Goran The Man wrote:

1957 PRESEASON 
No side had any cosmetic changes in the offseason, nor changed logos. No side took any overseas tours nor any side came to Gorania, but some teams planned to travel to Melbourne for the 1958 preseason. 

In player transfer news, Willie Quinlan moved from Richburg to Ruddy, hoping to chase glory once again after a few seasons playing in a struggling team. Midfielder Samuel Wheaton moved to Day from Angerer, hoping to improve the Knights' midfield stocks after scoring the fewest amount of points last year. Wheaton also looks to boost experience in the Day midfield as well. Comparatively, Jay Davies travelled in the opposite direction and transferred to Angerer, where the Bulls hope to utilise him to develop him to his full potential. At the ripe young age of 21, Davies has plenty of room for improvement, and a high ceiling. 

An exciting moment loomed for the Gorania Football League. The league announced that two new teams will be added for season 1959. On the other hand, much like the previous expansion, it will be decided by a vote to determine which cities get these teams.

Welcome to the second expansion council of the Gorania Football League! Anyone can pick three preferences, ranging from first to third, with a points-based system. The format can be used as follows:
Name: Person
Age: Number
Votes: 1. city (explaining the selection is optional for all cities)
2. city
3. city Team Candidates

Manderino
City bio: A blue-collar industrial city sitting near a lake in the state of Buffie, and is the state capital. Most of its population are employed in the automotive industry. It is home to the local car brand, Mount. Effectively it is like Detroit in its heyday, as well as Toyota (the city, not the car), Hamamatsu and Geelong post-WWII.

Currently it is the largest city in Gorania that lacks a GFL team. This in theory should get a lot of new supporters to the league. However, the sport of Australian rules football is not as popular in the city, limiting the potential for the team to dominate the local media in their early seasons. Manderino is the country's heartland of rugby union, which is the city's most popular sport, and the city develops many players for the Gorania national team. In spite of this, the increasing popularity of the GFL have started to get people in the city speaking about the league due to its professionalism. The city also promises to provide improvements to Thomas Park should Manderino be successful in getting a team joining the league. 
Population (1949): 547,000
Population (1957): 589,000
Stadium: Thomas Park (33,224)
Fan Interest: 61%
Fan Happiness: 71% 

Brackenridge
City bio: As a primary port city of the state of Dindinia, Brackenridge is known for a lot of cargo. The port gathers lots of imports from all of Africa due to its proximity, and is a trading hub. In addition, many of the populace work in the local docks. The city resembles Liverpool. 

Wharf Oval had a recent redevelopment in which increased the stadium's viability to host top-flight football matches. This sparked increased interest amongst the league to bring a team into the city. The city's proximity to Grimm though have generated a lot of Reapers fans in Brackenridge, mainly due to their successes. If Brackenridge is successful in getting a team, a west coast rivalry with Grimm looms.
Population (1949): 393,200
Population (1957): 410,600
Stadium: Wharf Oval (32,809)
Fan Interest: 67%
Fan Happiness: 88% 

Blalock
City bio: The city has enjoyed vast economic growth since the conclusion of World War II. As the capital of Elzburg, Blalock has enjoyed a population boom with a vibrant film industry. It is the national hub of Goranian films. It has a small but fast-growing banking sector. Somewhat it resembles Buenos Aires and Los Angeles at present, but has a touch of Zurich. 

Blalock is one of the fastest growing cities in Gorania, and its large population boom has many officials speaking about placing a team there. Narrowly missing out on a spot for a GFL team in the last expansion council, there have been calls for Blalock to have their own local team. People in Blalock have developed a reputation of being passionate about their community, and by getting a team, would be immediately popular in the city. A large percentage of the population of Blalock are recent immigrants, who mostly lack the understanding of the game. Despite this, matches played in the city have been popular amongst the locals, and adding a local team has the potential to add even more supporters to the league. Additionally, it will be the first ever top-flight Blalock team in any sport should Blalock be successful in landing a GFL team.
Population (1949): 241,600
Population (1957): 337,200
Stadium: Lambton Oval (27,337)
Fan Interest: 94%
Fan Happiness: 85%  

