I decided to take on the British Steel Challenge, albeit a simplified version—where I 'only' need to win the top divisions along with the main cups. I’ve always wanted to document stories like this as I play, but since I’m not much of a writer, I decided to bring ChatGPT along as my narrator.

This is the first part of Danny Callaghan’s story.

___

Danny Callaghan never thought he'd find himself pacing the sidelines as a football manager. A Sunday league footballer with no coaching badges, Danny was the kind of guy you’d find arguing over a dubious penalty call on muddy pitches, followed by a pint at the pub with his teammates. But when the local Welsh club Briton Ferry Llansawel called him up, desperate for a leader, Danny saw a chance to rewrite his story.

Taking on the British Steel Challenge, Danny’s goal is as audacious as it is daunting: win every top division title and domestic cup across Britain and Ireland. And he’s doing it the only way he knows how—with grit, humor, and a promise to stick to his roots. Only British and Irish players and staff are allowed in his squad. No global superstars, no shortcuts—just homegrown talent and sheer determination.

It didn’t take long for Danny’s charisma to win over Briton Ferry’s players, staff, and even the chairman, Wyn Evans. The club itself is a patchwork of youthful academy graduates, seasoned veterans, and a small but fiercely loyal fanbase. Danny’s assistants, Wayne Jones and Chris Llewellyn, are seasoned pros, and his staff includes a mix of youthful ambition and experienced heads.

The squad features the likes of Luke Bowen, a prolific 35-year-old striker with a nose for goal, and Jonathan Hood, a 32-year-old winger who’s been turning back the clock with his dazzling form. Young stars like Corey Hurford and Kevin Jones are the future, while academy talents like Cian Evans keep hope alive for a long-term vision. It’s a team of misfits and believers—exactly the kind of squad Danny thrives with.

The season so far has been anything but predictable. From thrilling wins to hard-fought draws, Danny has faced moments of triumph and heartbreak. A missed penalty here, a last-minute winner there—it’s all part of the rollercoaster ride that is life at Briton Ferry. And through it all, Danny’s unorthodox approach, raw passion, and determination to prove himself have kept the dream alive.

The journey has only just begun. Can a man with no coaching badges and a team of underdogs climb to the top of the football pyramid? One thing is certain—Danny Callaghan isn’t afraid to dream big. And in the valleys of Wales, he’s building something that just might outlast the doubters.

Stay tuned—this is only the beginning.

Danny Callaghan

I wanna start a new save in a league with 30 or less matches and not more than one cup competition. Europe would be my first choice. Got all the leagues in a downloaded database. Do you have any suggestions?

did a west ham save, went 3 seasons each one better than the one before, this season I won the carabao cup, got to the FA cup final and UCL final (didn't get into any final besides the europa league final before this) and placed 9th in the league table (Media prediction was 5th) had crazy injuries for like 2 months and the board still decided to sack me... this would never happen irl especially for a manager who put the club on the map.

I’m currently at Central Córdoba (sdE) Argentinian first tier, you start in January in Argentina so we have played 9 games, all in the league cup W3 D3 L3, thoughts on this tactic? We haven’t really scored much or conceded much.

I’m playing on Football Manager 2023 and started a save with a club in the French National 3 (fifth division), aiming for a long and challenging road to the top. After a tough first season, I managed to secure promotion to National 2. But then, something insane happened—my club was bought out by rich investors… after the first season. This is already a super rare event, but it completely changed the dynamics of my save.

For my second summer transfer window, I suddenly had a €3M budget. That was enough to dominate National 2, win the Coupe de France, and secure another promotion. So far, so good… but then things spiraled out of control.

This season, in National (third division), I was given €125M for transfers. I can now attract almost any young talent and fend off offers from clubs like Madrid, Manchester, or PSG just by handing out huge loyalty bonuses. Some of my players are even paid more than most Ligue 1 players, let alone National players. My team is now performing at a Ligue 1 mid-table level, even though we’re officially still in the third tier.

