A Thistle & The Vale

Before starting the blog I feel the need to thank Mozza for his work in making the DB for this to work, if you’re interested in some FM19 lower league Scotland fun (FM19 Scottish Pyramid). I have also downloaded the kits here (Scottish LL Kits). Here is a link to Mozza’s work on FM20 for those who want to do similar on the updated game (FM20 Mozza DB). Lastly, I should mention Chilled Moose for the fantastic work she has done for all the community. One of her creations is the face of this save!

Lothian Thistle

The club I have chosen this save is Edinburgh-based Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale. The club was founded as an amateur works team for Lloyds Finance, then, competing as Lothian Thistle. The club itself progressed from the amateur leagues up to senior status when they joined the East of Scotland Football League in 1995 and gained promotion to the Premier League in 1997. They have won this division three times 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16, they did not take part in the promotion to the Lowland league due to licensing reasons. The club itself is based in Edinburgh and currently plays at Saughton Park.

The Hutchison Vale part of the name comes from the teams’ youth team, the youth team was established before the formation of the senior Lothian Thistle, in 1940. The change to include both parts of the name came in 2011-12 due to the strong links between the setups. 

So why this team? I hear you ask. An unspectacular lower league senior team, so what? Well, my friends, I’ll let you into a little secret it’s all about the kids (Hang on reader, there’s someone at my door. “Hello officers?” “Operation what-tree?” “No I wasn’t a TV or Radio personality in the 1970s…”).

Hutchison Vale

Hutchison Vale, or “Hutchie Vale” as they are often referred to, may well have a claim to be the most established youth set up for spotting future professional talent. In fact, in their first crop of youth players came two future professionals in Tommy Younger and George Farm. Both of whom played internationally for Scotland. The latter was also a successful manager, taking Dunfermline Athletic to the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup Winners Cup in 1969 where they lost to eventual winners Slovan Bratislava.

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  George Farm was a Scotland International in his own right prior to his managerial career

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  Tommy Younger a Scotland goalkeeper had a solid professional career down south

This strong ability to nurture young talent has continued throughout the years with multiple players having passed through the Hutchie Vale doors playing professional football. Clubs represented by graduates of the team include Dunfermline Athletic, Dundee United, Hibernian, Hearts, Celtic, Rangers, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Olympiakos, Real Sociedad and AS Monaco. I won’t list the players out individually here but here is a link to that lists some of the names that have passed through, including an Icelandic International who is also a Hibs fan (he must have spectacularly good taste in football teams).

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  John Collins was a Hutchison Vale player

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  Darren Fletcher Man Utd Stalwart graduated from HV

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  Alfreð Finnbogason is possibly the most unexpected former player. Playing whilst is Father studied at Edinburgh Uni.

The youth set up is still based in an old scout hut, which was donated in 1967 when the youth team came back from a “hiatus”. The club had folded for a period as their matriarchal figure “Ma Bryson” was given an indefinite ban for abusing a referee. In shades of the strong leadership shown to this day in Scottish football, the governing body waited until she was on holiday before informing her of this decision.

As is clear by the lowly position of the Senior club, these young talents are all too often taken by other teams and pass into their academy structures. A strong connection is established with the Edinburgh based clubs with the majority of the 2000’s Hibernian talents passing through before joining the Leith side. Derek Riordan, Garry O’Connor, Ian Murray, Kevin Thomson and Steven Whittaker included. Interestingly the current Scotland Rugby Union Manager Gregor Townsend was also a boy at Hutchison Vale before choosing the lesser sport, but he was quality for Scotland so I’ll give him a pass.

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  Riordan, O’Connor and Thomson were three incredibly bright prospects

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  Former Hibs captain Ian Murray played for Hutchie

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  Steven Whittaker also played junior football for HV

Aim of the Save

I have used the in-game editor to do two things:

1. Change the teams’ colours to match the kits (the database has them play in Maroon due to the Lothian Thistle and they play in the Hutchison Vale colours). I attempted to change this in the pre-game editor and for some reason, I couldn’t figure out how to then make it work correctly and my brain couldn’t cope with the clashing. 

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  LTHV Home Kit (Link in intro)

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  LTHV Away Kit (Link in intro)

2. As they are not in the base game they begin with poor everything in terms of facilities, due to the nature of the strong youth set up (but almost always losing players to the larger Edinburgh clubs) I have given them great junior coaching and good youth recruitment. I feel this will allow an FM based interpretation of good youth players quickly taken by larger teams as there are no academies in-game. 

This man is well and truly the enemy of the save

So the aim of the save is probably obvious, but it is to develop the club as high as I can and hopefully get to the point of fielding a side entirely based of youth team players. However, this is Scotland and to do this (and stop the larger teams taking any prospects) we must progress up the leagues via a more pragmatic route.

Also as we play in Scotland there is very little money until we start challenging for the European prize money and therefore pushing for youth facilities development may be troublesome. Until then I can but try. Although expect some pragmatic years with games given to youth where possible but the initial aim until we are established to keep hold of some players is “Promotions at all cost”.

The Manager

The manager I am using is Mr Greig Porter, a recently retired fictional journeyman of the lower leagues of Scottish football. He has a strong will to develop this club into a beacon for Scottish Youth football and may have eyes, one day, on the Scotland National team job. However, to realise his dream for the club and his ambitions he knows that he must quickly climb the ladder of Scottish football or the next generations of Hutchison Vale youth players will continue in the same manner as the ones before them.

I hope you enjoy this new blog and will follow along as this progresses. All the support has been fantastic! For anyone intrigued by this club here is a BBC Sport article written about them which lists the majority of their famous graduates.