadership. There are no obvious weaknesses; the midfield has been bolstered with the addition of Papez, and the squad’s depth is probably the deepest in the league. Andrea Spinelli enters his sixth year with the club still hungry for more; it helps that the team are so far the only one to have won any kind of international domestic football competition, with a Challengers’ Cup and Campionato Esportiva di Campeones in their already-storied trophy cabinet.

Prediction: They’ll be the favourites for the title, and rightly so; when betting odds opened for the league this season they were by far and away the favourites. Whether they’ll manage to convert depends on their consistency; in their title-winning season they were quite infamously leading by eleven points but still required a final day title battle to finally break a decade-long title drought; and no fan will want to be reminded of how United threw the title away with their stutters after the winter break. United will be up there; but whether they can convert comes down largely to a question of consistency.

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Newark Argyle

Quick Facts

City and State: Newark, Severn
Last season: 8th, 39 points
Stadium: Newark Henza Arena, 38,000
Nickname: the Falcons; the Greens; Argyle
Manager: Desmond Clarke, 67, Tumbra
Style of Play: Uncompromisingly tough defence
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: CM Gemma Rodway
Captain: RB Nigel Harris

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Darcy Lewis         28  M   TMB
12  LB  Craig Anderton      25  M   TMB
14  CB  Deng Daiyu          28  F   YZH
5   CB  Honorio Menez       25  M   MRT
3   RB  Nigel Harris        35  M   TMB
16  LM  Ian McDermott       28  M   TMB
4   CM  Joanna Harding      27  F   TMB
8   CM  Gemma Rodway        29  F   SYL
11  RM  Simon Oliveira      28  M   JUE
7   ST  Rose Fleetwood      32  F   SYL
9   ST  Lowen Murdoch       25  M   NPH/BRE

17  GK  Alan Thorley        21  M   TMB
25  GK  Davide Sandino      33  M   TEQ/TMB
2   LB  Amanda Andrews      27  F   TMB
18  CB  Ochoa Abril         32  M   TEQ/TMB
13  CB  M Hanson-Hartridge  28  M   TMB
20  CB  Nicole Tindall      23  F   TMB
15  RB  Jude McCreary       21  M   TMB
6   CDM Heather Hindmarsh   22  F   TMB
24  CM  Monica Searle       21  F   TMB/NPH
26  CM  Craig McGrath       35  M   TMB
10  CAM Colin Campbell      22  M   TMB
21  LM  Roy Wheeler         25  M   TMB
23  RM  Lisa Hayes          25  F   TMB
22  ST  Tom Elliot          21  M   TMB
19  ST  Maurice Moore       27  M   TMB

27  CB  Will Nicholson      19  M   TMB
28  CM  Justin Hudson       18  M   TMB
29  RW  Henrietta Colvin    19  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Honorio Menez from Strathcona Internationals [KSK], 6.0m
Jude McCreary from Kingsbury United, 3.0m
Monica Searle from Clyde Park, 2.9m
Tom Elliot from Hesham, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Jilian Griffiths to Bencoolen City, 2.0m
Jamie Cooper to Shepperton Ravens, 1.5m
Gavin Butler to Readale Wanderers, 1.4m
Anne Fox to Delphi Lionesses, 1.3m
Promoted:

With Newark signing young players, is Des Clarke preparing to hand over sooner rather than later?

Last Season: After their miraculous seventh-placed finish in only their second season in the Prem, most expected them to continue their high-placing finishes. And they did! They managed to finish eighth in the league, just one outside the IFCF/CEdC spots. But there was something that felt off about Newark’s third season in the Prem; it just felt slightly less impressive. Perhaps it was the fact that their offensive output dropped like a stone, though the entire league’s did; perhaps it was the fact that they missed out on IFCF football after coming so close the previous season. It felt like a step back, even though it wasn’t; and manager Desmond Clarke acknowledged the previous season’s results as having the “perception of disappointment,” even if they weren’t truly disappointing.

New Arrivals: The off-season spending perhaps reflected a wish to improve on that result, even if most of the signings were young, mostly alumni of the Tumbran under-18 World Cup efforts. Jude McCreary, Monica Searle, and Tom Elliot were the three signings under this policy; all three were twenty-one, and all were alumni of various outings to the RTC-sponsored competition. The fourth signing — Honorio Menez — reflects more a desire to further strengthen a defence which, while strong, still shipped thirty-nine goals which resulted in a negative twelve goal difference.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Newark’s main troubles in their time in the Prem have largely boiled down to questions over depth. Names like Michael Hanson-Hartridge, Roy Wheeler, and Maurice Moore are still holdovers from their time in the second division; and while they’ve been serviceable, their quality gap between them and their contemporaries have been growing. But what’s in their full-strength eleven is impressive. Gemma Rodway and Rose Fleetwood are two of Sylestone’s finest; Simon Oliveira, the floppy-haired Juven, is a wonder darting down the wing, and Deng Daiyu has grown into a more-than-capable leader at the back of the field, and is likely to take on the mantle of captain when Nigel Harris retires.

Prediction: While Clarke’s signings this season reflect a desire to focus on youth, there’s also a suspicion that Clarke is also trying to clear the decks for his successor — whomever they might be. Clarke has made no secret that the Newark job will be his last one; and his contract runs out at the end of next season, at which point he’ll probably gallop off into the sunset to enjoy a well-earned retirement. He has maintained that he will give this job his all until he departs, however; and most pundits are sufficiently convinced that they’ll be able to continue their string of top-half finishes for quite a while, especially with the Henza money that has also contributed greatly to the machine that is Chromatik Football Club.

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Ridgewell Rovers

Quick Facts

City and State: Ridgewell, Westmond
Last season: 7th, 40 points
Stadium: Kensington Stadium, 48,000
Nickname: the Blues; the Rovers
Manager: Chris Haines, 51, Tumbra
Style of Play: Slightly defensive; long passes
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: ST Heidi Canavan
Captain: CM Malachite Riester

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mike Hahn           27  M   TMB
19  LB  Hannah McTavish     25  F   QUE/CMT
5   CB  Antonio Silva       20  M   ELM
15  CB  Mario Queiros       26  M   CBZ
20  RB  Goron Sauber        27  M   SRS
8   CM  Quinten van der Ven 27  M   TLI
22  CM  Ian Robertson       28  M   TMB
12  CAM Charles Lyon        26  M   TMB
7   LW  Lara Beaugemont     24  F   ELM
11  RW  Christopher Steele  28  M   TMB
16  ST  Heidi Canavan       26  F   TMB

13  GK  Alexia Simmons      22  F   TMB
24  GK  Daniel Meredith     23  M   TMB
2   LB  Carl Norton         29  M   TMB
3   CB  Toshikuni Nakagome  26  M   KOR
18  CB  Donovan Cox         23  M   TMB
25  CB  Edmün Îmiév         24  M   TMB/RÜL/FFD
4   RB  Parminder Kaur      23  F   TMB
26  CDM Nicole Irving       21  F   TMB
6   CM  Fulgencio Ermis     22  M   BRO
10  CM  Malachite Riester   33  F   NPH
21  CM  Angela Makeba       22  F   TMB/OSR
17  LW  Clarissa Nunnaro    22  F   TMB/OSR
9   RW  Kwak Seung-hyeok    24  M   QUE
23  ST  Charlie Ross        25  M   TMB
14  ST  Oliver Penn         21  M   TMB

27  CB  Denise Hopkirk      20  F   TMB
28  CAM Iris Steele         19  F   TMB
29  RW  Vikram Chatterjee   20  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Quinten van der Ven from Kirkenes [KSK], 7.0m
Lara Beaugemont from AS Samita [ELM], 4.0m
Antonio Silva from AS Samita [ELM], 4.0m
Clarissa Nunnaro from Sturrey Athletic, 1.8m
Outgoing:
Amanda Browne to Couno Rangers, 5.5m
Steinar Clemensson to Sareña [CAD], 4.0m
Romain Coutard to Lakewood United, 3.3m
Alex Kristensen to Apollo [DAN], 0.0m
Promoted:

A small rebuild sees Ridgewell stand at a crossroads — but will it backfire?

Last Season: Ridgewell finally broke through the midtable and secured seventh, effectively becoming “best of the rest” while also gaining a berth to the Campionato Esportiva di Campeones. It was an impressive season, all things considered; Heidi Canavan netted thirteen times — one of seven players to score more than ten times last season — and they deservedly reached international competition for the first time. There were some stutters along the way; but nobody could say Ridgewell’s success wasn’t deserved.

New Arrivals: What was confusing, then, was Ridgewell’s apparent ease with which they sold several key players. While Alex Kristensen’s departure was expected, and Clarissa Nunnaro’s arrival from the relegated Sturrey also expected — both deals were tied up early in the window — what was more surprising was the news that both Steinar Clemensson and Amanda Browne were both allowed to leave the club for relatively low fees. Clemensson’s injury record was apparently too much for the club’s brass; while Browne’s reluctance to sign a new contract was what made the decision for them. In their stead, however, came in three intriguing signings; Quinten van der Ven broke Ridgewell’s transfer record; the steady, composed Licentian midfielder comes in from Kirkenes as part of the Premier Division’s raid of the Kelssek first tier. The other two signings came from the same club — Lara Beaugemont and Antonio Silva both hail from AS Samita of Elmyia, who were eager to offload their more valuable assets to free up some resources. Both will be the first Elmyians in the league; and Beaugemont in particular looked upon as a winger who’ll be able to both assist and finish.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Getting rid of two key pieces of their squad throws their campaign into a bit of doubt — both Browne and Steinar were key pieces of the Ridgewell juggernaut — but if anything, Ridgewell’s smart recruitment will be able to cover up any weaknesses. The van der Ven transfer might have been expensive, but the Licentian seems to be well worth it for his leadership and calm, composed playstyle. Heidi Canavan remains, as ever, the bright light in Ridgewell’s squad; Malachite Riester, even with the acceptance that she’ll be playing a smaller role as she gets older, remains the beating heart of it. Ian Robertson, having broken out in the north and becoming a mainstay of the Tumbran national team, is effectively her long-term successor.

Prediction: There’s a good feeling about the north; there’s a sentiment that they’ll be able to push on and forward. Whether they’ll be able to catch up with the likes of Serrapince and Couno will be disputed; but manager Chris Haines has a confidence about him that could be contagious. Most feel it’s too soon for them to pull off a West Couno-like revolution, however.

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Serrapince

Quick Facts

City and State: Serrapince, Bechor
Last season: 6th, 46 points
Stadium: Serrapince Park, 74,500
Nickname: the Bees; the Black-and-Golds
Manager: Lars Hartmansson, 50, Graentfjall
Style of Play: High-pressing, high-intensity football
Prediction: IFCF Challengers
Key Player: RW Aneurin Wakering
Captain: CDM Laura Ness

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mick Key            33  M   EUR
2   LB  Chris Finney        28  M   TMB
5   CB  Michael Toussaint   30  M   SVG/TMB
14  CB  Klavida Régine      30  F   CMT
3   RB  Odwin Muir          25  M   CMT
23  CDM Vince Cahill        28  M   TMB
6   CDM Laura Ness          34  F   SCT/TMB
10  CAM Sara Vatnarsdóttir  26  F   GRÆ
7   LW  Jack Ryland         24  M   SYL
22  RW  Aneurin Wakering    25  M   BRE
9   ST  Ceferino Audiol     26  M   JUE

12  GK  Melanie Haywood     22  F   TMB
25  GK  Branko Cvitkovic    23  M   TMB/MYT
13  LB  Fiona Jones         24  F   TMB
20  CB  Martin Barker       28  M   TMB
4   CB  Maurice Skilling    23  M   TMB
24  CB  Faas Bosman         23  M   TMB/TLI
19  RB  Ed Wright           24  M   TMB
15  CM  Luciano Matteucci   24  M   TMB/JUE
8   CM  Juliet Beecham      22  F   TMB
21  CDM John Davies         23  M   TMB
18  CAM Mark Coulson        27  M   TMB
17  LW  Paul Tucker         24  M   TMB
11  RW  Bayu Anggara        23  M   PCU
26  ST  Corinne Fontana     32  F   SVG/TMB
16  ST  August Haller       27  F   TMB

27  GK  Max Wallace         18  M   TMB
28  CB  Ruth Andersen       18  F   TMB
29  CAM Rob Brougham        19  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Lars Hartmansson [manager] from Brantisvogan [SRS]
Aneurin Wakering from CS St-Remy [KSK], 15.0m
Ceferino Audiol from Kirkenes [KSK], 12.5m
Jack Ryland from Colbrook City, 7.0m
Sara Vatnarsdóttir from Urrheddiao [CMT], 6.0m
Outgoing:
Charlotte Ritchie to Cleorough [SYL], 3.0m
Dagur Lawrence to Bikarish [PFA], 3.0m
Vazsony Sallay to Basikta [PAS], 2.0m
George Hilton to Real Alegria [CAD], 0.0m
Promoted:

The highest-spending window on record for a Tumbran club — will it pay off for them?

Last Season: Danny Haverhead’s tenure at Serrapince ended with a whimper, rather than a bang. After a decade of high-octane, exciting football — which brought with it three titles — Haverhead departed for new challenges in Dantopia, with the love and respect of the city he brought so much success to. That didn’t cover up how disappointing his last season was, however; sixth and outside of the IFCF spots was perhaps an ignominious end to the season.
What happened in the off-season was more surprising, however; even before the announcement of new Graintfjaller manager Lars Hartmansson, the top brass of the club decided to take things into their own hands; all of the club’s first-choice attacking team was suddenly announced to be on the market.

New Arrivals: Lars Hartmansson therefore came into the club in the midst of a construction project. How much input he had on the final transfers was unknown; but he came in early enough in the window that he could conceivably have stopped any of the transfers, whether ingoing or outgoing, from occurring. At the end of the day, four players went out; four players came in for eye-watering sums of money. The first to go was George Hilton; off to Cardenao at the end of his contract. The matter of his replacement was simple; Jack Ryland was plucked from Colbrook; this transfer was completed early into the window without much fuss. The other three transfers took a lot more time to complete. It was well known that Serrapince had lodged a bid for Chimo Ventura from Cardenao; but even after terms were reached with the club for the striker, the player himself took a long time to decide on whether to move to Stahlburg or Serrapince. A bid for Maerhen Wake was made — and accepted — but the club withdrew, allegedly over Wake’s lack of popularity within the country, and the club went for the more palatable Aneurin Wakering. Whether the right winger — ironically Wake’s backup on the same national team — was worth the eventual princely sum of fifteen million dollars is up for debate.

Charlotte Ritchie’s transfer to Cleorough was relatively uneventful, if somewhat bittersweet — the Licentian had been with the club since she was 18, after all — but it would be Dagur Lawrence and Vazsony Sallay’s outgoing transfers which generated the most trouble. There were differences in opinion over Lawrence’s valuation — the player’s camp felt three million was too low, while Serrapince maintained throughout the price was a cut-price deal considering their desire to move the player on. Eventually, long after the window closed, he left for Bikarish; his replacement, signed midway through the window, was Sara Vatnarsdóttir from Urrheddiao; that deal, completed for six million, was completed extremely quickly and with no hitches. Sallay, while protesting publicly that he was still able to do his job in front of goal, was quickly shipped out back home to Pasarga; and after the club pulled out of the Chimo Ventura deal, a fast one was made for Juven striker Ceferino Audiol. It was expensive; but the Juven striker looks to be well worth the twelve and a half million dollars spent on securing his signature.

Strengths and Weaknesses: For all the criticisms lugged at Serrapince for their spending this summer, nobody can deny that their squad has talent. The reason why so much was focused on the offense — which was already an excellent outfit — is because the club’s midfield and defence are already exceptionally strong. Names like Klavida Regine, Michael Toussaint, Odwin Muir, Laura Ness have all lit up the league for years. Unity, however, especially with the arrival of big personalities in their offensive unit, will likely be their biggest weakness; while Ness has long been a calming influence at the club, things could go south exceptionally quickly if the club doesn’t start — and hold on to — a strong and consistent season.

Prediction: Was it really necessary for Serrapince to be held hostage by both St-Remy and Hellenic SC, Serrapince’s rivals for both Wake and Wakering? Most thought not, though the ones with the purse evidently thought differently. This squad will challenge for at least the IFCF places — they have to, with the amount of money thrown at overhauling the playing squad. But fans will be expecting a title challenge; and, quite likely, so will the players at the club.

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Straton

Quick Facts

City and State: Straton, Straton
Last season: 10th, 35 points
Stadium: Straton Olympic Stadium, 63,000
Nickname: the Senators; the Capitals
Manager: Michael Aitken, 41, Tumbra
Style of Play: Short-passing, moderately attacking
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: ST Tino
Captain: CB Douglas Moore

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Joe Bonner          28  M   TMB
2   LB  Gethin Stewart      30  M   TKT
3   CB  Douglas Moore       35  M   TMB
17  CB  Carole Bond         26  F   TMB
16  RB  Lesley Keller       27  F   SYL
10  CM  Liang Tao           28  M   YZH
6   CDM Hannah Harwood      25  F   TMB
9   RW  Charlie Baker       28  M   TMB
20  CAM Desmond Sartain     25  M   TMB
7   LW  Peter Hurst         25  M   TMB
11  ST  Tino                28  M   MVE

23  GK  David Knight        24  M   TMB
25  GK  Douglas Campbell    24  M   TMB
12  LB  Kirsten McDonald    25  F   TMB
5   CB  John Turnbull       29  M   TMB
24  CB  Abigail Paterson    24  F   TMB
4   CB  Ashley Asanta       31  F   TKT
13  RB  Chris Carter        32  M   TMB
8   CDM Amund Freyrsson     28  M   KLD
18  CDM Vlart Hedberg       30  M   SRS
19  CM  Casper Hovhannisyan 22  M   TMB
22  CM  Clodio Noya         31  M   TEQ/TMB
14  LM  Simon Cole          34  M   TMB
21  RW  Harriet Bevins      26  F   TMB
26  ST  Ophelie Bernard     31  F   SVG/TMB
15  ST  Duncan Hall         25  M   TMB

27  LB  Claudia Maartens    18  F   TMB/TLI
28  CB  John Bartlett       18  M   TMB
29  RW  Catherine Taggart   19  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming: 
Peter Hurst from Columbia City, 5.2m
Harriet Bevins from Hesham, 2.5m
Clodio Noya from Mazinaw Vanorian [KSK], 1.0m
Outgoing:
Felicity Woodhouse to Kingsbury United, 6.2m
Harvey Osbourne to Fontwell Rovers, 2.5m
Kevin Dunstan to Fontwell Rovers, 2.3m
Promoted:

The Stevenson years are over, but are Straton simply a midtable side now?

Last Season: Mark Stevenson’s final season at Straton ended up being hugely disappointing; but that seemed to be the theme of every single season of the Licentian at Straton. Originally seen as a manager bringing back a modicum of stability to the stormy waters the club was going through, the highlight of Stevenson’s career ended up being two seventh places in the second and third seasons of his tenure. But the club then started slipping again; eighth in the last season of the T-League, and then tenth in the first season of the competition, with Straton spending most of the first half of the season in the relegation zone, was too much. So out Stevenson went; and in came his assistant, Michael Aitken, eager to take on his first full managerial job. He won’t have the pressure to deliver immediately; but there’s a sense of expectation about him that he’ll eventually become one of the next big things in Tumbran football.

New Arrivals: Three departures; three arrivals. Harvey Osbourne, once the hallowed wonderkid who would bring Straton back to greatness but whom eventually fell victim to injuries and inconsistency, departed for Fontwell; Peter Hurst, of the recently relegated Columbia City, comes in for a rather high sum of 5.2 million to replace him. Felicity Woodhouse, swayed by the promise of more play-time at Kingsbury, also left; in came Harriet Bevins, who was okay with a rotational role at Straton alongside Charlie Baker, to replace her. Kevin Dunstan, who couldn’t come to an agreement with Straton over a new contract, also left; Clodio Noya, one of the few remaining Tequiloa playing football anywhere, made the jump from Mazinaw Vanorian, joining names like Ochoa Abril, Torcado Fiallo, and Xaime Medal in the country.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Aitken’s inexperience, and the relative lack of turnover in the squad which observers felt was needed if Straton were to punch their way up the ranks again, have been counted against Straton in the run-up to this season. But it’s not like Aitken is completely inexperienced; he’s spent a lot of time in Straton, first as a player, then as assistant. He knows most of the players here inside and out; “My priority is to first get a steady footing, before moving upwards,” he said in his first press conference, to the dismay of some. Does it betray a lack of ambition? Perhaps. But it at least shows that Aitken’s in here for the long run, if anything.

Prediction: Most place Straton as little more than a mid-table side. Which, considering their stature in the game as well as their results as little as a decade ago, is staggering. Yet, with Aitken’s self-styled reluctance to be ambitious this season, there might yet be little progress made on that front. Another season pottering around in the midtable is most people’s guess; as long as Straton don’t flit with the relegation zone, however, then most should be pleased.

---

West Couno United

Quick Facts

City and State: Couno, Napier
Last season: 1st, 67 points
Stadium: Wrenchwelt Stadium, 42,000
Nickname: the Pilots; the Chocolatiers
Manager: Samara Kaniatarii, 51, Quebec/Gatchinggerak Union
Style of Play: Quick-passing, fast-moving play
Prediction: Title challengers
Key Player: ST Vasya Reisinger
Captain: ST Vasya Reisinger

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mederick Brown      25  M   QUE
19  LB  Christopher Morgan  26  M   TMB
4   CB  N-H McKinley        26  M   QUE
5   CB  George Steel        29  M   TMB
3   RB  Joey Sterling       26  M   TLI/CMT
15  CM  Rajmund Sitko       28  M   BRE
18  CM  Julie Dufour        30  F   KSK
8   CAM Muharem Hajdarpasic 23  M   MYT
9   LW  Luka Vujanovic      23  M   MYT/TMB
7   RW  Cyrus Vette         27  M   CMT
11  ST  Vasya Reisinger     31  F   NPH

12  GK  Elaine Xu           22  F   YZH/TMB
23  GK  Jack Bishop         25  M   TMB
2   LB  A Charron-Becker    32  F   QUE
16  CB  Raymond Perry       34  M   TMB
17  CB  Zhao Fan            21  F   YZH
25  CB  Judith Houghton     28  F   TMB
13  RB  Shim Seo-yeon       24  F   TMB/CMT
20  CDM Stephen Goodman     26  M   TMB
6   CM  Eden Wright         30  F   TKT
14  CM  John Lawrence       28  M   TMB
26  CAM Mathias Schärer     25  M   TJL
21  LW  Hayley Stanway      27  F   TKT
10  RW  Penny Wilson        25  F   TMB
22  ST  Michelle Broadhurst 27  F   TMB
24  ST  Hazel Garlick       27  F   TMB
                
29  LB  Jack Chen           18  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Hayley Stanway from Newton Wanderers, 2.0m
Zhao Fan from Yingcheng Phoenixes [YZH], 2.0m
Outgoing:
Sarah Sears to Clyde Park, 3.0m
Joscelin Cable to Columbia City, 2.0m
Ben Morgan to Glenmont AFC, 1.2m
Francis Evers to Portland Pirates [DAN], 0.0m
Promoted:

Was the title a harbinger of something new, or was it simply a unicorn event?

Last Season: The events that occurred last season have probably merited Samara Kaniatarii the status of a legend — at least on the west bank of Couno. An altogether unexpected title challenge was built through sheer consistency, and then sustained through just winning, week in, week out. And when it mattered the most — in a final day, do or die game against none other than the juggernauts of Lakewood City — they held their nerves one more time, with Vasya Reisinger scoring twice in ten minutes, to win their first title since 1976. It was probably the most unexpected of modern-day titles; sure, West Couno had come good with Reisinger in the past half decade or so, but few expected them to go all the way. Most thought they would be another one of Tumbra's nearly teams; like Clyde of the previous decade or Columbia before their precipitous decline. But they made good.

New Arrivals: Most of the title-winning squad has been left untouched. Ben Morgan departs for Glenmont to help that particular side in their promotion push; Francis Evers, having finally won a title in Tumbra, departs for Dantopia. The two signings in their place haven't been overly impressive; there are questions over why the defending Tumbran champions are signing someone like Hayley Stanway, plucking her from the depths of the second tier. She has her qualities; an impressive winger with great stamina — it's just not entirely clear why they signed her and not someone like Amanda Browne or Leigh Eyre. The other signing is ostensibly one for the future. Zhao Fan is a young, raw defender; but her skills on the ball apparently gave WCU enough reason to part with money — and the potential to add Sarah Sears to their senior squad — to add Zhao to their squad.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The mantra often with title winning teams is not to mess with them — after all, why tinker with what got you over the line last season? And it does seem like this team could conceivably go at it again. After all, every part of this squad that brought this team to the title is still here; Merderick Brown, now two-time Golden Glove winner; Noel Hercule-McKinley, centre defender extraordinaire; Muharem Hajdarpasic, creative spark, Luka Vujanovic, local boy come good, and, of course, the hulking Vasya Reisinger up top are all here; arguably all at the peak of their power (except Hajdarpasic and Vujanovic), and raring to go at it again. The dressing-room atmosphere is probably their greatest strength; one of the better underdog stories from modern Tumbran sport would be bound to create that. But with a smaller pocket than the teams around them, their lack of recruitment in the transfer window — especially compared to United, Serrapince, Nantwich, or Couno — could see them pegged back further.

Prediction: A title challenge wouldn’t be out of the question for West Couno; but most are expecting them to figure around in the lower IFCF spots. Achieving an IFCF position is the goal; finishing below seventh would be an unmitigated disaster. Thankfully, most pundits think they’ll be able to muster up a challenge of some sort; but a repeat title seems unlikely.

---

[Tumbra]

83RD RUNNING OF THE TUMBRAN SUPERCUP
T-LEAGUE, SEASON 2
131ST RUNNING OF THE REPUBLIC CUP

After the highest-spending transfer window in Tumbran footballing history — an exhausting one for all following the endless sagas of whether Serrapince would be dropping an eye-watering sum on Chimo Ventura or not (the answer turned out to be not) — most were pleased when the football eventually returned. There was the foundation of the T-League 4; 16 teams, same structure as the other three leagues, but with the ability to be relegated to the 24-team, TFF-run National Championship, and a direct promotion path from the bottom of the Tumbran football league pyramid to the T-League was assured. Apart from that, however, there weren't many changes to the structure of the league.

SUPER CUP
West Couno United 0–2 Couno Rangers
V Hicks 11', E Howard-Dawes 83'

The traditional season-opener sees a Couno derby — rare, considering the stranglehold that the Big Six of modern Tumbran football (or is it the Big Five, with Straton's descent down the ranks?) have on the trophy haul and international football. Both sides come into this with hope; West Couno, hoping to start their season and title defence off strongly, while Couno hope to have their new, shiny signings make an impact. It takes eleven minutes for Rangers to break the deadlock; Vincent Hicks scores from inside the box. Things get worse for WCU ten minutes later, as Vasya Reisinger's knee goes and she's carted off; while WCU reserve striker Michelle Broadhurst is good enough in front of goal, WCU's effectiveness is notably blunted without Reisinger's strength in front of goal to push through the Couno defence.

Couno fans hoping to see their new wondergirl, Elaine Howard-Dawes, score, don't need to wait too long; she starts for the Rams, but has to wait quite a while as she gets used to playing in front of the (at times, very rowdy) Couno crowd. She's also got to deal with the chants of 'transfer cheats' from opposing fans, who are still miffed that Couno's transfer for the 22 year-old Chromatik went through after transfer deadline. In the end, she breaks her duck for the Rams with seven minutes to go; it's to rapt applause. She may not be Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov, tearing it up in Mytanija, but she could still very well form one half of a world-beating attack.

MATCHDAY 1
Newark Argyle 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
B Coxeter 22'
Fontwell Rovers 0–3 Lakewood City
C Henshaw 13', 59', H Hills 40'
Straton 1–1 Kingsbury United
D Sartain 12'//F Woodhouse 90'+1'
Fraser Valley 0–3 Serrapince
Sara V 12', L Ness 29', C Audiol 39'
Bencoolen City 1–1 Colbrook City
F Wilson 69'//F Yeltsov 38'
Couno Rangers 3–1 Lakewood United
E Robertson 40', E Howard-Dawes 43', JP Vaillancourt 81'//E Kruetzberg 25'
West Couno United 2–0 Clyde Park
M Broadhurst 67', C Vette 72'
Hesham 3–2 Ridgewell Rovers
H Blamey 22', S Wilson 76', A Thompson 84'//H Canavan 6', I Robertson 70'

Are Ridgewell Rovers missing Steinar Clemensson already? The end of last season saw the Graentfjaller pushed out of Ridgewell seemingly unceremoniously, reportedly being brusquely informed that his services were no longer required and that he should find a new club. For a player whose tenure coincided with Ridgewell's rise up the ranks, it felt rather ungrateful; but the club were reportedly continually worried about his lack of appearances for the large wage compared to the rest of the squad; his continued injury problems limiting said appearances, and manager Chris Haines looking to move away from deploying a dedicated attacking midfielder. So off to Cardenao he went; though questions remain over the strain of players with their 57-game season remain, with some calling the schedule "inhumane". Back to Tumbra, however; and Ridgewell did seem to miss his creative spark as they failed to win against Hesham. It wasn't the most auspicious of debuts for Quinten van der Ven, Lara Beaugemont, or Antonio Silva; the last of whom came off the bench; but Haines said that the club would be looking to "strike back" as soon as possible.

Elsewhere, the season began for Couno with a Tumbran Classic; those seem to be happening earlier and earlier in the year. While Emilie Kruetzberg gets United off to a fast start, Couno take their momentum from the Supercup, with newly-minted first-choice left winger Erin Robertson, as well as Howard-Dawes, scoring before the break to put Couno up front. United hold fast for most of the second half, but are unable to make the best of their chances on goal; quite notably, Jôs Sürréo misses a surefire shot from about five metres out from goal, his powerful shot hitting the crossbar. Tireless midfielder Jean-Phillipe Vaillancourt puts the game to bed late on to seal a rather ominous start to the season for United.

