Brian Clough's Football Fortunes

Brian Clough's Football Fortunes is a football management game with a big difference. In an exciting departure from earlier computer simulation games, Brian Clough's Football Fortunes combines an excellent range of computer based features with an fascinating board game. The result for the players is a package which gives the social aspects and skill of other best-selling board games with the flexibility and speed of play which only a computer can supply.

Brian Clough's Football Fortunes can be played by two to five players who take on the roles of team managers. Each manager must successfully steer his team through the season, using his skill to make his team stronger as the game proceeds. He competes with human and computer controlled teams in a ten strong league, and the F.A. Cup. From the second season onwards, each team will also enter one of three European competitions.

Features Include:

1. Ten Strong League
2. F.A. and European Cups
3. Four Skill Levels
4. Variable Game Length
5. Computer Die
6. Teleprinter
7. Constantly updated League Tables & Assessments of each Manager's performance

Contents Include:

1. Computer program
2. Playing board
3. Five coloured counters
4. 112 Player cards
5. Six immunity cards
6. Pack of money
7. 10 spare player cards

1. Introduction

Brian Clough's Football Fortunes is a football management computer/board game suitable for two to five players. Each player takes on the role of a club manager. The object of the game is for each manager to successfully steer his team through the season, using his skill to make his team stronger as the game proceeds. Each manager competes with human and computer controlled teams in a ten strong season onwards, each team will also enter a European competition as follows:

League Champions : - European Cup
FA Cup Winners : - European Cup Winners Cup
Remaining Clubs : - UEFA Cup

2. How To Win

The winner of Brian Clough's Football Fortunes is the manager who survives to the end of the game, and has the highest number of game points. Game points are points awarded by the computer program, based on each manager's performance in League and Cup competitions and on the amount of cash he has left at the end of the game.

It is very important not to confuse game points with points obtained by winning League matches. It is not enough to do well in the League.

The main aim of every manager is to create as strong a team as possible by increasing the total star rating of his side. While doing this he must not neglect any section of his team, or he will lose matches. He must buy from and sell to other managers, borrow and loan players, buy players in Auction, and cope with problems thrown at him from the computer. He must resist the temptation to spend carelessly, or sell players too freely. Any action which results in poor team performance or low cash levels will cost him game points.

3. The Equipment

1 computer disk or cassette, the playing board, 5 coloured counters, 112 football player cards, 10 blank player cards, a selection of Banknotes and 6 immunity cards which are held by the bank.

4. What The Computer Does

The computer program records the information about the human players and the teams they will manage during the game. It allocates the initial squads to each manager, rolls the die when instructed to do so, and decides the results of fixtures based on information given to it by the managers.

The computer awards game points, keeps track of League fixtures, updates the League table and game points table, and decides to gate receipts for each fixture. It controls the fixture lists for cup competitions and randmly allocates Selection problems and Manger's Luck when told to do so by the computer operator. The program menu shows the facilities the computer controls, and the keys you need to use.

The computer will not keep track of a manager's money, or changes in his team strength. This information must be given to the computer as necessary. It is the manager's responsibility to ensure that he receives money owed to him, gets back loaned players, has his correct team strengths entered into the computer and so on.

5. Loading Instructions

Loading instructions are printed on your disk or cassette. When you wish to return to the menu at any point in the game, press M or RETURN/ENTER as appropriate for your machine.

6. Setting Up The Teams

To start the game, load the computer disk or cassette and tell the program the number of players (i.e. managers) who will be playing.

Then choose the skill level at which to play. Level 1 gives the easiest game, and Level 4 the most difficult. Skill Level 1 has computer teams with lower star ratings than Level 4 computer teams.

Finally, enter your name and choose the club you want to manage. Once this information has been entered, the computer will select your squad of fifteen players and you take the corresponding cards from the pack of players.

7. Star Rating

Each player has a star rating of 1 to 5 (5 being the best). The players are of five types - Goalkeeper (G), Defender (D), Midfielder (M), Attacker (A) and the Utility player (U). There are ten blank cards which allow you to create your own players, but you should remove a player of the same type and star rating from the pack if you do so. When your squad has been assigned by the computer, pick up the cards and arrange them on the table in front of you as shown below.

You must always play this 4-3-3 formation. At the start of the game, each manager will be allocated two Utility players as part of his initial squad. Since the two Utility players are his reserves, they do not form part of his Attack value (17), Defence value (13) or his total team strength (13+17=30). If one of the Utility players has a higher value than one of the specialist players, then the manager should put the Utility players into the team. In the squad illustrated below, he has put his U3 player into the Defence, and placed the D1 player in the reserves.

