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If you read the small ads in computer magazines you may remember a small company called E&J Software, touting all sorts of sport simulation software. Now, due to apparent success over the years, this small company has decided to branch out with a couple of re-releases on budget format, available through most retail outlets. Premier II is the first to arrive.

For those with experience of footy management games, I suggest you bear with me, but don't expect to learn anything new as Premier II offers no changes on the norm. It instead aims to better what has previously been achieved, and all for a measly price.

Once loaded and past the obligatory inputting phase you will be faced with a menu, with which you may as well get friendly with, because you'll certainly see a lot of it. This allows you to change the names of all your players and teams in the division, plus all sorts of things that most games of the ilk allow.

At any time you can view the fixtures for the season, and the current league table (consisting of sixteen different teams), along with several other managerial duties. One of the almost unique features is the way the transfer market is represented. Each team has its own list of players (skills, form, etc, included) all of which are easily accessible. Once you have seen a player that would improve your squad, make a note of which team he plays for, and his player number and you can poach him if the offer is right.

The game is not strong when it comes to the match itself, but at least it's enormously fast. Both teams involved at the time have an attack rating, which is made up, in a mathematical process, from all the player's factors. It plays in several sections and in each section there is a chance of scoring, dependant on the attack rating for the teams. If your team scores, you will be presented with the name of the scorer and his number, minutes are not displayed in Premier II.

Another weak point that is worth mentioning is that things can get rather boring from season to season, as there are no cup games featured, and it is far too easy to acquire an amazingly good team. With all said and done, it is still a fun game with enough managerial decisions to make it a challenge, albeit for a short while.

The display of all the menus is very user-friendly, and it doesn't take too long to complete one whole season. You can save the game that you are currently playing, like all other managerial games, which makes long term play that much easier.

At a budget price, Premier II succeeds but I wouldn't say that it was in division one for soccer games, more like jostling in the play-offs.