Bencoolen mark their return to the top tier of Tumbran football by pulling off a draw against Colbrook City; Fontwell's long-awaited return, meanwhile, sees them go up against Lakewood City. Their welcome to the league sees them dismantled 3-0 by City, with Robin Vaughn, quite notably, sitting on the bench; he doesn't make an appearance as Cedomir Vladmirovic is trialled at right wing. He doesn't make much of a mark; and is replaced by Emmanuel Appleby at half-time. Some see this as City manager John Riedweld attempting to hold unofficial auditions for Robin Vaughn's long-term successor; and the Quebeco-Mytanar winger seems to be an awkward fit there, or, for that matter, the rest of the squad — his natural position, left winger, is nailed down by Nenad Tejic for the long run.

MATCHDAY 2
FC Inter Nantwich 1–2 Ridgewell Rovers
A Fisher 9'//H Canavan 62', F Ermis 79'
Clyde Park 2–1 Hesham
M Wague 63', B Assaf 74'//A Gagliardini 3'
Lakewood United 2–3 West Couno United
J Sürréo 4', 71'//H Garlick 30', L Vujanovic 33', M Schaerer 90' + 2'
Colbrook City 4–3 Couno Rangers
C Coste o.g. 24', A Everingham 39', E Calare 80', 86'//H Howell 13', S Fortier 42', 44'
Serrapince 2–0 Bencoolen City
C Audiol 22', 58'
Kingsbury United 3–0 Fraser Valley
E Ferguson 24', Kim SW 29', E Maddison 80'
Lakewood City 4–2 Straton
S McTavish 14', 39', E Appleby 70', V Anderson 87'//Tino 23', 44'
Newark Argyle 1–1 Fontwell Rovers
S Oliveira 60'//C Grimley 22'

Fontwell's search for their first win of the season continues; this time, they take the lead against Newark — a neat Elizabeth Blanc cross across the penalty area, which Davide Sandino failed to pick up before Cynthia Grimley tapped it in — before the floppy-haired Juven winger Simon Oliveira grabs a point back for Argyle. As far as Newark are concerned, there's a feeling that they're slipping or becoming complacent after that one time they finished eighth in the league; but it could also just be the team returning to the mean in what is, for all intents and purposes, an exceptionally close league able to attract all levels of talent throughout the sixteen clubs that comprise the T-League.

Juven striker Ceferino Audiol seems to be bringing sighs of relief to Serrapince fans who feared he wouldn't be able to live up to his large, 12.5m price tag; he's scored three goals in the season so far, including two against a relatively hapless Bencoolen City. Serrapince's spending this season under new manager Lars Hartmansson sparked some concern, especially if the signings didn't work out; but Hartmansson said that the price tags slapped on a player shouldn't dictate their performance; "I expect the same out of all my players, regardless if they came in for free or fifteen million dollars, whether they're being paid three thousand or three hundred thousand a week," was his brusque response when asked about the club's high spending in the transfer window.

Lakewood United seem to be having a less-than-ideal start to their season; the opening Tumbran Classic is followed up by a game against the defending champions. United come out worse for it; though Jôs Sürréo is much more on target than last week — he scores twice, once in each half. The defending champions, however, eager to continue their momentum from last week, score their third late into injury time to continue their title defence. With all the signings made by the teams around them, WCU are currently not favoured to retain their title; but their squad seems to have taken this in their stride; Samara Kaniatarii says that the media "are making us stronger. Every day we look at the headlines predicting us to finish fourth, sixth, seventh, and then we piss on them. Not literally, of course, because I don't want to see what the players have under their pants in the dressing room. But we piss on them metaphorically."

MATCHDAY 3
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
Kim CY 33'
Straton 1–0 Newark Argyle
C Baker 2'
Fraser Valley 0–3 Lakewood City
C Henshaw 20', 48', V Morris 62'
Bencoolen City 1–4 Kingsbury United
A Salvaggione 84'//F Woodhouse 30', Kim SW 38', C Nightingale 89', 90' + 7'
Couno Rangers 3–3 Serrapince
D Conder 14', E Howard-Dawes 33', A Browne 62'//L Matteucci 40', J Ryland 78', C Audiol 85'
West Couno United 2–1 Colbrook City
V Reisinger 16', M Hajdarpasic 71'//F Yeltsov 35'
Hesham 1–3 Lakewood United
S Wilson 22'//T Grandelius 8', K Desmond 69', A Gillingham 83'
Ridgewell Rovers 3–1 Clyde Park
C Steele 3', 38', I Robertson 80'//M Wague 28'

It takes Lakewood United three games to secure their first win; it's a confident performance, mind, with Tobias Grandelius being given a run-out. Hesham look distinctly average, with Scott Wilson's goal off the right flank the only highlight in a loss which saw Hugo Mornington carted off at half-time due to an injury. That Hesham gave up two more goals after the half-time break seems to be no coincidence; while Mornington may be 30, there are rumours he may still be due a high-profile move should any of the big six require a high-quality defender. Either way, United now have a win under their belt; and move up to tenth in the league. When asked if the side's defensive form is cause for worry, United manager Andrea Spinelli rubbishes any suggestion that the defence requires a sprucing-up; the early games were "against very tough opponents." When asked if the side's form against these very tough opponents is a cause for concern, Spinelli rebuts the reporter by telling them in no uncertain terms that "these games against the top six, top seven, in Tumbra, they often go either way. This, early season hiccup, I think will go once we kick into gear."

Kingsbury run out 4-1 winners over Bencoolen to retain their status as one of four undefeated clubs still remaining; the others in this illustrious club are City, Serrapince, and West Couno. It's taking a bit of time, still, to adjust to the fact that West Couno are part of the big football clubs in Tumbra now; they certainly don't spend like one, though spending was never deemed to be West Couno's strong suit. Much of the money they've got in reserve is being earmarked for a modernisation of the Wrenchwelt Stadium; which certainly has kept up with the times but looks more dated than most stadiums in the Prem and could do with a general renovation. Vasya Reisinger makes her return after three weeks out; she's allowed on pitch for forty-five minutes, still not back at full fitness, but that's still more than enough for her to come away with a goal.

The other Couno side, meanwhile, engage in a high-profile match against Serrapince which sees both side come away with a draw. Both teams went through minor re-adjustments in strategy over the summer window; Kingsley-Roger Hertel's time in Couno ended with a high-paying transfer to Hellenic SC in Elmyia, funded by a brutal dictatorship; the move drew ire from some quarters, but the presence of Erin Robertson, last season's Young Player of the Year, was enough to assuage concerns over depth. The addition of Amanda Browne over the summer also helped to further turn the publicity over the dealing with a club seeking to rapidly buy their way up the footballing chain of command in a more positive direction. Serrapince, meanwhile, made a wholesale change to their attacking unit, there's still some residual sore feelings over the way that their talismanic striker Vazsony Sallay was dumped out of the club. But he, too, hasn't been missed too much, yet; Ceferino Audiol seems to be having a good time settling into the club as of late. The draw was widely regarded as a deserved result for both clubs; and managers Hartmansson and Giuliani admitted as such after the fact.

MATCHDAY 4
FC Inter Nantwich 2–2 Clyde Park
J Spekman 34', Kim CY 85'//K Kearnes 23', L Frecklington 30'
Lakewood United 1–2 Ridgewell Rovers
Zheng H 86'//H Canavan 8', L Beaugemont 77'
Colbrook City 0–2 Hesham
H Blamey 34', 49'
Serrapince 1–1 West Couno United
Sara V 50'//C Vette 21'
Kingsbury United 3–4 Couno Rangers
F Woodhouse 20', E Ferguson 39', E Maddison 82'//V Hicks 16', S Fortier 39', E Howard-Dawes 55', 77'
Lakewood City 3–0 Bencoolen City
H Hills 50', R Vaughn 63', C Henshaw 81'
Newark Argyle 2–2 Fraser Valley
R Fleetwood 74', L Murdoch 81'//T Barker 22', L Eyre 39'
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 Straton
P Hurst 85'

After failing to score in each of their previous three games, Fraser Valley finally score some goals to bring their goalless streak to an end — and notch one valuable point against a Newark side that's been disappointing to watch this year so far. Most fans accept that they'll be up against the wall in the relegation fight this year; though some wonder if it's not too late to sack Graham Lloyd and get someone like Vince McCarthy — probably the most high-profile out-of-work manager in this current era who would conceivably give the side a second look — into the job. Lloyd, who helped Fraser survive the fiercely-contested relegation fight last season which quite surprisingly saw Columbia went down, had seen his team go three matches without scoring; and hadn't looked quite comfortable when asked about things getting better. They're stuck at rock bottom alongside the two newly-promoted sides, Bencoolen and Fontwell; Fraser play the latter next week in what has become widely seen as a must-win game for both sides, even this early into the season.

At this point, however, Kingsbury seem to be the most interesting team to watch; after their squad revamp, they've now scored eleven goals in four games. For reference, across the entirety of last season they scored sixteen over thirty. William Wight, Kingsbury manager, seems to be a lot more positive regarding his squad's chances this season. "I think we've had a good mentality, a good few signings thanks to our dedicated scouting team over the summer..." he says after the game. "The result today is very disappointing, but I think we can safely say we gave it our all, and we'll take this momentum into the next game, and the one after that."

For their part, Couno's season has gotten off to a good start; they've revitalised their attacking options, have looked much more flexible and seem to be more fluid. The signing of Howard-Dawes also seems to have added a new dimension to their attack; her signing seemed to generate more controversy than the signing of Aneurin Wakering for an eye-watering fifteen million dollars, considering it came after the transfer deadline ended. Couno have been cleared of any wrongdoing — Howard-Dawes came on a free, and free signings can be registered at any time — but the potential punishment they were willing to go through just to get her signature clearly showed how highly they rated her. And considering she's scored four goals in the three games she's appeared in, she's clearly been worth it.

MATCHDAY 5
Straton 2–1 FC Inter Nantwich
Tino 18', D Sartain 22'//B Coxeter 38'
Fraser Valley 0–2 Fontwell Rovers
E Blanc 66', S Howell 84'
Bencoolen City 1–3 Newark Argyle
F Wilson 23'//L Murdoch 40', 90' + 6', G Rodway 77'
Couno Rangers 2–0 Lakewood City
E Howard-Dawes 22', 35'
West Couno United 0–1 Kingsbury United
E Maddison 39'
Hesham 1–1 Serrapince
K Rostami 90' + 1'//V Cahill 35'
Ridgewell Rovers 2–0 Colbrook City
C Lyon 31', C Ross 42'
Clyde Park 0–0 Lakewood United


The list of clubs remaining undefeated shrinks to 1; West Couno and City both suffer losses this week to render Serrapince as the only club that could conceivably go the rest of the season undefeated. Couno-City sees Elaine Howard-Dawes score a brace, bringing her season total to six from four; but a harsh tackle from Txomin Huon near the end of the game sees her carted off injured. For his troubles, Huon is served with a red card; he'll miss the next few matches. This means that City will be relying on their second-string defensive lineup; which, with the sale of Tom Lawrence to Fontwell, now sees youth team graduates Benjamin Byrne (coincidentally, whose sister plays for Lakewood United), Paul Barker, and Mark Robinson having to step up to take his place. It's not "an ideal situation," says City manager John Riedweld; but they'll make do. City remain top of the table, and are early favourites for the league title even at this point of the season.

The main reason why City are still top — according to some — is because the overarching favourites for the season, United, just haven't performed this early into the season. Five games into the season and they're sitting twelfth in the table with just one win to their name. It's no surprise that the most transferred-out players in T-League Fantasy have become Emilie Kruetzberg, Kirsten Desmond, and Jôs Sürréo in that order. Are United in crisis? Far from it; Nurija Papez has been blending in well, though it's evident the squad still needs a lot of time to get used to how he distributes balls. United's midfield has probably been the best part of their squad in the early season; Caointiorn Duncan, who's been starting more and more in Mike Sheppard's place as he grows older, has also been a particularly bright spot. But United need to turn things around, and soon; and drawing 0-0 against a frankly insipid Clyde Park is not the way to go about it.

Fontwell Rovers secure their first top-flight win in what seems like forever; their relegation six-pointer against Fraser Valley sees them lift themselves out of the relegation zone, if only just. Goals from Elizabeth Blanc — herself not really accustomed to scoring them, being a deep-lying forward — and Sarah Howell, who last played in the T-League for Kirkby, see the four-time Tumbran champions edge past their relegation rivals. The usually sardonic, reserved manager Russell Lock is overjoyed at the result; "It's an important result, obviously, but it shows that we're here to compete with the best in Tumbra."

A sixth of the season has now gone; City sit pretty atop the league with four wins and a loss, alongside Ridgewell. Kingsbury seem to have gotten past their torrid last season, being in third; while the two Couno sides sit on eight points just beneath them. Serrapince, the only undefeated club remaining, are in seventh; while title favourites Lakewood United sit in twelfth after a stop-start beginning of the season. The league heads off to fight in the Republic Cup; that 128-team cup of anarchy in which every club is thrown into the pot and left to fend for themselves.

T-League, Season 2

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Form5 
 1 Lakewood City           5    4   0   1    13    4   +9    12   WWWWL
 2 Ridgewell Rovers        5    4   0   1    11    6   +5    12   LWWWW
 3 Kingsbury United        5    3   1   1    12    6   +6    10   DWWLW
 4 Couno Rangers           5    3   1   1    15   11   +4    10   WLDWW
 5 West Couno United       5    3   1   1     8    5   +3    10   WWWDL
 6 Straton                 5    3   1   1     7    6   +1    10   DLWWW
 7 Serrapince              5    2   3   0    10    5   +5     9   WWDDD
 8 FC Inter Nantwich       5    2   1   2     6    6    0     7   WLWDL
   Hesham                  5    2   1   2     8    8    0     7   WLLWD
10 Newark Argyle           5    1   2   2     6    6    0     5   LDLDW
11 Clyde Park              5    1   2   2     5    8   −3     5   LWLDD
12 Lakewood United         5    1   1   3     7    9   −2     4   LLWLD
13 Fontwell Rovers         5    1   1   3     3    6   −3     4   LDLLW
14 Colbrook City           5    1   1   3     6   10   −4     4   DWLLL
15 Bencoolen City          5    0   1   4     3   13  −10     1   DLLLL
16 Fraser Valley           5    0   1   4     2   13  −11     1   LLLDL

[Tumbra]

REPUBLIC CUP, FIRST ROUND

Republic Cup, First Round
( D4)                    Franport   3-1   Dynamo Denhelm              (NC )
( D2)              Macarthur City   2-3   West Couno United           (D1 )
( SL)                   Gisbourne   0-1   Ricci Ironworkers           (D3 )
( SL)               Knapford City   0-1 e Colbrook City               (D1 )
( D1)               Newark Argyle   3-0   Sherwood Town               (SL )
( NC)                Gelder Creek   1-1 p Wintborough United          (D4 )
( SL)                     Windsor p 0-0   Grange United               (SL )
( SL)                    Brensley   1-2   Dieren City                 (NC )
( D1)                  Serrapince   5-2   Algoma Wanderers            (SL )
( SL)                 Kellsthorpe   0-3   Glenmont AFC                (D2 )
( D4)          Heath Bay Mariners   1-1 p Killiney SC                 (D4 )
( D3)                 Cobham Town   1-2   Shepperton Ravens           (D2 )
( SL)                     Clifton   0-3   Fontwell Rovers             (D1 )
( D4)             Carrington Town   0-1   Enfield                     (SL )
( D3)          Tavistock Athletic   2-0   Tavistock Park              (D3 )
( SL)           Falmouth Athletic   1-2   Clark City                  (D2 )
( D1)            Kingsbury United   2-0   Hoxford United              (D2 )
( NC)              Rosenberg City   0-2   Dover                       (NC )
( SL)              Melwood United e 2-1   Readale Wanderers           (D2 )
( D4)             Pinhal Athletic   1-0   Langley United              (SL )
( SL)                Mayfield AFC   2-1   Denhelm Trinity             (D4 )
( D3)           Harwick Wanderers p 1-1   Carter United               (D2 )
( D2)            Newton Wanderers   0-2   Hesham                      (D1 )
( SL)              Moresby United   0-2   Coburg                      (D4 )
( D1)               Lakewood City   2-1   Pomeroy Mountaineers        (D3 )
( SL)             Nottingham City   3-1   Cheltenham                  (SL )
( NC)                    Dunsford   0-1   Greenford City              (NC )
( SL)               Monroe Quakes   1-3 e Prinsip Street              (SL )
( D4)               Brades United   1-3   Ridgewell United            (D3 )
( NC)                Readale City   0-0 p Dorival                     (D2 )
( NC)                Caldecott 93   2-1   Orpington                   (NC )
( D1)               Couno Rangers   2-0   Harren Armada               (NC )
( SL)                     Othaven   1-1 p Haversham City              (NC )
( SL)                Chesterfield   0-1   Locomotive Harper           (SL )
( D1)              Bencoolen City p 1-1   AFC Cayalon                 (D2 )
( SL)          Johnstone Athletic p 0-0   Cortlandt United            (SL )
( NC)               Mackay Rovers   2-2 p Collett Park United         (NC )
( SL)                  Blakehurst   0-1   Sturrey Athletic            (D2 )
( D4)          Tevandale Athletic p 3-3   Rosyth                      (SL )
( SL)            Straton Typhoons   0-1   Hendon Cardinals            (D4 )
( D3)         Millsburgh Steelers   2-1   Thomson City                (NC )
( SL)                     Lambeth   3-0   Wolskel                     (SL )
( NC)                    Hindhede   0-1   Trelmont Rangers            (D3 )
( SL)      Ruislip and Ipswich FC   0-3   Millsburgh Revolutionaries  (D2 )
( D3)             Guillemard Town   2-1   Arlington Athletic          (SL )
( D2)       New Timbourne Knights   1-0   Oakton                      (SL )
( D1)           FC Inter Nantwich   3-1   Columbia City               (D2 )
( D4)               Havelock City   2-2 p Staplewood                  (NC )
( SL)           Ilstead Wanderers   0-1   Richmond AFC                (SL )
( D4)                Heffron City e 2-1   Blenheim                    (SL )
( D4)                 FC Montrose   2-0   Knapford United             (SL )
( D1)                  Clyde Park   3-0   Farleigh                    (SL )
( D3)           Southport Thunder   0-1   Port Marray                 (D3 )
( D3)           Harchester United   2-0   Teignford Academical        (D3 )
( NC)            Hesham Wanderers   1-0   Kirkby Railwaymen           (NC )
( D3)             Washington City   0-2 e Fraser Valley               (D1 )
( SL)             Wilmington Town   0-2   Ashton Rovers               (D4 )
( D3)            Kelder Phoenixes p 1-1   Delphi Lionesses            (D2 )
( D4)             Fort Heatherton   2-1   Rookworth AFC               (NC )
( SL)               Colney Thorns   2-5   Lakewood United             (D1 )
( NC)              Burlington AFC   1-5   Straton                     (D1 )
( NC)             Maxwell Arsenal p 2-2   Caldwell City               (NC )
( NC)       North Thornton United   0-7   AFC Gillman                 (D2 )
( SL)                  Dunman Bay   0-2   Ridgewell Rovers            (D1 )

MATCHDAY 6
FC Inter Nantwich 3–0 Lakewood United
B Coxeter 16', 69', C Tipple 32'
Colbrook City 4–2 Clyde Park
S Rigby 20', P Djurovic 39', A Finlay 60', 88'//M Wague 12', R Wyatt 75'
Serrapince 3–0 Ridgewell Rovers
C Audiol 23', Sara V 49', B Anggara 68'
Kingsbury United 2–2 Hesham
C Nightingale 39', J Hughes 45'//V Loustaunau 3', L Russell 70'
Lakewood City 3–3 West Couno United
N Tejic 17', R Vaughn 49', C Henshaw 58'//V Reisinger 29', L Vujanovic 30', 44'
Newark Argyle 1–1 Couno Rangers
L Murdoch 55'//H Howell 78'
Fontwell Rovers 0–0 Bencoolen City

Straton 3–1 Fraser Valley
D Hall 19', H Bevins 25', Liang T 77'//M Coonan 58'

The six-pointer match between relegation rivals Fontwell and Bencoolen ends in a placid 0-0 draw in which neither side, to use the cliche, never really got going; both teams remain rooted to the bottom of the table without a win. A few begin to wonder if Graham Lloyd is the correct person to be leading Fraser; the manager might have done well in his first job at Macarthur, and survived relatively comfortably last season, but this one seems to be getting off to a much rougher start. The best chance from both ends ends up being Tricia Barker's shot on target which is saved by Oliver Crossley; but otherwise it was an exceedingly boring match which lived up to none of its pre-match billing.

One match that couldn't claim to be that was City-West Couno; the defending champions scored three in the first half, with two from Luka Vujanovic, before City hit back in the second half with two goals from Vaughn and Henshaw. This, unlike Fontwell-Bencoolen, turned out to be the match of the week; end-to-end play which saw two teams at their near best going up against each other. Things did swing drastically in City's favour after Robin Vaughn came on, with the winger generally dictating City's play and getting the game under control after they were down 3-1 at half-time. Both managers were full of plaudits for the oldest player in the league after the game; WCU manager Kaniatarii praised his "presence" while City manager Riedweld commended his "quiet leadership."

Is there a growing crisis at United? No, says Andrea Spinelli; but his words seem to ring hollow after the team sink into the relegation spots after six games played (they're fourteenth). United crumpled under pressure from Nantwich, with Basilica Coxeter scoring a brace and there being no response. Spinelli criticised his team's "lack of fighting spirit" after going down, but simultaneously acknowledged that he needed to change his tactics up if United were to have any chance of mounting a title challenge. "Thirty games — we all get thirty games, and we all drop points. But we need to start as early as possible, and I take responsibility for my team's bad start." Some interpret the 'lack of fighting spirit' jab as one at team captain Kendra Considine, but she's been largely sidelined by injury in the first few weeks of the season and there's ongoing discussions over her future — her contract runs out at the end of next season.

MATCHDAY 7
Fraser Valley 1–0 FC Inter Nantwich
L Eyre 68'
Bencoolen City 1–0 Straton
F Wilson 39'
Couno Rangers 3–1 Fontwell Rovers
JP Vaillancourt 80', E Howard-Dawes 86', 90' + 5'//C Coste o.g. 44'
West Couno United 2–0 Newark Argyle
H Stanway 30', V Reisinger 68'
Hesham 2–1 Lakewood City
L Russell 24', 79'//C Henshaw 30'
Ridgewell Rovers 0–2 Kingsbury United
E Maddison 80', 88'
Clyde Park 1–1 Serrapince
L Gomboult 70'//O Muir 2'
Lakewood United 4–1 Colbrook City
E Kruetzberg 30', J Sürréo 56', 70', 72'//A Perkkanen 61'

Couno leave it late in their game against Fontwell; the plucky Westerners go one ahead through an own goal from Carlos Coste, the defender's leg just in the right (or wrong, if you're a Rams fan) place for an unlucky (or lucky, if you're a Wolves fan) deflection into the net. Holly Howell is unusually ineffectual in front of goal; she's yanked off in favour of Elaine Howard-Dawes with fifteen minutes to go, and makes an instant impact. Amanda Browne assists the goal that puts Couno back in the lead; a Dimitra Conder corner gives her the header deep into injury time. The result sees them go joint top, alongside a Kingsbury side who have now scored as many goals as they did in the entirety of the previous league season. City, the previous league leaders, suffer a surprising defeat to Hesham which sees them slide to fourth; while Ridgewell are all the way in seventh, losing against the aforementioned Kingsbury.

After three winless games, United finally pick up their second win of the season; while it's against Colbrook — hardly the strongest of opponents — United seem to be back to their blistering best, with Rulandea striker Jos Surreo scoring the season's first hat-trick. Spinelli, in contrast to his past few games, is all smiles — "I think we did very, very good today" — and says this game is "very good momentum" for the game against moneybags Serrapince next week. For their part, the Bees are still undefeated; Lars Hartmansson seems to be less of an active manager and more of a pilot standing steady at the helm of a ship propelling itself. He's not been the most impressive tactically — more inclined to allow the team, and Sara Vatnarsdottir in particular, do their own thing; and while it's worked so far, the draw against Clyde Park was regarded as fairly disappointing. The game against United will arguably be the ultimate barometer of how Hartmansson has performed so far; and while he's admitted to not having that much of a "tactical outlook" yet, he's mainly been trying to get the team to gel together. Which, considering the change in the squad and the four new players on big contracts, is well within reason.

Both relegation-threatened sides — Bencoolen and Fraser — pick up their first wins of the season. Bencoolen do it against Straton — surprising, but Frank Wilson's shot into the back of the net was a thing of beauty — while Fraser do it against Nantwich, of all teams. Nantwich manager Daniel Galbraith admits that it's "very disappointing" after the game; while Leigh Eyre's goal sees the Mertagnian midfielder run essentially the entire length of the pitch to celebrate their victory. Both teams are still rooted to the bottom of the table; but at least they've got something on the board at this point.

MATCHDAY 8
FC Inter Nantwich 3–1 Colbrook City
J Spekman 20', B Coxeter 84', A Fisher 90' + 2'//F Yeltsov 38'
Serrapince 2–4 Lakewood United
J Ryland 17', C Audiol 84'//J Sürréo 26', 81', K Considine 52', K Desmond 63'
Kingsbury United 1–0 Clyde Park
Kim SW 9'
Lakewood City 4–1 Ridgewell Rovers
S McTavish 29', C Henshaw 48', 51', V Leighton 63'//H Canavan 41'
Newark Argyle 0–0 Hesham

Fontwell Rovers 2–3 West Couno United
R Scrivener 35', H Osbourne 80'//V Reisinger 1', 11', J Dufour 58'
Straton 2–2 Couno Rangers
Tino 6', C Baker 20'//E Robertson 10', H Howell 90' + 3'
Fraser Valley 1–0 Bencoolen City
C Haywood 62'

Serrapince's unbeaten run comes to an end as United score four past the Bees; the result also means that there are no teams left that can go un-beaten. It's another one of those end-to-end games, with Serrapince going ahead through Jack Ryland before being pegged back by Sürréo. The second half, again, is led by United; Considine scores seven minutes after the second half off a rebounded free kick by Nurija Papez, before Kirsten Desmond bursts through and scores United's third. Klavida Regine clumsily gives away a penalty, which Sürréo puts away easily; and while Ceferino Audiol gets one back for the Bees before the final whistle, Lars Hartmansson is given his first loss as a T-League manager. He reflects on it glumly; but admits United were by far the superior team on the day.

Kingsbury find themselves top of the table after they beat Clyde Park 1-0; it's a stark contrast to where they were last season. Paul Amos has stepped up massively after the departure of Kira Dormann; and Joaquin Santo, the Juven defender, has more-or-less dislodged Nepharan defender Thora Houghson from the starting eleven. Houghson, a new arrival southside this season, has gotten off to a decent start with Kingsbury; but hasn't been as impactful as Santo so far this season. That's not to say Dormann hasn't done well at Nantwich — the Bulls have conceded just as little (8) as Kingsbury — but Kingsbury's record is far superior to Nantwich's at the current moment.

Newark's recent form has become somewhat of a worry; their latest result — a 0-0 draw with Hesham — sees them with still one win in eight. There are rumours that Desmond Clarke's departure — which was slated for the end of the season regardless, due to the expiry of his contract — might be expedited in favour of getting Toby Barton in. Barton, who's been out of management since he resigned from the Under-18 national team after a bus crash, has expressed a reluctance to return to management, but has reportedly been in negotiations with the Chromatik owners of the club for a role. Hesham, for their part, did brilliantly to deny Newark any goals, though Hayden Blamey's lack of goals is still a major concern for the side.

MATCHDAY 9
Bencoolen City 1–5 FC Inter Nantwich
A Salvaggione 69'//A Fisher 20', D Horvat 24', 83', Kim CY 55', 62'
Couno Rangers 1–0 Fraser Valley
S Fortier 32'
West Couno United 1–0 Straton
M Hajdarpasic 77'
Hesham 0–1 Fontwell Rovers
N Moss 24'
Ridgewell Rovers 3–0 Newark Argyle
Deng D o.g. 6', Q van der Ven 35', I Robertson 38'
Clyde Park 0–3 Lakewood City
C Henshaw 12', R Vaughn 28', 78'
Lakewood United 2–0 Kingsbury United
K Considine 70', C Keyes 88'
Colbrook City 1–0 Serrapince
S Stansfield 2'

Has the T-League rebranding failed? Sure, the fact that the league is here and all, shrunken to 16 and everything, means that it's succeeded in some way; but pundits and commentators alike continually refer to the league as the "Prem" still, as though nothing has changed. Sure, with the elimination of 64 teams from the official league structure, things have gotten a lot more streamlined; but when Atlas Baxter, retired winger and now pundit on Aurora Sports, visibly sighed after he said "Prem" instead of "T-League" for what felt like the umpteenth time, discourse on twii.tur after the game was markedly empathetic with him. "Prem or T-League, it's still football," seemed to be dominant sensing after that episode of Sunday Night Football. Some pointed towards the continuity of branding from the late Prem era — "it's the same bloody roundel" — while other just pointed to the fact that it was still the same teams dominating the top flight of the ladder, with more of the churn happening lower down the ladder. Perhaps people are just growing cynical of the same five teams dominating; perhaps people are just bored of the same stratified product being served to them. At least ticket prices remain cheap.

United win three on the bounce, though this time they leave it late; super-sub Cameron Keyes has to be brought on to round out the win, scoring one to knock Kingsbury down to fourth. WCU, having also won three on the trot, take the lead of the league; and earlier doubts over whether they'd be able to mount a title defence seem to fade. They're consistent, they've kept their squad together; why shouldn't they be able to be the first club to win successive titles since...City in Season 2? Successive titles seem to be a bit of a bugbear in Tumbra; even United, who were heavily favoured to keep their title after their impressive performance in the final season of the T-League, proved unable to hold onto their title last season.

Ridgewell arrest their precipitous descent down the rankings by securing a win against Argyle; there are rumours Newark manager Desmond Clarke could be dismissed as early as next week as they try to arrest their own fall down the rankings themselves. Not helping suspicion is the cancellation of Newark's post-match press conference on short notice. Meanwhile, Ridgewell manager Chris Haines admits that his side's recent form hasn't been "up to snuff", and that the target for the season is a repeat of last season's exploits; an international berth, either in the CEdC or the VCIAPP. The side are still in fifth; but three successive losses (up to this point) mean that their grip on a high spot is more tenuous than previously thought. But such is the midtable, especially in Tumbra.