The manager now has a two star increase in the strength of his defence value, and his total team strength has improved from 13+17=30 to to 15+17=32. The only exception to this substitution rule is when a Utility player replaces the Goalkeeper. In that case, the Utility player has a value of only one star, regardless of his face value.

8. Nominal Values

Each player has a nominal value based on his star rating, with each star having a value of £20,000. The Goalkeeper in the same squad has a nominal value of £80,000, the U3 player is worth £60,000, and so on.

9. Officials

When each manager has selected his squad and arranged them in the correct pattern, shuffle the remaining player cards and place them face down on the board. These cards now become the Auction Pile. The managers then appoint a banker and a computer operator - preferably not the same person. The banker gives each manager £200,000 made up of one £100,000 note, one £50,000 note, one £20,000 and two each of £10,000 and £5,000 notes. Each manager then chooses a coloured counter and places it on the Start square.

It is the banker's duty to ensure that sponsorship money and gate receipts are paid from the bank and fine and cash penalties imposed by Manager's Luck, Selection Problems and Crisis are paid into the bank. The banker also acts as auctioneer of players and must ensure all players who should do into or our of the Auction Pile do so. The banker issues Immunity cards when instructed by Selection Problems and collects then immediately after use.

The computer operator inputs team and manager information as required during the game, uses the computer die on behalf of the managers and calls up information screens as requested by them.

10. Game Duration

Before starting the game, the managers should decide how long they wish to play. This can be a certain number of seasons, or a specified length of time. We recommend a minimum game length of two seasons so that the European competitions can be reached. The game duration is a verbal duration is a verbal agreement between the managers and no computer entry is required.

11. Starting The Game

The managers are now ready to start their first season. The sequence of play from now on will be: board move - play match - board move - play match. To begin this sequence, the computer operator uses the computer die for each manager by pressing the key designated in the menu. The manager then moves his counter the appropriate number of squares.

12. The Board

Each square on the board presents the manager with a different situation with which to deal between matches. They are summarised as follows:

Wages

The manager must pay his entire wages into the bank. The amount depends on the squad's total star rating and is determined by the chart shown on the board. The total star rating must include all the manager's players, even those suspended, injured or loaned to him. This does not include players on loan to other managers, but the manager is not allowed to loan players out between landing on the Wages square and paying their wages to the bank.

Manager's Luck

This can be good or bad and is randomly selected by pressing the appropriate computer key as shown in the menu. When money is involved, a manager will get cash from or pay it to the bank. It will be clear from the wording on the screen in which direction the money moves.

Auction

When a manager lands on this square, the top card on the Auction Pile is turned face up and the auction begins. The top bidder pays the purchase fee to the bank. Each player has a nominal value, but this has no effect on bidding at this stage. If none of the managers wishes to buy the player in auction, the card goes to the bottom of the Auction Pile. If a manager makes the highest bid in an auction, but cannot pay when called to do so, he forfeits half his cash to the bank, rounded up if necessary, and the auction restarts without the offender.

50% Auction

This square is like the ordinary Auction, except that if the manager who landed on the square is the highest bidder, he only pays half of his his bid to the bank. In return for this priviledge, he must bid in multiples of £10,000.

Selection Problems

Pressing the key designated in the menu will reveal the manager's problem, randomly chosen by the program. Careful attention to the wording of the problem will show exactly what must be done. For example, "best player" means the player with the highest star rating in your squad. In thr sample squad shown, this is the M5 player or the D5. Your "best player in any team section" means you can choose your A4, M4, D4 or your G4 player. Players who are lost, injured or retired as a result of Selection Problems or Manager's Luck go to the bottom of the Auction Pile and players sold to the bank become subject to the rules of Bank Finance.

Sponsorship

A manager on this square immediately receives £30,000 from the bank.

Bank Finance

This square allows you to sell any of your players to the bank for three quarters of their nominal value. There is no limit on the number of players you can sell in this way, but you must ensure that you can carry on playing. A manager cannot voluntarily sell to the bank unless he lands on this square, but he can sell or load a player to another manager at any stage of the game subject to the rules covering loans and transfers. A player held by the bank can be bought by any manager at any time for a minimum of one and a half times his nominal value. Managers can make competing bids and the banker must take the highest offer. The rules for Auctions apply to a manager who cannot pay for a player when required to.

Sunday

A day off. Nothing needs to be done. And nothing nasty happens.

