Hatters to Hatters (FM 2006 (89/90))

[Steve Moore]

1st day & already an injury. Paul Telfer twists his ankle & is out for a month. I also got a loan offer for Petterson from Cardiff but I want to see everybody 1st. I don’t know what any of these players are like.

Then I arranged a tour to Italy, for the shear reason that I wanted to see if this weird thing is happening worldwide. On top of that I invited Milan, Napoli & Real Madrid for a Cup at Kenny Road. For exactly the same reason.

But First, Port Vale away.

It was a decent warm up with an Iain Dowie 1-0 win. As was Doncaster, Dowie, Harford & Elstrup bagging the goals.

By the time of the Swansea game, (3-0, Wegerle, Wilson & for some reason Mick Kennedy wanted the penalty [Well I wasn’t going to argue with him!]) I was getting a feel for the players, life & basically being in this world.

I even started to look for transfers. Trying to nick two players from Leicester who had great careers in the Luton shirt. Tony Thorpe & Scott Oakes (who’s hat-trick against West Ham in the ’94 Cup Quarter-Final was amazing). They both turned me down.

As well as that, I’d approached Notts. County over a young defender called Craig Short. It’s fair to say I was adjusting to this life.

Then came the trip to Italy!

Walking into the San Siro to see a younger Giovanni Trapattoni, a much younger Giovanni Trapattoni!

Then I saw the Inter team:
Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthaus & Jurgen Klinsman!

If that doesn’t throw you, nothing will.

To be fair, as we expected, they played us off the park but it was a privilege to see Alessandro D’Angelo score the 30-yard bender he scored. Then with 11 minutes left, 3-0 down. A goalmouth scramble & Big Mick turns it home! A GOAL, A goal in the San Siro!

Then came Dino Zoff’s Juve! With Schillaci & Rijkaard & co.! But none of that matters if Mini Preece scores a free-kick special in the 4th minute, well, until we are 4-1 down with 4 minutes left! Although at that point, Kingsley Black repeated Preece’s trick.

Then Julian James had to go home with Shin Splints & Notts. County said not even £400k would get me Craig Short.

Then we lost 2-1 in Florence to complete the Italian tour. We would’ve won through skipper Danny Wilson’s opener too, if it hadn’t been for a 22-year old Fiorentina striker called Roberto Baggio.

 

[freddiw]

well written will you be going for players such as Becks....

 

[Steve Moore]

It’d be fair to say I was enjoying life in this world. Yes I was still dazed & confused but I’m managing Luton against the best sides in the world.

What’s more, I’ve got them to play a friendly tournament at KENILWORTH ROAD! Culture shock for them I’m sure.

More of a culture shock was watching Diego Armando Maradona run the show in Napoli’s 2-0 win over Real Madrid. Followed by sending the likes of John Dreyer, Graham Rodger & Dave Beaumont out against a Milan side with: Paulo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Marco Van Basten & Ruud Gullit!

Oh, I forgot Roberto Donadoni who scored their 1st after 10 minutes. Final score 3-0 (Gullit & Van Basten), with Dowie bruising his ribs & putting himself out for 2 weeks!

Then finally, a win! Against Real Madrid! 2-1…Although, I’m not sure the Spaniard’s had ever played a striker quite like Mick Harford who murdered them, scored the opener & was generally brilliant. Then Hugo Sanchez proved why in the other world he was one of the best strikers in his generation. But, with 8 minutes left, out of nowhere popped little Jason Rees in the box & we’d beaten REAL ******* MADRID!

 

[freddiw]

good update and good old Maradona awesome work

again the question....WILL YOU BUY ANY YOUNG GUNS

 

[Steve Moore]

You'll see, but Becks isn't on the game I don't think.

 

[freddiw]

no but you know what i mean...no worries cant wait for more

 

[Steve Moore]

Then it hit me, I’ve been enjoying myself & all of a sudden I have 6 days until the opening day of the season. I have no idea of my starting 11 & no idea even of who I’m going to put in my 1st team squad & who’s going to be a reserve!

