Synergy FC
Welcome to the first of a series of articles which will be throwing the spotlight onto a number of the Player Managed Clubs within the game. These clubs are the lifeblood of Football Superstars, and we will be working with the PMC leaders as they throw open their doors and give you a peek into the workings of their club.
A Noble Birth
Formed in May this year, Synergy FC is the brain child of community veteran Doghouse. From the outset, it was clear that this was a team with a purpose and a very strong mission statement.
"Initially, the idea behind Synergy was team-play," says Doghouse. "Hence coining the phrase "Greater than the sum of its parts", using football as recognized in the real world counterpart, as best as could be done with the then mechanics of the game. FS is more akin to football as the patches roll by, and one thing I tried to do was get into the team-style to play a way that would always benefit the club as the game developed."
"The style was more idealistic perhaps, but one thing I didn't want was to use the mechanics to play the game, but to try to play football. Perhaps counter-productive when trying to win, but it's a belief that it's possible, or will become more viable, and will put us in good stead for the future."
This strong mission statement was obviously very appealing to many other players. "When Dog started Synergy I was already in another PMC." Says Synergy coach Nataya. "After reading his recruitment post I knew I wanted to be a part of it as I knew this would be something different from what every other PMC was doing. It was exactly what I was looking for in a PMC, and that is what makes us stand out."
Onwards and Upwards
Building up slowly from a solid core, the Synergy method has allowed the team to place a strong focus on developing new players, and bringing them up through the ranks to be able to play alongside the A team players in competitive events.
"This is something we take quite seriously," Says Nataya. "Because we are not about stats and grinding we see potential in our lower level players who can pass the ball and understand how to play in a team. We look for good attitude above ability and so far we have helped develop many fantastic players. We always provide support and feedback and make them feel as welcome as possible. We recently have signed up for a new 7-a-side tournament which we will look to mix the team with three lower levels and three more experienced players to give them more of a competitive playing experience and a chance to learn alongside our higher levels."
Of course, managing a PMC is no small task, especially one with such high ideals as Synergy. So it was that the team was rocked in August when Doghouse stepped down as manager. "It was a big loss to Synergy and the FS community and for a while we looked quite lost as a team but Tim has done a great job to bring everything back together."
Under New Management
Tim, aka Boarhead aka Chaostemplar is the man who took up the mantle of manager in the wake of Doghouse's departure. It fell to him to keep the ideals alive and reinforce the mission statement. When asked about how it felt taking on the mantle of leadership, Tim says, "At the beginning it was quite a daunting task. Doghouse is quite literally a celebrity in the FS world, but I was confident that people would trust my leadership abilities and realize I have a bunch of ideas and methods to do things my own way that can also work just as well (or better)."
"Although manager isn't always the easiest or most enjoyable job to have, it is one that can be rewarding in its own way, and by continuing Dog's legacy I felt that I could achieve the results that he had wanted, so he served as both an inspiration to me in becoming a better manager, someone to look up to, and also something to improve on."
Style and Substance
Of course, with such a strong emphasis on developing new players and playing in their chosen style, this is going to make facing up against the more hardcore competitive teams that much harder.
"Unfortunately, players with the highest levels and stats will be much harder to beat as a lower level, and teams that use the mechanics to score goals will be difficult to compete against at times," Admits Tim. "Despite this, I feel that (especially with this recent patch) we can compete well but because of our intended style, we really need to be playing our best game to compete with these well established teams."
"Even when playing our most experienced and best players, unless we are all on our A-game and playing the football style with slick passes, we can get sloppy and give away too many goals. Playing against these teams should be a challenge though. They are the oldest and most experienced for a reason."
It's true that Synergy have yet to claim a major title, but this does not dismay them. Despite the difficulties, Tim states that the Synergy spirit still not only holds the team together, but has gone a long way to earning them their reputation for fair-play and integrity.
Strength and Honour
"I think that we are respected for trying to do something different, trying to play football in a unique way, and the other clubs enjoy the unique challenge that we offer them. Playing fair only adds to it. Although our style may not always work, I think that we are respected for trying to achieve something that sometimes looks fantastic."
When asked about what it is that makes managing a team such as Synergy so rewarding, Tim says, "Our players, and our small community, are definitely the most enjoyable part of being here for me. Because of these guys, we can create the unique football style that we strive for, and have fun achieving it. There really is nothing better than playing with friends and doing something you love, and competing and beating other better teams while we are at it!"
