Backing the Bantams in virtual reality

Bradford, 13 October 2012. It's an uncharacteristically sunny autumnal afternoon. Perfect for watching a game of football you might think. And I do.

Before traipsing down to the stadium to shout myself hoarse at two teams contesting a Yorkshire derby, I pop into a bar in the heart of Bradford's city centre. Packed inside the pub are passionate fans of the home side, brimming full of local pride.

Amidst the throng that clamours for a pre-match pint, at a table awaiting that heartiest of northern cuisine – a giant Yorkshire Pudding filled with beef and onion gravy – sits one supporter whose love for the Bantams cannot be questioned.

Because of him, and more than a hundred fellow devoted researchers that work for free, Sports Interactive's Football Manager series has become the UK's leading soccer simulation franchise. Every club in the Premier League, Football League and most sides in the two-tier Conference have someone assessing their players. Gamers can play the season out differently on their PCs/MACs.

Profiling Penfold

Tim's two pence

I also asked Tim how he felt Bradford's start to the season was going. Bantams fans click on the audio below to hear his thoughts.

Tim Penfold, 23, has been Football Manager's official Bradford City AFCresearcher since 2008. A Bantams fan since boyhood, Tim recalls his first match was a 3-1 home defeat to Manchester City in the old First Division (now Football League Championship) in March 1997, aged seven. He's regularly attended fixtures since 2001 and been a season ticket holder at the Coral Windows Stadium (better known as Valley Parade) for almost a decade.

How did you become a researcher for Football Manager?

Tim played the series religiously growing up. One day curiosity, coupled with his encyclopaedic knowledge of Bradford City, drove him to offer advice to developers Sports Interactive about the club's players on forums.

"I went to every home game and some away, so I saw City a lot," Tim said. A researcher role for Bradford was then advertised online, he applied and it was his good fortune that the head researcher saw his helpful comments and took him on.

What do Football Manager look for in a researcher?

"They were looking for someone who would rate the players neutrally," Tim explained. That begs the question how challenging is it to be objective?

Devil is in the details

Small touches you may not have noticed in Football Manager are also thanks to the series' dedicated researchers:

• Bradford fans wave flags or hold banners, all in an attempt to make the match engine authentic.
• Graphical minutiae even extend to former and unpopular players and coaches.
• Crowd reactions are programmed in accordingly.
• Perhaps the ultimate perk of being a researcher is being able to live vicariously in-game.
• Tim Penfold will appear as the name of a youth player artificially generated.

"It’s always tricky," was his candid answer. Tim highlighted repeated disappointments in recent seasons destroyed any pretensions he might've had about the Bantams. Further, he believes Bradford's struggles at the wrong end of the Football League have improved his objectivity if not his happiness.

And what if a team suddenly strings some good results together? Be careful about getting carried away Tim stressed – that could distort player ratings. Perhaps then a key maxim for football researchers to remember then is form is temporary, but class (or lack thereof) is permanent.

Having an eye for detail separates a good researcher from a great one. A case in point here is noting player appearances, assists, goals, etc. The good researcher pays heed to these, but as we shall see below Tim goes further.

How do you rate players for the series?

It might sound obvious, but there's no substitute for seeing players in the flesh. "The more games you see, the more you can rate a footballer," Tim continued. Going to just a few matches, he explained, would make it difficult to rate a footballer's consistency of performance for example; so seeing fifteen fixtures is a bare minimum.

Researchers receive guidelines about overall ability levels in a certain league, in Bradford's case League Two. Once he's read these, Tim detailed his tasks to me: "I have to work out who are the star players, who aren't and then the individual attributes, strengths and weaknesses".

Tim warns against doing this process the other way round: "You can end up really overrating players if you pick their attributes first… it means you don't take into account weaknesses properly and that’s an important part of the research."

Attributes for footballers in Football Manager are marked out of 20 on a world scale. Everything from shooting to shot-stopping and crossing to clearances must be assessed.

Try it yourself

Fancy being a researcher forFootball Manager?

Sports Interactive are still looking for fans of AFC Bournemouth and Oxford United amongst others to help make future games.

Because Bradford are in the fourth tier of English football that relatively low level of competition must be reflected in their players' in-game stats. If a midfielder is poor at heading for instance, a researcher would only give them a very low rating. Tim suggested no higher than four.

