How did you find Hattrick?
On a Spurs msg board
How much time do you spend on average, per day, on Hattrick?
20mins in the week, usually watch matches live if I’m in though
Where did your Hattrick team name come from?
It’s my old fantasy footy team name, used since 1995!
Any significance for your teams strip?
It echoes Athletico’s strip – although we’re changing it a bit next season, white shorts will be classier
What is the “weird” thing you do in Hattrick that really doesn’t make any sense?
I played winger towards middle for a couple of seasons to shore the midfield up, not any more. I write my press releases in the third person style as if a reporter was writing, that’s a bit weird. People have told me they like reading them though.
What ambitions do you have in the game, how far would you dream of going?
First things first, I’m just getting geared up to get level V in a couple of seasons. My hatstats ratings have risen about 20pts this season, I’m in the 115-120 bracket now, need to get into the 150s before I think about promotion, VI.694 has 5-6 well-managed sides.
How did you discover the wonders of the THFC Fed?
First thing to do with Supporter was find a Spurs fed!
Why is the THFC Fed your favourite?
To be honest all the feds are good to pick up tips from, but it’s good to show my Spurs allegiance
Any suggestions on how the Fed can be improved?
Keep adding more yids I suppose
What other Feds are you a member of and why?
Playmaking fed (I’m a PM trainer), Macattrick fed (Mac user) and Woodys of the World fed (I’m mates with Woody’s Allstars in VI.694)
Why did you become a Spurs supporter?
Because Dad took me to WHL in 1980 when I was 6, and then we won the FA Cup twice in a row. I used to be Hoddle in the playground at school
Favourite current Spurs player?
I like the team quality we’ve got now, but if I have to pick one out, then how the hell did the bigger Prem clubs let us sign Paul Robinson? Joint best gk in the league for £1.5m! Oh, and Dawson’s worth £10m on paper now at least.
Greatest ever Spurs player?
Before my time but from what my Dad’s told me, Blanchflower or Greaves. Best I’ve seen? Take your pick from Hoddle, Gascoigne, Lineker, Klinsmann
Worst ever Spurs player?
I think Tramezzani was the absolute low point of our 15 years in the wilderness, but I personally hate everything to do with Anderton, who was to me the personification of all that was wrong at Spurs between Venables’ sacking in 1993 and Jol taking charge in 2004
Greatest Spurs manager?
Billy Nick’s got a healthy lead over Burkinshaw, Venables and Jol hasn’t he!
Worst Spurs manager?
Dad would say Terry Neill, fancy a gooner trying to take over when Billy left! I’d say tactically Ossie, but Hoddle was pretty bad when he lost it after a year or so, Gross never had a chance and was a good coach, you can see that at Basle. We got him too early in the Prem history, the papers would leave him alone now.
What has been the high point and low point of the last Spurs season for you?
High was the King goal against the scum (celebrated down in my corner) and the atmos the other night at the West Brom game when Robbie put the penner in to win it, low point probably the Mido red card home to the Chel, Kanu having the game of his life at the Hawthorns, and the cup exit goals against being so predictable
What was the first Spurs match that you saw? (WHL and TV)
WHL can’t remember it was 1980 I think. We were Park Lane upper, wooden clapperboard seats, the old ironwork roof, 50p for a paper bag of monkeynuts and a pint of coke. TV, who knows, something on ITV’s ‘The Big Match’ probably or when Jimmy Hill presented MotD and Lineker was a kid at Leicester!
What is the most memorable Spurs match you have seen and why?
1999 Worthy Cup final was fun (well the last 5 minutes), also the 7-2 Southampton game, the 5-2 Everton ‘Marney match’ and I remember Lineker’s last hattrick for us against going-down West Ham in 92. In spite of defeat the 3-5 Utd game was one that goes down in history and I have a peverse sense of pride that I was there. The 5-1 Chel win in the cup under Hoddle was good (wasn’t there) but what’s the point when we were generally rubbish and lost the next two games to them anyway. Chel even made Sherwood look good that night, it meant nothing.
What was the worst Spurs match you have ever seen?
The City 3-4 cup game on the pub TV (didn’t use my cup credits!) was pretty low. 1-6 Chel game under Gross too. Thankfully wasn’t there.
Do you own any Spurs football shirts? What designs?
I bought a yellow Hummel Holsten one in 1988 when I was 14. It still fits. I’ve got a dark blue last season’s away with Mido 15 on.
Favourite Spurs shirt design?
Always the next one!
If you could sign any current Premiership player for Spurs who would it be?
Terry Henry short term, but to fit in with Levy’s policy, Rooney.
If you could sign any current world player for Spurs then who would it be?