Washington
City bio: Construction companies have started to call the city home. A significant real estate industry has risen in the city, due to low land and home prices, skyrocketing the city's population. Subsequently, the construction industry has boomed there. With the construction boom, the city has developed its local industries in the services sector. The city has developed an affluent reputation due to many people quickly becoming wealthy there, though there are still lots of people not as lucky. It is the main city of Cardesia. It hosts many government employees. The city resembles what is a satellite city even though it has a vibrant central business district. 

Much like Blalock, Washington has enjoyed significant population growth. The fast-growing city has hosted GFL regular season matches to a high degree of success. Regardless of the team's performance, fans in Washington will back the team no matter their record. Lambton Oval however would need some redevelopment in order for it to be to a permanent top-flight standard. The city promises to provide financial support to the redevelopment in order to boost the bid of the city landing a GFL team. Still, officials are not ignoring Washington due to predicted further population growth.
Population (1949): 245,600
Population (1957): 358,400
Stadium: Lambton Oval (22,921)
Fan Interest: 90%
Fan Happiness: 58%  

Goddard
City bio: Effectively Goddard is a large city with strong economic strength. Many people live there due to relatively cheaper housing rates compared to nearby Chavez. It is 100 km (62 miles) from Chavez, and is more industrial in character. Goddard has an automobile industry, producing another brand of cars, named Corin. If Chavez is London, Goddard would be Luton. 

Not too far from Chavez, Goddard has the potential to have a fierce rivalry with the Nationals. This could spark a huge increase in interest of the game to the city. Many people in the city are unaffiliated with a team due to its civic rivalry with Chavez, though the Nationals enjoy strong support in the city. Chavez's recent premiership have sparked calls amongst the populace to call for a team, mainly for civic and provincial pride. Corin Park, bulit after World War II, is still in good condition, and would be the newest stadium in use in the GFL should Goddard be elected.
Population (1949): 442,000
Population (1957): 478,900
Stadium: Corin Park (25,625)
Fan Interest: 54%
Fan Happiness: 67% 

Warner
City bio: Known for its textiles, Warner is known to be heavily dependent on manufacturing. The city manufactures a large percentage of the country's clothing. The large sheep farming areas nearby have supplied the city with vast amounts of wool, allowing textiles to boom there. The city has become a centre of materials engineering, as new synthetic fibres have been produced there, often in association with local universities. 

Knowing the dissatisfaction with their oval from the previous expansion council, the city of Warner have explored different locations to build a world-class facility, mainly to increase stadium rating and subsequently fan happiness. It is the second largest Goranian city to lack a GFL team at present. Its proximity to Grimm would lay the foundations for a large rivalry between the future Warner team and the Reapers.
Population (1949): 518,900
Population (1957): 535,900
Stadium: Aspley Oval (29,223)
Fan Interest: 64%
Fan Happiness: 44% 

Spragan
City bio: Located near Lake Ramana, Spragan is a city filled with beautiful nature. It has a Nordic and Minnesotan feel, having warm summers and cold winters. Its higher elevation and proximity to Mount Ranomandry makes the city a hotspot for nearby skiing. The city is also a hub for electric power, where the industry employs a significant percentage of the city's labour force. Because of a lot of job vacancies in the electric power industry there, Spragan has collected a large amount of immigration, mainly from war-torn European countries after World War II. 

The stadium is known to be of a world class standard, and fans are impressed with the prospect of teams playing there. Having hosted regular season GFL matches there, this has increased the city's prospects about getting its own team. A potential rivalry with Angerer also looms. Despite this, rugby union is very popular in the city, and should the Spragan team struggle, attendances and gate receipts have the potential to drop heavily compared to when the team is going well.
Population (1949): 346,700
Population (1957): 405,300
Stadium: Lakeside Oval (26,720)
Fan Interest: 61%
Fan Happiness: 91% 

The due time for the expansion council is Sunday 6 October 2019 11pm Eastern Australian Standard Time (or Sunday 6 October 2019 12pm GST or Sunday 6 October 2019 7am EDT/6 am CDT/5am MDT/4am PDT).