Statistics

Although the goalscoring charts and assists tables provided a basic guide, Tim's view is there’s more involved in assigning attributes than just glancing at these. "You might be underrating [players] because they do things that nobody notices," he added.

Tim cited the example of central midfielder Ritchie Jones and his role in City's starting XI last season: "We won one game in ten without him in the team. If you look at the other stats, he didn't score many, he didn't create many, but what he did was he kept possession."

Returning to the theme of having an eye for detail, he then recalled noticing something about the form of ex-Bantams winger Joe Colbeck during the start of the 2008-09 campaign. The then-Bradford wide player was just smashing crosses into the box for centre forward Peter Thorne rather than getting his head up and providing accurate deliveries.

This posed a problem for Tim. Goals scored were in his expert opinion down to the intelligence of the striker's movement rather than quality on Colbeck's part. It was thus down to Tim’s judgment here to ensure the assisting player creating and the striker converting the chances were both rated fairly.

Bradford City drew 2-2 with York City as we looked on. Credit: Matt Walker

Is there anything new you like in Football Manager 2013?

Tim immediately drew my attention to Classic Mode when I asked him about the series' latest release. with every new title, Football Manager has become more and more complex to play. Tim described this new option as "almost a slimmed-down second version of the game" which reminded him of some of the earlier games he played as a kid.

This back to basics simplicity was echoed in gaming industry giants IGN's review of Football Manager 2013. Tim also mentioned the new Challenge scenarios the game generates and players can also place the sordid world of transfer negotiations in the hands of a Director of Football if they so wish.

by Jamie Clarke

How Kits4Causes can turn your old football shirt into a precious commodity

Though they are often trips of a lifetime, it is not unusual for people in their late teens or early twenties to go travelling and visit places like Australia, South East Asia or Africa. Last month, former University of Sheffield student Chris Grindley packed his bags and set off for Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. But Chris did not become one of the many young people hoping to make a difference to the poverty-stricken lives of young Zimbabweans. He had already made a difference. His trip to Southern Africa confirmed to him just how significant that difference was - and continues to be.

Chris, along with other former Sheffield students Andrew Trott and Elliott Bryan, runs a charity by the name of Kits4Causes . The charity was founded by five students in Sheffield in 2009 as Afrikit and the Sheffield connection remains key in the charity's future, with the University being a major point of contact for those who run it.

Chris was not one of the founders, but became involved in the summer of 2011. He graduated with a degree in politics in July and, upon leaving university, began to juggle four jobs - one of which was stepping up his role of running Kits4Causes.

The power of sport

The charity's aim is very simple: collect people's old and unwanted football shirts and equipment and, through partner charities, send them to good causes around the world. Donations often come from parents whose children have grown out of shirst or from fans whose favourite player has moved to a rival (Fernando Torres and Robin van Persie are common names on the back of donated shirts, for example). From then on, the work is done by the power of football and sport. The kits are used by other, less specialist, charities who request the kit from Kits4Causes to help them in using football to break down barriers between communities, as an educational tool, in helping to break down the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS and, simply, to put a smile on the faces of thousands of disadvantaged people.

The charity's website quotes Nelson Mandela's famous line of "sport has the power to change the world, the power to inspire, the power to unite people in a way that little else can." It is a powerful sentiment that Kits4Causes has been keen to express ever since its original incarnation as Afrikit three years ago. Even more powerful, is the idea that such a simple act as giving an old, unwanted football shirt - which so many people own - can help. In a big way.

Chris explains: "Half the time I was there, we didn't have any running water or electricity - it was just out. It put everything into perspective of how comfortable life is for most people in the UK.

"A football kit, which you can just forget about in your cupboard because it doesn't mean anything to you, can mean the absolute world to somebody that has nothing. It really hit home how important the work of charities is."

Chris noted that while the UK economy is struggling, the problems are virtually non-existent in comparison to those he witnessed in Bulawayo: "Speaking to some people in Zimbabwe, there's a major problem with boredom. Kids will leave school and they have got nothing to do. In the UK, although times are tough, if you really want a job, you can get one of some kind. In Zimbabwe there are no jobs. I met people who were 23-24, who had been out of education since they were 16 and never been able to find a job, because when a job does become available, there will be thousands of people apply for that one job."