To make things even crazier, my youth academy has become incredible, producing top talents every year. But I barely have time to get attached to these players—they develop too quickly or get bought by top teams. The one exception is a player named Welford, who joined my team at 16 but was sold to Liverpool for next to nothing. Thankfully, I included a buyback clause. He’s now an absolute monster: top scorer in the Premier League, the Champions League, and Euro 2024. He carried his national team to glory and makes Haaland look like an average player.

On top of all that, I’m playing in the Europa League (thanks to winning the Coupe de France), where I’m undefeated and likely heading to the final without breaking a sweat.

It’s all just… too easy. What was supposed to be a challenging save has become completely unbalanced, and the fun is gone. Has anyone else had a promising save ruined by something like this? What would you do in my situation? Restart, ride it out, or enforce some crazy house rules?

I’ve been playing FM for a few months now (third season in the game so far) and this is the first time I’ve been offered a Job while coaching for another club. I started at Oviedo, got fired during my second season, then hired by AEK Athens. I’ve managed to win the Conference League during my first year, and I’m top of the Greek league table right now. Rome just contacted me and offered the job, as they are on a losing streak and battling for permanence. What would you do?

How do you guys use the Youth Recruitment feature and how do guys improve it?Like I some people get like monsters throught Youth Recruitment and I get some low level player.

https://preview.redd.it/0lfls6e6jg4e1.png?width=1371&format=png&auto=webp&s=f350b3c4220dc644305af9e557a1ffc8a52ea6b5

Hey everyone, just wanted to share my backup (future prospect) goalkeeper. Do you guys think it is a deal breaker to have a 5'10" goalkeeper with 1 eccentricity?

https://preview.redd.it/n9vnsb66ig4e1.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=ffe3064ae5fea035148cf6f4ef143f51bbc40be6

THIS IS NOT A FRIENDLY, IT'S A LEAGUE GAME.

https://preview.redd.it/t8y1fn87fg4e1.png?width=828&format=png&auto=webp&s=9863d51d65ee515dd670e5bb340678a9026ba950

The game accurately knows temperature and weather so far in advance... very impressive

https://preview.redd.it/j56j9193fg4e1.png?width=2544&format=png&auto=webp&s=6d70333b51bc080e2afc8f873cefd9639b782156

This is on my fm21 save. Do i sell for 189 million? He's obviously incredible and one of the best players in the world, but players do start to decline at 31, and I also have a pretty good replacement who is only slightly worse. Only problem is his replacement is inconsistent and dislikes big matches so those drawbacks are pretty big

This is on my fm21 save. Do i sell for 189 million? He's obviously incredible and one of the best players in the world, but players do start to decline at 31, and I also have a pretty good replacement who is only slightly worse. Only problem is his replacement is inconsistent and dislikes big matches so those drawbacks are pretty big

It's August 2043. In 2033 I signed a promising 22 year old attacking midfielder, Simone Montaguti, from Roma for a not-insignificant £50m.

7 seasons and 217 apps (all comps), 154 goal involvements (91 goals/61 assist) and an overall average rating of 7.18 saw him leave to Al-Nassr for a huge £114M and £1.3m p/w wages.

Monti had a lovely old time in Saudi Arabia, contributing 138 goals (97 goals/41 assists) in 3 years before presumably realising he was still too good to just take the money, and opted to leave at the end of his contract.

And that's where I come in. Lovely little swoop, bringing the magnificent Italian back where he belongs. And with a lovely little shirt sales bonus too. Oh, and with a natural fitness of 18 means he's going to be top class for at least another 3 seasons.

Perhaps we can call it a £64m, 3- year loan. Suckers.

https://preview.redd.it/nxqgtew6eg4e1.jpg?width=1299&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a71ebc27af821e7d855bd5894c7cd0069e603e8b

https://preview.redd.it/0b7lzbc7eg4e1.jpg?width=1732&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d35df7c9a2fc9262df8d501f5bbc861c166c239e

I am currently managing Tindastóll in Iceland and am in 2037 season. Three years ago I asked the board for a u19 team and they accepted but they don't play in any competition so it is not so useful any reasons why or a whey to get them in the u19 league.

I always quite like going for ex players (if there good enough) just for the storyline and nostalgia