For now, but currently Bletchley Town Utd FC, sit pretty at the top of EFL League One, after clawing back a 12 point deficit, to catch up with then runaway leaders, Rotherham, who then beat in a tense match, 3-2, to overtake them and lead the pack.



The pre-season two signings have bolstered the squad, and given us cover in a few positions and added a little extra quality, team cohesion has clicked into gear and we currently enjoy a fine run of form, being unbeaten in 9 matches, a run of form that saw my managerial capabilities recognised.

Below I have recorded some full game footage with commentary from myself, mainly to show the effect of the OS sliders coupled with the increased Acceleration slider, that give the game a m ore natural, realistic feel. It wasn’t the most exciting of games to record, and I struggled a little with talking whilst playing but hopefully you will find it interesting.
With a new club like ours, and such a lowly budget to work to, developing youth is key and essential to both bringing players through the ranks, and also developing players to then sell on to boost the transfer budget, we have a decent youth setup going now with a few decent looking players with possible high potential ratings, that are worth developing, or loaning out to see how they mature and grow.

We have also progressed through the group stage of the Papa Johns Trophy into the next round, and managed to beat Charlton away from home in the replay after drawing our 2nd round FA Cup match, with promising youngster, Winter, grabbing a fine strike late into the second period of extra time to seal the victory, we face Bolton in the 3rd round.

It is just approaching late December, in game, I already have my scouts working to find players who will be out of contract in the summer, so am hoping to find a few additions to sign on a free come the end of the season, still a few positions I’d like to add cover for.
I shall also be promoting a few of the older, promising youth players and selling some, and sending others out on loan, almost like a puppy far, nurture for profit, it’s the only way we can generate any cash really, am hoping promotion will bring bigger transfer budgets once playing in the Championship, we need to keep winning first though.
As usual, will leave you with a compilation showing a few goals from my recent matches.
Continuing convo from previous post …..
Turf/Abbeyhill – The OS sliders tighten up the game by increasing the marking, improving the shape of the defensive line height and width, and FB positioning is reduces so your wingbacks dont constantly bomb forward and leave massive gaps everywhere.
In combo with the increased acceleration, the ball is more free which leads to more midfield battles, more fouls, more turnovers, so the arcadey feel drops out.
Turf – on the subject of Player runs = 1, you gotta remember that the slider values (1-100) are just modifier values for each individual players stats, not absolute relative values.
So, for example, player runs = 1 does not mean players just won’t make runs, it means that the players built in stats which drive awareness, positioning, run frequency etc, coupled with his ability to play in whichever formation and tactic that is selected, is set to default, he will play true to his stats, as the player values are modified by 1 (which could be 1%).
if the player runs slider was set to 100, then his stats would theoretically be multiplied by 100 (which could be 10%, 50%, 100% – we don’t know exactly what multiplier system EA use) but it will definitely be increased.
So player runs at 1 means each player will make runs as he sees fit, determined by his underlying stats, according to the system and formation being played, and wont be forced by default sliders (which are geared up for online arcade style play) to constantly make runs and be caught out of position as much.
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that full game footage was useful to watch Paul, brought to life some of the discussion about sliders notably the extra burst of acceleration to draw the foul and yellow card. Even though professional might be a bit easy longer term your keeper still actually had to make 5-6 decent saves against lowly opposition
also enjoyed the goal highlights, you certainly like your last minute winners! Kayden Jackson suddenly able to do skill moves rather than just running quickly in one direction, loved the way he waltzed though the entire defence a couple of times, in fact the one from the half way line was basically through the entire team – maybe a good signing after all!
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Hi Abbeyhill – It wasn’t the best game in terms of competitiveness to show off, it was relatively easy to win, but most teams even on professional do give a good challenge.
For purity’s sake, I will be moving up to world class after this season, whether its in the Championship or still in League One.
Jackson can be hit and miss, has moments of magic like the one you mentioned, and is fast so good for making those get in behind style runs, but also has a left foot like a club hammer, and sometimes misses sitters.