REPUBLIC CUP, SECOND ROUND

Republic Cup, Second Round
( D4)                    Franport   0-7   West Couno United           (D1 )
( D3)           Ricci Ironworkers   0-2   Colbrook City               (D1 )
( D1)               Newark Argyle   1-0   Wintborough United          (D4 )
( SL)                     Windsor e 2-1   Dieren City                 (NC )
( D1)                  Serrapince   4-0   Glenmont AFC                (D2 )
( D4)                 Killiney SC   0-2   Shepperton Ravens           (D2 )
( D1)             Fontwell Rovers   4-0   Enfield                     (SL )
( D3)          Tavistock Athletic   0-1   Clark City                  (D2 )
( D1)            Kingsbury United   3-2   Dover                       (NC )
( SL)              Melwood United   2-3   Pinhal Athletic             (D4 )
( SL)                Mayfield AFC   1-1 p Harwick Wanderers           (D3 )
( D1)                      Hesham   3-0   Coburg                      (D4 )
( D1)               Lakewood City   2-1   Nottingham City             (SL )
( NC)              Greenford City   2-0   Prinsip Street              (SL )
( D3)            Ridgewell United   4-1   Dorival                     (D2 )
( NC)                Caldecott 93   0-3   Couno Rangers               (D1 )
( NC)              Haversham City   2-0   Locomotive Harper           (SL )
( D1)              Bencoolen City   1-0   Johnstone Athletic          (SL )
( NC)         Collett Park United   0-1   Sturrey Athletic            (D2 )
( D4)          Tevandale Athletic   2-0   Hendon Cardinals            (D4 )
( D3)         Millsburgh Steelers   3-1   Lambeth                     (SL )
( D3)            Trelmont Rangers   1-2   Millsburgh Revolutionaries  (D2 )
( D3)             Guillemard Town p 2-2   New Timbourne Knights       (D2 )
( D1)           FC Inter Nantwich   2-0   Staplewood                  (NC )
( SL)                Richmond AFC p 1-1   Heffron City                (D4 )
( D4)                 FC Montrose   0-1   Clyde Park                  (D1 )
( D3)                 Port Marray   0-2   Harchester United           (D3 )
( NC)            Hesham Wanderers   2-3   Fraser Valley               (D1 )
( D4)               Ashton Rovers   4-0   Kelder Phoenixes            (D3 )
( D4)             Fort Heatherton   0-1   Lakewood United             (D1 )
( D1)                     Straton   5-0   Maxwell Arsenal             (NC )
( D2)                 AFC Gillman   1-1 p Ridgewell Rovers            (D1 )

MATCHDAY 10
FC Inter Nantwich 0–2 Serrapince
Sara V 17', A Wakering 38'
Kingsbury United 1–3 Colbrook City
E Maddison 69'//A Finlay 20', A Perkkanen 70', E Calare 86'
Lakewood City 1–2 Lakewood United
I Ashburn 40'//E Kruetzberg 3', J Sürréo 90' + 1'
Newark Argyle 1–3 Clyde Park
C McGrath 81'//D Ferguson 10', L Kelly 39', M Wague 48'
Fontwell Rovers 2–2 Ridgewell Rovers
E Blanc 30', S Howell 85'//C Lyon 20', L Beaugemont 45' + 1'
Straton 1–0 Hesham
Tino 66'
Fraser Valley 1–5 West Couno United
A Moynihan 35'//V Reisinger 50', C Morgan 68', M Schaerer 74', 76', P Wilson 88'
Bencoolen City 1–4 Couno Rangers
D Fong 22'//V Hicks 13', J Tyler 34', A Browne 65', E Howard-Dawes 70'

Despite Lars Hartmansson's warnings that Aneurin Wakering is definitively not a goalscoring winger in the vein of someone like Luka Vujanovic at West Couno, people have still expected more of the T-League's most expensive ever transfer; the fifteen million dollar man, after ten games, has no goals. He's played his part in beating defenses and dribbling; YouTube compilations of the man's skills, both at Saint-Remy and at his current club, have been lighting up the algorithm in search of flashy content beneath five minutes in length. But the lack of end product is still deeply unnerving for some. So when Wakering's goal went in against Nantwich, there were some sighs of relief; but then the criticism rebounds — "why doesn't he do this every week?"

There's no winning with football fans sometimes.

The Lakewood derby is this week; and City slump to another defeat in the derby. It now feels like City are winning less Lakewood derbies than normal; the equilibrium of footballing power in one of the country's largest cities has become much more even in the last few seasons. And how could it not? Signings like Sürréo, Kruetzberg, Aimée, and now Papez would always help close the gap between the sky blue and red. Nurija Papez, in particular, now looks more at home against opponents; he's being played deeper, where he prefers to start attacks. Poor Paul Barker is pulled out of position pretty much everywhere by Papez' positioning in midfield; the distributor may not fit the classic "destroyer" role expected of defensive midfielder in Tumbra, but he's certainly proving a handful to deal with. Will his signing end up being as revolutionary as Hermaeus Mora, ten years ago? Perhaps not commercially or in terms of name recognition — Mora was the first superstar signing the league truly had. While Papez broke the transfer record when he was signed midway through the window, that record was then broken by Nye Wakering, and equalled by Ceferino Audiol in that same window, Andrea Spinelli seems to know how exactly he wants to utilise the deep-lying playmaker.

Newark's loss to Clyde Park is the last straw; Desmond Clarke is let go after ten games of the season, with the team hovering just above the relegation zone. Assistant manager John Bryant is placed in temporary control of the team, but the Tumbran footballing world's worst-kept secret is that Toby Barton will, barring any acts of God, be given the job. He's a natural choice; having worked with some of the bench as under-18s manager, he'd be a good fit for Newark's unspoken recruitment policy of young players with high potential.

With a third of the season gone, West Couno end the first third of the season atop the table, with seven wins; their neighbours in red, boosted by the striking power of Howard-Dawes, are second. City drop two positions with their recent drop in form but are still third; United are slowly but surely climbing up the table, up four to eighth with the derby victory bringing them to four in a row. The midpoint of the season is rapidly approaching; and, with great credit to the sixteen-team format, there doesn't seem to be a clear title favourite yet.

T-League, Season 2

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg   Form5  
 1 West Couno United      10    7   2   1    22   11  +11    23   ▲4   DWWWW
 2 Couno Rangers          10    6   3   1    26   16  +10    21   ▲2   DWDWW
 3 Lakewood City          10    6   1   3    25   12  +13    19   ▼2   DLWWL
 4 Kingsbury United       10    5   2   3    18   13   +5    17   ▼1   WWWLL
 5 Straton                10    5   2   3    13   11   +2    17   ▲1   WLDLW
 6 Serrapince             10    4   4   2    18   11   +7    16   ▲1   WDLLW
 7 FC Inter Nantwich      10    5   1   4    17   11   +6    16   ▲1   WLWWL
 8 Lakewood United        10    5   1   4    19   16   +3    16   ▲4   LWWWW
 9 Ridgewell Rovers       10    5   1   4    17   17    0    16   ▼7   LLLWD
10 Colbrook City          10    4   1   5    16   20   −4    13   ▲4   WLLWW
11 Hesham                 10    3   3   4    12   13   −1    12   ▼2   LWDLL
12 Fontwell Rovers        10    2   3   5     9   14   −5     9   ▲1   DLLWD
13 Clyde Park             10    2   3   5    11   18   −7     9   ▼2   LDLLW
14 Newark Argyle          10    1   4   5     8   15   −7     7   ▼4   DLDLL
15 Fraser Valley          10    2   1   7     6   22  −16     7   ▲1   LWWLL
16 Bencoolen City         10    1   2   7     6   23  −17     5   ▼1   DWLLL

[Tumbra]

MATCHDAY 11
Couno Rangers 1–1 FC Inter Nantwich
V Hicks 32'//Kim CY 22'
West Couno United 3–1 Bencoolen City
V Reisinger 46', 58', P Wilson 78'//P Harding 18'
Hesham 1–2 Fraser Valley
H Blamey 90' + 1'//K Palmer 18', T Krzanowski 48'
Ridgewell Rovers 2–0 Straton
I Robertson 53', H Canavan 61'
Clyde Park 0–1 Fontwell Rovers
E Blanc 40'
Lakewood United 0–1 Newark Argyle
L Murdoch 31'
Colbrook City 1–3 Lakewood City
A Perkkanen 20'//R Vaughn 18', V Anderson 39', 41'
Serrapince 2–1 Kingsbury United
C Fontana 48', 55'//Kim SW 20'

Before even a week can pass, former Tumbran Under-18 manager Toby Barton is announced as the new Newark manager; his introduction to the job, however, is a match against Lakewood United. "There isn't much we — I — can do; but all I can say is that we'll be getting to grips with what's going on quickly," says Barton before his first game. "It is, for me, a new experience — I'm more looking at this as a way to get started in the job." He plays a standard line-up, utilising the 4-4-2 that Desmond Clarke left him; the only exception is that Jude McCreary comes in for Nigel Harris.

Newark beat Lakewood United 1-0. Barton is shocked; he can't explain it, but United playing a second-string line-up perhaps helps to explain matters. Andrew Gillingham's efforts mostly end up in the arms of Davide Sandino; Honorio Menez puts in the best defensive performance by a Newark player this season, but that's expected from the Mertagnian international. Lowen Murdoch scores on the half-hour mark; and they essentially pack up for the rest of the game. Gemma Rodway nearly doubles their lead near the half-time whistle; but Newark ride out the storm. Andrea Spinelli strikes a disappointed figure after the match, especially considering United are ninth after eleven games; hardly the position that United were expecting to be in at this point of the season.

Elsewhere, Fontwell pick up another valuable three points against Clyde Park; Russell Lock ruminates on the possibility of his squad staying up. "I definitely think we've got the quality to stay up, but then again every other squad in the relegation fight'll be saying the same damn thing." In the same relegation fight, Hesham fall to Fraser Valley; Hesham are still eleventh, but there's a distinct lack of finishing quality this season. There are reports that Michael Hardwick is looking to sell Hayden Blamey; after a relatively unimpressive first season, the striker now only still has three goals in eleven games. He scores his fourth against Fraser in injury time; but he was left on the bench for most of the game, an indication that he's lost his starting spot. A move back to Sylestone — a loan, perhaps — may be on the cards; but Blamey may yet be hoping for a sudden Hardwick sacking for him to prove himself to a new manager. Hardwick's job still seems secure for now, but Hesham's form has been less than inspiring to start the season; and with people like Vince McCarthy, Ted Bayh, and Colin Barrendale available, Hardwick's job may yet be under threat.

MATCHDAY 12
FC Inter Nantwich 4–4 Kingsbury United
H Gell 18', J Spekman 64', 86', B Coxeter 90' + 3'//Kim SW 25', 38', 49', F Woodhouse 55'
Lakewood City 3–1 Serrapince
C Henshaw 15', R Vaughn 37', S McTavish 72'//C Audiol 40'
Newark Argyle 4–0 Colbrook City
G Rodway 16', 25', T Elliot 40', S Oliveira 44'
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 Lakewood United
J Sürréo 28'
Straton 0–3 Clyde Park
M Wague 50', D Ferguson 78', K Kearnes 83'
Fraser Valley 1–3 Ridgewell Rovers
T Barker 38'//H Canavan 25', M Riester 78', Kwak SH 87'
Bencoolen City 0–0 Hesham

Couno Rangers 1–1 West Couno United
L Kendall 5'//M Hajdarpasic 82'

Fontwell's defence continues their massive performance, only letting in one goal against Lakewood United. The game's still a loss for Fontwell; but keeping United to just one goal is a great boost for morale. Andrea Spinelli, meanwhile, says that this is the time for United to start getting their title ambitions up and running. United are nine points behind league leaders West Couno, and currently reside in sixth; but Spinelli says that the gap is very much surmountable. "I don't think it is impossible," he says. "We have a good squad — the best, I think — in Tumbra, and I absolutely believe we can make up the gap. And this win, I think, if we can take it from week to week while believing in ourselves, then we have good momentum and we can run up the table."

West Couno's own advantage at the top of the table shrinks to two points with their draw in the Couno derby; Lilith Kendall of the Rams scores the opening goal just five minutes in, taking advantage of a defensive lapse from Christopher Morgan; the defence holds tight for the rest of the game. Muharem Hajdarpasic eventually finds a way through, though the belief amongst pundits is that Couno really should have walked away from that game with all three points. Perhaps more worryingly for Couno, Elaine Howard-Dawes is take off injured at half-time; she'll be out until week 15 at the very least. "It is concerning, of course, because Elaine is a very important part of our strategy," says Couno manager Marco Giuliani. "But our offensive depth is fine. We have Holly [Howell], we have Sylviane [Fortier]...I think we will do fine."

Newark's impressive form continues; the team scores four against Colbrook as Toby Barton seemingly gets to grips with his new job in record time. Of course, it doesn't help Colbrook's case that Sha Jian is sent off thirteen minutes in for a rash tackle on striker Lowen Murdoch; but the four goals does seem to show that the sacking of Clarke was justified when it comes to offensive output. Call it a new manager bounce, but the team seem much more fluid in offense than they do under Clarke; and it's that fluidity and the freeing up of right-winger Simon Oliveira that makes him such a danger on the pitch. Hesham have reportedly reached out to Clarke to see if he'll take up the job if they sack Michael Hardwick; and the response has been surprisingly positive.

MATCHDAY 13
West Couno United 0–0 FC Inter Nantwich

Hesham 0–3 Couno Rangers
D Conder 8', A Browne 72', H Howell 77'
Ridgewell Rovers 2–1 Bencoolen City
I Robertson 33', H Canavan 62'//F Wilson 40'
Clyde Park 1–0 Fraser Valley
T Haller 69'
Lakewood United 1–0 Straton
E Kruetzberg 32'
Colbrook City 2–0 Fontwell Rovers
Sha J 40', E Calare 77'
Serrapince 0–1 Newark Argyle
G Rodway 58'
Kingsbury United 2–4 Lakewood City
Kim SW 74', J Hughes 89'//V Morris 18', V Leighton 35', V Anderson 46', R Vaughn 68'

Lakewood City seize the lead of the league from West Couno after the Pilots limp to another draw, this time against Nantwich; it's frustrating for the Bulls, who had several opportunities to go ahead but simply couldn't capitalise. A missed penalty from Joanna Bradford probably compounds the misery; but a heroic save from Mederick Brown sees West Couno come away with another point. "It's a little bit worrying with our lack of attacking output, but I think we've got the power to get past this," says West Couno manager Samara Kaniatarii. "We are here to win, after all; and we've done it before, so there's a target on our backs. But we can do it."

Serrapince-Newark ends in another surprise victory for Newark; Klavida Regine is sent off, once again allowing Argyle to shut up shop after Sara Vatnarsdottir is substituted off for Martin Barker. Sara V might have been the least expensive of the four signings — a flat 7 million, as compared to Ryland's 7.5 million (with performance bonuses and other incentives), Audiol's 12.5 million, and Wakering's eye-watering 15 million. But Gemma Rodway needles her way through the Serrapince defence; and scores to give Newark another three points, moving them up to tenth. Toby Barton now has three wins in three; and he's gotten off to a flying start.

Kingsbury United's loss against Lakewood City is only made worse by the sudden injury of Joaquin Santo; the defender, who experienced something of a career renaissance after moving to the south coast. Twelve minutes into Kingsbury's game against Lakewood City, with the scores all even, Santo makes a run; but then suddenly falls onto the pitch, clutching his knee and seemingly screaming. He's subbed off — and Thora Houghson immediately is subbed on. The bad news comes after the game; Santo will be out for the entirety of the season with an ACL injury. Those are rare in the modern days of sport science and technology; but they can still happen. Kingsbury manager William Wight is visibly glum after the game; Santo had quickly become a key part of Kingsbury's defence and his loss means they'll have to rely on the still-solid, but slightly less reliable, Thora Houghson — who, while young and fast, doesn't have the same on-ball quality as Santo.

REPUBLIC CUP, THIRD ROUND

Republic Cup, Third Round
( D1)           West Couno United   2-0   Colbrook City               (D1 )
( D1)               Newark Argyle   2-1   Windsor                     (SL )
( D1)                  Serrapince   3-1   Shepperton Ravens           (D2 )
( D1)             Fontwell Rovers   3-0   Clark City                  (D2 )
( D1)            Kingsbury United   2-0   Pinhal Athletic             (D4 )
( D3)           Harwick Wanderers   0-3   Hesham                      (D1 )
( D1)               Lakewood City e 1-0   Greenford City              (NC )
( D3)            Ridgewell United   2-3   Couno Rangers               (D1 )
( NC)              Haversham City   0-2   Bencoolen City              (D1 )
( D2)            Sturrey Athletic   1-0   Tevandale Athletic          (D4 )
( D3)         Millsburgh Steelers   1-2   Millsburgh Revolutionaries  (D2 )
( D3)             Guillemard Town   0-2   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( SL)                Richmond AFC   0-1   Clyde Park                  (D1 )
( D3)           Harchester United   0-3   Fraser Valley               (D1 )
( D4)               Ashton Rovers   0-2   Lakewood United             (D1 )
( D1)                     Straton   2-3   Ridgewell Rovers            (D1 )

MATCHDAY 14
FC Inter Nantwich 1–3 Lakewood City
B Coxeter 25'//C Henshaw 29', S Watson 54', E Appleby 82'
Newark Argyle 1–0 Kingsbury United
R Fleetwood 70'
Fontwell Rovers 1–2 Serrapince
K Dunstan 50'//Sara V 38', L Ness 75'
Straton 2–0 Colbrook City
P Hurst 15', Tino 62'
Fraser Valley 0–1 Lakewood United
A Gillingham 20'
Bencoolen City 1–0 Clyde Park
F Wilson 69'
Couno Rangers 0–0 Ridgewell Rovers

West Couno United 1–1 Hesham
L Vujanovic 31'//S Wilson 47'

While a draw for Hesham against West Couno United could normally be seen as an achievement, Hesham are now winless in seven; and there are reports that the axe is looming. Signing Hardwick — the prince of darkness when it comes to defensive football — seemed like a natural move, especially with Hugo Mornington ruling the roost for the Ploughmen; but it seems that the lack of offensive output has put paid to any progress on that front. Thirteenth after fourteen games is an objectively horrid record for a side of Hesham's ambition; and the links about bringing Desmond Clarke in for the rest of the season seem to be growing more concretely. On the face of it, drawing 1-1 to the defending champions isn't that bad a record; but WCU themselves are going through a dip in form of their own, with the Pilots picking up three draws in three games.

Ridgewell seemed to be floundering a bit at the start of the season — they were second after five games, ninth after ten — but have recovered to fourth with three wins in their last four games. Their draw against Couno seemed to highlight Couno's drop in offensive prowess without Howard-Dawes, with neither Holly Howell nor Sylviane Fortier being able to replicate the impact the Quebecois-Chromatik has for the Rams. That's not to say the two of them are bad — Howell and Fortier are certainly up there when it comes to striking quality, and Fortier could be on the move soon, with interest reported from around the globe — but Howard-Dawes is, to use the slang term, different gravy.

Bencoolen finally grab their second win of the season, with Frank Wilson striking again; while his move to the Cordian Isles didn't pay off — the country's hockey league being simply too powerful in the long run — he's taken everything in stride. While most have painted Bencoolen as being destined for the second tier — and this has been something admitted to by George Lascelles, although he's said the team will continue to fight until every game until the end of the season.

MATCHDAY 15
Hesham 1–1 FC Inter Nantwich
G Deighton 86'//D Horvat 55'
Ridgewell Rovers 2–2 West Couno United
C Steele 32', L Beaugemont 70'//J Dufour 43', V Resinger 45' + 3'
Clyde Park 0–2 Couno Rangers
E Howard-Dawes 25', 38'
Lakewood United 4–1 Bencoolen City
T Grandelius 22', 84', N Atkinson 35', K Desmond 55'//H Lofthouse 31'
Colbrook City 3–1 Fraser Valley
F Yeltsov 22', A Perkkanen 70', A McGarry 85'//T Barker 37'
Serrapince 4–0 Straton
C Fontana 22', 80', A Wakering 35', J Ryland 62'
Kingsbury United 3–0 Fontwell Rovers
E Maddison 49', E Illsley 85', E Ferguson 88'
Lakewood City 2–1 Newark Argyle
V Anderson 25', R Vaughn 49'//G Rodway 30'

Hesham drawing against Nantwich isn't enough to save Michael Hardwick's job; after eighteen months in Hesham, Michael Hardwick is sacked as manager of Hesham; and Desmond Clarke is heavily reputed to be the next manager, although some within the top leadership have reportedly called for Dean Rowden, former Hesham goalkeeper and Hardwick's assistant, to be given the job instead. The decision is likely to be made over the winter break; Clarke's interest in the job has supposedly waned, with the manager not interested in an interim role. The other manager reportedly on the brink is Graham Lloyd at Fraser Valley; four losses in a row, including their most recent loss against Colbrook, means that his team is sat in fifteenth with the most losses of any team in the T-League so far. A decision, management says, will be "made after the winter break"; which doesn't bode well for the novice manager and former Tumbran national team left-back.

Couno sweep past Clyde Park with a 2-0 victory against the Lions; Elaine Howard-Dawes' triumphant return to Couno is marked with her scoring a brace before she's substituted at half-time, with a need to ease her back into football. "It's certainly a tremendous performance," says Couno manager Spinelli after the game. "Elaine is certainly one of the best signings this club has made, and I think she'll be here for a very long time." Howard-Dawes herself is overjoyed at receiving the Player of the Match award even after only spending forty-five minutes on the pitch. Couno head into the winter break in second; in no small part due to the young striker.

At the top of the table, however, is Lakewood City; who've been mowing down opponent after opponent. Sure, they've lost more than Couno and West Couno — three losses, compared to one for both Couno clubs — but they also have eleven wins. Their latest win saw them scrape past Newark (which, coincidentally, is Barton's first loss as Newark manager); but according to John Riedweld, "football isn't about the glamorous results; it's about grinding out result after result after result and making it work." Considering City's football has become a little more glamorous over the past few years, with an increasing reliance on workmanlike players, indicates this too. But it's working; City are top of the table by four points as the league heads into the winter break.

T-League, Season 2

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg   Form5  
 1 Lakewood City          15   11   1   3    40   18  +22    34   ▲2   WWWWW
 2 Couno Rangers          15    8   6   1    33   18  +15    30   -0   DDWDW
 3 West Couno United      15    8   6   1    29   16  +13    30   ▼2   WDDDD
 4 Lakewood United        15    9   1   5    26   18   +8    28   ▲4   LWWWW
 5 Ridgewell Rovers       15    8   3   4    26   21   +5    27   ▲4   WWWDD
 6 Serrapince             15    7   4   4    27   17  +10    25   -0   WLLWW
 7 Kingsbury United       15    6   3   6    28   24   +4    21   ▼3   LDLLW
 8 FC Inter Nantwich      15    5   5   5    24   20   +4    20   ▼1   DDDLD
 9 Straton                15    6   2   7    15   21   −6    20   ▼4   LLLWL
10 Newark Argyle          15    5   4   6    16   17   −1    19   ▲4   WWWWL
11 Colbrook City          15    6   1   8    22   30   −8    19   ▼1   LLWLW
12 Hesham                 15    3   6   6    15   20   −5    15   ▼1   LDLDD
13 Clyde Park             15    4   3   8    15   22   −7    15   -0   LWWLL
14 Fontwell Rovers        15    3   3   9    11   22  −11    12   ▼2   WLLLL
15 Fraser Valley          15    3   1  11    10   31  −21    10   -0   WLLLL
16 Bencoolen City         15    2   3  10    10   32  −22     9   -0   LDLWL

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE 2
MID-SEASON

MATCHDAY 1
Carter United 4–2 Readale Wanderers
Hoxford United 3–3 Macarthur City
Shepperton Ravens 1–0 Sturrey Athletic
Delphi Lionesses 3–2 Dorival
Glenmont AFC 1–4 Clark City
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 3–1 AFC Cayalon
Columbia City 4–0 Newton Wanderers
New Timbourne Knights 0–0 AFC Gillman

MATCHDAY 2
Readale Wanderers 3–2 AFC Gillman
Newton Wanderers 3–1 New Timbourne Knights
AFC Cayalon 1–5 Columbia City
Clark City 1–2 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Dorival 3–1 Glenmont AFC
Sturrey Athletic 5–3 Delphi Lionesses
Macarthur City 4–1 Shepperton Ravens
Carter United 2–1 Hoxford United

MATCHDAY 3
Hoxford United 4–2 Readale Wanderers
Shepperton Ravens 2–2 Carter United
Delphi Lionesses 1–1 Macarthur City
Glenmont AFC 2–3 Sturrey Athletic
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–0 Dorival
Columbia City 2–1 Clark City
New Timbourne Knights 1–0 AFC Cayalon
AFC Gillman 0–1 Newton Wanderers

MATCHDAY 4
Readale Wanderers 4–1 Newton Wanderers
AFC Cayalon 2–0 AFC Gillman
Clark City 0–0 New Timbourne Knights
Dorival 0–1 Columbia City
Sturrey Athletic 3–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Macarthur City 1–2 Glenmont AFC
Carter United 1–1 Delphi Lionesses
Hoxford United 4–3 Shepperton Ravens

MATCHDAY 5
Shepperton Ravens 3–3 Readale Wanderers
Delphi Lionesses 3–1 Hoxford United
Glenmont AFC 0–0 Carter United
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 3–0 Macarthur City
Columbia City 0–0 Sturrey Athletic
New Timbourne Knights 0–0 Dorival
AFC Gillman 2–2 Clark City
Newton Wanderers 1–3 AFC Cayalon

MATCHDAY 6
Readale Wanderers 0–3 AFC Cayalon
Clark City 0–1 Newton Wanderers
Dorival 3–3 AFC Gillman
Sturrey Athletic 3–2 New Timbourne Knights
Macarthur City 0–1 Columbia City
Carter United 1–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Hoxford United 3–2 Glenmont AFC
Shepperton Ravens 4–3 Delphi Lionesses

MATCHDAY 7
Delphi Lionesses 1–2 Readale Wanderers
Glenmont AFC 1–1 Shepperton Ravens
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–0 Hoxford United
Columbia City 1–0 Carter United
New Timbourne Knights 3–1 Macarthur City
AFC Gillman 0–1 Sturrey Athletic
Newton Wanderers 2–0 Dorival
AFC Cayalon 1–0 Clark City

MATCHDAY 8
Readale Wanderers 1–2 Clark City
Dorival 2–0 AFC Cayalon
Sturrey Athletic 2–0 Newton Wanderers
Macarthur City 1–2 AFC Gillman
Carter United 1–0 New Timbourne Knights
Hoxford United 2–5 Columbia City
Shepperton Ravens 0–3 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Delphi Lionesses 5–3 Glenmont AFC

MATCHDAY 9
Glenmont AFC 2–0 Readale Wanderers
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 0–1 Delphi Lionesses
Columbia City 3–0 Shepperton Ravens
New Timbourne Knights 1–3 Hoxford United
AFC Gillman 4–2 Carter United
Newton Wanderers 2–1 Macarthur City
AFC Cayalon 1–0 Sturrey Athletic
Clark City 2–2 Dorival

MATCHDAY 10
Readale Wanderers 0–0 Dorival
Sturrey Athletic 1–0 Clark City
Macarthur City 0–1 AFC Cayalon
Carter United 1–0 Newton Wanderers
Hoxford United 2–0 AFC Gillman
Shepperton Ravens 2–1 New Timbourne Knights
Delphi Lionesses 5–3 Columbia City
Glenmont AFC 1–3 Millsburgh Revolutionaries

MATCHDAY 11
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 4–4 Readale Wanderers
Columbia City 5–1 Glenmont AFC
New Timbourne Knights 0–0 Delphi Lionesses
AFC Gillman 0–1 Shepperton Ravens
Newton Wanderers 2–3 Hoxford United
AFC Cayalon 1–2 Carter United
Clark City 6–2 Macarthur City
Dorival 3–2 Sturrey Athletic

MATCHDAY 12
Readale Wanderers 3–3 Sturrey Athletic
Macarthur City 1–1 Dorival
Carter United 0–2 Clark City
Hoxford United 2–4 AFC Cayalon
Shepperton Ravens 2–0 Newton Wanderers
Delphi Lionesses 3–2 AFC Gillman
Glenmont AFC 2–3 New Timbourne Knights
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 0–1 Columbia City

MATCHDAY 13
Columbia City 1–2 Readale Wanderers
New Timbourne Knights 1–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
AFC Gillman 4–2 Glenmont AFC
Newton Wanderers 0–1 Delphi Lionesses
AFC Cayalon 3–0 Shepperton Ravens
Clark City 0–0 Hoxford United
Dorival 3–1 Carter United
Sturrey Athletic 1–3 Macarthur City

MATCHDAY 14
Readale Wanderers 1–0 Macarthur City
Carter United 1–3 Sturrey Athletic
Hoxford United 1–1 Dorival
Shepperton Ravens 0–0 Clark City
Delphi Lionesses 1–0 AFC Cayalon
Glenmont AFC 1–1 Newton Wanderers
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–0 AFC Gillman
Columbia City 3–0 New Timbourne Knights

MATCHDAY 15
New Timbourne Knights 0–1 Readale Wanderers
AFC Gillman 3–2 Columbia City
Newton Wanderers 3–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
AFC Cayalon 3–3 Glenmont AFC
Clark City 3–3 Delphi Lionesses
Dorival 0–1 Shepperton Ravens
Sturrey Athletic 3–0 Hoxford United
Macarthur City 2–1 Carter United

Standings after MD15

   T-League 2                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Columbia City                   15   11   1   3    37   15  +22    34
 2 Sturrey Athletic                15    9   2   4    30   19  +11    29
 3 Delphi Lionesses                15    8   4   3    34   27   +7    28
 4 Millsburgh Revolutionaries      15    8   1   6    21   17   +4    25
 5 AFC Cayalon                     15    8   1   6    24   20   +4    25
 6 Readale Wanderers               15    6   4   5    28   30   −2    22
 7 Shepperton Ravens               15    6   4   5    21   27   −6    22
 8 Carter United                   15    6   3   6    19   22   −3    21
 9 Hoxford United                  15    6   3   6    29   32   −3    21
10 Newton Wanderers                15    6   1   8    17   23   −6    19
11 Clark City                      15    4   6   5    23   18   +5    18
12 Dorival                         15    4   6   5    20   19   +1    18
13 New Timbourne Knights           15    4   4   7    13   19   −6    16
14 AFC Gillman                     15    4   3   8    22   26   −4    15
15 Macarthur City                  15    3   3   9    20   29   −9    12
16 Glenmont AFC                    15    2   4   9    24   39  −15    10

