FOOTBALL STAR* MANAGER – Playing Instructions
Loading
First, enter NEW, then load the program using LOAD”” — just kidding (that is from the 1982 instructions). But I will re-use as much as I can to keep the retro feel, so here goes:
Starting the game
a) When your name is requested, type your full name as Team Manager.
b) No matter which team you choose to manage, you will start in Division 4. If your favourite team isn’t included in the list of 64 teams provided, just choose a random team and you will be able to change its name later on.
c) You start at Beginner’s level 1 and progress in level and league as you become more skillful or you build a stronger squad.
Main Game
The main game consists of these phases:
THIS WEEK
a) Transfer List players
A list of players in your squad is displayed. If you now select (by tapping the row) a player to be sold, he will be put on the transfer market and may be sold during the financial phase of the game. A letter T next to a player’s details indicates he is on the Transfer Market.
b) Print Score etc
Shows details and a record of your achievements, including your Manager Rating.
c) Obtain a Loan
You may increase your Bank Loan up to your Credit Limit allowed in the Division you are playing in as follows:
Division 1 – 250 million
Division 2 – 125 million
Division 3 – 50 million
Division 4 – 25 million
d) Pay Off Loan
This gives you the option to pay off your loan. Your loan has interest charges so it’s a good idea to clear it when you can.
e) News and Help
This goes to a web page where you can read the Football Star* Manager information and help pages.
f) Customise
Customising names used in the game is possible and is accessed from this menu.
g) Save Game
The Save Game is useful to ensure you current game is saved away. The game also auto saves but this menu option ensures a save. Next time you load the game, it will offer you the option to Continue from your saved game.
h) Continue
Continue is used throughout the game to move on to the next game phase. From This Week it continues to the next match.
MATCH DESCRIPTION
The details of your match, competition and opponents are shown. Apart from Semi-Finals and Finals in cup competitions, which are played on neutral ground, the home team is on the left. Note: The Home team will have an advantage from home crowd support.
TEAM ATTRIBUTES
This screen shows the attributes of the teams against each other and gives the option to change the players picked to play.
a) Team attributes
Fitness, Morale, Defence, Midfield, and Attack have a minimum value of 1 and maximum 20. They are calculated as follows:
Fitness – is the average fitness rating of all the players picked to play in your team.
Morale – increases when you win and decreases when you lose.
Defence – is the total skill rating of the Goalie and all the Defenders picked to play in your team.
Midfield – is the total skill rating of all the Midfield players picked to play in your team.
Attack – is the total skill rating of all the Attackers picked to play in your team.
CHANGE TEAM
You may change your team Player Attributes.
When players are listed, several details are shown:-
a) Goalie, Defender, Midfield player, or Attacker is indicated by a G, D, M or A respectively in the far left hand column.
b) Player’s name.
c) Skill rating – highest is 5, lowest is 1.
d) Fitness – in the range 1 to 20. The fitness rating of each player reflects match fitness and knocks or minor injures. It will often reduce for each match he plays in. It will increase if he does not play in a match.
e) Age of the player. Older players are worth less and more likely to retire.
f) Value in millions – relates directly to the skill rating of the player, the age of the player and the division your team is in.
g) Picked to play, Injured, Available for selection, – indicated by p, i and space respectively in the far right hand column. N.B. injured players
cannot be selected to play.
MATCH
The match commentary starts. The team with the best attributes when compared with each other, will often win but there is always a
chance of shock results or giant killings, like in real football.
MATCH RESULT
The final score for the match is shown
RESULTS
This shows the results of other matches in both league and cup competitions.
LEAGUE TABLE
The current league table is shown.
TRANSFER MARKET
You are given the option of bidding for a player. The more you bid in relation to his value, the more chance you have of purchasing him. If your bid fails, due to demand, the value of the player will increase.
FINANCES
Any sales in the transfer market, of players you have transfer listed, will show on this screen. This is the weekly financial statement, which shows all the elements of your finances, and totals the money you have and your debts.
Transfers is the total profit or loss from the transfer market.
Gate Receipts and bonuses shows the gate receipts which will depend on the match and any bonuses.
Sponsors is set for the season and paid weekly.
Loan interest depends on the amount of your debt and the current interest rate.
Wage bill depends on the players in the squad. More skilled players are more expensive in wages.
Weekly balance is the profit or loss for the week.
All finances are dependent on the league division you are playing in. If you cannot pay your debts and you exceed the credit limit you may go bankrupt and that will bring the current game to an end.
Continue progresses to the This Week menu screen and the match playing loop can continue until the end of the season. When all league and cup matches are finished the end of the season is reached.
FINAL LEAGUE TABLE
The final league table is shown. The top 3 from each division are promoted and the bottom 3 relegated
END OF SEASON
This details the end of season league position, number of seasons completed, European Cup round reached, Cup round reached, Money, Debt, total League Championships, total Division Championships, total European Cup wins, and total Cup wins.
NEWS
News shows your updated manager points, which rates your manager performance. Your team achievements are shown. Bonuses for League and Cup achievements are shown. The number of players retiring are shown.
PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
The promotions, relegations, and Cup Winners are shown.
START NEW SEASON
The updates to your team achievements are shown before commencing a new season.
CUP COMPETITIONS
There are 2 cup competitions in the game The Cup and the European Cup. The Cup plays through the season but to qualify for the European Cup, your team needs to do one of 3 things: Finish in the top 3 of Division 1, win the Cup, or win the European Cup. Until you do one of these things you will not play in the European Cup.
Copyright Kevin Toms 2016