An Irish Rebellion: Galway United

As many of you remember I had a pretty successful run with Shamrock Rovers in FM14 using a pretty cool custom database. This made Ireland revert back to the season way that the majority of Europe operates under. Well i have done it again and this time it is more improved and that it pretty much mimics the current Scottish system. You will see later on what I am talking about.

Anyways the guy I will be playing as is some made up Irish guy who is trying to make it to the top of the football world. Who will I be? Bohemians, St. Pats Athletic, U.C.D, Shamrock etc.... or even a created team based off of a rugby and GAA team None of those listed. You will find out what team I will be managing soon. I hope you enjoy this story!!!

Without further adieu.......................Let's get this party started!!!

• Not lose to a Northern Ireland club in the All Ireland Cup
• Develop top players and keep them in the nation
• Become the number 1 club in the world
• Qualify for Europa League
• Qualify for Champions League
• Win Champions League
• Win Europa League
• Win the CWC
• Win Champions League in Dublin
• Become a top 10 league in the world
• Become the number 1 club in the world
• Become the best coach in the league as well as my nationality

very interesting idea here, ive always had a bit of interest in Ireland, I thin k Dundalk would offer you the best chance at glory.

good luck, ill be following

I second that^ Gooood luck my friend!

The Motivated One and AaronHJFT96: Thanks for the support. I will not be going with one of the big clubs or any in the top league. The club I chose is in Western Ireland where football is pretty much non existent/popular

This will be interesting to follow good luck

This past summer we made one of the most important announcements in FAI history. The announcement back in July was about a change in the direction of football in the country. After months of meetings we have finally came up with a system that will launch Ireland to the top. Each league will have one automatic promotion with second and third placed teams in a playoff to determine who will face the second to last team in the higher league in a relegation playoff.

Bellow is the league structure made up of four divisions known as the League of Ireland. Below the LOI is the Irish Lower Leagues. The Lower Leagues will not be a part of the LOI System except for Irish Division 4. The three winners of the Province Premier Leagues will face off in a playoff to determine a participant with the last placed team in League Two.


We also have reintroduced a few cup competitions to complement the new system. First the Presidents makes a return to the country it is the super cup between the champions of the Airtricity Premier League and the FAI Cup. Next is an expansion of the EA Sports Cup. This new version will be between the 42 clubs that make up the League of Ireland. The next cup that is new is called the FAI Challenge Cup.

The Paddy Power FAI Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons will be played between all 30 clubs from the Irish Championship, League One and League Two as well as two clubs from the fifth level.

Finally the FAI Intermediate Cup will now be played between the clubs of the Province and County Leagues. This will include select Reserve clubs.

Also the Setanta Sports Cup will now be moved to Mid-July as both the FAI and IFA felt the previous version got in the way of scheduling. Our winners of the league and FAI Cup will be facing the winners of Northern Ireland's top league and cup.

On 14 February the board of directors of both the FAI and League of Ireland along with representatives of each club came together in Dublin to ratify a new constitution of the future of the sport in the country. With this the way we will see football in the country has been radically changed. Here are a few of the major bylaws that were passed during the convention.

I don't have a clue about Irish football, so, erm, good luck, I guess

2015-06-10 13:10#214505 Louis O. : I don't have a clue about Irish football, so, erm, good luck, I guess

You will find out soon enough but all I can say this will be harder than last years Shamrock version

"I hate myself more than I ever let on
I'm burnt out at twenty-two
I lived too fast and I loved too much and I'll die too young
But I chose this cup that I drank from"-Bayside
(This song lyric perfectly sums up my soccer career)


Hey, were you talking to me?? Well ok I guess, anyways my name is Kevin O'Leary from Ennis Co Clare Ireland. Currently I am living in a French town called Le Havre where I am teaching English to the folks in the schools. You ask if I enjoy what I do and I will say yes as it keeps me busy especially since I have no time for my old career. Old career??? yes for a little over a decade more like my entire life I have been playing soccer err...football as you say.

The reason I do not like talking about the sport or even watching it is because I got too burnt out and just had to quit (you will learn why later in this story). My time playing the sport I loved was great but it was time to hang up my boots and find something else. I seriously get sick when seeing anything soccer related. The funny thing is my apartment is near Stade Océane but to me it's just another building.