T-LEAGUE 3
MID-SEASON

MATCHDAY 1
Washington City 3–4 Tavistock Park
Ricci Ironworkers 0–0 Harchester United
Cobham Town 1–2 Harwick Wanderers
Kelder Phoenixes 3–0 Ridgewell United
Pomeroy Mountaineers 1–4 Tavistock Athletic
Trelmont Rangers 1–2 Millsburgh Steelers
Southport Thunder 0–2 Guillemard Town
Port Marray 1–0 Teignford Academical

MATCHDAY 2
Tavistock Park 1–0 Teignford Academical
Guillemard Town 3–3 Port Marray
Millsburgh Steelers 4–2 Southport Thunder
Tavistock Athletic 1–0 Trelmont Rangers
Ridgewell United 3–2 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Harwick Wanderers 4–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Harchester United 5–3 Cobham Town
Washington City 4–3 Ricci Ironworkers

MATCHDAY 3
Ricci Ironworkers 1–2 Tavistock Park
Cobham Town 2–1 Washington City
Kelder Phoenixes 0–1 Harchester United
Pomeroy Mountaineers 3–4 Harwick Wanderers
Trelmont Rangers 2–2 Ridgewell United
Southport Thunder 4–3 Tavistock Athletic
Port Marray 2–1 Millsburgh Steelers
Teignford Academical 2–2 Guillemard Town

MATCHDAY 4
Tavistock Park 1–1 Guillemard Town
Millsburgh Steelers 3–0 Teignford Academical
Tavistock Athletic 0–1 Port Marray
Ridgewell United 5–1 Southport Thunder
Harwick Wanderers 2–0 Trelmont Rangers
Harchester United 0–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Washington City 3–0 Kelder Phoenixes
Ricci Ironworkers 1–2 Cobham Town

MATCHDAY 5
Cobham Town 4–4 Tavistock Park
Kelder Phoenixes 3–2 Ricci Ironworkers
Pomeroy Mountaineers 0–0 Washington City
Trelmont Rangers 0–1 Harchester United
Southport Thunder 1–1 Harwick Wanderers
Port Marray 3–0 Ridgewell United
Teignford Academical 3–1 Tavistock Athletic
Guillemard Town 0–2 Millsburgh Steelers

MATCHDAY 6
Tavistock Park 0–0 Millsburgh Steelers
Tavistock Athletic 1–0 Guillemard Town
Ridgewell United 1–1 Teignford Academical
Harwick Wanderers 0–1 Port Marray
Harchester United 3–2 Southport Thunder
Washington City 4–0 Trelmont Rangers
Ricci Ironworkers 0–0 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Cobham Town 1–0 Kelder Phoenixes

MATCHDAY 7
Kelder Phoenixes 1–3 Tavistock Park
Pomeroy Mountaineers 1–0 Cobham Town
Trelmont Rangers 1–0 Ricci Ironworkers
Southport Thunder 2–2 Washington City
Port Marray 5–0 Harchester United
Teignford Academical 3–4 Harwick Wanderers
Guillemard Town 4–2 Ridgewell United
Millsburgh Steelers 3–1 Tavistock Athletic

MATCHDAY 8
Tavistock Park 1–1 Tavistock Athletic
Ridgewell United 0–1 Millsburgh Steelers
Harwick Wanderers 3–2 Guillemard Town
Harchester United 0–1 Teignford Academical
Washington City 3–0 Port Marray
Ricci Ironworkers 1–0 Southport Thunder
Cobham Town 2–0 Trelmont Rangers
Kelder Phoenixes 3–3 Pomeroy Mountaineers

MATCHDAY 9
Pomeroy Mountaineers 4–1 Tavistock Park
Trelmont Rangers 0–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Southport Thunder 2–1 Cobham Town
Port Marray 2–2 Ricci Ironworkers
Teignford Academical 1–1 Washington City
Guillemard Town 2–0 Harchester United
Millsburgh Steelers 3–4 Harwick Wanderers
Tavistock Athletic 2–0 Ridgewell United

MATCHDAY 10
Tavistock Park 0–0 Ridgewell United
Harwick Wanderers 1–2 Tavistock Athletic
Harchester United 2–1 Millsburgh Steelers
Washington City 1–1 Guillemard Town
Ricci Ironworkers 4–2 Teignford Academical
Cobham Town 1–0 Port Marray
Kelder Phoenixes 4–3 Southport Thunder
Pomeroy Mountaineers 0–0 Trelmont Rangers

MATCHDAY 11
Trelmont Rangers 0–0 Tavistock Park
Southport Thunder 4–2 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Port Marray 0–0 Kelder Phoenixes
Teignford Academical 1–1 Cobham Town
Guillemard Town 3–0 Ricci Ironworkers
Millsburgh Steelers 2–2 Washington City
Tavistock Athletic 1–1 Harchester United
Ridgewell United 2–1 Harwick Wanderers

MATCHDAY 12
Tavistock Park 6–2 Harwick Wanderers
Harchester United 3–0 Ridgewell United
Washington City 4–2 Tavistock Athletic
Ricci Ironworkers 0–0 Millsburgh Steelers
Cobham Town 0–1 Guillemard Town
Kelder Phoenixes 2–2 Teignford Academical
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–2 Port Marray
Trelmont Rangers 1–1 Southport Thunder

MATCHDAY 13
Southport Thunder 1–2 Tavistock Park
Port Marray 1–0 Trelmont Rangers
Teignford Academical 0–0 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Guillemard Town 2–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Millsburgh Steelers 3–2 Cobham Town
Tavistock Athletic 4–3 Ricci Ironworkers
Ridgewell United 0–1 Washington City
Harwick Wanderers 4–4 Harchester United

MATCHDAY 14
Tavistock Park 1–0 Harchester United
Washington City 2–0 Harwick Wanderers
Ricci Ironworkers 3–1 Ridgewell United
Cobham Town 3–1 Tavistock Athletic
Kelder Phoenixes 1–0 Millsburgh Steelers
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–1 Guillemard Town
Trelmont Rangers 1–2 Teignford Academical
Southport Thunder 0–1 Port Marray

MATCHDAY 15
Port Marray 2–1 Tavistock Park
Teignford Academical 1–0 Southport Thunder
Guillemard Town 1–0 Trelmont Rangers
Millsburgh Steelers 2–0 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Tavistock Athletic 2–0 Kelder Phoenixes
Ridgewell United 0–2 Cobham Town
Harwick Wanderers 0–0 Ricci Ironworkers
Harchester United 1–2 Washington City

Standings after MD15

   T-League 3               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Port Marray               15    9   4   2    24   13  +11    31
 2 Washington City           15    8   5   2    33   18  +15    29
 3 Millsburgh Steelers       15    8   3   4    27   17  +10    27
 4 Tavistock Park            15    7   6   2    27   20   +7    27
 5 Guillemard Town           15    7   4   4    25   18   +7    25
 6 Harwick Wanderers         15    7   3   5    32   31   +1    24
 7 Cobham Town               15    7   2   6    25   22   +3    23
 8 Tavistock Athletic        15    7   2   6    26   25   +1    23
 9 Harchester United         15    6   3   6    21   23   −2    21
10 Pomeroy Mountaineers      15    4   6   5    21   24   −3    18
   Teignford Academical      15    4   6   5    19   22   −3    18
12 Kelder Phoenixes          15    5   3   7    20   26   −6    18
13 Ricci Ironworkers         15    3   5   7    20   24   −4    14
14 Southport Thunder         15    3   3   9    23   33  −10    12
15 Ridgewell United          15    3   3   9    16   29  −13    12
16 Trelmont Rangers          15    1   4  10     6   20  −14     7

T-LEAGUE 4
MID-SEASON

MATCHDAY 1
Wintborough United 1–0 Brades United
Ashton Rovers 3–0 Heffron City
Heath Bay Mariners 1–2 Franport
Havelock City 1–0 Hendon Cardinals
Tevandale Athletic 1–0 Carrington Town
FC Montrose 2–2 Pinhal Athletic
Coburg 5–1 Denhelm Trinity
Fort Heatherton 0–0 Killiney SC

MATCHDAY 2
Brades United 3–1 Killiney SC
Denhelm Trinity 0–2 Fort Heatherton
Pinhal Athletic 0–0 Coburg
Carrington Town 1–0 FC Montrose
Hendon Cardinals 3–1 Tevandale Athletic
Franport 3–0 Havelock City
Heffron City 2–1 Heath Bay Mariners
Wintborough United 0–1 Ashton Rovers

MATCHDAY 3
Ashton Rovers 0–0 Brades United
Heath Bay Mariners 2–2 Wintborough United
Havelock City 2–3 Heffron City
Tevandale Athletic 2–1 Franport
FC Montrose 4–1 Hendon Cardinals
Coburg 3–1 Carrington Town
Fort Heatherton 0–0 Pinhal Athletic
Killiney SC 2–0 Denhelm Trinity

MATCHDAY 4
Brades United 3–3 Denhelm Trinity
Pinhal Athletic 2–0 Killiney SC
Carrington Town 2–2 Fort Heatherton
Hendon Cardinals 1–4 Coburg
Franport 3–1 FC Montrose
Heffron City 0–2 Tevandale Athletic
Wintborough United 2–1 Havelock City
Ashton Rovers 2–2 Heath Bay Mariners

MATCHDAY 5
Heath Bay Mariners 4–5 Brades United
Havelock City 1–0 Ashton Rovers
Tevandale Athletic 0–1 Wintborough United
FC Montrose 7–3 Heffron City
Coburg 1–0 Franport
Fort Heatherton 1–1 Hendon Cardinals
Killiney SC 1–0 Carrington Town
Denhelm Trinity 1–0 Pinhal Athletic

MATCHDAY 6
Brades United 0–1 Pinhal Athletic
Carrington Town 3–1 Denhelm Trinity
Hendon Cardinals 1–0 Killiney SC
Franport 3–2 Fort Heatherton
Heffron City 2–0 Coburg
Wintborough United 4–2 FC Montrose
Ashton Rovers 2–1 Tevandale Athletic
Heath Bay Mariners 1–1 Havelock City

MATCHDAY 7
Havelock City 0–0 Brades United
Tevandale Athletic 2–0 Heath Bay Mariners
FC Montrose 0–2 Ashton Rovers
Coburg 1–1 Wintborough United
Fort Heatherton 2–2 Heffron City
Killiney SC 2–3 Franport
Denhelm Trinity 2–1 Hendon Cardinals
Pinhal Athletic 2–0 Carrington Town

MATCHDAY 8
Brades United 0–1 Carrington Town
Hendon Cardinals 1–0 Pinhal Athletic
Franport 2–0 Denhelm Trinity
Heffron City 3–1 Killiney SC
Wintborough United 0–0 Fort Heatherton
Ashton Rovers 3–1 Coburg
Heath Bay Mariners 0–2 FC Montrose
Havelock City 0–1 Tevandale Athletic

MATCHDAY 9
Tevandale Athletic 3–0 Brades United
FC Montrose 3–1 Havelock City
Coburg 5–0 Heath Bay Mariners
Fort Heatherton 0–0 Ashton Rovers
Killiney SC 4–3 Wintborough United
Denhelm Trinity 1–3 Heffron City
Pinhal Athletic 1–0 Franport
Carrington Town 3–2 Hendon Cardinals

MATCHDAY 10
Brades United 2–1 Hendon Cardinals
Franport 1–0 Carrington Town
Heffron City 2–0 Pinhal Athletic
Wintborough United 6–1 Denhelm Trinity
Ashton Rovers 1–2 Killiney SC
Heath Bay Mariners 0–3 Fort Heatherton
Havelock City 0–1 Coburg
Tevandale Athletic 2–1 FC Montrose

MATCHDAY 11
FC Montrose 0–2 Brades United
Coburg 1–1 Tevandale Athletic
Fort Heatherton 1–1 Havelock City
Killiney SC 0–0 Heath Bay Mariners
Denhelm Trinity 2–2 Ashton Rovers
Pinhal Athletic 2–3 Wintborough United
Carrington Town 4–2 Heffron City
Hendon Cardinals 1–1 Franport

MATCHDAY 12
Brades United 0–1 Franport
Heffron City 2–0 Hendon Cardinals
Wintborough United 1–0 Carrington Town
Ashton Rovers 2–3 Pinhal Athletic
Heath Bay Mariners 1–0 Denhelm Trinity
Havelock City 1–0 Killiney SC
Tevandale Athletic 1–0 Fort Heatherton
FC Montrose 0–1 Coburg

MATCHDAY 13
Coburg 5–0 Brades United
Fort Heatherton 2–0 FC Montrose
Killiney SC 1–0 Tevandale Athletic
Denhelm Trinity 2–3 Havelock City
Pinhal Athletic 0–1 Heath Bay Mariners
Carrington Town 2–1 Ashton Rovers
Hendon Cardinals 0–3 Wintborough United
Franport 1–0 Heffron City

MATCHDAY 14
Brades United 0–1 Heffron City
Wintborough United 1–1 Franport
Ashton Rovers 3–0 Hendon Cardinals
Heath Bay Mariners 1–1 Carrington Town
Havelock City 3–6 Pinhal Athletic
Tevandale Athletic 1–3 Denhelm Trinity
FC Montrose 2–1 Killiney SC
Coburg 1–1 Fort Heatherton

MATCHDAY 15
Fort Heatherton 2–3 Brades United
Killiney SC 1–2 Coburg
Denhelm Trinity 0–0 FC Montrose
Pinhal Athletic 1–1 Tevandale Athletic
Carrington Town 0–0 Havelock City
Hendon Cardinals 1–0 Heath Bay Mariners
Franport 5–0 Ashton Rovers
Heffron City 2–0 Wintborough United

Standings after MD15

   T-League 4             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Franport                15   10   2   3    27   12  +15    32
 2 Coburg                  15    9   4   2    31   12  +19    31
 3 Wintborough United      15    8   4   3    28   17  +11    28
 4 Heffron City            15    9   1   5    27   24   +3    28
 5 Tevandale Athletic      15    8   2   5    19   14   +5    26
 6 Pinhal Athletic         15    6   4   5    20   16   +4    22
 7 Ashton Rovers           15    6   4   5    22   19   +3    22
 8 Carrington Town         15    6   3   6    18   18    0    21
 9 Fort Heatherton         15    3   9   3    18   14   +4    18
10 Brades United           15    5   3   7    18   24   −6    18
11 FC Montrose             15    5   2   8    24   25   −1    17
12 Killiney SC             15    5   2   8    16   21   −5    17
13 Havelock City           15    4   4   7    15   23   −8    16
14 Hendon Cardinals        15    4   2   9    14   27  −13    14
15 Denhelm Trinity         15    3   3   9    17   34  −17    12
16 Heath Bay Mariners      15    2   5   8    14   28  −14    11

[Tumbra]

MATCHDAY 16
FC Inter Nantwich 0–1 Newark Argyle
R Fleetwood 30'
Lakewood City 1–1 Fontwell Rovers
R Vaughn 64'//T Lawrence 23'
Kingsbury United 0–2 Straton
Tino 17', 72'
Serrapince 0–2 Fraser Valley
T Barker 39', T Krzanowski 81'
Colbrook City 1–1 Bencoolen City
A Perkkanen 62'//S Matthews 31'
Lakewood United 0–2 Couno Rangers
E Robertson 70', D Conder 79'
Clyde Park 3–1 West Couno United
K Kearnes 55', T Marshall 72', G Steel o.g. 80'//V Reisinger 30'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Hesham
C Ross 90' + 2'

Newark start the season as if it never stopped, with a highly impressive dismantling of Nantwich to start the second half of their season. Questions are beginning to surface regarding Daniel Galbraith's future at the helm of Nantwich; his one and a half seasons in charge haven't exactly produced the most exciting of results, or play. As usual, however, the paucity of potential replacements puts a hold on any potential, immediate sacking; and while he's got a "long-term contract", the club are apparently exceptionally keen to review the terms of said contract at the end of the season. Speaking of managerial appointments, Dean Rowden is appointed manager of Hesham until the end of the season; and while the former goalkeeper's tenure at the head of the Ploughmen starts with a loss, the defensive solidity of Hardwick seems to have carried on here, right up until injury time gave Ridgewell three points and the win.

Nantwich themselves aren't the only big club to run afoul of the re-start of the season; West Couno lose Clyde Park as the Pilots struggle to restart their title-winning machine; Serrapince, in a very surprising game, loss to local neighbours Fraser at home; City draw to Fontwell, with former defender Tom Lawrence scoring (and refusing to celebrate afterwards). City are unable to pull out the stops to gain that valuable second place and extend their four-point lead at the top; City manager John Riedweld rues the missed chances but says that the club will, as will most others, require "a little time to get up to speed again."

That sort of explains their next-door neighbours' loss to Couno in the Tumbran Classic; but the match basically fails to live up to its billing for seventy minutes, anyway. Then Erin Robertson seizes upon a mistake by Mike Sheppard; turns, and fires in a goal from range; she barrels away afterwards, arms raised in the air, celebrating having broken the deadlock. Ten minutes later, right-winger Dimitra Conder piles on the misery; and Couno have just completed the double over their hated rivals in what could potentially be a season-winning game. United manager Marco Giuliani reflects on the result glumly; there's "no excuse" for this poor standard of play. He can really only hope things improve; but they're playing West Couno away next week.

MATCHDAY 17
Ridgewell Rovers 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
J Bradford 11'
Hesham 1–0 Clyde Park
L Russell 20'
West Couno United 2–1 Lakewood United
V Reisinger 22', L Vujanovic 39'//J Sürréo 11'
Couno Rangers 0–3 Colbrook City
F Yeltsov 11', 15', A Perkkanen 83'
Bencoolen City 0–3 Serrapince
C Audiol 23', Sara V 12', V Cahill 51'
Fraser Valley 1–0 Kingsbury United
D Greer 90' + 2'
Straton 1–0 Lakewood City
O Bernard 12'
Fontwell Rovers 1–2 Newark Argyle
C Grimley 29'//T Elliot 2', M Moore 75'

United fall again; but then again the match could have gone either way. Jôs Sürréo strikes first, giving United fans hope that the classic storming United is back; but then WCU strike back but ten minutes later. The Reisinger goal is almost inevitable; the hulking Nepharan hoofing the ball into the net from close range. The more surprising result of the week, however, is Couno having three hit past them without an answer. Elaine Howard-Dawes, Couno's talisman up front, has been taken ill; and while Holly Howell is serviceable, the gap in quality between her and Howard-Dawes is appreciable even after just half a season in. Sylviane Fortier can't make a dent into Colbrook's lead, too; two goals early on from half-Mytanar Fedya Yeltsov seemingly being too much for the Rams to handle.

Hayden Blamey seems to have fallen out of favour immediately under Rowden; the underperforming Hesham striker is relegated to the bench as experienced striker Lucas Russell re-enters the team lineup. It's an ominous sign for Blamey's future at the club that Russell scores within twenty minutes; and the goal is enough to power Hesham past Clyde Park as they fight their way back up the standings. Surprisingly, the side above them is Kingsbury; whose early season form seems to have dropped off. Last week they lost to Straton; this week, it's Fraser Valley, with another injury-time goal giving Fraser the win and giving them faint hope that they'll be able to avoid the drop this season. They're currently in fourteenth; with Fontwell and Bencoolen the two sides behind them.

It's another week of dropped points for City, this time with Straton beating them on a tough trip away; and to perhaps rub a little more salt in the wound, it's former striker Ophelie Bernard who makes herself known. The former City striker, again, doesn't celebrate after scoring, perhaps out of deference to her former club. Charlie Baker, another former City player and at one time heralded as the successor to Robin Vaughn (that moniker is now vacant; Vaughn himself has said there's no reason why anyone should be considered "the next him", considering that that label has proven to curse more players than provide career opportunities), provides the assist; as he's been away from City for a longer time, he celebrates the goal instead. City manager Riedweld is visibly unimpressed, but declines to comment on it in the post-match conference.

MATCHDAY 18
FC Inter Nantwich 0–1 Fontwell Rovers
H Gerritsen 90' + 4'
Newark Argyle 2–0 Straton
I McDermott 45' + 1', G Rodway 72'
Lakewood City 2–0 Fraser Valley
R Vaughn 11', C Henshaw 19'
Kingsbury United 3–0 Bencoolen City
Kim SW 43', F Woodhouse 82', 84'
Serrapince 3–0 Couno Rangers
B Anggara 29', J Ryland 65', 73'
Colbrook City 2–2 West Couno United
E Calare 40', A Hussein 49'//C Vette 18', M Hajdarpasic 82'
Lakewood United 1–0 Hesham
J Sürréo 82'
Clyde Park 1–3 Ridgewell Rovers
T Haller 25'//Kwak SH 22', C Lyon 40', L Beaugemont 55'

Nantwich's up-and-down form continues, with a loss to Fontwell — this time in the depths of injury time. Calls for Galbraith's head intensify, particularly as the result sees Nantwich in eleventh; even United, with their patchy form, are in sixth, having won four more games than Nantwich. Galbraith defends his approach, but acknowledges that whatever little hopes the side had for a title challenge have long faded away. The imperative now, he says, is to get a Challengers' Cup spot; which is still attainable, especially since Tumbra now offers IFCF spots down to sixth. Fans are notably unimpressed; and questions swirl over who could replace Galbraith if he gets sacked or quits.

Elsewhere in the Insecure Managers Sweepstakes, Graham Lloyd inches closer and closer to the sack; with Vince McCarthy apparently lined up to replace him and try to salvage at least some sort of relegation fight from the ashes of this season. There now exists a real possibility that Fraser go down at the end of the season; and while the relegation fight does involve five teams on eighteen points or less, people do tip Hesham to stay up, and what Clyde Park have, even in their bouts of what the internet enjoys calling "middery", is still good enough for them to constantly fight. That leaves Fontwell; who, surprisingly, have higher odds to stay up than Fraser. Things are not looking good for Lloyd; but he keeps plugging on. And at least he knows that to be sacked after a loss to City would just look cruel; despite the loss, it is City. Even if they turned Fraser's defence into putty within twenty minutes.

Continuing their soujourn in the upper ranks of Tumbran football, Ridgewell have now won their tenth game of the season; which doesn't sound impressive, but they, league leaders City, and their crosstown rivals United are the only ones to have hit this benchmark. Yes, it's a very draw-happy season; defending champs WCU have nine wins and seven draws; current third-place team Couno Rangers have the same wins but six draws. Ridgewell manager Chris Haines — who's quickly become a management guru — cites the positive team atmosphere as a greater contributor to this run of form than anything. "Tactics, they come and go, but the moment I've stepped in here I've been given the pleasure of leading a completely focused squad with one mind; and the wealth of experience in the dressing room seems to help a lot with that."

MATCHDAY 19
Clyde Park 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
J Spekman 26'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–2 Lakewood United
H Canavan 20'//J Sürréo 49', E Kruetzberg 63'
Hesham 1–1 Colbrook City
K Rostami 89'//A Finlay 20'
West Couno United 3–3 Serrapince
V Reisinger 22', 90' + 6', E Wright 82'//Sara V 10', C Audiol 49', 87'
Couno Rangers 1–2 Kingsbury United
V Hicks 20'//E Maddison 9', J Hughes 30'
Bencoolen City 0–3 Lakewood City
V Anderson 12', 29', 54'
Fraser Valley 1–0 Newark Argyle
T Barker 31'
Straton 0–0 Fontwell Rovers


Couno's victory in the Tumbran Classic seemed to be a bit of a false dawn; the club have now lost three games on the trot. Elaine Howard-Dawes has fallen into a bit of a rut; she hasn't scored since the midseason, and she herself looks frustrated when she's pulled off against Kingsbury with twenty minutes remaining. Kingsbury's win is a classic, hard-ground out win; William Wight says that their plan to shut down Couno's offence was played "to perfection". The loss means that Couno fall seven points behind City; somehow, despite all the hype, it seems that the inevitable juggernaut of Lakewood City will be rolling to yet another title.

City extend their lead in the league to six points as both Rangers and West Couno either lose or drop points; WCU have to come back from the brink after Ceferino Audiol scores a goal late into normal time. Vasya Reisinger sprints as fast as she can to catch up to a long ball sent forth by Noel Hercule-McKinley; and while there are shouts of offside, the striker nets with the last kick of the game. For a side that was relatively unfancied at the start of the season to retain their title, they're still remarkably in it; even if, at this point, City are still remarkable favourites for the title.

Graham Lloyd pulls off another victory, improbably, against the high-flying Argyle; a Tricia Barker goal is the only one in a hit-and-run strategy that sees Fraser lock out Argyle at home. "We'll need lots more of that type of performance," the manager, obviously relieved that he won't be handed his unemployment papers, says after the game. "Today, I think, we saw quite a lot of the big teams falling...and that's the proof you need that this is an incredibly close league, where anything can happen; and I think we proved that in our own little way as well." The interview is subsequently laughed off as him becoming a bit too big for his boots after one win; Fraser are, after all, still in thirteenth — one above the playoff spot.

REPUBLIC CUP, FOURTH ROUND

Republic Cup, Fourth Round
( D1)           West Couno United   2-1   Newark Argyle               (D1 )
( D1)                  Serrapince p 1-1   Fontwell Rovers             (D1 )
( D1)            Kingsbury United   1-2   Hesham                      (D1 )
( D1)               Lakewood City   0-1   Couno Rangers               (D1 )
( D1)              Bencoolen City   3-2   Sturrey Athletic            (D2 )
( D2)  Millsburgh Revolutionaries   0-1   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( D1)                  Clyde Park   4-2   Fraser Valley               (D1 )
( D1)             Lakewood United   0-1   Ridgewell Rovers            (D1 )

MATCHDAY 20
FC Inter Nantwich 2–2 Straton
B Coxeter 56', A Beckett 64'//C Baker 20', Tino 23'
Fontwell Rovers 0–0 Fraser Valley

Newark Argyle 1–0 Bencoolen City
H Hindmarsh 84'
Lakewood City 0–2 Couno Rangers
E Howard Dawes 20', 85'
Kingsbury United 2–1 West Couno United
E Maddison 55', 75'//L Vujanovic 3'
Serrapince 1–0 Hesham
C Fontana 79'
Colbrook City 2–2 Ridgewell Rovers
Sha J 14', A Finlay 29'//C Steele 40', 49'
Lakewood United 1–1 Clyde Park
B Proudfoot 34'//M Wague 71'

Couno and Serrapince join the ten-wins-from-twenty club; which sounds absolutely staggering, considering that the league is two-thirds through the season by now. West Couno's title hopes take a massive nosedive as they fall once again; this time, however, instead of being able to salvage a draw, they can't find a response to Edward Maddison's two goals in the second half. Maddison, who was a relatively under-the-radar signing from the Chromatik university season, has been one of the best signings of the season; he's played about half as many minutes as Kingsbury's main striker, Kim Sang-wook, but has nearly as many goals. There's been interest, unsurprisingly, from Nantwich; who are beginning to look for a long-term successor for Basilica Coxeter, but he's stated that he's remaining committed to Kingsbury.

Elaine Howard-Dawes finally breaks her scoring duck; and what a team to do it against — City can't strike back against Couno. Wilfrid Gouin, the Delaclav defender who's come under some criticism since his transfer from the Vilitan league for being a relatively understated presence in the Couno squad, pulls off a blinder of a performance; including denying Charlotte Henshaw on the hour mark with a goal-line clearance. "We're all, ah, very happy to see Elaine scoring again...in the past twenty matches she's manage to have an impact on how we play, how we score...while all the attention has been given to Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov I wouldn't be surprised to see Elaine's name up in lights next to them in the future."

Daniel Galbraith's job is reportedly on the ropes after his draw against Straton; the manager looks visibly unimpressed after his team goes 2-0 down just twenty-five minutes in. Nantwich's backline has been comparatively leaky this season; they've already conceded twenty-four goals, the same as the entirety of last season. Kira Dormann, despite having spent two-thirds of the season at Nantwich as a starting defender, has looked relatively uncomfortable playing at a higher line of defence; she's been regularly substituted off for Sasha Stepanov throughout the season, and it's clear that she hasn't had the impact that Galbraith has hoped she's had.

Ten games remain; and City have a five-point gap at the top of the league. The other title competitors are some way back; but with how this season's been shaping up to be, a late title challenge from anyone from Couno all the way down to Ridgewell can't be discounted.