 

The votes will be tallied up from a combination of this page and the Gorania Football League Facebook page. The Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/GoraniaFL/

Name: JC Schuler
Age: 50

1. Warner
2. Blalock
3. Washington

Voting has now closed and the results for the two new expansion teams are in!

Commissioner George Nakamura has proudly announced that the two expansion teams who are set to begin play in season 1959 are: Blalock and Warner! His commissioner statement was "we look forward to have these two majestic cities involved in our national league!"

Final voting tally:
Blalock 44
Warner 35
Goddard 31
Washington 31
Manderino 26
Brackenridge 25
Spragan 18

Bring it home Bulls

1957 FINALS SERIES

1ST SEMI FINAL
CHAVEZ VS. DAY
AT CHAVEZ CRICKET GROUND
14 SEPTEMBER 1957 - 2:10PM

Whilst neither side set the world on fire throughout 1957, both sides eagerly awaited a much anticipated matchup to fight for their survival. A sellout crowd arrived at the Chavez Cricket Ground to view a sudden death elimination final between the Nationals and Knights.

In fine conditions, early possession of the ball from both sides were surprisingly sloppy, creating turnover after turnover. As the quarter progressed, Day started to possess the ball more cleanly, resulting in more scoring opportunities. With that, the Knights looked the better side as they managed the first three goals of the match. Meanwhile on the other hand, Chavez struggled to move the ball forward, only generating a solitary behind in one quarter of play, finishing the first quarter 20 points adrift.
QT - Chavez 0.1 (1), Day 3.3 (21)

Day continued their momentum, and scored an early goal from Joao Quaresma. Things looked dire for Chavez, still without a goal next to their name. Halfway through the second, the Knights piled more pain on the Nationals, extending the buffer to 32 points. Desperate for a goal, Chavez finally delivered their first efficient entry to their forwards as Henry Koo marked the ball 30 metres (33 yards) straight in front. Koo converted for the Nationals' first goal. Whilst Day led comfortably, Chavez suddenly added another goal to restore the quarter-time deficit.
HT - Chavez 2.3 (15), Day 5.5 (35)

The goals scored by Chavez late in the second built their confidence towards entering the third. This paid dividends for the blue and golds as the Nationals scored their third goal. Now only fourteen points in arrears, the Nationals felt like they had a sniff at victory. With plenty of time left, it was anyone's game. The Nationals, buoyed by their home support, continued to surge closer to the lead, and managed the next two goals. All of a sudden, the margin was down to two points.

Despite this, Day finally found their mojo again, and coupled with a few Chavez misses, managed three of the next four goals to restore some breathing space. However Chavez surged forward, with Joseph Norwood scoring a goal from the forward pocket to reduce the deficit to five. The Nationals went forward again, and had a shot for the lead, though Joseph Tremain's shot went wide right for a behind. Day held their nerve as their four point was maintained at the final change.
3QT - Chavez 7.8 (50), Day 8.6 (54)

The Day midfield started to feel pressure about maintaining their lead and embarrassingly, a midfield blunder from Samuel Wheaton allowed a quick turnover for Chavez to generate a good scoring opportunity. Unfortunately for the Nationals, they were unable to capitalise on the Knights' miscue, only managing a couple of behinds during that span. Nonetheless, the Nationals were edging closer to the lead, with the scores 54-52 in Day's favour. Day continued to commit more clangers, and this time Chavez punished them to reach the lead for the first time, exciting the home crowd.

