On the Banks of the River Thames
Posted: 15 Mar 2026, 23:03
Starting Point: End of the 2025/2026 Season. Did a live start with March 15th and simulated the remainder of the season.
System: PS5
Graphics: Adobe Express
Team: Fulham, no sacking
Manager: Will hire new, anytime a manager is changed, the system has to be changed to fit that manager's style in real life.
House rules stolen from Caesar
Squad Rules
Competition squad rules must be abided by. The following rules are in effect for the competitions that the club may compete in:
English Premier League
Maximum squad size of 25 players
Maximum of 23 outfield players
Minimum of 8 Home Grown players (A player who has spent at least 3 seasons with a team affiliated to the FA or FAW before their the season they turn 22 years old)
Under 21s or Academy players do not count towards the squad cap
Maximum of 2 loans registered at the same time
Maximum of 1 player can be loaned in from each club
Maximum of 4 loans per season
English Football League
18 man matchday squad restrictions
Minimum of 7 Home Grown players (A player who has spent at least 3 seasons with a team affiliated to the FA or FAW before their the season they turn 22 years old)
Maximum of 5 players on loan
Non-matchday squad restrictions:
No maximum squad size
Maximum of 4 players on loan from a single club
Maximum of 2 players over 24 on loan from a single club
F.A. Cup
Follows same squad restrictions as English Premier League
No player can play for more than 1 club in the same season
Carabao Cup
Follows same squad restrictions as English Football League
No player can play for more than 1 club in the same season
Clubs must field a full strength side (Full strength means a maximum of 3 players who have not played at least 50% of league games)
UEFA Champions League
Maximum squad size of 25 players
Minimum of 2 goalkeeepers selected
Minimum of 4 players trained at the club between their 15th and 21st birthday
Minimum of 8 players trained in the nation between their 15th and 21st birthday
Maximum of 1 player who has been registered in an European competition at another club
Maximum of 3 players can be swapped after the Winter Transfer Window
Players who are 21 years old or younger and have been registered at the club for at least one year do not have to be registered.
UEFA Europa League
Maximum squad size of 25 players
Minimum of 2 goalkeeepers selected
Minimum of 4 players trained at the club between their 15th and 21st birthday
Minimum of 8 players trained in the nation between their 15th and 21st birthday
Maximum of 1 player who has been registered in an European competition at another club
Maximum of 3 players can be swapped after the Winter Transfer Window
Players who are 21 years old or younger and have been registered at the club for at least one year do not have to be registered.
Players who are not registered in any squad or using any special squad rulings must be loaned out or sold as soon as possible.
Scouting
Players must come mostly from countries where you would expect an English team to recruit players from, primarily the UK and Ireland. Players from English speaking countries, for example the US, Australia or Malta, or the Commonwealth will be given some preference as well. Players from continental European leagues will be preferred to players from Asian or South American leagues without good reason to simulate work permit restrictions.
A maximum of 3 non-UK nationality players can be signed per window after March 2019. This is to simulate the effect of Brexit on the transfer market.
Players must be A) scouted through the GTN or B) performing in a league and/or competition that would realistically garner attention. For example, an English 17-year-old in the MLS would not garner attention and therefore, unless I had a scout in the U.S., I cannot sign that player. If said English 17-year-old was the top scorer in the Europa League regardless of what club he is playing for, I can sign that player, as media attention would be heaped on that player. Youth academy scouting must follow the same rules as the above rule about where players should come from. Most of the club’s youth academy should be and will be English or English-speaking. There will be a secondary preference given to Commonwealth countries or countries with high UK immigration numbers (Nigeria, Poland, India etc).
As to which youth academy players are selected, any English player with a 90+ MAXIMUM potential (i.e. 69-93) in their first month of being scouted must be signed. If their potential drops, I can’t release them from the club until they are 17 and/or demand to be signed to the first team. If there is a demand to be signed to the first team and their potential high at the time is 83+, they must be signed to the first team.
Players from the preference countries must be scouted a minimum of 3 months and their MINIMUM potential has to be 80+ before I can sign them to my youth academy. Players from other countries (i.e. Brazil, FInland, Germany, etc.) must be scouted a minimum of 5 months and their MINIMUM potential has to be 85+ before I can them to my youth academy. This is to A) simulate that a club would only want the best of the best from another country out of their normal scouting sphere and B) increase the chance of players being poached as I have to wait on them longer.
Contracts (Tenative)
A wage structure must be maintained at all times.
Players will be put into the tiered squad roles as follows: 4 crucial first team players, 10 important first team players, 14 squad rotation players, unlimited number of any player below squad rotation.
Every player in a tier must make within 10% of each other. No player can make more than someone in a tier above them. Example: someone with 'important' role cannot make more than someone in the 'crucial' bracket
The numbers are hard caps. If I bring in a crucial first team player, a crucial first team player has to leave or take a pay cut. If a crucial first team player accepts a pay cut, an important first team player must leave or take a pay cut and so on.
If a player demands a raise to the next tier up and there is no room for them, they must be sold in the next possible window. No exceptions.
The wage structure will be enacted after the first season to allow for the players initially on the roster to be fit into it.
Transfers In
At no point will I use sites like sofifa, FUTWiz, etc.
As stated above in the scouting portion, players who are bought must fit into the categories above. No exceptions.
During player negotiations, players who are 22 and under and who are scouted as “high potential” players and not expected to be in the club’s regular rotation, must have 20% added to their transfer value. For example, if player X is 10 million, I must offer the club 12 million. Counter offers of a higher value can be negotiated in any manner I see fit as long as the 20% increase is maintained.
Players who are 22 and under and who are scouted as “high potential” players and who are expected to be part of the club’s regular rotation, must have 40% added to their transfer value. Players who are expected to be a part of the regular first team must have 100% added to their transfer value. The transfer market is outrageous these days. I shouldn’t be signing 18-year-old world beating first team regulars for 10 million.
I can only sign one player per season on a free contract in January. However, the player must either be A) under the average overall of the players at that position or B) a crucial first team player.
I can sign players for bargains in the final season of their contract. This extends to players under 22, but the percentage increase must be accounted for.
Any player signed must fit into the wage structure of the club. If a player breaks the wage structure, it must be adjusted to match (i.e. players getting raises to match new high). However, the player quotas cannot be changed and as such, sales must be made to balance.
I can match any player's release clause.
I must delegate all transfer dealings to simulate having a sporting director.
Transfers Out
Wage structure rules apply.
I can only force crucial, important first-team players to stay by pricing them out of a move.
I can haggle with squad rotation players’ prices, but I cannot price them out of a move.
If a bid comes in above 50 percent of a player under squad rotation’s value, I must sell them. No exceptions.
Player Exchanges
Player exchange transfers will be kept to a minimum.
If a young player is transferred as part of a player exchange and I would like to bring them back, I can at 150% of their value.
Financial Fair Play
Every effort will be made to not exceed 30 million in debt at the end of the transfer window. If 30 million is exceed, sales must be made to balance by the end of the following year’s window (i.e. if in violation in Summer 2017 then by Summer 2018, the debt must be cleared).
Prize money, shirt sales, etc. can be used to balance debt.
This list is a living document and may be added to.