T-League, Season 2

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg   Form5  
 1 Lakewood City          20   13   2   5    46   22  +24    41   -0   DLWWL
 2 Couno Rangers          20   10   6   4    38   26  +12    36   -0   WLLLW
 3 Serrapince             20   10   5   5    37   22  +15    35   ▲3   LWWDW
 4 West Couno United      20    9   8   3    38   27  +11    35   ▼1   LWDDL
 5 Lakewood United        20   11   2   7    31   24   +7    35   ▼1   LLWWD
 6 Ridgewell Rovers       20   10   4   6    33   27   +6    34   ▼1   WLWLD
 7 Newark Argyle          20    9   4   7    22   19   +3    31   ▲3   WWWLW
 8 Kingsbury United       20    9   3   8    35   29   +6    30   ▼1   LLWWW
 9 Straton                20    8   4   8    20   25   −5    28   -0   WWLDD
10 FC Inter Nantwich      20    7   6   7    28   24   +4    27   ▼2   LWLWD
11 Colbrook City          20    7   5   8    31   36   −5    26   -0   DWDDD
12 Fraser Valley          20    6   2  12    14   33  −19    20   ▲3   WWLWD
13 Hesham                 20    4   7   9    17   24   −7    19   ▼1   LWLDL
14 Clyde Park             20    5   4  11    20   29   −9    19   ▼1   WLLLD
15 Fontwell Rovers        20    4   6  10    14   25  −11    18   ▼1   DLWDD
16 Bencoolen City         20    2   4  14    11   43  −32    10   -0   DLLLL

[Tumbra]

MATCHDAY 21
Lakewood United 1–0 FC Inter Nantwich
E Kruetzberg 83'
Clyde Park 0–2 Colbrook City
A Perkkanen 62', B Rowling 87'
Ridgewell Rovers 0–1 Serrapince
J Ryland 13'
Hesham 1–0 Kingsbury United
S Harrington 45' + 2'
West Couno United 2–1 Lakewood City
V Reisinger 35', M Hajdarpasic 84'//L McCormick 43'
Couno Rangers 4–3 Newark Argyle
JP Vaillancourt 18', E Robertson 29', M Vaughan 79', H Howell 86'//L Murdoch 40', 48', N Harris 78'
Bencoolen City 0–1 Fontwell Rovers
H Osbourne 76'
Fraser Valley 0–0 Straton


MATCHDAY 22
FC Inter Nantwich 2–0 Fraser Valley
A Beckett 23', S Cho 29'
Straton 0–1 Bencoolen City
S Vlammenzee 88'
Fontwell Rovers 1–3 Couno Rangers
K Nakamura 63'//E Howard-Dawes 67', D Conder 80', L Kendall 82'
Newark Argyle 2–0 West Couno United
R Scrivener 5', E O'Halloran 55'
Lakewood City 1–1 Hesham
V Anderson 87'//H Blamey 6'
Kingsbury United 1–0 Ridgewell Rovers
Kim SW 35'
Serrapince 3–0 Clyde Park
Sara V 6', C Audiol 13', 48'
Colbrook City 2–3 Lakewood United
R Baker 22', F Yeltsov 78'//K Considine 11', 76', K Desmond 55'

MATCHDAY 23
Colbrook City 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
J Spekman 22'
Lakewood United 2–0 Serrapince
B Proudfoot 15', A Gillingham 29'
Clyde Park 0–0 Kingsbury United

Ridgewell Rovers 0–1 Lakewood City
S McTavish 7'
Hesham 1–0 Newark Argyle
G Deighton 65'
West Couno United 0–0 Fontwell Rovers

Couno Rangers 2–0 Straton
H Howell 52', E Robertson 75'
Bencoolen City 0–1 Fraser Valley
T Barker 8'

REPUBLIC CUP, QUARTER-FINAL

[align=center]

Republic Cup, Quarter-Final
( D1)           West Couno United e 2-1   Serrapince                  (D1 )
( D1)                      Hesham   0-1   Couno Rangers               (D1 )
( D1)              Bencoolen City   0-4   FC Inter Nantwich           (D1 )
( D1)                  Clyde Park   0-1 e Ridgewell Rovers            (D1 )

MATCHDAY 24
FC Inter Nantwich 3–0 Bencoolen City
C Tipple 35', B Coxeter 39', H Gell 84'
Fraser Valley 2–4 Couno Rangers
T Krzanowski 52', J Hwang 61'//W Gouin 25', E Robertson 50', E Howard-Dawes 64', 82'
Straton 2–1 West Couno United
H Harwood 65', P Hurst 86'//L Vujanovic 13'
Fontwell Rovers 0–1 Hesham
L Russell 7'
Newark Argyle 3–3 Ridgewell Rovers
G Rodway 13', M Hanson-Hartridge 72', R Fleetwood 81'//C Steele 20', L Beaugemont 29', H Canavan 35'
Lakewood City 2–1 Clyde Park
V Morris 17', C Henshaw 23'//L Gomboult 54'
Kingsbury United 2–2 Lakewood United
E Maddison 18', 83'//J Sürréo 47', 70'
Serrapince 3–1 Colbrook City
C Audiol 3', 17', L Ness 55'//F Yeltsov 85'

MATCHDAY 25
Serrapince 0–1 FC Inter Nantwich
B Coxeter 23'
Colbrook City 1–2 Kingsbury United
Kim CY 22'//B Cheschon 34', Kim SW 81'
Lakewood United 1–0 Lakewood City
J Sürréo 34'
Clyde Park 4–1 Newark Argyle
M Wague 60', K Kearnes 82', L Frecklington 88', T Haller 90' + 4'//E Blanc 48'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–1 Fontwell Rovers
C Lyon 25'//L Murdoch 71'
Hesham 0–2 Straton
Tino 13', 62'
West Couno United 4–0 Fraser Valley
V Reisinger 13', 84', J Dufour 71', P Wilson 77'
Couno Rangers 3–1 Bencoolen City
E Howard-Dawes 30', JP Vaillancourt 36', C Coste 85'//A Salvaggione 41'

T-League, Season 2

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg   Form5  
 1 Couno Rangers          25   15   6   4    54   33  +21    51   ▲1   WWWWW
 2 Lakewood City          25   15   3   7    51   27  +24    48   ▼1   LDWWL
 3 Lakewood United        25   15   3   7    40   28  +12    48   ▲2   WWWDW
 4 Serrapince             25   13   5   7    44   26  +18    44   ▼1   WWLWL
 5 West Couno United      25   11   9   5    45   32  +13    42   -0   WLDLW
 6 FC Inter Nantwich      25   11   6   8    35   25  +10    39   ▲5   LWWWW
 7 Kingsbury United       25   11   5   9    40   33   +7    38   ▲1   LWDDW
 8 Ridgewell Rovers       25   10   6   9    37   34   +3    36   ▼2   LLLDD
 9 Newark Argyle          25   10   5  10    31   31    0    35   ▼2   LWLDL
10 Straton                25   10   5  10    24   29   −5    35   ▼1   DLLWW
11 Hesham                 25    7   8  10    21   27   −6    29   ▲2   WDWWL
12 Colbrook City          25    8   5  12    37   45   −8    29   ▼1   WLLLL
13 Fraser Valley          25    7   3  15    17   43  −26    24   ▼1   DLWLL
14 Clyde Park             25    6   5  14    25   37  −12    23   -0   LLDLW
15 Fontwell Rovers        25    5   8  12    17   30  −13    23   -0   WLDLD
16 Bencoolen City         25    3   4  18    13   51  −38    13   -0   LWLLL

[Tumbra]

MATCHDAY 26
FC Inter Nantwich 0–0 Couno Rangers

Bencoolen City 0–3 West Couno United
V Reisinger 13', 36', P Wilson 22'
Fraser Valley 0–1 Hesham
G Deighton 69'
Straton 1–2 Ridgewell Rovers
O Bernard 24'//C Ross 20', I Robertson 67'
Fontwell Rovers 1–1 Clyde Park
E Blanc 88'//J Keene 28'
Newark Argyle 1–3 Lakewood United
L Murdoch 28'//S Jepson 22', J Sürréo 47', 85'
Lakewood City 0–4 Colbrook City
S Jian 20', A Everingham 62', A Finlay 73', 77'
Kingsbury United 2–3 Serrapince
J Hughes 8', E Ferguson 87'//J Ryland 20', Sara V 77', C Fontana 81'

MATCHDAY 27
Kingsbury United 0–3 FC Inter Nantwich
J Spekman 13', B Coxeter 22', 40'
Serrapince 3–1 Lakewood City
C Fontana 22', A Wakering 26', 45' + 2'//C Henshaw 5'
Colbrook City 1–0 Newark Argyle
E Calare 83'
Lakewood United 5–1 Fontwell Rovers
J Sürréo 11', 68', K Desmond 30', 35', E Kruetzberg 52'//H Osbourne 20'
Clyde Park 0–3 Straton
J Turnbull 20', D Sartain 55', Tino 84'
Ridgewell Rovers 1–0 Fraser Valley
C Steele 23'
Hesham 2–0 Bencoolen City
V Loustaunau 2', S Wilson 25'
West Couno United 4–2 Couno Rangers
L Vujanovic 36', J Dufour 39', M Hajdarpasic 77, NH McKinley 82'//E Howard-Dawes 79', V Hicks 84'

MATCHDAY 28
FC Inter Nantwich 2–1 West Couno United
B Coxeter 68', 87'//M Hajdarpasic 13'
Couno Rangers 1–1 Hesham
H Howell 90' + 2'//E Houston 30'
Bencoolen City 0–2 Ridgewell Rovers
M Quieros 27', H Canavan 31'
Fraser Valley 0–0 Clyde Park

Straton 0–3 Lakewood United
E Kruetzberg 20', J Sürréo 29', 54'
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Colbrook City
C Grimley 78'
Newark Argyle 3–1 Serrapince
L Murdoch 32', H Menez 48', S Oliveira 90' + 1'//C Audiol 72'
Lakewood City 2–0 Kingsbury United
R Vaughn 82', V Anderson 88'

REPUBLIC CUP, SEMI-FINAL

Republic Cup, Semi-Final
( D1)           West Couno United   2-3   Couno Rangers               (D1 )
( D1)           FC Inter Nantwich   3-4 e Ridgewell Rovers            (D1 )

MATCHDAY 29
Lakewood City 3–0 FC Inter Nantwich
R Vaughn 23', C Henshaw 60', 62'
Kingsbury United 2–0 Newark Argyle
E Maddison 8', Kim CY 79'
Serrapince 4–0 Fontwell Rovers
Sara V 23', L Ness 35', C Fontana 41', 62'
Colbrook City 0–2 Straton
C Baker 62', C Noya 85'
Lakewood United 1–1 Fraser Valley
Zheng H 69'//K Palmer 90' + 5'
Clyde Park 1–1 Bencoolen City
M Wague 11'//F Wilson 61'
Ridgewell Rovers 0–2 Couno Rangers
E Howard-Dawes, 72', D Conder 75'
Hesham 0–2 West Couno United
V Reisinger 14', Shim SY 82'

MATCHDAY 30
FC Inter Nantwich 1–0 Hesham
Kim CY 62'
West Couno United 0–2 Ridgewell Rovers
L Beaugemont 33', I Robertson 37'
Couno Rangers 1–1 Clyde Park
E Robertson 85'//L Frecklington 21'
Bencoolen City 2–2 Lakewood United
D Fong 30', P Harding 69'//K Desmond 21', E Kruetzberg 25'
Fraser Valley 1–0 Colbrook City
M Coonan 90' + 8'
Straton 0–2 Serrapince
C Fontana 72', J Davies 84'
Fontwell Rovers 1–0 Kingsbury United
K Nakamura 45' + 3'
Newark Argyle 0–1 Lakewood City
R Vaughn 87'

REPUBLIC CUP, FINAL

Republic Cup, Final
( D1)            Ridgewell Rovers   0-1   Couno Rangers               (D1 )

T-League, Season 2

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Chg   Form5   
 1 Lakewood United        30   18   5   7    54   33  +21    59   ▲2   WWWDD   Champions; IFCF Champions' League
 2 Lakewood City          30   18   3   9    58   34  +24    57   -0   LLWWW   IFCF Champions' League
 3 Couno Rangers          30   16   9   5    60   39  +21    57   ▼2   DLDWD   IFCF Champions' League
 4 Serrapince             30   17   5   8    57   32  +25    56   -0   WWLWW   IFCF Challengers' Cup
 5 West Couno United      30   14   9   7    55   38  +17    51   -0   WWLWL   IFCF Challengers' Cup
 6 FC Inter Nantwich      30   14   7   9    41   29  +12    49   -0   DWWLW   IFCF Challengers' Cup
 7 Ridgewell Rovers       30   14   6  10    44   37   +7    48   ▲1   WWWLW   Campionato Esportiva di Campeones
 8 Kingsbury United       30   12   5  13    44   42   +2    41   ▼1   LLLWL   Campionato Esportiva di Campeones
 9 Straton                30   12   5  13    30   36   −6    41   ▲1   LWLWL
10 Newark Argyle          30   11   5  14    35   39   −4    38   ▼1   LLWLL
11 Hesham                 30    9   9  12    25   31   −6    36   -0   WWDLL
12 Colbrook City          30   10   5  15    42   49   −7    35   -0   WWLLL
13 Fontwell Rovers        30    7   9  14    21   40  −19    30   ▲2   LLWLW
14 Fraser Valley          30    8   5  17    19   46  −27    29   ▼1   DLDDW   Promotion/Relegation Playoff
15 Clyde Park             30    6   9  15    28   43  −15    27   ▼1   DLDDD   Relegation
16 Bencoolen City         30    3   6  21    16   61  −45    15   -0   LLLDD   Relegation

[Tumbra]

"

T-LEAGUE 2
END OF SEASON

MATCHDAY 16
Readale Wanderers 0–0 Carter United
Macarthur City 0–0 Hoxford United
Sturrey Athletic 5–1 Shepperton Ravens
Dorival 0–1 Delphi Lionesses
Clark City 3–0 Glenmont AFC
AFC Cayalon 3–1 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Newton Wanderers 1–3 Columbia City
AFC Gillman 4–2 New Timbourne Knights

MATCHDAY 17
AFC Gillman 1–0 Readale Wanderers
New Timbourne Knights 4–4 Newton Wanderers
Columbia City 4–1 AFC Cayalon
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 0–3 Clark City
Glenmont AFC 0–4 Dorival
Delphi Lionesses 4–2 Sturrey Athletic
Shepperton Ravens 1–0 Macarthur City
Hoxford United 3–0 Carter United

MATCHDAY 18
Readale Wanderers 3–2 Hoxford United
Carter United 1–2 Shepperton Ravens
Macarthur City 2–2 Delphi Lionesses
Sturrey Athletic 5–1 Glenmont AFC
Dorival 4–3 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Clark City 2–4 Columbia City
AFC Cayalon 1–0 New Timbourne Knights
Newton Wanderers 1–0 AFC Gillman

MATCHDAY 19
Newton Wanderers 1–3 Readale Wanderers
AFC Gillman 0–2 AFC Cayalon
New Timbourne Knights 1–2 Clark City
Columbia City 1–1 Dorival
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–1 Sturrey Athletic
Glenmont AFC 0–2 Macarthur City
Delphi Lionesses 1–0 Carter United
Shepperton Ravens 2–1 Hoxford United

MATCHDAY 20
Readale Wanderers 4–1 Shepperton Ravens
Hoxford United 2–1 Delphi Lionesses
Carter United 3–3 Glenmont AFC
Macarthur City 0–1 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Sturrey Athletic 0–1 Columbia City
Dorival 2–1 New Timbourne Knights
Clark City 2–1 AFC Gillman
AFC Cayalon 1–0 Newton Wanderers

MATCHDAY 21
AFC Cayalon 2–1 Readale Wanderers
Newton Wanderers 2–1 Clark City
AFC Gillman 0–1 Dorival
New Timbourne Knights 2–3 Sturrey Athletic
Columbia City 3–1 Macarthur City
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 2–0 Carter United
Glenmont AFC 0–0 Hoxford United
Delphi Lionesses 5–1 Shepperton Ravens

MATCHDAY 22
Readale Wanderers 4–6 Delphi Lionesses
Shepperton Ravens 2–2 Glenmont AFC
Hoxford United 3–4 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Carter United 0–2 Columbia City
Macarthur City 2–0 New Timbourne Knights
Sturrey Athletic 1–0 AFC Gillman
Dorival 1–0 Newton Wanderers
Clark City 1–1 AFC Cayalon

MATCHDAY 23
Clark City 3–0 Readale Wanderers
AFC Cayalon 2–2 Dorival
Newton Wanderers 2–0 Sturrey Athletic
AFC Gillman 0–0 Macarthur City
New Timbourne Knights 3–1 Carter United
Columbia City 5–4 Hoxford United
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 5–2 Shepperton Ravens
Glenmont AFC 4–4 Delphi Lionesses

MATCHDAY 24
Readale Wanderers 3–4 Glenmont AFC
Delphi Lionesses 4–2 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Shepperton Ravens 2–2 Columbia City
Hoxford United 0–1 New Timbourne Knights
Carter United 3–1 AFC Gillman
Macarthur City 2–1 Newton Wanderers
Sturrey Athletic 4–0 AFC Cayalon
Dorival 0–1 Clark City

MATCHDAY 25
Dorival 2–1 Readale Wanderers
Clark City 3–0 Sturrey Athletic
AFC Cayalon 4–0 Macarthur City
Newton Wanderers 1–1 Carter United
AFC Gillman 1–1 Hoxford United
New Timbourne Knights 3–3 Shepperton Ravens
Columbia City 1–1 Delphi Lionesses
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 5–0 Glenmont AFC

MATCHDAY 26
Readale Wanderers 0–1 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
Glenmont AFC 3–3 Columbia City
Delphi Lionesses 1–0 New Timbourne Knights
Shepperton Ravens 1–1 AFC Gillman
Hoxford United 1–4 Newton Wanderers
Carter United 2–1 AFC Cayalon
Macarthur City 1–1 Clark City
Sturrey Athletic 1–2 Dorival

MATCHDAY 27
Sturrey Athletic 1–1 Readale Wanderers
Dorival 1–1 Macarthur City
Clark City 4–3 Carter United
AFC Cayalon 2–2 Hoxford United
Newton Wanderers 2–2 Shepperton Ravens
AFC Gillman 2–3 Delphi Lionesses
New Timbourne Knights 1–0 Glenmont AFC
Columbia City 1–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries

MATCHDAY 28
Readale Wanderers 1–4 Columbia City
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 4–0 New Timbourne Knights
Glenmont AFC 1–1 AFC Gillman
Delphi Lionesses 2–0 Newton Wanderers
Shepperton Ravens 0–4 AFC Cayalon
Hoxford United 2–0 Clark City
Carter United 0–0 Dorival
Macarthur City 0–4 Sturrey Athletic

MATCHDAY 29
Macarthur City 2–1 Readale Wanderers
Sturrey Athletic 2–0 Carter United
Dorival 0–0 Hoxford United
Clark City 1–2 Shepperton Ravens
AFC Cayalon 1–2 Delphi Lionesses
Newton Wanderers 4–0 Glenmont AFC
AFC Gillman 1–0 Millsburgh Revolutionaries
New Timbourne Knights 0–1 Columbia City

MATCHDAY 30
Readale Wanderers 1–0 New Timbourne Knights
Columbia City 2–1 AFC Gillman
Millsburgh Revolutionaries 1–1 Newton Wanderers
Glenmont AFC 0–1 AFC Cayalon
Delphi Lionesses 4–2 Clark City
Shepperton Ravens 1–2 Dorival
Hoxford United 0–0 Sturrey Athletic
Carter United 3–2 Macarthur City

Standings after MD30

   T-League 2                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Columbia City                   30   22   5   3    74   33  +41    71   Champions; Promoted
 2 Delphi Lionesses                30   19   7   4    75   50  +25    64   Promoted
 3 Sturrey Athletic                30   16   5   9    59   37  +22    53   Promotion/Relegation Playoff
 4 AFC Cayalon                     30   16   4  10    50   39  +11    52
 5 Millsburgh Revolutionaries      30   15   3  12    51   40  +11    48
 6 Dorival                         30   12  11   7    42   32  +10    47
 7 Clark City                      30   12   8  10    52   39  +13    44
 8 Shepperton Ravens               30   10   9  11    44   65  −21    39
 9 Newton Wanderers                30   11   5  14    41   45   −4    38
10 Hoxford United                  30    9   9  12    50   55   −5    36
11 Readale Wanderers               30   10   6  14    51   60   −9    36
12 Carter United                   30    9   7  14    36   49  −13    34
13 Macarthur City                  30    7   8  15    35   51  −16    29
14 AFC Gillman                     30    7   7  16    36   46  −10    28   Relegated
15 New Timbourne Knights           30    7   6  17    31   48  −17    27   Relegated
16 Glenmont AFC                    30    3  10  17    42   80  −38    19   Relegated

PROMOTION-RELEGATION PLAYOFF
Fraser Valley 0–0 Sturrey Athletic (0–0 AET) (5–4 pen.)
Fraser Valley: Barker O Pearlman O Eyre O Krzanowski O Baumgartner O
Sturrey Athletic: Foster O Trouvé O Goodwin O Mercer X Vowles O

T-LEAGUE 3
END OF SEASON

MATCHDAY 16
Tavistock Park 0–1 Washington City
Harchester United 0–1 Ricci Ironworkers
Harwick Wanderers 1–4 Cobham Town
Ridgewell United 1–0 Kelder Phoenixes
Tavistock Athletic 3–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Millsburgh Steelers 2–1 Trelmont Rangers
Guillemard Town 3–3 Southport Thunder
Teignford Academical 1–1 Port Marray

MATCHDAY 17
Teignford Academical 1–1 Tavistock Park
Port Marray 1–1 Guillemard Town
Southport Thunder 0–0 Millsburgh Steelers
Trelmont Rangers 2–3 Tavistock Athletic
Pomeroy Mountaineers 5–4 Ridgewell United
Kelder Phoenixes 0–3 Harwick Wanderers
Cobham Town 3–4 Harchester United
Ricci Ironworkers 2–5 Washington City

MATCHDAY 18
Tavistock Park 3–1 Ricci Ironworkers
Washington City 0–2 Cobham Town
Harchester United 0–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Harwick Wanderers 1–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Ridgewell United 2–2 Trelmont Rangers
Tavistock Athletic 3–0 Southport Thunder
Millsburgh Steelers 2–2 Port Marray
Guillemard Town 1–0 Teignford Academical

MATCHDAY 19
Guillemard Town 2–2 Tavistock Park
Teignford Academical 0–1 Millsburgh Steelers
Port Marray 0–1 Tavistock Athletic
Southport Thunder 2–3 Ridgewell United
Trelmont Rangers 0–0 Harwick Wanderers
Pomeroy Mountaineers 4–0 Harchester United
Kelder Phoenixes 1–1 Washington City
Cobham Town 0–1 Ricci Ironworkers

MATCHDAY 20
Tavistock Park 2–4 Cobham Town
Ricci Ironworkers 2–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Washington City 2–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Harchester United 3–2 Trelmont Rangers
Harwick Wanderers 3–1 Southport Thunder
Ridgewell United 0–0 Port Marray
Tavistock Athletic 2–2 Teignford Academical
Millsburgh Steelers 1–1 Guillemard Town

MATCHDAY 21
Millsburgh Steelers 3–2 Tavistock Park
Guillemard Town 2–0 Tavistock Athletic
Teignford Academical 2–1 Ridgewell United
Port Marray 0–0 Harwick Wanderers
Southport Thunder 1–0 Harchester United
Trelmont Rangers 0–2 Washington City
Pomeroy Mountaineers 5–1 Ricci Ironworkers
Kelder Phoenixes 1–0 Cobham Town

MATCHDAY 22
Tavistock Park 0–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Cobham Town 1–0 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Ricci Ironworkers 2–0 Trelmont Rangers
Washington City 1–0 Southport Thunder
Harchester United 1–3 Port Marray
Harwick Wanderers 3–0 Teignford Academical
Ridgewell United 3–1 Guillemard Town
Tavistock Athletic 2–1 Millsburgh Steelers

MATCHDAY 23
Tavistock Athletic 2–2 Tavistock Park
Millsburgh Steelers 2–2 Ridgewell United
Guillemard Town 3–2 Harwick Wanderers
Teignford Academical 0–0 Harchester United
Port Marray 1–3 Washington City
Southport Thunder 3–2 Ricci Ironworkers
Trelmont Rangers 2–2 Cobham Town
Pomeroy Mountaineers 3–1 Kelder Phoenixes

MATCHDAY 24
Tavistock Park 2–2 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Kelder Phoenixes 2–4 Trelmont Rangers
Cobham Town 2–0 Southport Thunder
Ricci Ironworkers 3–2 Port Marray
Washington City 2–0 Teignford Academical
Harchester United 2–3 Guillemard Town
Harwick Wanderers 0–2 Millsburgh Steelers
Ridgewell United 1–1 Tavistock Athletic

MATCHDAY 25
Ridgewell United 2–1 Tavistock Park
Tavistock Athletic 0–0 Harwick Wanderers
Millsburgh Steelers 5–2 Harchester United
Guillemard Town 2–1 Washington City
Teignford Academical 1–0 Ricci Ironworkers
Port Marray 2–3 Cobham Town
Southport Thunder 0–2 Kelder Phoenixes
Trelmont Rangers 0–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers

MATCHDAY 26
Tavistock Park 3–1 Trelmont Rangers
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–0 Southport Thunder
Kelder Phoenixes 0–0 Port Marray
Cobham Town 1–0 Teignford Academical
Ricci Ironworkers 0–1 Guillemard Town
Washington City 2–0 Millsburgh Steelers
Harchester United 3–3 Tavistock Athletic
Harwick Wanderers 1–0 Ridgewell United

MATCHDAY 27
Harwick Wanderers 3–0 Tavistock Park
Ridgewell United 0–0 Harchester United
Tavistock Athletic 2–1 Washington City
Millsburgh Steelers 2–0 Ricci Ironworkers
Guillemard Town 2–3 Cobham Town
Teignford Academical 1–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Port Marray 2–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Southport Thunder 0–1 Trelmont Rangers

MATCHDAY 28
Tavistock Park 2–2 Southport Thunder
Trelmont Rangers 3–3 Port Marray
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–0 Teignford Academical
Kelder Phoenixes 1–0 Guillemard Town
Cobham Town 1–3 Millsburgh Steelers
Ricci Ironworkers 3–3 Tavistock Athletic
Washington City 2–2 Ridgewell United
Harchester United 1–2 Harwick Wanderers

MATCHDAY 29
Harchester United 3–5 Tavistock Park
Harwick Wanderers 3–0 Washington City
Ridgewell United 5–1 Ricci Ironworkers
Tavistock Athletic 1–0 Cobham Town
Millsburgh Steelers 5–1 Kelder Phoenixes
Guillemard Town 2–1 Pomeroy Mountaineers
Teignford Academical 2–0 Trelmont Rangers
Port Marray 4–1 Southport Thunder

MATCHDAY 30
Tavistock Park 0–2 Port Marray
Southport Thunder 0–1 Teignford Academical
Trelmont Rangers 0–1 Guillemard Town
Pomeroy Mountaineers 2–4 Millsburgh Steelers
Kelder Phoenixes 2–3 Tavistock Athletic
Cobham Town 0–1 Ridgewell United
Ricci Ironworkers 2–2 Harwick Wanderers
Washington City 5–2 Harchester United

Standings after MD30

   T-League 3               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Washington City           30   17   7   6    61   36  +25    58   Champions; Promoted
 2 Millsburgh Steelers       30   17   7   6    60   35  +25    58   Promoted
 3 Guillemard Town           30   15   8   7    50   38  +12    53   Promoted
 4 Tavistock Athletic        30   15   8   7    55   45  +10    53
 5 Port Marray               30   13  11   6    47   33  +14    50
 6 Harwick Wanderers         30   14   8   8    56   45  +11    50
 7 Cobham Town               30   15   3  12    51   42   +9    48
 8 Pomeroy Mountaineers      30   11   8  11    52   47   +5    41
 9 Tavistock Park            30   10  11   9    52   50   +2    41
10 Ridgewell United          30    9   9  12    43   49   −6    36
11 Kelder Phoenixes          30   10   6  14    35   49  −14    36
12 Teignford Academical      30    8  11  11    30   38   −8    35
13 Ricci Ironworkers         30    8   7  15    41   57  −16    31
14 Harchester United         30    8   6  16    42   61  −19    30   Relegated
15 Southport Thunder         30    5   6  19    36   62  −26    21   Relegated
16 Trelmont Rangers          30    3   8  19    24   48  −24    17   Relegated

T-LEAGUE 4
END OF SEASON

MATCHDAY 16
Brades United 2–2 Wintborough United
Heffron City 0–1 Ashton Rovers
Franport 1–0 Heath Bay Mariners
Hendon Cardinals 2–2 Havelock City
Carrington Town 0–2 Tevandale Athletic
Pinhal Athletic 0–1 FC Montrose
Denhelm Trinity 1–0 Coburg
Killiney SC 1–2 Fort Heatherton

MATCHDAY 17
Killiney SC 3–3 Brades United
Fort Heatherton 1–0 Denhelm Trinity
Coburg 0–1 Pinhal Athletic
FC Montrose 1–1 Carrington Town
Tevandale Athletic 3–0 Hendon Cardinals
Havelock City 2–2 Franport
Heath Bay Mariners 1–0 Heffron City
Ashton Rovers 1–1 Wintborough United

MATCHDAY 18
Brades United 1–0 Ashton Rovers
Wintborough United 2–1 Heath Bay Mariners
Heffron City 4–0 Havelock City
Franport 3–2 Tevandale Athletic
Hendon Cardinals 1–3 FC Montrose
Carrington Town 0–6 Coburg
Pinhal Athletic 4–1 Fort Heatherton
Denhelm Trinity 2–0 Killiney SC

MATCHDAY 19
Denhelm Trinity 0–4 Brades United
Killiney SC 0–0 Pinhal Athletic
Fort Heatherton 3–1 Carrington Town
Coburg 3–0 Hendon Cardinals
FC Montrose 0–1 Franport
Tevandale Athletic 2–1 Heffron City
Havelock City 0–1 Wintborough United
Heath Bay Mariners 1–0 Ashton Rovers

MATCHDAY 20
Brades United 2–2 Heath Bay Mariners
Ashton Rovers 4–0 Havelock City
Wintborough United 1–0 Tevandale Athletic
Heffron City 0–2 FC Montrose
Franport 2–0 Coburg
Hendon Cardinals 0–1 Fort Heatherton
Carrington Town 2–1 Killiney SC
Pinhal Athletic 1–2 Denhelm Trinity

MATCHDAY 21
Pinhal Athletic 0–0 Brades United
Denhelm Trinity 0–1 Carrington Town
Killiney SC 3–0 Hendon Cardinals
Fort Heatherton 4–2 Franport
Coburg 3–1 Heffron City
FC Montrose 3–2 Wintborough United
Tevandale Athletic 0–0 Ashton Rovers
Havelock City 1–1 Heath Bay Mariners

MATCHDAY 22
Brades United 7–4 Havelock City
Heath Bay Mariners 0–1 Tevandale Athletic
Ashton Rovers 0–1 FC Montrose
Wintborough United 2–2 Coburg
Heffron City 2–0 Fort Heatherton
Franport 2–0 Killiney SC
Hendon Cardinals 2–0 Denhelm Trinity
Carrington Town 1–0 Pinhal Athletic

MATCHDAY 23
Carrington Town 1–3 Brades United
Pinhal Athletic 1–0 Hendon Cardinals
Denhelm Trinity 1–3 Franport
Killiney SC 1–0 Heffron City
Fort Heatherton 0–1 Wintborough United
Coburg 1–0 Ashton Rovers
FC Montrose 0–0 Heath Bay Mariners
Tevandale Athletic 4–1 Havelock City

MATCHDAY 24
Brades United 3–4 Tevandale Athletic
Havelock City 1–1 FC Montrose
Heath Bay Mariners 1–1 Coburg
Ashton Rovers 1–1 Fort Heatherton
Wintborough United 1–1 Killiney SC
Heffron City 1–3 Denhelm Trinity
Franport 2–0 Pinhal Athletic
Hendon Cardinals 0–5 Carrington Town

MATCHDAY 25
Hendon Cardinals 0–2 Brades United
Carrington Town 0–1 Franport
Pinhal Athletic 0–2 Heffron City
Denhelm Trinity 1–2 Wintborough United
Killiney SC 0–1 Ashton Rovers
Fort Heatherton 6–2 Heath Bay Mariners
Coburg 1–0 Havelock City
FC Montrose 1–2 Tevandale Athletic

MATCHDAY 26
Brades United 2–1 FC Montrose
Tevandale Athletic 1–4 Coburg
Havelock City 1–2 Fort Heatherton
Heath Bay Mariners 1–3 Killiney SC
Ashton Rovers 2–0 Denhelm Trinity
Wintborough United 3–1 Pinhal Athletic
Heffron City 1–2 Carrington Town
Franport 1–0 Hendon Cardinals

MATCHDAY 27
Franport 1–1 Brades United
Hendon Cardinals 0–0 Heffron City
Carrington Town 2–2 Wintborough United
Pinhal Athletic 3–1 Ashton Rovers
Denhelm Trinity 5–4 Heath Bay Mariners
Killiney SC 3–1 Havelock City
Fort Heatherton 2–3 Tevandale Athletic
Coburg 1–0 FC Montrose

MATCHDAY 28
Brades United 1–3 Coburg
FC Montrose 1–0 Fort Heatherton
Tevandale Athletic 3–2 Killiney SC
Havelock City 1–0 Denhelm Trinity
Heath Bay Mariners 1–1 Pinhal Athletic
Ashton Rovers 2–2 Carrington Town
Wintborough United 3–3 Hendon Cardinals
Heffron City 0–1 Franport

MATCHDAY 29
Heffron City 1–1 Brades United
Franport 3–3 Wintborough United
Hendon Cardinals 1–0 Ashton Rovers
Carrington Town 1–1 Heath Bay Mariners
Pinhal Athletic 2–3 Havelock City
Denhelm Trinity 0–1 Tevandale Athletic
Killiney SC 2–3 FC Montrose
Fort Heatherton 0–0 Coburg

MATCHDAY 30
Brades United 1–0 Fort Heatherton
Coburg 5–3 Killiney SC
FC Montrose 1–0 Denhelm Trinity
Tevandale Athletic 2–0 Pinhal Athletic
Havelock City 1–4 Carrington Town
Heath Bay Mariners 0–1 Hendon Cardinals
Ashton Rovers 6–4 Franport
Wintborough United 1–0 Heffron City

Standings after MD30

   T-League 4             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Franport                30   20   5   5    56   31  +25    65   Champions; Promoted
 2 Coburg                  30   18   7   5    61   25  +36    61   Promoted
 3 Tevandale Athletic      30   19   3   8    49   32  +17    60   Promoted
 4 Wintborough United      30   15  11   4    55   37  +18    56
 5 Brades United           30   12   9   9    51   46   +5    45
 6 FC Montrose             30   13   5  12    43   38   +5    44
 7 Carrington Town         30   12   7  11    41   42   −1    43
 8 Fort Heatherton         30   10  11   9    41   34   +7    41
 9 Ashton Rovers           30   11   8  11    41   35   +6    41
10 Heffron City            30   12   3  15    40   42   −2    39
11 Pinhal Athletic         30   10   7  13    34   35   −1    37
12 Killiney SC             30    9   5  16    39   47   −8    32
13 Denhelm Trinity         30    8   3  19    32   58  −26    27
14 Havelock City           30    6   8  16    33   61  −28    26
15 Hendon Cardinals        30    7   5  18    24   54  −30    26   Relegated
16 Heath Bay Mariners      30    4  11  15    30   53  −23    23   Relegated

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 2
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.