Crisis

Any manager landing here is fined £50,000 and loses his best specialist player in any one of the four team sections. That is, he must sell his Goalkeeper - or his best Defender - or his best Midfielder - or his best Attacker. He cannot sell a Utility player. He must sell to the bank, which will pay three quarters of the player's nominal value. The player is then subject to the rules of Bank Finance.

13. Playing The Matches

Once all the managers have used the computer die and completed their moves on the board, the computer operator calls up the next fixture list (see menu) so that each manager knows which teams he and his colleagues are going to play. He then selects the appropriate screen (with the designated key) and inputs the team strengths for each manager. The Goalkeeper and Defenders combine to give the strength/star rating of the defence, and the Midfielders and Attackers give the strength/star rating for the attack. Any reserves are ignored at this stage of the game. Once the team information has been entered, the computer will determine the results of each game and show them on the screen.

14. After The Match

Now each manager can receive his gate money from the banker. He will be given half of the amount shown on the computer monitor screen and the size of the gate receipts depends on the league positions of the teams playing any given fixture. If you are doing well in the league and meet another top flight team, you will have a big pay day. On the other hand, if you and your opponents are scraping along the bottom of the table, forget the summer tour of South America - you won't be able to afford it!

When ready, the managers set off on another round of the board moves prior to the next set of fixtures. Cup matches will be played on a knockout basis, but the competition will cease for the season if all the human teams are eliminated. If a manager's team has been eliminated from the competition, he will not participate in the computer fixture, but must take his turn at the board. He therefore risks the same hazards as the Cup teams, but he can expect no gate money on that turn.

15. Miscellaneous Rules

The essence of Brian Clough's Football Fortunes is the way the managers interact with each other and the computer teams. Managers who are prepared to wheel and deal have infinitely more fun, and will get closer to the thrills and pressures of real-life football management. Alliances can be made or broken as the flow of play dictates and the manager who shows most skill in making deals, selling, buying and borrowing players, will win the game, just as in the real world, however, some rules have to be observed.

Transfers/Loans

Loans and transfers are a key feature of the game, and the following conditions apply:

A transfer is the outright sale of a player from one manager to another. A loan is when one manager allows another to use one of his players for one or more matches. In either case, the financial arrangements are agreed by the managers themselves.

For a loan to take place, both teams involved must be playing in the current round of the new season.

Immediately the semi-final of any Cup competition has been played, no new loans or transfers can take place until the start of the new season.

Transfers do not depend on either team playing in the current round of fixtures, but the Cup semi-final deadline still applies.

Managers can buy players whenever one becomes available in the bank or from the Auction Pile. This applies even after Cup semi-finals have been played.

If all Cup competitions cease before the semi-final are reached, managers can make loans or transfers until the first semi-final of the next season's competitions.

The Squad

There is no limit on the size of the squad, but each team must have the correct formation and number of players for each game. If a manager cannot field a full side, the Defence and Attack values are entered as 5 and 6 respectively, and gate money for that fixture is forfeited. In order to continue playing and accumulate game points, it is important to maintain the size and composition of the squad sensibly.

Bankruptcy

If a manager is unable to pay a debt, even by selling players, he must resign. His players go to the bottom of the Auction Pile and his team values are set at 5 for Defence and 6 for Attack from then on. His counter is removed from the board, and he takes no further part in the game. A bankrupt manager is disqualified from winning the game. When only two managers start the game, the surviving manager thus automatically wins.

Immunity Cards

If you are issued one of these valuable cards by the banker after landing on a Selection Problems square, you may use it to get out of a later Selection Problem, or sell it to another manager. It does not give immunity to the Crisis square or Manager's Luck. The Immunity card may only be used once and must then be returned immediately to the bank. Top Player

A "Top", "Best" or "No. 1" player is the one with the highest star rating in your squad, team or team selection, depending on the context. It excludes any players on loan to you.

Game Points

Every manager is awarded game points based on his performance in the League, FA Cup and European competitions, and his cash balance at the end of the game. The game points table is constantly updated and can be seen at any time by pressing the key designated in the menu. Remember, it is game points which decide the winning manager, not match points won in the League.

Pre-Season Fortunes

Before each season, except the first, each manager must accept a Manager's Luck and Selection problem.

16. The Winner

At the end of the game, the computer asks each surviving manager how much money he has left, and this is converted into game points. These points are then added to the existing game points, and the overall winner is decided.

Loading

Tape: CHAIN"" (RETURN)
Disc: SHIFT-BREAK