The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR

 

 

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

 

Game Type          : Strategy; Manage Football Player

Author             :

Standalone Release(s)  : 1986: FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR, Gremlin Graphics, £9.95

                    1988: FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR, Kixx, £2.99

Compilation Release(s) : None

Stated compatibility    : Electron Side A, BBC Side B

Actual compatibility    : As stated

Supplier            : GREMLIN, Alpha House, 10 Carver Street. SHEFFIELD S1 4FS

Disc compatibility     : CDFS E00, DFS E00

 

 

Instructions

"The football strategy game to answer every boyhood dream - the chance to make it to the very top of football stardom. Starting on your path to glory as a 17-year old apprentice with a Fourth Division team and only £5,000 and 10 goal scoring cards in your pockets, the footballing world is at your feet. Adopt the identity of a professional footballer and develop a career through the ups and downs of match days, transfer deals and injuries etc. Display your talents in Football League, U.E.F.A., F.A. and Littlewoods Cup games and then if you're good enough the ultimate accolade of your sport, the Footballer of the Year Award."

 

In this exciting game, you adopt the role of a professional footballer. You start your career at the age of 17 with £5,000 in cash, 10 goal cards and the footballing world at your feet. The aim is to develop your career and be nominated FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR.

 

Upon loading the game, you will be asked "LOAD A SAVED GAME (Y/N)?". If you have played the game before, your previous game can be loaded and continued from where you left off.

 

Follow the prompts on the screen and enter your name and select the starting division. It is recommended that you start in division 4 and develop your skills from this easiest level.

 

Control Menu

The on-screen icons correspond to the following:

GLOBE              - This shows the state of affairs for your team

FOOTBALLER'S HEAD - Player status details

SCROLL             - Transfer cards

CASSETTE           - Load or save a game

INJURED FOOTBALLER   -  Quit game

QUESTION MARK      - Incident cards

FOOTBALL BOOT      - Play matches

 

State Of Affairs

This section shows your team's league position, the morale of the team, the goals scored in cup matches and league matches.

 

Player Status Details

Your rating as a footballer is displayed as bar graphs depicting status points, your current league and your weekly earnings.

 

Transfer Cards

These can be purchased at varying prices depending on which division you are in. Upon buying a card you have the chance of being spotted by a 'scout'. If the 'scout' finds that you are a suitable player then you are a suitable player then you will be transferred to another club either in the same division, or a higher division. If you are successfully transferred, you will receive a player's fee plus the chance of a higher salary.

 

Incident Cards

An incident card can be purchased for £200. This section is a bit of a gamble, but can prove very lucrative. However, on the other hand you risk losing money.

 

Play Matches

When this option is selected, you are given the chance to purchase goal cards. Goal cards can then be used in any of the matches which you will play. The value of a goal card will be between one and three. It is up to you to use your skill and judgement as to when the cards are used. For example, if the value of a goal card is two, then you have the chance of scoring two goals in that game.

 

This is where your skill as a player will be needed when you enter the arcade sequence and attempt to beat the defenders and score a goal or take a penalty.

 

Results for the matches will then be printed on the screen and from these you will be able to deduce if your goal cards have been played wisely. This will enable you to enable you to alter your strategy for future games if necessary.

 

Remember all the time you are aiming for the ultimate accolade, to be awarded the title FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR.

 

Game Controls

Q - Left,   W - Right,   P - Up,   L - Down,   SPACE - Fire

Alternatively a joystick can be used.

 

 

Instructions' Source   : FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR (Gremlin) Back and Inner Inlay

 

Review (Electron User) - "Golden Boots"

Being something of an armchair soccer fan, I was curious to see what Gremlin had to offer the Electron market with this intriguing title - FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR. So while a nicely drawn loading screen was being displayed, I had a quick glance through the English section of the instructions.

 

The game begins with you adopting the role of a 17-year-old professional footballer who is on the threshold of his career. Now, with £5,000 in the bank and the entire footballing world at your feet, you endeavour to develop your status as a player. Using skill and judgement, you strive to achieve the ultimate accolade of being nominated Footballer of the Year.

 

With an exploratory trial under my belt, I got the impression that the gremlins had finally taken over and banished the graphics to the broom cupboard. Having recovered from the initial shock of Gremlin without Graphics, and not being one to stand on ceremony, I decided that having been firmly rooted in the fourth division on my first attempt, a more serious approach was necessary.

 

When you have entered your name and selected the division you wish to start in, you are prompted to choose a team to play for. It is recommended that you start in division four, and develop your skill from there, the easiest level. Division five by the way, is the super league, and apparently not the lowest level, as I first imagined.

 

From here you enter into the main menu where I would advise you to experiment with the various options. I would also point out that the instructions are somewhat misleading, so you can forget about icons and an arcade section.

 

Once under way there is a far bit going on; you can buy incident cards, apply for a transfer to another division and, of course, check your current status and league position. I found playing the matches a bit hit and miss. Perhaps I was the way I was standing as I took my shot? When the Q - left and W - right keys do I can only hazard a guess; perhaps you may be able to find out.

 

I wasn't impressed with the way the league table shows only your current position. This for me, destroys any real feeling of competition. You never know the strength of the team you are playing against - it could be first or last in the division.

 

Judging from my own performance, the game must have a hidden strategy. However, after several unsuccessful attempts, I'm afraid I found things rather dull. Gremlin is capable of producing some excellent titles, but this falls below its usual high standards. The Electron market needs and deserves better.

 

FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR offers a good challenge at a budget price, though I suspect it may be one for the connoisseur of the sport only.

Steve Bissell

 

* * * Second Opinion * * * (Electron User)

Football simulation games always seem to do well in the software charts, and this offering from Gremlin is competing with some well established games. Like the competition, there aren't any graphics, but this doesn't detract from the gameplay at all, as the fun is in buying and selling, allocating funds and so on. A must for all soccer fans.

Janice Murray

 

Sound ........................... 2

Graphics ........................ 1

Playability ..................... 5

Value for money ................. 5

Overall ......................... 5

 

ELECTRON USER 6. 5