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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: Emilie Kruetzberg (CMT, Lakewood United)
Silver Ball: Elaine Howard-Dawes (CMT/QUE, Couno Rangers)
Golden Ball: Jôs Sürréo (RUL, Lakewood United)

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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: Ceferino Audiol (JUE, Serrapince)
Silver: Charlotte Henshaw (TMB, Lakewood City)
Gold: Vasya Reisinger (NPH, West Couno United)

Midfielder of the Year
Bronze: Jean-Philippe Vaillancourt (QUE, Couno Rangers)
Silver: Samuel McTavish (QUE, Lakewood City)
Gold: Nurija Papez (MYT, Lakewood United)

Defender of the Year
Bronze: Ian Ashburn (TMB, Lakewood City)
Silver: Mike Sheppard (TMB, Lakewood United)
Gold: Walter Thomas (TKT, FC Inter Nantwich)

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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: Antonio Silva (ELM, Ridgewell Rovers)
Silver Award: Kim Chae-yeong (QUE, FC Inter Nantwich)
Golden Award: Edward Maddison (TMB, Kingsbury 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: Joe Bonner (TMB, Straton)
- 11 clean sheets, 36 conceded
Silver Glove: Mick Key (EUR, Serrapince)
- 11 clean sheets, 32 conceded
Golden Glove: Nick Barker (TMB, FC Inter Nantwich)
- 13 clean sheets, 29 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)

Bronze Boot: Vasya Reisinger (NPH, West Couno United)
- 19 goals
Silver Boot: Elaine Howard-Dawes (CMT/QUE, Couno Rangers)
- 19 goals
Golden Boot: Jôs Sürréo (RUL, Lakewood United)
- 21 goals

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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 - Chris Haines (TMB, Ridgewell Rovers)
Second - John Riedweld (TMB, Lakewood City)
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  Nick Barker (TMB, FC Inter Nantwich)
Defender    Twilight Mixon (CMT, Lakewood City)
Defender    Spencer Jepson (TKT, Lakewood United)
Defender    Ian Ashburn (TMB, Lakewood City)
Defender    Mike Sheppard (TMB, Lakewood United)
Midfielder  Nurija Papez (MYT, Lakewood United)
Midfielder  Samuel McTavish (QUE, Lakewood City)
Midfielder  Emilie Kruetzberg (CMT, Lakewood United)
Forward     Elaine Howard-Dawes (CMT/QUE, Couno Rangers)
Forward     Jôs Sürréo (RUL, Lakewood United)
Forward     Robin Vaughn (TMB, Lakewood City)

Second XI

Position    Player
Goalkeeper  Joe Bonner (TMB, Straton)
Defender    Martin Hawthorn (TMB, FC Inter Nantwich)
Defender    Kira Dormann (QUE, FC Inter Nantwich)
Defender    Walter Thomas (TKT, FC Inter Nantwich)
Defender    Leah Robbins (TKT, Lakewood City)
Midfielder  Jean-Philippe Vaillancourt (QUE, Couno Rangers)
Midfielder  Lucas McCormick (TMB, Lakewood City)
Midfielder  Ian Robertson (TMB, Ridgewell Rovers)
Forward     Ceferino Audiol (JUE, Serrapince)
Forward     Vasya Reisinger (NPH, West Couno United)
Forward     Kim Chae-yeong (QUE, FC Inter Nantwich)

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 3
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
Matthew Noble       35      CM      TMB     Hesham
Simon Cole          35      LM      TMB     Straton
Craig McGrath       36      CM      TMB     Newark Argyle
Gary Mulholland     35      LB      TMB     AFC Cayalon
Daniel Keaveney     36      CB      TMB     AFC Cayalon
James Shaw          35      CM      TMB     AFC Cayalon
John Mann           36      CDM     TMB     AFC Cayalon
Aaron Mortensen     36      CM      TMB     AFC Cayalon
Sean McDonald       36      LB      TMB     Macarthur City
Rupert Kirkwood     36      CB      TMB     Port Marray
Edward Robinson     35      RB      TMB     Port Marray
Pat Philips         36      CB      TMB     Sturrey Athletic
Mark Ryton          36      RB      TMB     AFC Gillman
George Pearson      35      CDM     TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
Trevor Williams     35      ST      TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
James Shriver       35      RW      TMB     Ricci Ironworkers
Brian Watkins       35      ST      TMB     Tavistock Athletic
Bill Bowen          35      CAM     TMB     Teignford Academical

Released

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club
Antti Perkkanen     33      RW      TKT     Colbrook City           Peynol-Lunas [PAS]
Heather Gell        31      ST      MRT     FC Inter Nantwich       FC1. Bjarnarey Flotilla [PIS]
Clay van der Hout   35      RB      TLI     FC Inter Nantwich
Dannon Larr         32      ST      MRT     Kingsbury United
Jolanda MacPierce   33      LB      ZWZ     Columbia City

Departures

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                     Fee
Michael Hardwick    62      MGR     TMB     Hesham
Edmund Finnegan     60      MGR     TMB     Clyde Park
Daniel Galbraith    45      MGR     TMB     FC Inter Nantwich

Edward Maddison     23      ST      TMB     Kingsbury United        Avondale City [TMB]         9.0m
Ashley Crittenden   27      RB      TMB     Couno Rangers           Sanar [CMT]                 6.0m
Cedomir Vladmirovic 23      LW      QUE/MYT Lakewood City           CSKA Quebec [QUE]           4.5m
Shim Seo-yeon       25      RB      TMB/CMT West Couno United       Sareña FC [CAD]             3.0m
Colin Kearney       29      CM      TMB     Couno Rangers           Anomalies [CMT]             2.5m
Martin Barker       29      CB      TMB     Serrapince              Omnio [CMT]                 2.5m
Hayden Blamey       28      ST      SYL     Hesham                  Capitol Athletic [SYL]      2.5m
Lomar Wellingsley   30      CB      TKT     Couno Rangers           Sterling City Utd. [DAR]    2.0m
Mark Coulson        28      CAM     TMB     Serrapince              CF Capitale [PTR]           1.7m
Juul de Bruin       28      RB      TLI     Clyde Park              Sydberg Olympia [KOR]       1.3m
Lydia Gomboult      27      CM      MRT     Clyde Park              CS Saint-Rémy [KSK]         1.0m
Barkad Assaf        24      LW      QUE/TMZ Clyde Park              Wansan Noksaekjeonsa [QUE]  1.0m
Kim Kearnes         30      RW      SYL     Clyde Park              Marbury FC [SYL]            1.0m
Leo Fisher          29      CB      QUE/TLI Clyde Park              Zenit Attawapiskat [QUE]    1.0m
Douglas Moore       36      CB      TMB     Straton                 Zarzaquemada [SGN]          0.0m
Raymond Perry       35      CB      TMB     West Couno United       Ciudad Les Bois [CAD]       0.0m
Min Song-hwan       33      CM      CMT     Hesham                  Alnio [CMT]                 0.0m
Mu Weihai           33      CB      YZH     Hesham                  Carleton Park Rangers [XAN] Undisc.

Internal Transfers

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                     Fee
Rôbé Wîjkár         26      RB      FFD     Kingsbury United        Couno Rangers               7.5m
Serena Philips      27      CDM     TMB     Lakewood United         Lakewood City               5.5m
Christopher Steele  29      RM      TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Fraser Valley               5.5m
Luca Cambiaso       31      RB      SVG/TMB Couno Rangers           Kingsbury United            5.0m
Carol Haywood       28      RW      TMB     Fraser Valley           Delphi Lionesses            3.9m
Charles Lyon        27      CAM     TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Fraser Valley               3.5m
Moussa Wague        28      ST      BRO     Clyde Park              FC Inter Nantwich           3.0m
Kirsten Desmond     30      CAM     NPH     Lakewood United         Ridgewell Rovers            3.0m
Elaine Calare       31      ST      NPH     Colbrook City           Fraser Valley               3.0m
Dimitra Conder      31      RW      NPH     Couno Rangers           Ridgewell Rovers            3.0m
Andrew Gillingham   29      ST      TMB     Lakewood United         Columbia City               2.5m
Henry Gerritsen     27      ST      TMB     Fontwell Rovers         Colbrook City               2.0m
Judith Houghton     29      CB      TMB     West Couno United       Hesham                      1.6m
Linda Marshall      27      CB      TMB     Columbia City           Couno Rangers               1.5m
Jackie Whittaker    23      ST      TMB     Lakewood City           Kingsbury United            1.5m
Lewis McCabe        29      CDM     TMB     Lakewood City           Delphi Lionesses            1.5m
Daniel Hayward      19      LW      TMB     FC Inter Nantwich       Straton                     1.5m
Trevor Stewart      21      LW      TMB     Hesham                  Newark Argyle               1.3m
Lionel Cooper       21      CB      TMB     FC Inter Nantwich       West Couno United           1.2m
Denise Hopkirk      21      CB      TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Delphi Lionesses            0.9m
Vikram Chatterjee   21      RW      TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Clyde Park                  0.8m
Nigel Harris        36      RB      TMB     Newark Argyle           FC Inter Nantwich           0.0m
Mike Sheppard       35      RB      TMB     Lakewood United         West Couno United           0.0m
Nicky Atkinson      33      CM      TMB     Lakewood United         Hesham                      0.0m
Aventurine Kolar    34      CDM     NPH     FC Inter Nantwich       Delphi Lionesses            0.0m

Transfers into the league

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                     Fee
Rowena Stamper      63      MGR     BRE     Crossroads (CMT)        FC Inter Nantwich
Simon Krajewski     61      MGR     TMB     Santraginus (SRS))      Hesham

Charlotte Eastwood  24      CF/CAM  SYL     Avondale City (SYL)     Lakewood United            13.5m
Maram Tatsinan      21      CM      SRS     Brantisvogan (SRS)      Lakewood United             7.0m
Ezgjan Kobilcov     24      CB      MYT     NK Dyka (MYT)           West Couno United           4.5m
Ian Narváez         25      CB      HUA     Tekstil Ibon (MYT)      Serrapince                  4.0m
Anni Pellonpekko    24      CB      SRS     Vogsphere United (SRS)  Straton                     3.5m
Kaisa Säfqvist      23      RB      SVJ/TKT Fort Viljan Nth (TKT)   Couno Rangers               3.0m
Vangelis Anagnakis  25      CAM     DEL     FK Arsika (MYT)         Fontwell Rovers             3.0m
D L-Ssekitoleko     17      RB      BNJ/QUE Perce Town (QUE)        Lakewood United             3.0m
Akhil Neviud        23      RM      SRS     Sivolvia Capit. (SRS)   Colbrook City               3.0m
A-M Hansdottir      25      CAM     TJL     Dunkirk Athletic (SYL)  Serrapince                  3.0m
Morgan Gallagher    25      CM      SYL     Mid-Capital (SYL)       Couno Rangers               3.0m
Vladislav Ilyushin  24      CB      PYA     FK Krasnograd (PYA)     Columbia City               3.0m
Sevda Boulos        25      CM      SRS     Damogran (SRS)          Hesham                      3.0m
Behai Griffin       22      RB      CMT     S of Confed. (KSK)      Newark Argyle               3.0m
Isla Bradfield      28      CDM     SYL     Dodle (SYL)             FC Inter Nantwich           3.0m
Lucifer             22      ST      TKT     Guillarim Blades (TKT)  Hesham                      3.0m
Ha Seo-Jeong        24      GK      QUE     Haligonian (QUE)        Fraser Valley               2.0m
Aya Kawasaki        26      LB      CMT     Shearwater (KSK)        Columbia City               2.0m
Derek Rassmussen    23      CDM     GTK     Galaxy SC (XAN)         Lakewood United             2.0m
Karina Wilkinson    30      CB      HAN     S of Confed. (KSK)      Fontwell Rovers             1.0m
Maki Yoshitoshi     23      ST      CMT     S Chromatik U (CMT)     Fontwell Rovers             0.0m
C van der Borght    23      CDM     CMT     Pùr State U (CMT)       Newark Argyle               0.0m
Talla Fetch         21      LW      BRE     Pria Tech (CMT)         Columbia City               0.0m
A van der Wel       23      RW      CMT     Pria Tech (CMT)         Couno Rangers               0.0m
Yabūchi Norogumi    23      LB      CMT     Felswyr State (CMT)     Delphi Lionesses            0.0m
Adèle Desjardins    23      CB      CMT     Univ. of Myana (CMT)    Delphi Lionesses            0.0m
Gwenaël Beauvais    23      ST      CMT     Alnio U of Arts (CMT)   Kingsbury United            0.0m
August Wölfflin     23      CB      CMT     Alnio U of Arts (CMT)   Newark Argyle               0.0m
Charlotte Schöner   23      LB      CMT     Z'ai'ai Tech (CMT)      Ridgewell Rovers            0.0m

Lower Division Transfers

Name                Age     Pos     Nat     Former Club             New Club                    Fee
George Calvert      30      LB      TMB     Colbrook City           Hoxford United              0.7m
Jason Pearce        30      ST      TMB     Columbia City           Clyde Park                  0.8m
Gerald Steinback    26      LW      TMB     Columbia City           Clyde Park                  1.2m
Eric O'Halloran     33      CB      TMB     Fontwell Rovers         Glenmont AFC                0.0m
Aidan James         23      GK      TMB     Fraser Valley           Shepperton Ravens           0.2m
David Greer         30      ST      TMB     Fraser Valley           Dorival                     1.3m
John Batten         29      CAM     TMB     Fraser Valley           Port Marray                 1.7m
Keith Nakamura      23      CAM     TMB     Fontwell Rovers         Shepperton Ravens           3.2m
Nexev-Kresp Val     30      CB      QUS/TMB Lakewood United         Washington City             0.7m
M Hanson-Hartridge  29      CB      TMB     Newark Argyle           Washington City             0.7m
Roy Wheeler         26      LM      TMB     Newark Argyle           Harchester United           0.4m
Carl Norton         30      LB      TMB     Ridgewell Rovers        Cobham Town                 0.5m

[Tumbra]

T-LEAGUE, SEASON 3
PREVIEWS

Colbrook City

Quick Facts

City and State: Colbrook, Grantfeldt
Last season: 12th, 35 points
Stadium: Colbrook Stadium, 30,000
Nickname: the Northerners; the Postmen
Manager: David Griffiths, 60, Tumbra
Style of Play: Moderately attacking, heavy on side-passing play
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: CM Petrasin Djurovic
Captain: CB Sarah Robson

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Adam Stanton        29  M   TMB
14  LB  Shana Reed          26  F   BRE
4   CB  Sha Jian            26  M   YZH
5   CB  Sarah Robson        30  F   TMB
2   RB  Gianni Esposito     29  M   SVG/TMB
7   LM  Andrew Everingham   27  M   TKT
19  CDM Brendan Rowling     26  M   TMB
22  CM  Petrasin Djurovic   25  M   MYT/TLI
23  RM  Akhil Neviud        23  M   SRS
11  ST  Fedya Yeltsov       23  M   TMB/MYT
24  ST  Alex Finlay         26  M   TMB

12  GK  Tobias Matthews     22  M   TMB
25  GK  Gilian Bryce        26  F   TMB
3   LB  Gilian Allison      21  F   TMB
6   CB  Sonja Connolly      23  F   TMB
13  CB  Almar Hussein       32  M   TMB
15  CB  Philip Chamberlain  28  M   TMB
16  RB  Jennifer Murray     25  F   TMB
8   CDM Didier Hennequin    21  M   JUE
18  CM  John Hyland         25  M   TMB
17  CM  Faye de Vries       23  F   TMB/TLI
21  LW  Alistair McGarry    29  M   TMB
10  CAM Simon Stansfield    24  M   TMB
9   RW  Richard Baker       31  M   TMB
26  ST  Sabrina Rigby       23  F   TMB
20  ST  Henry Gerritsen     27  M   TMB

27  CDM Terence Fordham     20  M   TMB
28  CB  Gareth Williams     19  M   TMB
29  ST  Lauren Whiteley     19  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Akhil Neviud from Silvolvia Capitalizt, 3.0m
Henry Gerritsen from Fontwell Rovers, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Elaine Calare to Fraser Valley, 3.0m
George Calvert to Hoxford United, 0.7m
Antti Perkkanen to Peysol-Lunas, 0.0m
Promoted:
Gilian Allison, LB

Colbrook are now treading water — will they improve, or is the lower-midtable forever their fate?

Last season: Colbrook’s season never really got going — what with a bout of inconsistent form, unable to capitalise on the momentum generated by many of their wins, and David Griffiths’ admittance that he was unlikely to stay beyond the end of his contract ending — which just so happens to be at the end of this very season. Ultimately, twelfth of sixteen sounded about right for a team of Colbrook’s status; but that raises the question of whether Colbrook are just here in the league to make up the numbers or if they actually want to make up some more ground. Considering they’ve never broken that top half, it sounds likely to be the former.

New Arrivals: The club was relatively quiet transfer-wise — only bringing in Henry Gerritsen from Fontwell Rovers to serve as a back-up attacking option for Alex Finlay and Fedya Yeltsov; the taciturn target man will be tasked with scoring when either of the starting two are out. The other, in what seems to be a bit of a mini-Squornshelous wave of players entering the country, is Akhil Neviud; an intelligent, fluid midfielder with a bit of work to be done on his wing-play. Gilian Allison, a member of Under-18 World Cup squads long gone past, finally gets her promotion to the senior squad; but she’ll be in the heart of a relegation campaign if she’s to make her mark. On the other hand, Antti Perkkanen bade farewell to the club and to Tumbran football in general after a decade with Kingsbury and Colbrook; the Tikariotian left to play in the deserts of Pasarga.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The one thing that you can’t criticise this squad for is its tight-knit atmosphere; Griffiths has cultivated an intensely strong team culture focused on survival through counterattacking football. And they sure move like it; on the counter, they move quickly, and as a unit. What this does is somewhat mask their lack of true player quality; Petrasin Djurovic, a Mytanar-Licentian, is the most skilled player on the team, which isn’t exactly saying much considering that Djurovic is more rated as a workmanlike player rather than someone who could conceivably break into the upper echelons of world football. Their defence is probably the strongest unit on the team; names like Gianni Esposito, Savigliano-turned-Tumbran, Sha Jian, and Shana Reed highlight a backline that can and will bite back at marauding opponents with fierce tackling.

Prospects: This will be Colbrook’s eighth consecutive season in the top division of the Tumbran football pyramid; which is surprising considering that they were tagged for relegation for most of their first few seasons in the league. And they wouldn’t be wrong, either — Colbrook pulled off a trifecta of seventeenth-placed finishes in their first three seasons. But with the sides around them strengthening consistently more than Colbrook, it’s hard not to feel like they’re the ones left out — and might be the ones left out to dry come the end of the season.

---

Columbia City

Quick Facts

City and State: Columbia, Alexandria
Last season: T-League 2, 1st, 71 points
Stadium: Columbus Field, 49,000
Nickname: the Southerners; the Fishermen
Manager: Gerald Scicluna, 48, Tumbra
Style of Play: Cautious and counterattacking
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: CDM Takis Pipades
Captain: CB Torcado Fiallo

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  George Danvers      29  M   TMB
16  LB  Aya Kawasaki        26  F   CMT
4   CB  Torcado Fiallo      32  M   TEQ/TMB
19  CB  Vladislav Ilyushin  24  M   PYA
3   RB  Finlay Hall         31  M   TKT
21  LW  Talla Fetch         21  F   BRE
23  CM  Susan Ramsden       24  F   TMB
18  CDM Takis Pipades       26  M   VDR
17  RW  John Fan            24  M   TMB
9   ST  Jean Starling       22  F   TMB
11  ST  Liang Wei           31  M   YZH

13  GK  Laura Fisher        26  F   TMB
25  GK  Tom Rakepick        23  M   TMB
2   LB  Abid Ali            21  M   TMB
15  CB  Fiona Harcourt      29  F   TMB
5   CB  Nathan Quinn        31  M   TMB
26  CB  Richard Evanson     22  M   TMB
20  RB  Alessandro Baraldi  25  M   TMB/JUE
14  CM  Kálmán Sásk         28  M   SZO/FFD
8   CM  David Blair         22  M   TMB
6   CM  Joscelin Cable      22  F   TMB
24  CAM Manuel Vaquilar     25  M   TMB/FAR/FFD
7   LW  Vanessa Harding     22  M   TMB
10  RW  Caleb Hoffman       22  M   TMB
22  ST  Rianne Cowling      23  F   TMB
12  ST  Andrew Gillingham   29  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Vladislav Ilyushin from FK Krasnograd, 3.0m
Andrew Gillingham from Lakewood United, 2.5m
Aya Kawasaki from Shearwater, 2.0m
Talla Fetch from Pria Technical University, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Linda Marshall to Couno Rangers, 1.5m
Gerald Steinback to Clyde Park, 1.2m
Jason Pearce to Clyde Park, 0.8m
Jolanda MacPierce, released
Promoted:
Abid Ali, LB

Back in the Prem after a one-season exodus — can they make it count?

Last season: Columbia’s relegation at the end of the T-League’s first season was both a surprise and the culmination of a five-season long slide from grace. It was a reminder that in a league of only sixteen teams, there was little to no room to error. But their season away in the second tier of Tumbran football ended with them absolutely walking the league — scoring seventy-one points from a potential maximum of ninety, losing only thrice in the first half of the season and losing zero matches in the second half of the season. They’re back in the league, with a vengeance, and with one of the strongest post-promotion squads to date.

New Arrivals: The most hyped addition to the squad is one Talla Fetch, rumoured to be the next big Brenecian winger; though with Brenecia having allegedly put their plans to participate in international football on the backburner, fans have been left wondering how far she’ll be able to rise in this environment. Other signings include Aya Kawasaki, a defensive left-back from Shearwater in Kelssek; Vladislav Ilyushin, one of frigid Pyazhnaya’s best defenders who’s got a physical disposition that could rival that of the biggest Graentfjaller defenders, and Andrew Gillingham, who’s been pushed out of Lakewood United as the squad looks to cement their hold on the title. Gillingham in particular gained a reputation in his earlier years as a particularly effective striker at Colbrook; and fans will be looking to him to repeat his performance as a midtable assassin down south.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Manager Gerald Scicluna seems to understand that a good defense is the key to surviving in the Prem; though with the ease with which this squad swept the second tier might be an early indication that relegation might not be as much of a concern to this squad as most teams that have been recently promoted will have to deal with. This squad oozes talent — the new signings are all Prem-quality, and Columbia did a remarkably good job of holding on to most of their talent when they were sent down to the second tier. Key players include Takis Pipades, a hard-tackling Vdaran hoping to make it big with his national team, Susan Ramsden, a Casari army knife of a midfielder, and Jean Starling, a young, fast, but admittedly short striker.

Prospects: Most feel this squad will have no problem surviving. But manager Scicluna isn’t taking anything for granted; his ambition first and foremost is to avoid the drop. “Basics first, then we can dream,” seems to be the mantra for this season; but that has come in for some criticism over being too conservative in its outlook. Many will say that Columbia has long been a staple of the Prem; but as Scicluna knows too well, none of that can ever be taken for granted, with him being around when Columbia were relegated.

---

Couno Rangers

Quick Facts

City and State: Couno, Napier
Last season: 3rd, 57 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: CM Vincent Hicks
Captain: CB Joel Tyler

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Caelan Wright       26  M   TLI
16  LB  Hazel Kennedy       25  F   TMB
26  CB  Wilfrid Gouin       25  M   DEL
17  CB  Carlos Coste        28  M   JUE
3   RB  Rôbé Wîjkár         26  M   RÜL/FFD
18  CDM Mark Finnemore      29  M   TMB
5   CM  J-P Vaillancourt    30  M   QUE
8   CM  Vincent Hicks       33  M   TMB
7   LW  Erin Robertson      25  F   TMB
22  RW  Lilith Kendall      24  F   TMB/NPH
11  ST  Elaine Howard-Dawes 23  F   QUE/CMT

23  GK  Farzana Patel       26  F   TMB
25  GK  Cyril Anderton      24  M   TMB
2   LB  Seren Thomson       32  F   TLI
14  CB  Arwen van As        30  F   TLI
4   CB  Joel Tyler          35  M   TMB
6   CB  Linda Marshall      27  F   TMB
20  RB  Kaisa Säfqvist      23  F   SVJ/TKT
21  CDM Apollinare Quarto   22  M   JUE
13  CM  David Burnet        33  M   TMB
19  CM  Morgan Gallagher    25  M   SYL
15  CAM Michelle Vaughan    24  F   TMB
9   LW  Amanda Browne       26  F   TMB
12  RW  A van der Wel       23  F   CMT
10  ST  Holly Howell        27  F   TMB
24  ST  Sylvaine Fortier    25  F   TMB/CMT

27  GK  Jeanette Portman    20  F   TMB
28  CB  Hannah Edwards      20  F   TMB
29  ST  Ellen Vesper        19  F   TMB
30  LB  Norman Chen         18  M   TMB/YZH

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Rôbé Wîjkár from Kingsbury United, 7.5m
Kaisa Säfqvist from Fort Viljan Northern FC, 3.0m
Morgan Gallagher from Mid-Capital, 3.0m
Linda Marshall from Colbrook City, 1.5m
Annemarije van der Wel from Pria Technical University, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Ashley Crittenden to Sanar, 6.0m
Luca Cambiaso to Kingsbury United, 5.0m
Dimitra Conder to Ridgewell Rovers, 3.0m
Colin Kearney to Anomalies, 2.5m
Lomar Wellingsley to Sterling City United, 2.0m
Promoted:

Will Couno ever be able to take that final step, or are they doomed to see this era out as the perpetual bridesmaid?

Last season: Couno were halfway to dethroning Lakewood United, and were leading the league with five games to go — so how did they end up third? Well, they drew to a languid Nantwich side; fell 4-2 in the second Couno derby of the season, drew to Hesham after a terrible performance at home, scraping a draw in injury time, and then drew to a relegated Clyde Park on the final day of the season to drop to a miserable third in the standings. Apparently the collapse nearly led long-serving manager Marco Giuliani to resign; but he decided to stay on, saying that the blame for the collapse lay “with him” rather than with the team. A late injury crisis, in which midfield stalwart Jean-Philipe Vaillancourt was ruled out for much of the latter half of the season, probably didn’t help either. But it was a disappointing end to a promising season for Couno; and one that extends their title drought to five years now.