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Thanks for the insight Paul. I’m playing it on World Class and it’s really quite like early PES – clumsy touches, a noticeable difference when a player is actually decent at something, etc. I’m not playing much though as I’m trying to decide what new habits I want now that we appear to be settling down to some kind of regular lifestyle again. ESO is going – the quests are just far too samey and without the dead means dead (which would be impossible) I just don’t have a sense of importance about any encounter. I’ll be letting PSPlus go too – I won’t be returning to the filthy online world of Utlimate Team where already opponents are stuffed full of the same icons and have worked out how to game the setup. Offline FIFA will be part of it, but got to get out more as the job requires me to be in the house all day.
Disgrace that there’s no highlights of the World T20 on free to air. Bet you were thinking exactly the same – what about Namibia eh?!
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Turf – I’ve been playing a bit of Online Divisions, just as an aside from career Mode, but even that is ridiculous, EA should rename the mode ‘can you beat PSG’ as 99% of all opponents I play, across all divisions, started in Div 10, am now in Div 7, choose PSG because of the front three of Mbappé, Neymar and Messi, its ridiculous.
Every passage of play goes direct from their CB down the wing to Mbappé or Messi, and they sprint dribble in on goal, must be a sad existence being so mundane predictable and moronic.
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Turf – Yes, obviously gutted theres no cricket on tv!!!
However if you tune in to the English open Snooker Final on Eurosport on sunday afternoon, You’ll probably see me, as I have front row tickets.
Shall i wear a brown Coventry shirt?
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Despite the civil reply Paul you are clearly, like me, more of a fan of the 5 day game than this knockabout 20 overs nonsense
Off to a decent start in league 1 with Exeter City in FIFA21, must be the easiest World Class I have played, sounds like 22 is a lot tougher. Like you Turf I am planning my gaming/life for the months ahead. Travelling back and forth to London constantly again so Hades, Subnautica and Fire Emblem on the Switch, sadly Metroid Dread is too difficult and stressful. Obviously FIFA21 followed by 22 on PS5. On PC I’m waiting for the Skyrim 10 year remaster next week while back on the amazing Valheim and Wildermyth, also quite tempted to play through Red Dead Redemption 2 for a second time
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Abbeyhill – of course!!! 😉
FIFA 22 on PS5 is a different beast to FIFA 21, make sure to try it, with sliders!!!
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Are ps5s still rocking horse doings? I’ve never even tried but last I saw they were as rare to find as a goal in Norwich.
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Turf – I think PS5 stock availability did improve but now its getting near xmas its rocking horse shit again, just looked on simply games, amazon and game websites and all out of stock.
Hows Mini Turf getting on with his music production?
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Just saw the latest circus surrounding Pes 22. This should be the final nail then yeah? Looking for a sort-of up to date patch for Pes 2021…I suppose there is none?
Meanwhile, still battling (the aftermath, I hope) of this damn scabies infestation. Perhaps even more depressing than the fate of pes!
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Still really getting to grips with life at the senior school Paul. Missing two weeks after only 4 days was a bit of a pain for him but he’s caught up, just not minded to do much other than his homework and a bit of gaming. He brownnosed the head of music to tell him about his soundcloud site,etc mainly so he avoids getting stuck with learning the violin or recorder, so hopefully he will get to explore that when things settle down.
Deleted ESO yesterday and fired up the Skyrim to start a new game (my saves were on the old I.d which I had to surrender as he’d used it for his fortnite nonsense). Like turning the clock back, with some rather glitchy movement… on which note I nearly bought cyberpunk- is it worth it now, has it been patched to appropriate sense? Still PS4 obviously.
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Turf- in a week or so the Skyrim anniversary thingy is set to come out. Could be worth the trouble to check out! If you have special edition it’s free.
As far as cyberpunk goes…it’s an ok game if you look at it as a fun shooter. Gunplay is okay (I like fallout 4 better in that regard) and the RPG choices are negligible in my view .
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skyrim installed on ps5 and a day off on Thurs. Bring on the biscuits!!
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Werd has a ps5? Ffs I’m starting to feel like an out of date fogey.
