Are you a fan of the Football Manager franchise? Do you think you could bring your in-game tactical nous and coaching methods to a real life professional football club? If so, then this could be the perfect opportunity for you.
As part of The Everyday Tactician campaign, Xbox and Football Manager have partnered with National League high-flyers Bromley to give one fan the chance to become a full-time 'Support Performance Tactician'.
That's right. As Football Manager marks its 20th anniversary, one "passionate" FM24 player will have the opportunity to go from the gaming chair to the real world and put their skills from the game to use in a five-month role that will involve shadowing and learning from all the coaching staff, including first-team manager Andy Woodman.
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Here, you will understand the ins and outs of all the tactical decision-making that goes into preparing a football team for success.
"We are looking forward to having our new Tactician aboard," Woodman tells SPORTbible. "We’re in a great spot at the moment in the league, but we want to keep progressing as best we can, and we’re excited to see what fresh ideas the winner of this competition can bring to the club."
So what kind of person does Woodman want to work alongside? "Someone that has the determination to make an impact and is going to bring a new tactical perspective through what they’ve learnt from playing Football Manager," he says ahead of their clash against Fylde.
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"Buying into our club culture is also very important – we pride ourselves on being a community club here at Bromley and we want to work with someone that gets our ethos of being a real team."
Greater London-based Bromley, who lifted the 2022 FA Trophy after beating Wrexham in front of 47,000 fans at Wembley, are flying in the Vanarama National League at present. Woodman's side currently sit in second with 42 points from a possible 57.
"Myself, my staff and my players all want to create our own piece of history at this club," the 52-year-old says. "We're currently looking to go one better than last season and I believe we have a strong enough squad in order to do that. This is a very exciting time to be associated with Bromley Football Club on and off the pitch.
"We have all worked very hard to get to this point and the players really deserve huge credit, but the job is far from over. Everyone knows how hard the National League is to win, but that is the challenge we’ve set for ourselves."
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Woodman adds: "We’ve built momentum in the league and there is a great energy about the team right now, so having our new Tactician aboard will be another great lift to hopefully achieve our aims this season."
James Butcher, who is the Category Lead at Xbox UK, says this is a rare opportunity to be part of a professional coaching set-up.
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"It feels unique – I certainly have never heard of anything like this before," he says.
"Through partnering Xbox Game Pass with Football Manager we are giving a passionate, knowledgeable FM24 player out there some exposure to a real-life team that will hopefully secure promotion from the Vanarama National League this season.
"For all those people who have developed their tactical knowledge on Football Manager for years and wanted a crack at the big time, now is the chance to get out there and live out your dreams at a professional football club."
Butcher goes on: "The fact Bromley are flying right now in the league is also really exciting for everyone involved. Imagine if our winner could be part of a promotion-winning effort."
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Miles Jacobson, the Studio Director of Sports Interactive, is also excited by the prospect. "I expect there might be a bit more to it than even we at Football Manager anticipate."
So how do you apply? Hopefuls can apply by completing the Xbox achievement ‘Championes’ in FM24 on PC with PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate, and on console with Game Pass for Console or Game Pass Ultimate, to guide a team of their choice to glory by winning a domestic league title.
The steps to achieve real world football management glory are as follows:
1.) Complete and turn in the Xbox achievement ‘Championes’ by winning a domestic league title -in FM24 on PC with PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate, and on console with Game Pass for Console or Game Pass Ultimate by December 4th.
2.) Fill out the form HERE and send a 1-minute video explaining why you should be Bromley F.C.’s new ‘Tactician’.
3.) Finalists will complete an interview with Bromley F.C. staff.
Once the final Tactician has been chosen, fans will be able to follow their journey at the club online and on social media via Bromley F.C., Football Manager and Xbox UK channels, as well as TNT Sports, the Vanarama National League's official Broadcast Partner.
The journey will also be recorded in a three-part documentary to be released next year. Keep your eyes peeled on social for more details in the coming weeks.
Topics: Football Manager, Non-League, Gaming
Jack Kenmare