Marmadukes FC

 Marmadukes FC (418634)

Managed by Liam87
Club information
Location	Queensland, Oceania
Arena	Marmaduke Lane
Fan Club	The Red'n'Blue Duchy

Marmadukes FC is an Oceanian football club based in Marmaduke Lane, in the inner southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland. The club is coming of age, entering it's fifth full season and nearing two thousand supporters.

The club has fans across the world from the team's various travels. Members of the Red'n'Blue Duchy, the Dukes' fan club, include people from Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Hercegovina, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Perú, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the USA.

History

Note: all seasons are numbered according to Oceanian seasons, not global seasons.

Liamist States

The club was founded as the Liamist States (the name being a local joke), an amateur side formed out of people who lived in Marmaduke Lane. The States were extremely unsucessful and lost the last five league games in the tailend of Oceania's Season 13, after picking up the pieces of the former Bilby club.

The Liamist States were responsible for the club's first goal, scored against Tempests in the club's first game, an 8-1 drubbing. The club's first win also came under the Liamist States banner, a 2-1 victory in a friendly against the American club, Gaian Ascendancy.

Season 14

After being demoted, the team was re-branded Marmadukes FC and the current, professional club was born. To reflect this new image, a series of imports were brought in to play to replace the local amateurs. Among the imports were Peer-Augustin Reger, possibly the most valuable player during the early years of the Dukes, and his backing midfield. Due to this shuffle, only a handful of first generation players from the Liamist States squad still play and only two for Marmadukes FC. This led to a decline in club membership as the diehard locals refused to accept the "sell out" version of their club.

The Dukes dominated their league in Season 14. Clearly a step above their colleagues, the Dukes failed to lose a single game all season in VI.520, conceding only eight goals. Season 14 also saw frequent change within the team, as increased revenue from better attendances and sponsorship, funded a series of player spending sprees, bringing in the second generation of Dukes. Among the victims from the original Liamist squad were local favourites Vernon Watson, Arthur Claridge, Yoichi Kajahara and Carl Cashmore. The team began to, however, take on a similar shape to the one that shook up V.7 in Season 15.

Season 15

Season 15 was the first real test of the mettle of the professional Marmadukes FC. After their cup run was ended in round two, qualification to stay in Division V seem a distinct possibility. Despite a 7-0 win to kick the season off, the Dukes endured their longest losing streak with three straight losses to Paper Street Soap Company, FC Otterspoor and Muttdogs. Ironically, Muttdogs went on to win the league but only managed to beat the Dukes out 5-6, scoring the two winning goals after Jon Butler had been sent off - a controversy at the time. Their underestimation of the squad was not repeated.

With renewed confidence after coming close to nearly beating the league champions and facing clubs of a similar standard, the Marmadukes found themselves pushed to the limit, playing hard, attacking football. By season's end, the Dukes finished a respectable fourth place, edging out several clubs which had been in the league seasons earlier.

Over the break between seasons, the club announced a new sponsorship package with Liam & Co, who received title rights to Marmaduke Lane, the homeground of the Dukes.

Season 16

An end of season spending spree replaced much of the Dukes' ailing backline and wings and hopes remained high within the club. Fans were hoping Season 16 would see the squad at least equal their performance from the previous season.

A poor start to the season (although the club did go one better on last season's cup campaign and made it to round three) saw confidence within the club decline and attendances fall. A record-setting crushing victory over minnows Deep Purple Tigers saw the season turn around for the Dukes who, by the halfway mark, were sitting in the fourth place, as most pundits had placed them. A surprise loss to the R SOLES saw the team slip back down into fifth, below Kabramatta FC but the return leg saw the club comfortably win, returning to fourth. The tailend of the season saw a run of five games where the Dukes were unbeaten, including two draws against second-placed Gloss FC and third-placed FC Otterspoor.

A strong finish and an ever-improving midfield appeared to ensure a strong future for the team in Season 17. The end of Season 16, with an improved stadium on the way, the club unveiled a new logo and a new kit for the team, moving away from the standard green and gold toward red, light blue, white and black - the traditional colours associated with the club. Orange, the colour of Liam & Co, was also added to the club icons as a part of the club's sponsorship package.

Season 17

The run of success continued into early Season 17 for the Dukes, who won seven of their first nine points, including a surprise upset against FC Otterspoor. This left the club atop a closely packed V.7, giving the club its highest league ranking of the season, 915. In addition, the club finally pulled itself out of a longstanding debt after increasing the seating in Marmaduke Lane to 35 000. However, an early exit from the cup left fans wondering if the club could maintain its position and gain an early than expected entry to Division IV. Unfortunately, a 6-0 hammering at the hands of Gloss FC left the club and fans dazed, sending the club down to third (equal first on points but well behind on goal difference).

The homeground of Marmadukes FC, after the Season 17 improvements.

