Main-site.

The Footygamer Network (FGN) is the number one site for Football Manager related literature in my opinion. The recent “Blog Revolution” has ensured that the discerning FM reader has more material available to him (or her, I’d hate to be accused of sexism) than ever before, but FGN still stands head and shoulders above the rest. No other site can claim to produce such consistent quality writing on such a regular basis, though Blog FM appears to be determined to rise to the challenge. In terms of the site design it would be fair to say that the site is simple and functional, some might even say basic. But that’s no bad thing, indeed it only serves to emphasise the quality of the content that the site offers – why bother with a fancy site which could easily detract from the message displayed upon it?

Forums.

The FGN community forums are inhabited by a relatively small, close-knit bunch of members and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but you have to feel that the situation could be (unintentionally) intimidating for newcomers. It’s a shame that newcomers may be put off because the average FGN poster is clearly intelligent and knowledgeable about most things FM and CM related. For evidence of this you only need look at the posts throughout the forums; generally speaking they’re more in depth and discursive than on most other FM-related sites and tend to steer clear of the annoying “Lollerskates”, “Roflicopter” and “O RLY” type trends. As with the main-site, the forums are very plain and I can’t help feeling that a little splash of colour to brighten up the place wouldn’t hurt.

FGN deserves a great deal of praise for a recent idea aimed at re-invigorating their forums, that being the offer to the new blog sites of a sub-forum to call their own. To my mind this provides a benefit to both parties. The blog sites benefit from having a forum at their disposal that is not only free and ready to use, but already has an established set of users. FGN benefit from a potential influx of new members; people who are initially coming to discuss the blog content will hopefully realise that the FGN guys aren’t as intimidating as they first seem and begin to mix with them across the forum as a whole. It’s an idea that could well breathe new life into the place, though it would be a shame if this were to be at the expense of the intelligent discussion that currently exists. The move deserves to be a success in my opinion, if only because it’s an example of an established scene site aiming to create some genuine community spirit.

Overall.

If you want to read intelligently written, FM-related articles then FGN is the place for you. The forums may lack the activity of the larger, resource carrying sites but they more than make up for this with the quality of the discussion held there-in. The recent affiliation offer made to the blog sites could see the FGN community growing in the near future, will you be part of it? Sign up and give it a try.