So after winning League One last season we finally returned to League One.
The boards expectations were to avoid relagation, and with them giving me no money to do that I'd have to rely upon the youngster I already had at the club.
Fortantley my team didn't find the stepup to hard this season with a fine start seeing us play with the pacesetters, in the end though Norwich and Southampton proved too strong and quickly opened up a massive lead at the top, leaving me and Crewe to fight it out for third and fourth.
A 13 game unbeaten run at the end of the season saw us claim a playoff spot with games to spare, however we couldn't catch Norwich who were the only team with a better run than us - 21 games unbeaten, but even they couldn't catch Southampton who even with the loss of their star striker in January held on to win the title.
So we'd be left with the playoffs where my record so far wasn't great (rather annoying the 90 league points we got would have been enough for automatic promotion any other season and the title in all but two).
The playoffs drew us against Sheff Wed and after a 1-1 draw in the first leg we outplayed Wednesday at home in the second leg to win 2-0, thanks to a man of the match performance from Steve Patterson who scored only his second goal for the club and claimed an assist for the other goal.
The final brought us up against Crewe who we'd spent fighting all season fighting in the league, and the tie was to be decided by a cruel goal in the 13th minute - Coleman sent in a woeful corner to the near post, where two Crewe defenders, the Crewe Keeper and my Striker McMahon all went for the ball, the Keeper missed it and one of the Crewe players attempted to clear the ball only to see the ball hit the Keepers back and roll backwards into the goal :)
Somehow we now find ourselves playing Championship football next season.
Final Table - Promotion was down to our impressive defence we set a new record for least goals conceeded (not that the game records that stat) keeping 30! clean sheets in the process.
Squad - Keeper Ryan Dawson started the season off as first choice, due to Pedro missing the first two months due to injury, though both were impressive this season as I rotated through them with nearly identical stats.
In defence ex-Arsenal youngster George Dootson became the fourth part of my impressive young defence partnering David Robertson in the middle with fullbacks Jai Gray and Ross Birch.
In midfield Jose Manuel Ramos kept himself relatively injury free on the right wing, on the left Colin Coleman again struggled with injuries, with Irish youngster Lawrie Woolley providing cover.
In central midfield Tom Ruddy got the nod over Peter Tanner to partner Steve Patterson, with Spanish youngster Carlos Soria providing cover.
Upfront Sendoa and Ellison continued their fine partnership, easily beating the 6 goals my top scorer had last time I was in League One, they both even managed to score more goals than last season, with Ellison ending up Top Scroer for League One and Sendoa breaking the clubs league appearance record. Providing cover were two new signings Micah McMahon and promising youngster Kevin Pearson who becomes the first player I have to gain the Promising tag.
Best XI - about right, Overall XI though is well and truly broken.
Snapshot - the Cups didn't go all that well this season - Oldham hammered us in the Paint Trophy, whilst we narrowly lost to Leicester in the League Cup, the FA Cup saw us beat Rochdale 3-2, before crashing to a 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield.
Manager Profile - I pick up some more random knowledge of the world.
Club Infomation - Clubs reputation finally rises to Regional.
So the Championship is going to be fun, we have no real spare money and I'm on the verge of losing several first teamers - Ross Birch, David Robertson, George Dootson, Jai Gray (yes my entire first team defence) and Jose Manuel Ramos all want moves to bigger clubs so they can win trophys, forgetting that we have just climbed from League Two to the Championship in two seasons. And with all but Birch's contracts running out at the end of next season I now have the tough choice of keeping them and hoping they sign a contract rather than be poached for nothing, or sell them and leave myself with half a team :(
Career Overview
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| 2009/10 | Blue Square North | 1st | Promoted - Champions |
| 2010/11 | Blue Square Prem | 5th | Playoff Final |
| 2011/12 | Blue Square Prem | 1st | Promoted - Champions |
| 2012/13 | League Two | 2nd | Promoted |
| 2013/14 | League One | 24th | Relegated |
| 2014/15 | League Two | 6th | |
| 2015/16 | League Two | 4th | 2016/17 | League Two | 1st | Promoted - Champions | 2017/18 | League One | 3rd | Promoted - Playoffs |
