The FM Library

Another newcomer on the scene today, but he is already proving to be a good ‘un as he is playing FM19 (our editor approves of this…)

Say hello to JDH_FM

Creator Name & what made you choose it: 

JDH is short for jambodahibee. Which was my gamertag for many years, and was a nickname given to me in school. “Jambo” nickname for Jamie also nickname of Hearts/hearts fans “da” the (pretty self-explanatory) “Hibee” nickname for Hibs fans so it’s a bit of a juxtaposition and I have little imagination to come up with something new and/or original. I figured it was pretty unique so wouldn’t be taken.

Real Name: 

Jamie

Football Team(s):

Newcastle United & Hibernian

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 older cousin introduced me to it which may have been Championship Manager 01/02 and I liked it but we didn’t have a PC at home for a while longer and initially when we did I was often punted off it for parents wanting to do actual work (how could they!?). However, I had CM 4 which I did play a bit but I was limited, it had been bought by my aunt and uncle of the aforementioned cousin so they have a lot to answer for. So, it wasn’t until I got my own PC that I got into it properly which I think was CM 03/04 and then once the split happened, I was all in, getting each new instalment initially for Christmas and latterly buying them myself. It was always the transfers and building a squad that got me interested, those early instalments I had lots of saves which fizzled out post initial transfer window or first full season. It took many years for me to actually get to grips with the game and many would probably make the judgement I haven’t yet. I think the realisation hit around FM08 when I realised, I had more knowledge of my latest save world of football than the real worlds football, at that point I think I realised I was too far gone.

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

It’s been really enjoyable, I started a blog with little knowledge of what was out there, to be honest. I knew of blogs chiefly from the WeStreamFM guys and GrassNGear podcasts. I made the decision firstly, to try and justify my time spent on the game to people that know me as creating something means I’m “doing something” instead of “watching those f*****g circles”, it also seemed to be a good way to be invested in limited playtime, I know my years of multiple hour regular sessions are limited moving forward now I have an actual job and responsibilities and finally because some of the most enjoyable saves have been when friends have been playing their own saves and we have been discussing them, sadly they don’t play as much anymore but I enjoyed that social aspect so why not try to get it another way? The transition has been enjoyable really, I have been playing FM19 to the point I haven’t yet purchased FM20 but I decided to blog on FM19 as I felt I would feel less pressure and not be in competition with other people. It would allow me to make mistakes and try things I felt might not work so well if blogging with the current-gen vs already established blogs and bloggers. However, having thought that I’ve found the community to be anything but “competitive” and in fact has been really supportive and helpful. From people like LutterworthFox inviting me to the FM Library, FM Stag making my logo and people such as FM Grasshopper and DLP podcast giving me advice on my blogs having been doing it less than a month. There have also been lots of supportive comments from people such as FM Rasher and ZonaMistaFM, plus many others I will be forgetting (and I apologise if I am).

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’m probably solidly in the middle, I am trying to get more in-depth with the game and do more for myself, I previously would let the Assistant Manager run most of the club apart from scouting/transfers and initial tactics. However, I am trying to take more on myself and this has certainly slowed my progress time down considerably but I’m enjoying the highs more and learning more from the lows. I must admit training is still a whole new world to me, other than adding in match review sessions and occasionally adding double chance creation when I’m annoyed at the attacking side of the team.

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

That’s a toss-up between my Newcastle save on FM08 and my journeyman save on FM18. The Newcastle save was the standard domination save with the team I support, my midfield maestro Giacometti (Italian, club captain, became the most expensive player in the game, worth £40million, I signed for ~£4 million from Torino), my main striker Rodolfo Marrone (Argentine signed from PSG for ~£12 million scored 35 goals + for 3 seasons in a row, had under 20 caps for Argentina as the man who made him expendable at PSG was also his compatriot and played ahead of him. I was always miffed as Marrone never came close to a Ballon Dor as he got little international football despite doing everything in club football) and Harry MacFarlane my other striker (homegrown, Newcastle boy, number 9 had 35 England goals by the age of 24). Ah what a save, which sadly died on a corrupted hard-drive.

My FM18 was a journeyman started in England, the usual stuff, but I got Nottingham Forest promoted and stable in the Premier League before Napoli took a punt on me as I was cheap. A battle ensued with Juventus for a few years before my first of 3 titles before finishing with a Champions League win. The best signing I ever made was on that save a RW Jermaine Dimond (Welsh, released by Man City and had a 7.3+ average rating for the next 4/5 years), Alessio Burdese (my Sampdoria managers namesake, signed from Juventus for a reasonable fee a LW, dominated with Dimond on the other flank) and Rayco Guiterrez (striker signed from Barca for under £10 million I think, became club captain and was generally fantastic).

It hasn’t always been successful, plenty of failures, some interesting moments where a complete loss of realism when I signed Lionel Messi (FM10 I think) for Newcastle when even I thought it had become too unrealistic. Not winning the Champions League with Steven Taylor on the bench, no signing Messi was what did it for me.

Also, in my early days signing Jan Kristiansen from Esbjerg FB for Man United as he scored twice in a pre-season friendly against me, I think he played every match that season in a midfield of Giggs, Scholes, Zidane and himself.

Also falling in FM love with Yohan Cabaye in a journeyman save, I inherited him in a Spurs team after ‘Arry retired, won the title and then took him with me to Real Madrid (having never known he existed or anything about him until then and then Newcastle signed him that summer). It was amazing and I still miss his dreamboat good looks… *cold shower required*.

Which bloggers do you always make sure that you read?

As I said I started without really knowing what was out there, so I’ve only recently started reading more and more blogs. I really enjoy Dan Gears blogs, FM Grasshoppers, the WeStream guys stuff, Oliver Jensens stuff and FM Cattenacio would be ones I knew of prior to blogging. Now I’m really enjoying FM Rashers stuff, Lutterworth Foxes blogs, FM Stag and his CM03/04 save is nostalgic goodness, ZonaMista FM stuff is really good too and many others. Rensie’s blogs are always worth reading to gain a greater understanding of the game, some of his latest tactical blogs have been really helpful and made me really jealous that they can write that level and quality of blog. Hopefully one-day JDH_FM and the blog will be included in someone’s answer here.

Who within the community, seriously impresses you – produces the type of content that you just think “Wow, I couldn’t even contemplate producing stuff to at that level – for me it’s Laura/Chilled Moose and the face packs that she produces – some serious design talent there. This can be across any format of creation.

100% with that Chilled Moose takes the creative side of the community to a whole other level, I really look up to FM Grasshoppers storytelling and creative writing style in his blogs. The adventures of Bastardo and now Ojeda are something else.

What puts you off reading other creators blogs – what makes you click that “X” button in the top right of the page. For me it’s using the correct grammar for team names – I saw a blog about 18 months ago where the blogger named his opponent as oxford united and not Oxford United – I’m still angry about this…

Hmm, this is difficult to say as I would be hypocritical to say things like poor grammar and spelling! It’s probably something as simple as having an engaging writing style, I’m not sure if it’s something I can quantify but if it grips me it’s got me. Also, if it’s clear that effort has been put in then I’m always guilty of giving it a go.

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…

It’s f*****g fantastic that’s why (95 words left. Damn, now it’s 89…). It’s a blog being written by someone who is really new at this. Therefore, there will be plenty of times I try new things, so hopefully that brings variety. I hope I’m writing in a way that is engaging and an easy read so it’s a nice way to spend some lockdown time. Also, when I prove blogging is more popular than YouTube you can say you were there at the start! So, check out the blog, you won’t regret it.

A huge thank you for JDH_FM for taking the time to talk to us.