Ironside-Talinger

Ironside-Talinger Football Club was a Candelariasian CMSC football club from the town of Talinger, on the westernmost outskirts of suburban Albrecht.

One of the oldest clubs in the Candelarias that would go on to achieve professional status; the Irons spent six seasons in the CMSC1 during the ‘International Era’, four of them consecutive, without ever finishing higher than thirteenth and racking up the highest draws-per-game ratio of any top-flight side during this period. Internationally, the club was best known for having reached the SBCC2 final and for a period spent under the ownership of Pocoan multimillionaire Deacon Farley.

Early years
Formed as Ironside Foot-Ball Club in 1899 by locals youths and older men involved in the wool trade; their name was taken from Oliver Cromwell’s cavalry regiment during the English Civil War, though the town’s relationship with its long-standing ironworks has led to a more commonly recognised association with heavy industry – including on the club’s badge. Though the name of Talinger was added to that of the club in the 1960s, they remained commonly known thereafter simply as Ironside, or even The Irons.

Playing at the relatively small West End Park, and facing competition for supporters from semi-professionals rivals Warbirds Talinger as well as the Albrecht giants, Ironside long punched above their weight, in part due to the ability to assert their longevity amongst a sea of modern franchise teams. Entering the NFBL in 1944, they were regular fixtures in the first division during the fifties, and were well known for their pragmatic approach to the game, on and off-field. Unable to compete during the later era of financial liberality, they remained solvent as an amateur entity and made the first CMS Cup final of the modern era.

The CMSC
Returning to professionalism, they became a major force in the CMSC under Seth Murphy for a time, finishing runners-up to Albrecht FC in the IX season, but from then on in were known as a yo-yo side. Much of their later fame came from their consistently impressive cup performances; winning the domestic competition twice and making the final in XXIX while still a CMSC2 side. Under veteran coach Robert Kilroy they then went on to make the SBCC2 final, losing to Island Athletic of Ad’ihan in extra time.

Easily recognisable for their green kits, Ironside broke new ground – particularly for a club from a relatively conservative town – by naming the league’s first female manager for the XXXI season, the Ariddian Naoki Tonnelier. They were also home to some of the first Ariddians to sign new professional contracts since the country dropped out of international play. Under Tonnelier they achieved consecutive fifteenth and thirteenth-place finishes in the CMSC1 – with relegation throughout and not receiving great credit for their style of play, but continuing to maintain their top-flight place against the odds. Left-back Marc Meesschaert became the first Ironside player to represent the C&M senior team at a mid-World Cup 44 qualifying friendly game during this period but later left for Tenderville United. Ultimately, Ironside no longer had the finances to compete at this level and, unable to keep hold of key players prior to XXXIII, they were relegated by five points that season. Naoki Tonnelier parted company with the club soon after.

Club President Steven Mitchell subsequently left the job to Ebbrell Klein, the long-time Ironside centre-half, despite his lack of coaching experience. The Irons, largely avoiding the usual post-relegation asset-stripping, were able to gain a couple of solid top-half finishes in the CMSC2 over the following seasons, without coming close to a promotion push.

Deacon Farley
Though many supporters had come to accept that Ironside had found their natural level once more, they would be left stunned by events during the summer prior to XXXVI with long-time chairman Steven Mitchell opting to accept a takeover bid from Pocoan billionaire Deacon Farley. With the club suddenly the wealthiest in the division, Klein was able to further his steady building work ahead of schedule and hoover up a sizable chunk of the CMSC2’s best talent – with the resulting side dominant in the division from the off. Failing to pick up a single league defeat during the Clausura, Ironside’s title-winning tally of ninety points was a record in modern times and left the historic club well prepared to push for a status as one of Candelariasian football’s major players.

As it was, Ironside merely clung onto their top-flight status on goal difference, leaving supporters and pundits divided as to whether Klein had achieved all that could have been asked of him or otherwise. Of particular consternation, right from before the opening fixture, was the almost wholesale shake-up of what had been a highly successful CMSC2 team, with the first XI regularly featuring nine or more newcomers. Several key dressing room leaders were shipped out, with new arrivals including striker Ryan Sheppard, veterans Ben Zec and Gerszon Illés (himself a former Ironside midfielder), teenager defenders Jake Smith and Corentin du Guesclin, and goalkeeper Adeliz Giménez. Given such resources, fans might well have expected a better return that merely the narrowest of fifteenth-place finishes – but it was enough to keep Klein in his job for now.

The Irons were the talk of XXXVIII’s opening matchday with three last-minute signings going straight into the first team, and some immediate consternation at a seemingly scattergun approach to transfer dealings that saw the arrival of a new ‘keeper, Cockburn Wu, when the solid Giménez had impressed the previous season, and du Guesclin benched in favour McDonald SC left-back Sam Doswell. Experienced Pocoan international defensive midfielder Ruud Seedorf was a more reassuring new presence, dominating Tenderville to play his part in a 1-0 victory.

It wasn’t to last, and Ironside struggled thereafter with results including a 5-0 thrashing by Port of Clotaire leaving them in amongst a congested relegation fight. Dropping into the bottom three just after the start of the Clausura, the club unveiled an exciting new arrival, Starblaydia international striker Carnophin Narquelie, whose brace the following weekend in a 3-1 win at the Marbles provided hope of a comfortable finish after all. But a 2-1 defeat with ten games of the season remaining to McDonald, a team that had become something close to a feeder club for them since Farley’s arrival, saw the owner finally pull the plug on Klein and hand the job to his long-suffering assistant Edgar Carpegiani – who wasted no time in publicly raging at his side’s profligacy in front of goal. With Starblaydi and C&M internationals in partnership up front, few could argue that he had a point.

Requiring a miracle on the final day, Ironside failed to find it. Their 3-0 defeat at champions Green Island would prove to be their final CMSC1 match. Ahead of the CMSC2 season the team was unsurprisingly dismantled, Farley’s millions unable to convince players who not unjustly considered themselves top-flight talents that it was worth sticking it out. Those who remained took the club to the SBCC21 quarter-finals and to an immediate return to the CMSC1 via the play-offs against Brayton Town following a third-place league finish, but the match was played with the full knowledge that the XL season might be delayed by quite some time. As it was it never came to pass at all, Farely’s investment was sheepishly paid off by the Candelariasian government, and West End Park joined the ranks of so many other of the country’s smaller and now redundant stadiums to fall into ruin and eventual demolition.

Notable CMSC1 International Era players
Goalkeepers
 * Darren Bryson
 * Adeliz Giménez
 * Cockburn Wu

Defenders
 * Corentin du Guesclin
 * Flag of Ex-Nation.png Muhammad Fairhope
 * Shaun Jenkins
 * Ebbrell Klein
 * Martin MacGillycuddy
 * Marc Meesschaert
 * Jake Smith
 * Oscar Smith
 * Amelia Stein

Midfielders
 * Edgar Carpegiani
 * William Cook
 * Harry Haskay
 * Guilford Herbert
 * Jua Huwang
 * Gerszon Illés
 * Frank Le Tissier
 * Kayben Nixon
 * Ruud Seedorf
 * Ben Zec

Forwards
 * Denver Anastasiadis
 * Abdul bin Achmed
 * Jacob Calero
 * Carnophin Narquelie
 * Ryan Sheppard