Tidying my room last week and flicking through various CDs and games I came over all nostalgic when I realised that I had at least three 2D soccer simulation gems.
It pains me to admit that I still occasionally play Football Manager 2008 but nothing could beat the heady days of gambling away your future by starting up a game of Champ at the most inopportune moment.
My GCSE revision was interrupted on by my love for CM9798, playing the diamond with Barcelona and Juventus and buying in gems like Ibrahima Bakayoko, Richard Wright and Tom Youngs.
While doing my A Levels it was Championship Manager 3 and the new interface that was probably a contributing factor to my failure to make it to Nottingham Law School.
And even my degree suffered as I managed to take lowly Stevenage Borough through the league system from the Conference to the Uefa Cup on Football Manager 2005.
There were times when I would play for days at time – barely moving for the computer and only stopping to eat.
At times the love of the game can reduce the most civilized man into an unwashed, gibbering fool who is more interested in gaining promotion with York City than doing something more useful.
But who wouldn’t prefer comparing the merits of Luis Figo (20 for passing) and Zinedine Zidane (18 for shooting) than memorise a detailed history of equity and trust case law.
The worst thing about Champ addiction is that it blurs the lines of reality and fiction – at times I have had to remind my self that Arsenal didn’t sign Fernando Torres in 2006 and then go on to win back to back quadruples.
I’m going to have to write to the manufacturers and ask them to slip a sticker on the front cover. Warning: Champ ruins lives.
Better still we could all get together (and I know there is a lot of us) and start up a support group - Champoholics Anonymous.
“My name’s Leigh.... And I’m a Champoholic.”
5 comments:
No mention of us taking the Premiership by storm with Bolton?
I've got Champ 97/98 on my PC but I still prefer 01/02. Recently downloaded an update for the 08/09 season and won league 1 with Leeds...Jermaine Beckford = hero.
It really does bring back memories. The older versions are btter than the football manager series which just seem to have lost their charm.
01/02 is a complete classic. I have Windows XP and I won't work on my computer! We destroyed it with Bolton - my scouting process is second to none!
Re-instate Mr Egypt and Toglese!
watever happened to tom youngs, champ was usually so good at predicting good players, may have to google him! Best ever champ was on the amiga 5oo+ anyway, english teams wern`t even allowed in europe back then, they even made up the foreigners. Even scottish counted as foreign and you were only allowed 3 in your squad lol. Damn am i showing my age :)
01/02 works on my vista but I have to run it in compatability mode. Who can forget the legends that are Jay-Jay Okocha and Taribo West?
Tom Youngs was a player I only rated because I he was good on Champ... I don't think I even saw him play! The older Champ versions were basic but were pretty cool...
Does anyone remember Ultimate Soccer Manager on the Amiga? Classic! You could give bungs, bet on games and throw matches!
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