New Arrivals: That seemed to be an impetus for a squad rebuild; Ashley Crittenden departed the squad in search of more playing time, while Dimitra Conder was shown the door. In came a bunch of relatively low-key signings; Morgan Gallagher is expected to buff up the midfield before gradually being eased into the starting lineup in his search for a place with the Sylestone national team. Kaisa Säfqvist is expected to be a new long-term option on the right for Couno, while Linda Marshall and Annemarije van der Wel are expected to provide much-needed squad depth to this squad. But what transpired in the last hours of the transfer window shocked many; Rôbé Wîjkár made a surprise move to Couno, with Luca Cambiaso moving the other way, in a move that has already generated controversy due to the presence of Säfqvist in the team. Giuliani, for his part, has said that both Wîjkár and Säfqvist will generate ample playing time; but the move is certainly up there in terms of controversial transfer window moves.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Despite this midfield’s growing age, this is arguably the finest midfield unit in the league; the starting trio of Mark Finnemore, Jean-Philipe Vaillancourt and, most importantly, Vincent Hicks remains one of the most even-keeled in the field. More midfield control is expected, particularly with Rôbé Wîjkár’s addition; the inverted winger will float into the centre in possession, allowing for Hicks and Vaillancourt to move further up. The presence of Elaine Howard-Dawes, the squad’s main goalscorer, will also help offensively. The squad’s main weakness? Well, if their collapse late last season indicated anything, they’ll have to work a lot on their mentality going into the last third of the season in particular; but if they can get past that, perhaps they can finally challenge United and prevent them from winning a third title in four seasons.

Prospects: Couno have always been a strong team, particularly in the last half-decade; it’s more surprising than not that they haven’t managed to follow up on their title that they won all the way back in Season 7. They’ll be expected to challenge with the addition of Wîjkár; but considering that there’s already simmering tensions in the squad, Couno might yet be further from that record-eclipsing twenty-first title than most think.

---

Delphi Lionesses

Quick Facts

City and State: Serrapince, Tumbra
Last season: T-League 2, 2nd, 64 points
Stadium: Bexley Park, 27,300
Nickname: the Lionesses; the Pinks
Manager: Paul Hammond, 51, Tumbra
Style of Play: Cautious and defensive
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: CDM Aventurine Kolar
Captain: CDM Aventurine Kolar

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Simone Parker       32  F   TMB
2   LB  Yabūchi Norogumi    23  M   CMT
4   CB  Adèle Desjardins    23  F   CMT
5   CB  Denise Hopkirk      21  F   TMB
13  RB  Peter Letourneau    27  M   TMB
16  LM  June Johnson        27  F   TMB
21  CDM Lewis McCabe        29  M   TMB
6   CDM Aventurine Kolar    34  F   NPH
9   RM  Carol Haywood       28  F   TMB
10  ST  Vicki Slade         25  F   TMB
19  ST  Anne Fox            29  F   TMB

12  GK  Tina Dorrington     28  F   TMB
25  GK  Selena Collins      24  F   TMB
23  LB  Penelope Brooks     23  F   TMB
18  CB  Brendan Whitewater  31  M   TMB
14  CB  Nicholas Poole      25  M   TMB
20  CB  Richard Tarrant     20  M   TMB
3   RB  Jane Brydon         26  F   TMB
15  CAM Theo Davis          32  M   TMB
8   CM  Duncan Powell       25  M   TMB
24  CM  Charlie Dewhurst    29  M   TMB
26  CM  Mark McDonnell      24  M   TMB
7   LM  Hermione Moore      23  F   TMB
17  RM  Ashley Hall         30  F   TMB
11  ST  Faith Williams      28  F   TMB
22  ST  Jennifer Burham     27  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Carol Haywood from Fraser Valley, 3.9m
Lewis McCabe from Lakewood City, 1.5m
Denise Hopkirk from Ridgewell Rovers, 1.5m
Aventurine Kolar from FC Inter Nantwich, 0.0m
Yabūchi Norogumi from Felswyr State Univ, 0.0m
Adèle Desjardins from University of Myana, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Promoted:

Somehow they’re back. Can they stay up?

Last season: Most people expected for Sturrey Athletic and Columbia to walk the T-League 2. After all, these two teams did have Prem-level squads; and they were widely expected to go back up, perhaps forming a new class of teams that were too good for the second tier but not good enough for the top tier. But then, to almost everyone’s surprise, Delphi smashed and grabbed the second auto-promotion spot from Sturrey’s hands. The result? A squad that required a perhaps-rushed rebuilding, and Paul Hammond’s side being pushed into the Prem perhaps a year or two before they were ready. The result was a squad that looked woefully unprepared.

New Arrivals: A deep dive into the transfer window patched the most glaring holes; the coup of the transfer window was getting Aventurine Kolar from Nantwich on a free after the defensive midfielder fell out with Nantwich over a new contract; even at 34 she’s still got some pace and strength left in her. Lewis McCabe joins her in midfield from Lakewood City; the midfielder with just a year left on his contract was let go for surprisingly cheap, while Carol Haywood will be looked to to provide offensive support. The other major signings, in defence, saw Delphi raid the Chromatik university system; Yabūchi Norogumi and Adèle Desjardins come from the northern Anaian nation; once rivals on the pitch, they’ll have to get to grips quick to help save this club from being the favourites from relegation that they are.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Plainly speaking, before the signings made this season, this squad was not Prem-quality. While the six signings to the squad have improved their starting quality substantially, this squad’s depth remains wanting. The one positive is that Paul Hammond, fresh off nearly a decade in Valanora with Juavi, has become one of the most tactically-savvy and adept managers in Tumbra; and he’ll likely be the main force behind any great escapes that Delphi make. The signings have already been on the cheap, yet effective side— the Chromatik university system is known for producing talents — and there’s a real, yet slim, chance that they’ll go on a run to save themselves.

Prospects: But it’s more than likely that they’re going to finish bottom; after all, that’s where most pundits have placed them. The odds are against them; and while it’ll be Delphi’s first appearance in the top division of Tumbran football after six years, it’ll likely be a very long, very testing year for them. That Paul Hammond seems to be a target for several managerial spots that may be opening up in the near future doesn’t seem to help matters at the club.

---

FC Inter Nantwich

Quick Facts

City and State: Nantwich, Finnley
Last season: 6th, 49 points
Stadium: Nantwich Stadium, 64,000
Nickname: the Black-and-Blues; the Bulls
Manager: Rowena Stamper, 63, 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         35  M   TMB
14  LB  Martin Hawthorn     27  M   TMB
23  CB  Kira Dormann        27  F   QUE
5   CB  Walter Thomas       30  M   TKT
3   RB  Klara Verlaan       26  F   QUE
6   CDM Isla Bradfield      28  F   SYL
20  CDM Sandra Cho          24  F   TMB
16  CM  Dino Horvat         26  M   MYT
9   LW  Jake Spekman        28  M   TLI/CMT
7   RW  Kim Chae-yeong      23  F   QUE
11  ST  Basilica Coxeter    32  F   NPH

12  GK  George Lang         23  M   TMB
25  GK  Ferdinand Halliwell 24  M   TMB
2   LB  Aimée Laurent       33  F   SVG/TMB
4   CB  Sasha Stepanov      25  F   CMT
13  CB  Michael Hutchinson  24  M   TMB
26  CB  Susan Fox           22  F   TMB
22  RB  Nigel Harris        36  M   TMB
8   CM  Andrew Fisher       33  M   TMB
19  CM  Zheng Haidong       31  M   YZH
10  CM  Chris Tipple        30  M   TMB
21  CDM Michael Browne      30  M   TMB
15  LW  Max Mycroft         31  M   TMB
18  RW  Anne Beckett        28  F   TMB
17  ST  Joanna Bradford     28  F   TMB
24  ST  Moussa Wague        28  M   BRO

27  CDM Matthias Russelar   19  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Rowena Stamper from Crossroads, manager
Isla Bradfield from Dodle, 3.0m
Moussa Wague from Clyde Park, 3.0m
Nigel Harris from Newark Argyle, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Daniel Hayward to Straton, 1.5m
Lionel Cooper to West Couno United, 1.2m
Aventurine Kolar to Delphi Lionesses, 0.0m
Heather Gell to FC1. Bjarnarey Flotilla, 0.0m
Clay van der Hout, released
Daniel Galbraith, sacked
Promoted:

The good years look like they’re far away — will Rowena Stamper bring them back?

Last season: Sixth was good enough to see Nantwich return to international football, but it took less than three days after the end of the season for Daniel Galbraith to be let go; the allure of his management had worn off, and Nantwich had sent pretty clear signals that they wanted rid. So out he went; quietly and gracefully, and Galbraith now waits for his next job. Speculation was rife over who would succeed him — Ted Bayh was the favourite — but in the end Rowena Stamper, the long-time manager of Crossroads in Chromatika, was chosen to take the job.

New Arrivals: Her signing brought with her many new talents; with Aventurine Kolar failing to arrive at an agreement with the club on a new deal, she was let go much less ceremoniously than Galbraith; and while Isla Bradfield was not the star-studded signing that many Nantwich fans were looking for, she’ll be relied on to be an immediate successor to Kolar. She plays with rather less flair than her predecessor, and calls much less attention to herself; but that is what made her so effective at Dodle, and she’ll be looking to utilise the prime of her career to help bring Nantwich back up. Moussa Wague is being positioned as the medium-term successor to Basilica Coxeter, with the Brook striker having been the sole highlight in Clyde Park’s dismal season as they were relegated; while Nigel Harris surprisingly made the jump from Newark Argyle; the 36 year-old was widely tipped to retire, but his move to Nantwich has been interpreted as one to provide leadership in the wake of such squad upheaval.

Strengths and Weaknesses: There’s something that seems off about Nantwich; they seem to be in a sort of death-loop of confidence that Galbraith didn’t seem to be able to shake off. That said, this team still has one of the strongest defences in the game; Walter Thomas starts regularly for the Tikariotian national team, and Kira Dormann is still seen as a top-tier Quebecois defender; Jake Spekman and Kim Chae-yeong are still two of the most explosive wingers in the country. So what gives?

Prospects: There’s plenty of individual talent in this squad; that much is clear. But whether they can get someone to bring it all together and get this team winning again is another question. Nantwich haven’t had a truly successful manager since Conan Estelline — they did win their only title of the modern era under Rachael Schroeder, but her performance in the latter half of her tenure left quite something to be desired. For now, most predict that this will be a transitional season with Stamper at the helm.

---

Fontwell Rovers

Quick Facts

City and State: Fontwell, Marlsbruhe
Last season: 13th, 30 points
Stadium: WesternOil Power Station, 52,000
Nickname: the Rebels; the Westerners; the Wolves
Manager: Russell Lock, 66, 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     30  M   TKT
2   LB  Nicholas Moss       28  M   TMB
4   CB  Tom Lawrence        32  M   TMB
15  CB  Karina Wilkinson    30  F   HAN
20  RB  Gordon Hughes       27  M   TMB
6   CM  Kevin Dunstan       29  M   TMB
10  CAM Vangelis Anagnakis  25  M   DEL
11  LW  Harvey Osbourne     29  M   TMB
7   RW  Cynthia Grimley     29  F   TMB
9   ST  Elizabeth Blanc     31  F   SVG/TMB
14  ST  Maki Yoshitoshi     23  F   CMT

12  GK  Lawrence Santi      26  M   TMB
21  GK  George Conway       22  M   TMB
13  LB  Michael Jardine     24  M   TMB
23  CB  Samantha Hedges     28  F   TMB
16  CB  Kelly Owens         25  F   TMB
17  CB  Amanda Southwell    26  F   TMB
3   RB  Mira Foster         31  F   TMB
18  CDM Rachel Scott        27  F   TMB
5   CDM Christian Gallagher 33  M   TMB
26  CDM Renata Emmanuelli   21  F   JUE
25  CM  Daniel Cowen        31  M   TMB
8   CM  Roger Scrivener     31  M   TMB
19  LW  David Lloyd         29  M   TMB
24  RW  Sarah Howell        30  F   TMB
22  ST  Robert Holland      21  M   TMB

27  RB  Eunice Smalling     18  F   TMB
28  CM  Stephanie Rose      18  F   TMB
29  RW  Olive Chalmers      19  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Vangelis Anagnakis from FK Arsika, 3.0m
Karina Wilkinson from Star of Confederation, 1.0m
Maki Yoshitoshi from Southern Chromatik University, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Keith Nakamura to Shepperton Ravens, 3.2m
Henry Gerritsen to Colbrook City, 2.0m
Eric O’Halloran to Glenmont AFC, 0.0m
Promoted:

Against the odds, they survived last season. Now the task is to build on it.

Last season: They may have only won seven games — that’s one less than the team that finished below them, Fraser Valley — but Fontwell, the league’s most western representatives — provided a decent account of themselves in a league that they were expected to disappear from after a season. Thirteenth managed to see them avoid the dreaded playoff, where they probably would not have been favoured against Sturrey Athletic; and according to manager Russell Lock, that was probably the best thing that happened to him all season.

New Arrivals: Money is tight — as it always is in the west — but the team have splurged somewhat on Vangelis Anagnakis, a Delaclav from Mytanija’s FK Arsika; though with how Lock prefers to set up his teams Anagnakis will have to start pulling defensive duties as well if he’s to start regularly in the team. There were rumours that the club were trying to poach Colin Campbell from Newark Argyle, especially after hotshot Keith Nakamura fell out with the club and accepted a transfer to second-tier Shepperton Ravens just to get away from Fontwell. At the back, Hannasean hateballer Karina Wilkinson arrives from Kelssekian side Star of Confederation; while Maki Yoshitoshi joins up top as Lock seems to be pivoting to a 4-4-2 from the single-striker formation he utilised last season.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This squad has strengthened considerably — Anagnakis is a particularly good buy for a team that’s expected to be embroiled in the swings of another relegation battle. But of the established players, Nicholas Moss is a national-team calibre left-back with over 50 caps for the Black Eagles; Tom Lawrence is a real enforcer of a centre-back who’s probably one of the best to never have been capped; and up front Elizabeth Blanc plays perfectly how Russell Lock likes his strikers; perpetually running, drawing defenders away from their positions.

Prospects: They’ll be in the fight to avoid relegation again — that much is clear. Fontwell’s stadium has been drawing much higher attendances since their return to top-flight football. There is long-term uncertainty over the owner’s commitment to the team, however; local businessman Richard Stockton is looking to sell up, and is looking to leverage the team’s position in the Prem to sell. But there haven’t been many takers — and there are fears that a not-so-committed owner could see valuable money not be spent on improving the team.

---

Fraser Valley

Quick Facts

City and State: (the outskirts of) Serrapince, Bechor
Last season: 14th, 29 points
Stadium: Valley Park, 25,538
Nickname: the Stallions, the Denizens
Manager: Graham Lloyd, 41, Tumbra
Style of Play: Hard counterpressing, counterattacking football
Prediction: Relegation candidates
Key Player: ST Tricia Barker
Captain: CB Thomas Krabb

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Ha Seo-Jeong        24  M   QUE
17  LB  Paul Marlin         30  M   TMB
22  CB  Farina Sharpe       28  F   NPH
5   CB  Frances Sinclair    27  F   TMB
18  RB  Casper Baumgartner  25  M   TMB
8   CM  Cole Pearlman       29  M   TKT
6   CM  Alastair Moynihan   25  M   TMB
9   LM  Leigh Eyre          26  F   MRT
23  CAM Tobi Krzanowski     27  M   TJL
20  RM  Christopher Steele  29  M   TMB
10  ST  Tricia Barker       27  F   TMB

12  GK  Cayden Gillespie    23  M   TMB/TLI
25  GK  Michael Kennan      25  M   TMB
3   LB  Clarence Tate       23  M   TMB
4   CB  Gordon Donnelly     22  M   TMB
14  CB  Thomas Krabb        32  M   TMB
26  CB  Martin Dennison     23  M   TMB
2   RB  Sean Black          22  M   TMB
13  CM  Gina Holland        23  F   TMB
24  CDM Jonathan Hwang      24  M   TMB/QUE
21  CM  Pilta-Blonz Yol     30  X   QUS/TMB
15  LM  Mike Coonan         34  M   TMB
7   RM  Keith Palmer        22  M   TMB
19  CAM Charles Lyon        27  M   TMB
16  ST  Elaine Calare       31  F   NPH
11  ST  Xilix-Oxolt Mal     29  X   QUS/TMB

27  CAM Luke Simonyan       19  M   TMB
28  LW  Anthony Sorengard   18  M   TMB
29  GK  Nyck Lawson         19  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Christopher Steele from Ridgewell Rovers, 5.5m
Charles Lyon from Ridgewell Rovers, 3.5m
Elaine Calare from Colbrook City, 3.0m
Ha Seo-jeong from Haligonian, 2.0m
Outgoing:
Carol Haywood to Delphi Lionesses, 3.9m
John Batten to Port Marray, 1.7m
David Greer to Dorival, 1.3m
Aidan James to Shepperton Ravens, 0.2m
Promoted:

After a scare last season, can Fraser stay in the top flight — or are they doomed to go the way of Clyde and Columbia?

Last season: It’s probably some sort of miracle that Graham Lloyd still has a job. Many expected Fraser to do better than the paltry eight wins that the team secured last season. To make things worse, in the playoff final that followed, Fraser were taken to penalties — penalties! in which they only came out ahead because Joe Mercer had his shot saved. The performances were dismal, and the club recognised that; so ahead of this season, there’s been a minor clear-out of personnel and new players to hopefully keep them away from the relegation zone.

New Arrivals: The 5.5m spent on Christopher Steele seems to be a statement of intent, at least; the right winger comes in from Ridgewell Rovers; apparently he was unwilling to leave his northwestern team until a fat paycheck was lobbed in his direction. He joins Charles Lyon in making the sojourn over from the cold northwest; the attacking midfielder drafted in to provide a much-needed attacking boost. Elaine Calare joins to provide some back-up to Tricia Barker, the striker having been the only really efficient part of Fraser’s lineup last season; while Ha Seo-jeong will hopefully provide some maturity at the back.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The team’s strongest and key player will be Tricia Barker; one of a crop of strikers who came to prominence about three years ago — contemporaries include Heidi Canavan and Vivianne Anderson, who all seem to have broken through to the upper levels of the Prem but not that truly elite level of the national team. Fast, technical, and blessed with good movement off-the-ball, Barker will be relied upon to haul the team out of any relegation battle they find themselves in. Out back, Casper Baumgartner has rapidly matured into a solid wingback who pushes into midfield, providing more solidity where it’s desperately needed; while Christopher Steele is a rapid, ball-playing winger who built up a reputation as a consistently underrated player in the Prem; this will be his biggest challenge yet.

Prospects: Fraser’s big spending marks an end to an era where the team was relatively penny-pinching; but there are rumours that a Rodnaya-based corporation might want to take over the club, and the spending might be a show that the club are in a financially healthy state. That being said, Lloyd will start the season already under fire — and it’s telling that this club is heavily tipped to finish in the bottom three of the league.

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Hesham

Quick Facts

City and State: Hesham, Clearmont
Last season: 11th, 36 points
Stadium: George Bowen Stadium, 40,000
Nickname: the Greens; the Ploughmen
Manager: Simon Krajewski, 62, 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      28  M   TMB
3   LB  Holly Willoughby    28  F   TMB
17  CB  Jack Denham         26  M   TMB
2   CB  Hugo Mornington     31  M   SYL
6   RB  Elsie Houston       28  F   TLI/CMT
15  LM  Kurosh Rostami      30  M   SRS
18  CM  Stella Harrington   23  F   TMB
8   CM  Sevda Boulos        25  F   SRS
21  RM  Scott Wilson        24  M   TMB
9   ST  Gerard Deighton     26  M   TMB
22  ST  Lucifer             22  M   TKT

12  GK  Alan Tate           26  M   TMB
25  GK  Daphne Cross        24  F   TMB
24  LB  Miranda Dahlberg    24  M   TMB/TKT
14  CB  Judith Houghton     29  F   TMB
4   CB  Nathaniel Edmonds   23  M   TMB
26  CB  Alex Holland        24  M   TMB
5   RB  Kerry Peck          22  F   TMB
16  CM  Nicky Atkinson      33  M   TMB
19  CM  Alisha Thompson     32  F   TLI
10  CM  V Loustaunau        31  M   FAR/FFD
13  CDM Andrew Hutton       26  M   TMB
20  LW  Tom Skelton         23  M   TMB
7   RM  James Halliday      23  M   TMB
11  ST  Lucas Russell       32  M   TLI
23  ST  Alessio Gagliardini 25  M   TMB/JUE

27  RB  Helen Haigh         20  F   TMB
28  CAM Lily Hurst          19  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Simon Krajewski from Santranginus
Sevda Boulos from Damorgan, 3.0m
Lucifer from Guillarim Blades, 3.0m
Judith Houghton from West Couno United, 1.6m
Nicky Atkinson from Lakewood United, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Michael Hardwick, fired
Hayden Blamey to Capitol Athletic, 2.5m
Trevor Stewart to Newark Argyle, 1.3m
Min Song-hwan to Alnio, 0.0m
Mu Weihai to Carleton Park Rangers, 0.0m
Matthew Noble, retired
Promoted:

Hesham seemed to be in a bit of a tail-spin at the end of last season; will Simon Krajewski be able to fix this?

Last season: Michael Hardwick was perhaps unceremoniously given the boot halfway through the season; but interim manager Dean Rowden wasn’t able to do much better in the second half of the season, with the team only picking up six wins in the latter half of the season. Nine wins was a patently unsatisfactory total for a team who’d been challenging for the upper half of the table in previous seasons. The scapegoat for the performances ended up being Hayden Blamey; the underperforming Sylestone striker was sold back to his old country when the season ended.

New Arrivals: There was quite a big change-up in personnel this season as a response; though, surprisingly, most of the signings were made before new manager Steve Krajewski was brought in, raising questions over whether the newly-minted Hesham manager is a long-term solution for the job or more of a transitory figure as the team looks to reconfigure itself for the decades ahead. Signings like Judith Houghton and Nicky Atkinson do seem to have his signature on it — Krajewski does prefer working with older players — but this makes the signings of Sevda Boulos and Lucifer more confusing, especially with questions surrounding Boulos’ fitness in what is expected to be a regime that prioritises lots of running and heavy pressing. Lucifer, on the other hand, might be a better striker than Blamey; but there’s the question of how card-happy he’ll end up being and whether that might be a boon for the club or not.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This team shed a lot of its older players over the summer — Matthew Noble retired, Min Song-hwan went to Alnio, Mu Weihai went to Xanneria — but the core of the team has stayed. Irreplaceable is Hugo Mornington, the legendary Sylestone captain who’s stayed with the club despite easily being able to move up several tiers; having led his nation to a World Cup quarter-final, the defender’s got a lot of clout and is easily one of the best outside the top five in Tumbra. Stella Harrington is a rapidly-rising midfielder who has been touted as the new Vincent Hicks — such is the level of her playmaking — while the wingbacks on the team, Elsie Houston and Holly Willoughby — are often underrated but key parts of the team.

Prospects: Last season’s tailspin was not conducive to how Hesham wanted to progress — the club have explicitly said that Ridgewell’s current level of success is something they wish to emulate — but there is hope this season that Krajewski’s system will hold the team together for now. Upper-midtable is probably the best Hesham can hope for; but perhaps fans can pray for a miracle run to bring them to the top half.

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[Tumbra]

Kingsbury United

Quick Facts

City and State: Kingsbury, Georgia
Last season: 8th, 41 points
b]Stadium:[/b] 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 Kim Sang-wook
Captain: LB Wei Haifeng

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Raphael Brennan     29  M   TMB
3   LB  Wei Haifeng         30  M   YZH
15  CB  Paul Amos           26  M   FVA
19  CB  Desimir Gavrilovic  29  M   KRU/FFD
2   RB  Luca Cambiaso       31  M   SVG/TMB
6   CDM Coco                29  M   MVE
21  CM  Haradin Moss        29  M   CMT
8   CM  Bede Cheschon       27  M   BRE
22  LW  Joyce Hughes        29  F   TMB
23  RW  Felicity Woodhouse  26  F   TMB
11  ST  Kim Sang-wook       26  M   QUE/CMT

12  GK  Thomas Faulkner     22  M   TMB
25  GK  Hugh Williams       24  M   TMB
13  LB  Mátyás Boullogne    22  M   TMB/SZO/FFD
4   CB  Joaquin Santo       29  M   JUE
5   CB  Thora Houghson      24  F   NPH
26  CB  Catherine Martins   24  F   TMB
18  RB  Hans Ferdinand      24  M   TMB
20  CM  Gordon Lythgoe      22  M   TMB
16  CM  Adam Grant          24  M   TMB
14  CDM Dominic Gray        22  M   TMB
10  CAM Edith Ferguson      29  F   TMB
7   LW  Erica Illsley       28  F   TMB
9   RW  Cheryl Nightingale  27  F   TMB
17  ST  Jackie Whittaker    23  F   TMB
24  ST  Gwenaël Beauvais    23  F   CMT

27  LB  Roy Rodriguez       19  M   TMB
28  CB  Titus McMillan      19  M   TMB
29  RW  Kieran Hofmann      18  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Luca Cambiaso from Couno Rangers, 5.0m
Jackie Whittaker from Lakewood City, 1.5m
Gwenaël Beauvais from Alnio University of the Arts, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Edward Maddison to Avondale City, 9.0m
Rôbé Wîjkár to Couno Rangers, 7.5m
Dannon Larr, released
Promoted:

They’ve lost two key pieces of the puzzle — can they keep their momentum up?

Last season: Kingsbury’s renaissance must be attributed somewhat to the amount of money spent on their team by the Tikariotian ownership, but even more credit must be given to the key players that shaped the club’s run last season from eleventh to eighth — which really is more impressive than it looks. The key players in that rise were the rapidly-rising star, Edward Maddison, who despite receiving less playtime than his team-mate Kim Sang-wook, scored more goals and was an easy shoo-in for Young Player of the Season; and he was rewarded with a spot on the national team. The other was Rôbé Wîjkár, who played his spot as an inverted wing-back to perfection. A three-spot rise and a spot in the Campionato Esportiva di Campeones was their reward; and most fans were looking to see the Princelings improving on their performances…

New Arrivals: …until both mentioned names departed under clouds of controversy. Edward Maddison left after being refused a new contract — the club was very clear that a new contract had been offered, but it hadn’t been accepted — and he was snapped up by Avondale City for a pretty penny. The same went for Rôbé Wîjkár, but apparently he just felt as if he’d outgrown the club and sought to move on; his move to Couno occurred relatively late in the window and saw Luca Cambiaso shift the other way in response. The club felt somewhat confident in their playing staff to not shell out on many new first-teamers; only Jackie Whittaker from Lakewood City and Gwenaël Beauvais as back–up options for Kim on the striking team. It was a relatively quiet, low-spending window otherwise; something that doesn’t seem to bode well for the Princelings.

Strengths and Weaknesses: But that does belie the strength the rest of this team possesses? Players such as Marcos Fernán, commonly known as Coco, are the heart of the midfield; while Kim Sang-wook, despite being thoroughly overshadowed by Maddison in his first season at the club, still hit double digits up front. Felicity Woodhouse served as a wonderful replacement for Kim Chae-yeong in her first season, and the team’s depth is full of young Tumbrans ready to come in for their more experienced counterparts. This squad’s tendency to get injured does seem to harm them a little bit, however; Joaquin Santo will begin the season injured with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Thora Houghson’s injury record leaves quite a bit to be desired.

Prospects: The pressure will be on William Wight to deliver on last season’s performances; but with two missing pieces of last season’s puzzle, it’ll be difficult for them to repeat last season’s run. Most pundits have them in the lower midtable, similar to where they were in the first season of the T-League; but there’s a hint of confidence within the team that Maddison and Wîjkár weren’t all that responsible for Kingsbury’s success.

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Lakewood City

Quick Facts

City and State: Lakewood, Severn
Last season: 2nd, 57 points
Last season: 3rd, 63 points
Stadium: Lakewood City Stadium, 58,000
Nickname: the Skyblues; the Skylarks
Manager: John Riedweld, 61, 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      29  F   TMB
12  LB  Twilight Mixon      28  F   CMT
4   CB  Ian Ashburn         33  M   TMB
5   CB  Txomin Huon         27  M   MRT
3   RB  Leah Robbins        26  F   TKT
8   CDM Lucas McCormick     28  M   TMB
10  CM  Samuel McTavish     29  M   QUE
20  CDM Serena Philips      27  F   TMB
7   LW  Nenad Tejic         26  M   MYT
9   RW  Robin Vaughn        37  M   TMB
11  ST  Charlotte Henshaw   27  F   TMB

13  GK  Rachel Bullivant    23  F   TMB
25  GK  Graham Henderson    24  M   TMB
2   LB  Kee Tian            23  M   NIX
17  CB  Benjamin Byrne      22  M   TMB
14  CB  Paul Barker         24  M   TMB
26  CB  Mark Robinson       23  M   TMB
19  RB  Komang T. Kurniawan 24  M   PCU
16  CM  Valerie Morris      28  F   TMB
6   CM  Victor Leighton     25  M   TMB
15  CM  Hazel Hills         25  F   TMB
23  CM  Sarah Watson        22  F   TMB
18  LW  Mairi Taylor        19  F   TMB/TLI
21  RW  Emmanuel Appleby    27  M   TMB
24  ST  Yvonne Reynolds     21  F   TMB
22  ST  Vivienne Anderson   27  F   TMB

27  CB  Alex Reid           20  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Serena Philips from Lakewood United, 5.5m
Outgoing:
Cedomir Vladmirovic to CSKA Quebec, 4.0m
Jackie Whittaker to Kingsbury United, 1.5m 
Lewis McCabe to Delphi Lionesses, 1.5m
Promoted:
Mairi Taylor, LW
Yvonne Reynolds, ST

Will consistency bring success? Eventually, some say — the true reward is finishing in IFCF places season after season.