However that joy was short-lived as the Knights immediately answered back with not only one goal, but two, as Day regained the lead. Chavez managed another behind before Day started to dominate play, with the Knights adding two more goals to ice the game and book themselves a preliminary final berth, with defender Scott Larsen and Joao Quaresma among the best for Day.
FT - Chavez 8.12 (60), Day 12.9 (81)[img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0791abe3-9b8d-4311-b88e-e3af67554e94/ddksg2a-690fb466-fdbc-426b-aa5d-0ae91698dd54.png/v1/fill/w_812,h_984,strp/1957_1sf_by_tgartworks_ddksg2a-pre.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTU1MSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzA3OTFhYmUzLTliOGQtNDMxMS1iODhlLWUzYWY2NzU1NGU5NFwvZGRrc2cyYS02OTBmYjQ2Ni1mZGJjLTQyNmItYWE1ZC0wYWU5MTY5OGRkNTQucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.g3Qi-yhf5m1SS9o0fwmGVDd-Sl0TFqynrdi2o7TuM2w[/img]

2ND SEMI FINAL
RUDDY VS. ANGERER
AT SHEVCHENKO STADIUM
21 SEPTEMBER 1957 - 2:10PM

Desperate to avenge for their heartbreaking Grand Final loss to Chavez the previous year, Ruddy were determined to go one better. Angerer on the other hand, were in red-hot form, winning their previous nine matches, and many pundits predicted the Bulls to win the premiership..

Playing in Ruddy is always a difficult task for the opposition, and it was indifferent for the Bulls, who conceded the first two goals. Whilst Angerer scored the next, they never looked like they had any periods of dominance, with the Ruddy defence holding them in check. The Longhorns added a third to extend the buffer to 10 points heading into the first break.
QT - Ruddy 3.2 (20), Angerer 1.4 (10)

As the second quarter progressed, it was apparent why Ruddy finished on top. The Longhorns started to muscle away from their opponents, scoring six goals to two in the second quarter to lead by 31 points. First year player Flavio Bonaccorsi had three goals next to his name for the Longhorns, as they were in cruise control.
HT - Ruddy 9.3 (57), Angerer 3.8 (26)

Whilst Angerer played more respectably in the third, the Longhorns continued to extend the lead, mainly due to their straighter kicking in front of goal. The Bulls managed the first goal of the third quarter but effectively, it was goal for goal until the Longhorns booted three in a row to hold a 41 point lead at the final change, all but ensuring themselves a berth in next fortnight's Grand Final.
3QT - Ruddy 14.3 (87), Angerer 6.10 (46)

If the game was not already iced at three quarter time, Ruddy's early goal from Bonaccorsi pretty much sealed the result for the Longhorns. The Longhorns dominated the final quarter as they managed five goals to two, prevailing by 62 points in a well-deserved victory. Flavio Bonaccorsi's career-high seven goals, captain Piotr Dunin's strong midfield prowess and Willie Quinlan's outstanding defensive performance were amongst the best for the match as they all helped Ruddy to a convincing win.
FT - Ruddy 19.7 (121), Angerer 8.11 (59)[img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0791abe3-9b8d-4311-b88e-e3af67554e94/ddksg2l-a1b736b2-e3eb-4aec-9238-1a13d3f06a62.png/v1/fill/w_812,h_984,strp/1957_2sf_by_tgartworks_ddksg2l-pre.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTU1MSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzA3OTFhYmUzLTliOGQtNDMxMS1iODhlLWUzYWY2NzU1NGU5NFwvZGRrc2cybC1hMWI3MzZiMi1lM2ViLTRhZWMtOTIzOC0xYTEzZDNmMDZhNjIucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.1D3KUHI-5cI_irkTdj1esaKxFEBftkMQmrXv4j1caIY[/img]

PRELIMINARY FINAL
ANGERER VS. DAY
AT PRASAD PARK
28 SEPTEMBER 1957 - 2:10PM

After an insipid performance against Ruddy the week before, the Bulls were determined to make amends against Day, who had a comfortable win over Chavez. Pundits paid little respect to Day, with most experts predicting Angerer to comfortably account for the Knights.

