Game Features

1. Matches in 3D graphics
2. Transfer market
3. Full league tables
4. Injury problems!
5. Save game facility
6. Promotion and relegation
7. F.A. Cup matches
8. Managerial rating
9. Four divisions
10. As many seasons as you like
11. Pick your team for each match
12. Seven skill levels

Starting The Game

When Football Manager has loaded, you will be prompted with the question:

"Do you want a new game?"

Press Y unless you want to continue a previously saved game (See Notes below). If you accidentally press N, pressing just RETURN will prompt the question again.

Team Choice

No matter which team you choose to manage, you will start in Division 4. If your favourite isn't in the 48 included you can change the team and player names by using the Customiser Utility supplied with this tape.

Skill Level

Start at the Beginner's level and progress as you become more skilful.

The Main Game

This consists of five phases:

Phase 1 - Weekly Options

1. Sell or List Players
A list of players in your squad is displayed. See Player Attributes. If you now select a player to be sold, a team will make you an offer for him. Note that if you refuse the offer there is a risk that interested clubs will no longer want to buy him. You will see why!

2. Obtain a Loan
You may borrow money from the bank (which incurs an interest rate of 1% per week) up to your Credit Limit as follows:

You can repay some or all of your loan at the end of every week.

3. Save Game
You can use this option to save a game to be continued at a later time. Prepare your tape recorder to record on a blank tape and enter the filename (up to ten letters) you wish to save it as. After the game data has been saved, the program will return to the menu. If you accidentally enter this option, pressing just RETURN will cause an escape to the menu.

4. View Fixture List This gives you details of your fixtures for the season. You play each team in your Division on a home and away basis. This week's fixtures will be highlighted.

5. Display Division
This displays the current League Table for your Division. Using this in conjunction with the fixture list will enable you to see when you play vital matches which affect your Promotion (or Relegation) chances.

6. Switch Sound
This facility enables you to switch on or off the sound effects used in the game.

Phase 2 - Playing A Match

1. Team Attributes
Energy, Morale, Defence and Attack have a minimum vale of 1 and maximum of 20. They are calculated as follows:

Energy - is the average energy rating of all the players picked to play in your team.

Morale - is 10 at the start of the season; it increases when you win and decreases when you lose.

Defence - is the total skill rating of 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.

2. You may select your team. See Player Attributes.

3. The match highlights are shown in 3D graphics. The home team always plays from left to right, and you play the colours which correspond generally to those used by the same teams in real life, although you can change any team's colour by using the Customiser Program. If your opponent's colours clash with yours, they will play in a changed strip whether home or away. The team with the best attributes will often win, but there is always the chance of shock results, or Giant-Killings, just like real football.

Phase 3 - Results of a Match

Note: Your home gate money increases when you win and decreases when you lose. Your away gate depends on the quality of your opponents.

Phase 4 - Weekly Bills

This gives you details of your Income and Expenditure, followed by the Weekly Balance giving your profit or loss for the week.

Phase 5 - Transfer Market

1. You are given the option of bidding for a player. The more you bid in relation to his value, the greater your chance of purchasing him. If your bid fails, the value of the player will increase due to your show of interest.

2. If the "No Players For Sale" message appears you will have to sell one of your players to regain access to the transfer market as you are only allowed a maximum of 16 players in your squad.

The five phases are repeated until 22 League Matches and all your F.A. Cup matches have been played; then the game moves to Part 3.

End Of Season

1. The final league table is displayed

2. Your League, Cup and Financial Success points are displayed. You are also allocated a Financial Bonus which is related to your success in the League.

3. The top two teams are promoted (except in Division 1), and the bottom 2 teams are relegated (except in Division 4) from your division.

4. A new managerial rating is calculated for you, depending on your success so far.

5. New Skill and Energy ratings are generated for all your players, just as real footballers would improve or deteriorate every season. 6. The new season starts.

Important Notes

Restoring a Saved Game

Follow the instructions listed under Loading The Game. When prompted with the question: "Do you want a new game?" press N and then type in your Saved Game's filename, making sure the corresponding tape is ready to play in your cassette recorder. Press RETURN to read the tape. The game will commence from where it was saved.

Player Attributes

When players are listed, several details are shown:

1. Defender, Midfield player or Attacker - is indicated by the letters D, M or A respectively in the far left-hand column

2. Player's name

3. Player's number - used when selecting the player for various purposes

4. Skill rating (SKL) - highest is 5, lowest is 1

5. Energy (EN) - in the range 1 to 20. The energy rating of each player reduces by one for each match he plays in; it will increase by 10 if he does not play in a match. Part of the skill of the game is in resting the right players to increase their energy without doing too much harm to the Skill rating of the complete team.

6. Value in £ - relates directly to the skill rating of the player and the division your team is in.

7. Status - Picked to play, injured, or available for selection - indicated by a red 'P' on yellow, yellow 'I' on red, and blank space respectively in the far right-hand column. N.B. injured players cannot be selected to play.

Customiser Utility

This utility allows you to customise the DATA file to include your own favourite teams and players.

To load this, enter:

*TAPE (RETURN)
PAGE=3584 (RETURN)
*RUN "CUSTOM" (RETURN)

The utility's use is largely self-explanatory. Remember to save the new DATA file onto a blank tape once you have completed your changes.

Loading

*TAPE (RETURN)
PAGE=3584 (RETURN)
*RUN"LOADER" (RETURN)

When the program "MANAGER" has loaded, you will be prompted with the message "Press RETURN to LOAD program data". Otherwise, place your Customised Data File tape in the cassette recorder and then press RETURN.