SUPERLEAGUE MANAGER
                            -------------------
Version 1.26    30-1-92

Superleague Manager is a soccer management simulation, much like Kevin Toms'
original "Football Manager" game that first appeared on the Spectrum, many
years ago.

Required files:
    SL-Manager
    SL-Manager.info
    SLM.doc
    SLM.doc.info
    save1
    save2
    save3
    save4

The game is controlled entirely with the mouse - just point and click on the
option you wish to choose. Initially, you will be given three options:

         START NEW GAME - self explanatory, I hope.

         LOAD OLD GAME - again, self explanatory, but make sure you have
                         saved an old game to reload first!

         ABOUT - Information about the author.


To start off with, select "START NEW GAME". You will then be given a choice
of 12 teams to manage. If you don't want to manage any of those 12, click on
the "MORE CHOICE" gadget at the bottom of the screen to access a further 2
screens of 12 teams each.

When you have picked your team to manage, you will be asked to select the
skill level - Easy, Normal or Hard.  Start with 'Easy' for your first game
to get a feel for how the game should be played.  After selecting the skill
level, you will see the main menu.  This has the following options:

1. LIST PLAYERS/PICK TEAM

This screen will list your squad, showing the following information for each
player:
         POSITION: Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfield or Forward.
         NAME:
         AGE:
         SKILL: this varies from 1 (sunday league) to 9 (International) 
         ENERGY: this reflects the player's fitness & has a maximum of 20
         STATUS: P = playing, A = available, INJ = injured.

The players will be listed with the currently selected first team in white
followed by the rest of the squad, in yellow. Any injured players will be
listed last, and their details will be "ghosted" to indicate that they cannot
be selected for the team at the present time.
Clicking on the name of a player who is "available" will put him in the
team, and clicking on the name of a player in the team will drop him from
the team. When you have selected the best possible team, click on the "EXIT"
gadget in the bottom-right corner. The "EXIT" gadget will not be available
if there are more than 11 players currently selected or there is more than
one goalkeeper selected!


2. SHOW LEAGUE TABLE

This displays the current league table for the division you are in. Click
in the box at the foot of the screen to return to the main menu.


3. TRANSFER

This will take you to a second option screen where you can select "BUY",
"SELL" or "SIGN APPRENTICE"  (or return to the main menu.)

         BUY: You will be shown a list of the players that are available
         to buy during the current week, showing their age, skill, and the
         asking price.  If you are interested in any of them, click on their
         name and you will progress to the "offer" screen. 
         The screen will display the player's details, along with how much
         cash you have to spend, and your current offer for the player.
         The other club will probably be prepared to sell the player for
         less than they are asking, but how low will they go?
 
         The offer will start at the asking price, and you may decide to
         stick with that figure, or try to get the player for less!  Adjust
         your offer by clicking on the white +/- gadgets underneath.
         When you are happy with the offer shown, click on the "MAKE BID"
         gadget to put your offer to the other club.  They will then either
         accept or reject your offer depending on whether it is enough!
         If your offer is rejected, you may get another chance to put in
         a higher offer....


         SELL: You will first be shown a list of your players, similar to
         that shown in the "LIST PLAYERS/PICK TEAM" option, but this screen 
         will show the clubs valuation of each player. Just click on the
         name of the player you wish to sell
         The next screen will display the details for your selected player,
         along with an offer from another club.   The offer may match your
         asking price, but it will probably be lower!  It is up to you
         whether you want to sell at the price offered.   Click on the
         appropriate gadget to accept or decline the offer.  

         SIGN APPRENTICE: If you wish, you may sign a 16 year old apprentice
         to add to your squad. An apprentice will only have a skill level
         of '1' to start off with, but under your expert guidance he will
         probably be an international by the time he reaches 25!
         Signing an apprentice will cost you nothing, although you will have
         to pay his wages of course!  You may only sign a limited number
         of apprentices per season.

Dealing in the transfer market takes up a managers time, and you will only
be able to consider a limited number of transfer deals between each match.
Due to F.A restrictions, you will be allowed a maximum of 23 players in the
squad at any one time, which means that the "BUY" and "APPRENTICE" options
will be unavailable if you already have 23 players.
 (Okay, okay, so it's really due to the maximum number of players I could 
display on screen at once!!)



4. FIXTURES

This screen displays the fixtures for your team for the entire season. 
Matches already played will be shown as "ghosted" so you will be able to see
easily who your next match is against.


5.FINANCES

This screen displays your current bank balance, outstanding bank loan,
current loan interest payments and current wage bill. By clicking on the
"ADJUST LOAN" box at the bottom you can pay a visit to the "loan arranger".
(If he's busy you'll have to make do with Tonto!)
From this screen, you can increase or decrease your outstanding loan from
the bank in units of £10,000 or £1,000. The bank will set a maximum loan,
and will decline to lend you any more money once you have reached this.
Loan repayments consist of interest only. The interest payments are 1% per
week.  (Okay, so the bank manager's a Sicilian!)


