Open Letter To Paul

As there's only me sat at home this afternoon (I mean work obviously), I decided to take's Ben's suggestion to me literally, and construct an open letter to Paul with reference to the service level problems encountered by many this week.

I received my turn on Monday, and was pretty happy with it's contents. However it hasnt escaped anyones attention that several people still dont have their turn, and I spoke with Paul this morning, who confirmed that the last batch have been posted this morning (Tuesday). Clearly, this doesnt give anyone much time with their turns, and results in clear frustration for the participants, Lee, Matt, Rob, Tom & Martin to name the obvious ones.

So as someone with a few minutes on his hands, I've constructed the letter below, which I'll post to Paul from everyone who signs below that they'd like their name adding. Hopefully it takes all your frustration, and puts it in a constructive way. I'll physically post this to Paul signed by anybody who wants to sign it.





Dear Paul,

Clearly we the undersigned love your game; otherwise we wouldn’t spend hundreds of pounds per year playing it.

We have some general questions and opinions as a group that we feel need addressing in order for the game to be sustained and grow.

As you’ll know, there have recently been a few issues with turnaround time for us. Clearly the implementation of the Player Acquisition Syndrome and the new Managerial Rating system, along with general player reviews must have taken some considerable time, and hopefully they’ll benefit the game in the long term.

We do feel however that we currently do not get long enough with our turns. Obviously the goal is to achieve a two week turnaround, which for a period of time last year was happening successfully, you’ll remember no doubt the “more than ten dealings-gate”? We all agreed to stick by ten dealings if it aided you to produce the turns in a reasonable time scale.

Is there something that we as managers are doing that is exponentially extending the time it takes you to input a turn? I.e. should we be limiting it to 1 x NEW & 1 x REVIEW per turn? Or are turns arriving late with you? Etc.

The main problem now comes when some managers aren’t receiving their turns until weds/Thurs, when the turns need to be posted back to you on Thursday/Friday at the latest to ensure safe receipt the following Monday. For somebody who works, this is an incredibly short space of time to digest the goings on of the previous week, sort out any dealings and get it back in the post.

The answer to this problem could potentially be solved in a number ways.

1) Consistently get all turns sent out to managers on a Thursday/Friday
2) Potentially extend the deadline
3) Allow the re-submission of turns electronically via the forum turn sheet.
4) Allow us to fill in the turnsheet, and scan and email it to you. Obviously we would have to prohibted NEW/REVIEW dealings if submitted by this method.

The electronic submission form was removed as managers were posting links to websites to support NEW & REVIEW dealings. However, if this facility was removed from the online form, is there any viable reason why that can’t be brought back? It would make all our lives so much simpler if we were able to have at least one weekend with our turns.

In the main we welcome the tightening of the transfer market, but could we have an indication which teams in the game players in our squads WILL NOT sign for as they are under the 48 week rule. Perhaps in an additional column on the 'squad history' report?.

Please let us have your feedback on the above, and hopefully we can have some more enjoyable turns rather than everyone here feeling that they don’t know whether they’re coming or going, both in terms of turnaround expectations and dealings.

I think we’d all like it if we could get back to the results being emailed to one person from the forum after each turn.

Hopefully you take these comments in the constructive tone with which they’re written, we’re very much trying to help get the game back to the way it was...just with new clear rules that we’re in favour of.


Kind Regards

I'm in.

Me too. Great work Rich!

and me. no turn here still. i just dont see the point in me trying to manage a club when i have the equivalent of a windows seven seconds advert to sort my turn out!

I'm in for sure.

hi Stu, hows is going?, having a good day?. You should be happier than this mate?, Bournmouth flying high in real life, a realistic Pompey transfer embargo...how much more real does it get? lol

Nice one Rich, stick me down.

i should be happier....yes. ah well its just a game. transfer embargo's rule!

the weird thing is just this....i can take the 6-1 and 4-0 beatings, its just part of the game. the thing that has grated at me for a few weeks is this...broken promises and some cases lies, slowly dispatched turns, long turnarounds, rules changing every week - to the point where i've no idea what is and isnt do-able - and unneccessary fuck ups caused at the receiving end of our turns. i dont mind it lasting a turn or two but its starting to eat away at me now and i've little energy or motivation to even send my turn back if im honest. its been an effort to even be bothered to reply to some pm's.

Please feel free to add my name to this.

