Born on 1st December 1988, Stuart Davies spent the majority of his footballing career in the sphere of Scottish football, amassing 300 appearances for Elgin City. Davies was by no means a superstar, but he is a name that most Scottish football fans will have heard of in one form or another. With a Continental B Licence under his belt, Davies has makes his first step into the world of football management.
What is the Game of Thrones concept?
Before you ask, no. There is no relation to the Netflix series. I actually haven’t even watched it! Yes, shame on me.
Scotland is well known for having a two horse race in the top flight. Rangers have won the top division a record 55 times, along with 34 Scottish Cups. In comparison, Celtic have won the championship on 53 occasions with a supplementary 41 Scottish Cups. Neither have won the Champions League in its current form.
The aim of this save is to de-throne Rangers and Celtic and assert domestic dominance over the rest of Scotland. The success of the save will be judged on our ability to dominate the top division. European success isn’t the main focus, however a European trophy would certainly be well received.
Save Objectives
- De-throne Rangers and Celtic at the top of Scottish football;
- Assert ourselves as the best club in Edinburgh;
- Become the manager of the Scottish National Team;
- Improve the nation’s rankings
Who are The Spartans?
The Spartans is a club based in Edinburgh who have just been promoted to the Scottish League Two. The club are now operating at their highest level and this is their first foray into professional football. The club was originally formed in 1951 by ex-players of Edinburgh University with the intention of being a club solely made up of graduates from the University. The club has since changed their stance and now find themselves competing in League Two for the first time.
As you’ll see, this really is going to be a challenge to get the club from League Two, all the way to the top flight. The facilities and reputation could certainly be better but at the same time they could also be worse. It is a base from which we can start and build our way up. We will be playing our trade at Ainslie Park Stadium which in truth looks very decent for this level of football.
Double Delight
As some of you will know from following along in the FM Library Discord, or over on the SI Forums, I have already completed two seasons of this save. If you want to go and check out the thread and catch up in detail then you can do so here.
For those on limited time, don’t worry, here is a quick run down of our first two seasons in Edinburgh.
Season One
Season One was an absolutely outstanding debut season as we won League Two by a margin of 18 points. The boys ended up lifting the trophy in March it was that comprehensive!
Not only did we dominate in the league, we also put in some hugely impressive runs in cup competitions. St Mirren knocked us out of the Scottish Cup in the Fifth Round and then they did the same to us in the semi-final of the Viaplay Cup. Although, it was the SPFL Trust Trophy where we had our best run, reaching the final where we would meet Welsh giants, TNS.
It ended in heartbreak with a penalty shootout defeat. Given the stats, you can see why I was slightly frustrated to be walking away empty handed. However, we had no right to be in that final, given our lowly standing as a League Two club.
Season Two
I know what you’re thinking, surely you got revenge in the SPFL Trust Trophy in season 2? No. More heartbreak. This time, we fall to defeat in extra time having absolutely dominated the game. Fuming.
Pointless trophies aside, the real deal was the league and our first ever season in League One. It’s safe to say, it didn’t disappoint.
Back to back league titles. What a team. What a club. This time it was a slightly smaller margin of victory but we still won it at a canter. We also said goodbye and goodnight to city rivals Edinburgh City who have now dropped down to League Two. Shame.
Robbie McDaid and Jack Kingdon lead from the front in terms of player performances. McDaid will no doubt get the chance to lead the line once again in the Championship. Kingdon returns to his parent club, Wycombe Wanderers, and there is little chance we will see him again. Dylan Phillips is the best youngster to come through our youth system so far and he put in some impressive performances as a deep lying playmaker at the back end of the season. He will get his chance to impress next season.
As we reach the end of Season Two, the finances are in a healthy state, mainly thanks to our impressive cup run and gate receipts. I am certainly going to have my work cut out trying to put together a team that can compete in the Championship with the money available.
Thanks to those that have read until the end, it is much appreciated! You are now fully up to speed and I need to go away and conduct my summer business and get these boys ready for their first taste of Championship football. Viva la Spartans.
The FM Library 
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