Last season: Second by two points probably said less about how Lakewood City performed than their performances through the season; it did feel like City could have taken the title fight to United and Couno but dropped the ball massively near the end of the season. Losses to Colbrook and Serrapince near the end of the season effectively put paid to the club’s title hopes, even if the club effectively did end Daniel Galbraith’s Nantwich career with a comprehensive beatdown on the penultimate day of the season; but what was more disappointing ended up being losses to their crosstown neighbours Lakewood United twice across the season. That, or perhaps the admission by long-serving manager John Riedweld that the priority each season was “finishing in the top three, or even just getting into the IFCF spots” before a title charge. For long-time fans, the admission was a shock; or perhaps it was a sign that Riedweld, now entering his seventh decade of life, was growing soft.

New Arrivals: This was the transfer that stirred up the most attention; this was the transfer that will make Lakewood derbies this season a particular one to look out for. Displaced by new signing Derek Rasmunssen, Serena Philips was offered a way out of the club by one John Riedweld; an opportunity to point her thumb at a club that never truly seemed to appreciate her, and a way to get into the starting lineup of a club that seemed to be pivoting more defensively to pick up some of the slack that an aging Robin Vaughn left on the table. So she signed; the move apparently came as a shock to United, who hadn’t expected Philips to actually come to terms with City. The move came as more of a shock to fans on both sides; City fans were mildly bemused that she made the jump, considering that United were defending champions; while United fans were angered that she made the jump. That ended up being the only real transfer City made that window; with the departures of Cedmir Vladmirovic (not enough playing time, both mutually agreed to split), Lewis McCabe (player wanted more playing time), and Jackie Whittaker (player was offered more playing time), City have dipped into their youth teams to replenish them.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This is probably the weakest Lakewood City side of the past thirteen years, which says a lot more about how strong they’ve been over the past decade than their current level of strength. The day where Robin Vaughn hangs up his boots creeps ever closer — he’s committed to staying with City until he retires — and while he’s still talented enough to carry the team on his back, it’s become clearer and clearer that he’s not the player he’s used to being. That said, this team still has oodles of talent; Charlotte Henshaw is probably the best Tumbran-based Tumbran striker at the moment, while Samuel McTavish continues to play an important role — arguably even more important, considering City’s shift to a double pivot. This squad is strong, there’s little doubt about it; there’s just more doubt over how much more it can sustain itself.

Prospects: Never count Lakewood City out of anything. No matter what the pundits say, no matter what the club’s manager says about winning, no matter how weak or strong their team looks on paper. Lakewood City might be at their weakest in a decade, but that shows how much of a presence they’ve been in Tumbran and international football across that decade; and even at their weakest they’ve got the chops to pull a title challenge together. Most won’t be counting on it; but they’ll be favourites to at least make an IFCF spot.

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Lakewood United

Quick Facts

City and State: Lakewood, Tumbra
Last season: 1st, 59 points
Stadium: Trenton Park, 74,500
Nickname: the Reds; the Red Storm
Manager: Andrea Spinelli, 62, Savigliane/Tumbra
Style of Play: Fast-paced pressing, attacking play
Prediction: Title challengers
Key Player: ST Jôs Sürréo
Captain: LM Kendra Considine

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Richard Russell     29  M   TMB
6   LB  Ipati Aimée         31  F   CMT
4   CB  Belinda Proudfoot   27  F   TMB
5   CB  Spencer Jepson      33  M   TKT
20  RB  Caointiorn Duncan   26  F   TLI
24  LM  Tobias Grandelius   26  M   TKT
23  CDM Nurija Papez        25  M   MYT
13  CM  Maram Tatsinan      21  F   SRS
7   RW  Emilie Kruetzberg   28  F   CMT
10  SS  Charlotte Eastwood  24  F   SYL
9   ST  Jôs Sürréo          25  M   RÜL/FFD

12  GK  Joseph Cranston     29  M   TMB
25  GK  Gary Shepard        24  M   TMB
2   LB  Melvin Skidmore     22  M   TMB
16  CB  Georgina Byrne      21  F   TMB
21  CB  Romain Coutard      28  M   SZO/FFD
26  CB  Gareth Richardson   24  M   TMB
3   RB  D L-Ssekitoleko     17  M   BNJ/QUE
11  CM  Travis Dolan        29  M   TKT
8   CM  Tamara Goldwin      23  F   TMB
19  CDM Derek Rasmunssen    23  M   GTK
15  CAM Nicolas Pellegrini  25  M   TMB/JUE
14  LW  Kendra Considine    34  F   NPH/SCT
18  RW  Zheng Hong          24  F   YZH
22  ST  Cameron Keyes       33  M   SYL
17  ST  Naomi Levinson      18  F   TMB

27  CDM Christina Holsworth 20  F   TMB
28  GK  Brian Whittaker     19  M   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Charlotte Eastwood from Avondale City, 13.5m
Maram Tatsinan from Brantisvogan, 7.0m
Drake Lokombo-Ssekitoleko from Perce Town, 2.0m
Derek Rasmussen from Galaxy SC, 3.0m
Outgoing:
Serena Philips to Lakewood City, 5.5m
Kirsten Desmond to Ridgewell Rovers, 3.0m
Andrew Gillingham to Columbia City, 2.5m
Nexev-Kresp Val to Washington City, 0.7m
Mike Sheppard to West Couno United, 0.0m
Nicky Atkinson to Hesham, 0.0m
Promoted:

There’s no mistaking it — somehow they’ve gotten even stronger. Will anyone stop them?

Last season: The title fight last season might have seen United nearly slip up near the end — two draws in the last two matchdays of the of the season — but the title was wrapped up on the penultimate matchday of the season, marking the latest of United’s newly-found dominance of the top tier. This is a squad that has reached the semi-finals of several international competitions; and is probably, much to their crosstown neighbours’ chagrin, the most successful Tumbran club in the IFCF sweepstakes. Is there any limit to how much they can achieve?

New Arrivals: The club — which was already flush with cash, mind — spending lots of money on the offseason is probably another statement of intent. Charlotte Eastwood was the headline signing; the supporting striker arrived to complement Jôs Sürréo’s impressive attacking output. The other big signing was Maram Tatsinan; the youthful Squornshelan player is expected to be a major creative presence in the midfield for years to come, and is expected to be a key part right off the bat. Drake Lokombo-Ssekitoleko is an unusual case — he is only 17, but has been given a senior player place because development player spots are reserved only for Tumbran citizens. He’ll be expected to be on the bench plenty for United, with occasional cameos; which boggles those wondering why Mike Sheppard was let go. Derek Rasmussen comes in from Xanneria to provide some cover in the midfield.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The number of foreign players in this squad — 16 out of 25, to be precise — has raised questions over how friendly Tumbra is willing to be to foreign talent, and whether the prospects of the like of Serena Philips — who controversially jumped ship to Lakewood City in the summer — or Tamara Goldwin are being suppressed by the likes of foreign superstars like Tatsinan. Therein lies the strength of the team, however; the team is star-studded, with the likes of established stars in the backline like Spencer Jepson lining up with Emilie Kruetzberg and Jôs Sürréo, just to name three of the top stars of this team. And that’s not forgetting names like the ever-calm Nurija Papez at the bottom of midfield. This team is the definition of stacked; and if there’s any real weakness, it’s that this team is currently in the middle of a bit of a leadership void, with the departures of Nicky Atkinson and Mike Sheppard over the summer.

Prospects: Favourites? Absolutely. There’s no discounting how favoured United are to do the double; certainly since every team that could possibly compete (and there aren’t many) seem to have not moved as much as they could’ve over the summer window. With a spend that probably outspent the rest of the league when it comes foreign transfers, United will be hell-bent on retaining their advantage domestically. But is domestic success really what they’re aiming for? Several times now they’ve made it into the deeper parts of international competition, and the word is that the league takes secondary precedence to bringing home Tumbra’s first Champions’ League — and lording it over their crosstown rivals for the foreseeable future.

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Newark Argyle

Quick Facts

City and State: Newark, Severn
Last season: 10th, 38 points
Stadium: Newark Henza Arena, 38,000
Nickname: the Falcons; the Greens; Argyle
Manager: Toby Barton, 55, Tumbra
Style of Play: Fast, expressive, youth-focused
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: CM Gemma Rodway
Captain: ST Rose Fleetwood

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Darcy Lewis         29  M   TMB
12  LB  Craig Anderton      26  M   TMB
14  CB  Deng Daiyu          29  F   YZH
5   CB  Honorio Menez       26  M   MRT
3   RB  Behai Griffin       22  F   CMT
16  LM  Ian McDermott       29  M   TMB
26  CM  C van der Borght    23  F   CMT
8   CM  Gemma Rodway        30  F   SYL
11  RM  Simon Oliveira      29  M   JUE
7   ST  Rose Fleetwood      33  F   SYL
9   ST  Lowen Murdoch       26  M   NPH/BRE

17  GK  Alan Thorley        22  M   TMB
25  GK  Davide Sandino      34  M   TEQ/TMB
2   LB  Amanda Andrews      28  F   TMB
18  CB  Ochoa Abril         33  M   TEQ/TMB
13  CB  August Wölfflin     23  F   CMT
20  CB  Nicole Tindall      24  F   TMB
15  RB  Jude McCreary       22  M   TMB
6   CDM Heather Hindmarsh   23  F   TMB
24  CM  Monica Searle       22  F   TMB/NPH
4   CM  Joanna Harding      28  F   TMB
10  CAM Colin Campbell      23  M   TMB
21  LM  Trevor Stewart      21  M   TMB
23  RM  Lisa Hayes          26  F   TMB
22  ST  Tom Elliot          22  M   TMB
19  ST  Maurice Moore       28  M   TMB

27  CB  Will Nicholson      20  M   TMB
28  CM  Justin Hudson       19  M   TMB
29  RW  Henrietta Colvin    20  F   TMB
30  CB  Eve Colvin          18  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Behai Griffin from Star of Confederation, 2.0m
Trevor Stewart from Hesham, 1.3m
Cassandra van der Borght from Pùr State University, 0.0m
August Wölfflin from Alnio University of the Arts, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Michael Hanson-Hartridge to Washington City, 0.7m
Roy Wheeler to Harchester United, 0.4m
Nigel Harris to FC Inter Nantwich, 0.0m
Craig McGrath, retired
Promoted:

The focus now is on youth — but with less experienced hands, how will they fare?

Last season: Newark somewhat disappointed last season — if a tenth-placed finish can really be called that. An early-season slip in form was enough for Desmond Clarke to be given his marching orders, prevented from seeing out the final season of his contract. Toby Barton, the former under-18 manager, was quickly moved into the job — the prevailing sentiment was that he was always going to be lined up for the job after Clarke retired at the end of season 2 of the T-League, anyway —but he was given at least a bit of a runway to get used to the job. Those months were apparently enough for him to deem Craig McGrath and Nigel Harris surplus to requirements; as well as a few other players who were still part of the squad even after Newark’s promotion to the Prem a few seasons ago.

New Arrivals: Barton’s moves have seemed to be largely in-line with how the team’s Chromatik owners want Newark to be; a team reliant on youth that could possibly be a pipeline for Chromatik (the club) in the future. That being said, the team also brought in several Chromatik (the nationality) players over the summer; chiefly Cassandra van der Borght and August Wölfflin from the Chromatik university system; and a young right-back by the name of Behai Griffin to replace the departing Nigel Harris. Trevor Stewart also arrives on the left to provide some support on that front. It’s telling that none of the team’s signings were above 23 years of age; some might say this is foolhardiness, relying solely on young players while eschewing experience.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The departures of Harris and McGrath have left the squad woefully bereft of experience; but the team still has some experience in the form of Gemma Rodway and Rose Fleetwood, who’ve both become the senior-est players on the squad. The star of the show is Rodway; creative and flourishing in equal measure. The other star player on the squad is Simon Oliveira; the floppy-haired Juven winger speeds down the wing. Other players of note include the main defensive unit of Honorio Menez and Deng Daiyu, who both have made regular appearances for their national team; but Newark’s languid performances last season will have them either looking for the exits or up in the chain of Tumbran football should things not improve.

Prospects: Barton’s first season in charge of Argyle will be looked on with curiosity as the one-time Under-18 World Cup winner takes on his first full-time senior management role. He’s already got some time to prepare, but the expectation will be a top half finish; something that might be tough to achieve with the (admittedly quite thin) depth he’s got on hand. But he’s got a lot of confidence in himself to achieve his goals with a young squad; and confidence seems to be half the game these days, anyway.

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Ridgewell Rovers

Quick Facts

City and State: Ridgewell, Westmond
Last season: 7th, 48 points
Stadium: Kensington Stadium, 48,000
Nickname: the Blues; the Rovers
Manager: Chris Haines, 52, Tumbra
Style of Play: Slightly defensive; long passes
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: ST Heidi Canavan
Captain: CM Malachite Riester

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mike Hahn           28  M   TMB
19  LB  Hannah McTavish     26  F   QUE/CMT
5   CB  Antonio Silva       21  M   ELM
15  CB  Mario Queiros       27  M   CBZ
20  RB  Goron Sauber        28  M   SRS
8   CM  Quinten van der Ven 28  M   TLI
22  CM  Ian Robertson       29  M   TMB
12  CAM Kirsten Desmond     30  F   NPH
7   LW  Lara Beaugemont     25  F   ELM
11  RW  Dimitra Conder      31  F   NPH
16  ST  Heidi Canavan       27  F   TMB

13  GK  Alexia Simmons      23  F   TMB
24  GK  Daniel Meredith     24  M   TMB
2   LB  Charlotte Schöner   23  F   CMT
3   CB  Toshikuni Nakagome  27  M   KOR
18  CB  Donovan Cox         24  M   TMB
25  CB  Edmün Îmiév         25  M   TMB/RÜL/FFD
4   RB  Parminder Kaur      24  F   TMB
26  CDM Nicole Irving       22  F   TMB
6   CM  Fulgencio Ermis     23  M   BRO
10  CM  Malachite Riester   34  F   NPH
21  CM  Angela Makeba       23  F   TMB/OSR
17  LW  Clarissa Nunnaro    23  F   TMB/OSR
9   RW  Kwak Seung-hyeok    25  M   QUE
23  ST  Charlie Ross        26  M   TMB
14  ST  Oliver Penn         22  M   TMB

27  CAM Iris Steele         20  F   TMB
28  RB  Jean Lockworth      19  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Kirsten Desmond from Lakewood United, 3.0m
Dimitra Conder from Couno Rangers, 3.0m
Charlotte Schöner from Z’ai’ai Tech, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Christopher Steele to Fraser Valley, 5.5m
Charles Lyon to Fraser Valley, 3.5m
Denise Hopkirk to Delphi Lionesses, 0.9m
Vikram Chatterjee to Clyde Park, 0.8m
Carl Norton to Cobham Town, 0.5m
Promoted:

With success so close yet so far, moves for experienced players may yet prove to be the final piece of the puzzle.

Last season: Last season essentially continued on the amazing work that Chris Haines has been doing — and achieving — at Ridgewell. Seventh, behind the new “big six” of the league (the ‘old’ Big Six included Straton, but they’ve essentially been reduced to an afterthought) saw them continue to gain entrance to regional competition; while they made the Final last season, a heartbreaking loss to Serrapince saw them miss out on their first trophy in decades. No matter, said manager Chris Haines; “The Rovers will challenge.”

New Arrivals: The signings Ridgewell have made this season highlight their intent more than anything else; the securing of Kirsten Desmond and Dimitra Conder from two of Tumbra’s biggest clubs highlights the pull of Ridgewell; of course, it did help that both those players had essentially been told their time at their clubs was up after a near decade of service each. They both arrived for a song; and both will be expected to contribute to the team’s efforts to push into the top six almost immediately. Charlotte Schöner arrives from the Chromatik university system to provide competition for the starter, Hannah McTavish; she’ll be expected to provide an attacking alternative to the more defensively-minded McTavish in the wingback position.

Strengths and Weaknesses: That Heidi Canavan still plays for Ridgewell is both a sign of how tight the striker market is in the T-League and how loyal she is; in most other leagues Canavan should be a striker on a top team. But the Ridgewell youth product is arguably the team’s greatest strength; a complete striker who can press, shoot, and takes deadballs for the team, she’s in line to take over the captaincy from Malachite Riester when the Nepharan eventually does leave the side. Goron Sauber at rightback is a perenially underrated side of the team, as fullbacks typically are; but the Squornshelan’s defensive nous has bailed the team out on many occasions. The team, surprisingly, doesn’t have too many obvious weaknesses; the team’s offensive depth is a bit wanting, but otherwise the club is well-equipped to challenge for the top half.

Prospects: Whisper it quietly, but the prevailing sentiment is that Chris Haines thinks the time is right for a push into the top six; potentially dislodging Nantwich or even West Couno from their spots in that bracket. Whether he’ll do it is the big question — the signings of Desmond and Conder certainly show there’s definitely an ambition —but questions will remain over whether this team is ready. West Couno took several tries to break into the top six; Ridgewell have been best of the rest for a while now, but have never seriously challenged to get into that club.

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Serrapince

Quick Facts

City and State: Serrapince, Bechor
Last season: 4th, 56 points
Stadium: Serrapince Park, 74,500
Nickname: the Bees; the Black-and-Golds
Manager: Lars Hartmansson, 51, Graentfjall
Style of Play: High-pressing, high-intensity football
Prediction: IFCF Challengers
Key Player: CAM Sara Vatnarsdóttir
Captain: CDM Laura Ness

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mick Key            34  M   EUR
2   LB  Chris Finney        29  M   TMB
20  CB  Ian Narváez         25  M   HUA
14  CB  Klavida Régine      31  F   CMT
3   RB  Odwin Muir          26  M   CMT
23  CDM Vince Cahill        29  M   TMB
6   CDM Laura Ness          35  F   SCT/TMB
10  CAM Sara Vatnarsdóttir  27  F   GRÆ
7   LW  Jack Ryland         25  M   SYL
22  RW  Aneurin Wakering    26  M   BRE
9   ST  Ceferino Audiol     27  M   JUE

12  GK  Melanie Haywood     23  F   TMB
25  GK  Branko Cvitkovic    24  M   TMB/MYT
13  LB  Fiona Jones         25  F   TMB
5   CB  Michael Toussaint   31  M   SVG/TMB
4   CB  Maurice Skilling    24  M   TMB
24  CB  Faas Bosman         24  M   TMB/TLI
19  RB  Ed Wright           25  M   TMB
15  CM  Luciano Matteucci   25  M   TMB/JUE
8   CM  Juliet Beecham      23  F   TMB
21  CDM John Davies         24  M   TMB
18  CAM A-M Hansdottir      25  F   TJL
17  LW  Paul Tucker         25  M   TMB
11  RW  Bayu Anggara        24  M   PCU
26  ST  Corinne Fontana     33  F   SVG/TMB
16  ST  August Haller       28  F   TMB

27  GK  Max Wallace         19  M   TMB
28  CB  Ruth Andersen       19  F   TMB
29  CAM Rob Brougham        20  M   TMB
30  ST  Jêba Ruelan         18  M   TMB/FFD/RÜL

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Ian Narváez from Tekstil Ibon, 4.0m
Ann-Marie Hansdottir from Dunkirk Athletic, 3.0m
Outgoing:
Martin Barker to Omnio, 2.5m
Mark Coulson to CF Capitale, 1.7m
Promoted:

Is Serrapince a one-player team? Some detractors think so. Most supporters don’t.

Last season: Serrapince’s first season without long-serving manager Danny Haverhead ended up with a respectable outing in fourth, but given the team’s transfer outlay it could have been seen as a little disappointing. Aneurin Wakering was singled out as the disappointment of the season, but that was mainly due to his goal output when put in comparison to his hefty transfer fee. The star of the show was, as expected, Graentfjaller attacking midfielder Sara Vatnarsdóttir; but later in the season manager Lars Hartmansson came under fire for a perception of “unimaginative” tactics which largely involved letting Sara take control of the on-pitch action; later analysis by actual football journalists (think Matchday, the Aesthetic, Gazeta sporta) would prove this to not be the case; but perceptions stick, especially with rival fans.

New Arrivals: After the high-spending spree, a more modest season was expected; and expectations duly delivered, with only two new players. Ian Narváez becomes the first Huayramarcan player in Tumbra, the even-footed defender keen to make a mark outside of a back three lineup. He comes in to boost an already-strong defence already starring Klavida Régine and Michael Toussaint, though could also be seen as a longer-term replacement for the two, who have already crossed that 30 mark. Ann-Marie Hansdottir comes in to replace Mark Coulson, whose tenure at Serrapince ends after a somewhat disappointing run; though it’s not known how much gametime the Tjorlish attacking midfielder will get with how important Sara V is to the team.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The team’s eye-catching offensive outfit is evidently its greatest strength. Ceferino Audiol has turned enough heads to be nominated for the Tornados, the new name for the world’s top football players; while Jack Ryland has settled in well after his big-money move from Colbrook. Enough has been said about the mercurial qualities of Sara V. The midfield is probably this team’s weakness; Laura Ness is still one of the best midfielders in Tumbra but her age is gradually showing; and Vince Cahill is decent, but never really hit the heights of his potential and has settled around “workable”. The team’s midfield depth is also severely wanting; whether Hartmansson can get the two to work together will be key in determining whether Serrapince do well or not.

Prospects: Serrapince seem to be at something of an inflexion point; they’ve clearly got all the required pieces to carry on to success, yet those pieces feel like they won’t fit together neatly in the jigsaw puzzle that’s been presented — at least, not without some effort. Hartmansson has been given a relatively loose leash — a holdover from Haverhead’s time in charge — so few expect his job to be under threat this season; but a disappointing season from either the fans’ or the board’s point of view could see that change very quickly.

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Straton

Quick Facts

City and State: Straton, Straton
Last season: 9th, 41 points
Stadium: Straton Olympic Stadium, 63,000
Nickname: the Senators; the Capitals
Manager: Michael Aitken, 42, Tumbra
Style of Play: Short-passing, moderately attacking
Prediction: Midtable
Key Player: ST Tino
Captain: LB Gethin Stewart

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Joe Bonner          29  M   TMB
2   LB  Gethin Stewart      31  M   TKT
3   CB  Anni Pellonpekko    24  F   SRS
17  CB  Carole Bond         27  F   TMB
16  RB  Lesley Keller       28  F   SYL
10  CM  Liang Tao           29  M   YZH
6   CDM Hannah Harwood      26  F   TMB
9   RW  Charlie Baker       29  M   TMB
20  CAM Desmond Sartain     26  M   TMB
7   LW  Peter Hurst         26  M   TMB
11  ST  Tino                29  M   MVE

23  GK  David Knight        25  M   TMB
25  GK  Douglas Campbell    25  M   TMB
12  LB  Kirsten McDonald    26  F   TMB
5   CB  John Turnbull       30  M   TMB
24  CB  Abigail Paterson    25  F   TMB
4   CB  Ashley Asanta       32  F   TKT
13  RB  Chris Carter        33  M   TMB
8   CDM Amund Freyrsson     29  M   KLD
18  CDM Vlart Hedberg       31  M   SRS
19  CM  Casper Hovhannisyan 23  M   TMB
22  CM  Clodio Noya         32  M   TEQ/TMB
14  LM  Daniel Hayward      19  M   TMB
21  RW  Harriet Bevins      27  F   TMB
26  ST  Ophelie Bernard     32  F   SVG/TMB
15  ST  Duncan Hall         26  M   TMB

27  LB  Claudia Maartens    19  F   TMB/TLI
28  CB  John Bartlett       19  M   TMB
29  RW  Catherine Taggart   20  F   TMB
30  CM  Rachel McLaren      19  F   TMB

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Anni Pellonpekko from Vogsphere United, 3.5m
Daniel Hayward from FC Inter Nantwich, 1.5m
Outgoing:
Douglas Moore to Zarzaquemada, 0.0m
Simon Cole, retired
Promoted:

What are Straton? Should they still hold lofty ambitions, or should they face life as a midtable team?

Last season: Last season was touted as a transition season for Straton; and last season’s results fulfilled that to a tee. Michael Aitken’s first managerial job ended up being only very mildly successful; but he’s been given faith and a relatively long time to get his house in order. A bottom-half finish marked the latest in a series of middling seasons for the capital’s only club; this season will mark a decade since the Capitals entered any form of IFCF competition. The reasons for this fall have been well-documented elsewhere —financial mismanagement, the loss of talent — but this decade-long slump has seen Straton begun to not be considered part of the modern Big Six, with West Couno taking up that mantle.

New Arrivals: This season’s incomings don’t inspire much confidence either. Just two signings were made to replace the retired Simon Cole and a thirty-six year-old Douglas Moore; the club’s somewhat-precarious financial situation precluded more. Anni Pellonpekko is a young Squornshelan centreback who was bought for cheap; she’s had a spotty injury record, which was part of the reason why Vogsphere was willing to let her go for cheap. Daniel Hayward, meanwhile, is a typical fast and fleet-footed Tumbran winger; he’ll be looking for a chance to impress when he’s not stuck behind the likes of Jake Spekman.

Strengths and Weaknesses: That’s not to say this team doesn’t have its strengths. While he may seem less motivated by the year, striker Tino remains as slippery and committed to gamesmanship as possible; the Verdean striker has expressed a desire in recent years to “move on”, however; whether this is due to the team’s lack of results or just a general wish to move on remains unknown. Right winger Charlie Baker is probably the other undisputed star on this team; the former Lakewood City winger cuts in with regularity on his left foot and is the squad’s second biggest offensive threat. Outside of those two, however, Straton’s squad seems more threadbare than usual; there’s a lack of headliner-quality players in this squad.

Prospects: Straton’s decade-long malaise looks set to continue as Michael Aitken attempts to revive the team’s flagging fortunes; for a first-time managerial job, it’s one difficult one. He seems to be managing, though there are rumours the 42 year-old wants out; he could join his former teammate, Michael Campbell, at the national team set-up as assistant manager.

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West Couno United

Quick Facts

City and State: Couno, Napier
Last season: 5th, 51 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: Title challengers
Key Player: ST Vasya Reisinger
Captain: ST Vasya Reisinger

Roster

No Pos  Name                Age     Natl.
1   GK  Mederick Brown      26  M   QUE
19  LB  Christopher Morgan  27  M   TMB
4   CB  N-H McKinley        27  M   QUE
16  CB  Ezgjan Kobilcov     24  M   MYT
3   RB  Joey Sterling       27  M   TLI/CMT
15  CM  Rajmund Sitko       29  M   BRE
18  CM  Julie Dufour        31  F   KSK
8   CAM Muharem Hajdarpasic 24  M   MYT
9   LW  Luka Vujanovic      24  M   MYT/TMB
7   RW  Cyrus Vette         28  M   CMT
11  ST  Vasya Reisinger     32  F   NPH

12  GK  Elaine Xu           23  F   YZH/TMB
23  GK  Jack Bishop         26  M   TMB
2   LB  A Charron-Becker    33  F   QUE
17  CB  Zhao Fan            22  F   YZH
5   CB  George Steel        30  M   TMB
25  CB  Lionel Cooper       21  M   TMB
13  RB  Mike Sheppard       35  M   TMB
20  CDM Stephen Goodman     27  M   TMB
6   CM  Eden Wright         31  F   TKT
14  CM  John Lawrence       29  M   TMB
26  CAM Mathias Schärer     26  M   TJL
21  LW  Hayley Stanway      28  F   TKT
10  RW  Penny Wilson        26  F   TMB
22  ST  Michelle Broadhurst 28  F   TMB
24  ST  Hazel Garlick       28  F   TMB

27  GK  Ross Kinsler        18  M   TMB
28  CB  Marcus Ashwin       19  M   TMB
29  LB  Jack Chen           19  M   TMB
30  CM  Glenn Tobiasson     18  M   TMB/GRF

Transfer Activity

Incoming:
Ezgjan Kobilcov from NK Dyka, 4.5m
Lionel Cooper from FC Inter Nantwich, 1.2m
Mike Sheppard from Lakewood United, 0.0m
Outgoing:
Shim Seo-yeon to Sarena FC, 3.0m
Judith Houghton to Hesham, 1.6m
Raymond Perry to Ciudad Les Bois, 0.0m
Promoted:

Are West Couno reinventing themselves successfully, or are they beginning to fall into the mire?

Last season: Considering that West Couno didn’t spend as much as the other teams in the top six, a slide was somewhat expected; still, a somewhat lame title defence that never really seemed to get going was a lot more disappointing than most hoped for. They were third at the halfway mark, but had slipped to fifth by the end; a second half of the season marred by injuries definitely didn’t help their cause. The result was a couple of departures; Shim Seo-yeon announced a desire to seek “new opportunities” to state her case for the Tumbran national team, and promptly departed for Cardenao; Raymond Perry decided that his time was up, and took the option of one last paycheck before retirement.

New Arrivals: This season’s reinforcements have received a rating of “middle of the road”; the big signing was Ezgjan Kobilcov, brought in to start against Noel Hercule-McKinley. Kobilcov, or Gjanni, as he’s been referred to in the past, will likely free up Hercule-McKinley to move further up the pitch; though his signing is perhaps an indication that manager Samara Kaniatarii is about to play a higher block. The signing of Lionel Cooper, a defender who also specialises in marauding runs into the midfield to function as a quasi-pivot, somewhat confirmed this; but Kaniatarii has kept her technical innovations under wraps. Mike Sheppard was the third, and most surprising signing; but evidently the gap in leadership and experience left by Perry’s departure was deemed important enough to fill.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The criticism levelled at WCU over the past two years has been constant; that this team hasn’t reinvented itself following its surprise title win. That’s not to say that West Couno can afford to drop half its squad on a whim, seemingly like what the real big boys like both Lakewood clubs and the red half of Couno do; WCU are run on a comparatively more modest budget than those three. With that context, WCU have done real good in unearthing gems; names such as Luka Vujanovic, a Couno native; Mederick Brown, who was stuck on the Clyde Park bench until he was brought to the club, Cyrus Vette, plucked from the Chromatik university system, and Vasya Reisinger, who was in the Nepharan third tier until she was signed off a terrific season with Aries Solitaire. The team’s scouting department is one of the strongest in the country; after all, it’s how they managed to rise up this far in the first place.

Prospects: Few expect a title run; but most expect for West Couno to finish within the top six and continue their sojourn within the IFCF spots. This team has a solid enough core that it should challenge for those spots in any given season; though prospects do seem a bit less positive lately. It must be mentioned, however, that this is a squad that managed to win a title just two years ago, and so can’t really be discounted from any talk of a surprise title challenge.

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