Don’t see the point of the anniversary edition as it’s just the game plus all the creator content, which you can get with a Bethesda account. Unless I’m missing something? The vr might be mildly amusing but I’ve not really warmed to the tech – mini turf loves it.
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Hi all, long time no post. I am really loving my gaming currently as been playing games in a much more focused manner and only playing one game at a time. Not in any rush to buy a PS5 or latest X Box any time soon as I have such a back catalogue of games I have never played or finished. My latest gaming odyssey has taken me to Vegas courtesy of Fallout: New Vegas. They really don’t make games like that anymore. Even though the crafting and building is much better in Fallout 4 it doesn’t compare in terms of story telling, world building and design of the game. It is a true RPG in every sense and your choices early on determine your pathway of what type of character you are going to be and can pick or chose which missions suite that narrative. Currently at 34 hours mark and have barely touched the surface.
Prior to this I completed Beholder 2 which was a very unique experience and not played a game quite like it.
As for life in general I am in a happy place and working from home on a permanent basis and found a new routine to my life and have lost about two stone.
Hope everyone is well?
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Sorry about the lack of new post yesterday, I had the day off and was in London all day so didn’t get chance, I will get something posted up within the next day or two.
#1 – Oh No, the scabies still wreaking havoc? sounds nasty shit that!!
#Turf – Good stuff, I’ve just had a house music track i produced signed by a label, so am now a verified artist on Apple Music and Spotify, and my track is on all major streaming platforms and stores.
Darryl – Good to see you mate, glad you’ve settled in to a routine that you you are enjoying, and congrats on the weight loss, i bet you feel amazing for it.
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Wow, that’s great Paul – send a link or details, etc. He’s finding it hard at times to get up for anything other than homework and crashing out to recover so I’ll mention it to him and it will show him what’s possible.
By the way that homework included some plant biology – it was of the same level I taught on the degree. Really don’t understand what they do to kids now – give them ridiculously advanced work and then really low thresholds to get a top grade. Just set age appropriate work and stop them getting massively stressed. Oh and 1 isn’t a prime number. That’s my take home message after last night’s maths. Had no idea.
Darryl – think that’s how I’m going to go. I’ve cleared out my old (now mini turf’s) account and every game is now at zero waiting for my offline plod. I’ll play fifa when footy is on the radio.
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Darryl- hail frater. I dug out my red ps3 slim the other day, among my old pes muckabout I put on Fallout nv…bloody crashed! Not my fave fallout but bloody good. Turf pure luck I got my ps5. I even traded in spiderman and some old ps4 games…£90 gift card from GAME
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Hello to you frater, I am playing it through the X Box One which is good for playing old games. Absolutely loving it as you are forced into combat in Fallout 4. With NV you can talk your way out of difficult situations, which I would try to do in a situation like that.
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Paul, Yes do feel amazing and have so much more energy and am sleeping better. Not doing anything groundbreaking as have just cut out the booze completely as well as biscuits and snacks.
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Frater- tbh most if my ps5 hardrive is taken up by ps4 games, fallout 4, cities skylines, pes 2021(remember that series) and skyrim. I still have the hardback guide to fonv and nothing beats shooting Chandler from Friends!
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Turf – I’ll post a few links up later, after I’ve gotten my meetings for the day out of the way.
Werd – good to see you lurking me ol’ pal.
Darryl – That’s all it takes mate. being unable to train properly with gyms shut during lockdown etc, and working from home and the convenience snacking it promoted, I weighed in at 100kg’s 10 weeks ago, my heaviest ever weight.
The last 8 weeks I’ve been intermittent fasting as i find that process works best for my body, so no breakfast, or food, except water or one black coffee, between dinner one evening, and lunch the next day, so a good 17hr fasting period, cut out all the crisps, snacks, chocolate, cans of coke etc, and eat balanced nutritious dinners and lunches, and then have a few drinks and whatever i want at weekends, and have lost 8kg’s, which is 17lbs or 1.67 stone.