I have a couple of things to add/consider too. Firstly electronic turns may help us gain an extra day or two and I’m all in favour. But please remember that Paul would still have to print these before entering them in the system. This may or may not be quicker/easier than opening a letter but Paul is old school and prefers hard copies still. As a big user of the electronic turns when I was in Canada I can confirm that sometimes Paul didn’t always get the eturns before Monday and I had to check with him by email (which he wasn’t too bad at responding to) to confirm he’d received it, if he didn’t let me know by email that he’d received it. As I was the only person doing this and due to my circumstances (ie. being in Canada and receiving my turn later than everyone else) he allowed it but I doubt he would accept it for multiple people. Not really sure what my point is here other than to be aware that eturns aren’t perfect and to be aware of the issues Paul may have with them.

It’s possible there may be a reason for the current issues. I’m speculating but maybe there’s a health/family issue? Might be worth at least being aware of the possibility and asking if the recent issues are a temporary thing.

Lastly, I’d recommend following the letter up with a phonecall and saying that you’re happy to have a conversation with Paul about this in your letter. I’ve usually found Paul pretty open to discussing issues that would benefit the game. Maybe that’s because I’ve been playing it for a while now and only contact him once in a blue moon but I think it’s more likely to be because of his passion for the game.

Ultimately we must remember that he runs CF as a hobby and not as a commercial venture. Yes we pay for the game but this doesn’t mean we should expect a commercial service. The game was set up before I joined the game for the benefit of Paul and some of his friends. I think that’s in the instruction manual somewhere still.

Anyway always good to talk. Let’s keep this a fun game.

Im in, we can't all get relegated................can we?

I will put my name to it

Count me in

fair points Dan. I'm all for understanding personal stuff goes on, and if Paul communicated that, then nobody would have a problem.

Like I said, funnily enough, personally I dont have too much of an issue, but that doesnt mean i'm with the masses. Simply it's an opportunity for someone who isnt a permanent resident of 'Camp Anger' to put something together that Paul might read and take note of.

I'll re-draft with your suggestions taken on board and re-post tomorrow, and then post it to Paul from Will & tommy's lovely little rural post office.

it is a lovely little post office.

Count me in.

Its the communication that needs addressing, if paul has personal problems, family issues, wants to make updates, review a load of players, take a break cos he needs to charge the old batteries

just let us know, no problems what so ever

despite our bloodthirsty hunger for CF, im sure we can be a compasionate or understanding bunch especially towards our own gamesmaster.

just need some level of communication.

the thing that concerns me more than anything which needs addressing is that 1) turnaround time is efficient and 2) better communication. thats not just regards to processing or whatever but also these new rules. some of the newseltter explanation seemed like gobbledygook to me.

what id really like to see is that each player has some kind of transfer profile so you know if you can sell him or not and what you'll get. with all this stuff about not moving back to clubs for 48 turns or whatever its just made things confusing. so, each player's transfer profile should document exactly which clubs cannot buy him, his swap value etc etc. even the small matter of him being eligible to play in england. maybe this is just piling more stuff onto paul but as it stands ive no idea who can buy what from me or who i can buy from anyone else in some cases and i guess neither does anyone else if there's a player you want that may already have been at your club (that you didnt know about) and still hasnt been 48 weeks elsewhere. well...id like to know before i put pen to paper whether its going to happen or not and not have a situation where you just live in hope!

Stuart, living in Hope is rubbish, Just ask Bill Clinton. He was born and raised in Hope but moved to Little Rock as soon as he could!

I've ammended some of the wording on the letter in light of Dan's comments on this thread, and Will's comments on the other thread. If anyones got any objections, let me know. Will post it to him on friday.

I would suggest adding something at the end of the letter saying

We very much appreciate all the hard work you put in and are all committed to enjoying a sustainable and what is very enjoyable game and so....

Or something along those lines just so it ends on a high note?

Probably best to finish the letter as follows :

Blue Moon,
You saw me standing alone,
Without a dream in my heart,
Without a love of my own

or

If I had the arse of a camel
and I had the wings of a crow
I'd fly over Old Trafford tomorrow
and shit on the bastards below

Count me in too..... thanks Rich.

Matt@Hull wrote:

Probably best to finish the letter as follows :

Blue Moon,
You saw me standing alone,
Without a dream in my heart,
Without a love of my own

or

If I had the arse of a camel
and I had the wings of a crow
I'd fly over Old Trafford tomorrow
and shit on the bastards below

Lol!!!

richie boy, its all good...but...can you re-word the bit about which players will leave our clubs so that it says "which teams in the game players in our squads WILL NOT sign for as they are under the 48 week rule"

Count me in, got my turn today, but said I didn't send one in for last turn!

Count me in, got my turn today, but said I didn't send one in for last turn!