Realistically Torres. Don’t think Ronaldinho would suit no time and space in the Prem. Honestly. Otherwise Adriano and Shev are pretty deadly up front. It’s strikers I’m listing here – still don’t think we’ve got a goal legend yet (although Keane is turning into one this season!)
Do you have a job in real life? What is it?
I’m a senior designer in a London comms agency
What did you do with your spare time, before HT?
I’m a keen photographer, good skier, and just started climbing
Can you tell us about your best and worst day in HT?
Best was selling my first trainee for a huge profit, worst was probably losing a couple of matches this season where the stats say I shouldn’t have
What has been the best improvement made to Hattrick and why?
Level 7 coming in will help. There’s a huge gap between 5 and 6, caused by 6 being the bottom rung. After a few seasons we should see 6 leagues averaging much higher team stats, and less of a gap to 5.
What has been the highlight of the Hattrick season for you?
This season, watching my solid coach’s effect on trainees and the squad form, and the stadium hitting 22,000
Do you have a favourite Hattrick player and why? (That's an actual player and not manager)
My new solid keeper Griff, I got him in for £40k and he’s a 3.5 star genius
Who has been you best recent Hattrick signing and why?
Steensels, my first excellent winger, young enough to work some PM into in training, good secondaries, passable leadership
Do you have any players that don’t really play, but you keep them anyway? why?
My solid striker Villar and passable defender Peiffer, both off form this season and shoring up the reserves. Peiffer’s the squad captain.
If you had the chance,what one thing would you change in HT?
I’d make the arena designer more integrated into the rest of the site, and enable more smaller blocks than 2,000 so the newbies can design something more like a non-league ground – maybe grass banks that hold 500 people!
I’d also have 16 teams per league, more variety!
Everyone makes a newbie mistake when they start HT, what was yours?
Solid keeper for £75k in week one, sold for £80k in week two. Also not getting a passable coach till season 27. I’ve made hundreds of transfers not knowing what I was doing until a long-term strategy was in place. Bit like Spurs for the last decade!
What position do you train? Have you always trained the same position?
PM, always.
If you were giving advice to a new Hattrick player now, what would you say?
Get a passable coach, 9 assistants, 100% PM training. Sell all midfielders over 19. Get 6 17yo passable PMs with inad+passing, stick 3 in the first team, 3 in the reserves, play 3-5-2, keep the arena at 20xfanclub size. Sit back and wait.
Who has been your HT inspiration?
The lads on my Spurs msg board, three of which are playing qual games for level 5 next week. They’ve got £2m midfielders that they’ve trained up.
Have you had any rivalries with other Hattrick managers?
Woodys Allstars are starting to play friendly mindgames with their press releases, it’s very funny in VI.694.
Who is the biggest muppet in the Fed and why?
Anyone who thinks Stalteri and Lee are rubbish fullbacks!
Who has been your inspiration or mentor in Hattrick?
Probably the advice that’s helped me from the Spurs board lads. Patrese, Royal Elmhurstian and Jol-lification are the top teams from there. There’s about 15 teams, we’re all yids, one from Canada, one Scot, one Wales side, the rest English. Some might be members of this fed, I’m not sure. We play a friendly league system, three divisions this season, and a cup too.
Who makes you laugh in the Hattrick world? (either Fed conference or elsewhere)
Patrese’s press releases, mentioning ‘extra disciplinary training with Madame Kane’ etc.
Favourite joke?
‘Fabregas is Arsenal’s answer to losing Vieira’
Do you have a favourite football chant that makes you laugh?
Couldn’t possibly repeat some of the funnies the Park Lane end come out with. ‘Are you watching Arsenal’ has been a personal joy when we’ve been live on TV and well ahead in the game.
What is your favourite Book?
For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway. Or Lord of the Rings. Of Human Bondage, Maugham. Sons and Lovers, DH Lawrence.
What is your favourite TV show?
Sky Sports, Soccer AM.
Do you play any other good online games?
Used to play a space thing, can’t remember what it’s called, where you had a fleet and a home planet and set up federations to fight intergalactic battles. Nonsense of that kind...
Christina Aguilera or Britney Spears in nothing but a Spurs home shirt, you can only have one, who would it be?
Aguilera looks like she knows the ‘bedroom arts’
Best movie of the year?
Sideways
Best movie of all time?
Lord of the Rings trilogy, or Godfather 2, Goodfellas, Scarface
What was the last album you bought? Good, bad, indifferent?
New one from Gotan Project this week. Very good.
Favourite band of all time?
Seen Radiohead twice, best band in the UK now. Rolling Stones otherwise, or Ryan Adams/Stone Roses/Primal Scream. Currently looking forward to Kasabian album 2.
Favourite album of all time?
OK Computer probably |