While in Zimbabwe, Chris met with numerous local dignitaries and Zimbabwean football legends, including - in a continuation of the South Yorkshire connection - former Sheffield United winger Peter Ndlovu. He also met with the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) , and agreed to kit out every one of the 2,500 young people playing in the youth football leagues of Bulawayo.

Partner Charities

By no means is Kits4Causes unique in being a charity aiming to improve the lives of people through the power of football. But the specialist work that Kits4Causes do is rather different to charities like the Thimbalethu Soccer Academy , who Chris visited Zimbabwe with. Nevertheless, Kits4Causes' work marries brilliantly with that of their partner charities in that it provides the simplest of tangible objects (in the form of football kits and equipment) to go alongside the intangible and immeasurable effects of joy, better health, better education and, ultimately, hopefully, peace.

"When you see the work that charities like Thembalethu do, and how they need an organisation like Kits4Causes to help facilitate what they're trying to do and give them what, to them, is such a precious commodity of a football kit for free, it really hit home how important it is to carry on with Kits4Causes and make it very successful."

And what about the Nelson Mandela quote? Did Chris agree that sport could really be that powerful? "Before I went there, I believed it, but I'm not sure why I believed it," Chris admitted, "but to actually go there, it really hit me to think, 'wow it does make a difference!'" It is for sure that Chris' voice would be echoed by the 15,000 plus people who have benefitted from Kits4Causes work so far.

To see what happens to your shirt, from being an unwanted item in the darkest depths of your wardrobe to being an invaluable force in another part of the world, view the audio slideshow at the top of this page.

For information about Kits4Causes, visit their website at www.kits4causes.org

by Stuart Hill

Have Sheffield Wednesday turned the corner?

On Saturday, thousands of Sheffield Wednesday fans descended on Selhurst Park, South London, in a noisy wave of excited optimism. 

Wednesday had gone 17 matches unbeaten under Dave Jones and had just outplayed Premiership Fulham, beating them 1-0 in the League Cup. 

Last season's triumphant last-day promotion at the expense of Sheffield United was still fresh in people's minds and many Wednesdayites were giddy with early season predictions of a second promotion on the bounce. 

Some were comparing the team to Big Ron Atkinson's promotion and League Cup winning side of 1991. Many could not remember that far back and were enjoying the feeling of cocky hysteria for the first time, happily accepting the dark days were over and top-flight football was only a year away. What a difference 2 months can make. 

Wednesday lost that bizarre game to Crystal Palace 2-1 on 1st September and neither team have looked back since. Palace had lost their first three games but have stormed through the league since beating the Owls. Unbeaten in 10 they are now fourth in the table and two points behind Leicester in second.

Long suffering Wednesday fans

Wednesday, on the other hand, nose-dived down the table and failed to win their next 10, losing eight of them, finding themselves second from bottom in the league.

Before the defeat to Palace, delirious Owls fans were climbing the stands of Selhurst Park, orchestrating manic away support from the camera gantry, now they were brought back down to earth with a crash. When asked to explain the sudden abandonment of form, catastrophic defending and shoddy finishing most were at a loss. 

The creative spark was present, with Michail Antonio and Jermaine Johnson still terrorising defences and Jose Semedo dictating play, most notably in the home defeat to Huddersfield and the unfortunate 2-1 defeat to Southampton in the Cup. 

It soon became clear that the blame lay with the front and back lines. 

The defence had been strengthened in the summer with the signing of the experienced Anthony Gardner. Martin Taylor arrived on deadline day to add further no nonsense know-how. 

But then Gardner got injured at the start of the season and Miguel Llera found it hard to adapt to centre-half duties after being given a freer full-back position towards the end of last season. Against Brighton, Huddersfield and Burnley the defence looked nervy and disorganised. It seemed too many players were being played in different positions across the back four, causing an unsettled defence to concede time after time.

Up front, the high-profile loan signing of the talented Jay Bothroyd from QPR raised the prospect of an exciting partnership with the already creative Wednesday forward line. Antonio and Johnson had been linking well with former Barcelona B striker, Rodri, and Chris O'Grady had established himself as a fans' favourite following blistering early goal-scoring form.

