The FM Library

We are back…

We thought it was about time we talked about some of the fabulous creators out there. Extra Time FM is one of these. So sit back, grab your favourite beverage and enjoy some 11 question fun.

Creator Name & what made you choose it: Extra Time FM. I chose this name because I tend to have a natural affinity within FM to win cup finals within extra time. It’s happened many times over the years and they have become some of my fondest moments while playing this glorious game.

Real Name: Matt

Football Team: Manchester United. Born in Manchester, moved away when I was 5, but old enough to know who the greatest team in the world is 😉 (editor note – this will be either Hereford FC, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United or Leicester City depending on which librarian wrote this up…)

Talk me through your FM journey – where does it start? When was the moment that you first clicked on that little icon – and when did you realise that you couldn’t stop! 

My first memory of football management sims was Premier Manager ’98. An exceptional game that allowed me to whizz through seasons very quickly at such a young age. The instant result feature was a blessing at that age and from that game on, I was hooked. I always remember a bug in the game where a 5 star player was available from Blackpool for next to nothing. I bought him with every team I played with.

Ok, you’ve been playing the game, what made you jump from “player” to “creator” and how have you found the journey? 

First and foremost, to enhance my own enjoyment of the game. It’s been a great experience documenting the journey so far, and it’s fun to go back and read how my save has progressed. Since I’ve been blogging, I’ve found it very rewarding knowing that other people are also enjoying the content I’m producing.

What’s your style of play? Within the library we have a couple of guys who plough through seasons letting the Assistant Manager’s do the vast majority of stuff, mainly getting into the late 2060’s trying to complete bizarre and random challenges, but we also have guys who are very much into the finite detail and will manage every aspect and would consider a save done after 5 or 6 seasons. Where do you fit within the scale? There is of course, no incorrect answer.

I think it depends on the save at hand. With the bigger teams, you can allow your very experienced staff to handle certain stuff, while at smaller teams, it’s more beneficial to micro-manage everything. My playstyle will vary, but I will always be in charge of sending players out on loans. I don’t trust any of my staff to find the best place for my wonderkids.

Favourite version/save? Any particular bittersweet/comic/down right depressing memories?

It would probably have to be FM2010. I was in my 2nd year of university and me and my house mates would spend a huge amount of free time playing, trying to one-up each other’s saves by becoming the greatest manager in the world. I think that’s where my love of sharing my saves with people really began – it only took until late 2019 for me to put it into action.

Which bloggers do you always make sure that you read?

There’s so many good ones out there! Prior to joining the community, I read a lot of TrueFootballManager, until he stopped blogging in 2015. His style just suited me. Currently though, I always read Dirigo FM and Lutterworth Fox.

Who within the community, seriously impresses you?

It has to be Doctor Benjy. His YouTube video’s are fantastic and you can always tell how much he’s enjoying it. Every year his saves get better and better. He doesn’t take the game too seriously, and it adds to the fun factor.

Written wise, Guido Merry over at strikerless.com is always producing some exceptional content. Very in-depth and thought provoking. I always enjoy the content he puts out.

What puts you off reading other creators blogs – what makes you click that “X” button in the top right of the page. 

It would have to be blogs that just list off results of their save without much context and try and blast through the save as fast as possible. If I’m to read a blog, I’d like a bit of world building – explain your decisions, what else is going on in the save apart from what your team is doing? Some people may like quicker saves, but it’s not for me.

Ok, final question.. I have 5 minutes and I have a list of blogs in front of me – In 100 words, why should I click on your blog…

ExtraTimeFM.com aims to take you through my football manager journey from month-to-month, game-by-game. Each episode will provide context to that month and the matches played, building a world around my team and my managerial story. I want you to be invested in my save as much as I am. Cheer for my wins and feel saddened by my losses. Football Manager as a game is about the highs and lows and I intend to take you along that journey, through thick and thin. ExtraTimeFM.com is there for the entire life-cycle of the current FM iteration, not just the first few months.

We thank Matt for answering our questions, and we look forward to reading some more fantastic quality blogs from him.