Enough of this sad shit right?? Well then let me tell you what happened on an mid spring evening while coming home from work. It was a Friday evening and I was just arriving home. Soon as I walk in the door I get this phone call and it is from back home in the Republic. I was thinking it was my wife calling saying that she would be on her way home but it wasn't.

I answered the phone, "Hello, Who is this??" The man on the other side of the conversation goes on to tell me he is the president of Galway United Football Club back home. For those that don't know or remember I played for Galway a few years back. He told me that they were looking for a new manager and thought I would be the perfect fit. "I don't know sir, I have been out of soccer for some time now and am really enjoying my life right now." I said. Well then he said that I should think it over the weekend.

Well after going over it with my lady she told me that I should give it a shot. Honestly I have a bad feeling about this as too much of this sport and the stress lead me down a very dark and unpleasant road. The thing that got me was that I have been gone for two years now and maybe this was a good break from the sport.

Once the weekend ended I gave the chairman a call to tell him that I would be interested in interviewing. He tells me that I will have the interview this coming Thursday and be prepared if things go well. I don't know what that means so I'll just give it a shot.

Well here goes nothing......................................................

My name is Kevin O'Leary and I am about to do something I might end up regretting.

awesome, the build up is killing me who are you!

nice update can't wait for the next

No1VillaFan He is a very interesting person with a crazy back story. That is all for now. There will be hints in the interview to what happened.

Cappy13 Thanks man I appreciate the comment.

So I have been back in Ireland for about 24 hours for the first time in two years. My god I start getting these feelings of joy, sadness and even regret coming back. The two years away from the country has been both refreshing and necessary. The only reason I am doing this is because my lady said I should give it a shot and Galway was the club I got my first professional contract from.
As I get to the park I start to panic and my mind keeps racing should I turn back or should I go in. I give Catherine a call and tell her what I am feeling. She reassures me that everything will be alright and i should just go in and just do my best.

After about 20 minutes of waiting I finally get to meet President Bernie O'Connell and things get underway.....................

"Well Kevin, I am glad you could make it here today. I know your story and how hard it must be coming back into the sport so I apologize ahead of time "
"Well sir, I am not offended at all it is just that I have honestly tried to put the sport behind me for the last two years since what had happened towards the later part of the career. I will be honest here though. Since Galway was the first team I signed with as a professional I thought this would be ok. If it was some other team especially Shamrock who I ended my career with I would have to say no ."
"Ah, I see well I am glad you still hold the club in high regards even since the collapse of the old version a few years back we need people like yourself who honour this club."
"Yeah I agree here. From what I read the way things run in the country is much better than what it was a few years back. Something like this could actually get me back into the sport."

After a few minutes of small talk we get down to business

"If hired what are your goals?"
"Well if I was hired my goal would to get this club promoted into the premiership and grow. We are Galway's and most of Western Irelands true club as I remember so we need to represent the region well ."
"Are you sure your past won't come back to haunt you and possible relapse to a point that could harm the club?"
" Not at all I have been clean for the past few years and I have a much better support system so there will be no way I would fall off the wagon. I promise you that if hired I will do what is expected of me and I won't disappoint. Unlike other managers who usually blow smoke up their asses making false and somewhat unrealistic promises I like to keep it real and attainable"

After more questions and a 15 minute wait Mr. O'Connell has me enter his office for the decision.

"Well Kevin this interview is finished, how do you think you did?"
"I think I did ok."
"To me I think you did great as you were real and not trying to get a job just to have on. Anyways I would like to hire you as the next head coach."
"Oh wow that's awesome but I have ONE thing that will be needed."
"And that is???."
"For the contract I only want to sign for one year for reasons you already know."
"You know what Kevin, I think that is fair and I accept"

Well then that is all she wrote. I have returned to Ireland and the sport of soccer. I give Catherine a call and she is so damn proud of me. I tell her that I am still a little not sure but I am looking forward to this challenge. I head back to Le Havre and we need to move back to Ireland within the week as my job starts in two weeks. It's been nice here in France and I will miss all my students!

brilliant start mate, really intrigued about your backstory and how you came to hate the game!

2015-06-11 13:15#214581 InfraRed : brilliant start mate, really intrigued about your backstory and how you came to hate the game!

Thanks man It will be a very interesting reason.