It may have been the pressure of replacing the popular O'Grady that affected Bothroyd, but a string of non-existent performances in his first few starts meant he was substituted in his first four games, to ironic cheers from Wednesday fans. Poor finishing was a feature of Wednesday's performances and of the 10 games since Palace, only against Burnley did they score more than two. The pick of which was a scintillating 35 yard screamer from Antonio.

Jones seems to have identified and solved these two crucial failures and the recent performances against Leeds and Blackburn were strong and convincing, arguably deserving maximum points from both games. 

Ross Barkley celebrates scoring against Bolton

Then on Saturday Wednesday seemed to have finally stopped the rut, recording their first win in 11 with a 3-0 victory over bottom club Ipswich Town.

The stand-out player in that game was again a midfielder, on loan starlet Ross Barkley finally finding form and rounding off a commanding performance with two goals. If this bright prospect is allowed to stay for the rest of the season by his parent club, Everton, then a strong midfield of Semedo, Barkley, Antonio and Johnson could stabilise Wednesday's season and propel them up the league.

Pairing O'Grady with Bothroyd up front and a run of starts from the impressively solid Gardner at the back could solve problems in both areas. If Jones can forge a strong, settled back four and work out how to get the most out of the young Bothroyd then Wednesday can storm back up the league and take up a position closer to the top six finish many took for granted at the height of unbeaten fever.

The crucial home game against Peterborough United today gives the Owls a chance to continue the recovery and leapfrog the Posh out of the relegation zone.

by Alex Fenton-Thomas

A solid base: Sheffield United’s new League One promotion charge

Despite being unconvincing, the Blades have a solid base on which to build a promotion challenge.

Matt Hill *celebrates* with Nick Blackman

There were two narratives to come out of Sheffield United’s 1-0 victory over Portsmouth on Monday night.

The first was that the Blades drew level on points with League One leaders Tranmere and the second was that the game, played in front of the Sky Sports cameras, was a shocker. A real shocker.

Indeed, there were very few chances. Very few passes strung together. Very few talking points. A lot of seemingly aimless long balls.

In the end, a Nick Blackman penalty was enough for a United victory for the second game running.

It was the first time I had seen the Blades this season after a number of key squad changes to the team I watched on a regular basis last season.

The most notable absentee from the majority of 2011/12 is 35-goal top-scorer Ched Evans, who was jailed for five years in April for rape. However, his absence was felt towards the end of last season as Danny Wilson’s men ran out of steam in their play-off push.

If Monday’s game was typical of United’s season so far (which, judging by the comments of locals after the game, it was), then Evans is not the only one who the Blades are finding it hard to come to terms with losing.

One of those players was Lee Williamson. Ironically, he played for Portsmouth on Monday night and had a poor game, deployed in a central midfield role by boss Michael Appleton. But last season he was a constant threat from the right hand side for United, acting as one of the main sources of supply for Evans’s 39 goals and chipping in with 13 goals himself.

In addition to failing to agree a new contract with Williamson, Blades sold Stephen Quinn to Hull, losing another creative influence from the other side of midfield and Matt Lowton who joined Aston Villa. Though Lowton was a right back, his most significant contributions were on his marauding forward runs, meaning the Blades lost yet more attacking flair.

It is hardly surprising, then, that the Blades lack more than a little cutting edge going forward. They haven’t replaced the above players with similar quality and are only joint 12th top goalscorers in League One after being top scorers by some distance last term.But what four 1-0 wins in their last five also suggests, is that Danny Wilson’s side has a core which many opponents will find hard to crack this season. This has proven the case so far – they are yet to be beaten and have the league’s meanest defence.

Former Blade Lee Williamson tussles with Ryan Flynn

But what the Blades have got, is solid foundations. Two players they managed to keep, are centre-halves Neill Collins and Harry Maguire. Collins was solid and experienced as ever on Monday night, while Maguire, still only 19, is mature beyond his years and will continue to improve.

It may not have been beautiful football from the Blades in Monday’s 1-0 win and four 1-0 wins in their last five suggest that may not have been a one off.

They won’t get promoted playing like they did on Monday every week, but it is a solid base to build on and one which will make the majority of League One managers envious of manager Wilson.

If they are joint top of the league and unbeaten without playing well after 15 games (almost a third of the season), then things bode well for the Bramall Lane club. They were pipped to the post in an enthralling promotion race by Wednesday at the end of last season, but come the end of 2012/13, Sheffield United may well go one better.

by Stuart Hill