Hello. My name is Woy Hodgson. I’m a PE teacher in South London who has had a career in non-league. This is my story into football management after a suspicious call from someone from Sweden. I hope you enjoy the story!
It’s the year 2024 and last time we managed to lose in the final of the Svenska Cupen thing to a stupid goal, we lost to Manchester City, Porto and RB Leizpig in the Champions League and were about to finish the league! Sounds bad but actually was quite good for a little club from Sweden! But this might be the best finish to a season ever!
After the fun in the Champions League, we turn out attention back to the league. We needed a bit of a pick-me-up from losing those Champions League matches
And that’s exactly what we did. We were smashing teams left, right and centre! 4-1s, 5-1s, 6-1s meant July, August and almost all of October were unbeaten. This up us nicely at the top of the table 1 point ahead of Helseinborgs IF, Malmo (who had caught up) and Hammarby in 4th. Heading into the final few matches of the season, it was looking like it would be between us and Helsingborgs IF.
Game One
Game one for both teams was a close one. We beat Goteborg 1-0 thanks to a goal from Kouakou while Helsingborgs beat Degerfors 3-2.
Game Two
Game two out of five for us was a 5-3 victory against Mjallby AIF. Two late goals winning it for us from Engblom who’s had an epic season once again! Helsingborgs also won comfortably 2-0 against Goteborg. After this game we were on 63 points and Helsingborgs were one point behind on 62. Hammarby were out of it and Malmo were as good as out of it. It was between us and Helsingborgs.
Game Three
Our next game was against Halmstads. I still get a strange feeling where I hope they win. No idea why… But our game against them resulted in a 2-2 draw. I can only hope now that Helsingborgs don’t win…
Game Four
Going into game four, we are now one point behind Helsingborgs. The league title is slowly slipping away and with only two games to go, it’s no longer in our hands!
The best way to forget about being behind it to go and smash Malmo 4-2. Now there is no way they can win. Bad news, though, Helsingborgs win and we find ourselves behind but one point going in to the final game of the season!
Game Five
So it comes down to this. We needed to win and for Helsingborgs to draw. We were a point behind them and the league title is theirs to lose. I instruct the players to do their job and win in the next game against AIK. Helsingborgs would be against Malmo who were still battling to finish in the European places.
53 minutes into the game, I find myself sat on the bench, unhappy as it appears the league has gone. The players have given up and we find ourselves 3-1 down to AIK
We’re being outplayed and time seems to be ticking by rather quickly. Up to this point, I haven’t even looked at the Malmo match to see how they were doing against champions-elect Helsingborgs. I pull my phone out, being up the scores to see Malmo score their second goal… They were winning 2-1!
I felt a surge of hope an optimism! It’s the hope that usually kills you in football. The hope that they might just do it. So I got up, and started shouting at my players. Urgency! You can still do this! Malmo are winning! These were all things I shouted!
That’s when little Sarr scores! He picks the ball up and runs back to the half way spot to encourage a quick re-start to the match! AIK seem rattled! The game is there for the taking! The score now: 2-3 AIK.
Shortly after that, he does it again! Sarr scored from a cross and runs to celebrate with the fans! The score now is 3-3! If it stays like this, we’d win the league! But that wasn’t enough, I wanted to win!
And with us and Helsingborgs on equal points with us at 3-3 and them losing, we would be champions on goal difference. I wanted to be sure. If Malmo concede then we’d back back down to second.
Kouakou? Who? Yes, he’s only gone and scored! We’re now 4-3 up, Malmo are winning and we’re going to win the league!
With 20 minutes left to play, I’m a nervous as the Eminem after eating Mom’s spaghetti. 20 minutes to hold out and hope that Malmo can too.
Time passed so slowly. Suddenly the clock seemed to stop! But eventually the time did pass. Kouakou got another goal meaning we finished the match 5-3. Malmo held on to win. Aaaaaannd…
Championes! Championes! Championes!
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