Day went off to a lightning start, scoring the first two goals of the match. Angerer slowly crawled into the game, and eventually started to dominate their lower ranked opponents. The Bulls generated a plethora of opportunities to gather the lead, leading by 8 points midway through the first quarter. Both sides then traded goals as the 8 point buffer was maintained at the first change.
QT - Angerer 4.2 (26), Day 3.0 (18)

Finals inexperience from most of the Day squad was quickly felt, despite their victory the previous fortnight, as Angerer raced away to extend the buffer. However, despite dominating the second quarter, the Bulls only managed a wasteful 3.5, along with a few misses compared to the Knights' 1.2. The inaccuracy from Angerer allowed Day a sniff for a spot in the Grand Final. If the Bulls were to make a statement in the Grand Final, they would have to make the most of their opportunities as they held a 23 point lead at the main break when in reality it should have been larger.
HT - Angerer 7.7 (49), Day 4.2 (26)

Learning from their inaccuracies from the previous quarter, Angerer continued to dominate Day, destroying them and dominating possession. The Knights only managed a solitary goal compared to five from the Bulls, in what Angerer held a seemingly match winning 47 point lead at three quarter time.
3QT - Angerer 12.11 (83), Day 5.6 (36)

The crowd generally felt the match was as good as over, and the predominantly green and white faithful were already celebrating what appeared to be another Grand Final appearance for the Bulls. The early moments of the last quarter had both sides treading water, but were unable to trouble the scorers. However, Day suddenly found themselves a boost as Samuel Wheaton, playing against his former side, moved up another gear. He generated many scoring opportunities, and the Day forwards often found themselves with the ball. Most importantly, they started to kick many goals, and in a few minutes, they managed four quick goals, reducing the deficit to 23 points at the halfway point of the last quarter.

Suddenly, Angerer fans felt nervous. Their worst fears were realised when Day continued to dominate the midfield, creating further scoring opportunities. The Knights managed more quick goals, and suddenly with five minutes to play, the deficit was only ten points!

Despite this, Angerer moved the ball forward and set up a perfect scoring opportunity for veteran forward Morten Hansen, playing in his 12th season of professional football. Unfortunately, Hansen shanked the kick that it did not trouble the scorers. Subsequently, Day immediately punished them with a long goal from midfielder Leroy Warren, reducing the deficit to four points!

Two minutes remained, and the game was in the balance. Angerer fans tried desperately to cheer their fellow heroes on, but to no avail as the Knights continued to dominate in the middle. With one minute left, Samuel Wheaton, who was having a dominant final quarter, found Michael Boston straight in front of goal 25 metres (27 yards) out. Boston took his set shot, silencing the predominantly Angerer-supporting crowd as the Knights regained the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter.

Angerer thrusted forward, though with thirty seconds left, the Bulls had minimal time to work with. The clock ticked as Day thrust everyone in defence. Suddenly young midfielder Jay Davies of Angerer, who was having a rough final quarter, took a long set shot to hope for the best. Unfortunately for the Bulls, their new recruit, who they ironically traded with Day, failed to even generate a decent scoring chance and the shot ended up miserably wide and short. The Knights iced the clock to book themselves a Grand Final berth against Ruddy with a huge comeback victory!
FT - Angerer 12.11 (83), Day 13.7 (85)
[img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0791abe3-9b8d-4311-b88e-e3af67554e94/ddksg2o-746b1fda-6e17-4bd2-a5c8-58013cc684d8.png/v1/fill/w_812,h_984,strp/1957_pf_by_tgartworks_ddksg2o-pre.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTU1MSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzA3OTFhYmUzLTliOGQtNDMxMS1iODhlLWUzYWY2NzU1NGU5NFwvZGRrc2cyby03NDZiMWZkYS02ZTE3LTRiZDItYTVjOC01ODAxM2NjNjg0ZDgucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.YqEHXk4nIwqIUSVeFEUWhNG-ccVSBRGIEp7A3MBsHwY[/img]

Last edited by Goran The Man (11/26/2019 1:12 am)