6. COMMERCIAL OPTIONS

The first two of these (build new stand and build sports hall) involve 
a large initial outlay in expectation of increased revenue in the future.
Both options are viable long term propositions if you don't have more 
immediate needs for the cash.... The individual screens provide more info on
costs and likely benefits - take a look, you won't be committing yourself!

More important initially is the "NEGOTIATE SPONSORSHIP" option. This really
is money for nothing and you should do it straight away!
Various companies will offer either a lump sum or a weekly amount in
exchange for your team wearing their company logo on their shirts.
You will be given the choice to accept the offer currently on the table,
or to wait for a better one. As with transfers, you will only have time to
consider a limited number of proposals between each match.
A sponsorship deal lasts for just ONE season so remember to negotiate a new
one at the start of every campaign.

7. PLAY MATCH

This screen will display the relative strengths of your team and your
opponents. You have a last chance to change the team (re-displays the
"LIST PLAYERS/PICK TEAM" screen), otherwise, click on the gadget to play
the game...

You will then be shown the result of the game. Click on the "Continue" box 
to see the other results, and again to see the cashflow for the week.

CASHFLOW

For home games, you will get gate money. This is your main source of income.
How much gate money you get, depends on your results - if you are doing well
you will get lots of fans coming to see you play, but if you are losing,
you will see your crowd diminish rapidly!

Money may also come in from sponsors or hire of a sports hall.  At the end
of each season, you will get a share of the league's revenue from
TV coverage.

Your outgoings are player wages and interest on your loan. The more players
you have, and the better they are, the more they will cost you!


8. SAVE/LOAD GAME

This will show you a second option screen, giving the choice of "save" or
"load". Either option will present you with a screen asking you to select
one of four "save positions" - just click on the appropriate gadget and the
program will load/save the required file.  There are 4 files called "save1",
"save2", "save3" and "save4" provided - these need to be in the current 
directory for the load/save options to work.



9. QUITTING THE GAME

In the unlikely event of you actually wanting to stop playing 'Superleague
Manager' in order to eat/sleep/go to work etc, selecting the "Quit" option
will return you to workbench. Make sure you have saved the game first if you
want to continue from the same point later.


PLAYING THE GAME

The league structure of "Superleague Manager" has three divisions of 12
teams, a "Premier Division", "Division 1" and "Division 2". You (of course)
start your career in Division 2, in charge of one of the poorer sides in the
division.
You start off with a limited amount of cash to spend on new players - you
will need it! (In fact you may well need more - perhaps the bank can help?)
Initially, you will need to make use of the transfer market rather
extensively, buying reasonable players and selling the "donkeys", in order
to get results. As the season progresses, you will have to watch the players'
energy ratings. These will drop when the player plays a game, and increase
when he is "rested". If a player's energy drops to zero, he is injured
and will miss the next few games.
As stated earlier, don't forget to get a sponsor.
The objective of the game is of course to get promotion to the Premier
Division, and to then win the championship. The league works on a "one-up,
one-down" basis - you get no prizes for finishing second.


PLAYERS

By a strange coincidence, all players have their birthdays in the
close-season!  This means that they will all be one year older at the start
of the next season.
Younger players will increase in ability as they get older. Players in their
mid/late twenties will have reached their peak, and once players turn
thirty, they will start to decline. If a player drops below skill level one
due to his age, he will decide to retire!
These rules do NOT apply to players who are not in your squad. At each
"new" season, the skill levels of all players who are available to buy are
randomly "shuffled". Skill levels of these players are consistent with your
divisional status. These players will also get older, but once they turn 30
they will be "reincarnated"!  Players who retire from your squad are also
"reincarnated" and return to the "pool" with a new age and skill.

RESULTS

Results will reflect the relative strengths of the teams, with a small
random element. It is important to keep a balanced side - you will need a
good keeper and defence to avoid conceding goals, a good forward line to
score goals yourselves and a good midfield to ensure that your forwards
work harder than your defence!


ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Superleague Manager was written and compiled using AMOS Basic.
It is compatible with AmigaDos 1.2, 1.3, and 2.0.

Superleague Manager is "Freeware". This means that I retain the copyright
but that the program may be copied and distributed by anyone to everyone,
as long as the program is not changed in any way, this documentation file
is included, and the disk is not sold for profit (other than a reasonable
charge to cover administrative costs.)

If you enjoy playing this game, please let me know.  I would appreciate
any constructive comments:-     Is there anything I should change?
Is the game too easy or too hard?  What features would you like added?


Gareth Kitchener
15 Brookmead
Meppershall
Shefford
Beds
SG17 5SA


30 January 1992