Then I realised that I wasn’t playing on the opening day…phew. The 1st TV game of the season produced a shock though with 2 David Hirst goals giving Sheff. Wed a win over Liverpool despite Peter Beardsley giving them the lead.

Well, having decided my 1st team squad I then got a kick in the teeth. John Dreyer did his back in overdoing the weight training & will be out for a month, exposing our lack of depth at left back. Harvey being the only one left other than young Jamie Campbell in the academy.

Therefore, I started training up Marvin Johnson for left back & will do the opposite at right back with Julian James when he returns from his shin splints.

But finally, a week after everyone else, we can finally start our season at home to John Sillett’s Coventry.

So my 1st Luton team in this strange new dimension is as follows:
GK – Sealey
DR – Breaker
DC – Beaumont
DC – Rodger
DL – Harvey
MR – Williams
MC – Wilson
MC – Preece
ML – Black
FC – Harford
FC – Wegerle
With Chamberlain, Kennedy, Elstrup, Dowie & young Matt Jackson from the Ressies on the bench.

We were brilliant, 3-1 winners. The big man Mick scoring 2 & Preecey scoring a cracking 25-yard volley in the 2nd minute. It’s pleasing, no matter what this place is…maybe, I can still be a manager.

Then I saw Dave Galley on Monday morning. Roy Wegerle’s injury was worse than we hoped & he had fractured his arm, out for a month & not only that but Mick Harford had strained his wrist during the game & will be out for a fortnight. Meaning my plans to loan out Kurt Nogan fall to dust, as I need him near the 1st team. On the plus side, he’s just scored 4 for the kids against Wycombe!

Villa (a)
[Elstrup & Dowie in for the injured strikers, Nogan & Rees on bench]

To be fair, we deserved to get beat, although being 1-0 through Dowie gave us hope. However, they battered us & battered us until David Platt scored the equaliser in 1st half injury time & then Adrian Heath won it for them.

Dave Galley: “Steve, it’s Williams, he’s done his knee in against Villa. He’ll be out for about 2 weeks.”
ME: “Oh for god’s sake…can we ever stay fit!”

Forest (h)
[McDonough for injured Williams]
32nd minute
ME: “Oh Jesus…Just stand there like frigging pansies waving your hands in the air whilst Nigel Jemson runs right through us & scores!”

What a transfer deadline day I’m going to have, firstly, I let Pembridge go to Colchester on loan then I have to give Big Mick a fitness test before we face the extreme attacking power of Southampton at the Dell.

Saints (a)
[Harford on bench for Rees]

Yep, extreme attacking power…that Matt Le Tissier isn’t a bad player either is he…4 goals for him, 2 assists, 6-0…ouch! & that’s without an injured Shearer!

 

[domiw]

oh dear you were really battling there....good work but injuries have been the issue

well written awesome work just keep it going

 

[freddiw]

awesome work Stevie....cant wait for more

 

[Steve Moore]

1st December 2005 or rather I guess, a very misplaced 1989.

Jez, that was a long time. I haven’t updated my journal in so long!

This isn’t something I understand, I sit in my room every night and watch TV, proper old school stuff from the late 80’s and early 90’s. Bullseye, Saint & Greavesy, stuff like that. I’ve worked out that I’m basically living in Luton circa 1989, with a different date.

The truth is that the only place I feel normal, alive or any of those things is on the Football Field and therefore I immerse myself in that. O.K., so we’re around the relegation zone. But, we always are/were, so there’s no change there.

However, back home I don’t know anything about this place, I don’t know where my parents are, if they’re here, whether they’re older or if they’re the same & there is a 1 year old me around there somewhere. It’s now nearly my 1st Christmas here, who am I, who/where are my Parents & what about Laura, or Abbey, or even Lizzie?

I have a lot of finding out to do & I have to keep Luton up in the process, it’s going to be a difficult Christmas.