Both legs against Winston's Warriors FC led to two, albeit closely fought, wins, increasing club confidence. A reduced 3-0 defeat at the hands of Gloss was also considered a minor victory, preventing the would-be champions from running away with the game once more, but did drop the club to fourth, the lowest it had been all season. A surprising run of four wins, scoring seventeen goals and conceding only one, pushed the Dukes up to second, one point behind the leaders and three ahead of third place. The Dukes were set for their highest ever finish. Unfortunately, a 5-3 beating at the hands of FC Otterspoor, who levelled the score from their earlier shock defeat, relegated the Dukes to third place (on goal difference only). It was still the highest ever finish in Division V but after coming so close to a potential championship, fans were still disappointed.

Part of the club's success was attributed to the improved standards of Marmaduke Lane. The revenue generated by doubling the seating capacity, while initially spent paying off debts, led to an expansion of the club's coaching staff and the founding of the club's youth academy, which would foster teenage talents until they were ready to make their debut.

Season 18

After a relatively good performance in the previous season, Marmadukes FC were looking to take the club to the next level: Division IV. Signing Colombian coach, Wenceslao García, in the off-season, replacing Mauricio Delgado who retired after three seasons at the helm, the squad hoped that an improved defence may finally see the club gain promotion.

A good start to the season with an unbeaten run of five games, saw the club begin to overhaul its rapidly ageing team. Twenty of the twenty-three players who started the season were going to be put on the transfer list and younger, more exciting stars were to be brought in from overseas. During Season 18, a relatively massive AU$6.24 million - more than the club ever imagined it would spend only a handful of seasons ago - purchased ten of the twenty new players, forming the third generation of Dukes players.

To fully illustrate the increase in spending, the record for a player bought was AU$250 000 for Joao Benedet before Season 18. By its end, that had tripled for the signature of Simo Laurinen, costing the club AU$736 000. Old favourites, such as Gabi Ben-Dor, Zavier Olguin and Phillipe Albessard, sold for a million each, providing the club with some much needed income. The new squad was built around the stars of the former Dukes: Peer-Augustin Reger, Khu Wai-Can and Carlo Anglhieri.

The influence of the new players was immediately noticeable as the Dukes were once again fighting for top spot, this time only with Gloss FC. The two clubs met on matchday 5, resulting in a 1-1 draw and a total of thirteen points for both clubs. The Dukes were only behind on goal difference but would probably need an upset in the return leg if they were to win the championship. The upset did not come as Gloss soundly beat the Dukes 3-0, practically winning the championship and ending the Dukes' dream run. Two harsh losses followed in the last four weeks of the season: a 4-2 loss to Otterspoor and a 3-1 loss to Kabramatta FC (although the latter result would have not mattered had Otterspoor not upset series champions Gloss FC in the final round). The sudden decline in form relegated the Dukes to third place in the championship, behind the Otters.

Fans were once more raised to the heights of the Dukes' early dizzying success and brought low by their poor run to the finish. Finishing with the same numbers of points as in Season 17, the Dukes' fans remain optimistic that next season will be theirs.

Season 19

The 44 875 capacity version of Marmaduke Lane.

Everything seemed to be going right for the Dukes in early Season 19. The club made it as far as round 4 in the Cup, a feat never before achieved. Three new players (Ginis, Nilsson and Hollemans) joined the squad over the break and during the early stages of the season. Despite a draw with Kabramatta FC on the first matchday, the team followed with a string of five wins, including a defeat of old rivals FC Otterspoor and, in a massive shock upset, the demoted go cats, 3-0. The win over the go cats moved the Dukes into precarious position atop the league table, a single point ahead.

As had happenned in the past, the fans were once again disappointed by the team's mid-season performance. The Dukes stumbled with a 1-0 loss to cellar dwellers Berala FC in the seventh league round. MFC dropped to second in the standings and, even if they overcame Berala in the return leg, would still need to overcome Kabramatta FC, FC Otterspoor and go cats to work their way back to the top.

A narrow victory came the Dukes way in the return leg against Berala. Setting a new crowd record for the larger, 44 875 capacity Marmaduke Lane, the Dukes went down 2-1 in the 79th minute but rallied for a late comback, scoring two goals in two minutes in the dying stages of the match to win 3-2.

Squad

Current

Number	Name	Age	Nation	Position	Joined*	Cost ($AU)
1.	Julio Jorge PUCHETA	26	Argentina	K	14/18	418 000
2.	Bronislovas ULINSKAS	25	Lithuania	K	14/18	418 000
3.	João BENEDET	27	Brazil	D	2/15	250 000
4.	Martin NILSSON	21	Sweden	D	3/19	730 000
5.	Eugène HOLLEMANS	22	Netherlands	D	2/19	500 000
6.	Simo LAURINEN	23	Finland	F	5/18	736 000
7.	Jon BUTLER	28	Oceania	F	L/S	-
8.	Rich HUTCHIN	23	Oceania	W	2/15	210 000
9.	Khu WAI-CAN	25	Vietnam	M	12/13	34 000
10.	Carlo ANGHILERI	24	Italy	M	12/14	136 000
11.	Álvaro GONCALVES	20	Chile	M	3/18	700 000
12.	Peer-Augustin REGER	25	Germany	M	13/13	85 000
14.	Gaebry GINIS	25	Belgium	F	1/19	418 000
15.	Alex FAHRENBERG	20	Switzerland	M	13/18	700 000
16.	Noldi SIBOLD	19	Switzerland	M	6/18	624 000
17.	Chai AZRAN	24	Israel	W	14/18	418 000
18.	Erdem BOLHUIS	25	Belgium	F	4/18	706 000
19.	Alessandro NUSSBAUM	22	Switzerland	W	7/18	550 000
20.	Lonnie CHISHOLM	26	America	D	1/16	130 000
21.	Bradly PARSONS	26	Oceania	D	L/S	-
22.	Antti IKONEN	24	Finland	D	9/18	600 000

