I haven’t described myself as a football fan for more than 10 years. It’s rare that I even watch a match on television, and would struggle to name the current England team. So how do I explain my strange obsession with Football Manager?

Back in the 1980s, it was assumed any English boy would be obsessed with football. And I was no exception. Evenings and weekends were often spent kicking a ball around with my friends, and I quickly inherited my dad’s love of Chelsea, despite the fact they were struggling through the worst period in the team’s history.

My dad has never embraced videogames, so playing the 1982 Football Manager on the ZX Spectrum was one of the few times we’d sit together at my computer. And I’d occasionally dabble in management games throughout the following years, until friends at university introduced me to Championship Manager on the PC. But work, life, other games and hobbies all meant my interest faded away once again.

My interest in football faded a little as it became more expensive to go to matches, and a constant turnover of players and managers meant it didn’t seem worth investing in any individual. And it ended with the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo in 2012. Since then I’ve occasionally watched an England game or a FA Cup match on TV, or popped along when local teams have offered family days.

So when Football Manager 2020 was available as a free download, I thought I’d take a quick look at what had changed, and then delete it.

I was wrong. As subsequent purchases of newer versions and hundreds of hours of management time have proven. I’ve found myself watching popular FM Youtubers, and searching out guides for particular problems. It’s even become quite emotional when a favourite player leaves or gets upset with my managerial style.

But why?

Football as it’s meant to be…

Football Manager allows me to play the game as an idealised version of the sport. Any new career involves me taking on a small team which I have an association with, such as Maidstone or Peterborough Sports. And I stay there indefinitely as they hopefully rise through the leagues, keeping as many of the staff and players on long-term contracts (often longer than I should).

If you’re starting off with a tiny team in the lowest leagues, low wages are a necessity. But I try and keep everyone within a reasonable range of each other also as a point of principle. Free and bargain transfers are partly due to a lack of transfer budget, but also because you don’t need to spend much money to be successful (at least until you reach the top of the Premiership). And I always lose a little interest when it comes to that final financial hurdle of becoming a top five team in England, as it’s more about money than skill. Especially while Erling Haaland exists.

What’s strange is that I’ve spent hundreds of hours managing teams in Football Manager, but it’s had no impact on my interest in real football. I can name my Premier League winning Maidstone team but not the current Chelsea side, or any of the local Peterborough players. I can’t remember the last time I even left Match of the Day on TV, and even supporting a small local team seems a bit pointless when everyone is eventually aiming to reach the Premiership and inevitably become the same money-led conglomerate constantly rotating managers and players.

Sadly, I’m not sure how long the virtual version will last. As the series constantly evolves to replicate real life, it’s become harder to negotiate contracts with players and avoid the influence of agents on transfer fees and wages. Which means the same financial and corporate interests that turned me away from real football might also soon overwhelm my efforts to experience football the way it should be. But at least with Football Manager games, I can choose to pause on an older version of the series.

Football Manager 2023 is currently available for the PC via Steam and the Epic Games store, for the PS5 via the PlayStation Store, and on the Xbox Series S|X via the Microsoft Store. The upcoming Football Manager 2024 is likely to be released in November.