Also back training hard at the gym 4 or 5 times a week too. Amazing how quickly you can shed it by just doing the basics and eating properly.
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Turf – Glad to hear that you have now been educated on the “1 is a prime” conspiracy theory. Next up “brazil nuts are nuts” and “daylight saving was invented by Sky to sell Sky Glass”.
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Not got up to that bit Frater but sounds like something I would relish doing as I can’t stand Friends.
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Darryl – good to hear all is well. Fallout New Vegas is the business it really is. Obsidian did a better job of it than Bethesda with fallout 3, that’s for sure. Like you say each decision has consequences and it’s a proper RPG. It’s being remade in the fallout 4 engine as well which is good I suppose.
Good that everyone’s losing weight as well. I went from 100kg to 90kg as well though admittedly from all the scabies-related stress.
It’s a bitch and a half I tell ya, scabies! It’s highly likely that resistant strains are now doing the rounds but doctors and dermatologists won’t hear it. I’ve been in my own personal lockdown since June… Ugh. Public service announcement; avoid this condition and people that you know have it like the plague. Quite possibly the worst thing I have ever experienced.
Rant over
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#1 – I have never played Fallout 3 as Fallout 4 is the only other one of the series. Fallout 4 just doesn’t feel the same to me. Like I said before the crafting is so much better and like the settlement development side of things but just hasn’t the same atmosphere.
The whole Scabbies thing sounds horrendous and can only imagine what you have been going through.
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#1 – The other good thing is if they re-make FNV it would also be mod supported.
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Quite tempted to pick up the new remastered GTA trilogy, GTA 3 and GTA San Andreas bringing back some memories.
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I was very tempted too Paul, although then remembered that I didn’t actually enjoy the originals much – fiddly controls, annoying missions, awful shooting etc. GTA Chinatown Wars remains my favourite in the series
Just reinstalling Skyrim and updating to Centenary Edition now, hopefully the graphics and framerate will have improved
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The anniversary edition of Skyrim isn’t free even if you own the original – 15.99 they’re quoting me and I don’t see the point. They have added a few things for free though – survival mode looks a tough challenge. Mind I have just found a new location – a dungeon I’ve never been in, with a really interesting twist – how could I have possibly missed it all these years!
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ah yes correct Turf – loaded up the most recent save file and the only difference was the game asking if I wanted to enable survival mode each time I died, quite irritating. £16 looks unappealing given there are apparently no visual improvements on PC version. Still, I have restarted for another attempt given all the useful advice you kindly gave me a couple of months back – this time will focus more on exploring and levelling up rather than the main story and certainly not stumbling inadvertently into the DLC quests
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“Each time I died….”?? To which the only response abbeyhill is surely ‘start game again’! It is the PES purist way.
My game this time is a redguard ‘hunter’ – chose imperial, went to get the bits and pieces from the blacksmith, chose the thief stone, wandered to whiterun and after some quick levelling up and gold with alchemy (by far the easiest way to level and make money early doors) I hired a sidekick to get me through early wild beast encounters. Was tracking a deer when I found this dungeon and only entered as something happened outside it. Would have died if it was ESO but because you can pause to drink potions I was ok. So approach now is that I won’t enter dark and scary places unless paid to. I’ve completely ignored the dragon line and if someone says ‘do you know X, my son is missing..’ etc etc I just say ‘no, sorry’ and walk off before I get stuck with a quest. Currently in solitude doing a bit of shopping before likely hitting the coast. No danger of doing the deadly boring mages college type stuff, just a simple hunter enjoying life.
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might just be me but me and mini werd 1 saw some lovely moonlight effects last night that im sure were not present in the special edition. We entered darklight tower and i made the mistake of killing a named npc. Had a blast slaying Hargraven though. Apologies to Paul for must the equivalent of cricket with our skyrim tales.
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Werd – It’s fine 😉 I just cannot stand crafting/gathering type games, so Skyrim wouldn’t be my sort of thing, but can appreciate it has a huge fanbase and if you are into that kinda stuff then theres probably a ton to do.
whereas cricket, how its even classified as a sport beggars belief !! 🙂
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