*Joined statistic given as first matchday after purchase and season. For example, 2/15 means the player was bought before matchday 2 of Season 15. L/S indicates player was originally a member of the Liamist States. + indicates player came from Marmadukes FC Youth Academy.

Past Notables

• Kenny Andrews (D, Oceania; Liamist States - Season 15): Andrews was the record holder for highest selling price for an original Liamist States player, until Season 18. He formed an integral part of the defence early in the Dukes' history.
• Frodo Broersma (F, Netherlands; Season 15 - 18): Broersma was primarily known for his mercurial form. When he did hit his peak, notably around the end of Season 15, Broersma was dangerous in front of goal. He scored a record six goals against Bairnsdale CC in the final match of that season. For his power striking ability, he was awarded the Season 15 MVP.
• Gilbert Jenner (D, Netherlands): One of the many Dutch players who made the Dukes an international team, Jenner is surprisingly known for scoring more goals than any forward during league Season 18. His stellar performance in defending, while also managing to be a threat in front of the opponent's goal, secured him a place in fans' hearts.
• Fraser Pushkin (F, Oceania; Liamist States - Season 15): Pushkin is the record holder for most number of goals scored in a single league season. He led the team's charge to the top of Division VI while most of the club's more glamorous players were engaged in international friendlies.
• Olle Svensson (K, Sweden; Liamist States - Season 18): Joining the club during its first overhaul, Svensson was one of the club's longest serving players. The Season 14 MVP conceded only eight goals in fourteen matches, which is particularly notable given that, before the arrival of Rikku Littu, he would play both the Sunday league game and the mid-week friendly each week

Managers

• Wenceslao García (Colombia; Season 18 - Now)
• Mauricio Delgado (Spain; Season 14 - Season 17): Delgado oversaw the formative seasons of the club, training the likes of Peer-Augustin Reger, Khu Wai-Can and Jon Butler, and took the team from lowly Division VI to missing out on promotion to Division IV by a handful of points.
• Bradley Sommers (Oceania; Liamist States): The original player-manager of the Liamist States, Sommers was never going to survive the team's progression from an amatuer outfit to a professional club. His poor coaching style will rarely be remembered in good light.

Honours

• Season 14: Winner, VI.520

Records

Club

• Largest win: 10-0 against Deep Purple Tigers (league home, Season 16); against VTOM (friendly home, Season 16); against Samoa Rovers FC (cup away, Season 17); against Queensland Rovers FC (cup away, Season 19).
• Largest loss: 0-9 against Death_Team (friendly away, Season 14); against Paper Street Soap Company (league away, Season 16).
• Most points in a league season: 42 in VI.520, Season 14.
• Fewest points in a league season: 21 in V.7, Season 16.
• Most goals scored in a league season: 93 in VI.520, Season 14.
• Fewest goals conceded in a league season: 8 in VI.520, Season 14.
• Longest winning streak in a league season: 15 games from Matchday 1, Season 14, until Matchday 1, Season 15 (inclusive).
• Longest losing streak in a league season: 3 games from Matchday 2, Season 15, until Matchday 4, Season 15 (inclusive).
• Highest turnout at home: 36 263 against Berala FC, Matchday 8, Season 19.
• Highest turnout away: 76 700 against go cats, Matchday 10, Season 19.
• Highest league ranking: 842 after Matchday 6, Season 19.

Individual

• Most games played for the club: 91 by Khu Wai-Can.
• Most goals scored for the club: 48 by Jon Butler.
• Most cleans sheets for the club: 24 by Rikku Littu.
• Most games as captain: 50 by Joao Benedet.
• Most goals scored in a league season: 22 by Fraser Pushkin in VI.520, Season 14.
• Most goals scored in a match: 6 by Frodo Broersma, against Bairnsdale CC (home, Season 15).
• Most expensive transfer in: AU$736,0000 for Simo Laurinen.
• Most expensive transfer out: AU$1,300,000 for Philippe Albessard.

Most Valuable Player

• Season 14: Olle Svensson
• Season 15: Frodo Broersma
• Season 16: Peer-Augustin Reger
• Season 17: Khu Wai-Can
• Season 18: Gilbert Jenner